20 movies from Disney that have faded from cultural memory

Dinosaur marked one of Disney’s first forays into CGI, using a mix of live-action and computer animation. The epic adventure film follows an orphaned dinosaur raised by lemurs and their journey to find a new home after a meteorite shower destroys theirs. While the visual effects are clearly outdated and look like an old computer game, they were groundbreaking at the time. The film was a success upon release but seems to have lost its audience over the years. 

There’s a reason Home on the Range rarely comes up in conversation when talking about Disney movies. The story follows three cows who try to save their farm from a greedy outlaw. While boasting beautiful hand-drawn animation and some catchy songs, the plot is underwhelming in execution, and the tone is inconsistent. Home on the Range has the lowest IMDb score of any animated Disney movie, with a measly 5.4 out of 10. Not even a voice cast led by Judi Dench could save it. 

While Disney has had their share of bad movies like any other studio, they’ve also released some underrated classics that deserve as much love as their most famous films. One of those is Brother Bear , which is simultaneously hilarious and heartfelt. Joaquin Phoenix voices Kenai, whose brother is killed by a bear. He turns into one when he decides to kill the bear as revenge. It is one of Disney's most emotionally mature films with deep themes of spirituality, brotherhood, and tolerance. 

Despite only being released last year in 2022, Strange World has somehow already become lost and forgotten in the Disney catalog. The sci-fi adventure film follows three generations of explorers who find themselves in an uncharted world and must put aside their differences to work together. Due to poor marketing, the film flopped at the box office and was sent straight to Disney+ soon after. It’s a real shame because there’s a lot of fun and wonder on display here.

Based on the children’s book A Day With Wilbur Robinson, Meet the Robinsons is one of Disney’s most inventive and whimsical animated films. The story follows Lewis, a young orphan and inventor who wants to travel back to find his mother. He meets Wilbur, who takes him to the future to meet his eccentric family. The film features all the best elements of any time-travel movie: crazy characters, which include a pet dinosaur, and inspiring messages to take away.

A continuation of the short-lived but popular TV series of the same name, Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers follows the famous chipmunk pair thirty years after their show ended. Living among cartoons and humans, they are forced to reunite to save an old castmate. Both sharp and self-aware, the film features an abundance of pop culture cameos that don’t feel cheap and are cleverly inserted. Despite all the IP references, this still feels like the freshest thing Disney has done in a long time. 

Loosely inspired by the futuristic park area at Disneyland, Tomorrowland is a live-action sci-fi film from Brad Bird, director of The Incredibles . The story revolves around a curious scientific girl and a former child inventor who join forces to unravel the secrets of an unexplored dimension in time and space. Despite the star power of George Clooney, the film infamously underperformed at the box office and was mildly received by critics and audiences.

From director Sam Raimi, Oz: The Great and Powerful tells the origin story of the famous Wizard of Oz and how he came to the land. The Wizard of Oz is one of the most beloved movies of all time, so it would always be a challenge to follow it up with anything. While the film performed well at the box office and featured starry names like Michelle Williams and Rachel Weisz, it received mixed reviews, with viewers praising the visual effects but criticizing the story and character arcs. 

There are many films Disney fans can agree deserve as much love as classics like The Lion King and Frozen, and Treasure Planet is one of those. The movie is a sci-fi adaptation of the novel Treasure Island, following young Jim Hawkins as he ventures across the universe to find pirate treasure. The film keeps the source material’s period style while changing the setting to outer space, making for a visually stunning fusion of completely different worlds and one of Disney’s most unique movies. 

Atlantis: The Lost Empire is another addition to the list of underrated animated Disney movies from the early 2000s. The adventure film follows Milo, a young linguist who joins a group of explorers to find the lost island of Atlantis. Despite beautifully hand-drawn animation and plenty of action, moviegoers were more interested in newly revolutionized CG animation, and the film flopped upon release. However, it has been revisited over the years and is gradually receiving more love — as it deserves. 

