The 11 WORST Movies on Disney+ (According to Rotten Tomatoes)

It goes without saying that Disney is world-famous for its classic — and beloved — films, and Disney+ specifically is a treasure trove of magical movie-making, from nostalgic staples to new sensations.

Between the animated classics, the Marvel blockbusters, the Star Wars spin-offs, and the Pixar faves, there are so many amazing movies to choose from on Disney+! And there are also some…duds.

Even a company as meticulous and near-perfect as Disney can make some odd movie-making choices sometimes — occasionally to the point of necessitating entire ride overhauls. So while there are infinite options for amazing movies to choose from on Disney+, there are still some stinkers you may want to avoid, at least according to critics and viewers.

For the sake of brevity, this list is going to focus on Disney’s animated and live-action canon, so that means no Eternals (the lowest rated Marvel movie to date, yikes), no Star Wars: The Phantom Menace (a milquetoast 52% rating), and no Cars 2 (by far the worst rated Pixar movie). So without further ado, let’s take a peek at the 11 worst movies on Disney+, according to Rotten Tomatoes!

Dumbo (Live Action)

Clocking in as the 11th worst Disney movie, according to Rotten Tomatoes, is the live-action remake of Dumbo! This one is a bit baffling, considering Disney’s recent success with live-action remakes, and how this one from Tim Burton randomly just…didn’t.

Despite the fact that the movie is stunning, star-studded, and unique from the animated original, Dumbo is deemed the least successful of the live-action remakes, losing Disney money in the long run and earning a paltry 46% Rotten Tomatoes score.

Peter Pan: Return to Neverland

Back in the ‘90s and early ‘00s, Disney had a habit of rehashing its classic animated hits for lackluster — and truly confounding – sequels. Chief among them is Peter Pan: Return to Neverland, which can’t hold a candle to the beloved original.

In this woebegone sequel, Captain Hook is apparently unscathed from the first film, kidnapping Wendy’s daughter Jane and triggering a return to Neverland for Peter and the gang to rescue the girl. With a 46% rating, it would seem most viewers were perfectly content not returning to Neverland.

Planes: Fire & Rescue

When you draw inevitable comparisons to Cars, a Pixar franchise with a few misfires of its own, the results are sure to be bad. Planes: Fire & Rescue is the story of a famed racing plane training to become a heroic firefighter.

Sounds cute, but the storytelling is bland and formulaic, and it basically just winds up feeling like Cars with wings, minus the dazzling Pixar animation. Thus, it’s got a measly 45% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

A prime example of not quitting while you’re ahead, Disney opted to double down on its successful Angelina Jolie-led Maleficent origin story with a confusing — and wholly unnecessary — sequel that continues to paint the “Mistress of Evil” as more of a mistress of good.

The first Maleficent offered a fresh take on an iconic Disney villain, but the sequel (with its 39% Rotten Tomatoes score) just feels like a blatant grab for more box office, with a story that has seemingly nothing to do with the original Sleeping Beauty whatsoever.

Brother Bear

Perhaps an animated story about people getting killed by bears — and killing bears — was not the wisest move for Disney, as evidenced by the tepid reception for Brother Bear, and its 37% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

The movie, about a Native American character avenging his brother by killing a bear and being transformed into a bear as punishment, sounds more like a horror premise than a would-be animated classic.

Chicken Little

Not every cultural story needs to be translated for the big screen, Disney. Some folk tales are better left as folk tales, like Chicken Little perhaps.

The familiar tale of a hypochondriac chicken who thinks the world is falling did not play well for audiences, who thought the storyline fell flat and got lost in the technical animation, earning it a “little” Rotten Tomatoes score of 36%.

Alice Though the Looking Glass

Another example of a live-action remake gone too far, Alice Through the Looking Glass is the unfortunate sequel to an otherwise successful Alice in Wonderland live-action film from a few years prior. This time around, though, Disney got a tad too eccentric.

With so many characters, plot lines, and over-the-top set pieces and costumes, Through the Looking Glass just felt like a mess, clocking in at a 29% rating.

Pinocchio

The 2022 live-action version of Pinocchio tied with the Alice in Wonderland live-action sequel movie at a 29% rating.

Despite starring people like Tom Hanks, it had the same problems as Dumbo — visually stunning, but empty at its core.

Doug’s 1st Movie

Note to Disney: Doug should have stuck with his TV series. His first movie, about the adorably awkward high-schooler gearing up for his school dance, would have been better as an extended episode.

Critics and audiences agreed, giving the forgettable film a 26% rating.

Planes

Clearly, viewers have no interest in animated planes whatsoever. Scoring an even worse rating than Planes: Fire & Rescue, this simplistic story of a small-town plane yearning to become an air racer, just did not land.

Especially compared to the vast array of adored animated Disney movies, Planes is just pretty colors and fast-moving vehicles in the sky, without any substance or anything to feel nostalgia for. Which might explain its 25% rating.

The Jungle Book 2 

Clocking in at the bottom of the list, and as the worst movie on Disney+ according to Rotten Tomatoes, is The Jungle Book 2, yet another reminder that some classics don’t need weirdly forced sequels.

After finding peace and a sense of belonging at the end of The Jungle Book, Mowgli apparently wants to undo all of that and return to the jungle to be with his friends. It basically erases the conclusion of the masterpiece original, and is better left forgotten. Which is easy to do when your Rotten Tomatoes score is 18%.

While Disney certainly has its fair share of iconic, enduring movies, the company isn’t entirely perfect, as evidenced by these cinematic snafus over the years. But hey, if you’re looking for an unintended laugh, they’re all available to stream on Disney+!

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Which Disney movie is your biggest guilty pleasure? Let us know in the comments!

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