True! (and an awesome movie in itself as well!) Another fun-fact; the final scenes of 'Atlantis' were also inspired by 'Cagliostro'. Specifically, the water draining out of the city-streets, and the final overhead- shot were intended as a direct homage. (also; ironically, Speilberg himself has claimed 'Cagliostro' as one of his all-time favs.) =) Thanks for pointing it out!
True! And oddly enough, 'Atlantis' also pays homage to 'Cagliostro' toward the end of the film! (Not to mention, but ironically, Speilberg himself has claimed 'Cagliostro' as one of favorite films, and a major influence.) =)
Robin Hood and Oliver & Company are the most underrated of the Disney Animated Features. I know critics didn't like it as well, but I would consider Oliver & Company as the beginning of the Renaissance Era as it has much more in common with those movies in terms of style. It showed that songs and big stars could carry a Disney movie. I'm also shocked that you talked about The Great Mouse Detective without once mentioning Vincent Price or that they included the current voices of Mickey and Donald in the cast!
I love Oliver and Company and its true that it could be considered the first of the Renaissance. For us we thought Little Mermaid was the start as it had a pup culture impact that Oliver and Company never had. The Little Mermaid along with most of the films of the Renaissance become events that were must see. You also had more of the "I Want" songs and other parts of what most people now call the Disney formula. As far as Great Mouse Detective, I do think that its an interesting note that the voices of Mickey and Donald, fresh off Mickey's Christmas Carol were included as was the hiring of legend Vincent Price. I could have added that in but that wasn't necessarily the story I was trying to tell. For our version of the story I wanted to tell about the transition between the older and younger animation team, the reason they were kicked off the lot, and the people who would go on to be key players in the future. Thanks for your comment and for watching! -Josh
I think that The Great Mouse Detective deserves more recognition. It fixed all the problems found in The Black Cauldron. And Vincent Price does an awesome job as Ratigan!
The First Time I Saw The Great Mouse Detective Is In The Beginning Age 2002(Different 2002)Gentile LAYTON UT Extended Version, When I was Watching The End Of 101 Dalmatians Preview 1992 VHS
I love the Bronze Era, especially for The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh and Aristocats, the latter in particular I feel is one of the most underappreciated Disney animations, not so much in that people dislike it but rather that I rarely ever see it even mentioned other than in cases like this when someone is going through all the films.
Aristocats is definitely a sleeper. Outside of Marie being put on merchandise you don't really see much of this film, but I also think that comes from Disney not marketing it ever. I'll be interested to see, as people explore and find it older films on Disney+, what becomes pop culture or cult hits in the next few years. I could see Aristocats being one of those films.
I think that the 70s and 80s aren't called "the dark ages" because the films of that era weren't financially successful. Most of them were. I think they're called that because most people don't remember those films as all time classics like they do with other eras that came before and after the bronze age.
Totally agree. I think that Disney's budget cuts really hurt their ability to make these films into long lasting gems. No merchandising. No big advertising campaigns. No fanfair. Just a release and thats it. In recent years we've seen more love for these films, and Winnie the Pooh has always stuck around, but people are finding these movies now especially with Disney Plus. -Josh
I could be wrong, but I'm starting think that it was a dark era for the company, not the audience. I believe that this was because, they just were not making much money as they use to, due to them almost going into bankruptcy within this era and the fact that they kept relying on cheap animation because of it.
The name "Disney" no longer meant quality at this point so the animation division was making money, but not enough. The worst really is the live action division at the time. Most people couldn't name me a single live action film from this era and they made way more live action films than animated films. -Josh
I think it was also reffered to that way because the overall TONE of Disney's films at the time was "dark". (Just look at 'Watcher in the Woods' and 'Something Wicked'.) ; )
“Remember these films” is right. I only first discovered these films from watching House of Mouse. The films themselves never aired on Disney Channel. I had to discover them myself when I learned how to use the internet.
Super Excited for your Disney Dark Age video that you put up. Hope you do the Renaissance, Post Renaissance and the Revival eras sooner than later. In addition, You got to give credit to _Great Mouse Detective_ and _Oliver & Company_ as these films made money and saved Disney animation division following the Black Cauldron bombing at the Box Office. If these films (mostly Great Mouse Detective) bombed or were not financially successful it would mark the end of Disney's animation division and we wouldn't be getting the Disney Renaissance.
Those two particular films also showed new cutting-edge technology with the great clock scene fight in Great Mouse Detective, and the subway chase scene in Oliver and Company. A shame The Black Cauldron is so glossed over, since it was the first technically.
i dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..? I was stupid lost my account password. I love any assistance you can give me.
Oliver & Company received mixed reviews during it’s release on theaters back in 1988, same criticism like Pocahontas and The Black Cauldron so The Great Mouse Detective had great elements better than Oliver & Company
Awesome I really love The Aristocats, Robin Hood, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, and One of my favorite movies, Oliver and Company. I love all the Dogs from Oliver and Company
I'd like to note that without The Great Mouse Detective, we wouldn't have The Disney renaissance nor Disney animation at least in it's current form. It was a revolutionary film for the company and, sorry Oliver and company fans, but if it wasn't for that movie, I think that the great mouse Detective would probably be considered the start or at least the first stepping stone of the Disney renaissance. It's also the best prerenaissance movie, fight me.
What I loved about making this video is showcasing a transition, and telling a more human story. Not everyone is going to agree, especially when you are talking about different generations and generations that were pre and post-Vietnam. There is a lot to consider besides just the animation style or the box office numbers. If we were going to give it more of a nickname I do think the "transitional era" is appropriate. -Josh
Peter Ustinov...Vincent Price...John Hurt...Jeremy Irons...Tony Jay...Brian Blessed and James Woods and Miguel Ferrer They voiced Disney villains from the Dark Ages of Disney and Disney Renaissance
I love Aristocat one in this era Personally I think it's like a piece of light of hope for this era And the plus factor is their effervescent jazzy tunes
Sorry, one thing is not correct: The great mouse detective was not colored with the computer, the first Disney animated movie colored with computers ( and I’m talking about the characters, like creating virtual cels) was The Rescuers Down Under. The system was first tested on one scene of The Little Mermaid ( the final one with the ship and the rainbow), it was also tested for an intro of one Disney weekly TV show ( can’t remember if it was Wonderful world of Disney but one of those TV shows) where you see Mickey on top of Epcot Spaceship Earth, that Mickey was colored with the CAPS software, but Great Mouse Detective, Oliver and Company and The Little mermaid were all painted on cels. The computer backgrounds in 3d of the Big Ben in Great Mouse Detective were made in 3d with the computer but then each single frame got transferred onto cels, normally painted on the backs and put as animated backgrounds, same thing for Oliver and Company and the few 3D backgrounds present in the little mermaid.
You are correct. My wording got lost here. We will be going back and working on each film one by one once we finish up the "eras". When I talk about Great Mouse Detective I will be making that correction! -Josh
Robin Hood is my favorite of this era. Say what you will about the Black Cauldron, but I rank that amongst my top favorites because I praise Disney for making such an ambitious film!
It was ambitious and a risk. I 100% understand why it didn't work as its not overly relatable like other Disney films are and I'm sure the dark tones scared off some parents from taking their family to the theater. As far as a story, its actually pretty solid. I'd say its better than The Sword in the Stone which is the movie you could most compare it to. Hopefully the Disney streaming service gives people the opportunity to see it if they haven't. -Josh
The rescuers were my favorite- it just hit a soft spot. This is a great video!! I just watch it for the third time. You guys really did hard work for this video, I am so proud of you. Thank you this.
Honestly thank you Jack! Reading your comment made my day and its the reason why we make videos like this. I think its important to tell the story of such a long running studio, seeing it through the decades, how technology changed, how tastes changed, and adding a human element to these films. We get all of these Blu-Ray extras when we buy a film but nobody is really piecing the story of the studio together year by year like this. Glad to be the ones telling that story. -Josh
I was a 12 in 1985 and had already seen The Fox and The Hound, no idea why I missed The Black Cauldron, despite having the Panini Sticker album. I did see Basil and Fievel.....
That was the argument made by Stevens and Reitherman. I'd agree that Disney had taken those leaps before, but they were insistent on keeping Chief alive. Had they killed Chief who knows how the film would have done. It might have had a better critical response. The animators were right to fight for it, but I'm glad they won their fight against the ridiculous song. -Josh
From what I heard it was Bambi's reception that left them unwilling to do anymore character deaths. It's why Trusty, despite the very insinuating 'death' scene, turned out to be all right in the finale of Lady and the Tramp.
I say it was a Brozen age for the execs who saw profits from the films while it became the Dark Age for the animators and creators who felt their talents were being ignored.
I love the dark age. My family and I have seen the Aristocats an Winnie the Pooh a million times, they’re classic household movies. I also love the Fox and the Hound because it’s a darker sad story that Disney managed to slip in.
The first movie my parents ever took me too was the Fox and the Hound. It was a rerun at our local $1 theater and I definitely don't remember it because I was probably 3 or 4 years old, but my mom always tells me about it and I have a strong connection to that movie because of it. Maybe that's why I love tragic film making so much.
There are definitely different lists and I understand why some people see the first half seperate from the second half. For me I keep them all together as none of these films ever made a ton of money, most of them all share the same scratchy xerox style of animation, and in terms of leadership, the animation team didn't have major leadership and support after Walt's death (nor did the whole company) until Eisner and Wells came in to take over the company, where the brought in lots of new people to run the animation team and question the current state of Disney animation. It's just my take. I totally get why some would split this era.
We will be cutting the Renaissance into 2 parts because there is so much to cover. This video was pretty long and if we were to do it all in one video it might double the length of this video so you'll have 2 videos to look forward to. -Josh
I know the Fox and the Hound is pretty mediocre to most, but I love it. God it is so bittersweet. Although..."Disney had never killed off one of their main characters unless they were a villain". Did that fool somehow NOT grow up watching Bambi? I do agree Chief could have been killed, which would raise the stakes for Copper even more, but I think the bittersweet ending makes up for him not dying.
