Are Disney movies just for young children?

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by Drew664

B
I'd say my favorite would have to be Aladdin, the Lion King, or Mulan. As for the being too old part, a good movie is a good movie. Watch what you like.

That's a very kind response, thank you Drew. I would probaly place The Lion King second, Mulan around my third and Aladdin seventh.

I actually saw The Princess and the Frog in the theatre in February when in came out in the UK and felt rather odd when asking for the ticket as I was sure what the perosn behind the till would think.

But there are also a few Disney movies which clearly are not just for children, a brilliant example would be Fantasia as I just cannot imagine a child watching that on his/her own.

[Al_The_Strange]

Originally Posted by Porkchop Express

I'm shocked we have not got a name your favorite Disney, Pixar & Miyazaki movie thread yet. You're on to something Al.

Hey, go for it!

Originally Posted by Clone Trooper

I know but I've never really used a movie forum before, so I like to get my opnions out there to people that's all. (I'll admit I do feel a bit wrong setting up 2 threads in such a sort time frame)

Well, nothing wrong with that at all; I thought it was cool actually. Go for it!

Originally Posted by Sagacious Koreo

Why do people limit Studio Ghibli films to just Miyazaki? We're talking about whole companies here not just single directors. Studio Ghibli isn't limited to just Miyazaki. Although he is a major part of it's success no doubt.

Anyways, that's off topic. My bad for being picky.

I forgot about that; truth is, I've really only seen some of the Miyazaki ones and "Grave of the Fireflies" from Studio Ghibli. So Miyazaki is the first name that comes to mind when taking about Disney associations, rather than the Studio. My bad.

[Jezza]

Thanks Al The Stranger

[Petra_Kalbrain]

I think of Disney films more as product belonging under the "FAMILY" category than the "CHILDREN" category. However, adult enjoyment of the content seems to be magnified by the enjoyment their children get from it. I have friends that would touch Disney product with a ten foot pole because it was "mostly watered down infantile entertainment" (THEIR WORDS, NOT MINE). Once they had children, they seemed to build a pretty quick and substantial collection of the Disney branded content only to then say that the films are "good wholesome entertainment."

Also, not all Disney content is family oriented. If you look through this list (https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?studioid=2) of over 500 Blu-ray releases, you'll see some pretty hardcore non-family oriented films.

As for my favourite?

Disney 2D animation = Beauty & The Beast
Pixar 3D animation = Monsters Inc. with Cars a very close 2nd

[Fighter]

I'm probably digressing a bit, but me and my wife were discussing the fact that disney animated films aren't as sad as they used to be...I remember as a young child, and revisiting a handful of the older classics as an adult (Bambi, Dumbo, etc.) and they seemed to be a bit more emotional back in the day...what do you think??

[fatediesel]

Originally Posted by Petra_Kalbrain

Also, not all Disney content is family oriented. If you look through this list (https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/movies.php?studioid=2) of over 500 Blu-ray releases, you'll see some pretty hardcore non-family oriented films.

Disney's non-family entertainment isn't actually released under the Disney name, it's under Buena Vista. The only PG-13 movies ever released under the Disney brand were the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

[Jezza]

Originally Posted by Fighter

I'm probably digressing a bit, but me and my wife were discussing the fact that disney animated films aren't as sad as they used to be...I remember as a young child, and revisiting a handful of the older classics as an adult (Bambi, Dumbo, etc.) and they seemed to be a bit more emotional back in the day...what do you think??

Well all of the films under Walt Disney had much darker elements to them, which is why Walt didn't design them for children, which is probably why they are more emotional. Your two examples are perfect, : Bambi with his mother being shot and Dumbo his mother chained up for being apparently 'mad'.

[pickfair]

Disney has been the best at successfully walking that fine line between appealing to both kids and adults. That's why they are as big as they are.

What's annoying about Disney, is they take advantage of the 'worst' aspects of bluray. Not allowing us to hit the menu button and start the movie when WE want is dumb. Getting the kids in front of the TV, then having to wade thru 6 disclaimer screens and chaptering thru 12 trailers - they finish eating before the movie starts

[Septimus Prime]

Originally Posted by pickfair

Disney has been the best at successfully walking that fine line between appealing to both kids and adults. That's why they are as big as they are.

What's annoying about Disney, is they take advantage of the 'worst' aspects of bluray. Not allowing us to hit the menu button and start the movie when WE want is dumb. Getting the kids in front of the TV, then having to wade thru 6 disclaimer screens and chaptering thru 12 trailers - they finish eating before the movie starts

You can hit "Next chapter" (if your player is a PS3, just mash on R1) over and over, but yes, I agree with you otherwise.

On topic, at 25 and with no kids, I still love the animated classics. If nothing else (even though I agree that the writing and storytelling are superb), Disney's animation quality is unrivaled, in my opinion. You'd still be hard pressed to find anything that's up to the quality of Beauty and the Beast, and that movie is, like, 20 years old now.

[KubrickFan]

Originally Posted by Beast

The Animation section is usually reserved for Anime type stuff. Including mature themed Anime.

