Disney Movie Eras: The Disney Renaissance
This month continues a new series of blogs for fans of popular culture. Whereas in the past explorations of Walt Disney films we highlighted individual works, we will now be talking about the larger groupings of movies, and the various artistic and commercial visions sought for and achieved from said movies.
A quick run though of the eras:
The Golden Age: 1937-1941
Wartime: 1942-1949
The Silver Age: 1950-1967
The Bronze Age: 1968-1988
The Renaissance: 1989-1999
Post-Renaissance: 2000-2009
Revival: 2010-Present
As you can see, the various eras are inspired by historical art movements over the year, as well as comic books. You can draw the parallel, for instance, between the Italian Renaissance, or between the iterated variations of popular superheroes like Batman and Superman.
We will also be covering Disney live action films. The list of films owned by the Walt Disney Corporation is quite expansive because it includes multiple studios and production companies, such as Touchstone Pictures, Pixar, and more. And for good measure, we will also cover animated films that released without the official Walt Disney Pictures branding, as well as films that only released via television or Disney +.
So buckle up everyone as we retread the Disney films of years passed:
As far as this series is concerned, this might very well be both the most anticipated entry, as well as the longest and most thorough. Buckle up everyone, as we venture into the Disney Renaissance.
Released between 1989 and 1999, ten films are included: The Little Mermaid, The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan.
The Little Mermaid is considered the proper start of the Disney Renaissance, but it's origins date far before the start of production in 1985. In the 1930s, Disney considered adapting the Hans Christian Andersen classic himself. As mentioned in previous blogs, the studio experienced severe hardship during the late 1930s and was forced to temper its budget and output. Many ideas had been considered, including The Little Mermaid, but all were shelved, and many of those wound up never seeing production at all. It was therefore, a stroke of supreme fortune when the animation team discovered the notes from the original film pitch, and were able to incorporate it into their new film.
To help maximize performance, Disney sought out new talent to help bring its new project to life. Rather than recruiting new animators, the studio this time turned to Broadway and recruited Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, beginning an era of musical films with the highest quality. The stunning quality and reception of the film speak for itself.
On a technical level, there were more innovations. The Little Mermaid was the first film to be shot using CAPS, a new experimental filming method, though only for the final shot in the film. It was also the final film made using xerography, since Disney had started with One-Hundred and One Dalmatians. There were a few computer drawn models in the film, but this was otherwise the last film shot using traditional animation cells.
Previously, we mentioned The Rescuers being one of Disney's most successful films during the late 70s and 80s. The unexpected popularity restored faith at the top of the company, who decided to greenlight a sequel, the first official Disney film to earn such distinction. The company also decided to fully embrace the new digital animation of CAPS, making The Rescuers Down Under the first of many future films to be thus animated.
The animation team conducted research in Australia, venturing across the country to get a better idea of the then-exotic locale. They weren't the only film being filmed at the time, of course, as another film, Ferngully: The Last Rainforest, was being produced by Fox Animation Studio, and also took place in Australia, though that work had been under development for over a decade. There's a bunch of drama there, but we'll dive more into that soon.
Breathtaking animation aside, The Rescuers Down Under did not quite perform as well as might be expected during its holiday 1990 release. Faced against stiff competition from Home Alone, The Rescuers Down Under became the first, and arguably only box office bomb of the era.
The Rescuers Down Under may have disappointed, but the next film was anything but upsetting. Frankly, we could have an entire blog dedicated to this one film and its many merits.
Instead, we'll just say this: Beauty and the Beast is the pinnacle of the Disney Princess films, and the only Disney animated movie to ever be nominated for the Academy Award for best picture, when the category only has 5 nominees. It won best song (Beauty and the Beast) as well as numerous other awards.
In spite of all this, it was a slightly rocky road to success. Ashman recently received an AIDS diagnosis. This would be one of his final films, and to accommodate his poor health, production relocated an office near his hospice, the better to work with him on the film, along with Aladdin. He passed 8 months before release, and the film was dedicated to him. The film also had a much longer and troubled history in development, going back as far as the 30s, though Walt never got around to doing much. Production had begun in 1987 on the actual film, but studio frustrations led to everything being scrapped, so the released film had to be completed in only two years instead of four. Considering what we got in the end, very impressive.
The film proved to be a truly high water mark, becoming the highest grossing animated film, and topping the charts in several countries. It would eventually earn two animated sequels and a live-action sequel years later.
For several years growing up, Aladdin was my favorite Disney film. Considering it made $500 million at the box office, breaking records and bringing Robin Williams to a whole generation of kids, the film probably became a favorite for a whole lot of people.
