This is a list of a few animated movies from the ’80s and ’90s that have made less money than they should have. All these movies are good, but they have achieved a higher echelon of animation than they were compensated for.
8. All Dogs Go to Heaven
This is not the greatest movie one could watch. But the characters are compelling. It can be dark at times, and sometimes does not even make sense. But it is truly moving that does not pull any punches on thematic elements.
7. DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp
It made its budget but did not turn a profit. Scrooge is a great character as he is relatable in moral senses. He is greedy in some way or another but finds ways to do good. Rip Taylor turns in a manic performance that is hilarious. He deserved much more attention than what he got. This is surely a fun movie. It is a full-length movie of The DuckTales series.
6. The Great Mouse Detective
This is the Disney successor to The Black Cauldron. One could call it a memorable Disney film. The best thing is the protagonist, Basil and the villain, Rattigan. They are great characters who are fun to watch.
5. The Rescuers Down Under
This movie opened with a successful film of 1990, Home Alone. So, it under performed. The movie is sweeping and fast. Just what a film about a rescue in Australian outback should be. George C. Scott is the evilest being that existed and there is is no way a good person can turn in a performance like this. Overall this is a great Disney movie that is better than the late 90’s Disney fare.
4. The Iron Giant
This movie underperformed at the box office but performed well on screen. Vin Diesel is a robot. According to a lot of internet sources, it made 30 million with a budget of 70-80 million.
There are a few reasons why it may have underperformed. Marketing was not that strong. Brad Bird, the director, had gone on record stating that Warner Brothers had neglected to promote the film.
3. Watership Down
This movie did not perform well at the box-office and turned in 3.7 million on a 4.8 million dollar budget. This movie has talking animals, great music, good acting, and pacing. Richard Briers and John Hurt are astounding as central characters in the film.
2. The Brave Little Toaster
The Brave Little Toaster did not make a lot of splashes when it hit theatres. But it garnered a cult following after its release. The movie gained attention at Sundance. There was a lot going on in the production of the film than just ‘making a kids movie.’
1. The Secret of NIMH
Everyone loves this movie. It garnered critical acclaim and made back twice its budget. But that was just 14 million. This is the Shawshank Redemption of animated movies. It gained a following after releasing on home video and has gone down in history as a beloved film classic that many children have watched on their TV’s in the comforts of their own home.
