Box Office Theory Forum’s Top 100 Disney Movies

[Eric is Quiet]

#260 - Splash (102 points, 3 lists)

 

#259 - Ant-Man and the Wasp (103 points, 6 lists)

 

#258 - Newsies, Saludos Amigos (104 points, 2 lists)

 

#257 - Bridge to Terabithia (105 points, 5 lists)

 

#256 - James and the Giant Peach (106 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #74)

 

#255 - Dick Tracy (106 points, 4 lists, avg. ranking #64)

 

#254 - The Color of Friendship (106 points, 3 lists)

 

#253 - Waking Sleeping Beauty (109 points, 3 lists)

 

#252 - Deja Vu (109 points, 2 lists)

 

 

#251 - The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (112 points, 4 lists)

[cannastop]

12 minutes ago, Eric Creed said:

#257 - Bridge to Terabithia (105 points, 5 lists)

I actually really like this movie but I didn't vote for it. I kind of forgot.

[Eric is Quiet]

#65
Dead Poets Society

793 points, 13 lists

"There's a time for daring and there's a time for caution, and a wise man understands which is called for."

Box Office: 235.9M

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Metacritic: 79

Awards: 1 Academy Award and 3 nominations, 2 BAFTA Awards and 4 nominations, 4 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: ""Dead Poets Society" is a collection of pious platitudes masquerading as a courageous stand in favor of something: doing your own thing, I think. It's about an inspirational, unconventional English teacher and his students at "the best prep school in America" and how he challenges them to question conventional views by such techniques as standing on their desks. It is, of course, inevitable that the brilliant teacher will eventually be fired from the school, and when his students stood on their desks to protest his dismissal, I was so moved, I wanted to throw up."

 

Its Legacy: One of Robin Williams' biggest box office hits. The breakthrough performance of Ethan Hawke. Became every English teacher's favorite movie. #52 on AFI's Top 100 Cheers. #95 on AFI's Top 10 Movie Quotes. Received a stage play in 2016. Parodied in Saturday Night Live and Community. Gave Kurtwood Smith a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Robin Williams is my second-favorite actor of all time. Judy Garland is the first if you’re curious. I loved Williams ever since I was a kid for his wild spontaneity and childlike innocence. Aladdin, Night at the Museum, Mrs. Doubtfire. He meant a lot to an awkward kid like me. Of course, I’ve gotten older and seen his movies aimed for adults. And Dead Poets Society is one of his best. Especially because this film in particular fit Williams’ own ethos on life.

 

Robin Williams is the man I aspire to be. Somebody who was goofy and silly, yet also sensitive and kind. Not ashamed to be who he was nor interested in falling into any toxic male stereotypes. It's all exemplified in great characters like Genie, like Mork, like Parry Sagan, like Sean Maguire...and like John Keating. A man who inspires a group of youngsters to seize every moment, fight against authority, profess their own creativity and individuality, and ignore what their superiors say. Be the best version of yourself. Whatever it may be.

 

I still feel that what I’m saying about Williams isn’t good enough. It’s been nearly a decade since he passed away, and I still feel like I want to pay a huge tribute to him. He was just that funny, that smart, that endearing, that kind. He was a beautiful, tender man. And I will always treasure him for the impact he left on me and countless others.

 

The rest of the film's student ensemble, largely focusing on students Neil and Perry, the latter by baby Ethan Hawke, have strong, relatable struggles, asked to adhere into the stereotypes and standards that were set upon them by their families. It's all just as memorable and really accentuates important life lessons of individuality and independence. Not only is this resonant for viewers the same age as these kids, but an important reminder that being young kind of sucks. And that instead of yelling at these kids for not being exactly molded in what you wanted them to be, just let them be who they are and give them the proper guidance, society be damned.

 

 

[Eric is Quiet]

#64
Tarzan

810 points, 18 lists

"I was saved! I was saved by a flying wild man in a loincloth."

 

Box Office: 448.2M

Rotten Tomatoes: 89%

Metacritic: 79

Awards: 1 Academy Award, 1 Annie Award and 10 nominations, 1 Golden Globe Award, 1 Grammy Award and 1 nomination

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "The movie is also a lot of fun. It has scenes that move through space with a freedom undreamed of in older animated films, and unattainable by any live-action process. Disney uses a process called Deep Canvas, a computer-assisted animation tool that handles the details during swoops through three dimensions. There's a sequence where Tarzan helps Jane escape from a killer leopard, and as they hurtle through the treetops and loop the loop on byways of vines, it's like a roller-coaster ride.'

