Questionable Messages In Disney Movies–31 Fans Share Their Honest Critiques

Disney’s dark side.

Filip

• Published in Interesting
• September 19, 2024

Disney movies are known for conveying powerful, timeless messages that often exceed the fantasy worlds in which they are set. These films, particularly the animated ones, are primarily aimed at younger audiences who are highly impressionable.

Therefore, it makes it vital for the creators to carefully consider how the characters' actions and their consequences will be interpreted. While these movies are beloved worldwide for their uplifting themes, as we grow older and review them with a more critical eye, it becomes clear that not all the messages are as wholesome as we thought they were.

Recently, Reddit users have been calling out Disney films, stating that despite their magical storytelling, they also promote some questionable themes. Many of these critiques focus on elements that are not so obvious to children due to their different reasoning but certainly raise concerns when viewed from an adult perspective.

Though Disney has moved away from certain outdated tropes, like the idea of falling in love at first sight, other themes, characters, and storylines continue to spark confusion and debate among viewers. We've compiled some of these critiques below, including input from the individual who started the discussion thread.

Take a look and let us know your perspective on this matter.

"I love the movie, but Mrs. Doubtfire"

"The dad is and acts unhinged for no reason other than to play pity party. He throws a huge birthday bash that gets the cops called, property damage, and breaks a boundary with his wife.

Apparently, he has a history of doing that so his wife is rightfully fed up with all of it AND having to clean up the mess/keep it together financially (because he quit another job due to his "morals"). Then he gets hissy when he finds out his wife was completely serious in divorcing him.

He gets more upset when he doesn't get joint custody (even though at the time, he had no job or decent place to live). He is motivated to get a place but doesn't bother cleaning it up for his children (you could argue the Chinese dinner scene is right after moving, but it is still s****y by the time the social worker comes).

He gets an absolutely insane scheme of dressing up as a woman and lying to get close to them. Then sabotaging her dates with a nice man so he... can... win her back?? Exact revenge?

Meanwhile, the wife is trying to keep it together and take care of her kids (who are turned against her because dad is so fun and cool while she is a rule person). SHE buys the clothes.

SHE buys the food and entertainment. SHE sets the school expectations, but she is a b***h for parenting??

For finding a guy who has his c**p together like an adult?? Then the kids find out and are on Dad's side because "dad is so fun and he does this insane c**p because he loves us!!!"

But at no point does anyone say to him "why don't you... idk... work on your issues and clean your damn place??? Go to work and get some responsibility beyond party?"

He does get promoted (by luck) and gets caught. The judge rightfully condemns him.

Dude is crazy. He was a step away from killing those kids and killing himself - that whole speech in the courtroom screams "I am mentally unstable."

The mom feels bad (yeah, she made rude comments out of anger, but she DID HER PARENTING RIGHT) and gives him what he wants.

Moral of the story: act unhinged towards everyone and everyone will understand that you are right to be unhinged and give you stuff."

"Any movie which pushes marrying someone you just met"

"I have a running joke with my wife that Aladdin is about a young man who lies to and gaslights a woman"

"But she doesn't care because he has a cool car"

"All Disney heroes had American accents and villains had foreign accents"

"Not sure if it still holds but for the longest time, all Disney hero’s had American accents and villains had foreign accents. Even when they were from the same culture.

Remember kids - foreigners are scary."

"No more hard work, you just have to be born special"

"Live Action Mulan: Be born special and just be better than everyone else by default. That's the only way you can succeed as a woman.

Someone correct me if I am wrong, but didn't the 2020 Mulan remake ruin the original message that a woman can be the same as a man with the same training by making her naturally gifted with Chi."

"For me it's The Little Mermaid. Change everything about yourself for a guy? No thanks."

"The Little Mermaid - an underage girl with body issues is trafficked by an older woman and objectified by an older man."

"The Lion King is my favorite movie about running away from your life's problems until you are old enough to k*ll your uncle."

Cinderella

"Poor woman with no hope in sight meets rich man, spends part of an evening dancing with him, neither of them have any idea who the other person really is, but when he finds her again, they are instantly married and just when the real story and character development could take place, that's the end, of course happily ever after.

Boys: your goal is to be a wealthy provider, and then you'll be happy because you'll have a pretty woman...

Girls: find a rich, charming man and he will take care of you and you'll be happy the rest of your life.

And neither are going to do well in relationships if they internalize this message."

Inside Out

"I'm going to make a very controversial pick and say "Inside Out". But with a heavy caveat.

Only in regards to boys/men. The emotions of women when shown are complex and deep.

The male counterparts were gag jokes and stereotypes."

The Hunchback of Notre Dame

"They had to repeatedly assure people the message of The Hunchback of Notre Dame was not, "Be grateful for the pretty girl's friendship and step aside for your handsome friend, because that's clearly the best you can hope for,". "

Wish

"I believe this movie would have worked better if they had tried to go with the message "Not every wish should be granted". Instead they went with the message "There are no bad wishes, only bad genies".

