Before Disney began prioritizing nostalgia through their live-action remakes, the company decided to take advantage of the rise of home video releases in the 90s. After the box-office disappointment ofThe Rescuers Down-Under,Disney decided to release future sequels to their animated features on home release. Using a reduced budget, they were able to make dozens of these films over the next few decades.
Related:10 Most Surprisingly Good Disney Sequels, RankedThe quality of these films varied wildly. While they were all made to capitalize on the love of the originals, some had enough time and effort put into the writing and animation that, while not as good as the originals, still entertained and left an impact.
‘Aladdin And The King of Thieves’ (1996)
After many years of adventures, Aladdin and Jasmine are finally getting married. Unfortunately, their wedding is interrupted by the 40 thieves, who attempt to make off with a magic staff to find a long-lost treasure. As Aladdin tracks them down, he discovers that the thieves are led by his father.
Aladdin and the King of Thievesgives a proper sendoff to the television series, which began with Disney’s first home-release sequel,The Return of Jafar.Along with Aladdin and Jasmine finally marrying, the film ends with the peddler from the originalAladdin,and seesRobin Williamsreturn as the Genie. The plot of Aladdin meeting his father allows him to reflect on his personal growth and gives a memorable performance byJohn Rhys-Davies.
‘Pooh’s Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin’ (1997)
On the last day of a golden summer, Winnie the Pooh spends the day playing with his best friend, Christopher Robin. The next day, he finds that Christopher is missing, and a note has been left with a honeypot that says he is missing. With nothing but a hand-drawn map to lead them, Pooh and his friends Piglet, Tigger, Rabbit, and Eeyore head into the Great Unknown to try and rescue him.
Related:Oh Bother! Disney’s Winnie the Pooh Movies RankedThis is one of those golden examples of children’s media that isn’t afraid to treat its audience seriously. The story is more mature than other Pooh stories, allowing for many quiet moments of retrospect, and strong themes about overcoming one’s self-doubt. The cast is made up of the best actors for the Winnie the Pooh characters, includingJim Cummingsas Pooh,John Fielderas Piglet, andPaul Winchellin his final role as Tigger.
‘The Lion King 2: Simba’s Pride’ (1998)
After Simba defeats Scar and claimed his place as king of the Pride Lands, he and Nala have a daughter named Kiara. She meets a young cub named Kovu, who is part of a group of banished lionesses still loyal to Scar. Kovu’s adopted mother, Zira, tries to use their friendship to get Kovu to kill Simba, but the two end up falling in love and attempt to find a way to bring their people together.
IfThe Lion Kingis Disneytrying to doHamlet,this film isRomeo and Juliet.Zira’s faction could have easily been depicted as irredeemable zealots, but through choice dialogue and visual storytelling, we can see that they are motivated mostly by survival rather than loyalty to Scar. This helps addmore complexity to both the conflictand Kiara and Kovu’s relationship.
‘Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmas’ (1999)
This holiday release is an anthology seeing how Mickey, Donald, and Goofy each celebrate the holidays. As Huey, Dewey and Louie wish for Christmas every day, Goofy tries to prove to Max that Santa Claus is real. Meanwhile, Mickey and Minnie live throughThe Gift of the Magias they attempt to get each other the perfect present.
Mickey’s Once Upon a Christmasdoesn’t lack emotion in any of its stories. While the writing might not captivate older audiences, it’s a good way to introduce kids to themes of the importance of family and togetherness. This is especially true for Mickey and Minnie’s section and is made sweeter because their voice actors,Wayne AllwineandRussi Taylorwere married.
‘Buzz Lightyear of Star Command: The Adventure Begins’ (2000)
One day while Andy is away, Woody and the gang decide to watch a VHS starring the Buzz Lightyear character. After losing his partner, Buzz goes against the orders of Star Command by refusing to take another. But when Emperor Zurg develops a new weapon to control the universe, Buzz finds himself leading a ragtag group of misfits to stop him.
