Redheaded Jill

As a kid I imagined all animated movies to be creations of Disney, but there are some definite treasures that Disney is not connected to. If you haven’t seen them I highly recommend you do, especially if you have kids. These are definitely guilty pleasures of mine.

The Princess and the Goblins : Based on the George MacDonald masterpiece, this cartoon is darling. It has Goblins (obviously), Princess Irene, the brave miner boy, Curdie, and a kitten named Turnip. There’s one super catchy song and magic. (The goblins might be a little scary for small children.)

The Thief and the Cobbler: This cartoon is amazing! Think Aladdin + Tangled. It utilizes the voices of Vincent Price, Matthew Broderick and Jonathan Winters. The thief is HILARIOUS! His whole storyline runs parallel to the cobbler, but is primarily there for comedic effect. You will be quoting this more than Emperor’s New Groove or Shrek. There are some pleasant songs, a rhyming villain and a truly terrifying horde of one eye soldiers. I would say don’t show this to your kids without watching it first. The one eyes are legit scary.

The Swan Princess: Princess Odette is a princess before her time, refusing marriage to Prince Derek because he focuses only on her beauty. She is taken captive and transformed into a swan during the light of day. This movie has some wonderful music, a great storyline and some definite laughs. (Bonus: There are a couple of sequels too!)

Don Bluth’s Thumbelina: This cartoon not only has the voice of Ariel (Jodi Benson), but it has one of my favorite love songs. (Let me beee your wiiiiings!) It follows the classic tale complete with froggy kidnappings, mole marriage proposals and fairy princes.

Quest For Camelot: You cannot go wrong with a King Arthur plot. Kaleigh goes on a quest to save Camelot from a villainous former knight of the round table. She meets Garrett, a blind hermit, who helps her along her way. The voices of Cary Elwes, Pierce Brosnan, and Don Rickles grace this film. There is a singing two headed dragon, a mutant rooster, and a little Girl Power.

David Copperfield: You might not realize it, but what your life is missing is an animated musical of a Charles Dickens classic with the main characters played by cats, dogs and the occasional monkey. You will be humming these songs and hunting for the soundtrack, only to realize you can only find the songs on youtube, and you’ll settle for that because they’re so good. (Street Smarts will make you feel like the coolest kid in school.)

I am slowly collecting these movies on DVD so someday I can watch them with my own kids. I’m a classic millennial, wanting my future kids to have all the things that I loved about my own childhood. Join me will you?

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