Wouldn't make a lick of sense to put Disney and such in there.

The problem is that animation isn't a genre, but a method to create a movie. That's why I'm bothered by the generalization that animation's just for kids. Because both assumptions are wrong.

[Atreyu]

If Disney movies are just for young children then I will forever be a young 46 year old, soon to be 47 year old child.

[SquidPuppet]

The older I get, the more I have learned to appreciate and enjoy good animation.

[Beast]

Originally Posted by KubrickFan

The problem is that animation isn't a genre, but a method to create a movie. That's why I'm bothered by the generalization that animation's just for kids. Because both assumptions are wrong.

But the reason they don't put the Disney Animated films in the Animation section is because they're in general family friendly. That's where parents are going to go when looking for the movies. The Animation section encompasses all kinds of Animation, but also includes animated films and series that are not all-ages friendly.

[Porkchop Express]

Originally Posted by SquidPuppet

The older I get, the more I have learned to appreciate and enjoy good animation.

I agree. I feel I enjoy it now more then I ever did.

[Moviefan2k4]

Originally Posted by Clone Trooper

This is something that has always confused me, because when ever you go into any store or site that is selling Disney Blu-rays or DVDs, they always list them as 'Childrens', yet Walt Disney himself never set out to make Snow White or Pinocchio for a target audience of children.

The reason I ask is because it seemes to be a topic most people ignore and just accept the market audience and also I myself am getting on for 18 and always watch Disney film, my favourite being Beauty and the Beast (can't wait to see it in Hi-Def), and yet no one in my family watches them with me as my brother and sister always think they're childrens' films and my parents wouldn't have time anyway, so am I really just too old for them now?

So are they really aimed at just children, because I think they're more for families rather than movies that you stick your children in front of the keep them quiet.

What's your opnion and which is your favourite?

Well, I'm reminded of something I've often heard repeated, but I'm not sure who said it first.It goes, "You'll don't make films for kids - you make films that kids can see." By that logic, it seems this approach works rather well. Now granted, there's definitely some stuff that the Disney company has put out, which I'm not so sure Walt would've liked, but on the whole there's a reason why the "Mouse House" still rules the market, in many respects. Recent fare like "Cars" and "Wall-E" have set new standards all their own, much like Mickey did with the "Steamboat Willie" cartoon.

I think one of the biggest mistakes some filmmakers often repeat is misjudging their audience, especially the younger generation. Some studios seem to think that if its isn't raunchy or confrontational, then only kids will see it...despite evidence to the contrary. Similarly, another mistake is the notion of movies having to be extreme, in order to avoid being a "kiddie film". Think about it: how often do you see a film, and think to yourself, "That was such a great story, but these few moments really didn't need to be there?" More often than not, things like explicit sex, bloody and/or gory violence, and excessive swearing are put into movies as ratings boosters...nothing more. There's a few rare exceptions, but if not for things like what I just mentioned, most movies would likely be rated PG...and that's not an inherently terrible thing, in and of itself.

As for my personal favorites under the Disney banner, I think my "top three" animated films are probably "Beauty and the Beast", "The Hunchback of Notre Dame", and "Peter Pan". With the live-action entries, some of my faves include the "Pirates" franchise, "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids", "Flight of the Navigator", "The Three Musketeers", and the "Not Quite Human" series.

[sapphy]

I enjoy Disney movies very much at 34, so no, I don't think they're just for kids

[SpaceDog]

The idea that Disney or animation in general is "just for kids" is beyond me. Sure, Disney & Pixar make great films that work for kids as well as adults - but animation is an art form, not a subclass of film.

Animation is successfully used for adult content that is certainly not appropriate for children. I'm thinking Waking Life, Scanner Darkly, Akira, Grave of the Fireflies, Ghost in the Shell. Unfortunately with the "for kids" stigma that people seem to apply to animation, these types of films have a hard time finding an audience, because people certainly aren't going to bring their kids to them.

I also don't think Disney should ever automatically get a "G". I think Hunchback deserved a PG for sure.

[STARSCREAM]

Most of the stories on these transcend age. Everyone can love the Disney movies.

[Pirate King]

I am 60.... and I still enjoy watching the Disney animated classics as well as the newer releases. I grew up with Walt Disney on TV when I was a kid... had the coonskin cap like Davey Crockett when I was about 9 or 10... and always wanted to go to Disneyland... which I finally did at age 37. Walt Disney may be the single most influental person in the history of film. Thank you Walt.... for years of joy... for me.... my children.... and my grandchildren.

My favorites: Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Pinochio, Alice in Wonderland, Monsters Inc, and Snow White.

[Kizzo]

Originally Posted by Elvis

The Huntchback of Notre Dame was not for children at all.... We walked out with our little girls back when it came out.

Definitely not a movie for children. I'm actually surprised it was rated G... should have been PG-13 (any more content it would have). The scene where that guy is singing to the fire (hell fire I think the name was).... he was basically singing a song about sleeping with Esmeralda.... possibly even rape. That scene along warranted a PG-13 rating.

Very risky movie... but I did enjoy it. Because it was very mature.