Top 10 Good Animated Movies With Bad Rotten Tomatoes Scores
Sometimes critics disagree with movie fans, and sometimes they're just wrong, as is the case with these animated films. WatchMojo presents the Top 10 Animated Films With Bad Rotten Tomatoes Scores that Are Actually Really Good! But what will take the top spot on our list? Will it be Robin Hood, Pochahotnas, or Atlantis: The Lost Empire? Watch to find out!
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Sometimes, the critics just get it wrong. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our picks for the top 10 good animated movies that received bad scores on Rotten Tomatoes.
For this list, a movie needs to be considered “rotten” by Rotten Tomatoes’ own standards as of October 2017, meaning that less than 60% of critics gave it a favorable review - no matter how loved it is by its fans.
#10: “The Black Cauldron” (1985)
Coming from the so-called “Disney Dark Age,” between Walt Disney’s death and the 1990's “Renaissance”, “The Black Cauldron” was the one of the biggest financial and critical failure for Disney to that point. Adapted from novels in the The Chronicles of Prydain series, the film featured much darker themes than Disney had been associated with, including the frightening villain, the Horned King, played by John Hurt. Even after multiple edits, it still became the first Disney film to receive a PG rating. While initially receiving mixed reviews because of this, later audiences have come to have a deeper appreciation for the film.
#9: “The Polar Express” (2004)
As with the likewise underappreciated “Christmas Carol” starring Jim Carrey, this modern Christmas classic features a respected actor via motion capture. In this case however it was a number of roles, as Tom Hanks appears as a variety of characters, but Hank’s star-power didn’t sway everyone. Complaints were aimed at the animation quality, particularly of character’s eyes, as well as stretching a short children’s book into a full length film. Of course, the film’s technical and storytelling achievements far outweighed its shortcomings. A pioneering film for motion capture, it was also hailed by some as being much deeper and interesting than many children’s Christmas films.
#8: “Balto” (1995)
Based on a true story, this movie told the heroic tale of the sled dog that brought much needed medicine to Nome, Alaska in 1925. The adaptation gave voices to wolfdog Balto and the other animals, and also took a few other creative liberties, with the end result being a meaningful but fun film that kids and parents could enjoy. Unfortunately, it was also released in the shadow of “Toy Story,” and it suffered negatively by comparison to Pixar’s beloved game changer, both at the box office and with critics. Still, “Balto” was a hit elsewhere, and has found a strong second life on home video.
#7: “Madagascar” (2005)
“Madagascar” is a film that has aged surprisingly well, and is much more appreciated today than when it was first released in 2005. Evidence of this can be seen in the unusual occurrence of its sequels receiving more and more critical approval. While the first only received an underwhelming 55%, the second got 64, and the last in the trilogy 79%. Despite the numbers, the first film is just as strong as its sequels, even if critics were slow to warm up to it. Unlike many critics, the fans didn’t need years to appreciate “Madagascar,” with kids and parents alike praising it from go.
#6: “A Goofy Movie” (1995)
Unsurprisingly, “A Goofy Movie” is absolutely hilarious and full of good natured fun. It also features a surprisingly touching single father/son dynamic and brilliantly captures the awkwardness of high school. Despite of this, critics were almost evenly split; while some were not sold on frequent supporting character Goofy as a lead, others appreciated the surprising depth brought to the character. And while these factors have all helped to ensure its continued popularity, perhaps what stuck most with its now adult fans is its great soundtrack. Because after all who doesn’t love Powerline?
#5: “Space Jam” (1996)
The Looney Tunes? Michael Jordan? Bill Murray? What’s not to love? Well, quite a lot actually – according to some critics anyway. “Space Jam” holds a lowly 38% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, however not all critics felt the film was without merit as Joel Siegel, Roger Ebert, Leonard Maltin, and number of other respected film critics praised it for being the fun movie it was. Its mash-up of traditional animation and live action won over both sports fans and Bugs Bunny fans, resulting in a box office haul of $230.4m, making it to this day the highest grossing basketball film of all time.
#4: “The Road to El Dorado” (2000)
This animated adventure musical is one of the most fun and heartwarming films of its era, and it is downright hilarious to boot. Following a pair of Spanish con-men who accidentally make their way to the New World and encountering the people of El Dorado who mistake them for gods, it should have been impossible not to love. A cast of interesting supporting characters, impressive animation, and music by Elton John and Hans Zimmer further elevate the film. Sadly more than half the critics at the time inexplicably failed to appreciate the film, dropping it below fifty percent on the Tomatometer.
#3: “Atlantis: The Lost Empire” (2001)
Criticisms of this Disney flick include its lack of songs, anti-capitalist message, and its overall more mature themes, which resulted in an undeserving 49% freshness. However, many of these criticisms are what has made young fans become even more enamored with it as adults. An impressive amount of work went into the film and it shows, with the unique visual style of Mike Mignola, and inspirations derived from Jules Verne. “Atlantis” also boasts a complex language created just for the film, as well as an all-star cast including Michael J. Fox, James Garner, and Leonard Nimoy. Fans consider it to be one of the best action adventure animated films of all time and we’re inclined to agree.
#2: “Robin Hood” (1973)
Disney is well known for taking classic tales and updating them in unique and interesting ways, and this take on the classic story of the legendary archer, featuring anthropomorphized animals is no exception. “Robin Hood” was however the first animated Disney film not personally approved by Walt himself. As a result, it drew its share of unfair criticism stating it couldn’t hold up to previous Disney films. Despite this bias, Robin Hood has remained one of the most popular Disney animated films for decades, even outshining many of those that came before it.
Before we reveal our top picks here are a few honorable mentions;
“Thumbelina” (1994)
“Hotel Transylvania” (2012)
“We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story” (1993)
#1: “Pocahontas” (1995)
One of the most famous films to come out of Disney’s '90s renaissance shockingly holds a rotten rating, despite a stellar showing at the box office and audience acclaim. Following the clash between European colonists and Native American people, the film criticized greed and warmongering. It was monumental for a number of reasons, including Disney’s first Native American princess and interracial romance. While it is overall a serious critique of racial prejudice, it was not without lighthearted moments and some of the best Disney sidekicks. Its beautiful score also earned an Oscar award, as did the iconic song “Colors of the Wind.”