Disney's Animated Classics

Computer-Animated Features 1-10

With the advent of computer graphics as an accepted art medium, it's no surprise that Disney has ventured into computer animation as a means of producing feature films. A landmark in this series was 1982's Tron which, although mainly a live-action film, used extensive computer animation for characters, backgrounds, and props. In a collaboration with Pixar, a computer animation company formed by George Lucas and later run by Apple Computer founder Steve Jobs, since 1995 Disney has produced a series of extremely popular computer-animated features. These features have become a series of classics unto themselves because of their eye-catching graphics, lively and likeable characters, and appealing storylines. In 2000, Disney introduced another dimension to the computer-animated features with the release of "Dinosaur," which combined live-action backgrounds and scenery with computer-animated characters. In 2005, Disney bought Pixar Studios, bringing that powerhouse animation studio into the Disney Company family.

Tron
(Jan. 15, 1982 - 96 min. - Disney Studios) ***

Plot: A computer expert travels inside a computer, where he finds a struggle underway by programs trying to win their freedom from the Master Control Program.

Toy Story
(Nov. 2, 1995 - 80 min. - Pixar/Disney) ****

Plot: Woodie, a toy cowboy, is jealous of Buzz Lightyear, the new toy in the house, and his jealousy lands them both in trouble. [This was the first feature film produced entirely on computer.]

A Bug's Life
(Nov. 25, 1998 - 94 min. - Pixar/Disney) ****

Plot: This follow-up (not sequel) to Toy Story stretched the level of sophistication of the use of computer animation, with the lively story of how a rebellious little worker ant named "Flik" saved his colony from the destruction by a band of grasshoppers.

Toy Story 2
(Nov. 24, 1999 - 92 min. - Pixar/Disney) *****

Plot: In this sequel to 1996's Toy Story, Woodie is stolen by a mean toy collector, and Buzz and the rest of the gang come to the rescue.

Dinosaur
(May 19, 2000 - 82 min. - Disney Studios) ****

Plot: Another marvel of computer animation, this story about a group of dinosaurs threatened by a large meteor shower combines very lifelike computer-animated dinosaurs and other animals with real-life background scenery. A real treat for the eyes.

Monsters, Inc.
(Nov. 2, 2001 - 106 min. - Pixar/Disney) *****

Plot: From the makers of Toy Story, this is the tale of friendly monsters whose job it is to frighten little children and the chaos that ensues when a human girl finds herself in the world of the monsters. [2001 Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature]

Finding Nemo
(May 30, 2003 - 101 min. - Pixar/Disney) *****

Plot: When a small fish named Nemo is caught in the ocean near Australia and placed in a fish tank on land, his father goes on a dangerous adventure to find and rescue him. [2003 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature]

The Incredibles
(Nov. 5, 2004 - 105 min. - Pixar/Disney) *****

Plot: A family of superheroes is living a mundane life in retirement, but are called back to action when an evil super villain threatens the world. [2004 Academy Award winner for Best Animated Feature]

Valiant
(Aug. 19, 2005 - 76 min. - Vanguard/Disney) ***

Plot: Produced by Vanguard Animation Studios in England, this is the story of a young pigeon and his feathered friends who serve in the Royal signal corps during World War 2, avoiding German killer falcons to deliver their messages to the troops behind the lines.

Chicken Little
(Nov. 4, 2005 - 81 min. - Disney Studios) *****

Plot: In what was Disney Studios' first fully computer animated theatrical feature film, Chicken Little, of "the sky is falling" fame, finds himself again at the center of attention as an alien invasion threatens the small farm town where he and the other animals live.