10 Best Disney Movies You Forgot About That You Should Reading Update 04/2024

Disney Movies You Forgot About

A look at some of Disney’s best films, some of which are typically missed or forgotten.

Since its founding, Disney has produced numerous classics that have captivated audiences worldwide. Walt Disney’s films have captivated audiences around the world since their earliest days, and that fascination has only grown in recent decades, thanks to a surge of live-action remakes that has followed the Disney Renaissance of the 1990s. In theme parks, on lunchboxes, and in toy stores all around the world, Disney’s most popular films have left such a lasting impression. The current wave of remakes is proof that people are enamored with the genre. However, the general public is unaware of a number of Disney classics.

These films aren’t being overlooked because of a lack of quality. This list includes some of Disney’s most experimental and boundary-pushing creations. They didn’t perform well at the box office, or they couldn’t get moviegoers to pay attention to them. However, just because these films have been forgotten does not imply that they do not meet the high standards set by Disney. Here is a list of some of Disney’s most overlooked films.

1. THE BLACK CAULDRON

THE BLACK CAULDRON

TheBlack Cauldron, maybe Disney’s most controversial film, was released in 1985. The film was based on a trilogy of novels by Lloyd Alexander, which were all based on Welsh mythology, and the film was based on that trilogy. In the movie, an evil Horned King tries to use the black cauldron to dominate the world. Taran, a pig farmer, and his allies are attempting to stop the Horned King from carrying out his terrible scheme.

Many things about the movie were ground-breaking. It was the first Disney film to be given a PG rating and one of the first to feature computer-generated images. Although it was the most expensive film Disney had ever made at the time, it nearly bankrupted the corporation due to a poor box office performance. It was a film that Disney wanted to forget despite its cult following, even if it has since become popular.

2. OLIVER & COMPANY

Soon after TheBlack Cauldron’s spectacular disaster, a new Oliver Twist film was released. Only Oliver is a kitten in this retelling, and he joins forces with a swarm of stray dogs in New York to help the orphan. The picture was a commercial success when it was released in 1998, right before the Disney Renaissance, but it was swiftly eclipsed by 1989’s release of TheLittle Mermaid and wasn’t released on home video until 1996. Oliver & Co. have been neglected in the ensuing years, but a fine reworking of a Dickens classic has not.

3. DINOSAUR

DINOSAUR

While Dinosaur was a critical and commercial success in its debut year of 2000, it has since fallen out of favor due to its spectacular aesthetics and impressive technological prowess. Dinosaur was hailed as a technical marvel when it debuted, combining real-world locations with computer-generated dinosaurs to create a level of photorealism never before seen in a film. Almost like a forerunner to today’s photo-realistic remake of The Lion King, this film features an all-star cast. Despite the filmmakers’ technical prowess, Dinosaur’s tale and characters were largely ignored by the public. Dinosaur, despite being a significant stride in the development of computer animation technology, was unable to achieve the level of euphoria attributed to its predecessors.

4. HOME ON THE RANGE

If you’re looking for a good example of Disney’s declining quality around this period, Home on the Range is an excellent place to start. In reality, Home on the Range was Disney’s last 2D animated feature until 2009’sPrincess and the Frog, as the studio shifted its focus to computer animation. In spite of the fact that this picture has been largely forgotten, it’s feasible to appreciate the positive aspects of this Disney classic despite the fact that critics and moviegoers had harsh words for it. This picture has a lot going for it, with a colorful ensemble of characters, an entertaining tale, and music from a pillar of the Disney Renaissance, Alan Menken.

5. THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE

THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE

Commercially and critically, The GreatMouse Detective was a hit in 1986. As a nod to the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, it relates the tale of a mouse. However, despite the fact that the film itself has faded from public consciousness, Disney lovers have plenty to thank Basil for.

After The Black Cauldron’s dismal box office performance, Disney was considering closing its animation division; however, the success of this picture convinced the company’s leaders that animation was an economically viable option to investigate. If it weren’t for this film, the Disney Renaissance wouldn’t have been possible. While working alongside future Disney classic filmmakers Ron Clements and John Musker, this picture also speaks for itself. It’s a wonderful movie with vibrant, colorful characters that everyone should see.

6. ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE

Disney’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire is still a unique outlier among their films. To convey the story of a group of mercenaries who find their way to the fabled Atlantis, the film employs both 2D and 3D animation techniques. This film was born out of a desire by the studio to stray from its typical musical offerings. One of Disney’s few forays into science fiction, this film is aimed towards a slightly older demographic. Despite the film’s first underwhelming box office performance, it now has a devoted following and features some of Disney’s most visually gorgeous sequences. It’s a much more mature, action-packed film, and this caused some friction among Disney devotees. As a result, Atlantis has become one of Disney’s long-forgotten classics, but one that is worth revisiting.

7. FOX AND THE HOUND

FOX AND THE HOUND

Fox and the Hound, a classic Disney film, depicts the story of two cubs who are destined to grow up to be fierce competitors. Tod the fox and Copper the hound dog, childhood companions who are now adults, must deal with the social expectations placed on them as they grow up. A big hit at the film office in 1981, Fox and the Hound received high accolades for the quality of its voice acting. Disney’s ability to explore adult topics like social pressure and the loss of innocence in an animated blockbuster is demonstrated in this film, which has been overshadowed in recent years. Disney’s greatest success, despite a lack of modern representation, is this.

8. THE RESCUERS

This film’s idea is a little strange. Madame Medusa kidnaps a young girl, and two mice belonging to the Rescue Aid Society, a group that assists victims of abductions, strive to rescue her from her cruel clutches. Despite being in development since 1962, the picture was finally released in 1977 and received positive reviews from both reviewers and audiences. As a result of the success of this picture, a sequel was approved and released in 1990, titled The Rescuers: DownUnder. Despite their ‘forgotten’ position, both films are a rollicking, mysterious adventure that stands the test of time.

9. TREASURE PLANET

TREASURE PLANET

To this day, Disney’s science fiction adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’sTreasure Island, titled TreasurePlanet, is regarded as an outlier. This picture was directed by two of Disney’s greatest animators, Ron Clements and John Musker, who used groundbreaking techniques to create some of the most breathtaking graphics in the company’s history.

An impressive voice cast, music by the Googoo Dolls, a well-known adventure plot, positive critical reception, and an Oscar nomination for best animated feature all contributed to the film’s success. Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Hyde Pierce, and Emma Thompson all voiced characters in the film. Despite this, it was a massive failure at the box office. One of Disney’s worst-received films. Disney rarely mentions or depicts the island of Treasure Island. However, a retrospective of this picture shows that it has endured.

10. A GOOFY MOVIE

Another Disney animated feature that deserved better is A Goofy Movie. An A Goofy Movie finds Goofy attempting to maintain his relationship with his adolescent son Max who is more focused in his crush, Roxanne, and sticking out from the crowd following on from the animated series Goof Troop. Even though this 1995 picture is really just a road movie with a fantastic soundtrack and laughs galore, it also features a more deep, emotional portrayal of Goofy than ever before. Even though Goofy and his crew weren’t given the respect that they deserved from critics, they have gained a cult following because of their popularity. It is possible that a live-action version of Goofy and Max is in order.