Disney’s history is speckled with all-time classics. From Golden Age features like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs to Renaissance hits like Beauty and the Beast, the studio’s resume is filled with titles that get the royal treatment via merchandise, park attractions, and live-action remakes. However, amid all the notable successes, a few fantastic films somehow slipped through the cracks.
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Whether due to bad timing or bad marketing, some of the best Disney efforts never got their day in the sun. In this list, we’re revisiting five of the studio’s outings that are in desperate need of a modern reappraisal. An eclectic collection of forgotten experiments and overshadowed gems with cult classic potential that deserve to find new life in the streaming age.
5) Hercules
One of the most underappreciated films of Disney’s Renaissance, Hercules had everything going for it, including Alan Menken songs and killer source material. Unfortunately, it landed in a weird post-Lion King era when audiences wanted more serious epics with less camp. It’s a shame, too, because this pop-culture-infused animated Greek myth featured a hilarious performance from James Woods as underworld ruler Hades, a genuinely charming hero voiced by Tate Donovan, and an array of great side characters, including the singing muses and shapeshifting imps.
Over time, Hercules has earned at least some of the love it deserved in the first place. Characters like Megara and her sardonic one-liners (“I’m a damsel, I’m in distress, I can handle this”) have connected more with modern audiences than they did upon release. While it didn’t conquer Mount Olympus at the box office and remains largely forgotten as far as theme parks and merchandise are concerned, Hercules may finally be getting its live-action remake.
4) The Princess and the Frog
While this one technically has its own theme park attraction, it’s still underappreciated by Disney Princess standards. Tiana arrived in 2009, marking Disney’s long-awaited return to hand-drawn animation after a decade of CGI dominance. Set in ‘20s New Orleans, the story follows the hardworking waitress who dreams of opening her own restaurant, only to be turned into a frog thanks to a deal gone wrong. Featuring a rich soundtrack from legendary composer Randy Newman and whimsical bayou animation, The Princess and the Frog reconstructs a classic Disney atmosphere around a contemporary heroine.
Critics loved it, but the movie underperformed commercially, and unfairly so. Tiana is one of Disney’s most admirable protagonists, and her ambition and resilience resonated with those who actually went out to see the film. Like Hercules, The Princess and the Frog has gained fans over time; however, a recent TV reboot was cancelled by Disney earlier this year, and fans are still waiting for Tiana to get the widespread acclaim she deserves.
3) The Great Mouse Detective
Before The Little Mermaid kicked off the Disney Renaissance, The Great Mouse Detective was an early light at the end of the tunnel that was Disney’s dark age. Set in Victorian London, the film follows Basil of Baker Street, a Sherlock Holmes-esque detective solving a toy maker’s kidnapping with the help of his loyal friend Dawson. Beyond a compelling mystery, the film contains a legendary performance from Vincent Price as the villain, Ratigan. Even Price himself said it was one of his better performances.
This film’s legacy is bigger than people realize. It was the first to integrate early computer animation, and the clock tower sequence remains impressive today. It also served as a precursor to the studio’s ‘90s hits, helping to rebuild Disney’s confidence after The Black Cauldron’s flop (though many consider Black Cauldron to be another underrated gem). Sure, it’s hard to compete for top mouse when you’re up against Mickey, but if any rodent deserves a reevaluation, it’s this one.
2) A Bug’s Life
Released under the Disney umbrella, Pixar’s second feature film often gets overshadowed by the Toy Story juggernaut, and by its release proximity to DreamWorks’ Antz. However, A Bug’s Life is a sleeper masterpiece. Centered on Flik, an inventive ant voiced by Dave Foley, the movie tells a timeless story of unity under oppression inspired by Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai. Kevin Spacey’s grasshopper villain Hopper is a standout, but the movie’s ensemble cast, including Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ Princess Atta, remains one of Pixar’s funniest.
While the early computer animation may look a bit dated by today’s standards, the film’s heart and humor hold up perfectly. Given that it’s a story about underdogs, it’s sort of fitting that A Bug’s Life itself often gets treated as Pixar’s forgotten middle child. Fans who revisit it now are surprised by how tight the storytelling is, how lovable the characters are, and how much humanity the creators were able to pack into a colony of insects.
1) Treasure Planet
Space opera and steampunk epic, Treasure Planet was one of Disney’s more risky bets of the ‘00s era, and it deserved better than the lukewarm box office reception it got. Reimagining Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island as a sci-fi odyssey, the film follows young Jim Hawkins, voiced by Joseph Gordon-Levitt, as he seeks adventure among cyborg pirates on an intergalactic treasure hunt. The animation combined 2D drawing with groundbreaking 3D environments, and the resulting visuals still look stunning two decades later.
Critics at the time didn’t know what to make of it, but fans now hail Treasure Planet for being both visually breathtaking and emotionally resonant. Jim’s relationship with John Silver (Brian Murray) is one of the studio’s most nuanced father-son dynamics. Perhaps it was too ambitious for 2002, or maybe it came out too soon after fellow steampunk flop, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, but today Disney has seemingly embraced sci-fi. In a Disney+ carousel alongside Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy, perhaps Treasure Planet will finally get a fair shot at reaching the stars.
What’s your personal pick for the most underrated Disney film? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!
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