yes, I sensed that they always "backfill" inexactness, what you call exaggeration.  I first heard about Disney's use of reference and it being all the way back to Snow White was about four years ago, and I remember some small sense of letdown, although I wouldn't call it betrayal. Now that I have attempted to make Poser's models move through space in a natural way, my letdown has vanished! Mercy.

The first time I sensed they were 'lessening' the deliberate cartooniness was with Anastasia. The movement in that film was beautiful. I think they are less cautious about being exact in later days is because of contrast with all the mocap and other 3d effects, which did not seem shy about being so very close to literal. Disney remains 'once removed' still, although I have not seen any Disney from the last four or five years.

And you know, somewhere in the dynamic between highly literal and highly cartoony one might find a "style."

I really liked Pocahontas.

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