Fox and the Hound was one of the first movies I ever saw growing up! I absolutely love it too! I'm also not sure why they justified not killing Chief in that way as if they were trying to say the younger generation was dumb and wouldn't know better, but they won that argument regardless. -Josh
This video should’ve been done in two parts as two separate halves of the era just like your two-parters on the Silver Age, the Disney Renaissance, the Post-Renaissance era, and the Revival Era!
Carmine Crincoli it definitely could have more info but in the long run I will add more to this. I especially want to talk more about Black Cauldron, The Rescuers, and Oliver.
I've actually heard this about several films from this era and even the Renaissance. It adds to the idea that animation is timeless which is always a good thing.
Great video. I personally fell in love with Disney thanks to Winnie The Pooh. Hard to believe he outsells Mickey merch. Wonder if that’s changed due to the 90th celebration?
They could but I do feel like Winnie the Pooh merchandise is pretty popular at places like Target and Walmart as well as Disney stores and the parks. We will see how the finances play out at the end of this year. -Josh
I think overall the Bronze Era is looked down upon falsely. Many people think that this era made no money and didn't have a single good film but I like pretty much every single one of these movies. -Josh
Pooh definitely holds the age up well, though I guess why many don't consider it a huge saving grace is because Pooh is an iconic character rather than a movie. Many will even tell you that Disney's Pooh was a slow burner and his best material were the sequels and TV series made in the 90s.
really sick of this era trashed, rescuers is one of the best disney cartoons and has the greatest opening imo of all the films. plus it does the background songs way better than tarzan.
Most people think that every film from this time lost money or that the xerography "scratchy" style was not as good...but I hope people watch this video and find that most of these films did make money and different types of animation are still art and these films weren't cheap.
I watched the Aristocats later in life and have a real appreciation for the music, but the Fox in the Hound was the first film I saw, according to my mom, and I always remember watching it as a young kid. There are certain scenes I think about all the time. I didn't add this into the video but I do think Fox and the Hound was symbolic of what was going on at the studio. Its a movie about change and growth and subverting expectations. Its what they were trying to do at the studio.
The Fox in the Hound was the first film I saw in theaters. My mom took me to a re-release of the film. It is a movie that has a deeply personal connection for me and is an extremely mature film in terms of how we understand and perceive friendship. Something that Disney didn't really explore so deeply at that point.
Favorite-Robin Hood. It has always been one of those movies that I can watch many times and still laugh out loud at the same jokes 😁 I’ve always loved the animation style, the music, and the story that blends humor, adventure, and relationships very well 💚💜 I even had an easier time recalling a world history lesson based upon King Richard and Prince John 😋 It’s definitely even one of my top favorite Disney films, but I don’t interact with it as much as my fav princess films I guess because of the prevalence and age. So thanks for highlighting it!
I also think in some ways its social. Not many people bring up Robin Hood, its hardly in the media, and most people will say they're favorite disney movie is a princess film. In that way you feel like you have to or can relate through princesses or more popular films and disregard Robin Hood. You can keep it close, but not really ever talk about it. As someone who's favorite Disney movie is The Three Caballeros I fully understand that. -Josh
Here's my ranking of this era.... • #8. The Black Cauldron - (1985) • #7. The Many Adv. of Winnie the Pooh - (1977) • #6. The Fox and the Hound - (1981) • #5. Oliver and Company - (1988) • #4. The Aristocats - (1970) • #3. Robin Hood - (1973) • #2. The Rescuers - (1977) • #1. The Great Mouse Detective - (1986)
This bronze-era Disney sounds a lot like modern Disney. Re-using old material to produce some remakes/live action remakes. Even their new StarWars trilogy is so safe, it's basically the exact same story than the 1977 trilogy, but IMHO done worse. They really need to get their mojo back, and quick.
Fantastic Video. Nice to see Reynard mentioned - Walt's great lost, never was, project, almost worth an article just about that. I'd never even heard of Scruffy. Monkey's fighting Nazis though, what's not to like. Disney's Winnie the Pooh though is a very mixed bag. In no way is it a 'small book', being an insanely popular piece of English Children's literature. Walt's hope for it was that it'd look like the original art, not how it finally ended up.
I do think they tried to stay close to the original drawings and of course there will always be people upset that they weren't close enough, but Winnie the Pooh and his friends are more popular than ever, probably selling more A. A. Milne books after it came out than before. Despite the lack of resemblance and the addition of Americanized characters, fans of the book can't be too upset that their favorite literary characters are still in the public eye. As far as Reynard and Scruffy, I wonder if they will ever pick up those films in some way. The studio has always gone back to old ideas. Robin Hood is different enough from Reynard that it could be seen as different, although Nick from Zootopia could be see as being similar to that character. It might be years before we see Reynard if at all. For Scruffy I think it would make an interesting live action film with animated monkeys, similar to the CGI they did for the live action Jungle Book. I'd like to see a monkey punch a nazi for sure. -Josh
Let's be fair no Disney take is really loyal to its original source (The Fox and the Hound is barely anything like the dark as hell original book). Pooh at least halfway tried to represent the flow of the originals. I'm glad it hasn't quite usurped the books, which still have their separate own follow ons and merchandise, but I do think Disney's take is one brand the company struggle not to input their own magic into. Many will tell you that the 'golden age' for Disney's Pooh was the 80s and 90s however, when the New Adventures TV series and some of the more experimental sequels were being made.
We are actually splitting the Renaissance into two different videos because there is a lot to go in depth on. Our goal is to talk about the people that made it a success and the stories they told so of course there will be a mention of Kimba. -Josh
Each time I watch or listen to this video, I feel inspired to keep moving forward with my writing. I don't find most of the movies from this era, other than Robin Hood, but I find the behind the scenes to be fascinating as well as inspiring. This era pf transition reminds me that I can't give up, no matter the odds. And as for not getting too interested in this era's movies, I am more than willing to give The Fox And The Hound and The Great Mouse Detective a try. And again, Robin Hood is my third favorite Walt Disney animated film, just right behind Hercules and Tarzan. Thanks for the inspiration. I feel like I am in a kind of Bronze Age with my writing right now, but I am working to reach a new era. Not sure what I'll call that one.
The main problem I see with the Black Cauldron is it assumes the audience have read the Chronicles of Pyrdain. There is a lot that gets left out, glossed over, or just not even mentioned. For someone new to the franchise it would be just a chaotic jumble. It is a shame as the books were really enjoyable. And having rewatched it post Disney+ a well directed team should be able to do wonders with it. As far as the xerox method goes for the other films. Not everyone is a critic. If anything I think it adds a charm to them, and fits I think the era when they were made.
Y’all should watch “The Black Cauldron- Disney’s Halloween Masterpiece” by breadsword. It makes a good case for the movie and why it turned out the way it did.
Walt Disney's biggest mistake was his lack of planning for how his studio would continue without him. Eisner put a strong hand on the rudder of a company left adrift for 20 years and saved it from going belly-up or getting bought by another studio.
I hate the lie Disney tries to spread that recycling old material shots for ALOT of dark age films wasn’t an attempt to save time & money (by saying it actually took longer to manually find the files & trace over them & was actually more expensive & cost consuming but they did it as hamarge to their older films) Just admit that during the dark ages they were struggling on time & money
And I Used To Formerly Think Of The Black Cauldron As The Creators Of The Little Mermaid With The Animation "And For Fun, I Love To Say The Creators of Aladdin" Because It Looks Good To A Company With In My Beginning Age
From 1970-1988 I went from age 10-28. So these were the films of the childhood, teen age and young adult years. I was fortunate to see most of the Walt era animated and live action classics on the big screen due to rereleases at the time. To me the films of the bronze era are much better than the woke crap being produced today like Lightyear, Wish and Strange World, just to name 2 recent bombs. I love the Disney era I grew up in, especially the ability to experience all the Walt era classic and Disneyland and Walt Disney World before they became overcrowded money grab broken down theme parks.
@@ModernMouse This film was a marvelous discover for me. The characters, story, animation, music ( the sad song at the beginning). It's a movie without Walt, but it could be perfectly be created by him.
@@easyvreallady6535 I'm usually against sequels, but I like Rescuers Down Under as well. I think both are great films. I could see a movie like Down Under getting released directly to video these days, but as the first sequel to a Disney film I see why it ended up in theaters. -Josh
@@ModernMouse Lot of people don't know Down Under, thinking after Little Mermaid comes Beauty & Beast, but I love Down Under too. In fact, there was going to be a third part, but Eva Gabor (miss Bianca) died. It's a great movie because it wasn't made like a «Disney sequel». In fact, technically was awesome (all the eagle fly at the beginning, the intro with all these flowers...). I hope someday could see the canceled third part.
In terms of breaking out and being more independent my generation thinks like Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera. I forget that Don Bluth, Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Jeffrey Katzenberg did it first before starting their own animated studios. These four icons I would look up to more than breaking out in a controversial way that Britney & Christina did. Not to say anything against them or feminism, but just how long Disney has been putting out animators and stars.
Ik when I was a kid, Winnie the Pooh was my thing. I loved the whole franchise more than any Disney movie. I had all the merchandise. Pooh was love, Pooh was life.
Agree love it sad to hear how it did at the time and almost ruined Disney never realized it I hope one day we can see it in its original form hopefully it's found one day
Truthfully, outside of The Black Cauldron, these movies aren't really scary. It's called the dark age because it was a dark period for the company financially, not because these movies were dark and scary.
I never look at the Great Mouse Detective as being overrated because it never gets talked about. I'd actually put nearly every film in this era in the underrated territory, especially Black Cauldron.
In The Beginning Age Extended Version I Think Of And Used To Formerly Like The Black Cauldron As An Epic Mix(Dark Age, Early Renaissance) To Me, But It Was Not The Real 3(The Mysterious Adventure)No I Thought It Was, Why People Hate The Black Cauldron, Doesn't Matter That the Company And History And All "Blah Blah Blah Blah" I Mean Why Not Love it Like My Mom Loved It In The Beginning Age Because It Talks About Good Vs Evil And One Hero Stops Evil From Hurting The World
@@ModernMouse and I think more of the 70' are the bronze era where the animation was much more messy and lazy like 101 dalmatians the 80's had more very good moviesand more refined animation
I think too many people think of the "dark age" as some time when every Disney movie was bad, but Winnie the Pooh is a top merch selling character, and people love many of these movies without really knowing that they are part of some dark age. The storytelling was still there, and the company wasn't losing money on them (except Black Cauldron). I'd personally prefer to watch any of these movies over Chicken Little or Home on the Range any day.
