Walt Disney Pictures has produced an amazing catalog of work over the many, many decades since it first began. A host of their movies have gone on to become classics in their respective fields, with some films actively changing the course of cinematic history.
Of course, over the years, lots of movies have slipped through the cracks, so to speak. Films that were considered box office flops at the time were buried and largely forgotten, only to be re-appraised years later. While some of these films weren't particularly good, others hold a lot of appeal to this day.
10 The Rescuers (1977)
The Rescuers is a curious entry in the Disney canon. It was very popular upon release and was the first animated Disney movie to get a sequel. However, it doesn’t get discussed anywhere near as much as many of the other films in the House of Mouse’s back catalog.
Inspired by a series of novels by Margery Sharp, The Rescuers is an entertaining, uncomplicated adventure with charming protagonists and a truly nasty villain in the form of Madam Medusa. It remains an exciting part of an under-appreciated era for Disney.
9 A Bug's Life (1998)
Disney’s collaborations with Pixar have gone from strength to strength over the years, but A Bug’s Life is often regarded as inferior to the likes of Toy Story, Frozen, and The Incredibles.
Funny and inventive, A Bug’s Life might not have the complexity of Toy Story or any particularly deep themes that linger long after the movie is over, but it’s still a fun romp. The animation is wonderful, and the cast of creepy crawlies is beautifully brought to life.
8 Basil The Great Mouse Detective (1986)
Based on the Basil of Baker Street novels (in turn, inspired by Sherlock Holmes), Basil The Great Mouse Detective is a clever, enjoyable movie, released just a few years before the big Disney Renaissance ushered in by The Little Mermaid.
Atmospheric and beautifully animated, Basil invokes the essence of the old Sherlock Holmes movies (even featuring a posthumous cameo from Basil Rathbone as Holmes himself) and boasts legendary horror icon Vincent Price as the evil Professor Rattigan.
7 Flubber (1997)
Robin Williams was at the height of his powers in the 1990s and was perfectly cast as Professor Brainard in the remake of 1961’s The Absent-Minded Professor.
A special-effects-laden riot, Flubber is full of slapstick gags and impressive special effects. Writer John Hughes delivered exactly what you’d expect from the writer of Home Alone, National Lampoon’s Vacation, and other like-minded comedies. Flubber might not be a classic, but it remains eminently enjoyable.
6 Alice In Wonderland (1951)
Alice In Wonderland is often referenced visually, with depictions of Alice, the Cheshire Cat, and more adorning a host of different items of merchandise. However, there’s more to the movie than just aesthetics.
Unlike many later adaptations, Disney’s Alice In Wonderland is a relatively straightforward version of the Lewis Carroll story. It doesn’t try to add in too much plot, instead focussing on Alice’s journey as she meets a host of bizarre and colorful characters.
5 The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)
Released to great critical acclaim, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a much darker, more adult entry into the Disney back catalog, dealing with themes not usually explored in these movies.
Combining gorgeous animation with a soulful lead performance from Tom Hulce as the tormented Quasimodo, Hunchback of Notre Dame tackles infanticide, the notions of what is considered beautiful, and, via the truly hideous character of Frollo, lust. It remains a controversial but excellent piece of Disney history.
4 Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Loosely inspired by the writings of Jules Verne, Atlantis: The Lost Empire eschews the musical trappings of previous Disney films, focussing instead on the action and adventure of a mission to find the missing kingdom of Atlantis.
Like many of the other films on this list, Atlantis has been re-evaluated over the years and is held in much higher regard than it was at the time. Fast-paced, well-designed, and lots of fun, it is considered to be a hidden gem among the Disney canon.
3 The Sword In The Stone (1963)
Largely plotless, with no real element of threat (until the end at least), The Sword in the Stone is an amusing little romp that is far more concerned with funny set-pieces and magical mischief than some of the more grandiose Disney movies that came before it.
Merlin is a wonderful character, with his owl Archimedes a perfect foil to his bumbling persona as he trains young Arthur in the ways of magic and bravery; The Sword in the Stone is a fun, easy breeze of a film with a massively enjoyable climax involving the Mad Madam Mim.
2 The Princess And The Frog (2009)
Notable for featuring Disney’s first black princess in the spirited Tiana, The Princess and the Frog is one of the greatest animated movies the company have ever produced.
It includes all the hallmarks of a good Disney film, from catchy songs to beautiful animation and a nefarious villain, and all of these elements are at their absolute best here. It might have been a flop cinematically, but in the years since, The Princess and the Frog has been held in very high regard by true Disney fans.
1 The Black Cauldron (1985)
Infamously the film that almost ended the Disney company, The Black Cauldron was an expensive misfire that was perhaps a little ahead of its time.
One of the darkest Disney movies, The Black Cauldron features a truly terrifying villain in the form of the Horned One (voiced by the late John Hurt). Costing over $44 million to make and not even earning half of that back, it nonetheless looks incredible. The money is right there on the screen, and horror elements incorporated into the script are very effective.