Disney Animated Musical Film Reviews

This blog presents a series of reviews on selected Disney animated musical films, with the aim of offering analytical perspectives on how Disney combines storytelling, music, and animation across decades. Through this blog, readers will gain insights into how Disney’s musical animations have evolved and how they continue to resonate with audiences of all ages. The blog is intended to both inform readers about one of the most important aspects in animated films, that is the music, and provide analysis of how Disney applies that aspect into their films.

Walt Elias Disney, the visionary behind the global brand, revolutionised the world of animation with his groundbreaking creativity and dedication to innovation. Over the course of his career, he received more than 950 awards, including 48 Academy Awards and 7 Emmy Awards, underscoring the wide-reaching impact of his work (D23, 2025). Alongside his brother Roy, Walt founded the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio in 1923, which laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Walt Disney Studio. Beyond animation, his influence extended to arts education and the establishment of the California Institute of the Arts. His creative vision remains the cornerstone of Disney’s identity today.

Building on Walt Disney’s legacy, The Walt Disney Company has grown into a leading global entertainment enterprise. With operations spanning film, television, theme parks, merchandise, and digital media, the company remains committed to its mission: to entertain, inform, and inspire audiences worldwide (The Walt Disney Company, 2025). What continues to distinguish Disney is its ability to blend timeless storytelling with the use of music as a central storytelling tool.

Music has played an integral role in Disney’s storytelling since its earliest productions. Even during the silent film era, Disney animations included live musical accompaniment, enhancing visual narratives with emotional cues (Cook, 2023). This fusion reached new heights with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), the first feature-length animated film, which set a precedent for integrating music into character development and plot progression (Walt Disney Animation Studios, 2025). The 1940s films Fantasia and Pinocchio further demonstrated the expressive power of music in animation. Walt Disney himself emphasized the importance of music not only for mood, but as a vital element in driving story and building characters (Chasse, 2015). This tradition continued through the Disney Renaissance and beyond, securing the animated musical as one of the studio’s most iconic works.

This blog focuses on eight Disney animated musical films: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937), Pinocchio (1940), Cinderella (1950), The Little Mermaid (1989), Beauty and the Beast (1991), The Princess and the Frog (2009), Coco (2017), and Encanto (2021). These films were selected to represent Disney’s creative evolution across different decades, covering an 84-year span. Some of the films come from a distinct historical and cultural context, allowing for an in-depth exploration of how Disney’s musical storytelling has developed. The 1960s and 1970s were excluded, as these decades are often regarded as the “Silent Era.” The animated films produced during those years are generally viewed as having less memorable soundtracks compared to other eras, and they did not achieve the same level of acclaim or cultural significance. By focusing on films from more musically and narratively prominent decades, this blog aims to showcase the periods in which Disney’s animated musicals reached their peaks.

In reviewing these eight films, this blog aims to highlight the artistic and thematic patterns that define Disney’s approach to animated musicals. Each review will examine elements such as plot, character development, musical structure, and cultural influence, offering readers both a historical perspective and a critical appreciation of each film. Ultimately, this blog aspires to contribute to a deeper understanding of how Disney has shaped the animated musical genre and how its storytelling continues to evolve in response to changing audiences and artistic innovations. Through this exploration, readers are invited to revisit these well-loved films with fresh insight and renewed admiration for their timeless legacy.

In conclusion, Disney’s animated musical films stand as excellent examples of the power of storytelling through combining music and animation. This blog serves as an open space both for sharing discussion and providing critical exploration of how Disney animated musical genre works. By analysing the eight films, it sheds light on the studio’s development, cultural influence, and the Walt Disney’s creative vision for the films they produced. Whether revisiting a classic or discovering a favorite for the first time, readers are encouraged to appreciate the thoughtful craftsmanship behind each film and reflect on how Disney’s musical storytelling continues to amaze audiences of all ages around the world.