The Disney Renaissance: Tarzan

1999 marked the end of the 1990s, so it was appropriate that it also featured the final film of the Disney Renaissance, Tarzan. The studio took the classic Edgar Rice Burroughs story of a man raised by apes and turned it into a sweeping, heartbreaking animated film reminiscent of The Lion King.

My favorite part of Tarzan is the music. The film’s original songs were written and performed by Phil Collins. I can’t hear “You’ll Be in My Heart” without crying, and the various other songs beg to be dramatically lip-synched to. In private, of course. The interesting thing about Tarzan is that its songs are for the most part not performed by the characters. They set the tone for the scenes in which they’re featured, by the movie is not a musical in the sense of the other Disney Renaissance films. Still, Tarzan is undeniably a strong addition to the Renaissance, with its powerful themes, gorgeous animation and an emphasis on music, even if it’s not worked into the plot like in the other films of the period.

After Tarzan, Disney could not return to its 1990s success. Films like Treasure Planet, Brother Bear and Home on the Range failed to live up to their predecessors of the past decade. Even The Princess and the Frog (2009), a rare theatrical 2D animated feature, could not recapture the magic of the Disney Renaissance. Although all the pieces were in place, like reimagining a classic fairy tale in a new setting and working music into the plot, the film lacked that something special which the Disney Renaissance films possessed. The Disney/Pixar collaborations come closest to capturing the 1990s feeling, but even they can’t compare, because of their computer animation and lack of memorable songs.

Maybe it’s time to stop pining for a reawakening of the Disney Renaissance style and to be content with the films the period provided for us. It’s satisfying to pop in an old VHS tape or catch one of the films playing on television. We’ll keep singing along to the soundtracks, and future generations will continue to dress like characters on Halloween and quote the same lines we loved as children. The Disney Renaissance hasn’t died just because no more films are being made in its style. It’s still living because the people who first loved it are still watching the films and passing them on to their children. And that’s pretty amazing, isn’t it?

The Disney Renaissance: Mulan

If you’re in your late teens to early twenties, odds are you often find yourself singing, “Let’s get down to business to defeat the Huns.”  That’s the opening line in one of the most well-known songs from Disney’s 1998 animated feature Mulan.

The title heroine of Mulan probably has the most girl power of any of the Disney princesses.  She plays a young Chinese woman who disguises herself as a man and fights in the army in order to save her sick father from going to war.  After a difficult start pretending to be a man, she ends up becoming a hero for her country.

This film provided a refreshing departure from the typical Disney princess formula of dreaming of a fairy tale marriage and a knight in shining armor.  Mulan finds love in the process of fighting for her country, but marriage is not her top priority, as evidenced by the opening scenes in which she struggles to make a good impression with a matchmaker.  In this way, Mulan is very similar to the newest Disney heroine, Merida, in Brave.

Mulan continues the Disney Renaissance tradition of blending powerful drama with humor.  The film deals with emotional, political themes of family, nationality, and feminism, but comic relief is provided around every corner, mostly from the miniature dragon Mushu (voiced by Eddie Murphy).

The Disney Renaissance: Hercules

Hercules (1997) is my favorite film of the Disney Renaissance.  It’s my favorite for a variety of reasons.  Its songs are my favorite overall of any of the Disney Renaissance songs, its female character is the spunkiest of all the Disney Renaissance girls, and it has the most entertaining villain.  Plus, I like Greek mythology and I enjoy how Disney interpreted the stories for a modern audience.

The music for Hercules was composed by Alan Menken with lyrics by David Zippel.  The decision to give the film’s music a gospel style, best exemplified by the narrative songs performed by the Muses, who act as a Greek chorus for the plot, is brilliant in my opinion.  It plays on the spiritual nature of the Greek myths while giving the film a fun, modern edge.  The film’s famous song “Go the Distance” is gorgeous and uplifting.  Meg’s feisty, jaded song “I Won’t Say (I’m in Love)” is impossible to get out of your head.  The songs in Hercules have the most repeat value for me.

