Top 20 WORST Animated Movie Rip Offs
#20: “Spider’s Web: A Pig’s Tale” (2006)
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“Charlotte’s Web” is a beloved tale with lovable characters and heartbreaking lessons that create a mature yet accessible tale that people of any age could enjoy. One corporation took that and completely flattened it by creating a film about a dishonest pig and his sassy spider companions. The animals lack the natural charm of those in the original, and everything from the way they look to the way they sound falls flat. They somehow took a genuinely endearing narrative and morphed it into something truly bizarre. While it does have its unintentionally funny moments and a decent lesson about telling the truth, it lacks any of the wholesome energy of the source material.
#19: “Caroline and the Magic Potion” (2015)
Some properties shouldn’t be touched by knock-off creators, and “Coraline” is one of them. Its dark, sinister vibe and breathtaking visuals made it a unique experience. You’d think that would be too high of a bar to try and clear, but that didn’t stop the creators of “Caroline and the Magic Potion” from trying. In this interpretation, young Caroline uses the potion to save her grandmother from bad guys. They simply can’t capture the same energy as their inspiration. The style is undoubtedly interesting, but can’t hold up to the source material. When looking at this compared to Neil Gaiman’s ominous and whimsical creation, the two aren’t even close to being on the same level.
#18: “Life’s a Jungle: Africa’s Most Wanted” (2012)
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Considering how many animated motion pictures are set in Africa, you’d think that studios would be able to create a near perfect copy of the landscape. Unfortunately, not everyone can get it right – leading to things that look like “Life’s a Jungle: Africa’s Most Wanted.” It tries to emulate “Madagascar” but is missing a few key components, such as the gorgeous setting and the camaraderie between friends. The hero — a spoiled, British pup — is hard to root for, even when he is showing off his kung-fu moves. The rest of the animals are one-note as well, and lack any real depth. Between the confusing storyline and shots that seemed to last forever, everything about this project misses the mark.
#17: “Leo the Lion: King of the Jungle” (1994)
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It’s rare to describe a movie as perfect, but “The Lion King” comes close. Everything from the music to the character design and story development was pulled off perfectly. After it met with resounding success, another company decided to try their hand at replicating it. The result is a slapdash copy, with a few small differences. The biggest misstep is the music. In the original, the songs not only helped move the narrative along, they also enriched it. In this rendition, they only serve as exposition, and don’t add anything meaningful to the scenes. Overall, it is a poor attempt at capitalizing off of a fantastic piece of art, and it quickly fell to the wayside as the Disney property continued to skyrocket in popularity.
#16: “Kiddo the Super Truck” (2005)
On paper, a film about a truck with the ability to turn into other types of vehicles doesn’t seem like the worst plan. It’s a simple yet effective idea, especially for a kid’s movie. However, when it came time to execute the ideas, the creators struggled with fleshing out that concept. While the animation is fluid, the cars' faces definitely veer into the uncanny valley. The sound effects are often far more dramatic than they need to be, although there is something hilarious about the sound of loud truck horns and angry honking accompanying a bunch of wholesome, smiling cars. While it’s inoffensive, it doesn’t hold a candle to the “Cars” series, either in design or story.
#15: “Little & Big Monsters” (2009)
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The biggest sin a film can commit is being boring, and that’s the unfortunate case for this one. The chain of events are basic — a couple of scientists accidentally create a group of monsters, and with the help of two kids try to stop them. It’s not exactly “Citizen Kane,” but the problem definitely doesn’t end there. While they have the interesting plan to have the creatures’ sizes affected by food, they don’t do much with it. The characters and settings seem thrown together, and come across as flat despite being 3D. It lacks any real charm, which the real “Monsters vs Aliens” had in spades, especially from the ensemble cast. This simply can’t measure up, resulting in an uninspired final product.
