Disney movies don’t always get the recognition they deserve, with many incredible animated features being painfully undersung by even the company’s most die-hard fans. The well-known films of Disney’s golden age are household titles, with films like The Lion King, Aladdin, and The Little Mermaid needing little introduction in the minds of most. But occasionally, Disney will release a brilliant film that isn’t fairly appreciated in its time, going relatively unheard of compared to their more famous catalog.
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It’s rare that Disney princesses go forgotten, with many of the company’s most underrated animated films revolving around different subject matter. Some of these movies simply failed to resonate with audiences for superficial reasons such as this, whereas others were the victim of poor timing, being released in inopportune windows or suffering from poor advertising. Whatever the case, these Disney movies deserve a second chance from the masses who have easily dismissed them in favor of more comfortable, familiar titles.
10 A Goofy Movie
A heartfelt story of father-son bonding
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Despite starring one of Disney’s main trio as its deuteragonist, A Goofy Movie remains a hidden gem among Disney’s star-studded 90s portfolio. The plot centers on Goofy and his teenage son, Max, taking place three years after the events of the series Goof Troop. As Goofy plans for a father-son fishing trip to bond with his hormonal, angsty child, Max secretly plots to sabotage the trip in order to go to a concert for his favorite music artist, Powerline, to impress the girl of his dreams, his kind-hearted school crush Roxanne.
A Goofy Movie was quite harshly reviewed when it came out, but second-glances on the film have revealed an incredibly tender and well-executed exploration of the easily-frayed, but not easily broken bond between a single father and his son. Between the surface level laughs, there are some real poignant moments between Goofy and his son, particularly as Max’s deception comes to light. It helps that An Extremely Goofy Movie, the film’s sequel, is one of the better direct-to-video Disney sequels.
9 Treasure Planet
An incredibly unique retelling of a classic
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Like many Disney films, Treasure Planet is an adaptation of a classic novel, none other than the famous pirate story Treasure Island. But the film updates the familiar story of Jim Hawkins and Long John Silver with a jaw-droppingly unique setting that blends science fiction with typical 17th century seafarer trappings. A troubled teen, Jim Hawkins embarks on an expedition with a secret map pointing to the horde of a legendary pirate lord, only to be given pause when his new mentor and father figure, the cyborg John Silver, turns out to be the leader of a mutiny.
Beyond the amazing character designs, brilliant voice acting, and poignant coming-of-age narrative, the visuals of Treasure Planet are literally out-of-this world, combining intricate traditional 2D animation with 3D models. Somehow, the unique setting of the film proves to be too much for some viewers, but those who can appreciate it for what it is recognize it as one of Disney’s stronger animated features. Sadly, the film was sabotaged by Disney by releasing around the same time as Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets.
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8 Oliver & Company
A plucky animal movie that deserves more love
Keeping in the Disney tradition of adapting literary classic with a unique twist or setting, Oliver & Company is actually a loose adaptation of Charles Dickens’ famous novel Oliver Twist, retold with talking cats and dogs. The last unsold kitten of an abandoned litter, Oliver is a ragamuffin who falls into the company of a band of stray dogs living on the streets of New York City. After Oliver is suddenly adopted by the daughter of a wealthy family, he has to struggle to bridge his two worlds and save his old friends from the machinations of a shrewd loan shark.
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Considering the litany of animal-themed Disney movies made in the 80s and 90s, it’s no wonder that Oliver & Company gets lost in the shuffle. This is a true shame considering the film’s strengths, including its eclectic and memorable cast of characters, underrated songs, and energetic animation. Even if it isn’t the most groundbreaking thing in the world, Oliver & Company should get more respect and admiration in the wider Disney gallery.
7 The Rescuers Down Under
An under-appreciated sequel
The Rescuers is already an under-appreciated Disney classic, telling the story of a pair of mice from the Rescue Aid Society, an international organization dedicated to tracking down kidnapping victims, who save the life of a little girl. The Rescuers Down Under is even more overlooked, taking a similar premise to the Outback of Australia. Rescuer duo Bianca and Bernard return, this time joining forces with a dashing hopping mouse named Jake to help rescue another child capable of speaking with animals from a dangerous poacher in his native Australia.
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The Rescuers Down Under is a rare improvement in animation over its predecessor, wowing with its flight scenes on the back of the affable albatross, Wilbur or through the skies of Australia behind Marahute the golden eagle. The storyline is surprisingly dark at times, a welcome refrain from Disney’s typically sanitized stories that don’t trust their audiences with scarier sequences. Filled with action, suspense, and charming characters, The Rescuers Down Under should be better known as the final film role of Eva Gabor, if nothing else.
6 Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Deserves its own dedicated Disney theme park
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Atlantis: The Lost Empire isn’t just an underrated Disney flick, but a painful missed opportunity for the media giant that could’ve been so much more. Milo Thatch is a disgraced linguist and archaeologist obsessed with finding the lost city of Atlantis. His wish comes true when an eccentric billionaire and friend of his late grandfather puts him on a dangerous expedition to the famed city, only for a mercenary mutiny to sour the world-changing discovery. Milo has to work together with love interest Princess Kida to save Atlantis by uncovering its ancient past.