@@ModernMouse I will disagree with one thing; I actually really adore fox and the hound and think it's a beautiful movie. Not a perfect one but definitely underrated. I definitely agree that Chief dying would give copper more leverage to go after Todd but I really do love the ending and the best movie out of the bronze age in my opinion.
@@lavenderflowersfall280 It's a film about the emotional bond that friends share. Disney had never done anything like it and still to this day they haven't come close to matching the emotional writing of that film in terms of telling a story about friendship. It is really good. Maybe one I'll have to revisit soon.
The aristocats (beautyful movie and fun) Robin Hood ( my favorite disney movie this movie is really fun) The minny adventures of Winnie the pooh (another my favorite disney movie is fantastic really) The rescuers (yes beautyful funa and sad but not my favorite disney movie) The Fox and the hound (fantastic sad and fun 10/10 my favorite disney movie) The black cauldron (is not my favorite disney movie is so scary sorry but is true) The great mouse detective(is funny and fantastic movie) Oliver and company (ANOTHER MY FAVORITE DISNEY MOVIE FUN SAD FANTASTIC SONG AND THE STRONG IN THIS MOVIE IS AWSOME 11/10)
The Jungle Book Robin Hood Winnie the Pooh Oliver & Company The Aristocats Great Mouse Detective All fantastic classic Disney movies actually among some of my favourite animated movies from Disney when I was a child and even still to this day nothing has topped The Lion King though. All way better than the live action CGI garbage we have now My favourite has to be Oliver & Company as it tried something different rather than just a average Disney classic fairytale retelling also why should I worry has never left my head since I first watched the film.
What song is that? I don't think there are any songs in Fox and the Hound with "Scooby Doo" in the title. If anything it would be the Jungle Book that uses those words in the song "I Wanna Be Like You" but scatting or making up words in Jazz and Swing music was extremely popular from the 1930s through the 1960s.
@@ModernMouse No in your review you said that Fox and the Hound were going to sing more but got cut to be more serious. and one of the songs had Scooby doo in the title
Ah, it's been a while since I made this video so I forgot that detail. I went back and watched. The idea still holds up about scatting and Jazz. The title is a "scat" itself. Although it being cut could be seen as something that would have potentially gotten them into trouble with Hanna-Barbara for copyright but I don't think that was really an issue honestly considering how many songs of that time likely sing the phrase "scooby doo" as part of a scat.
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is more live action than animation. That said, it will actually be part of my "Live Action Eras" playlist in the future. I'm working my way up to that time period so look out for that video in the coming weeks.
2:45 this is incorrect. The sherman brothers were jewish. Jews love money. I know, i was shocked to learn this too. Disney wanted to pay them less so they left. All comes down to money.
Yes part of that frustration was pay but there was more to it than just money. Also wanting to get paid more for your work has nothing to do with being Jewish or not. They were award winning songwriters who’s songs brought value to the company. That should be compensated. Don’t make this about Judaism.
Wow. That is interesting history. I recently watched all the movies. I am pleasantly surprised. From the name Dark Age, I expected to have a lot of bad movies. However that isn't the case. There are movies I like in this age. There are two awesome fox movies and one awesome fantasy movie. Three movies out of eight isn't that bad. I have a certain fondness for foxes. I think they are really beautiful and cool animals. There are mediocre Disney movies about animals looking cute and that is about it. For me Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp went that way. These foxes don't do this. They get to do interesting things. That makes the movies significantly better. I find that foxes have changed over time. Pinoccio was the second movie in the canon. It had the first Disney fox, Honest John. Foxes have a negative stereotype of being sly troublemakers. Honest John is so stereotyped, it is painfully cringy. He has a minor role in the movie. He just tricks Pinocchio into going off and causing trouble. The next fox is Robin Hood. I like this movie a whole lot. It is a cool adaption of a medival story. It is a movie that launched a thousand furries. I like furries. This is a rare case of a story that shows the harsh reality of the Medeval era. It is refreshing. There is rampant classism with the royalty taking all the money and leaving most of the population poor. Robin Hood himself is an awesome fox character. He does fit the stereotype pretty well. However he is a good guy. He has good intentions behind his mischif. I think Robin Hood is ahead of his times. What he is really doing is wealth redistribution. What was treated as criminal back then is something that the government does in modern times. In later times, there is democracy and socialism. The system is much better for the poor than feudalism was. Robin Hood is an example of a bad boy done right. This guy is a rebel. He goes against the corrupt government and corrupt system. There is a cool appeal. Robin Hood doesn't go too far. He is very kind to his friends and allies. He is also very respectful of Maid Marion. There is too much romantization of abuse. The most notorious example is Twilight. Robin Hood avoids this compleatly. He can have a healthy and wholesome romance with Maid Marion. The major hurdle for them to overcome is the exterior problem of classism. The next fox is Todd from the Fox and the Hound. Todd is a complete aversion of the stereotype. He is characterized from the start as being very friendly. He does get into trouble, but it more out of wanting to be with a friend rather than any kind of malice. The Fox and the Hound is my favorite movie before the Rennaisance Era. It is a strong contender for my top ten Disney Movies. The fox and the hound are sopposed to be enimies. However they become friends. Then they have to overcome society's efforts to split them apart. So in a clever bit of writing, there is no true villain. Having feuding groups is enough for an exciting story. I have noticed that Fox and the Hound is like Previous animal stories, but better. There are scenes of little animals looking cute. Yet it goes beyond that and have an interesting story. It also tackles animal rights issues. Bambi tackles the issue of hunting. 101 Dalmations tackles the issue of animal fur. The Fox and the Hound tackles both. I do like how the hunter, Amos, is fleshed out. He is not a faceless menace like the hunter in Bambi. He is not a pure evil villain like Cruella. Amos is fleshed out more, and I like this approach better. He is obviously cruel to Todd. The cruelty is in hunting Todd. However Amos does have genuine care and affection for his dogs, Copper and Chief. The dogs are motivated to hunt mainly for following orders. The movie doesn't do a good job explaining why Amos wants to hunt. It is a nitpick for an overall great movie. I like how the movie shows both sides, and lets the audience come to thier conclusion. If I had to choose, I would pick the fox side. It is wrong to kill animals for thier fur and nothing else. Between Fox and the Hound and 101 Dalmations, I feel like doing what Stella McCartney does and have vegan fashion. The ending was bitter sweet. I think it is for the best. Todd is a wild animal. Even though he grew up with a human, he belongs in the wild. The game preserve is the best place for him, since it keeps him safe from hunters. Todd does adjust quickly and even gets a girlfriend. The recent fox Movie is Zootopia. That has Nick Wilde as a major fox character. This is a movie for the modern furry fandom. Furries are awesome. Nick is a compete subversion of the stereotype. He starts out being a sly criminal. However later it is reavealed that he wanted to be a good guy all along. He was forced into his stereotyplical role by a discriminating society. Zootopia is like Robin Hood in having more humanlike furries and for having social commentary. With the similarity, I like to imagine that Nick is a descendent of Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Now that I think of it, maybe Judy is a descendent of the rabit family in Robin Hood. Zootopia has modern take with the modern city. It also hhas the modern issues of racism, sexism and police brutality. Zootopia is also like Fox and the Hound in having a fox with an unlikly friend. In Fox and the Hound, the friend was a hound. This puts the fox in a prey position in a preditor and prey situation. In Zotopia, the friend was a rabbit. This puts the fox in the preditor position, which the the exact opposite.
Zootopia does make the discrimination against foxes a thin veil of racism. It does this to animal species. There is a real world race of Asian, particularly the eastern kind. They evolve over time like the foxes. They start out being stereotypical. Then they start going away from the stereotype. Asians have a stereotype of being sly troublemakers. They also have a stereotypical look of having yellow skin and buck teeth. This stereotype is really racist. This would not fly in modern times due to political correctness. The most notorious example of east Asian racism in a Disney movie is the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp. Yeah, they are stereotypical and racist to the point of being cringy and painful. These cats have a stereotypical appearence and behavior. They cause a lot of mischief, and then have the cunning to frame Lady for it. This leads to Lady going off into the streets, and having her own adventure. Later there was a Siamese cat in the Aristocats. It is a signifant improvement in my opinion. This cat has a very sterytypical look. It is really cringy. However this cat is much friendlier. He even helps Thomas save the cat family at the end of the movie. So there isn't the sterotypical behavior. In much later times there is Mulan. I consider both Lady and the Tramp and the Aristocats to be racist against east Asians. I don't consider Mulan of this though. I have always been a fan of the character of Mulan. She is even my favorite of the Disney Princess franchise. I like it when a woman of color kicks butt and saves the day. Mulan is an amazing example of this. She is awesome. I have gained even more appreaciation for Mulan. Compared to older movies, she is a huge improvement for depictions of East Asians. The sterotype is almost completely vanished. Mulan clearly has an East Asian look, but she doesn't resemble the stereotyped caricatures. She has some trickery, but it is for a very good reason. Mulan was trying to save her father by taking his place in the war. She disguised herself as a man, because the army was sexist against women. In a way, Mulan is the Bruce Lee of Disney. She get to be a heroic fighter. She learns martial arts along the way. She defies the old stereotypes of Asians being sly trouble makers. In modern times the idea of Asians being good at martial arts has turned into a positive stereotype. It is problematic, but it isn't quite as offensive as the old stereotypes. The racism of east Asians long ago is very messed up. Maybe it was because Americas were fighting WW2 and Vietnam War, and then they got all paranoid about their Asian opponents. It is like how people get all paranoid about Middle Eastern Asian people today. That racism is also seriously messed up. Oh good lord. Don't even get me started on that.
