Pop Planet

For the uninitiated, AFI is an acronym for American Film Institute. Here is a link to their site. They are famous for their "greatest" lists of American Cinema. One of their compilation lists consists of ten films ranked in each of ten categories. Thus comprising a list of 100 films. Not necessarily the greatest 100 films, there's another list for that.

The ten categories are as follows:

Animation
Fantasy
Gangster
Science Fiction
Western
Sports
Mystery
Romantic Comedy
Courtroom Drama
Epic


Every Monday on this blog, I will review a category. This is really an excuse for me to watch all these movies that I've had on my list for a while to watch. Now, you are forcing me to watch and review all of these films. The newest film on the list is from 2001, the oldest is from 1924 (silent film)
The first category to undergo review is:

Animation
This is the only category that I have seen every film. If you have children, you know why. Some of these films are classics and were watched by most adults when we were children. After looking at this list you realize what an impact on American culture Disney, and most recently Pixar, have had.

List
#10 Finding Nemo (2003)
A father is overprotective. A son is testing the limits. Son gets in trouble. Father has to bail him out. It's a coming of age story and a story of learning to let go.
#9 Cinderella (1950)
Girl is picked upon by step sisters and step mom. Girl hears voices, specifically mice voices. The glass slipper. The prince saves the day. They live happily ever after. What's not to love?
#8 Shrek (2001)
Classic fairy tale that skewers the fairy tale. Very well written and very satirical in nature.
#7 Beauty and the Beast (1991)
I hear the musical is fabulous. A movie that features the voice talents of The Old Meddler (Angela Lansbury) and Robby Benson is an instant classic.
#6 Toy Story (1995)
This was Pixar's first full feature film. Set the bar for future animation. Tim Allen and Tom Hanks are spectacular.
#5 Fantasia (1942)
Set the early bar for animation.
#4 The Lion King (1994)
I still tear up when Darth Vader Mufasa dies.
#3 Bambi (1942)
Yawn.
#2 Pinocchio (1940)
"When you wish upon a star." That musical number alone puts this into the top 3.
#1 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Hi Ho. Hi Ho. Snow white living with 7 men at once? Hi Ho indeed.

Omissions
Probably because of the timing of the list, Wall⋅e is the most glaring omission. As with most of these lists "greatness" is skewed to nostalgia or innovation. To me if all of these films are graded on the same rubric, the current crop of animation is clearly superior to the classics.
I'm not a big fan of Fantasia, probably something about it not having a plot or a story line. Jungle Book is one of my all-time favorites, I could easily replace Fantasia or...I also can't say that I'm a big fan of Bambi, but I understand why it's on the list. Others I would consider: Lady and the Tramp, Roger Rabbit, The Jetsons meet the Flinstones.