This is just my opinion - I didn't bother with a pick this time around, because it was asked a couple of times before. And really, I don't think they deserve that much attention. But to get this out of my chest once and for all, here my list, from the best (10) to the worst (1).
10. Aladdin and the King of Thieves: I have to say if there is one direct-to-video sequel I like somewhat than it’s that one. The animazione is not great, but slightly above TV-Show quality. Good voice actors, catchy songs and a story which works. I kind of wish that the main animazione studios would have taken the concept.
9. Cinderella: A twist of time: I like the concept – and that’s più o less everything positive about this movie. The xenafication of Cenerentola is just terrible, the plot is uneven and I really wish they would have kept the whole thing più realistic. The stepmother stealing the wand was totally unnecessary for the concept to work. They could have created the whole thing as a “what if”-scenario, in which the Duke leaves the house before Cenerentola comes down the stairs, without tacking this half-assed explanation in front of it.
8. Aladdin: The Return of Jafar: As a standalone, this movie would be much higher on this lista (or lower, however te like to see it). But since it’s più o less the pilot for the TV-Show (which I don’t mind – it was quite decent, although they mostly had to think up ways to take the genie out of the picture), it at least has a reason to exist, unlike the following ones.
7. The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea This movie is just pointless. It’s basically a cheap retelling of “The Little Mermaid”. Why should I want to watch the same story again, in much lower quality?
6. Mulan 2: In this case they didn’t even bother to think up a cheesy subtitle. If they had, it should have been something along the line of “The predictable plot”. The good thing about this sequel is that there actually is a story to tell after the end of Mulan. I would have loved to see how the relationship between Mulan and Shang develops into a full-fledged romance. But Mulan just isn’t Mulan anymore in the movie, the Chinese society seems to have forgotten all of their traditions and the modern elements feel misplaced.
5. Pocahontas 2: Journey in a new World: Now we are really scrapping at the bottom. Since the first movie più o less rewrote the Pocahontas-Story, is there anyone who really wanted to see her marrying John Rolfe? Movie one wasn’t historical correct, but at least it had a very memorable ending. Anything added to that one would have destroyed the impact, even if it were a good story.
4. Cenerentola 2: Dreams Come true: The animazione is just awful, easily the worst of all Disney-Sequels. But between the three stories, the one about Anastasia and the Baker has at least a little bit potential, so it gets rescued from getting called the worst.
3. Disney’s Come d’incanto tales: Follow your dreams: Two stupid stories which insult the intelligence of the audience. And I certainly won’t lower my own IQ da thinking too much about it.
2. Ariel’s Beginning: Where to begin? The story creates a lot of continuity mistakes with the original movie and the TV-show. Triton suddenly becomes the worst father ever, and the so called villain has to be the worst Disney ever created. Just forget it and stick to the TV-show.
1. Beauty and the Beast: Come d’incanto Natale + Belle’s magical world: And here they are, the two sequels (or midquels, in this case) I consider being the worst. It’s rare that I agree with the Nostalgia Chick, especially when Disney is involved, but in this case her review really hit the nail on the head. Let’s forget that the midquels are set at a point at the movie, which is already iffy from the timeframe (how long exactly did Maurice wander around in the woods?), the way they turned Belle from a strong woman who isn’t ready to take any abuse from the beast, to this doormat, who treats him like her pet project is the worst case of character assassination I’ve ever seen. The very idea that she would and should take his bad mood and being the nice little woman to cheer him up is insulting to every woman who is o was in an abusive relationship. If there is anything which would set a bad example for my daughter, than this kind of sexist storytelling.
Good thing that the Disney Company promised not to produce più of those – things. Bad though, that they already maneuvering around the promise da allowing the Toon Studios to create “Planes”, a direct-to-video spin-off of “Cars”. I’m not against sequels in general – if the animators really feel that there is still a story to tell and if they are done da the animazione Studios (as they did with Rescuers Down Under), they can be enjoyable. There are even some Film I’m dying to see a sequel o TV-Showoff (mainly “The Great topo, mouse Detective” and “Treasure Planet”), and I certainly wouldn’t object to a third Rescuers Movie. But most of the DP-Movies end at the perfect place – there is no need to expand on happily ever after.