I like the Black Cauldron. This movie is so cool. It is a shame that it didn't get more popular. I love fantasy. It is the biggest interest for me. I am so eager to get fantasy that I end up liking fantasy shows that many people don't like. I like the Warcraft movie, the Hobbit Trilogy and the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. One of these movies is the Black Cauldron. I think a big reason why this movie bombed is due to the timing of released and not so much on the quality of the movie itself. Back then, animation was in the age ghetto. People thought of it just being for kids. The Black Cauldron was a more mature movie than the typical Disney movie. The adventure is so big and grand. The action is a lot more intense. There are scary zombies and other monsters. The Black Cauldron was in a problematic position when it first came out. It was too scary for the kids that like to watch Disney movies. However the animation and the Disney brand makes it too embarrassing for an older people. In modern times, people are more accepting that adults can enjoy cartoons. There are cartoons that have a sizable adult fanbase. There is Disney, Pixar, Pokemon and My Little Pony. There are even cartoons that are more mature, like the Simpsons. If Black Cauldron came out today, it probably would have found an audience and succeeded a lot easier. It is gaining a cult following. So that would count for something. I find the Black Cauldron both unique and enjoyable. I didn't care for it as a kid. However as an adult, I really got into it. It is where Disney tried to make an intense fantasy movie. That is cool. I wonder if one of the main film maker saw one of the old Tolkein cartoons, and then got inspired to do a similar movie. Even the naration at the beginning of the Black Cauldron sounds like that of a Tolken cartoon. I wonder if that is done by the same voice actor. There are three Tolkein cartoons. Ranken and Bass did the Hobbit and the Return of the King. Bakshi did the Lord of the Rings, specificly the first two books of the trilogy. Return of the King was the last book of the trilogy. I like the premise of Black Cauldron. It is interesting. It is basically the Holy Grail getting the Lord of the Rings treatment. In fantasy stories, there are magical items. It is even a staple. In folklore there are plenty of magical rings that do good things for people. The Lord of the Rings subverts this. There was a helpful rings in the Hobbit. Then in Lord of the Rings, it is revealed to be the evil ring of the dark lord. Then the heros go on a quest to destroy the evil ring. Of all magic items, the most famous is the Holy Grail of Arthurian mythology. It is a wonderful magical cup to save the land. It also restors life. In the Black Cauldron, it is like the search for the Holy Grail. However the Grail has become evil. There is an evil cauldron. The big bad wants it so he can revive corpses' and make an army of zombies. The cauldon can't really be destroyed. So the heroes find a way to make it's magic stop working. That is interesting. I think the Black Cauldron has some of the best critters in all Disney movies. Critters usually don't do anything but look cute and act funny. Kids would like them, but they are pointless for the story. In the Black Cauldron, the critters are still there, but they are very useful and important to the plot. Henwen uses magical powers to show where the cauldron is. Creeper is the main henchman for the bad guy. Gurgi gives up his life to stop the cauldron's magic. He does come back to life later. I like to call Gurgi the fluffy Gollum. Taran makes for a cool protagonist. He looks a lot like Arthur from the Sword and the Stone. This movie did come out later. So I wonder if it can continue. The Sword and the Stone does end with Arthur aquiring a magic sword. In the Black Caudron, Taren acquires a magical sword of his own towards the beginning. Then he moves on and goes on his own grail quest. Arthur goes on a grail quest in the origional legends. I have very few bad things to say about the Black Cauldron. It is a very underrated film. There are two parts that was awkward. I think it was probably not the fault of the film makers but just due to the troubles they had. I found it wierd that Tauren goes to the villains castle twice. Maybe there wasn't enough budget and time to make a separate dungeon for Tauren to explore. The villain castle is best saved for the climax. I also find it wierd that Tauren doesn't fight very much in this movie. Heck the whole trio of heros can become a fighting force. Tauren can be the warrior fighting the opponents in melee with his magic sword. Elonwy can be the magician blasting spells to the opponents from afar. Fleudder can play magical songs to heal and support the other two members. That would be so cool. One could go all out and have an RPG party in a movie. I don't know if Dungeons and Dragons came out yet at the time, but that would still be cool. I think that the reason why Tauren didn't fight much is because the action was taken out by the censors. That is unfortunate. I wondered if it is possible to find an uncensored R rated version of the Black Cauldron. I would like to check that out.
Then there are other movies. One was Winnie the Pooh. I am surprised that he is in here. He is one of the most famous and iconic characters of Disney. I never got into Pooh as a kid. When I watch the Pooh movie now, I still don't get it. Now I understand what is going on in the story. That part is easy. I just don't understand why Pooh is appealing. I personally found the movie to be dull. The lack of one whole plot really sets the movie back. There are plenty of better Disney movies out there in the canon. There are even better Disney movies in the Bronze Age. I think the greatest and most innovative character for Walt Disney is Snow White. Snow White is awesome. For one thing she stars in the first animated movie in history. For another she starts the Disney Princess franchise. Walt Disney went on to make Cinderella and Aurora. They are like Snow White in being Disney Princesses. I think I like Cinderella best out of the the three. Then more Disney princesses are made later. I am a big fan of both Disney movies and for Disney Princesses. One Disney moves from Micky to Snow White, that is when he gets into the good stuff. My favorite Disney character of the canon is Elsa. She is just like the Disney Princesses, even though she is not in the official list. Having three really good movies and one super popular movie makes up half of the Bronze Age. It is not too shabby for a company that struggled with the death of its founder. Then there is the rest of the movie. Rescues and Great Mouse Detective are pretty cool. Aristocats and Oliver and Company were pretty dull but they have some merits. The Godlen and Silver ages of Disney wasn't all good. Both ages had thier duds. So it is no surprize that that the Bronze Age had its duds too. Yet even then the four lesser Bronze Age films still had a decent plot. That is significantly better than the lesser movies of earlier times. Only the Winnie the Pooh movie has no single plot. Maybe this is the sign that the Disney company is putting on a higher standard of quality. My favorite era is the Renaisance. I will look forward to going over them. I am a 90s kid, and that was my childhood. I completely forgot about the Rescuers sequal. However I loved all the other movies. Yet even I admit that even there, some movies are considered duds by people. Personally I still like these movies all the same. I think Hercules and Hunchback of Notre Dame are two of the most underrated DIsney movies ever. Fox and the Hound and the Black Cauldron are underrated. I think out of all the Renaisance movies, Pocahontas is the one that gets any critism I find convincing. It is critisized for being racist. The depiction of Native Americans is significantly better than in Peter Pan. Brother Bear came later. It doesn't get critisism. I don't know whether it is due to Brother Bear being more PC or because it is just an obscure movie. I hope better depictions of Native Americans will come in the future of Disney. It is horrible that the Disney company went through development hell during the bronze age. Fortuatly things got better in the Renaisance.
Trivia: the climax battle on the BIG BEN from the great mouse detective was inspired from Miyazaki's castle of cagliostro's final battle
Good fact. I didn't know that.
True! (and an awesome movie in itself as well!) Another fun-fact; the final scenes of 'Atlantis' were also inspired by 'Cagliostro'. Specifically, the water draining out of the city-streets, and the final overhead- shot were intended as a direct homage. (also; ironically, Speilberg himself has claimed 'Cagliostro' as one of his all-time favs.) =) Thanks for pointing it out!
True! And oddly enough, 'Atlantis' also pays homage to 'Cagliostro' toward the end of the film! (Not to mention, but ironically, Speilberg himself has claimed 'Cagliostro' as one of favorite films, and a major influence.) =)
You sir are a gentleman and scholar
i saw the parallel but i never knew it was confirmed! awesome!
Robin Hood and Oliver & Company are the most underrated of the Disney Animated Features. I know critics didn't like it as well, but I would consider Oliver & Company as the beginning of the Renaissance Era as it has much more in common with those movies in terms of style. It showed that songs and big stars could carry a Disney movie.
I'm also shocked that you talked about The Great Mouse Detective without once mentioning Vincent Price or that they included the current voices of Mickey and Donald in the cast!
I love Oliver and Company and its true that it could be considered the first of the Renaissance. For us we thought Little Mermaid was the start as it had a pup culture impact that Oliver and Company never had. The Little Mermaid along with most of the films of the Renaissance become events that were must see. You also had more of the "I Want" songs and other parts of what most people now call the Disney formula.
As far as Great Mouse Detective, I do think that its an interesting note that the voices of Mickey and Donald, fresh off Mickey's Christmas Carol were included as was the hiring of legend Vincent Price. I could have added that in but that wasn't necessarily the story I was trying to tell. For our version of the story I wanted to tell about the transition between the older and younger animation team, the reason they were kicked off the lot, and the people who would go on to be key players in the future.
Thanks for your comment and for watching! -Josh
I think that The Great Mouse Detective deserves more recognition. It fixed all the problems found in The Black Cauldron. And Vincent Price does an awesome job as Ratigan!
The Great Mouse Detective is still one of my favorite Disney films to date
The First Time I Saw The Great Mouse Detective Is In The Beginning Age 2002(Different 2002)Gentile LAYTON UT Extended Version, When I was Watching The End Of 101 Dalmatians Preview 1992 VHS
I love the Bronze Era, especially for The Many Adventures of Winnie The Pooh and Aristocats, the latter in particular I feel is one of the most underappreciated Disney animations, not so much in that people dislike it but rather that I rarely ever see it even mentioned other than in cases like this when someone is going through all the films.
Aristocats is definitely a sleeper. Outside of Marie being put on merchandise you don't really see much of this film, but I also think that comes from Disney not marketing it ever. I'll be interested to see, as people explore and find it older films on Disney+, what becomes pop culture or cult hits in the next few years. I could see Aristocats being one of those films.
My family and I love the Aristocats. And I think it deserves more appreciation, if only for the great music.
I think that the 70s and 80s aren't called "the dark ages" because the films of that era weren't financially successful. Most of them were. I think they're called that because most people don't remember those films as all time classics like they do with other eras that came before and after the bronze age.
