Greatest Disney Animated Movie Final Four!

The Final Four is set!  And just like I thought it's an all 90s-era field.  Granted, all of the movies that made the Final Four are really good and there's a reason they were all high seeds, but I still thought one of them might go down before this point.  There were some close calls, but not close enough.  And none of the Elite Eight results were particularly close.  I do think that the voting results have a lot to do with the demographics of the voters as well.  Most of my friends who likely voted are around my age and we all have an affinity for those movies from our childhood.  So it's not too surprising that the Final Four is comprised of movies from the five year range 1989-1994.  Here's how the bracket shapes up now.



As for the two semifinal matchups, here are my thoughts.  In the first matchup Aladdin goes up against The Lion King.  From the beginning, The Lion King has been the odds on favorite to win the whole tournament.  And of these four movies I think Aladdin is the least admired, which isn't to say it isn't beloved, but I don't hear people gush over Aladdin like the other three participants.  For that reason I think The Lion King advances easily.

The second matchup should be a little closer.  Beauty and the Beast is heralded as one of the best animated movies of all time.  It's blowout win against Cinderella showed that when it comes to princess movies, it is the clear number one.  The songs are memorable, the animation is beautiful, and the story is timeless.  It should be the favorite to advance.  But The Little Mermaid is the movie that resurrected the Disney brand.  After a down period in the 80s, The Little Mermaid was released and restored Disney's crown as the top dog.  And a lot of people love and cherish that movie, myself included.  It is one of my all time favorites.  The songs are equally memorable from this movie, and the story is wonderful.  Not to mention it has one of the best villains of all time.  I could honestly see either of these two movies winning.  So let's find out who will!

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Greatest Disney Animated Movie Elite Eight!

The Sweet Sixteen did not disappoint.  We had some very close matchups.  My personal favorite, Robin Hood, put up an incredibly valiant effort against Beauty and the Beast.  It jumped out to an early lead before Beauty stormed back.  Ultimately, Robin Hood fell by a single vote, 10-9.  While I'm a little heartbroken that it wasn't able to advance, I'm very proud that it put up a such a strong fight against one of the pre-tournament favorites.  In another one point decision, Aladdin edged out Peter Pan, 10-9.  This doesn't surprise me as much, as I thought Peter Pan would have a real shot to pull the upset.  In the end, though, it came up a little short.

Most of the other matchups were fairly competitive.  Bambi gave Cinderella a run for its money, falling only four votes shy.  Dumbo and Jungle Book went back and forth before Jungle Book pulled away and won 12-7.  Even 101 Dalmatians kept it close with The Lion King for a little while before falling.  The biggest blowout belonged to Pinocchio, which pretty much wiped the floor with Fantasia, winning 15-3.  I don't think that result is too surprising.

I was surprised, however, by how easily Snow White dispatched Tangled.  Based on previous voting results, I thought Tangled had an excellent chance to pull the upset.  But Snow White jumped out to an early lead and never looked back.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said for another of my favorites, Sleeping Beauty.  Despite taking an initial lead over The Little Mermaid, Sleeping Beauty lost steam and then lost the matchup, 13-6.  I was really hoping that would be a little closer and even though I also love The Little Mermaid, I wanted Sleeping Beauty to win.

Nonetheless, here is what the bracket looks like as we head into the Elite Eight.



The Elite Eight matchups offer some interesting matchups.  My prediction of an all early 90s Final Four is still a possibility.  Each of those early 90s movies are up against an age old classic.  The Lion King gets to try its hand against The Jungle Book.  I really don't see The Jungle Book getting enough love to win this matchup.

Aladdin, however, might have a fight going against Pinocchio.  There's something about Pinocchio that people love.  I think it has something to do with Jiminy Cricket and "When You Wish Upon a Star".  Although, Aladdin does have "A Whole New World" so this could be a battle of who likes which song more.

In the ultimate princess matchup we have Beauty and the Beast facing off against Cinderella.  I feel like these are the two princess stories that get the most love and are most referenced as being the quintessential princess dreams.  I guess we'll find out which princess comes out on top.

The final matchup pits Disney's first movie, Snow White, against the movie that revitalized the Disney brand, The Little Mermaid.  I'm starting to think that Little Mermaid may be the sleeper pick to win the whole thing.  Although, I underestimated Snow White in the last round, too, and look how that worked out.

But if you've read this far, then I've tortured you enough, so let's get to the voting!

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Greatest Disney Animated Movie Sweet Sixteen

On to the Sweet Sixteen!  The second round wrapped up, and as has been the case through most of this tournament, there were no surprises.  Only one lower seed advanced, Robin Hood, which was a 5 seed beating a 4 seed, not much of an upset.  It did, however, make me happy because Robin Hood is my favorite Disney movie.  In the other matchups, Beauty and the Beast, Cinderella, Tangled, Sleeping Beauty, and The Little Mermaid all cruised to easy victories.  So much for my Oliver and Company has a chance theory.  Snow White actually struggled for a bit against Lilo and Stitch, but eventually pulled away.  I don't quite understand the love for Stitch.  I've never liked that movie.  Anyway, here's what the bracket looks like now.




