While Universal Pictures has released many solid animated films over its existence, not every one is a winner. We’re here to look at the movies that fell short of success. To do this, we’ll be turning to IMDb.
The entertainment site has given every Universal animation a star score on a scale of 1 to 10. This number is based on the votes of viewers who have registered for accounts on IMDb, and movies with the lowest scores will be showing up here.
Before we jump into it, we’re shouting it out to We’re Back! A Dinosaur’s Story, which could have made the lineup with a 6.1 rating. Luckily for A Dinosaur’s Story, our room is limited.
With that out of the way, it’s time to head to the theater and throw some popcorn at the screen. These are the worst animated movies distributed by Universal Pictures, according to the fans at IMDb.
The Tale Of Despereaux (6.1)
Loosely based on the book of the same name by Kate DiCamillo, this adventure fantasy tells of a kingdom filled with darkness after its queen dies of a heart attack. Though Princess Pea is saddened by the state of her land, she gains a little hope after becoming friends with a mouse called Desperaux. He must summon up even more courage, however, after Pea is kidnapped.
Though the animations were top-notch at the time of its 2008 release, critics found the story scrambled and a little too heavy for its cutesy atmosphere.
The Addams Family (5.8)
The beloved Addams Family TV show was transformed into a CGI comedy-horror film in 2019. Though the film did amazingly well at the box office and is even set to get a sequel, its critical reviews leaned on the lower side.
The film had everyone’s favorite monster family preparing for their relatives’ visit, only to instead be greeted by a TV personality. His goal: to get ahold of the Addams family home and make his real estate development dreams come true.
Though the voice cast and animation were praised, the source material translation felt off to many critics. This was especially true given its visual basis in Charles Addams’ original New Yorker cartoons, instead of the television show or previous films.
The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything: A VeggieTales Movie (5.7)
The VeggieTales children’s franchise received its second theatrical film in 2008. Unfortunately, The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything never sailed to success.
The adventure-comedy tells of three vegetable pirates who hope to one day put on a grand show. While they’re unmotivated to make their wishes come true, they find the opportunity after they’re sent back in time.
Though fans of the series enjoyed the fun, more serious critics thought that the script felt silly and geared toward young kids exclusively.
Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (5.6)
The first Curious George movie performed decently, so Universal decided to create a second. While the film received a limited theatrical release, it was destined for DVD. This was apparent in its low quality.
This time around, the monkey and The Man with the Yellow hat attempt to get a baby elephant home to its mother.
With many big-name stars of the original like Will Ferrell, Drew Barrymore, and Dick Van Dyke getting replaced, this film struggled to compare to the charm of its predecessor.
Ratchet & Clank (5.6)
The Ratchet & Clank action platformer video game headed to the big screen in 2016. Despite the series’ popularity, the film turned out to be both a commercial and critical failure.
The film tells of a lombax creature and tiny robot who team up with the Galactic Rangers after finding a weapon that can wipe out planets. Their fear is that alien Chairman Drek will use this new technology to create chaos.
The film offered nothing original to viewers and ended up feeling bland and unnecessary.
Yellowbird (5.6)
This French-Belgian fantasy film follows an orphaned bird who has never left the nest. When he finally does, he ends up heading up a group of birds who want to migrate to Africa.
The film suffered from poor writing, which caused both the plot and the characters to come out cringy. While the visuals were fine, they failed to impress.
Jetsons: The Movie (5.6)
In 1990, Universal decided to release a theatrical film based on the popular Jetsons TV series about a sitcom family that lived in the distant future.
In the movie, the dad of the family, George, gets promoted by his boss, Mr. Spacely. Though he is at first excited about the advancement, he is soon faced with problems in his new position.
Though the film is notable for adding some CGI to its visuals, its plot failed to feel original or memorable.
Hop (5.4)
2011’s Hop combined live-action shots with computer animation to create a story about the Easter Bunny’s son. Though his kid is supposed to follow his lineage and become the next Easter Bunny, he would much rather become a famous drummer. This is when the kids heads away to Los Angeles and teams up with a lazy man to redefine their futures.
If you think this plot sounds strange, you’re not alone. The script failed to build a story worth seeing.
Woody Woodpecker (4.1)
Woody Woodpecker got his own live-action/computer-animated comedy in 2017. Unfortunately, it failed to come out of theaters due to its lack of redeeming qualities.
The story follows a lawyer who hopes to build a fancy house in the forest for him, his girlfriend, and his son. However, in doing so, he ends up crossing the woodpecker that already lives there.
The film’s performances, narrative, and humor were all criticized. Nevertheless, it still somehow got its own web series in 2018.
Moshi Monsters: The Movie (3.2)
This 2013 British-Korean musical comedy is based on the Moshi Monsters website, which allowed kids to raise their own virtual pets. This idea did not translate well to the big screen.
The film has the monsters teaming together to stop the evil Dr. Strangelove from destroying the mysterious Great Moshling Egg.
Critics believed that even fans of the game wouldn’t enjoy the busy, frustrating, lackluster, narrative.
