Though Disney has been successful throughout its existence, the 2010s saw the company reaching new heights both commercially and critically. While Toy Story 3 earned a near-perfect 98% Tomatometer Score on Rotten Tomatoes, Frozen II became the highest-grossing animation of all time by bringing back $1.4 billion. Despite these incredible stats, not every 2010s film reached new heights. Being that we already looked at the best of the decade, it’s time to instead focus on the worst.
In this lineup, we’ll be using the Tomatometer Scores of every animated Disney film theatrically released between 2010 and 2019. This rating is based on the negative and positive reviews of critics. Those with the lowest will show up here. With that said, it’s time to press play; here are the worst Disney films (including those produced by the company) of the 2010s, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
Arjun: The Warrior Prince (67%)
Based on the life of Prince Arjuna, This 2012 Indian action film follows Arjun as he rises up to become a legendary archer and skilled warrior.
Though the movie faired fairly well in the country it was created, international audiences had a different opinion. Particularly, the animation style was criticized for being unnatural and choppy when put next to the work of other modern animation studios.
Secret Of The Wings (60%)
The Disney Fairies franchise expanded in 2012 with the release of its fourth installment, Secret of the Wings. This time, Tinker Bell ventures into the forbidden Winter Woods, where she discovers a few secrets including that of her twin sister.
Viewers found that the message and humor of the film were simplistic and juvenile. Though the film was sweet and well-designed, the fluffy story made it feel unnecessary.
Gnomeo & Juliet (56%)
This British-American animation, based loosely on William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, has Miss Capulet and Mr. Montague engaged in a fight over who has a better garden. The gnomes scattered across the yards have opinions of their own, but after Blue and Red from competing sides fall in love, the two must figure out what it will take to keep their love in bloom.
Though the movie was colorful and entertaining, it over-packed the pop culture jokes and came out kitschy.
The Lion King (53%)
The most recent film to make the list is 2019’s live-action Lion King. Following the story of the original animation, The Lion King has young Simba leaving Pride Rock after falsely believing he caused his father’s death. Years later, he must return and take his rightful place as king after the evil Scar attempts to rule.
Viewers felt that this version lost the magic of the original in translation. Additionally, the photorealistic visuals caused the film to lose its genuine emotions.
Planes: Fire & Rescue (44%)
The sequel to Disneytoon Studio’s Planes flew into theaters in 2014. Though the studio tried to redeem itself with Planes: Fire & Rescue, the story fell flat.
The comedy-adventure catches up with racing plane Dusty at a time when he must choose a new career. He decides to become a firefighting plane and attempt to save Piston Peak National Park after it goes up in flames. The Planes sequel contained polished visuals, but it was far too simplistic to keep audiences of all ages engaged.
Tales From Earthsea (43%)
Though Studio Ghibli is known for its stunning and emotional animations, this one failed to meet the mark. Tales From Earthsea tells of a wizard and a prince, who join together to figure out why their land is in decline. After the wizard’s powers begin to disappear, the two must allow a priestess and her daughter into their group in order to defeat the lurking evil.
While the visuals were pretty, Earthsea failed to compellingly translate the story it was based on onto the big screen.
Cars 2 (39%)
Cars has never been Pixar’s strongest series, however, it saw it met its lowest point in 2011 with the release of Cars 2. This time, the action was driven across Japan and Europe, where Lightning McQueen is set to compete in the ultimate World Grand Prix. However, things get a little crazy after Mater comes along and gets sucked into an international secret mission.
This film lacked the charm of the original and was instead littered with flashy, fast-paced gags. Nevertheless, Cars 2 earned a follow-up in 2017. Thankfully, the critic reviews for Cars 3 were a little better.
Mars Needs Moms (37%)
If you can’t remember this ever arriving in theaters, you wouldn’t be alone. This 2011 sci-fi adventure film, based on Berkeley Breathed’s book of the same name, tells of a young boy who searches for his mother after she gets abducted by Martians. Unfortunately, the characters were unmemorable, the themes were outdated, and the pacing was uneven.
Mars Needs Moms was an even bigger box office failure than it was a critical failure. It only recouped $39 million of its $150 million budget, making it one of Disney’s biggest animated flops of all time.
Planes (26%)
Yup, the original was somehow even worse. 2013’s Planes told the story of Dusty Crophopper, a plane who dreams of becoming an air racer. The problem? He’s afraid of heights. With a help from naval aviator Skipper, Dusty hopes to overcome his fears and fly through the finish line.
Though Planes had clean animations and quirky voicework, it didn’t have any spark of originality. The plot was predictable and the humor fell flat.
Strange Magic (17%)
Topping off the list as the lowest-rated Disney film from the 2010s is Strange Magic. While Lucasfilm has successfully brought Star Wars to life time and time again, this one has a different story. This musical animation tells of an elf who goes on a quest for primroses, which will allow him to make a love potion. Meanwhile, the Dark Forest leader schemes to get rid of these flowers — that is, until he meets a broken-hearted fairy princess.
The lackluster songs, dismal characters, and forced plot disappointed critics. Though Strange Magic aimed to create a legacy for itself, it’s most remembered for coming off as far more strange than magical.
