Our list begins in the usual fashion, with a ranking of movies that didn’t get enough support to make the cut. As always, these can be pretty sporadic — unlike the top 25, even a single vote might be enough to vault a film into one of these spots. Tomorrow: #50-26.
51) Meet the Robinsons
Chris: MTR is a perfectly acceptable movie. It’s decent in every way. The plot twist is pretty cool. But there’s just something about it that feels…empty. I’ve never been able to connect with it.
Shaun: Other than the cool twist, I really dislike this movie. I was just bored. And I agree with you, Chris, it just feels like it doesn’t have any spirit until about the last 20 minutes. Am I the only one who continues to find the T-Rex having short arm jokes painfully unfunny?
52) Shrek
Shaun: Shrek is a great movie for how it takes all the trends of classic animation fairy tales and destroys them. Nearly every element about this movie subverts expectations we’ve grown up with, and it’s damn funny to boot.
Chris: Like The Land Before Time further down our list, I think the original Shrek is being punished a bit in our rankings because we got burned out by all the sequels (and a standalone Puss in Boots movie that no one needed or wanted — which is getting its own sequel!). Shrek is love, Shrek is life.
53) Howl’s Moving Castle
Chris: Hayao Miyazaki excels at telling sweeping, fantastic stories, and Howl’s is no exception. It’s also fun watching people’s faces when they realize that one of the protagonists is a pre-Batman Christian Bale.
Shaun: Exhibit 2 on a Studio Ghibli movie I never saw. I’ve seen bits and pieces that never caught my interest, but I love me some insane ass Christian Bale, so maybe I’ll check it out sometime.
54) Summer Wars
Shaun: This movie was enjoyable enough anime fluff, but other than sleek visuals and some cool fights, I felt it lacked any meaningful punch.
Chris: This is where I need to create some kind of digital world where Shaun and I can fight, because I really enjoyed Summer Wars. I think the tipping point for me, besides all the fun computer stuff, is all of the crazy relatives. We’ve all been there.
55) Toy Story 2
Chris: If this movie seems out of place compared to its predecessor and successor, here’s why: it was supposed to join the assembly line of direct-to-VHS Disney sequels that the 90s are so known for, and the quality suffered for it. Seriously, they redid the entire plot in a weekend because it was so bad.
Shaun: Wait, are you serious? Toy Story 2, that really happened? Then it is a testament to how important rewrites can be, because it’s sitting at 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and in my opinion is far superior to the original, improving upon it in nearly every way and further establishing these characters so that they can break our hearts in 3.
56) Bolt
Shaun: Look up the voice cast. Miley Cyrus and John Travolta. That feeling of bile rising in your throat is exactly what I felt. But don’t give! When you watch Bolt, you’re actually treated to a cute tale with some genuinely funny moments woven in. The part where the cat tries to appeal to humans like the adorable dog and fails miserably always gets me.
Chris: I’m torn on Bolt because I’m not sure if it’s slept on or deservedly pushed aside. Disney’s track record in the 2000s wasn’t exactly stellar, and Bolt certainly has some fun and heartwarming moments. But…Miley Cyrus? Peak of popularity or not, that sure looks bad now.
57) FernGully
Chris: I disliked this movie when I was a kid, presumably because it’s a bit of a downer and I wasn’t about that life when I was 7. I liked it more when I watched it again a few years later, though.
Shaun: This movie has likeable characters, and the kid me had a crush on the main fairy girl. And Robin Williams as the bat?! Classic! Plus, the villain in what is essentially an environmentalism movie could have been totally lame (see: every episode of Captain Planet ever). Instead, he was pure terror, as reviling as he was horrific.
58) Interstella 5555: The 5tory of the 5ecret 5tar 5ystem
Shaun: Any time you can replace the letters in your title with numbers multiple times, I think you need to go for it.
Chris: I had actually seen part of this without knowing what on earth it was, other than an elaborate ode to Daft Punk. Turns out I didn’t want to know what it was, because that title gives me an aneurysm.
