Although the Walt Disney Company has released hundreds of animated movies over the years, only those released under the banner of Walt Disney Animation Studios are counted among Disney’s classics. It was founded byWaltandRoy O. Disneyin 1923, making it the longest-running animation studio in the world. The studio would produce short cartoons through the 20s and 30s before releasing its first animated movie in 1937 withSnow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
Though often associated with high-quality animation and compelling stories,not all of Disney’s movies have landed with critics or audiences. Especially for a studio that has been creating animated films for over 100 years, they were bound to make at least a few critical misfires and failures. Be it poor timing or behind-the-scenes meddling, something about these bad Disney movies makes even the most die-hard fans look elsewhere.
20’Atlantis: The Lost Empire' (2001)
IMDb Score: 6.9/10
Inspired by his grandfather’s obsessions, linguist Milo James Thatch has spent his life trying to prove the existence of the ancient city of Atlantis. Though his contemporaries call him a fool, he is one day approached by a millionaire friend of his grandfather, who has found a map leading to the city. Milo joins the group as the official translator, but nothing can prepare him or the crew for the dangers they will experience.
Atlantis: The Lost Empireis a filmthat came out at the wrong time: by trying to be radically different from the animated musicals of the Disney Renaissance, it alienated audiences with its radically different art style and emphasis on action. However, it’s found a cult following thanks to its good aspects, such as the detail in the Atlantean culture and the characters. Milo makes for a likable protagonist thanks toMichael J. Fox’s very earnest delivery, and the side characters rank among some of Disney’s funniest for their diverse and contrasting personalities.
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
IMDb Score: 6.8/10
The last film to come out of the Wartime Era,The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toadtakes place in a library, whereBasil RathboneandBing Crosbynarrate two stories for the audience. Rathbone tellsThe Wind in the Willows, which sees the eccentric J. Thaddeus Toad get into trouble with a motor car. Meanwhile, Crosby narratesThe Legend of Sleepy Hollow, where schoolmaster Ichabod Crane has a deadly encounter with the Headless Horseman.
Because the Wartime Era forced Disney to cut corners to keep making a prophet,none of these films are particularly well remembered. However,Ichabod and Mr. Toadfared the best thanks to coming last, so it learned from the mistakes of the previous films. Thus, it’s no surprise that some of thebest characters from this Disney eracame from this film.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
18’The Rescuers Down Under' (1990)
The Rescuerswas the most profitable movie from Disney’s Dark Era, which made it a decent choice for Disney’s first sequel. Released as the second film of the Renaissance, it follows the brave mice Bernard and Bianca as they accept a job to rescue a young boy named Cody in Australia. He is being held captive by the poacher Percival C. McLeach, who hopes to intimidate Cody into revealing the location of a rare, gigantic golden eagle and her eggs.
The Rescuers Down Underis definitelythe black sheep of the Disney Renaissance, focusing on action and adventure over grand musical numbers and complex character study. The fact that it was released in betweenThe Little MermaidandBeauty and the Beast, also didn’t help its case, and the film made the smallest profit of any film released during the 1990s. That said, there’s a lot to like, from Bernard and Bianca’s chemistry toGeorge C. Scott’swork as McLeach, and the immersive animation that makes you feel like you’re lost in the Australian outback or flying alongside the great eagle in the sky.
The Rescuers Down Under
Watch on Disney+
17’Meet the Robinsons' (2007)
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Considered by some to be one ofDisney’s most underrated movies,Meet the Robinsonsfollows the story of Lewis, a young orphan inventor who is whisked away to the world of the future. Accompanied by Wilbur Robinson, the duo experiences all the magic and technological advancements that the future offers, although it’s all at risk thanks to the dangerous Bowler Hat Guy. Wilbur needs the help of Lewis and his inventor prowess to help him in the future, and it doesn’t take long before Lewis begins to believe he may have found his true home and calling.
Especially upon its release,Meet the Robinsonwasconsidered a wildly mixed bag by many critics and audiences. While the film had no shortage of creative and emotional moments, it also felt scattered and too unfocused to tap into its biggest strengths. While it has certainly aged better than the majority of other offerings that Disney had in the 2000s, that says more about the lower quality that Disney had during the decade as opposed to the high quality ofMeet the Robinsons.
Meet the Robinsons
16’Bolt' (2008)
One of the many awkward steps before Disney found their footing with 3D animation,Boltfollows the story of the titular canine, Bolt, who is a massive Hollywood star playing a superhero dog. However, Bolt believes that the world of his TV show is real and that he has superpowers. This creates a massive conundrum for him when he is accidentally shipped to New York City, separated from his owner, and left to fend for his life on his lonesome. Now faced with tackling the real world for the first time, Bolt has to do all that he can to return home.
