Disney is a megalith, and they have been producing remarkable and widely-popular animated movies for nearly a hundred years. They are a mainstay in the Hollywood sphere, and nearly everything they pump out is of exceptional quality. Even their lesser films are still entertaining to a degree, and very few – if any – have actually received a negative reception.
Many Disney films are considered all-time classics, and these are the movies that are typically celebrated when thinking about “Disney.” But are these classics worth all the celebration? Some Reddit users certainly don’t think so.
Frozen (2013)
Most Disney movies are popular, but Frozen reached a level of popularity that transcended film. It became a cultural phenomenon. Unfortunately, that may have also ruined its reputation. Reddit user palacesofparagraphs writes, “I loved Frozen, but at this point I’m so sick of it that it’s hard to even enjoy it. Disney did a disservice to a really solid movie by shoving it down our throats.”
Is it overrated because it’s popular? Or was it just never that good to begin with? That is the question that will always surround Frozen.
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King is one of the best animated movies of all time – and certainly one of the most popular. Reddit user shades0fcool finds it vastly overrated, writing, “I feel like The Lion King gets TOO much hype. People will be like ‘omg it’s the best Disney film ever’ and yeah it’s a great Disney movie but there are others that are just as good!”
The Lion King does indeed receive a lot of hype, but is it for good reason? For some, it’s the quintessential Disney film. For others, it has a lot of strong competition.
Peter Pan (1953)
Reddit user shinkouhyou states, “Maybe Peter Pan? I’ve encountered people who are obsessed with Tinkerbell and I just don’t get it.” It’s a case of characters making a movie and possibly overrating the overall quality of the film itself.
Does one or two specific characters make a movie? Do they overshadow its obvious flaws? Tinkerbell is one of the best non-human Disney characters, and her popularity has transcended decades. Maybe she turns Peter Pan into a better movie than it actually is.
The Aristocats (1970)
blerrycat (an ironic name) writes, “The Aristocats, it’s basically Lady And The Tramp only with cats. They could have at least switched the genders and made the female the pauper this time.” Disney has never shied away from copying, or at least heavily borrowing, from their own movies.
These are classic family-friendly tales, and many stories of these kinds share similar themes and storylines. But perhaps The Aristocats goes a little too far in copying something that came before.
Beauty And The Beast (1991)
If there’s one Disney movie to be overrated, it’s Beauty and the Beast. It was the first animated movie to be nominated for Best Picture, and it is widely considered Disney’s masterpiece. But not for JoyfulStingray. They write, “Beauty and the Beast. I know a lot of women and girls identify with Belle because she is an avid reader, but I don’t really like the story.”
Belle and The Beast are the best renaissance couple, but there’s no denying their story is a little old-fashioned and derivative (beast-ness aside). Then again, that’s entirely the point.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
The Little Mermaid has one of the best Disney soundtracks and some of their most important songs, from “Part of Your World” to “Under the Sea” (not to mention the classic villain tune “Poor Unfortunate Souls”).
Reddit user AVerySnaileySnail writes, “The Little Mermaid. Ariel’s actually just a f***ing brat and a bunch of people obsess over it just cuz the music’s good and I guess Ariel is everyone’s hipster fantasy or something.” Ariel is indeed a brat, but does that detract from the overall movie? AVerySnaileySnail certainly thinks so.
Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Released back in 1959, Sleeping Beauty is one of the quintessential Disney films. Redditor Belle-ET-La-Bete doesn’t care for it, writing, “Sleeping Beauty. I get it’s a ‘classic’ but it’s just too flat. I think I held too many story expectations for it before I saw them and it never lived up to them. The animation and voice work is great though.”
Unfortunately, it’s unclear what they mean by “flat,” so it’s hard to dig deeper into their analysis. But what is clear is that they find one of the most cherished Disney movies of all time to be overrated.
One Hundred And One Dalmatians (1961)
One Hundred and One Dalmatians certainly has a legacy, including the 2021 live-action Cruella starring Emma Stone. Reddit user ZetaPrimeG1 writes, “Probably for me it’s got to be one of the classics like 101 Dalmatians. It’s not that it’s bad by any stretch is just so many other Disney movies are just so much better.”
There could be a reason for that, and that reason is time. The movie is now 60 years old, so Disney has obviously had a lot of time to improve on their productions. 60 years is a long time, and One Hundred and One Dalmatians may just be too dated for some.
Bambi (1942)
Redditor How-Now-Brown-Cow10 writes, “Bambi. So boring.” Unfortunately, they don’t go into further detail. “Boring” can mean any sort of thing, from a poorly-paced film to one without much going on in the story department.
They might have a point in regards to Bambi. The one thing that everyone remembers about Bambi is the death of his mother. However, that’s only three or four minutes in a 70-minute film. Are the other 65 minutes not worth remembering? It’s very possible.
Frozen II (2019)
Disney rarely handles sequels well, and even when they do, they are released straight to video. Frozen II proves the exception. While it received a generally favorable reception, Redditor A_FamousNobody isn’t having it.
As they write, “Frozen 2 [is] pointless, flimsy nostalgia bait. I’d watch any direct-to-DVD sequel and have a much better time than with this drivel!” There’s no denying that Frozen II was made solely to capitalize on the nostalgia and popularity of the first.
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