Disney is a studio known for creating pure magic with their films, but not even the most acclaimed artists can have a hit on their hands 100% of the time. As Disney has gone through different eras with its animation and live-action releases, the studio has had its fair share of flops. More recently, with a shift in emphasis on live-action remakes of its classic animated tales, Disney has disappointed audiences as it shallowly attempts to cultivate nostalgia by translating beautifully animated musicals into CGI-inundated, bland, poorly-written content.
Though these frequent missteps are new, Disney isn't a stranger to less-than-desirable films. The studio has had similar issues with audience reception during their early 2000s period and even back in the 1980s after Disney's first PG-rated animated film, The Black Cauldron, severely tanked at the box office. Seeing such faulty storytelling and filmmaking from Disney can be hard to stomach, especially for their most loyal fans.
10 Chicken Little Doesn’t Measure up to Other Disney Comedies
This Film Is Tonally Incongruent With Disney’s Other Releases
Many audiences find it hard to believe that Chicken Little is a Disney film as it definitely mirrors something that would come from Dreamworks. The first entirely 3D animated film from Disney, Chicken Little, marked the start of a new chapter for Disney. Though the film was a box office success, grossing $314 million worldwide, the film's critical acclaim didn't align with its financial gains.
| Chicken Little Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Letterboxd Average Review |
| 37% | 5.7/10 | 2.8 |
Many criticized the film's writing and comedy, and though the animation was seen as bold and experimental at the time, it's the subject of ridicule among many film critics' YouTube channels today. While some find the Disney film underrated and charming, saying that it possesses a "so bad it's good" quality, many find the modern humor and setting jarring. Chicken Little is very much a product of its time when every major studio was trying to churn out a hard-hitting high school comedy.
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Chicken Little
G
Animation AdventureComedy
Family
Sci-Fi
9.3/10
- Release Date
- November 4, 2005
- Runtime
- 80 minutes
Cast
-
Zach Braff
-
Garry Marshall
9 Bolt Doesn’t Know What to Do With Its Concept
This Action-Comedy Was Just All Over the Place
Much like Chicken Little, Bolt struggles massively with plot, tone, and pacing. Though an improvement over Chicken Little, Disney's 3rd 3D animated film failed to capture the endearing zaniness of its predecessor, Meet The Robinsons. Bolt heavily relies on a trio of animals with one-off personality traits that are played for cheap laughs rather than the advancement of the story.
| Bolt Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Letterboxd Average Review |
| 90% | 6.8/10 | 3.1 |
The concept of a TV star dog not understanding the difference between reality and fiction is interesting enough to go off of, but Bolt's execution is hardly as enthralling as its summary sounds. At the time of the film's release, Bolt was considered a success, receiving generally positive reviews from critics and earning $309 million worldwide. The film is definitely emblematic of Disney's early 3D animation era, focusing more on comedic aspects and embracing the quirks of the surrounding world.
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Bolt
PG
AnimationFamily
AdventureComedy
10/10
- Release Date
- November 21, 2008
- Runtime
- 98 minutes
Cast
-
John Travolta
-
Miley Cyrus
8 Planes Is Just a Lazier Version of Cars
This Might Be the Most Boring Disney Film of All Time
With Cars being their most merchandisable franchise, Disney aimed to capitalize on this with the release of Planes in 2013. Though the film exists in the world of Cars, it wasn't made by Pixar. The film was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures and Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, a division of Disney that's largely responsible for Disney's direct-to-video sequels.
| Planes Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 26% | 5.7/10 | 2.1 |
Planes definitely harbors a direct-to-video quality though it was theatrically released. A financially sound endeavor for Disney, the film grossed $240 million worldwide on a $50 million budget, but critics across the board thought Planes offered nothing new, and passed it off as a mid-tier underdog sports story. Unlike Lightning McQueen and Mater in the Cars world, the characters in Planes have no discernible personality. It's difficult to even remember any of the characters' names except for the protagonist Dusty, and that's most likely just because he's the main character.