Boltis a clear example of just how aimless and lacking in identity Disney had when it comes to 3D animation in the 2000s, asit feels nothing like a Disney film, and feels more at home alongside thecatalog of DreamWorks animation. There isn’t anything egregiously terrible about the film, yet at the same time, there isn’t anything exceptionally great or memorable about the film, creating a forgettable and uninteresting middle-of-the-road animated experience.
15’Frozen II' (2019)
One of the few direct sequels to be released in theaters and lauded as a true Walt Disney Animation Studios film,Frozen IIhad the difficult task of following up one of the most iconic animated films of its era. The film follows the cast of the original film, including Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, and Olaf, as mysterious magical disasters begin affecting the daily lives of Arendelle. In search of answers, the group ventures off into the deep, magical forest, in the process discovering the truths of their kingdom.
The originalFrozenwas an instant smash hit, with iconic songs, memorable characters, and a genuinely compelling story that made it some of the closest Disney had gotten to recapturing its Renaissance-era magic. The widely anticipated follow-up, however,doesn’t feature nearly the same ingenuity and originality of the original, as it has very little to offer in terms of new additions to this world, feeling like a downgrade in every way to the original. The film feels less like the true next chapter in the story, and more like a hobbled-together cash-grab attempt to get more out of the success of the first film.
14’Pocahontas' (1995)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Pocahontasis an animated film based on the life of a Native American woman who lived in the early 17th century and is primarily remembered for her contribution to the history of the English settlement in Jamestown, Virginia.Pocahontasis portrayed in the film as an independent and strong-willed young woman divided between her devotion to her tribe and her love for an Englishman called John Smith. Music byAlan Menkenand lyricistStephen Schwartzis included in the film, and the voice cast featuresIrene Bedardas Pocahontas,Mel Gibsonas John Smith, andDavid Ogden Stiersas Governor Ratcliffe.
Pocahontashas been criticized for cultural misrepresentations, historical inaccuracy, and its romanticization of colonialism. The film takes substantial liberties with the true narrative of Pocahontas and does not adequately reflect Native American history or culture. Some have also questioned the film’s portrayal of Pocahontas and John Smith’s relationship, as well as its treatment of colonization and cultural struggle. It’s a classic film that has aged poorly, and it shows with its ever-decreasing IMDb score.
Pocahontas
13’Oliver & Company' (1988)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Based onOliver TwistbyCharles Dickens, an orphaned kitten named Oliver living in New York City is taken in by a pack ofstreet dogs in this movie. He tries to help them steal for their owner, so he can pay off a loanshark but gets taken in by a lonely rich girl. Oliver is torn between two families, forced to decide which life is best for him, and things get worse when the loan shark goes after the girl to ransom her.
While the film has some good music and a good design for New York City,it doesn’t offer anything new to this classic tale and under-utilizes the animal characters. Especially for such a timeless and recognized story as Oliver Twist, audiences were simply looking for something more than a colorful, kids-friendly coat of paint, but instead a true evolution and reimagining of the story. Upon release, it was out-grossed at the world box office byDon Bluth’sThe Land Before Time. However, it made more money domestically, which would help contribute to the Disney Renaissance.
12’Fun and Fancy Free' (1947)
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
With the United States of America joining World War II in 1942, Walt Disney found himself in a tough financial spot, and without enough animators to continue making ambitious animated projects like he did in the Golden Age. To work around these limitations, Disney began releasing package films, which combined several stories into anthology movies. Two of these stories involved one about a circus bear named Bongo who tries to live in the wild, and a re-telling ofJack and theBeanstalkwith Mickey, Donald, and Goofy.
WhenFun and Fancy Freesticksto its two stories, it’s entertaining enough. Bongo’s segment is a sweet enough love story with some good slapstick, and Mickey and the Beanstalk get pretty creative when they go into the castle of the shapeshifting giant, Willie.Unfortunately, the two stories are bridged rather haphazardlywith Jiminy Cricket listening to records and attending a birthday party hosted by ventriloquistEdgar Bergen.
Fun and Fancy Free
11’Dinosaur' (2000)
Disney’s first computer-generatedfilm is about dinosaursand tells the story of Aladar, an iguanodon whose egg was taken far from his nest and adopted by a family of lemurs. Their island home is destroyed in a meteor shower when he is grown, forcing him and the survivors to go to the mainland. They join a herd of dinosaurs traveling through a barren desert to reach their nesting ground. While the film starts with promise, it’s one of the greatest examples of playing its best cards too early, asit quickly devolves into a complete slog of a viewing experience.
The opening scene of Aladar’s egg traveling across the landscape was used as the film’s trailer and had the rest been as majestic, it would be remembered better. The CGI holds up pretty well, and the score byJames Newton Howardis one of the greatest in any Disney movie. Unfortunately,Dinosaurrelies on anachronistic jokes and tells an uninspired story that leaves audiences wanting more and wildly uninterested in the majority of what is happening in the film.
