6) Hercules! Yet another example of a film that the public seems to hate, but I can't help loving! It's yet another example of a Disney movie I grew up with in my childhood & I still enjoy it as much as I used to if I get the chance to watch it! Heck, I even liked the TV series which showed teenage Hercules in high school, although I don't remember much of it besides the number of celebrity guest stars that appeared in it like Will Ferrell (I'm not joking), Vince Vaughn, Jennifer Aniston, Lisa Kudrow & Idina Menzel...anyway, may as well get into why I love it so much compared to others!

Sure the story is generic for the most part & almost nothing like actual Greek mythology, but I think what makes it for me is the characters along with Hercules' arc on what it means to be a true hero showing that it's more than just brawn & defeating monsters, but also having a good heart. The comedy is also noticeably different as it takes the route of making fun of pop culture & putting their own Greek twist on it, which does admittedly get a few laughs out of me despite being the type that doesn't normally like movies filled with pop culture references.

 

The animation is also surprising for me since it doesn't go for the typical Disney look by making them have more angular features compared to other Disney characters, kinda similar to designs you'd see on Greek vases or mosaics. The backgrounds in particular really impressed me thanks to the attention to detail put into places like Mount Olympus, Thebes or even just the museum at the beginning. However, I will say that the CGI on the Hydra looks really dated compared to how much it has advanced in recent years, but given that it had only recently started being used more frequently at the time of it's release, it's definitely not a bad job!

 

The characters themselves are also pretty likeable despite seemingly being cardboard cutouts of popular character tropes at the time. Hercules himself is a bit of the weak side being all wide eyed & optimistic & it feels a bit out of character when he turns into a bit of a jerk by the second act, but it's clear his heart is in the right place. Hades is also pretty different compared to other Disney villains thanks to James Woods' funny & entertaining performance along with the character being more of a smooth talker & snarky persona while still being threatening. I even enjoy Phil thanks to his more personal motivation for training Hercules & Danny DeVito's acting and while Pain and Panic may be considered annoying to others, I can't help but find them funny. But my personal favourite would have to be Megara, rather it be Susan Egan's funnily snarky performance, or her surprising backstory involving her ex boyfriend leaving her for another woman & becoming Hade's slave. The rest of the characters like the gods, the muses & Pegasus (who is one of my personal favourite Disney horses next to Maximus from Tangled) are also entertaining thanks to their distinct personalities and designs along with their funny & memorable throwaway lines.

 

As for the music, despite the rather odd choice of it being gospel, I still really enjoy it nonetheless! Thanks to Alan Menken's catchy melodies & memorable lyrics (trust me, I still remember all the lyrics to I Won't Say I'm In Love, I Can Go The Distance & Zero to Hero after several years), I actually consider this the most underrated soundtrack of the Disney Renaissance! They do show how the characters are feeling along with the action that's taking place & the visuals in each one get get pretty creative & fun! Not the greatest Disney soundtrack, but still very nice to listen to & they will get stuck in your head after a while!

Don't get me wrong, I definitely understand why people can be turned off by this film with the flaws I have mentioned throughout, but consider this one a guilty pleasure for me because I do genuinely enjoy it thanks to the characters & music while the story may be on the weak side admittedly compared to others.
PS: I am so so sorry I left this list for over 2 months! I can guarantee the next movies will be out much quicker this time & I hope you're still enjoying it!