Disney will probably never make a movie quite like G-Force  again. The live-action/CGI hybrid movie sees a group of specially trained guinea pigs on a mission to stop a billionaire from taking over the world. Somehow, Disney managed to rope in the talents of Bill Nighy, Penélope Cruz, and Nicholas Cage for the film, but even they couldn’t save it. While it was moderately successful at the box office, it was canned by critics everywhere for being painfully unfunny and mindlessly scripted. 

Old Dogs has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 5%, which should tell you everything you need to know. Robin Williams and John Travolta play business partners who find themselves as the temporary guardians of seven-year-old twins. Despite having two big stars like Williams and Travolta, the film was a total disaster and was panned by all who watched it. While aiming for family-friendly and slapstick comedy, Old Dogs instead resorts to tasteless jokes and stale stereotypes.

Bolt follows a dog who is the star of a sci-fi TV show and believes his powers are real, embarking on a journey to save a co-star from a threat. Starring John Travolta and Miley Cyrus, the film was not a box office hit but did receive strong critical praise. It has the perfect balance of heart and humor, with hilarious characters and a strong emotional core. A treat for both kids and adults, Bolt seems to have slipped away from film discussions but deserves a rewatch.

Adam Sandler is known for having a string of critically panned comedy movies, Bedtime Stories included. However, the Disney family film is actually not one of his worst. Sandler plays a hotel handyperson who reads bedtime stories to his niece and nephew. One day, these magical stories become real. While the film does feature some silly humor that doesn’t always land, an enchanting display of creativity and imagination stands out. Many may not agree, but this one unfairly gets a bad rep. 

One of Disney’s worst animated movies is The Wild, a blatant rip-off of DreamWorks’ Madagascar. The derivative plot follows an adolescent lion accidentally shipped from the New York Zoo to Africa, with his zoo pals coming to his rescue. Sound familiar? While Disney’s animation can usually save their films, the visuals here are totally unimpressive and out of character for the studio. The movie itself lacks the energy and humor needed and is completely forgettable.

Before Disney took hold of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, they gave us the superhero teen flick Sky High . The story is set in a school where teens learn how to use their superpowers and follows William, who tries to balance being a regular teen and a superhero. The film cleverly meshes high school tropes with the world of superheroes to create a funny and entertaining movie for the whole family. Fun fact: Lynda Carter, a.k.a Wonder Woman, plays Sky High’s principal. 

While Ice Princess is undoubtedly cheesy and may not be the most original movie, it makes for a fun and light-hearted watch. The story follows Casey, who is torn between becoming a professional figure skater and her mother’s dream for her to pursue physics. Everything about Ice Princess is squeaky clean and full of clichés, but it is completely harmless and even endearing at times. Casey’s coach is played by Samantha Jones herself, Kim Cattrall. 

Based on the animated Disney TV series of the same name, Teacher’s Pet is a whimsical and witty effort from the studio. The film, under an hour and fifteen minutes in runtime, follows Spot, a dog who wishes to become human like his owner but realizes life is much better as a pet. The film features a quirky and irreverent hand-drawn animation style, absurd humor, cheeky references, and big musical numbers that make this an absolute hoot. 

In 1995, Goofy finally got his own movie with A Goofy Movie. It’s become a bit of a cult classic over the years and has a special place in fans' hearts. The film follows Goofy’s son, Max, who makes an outrageous trip with his father to keep a promise to his crush. The film features a comical and relatable father-son relationship, eccentric characters, and a boppin '90s-themed soundtrack. Goofy is also presented here in all his glory, playing up his signature slapstick comedy. 

Chicken Little is loosely inspired by the European folk tale Henny Penny, also known as Chicken Licken. The film follows the titular chicken, who thinks the sky is falling, but nobody in town believes him — until an alien invasion threatens the world. Despite being the second highest-grossing animated movie of 2005, the movie received mixed reviews and, as a result, remains a relic of the 2000s. While it didn’t blow viewers away, the sci-fi elements and mystery of the film definitely generated some intrigue.