The legacy of Walt Disney lives on

The creator of Mickey Mouse seen with modern lens is not always politically correct. In fact, Steven Watts, an American professor of cultural history, labels him as “a cynical manipulator of cultural and commercial formulas.”  But his influence on cinema is undeniable.

Today marks 120 years of Walt Disney’s birth anniversary. The legendary entrepreneur and icon spent his whole life doing what others might have considered impossible. In his heyday, he was the world’s most popular entrepreneur and a global celebrity. From creating Mickey Mouse to starting his own film production Walt Disney – his journey was extraordinary. His career as an artist began in Kansas City in 1919, at a time when technological innovation was just beginning to drive changes in cinematography. Disney was the first Hollywood mogul to embrace television and establish its commercial value. He redefined the concept of amusement park with Disneyland in1955, a place which brought his animated characters to life through robotic animation entertainment.

Aladdin (1992)

Aladdin is an animated musical fantasy comedy based on the Arabic folktale of the same name from “One Thousand and One Nights”. It is a story of a street urchin who gains power when a genie grants hiim the boon that his wishes will come true. This is a classic. The ‘90s is known as the Renaissance Era for the studio. It cranked out Aladdin and grossed an impressive $504 million. It made history as the first animated film to pass the half-billion-dollar mark.

The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King is an animated musical drama directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minko . The screenplay was done by three writers —Irene Mecchi, Jonathan Roberts, and Linda Woolverton. The story takes place in a kingdom of lions in Africa and was influenced by the Biblical stories of Joseph and Moses, and William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The tale of a lion prince’s rise to being king against his bitter uncle (who killed his father) is now iconic thanks to emotional scenes, memorable music, and animation that holds up even decades later. The film grossed $1.083 billion.

Frozen (2013)

Frozen is a computer-animated musical fantasy inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tale The Snow Queen. The film depicts the adventures of a a princess who sets o on a journey alongside an iceman, his reindeer, and a snowman to find her estranged sister, whose icy powers have inadvertently trapped their kingdom in eternal winter. Anna and Elsa became legendary characters almost immediately, as did the song Let It Go. It grossed $1.281 billion at the worldwide box office.

Zootopia (2016)

Zootopia is a computer-animated buddy cop film directed by Byron Howard and Rich Moore. It tells the story of an unlikely partnership between a rabbit police o icer and a red fox con artist as they uncover a criminal conspiracy involving the disappearance of predators. The movie ranks right near the top.

Moana (2016)

Moana is a 3D computeranimated musical adventure directed by Ron Clements and John Musker. The film features original songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda, Opetaia Foa’i and Mark Mancina, and an orchestral score composed by Mancina. Moana is centred on a strong Polynesian girl who is chosen by the sea to go on an epic quest. It grossed $643.9 million: that was massive. But this movie is appreciated for giving the kind of representation that Polynesian people deserved.