Be it animation classics, blockbusters, addictive TV series, or Star Wars; Disney+ offers an exciting variety of content for subscribers. Like any studio, not everything Disney touches turns to gold; that said, the House of M has crafted so much great stuff over the decades, it is quite simple to ignore the bad.
Unfortunately, that's not the point of this article. Without Star Wars and the MCU, Disney+ has a decent but not necessarily great collection of sci-fi movies. Alongside awesome flicks like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea and Journey to the Center of the Earth, Disney+ also has some sci-fi films that leave a lot to be desired.
Race to Witch Mountain (2009)
Nowadays, Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson's mere presence is enough to improve any film; however, the actor had yet to completely harness this superpower prior to the 2010s. A remake of 1975's enjoyable but not spectacular Escape to Witch Mountain, Race to Witch Mountain delivers the type of timid family-friendly fare that plagues so many of Disney's weaker live-action projects.
Race to Witch Mountain leaves absolutely no impression, which is just not a productive way to spend 90 minutes. Children should like it, though.
Mars Needs Moms (2011)
An infamous bomb that marked a commercial low-point for a Disney production, Mars Needs Moms was a disaster in nearly every way. In all honesty, Simon Wells' 3D animated space adventure is slightly better than its financial performance suggests. Be that as it may, this sci-fi misstep is by no means good, it just is not a complete disaster.
Even though it does not entirely escape the uncanny valley, Mars Needs Moms' animation is a sight better than something like The Polar Express. Unfortunately, the story and characters are just too dull to make the most of the technology.
A Wrinkle in Time (2018)
A Wrinkle in Time has quite a few things going in its favor, including a solid cast and a few genuinely emotional scenes. A couple of high points notwithstanding, this 2018 adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's 1962 novel is bogged down by a messy plot, an overabundance of CGI that overshadows the narrative's very humane heart, and some rather divisive attempts at humor.
A Wrinkle in Time boasts moments of such stunning beauty that the film is almost worth recommending. Almost.
Fantastic Four (2015)
2015's Fantastic Four has garnered so much mockery and criticism since its original release, piling on any more would just be overkill. Superhero films tend to play it fast and loose when it comes to sci-fi ideas, often relegating them to plot devices rather than explorable concepts.
To its credit, Fantastic Four did try to be a bit more science-forward than most of its contemporaries. Sadly, the execution was too flawed to make any part of this trainwreck salvageable.
Flubber (1997)
Arguably the most controversial entry on this list, Flubber does hold some nostalgic value due to it being relatively popular with '90s kids. Robin Williams was also a treasure who seemed incapable of turning in a lazy performance, even in a slapstick-heavy sci-fi remake that had no idea how to make proper use of the comedian's abilities.
1961's The Absent-Minded Professor is considerably better than Flubber, which is not saying much. The remake took an already one-note premise and added a ton of lowbrow gags to further drive the joke into the ground.
Honey, I Blew Up the Kid (1992)
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids was not high art, but it worked well enough as a silly comedy about miniaturized children. Honey, I Blew Up the Kid basically reversed the premise of its predecessor and called it a day.
As it so happens, one gigantic child does not leave quite as much room for comedy as a group of mini-kids who are forced to embark on an adventure in their own yard. Rick Moranis still manages to deliver a few funny moments, but they are slim pickings.
Inspector Gadget (1999)
Even though 2003's Inspector Gadget 2 is technically worse, it earns itself a reprieve for being a direct-to-video sequel to a wretched cinematic abomination.
Inspector Gadget is not only ridiculously short, almost to the point that calling it a feature film feels like an exaggeration, but the adaptation is more likely to put newcomers off from checking out the original cartoon than it is to make new fans. While the cast is not the worst, the action is tame, the humor is awful, and the special effects are nightmare-inducing.
My Favorite Martian (1999)
Unsurprisingly, many of the worst sci-fi movies on Disney+ are comedies. That is not to say that the two genres cannot mix, as Spaceballs and Galaxy Quest prove that is far from the case, but films like My Favorite Martian utilize the freedom afforded by sci-fi to substitute well-written jokes for special effects.
The end result is an uninspired movie that caters to the lowest common denominator.
Space Buddies (2009)
On the one hand, a case can be made that the world is a better place with Space Buddies in it. After all, there is just something cozy about the idea of five adorable dogs pretending to be astronauts.
Space Buddies might make for a decent five-minute sketch or a short YouTube clip; for a feature film, it is simply boring.
G-Force (2009)
Somehow, sci-fi encompasses both G-Force and 2001: A Space Odyssey. One is a thought-provoking look into human evolution, mortality, and the dangers of technology; the other has secret agent guinea pigs.
G-Force is an action movie for very young children, which is not necessarily a bad thing. What makes it one of the worst sci-fi films on Disney+ is the fact G-Force never tries to be anything more than noise.