The Little Mermaid (1989) - ★★★★★

Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker
Voice Actors: Jodi Benson, Pat Carroll, Samuel E. Wright, Jason Marin, Buddy Hackett, Christopher Daniel Barnes

The Little Mermaid was the beginning of the Disney Renaissance, a period between 1989 and 1999 which contains a large portion of the greatest films that Disney ever made. As the first of its era, this movie still stands as one of the most beautiful creations in the history of animated cinema. While Ariel longed to be part of our world, as a child I longed to be part of hers. This movie still captivates me to this day, with its sweeping score, groundbreaking animation, and wonderfully entertaining characters. I get emotional at many Disney movies, but The Little Mermaid manages to make me blubber in tears more than almost any other. While its message isn't a particularly admirable one for little girls, it's still a story that many young people can relate to. The longing to break free and discover new things. While many of my childhood favourites faded into mediocrity, The Little Mermaid still ranks as one of the best.

Hercules (1997) - ★★★★

Director: Ron Clements, John Musker
Voice Actors: Tate Donovan, Susan Egan, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Rip Torn

It's official! Even after 10 years, Hercules is still one of my all time favourite animated movies! Visually and musically, Hercules is just so different to all the other films Disney has ever made, sporting a great use of 3D monsters, and also wonderfully catchy soul-music. I was pleasantly surprised at just how emotional the film made me. It doesn't quite reach the same league as Beauty and the Beast or The Lion King though, due to its lack of beautiful dialogue, powerful scenes, and most importantly, originality. Some of the jokes are a bit too cheesy and childlike for me, but I used to find them hilarious when I was younger, so I can forgive that. As a child, Hercules would have been one of my top 10 favourite movies to watch over and over on video-tape. To this day, the powerful wave of nostalgia makes me love it all the more.