The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996) - ★★★★½

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Writers: Victor Hugo (Novel)
Voices: Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Jason Alexander, Paul Kandel, Charles Kimbrough, David Ogden Stiers

Of all the movies I've seen on my Disney Blogathon, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was the biggest surprise of all. It truly is one of the most beautiful animated features ever created. I was in complete awe of the meticulously detailed, gorgeous animation of the city of Paris, the characters that wandered the streets, the 3D bells and shots of Notre Dame, and the stunning angles and techniques that occur scene by scene. The music that encompass this film sends chills down my spine, for it has such a mature, haunting sound, which suits this tale of oppression and longing to perfection. I was surprised mostly because this film used to make me upset as a child, but as an adult, I noticed masterful aspects that I hadn't seen before. This is honestly one of the most underrated movies of all time.

Mulan (1998) - ★★★★★

Director: Tony Bancroft, Barry Cook
Voices: Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, Miguel Ferrer, Lea Salonga, Harvey Fierstein, Donny Osmond, June Foray, James Hong, Miriam Margolyes, Pat Morita, George Takei

Mulan has been my undisputed favourite Disney movie since I was a child. It's an absolutely phenomenal film that brings so much more than any Disney princess movie before it. Its soundtrack is one of the greatest I've ever heard, the animation is stunningly beautiful, the character's are hilarious and interesting, and the story is just so grand in scale. There are two things in this movie that make it stand as one of the all time greats of animation. One is its leading character Mulan, who goes through what I consider the greatest challenge any female Disney character has ever had to face. The other is her mentor and friend, Mushu, who is by far the funniest Disney character I've ever seen. This exquisitely crafted film deserves to be praised as one of the all time greats of animation.

The Sapphires (2013) - ★★★½

Director: Wayne Blair
Writers: Tony Briggs, Keith Thompson
Stars: Deborah Mailman, Chris O'Dowd, Jessica Mauboy, Miranda Tapsell, Shari Sebbens

The Sapphires is a fun, entertaining, politically correct film that is sure to go down as an Aussie classic. I liked it, but I feel it could have been so much better. With the enormous talent of the cast, particularly Deborah Mailman, I could see this story as a masterpiece of cinema. Wayne Blair managed to turn it into a good film, but it's a film that only dabbles into certain issues. We get a glimpse of Australian history and racism, a glimpse of romance, a glimpse of drama, a fair amount of comedy, and a helluva lot of soul music. The problem with this film, and indeed a lot of modern Australian films, is that they've become too Hollywood. The Aussie accents are a little overdone, the Aussie sayings are a little out of place, and all of this is done for the benefit of foreign audiences. It stuck out like a sore thumb to me.

Chicago (2002) - ★★★★★

Director: Rob Marshall
Writers: Bill Condon, Bob Fosse, Fred Ebb, Maurine Dallas Watkins
Stars: Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Richard Gere, John C. Reilly, Queen Latifah, Christine Baranski, Dominic West, Colm Feore, Lucy Liu, Mya

I know a whole bunch of people who call this the most overrated movie of all time. It's because of this, that I call it one of the most underrated movies of all time. Sure, it won six Oscars including Best Picture, but now all you hear these days is people bitch and moan about how The Pianist or The Two Towers should have won. In my opinion, Chicago is one of the greatest musicals of all time. It's filled to the brim with some of the greatest songs in cinematic history, stunning performances, hilarious dialogue, and zany vaudevillian dance numbers! From start to finish I was enthralled with this film. As a lover of musicals, dancing, acting and movies, I can tell you that this is an all round perfect film.

Lady and the Tramp (1955) - ★★★½

Director: Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
Voice Actors: Peggy Lee, Barbara Luddy, Larry Roberts, Bill Thompson, Bill Baucorn

Lady and the Tramp surprised me. When I was a child, I despised this movie. I can't exactly say why, but I just never connected to the story or the characters. Probably because I'm a cat person.

Anyway, watching it again I realised that this is one of Disney's better films. The animation looks magnificent for 1955, and many scenes just had me in awe. I think what surprised me the most was that I got a little bit emotional towards the end. It's not one of my favorite Disney films, but I can't deny that's a very good movie.