We're left with a lot of chalk.  The lowest remaining seed is a 7 seed, Dumbo.  But we certainly have some heavyweight matchups in this round.  All the remaining movies can be considered classics, so I'll try to hesitate using that term too much.  The first matchup features The Lion King versus 101 Dalmatians.  I don't think Dalmatians has quite the following to take down the behemoth that is The Lion King, but maybe they can make it a little closer.  The other matchup in this region might be a little closer.  Dumbo already pulled off one upset, knocking off Frozen, but The Jungle Book was one of my sleeper picks to go deep in the tournament.  This one might be close.

In the Aladdin region, the 1 seed should be a little worried going up against Peter Pan.  Honestly, I think this matchup could go either way.  Peter Pan is a timeless story, but Aladdin is favorite among my generation.  I'm intrigued.  The second matchup features two of Disney's earliest films, Fantasia vs Pinocchio.  I think this will be another close matchup.  Fantasia is a beautiful movie, but Pinocchio is Pinocchio.

The real question surfaces in the Beauty and the Beast region.  Can my favorite, Robin Hood, take down the top seed, Beauty and the Beast?  I love Beauty and the Beast, but nothing tops Robin Hood in my book.  It's so wonderfully uplifting.  In the bottom half of the region, Cinderella faces Bambi.  Bambi might be able to keep this close for a while, but I think Cinderella pulls away easily in the end.

The final region features 1 seed Snow White against the newest movie left in the bracket, Tangled.  Considering that Snow White struggled in its last matchup and Tangled has rolled so far, I think there might be an upset in the works here.  I know many people take issue with Snow White's story and characterization, but it's such a historical masterpiece that I would be sad to see it go out this early.  But maybe the other history buffs like me will push it through.  The final matchup is probably the toughest for me to vote for.  Sleeping Beauty and The Little Mermaid are two of my absolute favorites.  I think Sleeping Beauty is the best of the princess movies, but Little Mermaid was my favorite of the early 90s Disney revival films which were a huge part of my childhood.  I want to see both of them in the Final Four.  Why did I seed them in the same region?!  Stupid fairness and subjectivity.  Enough of this, let's vote.

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Greatest Disney Animated Movie Round 2 Part 2

Well, it was bound to happen eventually.  We have a tie.  In fact, we have two ties!  You may be wondering what the procedure is for breaking a tie.  It's a very sophisticated process.  Since this is my bracket, whoever I voted for, wins.  That may not seem very fair to you, but if you don't like it, then make your own bracket.  But let's cut the suspense and get to the winners.

The first tie was between the 4 and 5 seeds in the Lion King Region, 101 Dalmatians and Mulan.  I knew this would be a close matchup, and sure enough it was.  While I did enjoy Mulan, my vote was for 101 Dalmatians.  The dogs are cute, the villain is iconic, and it even inspired a live action remake.  It deserves to move on.

The second tied matchup was much more of a surprise.  The 2 seed Frozen ended up tied with 7 seed Dumbo.  I really thought the immense popularity of Frozen would carry it through this matchup easily.  While Dumbo is an iconic movie, I wasn't sure how many people really like it enough to get it to the Sweet Sixteen.  Apparently, more than I thought.  And because my vote went to Dumbo, it advances.  Now there might be some serious Frozen overkill that led to this vote as well.  Personally, I enjoyed the movie and I think Princess Anna is adorable, but story wise I found it very lacking.  With that said, I'm still very surprised that it went out this early.

The other matchups in the Lion King region were fairly predictable.  The Lion King cruised to a victory over Pocahontas, and The Jungle Book held off an early surge by The Fox and the Hound to advance.  All the top seeds in the Aladdin region advanced as well.  Early voting results looked like Alice in Wonderland and Wreck-it Ralph might have a chance to pull the upset, but Peter Pan and Pinocchio, respectively, eventually pulled away.

Here's what the current bracket looks like.


Moving on to the next two regions, there are some very intriguing matchups.  In the Beauty and the Beast region, I think Beauty and the Beast and Cinderella will advance easily.  But the 4-5 and 3-6 matchups could be very close.  Can my favorite, Robin Hood, upset everyone's favorite animal love story, Lady and the Tramp?  I foresee a close vote there.  And I really don't know what to make of Hercules' chances.  I didn't like that movie, but the more I talk to people, the more I hear how much people like it.  Bambi might be in trouble.

The Snow White region features the only double digit seeds remaining.  I don't believe Hunchback has the chops to take down Sleeping Beauty, but Oliver and Company showed me something in the first round.  I think Oliver and Company has a decent chance to beat Tangled and be the only double digit seed in the Sweet Sixteen.  Of course, I also wouldn't be surprised if Tangled runs away with the vote.  I don't foresee Snow White or Little Mermaid having any trouble advancing.  But let's find out.  Proceed to the voting!