Totally agree. I think that Disney's budget cuts really hurt their ability to make these films into long lasting gems. No merchandising. No big advertising campaigns. No fanfair. Just a release and thats it. In recent years we've seen more love for these films, and Winnie the Pooh has always stuck around, but people are finding these movies now especially with Disney Plus. -Josh
I could be wrong, but I'm starting think that it was a dark era for the company, not the audience. I believe that this was because, they just were not making much money as they use to, due to them almost going into bankruptcy within this era and the fact that they kept relying on cheap animation because of it.
The name "Disney" no longer meant quality at this point so the animation division was making money, but not enough. The worst really is the live action division at the time. Most people couldn't name me a single live action film from this era and they made way more live action films than animated films. -Josh
I think it was also reffered to that way because the overall TONE of Disney's films at the time was "dark". (Just look at 'Watcher in the Woods' and 'Something Wicked'.) ; )
“Remember these films” is right. I only first discovered these films from watching House of Mouse. The films themselves never aired on Disney Channel. I had to discover them myself when I learned how to use the internet.
Super Excited for your Disney Dark Age video that you put up. Hope you do the Renaissance, Post Renaissance and the Revival eras sooner than later.
In addition, You got to give credit to _Great Mouse Detective_ and _Oliver & Company_ as these films made money and saved Disney animation division following the Black Cauldron bombing at the Box Office. If these films (mostly Great Mouse Detective) bombed or were not financially successful it would mark the end of Disney's animation division and we wouldn't be getting the Disney Renaissance.
Those two particular films also showed new cutting-edge technology with the great clock scene fight in Great Mouse Detective, and the subway chase scene in Oliver and Company. A shame The Black Cauldron is so glossed over, since it was the first technically.
i dont mean to be offtopic but does someone know a trick to log back into an Instagram account..?
I was stupid lost my account password. I love any assistance you can give me.
@Abraham Bennett instablaster :)
Oliver & Company received mixed reviews during it’s release on theaters back in 1988, same criticism like Pocahontas and The Black Cauldron so The Great Mouse Detective had great elements better than Oliver & Company
Awesome
I really love The Aristocats, Robin Hood, Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, The Rescuers, The Fox and the Hound, The Great Mouse Detective, and One of my favorite movies, Oliver and Company.
I love all the Dogs from Oliver and Company
I'd like to note that without The Great Mouse Detective, we wouldn't have The Disney renaissance nor Disney animation at least in it's current form. It was a revolutionary film for the company and, sorry Oliver and company fans, but if it wasn't for that movie, I think that the great mouse Detective would probably be considered the start or at least the first stepping stone of the Disney renaissance. It's also the best prerenaissance movie, fight me.
This really was an interesting era, and I agree that it wasn't all 'dark', even if it was the toughest time the animation department has seen.
What I loved about making this video is showcasing a transition, and telling a more human story. Not everyone is going to agree, especially when you are talking about different generations and generations that were pre and post-Vietnam. There is a lot to consider besides just the animation style or the box office numbers. If we were going to give it more of a nickname I do think the "transitional era" is appropriate. -Josh
Oddly enough; (at the time of this comment) Disney is in it's "real" dark age now.
Peter Ustinov...Vincent Price...John Hurt...Jeremy Irons...Tony Jay...Brian Blessed and James Woods and Miguel Ferrer
They voiced Disney villains from the Dark Ages of Disney and Disney Renaissance
I love Aristocat one in this era
Personally I think it's like a piece of light of hope for this era
And the plus factor is their effervescent jazzy tunes
The music is underrated. The whole movie is in general, but the music in Aristocats is perfection.
Sorry, one thing is not correct: The great mouse detective was not colored with the computer, the first Disney animated movie colored with computers ( and I’m talking about the characters, like creating virtual cels) was The Rescuers Down Under. The system was first tested on one scene of The Little Mermaid ( the final one with the ship and the rainbow), it was also tested for an intro of one Disney weekly TV show ( can’t remember if it was Wonderful world of Disney but one of those TV shows) where you see Mickey on top of Epcot Spaceship Earth, that Mickey was colored with the CAPS software, but Great Mouse Detective, Oliver and Company and The Little mermaid were all painted on cels. The computer backgrounds in 3d of the Big Ben in Great Mouse Detective were made in 3d with the computer but then each single frame got transferred onto cels, normally painted on the backs and put as animated backgrounds, same thing for Oliver and Company and the few 3D backgrounds present in the little mermaid.
You are correct. My wording got lost here. We will be going back and working on each film one by one once we finish up the "eras". When I talk about Great Mouse Detective I will be making that correction! -Josh
Robin Hood is my favorite of this era. Say what you will about the Black Cauldron, but I rank that amongst my top favorites because I praise Disney for making such an ambitious film!
It was ambitious and a risk. I 100% understand why it didn't work as its not overly relatable like other Disney films are and I'm sure the dark tones scared off some parents from taking their family to the theater. As far as a story, its actually pretty solid. I'd say its better than The Sword in the Stone which is the movie you could most compare it to. Hopefully the Disney streaming service gives people the opportunity to see it if they haven't. -Josh
The rescuers were my favorite- it just hit a soft spot. This is a great video!! I just watch it for the third time. You guys really did hard work for this video, I am so proud of you. Thank you this.
Honestly thank you Jack! Reading your comment made my day and its the reason why we make videos like this. I think its important to tell the story of such a long running studio, seeing it through the decades, how technology changed, how tastes changed, and adding a human element to these films. We get all of these Blu-Ray extras when we buy a film but nobody is really piecing the story of the studio together year by year like this. Glad to be the ones telling that story. -Josh
My top three in no particular order are The Rescuers, The Great Mouse Detective and Oliver and Company
All super great choices! -Josh
THOSE ARE MY FAVORITES TOO! Also Robin Hood!
Here's how I'd rank them!
4. Oliver & Company
3. Robin Hood
2. The Great Mouse Detective
1. The Rescuers
I was a 12 in 1985 and had already seen The Fox and The Hound, no idea why I missed The Black Cauldron, despite having the Panini Sticker album. I did see Basil and Fievel.....
Disney had never killed off one of their main characters
Bambi, anyone? Ichabod?
That was the argument made by Stevens and Reitherman. I'd agree that Disney had taken those leaps before, but they were insistent on keeping Chief alive. Had they killed Chief who knows how the film would have done. It might have had a better critical response. The animators were right to fight for it, but I'm glad they won their fight against the ridiculous song. -Josh
@@ModernMouse Omg the thought of the ridiculous song makes me feel so awkward and uncomfortable lol 😆😆
Ichabod didn't really die.
From what I heard it was Bambi's reception that left them unwilling to do anymore character deaths. It's why Trusty, despite the very insinuating 'death' scene, turned out to be all right in the finale of Lady and the Tramp.
They did kill off Mufasa in the next decade. That is harsh.
I say it was a Brozen age for the execs who saw profits from the films while it became the Dark Age for the animators and creators who felt their talents were being ignored.
I love the dark age. My family and I have seen the Aristocats an Winnie the Pooh a million times, they’re classic household movies. I also love the Fox and the Hound because it’s a darker sad story that Disney managed to slip in.
The first movie my parents ever took me too was the Fox and the Hound. It was a rerun at our local $1 theater and I definitely don't remember it because I was probably 3 or 4 years old, but my mom always tells me about it and I have a strong connection to that movie because of it. Maybe that's why I love tragic film making so much.
Some people consider this era to be split in two parts, with the first four films in the Bronze Era and the last four films in the Dark Era.
There are definitely different lists and I understand why some people see the first half seperate from the second half. For me I keep them all together as none of these films ever made a ton of money, most of them all share the same scratchy xerox style of animation, and in terms of leadership, the animation team didn't have major leadership and support after Walt's death (nor did the whole company) until Eisner and Wells came in to take over the company, where the brought in lots of new people to run the animation team and question the current state of Disney animation. It's just my take. I totally get why some would split this era.
Great mouse detective was always my favourite! So excited for the renaissance video that was really my time period
We will be cutting the Renaissance into 2 parts because there is so much to cover. This video was pretty long and if we were to do it all in one video it might double the length of this video so you'll have 2 videos to look forward to. -Josh
Network 1901 awesome 😎
I know the Fox and the Hound is pretty mediocre to most, but I love it. God it is so bittersweet.
Although..."Disney had never killed off one of their main characters unless they were a villain". Did that fool somehow NOT grow up watching Bambi? I do agree Chief could have been killed, which would raise the stakes for Copper even more, but I think the bittersweet ending makes up for him not dying.
Fox and the Hound was one of the first movies I ever saw growing up! I absolutely love it too! I'm also not sure why they justified not killing Chief in that way as if they were trying to say the younger generation was dumb and wouldn't know better, but they won that argument regardless. -Josh
Fox And The Hound IS NOT Bambi NO, But These Two Are Beginning Age
This video should’ve been done in two parts as two separate halves of the era just like your two-parters on the Silver Age, the Disney Renaissance, the Post-Renaissance era, and the Revival Era!
Carmine Crincoli it definitely could have more info but in the long run I will add more to this. I especially want to talk more about Black Cauldron, The Rescuers, and Oliver.
I love the Bronze Era. 💕
1977 was the first year that Disney had 2 animated films Many Adventures of Pooh and Rescuers
Good stat!
1940....Pinocchio and Fantasia
"Robin Hood" is MUCH newer than I thought.
I've actually heard this about several films from this era and even the Renaissance. It adds to the idea that animation is timeless which is always a good thing.
Great video. I personally fell in love with Disney thanks to Winnie The Pooh. Hard to believe he outsells Mickey merch. Wonder if that’s changed due to the 90th celebration?
They could but I do feel like Winnie the Pooh merchandise is pretty popular at places like Target and Walmart as well as Disney stores and the parks. We will see how the finances play out at the end of this year. -Josh
This era deserves more love simply for giving us the classic that is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
I think overall the Bronze Era is looked down upon falsely. Many people think that this era made no money and didn't have a single good film but I like pretty much every single one of these movies. -Josh
@@ModernMouse Agreed
Pooh definitely holds the age up well, though I guess why many don't consider it a huge saving grace is because Pooh is an iconic character rather than a movie. Many will even tell you that Disney's Pooh was a slow burner and his best material were the sequels and TV series made in the 90s.
really sick of this era trashed, rescuers is one of the best disney cartoons and has the greatest opening imo of all the films. plus it does the background songs way better than tarzan.
