Disney movies are supposed to leave you with that warm and fuzzy feeling of nostalgia. However, no matter how well-written or animated a movie is sometimes something in there just irks me. Whether it doesn’t make sense, the writers just missed out on an awesome opportunity, or I just decided that it bugs me, and that’s final. Therefore, here are my top four Disney movies that are only slightly annoying.
Encanto
Encanto isn’t the worst Disney movie, which is why it’s only slightly annoying. The songs are good, some might call them annoyingly catchy, and the plot is pretty entertaining. However, the fact that the main character, Maribel, never ends up getting a special power like her entire family is stupid. In the movie, Maribel’s entire family has a special power that they call “gifts.” Well, everyone except for her. And these gifts aren’t boring like hair that glows, this entire family gets creative, useful, and frankly, epic gifts I’ve ever seen in a Disney movie. For instance, Maribel’s cousin, Antonio can speak to animals, while her sister, Isabela, can create flowers and plants from thin air.
While I understand the whole point of the movie is to prove that even though Maribel is different and has no gift, she can still contribute and be accepted for who she is. But this girl works so hard for her family and goes on this crazy journey to bring them all together, and I feel like she deserves something. Out of her entire family, she’s probably the one that deserves a gift the most. The fact that the movie never rewards her for her hard work, leaving her in the same position is absurd. I understand that she’s more accepted now, but I’d rather be a social outcast with powers than accepted without any.
Coco
Coco is a fine movie. While it doesn’t stand out, I wouldn’t complain if someone put it on the TV. The main character, Miguel, loves playing his guitar, but his family forbids him from playing. While trying to steal a guitar, he somehow ends up in the Land of the Dead and has to traverse family dynamics to find his way out. So yes, the plot is fairly entertaining and creative. This is why the reason this movie annoys me ever so slightly is not due to the movie itself.
The movie Coco showcases a lot of Spanish culture, which is why it’s a Spanish teacher’s go-to movie. Almost every year like clockwork I end up watching Coco in an uncomfortable seat in the dark of my Spanish class. Due to this, the movie has become both repetitive and correlated with a feeling of annoyance.
Mulan
(Spoilers ahead) Mulan, again, is a great movie. It’s classic, creative, entertaining, and fun. Mulan follows the main protagonist, Mulan, as she takes her father’s place in a Chinese war against the Huns. She must disguise herself as a man because women aren’t allowed to fight in the war. It’s a great movie that I would recommend. There’s just one little thing that bugs me every time I watch it.
After a large battle where Mulan saves the soldier’s captain, Li Shang, Mulan is wounded. When being treated the army discovers she is, in fact, female. Due to this, Mulan is supposed to be executed. But since she so diligently saved Li Shang, the son of the general, only moments before, he decides to spare her. However, the way he goes by this is quite absurd. The thought process is not there. Instead of just putting her out of her misery then and there, he decides it is a great idea to leave her in the middle of a random snowy mountain range to freeze and starve to death. She ends up surviving, but did he expect her to? Or did he do it for group morale or something? Yes, it’s a kid’s movie but at least let it make sense.
The Lion King 1 1/2
I have to be honest real quick: I have not seen this movie, and honestly, I don’t plan to. Judging by the cover, it doesn’t look too bad, so clearly, the plot is not the issue, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was a letdown. However, after further inspection, I found that the movie follows Timon and Pumbaa’s friendship, which could be slightly interesting. The entire reason that this movie made this mildly infuriating movie list is because of its name.
While I understand that this movie came out after the second Lion King movie, and I assume that the plot takes place between the first and second movies, the order makes sense. But why’d they choose the title “1 ½”? It makes it sound like the producers completely forgot about this storyline, which they clearly did. It seems like they threw this movie together in five minutes without putting in enough effort to secure a tolerable title. Would it have been that hard to name in something like “The Lion King: Through the Eyes of Timon and Pumbaa?” While I don’t think this movie is a total train wreck, just remembering this movie exists bugs me.
Overall, all of these movies are tolerable, and I’d even recommend some of them. They’re so close to being perfect—or at least good—if these directors made a few changes.
