Winnie the Pooh (2011)
As far as throwbacks go, this film really achieved all it set out to do. It looks extremely close to the 1977 original, except for the occasional CGI trips as seen in Pooh’s fantasy sequence. The film also really maintains the sensibilities it had in the original.
There’s a lot of sharp word-play and amusing misunderstanding, as well as songs that could even work in earlier versions. Now and again it faulters with gags and slapstick humor that feels out of place but that is kept to a minimum.
Oliver & Company (1988)
It's Oliver Twist — but this time it has talking animals. Meek little kitten Oliver finds himself in the world of thieving dogs led by Fagin, the human. It's also set in a gritty New York City instead of London, giving it American relevance. The music definitely stands out with the vocal talents of Huey Lewis, Billy Joel, and Bette Midler.
How can we forget Middler's number "Perfect Isn't Easy."
Treasure Planet (2002)
Treasure Planet has an interesting look with its traditional 2D characters placed against 3D computer-generated backgrounds. The combination of the two art forms makes for a unique aesthetic and, simply, something beautiful to look at.
As a sci-fi take on the classic adventure novel Treasure Island, at times becomes its own worst enemy with too many fancy robots that detract from the story. When it's not getting lost in space, it is a powerful film.
Zootopia (2016)
"Zootopia" transports us into a world where the laws of nature have fallen away and animals happily coexist alongside each other. T
The film goes to portray such absurd idealism that they made the cops actual bunnies. It's also refreshing to see a female lead not motivated by love but for her passion for work.
Pocahontas (1995)
As we know, Disney's take on real-life Native American Pocahontas and her relationship with English settler John Smith gives a pretty warped historical account of what happened. If you can look past the cringe-worthy song "Savages" it is in all fairness a beautiful film and probably has the best animation of that decade.
Even if Pocahontas falls in love with the enemy and magically learns English, the film does depict some of the harder realities of that time. Additionally, Pocahontas choosing to stay home and not leave with John is truly satisfying.