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Greatest Disney Animated Movie Round 2 Part 1

We finally have some upsets!!!  The final region in round one voting produced some of the closest matchups and resulted in the first upsets of the tournament.  There were four matchups that were decided by one vote.  Lilo and Stitch managed to squeak by The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, but Tarzan and Big Hero 6 weren't as lucky, as they fell to lower seeds, Oliver and Company and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, respectively.  I am really happy that Oliver and Company got some love and advanced.  In the fourth matchup decided by one vote, The Adventures of Winnie the Pooh summoned up enough love from the Hundred Acre Wood to defeat A Goofy Movie.  This was by far the most exciting region so far.



Now it's time to get into round two!  The second round should be quite exciting because we're getting matchups of more popular movies.  We begin this round of voting in the Lion King and Aladdin regions.  The Lion King region presents three really interesting matchups.  I think The Lion King will advance easily, but the 2-seed, Frozen, might have a more difficult time against Dumbo.  Of course, I wouldn't be surprised if it's a blowout either.  I think The Jungle Book should advance as well, but it could be close.  And I really don't know what to make of 101 Dalmatians vs Mulan.  That could honestly go either way.

In the Aladdin region, Peter Pan vs Alice in Wonderland is one to watch.  Those are two really popular movies.  I'm curious to see how Fantasia performs as well.  It's a brilliant technical movie, and its influence on animation is immeasurable, but it's also really old compared to its opponent, The Princess and the Frog.  And I fully expect Aladdin and Pinocchio to advance easily.  But enough analysis, let's get to the voting!

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Greatest Disney Movie Bracket Round 1 Part 4

Voting in Round 1 of the Beauty and the Beast region was surprising in the fact that all the matchups that I thought were going to be close were blowouts.  In fact, all the matchups were blowouts except one.  Dinosaur jumped out to an early 3-0 lead, but The Emperor's New Groove came back to win 4-3.  I was hoping for more than seven votes, but that's all we have to work with.  There's not much else to say about the other matchups.  I'm a little surprised that The Aristocats thoroughly dominated Bolt, but perhaps I overestimated the popularity of Bolt.  But let's take a look at what the bracket looks like now.

And now we head into the final region of voting in Round 1.  I could see some upsets in this region.  In fact, there are at least three lower seeds that I will be voting for, and I think others might as well.  First, I love Oliver and Company.  I remember watching that movie all the time as a kid and I think it is much better than Tarzan.  However, I wonder how many other people love that movie like I do.  I think Winnie the Pooh vs A Goofy Movie is an intriguing matchup as well.  There's a lot of cult love for both of those films, so it will be interesting to see which movie's fans show up to vote.  The other matchup that will be one to watch is Big Hero 6 vs Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Hunchback is not a very good movie, but Big Hero 6 is really new, so many people may not have seen it yet.  We'll see how that shapes up.  I think the higher seeds should win the other matchups, but I will say I am not of fan of Lilo and Stitch, so if that lost I wouldn't be heartbroken.  I don't think many people remember Ichabod and Mr. Toad, though.  Either way, I'm really excited to see how the voting goes in this region!

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Greatest Disney Movie Bracket Round 1 Part 3

Well, I definitely underestimated Meet the Robinsons and the two Rescuers movies.  They were neck and neck in the voting for most of the round until Alice in Wonderland, Sword in the Stone, and Wreck-it-Ralph pulled away at the end.  I wasn't sure any of those movies would be able to keep things close, but it's nice to see there are fans out there.  It would be nice if more than 11 people voted, though, so please share with your friends!!!!  The other films in this region advanced quite easily, as I thought they would.

Here's a look at the bracket.


Now we move into the Beauty and the Beast region of the bracket.  There are some intriguing first round matchups here.  Aristocats versus Bolt should be very interesting.  I wasn't a huge fan of either, but it will be interesting to see how an obscure old school film fares against an obscure new school film.  Other matchups that I think will be close are The Emperor's New Groove vs Dinosaur and Hercules vs Treasure Planet.  I don't think any of those movies were overwhelmingly popular, with Hercules being the closest thing to a hit.  I'm curious to see how people vote in those matchups.  Personally, I think Dinosaur and Treasure Planet were underrated.  Finally, my personal favorite Disney movie is in this region, Robin Hood.  I don't see how Chicken Little stands a chance, but I know there is a small cult following for that film, so I'm a little worried.  But ultimately, I think Robin Hood will advance.

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Greatest Disney Movie Round 1 Part 2

After the first series of voting in the Lion King region, there were no major upsets.  All the higher seeds advanced and it wasn't even close.  In fact, the closest match up was a 7-2 victory for The Fox and the Hound.  No real surprises and not much to analyze.

Here's the latest look at the bracket.


Now it's time to move on to the Aladdin region.  I think all the higher seeds will prevail here as well, but maybe one of the Rescuers movies or Atlantis could surprise.  Hopefully more than nine people vote this time around, though.  So please share with friends and spread the word.

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