Most people think that every film from this time lost money or that the xerography "scratchy" style was not as good...but I hope people watch this video and find that most of these films did make money and different types of animation are still art and these films weren't cheap.
Netflix: are you still watching?
Someone’s daughter: 5:29
That guy early on holding what looks like a chipmunk figure looks like Tim Burton. Is that Tim Burton?
Yes, prior to directing, Tim Burton was an animator at Disney during the 70s and early 80s. -Josh
These films are terribly underrated, in my opinion.
I like The Fox and the hound and The aristocats
I watched the Aristocats later in life and have a real appreciation for the music, but the Fox in the Hound was the first film I saw, according to my mom, and I always remember watching it as a young kid. There are certain scenes I think about all the time.
I didn't add this into the video but I do think Fox and the Hound was symbolic of what was going on at the studio. Its a movie about change and growth and subverting expectations. Its what they were trying to do at the studio.
That's only my personal think: the fox and the hound ais one of the most underrated disney film.
The Fox in the Hound was the first film I saw in theaters. My mom took me to a re-release of the film. It is a movie that has a deeply personal connection for me and is an extremely mature film in terms of how we understand and perceive friendship. Something that Disney didn't really explore so deeply at that point.
Being a compilation film Many Adventures of Pooh is technically the last film Walt worked on mostly Honey Tree , and Blustery Day
Thats factual.
I feel like the Chronicles of Prydian Deserves a Proper Adaptation today.
It’s been discussed as a possible Disney+ show
Some of my favorite Disney movies are from this era, and definitely I think some were underrated (not Black Cauldron though lol).
Favorite-Robin Hood.
It has always been one of those movies that I can watch many times and still laugh out loud at the same jokes 😁
I’ve always loved the animation style, the music, and the story that blends humor, adventure, and relationships very well 💚💜
I even had an easier time recalling a world history lesson based upon King Richard and Prince John 😋
It’s definitely even one of my top favorite Disney films, but I don’t interact with it as much as my fav princess films I guess because of the prevalence and age.
So thanks for highlighting it!
I also think in some ways its social. Not many people bring up Robin Hood, its hardly in the media, and most people will say they're favorite disney movie is a princess film. In that way you feel like you have to or can relate through princesses or more popular films and disregard Robin Hood. You can keep it close, but not really ever talk about it. As someone who's favorite Disney movie is The Three Caballeros I fully understand that. -Josh
Network 1901 Exactly! Well explained
I always preferred these films over the Renaissance films. I liked the more urban, edgier films over the big Broadway musical spectaculars.
Robin Hood is my favorite Bronze Era film. It's just a fun adventure film.
Robin Hood was one of maybe 3 or 4 movies that I had on repeat at home. I probably watched it once every few weeks growing up.
Good taste!@@ModernMouse
Here's my ranking of this era....
• #8. The Black Cauldron - (1985)
• #7. The Many Adv. of Winnie the Pooh - (1977)
• #6. The Fox and the Hound - (1981)
• #5. Oliver and Company - (1988)
• #4. The Aristocats - (1970)
• #3. Robin Hood - (1973)
• #2. The Rescuers - (1977)
• #1. The Great Mouse Detective - (1986)
The Dark Era should start with 101 Dalmatians and the use of xerox.
This bronze-era Disney sounds a lot like modern Disney. Re-using old material to produce some remakes/live action remakes.
Even their new StarWars trilogy is so safe, it's basically the exact same story than the 1977 trilogy, but IMHO done worse.
They really need to get their mojo back, and quick.
I swear to god, this is the most unappreciated and underrated animated Disney movie era/age of all time
Fantastic Video. Nice to see Reynard mentioned - Walt's great lost, never was, project, almost worth an article just about that.
I'd never even heard of Scruffy. Monkey's fighting Nazis though, what's not to like.
Disney's Winnie the Pooh though is a very mixed bag. In no way is it a 'small book', being an insanely popular piece of English Children's literature. Walt's hope for it was that it'd look like the original art, not how it finally ended up.
I do think they tried to stay close to the original drawings and of course there will always be people upset that they weren't close enough, but Winnie the Pooh and his friends are more popular than ever, probably selling more A. A. Milne books after it came out than before. Despite the lack of resemblance and the addition of Americanized characters, fans of the book can't be too upset that their favorite literary characters are still in the public eye.
As far as Reynard and Scruffy, I wonder if they will ever pick up those films in some way. The studio has always gone back to old ideas. Robin Hood is different enough from Reynard that it could be seen as different, although Nick from Zootopia could be see as being similar to that character. It might be years before we see Reynard if at all. For Scruffy I think it would make an interesting live action film with animated monkeys, similar to the CGI they did for the live action Jungle Book. I'd like to see a monkey punch a nazi for sure. -Josh
Let's be fair no Disney take is really loyal to its original source (The Fox and the Hound is barely anything like the dark as hell original book). Pooh at least halfway tried to represent the flow of the originals. I'm glad it hasn't quite usurped the books, which still have their separate own follow ons and merchandise, but I do think Disney's take is one brand the company struggle not to input their own magic into. Many will tell you that the 'golden age' for Disney's Pooh was the 80s and 90s however, when the New Adventures TV series and some of the more experimental sequels were being made.
The Black Cauldron is the greatest Walt Disney animated movie of all time!
No
I like the black cauldron too.
No, it’s actually something else
I hope you talk about The Lion King being very similar to Kimba The White Lion in your renaissance video.
We are actually splitting the Renaissance into two different videos because there is a lot to go in depth on. Our goal is to talk about the people that made it a success and the stories they told so of course there will be a mention of Kimba. -Josh
Each time I watch or listen to this video, I feel inspired to keep moving forward with my writing. I don't find most of the movies from this era, other than Robin Hood, but I find the behind the scenes to be fascinating as well as inspiring. This era pf transition reminds me that I can't give up, no matter the odds. And as for not getting too interested in this era's movies, I am more than willing to give The Fox And The Hound and The Great Mouse Detective a try. And again, Robin Hood is my third favorite Walt Disney animated film, just right behind Hercules and Tarzan. Thanks for the inspiration. I feel like I am in a kind of Bronze Age with my writing right now, but I am working to reach a new era. Not sure what I'll call that one.
Even when I was younger, I found it weird that Chief didn’t die
In the end, Bob Iger killed the animation team, at least the hand-drawn division. This is the dark age of Disney.
This is so odd. I’ve been bingeing these movies recently
RUclips knows what you are doing!
The main problem I see with the Black Cauldron is it assumes the audience have read the Chronicles of Pyrdain. There is a lot that gets left out, glossed over, or just not even mentioned. For someone new to the franchise it would be just a chaotic jumble. It is a shame as the books were really enjoyable. And having rewatched it post Disney+ a well directed team should be able to do wonders with it.
As far as the xerox method goes for the other films. Not everyone is a critic. If anything I think it adds a charm to them, and fits I think the era when they were made.
I personally think the darkest era of disney animation was the post renaissance era
Great job again guys
Thank you
Y’all should watch “The Black Cauldron- Disney’s Halloween Masterpiece” by breadsword. It makes a good case for the movie and why it turned out the way it did.
I'll watch that this afternoon! Thank you for the recommendation -Josh
Network 1901 tell me what you think about the video! He also has a really good video on treasure planet.
Man I freaking love Oliver and Company!! great movie imo.
With the exception of The Little Mermaid, most Disney animated films of the 1990s & the early 2000s used the CAPS system.
6:13 The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh talk
Thanks.
When Walt died, They became the Illumination of the 70's.
Podcast - SørenCast Z The studio behind Despicable Me
Walt Disney's biggest mistake was his lack of planning for how his studio would continue without him. Eisner put a strong hand on the rudder of a company left adrift for 20 years and saved it from going belly-up or getting bought by another studio.
I hate the lie Disney tries to spread that recycling old material shots for ALOT of dark age films wasn’t an attempt to save time & money (by saying it actually took longer to manually find the files & trace over them & was actually more expensive & cost consuming but they did it as hamarge to their older films)
Just admit that during the dark ages they were struggling on time & money
I love the aristocats and robin hood
And I Used To Formerly Think Of The Black Cauldron As The Creators Of The Little Mermaid With The Animation "And For Fun, I Love To Say The Creators of Aladdin" Because It Looks Good To A Company With In My Beginning Age
I think the Black Cauldron was way ahead of it's time
Next up, my favorite era
You'll get the Renaissance in 2 parts so you have two videos to look forward to. -Josh
From 1970-1988 I went from age 10-28. So these were the films of the childhood, teen age and young adult years. I was fortunate to see most of the Walt era animated and live action classics on the big screen due to rereleases at the time. To me the films of the bronze era are much better than the woke crap being produced today like Lightyear, Wish and Strange World, just to name 2 recent bombs. I love the Disney era I grew up in, especially the ability to experience all the Walt era classic and Disneyland and Walt Disney World before they became overcrowded money grab broken down theme parks.
I love the fox and the hound and the great mouse decetive
Fox and the Hound was the first film I saw in a theater. My mom always tells me that. It was one of their re-releases.
By the way 45 million dollars in 1985 is 107.57 million dollars. Which meant the Black Cauldron lost about 57 million dollars in the box office.
Rescuers is the best for me
Going back and rewatching everything this past week, it's a stand up movie. I can see why it was so critically regarded as the best of the era. -Josh
@@ModernMouse This film was a marvelous discover for me. The characters, story, animation, music ( the sad song at the beginning). It's a movie without Walt, but it could be perfectly be created by him.
@@easyvreallady6535 I'm usually against sequels, but I like Rescuers Down Under as well. I think both are great films. I could see a movie like Down Under getting released directly to video these days, but as the first sequel to a Disney film I see why it ended up in theaters. -Josh
@@ModernMouse Lot of people don't know Down Under, thinking after Little Mermaid comes Beauty & Beast, but I love Down Under too. In fact, there was going to be a third part, but Eva Gabor (miss Bianca) died.
It's a great movie because it wasn't made like a «Disney sequel». In fact, technically was awesome (all the eagle fly at the beginning, the intro with all these flowers...). I hope someday could see the canceled third part.