"I'm not a fan of the end of Encanto, where the message seems to be forgive your narc Abuela even though she made everyone miserable."

"Though it was my fav growing up, Sleeping Beauty should probably be on this list."

"Takeaway messages:

A) The gifts the fairies are bestowing upon infant-Aurora are all superficial (until the last one). Being pretty > being smart, kind, healthy, etc

B) It's a-ok for a dude to kiss an unconscious woman. In fact, it makes you a real man, a hero even."

"Sleeping Beauty for making it seem like the princess’s only role is to be rescued by a prince, which can feel pretty outdated."

"Does Rise of Skywalker count?"

"After Last Jedi set up a message of "It doesn't take being born special or being part of a certain bloodline to make a difference," Rise of Skywalker went "LOL NEVERMIND, ONLY THE SUPER SPECIAL PEOPLE BORN INTO THE SUPER SPECIAL FAMILIES CAN BE COOL, AND PEOPLE WILL ONLY LISTEN TO THE FAMOUS CELEBRITIES IF YOU NEED HELP!!!"

God what a sh**show of a movie."

"A lot of them are bad, but I've always struggled with The Princess and the Frog"

"A lot of them are bad, but I've always struggled with The Princess and the Frog.... *Amazing* hard working woman, so close to achieving her dreams, has to learn to....

Calm down on her bad*ss work ethic to make room for a guy who hasn't worked a day in his life? Don't love it.

I *expect* the classics to be awful. It's more jarring when the main character is fully competent and prepared to make her dreams come true without a man."

Pinocchio

"People think the message is “don’t lie,” but Pinocchio is punished for lying when he’s actually telling the truth as he understood it. Meanwhile, people are luring children, then trafficking them as slaves after turning them into donkeys.

That guy doesn’t get punished, neither does the man who tries to abduct Pinocchio for his traveling puppet show. People won’t believe you and the world is filled with criminals who will exploit you and get away with it.

That’s the message. Later, Pinocchio saves Gapeto from a fish, thereby proving his selflessness and the blue faire turn him real.

The message there is clear. The only way you’ll be rewarded is to obey your parents even if you have no clue how the world works, and don’t expect anyone to guide you, especially not a useless cricket."

"Not really a message, but Parent Trap was just creepy to me."

"A couple is married and the wife has twins. Then they get divorced soon after the births.

Each gets custody of one child and move far apart from the other. Not only do the girls have zero contact with their other parent, they aren’t even told they have an identical twin sister."

Wreck It Ralph and Wreck It Ralph 2

"Individually the messages of Wreck It Ralph and Wreck It Ralph 2 are fine. Together it's incoherent.

Why does Ralph have to learn to accept his position in life but Vanelope get to live her dream in a different game? The two movies have diametrically opposing messages and it drives me insane."

Raya and the Last Dragon

"Everyone's going for the classics, here's a more recent one: Raya and the Last Dragon. You should have faith and trust everyone, even the woman who stabbed you in the back and has shown repeatedly that she cannot be trusted.

Raya was apparently "you have to learn to trust others", even though the movie has her being betrayed over and over again."

"Tinkerbell in Peter Pan, what a mean girl bully."

Little Mermaid

"She left her family and her world and sacrified too much for someone she didn't even know because he was handsome."

"Beauty and the beast. Stockholm Syndrome at its finest."

"Wasn't Cars 2 the one where the disabled were the villains?"

"Yes, the "lemons" were demonized throughout the entire movie for using fossil fuel. Even though that's not their fault, that's just how their body works.

They didn't choose to be born (built?) as lemons."

"Coco and Encanto tells you that your family will immediately and substantially change their negative behaviors if given logic information."

"Hot take, but Encanto"

"People who are mistreating you are simply under pressure, misunderstood, and/or doing what they think is best for everyone. Redemption and forgiveness is always possible.

As someone who has lived for far too long around families like this, I can tell you that Abuela's character arc was completely unrealistic and unbelievable. If they replaced Abuela with Mother Gothel from Tangled, it would be such a better movie."

Oliver and Company

"The best way to free yourself of money payments is not to learn how to be better with handling money but to k*ll your creditor. You just gotta make it look circumstantial."

Blank Check

"Taught me to spend all my money fast before the authorities take it back…. The dumb And dumber philosophy."

The Lion King

"Someone once pointed out that The Lion King is a very pro monarchy authoritarian story but in the original the animation is so beautiful you can look past that. But in the remake you’re forced to realize what the story is like."

Chicken Little

While Disney movies are celebrated and memorable for their magic and charm, a deeper look reveals some alarming messages. Fans have highlighted themes that, though subtle, raise concerns.

By revisiting these films with a critical, adult perspective, we can appreciate the stories while acknowledging areas where they may fall short.

Filip