10 Disney films that divided fans

Walt Disney images was responsible for some of the best children's films of all time, although the studio's committed fan base is often divided. While some Disney films are undisputed classics and beloved by all, there are some releases that audiences have taken issue with, whether due to problematic depictions, outdated stereotypes, or questionable creative decisions. When a studio has so many valuable properties in its catalog, it's no surprise that fans disagree on many issues.

Even Disney's best films have divided fans as they debate the merits, themes, and meanings behind beloved animated and live-action releases. Disney's recent output has led some viewers to long for a return to the glory days of the Disney Renaissance, while others are more than pleased with the modern, CGI-centric approach to the studio's 21st century output. As a studio founded over 100 years ago, It's no surprise that many Disney films have divided fans.

10

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

The musical fantasy Beauty and the beast It was truly one of Disney's greatest achievements and was, without a doubt, a beautiful and creative film. With a story based on the 1756 fairy tale by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont, Beauty and the beast had a timeless appeal that could be enjoyed by children and adults alike. However, the complex relationship at the center of his story was not a simple tale of star-crossed lovers, as some fans questioned the Beast's cruelty and controlling behavior.

While the message Beauty and the beast was about seeing the good inside a damaged soul, Belle's eventual love for the Beast could be read as a classic case of Stockholm syndrome. As the cursed Beast hides Belle in his castle with plans to make her fall in love with him, it becomes clear that Beauty and the beast exhibit many flaws regarding consent, coercion, and unwanted advances. While the end of Beauty and the beast is presented as happy, fans are divided over whether Belle found true love or was simply groomed by a monster.

9

Pocahontas (1995)

Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg

Being a historical children's film based on the life of a Native American woman and the arrival of English settlers, it's no surprise that Pocahontas caused division among Disney fans. Loosely inspired by the real Powhatan tribesman Pocahontas, the film played with the true historical record, making it somewhat controversial. With no evidence that there ever was a relationship between Pocahontas and English colonist John Smith, the way in which Pocahontas simplified and changed its history was controversial.

However, Pocahontas It was also one of Disney's most beloved films of the 1990s and featured extraordinary musical numbers like “Colors of the Wind.” With beautiful animation and a well thought out story, Pocahontas could in fact have gone further in its exploration of colonialismbut that was a lot to ask of a film aimed at children. Native American activist Russell Means even praised the film's racial overtones (via LA Times) and said that “Pocahontas is the first time that Eurocentric male society admits its historical deception”, so there are opinions on all sides.

8

Song of the South (1946)

Directed by Harve Foster and Wilfred Jackson

It's hard to think of a more controversial Disney film than Song of the Southa film whose problematic depiction of race means it has never been released on home video and cannot be watched on Disney+. Set after the American Civil War and the abolition of slavery, Song of the South follows seven-year-old Johnny befriending elderly plantation worker Uncle Remus and becoming enchanted by his stories. With a mix of live-action and animated sequences the legacy of Song of the South divides Disney fansas some see him as a product of his time, while others dismiss him entirely as racist

The well-known song “Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah” won the Academy Award for Best Original Song in 1947, and characters from the film, such as Br'er Bear, continued to appear in Disney media. Song of the South It had many controversial aspects, but erasing it from history is a divisive reaction, as it is important to learn from past prejudices to overcome them. Although Disney seems to want viewers to forget Song of the South exists, its legacy cannot be completely ignored.

7

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements

The success of Toy Story in 1995 ushered in the era of CGI animation in children's entertainment, and with each passing year, traditional 2D animated films became less common. This made viewers nostalgic for Disney's glory days and longing for a return to traditional animated feature films. Disney listened to these concerns and released The Princess and the Frog in 2009, although its poor box office performance has meant that almost every animated project Disney has released since then has been primarily CGI-based.

This divisive decision to set aside traditional animation in favor of the less expensive and time-consuming use of computer imagery meant that the nostalgic style of The Princess and the Frog has become a thing of the past. This has left Disney fans divided, as many would love to see the studio focus on 2D animation and CGI releases and allow viewers to experience the best of both. Despite being a fantastic throwback to an early era in Disney history, The Princess and the Frog instead it represents the end of an era and one last hurray for Disney's 2D releases.

6

Frozen II (2019)

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

After the astonishing success of Frozen in 2013, whose hits like “Let It Go” turned the film into a global phenomenon, a sequel was inevitable. However, it took six years for Disney to finally follow up on the stories of Elsa, Anna, and Olaf, and unfortunately, the results were disappointingly underwhelming. Although Frozen II grossed an extraordinary US$1.4 billion at the box officeIt divided fans, and many felt it was inferior to the power of the original.

