Top 5 Forgotten Disney Movies

By Kimberlie Haner on October 29, 2012

Hakuna Matata. A whole new world. Tale as old as time. Under the sea. When these phrases are heard, many people can immediately respond with the next line to the song and go on to point out that it is from their favorite Disney movie.  These are classic Disney movies that people of all ages enjoy time after time.

However, there are Disney movies that, although generally loved, are not often mentioned as favorites. These forgotten movies are not bad, they are simply rarely mentioned among the classic Disney movies. Once they are brought up, people will often say, “Oh I love that movie! I haven’t seen it in forever!” You may find someone out there who will claim one of these movies as their favorite, but for the most part they are forgotten. I think that they all deserve more recognition than they are currently receiving.

Here are my top 5 forgotten Disney movies and why they ought to be remembered:

Oliver and Company

Does it get any better than cute animals? I don’t think so! But if that wasn’t enough, it’s a movie full of friendship and heart. Based off of Oliver Twist, the movie follows an orphan cat Oliver who becomes friends with a stray group of dogs and their homeless owner. Additionally, the music in this movie has an impressive resume. The opening song “Once Upon a Time in New York City” is sung by Huey Lewis. The very next song “Why Should I Worry” is sung by Billy Joel. Amazing music like that only adds to an already great movie! I have talked to a lot of people who have not seen this movie, so if you are one of those people, please give it a chance!

Hercules

Although Hercules began a long time ago in ancient Greece as a mythological hero, Disney tweaked the story to make a great movie. This movie is full of great music, humor, history, and so much heart. A lot of people already love this movie, so why is it on this list? If you ask someone what their favorite Disney movies are, almost no one would say Hercules. It deserves so much more credit than it is given, but it is forgotten. During a search for family and a place to belong, Hercules teaches us that when we persevere through all of our trials, we can achieve anything. If you haven’t seen this is a while, I suggest that you dust it off, sit down, and watch it.

A Bug’s Life

Hands down this is the most underrated Pixar movie. Although it was one of their first movies, it is so well done! Aside from the animation, the characters are great and the story is fantastic. A story about a colony of ants and other bugs is a lot more enjoyable than one would think. The main lesson we can learn in this movie is that anyone can make a difference, no matter how small you are. Also, teamwork is very successful.  It doesn’t matter if you get made fun of a lot or if you are the youngest (like I am), you can do great things.

The Emperor’s New Groove

Ok, now you probably think that I’ve lost my mind. Everyone loves this movie! It is quoted all of the time, especially here at BYU. These are both true, of course. This movie is one of the funniest movies Disney has ever made while managing to have a great message about being a good person. This is on my list for a reason similar to Hercules’ reason: it is forgotten. Somehow, a movie about a person turning into a llama and being chased by a woman who is “scary beyond all reason” gets forgotten when people are picking a movie to watch at night. Do you want a good laugh? Don’t forget this movie!

Lilo and Stitch

This movie is in my list of my top 5 favorite movies of all time. And yet, almost no one has the same appreciation for this amazing movie like I do. Unique story? It’s about an alien coming to earth, pretending to be a dog, and finding his family. Yeah, this has uniqueness. Humor? “Then why don’t you sell me and buy a rabbit instead!?” This movie has so many hilarious moments. Heart? The last half hour of this movie is full of powerful scenes about being alone, determination, and especially ohana. “Ohana means family. Family means no one gets left behind.” Don’t let this movie get left behind, or forgotten.

I hope that after reading this, you feel inspired to education yourself on these Disney movies that might not have been brought up before. To quote a very popular Disney movie, these movies are diamonds in the rough. Not a lot of people know how good they are, but they would if they cleaned off the diamond a little bit. Let’s turn these movies into the diamonds that I know they are.

If you have seen any of these movies before or watch them after reading this, leave a comment below and share your thoughts!

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