Pocahontas (1995) - ★★★

Director: Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg
Voice Actors: Irene Bedard, Judy Kuhn, Mel Gibson, David Ogden Stiers, Christian Bale, Billy Connolly, Linda Hunt, Russell Mean

Here's how I think the movie Pocahontas was conceived:

"Hey, let's have a Native American Disney Princess."
"Sounds good, who can we use."
"Pocahontas?"
"I think we've hit the jackpot!"

Yes, Disney has tried to do the impossible by making a children's movie out of America's brutal history with the Native Americans. I didn't find it offensive, but I didn't find it very entertaining either. It's one of the most beautiful animated films I've ever seen, and best of all, it has the most beautiful Disney song of all time. "Colors of the Wind," sung by Judy Kuhn.

The Lion King (1994) - ★★★★★

Director: Roger Allers, Rob Minkoff
Voice Actors: Jonathon Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones, Jeremy Irons, Ernie Sabella, Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson

So far in my Disney Blogathon, The Lion King takes the prize for making me cry the most. I hadn't seen this movie in like 10 years, so it was quite a shock to be as emotional as I was. It's an indescribably beautiful film that's much more than your average Disney movie. These aren't just the rambling events of cartoon animals, but rather a masterful story that could not have been told in a better way. I was just completely blown away at how much this movie affected me, which is why it is easily one of the greatest movies ever made.

The AristoCats (1970) - ★★½

Just O'Malley pitching woo to Dutchess

Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Voice Actors: Phil Harris, Eva Gabor, Sterling Holloway, Scatman Crothers, George Lindsay, Pat Buttram

Believe it or not, when I was a kid The AristoCats was my favorite movie of all time. No matter what videos were on the shelf, I'd always be drawn to picking this movie. I guess I'd put that down to the fact that I've grown up with cats all my life. Upon re-watching this movie, I can't help but wonder what I ever saw in it. I mean, it's alright, but nothing special in my eyes. By now you'll know that it doesn't matter how childish or musical a film is, I'll probably like it anyway. This movie just isn't really funny, isn't all that enchanting, and it's a little bit boring.

Beauty and the Beast (1991) - ★★★★★

Director: Gary Trousdale, Kirk Wise
Writers: (Huge collaberation)
Voice Actors: Paige O'Hara, Robby Benson, Richard White, Jerry Orbach, Angela Lansbury, David Ogden Stiers

Here it is! I'm gonna call it now! Beauty and the Beast is the greatest Disney movie ever made. I'm barely a quarter way through my Disney Blogathon, yet I can't see anything else beating this. There are a few contenders I suspect will challenge this film (The Lion King, Cinderella), but deep down I feel that Beauty and the Beast is even better than all others. The music is perfect, the animation is unmatched, the story is beautiful, the characters are hilarious! No matter what I say, I feel I can't do this movie justice. I'll just go right ahead and point out what makes this my pick for "Greatest Disney Movie Ever Made."

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) - ★★★★½

Director: David Hand
Writers: (Too many to list)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs is the second film on my Disney Blogathon quest. It's undeniably beautiful, absolutely magical, and downright hilarious. Yes, the nostalgia of it all got to me... believe it or not, I shed a few tears at the end of the film. It's just one of those movies you come to truly appreciate upon multiple viewings. Not only did it set a benchmark for animated feature films, but it also stands as one of the best animated movies ever created.

Sleeping Beauty (1959) - ★★★★½

Director: Clyde Geronimi
Writers: Charles Perrault (Story), Erdman Penner (Adaptation)
Voices by: Eleanor Audley, Verna Felton, Mary Costa, Bill Shirley, Barbara Luddy, Barbara Jo Allen

Sleeping Beauty is the first film on my Movie Blogathon list. I didn't think it possible, but I liked this movie better than I did as a child. Mainly because of how kick-ass the villain Maleficent (Eleanor Audley) is. Even today that woman's voice gives me chills! Anyway... I really loved this movie. The songs, the animation, the story, the characters, everything gets to me. It stirs so many feelings, so many memories, I think nostalgia is one of the best things about this movie. Looking at this from an outsiders point of view, I'd still call it a near-perfect film. The animation may not live up to today's standards, but I still prefer it to most Disney movies post 1970.

