2023 wasn’t too kind to Walt Disney Studios. It is as sad as it is ironic that when the movie studio was to be celebrating 100 years of movie magic, the company had one of its worst years ever. After years of hit movies, the company has grown comfortable churning out sequels and remakes putting little effort into creating anything new or inventive. Of the eight movies that were scheduled to be released in 2023, only two were built around original material: Pixar’s Elemental and Disney Animation Studio’s Wish. Elemental had a slow start but, in the end, the film did okay. Wish failed to win over an audience. Earlier this year, the studio suffered some more with the live action remake of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and we all know how well that turned out.
Disney has a legacy of great storytelling, but in recent years that creativity has been set aside to focus on the wrong things. Instead of creating new stories, Disney has relied more on what has already been done. A reinventing of the wheel so to speak. The expense of using bigger and better special effects has made it hard for these movies to make a profit. In the case of remakes, there is a perception that the company needs to right the wrongs of the past by changing out things like song lyrics, character motivations and correct outdated stereotypes.
While the motivations have been good, the heavy-handedness of eliminating anything that could possibly be seen as offensive has often backfired. Instead of making movies with a strong storyline and an emotional depth, the studio has been fixated on making movies that are more politically correct, and in some cases, making creative decisions that make no sense whatsoever.
This isn’t the first time that the studios have gone off the rails. As much as we all love Walt Disney, even he got lazy at times allowing films with bad storylines, dialogue and special effects to be made under his watch. But while you may be bemoaning the lack of Disney magic these days, there may be some older films that you may have missed for one reason or another that are worth revisiting; many of which can be found on Disney+. Here are nine movies that have either failed to make much of an impact when they were released or have simply been forgotten but are worth checking out.
The Moon-Spinners (1964)
Hayley Mills is mostly known for playing comedy roles from the twins in Disney’s The Parent Trap to the younger sister in That Darn Cat. But Mills did some dramatic work for the company as well. Her role as Nicky Ferris in The Moon-Spinners was a complete departure from her other work.
The Moon-Spinners is a mystery about a young woman traveling to a small village on the island of Crete.
Traveling with her aunt (Joan Greenwood) the pair rent a room at the Moon-Spinners Inn. The owner is reluctant to have them for some reason. She is mysterious and her son, Stratos (Eli Wallach) is shifty too. While on their vacation, Nikky meets Mark Camford (Peter McEnery) whom she quickly falls for. He tells her that Stratos is not who he says he is and soon, there is a mystery at hand.
Unlike Disney’s other films at the time, The Moon-Spinners is decidedly different. It has a real romance and a few somewhat shocking moments for a family-friendly film. Some have described the film as an homage to Alfred Hitchcock films. Perhaps it is more Hitchcock-light, but still worth a watching.
It’s worth mentioning that the movie also stars silent movie star, Pola Negri in her last role. She plays a hilarious jewel collector.
The World’s Greatest Athlete (1973)
In the 1970’s, Walt Disney movies were known for their zany comedies but only a handful of them really worked. The World's Greatest Athlete is one of the best and it actually did pretty well at the box office too.
Clearly inspired by (but not attempting to be) a re-telling of Tarzan, the story begins with two college coaches. Merrivale College’s sports programs have been a disgrace losing in every sport.
To cheer themselves up, Coaches Sam Archer (John Amos) and Milo Jackson (Tim Conway) take a trip to Zambia. While there, they spot a white, college-age man racing a cheetah. (Not something you see every day.) Impressed, the two meet Nanu (Jan-Michael Vincent) and encourage him to visit America. Their hope of course is to bring in a ringer for at least one of the school’s sports programs. Nanu agrees but brings along his Bengal tiger with him. Sam and Milo recruit student Jane Douglas (Dayle Haddon) to help Nanu with his studies.
Meanwhile, back home, Nanu’s godfather, Gazenga (Roscoe Lee Browne) is convinced that Nanu has made a terrible mistake. He travels to America to bring the young man home. The spiritual leader has a few tricks up his sleeves too making a voodoo doll of Coach Milo. At one point, Milo is shrunk down to just a few inches creating a slapstick playground for Conway. The practical effects are pretty amazing. The tiger is a pretty good actor as well.
While the story presents some stereotypes that wouldn’t fly by today’s standards, but they don’t ruin the movie. All in all, it’s pretty clever. Even legendary sports newscaster Howard Cosell appears in a few scenes.
