Founded by brothers Walt and Roy Disney in 1923, the Walt Disney Company has grown from an independent animation company producing theatre shorts to one of the largest media conglomerates of all time. It was a pioneering company in the world of film, especially animation. Some of Disney’s greatest animators helped to finalize The Twelve Principles of Animation, and the company proved time and time again that animated films could tell dramatic, emotionally gripping stories enjoyed across generations.
Disney films are known for their many clichés, from catchy musical numbers to fairy tale romances. However, a fair few Disney movies don’t have romances. Not to say there’s anything wrong with romance—it’s a common cliché for a reason after all—but it’s nice once in a while to be reminded that not every story needs one to succeed. This list will discuss the best Disney movies without a romantic plot; there won’t be a ranking, and the list will only focus on celebrating the movies that dared to try a different approach to the Disney formula.
10
‘Brother Bear’ (2003)
Directed by Aaron Blaise and Robert Walker
When the eldest of three brothers, Sitka (D.B. Sweeney), gives his life to protect his brothers from a bear, the youngest, Kenai (Joaquin Phoenix), tracks it to the top of a mountain and kills it. This act angers the great spirits, who transform Kenai into a bear as punishment and send him downriver. He meets a young cub named Koda (Jeremy Suarez) who agrees to help him get back to the mountain, all while his other brother, Denahi (Harold Gould and Jason Raize), tracks Kenai, whom he believes to be the bear who has taken his family.
Amidst its annoying characters and anachronistic jokes, Brother Bear tells a profound story about the cycle of vengeance and the power of brotherhood. Kenai’s journey reminds us of the value of seeing things from another’s perspective and how growing older doesn’t automatically make one mature. The film also wisely doesn’t make Denahi a villain, but rather a hurt soul who is going on a journey of emotional and spiritual growth with understandable and empathetic motivations.
9
‘Bolt’ (2008)
Directed by Chris Williams and Byron Howard
Bolt (John Travolta) co-stars alongside his owner, Penny (Miley Cyrus), in a show where he is a super-powered dog who helps Penny fight against the evil Dr. Calico (Malcolm McDowell). To ensure a more realistic performance, Bolt is never allowed off the set, and thus believes that he is a real super-dog. Thus, when the next episode ends on a cliffhanger with Penny kidnapped, Bolt breaks free to try and rescue her, but ends up in a box shipped to New York City.
Bolt had a tricky production due to the departure of its original director, Chris Sanders, but it turned into one of Disney’s most underrated films. The film’s primary theme is identity; Bolt initially struggles with the reality that his life is a lie before discovering that the loss of his old identity comes with the freedom to craft a new one. Love and friendship are also major themes, shown both through Bolt and Penny’s bond, and the connection between Bolt and Mittens (Susie Essman), a cat abandoned by her owners who cynically believes that no human can truly love their pet.
8
‘Moana’ (2016)
Directed by John Musker and Ron Clements
When a blight strikes her island home, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho) learns from her grandmother (Rachel House) that the only way to cure it is to return the heart of Te Fiti. After a storm knocks her off course, she meets Maoi (Dwayne Johnson), a demigod who stole the heart in an attempt to give humanity the power of creation. Moana agrees to help him reclaim his missing magic fishhook if he will show her how to sail so they can return the heart together.
Moana is, to date, the last Disney film directed by their best creative duo, and while not as strong as some of their other work, it’s an engaging and beautiful story. The animation for the ocean is amazing: the water looks crystal clear, and the colors are vibrant, especially at sunset or when the ocean life floods the screen. Moana’s story is also a good coming-of-age tale that even touches upon how wrong it is for the older generation to put too much pressure upon the young.
7
‘The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh’ (1977)
Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery
Deep in the Hundred Acre Wood, a boy named Christopher Robin (Bruce Reitherman, Jon Walmsley, and Timothy Turner) goes on adventures with his stuffed-animal friends. His best friend is a bear with very little brains named Winnie the Pooh (Sterling Holloway), who is on a never-ending quest to acquire more honey. Others include a timid pig named Piglet (John Fiedler), a gloomy donkey named Eeyore (Ralph Wright), and a bouncing feline named Tigger (Paul Winchell).
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh combines three different shorts produced between 1966 and 1974 into perhaps one of the best manifestations of childhood innocence put to film. There is a timeless nostalgia to watching Pooh and his friends, made even more poignant thanks to the phenomenal voice acting, especially by Holloway. The film is also very funny, with plenty of gags involving the characters interacting with the storybook they live inside, and talking with the Narrator (Sebastian Cabot).
6
‘The Great Mouse Detective’ (1986)
Directed by John Musker, Ron Clements, Dave Michener, and Burny Mattinson
Mouse Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin) returns to London after serving in Afghanistan to find a young girl named Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek) lost in the streets. Her toymaker father (Alan Young) was kidnapped by a bat with a crooked wing and a peg leg, so with Dawson’s help, she finds the famed mouse detective Basil of Baker Street (Barrie Ingham). Basil reveals that the bat, named Fidget (Candy Candido), works for the most evil rodent in England, Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price), and happily accepts the case for the chance to finally bring Ratigan to justice before he can enact whatever evil scheme he’s concocted.
