13 years after the original Finding Nemo, Pixar just released its sequel, Finding Dory. This is after the sequel Cars 2, the prequel Monster’s University, and the side-quel Planes. But when it comes to squeezing as much as possible from a single story, Pixar’s parent studio Disney Animation has been doing it for years, all to the way back to the direct-to-clamshell case VHS days. And when you shove that many sequels down the public’s collective throat, some are not going to go down that well. Here are the animated Disney sequels you probably missed (thank god).
Cinderella II: Dreams Come True
Despite making over $120 million in direct-to-video sales in 2002, Cinderella II has a terrible reputation. Currently boasting a resounding 11% Rotten Tomatoes rating, this sequel is actually three stories in one, each looking like an old animated Barbie film that takes place in the time of the Black Death. The result is a movie that appears to be a low-budget TV series that never aired but, like any hideous creature, was determined to get in your house one way or another.
The Hunchback of Notre-Dame II
As tone-deaf as its main character, The Hunchback of Notre-Dame II‘s greatest triumphant is that it runs less than an hour, making it prefect to have on during a colonoscopy. Hunchback II at least lets Quasimodo have a kiss and is perfect for anyone who has ever shipped a romance between a gargoyle and a goat.
The%20Fox%20and%20the%20Hound%202
A sequel to an already little-known (but very charming) film, The%20Fox%20and%20the%20Hound%202 spends as much time with its title characters as it takes to actually read the title. Instead, it shifts its focus to The Singin’ Strays, a five-member country dog band hoping to score a spot at the Grand Ole Opry. This was the very last direct-to-video movie Disney put out before switching to Blu-ray and perhaps greenlighting other country-tinged sequels such as The Black Cauldron II: Now in Branson, Missouri.
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea answers the question, “What do you do after the happy ending?” with “No idea, but apparently we finished it so just buy the damn movie, okay?” It focuses on Ariel’s human daughter Melody, a human who is forbidden to swim in the ocean. With Ursula killed in the first movie, the role of the villain now goes to her sister Morgana, who turns Melody into a mermaid because… uh… act two needed a twist, I guess? Things happen, families unite, and the sea and the land become one, which is supposed to be uplifting but sounds like all the Arctic ice just melted.
Bambi II
Released 64 years after the original — which is almost as long as the lag time between Game of Thrones novels — Bambi II takes place immediately after Bambi’s mother is killed. Tension rise between Bambi and his father, the Great Prince, making this cartoon as much fun to watch as hearing a gunshot was in the first film. Of course, things all work out in the end, but by that time you’re already crying, not so much out of sadness for the characters as the feeling there isn’t a single deer out there with a happy home life.
What Disney sequels do you want to see? A Frozen sequel where Olaf gets a CIA gig and fights ISIS? Let us know on Twitter @Smosh!