 

Its Legacy: The final film of the Disney Renaissance. The most expensive Disney Feature Animation movie at that time. Introduced the story of Tarzan to a whole new generation, becoming the definitive (and least racist) version of the story. Earned a Broadway musical, a TV series, and two direct-to-video sequels. Appeared in Kingdom Hearts. Introduced a whole generation to Phil Collins. "You'll Be In My Heart" would be one of Disney's most successful songs in history. Gave Rosie O'Donnell a paycheck.

 

Commentary: The epic finale of the Disney Renaissance, Tarzan ended things on a bang. Not just because it was one of the highest-grossing Disney movies ever, but because it’s a damn good movie. One that successfully refreshed the racist af character to modern-day sensibilities and Disney charms.

 

It’s a very solid character piece, as we follow a man caught between two worlds (heh heh). Can he stay with the gorilla family he has known all his life, despite not being his kind? Should he even stay? Does he have to go into human civilization? Is it worth exploring a world he has no idea about? It’s a very compelling drama that gives us great internal conflict within all the flashy action scenes, heartfelt romance between Tarzan and Jane, and snappy animation.

 

Speaking of, the film’s animation and art style is incredible. Downright innovative. Coming out just as CGI was being implemented in animated movies more and more, Tarzan was a unique blend of classic hand-drawn animation and computer-generated backgrounds and landscapes, a bend that still looks solidly seamless and impressive today. This attempt of having 3D animation looking like 2D animation would end up with the Disney animators getting a Technical Oscar and resulting in some of the best action and chase sequences ever made from the studio. There’s even some impressive work on Tarzan himself, as lead animator Glen Keane crafted a character with some of the most realistic anatomy ever seen on any Disney character. How he pulled it off so incredibly, I’ll never understand.

 

Plus of course, there’s that amazing Oscar-winning Phil Collins soundtrack. While the decision was to move away from showy dance numbers, Collins’ songs play in the background in pivotal moments, resulting in fantastic montages, great melodies, and catchy tunes that introduced a whole generation of kids to that oh-so great drummer of Genesis. If I can speak personally, Tarzan was a movie I watched a lot as a kid and made me a Collins die-hard for life.

 

This combination of innovative visuals, heartfelt story, exciting action, and great music made Tarzan one of the biggest hits of both the Renaissance and Disney history and it’s still an awesome thrill ride 25 years later.

 

 

[Eric is Quiet]

#63
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

810 points, 18 lists

"There were a lot of explosions for two people blending in."

Box Office: 1.058B

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Metacritic: 65

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Empire Awards and 6 nominations, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations, 3 Saturn Awards and 8 nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: The first Star Wars story not focused on a Skywalker. Started the ultra controversial and hella gross deepfaking dead actors BS trash that I hate. Recieved a spin-off television series in Andor in 2022. The second-biggest film of 2016 and was the 20th highest-grossing film of all time. One of the most expensive movies ever made. Earned tie-in novels and tie-in comics. Featured in the Star Wars Battlefront reboot video game series. Gave Alan Tudyk a paycheck.

 

Commentary: When Disney purchased Lucasfilm and had the opportunity to go hog wild with Star Wars, they planned to do exactly that. A trilogy of films was expected of course, but there were also plans to make an anthology series of Star Wars stories. Films that took place in different pockets of the universe and timeline, films that could have their own genre and tone and style, and take the property to the next level of creativity.

 

And well...that didn’t happen. But we got a kickass war drama out of it. Detailing the story of the Rebels who actually got us those Death Star plans, Rogue One was intense, harsh, and action-packed. It follows characters who lost so much, but still wish to fight. Whether it be for vengeance, for honor, or for simply wanting to do what is right. This leads to some brutal action and a heart-stopping final act that offers some of the best drama and adventure in all of Star Wars history. Oh, and Darth Vader throws a lightsaber around, and people act very annoying about that because of it.

 

We’re sadly never going to see another Star Wars movie again, but we still got a film that was exciting and wholly unique for the franchise, allowing Disney the confidence when it comes to future Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and direct spin-off Andor, and will be a key component for many, young and old, on why they love Star Wars.

 

Only downside? It made deepfaking dead actors a thing and I hate this movie’s very existence for that.

