Every Disney Animated Movie of the 2020s, Ranked From Worst to Best (Including Zootopia 2)

Throughout its history, Walt Disney Animation Studios has consistently led the animation industry, pioneering new artistic styles in the 1940s and experiencing a creative revival in the 1990s. However, the 2020s have been challenging. Disney is trying to find a balance between making high-quality films for theaters and creating enough content for its streaming service. This has led to a mix of bold, original movies and safer choices based on familiar stories, leaving both critics and audiences unsure of what to expect.

Looking at Disney’s animated movies from 2020 to late 2025, the quality is noticeably more varied than in past years. Some films have become instant hits, topping the music charts for months, while others haven’t resonated with audiences and quickly faded away. Now that Zootopia 2, a much-awaited sequel, has been released, it’s a good moment to compare how these films measure up against each other.

6) Wish

Originally meant to be a grand celebration of the studio’s 100th anniversary, Wish unfortunately feels more like a marketing exercise than a truly enchanting film. The story centers on Asha (voiced by Ariana DeBose) who learns that King Magnifico (voiced by Chris Pine) is secretly collecting wishes to stay in control. Though the idea behind the movie showed promise, it ended up feeling like a collection of inside jokes and nods to past films instead of a well-developed story. This resulted in a villain who didn’t feel as threatening or complex as the iconic villains the film seemed to be trying to copy. The unique visual style, combining watercolor and 3D animation, often appeared incomplete rather than intentionally artistic, and the songs weren’t as memorable as those in the studio’s most beloved musicals. In the end, Wish was weighed down by its own history, focusing more on promoting the brand than on creating genuine magic.

5) Moana 2

Released almost ten years after the first film, Moana 2 feels like it started as a Disney+ TV series. Moana and Maui team up again to lift a curse that’s dividing the islands of Oceania, but the story feels choppy and disconnected. New characters, like the villain Matangi, appear and disappear without much impact, and the overall story doesn’t have the same powerful, mythical feel as the original Moana. While the ocean animation is still stunning and it’s enjoyable to revisit these characters, the lack of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s songs is noticeable. It’s a perfectly fine adventure that provides entertainment, but it’s noticeably less ambitious and important than the first movie.

4) Raya and the Last Dragon

Raya and the Last Dragon is a visually stunning and action-packed fantasy film, now available in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access. It boasts some of the most impressive fight scenes Disney has ever created. The story follows Raya (voiced by Kelly Marie Tran) on a quest across the divided land of Kumandra to find the legendary dragon Sisu (voiced by Awkwafina) and restore unity. The film draws heavily from Southeast Asian cultures, offering a more realistic and mature tone than typical Disney princess movies. While the film’s message about the importance of trust feels a bit simplistic considering the complicated conflict, its ambitious world-building still makes it stand out among recent Disney animated features.

3) Strange World

Disney’s Strange World unfortunately flopped at the box office, largely due to ineffective promotion and a story that didn’t connect with most viewers. The film follows the Clade family – legendary explorers led by Searcher Clade (Jake Gyllenhaal) and his son Ethan (Jaboukie Young-White) – as they venture into a strange underground world to fix their society’s energy problem. Though the animation is visually impressive, creating a colorful, retro-futuristic alien environment, the story suffers from an overly preachy environmental message and a predictable family conflict. While the film’s central mystery was a clever idea, it wasn’t enough to overcome the lecturing tone and lack of emotional depth needed to make the sci-fi concept truly engaging.

2) Zootopia 2

Disney finally delivered a successful sequel with Zootopia 2, after a series of disappointing follow-up films. The movie reunites Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Nick Wilde (Jason Bateman) as they investigate a new mystery involving a reptile named Gary De’Snake (Ke Huy Quan) that could disrupt the peace between different animal species in the city. Reviewers are calling it a rare sequel that’s as good as – and in some ways better than – the original, highlighting its clever and sensitive handling of difficult topics like prejudice and social class. The animation is stunningly detailed, showcasing vibrant new areas of the city with creative visuals, and the story expertly blends humor with heartfelt moments.

1) Encanto

So far in the 2020s, Encanto stands out as the most important Disney animated film. The story of Mirabel (voiced by Stephanie Beatriz), the only non-magical member of a gifted family, quickly became a huge cultural hit, boosted by a wildly popular soundtrack. Instead of focusing on a big, external threat, the movie explored the difficult themes of family expectations and inherited trauma on a personal level. With its beautiful animation, realistic characters, and the incredibly popular song “We Don’t Talk About Bruno,” Encanto felt both uniquely Colombian and universally appealing. It’s a deeply moving film that redefined what a Disney musical could be.

What animated movie do you think people will still be talking about years from now? Share your thoughts in the comments and join the discussion on the ComicBook Forum!

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2025-11-29 01:41