Disney Movie Blogathon!

That's right guys! It's time for my first ever Movie Blogathon! I thought to myself, what haven't I seen in a while that would be awesome to watch non-stop for a few days? A few things came to mind: Horror, Quentin Tarantino, Akira Kurosawa, Film Noir, Spaceship Flicks... in the end, I chose one of my favorite movie companies: Disney! Hopefully you'll join me in watching these movies, I look forward to discussing them with you all.

It's a long list, but I have a feeling that the time will just fly by!

• Snow White and The Seven Dwarfs (1937) | Watched on 22nd May, 2013 | ★★★★½
• Pinocchio (1940)
• Fantasia (1940)
• Dumbo (1941)
• Bambi (1942)
• Cinderella (1950)
• Alice in Wonderland (1951) | Watched on 23rd May, 2013 | ★★★★
• Peter Pan (1953) | Watched on 24th May, 2013 | ★★★★
• Lady and the Tramp (1955) | Watched on 8th June | ★★★½
• Sleeping Beauty (1959) | Watched on 21st May, 2013. | ★★★★½
• 101 Dalmations (1960)
• The Jungle Book (1967)
• The AristoCats (1970) | 26th May, 2013 | ★★½
• Robin Hood (1973)
• The Rescuers (1977)
• The Fox and The Hound (1981)
• The Black Cauldron (1985)
• Basil - The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
• Oliver and Company (1988)
• The Little Mermaid (1989)
• Beauty and the Beast (1991) | Watched on 24th May, 2013 | ★★★★★
• Aladdin (1992)
• The Lion King (1994) | Watched on 26th May, 2013 | ★★★★★
• Pocahontas (1995) | Watched on 5th June, 2013 | ★★★
• Toy Story (1995) | Watched on 24th May, 2013 | ★★★½
• The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
• Hercules (1997)
• Mulan (1998)
• A Bugs Life (1998)
• Tarzan (1999)
• Dinosaur (2000)
• The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
• Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
• Monster's Inc (2001)
• Lilo and Stitch (2002)
• Treasure Planet (2002)
• Brother Bear (2003)
• Finding Nemo (2003)
• The Incredibles (2004)
• Valiant (2005)
• Chicken Little (2005)
• Cars (2006)
• Ratatouille (2007) | Watched on 27th May, 2013 | ★★★★
• Meet the Robinsons (2007)
• WALL.E (2008) | Watched on 24th June, 2013 | ★★★★★
• Up (2009)
• Tangled (2010)
• Mars Needs Moms (2011)
• Frankenweenie (2012)
• Wreck-It Ralph (2012)
• Brave (2012)

Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012) - ★★★

Director: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz

Here's a simple breakdown for you:

If you like Katy Perry, then you'll like this movie.

If you don't care for her music or story, then avoid this one.

Meet Me in St. Louis (1944) - ★½

Director: Vincente Minelli
Writers: Sally Benson (Novel), Irving Brecher, Fred F. Finlehoffe (Screenplay)
Stars: Judy Garland, Margaret O'Brien, Mary Astor, Harry Davenport, Lucille Bremer, Leon Ames

Now this was a tough movie to sit through. There's nothing particularly interesting about this movie, save for the song it's famous for "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas." The acting's OK, but nothing special. As for the story, there's not much substance there. There's bucket loads of cheese throughout  this movie, which for some made it entertaining, but for me it was almost unwatchable. (This is coming from a person who loves cheesy movies).

Cabaret (1972) - ★★★★★

Director: Bob Fosse
Writer: Joe Masteroff (Book), John Van Druten (Play), Jay Presson Allen (Screenplay)
Stars: Liza Minelli, Joel Grey, Michael York, Helmut Griem, Fritz Wepper, Marisa Berenson

How unlucky it is that Cabaret just happened to be released the same year as The Godfather, for both are legendary films and both were worthy of Best Picture, but it was Francis Ford Coppola's epic that earned the Oscar. However, it was director of Cabaret, Bob Fosse, that nabbed the Oscar for direction. Cabaret is one of the most engrossing, entertaining films I have ever seen and has swept me into regarding it as one of the greatest musicals of all time.