...and this is why.

As an "in response to..." article I never really gave much thought to having to defend my choices for the animated top 10, but after re-reading I see that the argument for my top 10, or against AFI's (depending on how you look at it) hasn't really been supported. So let's get to it...

1. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Most people already understand the importance of this film; being the first full-length animated feature. I admit it is sort of a cop-out #1, but considering when and how it was made, the fact it still stands up against the best hand-drawn animation of today, and what it did for the cinema industry, and the Disney company, as a whole it's hard to knock it. We may not have had animated features at all if it weren't for the success of this movie.

2. Beauty and the Beast - A controversial choice? Maybe, but since when is any #2 choice on a list not? But it's also the strongest film from the Disney renaissance and perhaps, as a complete motion picture, one of the best Disney films ever, which is saying something. It's also the only animated movie to ever be nominated of the Best Picture Oscar.

3. The Lion King - Yes, it was Hamlet with lions, but darker, more mature themes are always welcome in the world of overly innocent children's fair. Not to say that kids couldn't enjoy the vibrant visuals, the best music of any Disney movie, and comic relief that's still better than most movies, period. And look me in the face and tell me Jeremy Iron's Scar isn't the best, most deliciously evil villain in any Disney movie ever.

4. Sleeping Beauty - Lost in the shuffle of that middle Disney era I spoke about, most people tend to forget about this one. I can't blame them, really. The main character is asleep for a good portion of the film, the "hero" is little more than a plot device, and the movie doesn't have that classic Disney look. But the villain is, like Scar from #3, so very good, the music is tops, and the art style is some of the best in any animated film outside of Studio Ghibli.

5. Pinocchio - Like Snow White... it's another easy choice for any top 10. Great story, characters, art, and the quintessential Disney song, and that has to count, not just "for something," but "for a lot."

6. The Iron Giant - Never given the credit it deserves, this one was knocked for being an old fashion, 2D, cell-animated cartoon that came out during the first few years of the computer animation boom. A shame, too, because not only is it the best hand-drawn film (produced in the US) not made by Disney, but everything about it works so well together. The art style perfectly complements the vibe produced by the story, amplified by some of the most well-rounded characters in any animated movie.

7. Gulliver’s Travels - Had #1 not come out two years prior, this would have been the first ever animated feature. Had it been, there's a very real chance that today parents would be taking their kids to Fleisher Studios World, or Land, instead of Disney. Unfortunately, or fortunately, it wasn't and today we'll always wonder "what if?" But a random bit of trivia isn't enough to make the list alone. It had a great story, based on the classic novel, wonderful music, and the some of the best use/examples of rotoscoping we've ever seen.

8. Toy Story - I'm getting to the point of sounding a bit redundant talking about story, music, artwork, etc. after seven not only great cartoons, but movies in general. So forgive me if I gloss over the specific details of what makes Toy Story so good. It's hard to imagine where we would be today without it, and it's only been 13 years since its release. Like #1, imagine what we'll think of it in 71 years.

9. Cinderella - Until people figured out animation could be used to actually express artistic vision, fairy tales seemed to be the only genre of story worth putting to paint and paper. With that notion, it's no wonder some of the best full-length cartoons are based on fairy tales (see #1, #2, and #4). Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty, to me, represent the two most standard fairy tale ideals. And both movies are so good, and so very similar, that swapping them in this list wasn't something I didn't' think about long and hard. At the end of the day, though, Sleeping Beauty is just a bit more grand.

10. Finding Nemo - Until I see WALL-E, #10 will still be the most lavish computer animated film ever. And coming from a studio that has yet to make a flop, that accolade is nothing to sneeze at. Story, characters, etc. - they're all fabulous, but you've seen it (most likely) so you know. Extra credit for a plot that, like #3, is more mature than you probably realize; a parent in a desperate attempt to find their missing child.

So now you see the reasoning. Feel free to disagree with any, or all, of my choices. You're wrong, of course, but that's your right.