How did Disney's "The Rescuers Down Under" do so poorly at the box-office?

[MrFanaticGuy34]

Think about it. It's the sequel to a Disney animated classic from the late 70's.....which in the case, "The Rescuers" which was released in 1977...and has a lifetime gross at $71M DOM. And yet, it's sequel that came out 13 years later, "The Rescuers Down Under"...didn't gross anywhere near it's predecessor...with only $27M DOM in 1990. It had also a 68% on RT.....which oddly enough is 15% away from the first one's 83%.

 

I think i know some theories of it's underperformance:

 

1. Probably the lack of marketing played a factor of why "Rescuers Down Under" didn't open better enough to have a long run in theaters.

2. The Rescuers Down Under's biggest and most dangerous competitor destroyed the sequel's chances.....and it's none other than "Home Alone"....starring then child actor, Macaulay Culkin as Kevin McCallister.

 

If you have any other theories of Rescuers Down Under's underperformance.....comment below.

[cannastop]

People probably didn't want a sequel to The Rescuers. Also, Home Alone was a Juggernaut, bitch.

[MrFanaticGuy34]

15 hours ago, cannastop said:

People probably didn't want a sequel to The Rescuers. Also, Home Alone was a Juggernaut, bitch.

 

I'm not sure it would be that "people didn't want this sequel". We have to keep in mind though, "Rescuers Down Under" was the second Disney animated film in the Renaissance, after "The Little Mermaid. And it was Disney's first attempt to make a full length animated sequel....so there was a reason why people had to be excited for something at the time....but the problem was that the film's marketing was almost non-existent and it's competitor "Home Alone" destroyed it.

 

Also...this film does have a historical significance, since it was the first 2D animated film to fully utilize the CAPS-process (Computer Animation Production System).

[Boxx93]

There is a documentary called Waking Sleeping Beauty about the 90's Disney Renaissance where they talked about this.

 

Major lack of marketing clearly played a big rol in its faliure.

 

Witch is a shame because this movie is pretty freaking awesome, and it has some of the best musical scores I have heard in a Disney movie (aside from BATB and TLK)

Edited November 22, 2016 by Boxx93