The film started as the brainchild of Howard Ashman, who wrote a rough script and composed several songs. Disney eventually picked up the film, though not all of Ashman's material made it into the film. Instead, most viewers would come to associate the film with another celebrity, Robin Williams, who was brought in to voice Genie. Williams' performance is legendary, the result of hours of stand-up, distilled into a few iconic scenes. Williams and Disney squabbled a bit over using him in advertising, leading to a brief feud before everyone reconciled. The feud extended beyond the actor, however.
Remember Ferngully? Well, that was another film under production, and it too included Robin Williams voicing an animated character (Batty). Disney made several attempts to (unofficially) disrupt production of Ferngully, but Williams and Fox Animation stood firm, and Ferngully was able to release first. While successful, it would be Disney who won in the end with its monumental gross. The feud extended long enough to derail William's involvement in the first animated sequel, but he returned for the second one, both of which we'll discuss more later. The film also earned more awards, and a live-action film, though Williams was not able to participate in that, due to his untimely death.
Behold, the jewel of the Disney crown. The Lion King is generally regarded as the most successful and most important Disney film in modern times, being one of the highest grossing films ever, and holding a certified Diamond album.
Initially conceived as 'Bambi in Africa', Jeff Katzenberg was somewhat reluctant to support the film. Most of the animation department agreed, and more of the senior staff opted to focus on the concurrently developed Pocahontas. Somehow, the stars aligned to ensure The Lion King became a stellar production. With Ashman no longer available to assist with music, Disney informed his companion, Tim Rice, that he could recruit an additional colleague. Rice's first choice was ABBA, who proved unable to commit due to contractual obligations, so he next turned to one of his best friends, Elton John. John and Rice together composed five songs that made it into the film.
Releasing in 1994, The Lion King smashed records and made history. It earned two animated sequels of its own and a 'live-action' remake.
In an infamous meeting, Jeffrey Katzenberg declared that The Lion King would prove to be experimental and less popular than Pocahontas. The majority of the senior animation team opted to focus their efforts on the latter film. In the end, Katzenberg's prediction did not quite pan out.
To be clear, Pocahontas proved to be quite successful in the end, grossing nearly $350 million off its $55 million budget. Audiences generally approved of the film, and in won more awards. However, it did not quite do as well as The Lion King's $750 million. Pocahontas also faced critique over historical inaccuracies in the historical-based film. Whereas most Disney films drew inspiration from fairy tales, legends, and children's books, Pocahontas was based on historical figures with known histories, appearances, and ages. In the end, in order to tell a more universally accepting story, creative changes were made with the film, notably aging the title character up to a young woman and focusing more on epic romance and easy dialogue.
In a slight change from recent films, the various animal sidekicks of the film could not speak. Unlike Abu and Iago, Flounder and Sebastian, and many others before, the animation team decided to let Meeko, Flik, and Percy express themselves more realistically, via pantomime and implied responses.
Most notably was the novel advertising decision by Disney for both films. In official commercials, Disney highlighted the big musical numbers, unedited, to serve as full-fledge advertisements. Specifically, The Lion King featured "The Circle of Life" while Pocahontas' "Colors of the Wind" marketed front and center.
Several years ago, I previously covered this film in a lengthy blog. You can read more about it here, opens a new window .
Storytime! I previously mentioned Aladdin being my favorite Disney film for a while. A few years later I was old enough to sit through a film in the theater, and a few years after seeing The Lion King for the first time, my mother brought me to a late night showing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. I was oblivious at the time, but that night we happened to be sharing the quiet auditorium with one other family. Lo and behold, it was Demi Moore and her daughter! I didn't find out until later, but that was a neat experience!
The Hunchback of Notre Dame had a lot to prove by the time it released in 1996. Since 1989, Disney had released a string of hits, some more successful than others, but none truly bad. The company typically had 2 or 3 films in production at any one time, so most of the talent came from the teams behind Aladdin and The Lion King. The animation team took an extended trip to Paris and spent a lot of time in the titular cathedral. Pocahontas had turned out to be less popular than expected, but the executives behind Hunchback made a gutsy decision to double down on the themes of the classic Victor Hugo novel, while delicately aiming for a G-rating. The result was a darker film that came out surprisingly well received and critically acclaimed, despite not being as financially successful as the earlier films. Importantly, a distinction was made in comparison to Beauty and the Beast, which made a similar amount of money, albeit on fewer screens. The film narrowly beat Pocahontas in the end and impressed audiences everywhere.
The Hercules myths date back to ancient Greece, but the Disney film's origins are much closer to modern times. In 1992, Disney staff were allowed to submit ideas for production. This meeting would see routine use over the years, and many profitable films came out of it. Hercules was one such film pitched, in much the same vein as Aladdin. The comparisons to the earlier film do not stop there, as Hercules would go on to include one of Disney's most notable villains, Hades, portrayed by James Woods. Woods' performance captured much of the same manic spirit of Robin Williams' Genie, albeit with a villainous and maniacal twist to it. And there's more! Several years after the film was released, a spin-off series came out showing the various adventures of Hercules growing up. One such adventure included a run-in with Aladdin and Jasmine, and the protagonists teamed up! What a blast from the past, right? There was a blink and you miss it clip of Aladdin, where the title hero and Princess Jasmine ride the magic carpet through Greece, inspiring the team-up that would happen years later.
