Disney has been the master of audience-pleasing musicals for years. Mostly, their animated features are the source of memorable songs and unforgettable musical numbers that became cherished for generations. On their live-action musical features, however, they bring the same novelty of songs and musical numbers.
For that, here are the 10 best Disney live-action movie musicals, ranked according to their Rotten Tomatoes score. Unfortunately, only theatrical movies are eligible; so, Disney Channel original movies are not considered. And though it has musical numbers, Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book does not count as a musical.
The Great Muppet Caper (1981) – 76%
The Great Muppet Caper is not a direct sequel to The Muppet Movie, but it is a fun standalone heist comedy. This Muppets film centers on Kermit the Frog, The Great Gonzo, and Fozzie Bear as reporters who are sent to London to cover a story about a jewel heist, with the help of the victim’s secretary, Miss Piggy.
Like any Muppets movie, it is driven by spectacular character moments (such as the gag that Kermit and Fozzie are identical and Charles Grodin’s goofy performance of falling for Miss Piggy) and fun song numbers (particularly “The First Time It Happens”).
Mary Poppins Returns (2018) – 79%
After 54 years, Mary Poppins finally gets a sequel in Mary Poppins Returns. This time, the focus is on the now-adult Banks children, Michael and Jane (Ben Whishaw and Emily Mortimer), as they deal with the prospect of losing their home. Along came Mary Poppins (Emily Blunt) and lamplighter Jack (Lin-Manuel Miranda) who brings a more hopeful outlook to the Banks.
While the film felt like an organic continuation, Mary Poppins Returns’ plot structure is a derivative of the original film's. But the true reasons to catch this are the cast performances and the listenable songs like “Trip a Little Fantastic”.
Muppets Most Wanted (2014) – 80%
The direct follow-up to 2011’s The Muppets, Muppets Most Wanted finds the gang embarking on a European concert tour. However, Kermit switches places with a doppelganger, a Russian criminal named Constantine. And it is up to Fozzie, Animal, and Walter to rescue the real Kermit, while Constantine charms his way to the Muppets, posing as Kermit and wooing Miss Piggy.
While not as grand as its predecessor, this films excels on being adventurous and catchier in its approach. The new cast is also great, with Ricky Gervais as Constantine’s henchman and Tina Fey as the Russian Gulag warden/secret Kermit fan.
The Muppet Movie (1979) – 88%
Here is the first feature-length Muppets movie, three years after The Muppet Show first aired on television. And it is structured as the origin story of how the Muppets met and gathered for the first time. It stemmed from Kermit taking a cross-country journey to Hollywood to make his ambitions come true and tagging several Muppets along for the trip.
The film captures the joyous spirit of the Muppets, from the camaraderie of the lovable puppet characters to the humor that made the experience bright. Yet, the song numbers truly resonate with viewers and fans alike, most especially “Rainbow Connection”.
The Parent Trap (1961) – 90%
Believe it or not, Lindsay Lohan's vehicle The Parent Trap is a remake of this overlooked 1961 Disney classic. Both films use The Prince & The Pauper template (though this is based on the 1949 book Lottie and Lisa by Erich Kästner) on a story about two identical girls who discover that they are twins separated from birth and decide to trick their parents into reconciling.
Hayley Mills gave a convincing and funny performance in her dual roles as Sharon and Susan. As a musical, the songs by the Sherman Brothers are hummable like the feel-good “Let’s Get Together”.
James and the Giant Peach (1996) – 91%
Though this Tim Burton production is predominantly a stop-motion animated film, James and the Giant Peach incorporated live-action scenes at the beginning and the end. Based on the classic by Roald Dahl, this story centers on an orphan named James who runs away from his cruel guardians and embarks on a trans-Atlantic journey to New York with a group of human-sized insects aboard a peach.
On a technical level, the team behind The Nightmare Before Christmas delivers on its seamless and surreal stop-motion. As a musical, the songs are cheerful, if not memorable, despite them being composed by Randy Newman.
Enchanted (2007) – 93%
Disney made fun of itself with this self-parody of their fairytale clichés. And the clichés are too tongue-in-cheek: from the optimistic princess to the dashing prince, from breaking into another world to breaking into song. Amy Adams plays Giselle, a princess destined to be married to Prince Edward (James Marsden).
However, she is tricked by Queen Narissa (Susan Sarandon) into entering the real world, where she meets and falls for Robert (Patrick Dempsey). The film is a fun and pleasant homage to Disney fairytales. And it is complemented by its song numbers from “That’s How You Know” to “So Close”.
The Muppets (2011) – 95%
The Muppets are finally given the retooling they deserve with this 2011 musical treat that stars Jason Segel and Amy Adams and introduces a brand-new Muppet in the form of Walter (Peter Linz). Walter is a Muppet superfan who discovers a plot to demolish the Muppet studio for oil. Thus, he, his brother Gary and Gary’s girlfriend Mary assist Kermit in gathering all the Muppets once more.
For fans and non-fans of the Muppets, this is an immediate delight as it keeps Jim Henson’s joyous spirit of the characters. As always, they pulled off extravagant song numbers from the upbeat “Life’s A Happy Song” to the momentous “Man or Muppet”.
Darby O'Gill and the Little People (1959) – 100%
Another overlooked Disney classic, Darby O’Gill and the Little People is based on the stories of Herminie Templeton Kavanagh about a humble old man named Darby O’Gill, who outwits the King of the Leprechauns and wishes to him to pair his daughter up to the dashing lad who replaced him at work.
Just from the premise gives the impression of a film filled with Irish culture and folklore. And the film proudly embraces it in a non-showy manner. This is apparent on its three prominent song sequences: the drinking song “The Wishing Song”, the ballad “Pretty Irish Girl” and O’Gill’s fiddle number. But the film is most known for the Banshee, one of the scariest figures in a Disney film.
Mary Poppins (1964) – 100%
Yet, the quintessential Disney live-action musical will always be Mary Poppins. This film about a magical nanny, who changes the lives of the Banks family, touched the hearts of every generation. With its unforgettable characters and endearing moments, Mary Poppins became an iconic childhood staple.
As a musical itself, it lined up perfectly alongside Disney’s best animated musical efforts. (Granted, this one has animated sequences.) There are many catchy songs to choose as favorites, like the introductory “Chim Chim Che-ree”, the catchy “A Spoonful of Sugar”, the toe-tapping “Step in Time”, the poignant “Let’s Go Fly a Kite” and the famous “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”. And they are helped by Julie Andrews’ endearing performance as Poppins and Dick van Dyke’s unforgettable role as Bert. Though author P. L. Travers objected to the film’s final version, Mary Poppins is still the best Disney live-action musical.