Disney Plus has quite a catalog, filled with movies from Disney proper and many other studios it has acquired. While it contains hit Star Wars and Marvel movies, as well as several Fox movies and National Geographic documentaries, perhaps the biggest group of films is from its own studio.
For this article, we’re going to look at the live-action Walt Disney Pictures movies. This doesn’t include any Lucasfilm or Marvel Studios films, and it doesn’t include any Disney films released under the banner of Touchstone or Miramax. Also, any movies with a hybrid of live-action and animation may be listed if the live-action is more prominently featured than the animation. For that reason, films like Fantasia, Fun and Fancy Free, and James and the Giant Peach won’t be included. So, here are the 10 best live-action Walt Disney Pictures movies on Disney Plus, according to Rotten Tomatoes.
The Parent Trap (1998) – 86%
First up is a remake of the 1961 Disney classic, The Parent Trap. This version starred Lindsay Lohan as the twins separated not long after being born, with Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson as their parents. It was directed by Nancy Meyers. It was Lohan’s film debut and her first in a stretch of many films for Disney.
For the scenes where Lohan played across from herself, she wore an earpiece to hear the dialogue of the other sibling and react to it. A big search was done for the young lead actress to play the twins, with actresses like Michelle Trachtenberg and Scarlett Johannsen being considered as well.
Freaky Friday (2003) – 88%
Another remake starring Lindsay Lohan, this version was directed by Mark Waters and co-stars Jamie Lee Curtis. It was the third of four versions of the film from Disney, following the original in 1976 and a TV adaptation in 1995. Another remake premiered on Disney Channel in 2018. The film tells the story of a mother and daughter who switch bodies and have to live each other’s lives.
Jodie Foster, the original Freaky Friday star, was asked to play the mom in this version. She declined due to believing her role would be distracting from everything else in the movie. This was Lohan’s fourth of six movies she did for Disney.
Pete’s Dragon (2016) – 88%
Another remake with great reviews, Pete’s Dragon was based on the 1977 film of the same name. In the original, the dragon, Elliot, was animated. In this version, Elliot was created with CGI. The genre was changed from a musical to a drama for the remake. It tells the story of an orphaned boy who is rescued by a dragon and grows up with him.
The film stars Oakes Fegley as Pete and co-stars Bryce Dallas Howard, Wes Bentley, Robert Redford, Oona Laurence, and Karl Urban. It was directed by David Lowery. This version was set in the Pacific Northwest, as opposed to the original movie’s setting of New England.
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
Based on the famous Jules Verne novel, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea was directed by Richard Fleischer and stars Kirk Douglas, James Mason, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre. It features the hunt for a sea monster and a submarine ran by the intense Captain Nemo.
The film contains an incredible giant squid attack, which was set to be in the daylight on a calm sea like the novel, but it was changed to nighttime and a raging sea for dramatic effect. The film inspired a Disney Parks ride as well. The incredible art direction and special effects both won Academy Awards.
The Parent Trap (1961) – 90%
The original adaptation of the film stars Hayley Mills as the twins, her second role of six for Disney. Movie fans should be impressed by the seamless method of having the actress act with herself in the same shot, considering it was done almost sixty years ago. It was done with a sodium vapor process in the compositing. The actress shot the scene as one sister, and stood in front of a white screen for the other, essentially being a precursor to greenscreen. It was originally only going to be used for a few shots in the movie, but it worked out so well that Walt Disney had more of the shots added.
The film was directed by David Swift, and it co-stars Maureen O’Hara, Brian Keith, and Joanna Barnes. Barnes would go on to play the mother of her character in the 1998 remake. The film also contains three original songs by the legendary Disney songwriters the Sherman Brothers.
Queen of Katwe (2016) – 93%
Queen of Katwe tells the true story of Phiona Mutesi, a girl from Uganda who learned to play chess and became a championship-winning player. Directed by Mira Nair, it stars Madina Nalwanga, David Oyelowo, and Lupita Nyong’o.
Nair met with the real-life people and had the movie’s screenwriter William Wheeler come as well to talk with them. The film was shot in both Uganda and South Africa. Robert Katende, who was played by David Oyelowo in the film, helped set up the chess games that were filmed.
The Straight Story (1999) – 95%
While perhaps a lesser-known movie in the catalog, the next film has amazing reviews. The Straight Story tells the true story of Alvin Straight, a man trying to go see his dying brother and repair their relationship. Straight couldn’t get a driver’s license, so he drove a lawnmower across Iowa and Wisconsin. Directed by David Lynch, it stars Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, and Harry Dean Stanton. Farnsworth was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Actor.
Farnsworth had cancer while filming, and like his character, he did not have full use of his legs. He admired Alvin Straight for what he did and took the role because of that. The film was shot in chronological order, as the crew followed the same path Straight took.
The Muppets (2011) – 98%
While the older Muppet movies are on Disney Plus as well, they’ve only been released by Disney since 1992’s A Muppet Christmas Carol. The 2011 film is the one with the best score on Rotten Tomatoes. While it was the seventh theatrical Muppet movie, and it referenced the older movies and show, The Muppets was meant to restart the franchise. The film was a hit both critically and financially. It also won an Oscar for Best Original Song for “Man or Muppet.”
The film was directed by James Bobin written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stoller. Segel stars in the film with Amy Adams, Rashida Jones, Chris Cooper, and Muppet performers Steve Whitmire, Eric Jacobsen, Dave Goelz, Bill Barretta, David Rudman, Matt Vogel, and Peter Linz. As with most Muppet movies, there was a great set of cameos as well, including Emily Blunt, John Krasinski, Whoopie Goldberg, Jim Parsons, Jack Black, Donald Glover, and Mickey Rooney.
Old Yeller (1957) – 100%
This classic coming-of-age tale is about a boy whose father goes away for work for a few months, and during this time he finds a dog he names Yeller. Initially not liking the dog, though his younger brother is immediately attached, the boy grows to love the dog and consider Yeller his own.
While mostly known for its ending, Old Yeller is a wonderful film from start to finish with great performances and an excellent script. Tommy Kirk and Kevin Corcoran played brothers in the film, and they went on to play brothers in The Shaggy Dog, Swiss Family Robinson, Bon Voyage!, and the Old Yeller sequel Savage Sam.
Mary Poppins (1964) – 100%
“I’d know that silhouette anywhere! Mary Poppins!” The delightful 1964 classic Mary Poppins is the ultimate classic live-action Disney movie, and it’s one of five movies on Disney Plus with a 100%. The musical was directed by Robert Stevenson (who directed Old Yeller as well) and stars Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke. The film features classic scenes, animated dancing penguins, wonderful performances, and memorable songs by the Sherman Brothers.
The film was nominated for thirteen Academy Awards, including Best Picture, and it won five awards. Julie Andrews received the award for Best Actress for playing the title character. Richard Sherman has stated in interviews that Walt Disney’s favorite song was “Feed the Birds,” and sometimes he’d have them come into his office just to play it.
