Sure, we’ve all seen The Lion King and Frozen. But Disney has made so many animated films that have flown under the radar. Here are the top five underrated Disney animated films you need to watch next:
1. A Goofy Movie
Of the six original Disney characters, Goofy often falls after Mickey, Minnie, Donald and Daisy. But in 1995, Goofy got his own original feature-length film. A Goofy Movie tells the story of Goofy and his son, Max, who take a cross-country road trip to go fishing, much to Max’s dismay. And, given his name is Goofy, hijinks certainly ensue. While not a musical, A Goofy Movie has a great soundtrack including “Stand Out,” a fun pop song which Max sings. If you want a fun family movie with laughable antics and a killer score, this movie is the one for you.
2. Enchanted
Animated movies not really your thing? You can still get your dose of Disney Princess with minimal animation by watching Enchanted. Starring Amy Adams, James Marsden, Patrick Dempsey and Idina Menzel, Enchanted is a twist on the classic fairy tale. After being pushed down a well by her soon-to-be evil stepmother/queen, Giselle (Adams) finds herself in New York City and is taken in by Robert (Dempsey) and his young daughter. Naive and overly optimistic, Giselle has to adapt to the realities of this, well, reality, while trying to instill some hope and magic in the pessimistic Robert. Add in a talking chipmunk, Timothy Spall as a conniving servant, and a beautiful musical number through Central Park, and this movie is absolutely enchanting.
3. Brother Bear
One of the few movies that is not centered around white characters, Brother Bear is about a young man who is finding his place in not just his village, but the world around him. He receives his coming of age totem, a bear, and hates it because it is the symbol of love. Because of this, he is turned into a bear by the Great Spirits so that he can better understand just what it is he claims to hate. As a bear he meets many hilarious animals such as Rutt and Tuke, two Canadian moose, and a young cub named Koda. Brother Bear is not just funny but also takes a hard look at what it means to understand others. And, once again, this movie has a phenomenal score composed and mostly sung by Phil Collins.
4. Ratatouille
I certainly would not want to leave Pixar completely off this list! Of all of the Pixar movies, I feel like this one is one that goes most forgotten. Ratatouille is about Remy, a rat who wants nothing more than to be a chef, and Linguine, a young man who knows nothing about being a chef. The two team up using Disney Hair Magic and become a French cooking sensation. Starring the hilarious Patton Oswalt as Remy and Janeane Garofalo as Linguine’s friend and co-chef Colette, this heartfelt comedy will remind you the importance of friends and family, and also make you really hungry.
5. The Emperor’s New Groove
It’s not its fault that this movie has gone so under the radar. The Emperor’s New Groove came out right after the ever successful Disney Renaissance, was released at the same time as another Ancient Inca buddy comedy and had about zero marketing put into it by Disney. Nevertheless, starring David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt and Patrick Warburton, this movie packs a laugh into every minute. A play on The Emperor’s New Clothes, The Emperor’s New Groove is the story of a spoiled teenage emperor named Kuzco who is turned into a llama by his evil advisor Yzma and must work with one of his villagers, Pacha, to turn back into a human and regain his throne. Between one liners and slapstick comedy, this movie is hilarious and one I could watch over and over.
6. Big Hero 6
Fittingly, sixth on our list is 2014 action animation Big Hero 6. Hiro, a teenage robotics genius, is ready to take his hobby to the next level at the University of San Fransokyo with his brother, Tadashi. Tadashi has been working for months on a new inflatable robot named Baymax who is programmed to be a healer and healthcare provider. All is going great, until a masked villain burns down a science fair and sets the plot of the movie into motion. Now Hiro, Baymax and a group of students from the college must work together to stopped the masked man and save San Fransokyo. Disney movies are not usually action packed, but this movie is actually a Marvel crossover of sorts and fills the film with that hero-villain we all love. But, at the same time, Baymax is absolutely lovable and adorable you will certainly want one of your own. I mean, come on!
All of these films can be found on iTunes or Amazon Video and many can be found on Netflix and Hulu as well. If you are looking for a new Disney film, check out the trailer for The Incredibles 2, premiering June 15.