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Planes
pg-13
AdventureFamily
- Release Date
- September 12, 2013
- Runtime
- 92minutes
- Director
- Klay Hall
- Writers
- Klay Hall
Cast
-
Dane Cook
-
Brad Garrett
7 Wish Fails Impact Audiences the Way Other Disney Musicals Have
Disney's 100th Featured Film Is a Major Disappointment
One would think that Walt Disney Animation Studio's 100th-anniversary film would be a masterpiece in the making, so many were surprised and upset to see Wish as the spotlight project for the remarkable anniversary. The film seemingly had a lot going for it, featuring Academy-Award Winner Ariana DeBose playing the lead protagonist. Wish also featured a unique animation style, melding 3D animation with watercolor art. The film absolutely paid homage to many recognizable facets of Disney, but not in the way fans would think.
| Wish Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 48% | 5.6/10 | 2.3 |
Wish acts essentially as one long Easter Egg, shoving in as many references to other Disney films as it can, leaving little room for a well-paced story to develop. Many also found the characters to be annoying or under-utilized, especially Asha's friends, who are meant to resemble the seven dwarfs in their designs and personalities, but lack many significant original qualities. One of the many reasons fans didn't like Wish is that they were extremely let down by the music, which suffered from contradictory lyrics, poor rhyme schemes, and a contemporary sound that never really found its footing.
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Wish
PG
AdventureComedy
Fantasy- Release Date
- November 22, 2023
- Runtime
- 95 Mins
Cast
-
Ariana DeBose
-
Chris Pine
-
Alan Tudyk
-
Dee Bradley Baker
6 A Wrinkle in Time Is Uninspiring and Forgettable
This Sci-Fi Film Doesn't Capture Any Magic From the Book
A Disney film adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's award-winning novel A Wrinkle in Time sounds like a dream come true for fans of the book, but the film proved that Disney wasn't equipped to handle the magnitude of the story. The book uses whimsical language and eloquently illustrates fantastical visuals that embed distinctive imagery in the reader's mind. The film merely hopes viewers will be too distracted by their favorite celebrities to notice the significant lack of effort within the film's composition.
| A Wrinkle in Time Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 43% | 4.3/10 | 2.1 |
Oprah Winfrey, Reese Witherspoon, and Mindy Kaling play the larger-than-life interdimensional beings Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who, but even their presence can't save a script that feels dull and directionless. Though viewers can sympathize with Meg and her brother, it's hard to be invested in the stakes of the film. Many moments in A Wrinkle in Time, especially towards the climax that are supposed to be empowering, come off as cheesy and pandering, leaving audiences underwhelmed.
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A Wrinkle In Time
PG
Family
Adventure FantasySci-Fi
- Release Date
- March 8, 2018
- Runtime
- 109 minutes
Cast
-
Mindy Kaling
-
Storm Reid
-
Chris Pine
-
Reese Witherspoon
5 The Lion King (2019) Is Awful Compared to the Original
This Is a Live-Action Remake That Should've Never Been Greenlit
There was truly nothing that could elevate The Lion King remake to the status of the original film. Even after the cast was announced to feature Beyoncé as Nala, Donald Glover as Simba and James Earl Jones reprising his role as Mufasa, fans were still hesitant to see if the remake would measure up to the original. Though the film was astronomically successful at the box office, grossing $1.657 billion, true fans of the original film see the remake as a disrespectful failure.
| The Lion King (2019) Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 51% | 6.8/10 | 2.8 |
One can hardly call the film "live-action" being that it's entirely CGI. The changes that were made from the original The Lion King are odd at best and despicable at worst. The film's most appalling decision is its rendition of "Be Prepared," one of Disney's greatest villain songs. The iconic number is reduced to mere speech and isn't delivered with nearly as much spectacle as the original. Everything about The Lion King (2019) just reminds viewers that there's a much better and more artfully crafted film out there, much like most of Disney's live-action remakes.
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The Lion King
PG
Adventure DramaFamily
- Release Date
- July 19, 2019
- Runtime
- 118 minutes
Cast
-
James Earl Jones
-
John Kani
-
Shahadi Wright Joseph
-
Eric Andre
Related
30 Unforgettable Quotes From Disney's The Lion King
The Lion King is one of Disney's most beloved classics, and both the original and the remake are full of memorable and iconic quotes.
4 Cars 2 Is Both Unfunny and Ridiculous
Who Thought Making a Spy Sequel to Cars Was a Good Idea?
Lightning McQueen and Mater's unlikely friendship is a major component of the heart of Cars, making their relationship a perfect centerpiece for a sequel. Audience receptiveness to Mater's aloof nature and zany personality also indicated to Disney that featuring the tow truck as the second film's protagonist would greatly pay off. With its theatrical release, Cars 2 was a box office success, scoring $559 million worldwide, but the critical consensus was that the film was one of Pixar's worst.
| Cars 2 Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 39% | 6.2/10 | 2.9 |
Highlighting Mater as the central character isn't even the worst part of the film. There is a general downgrade in heart and humor, which is the pinnacle of the Cars franchise. The film shifts its focus instead to an elaborate, convoluted spy plot that doesn't fit in at all with the pre-established Cars universe. The strengthening of McQueen and Mater's relationship also falls flat as the two have a fight toward the beginning of the film and then don't speak again until the climax.
