10 Old Disney Movies That Wouldn't Fly Today (2024)

Audience sensibilities have definitely changed over the years when it comes to movies. Jokes that people used to find funny in comedies are now considered somewhat taboo. The characters in these films may use language that is considered offensive by today's standards. The same goes for the action genre. No longer is there a sexualized damsel in distress waiting for a man to save her.

Perhaps no genre has changed more, however, than animated films. Take, for instance, old Disney movies. There are many films released between the '40s and the '90s that are shockingly insensitive when it comes to their content. There's no way these controversial Disney movies would be released today. Viewers have become more progressive about the potentially harmful subtext in films, especially those targeted at children.

10 Aurora Has No Agency in Sleeping Beauty

Release Year: 1959

• Metascore: 85
• IMDb: 7.2/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 90%

Jealousy can be a tough emotion to overcome. In Sleeping Beauty, the villainous Maleficent is so angry at not being invited to the kingdom princess's christening that she unleashes a curse that renders the baby, Aurora, comatose in a deep sleep when the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday.

Women's portrayals in movies, including animation, have drastically changed since Sleeping Beauty was released sixty-five years ago. Filmmakers are mindful of giving their female characters more agency than, say, lying on a bed and waiting for a prince to come kiss them. Disney has made efforts in this regard as well in recent movies like Moana and Wish, so a passive character like Aurora wouldn't have a space in their lineup today.

Sleeping Beauty (1959)

G

Animation

Fantasy

Adventure

Family

After being snubbed by the royal family, a malevolent fairy places a curse on a princess which only a prince can break, along with the help of three good fairies. Directed by Les Clark, Clyde Geronimi, and Eric Larson.

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Release Date

January 29, 1959

Cast

Mary Costa , Eleanor Audley , Bill Shirley , Verna Felton , Barbara Luddy , Barbara Jo Allen

Runtime

1 hour 15 minutes

9 Some Argue The Jungle Book Has Racial Stereotypes

Release Year: 1967

• Metascore: 65
• IMDb: 7.6/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 88%

Disney has gotten a lot of flak for racial stereotypes in early animated films, and The Jungle Book is no exception. The movie follows a boy named Mowgli who is discovered by a panther in the jungles of India. Mowgli is raised among the animals, even though the murderous tiger Shere Khan doesn't believe humans have a place in the wild.

Many viewers have been outraged by the racial profiling of King Louie in The Jungle Book. Some argue he is a questionable stereotype of Black culture. Furthermore, the song "I Wanna Be Like You" also hints at the minority conforming to the standards of a dominant race. To be fair, a live-action remake of The Jungle Book did come out in 2016. The difference is that the film drastically changes King Louie's character to a fully articulate giant monkey without a hint of stereotype.

The Jungle Book

The story of a boy adopted by wolves in the forest, following their adventures on the way to the human village, alongside the bear Baloo and the panther Baghera, who are being hunted by the dangerous tiger Shere Khan.

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Director

Wolfgang Reitherman

See Also

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Release Date

October 18, 1967

Cast

Phil Harris , Sebastian Cabot , Louis Prima , George Sanders , Sterling Holloway , J. Pat O'Malley , Bruce Reitherman

Runtime

78 Minutes

8 Kids Would Be Terrified by The Great Mouse Detective

Release Year: 1986

• Metascore: 73
• IMDb: 7.1/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

The Great Mouse Detective is one of the more underrated Disney films ever made. It follows Basil of Baker Street, a mouse who solves mysteries with his buddy, Dawson. The latest case they must solve is the disappearance of a young girl named Olivia who is being held hostage by the evil Professor Ratigan.

For the young audience, there are too many scary scenes in The Great Mouse Detective. The bat minion, Fidget, is enough to induce nightmares, let alone the terrifying Disney villain, Professor Ratigan. While the movie does have a G rating, there is a controversial scene where a sexualized mouse sings a song called "Let Me Good to You" to a bar full of rowdy oglers.

The Great Mouse Detective

G

Animation

Adventure

Comedy

Family

Musical

Mystery

The Great Mouse Detective is an animated adventure film directed by Ron Clements and Burny Mattinson. Released in 1986, the film follows the ingenious mouse detective Basil of Baker Street, who is on a mission to thwart the schemes of the villainous Ratigan. Set in Victorian London, the story includes iconic supporting characters such as Basil's companion Dr. Dawson and the kidnapped toy maker Hiram Flaversham’s daughter Olivia.

