Disney has a history of creating and releasing hit after hit when it comes to animated movies. Features like The Lion King can make millions and millions at the box office, as well as take home dozens of awards from Golden Globes to Oscars. But while they might be financially and critically successful, an argument can be made that a film's success can be measured by how it lands with audiences.
The Aristocats is essentially a harmless Disney musical, with a great Jazz soundtrack and adorable feline characters. On paper, that sounds perfectly reasonable and something Disney would definitely dish out. It was a decent financial success, making over $55,000,000 worldwide, but its plot has a few stumbling blocks such as the understandable plight of its villain.
u/Arcades_Samnoth remarked "I'm with the villain in Aristocats. If I was taking care of some lady and she decided to give everything to the freaking cats!?" Looking back, Edgar should have turned in his resignation then and there.
8 Little Mermaid (Fueled By Nostalgia)
Fans wouldn't have the Disney Renaissance if it wasn't for The Little Mermaid jumpstarting the movement. It received rave reviews when it first premiered for its animation, music, and return to the traditional Disney formula, many even claiming it helped save Walt Disney Animation altogether. But while it might have won audiences over in 1989, more modern viewers have found fault with Ariel's motivations.
Disney's interpretation of the Lord of the Apes is a bit unorthodox, but it's not without its fanbase, its acclaim, and its charm. Making $448 million worldwide and receiving tons of praise for its animation, storytelling, and soundtrack by Phil Collins, it was the last commercial success for the Disney Renaissance, but also ushered in a new formula and era for the Disney company.
Despite its overall success, not every viewer was sold. U/ucrbuffalo states "I hated Tarzan... Because I had a reasonable expectation from Disney in the '90s." Seeing how Disney's movies during the decade landed hit after hit, it's easy to understand why one would have this thought.
6 The Emporer's New Groove (Slow To Success)
The Emporer's New Groove is one of those Disney movies that got better with age. It was modestly successful compared to other Disney films released at the time and easily found a more successful audience after it had been released on home video. But even after landing around $169 Million at the box office, the film still had a bumpy ride landing with some viewers.
U/tofuraptor writes "I remember liking it as a kid, but I re-watched it yesterday and it was just insanely boring. The pacing was so slow..." The movie was very atypical compared to Disney's other work at the time, and its development history might have been partially responsible. The success is there, just with a niche audience.
5 Beauty And The Beast (Beloved But Not By All)
Beauty and the Beast has been rewatched, remade, and adapted into one of the most famous Broadway Musicals in history. Not only was it a financial success for Disney, raking in $440.1 million at the box office, but it was the first animated feature to take home a Best Picture nomination at the Academy Awards. It has been called Disney's most cherished love story and was a big hit with critics and audiences alike.
However, not all audience members have been so easily enchanted. There are still those like u/mashington14 that say "Beauty and the Beast is extremely overrated. The music is amazing, but the story/characters are just unbelievable and badly written." The film is a Disney fairytale at its core, and its plot is indeed a little formulaic, to call it "overrated" is certainly a little understandable.
4 The Lion King (Shockingly Overrated)
The Lion King has been considered by many to be Disney's greatest traditionally animated film. It was a side project by the studio that took home Oscar gold, won an ocean of praise and acclaim, as well as $1.084 billion at the box office. To say the film wasn't a resounding success would be an outright lie, as it's still considered a Disney classic.
U/MaximumWait0 had this to say about Simba's saga, "I watched it I was SO disappointed... I felt like there wasn't that much character development, and overall it isn't worth the hype." It's true that Simba literally grows up over a montage and has the film's narrative bashed into him by Rafiki, so it's easy to understand why it felt rushed or underdeveloped. But this opinion more than likely does not represent the majority of the audience.
3 The Black Cauldron (Disney's Creepy Cult Film)
Most viewers familiar with Disney's Blacksheep, The Black Cauldron, can understand why it earned that title. Only making around $4 million at the box office, the film was a flop by every definition. But that could be accredited to the struggles a post-Walt Disney studio faced. But even after its pitfalls, the film still found an audience.
It has its fans, including u/TheJoshider10 who writes "My favorite is The Black Cauldron without a doubt... The mixed reaction it got was so undeserved, and I loved the dark tone of it." The film is by no means perfect, but it's not really worth the entirety of its bad reputation either. Disney does still have the rights to the series it was based on, hopefully it wins a second chance with a remake.
2 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (Too Adult)
Disney's adaptation of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was nothing like Victor Hugo's gothic novel, but it's perhaps one of the most recognized versions of the story. Though not as successful as something like The Lion King, the film still walked away with over $325 million at the box office. It's been lauded and praised as a triumph by Disney nowadays, but some of its content has raised a few concerns from viewers.
u/Dunyet states "The Hunchback of Norte Dame was quality but did not work as a children's movie." This user is by no means wrong, as many consider it Disney's most adult feature, and content like religion, lust, and racial hatred aren't exactly kid-friendly subjects.
1 Frozen (Love To Hate)
Unsurprisingly, Frozen and its sequel are perhaps the most divisive films in the studio's library. But with a box office haul of $1.282 billion, there's no denying it wasn't a financial success at the very least. Some love it, some despise it, others think Tangled was better, but many Disney fans can agree that it was overrated by a mile.
Dozens of fans openly criticize the film, some calling it a filler movie for kids at best and several colorful phrases at worst. But this deleted user says, "The plot was just strange. It felt halfway finished or something...It just felt kind of empty." Despite its success, the film does fall into many, if not all, of Disney's fairytale tropes. Those expecting the mind-blowing adventures and magical enchantment Disney is known for might not be as satisfied with what Frozen offers.
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September 01, 2021 at 12:00AM