Candleshoe (1977)
The adventure comedy Candleshoe stars Jodie Foster in one of her last “child” roles for Disney. Casey Brown is an American street-smart foster kid. She gets recruited by a con artist (Leo McKern) and travels to England. Her “job” is to pretend to be the long-lost granddaughter of Lady Gwendolyn St. Edmund and find some treasure hidden in the old lady’s estate. As it turns out, Gwendolyn (Helen Hayes in her last film role) is near poverty. The thing is, her butler, Priory (David Niven) doesn’t have the heart to tell her that.
Priory had to fire the rest of the staff because of the lack of money. Each day he hides her glasses and pretends to be all of her staff members, so she doesn’t notice. It’s a charming storyline.
After arriving in Candleshoe, all Casey wants is to find this so-called treasure so that she can go back home. Instead, she finds that a small group of orphans live at the estate helping Priory with the daily chores. Despite herself, Casey finds herself adoring the old lady and becomes friends with the crew of misfits.
This fun tale focuses on themes like teamwork and what it means to be a true friend. Nothing preachy and it that doesn’t feel as dated as you would expect. It helps that movie is anchored by the likes of Foster, Niven and Hayes.
The North Avenue Irregulars (1979)
As crazy at it seems, this movie was based (albeit loosely) on a true story about Rev. Albert Fay Hill’s battle with a New York mob using the ladies from his congregation doing undercover work. Originally titled, Ding-a-Ling Dames, Disney smartly decided to rename the movie The North Avenue Irregulars before it was released in theaters. It’s a madcap comedy that Disney is known for, but slightly more “adult” in nature.
In one scene, one of the church-going ladies dresses up as a barfly making bets in a cocktail lounge. In another, the pastor invites a local rock band to play during the morning service. (It’s a rather progressive idea during the 1970s.) Overall, this is a silly comedy that edges up to but doesn’t overdo the slapstick.
The movie was directed by Bruce Bilson who directed many episodes of the TV series Get Smart. The movie has a fantastic cast of characters too. These include Rev. Michael Hill (Edward Herrmann), a testy church secretary (Susan Clark), an overcommitted housewife (Barbara Harris), a bride-to-be (Karen Valentine), a wealthy single (Cloris Leachman), the wife of a used car dealer (Virginia Capers) and the wife of an elderly gambler (Patsy Kelly). The movie also features cameos from Alan Hale Jr. (the skipper from Gilligan’s Island) and Ruth Buzzi.
Night Crossing (1982)
Night Crossing is based on a true story of two families (the Strelzyk’s and the Wetzels) who escaped from East Germany to West Germany via a homemade hot air balloon. The real event had taken place just three years before the film’s release in theaters.
Night Crossing is not your typical Disney flick. In fact, it’s a pretty somber tale for a good part of it.
The story begins with a teenager attempting to escape East Germany riding a bulldozer through the border zone. Shockingly, he gets shot by the guards. His family, friends of the Strelzyk’s and Wetzel’s, are then arrested and taken away.
Fed up with the situation and fearing for the future, the two families plot a way to escape. They eventually settle on creating their own hot air balloon. This requires them to buy 1,225 yards of taffeta a little at a time as to not raise suspicions.
The movie stars John Hurt, Doug McKeon, Keith McKeon, Beau Bridges and Jane Alexander. It did not fare well in theaters which is a shame. This is a powerful tale of survival and perseverance.
A Goofy Movie (1995)
You may think it strange that Disney had planned a full-length movie based around Goofy and his son Max. Goofy is hilarious in small doses. The average Goofy short cartoon runs for about seven or eight minutes. But director Kevin Lima was able to create something magical with A Goofy Movie. Unlike a typical Goofy cartoon, which is full of crazy hijinks and endless slapstick, this film is surprisingly deep.
Based on the characters from the syndicated Goof Troop TV series, A Goofy Movie starred Goofy (Bill Farmer) and his now teenage son Max (Jason Marsden). Unlike the Max shown in the cartoon show, this Max was three years older who no longer idolized his father. He’s now sullen, who only sees his dad’s mistakes. Even so, Goofy surprises Max with a huge road trip. Of course, nothing goes to plan. Full of hormones, Max would rather be home with his girlfriend while Goofy just wants to slow down time just a bit before his son is all grown up. As the story runs on, Max becomes more obnoxious and disrespectful Goofy actually loses his temper with the boy. The movie ends on a high note with the two closer than ever.
A Goofy Movie was only in theaters for a short time and received mixed reviews. It has almost become a forgotten film. However, as witnessed in the 2024 documentary, Not Just a Goof, A Goofy Movie resonated with those who watched it. Children from broken homes watched their VHS copy of the film over and over again while other kids learned how to talk with their dads and vice versa. It really is a great representation of father-son relationships.