I also love the Rescuers, and that opening song is easily a highlight for me! Glad someone else agrees.
In terms of breaking out and being more independent my generation thinks like Britney Spears & Christina Aguilera. I forget that Don Bluth, Tim Burton, Henry Selick, and Jeffrey Katzenberg did it first before starting their own animated studios. These four icons I would look up to more than breaking out in a controversial way that Britney & Christina did. Not to say anything against them or feminism, but just how long Disney has been putting out animators and stars.
Disney wasted the Xerography style on soft family fare; if they had used it on darker, edgier films, most people would have been okay with it.
This Is The Formerly Disney 5
Ik when I was a kid, Winnie the Pooh was my thing. I loved the whole franchise more than any Disney movie. I had all the merchandise. Pooh was love, Pooh was life.
Man I just love the black cauldron though
Agree love it sad to hear how it did at the time and almost ruined Disney never realized it I hope one day we can see it in its original form hopefully it's found one day
Probably a stupid question but how do you recycle animation? Don’t you have to redraw the animation anyway?
Disney dark age doesn’t scare me 😳 any more i love Disney movies
Truthfully, outside of The Black Cauldron, these movies aren't really scary. It's called the dark age because it was a dark period for the company financially, not because these movies were dark and scary.
Cinema Gates Pictures, making 2D animation movies and short films.
The black cauldron need some love it's my second favorite Disney movie My favorite being robin hood My opinion the great mouse detective is overrated
I never look at the Great Mouse Detective as being overrated because it never gets talked about. I'd actually put nearly every film in this era in the underrated territory, especially Black Cauldron.
In The Beginning Age Extended Version I Think Of And Used To Formerly Like The Black Cauldron As An Epic Mix(Dark Age, Early Renaissance) To Me, But It Was Not The Real 3(The Mysterious Adventure)No I Thought It Was, Why People Hate The Black Cauldron, Doesn't Matter That the Company And History And All "Blah Blah Blah Blah" I Mean Why Not Love it Like My Mom Loved It In The Beginning Age Because It Talks About Good Vs Evil And One Hero Stops Evil From Hurting The World
They were some good movies there though
Oh totally! I recently rewatched The Black Cauldron and loved it. Aristocats also has a banging soundtrack!
@@ModernMouse and I think more of the 70' are the bronze era where the animation was much more messy and lazy like 101 dalmatians the 80's had more very good moviesand more refined animation
Roger Ebert actually said that The Great Mouse Detective looked better than Lady & The Tramp or Sleeping Beauty? Oy.
You're very kind to most of these movies.
Most people aren't. 😅👍
I think too many people think of the "dark age" as some time when every Disney movie was bad, but Winnie the Pooh is a top merch selling character, and people love many of these movies without really knowing that they are part of some dark age. The storytelling was still there, and the company wasn't losing money on them (except Black Cauldron). I'd personally prefer to watch any of these movies over Chicken Little or Home on the Range any day.
@@ModernMouse I will disagree with one thing; I actually really adore fox and the hound and think it's a beautiful movie.
Not a perfect one but definitely underrated.
I definitely agree that Chief dying would give copper more leverage to go after Todd but I really do love the ending and the best movie out of the bronze age in my opinion.
@@lavenderflowersfall280 It's a film about the emotional bond that friends share. Disney had never done anything like it and still to this day they haven't come close to matching the emotional writing of that film in terms of telling a story about friendship. It is really good. Maybe one I'll have to revisit soon.
Disney Bronze Age > Disney Golden age
Although golden age animation is generally cleaner, Bronze Age animation is more lively and 3 dimensional
The aristocats (beautyful movie and fun)
Robin Hood ( my favorite disney movie this movie is really fun)
The minny adventures of Winnie the pooh (another my favorite disney movie is fantastic really)
The rescuers (yes beautyful funa and sad but not my favorite disney movie)
The Fox and the hound (fantastic sad and fun 10/10 my favorite disney movie)
The black cauldron (is not my favorite disney movie is so scary sorry but is true)
The great mouse detective(is funny and fantastic movie)
Oliver and company (ANOTHER MY FAVORITE DISNEY MOVIE FUN SAD FANTASTIC SONG AND THE STRONG IN THIS MOVIE IS AWSOME 11/10)
The Jungle Book
Robin Hood
Winnie the Pooh
Oliver & Company
The Aristocats
Great Mouse Detective
All fantastic classic Disney movies actually among some of my favourite animated movies from Disney when I was a child and even still to this day nothing has topped The Lion King though.
All way better than the live action CGI garbage we have now
My favourite has to be Oliver & Company as it tried something different rather than just a average Disney classic fairytale retelling also why should I worry has never left my head since I first watched the film.
How can Fox and Hound sing a song that has Scooby Doo in the title?
What song is that? I don't think there are any songs in Fox and the Hound with "Scooby Doo" in the title. If anything it would be the Jungle Book that uses those words in the song "I Wanna Be Like You" but scatting or making up words in Jazz and Swing music was extremely popular from the 1930s through the 1960s.
@@ModernMouse No in your review you said that Fox and the Hound were going to sing more but got cut to be more serious.
and one of the songs had Scooby doo in the title
Ah, it's been a while since I made this video so I forgot that detail. I went back and watched. The idea still holds up about scatting and Jazz. The title is a "scat" itself. Although it being cut could be seen as something that would have potentially gotten them into trouble with Hanna-Barbara for copyright but I don't think that was really an issue honestly considering how many songs of that time likely sing the phrase "scooby doo" as part of a scat.
Are You Confusing Me Bronze And Dark?
Bronze Age and Dark Age are interchangeable. Many people use both.
Where's Who Framed Roger Rabbit?
Who Framed Roger Rabbit is more live action than animation. That said, it will actually be part of my "Live Action Eras" playlist in the future. I'm working my way up to that time period so look out for that video in the coming weeks.
Golly, what a day!
I don’t think any of these movies are that bad
I Really like Robin hood.
Xerox era
another dark,ages onward,
13:30 Who’s the blonde interviewer?
Diane Sawyer
I knew she looked familiar. Thanks.
Almost become corrupt? They aren't ringwraiths.
2:45 this is incorrect. The sherman brothers were jewish. Jews love money. I know, i was shocked to learn this too. Disney wanted to pay them less so they left. All comes down to money.
Yes part of that frustration was pay but there was more to it than just money. Also wanting to get paid more for your work has nothing to do with being Jewish or not. They were award winning songwriters who’s songs brought value to the company. That should be compensated. Don’t make this about Judaism.
Why don’t the nine old men get attention nowadays it’s just so hard to take in for me
Wow. That is interesting history. I recently watched all the movies. I am pleasantly surprised. From the name Dark Age, I expected to have a lot of bad movies. However that isn't the case. There are movies I like in this age. There are two awesome fox movies and one awesome fantasy movie. Three movies out of eight isn't that bad.
I have a certain fondness for foxes. I think they are really beautiful and cool animals. There are mediocre Disney movies about animals looking cute and that is about it. For me Dumbo and Lady and the Tramp went that way. These foxes don't do this. They get to do interesting things. That makes the movies significantly better. I find that foxes have changed over time. Pinoccio was the second movie in the canon. It had the first Disney fox, Honest John. Foxes have a negative stereotype of being sly troublemakers. Honest John is so stereotyped, it is painfully cringy. He has a minor role in the movie. He just tricks Pinocchio into going off and causing trouble. The next fox is Robin Hood. I like this movie a whole lot. It is a cool adaption of a medival story. It is a movie that launched a thousand furries. I like furries. This is a rare case of a story that shows the harsh reality of the Medeval era. It is refreshing. There is rampant classism with the royalty taking all the money and leaving most of the population poor. Robin Hood himself is an awesome fox character. He does fit the stereotype pretty well. However he is a good guy. He has good intentions behind his mischif. I think Robin Hood is ahead of his times. What he is really doing is wealth redistribution. What was treated as criminal back then is something that the government does in modern times. In later times, there is democracy and socialism. The system is much better for the poor than feudalism was. Robin Hood is an example of a bad boy done right. This guy is a rebel. He goes against the corrupt government and corrupt system. There is a cool appeal. Robin Hood doesn't go too far. He is very kind to his friends and allies. He is also very respectful of Maid Marion. There is too much romantization of abuse. The most notorious example is Twilight. Robin Hood avoids this compleatly. He can have a healthy and wholesome romance with Maid Marion. The major hurdle for them to overcome is the exterior problem of classism. The next fox is Todd from the Fox and the Hound. Todd is a complete aversion of the stereotype. He is characterized from the start as being very friendly. He does get into trouble, but it more out of wanting to be with a friend rather than any kind of malice. The Fox and the Hound is my favorite movie before the Rennaisance Era. It is a strong contender for my top ten Disney Movies. The fox and the hound are sopposed to be enimies. However they become friends. Then they have to overcome society's efforts to split them apart. So in a clever bit of writing, there is no true villain. Having feuding groups is enough for an exciting story. I have noticed that Fox and the Hound is like Previous animal stories, but better. There are scenes of little animals looking cute. Yet it goes beyond that and have an interesting story. It also tackles animal rights issues. Bambi tackles the issue of hunting. 101 Dalmations tackles the issue of animal fur. The Fox and the Hound tackles both. I do like how the hunter, Amos, is fleshed out. He is not a faceless menace like the hunter in Bambi. He is not a pure evil villain like Cruella. Amos is fleshed out more, and I like this approach better. He is obviously cruel to Todd. The cruelty is in hunting Todd. However Amos does have genuine care and affection for his dogs, Copper and Chief. The dogs are motivated to hunt mainly for following orders. The movie doesn't do a good job explaining why Amos wants to hunt. It is a nitpick for an overall great movie. I like how the movie shows both sides, and lets the audience come to thier conclusion. If I had to choose, I would pick the fox side. It is wrong to kill animals for thier fur and nothing else. Between Fox and the Hound and 101 Dalmations, I feel like doing what Stella McCartney does and have vegan fashion. The ending was bitter sweet. I think it is for the best. Todd is a wild animal. Even though he grew up with a human, he belongs in the wild. The game preserve is the best place for him, since it keeps him safe from hunters. Todd does adjust quickly and even gets a girlfriend. The recent fox Movie is Zootopia. That has Nick Wilde as a major fox character. This is a movie for the modern furry fandom. Furries are awesome. Nick is a compete subversion of the stereotype. He starts out being a sly criminal. However later it is reavealed that he wanted to be a good guy all along. He was forced into his stereotyplical role by a discriminating society. Zootopia is like Robin Hood in having more humanlike furries and for having social commentary. With the similarity, I like to imagine that Nick is a descendent of Robin Hood and Maid Marion. Now that I think of it, maybe Judy is a descendent of the rabit family in Robin Hood. Zootopia has modern take with the modern city. It also hhas the modern issues of racism, sexism and police brutality. Zootopia is also like Fox and the Hound in having a fox with an unlikly friend. In Fox and the Hound, the friend was a hound. This puts the fox in a prey position in a preditor and prey situation. In Zotopia, the friend was a rabbit. This puts the fox in the preditor position, which the the exact opposite.