 

 

[Jake Gittes]

29 minutes ago, Eric Creed said:

Roger Ebert’s Review: ""Dead Poets Society" is a collection of pious platitudes masquerading as a courageous stand in favor of something: doing your own thing, I think. It's about an inspirational, unconventional English teacher and his students at "the best prep school in America" and how he challenges them to question conventional views by such techniques as standing on their desks. It is, of course, inevitable that the brilliant teacher will eventually be fired from the school, and when his students stood on their desks to protest his dismissal, I was so moved, I wanted to throw up."

 

bwahahaha go off king.

[Eric is Quiet]

10 minutes ago, Jake Gittes said:

 

bwahahaha go off king.

Get out of my house.

[Arlborn]

1 hour ago, Eric Creed said:

#63 Rogue One: A Star Wars

We’re sadly never going to see another Star Wars movie again, but we still got a film that was exciting and wholly unique for the franchise, allowing Disney the confidence when it comes to future Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and direct spin-off Andor, and will be a key component for many, young and old, on why they love Star Wars.

Edited February 7 by Arlborn

[Flip]

1 hour ago, Eric Creed said:

#63
Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

810 points, 18 lists

"There were a lot of explosions for two people blending in."

Box Office: 1.058B

Rotten Tomatoes: 84%

Metacritic: 65

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Empire Awards and 6 nominations, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations, 3 Saturn Awards and 8 nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: The first Star Wars story not focused on a Skywalker. Started the ultra controversial and hella gross deepfaking dead actors BS trash that I hate. Recieved a spin-off television series in Andor in 2022. The second-biggest film of 2016 and was the 20th highest-grossing film of all time. One of the most expensive movies ever made. Earned tie-in novels and tie-in comics. Featured in the Star Wars Battlefront reboot video game series. Gave Alan Tudyk a paycheck.

 

Commentary: When Disney purchased Lucasfilm and had the opportunity to go hog wild with Star Wars, they planned to do exactly that. A trilogy of films was expected of course, but there were also plans to make an anthology series of Star Wars stories. Films that took place in different pockets of the universe and timeline, films that could have their own genre and tone and style, and take the property to the next level of creativity.

 

And well...that didn’t happen. But we got a kickass war drama out of it. Detailing the story of the Rebels who actually got us those Death Star plans, Rogue One was intense, harsh, and action-packed. It follows characters who lost so much, but still wish to fight. Whether it be for vengeance, for honor, or for simply wanting to do what is right. This leads to some brutal action and a heart-stopping final act that offers some of the best drama and adventure in all of Star Wars history. Oh, and Darth Vader throws a lightsaber around, and people act very annoying about that because of it.

 

We’re sadly never going to see another Star Wars movie again, but we still got a film that was exciting and wholly unique for the franchise, allowing Disney the confidence when it comes to future Star Wars shows like The Mandalorian and direct spin-off Andor, and will be a key component for many, young and old, on why they love Star Wars.

 

Only downside? It made deepfaking dead actors a thing and I hate this movie’s very existence for that.

 

 

behind TLJ and TFA? 😭

[The Panda]

Tarzan has a special place in my heart for being the first film I saw in theaters

[Eric is Quiet]

16 hours ago, Flip said:

behind TLJ and TFA? 😭

It’s what she deserves 💅 

[Eric is Quiet]

 

[Morieris]

Tarzan is the first Disney movie I remember seeing period for some reason, even though I was at the theater for Lion King at like 3.

[cannastop]

1 hour ago, The Panda said:

Tarzan has a special place in my heart for being the first film I saw in theaters

It's the first movie I remember seeing in theaters.

[Eric is Quiet]

#250 - Apocalypto (112 points, 3 lists)

 

#249 - The Absent-Minded Professor (114 points, 2 lists)

 

#248 - Cars 3 (116 points, 4 lists)

 

#247 - Meet the Robinsons (117 points, 4 lists)

 

#246 - Bullets Over Broadway (117 points, 3 lists)

 

#245 - The Mighty Ducks (118 points, 3 lists)

 

#244 - The Others (121 points, 5 lists)

 

#243 - High Fidelity (121 points, 4 lists)

 

#242 - Pete's Dragon (2016) (122 points, 6 lists)

 

#241 - Air Bud, The English Patient (123 points, 2 lists)

[Eric is Quiet]

#62

Luca

818 points, 17 lists

"Silenzio Bruno!"

