For many families, Disney films are a big part of childhood, and everyone has their favorite ones they like to watch over and over. There is so much to love about Disney films, from the colorful characters to catchy songs and engaging storytelling. These films are as entertaining as they are educational, which is why they have such staying power.
Some of my favorite Disney classics like “The Jungle Book” and “Toy Story” highlight the importance of friendship. Other favorites like “The Little Mermaid” and “Beauty and the Beast” explore themes of family, sacrifice, and love. And new favorites like “Moana” and “Brave” inspire kids that anyone can be strong and that self-confidence is found on the inside.
Disney films, with their upbeat messages, will always be part of popular culture, which is why the studios keep recreating them in new ways, like live-action. Recently, the surge of live-action remakes has dominated the box office. And moviegoers are buying tickets to see their favorite animated characters come to life through a mix of CGI and real-life actors.
Unfortunately, some of these Disney adaptations of fan favorites fall short, and disappointed viewers are left wondering what exactly happened. It’s hard to pinpoint what about the adaptation didn’t hit right. In some cases, it’s a mix of high expectations and nostalgia for the original that leaves audiences underwhelmed.
At 24/7Tempo, we put together a list of the worst Disney live-action adaptations to help you decide whether you want to waste your time or not. Despite these adaptations not getting positive feedback, they aren’t terrible films. They are still great Disney stories, but maybe they should have been left to age gracefully.
If you love Disney films like I do, you might want to read “25 Fun Facts You May Not Know About Toy Story.”
To determine the worst live-action Disney adaptations, 24/7 Tempo developed an index using average ratings on IMDb, an online movie database owned by Amazon, and a combination of audience scores and Tomatometer scores on Rotten Tomatoes, an online movie and TV review aggregator, as of June 2024, weighting all ratings equally. Director information is from IMDb.
25. The Jungle Book (2016)
- IMDb user rating: 7.4/10 (94,778 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 86% (94,778 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 94% (326 reviews)
- Directed by: Jon Favreau
24. Cruella (2021)
- IMDb user rating: 7.3/10 (5,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 97% (5,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 75% (413 reviews)
- Directed by: Craig Gillespie
23. The Little Mermaid (2023)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (10,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (10,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 67% (333 reviews)
- Directed by: Rob Marshall
22. Cinderella (2015)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (77,851 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 78% (77,851 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 83% (252 reviews)
- Directed by: Kenneth Branagh
21. Chip ‘n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 7.0/10 (1,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 79% (1,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (139 reviews)
- Directed by: Akiva Schaffer
20. Cinderella (1997)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (10,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 74% (10,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 86% (7 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Iscove
19. Pete’s Dragon (2016)
- IMDb user rating: 6.7/10 (37,214 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 72% (37,214 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 88% (245 reviews)
- Directed by: David Lowery
18. Christopher Robin (2018)
- IMDb user rating: 7.2/10 (5,838 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 83% (5,838 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 72% (275 reviews)
- Directed by: Marc Forster
17. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
- IMDb user rating: 7.1/10 (86,649 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 80% (86,649 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 71% (381 reviews)
- Directed by: Bill Condon
16. Aladdin (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (59,054 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 94% (59,054 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 57% (380 reviews)
- Directed by: Guy Ritchie
15. The Lion King (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.8/10 (76,353 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 88% (76,353 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 52% (429 reviews)
- Directed by: Jon Favreau
14. Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.6/10 (19,131 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 95% (19,131 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 39% (255 reviews)
- Directed by: Joachim Rønning
13. The Jungle Book (1994)
- IMDb user rating: 6.0/10 (37,646 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (37,646 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 80% (41 reviews)
- Directed by: Stephen Sommers
12. Maleficent (2014)
- IMDb user rating: 6.9/10 (176,540 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 70% (176,540 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 54% (273 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Stromberg
11. Mulan (2020)
- IMDb user rating: 5.8/10 (10,892 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (10,892 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 73% (313 reviews)
- Directed by: Niki Caro
10. Lady and the Tramp (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (780 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 50% (780 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 65% (68 reviews)
- Directed by: Charlie Bean
9. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
- IMDb user rating: 6.4/10 (480,366 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 55% (480,366 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 51% (279 reviews)
- Directed by: Tim Burton
8. Kim Possible (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 3.7/10 (250 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 28% (250 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 100% (7 reviews)
- Directed by: Zach Lipovsky, Adam B. Stein
7. Dumbo (2019)
- IMDb user rating: 6.3/10 (4,560 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (4,560 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 46% (367 reviews)
- Directed by: Tim Burton
6. The Sorcerer’s Apprentice (2010)
- IMDb user rating: 6.1/10 (142,580 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 53% (142,580 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 40% (174 reviews)
- Directed by: Jon Turteltaub
5. 101 Dalmatians (1996)
- IMDb user rating: 5.7/10 (625,358 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 40% (625,358 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 41% (37 reviews)
- Directed by: Stephen Herek
4. Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
- IMDb user rating: 6.2/10 (37,966 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 48% (37,966 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 28% (260 reviews)
- Directed by: James Bobin
3. Peter Pan & Wendy (2023)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - APRIL 25: (L-R) Jude Law, Yara Shahidi, Ever Anderson, Jim Gaffigan, Alyssa Wapanatâhk, Jim Whitaker and Adam Borba attend the Peter Pan & Wendy NY special screening at South Street Seaport Museum on April 25, 2023 in New York City. (Photo by Theo Wargo/Getty Images for Disney)
- IMDb user rating: 4.4/10 (5,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 11% (5,000 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 64% (149 reviews)
- Directed by: David Lowery
2. 102 Dalmatians (2000)
- IMDb user rating: 4.8/10 (406,565 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 32% (406,565 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 31% (91 reviews)
- Directed by: Michael D Moore, Kevin Lima
1. Pinocchio (2022)
N/A
- IMDb user rating: 5.1/10 (2,500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes audience score: 27% (2,500 votes)
- Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer score: 28% (181 reviews)
- Directed by: Robert Zemeckis