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Director

Ron Clements , Burny Mattinson , David Michener , John Musker

Release Date

July 2, 1986

Cast

Vincent Price , Barrie Ingham , Val Bettin , Susanne Pollatschek , Candy Candido , Diana Chesney

Writers

Peter Young , Vance Gerry , Steve Hulett , Ron Clements , John Musker , Bruce Morris

Runtime

74 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

7 Peter Pan Features a Highly Controversial Scene

Release Year: 1953

• Metascore: 76
• IMDb: 7.3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 78%

Neverland is a magical place in the movie Peter Pan. Wendy and her brothers travel to the mystical world where they meet all kinds of unique characters, including the temperamental pixie Tinker Bell and the evil Captain Hook. For no real reason, there is also a stereotyped tribe of indigenous people inhabiting the land.

Peter Pan is mostly innocent, but there's one scene in the movie that would cause it to never come out in theaters today. There's an inappropriately named song, "What Makes the Red Man Red," that mocks the use of the word "how" and makes fun of Indigenous people's skin tones. This is blatantly offensive.

Peter Pan

G

Wendy and her brothers are whisked away to the magical world of Neverland with the hero of their stories, Peter Pan.

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Director

Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske

Release Date

February 5, 1953

Cast

Bobby Driscoll , Kathryn Beaumont , Hans Conried

Runtime

1 hour 17 minutes

Main Genre

Fantasy

6 The Hunchback of Notre Dame Is Too Dark and Morbid

Release Year: 1996

• Metascore: 74
• IMDb: 7.0/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 72%

Not every Disney character is stereotypically beautiful. Quasimodo in The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a deformed man who lives an isolated life in the bell tower of the town's cathedral. He falls for a beautiful free-spirited woman named Esmeralda and makes it his mission to help her escape Notre Dame.

This is one of the more recent movies on the list that just wouldn't make the cut in today's theaters. The Hunchback of Notre Dame has offensive language, such as the racial slur "gypsy" and the derogatory use of "hunchback." With that aside, a man tries to drown a baby in the opening scene. The film would be considered too dark and morbid for children.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Musical

Drama

A bell-ringer must assert his independence from a vicious government minister in order to help his friend, a dancer.

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See Also

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Director

Gary Trousdale , Kirk Wise

Release Date

June 21, 1996

Cast

Tom Hulce , Demi Moore

Writers

Tab Murphy , Irene Mecchi , Jonathan Roberts , Noni White , Bob Tzudiker

Runtime

91 minutes

5 Pinocchio Has Eerie Undertones of Child Trafficking

Release Year: 1940

• Metascore: 99
• IMDb: 7.5/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 100%

Pinocchio is about a wooden puppet who longs to be a real boy. He was created by a charismatic toymaker named Gepetto who wishes on a star for his creation to be real. A Blue Fairy visits later that night and grants his wish.

Some Disney movies wouldn't fly today because of their racial stereotypes, while others are just too terrifying for kids to watch. Pinocchio falls into the latter category because of a scene where the titular puppet rides in a carriage with a bunch of other boys to an amusement park called Pleasure Island. Viewers have gotten the creeps from this scene since it hints at child abuse and trafficking.

Pinocchio

PG

Animation

Adventure

Drama

Family

Fantasy

A living puppet, with the help of a cricket as his conscience, must prove himself worthy to become a real boy.

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Director

Hamilton Luske , Ben Sharpsteen

Release Date

February 23, 1940

Cast

Mel Blanc , Don Brodie , Walter Catlett , Marion Darlington , Frankie Darro , Cliff Edwards

Writers

Carlo Collodi , Ted Sears , Otto Englander , Webb Smith , William Cottrell , Joseph Sabo

Runtime

88 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Website

https://disneyplusoriginals.disney.com/movie/pinocchio

Characters By

Carlo Collodi

Cinematographer

Don Burgess

Producer

Derek Hogue, Andrew Miano, Chris Weitz, Robert Zemeckis

Production Company

Depth of Field, Image Movers, Walt Disney Pictures

4 Alice in Wonderland Is Way Too Trippy for Today’s Kids

Release Year: 1951

• Metascore: 68
• IMDb: 7.3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Bored and full of daydreams, a young girl named Alice wanders away from her tutoring session to follow a tardy white rabbit through the rabbit hole. She's transported to a magical place called Wonderland, where all the creatures are "curiouser and curiouser."

The scene featuring the hookah-smoking caterpillar is among the most controversial Disney scenes ever created. Alice in Wonderland also offers plenty of strange imagery and scary creatures. On top of all that, the movie is just plain weird for kids. Disney's current marketing team would have no idea how to pitch Alice as a Disney heroine, or cut a trailer that makes the movie seem anything other than a psychedelic head trip.