The Emperor’s New Groove (2000)
The plan for Disney’s 40th animated movie was completely different from what it ended up becoming. That’s a good thing. Originally, the then-titled, Kingdom of the Sun was to be a dramatic musical. The songs were even written by Sting. But, it was the poor reception of earlier films that is to blame for the change in storyline. Pocahontas and The Hunchback of Notre Dame were serious as well. Those movies had more somber storylines and had made lower than expected box office ticket sales.
Not wanting a repeat performance, Kingdom of the Sun morphed into the comedic romp, The Emperor's New Groove. Despite all of Sting’s hard work, only one of his songs ended up in the film. (“My funny Friend and Me” played during the ending credits.) Sadly, after six years of development, this movie didn’t do well in the theaters either. (Perhaps the title was to blame?) Ironically, the movie became the best-selling DVD in 2001!
Unlike most Disney full-length cartoons, this one is purely a comedy. It is about spoiled Emperor Kuzco (David Spade), his evil advisor Yzma (Eartha Kitt), her dimwitted assistant Kronk (Patrick Warburton) and the village leader Pacha (John Goodman) who is sent to ask Kuzco to not destroy his village for a planned vacation home.
The Emperor’s New Groove is a comedic gem with a crazy premise. Yzma plans to kill Kuzco so that she can rule the kingdom from his throne. However, the potion she uses turns him into a llama instead. Yzma is one of best Disney’s best villains, right up there with Cruella De Vil. And nobody can play a spoiled brat better than Spade. But there is also a strong message about the importance of friendship that makes this film a winner.
The Good Dinosaur (2015)
The Good Dinosaur has the distinction of becoming Pixar’s first box office bomb despite fairly good reviews from critics. Audiences either did not get it or just weren’t interested in seeing it.
The story begins with a premise where a huge asteroid misses the Earth completely, allowing dinosaurs and humans to coexist. Instead of the usual story where humans find a young dinosaur to take care of, it’s the other way around.
Arlo (voiced by Raymond Ochoa) is the youngest of three Apatosaurus who are corn farmers. While his siblings have “made their mark” doing difficult chores, Arlo is timid and afraid. His father Henry (Jeffrey Wright) is a loving and caring father wanting to empower and encourage his son. One night, he allows Arlo to keep watch over the family’s silo and shows him how to set a trap. The trap catches a cave boy, but Arlo sets him free. Frustrated, Henry takes Arlo on a journey to find the lost boy but the two get caught up in a flash flood. Henry rescues Arlo but he himself doesn’t make it.
Back home with his mother Ida (Frances McDormand) and his siblings, the family now struggles with the daily chores. When the boy shows up again, Arlo wants nothing to do with him. Eventually, Arlo warms up and makes him his pet named Spot. On their own adventure they meet Butch the Tyrannosaurus (Sam Elliott) and Thunderclap the Nyctosaurus (Steve Zahn).
Although a seemingly simple story, The Good Dinosaur covers some heavy themes of grief, forgiveness of self and sacrifice. It is also a good playbook on how to be a good father. The animation is particularly beautiful and at times looks like photography.
Pete’s Dragon (2016)
I have never actually seen most of the original 1977 Pete's Dragon. What I have seen, I haven’t been impressed. But this remake is one of the few Disney live adaptations that improved over the original. That’s because it’s a completely different story.
The new film is a modern one. It is not a musical, and the action takes place in the Pacific Northwest instead of Maine. However, Pete is still an orphan, and the dragon still turns invisible.
Much like when Bambi loses his mother, Pete’s loses his parents when the family car hits a deer. His parents die (stop panicking – nothing is really shown!) and five-year-old Pete (Oakes Fegley) is led by some wolves to raise him. Pete meets a (furry!) Elliott and their lives improve a lot.
Years later, Pete emerges from the forest to see a crew of lumberjacks chopping down trees. While spying on the men, Natalie (Oona Laurence), the daughter of the foreman (Wes Bentley), spies on the boy. Due to some commotion, Pete is found by Natalie’s father and forest ranger, Grace (Bryce Dallas Howard). Concerned for his wellbeing, they take him to a hospital. Then, Grace brings him to her home that she shares with her father, Conrad (Robert Redford).
It becomes a story of Pete wanting to find his dragon, Grace wanting to adopt Pete and some bad men wanting to poach the dragon. It sounds silly on paper, but this movie is really worth watching.
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All images: Disney/Wikipedia
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