Related:10 Worst Pixar Movies According to IMDBThis film is a better in-universe origin for Andy’s love of Buzz Lightyear than theLightyearfilms ever was. Along with gettingTim Allento voice Buzz, the film presents a fun space adventure with plenty of tropes found in 90s Saturday morning cartoons. It has good action, a diverse cast of characters, and plenty of funny comedic moments.
‘The Little Mermaid 2: Return to The Sea’ (2000)
As Ariel and Eric present their daughter, Melody, to King Triton, Ursula’s crazy sister, Morgana, attempts to kidnap her. While she is stopped, she manages to escape, and out of fear, Ariel and Eric build a wall around their castle and don’t tell Melody about her origins. However, Melody feels drawn to the sea, and when she’s older, sets off to discover the truth.
Related:10 Disney Movies That Should Have Stopped at OneWhile the plot is an inverse of the original, the film stands thanks to its voice actors and characters. Melody works as a protagonist that combines Ariel’s wanderlust withthe vocal talents ofTara Strong,whilePat Carolreturns to voice Morgana withthe same gusto she gave to Ursula. The supporting cast is also strong, with Morgana’s shark minion, Undertow, standing out thanks to the natural charisma ofClancy Brown.
‘Mickey, Donald, and Goofy: The Three Musketeers’ (2004)
Mickey, Donald, and Goofy are janitors in service of Princess Minnie’s royal Musketeers with ambitions to join them. They get their chance when they are chosen by Captain Pete to be Minnie’s bodyguards after a failed assassination attempt. Unknown to everyone, Pete is a villain out to steal Minnie’s crown and chose them for their perceived weaknesses.
While not the best telling ofThe Three Musketeers,this film is a fun and serviceable kids' adventure film. The characters play off of one another beautifully and tell a good story about working through your flaws to achieve your dreams. Its songs add new lyrics to classics like “In the Hall of the Mountain King,” which can help introduce kids to classical music.
‘Bambi II’ (2006)
After the death of Bambi’s mother, he finds himself in the care of his father, the Great Prince of the Forest. The prince doesn’t know how to properly care for Bambii, so asks the Friend Owl to look for another doe to adopt him. In the meantime, Bambi works to gain his father’s attention through acts of bravery.
While its story is a little basic,Bambi IIboasts some of the best animations in any Disney home video release. The backgrounds pay homage toTyrus Wong’siconic designs in the original while making use of advanced coloring techniques. As such, the characters look like they’re walking within a painting, which helps them stand out.
‘Leroy & Stitch’ (2006)
In this conclusion to theLilo & Stitch: The Series,Lilo has succeeded in her mission to rehabilitate Jumba’s experiments and give them a place to live in Hawaii. For their services, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley are all given rewards that take off Earth, much to Lilo’s sadness. Meanwhile, Gantu breaks Dr. Hamsterviel out of prison, and they force Jumba to create Leroy, a new experiment stronger than Stitch.
Related:10 Most Surprising Cartoon Crossovers, RankedLeroy & Stitchdoes a good job of wrapping up the character’s stories while still being a good watch even if you haven’t seen the show. Gantu and 625, in particular, have a nice conclusion to their ongoing frenemy dynamic. The climax has all the experiments fight an army of Leroy clones, allowing one final hurray to showcase the powers of the show’s most iconic characters.
‘Cinderella III: A Twist in Time’ (2007)
As Cinderella and the prince celebrate their first anniversary, the fairy godmother loses her wand, which is recovered by Anastasia. After accidentally turning the fairy godmother to stone, Lady Tremaine takes the wand and uses it to go back in time and charm the prince into falling for Anastasia.
This film probably takes the most risks out of Disney’s home releases. Along with its time travel plot, it also expands upon characters from the original film that lacked development, like the prince. It’s also not afraid to go dark in places and to get creative with its use of the magic wand, particularly near the climax.
