With Disney’sMoana 2arriving in theaters, it joins the rising list of animated sequels to critically acclaimed Disney movies. Since the 1990s, Disney has released several animated sequels to some of their most popular movies, which have reached varying degrees of success with critics and viewers. While there were some Disney sequels that received a theatrical release,between the 1990s and 2010s, the majority of animated sequels were released direct-to-DVD.
There are several Disney direct-to-DVD movies that serve as midquels or prequels to classic stories, includingBeauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical WorldandThe Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning.While these midquel movies fill in the gaps in the originals' stories,Disney also released many movies that continued on from where the original movie ended. But whileDisney’s catalog of animated sequelsallows iconic characters to experience a new adventure, not every sequel has been met with a warm reception from audiences.
Disney’s 1998Mulanoffered an inspiring coming-of-age story about a young woman taking her ailing father’s place in the army and rising to fight against the Hun invasion in China.Mulanwas a great movie on its own, so it came as a surprise when Disney released a direct-to-video sequel in 2004.Mulan IIdepicts the titular character and her fiancé, Li Shang, on a new mission to bring three princesses to the kingdom of Qui Cong in preparation for their arranged marriage. Meanwhile, Mushu’s role as guardian spirit is threatened by Mulan and Shang’s relationship, and he plots to break them up.
The sequel completely contradicts Mulan’s original story of rising up against the odds, and sees her sacrificing her own happiness to enter an arranged marriage.
This is easily the worst Disney animated sequel ever made, as it completely contradicts Mulan’s original story of rising up against the odds, and sees her sacrificing her own happiness to enter an arranged marriage. Its story is nowhere near as thrilling as the original and includes a voice cast that delivers a lackluster performance. A sequel to an already iconic Disney movie likeMulanjust wasn’t needed, so it’s no surprise thatMulan IIhas a score of 0% on Rotten Tomatoes.
This sequel was released almost four decades afterThe Jungle Bookin 1967.The Jungle Book 2continues Mowgli’s story, now living in the man-village with Shanti and his new adopted family. However, Mowgli misses life in the jungle and, after an argument with the village’s leader, he returns to the jungle with Baloo. Unbeknownst to everybody, Shere Khan is searching for Mowgli, seeking revenge for their last encounter.
The plot ofThe Jungle Book 2is an unnecessary rehash of the first movie.
The plot ofThe Jungle Book 2is an unnecessary rehash of the first movie, and received criticism for not introducing any new aspects to the story and its poor animation. The movie includes a new voice cast, including Haley Joel Osment and John Goodman, who do their best in the roles of Mowgli and Baloo, but it’s not enough to keep the movie from being one of Disney’s more forgettable sequels.The Jungle Book 2became the last Disney animated sequel released in theatersuntilRalph Breaks The Internetin 2018.
Released as part of the Disney Renaissance,The Hunchback of Notre Dameis often considered one of the best adaptations of Victor Hugo’s classic novel.The sequel returns to Quasimodo, who is now an accepted member of Parisian society, and is friends with Zephyr, the son of Esmaralda and Phoebus. Sarousch, the owner of a circus troupe, arrives in Paris to steal the bell of Notre Dame. He recruits his assistant Madallaine to get Quasimodo to fall in love with her and gain his trust.
The sequel tried to offer an idea of Quasimodo’s life after the events of the original movie, but the story is subpar and boring with stilted animation and a forgettable soundtrack. The main villain, Sarousch, is also considered uninteresting compared to the original’s JudgeClaude Frollo, one of Disney’s unappreciated villains. While it’s nice to see Quasimodo finally find love,the sequel doesn’t have enough to make it a commendable continuation of the original story.
The Emporer’s New Grooveis often considered one of Disney’s most underrated animated movies, thanks to its humourous story, talented voice cast and range of characters.One ofThe Emporer’s New Groove’sbest characterswas Kronk, the bumbling assistant of Yzma; voiced by Patrick Warburton, Kronk’s dimwitted mindset and attacks of conscience made him one of the best aspects of the movie. The success ofThe Emporer’s New Grooveand Kronk’s popularity with viewers led to him receiving his own movie,Kronk’s New Groove,in 2005.
It tried to offer something different from the original, but showed that when Kronk was moved into the spotlight, his antics became tedious for viewers.
The sequel sees Patrick Warburton return as Kronk and follows him recounting how he lost everything to gain the approval of his father and eventually regaining everything back. It tried to offer something different from the original, but showed that when Kronk was moved into the spotlight, his antics became tedious for viewers.Kronk later returned in a sidekick role in the spinoff show,The Emporer’s New School,which was more successful.
