25 Forgotten Disney Movies (That Should Probably Stay Forgotten)

The House of Mouse has produced a lot of movies over the past century. But some are more memorable than others. Many bizarre Disney movies have slipped under the radar or fallen into obscurity, often for good reasons…

‘The Reluctant Dragon’ (1941)

Following the success of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” Walt Disney thought he’d cracked the perfect animated movie formula. He sank much of the film’s profits into a new cartoon studio in Burbank. But “Pinocchio” and “Fantastia” flopped at the box office. Disney needed a win.

So he made “The Reluctant Dragon,” which turned the Burbank studio into the set for a live-action/animation hybrid film about making cartoons. It seemed like a smart move, but the film flopped hard, and it’s basically disappeared since.

‘Princess of Thieves’ (2001)

It’s strange that Disney hasn’t made more of an effort to market “Princess of Thieves,” which features Keira Knightley as the daughter of Robin Hood before her role in “Pirates of the Carribbean” turned her into a bankable star.

Maybe it’s because the film includes a kiss between the then 15-year-old Knightley and her co-star, Stephen Moyer, who was literally twice her age at the time. Gross, Disney.

‘Fun and Fancy Free’ (1947)

An anthology movie that shoves together a series of disparate stories, “Fun and Fancy Free” is forgotten by history mostly because it’s just another Mickey Mouse caper. In one segment, Mickey climbs a beanstalk and tangles with a giant. In another, Jiminy Cricket helps a circus bear get laid.

While this movie is nothing special, its cheap design did help pay for subsequent Disney classics like “Cinderella” and “Alice in Wonderland.”

‘The Jungle Book’ (1994)

Jon Favreau’s gritty, live-action “Jungle Book” from 2016 wasn’t the first time Disney tried to squeeze some nostalgia coin from this property. First there was Stephen Sommers’ live-action “The Jungle Book,” released in 1994.

It’s notable for featuring a grown-up, muscular Mowgli, and for giving his love interest, Kitty, more to do than look pretty and fetch water.