10. Aladdin and the King of Thieves: I have to say if there is one direct-to-video sequel I like somewhat than it’s that one. The animazione is not great, but slightly above TV-Show quality. Good voice actors, catchy songs and a story which works. I kind of wish that the main animazione studios would have taken the concept.
9. Cinderella: A twist of time: I like the concept – and that’s più o less everything positive about this movie. The xenafication of Cenerentola is just terrible, the plot is uneven and I really wish they would have kept the whole thing più realistic. The stepmother stealing the wand was totally unnecessary for the concept to work. They could have created the whole thing as a “what if”-scenario, in which the Duke leaves the house before Cenerentola comes down the stairs, without tacking this half-assed explanation in front of it.
8. Aladdin: The Return of Jafar: As a standalone, this movie would be much higher on this lista (or lower, however te like to see it). But since it’s più o less the pilot for the TV-Show (which I don’t mind – it was quite decent, although they mostly had to think up ways to take the genie out of the picture), it at least has a reason to exist, unlike the following ones.
7. The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea This movie is just pointless. It’s basically a cheap retelling of “The Little Mermaid”. Why should I want to watch the same story again, in much lower quality?
6. Mulan 2: In this case they didn’t even bother to think up a cheesy subtitle. If they had, it should have been something along the line of “The predictable plot”. The good thing about this sequel is that there actually is a story to tell after the end of Mulan. I would have loved to see how the relationship between Mulan and Shang develops into a full-fledged romance. But Mulan just isn’t Mulan anymore in the movie, the Chinese society seems to have forgotten all of their traditions and the modern elements feel misplaced.
5. Pocahontas 2: Journey in a new World: Now we are really scrapping at the bottom. Since the first movie più o less rewrote the Pocahontas-Story, is there anyone who really wanted to see her marrying John Rolfe? Movie one wasn’t historical correct, but at least it had a very memorable ending. Anything added to that one would have destroyed the impact, even if it were a good story.
4. Cenerentola 2: Dreams Come true: The animazione is just awful, easily the worst of all Disney-Sequels. But between the three stories, the one about Anastasia and the Baker has at least a little bit potential, so it gets rescued from getting called the worst.
3. Disney’s Come d’incanto tales: Follow your dreams: Two stupid stories which insult the intelligence of the audience. And I certainly won’t lower my own IQ da thinking too much about it.
2. Ariel’s Beginning: Where to begin? The story creates a lot of continuity mistakes with the original movie and the TV-show. Triton suddenly becomes the worst father ever, and the so called villain has to be the worst Disney ever created. Just forget it and stick to the TV-show.
1. Beauty and the Beast: Come d’incanto Natale + Belle’s magical world: And here they are, the two sequels (or midquels, in this case) I consider being the worst. It’s rare that I agree with the Nostalgia Chick, especially when Disney is involved, but in this case her review really hit the nail on the head. Let’s forget that the midquels are set at a point at the movie, which is already iffy from the timeframe (how long exactly did Maurice wander around in the woods?), the way they turned Belle from a strong woman who isn’t ready to take any abuse from the beast, to this doormat, who treats him like her pet project is the worst case of character assassination I’ve ever seen. The very idea that she would and should take his bad mood and being the nice little woman to cheer him up is insulting to every woman who is o was in an abusive relationship. If there is anything which would set a bad example for my daughter, than this kind of sexist storytelling.
Good thing that the Disney Company promised not to produce più of those – things. Bad though, that they already maneuvering around the promise da allowing the Toon Studios to create “Planes”, a direct-to-video spin-off of “Cars”. I’m not against sequels in general – if the animators really feel that there is still a story to tell and if they are done da the animazione Studios (as they did with Rescuers Down Under), they can be enjoyable. There are even some Film I’m dying to see a sequel o TV-Showoff (mainly “The Great topo, mouse Detective” and “Treasure Planet”), and I certainly wouldn’t object to a third Rescuers Movie. But most of the DP-Movies end at the perfect place – there is no need to expand on happily ever after.
