When you think of near-perfect animated Disney movies, your mind goes to the big ones. Either something like a classic Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin from your youth, or perhaps you connect with ones a little newer, like Frozen or Moana. But even the first five, maybe ten, animated Disney movies you name are ones everyone remembers, and there will probably be overlap if you ask a handful of people to make a list.
But there are hidden gems and near-perfect animated films that Disney nobody remembers today. Maybe you watched them once and forgot about them, or maybe a favorite on your list is what you watched instead. But the overlooked animated Disney films are just as good, just as deserving of a watch, and might surprise you if you give them a chance.
Chicken Little Tells a Bigger Story
Disney released its first fully computer-animated film in 2005, which loosely follows the European folk tale, Henny Penny. Going up against the likes of The Chronicles of Narnia and a Star Wars movie in the same year, Chicken Little might not have been a kid’s first request at the time, but it has a heart that is almost perfect when it comes to an animated children’s movie.
With a stacked voice cast of Zach Braff (Garden State, Scrubs), Joan Cusack (Addams Family Values, Toy Story), Gary Marshall (A League of Their Own, Hocus Pocus), Amy Sedaris (Strangers With Candy, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt), and Catherine O’Hara (Home Alone, Schitt’s Creek), Chicken Little’s 36% RT score is a bit disappointing. The movie carries certain The Boy Who Cried Wolf vibes and tackles topics like bullying, making this forgotten Disney movie just as relevant decades later.
Bolt Needed A Bigger Turnout From Audiences
In 2008, for kids who believed they had real superpowers, the animated film Bolt made them feel seen. With John Travolta (Pulp Fiction, Hairspray) as the voice of Bolt and Miley Cyrus (Big Fish, The Last Song) voicing Penny, Bolt’s owner, the animated film follows a pup who thinks his life on the set of a television show is real. Sort of like The Truman Show, but animated, and with a dog.
The 90% RT score isn’t surprising, as the movie went on to be nominated for over a dozen awards. Bolt is just a little forgotten from that time, as WALL-E and Kung Fu Panda were the other two animated movies that year. But it’s still a near-perfect film with a touching heart, showcasing an uplifting story about friendship and family.
The Great Mouse Detective Saved Disney’s Greatest Era
Using the book Basil of Baker Street as the source material, the 1986 animated movie The Great Mouse Detective isn’t as remembered as it should be. But with a solid 79% RT score, the mystery adventure film is an adorable way to get kids interested in the shenanigans of Sherlock Holmes when they get older.
Vincent Price (The Ten Commandments, Edward Scissorhands) voiced the evil Professor Ratigan, whom mouse detective Basil, voiced by Barrie Ingham (Josh Kirby… Time Warrior, The Triangle), has been trying to capture, with the help of his trusty side-kick David Q. Dawson, voiced by Vall Brettin (various Aladdin projects, Shrek). If you like animated Disney movies, you need to thank The Great Mouse Detective and go watch it a few times. Because of its success immediately following a flop for the production company, confidence was restored all around, and the animation studio entered its Disney Renaissance era, all because two mice were on the case.
The Rescuers Was Classic Disney Animation
There’s nothing like those older Disney animated movies to tug at your heartstrings and make you feel like anything is possible. Not only was The Rescuers part of the classic Disney animation era, as it came out in 1977, but it was a little darker for a children’s movie, though there is plenty of humor and adventure to be found in it.
The film follows two members of the Rescue Aid Society, Bernard and Bianca, voiced by Bob Newhart (Bob, Elf) and Eva Gabor (Green Acres, The Aristocats), who need to save an orphaned girl from thieves who want to use her for a heist. While it is at times heavy material for kids, with the whole kidnapping storyline and some child abuse thrown in, the 79% RT score reflects the film’s warm heart and captivating animation. Adults may have wanted to forget about this one for a more mature reason, as the original version of The Rescuers had a couple of frames with hidden nudity that weren’t taken out until the late ’90s.
Fans Lost Out on Treasure Planet
When it came to animated film releases in 2002, people usually only recall Lilo & Stitch. That’s why the other animated movie, Treasure Planet, is the one nobody remembers. It didn’t help that a Harry Potter movie also came out that year. Yet this third adaptation by Disney of the Treasure Island novel by Robert Louis Stevenson brought a science fiction twist to it.
Children love a pirate adventure, and Treasure Planet follows a teenager on his quest for treasure using a found pirate map. Throw in spaceships that look like pirate ships and parallel universes, and you get a near-perfect animated sci-fi adventure film.
And with an admirable 68% RT score, it carries a lovely theme about friendship woven in. And the visuals are beautiful, with the mix of hand-drawn and 3D CGI blending beautifully to bring the steampunk aesthetic powerfully to life. The animation should be stunning, as it is the main reason this film tanked, with the $140 million budget not nearly recouped.
Dinosaur Can Make You Cry Just Like That Other Animated Dino Movie
When you think of animated dinosaur movies, the heart-wrenching movie The Land Before Time usually pops into your head first. Yet in 2000, Disney dropped Dinosaur, a live-action animated crossover movie that told the story of an Iguanodon, adopted by a family of lemurs, and their journey to safety after a meteor strike. Okay, there are similarities to The Land Before Time, but dinosaurs only give so much to work with. But the battle for the group to survive and make it to a new home will still do things to your emotions.
The animated adventure movie used live-action shots of deserts, jungles, and beaches set against the animated characters, which was groundbreaking for the time. While Dinosaur carries a 65% RT score, the meteor shower sequence and the Carnotaur attack on the Iguanodon nest deserve a higher rating.
There’s a Dark Mark on The Black Cauldron
A fantasy animated movie Disney may wish people never remember is The Black Cauldron. Released in 1985 as the major feature that year, the film was based on the first two books in The Chronicles of Prydain series. The film may have its flaws, and the 56% RT score may seem a bit harsh, but it has near-perfect elements that remind fans of the early Disney days.
While the decade-long production, multiple last-minute edits and cuts, and a first-ever PG rating for an animated Disney movie were blamed for the box office failure and almost closing down the animation department, audiences found parts to appreciate. The Horned King is regarded as one of the scariest villains, and the visuals are beautiful and deserve praise for the attention to detail.
The Brave Little Toaster Doesn’t Want You to Forget It
If you have ever moved or become attached to any of your personal items, The Brave Little Toaster will bring you to tears. If this near-perfect saga about sentient appliances left behind when a family stops visiting their vacation home, and the journey to be reunited with the boy they watched grow up, and not be replaced by new electronics.
The 79% RT score is a little surprising, given its emotional depth and strong musical numbers, though they can come across as a little dark for kids. Adults appreciate the humor Jon Lovitz (SNL, Mom and Dad Save the World) and Phil Hartman (SNL, The Simpsons) brought to their respective roles. The Brave Little Toaster is one of those family movies that, if you forgot it existed, today is the perfect day to give it another watch.
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