#14: “Homeward” (2020)
Even flicks that didn’t make a huge splash aren’t safe from being ripped off. While “Onward” didn’t see much financial success due to the pandemic, that didn’t stop a studio from making their own similarly titled mockbuster, “Homeward.” The leads being part human and part fantastical creature doesn’t come across well at all, leading the protagonists to look more like weird guys rather than an orc and elf. They also have problems with the brothers’ relationship. While they have an interesting aim for the overarching story, they aren’t able to properly execute it. Even with the lackluster reception of “Onward,” people could still agree that it was miles ahead of this imitation.
#13: “Trolland” (2016)
We’re not entirely convinced this isn’t just an elaborate prank against its viewers. Based on both the toy and the motion picture, “Trolland” was a mockery of the “Trolls” brand. Instead of being cute and brightly colored, they all look horrifying, with eyes that stare directly into the audience’s soul. Beyond their appearance, the way they move is odd. They seem like they are being dragged along rather than moving naturally, making it seem more like a horror movie than a children’s film. Even talented actors like Dick van Dyke can’t help the final product. While the source material may not be someone’s favorite, it still has plenty of personality – something this one can’t boast.
#12: “Plan Bee” (2007)
Though a great title for a sequel, this could truly strike fear into the hearts of anyone that watches it. After the success of “The Bee Movie,” others scrambled to release their own versions. This led to “Plan Bee,” a piece centered around a group of bugs and their attempts to feed their new queen. Everything about the insects, from their movements to their voices, is deeply unsettling. Even climactic moments, like the intense bee battle, comes across as silly. However, the most inconsistent aspect is the tone. While dark humor in a family-friendly picture can be nice for any grown-up watching, these jokes were too immature to have the same effect. While they did make it slightly more entertaining, it still doesn’t quite cross over into “so bad it’s good” territory.
#11: “Shark Bait” (2006)
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There’s nothing wrong with making a youth-oriented picture with slightly more adult aspects, but it’s still important to account for taste. With a plot chock-full of assault, coercion, and harassment, it’s clear that “Shark Bait” missed the mark by a mile. So much of the dialogue is uncomfortable, especially between the dangerous shark and the small fish he has his sights on. Compared to other flicks set under the sea like “Finding Nemo” and “Shark Tale,” this one is just plain dark. With a surprisingly star-studded cast consisting of big names like Evan Rachel Wood and Freddie Prinze Jr., we can’t help but wonder how many of them pulled the short straw and ended up in this picture.
#10: “Bug Bites: An Ant’s Life” (1998)
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Remember when people called “Antz” a rip-off of Pixar’s “A Bug’s Life?” Well after seeing this travesty, you’ll find a whole new appreciation for the DreamWorks film. With 3D animation that barely looks finished, awful voice acting, and irritating sound quality, this flick goes on for too long and amounts to nothing – at least according to critics and viewers. We guess it’s about a caterpillar and some ants trying to survive a gecko incursion? The plot sorta gets lost in all the chase scenes. Apparently the creators thought watching insects scuttle back and forth for half an hour counts as entertainment.
#9: “Tappy Toes” (2011)
Here we get a much needed break from horrendous 3D animation and are even treated to a higher standard of voice work. But, for most people, that doesn’t save “Tappy Toes” from being another trainwreck. The limits of flash animation become clear early on, as this short happily rips off the plot of “Happy Feet,” minus the stellar dance sequences and the Robin Williams. Sure, it tries to throw in some self-referential humor, but considering there’s an uncomfortable scene where a hermit crab threatens to pinch a sea lion in not-so-child-friendly places, “Tappy Toes” manages to tap itself out.
#8: “What’s Up: Balloon to the Rescue” (2009)
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This mockbuster not only dumps on the original Pixar epic; it’s also a confusing schlockfest. For some reason, the filmmakers behind “What’s Up” didn’t think a flying house was thrilling enough, so they tossed in magic. If you stick around long enough, you might find yourself asking why a magical stone’s sole function is to turn a house into part-hot air balloon, or why they go out of their way to be racist towards a supporting character that happens to be Chinese. However, we’ll forgive you if you don’t even make it that far after seeing the questionable 3D animation.