The film’s major female character is Megara, a sarcastic and cynical young woman voiced by Susan Egan.  Meg’s wisecracks and flirtations with Hercules make her vastly different from the quiet, blushing princesses of Disney films past.  She’s got a tough exterior but a vulnerability inside, something a lot of women can no doubt relate to.  Plus she has great hair.

Another character who makes Hercules great is the villain, Hades.  Disney villains usually have a sliver of a sense of humor (except for the evil Judge Frollo), but the voice of James Woods brings a new comedy to this film’s villain.  I hate to say it, but I really like Hades.  I still root for Hercules to defeat him, but I enjoy watching the bitter king of the underworld crack jokes and get angry.  Who wouldn’t laugh at his desperate questioning, “Is my hair out?” when the blue flame atop his head is extinguished?

Hercules has a very distinctive visual style.  The Greek key design is incorporated into various aspects of the animation, from the architecture to the clothing to the shape of Hercules’ elbows and knees.  It’s this amusing attention to detail which makes me love the film so much.

The Disney Renaissance: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In 1996 Disney went back to adapting classic literature.  They turned Victor Hugo’s novel The Hunchback of Notre Dame into an animated film.  The result features haunting drama, beautiful music, and arguably Disney’s most evil villain, Judge Frollo.

Hunchback has all the drama and darkness of a live action film adaptation.  Quasimodo, the film’s protagonist, attracts sympathy and identification from the audience as he struggles to be accepted in society.  Judge Frollo, his abusive and narrow-minded guardian, provokes hatred from viewers.  Esmerelda, the spunky gypsy voiced by Demi Moore, and Captain Phoebus, voiced by Kevin Kline, provide the film’s expected element of romance.  Disney’s decision to make the titular cathedral’s gargoyles come to life as Quasimodo’s companions, and to then have them voiced by the very funny Jason Alexander, Mary Wickes, and Charles Kimbrough, is an inspired one.

The film features emotional, dramatic songs by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz.  The opening “The Bells of Notre Dame” has the power of a song like “The Circle of Life.”  Esmerelda’s emotional ballad “God Help the Outcasts” might bring tears to your eyes.

Hunchback has striking visuals.  From its colorful carnival scene to its dark an fiery climax, the film’s images convey powerful themes and tones.  The movie seems to get overlooked by people my age because its dark themes either scared us or bored us as children and we didn’t bother rewatching it as often as we did films like Aladdin.  However, watching it as an adult makes you look at the film from an entirely new angle, and you’re able to appreciate its cinematic power.

The Disney Renaissance: Pocahontas

“Colors of the Wind” is my favorite Disney song.  It was written by Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz, and it’s featured in the 1995 film Pocahontas.  Whenever I hear it, I want to sing along, and I’m certain that if I’m ever on a singing competition show (which will never happen), I’m going to sing that song on one episode.  Everything about that song is rousing and emotional.  Its message applies in today’s environmentally (un)conscious world, and it’s full of lovely imagery and wordplay.

With Pocahontas, Disney took a break from fairy tales and literary adaptations and told a true story.  Of course, there are quite a few embellishments added.  Pocahontas was not a statuesque grown woman, for instance, when she met John Smith.  But Disney adds its magic and the film becomes very enjoyable and dramatic nonetheless.

I would argue that, aside from The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahontas is the least musically famous of the Disney Renaissance films.  Besides “Colors of the Wind,” the film doesn’t feature many particularly memorable or sing-along-worthy songs.  However, it does have a compelling story and an unforgettable heroine with adorable sidekicks.  Around the time the movie was released, I dressed as Pocahontas for Halloween.  My mom made me a fake canoe out of cardboard, complete with Meeko and Flit, the raccoon and hummingbird.  She attached blue-green metallic streamers to the bottom of the canoe to represent water.  I won best costume that year at a local competition.  Pocahontas is the only Disney Renaissance princess I ever chose to dress as for Halloween, which probably means she resonated with me.

While I love “Colors of the Wind” as a song, I think it’s even better when viewed in the film.  The performance of the song is presented almost like a modern music video, with scenes spliced together in montage-style juxtaposition against abstract images.  It’s a beautifully animated film which features nature in all its glory.

Go listen to “Colors of the Wind” and try not to cry.  I dare you.