The film was mildly successful, though it had an impressive advertising campaign, so profit was ultimately less than the company hoped for. More importantly, for the third film in a row now, Disney failed to live up to the financial highs of Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin or The Lion King. Was Disney on the way out? Perhaps a bit too soon to make that call, but their story hardly ends here...
Let's get down to business! To discuss this film!
Did Disney find success? Or find strength within?
Okay, that's it for my attempt at song lyrics. No lie, I love this film. Personally, I think it's one of Disney's best, and there's a reason it was one of the first films pitched for a live-action remake. But does my love for the film correlate with financial and critical success?
Based on The Ballad of Fa Mu Lan, this is another Disney film that may actually be based on a historical figure (though not verified for a few more decades, and certainly not portrayed accurately). As with many 'exotic' films, the Disney animation team took a trip out to China to explore and soak in the atmosphere. Of course, this was the team in Orlando, working on their first film as the lead production group, rather than the animators in Burbank. The team was heavily inspired by traditional Chinese artwork and did their best to mimic the style. This choice didn't exactly hit home with some critics, who lambasted the film for lacking detail and grandeur, but I'd argue those critics missed the entire point. The film did not receive a warm welcome in China, who accused Disney of rewriting much of the history for commercialization, but this is not exactly a rare complaint when it comes to most of Disney's films.
Did you know that Mulan shares an actress with another Disney princess? Lea Salonga, actress for Princess Jasmine, also auditioned for Mulan, but was ultimately cast only as her singing voice. Instead, Ming-na Wen voices the Hero of China for most of the movie. In another casting coincidence, Donny Osmond auditioned to play and sing for Hercules, but lost out as well. Donny instead became the singing voice for Captain Li Shang. Internationally, most viewers are probably more familiar with martial arts legend Jackie Chan being the official singing voice, for at least three different versions: Cantonese, Mainland Chinese, and Taiwanese.
And speaking one last time on the music, though her fans probably need no reminder, the film also helped launch the career of Christina Aguilera, who sung the pop version for "Reflection".
Based on the Edgar Rice Burroughs classic, Tarzan is the final film of the Disney Renaissance.
In many ways, Tarzan premiered with a notable shift compared to previous films. It was the first film to be filmed, produced, and released digitally, a trend that would continue to today. Tarzan also made sweeping use of new filming techniques, including tremendous use of CGI to enhance many of its scenes. Simply put, Tarzan features camera shifts and angles that were impossible with traditional camera rigs, and could not be duplicated until the advent of drone-controlled cameras.
Tarzan also differed musically. Rather than embrace the popular Broadway-style musical numbers and character songs, Tarzan employed Phil Collins to provide numerous songs in his catchy contemporary style. For possibly the first, and only, time in the Renaissance, the main character himself did not sing a single song, something Aladdin, Simba, Quasimodo and Hercules all managed to do.
As different as the film seems, there is generally more similarity between Tarzan and previous films, than with the films that would come later. Tarzan was a massive financial success exceeding $400 million, turning a nice profit even in spite of its massive $130 million budget. Also, by 1999, the market had become quite saturated with competition. In previous blogs, we mentioned the rise of Don Bluth and his impressive run of animated films in the early 90s; though his success diminished, he still pushed out films. Other companies rose as well, including Pixar (which Disney would buy), Fox Animation Studios, and Dreamworks. The latter in particular would prove to be Disney's #1 rival for years, and many of Dreamworks' early hits rivaled some of the best films Disney put out, in large part due to Katzenberg, who by now had joined Dreamworks and was proving stiff competition.
Disney itself has never formally codified any of their films into organized Eras, as we have so far described. Such efforts have been entirely fan-driven and in hindsight. Moreover, Disney itself would know that many of its films exist organically and share lots of variables, making a firm delineation all but impossible. Walt Disney himself died in the early 1960s, but his influence could still be felt well into the 70s and 80s by staff who had worked with him.
Though some fans insist a couple other films are part of the Disney Renaissance, most agree that the films released after 1999 differ enough in tone, animation technique, and (perhaps most importantly) financial and critical success that it can clearly be said that the era ended with Tarzan. The return of notable alumni like Ron Clements, John Musker, and Alan Menken for films like Princess and the Frog, Tangled, and Frozen mark a clear return to form that has since become known as the Disney Revival.
Stay tuned next month when we cover the 1990s Live-Action films.
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