Top 10 Best Animated Sequels Redux Part 1

In memory of Russi Taylor, who voiced Minnie Mouse for more than 30 years.
More than a year ago, I did my Top 10 Best and Worst Animated Sequels, and looking back, I feel quite content. However, I think that the 'Best Sequels' list could use a bit of an update. I removed Kronk's New Groove and replaced it with a different (and better) direct-to-video sequel. As with last time, I will use Emojis to signify which movies were released in theaters and which ones are not. For the sequels that were released in theaters, I put a camera Emoji next to the title.
For the sequels that were direct-to-video, they will have a VHS Emoji next to the title.
Anyway, let's start the countdown!
10. Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996)

In the conclusion to the Aladdin TV series (yes, there was a TV series), Aladdin and Jasmine are about to get married, but their wedding is interrupted by the gang of Forty Thieves! They steal everything in sight and destroy the Sultan's palace. Aladdin then discovers that the thieves' leader, Cassim the King of Thieves, is actually his long-lost father! Together, they, along with Abu, Iago, and Carpet, go on a quest to the elusive Vanishing Isle and find the legendary King of Midas.

Aladdin and the King of Thieves may have television quality animation and a meandering plot, but it has catchy songs, good vocal performances, and some funny Disney references from the Genie.

Genie (as Pumbaa from The Lion King) telling Aladdin Hakuma Matata

Sa'luk is also a cool villain: He has golden Wolverine-like claws for weapons and secretly hated Cassim for having a soft side. He may not have hypnosis or sorcery like Jafar, but Sa'luk is still a force not to be reckoned with.

It's also awesome to see a Disney Princess other than Mulan or Rapunzel kick butt once in a while.

Jasmine trying to push a statue onto Sa'luk's flunkies.

9. An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West (1991)

In the sequel to Steven Spielberg's and Don Bluth's An American Tail, New York is overrun with cats. Fievel and his family, along with other mice, get convinced into moving to the Wild West, but it's secretly a trap set up by cats and a spider so they can turn them into Mouse-Burgers. Meanwhile, Tiger tags along and gets confused for a god, and Fievel gets lost again and meets his hero Wilie Burp, a dog sheriff who's a parody of Wyatt Earp.

While the story may be a bit lackluster, An American Tail 2: Fievel Goes West features improved animation, some entertaining new characters, and best of all, more of the Dom DeLuise vegetarian cat Tiger!

The film is also, in general, much better than two lesser animated films released in 1991 (excluding the immortal Beauty and the Beast): Rock-a-Doodle, which was considered Don Bluth's first bad film, and Rover Dangerfield, an unbalanced and questionable animated film starring Rodney Dangerfield as a dog. In case you forgot/never heard of it, it looks something like this. I personally do not recommend it.

8. The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride (1998)
 
The sequel to the worldwide phenomenon known as The Lion King tells the story of Simba's daughter Kiara, who falls in love with Scar's lost son, Kovu. Simba does not like this because Scar killed Mufasa, so he sends Timon and Pumbaa to spy on Kiara wherever she goes. Many years later, Zira, Scar's widow, raises Kovu to kill Simba. However, Kiara and Kovu fall in love, but Simba is still skeptical on Kovu.

The Lion King 2 is different from previous and later movies from DisneyToons, who had a bad reputation for making countless Disney sequels between 1997 and 2008, because it stays very true to the original 'Lion King' without getting too ridiculous or having too many new characters or songs. While The Lion King was described as Bambi in Africa with elements from Hamlet and Elton John music, The Lion King 2: Simba's Pride is described as Romeo and Juliet in the Savannah.

Also, just like how we had more of Tiger in An American Tail 2, we also have some more memorable moments with Timon and Pumbaa.

One thing most fans complain about is that 'Upendi', Rafiki's song in the movie, is a bit strange for the Lion King world. However, I'd pick it over 'Yodle-Adle-Edle-Idle-Ooo' from Home on the Range, which was rather ridiculous.

