All 52 Walt Disney Animated Classics: Ranked From Worst To Best
50. Chicken Little (2005)
Most of Disney's films go with an adaptation of a classic tale, so why not with the folk tale about the little chicken that rambles about the sky falling? With the success of Pixar and Dreamworks creeping up from behind, Disney was transferring to computer-animation from classic hand-drawn techniques, and Chicken Little was their first fully computer-generated release.
The film was pretty funny in its own right, but it still feels like a practice run for what would eventually become hits like Tangled and Wreck-It Ralph a few years later. Overall, it felt haphazard and out of place for the usual Disney animated release. It was Disney relaxing from the whole epic-fantasy direction, but Disney's rut during the early 2000s was not helped much by this simple and - once again - forgettable film.
49. Bolt (2008)
Bolt runs along the same lines as Chicken Little, where the film was nothing more than just 'eh'. The story and characters were not deep in the slightest and it ultimately felt like a simple paycheck for the animators. Audiences were still wondering what happened to the quality we saw in The Lion King and Aladdin at this point.
John Travolta plays a television superhero dog who doesn't know his powers are just stunts and special effects. He is lost and must find his way back home with the help of a disgruntled stray cat and his biggest fan, a hamster. Simply, the film was weak and only worked to pass the time until Disney got back into gear with movies such as Princess and the Frog.
48. The Black Cauldron (1985)
I originally had The Black Cauldron lower on this list, but I moved it up a few spots when I realized it had a very small cult following. Unfortunately, a cult following does not ignore how difficult this film was to get into. The narrative feels scattered, the plot makes little sense, and the usual Disney fantasy is swapped out for a darker tone that just doesn't work.
When this film was released, it was such a financial disappointment that the suits got close to considering the shutdown of the animation department at Disney (so the story goes), nearly calling it quits until the next few films convinced them otherwise. Most do not remember this movie and usually confuse it with The Sword in the Stone. Critically and financially, The Black Cauldron failed, too, and isn't particularly fun to sit through on the whole.
47. Melody Time (1948)
I told you it would not be long before you saw another package film on this list. This film contained segments that actually served as something more than flashing colors and loud noises to appease the senses. There are some fun characters and bouncy music that may stick in memory for some time afterwards, at least.
The Peco's Bill segment actually has found a place in the Disney theme parks as a restaurant in Florida. Other than that, unless you find this sort of film your cup of tea, it is ultimately boring and uneventful, emphasising only the quick manner in which it was thrown together.
46. Dinosaur (2000)
At this point, the prestige of Beauty and the Beast and The Little Mermaid were a thing of the past and Pixar was beginning to grow and punch its distributor's products right in the face. It was a very rough time. Dinosaur was another release that was neither here nor there. The movie is almost like a Tarzan meets Ice Age with Dinosaurs after a meteor shower hits the Earth and threatens the existence of its characters.
It is easy to say that no one gets excited for Dinosaur. Given the choice, most would probably skip it entirely. It is the first in the canon to be predominately computer-animated, with graphics that looked somewhat good but have dated badly. The backgrounds were actually live-action shots, with the characters being created through software. But to be fair, its technical achievements are the only notable thing about this movie.