59) Shrek 2
Chris: The lovable ogre’s sequel sits right on the precipice for me — there’s still some quality humor here and flipping the original movie’s story works well. But there’s still this lingering staleness creeping in, one that takes me off the bandwagon by the time Shrek the Third hits.
Shaun: I thought Shrek 2 is an example of a sequel done right, managing to hit all the right notes while keeping the formula fresh. But Chris is right, it’s the last bastion before this series really starts going downhill.
60) Peter Pan
Shaun: If there’s a good telling of the Peter Pan tale, I haven’t really found it yet outside of Hook. Which is awesome. This movie’s plot just sort of meanders, which I suppose is the point, but it’s hard to think about that when I’m too busy being assaulted by troubling themes and explosive racism.
Chris: The problem with this movie is essentially the same as a couple others on our list: Peter Pan is a jackass, and while not growing up is a central theme of Never Never Land, it means he never becomes anything but a jackass. I almost feel sorry for Captain Hook and Smee, even though they’re jackasses too.
61) The Prince of Egypt
Chris: Somehow Prince of Egypt slipped under the radar a bit when it was released in the late-90s, even though DreamWorks had a hit on their hands, complete with a memorable Hans Zimmer score and a great voice cast.
Shaun: It totally did. For being one of the most successful animated movies ever released for the time, coupled with gorgeous animation, you don’t really hear a lot about it now.
62) Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Shaun: The best thing about this movie is Michael J. Fox. The worst thing about it is the rest of this film exists.
Chris: Such a weird outlier in the slew of Disney films from the 90s and early 2000s. I’m not sure whether that adds or subtracts from Atlantis — I know that when I was younger, the lack of music really bothered me.
63) The Sword in the Stone
Chris: I can see why some people would love Sword in the Stone — maybe they don’t have eyes, or ears, or any sense of direction. Throwing shade aside, even though I can’t stand this movie, it’s not really that terrible.
Shaun: So many bad decisions, but the squirrel always sticks out to me. Why did we need the side plot with the squirrel falling in love with a Merlin squirrel? This is a movie about a boy who becomes King f***ing Arthur! Wasn’t there enough plot to mine for there? Instead of shoehorning the god damn eponymous sword in during the last 10 minutes?!?!
64) The Land Before Time
Shaun: While I’m less excited by the fact that this movie had like 50 sequels, I love this film! The characters are so great, and there was a constant tension I felt while watching it because you know that no matter what these prehistoric pals do, they and their entire species are f***ing doomed. Or was I the only one who watched The Land Before Time like that?
Chris: I was super little when I watched the original Land Before Time, and I think if we could erase its 13 (yes, THIRTEEN) sequels from existence, this movie might have scored higher. But alas.
65) Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
Chris: Snow White doesn’t hold up particularly well nearly 80 years after its release, but it will always have its place as the launching point for the Disney empire — we take it for granted now, but this film was a huge risk back then.
Shaun: Ugh. Such an important film. Such a groundbreaking endeavor. Such a torture to watch.
66) A Boy Named Charlie Brown
Shaun: I never caught on to the Charlie Brown phase, but I enjoyed the Christmas movie, even though it got a little proselytize-y for my tastes. But this isn’t that, so it should leave.
Chris: This is the first Peanuts movie on the big screen, and perhaps the best (although I also enjoy Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown). Perhaps more shocking is that there’s a new movie coming out soon, 35 years after the last one. My goodness.
67) Whisper of the Heart
Chris: Once Whisper finally received an English dub, it gave Studio Ghibli fans a chance to fall in love all over again. Additional points awarded for an extremely early role for Brittany Snow and the use of a John Denver song.
Shaun: Brittany Snow is in this movie? I might have to check it out. As we’ll see with much of this list, my track record for Studio Ghibli is pretty spotty, and I’m not a huge fan of what I have seen. More on that later.
