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Whether the star is an official Disney Princess or a character who wears a crown so well she should be, these are the best Disney Princess movies so far

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MOANA

It's early yet, but Moana is sailing her way to the front of the Disney Princess film lineup. Taking a combination of Metacritic scores, IMDB rankings and Disney movie expertise, here are the Disney Princess movies (plus a few Disney films featuring unofficial princesses), ranked from Pretty Inspiring to More Than Magical.

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14. Pocahontas

One of only two Disney Princess films based on true events, Pocahontas added years to its heroine and made her fall in love with her would-be assimilator. Disney is known for creating magic, not being realistic, folks. But, hey, how adorable is Meeko?

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13. The Princess and the Frog

Tiana's first priority was to start her own business in homage to her father. Combine that with amazing jazz tunes, voodoo and beignets, and this movie is a real winner. Still, a mountain of powdered sugar couldn't boost it above the rest of these princess flicks.

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12. Brave

Brave is probably the least sing-songy of the Disney princess films, and that's not a demerit. Merida whips her hair back and forth while saving her kingdom and family all by her damn self. Talk about serious girl power.

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11. Peter Pan

The fairy formerly known as a Disney Princess, Tinkerbell isn't the only royal character in this film. There's also the daughter of the Chief, Princess Tiger Lily. Two princesses are better than one, but not enough to push this movie higher in the rankings. Non-princess Wendy stole the show, anyway.

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10. Sleeping Beauty

Even though Aurora sleeps through a great deal of this movie, it's still full of action. Seeing everyone's favorite villain, Maleficent, transform from evil fairy to fire-breathing dragon was insane as a kid. Honestly, it still is.

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9. Cinderella

There have been almost too many versions of this film to count, including a recent live-action rendition starring Lily James. But we're focused on Disney's 1950 film, which includes Walt Disney's favorite piece of animation: the scene where Cindy's gown transforms from rags to ravishing with the wave of a wand.

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8. Mulan

As far as badass princesses in Disney films go, Mulan is a strong contender. She had to do a little cross-dressing to save her family, bringing light to the fact that gender inequality is a real issue not even Eddie Murphy can fix.

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7. The Little Mermaid

Let's face it: Ariel's kind of a brat. But weren't we all as pre-teens? More than 20 years later, this movie still holds up as a favorite, and we may have the music as well as the animation to thank. Songs such as "Under the Sea" and "Kiss the Girl" are gems, while Ariel voice actress Jodi Benson's vocals are so perfect it's no wonder Ursula wanted to steal them.

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6. Snow White

No matter how many cool princesses Disney animators conjure, Snow White will always be the first. Sure, she overstayed her welcome as a houseguest, ungratefully snoozed in a specialized bed that took seven dwarves to build, and was maybe the worst thing to happen to apples since Eve. But who cares? She's THE original princess, and her movie is legendary.

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5. Frozen

Did Frozen win a pile of awards? Yes. Did Idina Menzel bring happiness to our eardrums with "Let It Go?" Yes. Is Elsa not one of the most powerful, independent Disney Princesses to date? She is. The real question here is: How is this film not in the top four? Well ...

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4. Tangled

How cool is a movie about a girl in desperate need of a haircut? Pretty darn cool, according to critics and viewers. Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi make a great cartoon pair, there's a villain you can almost sympathize with, and beautiful animation abounds. Win, win and win again.

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3. Aladdin

Jasmine's eyebrows were on fleek before that was even a thing, plus she has a tiger - a GIANT CAT - as her pet. Aladdin has not only Abu, but also gets to kick it with Genie, brought to us by the gone-but-never-forgotten Robin Williams. And the music is great: At the 1993 Academy Awards, Aladdin's "A Whole New World" beat out two Whitney Houston songs from the Bodyguard soundtrack.

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2. Beauty and the Beast

Belle could be the only Disney Princess who reads (more research is needed). But something she certainly did was show nerd girls everywhere that they, too, can fall in love with a gnarly beast and make him human again. Though that's a somewhat problematic theme at its core, hospitable household items springing to life is pretty fantastic. Plus, anticipation for the live-action version of this tale, starring Emma Watson as Belle, is growing stronger every day.

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1. Moana

Moana is nothing short of magic. The entire movie is sprinkled with fun, inspiring music by Mark Mancina and Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. Auli'i Cravalho voices the lovable Polynesian princess. There are environmentalist themes and downright hilarious moments. Also: Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Though she's not an official Disney Princess yet, the film has already earned a rightful spot on the throne.