From its elaborate dieselpunk version of the early 20th century to the hilarious expedition crew that each bear their own unique quirks and mannerisms, there’s so much to appreciate about the wonderful action-adventure film. Atlantis: The Lost Empire is a huge missed opportunity for Disney, who could’ve easily spent years exploring its expansive pulp mystery world. Yet somehow, Atlantis: The Lost Empire suffers critically, with Michael J. Fox’s adorable voice and Mike Mignola of Hellboy fame’s thrilling art direction somehow being lost on unappreciative viewers.
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5 Meet The Robinsons
A 3D flop that Disney advertised poorly
While most of Disney’s most underappreciated films are traditional animations, some of their earlier forays into 3D animation also frequently fall by the wayside. The most egregiously overlooked of these is easily Meet The Robinsons, an inspiring tale of perseverance and optimism with a few clever jokes up its sleeve. Lewis is an orphaned boy genius who struggles to be chosen for adoption, with his many far-fetched inventions often backfiring on him. His world is turned upside-down when he meets Wilbur, a time-traveling youth who pulls him in to thwart an evil bowler-hat-wearing villain.
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Meet The Robinsons suffered from poor advertising, right down to its very title, which all put too much emphasis on Wilbur’s wacky future family. While the family is actually by far the weakest part of the film, there is a lot of other aspects to be appreciated, such as the clever jokes, the amazingly funny villain, and heartfelt message of looking forward to the future for a brighter tomorrow. Meet The Robinsons also features some creative time travel twists that are hard to see coming, at least for child viewers.
4 Robin Hood
A beautiful retelling of a classic story
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Nearly every Disney movie based on a fairy tale or iconic medieval story has gone on to become one of the crowning jewels of the company, with the sole exception of Robin Hood. Adapting the classic tales of the bandit Robin Hood into a cozy animated film, Robin Hood takes place in a Middle Ages England populated by anthropomorphic animals. The wily fox robber Robin Hood has to evade capture from the greedy Prince John while winning over the hand of the delightful Maid Marion.
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The intricate animation of Disney in the 70s is hard to beat, with swelling fight scenes and entertaining slapstick humor all landing brilliantly. It’s worth noting that Robin Hood and Maid Marion’s romance is quietly one of the strongest of any Disney film, making for a tender emotional core of Robin Hood’s adventures. With warm voice acting, an instantly-recognizable art style, and a clever twist on the typical formula of Robin Hood and his associated characters, it’s a shame that the film has somewhat faded into relative obscurity as the years have gone by.
3 The Fox And The Hound
A tender buddy adventure
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It’s easy to dismiss The Fox and the Hound as a standard squeaky-clean animal movie from Disney’s earlier animated catalog, but closer inspection reveals a painfully-overlooked, heartwarming tale. The film follows the unlikely friendship of a Fox named Tod and a bloodhound named Cooper. As the two grow older, they soon realize that they are slated to be enemies in the wild, with Cooper trained to hunt down foxes like Tod.
The tragic friends-to-enemies dynamic of Tod and Cooper is expertly navigated by the vocal talents of Mickey Rooney and Kurt Russell, respectively, who few realize actually star in the film. While the setting and characters might seem rote for Disney on a surface level, The Fox and the Hound is unfairly dismissed because of the many canine-themed films Disney has released since. The original is still one of the best, however, with an important message of societal expectations that manages to get across to young viewers without being too heavy-handed.
2 Tarzan
One of Disney’s less-championed adaptations
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Yet another adaptation of a famous public domain character, Tarzan represents the kind of risks early 2000s Disney was willing to take that is rarely seen in the modern vision of the company. The story follows Tarzan’s life from adolescence to adulthood, being the orphaned survivor of a shipwreck in Africa before being found and raised by a troop of apes. When fellow humans arrive in his corner of the world, Tarzan is torn between his dual nature as a man raised by gorillas, coming into conflict with the devious hunter Clayton.
Tarzan pulls a similar trick as Treasure Planet, using ground-breaking technology to model the dizzying “vine surfing” scenes that make for a breathtaking traipse through the jungle. The phenomenal Phil Collins soundtrack works much better there than in fellow Disney outcast Brother Bear, and Tarzan and Jane’s romance is one of Disney’s most underrated. The film is also notable for having one of the darkest deaths of a Disney villain, making for a memorable package worth more than the sum of its parts.
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1 The Great Mouse Detective
A thrilling mystery few know the answers to
Rounding out Disney’s under-appreciated animal films of the 70s and 80s, The Great Mouse Detective is the definition of a hidden gem within Disney’s filmography. Based on the children’s books series, Basil of Baker Street, the film follows the cases of the titular rodent investigator, Basil, who is tasked with helping a young wayward mouse help rescue her father from the clutches of the evil Professor Ratigan. Taking some clear inspiration from the stories of Sherlock Holmes, The Great Mouse Detective is a melting pot of influences that comes together to a satisfying melting pot.
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The Great Mouse Detective shows off a shockingly high emotional range for a family-friendly animated film starring adorable cartoon mice, flipping from childlike wonder to abject terror at the drop of a Sherlock Holmes-style hat. The often-adorable facial expressions of each character make the thrilling investigation all the more entertaining to search for the clues hidden among the unique steampunk London setting. The Great Mouse Detective might have the widest gulf between quality and recognition of any Disney movie.
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