2. The Great Mouse Detective

There are many who would argue that this film actually marks the start of the Disney renaissance and I would be inclined to agree! This film is a whole lot of fun, taking inspiration from Sherlock Holmes detective stories, yet with a super-sleuth mouse stepping in for the literary detective. It runs almost as a parallel to the well-known stories of Sherlock which adds a fun extra layer to it as well.

One of the standouts of this film is the genuinely great villain in the form of The World’s Greatest Criminal Mind, Professor Ratigan, voiced by the one and only Vincent Price. Ratigan is a really fun and hugely underrated villain, with a plan for domination that is so ludicrous it has to be seen to be believed! 

1. Fantasia 2000

Most Disney fans will know and be familiar with this film’s 1940 counterpart, however there are a lot of people who don’t even know that this “sort of sequel”even exists!

The original Fantasia was always intended to be a constantly evolving piece of work, with new musical numbers created for it across decades so it would never be the same experience twice. That didn’t quite pan out the way Disney planned, but some 60 years later, Fantasia 2000 manages to not only pay a loving tribute to the original but bring the blend of visuals and sound to a brand new audience.

Interspersed with introductions from people such as Steve Martin, James Earl Jones, and Bette Midler, Fantasia 2000 is not only just as good as the original, but it is significantly shorter, so it gives the taste of “Fantasia” in a much more easy to digest package.

It charts familiar territory again by including the much-beloved Sorcerer’s Apprentice in it’s entirety, and also showcases the huge development in technology and techniques that Disney pioneered in the 60 years between the films’ release dates. If you’re not convinced and need a taster, just watch the segments ‘Rhapsody in Blue’ or ‘The Firebird’; two very different shorts, but amongst some of the finest work Disney have ever produced!