Box Office: 49.8M

Rotten Tomatoes: 91%

Metacritic: 71

Awards: 2 Academy Award nominations, 2 BAFTA Award nominations, 3 Empire Awards and 6 nominations, 2 MTV Movie Award nominations, 3 Saturn Awards and 8 nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: N/A

 

Its Legacy: Part of the Pixar Plus Trilogy. The most-streamed movie of 2021. Earned a short film sequels. Earned analysis from an LGBT perspective. Gave Maya Rudolph a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Part of the famed and loved Pixar Plus Trilogy (Can we call these movies that? I’m gonna call these movies that), Luca was part of a major transformation for Pixar once Pete Docter took charge of the studio. Docter’s emphasis in his CCO tenure is allowing his filmmakers to make wholly personal and sentimental stories, oftentimes based on their own childhoods. Luca, from Italian director Enrico Casarosa, is no exception to this. This not only led to a wholly heartfelt, personal feature about Casarosa’s own childhood growing up in Genoa, but also a movie that was pretty atypical for Pixar.

 

With their huge budgets and penchant for worldbuilding, Pixar movies are known for being big. Having grand stories, wild and detailed visuals, tons of locations, and huge setpiece-filled adventures. Luca is, frankly, nothing like that. Most of the story takes place in one location and the main conflict largely consists of the friendship between two sea monsters and them trying to win a bicycle race. It sounds kind of boring at first, but thankfully the film oozes charm and personality.

 

There’s a great ensemble cast full of eccentric, yet endearing characters, a lot of creative and imaginative sequences, and a very sweet friendship between the two main characters Luca and Alberto. It makes the film’s laid-back identity and cozy vibes ring true as a funny, realistic, yet still imaginative look at childhood and discovering what really matters in life.

 

Luca would become a massive hit on Disney+, with kids and adults loving how the film depicts the wonderful values of friendship and telling a story of two boys who feel different and outcasts, and how, really, that’s okay. It’s been reinterpreted and analyzed as a fun Little Mermaid riff, a story about immigrants, an LGBT-inspired storyline, and so on. Which in a way is a sign of a great movie and what makes Pixar great. Films can be viewed in so many angles and great films can be given unique interpretations that make it shine for so many people. And yeah, Luca is a great film to do that with. And will likely be a film that people will analyze and give their own unique interpretations towards over the next few decades.

 

 

[Eric is Quiet]

#61

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

829 points, 11 lists

"To wives and sweethearts. May they never meet."

 

Box Office: 211.6M

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: 81

Awards: 2 Academy Awards and 8 nominations, 4 BAFTA Awards and 4 nominations, 2 Empire Award nominations, 3 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: ""Master and Commander" is grand and glorious, and touching in its attention to its characters. Like the work of David Lean, it achieves the epic without losing sight of the human, and to see it is to be reminded of the way great action movies can rouse and exhilarate us, can affirm life instead of simply dramatizing its destruction."

 

Its Legacy: The second Crowe/Bettany collaboration. The passion project of Tom Rothman. A production so big, it needed 4 studios to make it. Earned a second wind in popularity thanks to streaming and positive, non-toxic masculinity tropes. A prequel is in development. Gave Russell Crowe a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Here’s a movie that deserved better. A movie that deserved the box office that Pirates of the Caribbean got. A movie that deserved the awards Return of the King got. A movie that should have been a big franchise. A movie that would have resulted in Peter Weir making more movies before retiring early. But I guess things happen for a reason, and what we got was still amazing.

 

Really, it’s the tactileness of Master and Commander that makes it so incredible. Nowadays, everything would be under a green screen with a giant water tank to help save costs and make it easier to manipulate for the director’s liking. But they really filmed this on the ocean. With near-exact replicas of the ships used during the Napoleonic Wars. It creates a sense of power when it comes to the ship battles, but even the quieter moments, with the crew talking and arguing and dealing with strife, it all results in an amazing mise en scene that makes it feel like you're on the boat.

 

Props also to the sound designers, who always ensure there are ship creaks and waves splashing, grounding everything into reality more. Alongside great cinematography that sways and moves with the ship, while also showcasing the beauty and wonders of the ocean and the boats present. It's an absolute landmark of technical achivement. 

 

Thankfully, there are also some great characters and compelling drama to sell you in the story too, with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany delivering a strong camaraderie and a ship’s crew that’s legit entertaining and well-realized, even with some characters having more screentime than others. It’s a perfect package whether you want to see awesome action, exciting visuals, or a great story, and it still found an audience that really gravitated towards the film. Will still gravitate towards it. In short, Peter Weir really was unlike any other.

 

 

[Eric is Quiet]

#60

National Treasure

841 points, 21 lists

"I'm going to steal the Declaration of Independence."

