Hercules was my #11. We had been learning about Greek mythology in class, which was a much more enjoyable subject than whatever the hell else they were teaching us back then, so I was already interested in all the various gods and characters and monsters and whatnot. Plus I used to watch the TV show from time to time starring Kevin Sorbo, so the Disney movie came along at the perfect time. My initial viewing was at an after-school pizza party the school held for students who had made the honors list. One room was showing
Air Bud, the other
Hercules. I chose the latter, and it instantly became one of my favorite animated movies.
For me, James Woods's amazing vocal performance as Hades is right up there with Robin Williams as the Genie. He brings something completely unexpected to the character. In fact, I used to actively root for Hades, which might be worrisome, but he was just so damn entertaining and funny and wickedly cool in the film that I couldn't help it. I used to hate the songs in most Disney films, but
Hercules and
The Lion King were the exceptions. Even after all these years, I still have some of the lyrics to "Zero to Hero" stuck in my head. The movie was fun, fast-paced, funny, entertaining. Even as a kid, I had an interest in the macabre, so the creepier imagery and characters during the Underworld sequences appealed to the burgeoning weirdo/gothic side of me. The voices fit the characters perfectly, whether it was Danny DeVito as Phil, or outside-the-box choices like Bobcat Goldthwait as Hades's henchman or Paul Shaffer as Hermes.
I still own the movie on VHS. I watched it a few years ago and enjoyed it just as much as I did when I was a kid. I maintain that it's one of Disney's most underrated animated features.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was my #17. Santa may bring the presents every Christmas Eve, but Rudolph's TV special ushers in the holiday season. I've been watching
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer since I was at least three years old, and I still watch it almost every year when Christmastime nears. I'm not a festive guy. I generally dread the holiday season. Yet
Rudolph is so inherently cute and charming and magical that it continues to bring a smile to my face and conjure Christmas memories of old every time I watch it.
The stop-motion animation isn't as smooth as what we're used to nowadays, but considering that it's fifty years old, I think it holds up well for the most part. The story itself is highly imaginative and even somewhat surreal. The characters are iconic. Burl Ives's narration is total class. The songs are hokey yet enjoyable. The abominable snowman used to frighten me to death as a kid, so those particular scenes were quite effective. Plus the themes are important and timeless. Many times throughout my life I've felt like a Misfit Toy, so I think
Rudolph is a vital early tool to teach children that it's okay to be different and to celebrate those differences instead of hiding who you are.
Beavis and Butt-head Do America was my #20. I never expected it to make the countdown, so its inclusion is a very pleasant surprise. I also voted for the show in the TV Countdown, so I'm a big fan. I can't count the number of times I've quoted these lovable idiots or imitated their iconic laughter and their voices. (For the record, I can do a much better Beavis impersonation than Butt-head.) Beavis and Butt-head are two of my favorite characters of all-time. Huhuhuhuh. Cool.
The only problem with the show is that the skits are so short, but
Do America proved that Beavis and Butt-head could maintain their hilarity over an extended period of time without growing tiresome or repetitive. The film contains so many laugh-out-loud scenes, like when the boys start fighting in the hotel room over who is going to "do" the woman, or when they meet their fathers out in the desert, or when The Great Cornholio ("I need TP for my bunghole!") causes havoc at the White House. Beavis's hallucination sequence is a fantastic bit of animation, courtesy of Rob Zombie. I like Mike Judge a lot anyway (as of right now, it looks like my nomination of Hank Hill is going to win the TV Characters Tournament), and I think he excels at dumb, stupid, juvenile humor that actually originates from a smart place, if that makes any sense.
Kung Fu Panda was my #24. I don't have any strong passion about it and I've only seen it once, but I did enjoy it a lot and I thought it was worthy of making the countdown, so I threw it on the tail-end of my list. I'm not the biggest fan of Jack Black, but I think he's the perfect fit for the character's voice. The core of the story is very familiar stuff, but it's one that has always appealed to me. I love stories about unassuming people who realize they're destined for greatness. The whole idea of "the chosen one" always gets me pumped, whether it's Po in
Kung Fu Panda or Neo in
The Matrix or Harry Potter in the book series or Link in
The Legend of Zelda video games. It's wish fulfillment, I guess, since it allows everyday people to temporarily break from the drab monotony of existence and fulfill that particular fantasy of being meant for something important. I thought the animation in
Kung Fu Panda was very impressive. The sequence where Tai Lung escapes from the prison was a very thrilling and memorable sequence. Plus it's a movie about a panda learning kung fu, so that gets bonus points just for being simultaneously adorable and bad ass.
My List So Far:
#6)
All Dogs Go to Heaven
#11)
Hercules
#15)
The Brave Little Toaster
#16)
Frankenweenie
#17)
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
#20)
Beavis and Butt-head Do America
#24)
Kung Fu Panda
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