Disney's Hits and Misses
While the thought of Disney might instantly put a smile on your face as you reminisce about your childhood favorites, not all Disney movies are built the same. While some are titans like The Avengers or Frozen, there are some in their collection that won't even ring a bell. Let's take a look at some of Disney's best performers and 10 of their biggest fails. Because let's be honest - no one can win them all!
1. Frozen
After the release of Frozen in 2013, no parent was ever allowed to watch any other film again. Why? Because their kids kept begging them to put it on repeat! Whether you were a child, a teen, or an adult when this movie came out, it didn't matter - everyone watched it! Or at the very least, was a little too familiar with the hit song, "Let It Go."
2. The Lion King
Though Disney has a collection of amazing old school animated films, none stand out more than The Lion King. It may have came out in 1994, but it will forever hold a special, permanent mark in many adults' hearts. After all, watching Simba go through a traumatic childhood just to become a worthy king of Pride Rock is a timeless story with so many important lessons we still carry with us today.
3. Iron Man
One of the biggest movie franchises in the world today, Marvel Studios owes it all to their first film Iron Man and the guy who started it all, Robert Downey Jr. The film itself has great rewatchability and showcases superheroes in a fun and engaging way, but it's all the consistent success that comes afterward thanks to this initial release that marks this one as a significant winner in Disney's movie timeline.
4. Avengers: Infinity War & Avengers: Endgame
Yes, we're lumping these two massive box office successes together! After ten years of impressive superhero movie-making, Marvel Studios managed to build a jaw-dropping, must-see finale that had everyone hitting the theatres. They weren't just satisfying, emotional watches, the two films together garned almost 5 billion! It wasn't just a success, these films broke some serious records!
5. The Toy Story Franchise
No matter how old you get, we're certain you'll keep coming back to the Toy Story franchise not just because they're great movies, but because they're able to unlock that sweet childhood innocence we all miss so much. Truly a masterclass in storytelling from Disney and Pixar, this film falls on so many people's favorite movies list, making it an instant classic and huge success.
6. Black Panther
Not just a box office win, Black Panther is often considered one of Marvel's best because of its fantastic characters, amazing story, and cultural impact on the Black community. Since its release, it's continued to inspire and promote social change, empowering young and old individuals alike to be strong like this powerful superhero played by the late Chadwick Boseman. This film was a huge success on every level!
Michael Ocampo from United States on Wikimedia
7. Spider-Man: No Way Home
Providing viewers with the ultimate fan service, Spider-Man: No Way Home made everyone's dreams come true when all three Spider-Mans joined forces and appeared on the big screen together. It was the type of film that brought together all generations, as they watched the world's most beloved superhero fight every villain we'd all grown up seeing. Truly a nostalgic masterpiece that simultaneously brought in the big bucks.
8. Mulan
If we want to talk about success in the form of impact, then of course we can't leave Mulan from this list! Despite being a classic animated film released back in 1998, Mulan did a lot to empower young girls, teach them about being true to themselves, and show that everyone deserves to be respected. We can't leave out the iconic hit songs too, such as "Reflection" and "I'll Make A Man Out Of You," both of which continue to be enjoyed to this day.
9. Inside Out 2
But if you want to talk about box office success, Inside Out 2 quickly climbed its way to being the best-selling animated film ever (even surpassing Frozen 2!), grossing nearly 2 billion dollars in theatres. It's clear that Disney created a winning formula with these characters and concept, building off a story that continues to resonate with adults and children alike. And when you manage to make something that speaks to all generations, you know it's going to be a hit.
Pikawil from Laval, Canada on Wikimedia
10. The Pirates of the Caribbean Franchise
Why did we include the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise as part of Disney's most successful hits? Purely for the creation of Jack Sparrow. If you think about iconic characters in the movie world, when you think of pirates, we wouldn't be surprised if this wacky and sly pirate played by Johnny Depp instantly came to mind. When you're able to make a character of that impact, it's hard not to call it a success.
1. Snow White (Live Action)
Let's just say the recent live action Snow White film faced many issues before it even came out. From casting issues to controversies and poor storytelling, it's time Disney listened to their audiences. Fans aren't interested in seeing old classics being redone, they want new and fresh stories! And if they ever needed proof of that, they just need to look at Snow White's box office performance.
2. Treasure Planet
Despite having the big Disney logo on it, Treasure Planet wasn't able to deliver in the box office, even if it touched the hearts of many around the world. It's definitely a more unconventional Disney movie, focusing on slower-paced storytelling, wacky characters, and more mature content. To put it simply, it just didn't resonate with audiences upon release, sadly making it a flop.
commons.wikimedia.org on Google
3. Solo: A Star Wars Story
You would think a Star Wars movie centered around one of the most beloved characters in the universe, Han Solo, would be an instant hit, but sadly, this was not the case. Not only was Solo: A Star Wars Story unable to sell seats in theatres, the reception was lukewarm, leading fans to stay away from it. While the cast was solid, you can't always avoid marketing issues and reception with great acting.
4. The New Star Wars Trilogy
While Star Wars will always be one of the biggest, most beloved franchises in movie history, the new films haven't been received all too well by fans. Yes, the movies were massive box office successes, raking in billions of dollars for Disney, but as far as fan satisfaction goes, it rated quite lowly. From disappointing character arcs to bad writing, it's safe to say these new films weren't able to scratch that itch fans were hoping for.
Agnieszka Stankiewicz on Unsplash
5. Eternals
Could Eternals be the worst Marvel movie ever made? Many fans seem to think so! While the film was definitely different in terms of visuals and storytelling, fans weren't pleased by the lackluster character development, lack of action, and mediocre acting by some members of the cast. Turns out, there's more to Marvel than just the name - they need a good story behind their films if they want it to succeed.
6. Tomorrowland
Given that you're likely scratching your head wondering what film this is, that already tells you just how successful Disney's Tommorowland turned out to be. This science fiction movie, which even starred big names like George Clooney, didn't perform nearly as well as everyone hoped. In fact, we'd go so far as to say it was a box office failure.
7. Onward
Though this animated movie featured the voices of Chris Pratt and Tom Holland in titular roles, had beautiful animation, and a great story about family and loss, Onward is still considered a flop by Disney standards. While this is likely largely due to COVID-19 impacting its performance, it remains a lesser-known film which seems almost invisible to most Disney and Pixar fans.
8. Wish
Poor ratings and poor marketing severely affected the performance of Disney's animated feature, Wish, so much so that most people don't even know it exists. While it contains all the details of a successful Disney flick, it was just so invisible that no one thought (or really knew) to check it out.
9. Lightyear
Although Toy Story is a favorite for many, Lightyear failed to replicate that same magic even if the film is centered around the beloved Buzz Lightyear. Turns out, not even the voice acting of Chris Evans could make a film successful, with many viewers commenting that the movie simply lacked the same heart and magic they were hoping for.
10. Strange World
Considered to be one of Disney's worst-performing films in history, you have to wonder why Strange World didn't resonate with audiences. Though the story had a lot of heart and centered around family and love, many argued that they felt something "Disney-esque" was missing from the film. The story felt a little too straightforward, didn't feel magical, and lacked solid character building that made you invested.