Zootopia does make the discrimination against foxes a thin veil of racism. It does this to animal species. There is a real world race of Asian, particularly the eastern kind. They evolve over time like the foxes. They start out being stereotypical. Then they start going away from the stereotype. Asians have a stereotype of being sly troublemakers. They also have a stereotypical look of having yellow skin and buck teeth. This stereotype is really racist. This would not fly in modern times due to political correctness. The most notorious example of east Asian racism in a Disney movie is the Siamese cats in Lady and the Tramp. Yeah, they are stereotypical and racist to the point of being cringy and painful. These cats have a stereotypical appearence and behavior. They cause a lot of mischief, and then have the cunning to frame Lady for it. This leads to Lady going off into the streets, and having her own adventure. Later there was a Siamese cat in the Aristocats. It is a signifant improvement in my opinion. This cat has a very sterytypical look. It is really cringy. However this cat is much friendlier. He even helps Thomas save the cat family at the end of the movie. So there isn't the sterotypical behavior. In much later times there is Mulan. I consider both Lady and the Tramp and the Aristocats to be racist against east Asians. I don't consider Mulan of this though. I have always been a fan of the character of Mulan. She is even my favorite of the Disney Princess franchise. I like it when a woman of color kicks butt and saves the day. Mulan is an amazing example of this. She is awesome. I have gained even more appreaciation for Mulan. Compared to older movies, she is a huge improvement for depictions of East Asians. The sterotype is almost completely vanished. Mulan clearly has an East Asian look, but she doesn't resemble the stereotyped caricatures. She has some trickery, but it is for a very good reason. Mulan was trying to save her father by taking his place in the war. She disguised herself as a man, because the army was sexist against women. In a way, Mulan is the Bruce Lee of Disney. She get to be a heroic fighter. She learns martial arts along the way. She defies the old stereotypes of Asians being sly trouble makers. In modern times the idea of Asians being good at martial arts has turned into a positive stereotype. It is problematic, but it isn't quite as offensive as the old stereotypes. The racism of east Asians long ago is very messed up. Maybe it was because Americas were fighting WW2 and Vietnam War, and then they got all paranoid about their Asian opponents. It is like how people get all paranoid about Middle Eastern Asian people today. That racism is also seriously messed up. Oh good lord. Don't even get me started on that.
I like the Black Cauldron. This movie is so cool. It is a shame that it didn't get more popular. I love fantasy. It is the biggest interest for me. I am so eager to get fantasy that I end up liking fantasy shows that many people don't like. I like the Warcraft movie, the Hobbit Trilogy and the last two seasons of Game of Thrones. One of these movies is the Black Cauldron. I think a big reason why this movie bombed is due to the timing of released and not so much on the quality of the movie itself. Back then, animation was in the age ghetto. People thought of it just being for kids. The Black Cauldron was a more mature movie than the typical Disney movie. The adventure is so big and grand. The action is a lot more intense. There are scary zombies and other monsters. The Black Cauldron was in a problematic position when it first came out. It was too scary for the kids that like to watch Disney movies. However the animation and the Disney brand makes it too embarrassing for an older people. In modern times, people are more accepting that adults can enjoy cartoons. There are cartoons that have a sizable adult fanbase. There is Disney, Pixar, Pokemon and My Little Pony. There are even cartoons that are more mature, like the Simpsons. If Black Cauldron came out today, it probably would have found an audience and succeeded a lot easier. It is gaining a cult following. So that would count for something. I find the Black Cauldron both unique and enjoyable. I didn't care for it as a kid. However as an adult, I really got into it. It is where Disney tried to make an intense fantasy movie. That is cool. I wonder if one of the main film maker saw one of the old Tolkein cartoons, and then got inspired to do a similar movie. Even the naration at the beginning of the Black Cauldron sounds like that of a Tolken cartoon. I wonder if that is done by the same voice actor. There are three Tolkein cartoons. Ranken and Bass did the Hobbit and the Return of the King. Bakshi did the Lord of the Rings, specificly the first two books of the trilogy. Return of the King was the last book of the trilogy. I like the premise of Black Cauldron. It is interesting. It is basically the Holy Grail getting the Lord of the Rings treatment. In fantasy stories, there are magical items. It is even a staple. In folklore there are plenty of magical rings that do good things for people. The Lord of the Rings subverts this. There was a helpful rings in the Hobbit. Then in Lord of the Rings, it is revealed to be the evil ring of the dark lord. Then the heros go on a quest to destroy the evil ring. Of all magic items, the most famous is the Holy Grail of Arthurian mythology. It is a wonderful magical cup to save the land. It also restors life. In the Black Cauldron, it is like the search for the Holy Grail. However the Grail has become evil. There is an evil cauldron. The big bad wants it so he can revive corpses' and make an army of zombies. The cauldon can't really be destroyed. So the heroes find a way to make it's magic stop working. That is interesting. I think the Black Cauldron has some of the best critters in all Disney movies. Critters usually don't do anything but look cute and act funny. Kids would like them, but they are pointless for the story. In the Black Cauldron, the critters are still there, but they are very useful and important to the plot. Henwen uses magical powers to show where the cauldron is. Creeper is the main henchman for the bad guy. Gurgi gives up his life to stop the cauldron's magic. He does come back to life later. I like to call Gurgi the fluffy Gollum. Taran makes for a cool protagonist. He looks a lot like Arthur from the Sword and the Stone. This movie did come out later. So I wonder if it can continue. The Sword and the Stone does end with Arthur aquiring a magic sword. In the Black Caudron, Taren acquires a magical sword of his own towards the beginning. Then he moves on and goes on his own grail quest. Arthur goes on a grail quest in the origional legends. I have very few bad things to say about the Black Cauldron. It is a very underrated film. There are two parts that was awkward. I think it was probably not the fault of the film makers but just due to the troubles they had. I found it wierd that Tauren goes to the villains castle twice. Maybe there wasn't enough budget and time to make a separate dungeon for Tauren to explore. The villain castle is best saved for the climax. I also find it wierd that Tauren doesn't fight very much in this movie. Heck the whole trio of heros can become a fighting force. Tauren can be the warrior fighting the opponents in melee with his magic sword. Elonwy can be the magician blasting spells to the opponents from afar. Fleudder can play magical songs to heal and support the other two members. That would be so cool. One could go all out and have an RPG party in a movie. I don't know if Dungeons and Dragons came out yet at the time, but that would still be cool. I think that the reason why Tauren didn't fight much is because the action was taken out by the censors. That is unfortunate. I wondered if it is possible to find an uncensored R rated version of the Black Cauldron. I would like to check that out.
Then there are other movies. One was Winnie the Pooh. I am surprised that he is in here. He is one of the most famous and iconic characters of Disney. I never got into Pooh as a kid. When I watch the Pooh movie now, I still don't get it. Now I understand what is going on in the story. That part is easy. I just don't understand why Pooh is appealing. I personally found the movie to be dull. The lack of one whole plot really sets the movie back. There are plenty of better Disney movies out there in the canon. There are even better Disney movies in the Bronze Age. I think the greatest and most innovative character for Walt Disney is Snow White. Snow White is awesome. For one thing she stars in the first animated movie in history. For another she starts the Disney Princess franchise. Walt Disney went on to make Cinderella and Aurora. They are like Snow White in being Disney Princesses. I think I like Cinderella best out of the the three. Then more Disney princesses are made later. I am a big fan of both Disney movies and for Disney Princesses. One Disney moves from Micky to Snow White, that is when he gets into the good stuff. My favorite Disney character of the canon is Elsa. She is just like the Disney Princesses, even though she is not in the official list. Having three really good movies and one super popular movie makes up half of the Bronze Age. It is not too shabby for a company that struggled with the death of its founder. Then there is the rest of the movie. Rescues and Great Mouse Detective are pretty cool. Aristocats and Oliver and Company were pretty dull but they have some merits. The Godlen and Silver ages of Disney wasn't all good. Both ages had thier duds. So it is no surprize that that the Bronze Age had its duds too. Yet even then the four lesser Bronze Age films still had a decent plot. That is significantly better than the lesser movies of earlier times. Only the Winnie the Pooh movie has no single plot. Maybe this is the sign that the Disney company is putting on a higher standard of quality. My favorite era is the Renaisance. I will look forward to going over them. I am a 90s kid, and that was my childhood. I completely forgot about the Rescuers sequal. However I loved all the other movies. Yet even I admit that even there, some movies are considered duds by people. Personally I still like these movies all the same. I think Hercules and Hunchback of Notre Dame are two of the most underrated DIsney movies ever. Fox and the Hound and the Black Cauldron are underrated. I think out of all the Renaisance movies, Pocahontas is the one that gets any critism I find convincing. It is critisized for being racist. The depiction of Native Americans is significantly better than in Peter Pan. Brother Bear came later. It doesn't get critisism. I don't know whether it is due to Brother Bear being more PC or because it is just an obscure movie. I hope better depictions of Native Americans will come in the future of Disney. It is horrible that the Disney company went through development hell during the bronze age. Fortuatly things got better in the Renaisance.