However, one thing I noticed is that legendary music composer Hans Zimmer didn't return, since he scored the original Lion King. Perhaps it was because he was busy with The Prince of Egypt at the time. Not to mention he would be too expensive.
 7. Fantasia 2000 (1999/2000)

Fantasia 2000 was either the last movie of the 20th Century or the first movie of the 21st Century. Like the original Fantasia, Fantasia 2000 comprises of eight segments set to classical music. However, instead of Deans Taylor hosting the live-action intervals, they were hosted by a multitude of celebrities, including Steve Martin, James Earl Jones, Penn and Teller, and Bette Midler. Also, instead of Leopold Stokowski conducting, because of his death in 1977, the music was conducted by James Levine. The segments in Fantasia 2000 include:

•Symphony #3, In which a flock of Technicolor triangles fly away from ferocious black triangles.

•Pines of Rome, which featured humpback whales flying over arctic waters. The whales were done in CGI, and this scene is reportedly influenced by Hayao Miyazaki.

 

•Rhapsody in Blue, influenced heavily by cartoonist Al Hirchsfeld. This segment takes place during the 1930s and focuses on a variety of characters.

 

•Piano Concerto #2, Allegro, Opus 102, based on Hans Christian Anderson's The Steadfast Tin Soldier. Like Pines of Rome, hand-drawn animation is blended with computer animation skillfully.

 

•Carnival of the Animals, which answers an age-old question: What would happen if you gave a yo-yo to a flock of flamingos? This is the shortest segment in the whole movie, with a running time of 90 seconds.
 

 This sequence, along with Rhapsody in Blue, were done by Disney veteran Eric Goldberg, best known for animating the Genie in Aladdin.

•The Sorcerer's Apprentice: This classic segment returns digitally remastered and even has the same music. What makes this segment magical is that Mickey shakes hands with both Stokowski and Levine, bridging the generations.

•Pomp and Circumstance: A reenactment of Noah's Ark starring everyone's favorite short-tempered waterfowl, Donald Duck.
 

•The Firebird Suite, the final segment of the film. This segment stars The Spring Sprite, who I think is the most beautiful Disney character of all time. I think she's even more beautiful than Rapunzel and Moana, my favorite Disney princesses!
 

Anyway, the Spring Sprite has the ability to make plants grow in just about any place. Well, almost anywhere. Her enemy is a flaming predatory bird born from a volcano.


The bird burns down the entire forest and disappears, leaving the Sprite in despair. However, the Sprite's tears sprouted new trees, and encourages her to regrow the entire forest. However, by the time the forest is completely regrown, nothing is left of the Sprite but particles of her tremendous power.

6. Finding Dory (2016)

For a long time, I had both Finding Dory and Incredibles 2 on this list. However, after reading some articles about how some critics felt Incredibes 2 paled in comparison to the original, I decided to go with Finding Dory. As I said in Oscarless Animated Films more than two years ago...

http://asateriale.blogspot.com/2017/04/oscarless-animated-films-part-1.html

Finding Dory may not be as good as the original, but it has groundbreaking animation, likable new characters, a story with a strong message on how you can accomplish great things even if you have a disability, and an environmental message that will make you wonder if the film is a prequel to WALL-E. Just look how filthy this section of the Pacific Ocean is compared to the Great Barrier Reef!

Finding Dory does have its weaknesses, however; The story for Finding Dory, as Leonard Maltin pointed out in his review online, sounds a bit too much like the original. Another thing I pointed out in Oscarless Animated Films is that invertebrates sea urchins, sea cucumbers, and even anemones have faces on them, even though Marlin's anemone clearly didn't have a face.

Also, sea cucumbers are able to talk in this film, even though in Finding Nemo, Marlin said that sea cucumbers don't talk.

To be continued in Part 2, which will be posted tomorrow.
Once again, I am so sorry that I didn't include Incredibles 2 in this countdown. If you want to make your own Best Animated Sequels list, be my guest.