10 MISTAKES THAT HAUNT MODERN DISNEY MOVIES

As one of the most prolific studios in entertainment and animation, it's expected that Disney's films embody near perfection. While many of its stories, animation, and character development are notable for their style and execution, many mistakes are made in even modern Disney. These mistakes can revolve around plot holes, continuity mistakes, or sometimes a combination of both.

These errors are found in multiple films from Pixar and Walt Disney Animation Studios. Subsequently, Disney's incessant live-action remakes also contain mistakes that can have critical and financial consequences for the company. Whether in animation or live-action, even the most diehard Disney fans can't ignore these blunders that affect the perception of these films.

Kuzco Needs to Hire a Theme Song Singer Who Knows Geography

A Noticeable Error Appears Early on in The Emperor's New Groove

With The Emperor's New Groove being one of the funniest Disney movies of all time, a few plot points are bound to be a bit stretched for comedic effect. This is recognized towards the end of the film when Yzma and Kronk miraculously beat Kuzco and Pacha back to the castle. The villains even acknowledge that "by all accounts it doesn't make sense," which provokes a laugh from audiences and explains away what would be a narrative inconsistency.

There is, however, a moment in the film that isn't pointed out, likely because it was a genuine error. In Kuzco's theme song that introduces audiences to his conceited nature, the singer exclaims that the young emperor is "an enigma and a mystery in Mesoamerican history." This is an odd lyric considering that the film is based on the Incan empire, which is much further south than Mesoamerica. The Incan Empire fell in the 1530s and was located in the Andes Mountains near modern-day Peru.

Why Did Hank Remain a "Septopus" Throughout Finding Dory?

Octopuses Can Regenerate Tentacles, so Why Didn't Hank?

In the Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory, Dory is taken to the Marine Life Institute, where she meets an octopus named Hank who lost one of his tentacles in an incident, thus prompting Dory to call him a "septopus" due to his seven limbs. Hank is based on the Eastern Pacific red octopus and a mimic octopus, known for mimicking other animals to evade predators, coinciding with Hank's mastery of disguise.

What's also notable about these two species and many other octopuses is their ability to regenerate tentacles. Though the process is long, taking up to about four months, there's no sign of Hank's eighth tentacle even starting to grow back. Animators and writers likely ignored this fact to keep this character's quirk alive.

Mother Gothel's Shackles Didn't Hold Her Prisoner

Tangled's Flynn Ryder is Shown to Be Shackled in One Frame and Free in Another

In one of the most chilling scenes in Tangled, there is a continuity error that, if recognized, can minimize its effect. After Flynn Ryder is freed, he rushes back to Rapunzel's tower to save her from the clutches of Mother Gothel. When Flynn arrives, he's stabbed by Gothel and chained to the tower, doomed to die there. To save her love, Rapunzel agrees to live as Gothel's prisoner if Gothel lets her heal him, to which she agrees.

Before Rapunzel can heal Flynn and subject herself to a more brutal life with her captor, he cuts her hair, reversing the effects of her power and forcing Gothel to age rapidly. It's revealed at the moment right before Flynn cuts her hair, when he raises his hand to caress Rapunzel, that his hand is not actually shackled, only for it to be shackled again in another frame. This discrepancy is small, but it's enough to take away from the scene if Flynn was free all along.

Ralph's Medal Appears and Disappears in Wreck-It Ralph

How Did Vanellope Notice When it Was Barely Visible in Prior Scenes?

Ralph's whole goal in Wreck-It Ralph is to prove that he can be more than a destructive villain. To accomplish this and earn the praise of his peers, he game jumps to Hero's Duty, where he secures a shiny gold medal before ending up in the candy-themed racing game Sugar Rush. There, he meets the outcast Vanellope Von Schweetz, who's prohibited from racing due to her constant glitching.

Later in the film, King Candy manipulates Ralph to prevent Vanellope from racing by telling him that her glitching will get the game pulled, leaving her to perish. This leads to an emotional scene between Ralph and Vanellope where she spots Ralph's medal and blue ribbon tucked underneath his overalls, despite no indication of there being a medal, or any object, for that matter, on Ralph's person. The impactful moment still lands, but this error can be distracting for some viewers.

Charlotte Didn't Turn Into a Frog When She Kissed Naveen

According to the Rules in The Princess and the Frog, Charlotte Should've Been Transformed

The Princess and the Frog's vibrant 1920s New Orleans setting incorporates the use of voodoo magic from the wickedly intimidating Dr. Facilier, which catalyzes Prince Naveen's transformation. Naveen has the right idea to kiss a princess once he's turned into a frog, but because Tiana is not technically a princess when they kiss, the determined heroine is also turned into a swamp-dwelling creature.