Frozen II saw Elsa and Anna traveling to an enchanted forest to uncover the origin of Elsa's powers, but it felt out of focus and didn't have the same cultural impact as the first. This is often the case with the sequel to a successful film, as audience expectations regarding Frozen II had accumulated so much during the intervening years that it was difficult to deliver results on all fronts. Hopefully, with Frozen 3 scheduled for launch in 2027 (via Deadline), may recapture the magic, or else it may be time to abandon this franchise.

5

The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)

Directed by Jim Kammerud

Although sequels to successful animated films are now generally considered as worthy of theatrical release as the original, in the 1990s and early 2000s, Disney released a number of direct-to-video sequels to its most successful films. . Although some of them have received praise, such as the well-received The Lion King II: Simba's Prideothers divided fans as they questioned the quality of these sequels, such as The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea. This subsequent story focused on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody and her desire to swim in the ocean.

The Little Mermaid II has supporters among Disney fans, but was ranked the 27th worst children's film ever made by Total Movie. With a lackluster history, the problem with releases like The Little Mermaid II was how little effort they felt. The plot wasn't engaging, the characters were generic, and ultimately most Disney fans would rather just go back and rewatch the original rather than put up with a project that Disney wasn't willing to give its full support to. . a theatrical release.

4

The Black Cauldron (1985)

Directed by Ted Berman and Richard Rich

As the most expensive animated film of all time, it bombs at the box office The Black Cauldron remains a divisive film among Disney fans. Using innovative CGI and with a budget that ballooned to $44 million, $19 million more than budgeted (via Jim Hill Media), the failure of this film put the company's animation department at risk and was labeled as “the movie that almost killed Disney.” Like a dark fantasy adventure based on The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd AlexanderWhat should have been a powerful exploration of Welsh mythology was a total failure.

While The Black Cauldron has its supporters and has built a reputation as a cult classic over the decades, it still represents a low point for Disney as one of the studio's biggest failures. The 1980s were a shaky time for Disney, and it wasn't until the next decade that followed with the success of Disney Renaissance releases like The Lion King and The Little Mermaidthat they have finally overcome the consequences of mistakes like The Black Cauldron. Looking back, The Black Cauldron it was visually stunning, but it lacked the appealing characters of Disney's best films.

3

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise

Disney regularly adapts classics of literature for children, such as the work of Hans Christian Andersen, which serves as the basis for The Little Mermaid and Frozen. However, some fans argue that Disney went too far with its 1996 version of the Victor Hugo film. The Hunchback of Notre-Damea remarkably adult story about the humble, deformed church bell ringer Quasimodo and his desire to explore the world and be accepted by society. Although Hugo's story deals with timeless themes that can be understood by viewers of all ages, The Hunchback of Notre Dame is an intensely dark tale for a children's audience.

Want the story of marginalization, abuse and isolation at the center of The Hunchback of Notre Dame Was appropriate for children depends on parental preferences. While some Disney fans want children to wait until they are old enough to understand the true horrors of this story, others will say that it is good to teach children about the prejudices and injustices of the world from an early age. Anyway, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was a truly compelling story and one of the most poignantly mature works Disney has ever produced.

2

Light Year (2022)

Directed by Angus MacLane

Animation studio Pixar has always been at the forefront of computer-animated feature films and, since 2006, has been a subsidiary of Walt Disney Studios. With an acclaimed catalog of beloved classics, the crown jewel in Pixar's filmography was its debut release, Toy Story. With several successful sequels, Pixar has always been careful not to tarnish the legacy of its most famous franchise, and each subsequent sequel Toy Story the film felt like a natural progression in the narrative made with love and appreciation for its characters.

However, the Disney and Pixar spin-off film Light year it felt like a project that strayed from the rest of the franchise by trying to tell the story of a fictional universe set in a fictional universe, presenting it as the movie Andy saw before getting his Buzz Lightyear toy for his birthday. This complicated premise divided Disney fans, as it seemed to disrupt the series' continuity and raise more questions than answers. Light year it received decent reviews, but audiences were perplexed because it felt like a film no one asked for.

1

The Lion King (2019)

Directed by Jon Favreau

In recent years, Disney has begun plundering its catalog of beloved animated releases and remaking them as live-action films. This got a mixed response from Disney fans, as the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book was well received, but many felt they went too far with Jon Favreau's 2019 version of The Lion King. Despite featuring a star-studded cast and high production values, this new version of The Lion King seemed more like a way to make money than a genuine desire for artistic expressionand viewers feared it would harm the legacy of the original.

The 1994 animated version of The Lion King holds up incredibly well, and the expression and cartoonish nature of its characters are part of its appeal. Disney's live-action remakes make a lot more sense when there's a human at the center of their story, but like each character in The Lion King is a beast, this photorealistically animated remake wasn't even technically a live-action film. Although this new version of The Lion King was a box office success, angered many fans and signaled Disney I had run out of new ideas.

Sources: LA Times, Deadline, Total Movie, Jim Hill Media