Box Office: 347.5M

Rotten Tomatoes: 46%

Metacritic: 39

Awards: 2 Saturn Award nominations, 1 Teen Choice Award nomination

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: "Cage, one of my favorite actors, is ideal for this caper because he has the ability to seem uncontrollably enthusiastic about almost anything. Harvey Keitel, who plays FBI agent Sadusky, falls back on his ability to seem grim about almost anything. Jon Voight calls on his skill at seeming sincere at the drop of a pin. Diane Kruger has a foreign accent even though she is the National Archivist, so that our eyes can mist at the thought that in the land of opportunity, even a person with a foreign accent can become the National Archivist. "National Treasure" is so silly that the Monty Python version could use the same screenplay, line for line."

 

Its Legacy: One of Nicolas Cage's most successful movies ever. Earned the biggest opening weekend ever for a Disney film in November. Another huge hit for Jerry Bruckheimer. Earned a sequel and television series. A third film is in development. Gave Justin Bartha a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Long before Disney ended up owning Indiana Jones, the mad lad Jerry Bruckheimer and his buddy Jon Turteltaub created their own globe-trotting hero in Benjamin Franklin Gates in a kickass treasure hunt movie all about finding buried treasure hidden by America’s Founding Fathers.

 

And yeah, that premise is a little stupid. However, what results is a very derivative, but very exciting adventure full of espionage, intrigue, backstabbing, and a fun look at alternate history, with one of the greatest lines in movie history. This is not only thanks to some fun setpieces typical of Bruckheimer adventures, but also the mastery of Nicolas Cage. A real-life nutcase, he’s the anchor to making this silly setup work. He does great in the action and physicality, but also in being a fun, madcap adventurer with an exciting, twisted side to him. It results in a great family adventure for all ages with a strong cult following among Disney and Cage fandom alike.

 

Now can we please get that National Treasure 3 movie announced? You keep teasing it, the people have been waiting. It’s time for another movie. Just do it.

 

 

[cannastop]

23 minutes ago, Eric Creed said:

#60

National Treasure

wait really?

[4815162342]

1 hour ago, Eric Creed said:

#61

Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World

829 points, 11 lists

"To wives and sweethearts. May they never meet."

 

Box Office: 211.6M

Rotten Tomatoes: 85%

Metacritic: 81

Awards: 2 Academy Awards and 8 nominations, 4 BAFTA Awards and 4 nominations, 2 Empire Award nominations, 3 Golden Globe Award nominations

 

Roger Ebert’s Review: ""Master and Commander" is grand and glorious, and touching in its attention to its characters. Like the work of David Lean, it achieves the epic without losing sight of the human, and to see it is to be reminded of the way great action movies can rouse and exhilarate us, can affirm life instead of simply dramatizing its destruction."

 

Its Legacy: The second Crowe/Bettany collaboration. The passion project of Tom Rothman. A production so big, it needed 4 studios to make it. Earned a second wind in popularity thanks to streaming and positive, non-toxic masculinity tropes. A prequel is in development. Gave Russell Crowe a paycheck.

 

Commentary: Here’s a movie that deserved better. A movie that deserved the box office that Pirates of the Caribbean got. A movie that deserved the awards Return of the King got. A movie that should have been a big franchise. A movie that would have resulted in Peter Weir making more movies before retiring early. But I guess things happen for a reason, and what we got was still amazing.

 

Really, it’s the tactileness of Master and Commander that makes it so incredible. Nowadays, everything would be under a green screen with a giant water tank to help save costs and make it easier to manipulate for the director’s liking. But they really filmed this on the ocean. With near-exact replicas of the ships used during the Napoleonic Wars. It creates a sense of power when it comes to the ship battles, but even the quieter moments, with the crew talking and arguing and dealing with strife, it all results in an amazing mise en scene that makes it feel like you're on the boat.

 

Props also to the sound designers, who always ensure there are ship creaks and waves splashing, grounding everything into reality more. Alongside great cinematography that sways and moves with the ship, while also showcasing the beauty and wonders of the ocean and the boats present. It's an absolute landmark of technical achivement. 

 

Thankfully, there are also some great characters and compelling drama to sell you in the story too, with Russell Crowe and Paul Bettany delivering a strong camaraderie and a ship’s crew that’s legit entertaining and well-realized, even with some characters having more screentime than others. It’s a perfect package whether you want to see awesome action, exciting visuals, or a great story, and it still found an audience that really gravitated towards the film. Will still gravitate towards it. In short, Peter Weir really was unlike any other.

 

 

 

What's wrong with you stupido