68) Lilo & Stitch
Shaun: I’m shocked and saddened to see this movie at 68. No really. This might be my least favorite Disney movie ever created, and there was some SH***Y Disney movies. Boring plot. Generic characters. An irredeemable main character in Stitch. Hatred. Who voted for this? I’mma kill em.
Chris: Yep, my main problem with this movie is the second of its eponymous characters. Maybe because Stitch seems cute and cuddly, I’m supposed to overlook the fact that he’s an asshole, and by the end of the movie, he’s still an asshole?
69) Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were Rabbit
Chris: The only Wallace and Gromit movie long enough to qualify for our list (I love Wrong Trousers, but it’s only 30 minutes), Curse of the Were Rabbit showcases the series’ classic claymation look and Gromit’s endearing mannerisms.
Shaun: No. Nope. Mm-mm. Sorry. I can’t do claymation. Not in any form, on any medium, ever. Too frightening. I hate it. Unless it’s Coraline. But we’ll get to that later.
70) Despicable Me
Shaun: Chalk up another film that surprised me with its quality! The Minions honestly never did it for me, and I can’t understand the appeal, but Steve Carell’s Gru is fantastic, and the dynamic with the three little girls is as hilarious as it is heartwarming.
Chris: I’m tempted to punish this movie for bringing us Minions, which now permeate every inch of my Facebook wall with their stupid life sayings. I am really, really tired of those posts. But that would be unfair, because Despicable Me is actually quite good.
71) The Last Unicorn
Chris: This is one of the few titles in our entire list that I haven’t seen, and one I think I should rectify. Rankin and Bass, while past their peak at this point, always put together a solid picture — and look at that voice cast (Christopher Lee, Angela Lansbury, Jeff Bridges and more?).
Shaun: I would have liked this movie more if it was closer to Last of the Mohicans, but with unicorns. A slow-motion shot of hero unicorn leaping off a waterfall, and a horrible ending in which all the unicorn’s friends die, and the female unicorn kills herself when her rescuer is like literally five minutes from saving her.
72) Sita Sings the Blues
Shaun: Ah yes, the much anticipated sequel to Rita Hums the Jazz. Not only have I not seen this film, I’ve never even heard of the name. 72 though, yeah!
Chris: I look forward to the trilogy ending in the critically acclaimed Tonya Yodels the Dubstep. I’m pretty sure we’re in for a real treat.
73) Hercules
Chris: A movie that gets lost in the shuffle of ‘90s Disney hits, Hercules still had a couple great musical numbers and the endearing James Woods in its favor. I absolutely hate Go the Distance, though, and I’m still baffled by Meg’s anatomy.
Shaun: I’ll never forget who put the glad in Gladiator, I’ll tell you that much. Poor Chris hates one of the best Disney songs ever made in Go the Distance, but we forgive him. You know, for all the good things Chris mentioned, and for what an entertaining the first two-thirds is, for some reason this movie just DIES in it’s last third, losing all its momentum and sputtering with an anticlimactic finish. Guess it couldn’t GO THE DISTANCE, am I right? Yeah, high five!
74) Spirit
Shaun: Aw, this movie’s cute! A Matt Damon horse befriends a human and they go on adventures. His will refuses to be broken on his way to freedom! Truth be told, I enjoyed this movie more than i thought I would, and probably more than I had any right to.
Chris: I remember watching this movie because my sister was (and is) totally into horses, and expecting the worst. Instead, like Shaun, I was pleasantly surprised.
75) The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Chris: An endearing classic that features both The Wind in the Willows and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod and Mr. Toad kinda flies under the radar in the pantheon of Disney history. They even had Bing Crosby!
Shaun: My fondest memory of it is convincing my sister that Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride in Disneyland was the scariest roller coaster ever made, and included loops and corkscrews without any seatbelts to strap you in. Better hold on! Ahem. Let that say what it will about this film.
Honorable Mention
Jungle Book, Emperor’s New Groove, Fantasia 2000, Yugioh: The Abridged Movie, The Year Without a Santa Claus, Song of the Sea, Wakko’s Wish
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