There are Disney movies that everyone loves without even thinking about it: The Lion King, Frozen, Toy Story, and the like. There are also Disney movies that are underrated and underappreciated, and we’d like to give them their dues right now:
Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros
Walt Disney’s two South American-themed pictures aren’t incredibly well-known, but feature fun segments, vibrant colors, and a penguin who wants to be warm. What’s not to love?! From Goofy’s hilarious attempts at being a gaucho, Donald Duck putting up with the antics of the Aracuan Bird, plus introducing the titular Three Caballeros (Donald, José Carioca, and Panchito) with their insanely catchy song, these movies are plenty of fun.
The Sword in the Stone
If you know what the phrase “higgitus-figgitus” means, then you already know why The Sword in the Stone is on this list. It’s a fun, semi-musical fantasy romp through the Dark Ages with great characters like Wart and Mad Madame Mim—but the greatest character in the lot is Merlin. He is funny, a bit daft, and incredibly fun.
The Great Mouse Detective
Mystery and mice just go hand in hand, don’t they? Well, in The Great Mouse Detective, they definitely do. Basil of Baker Street is a hero for the ages and Professor Ratigan makes for one of the scariest and most intense Disney Villains ever. You’ve gotta see this underrated gem if you haven’t.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Perhaps the darkest Disney animated classic and one that contains some of the best music is The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Songs like “Out There,” “Topsy Turvy,” “God Help the Outcasts” and “A Guy Like You” are wonderful and could be listened to on repeat to no end. Plus, it has great characters, beautiful animation, and a cute goat!!
A Bug’s Life
Okay you guys, we need to talk about A Bug’s Life. This movie is far too often forgotten when discussing the greatness of Disney•Pixar, and that’s just not right. The characters are great, the humor is top notch, and the voice cast is incredible … Kevin Spacey (!!!), Julia Louis-Dreyfuss (!!!!!!), Phyllis Diller (!!!!!!!!!!!!!), and Madeline Khan (!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)—what more could you want?!
Fantasia 2000
Sure, everyone loves Walt Disney’s Fantasia (as they should), but not nearly enough people talk about how great the pseudo-sequel Fantasia 2000 is. The segments are incredibly well done, including beautiful and mystical pieces involving flying whales and the spirit of spring, and creative and stylish pieces involving New York City and flamingos. It’s a musical romp with plenty of celebrity cameos, incredible style, and lots of fun.
Treasure Planet
One of the few Disney animated sci-fi epics, and it is well worth a watch. It has everything you could want: pirates, robots, robot pirates … and more!! The characters are dynamic and a little weird (in a good way) and the story is engrossing and filled with adventure.
Monsters University
One of our favorite Disney•Pixar movies is also one of the most often forgotten. Monsters University combines humor, heart, and wacky college hijinks to form an endlessly watchable movie. The characters jam-packed into the movie are hilarious, weird, and wonderful. How can you not love Squishy, Terry and Perry, Don Carlton, and Art? It’s impossible.
What underrated Disney movies do you appreciate? Tell us in the comments!
