Great stories are surprising and unexpected

What makes modern stories compelling are when our perceptions of reality are challenged or changed in some way. Often the topics or themes are unexpected. One way to manage this is to get rid of the 1st thing that comes to mind, then the 2nd, 3rd, 5th, and 5th. 

Creators like Pixar and Walt Disney use animated movies as vehicles to address real-life issues. Movies such as Brave, Coco, Tangled, and Moana helps us to understand and reflect on big, human-centred topics.