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Cars 2
G
Animation AdventureComedy
Family
- Release Date
- June 18, 2011
- Runtime
- 106 minutes
Cast
-
Owen Wilson
-
Larry the Cable Guy
-
Michael Caine
-
Emily Mortimer
3 Mars Needs Moms Is Terrifying to Look At
This Film's Animation Style Did Not Sit Well With Audiences
Aside from the horrendous motion capture animation and character designs, Mars Needs Moms offers nothing special in terms of story and memorability. A story following a young boy venturing to Mars to save his mother from an alien race could've been a fun premise. Still, the film's aimless direction and unattractive visuals cemented it as a forgettable misfire.
| Mars Needs Moms Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 35% | 5.4/10 | 2.1 |
The film was a huge bomb at the box office, only making $39 million worldwide on a $150 million budget. This was the last Disney animated feature to use motion capture style animation, having used it previously with A Christmas Carol in 2009. It's likely that those who grew up in the 2010s remember this film, but even the most dedicated Disney fans may not recall this film ever being made.
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Mars Needs Moms
PG
Sci-Fi
Family
Animation Adventure- Release Date
- March 11, 2011
- Runtime
- 98 Minutes
Cast
-
Seth Green
-
Joan Cusack
-
Dan Fogler
-
Breckin Meyer
2 Ralph Breaks the Internet Is Cringeworthy and IP-Inundated
At Least This Film Has The Disney Princess Scene Going For it
If The Lion King (2019) is a reminder that Disney can rehash any old property and make a gargantuan amount of money, Ralph Breaks The Internet demonstrates the large pool it can pull from. The sequel to the 2012 video-game-themed film sees Ralph and Vanellope escaping the boundaries of their arcade and exploring the expansiveness of the internet. This, of course, includes a trip to Disney's website, where Star Wars, Marvel, and other franchises are proudly brandished.
| Ralph Breaks The Internet Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 88% | 7/10 | 2.9 |
The backdrop of the change in setting is the change Ralph and Vanellope undergo as friends. Vanellope wants more out of life as a racer, but Ralph is scared his best friend is pulling away. Viewers found this shift in Ralph and Vanellope's relationship toxic, although lessons are learned by the end. The humor in Ralph Breaks The Internet is also excessively outdated, referencing pop culture moments and memes that are completely irrelevant. The one positive factor audiences seem to agree on about this film is the brief incorporation of the Disney princesses, many of them voiced by their original actors.
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Ralph Breaks the Internet
PG
Animation AdventureComedy
- Release Date
- November 21, 2018
- Runtime
- 112 Minutes
Cast
-
John C. Reilly
-
Sarah Silverman
-
Alan Tudyk
-
Jane Lynch
Related
10 Best Disney Animated Sequels, Ranked
Disney's animated sequels get a bad rap. There are several that were fun additions to their franchise, and occasionally just as good as the original.
6
1 Artemis Fowl Is the Lowest-Rated Film to Premiere on Disney Plus
A Beloved Book Series Is Turned Into a Colossal Failure of a Film
From the early 2000s to the early 2010s, the Artemis Fowl series dominated young adult bookshelves. The series follows the titular Artemis Fowl, a 12-year-old genius and criminal mastermind who kidnaps a fairy to hopefully restore his family's fortune. The film adaptation of the first book was released on Disney Plus in 2020 and was immediately panned by critics and audiences as one of Disney's worst movies.
| Artemis Fowl Reviews | ||
| Rotten Tomatoes Score | IMDB Rating | Average Letterboxd Review |
| 8% | 4.3 | 1.3 |
Everything about Artemis Fowl's production is abysmal, from the awkward dialogue to the clunky CGI. Any sci-fi/fantasy elements that would enrich the story are lost in under-lit, overcrowded sets that look artificial rather than engrossing viewers in the world. Even ironic viewership of the film is not encouraged, as Disney fans and film critics alike have made it clear that the film contains almost nothing enjoyable.
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Artemis Fowl
PG
Adventure FantasyFamily
- Release Date
- June 12, 2020
- Runtime
- 115 Minutes
Cast
-
Nonso Anozie
-
Gerard Horan
-
Judi Dench
-
Adrian Scarborough