The Great Mouse Detective is a fun and creative film that has an important place in Disney history due to its financial success during a time of uncertainty behind the scenes. The stars of the show are Basil and Ratigan, who serve as the perfect foils for one another due to their equally large egos, playful attitudes, and habit of giving in to moments of extreme emotions. The voice actors further sell this, with Ingham effortlessly switching between boundless energy and soul-crushing defeat, while Price perfectly mixes gleeful giggling with moments of intense fury.
- Release Date
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July 2, 1986
- Runtime
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74 minutes
- Director
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Ron Clements, Burny Mattinson, David Michener, John Musker
5
‘Alice in Wonderland’ (1951)
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen, Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske
Bored by her sister’s lessons, Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) muses on a world of her own making. Suddenly, she spots a white rabbit (Bill Thompson) in a waistcoat running down the road, crying that he is late for a very important date. Her curiosity piqued, Alice follows the rabbit down a rabbit hole and ends up in Wonderland, a topsy-turvy world where everyone is a little bit mad and the rules are ever-changing.
Though a financial failure on release, Alice in Wonderland has been re-evaluated as one of Disney’s greatest films in terms of visual quality. The animation is phenomenal, with striking colors set against dark, foreboding backgrounds and movements so elaborate that it’s hard to imagine they were created entirely by hand. The characters are also a ton of fun, from the crazy inhabitants of Wonderland with their over-the-top performances, to Alice’s delightful blend of polite sophistication with her youthful curiosity and slightly odd habits.
- Release Date
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July 26, 1951
- Runtime
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75 Minutes
- Director
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Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, Hamilton Luske
4
‘The Emperor’s New Groove’ (2000)
Directed by Mark Dindal
Kuzko (David Spade) is the spoiled teenage emperor of the Incan Empire and plans to demolish a peasant village to build a summer home as a birthday gift to himself. However, he is transformed into a llama after a failed poisoning attempt by his advisor, Yzma (Eartha Kitt), and her servant, Kronk (Patrick Warburton). When Kronk fails to finish the job, Kuzko ends up on the cart of Pacha (John Goodman), the chief of the village he wants to destroy, forcing the emperor to swallow his pride if he wants to be human again.
The Emperor’s New Groove survived a legendary trip through production hell to become one of Disney’s most singular and hilarious films. The film is a buddy road trip story peppered with fourth wall breaks, meta jokes, and on-point slapstick that feels like you’re watching a Warner Bros. cartoon over a Disney movie. Kuzko and Pacha have a good friendship, but Yzma and Kronk steal the show without question thanks to Kitt and Warburton’s perfect chemistry and the plethora of jokes and memorable lines they deliver.
3
‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002)
Directed by Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois
Following the death of their parents, Nani Pelekai (Tia Carrere) struggles with raising her eccentric younger sister, Lilo (Daveigh Chase), and is monitored by Cobra Bubbles (Ving Rhames), a social worker who wants what is best for Lilo, even if that means separating her from Nani. Overhearing Lilo’s wish that she could have a friend, Nani takes Lilo to adopt a dog, whom she names Stitch (Chris Sanders). Unknown to the Pelekai, Stitch is an alien experiment designed to be a highly adaptable weapon of mass destruction.
Lilo & Stitch was the most successful film from Disney’s Post-Renaissance Era, thanks to its emotional core. Themes of grief, ostracization, and family are ever present, especially in how Lilo struggles to make friends due to her quirky nature, and Nani’s attempt to hold what remains of her family together while still trying to sort out her life. Beyond the film’s heart, it’s also got hilarious comedy, gorgeous backgrounds that capture the beauty of Hawaii, and a memorable soundtrack featuring some of the best songs by Elvis Presley.
2
‘Dumbo’ (1941)
Directed by Samuel Armstrong, Norman Ferguson, Wilfred Jackson, Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts, and Ben Sharpsteen
A baby elephant is born to a traveling circus, and due to his oversized ears, is named Dumbo. His mother does what she can to shelter him from bullies, but after she rampages when some young boys mock and pull on Dumbo’s ears, she is separated from him, and the other elephants exclude Dumbo. Thus, he finds a friend in Timothy Mouse (Edward Broph), who theorizes that, if Dumbo becomes a star, he’ll be able to free his mother and show the world that his ears aren’t a source of mockery.
Dumbo is one of Disney’s shortest films, yet it’s also one of their most poignant. It’s a story about outcasts coming together to support fellow outcasts and transforming a perceived weakness into a strength. The animation is not as impressive as other Golden Age Disney films, but the simpler style and bright colors fit its small story and circus aesthetic.
1
‘Pinocchio’ (1940)
Directed by Ben Sharpsteen and Hamilton Luske
When an elderly woodcarver named Geppetto (Christian Rub) completes a puppet named Pinocchio, he wishes upon a star that he could be a real boy. After he falls asleep, a Blue Fairy (Evelyn Venable) grants his wish, giving life to Pinocchio (Dickie Jones), but he won’t be a real boy until he proves himself brave, truthful, and unselfish. She assigns a cricket named Jiminy (Cliff Edwards) as his conscience to treat him right from wrong, but unfortunately, Pinocchio’s naïveté leads him into several dangerous situations.
Pinocchio is one of the most timeless Disney films thanks to its iconic morals and groundbreaking animation. Images such as Pinocchio’s nose growing longer when he tells a lie, or the horrific transformation of the boys on Pleasure Island into donkeys due to their misbehaving ways, have become staples in popular culture in teaching children right from wrong. As for the animation, it’s nothing short of masterful, and shows massive improvements over Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in character animation, backgrounds, and effects, especially during the underwater sequences.