Alice In Wonderland (1951)

G

Family

Fantasy

Adventure

Comedy

Alice stumbles into the world of Wonderland. Will she get home? Not if the Queen of Hearts has her way.

Director

Ben Sharpsteen , Clyde Geronimi , Wilfred Jackson , Hamilton Luske

Release Date

July 28, 1951

Cast

Kathryn Beaumont , Ed Wynn , Richard Haydn , Sterling Holloway , Verna Felton , Jerry Colonna , Bill Thompson

Runtime

75 minutes

Main Genre

Animation

Characters By

Lewis Carroll

Production Company

Walt Disney Animation Studios

Distributor(s)

RKO Radio Pictures

3 Mexican Culture Is Stereotyped in The Three Caballeros

Release Year: 1944

• Metascore: 85
• IMDb: 6.3/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Donald Duck doesn't get as much attention as Mickey Mouse. He did have his moment in 1944 when he starred in a movie called The Three Caballeros. Donald Duck receives a magical collection of gifts from his Latin American friends. The gifts have the magical ability to bring him to different musical numbers.

When talking about controversial Disney movies, The Three Caballeros doesn't come up that often. It should be mentioned in the conversation, however, due to its offensive stereotypes of Mexican culture. There's a rooster in the film who wears a giant sombrero, has a pistol in a holster, and speaks with a heavy accent. To their credit, Disney+ recognized the inappropriate nature of the content and put a warning on the screen before the movie started.

The Three Caballeros

G

Animation

Family

Music

Donald receives his birthday gifts, which include traditional gifts and information about Brazil (hosted by Zé Carioca) and Mexico (by Panchito, a Mexican Charro Rooster).

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Director

Norman Ferguson , Clyde Geronimi , Jack Kinney , Bill Roberts , Harold Young

Release Date

February 3, 1945

Cast

Joaquin Garay , Clarence Nash , José Oliveira , Aurora Miranda , Carmen Molina , Dora Luz

Runtime

71 Minutes

YouTube Trailer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b0NSmkcOLcE

Characters By

Production Company

Producers

Walt Disney

Character(s)

Donald Duck (voice) , Professor Holloway (voice) , Panchito (voice) , José Carioca (voice) , Brazilian Girl , Mexico Girl , (voice) , Aracuan Bird (voice) (uncredited)

2 Pocahontas Is Insensitive Toward Indigenous People

Release Year: 1995

• Metascore: 59
• IMDb: 6.7/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 53%

Of all the Disney princess movies, Pocahontas may be the most controversial. In the film, the titular princess finds love with a white settler named John Smith. Her father, the Algonquin chief, is less than happy about his daughter's choice of suitor.

Aside from the distasteful song "Savages," most of the music in Pocahontas is beautiful. However, that doesn't excuse the insensitive depiction of indigenous people seen in the film. Some critics have also gone on to say that Pocahontas perpetuates the idea that the "good" members of the indigenous tribes are those who help the white immigrants. This kind of subtext would not fly by today's standards.

Pocahontas

G

Musical

Family

An English soldier and the daughter of an Algonquin chief share a romance when English colonists invade seventeenth century Virginia.

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Director

Mike Gabriel , Eric Goldberg

Release Date

June 16, 1995

Cast

Irene Bedard , Mel Gibson , David Ogden Stiers , John Kassir , Russell Means , Christian Bale , Linda Hunt

Writers

Carl Binder , Susannah Grant , Philip LaZebnik

Runtime

81 minutes

Budget

$55 minutes

Studio(s)

Disney

Distributor(s)

Disney

Franchise(s)

Disney

1 Song of the South Is Disney's Most Controversial Movie

Release Year: 1946

• Metascore: 54
• IMDb: 6.9/10
• Rotten Tomatoes: 50%

In the live-action animation Song of the South, a man named Uncle Remus (James Baskett) shares various stories about a character named Br'er Rabbit to sharecroppers working on a plantation. These stories are used as a moral guide for seven-year-old Johnny (Bobby Driscoll) who has come to visit.

No Disney animated film is more controversial than Song of the South. The movie has been slammed for its depiction of its Black characters and the glamorized nature of plantation life in the pre-Civil Rights movement South. Disney has tried to do damage control in recent years to make sure this controversial Disney movie is no longer viewable. It's a different world today, and there's no way Disney would make the movie now.

song of the south

Director

Harve Foster , Wilfred Jackson

Release Date

November 20, 1946

Cast

Ruth Warrick , Bobby Driscoll , James Baskett , Luana Patten , Lucile Watson , Hattie McDaniel

Runtime

94 minutes