Monday's Top 10: Animated Characters

Top Ten Favorite Supporting Characters in Animated Movies

1. The King - Cinderella
I really don't like Cinderella's prince AT ALL (starting with the fact that he doesn't have a real name, just "Charming" - I bet he got beat up by the other princes at the Royal Academy...but that's a whole 'nother post). His father, however, is AWESOME. The poor guy just wants grandchildren, for crying out loud! And his rotten son just refuses to get married and give them to him! I love the scene where he accuses the Grand Duke of conspiring with the Prince to deprive him of his grandchildren and calls out "treason" and "sabotage" while chasing him around the Royal Bedchamber with a sword. Best scene in the entire movie! "The whole thing was a plot!"

2. King Hubert - Sleeping Beauty
First of all, who doesn't love the "scomps" song? He's another dad who just wants his son to get married so he can have grandchildren...he's already got the castle built and the cradle carved in anticipation of the joyful day! And the fact that he and King Stephen end up swordfighting with a fish over it...awesome. "Come, now, father, this is the 14th century, after all!" Poor King Hubert. His modern son is just ruining everything. I'm so glad Phillip and Aurora ended up giving him a happy ending after all...

3. Maximus - Tangled
"On his watch, crime virtually vanished overnight in the kingdom. As did most of the apples." We have watched Tangled, Gabriella's favorite movie, about 600 times, and every time the feud between Max and Eugene makes us all laugh out loud. Best. Horse. EVER.

4. Lady Kluck - Robin Hood
Robin Hood was my absolute favorite animated movie of all time as a child...and possibly still is! I was determined that I was going to marry him when I grew up...never mind the small obstacles of A) the fact that he was imaginary B) the fact that he was a fox and C) the fact that he was a cartoon...Anyway. hands down the best supporting character in Robin Hood is Lady Kluck, Maid Marian's duenna. Plucky, brave, and outspoken, she stands up to Prince John and defends her charge and Robin against all odds. The scene we dubbed "chicken football" where she escapes from all the evil rhinoceros guards is priceless...it literally had our childhood selves rolling on the floor with laughter and was re-enacted with great spirit on many occasions. "Long live King Richard---yeee-hee!"

5. Gune - Titan AE
It's not a Disney movie, but it's actually quite good, and I love the strange little alien scientist named Gune. He is an absentminded genius who lives in his own strange world that doesn't always intersect with the real world. Holding up an odd-looking device, he says "I built it in my sleep. It has a button and I wish to press it, but I'm not quite sure what will happen if I do..." **Spoiler alert!** There is one terrible moment after a bomb goes off when he slumps over saying "so tired...I think I shall take a little nap..." and we fear he has perished, but at the critical moment the laser cannons start blasting and we hear "I finished my nap!" over the intercom. Thank goodness! If Gune perished the movie would be pointless.

6. The Grandmother - Mulan
Evidently I just love old people. "Would you like to stay for dinner?" Mulan shyly asks her suitor. "Would you like to stay forever?" pipes the shrill little echo from behind the garden wall. Poor Mulan. Those blunt relatives can be SO embarrassing. But what would be do without them?

7. The French Chef - The Little Mermaid
Singing and dancing joyously about, his enormous mustache bobbing as he prepares his culinary masterpiece...only to discover an evil little crab determined to remain un-cooked! Poor man! Have you ever been pinched by a crab? AAAAHHH! (Robert got pinched by a crab on his big toe while on the beach during our honeymoon. I think it's the only time I've ever heard him swear! ;-) I know he always roots for the chef.

8. The Vultures - Jungle Book
A-a-ahem. "We're your friends....we're your friends...we're your friends to the bi-tter end (the b-it-ter END)..." Ah vultures. Truly you're "never met an animal you didn't like." Only when I grew up did I fully understand the delicious irony of that line. Daniella and I make a habit of saying to each other: "So what you wanna do?" "I dunno. What you wanna do - eh, now don't start THAT again!"

9. Doug - Up
I have just one thing to say about Doug..."Squirrel!"




10. Kronk - The Emperor's New Groove
He's giant. He has muscles. He cooks. He wrote his own theme song. He has a shoulder angel and shoulder demon. Is there no end to the awesomeness that is Kronk? "Have you seen that sky? Talk about blue..."