Disney’sAladdin,released in 1992, isone of the best animated movies from the Disney Renaissance era. Its success saw the release of two direct-to-video sequels, with the first,The Return of Jafar,released in 1994.The sequel served as the pilot of the animated television seriesand depicts Aladdin settled in the Palace of Agrabah with Jasmine. Their peace is thwarted when Jafar is released from his imprisonment in his lamp and swears revenge on the street rat.
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With all of Aladdin’s problematic aspects and controversies, it’s harder to watch the Disney movie three decades after it released in theaters.
The Return of Jafarwas negatively impacted by Robin Williams' decision not to reprise his role of Genie, following a fallout with Disney. His replacement, Dan Castellaneta (the voice of Homer Simpson), offered an interesting take on the Genie, but his performance was seen as inferior to Williams. The movie received criticism for its repetitive storyline and lack of thrills that made the original a success.
Based on the life of a real historical figure,Pocahontas II: Journey to a New Worlddepicts Pocahontas travelling to Englandto bring peace between England and the Powhatan Nation. She is accompanied on her journey by a new character, John Rolfe, who brings her to meet the King and Queen of England to arrange a negotiation between the two lands. Their relationship gets off to a rocky start, but gradually, the two begin to fall in love.
From a historical viewpoint, the movie offers an interesting view intowhat happened to the real Pocahontaswhen she traveled to England with John Rolfe. However, similar toMulan II,it completely undermines the original story and sees Pocahontas being bullied into acting “civilized” in English society,rather than standing up for herself. It also isn’t a movie to watch if viewers prefer seeing Pocahontas with John Smith in the original.
Lilo & Stitchhas become one of the most popular franchises in Disney historyand its 2002 movie was given a sequel,Stitch Has a Glitch,in 2005. The movie explores Stitch beginning to suffer from malfunctioning glitches andstarts to revert to his villainous behavior. Lilo is determined to win a hula competition in honor of her mother, but Stitch’s malfunctions threaten to cause a rift in their friendship.
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Since Lilo & Stitch’s release in 2002, the iconic Disney franchise has spawned several other films and TV shows, so there’s plenty of Stitch to enjoy.
Stitch Has a Glitchexplores the themes of family, friendship and being there for others in their times of need. The movie displays believable character development in Stitch, but many felt the subplot of Lilo’s hula competition wasn’t needed and dragged the movie on longer than necessary. WhileStitch Has a Glitchfared poorly with critics, it had enough to keep viewers who enjoyed the original entertained.
Serving as both a sequel toA Goofy Movieand the finale to the series,Goof Troop, An Extremely Goofy Moviesees Goofy suffering from empty nest syndrome after his son, Max, leaves for college. After losing his job, Goofy enrolls in Max’s college to get his uncompleted degree, much to the humiliation of Max. The father and son must work together to win a skateboarding tournament and thwart the cheating of a rival team.
An Extremely Goofy Movieexplores the themes of education, letting go and a parent’s struggles to accept their child is growing up. The movie was praised for the father-son relationship between Goofy and Max and is regarded as an excellent finale to the series. Ranked by Polygon as one of the best Disney sequels,An Extremely Goofy Movieoffers a warm-hearted ending to theGoof Troopfranchise.
Brother Bearis often regarded as one of Disney’s underrated movies, depicting an Alaskan hunter, Kenai, being transformed into a bear in retribution for killing a grizzly bear. In his quest to return to human form, he develops a bond with a bear cub which makes him question his path in life. Despite receiving a lukewarm reception, a sequel,Brother Bear 2,was released in 2006, which follows Kenai being forced to confront an individual from his past.
While the sequel’s story was considered subpar compared to the original,Brother Bear 2includes strong character development and an engaging soundtrack that makes it a commendable continuation of Kenai’s story.It also depicts the themes of family and love in a subtle manner that helpsBrother Bear2serve as a decent sequel to the original.
Released 46 years afterLady and the Tramp,the sequel follows the adventures of their son, Scamp, who desires to leave his family home and be a wild dog, similar to his father in the original. His desires cause conflicts between him and his family, but with the help of a gang member, Angel, Scamp realizes the true nature of love and home.
Scamp’s Adventureoffers a clever reversal of the original story ofLady and the Tramp.
Scamp’s Adventureoffers a clever reversal of the original story,and shows Lady and Tramp’s son desiring to learn more about his father’s past on the streets and experience life as a wild dog. While not quite on the same level as the original, it introduced new characters and offered good character development that made it an enjoyable watch. The movie received four Annie Award nominations in 2001 for its achievements.