The two enlist the help of the voodoo queen of the bayou, Mama Odie, who confirms that kissing a princess will break the spell. Since Tiana's best friend Charlotte's father is the king of the Mardi Gras parade, she's a temporary princess, but only until midnight. After numerous obstacles, the two find Charlotte, but she kisses Naveen just as the clock strikes 12. It's puzzling that Charlotte didn't turn into a frog like Tiana, since she was no longer a princess once the night ended, but the filmmakers likely glossed over this fact to focus on the emotional beats that come after, such as Ray's sudden death.

Elsa's Powers Are Never Really Explained

Two Frozen Films Weren't Enough to Fully Explore Her Magic

A major trait of modern Disney princesses is their possession of magical powers and abilities, like Rapunzel's magic hair and Moana's connection with the ocean. The most famous powerful princess/queen is Elsa from Frozen, whose ice powers prove to be as dangerous as they are wondrous. The limits of her powers are never completely elucidated and are generally described as "ice magic."

It's unclear how that magic is able to create dresses, sentient beings, and giant castles, which are all seen in the first Frozen film. In Frozen II, more elaboration on Elsa's powers is to be expected, but it's only revealed that Elsa is the mysterious fifth element alongside wind, fire, earth and water. The second film also reveals that Elsa's powers emerged as a blessing from the spirits of nature after her mother saved her father when they were children. This is a lazy explanation and still doesn't provide the boundaries for Elsa's magic, depleting her overall character and the world of Frozen.

Where Was Russell Hiding When Carl's House Went Up?

He's Clearly Not on the Front Porch When the House Lifts Off the Ground

After the heartbreaking death of his wife Ellie, which is one of the saddest scenes in Disney history, Carl Fredericksen promises to make it to Paradise Falls on his own, a place that he and Ellie always wanted to go. To do this, he attaches thousands of balloons to his house and takes to the skies. Just as he's about to relax and enjoy his unusual journey, a knock is heard at his door.

Confused, he answers his door only to find Russell, a Wilderness Explorer scout who'd previously offered to assist him in hopes of obtaining a badge. The poor young boy is clinging to the house for dear life until Carl finally lets him inside. As previously mentioned, the front of the house is shown, and Russell is nowhere to be seen. He couldn't even be in the back of the house because the wooden railing sections were off access.

Why Couldn't Joy and Sadness Send the Core Memories Up to Headquarters?

It's Shown in Inside Out That Memories Can be Directly Transported in the Film

Inside Out features a scene where Joy and Sadness are traversing through long-term memory to try to find a way back to headquarters, they encounter two workers who are tasked with getting rid of old memories. The two see a memory of a gum commercial with a catchy song that they then send up to headquarters, so it plays in Riley's head, a funny explanation for how songs get stuck in people's heads.

The workers send the song right up to headquarters, instantly playing in Riley's head. Joy is standing right there with the core memories in her hand, so why didn't she just shoot the core memories up the tube back to Anger, Fear and Disgust? Sure, this may not have solved the major conflict in the film, which is getting Joy and Sadness back to their rightful place, but it would have at least helped keep Riley's personality islands from crumbling, which are extremely problematic for Joy and Sadness as they navigate their way back.

Monsters University Conflicts With a Line in Monsters, Inc.

Did Mike Have a Memory Lapse About When He and Sulley Met?

This has been pointed out in many critiques of Monsters University, but that's because it's such a significant plot hole that wasn't resolved. Mike says in the first Monsters, Inc. film, "You've been jealous of my good looks since the fourth grade, pal." This line becomes obsolete when it's revealed that Mike and Sulley met in college. Director Dan Scanlon did notice this, and in the production process for Monsters University,it was discussed how to deal with this conflict.

The filmmakers initially wanted to show Mike and Sulley meeting in fourth grade, but that just didn't fit with the story, with Scanlon saying, "Basically, after trying it a lot, we felt like it was robbing the audience of the experience of really watching a relationship grow." While the vision is understandable, there's no major reason why Mike and Sulley couldn't have met in fourth grade. In fact, the film could've been more meaningful if their rivalry spanned decades, only for them to become the best of friends in Monsters, Inc.

Snow White Was a Colossal Failure

This Film Proved That Maybe It's Time For the Live-Action Remakes to End

Over the years, audiences have grown less receptive to Disney's live-action remakes, which was further exemplified by the release of Snow White, which was a box office disappointment. Grossing just over $200 million worldwide on an almost $210 million budget, the film was majorly indicative of the fact that a nostalgia-baited remake is not always the key to success.

Disney has reportedly halted production and development of several other live-action films, delighting many fans who've been vying for Disney to return to producing more original stories. The film's failure can be attributed to a number of reasons. Many controversies surrounding casting, inclusion efforts and overall creative potential doomed Snow White from the start. This film's negative impact on Disney's brand is likely to last and will certainly haunt the company as it continues to deliver compelling entertainment. Looking at it from every angle, it's clear that this entire film was a huge mistake.

2025-05-15T10:45:13Z