#7: “Kiara the Brave” [aka “Super K”] (2011)
Many consider this a terrible film that should have never been forced onto the viewing public. But, it’s also called a travesty because, when it was shipped to the United States, the distributors rebranded it to cash in on the latest Pixar release, “Brave.” Funnily enough, “Kiara the Brave” involves neither medieval Scotland nor a coming-of-age story where a strong female protagonist tries to forge her own path. What do we get instead? A superhero called Super K trying to defend the world of Dreamzone from the evil Badmess, while “Kiara” stands in the background doing pretty much nothing.
#6: “The Secret of Mulan” (1998)
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Turns out that the company that made this “adaptation” has a long history of reworking beloved films into what’s become known as “The Secret of…” series. Entries include “The Secret of the Hunchback,” “The Secret of Anastasia,” and of course “The Secret of Mulan.” So how does it fare? Well, not only has the “Mulan” entry been called a bastardisation of one of animation’s greatest female characters; it goes a step further by throwing in elements right out of “A Bug’s Life.” Sorry, Flik, you and your friends have been rip-offed twice on this list…
#5: “The Little Panda Fighter” (2008)
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We don’t even know where to start with this one. “Kung Fu Panda” created a perfect irreverent yet inspirational underdog scenario, and this is unfortunately just a cheap imitation. Despite the protagonist being a literal dancing panda, he doesn’t have a fraction of the charisma that Jack Black’s portrayal of Po had. The bears’ proportions are unnatural and their movements are stilted, and the plot is silly. Compared with the arc that Po experienced, the one that Pancada goes through is non-existent. The director throws everything at the wall, including a boxing scene and a twist ending, but nothing sticks. It’s the ultimate proof that being inspired by a great product doesn’t mean you can emulate it yourself.
#4: “The Legend of Sarila” [aka “La Légende de Sarila”] (2013)
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This Canadian animation incurred the wrath of Disney, and that’s not shocking considering its title was changed to “Frozen Land” for the U.S. market – subtle. Again, this is a pretty big blunder by the distributors, because – while the story focuses on the less-than-enthralling tale of an Inuit shaman and his animal friends – the name and even the signature logo were designed to match Disney’s “Frozen.” The company behind “Legend of Sarila” might’ve thought their film was just a blip on the radar, but in the end, the Mouse House sees all. The creators should’ve done themselves a favor and let it go.
#3: “The Frog Prince” (2009)
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Based on the reviews, you can basically summarize this mockbuster in one word: lazy. Lazy because they only use a handful of locations; lazy because the voice work involves insulting imitations of supposedly black accents; and lazy because we immediately dislike many of the characters. While Disney’s “The Princess and the Frog” gave us magic, great chemistry between the lead characters, and important life lessons, all we got here is a princess who throws tantrums, a King who resents his daughter’s independent attitude, and a frog who’ll say practically anything just to score.
#2: “Ratatoing” (2007)
They may trade Paris for Rio de Janeiro, but this rip-off remains just as blatant no matter where you set it. Obviously taking liberties from the five-star meal that is Pixar’s “Ratatouille,” the “plot” follows a rodent head chef who tries to keep his restaurant open and defeat his competitors. How does he do that? By stealing fresh ingredients from human kitchens in sequences that try to imitate spy capers of old and which – at least, according to most people who’ve watched it – fail miserably on every conceivable level. Do yourself a favor and skip this meal.
#1: “A Car’s Life: Sparky’s Big Adventure” (2006)
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“Cars” wasn’t exactly the pinnacle of Pixar’s creativity, but it’s still a decent and entertaining film, especially in comparison to this. Throughout this chopped together mess, we’re subjected to protagonist/motorized douchebag Sparky, who only exists to cause chaos wherever he goes. Along the way, we’re treated to what could be described as an onslaught of terrible animation, awful voice acting, and a collection of some truly detestable automobiles. It’s about as cheap a mockbuster as you can get, so we’ll never understand how it managed to spawn multiple sequels!
