Disney is a film franchise notoriously known for cranking out sequel after unnecessary sequel the minute a film becomes remotely successful. It's something many production companies do, and the trend has become much more prevalent today than it has ever been in the past. But Disney was one of the first companies to really give the idea of sequels any substantial weight.
Not only would Disney produce sequels to successful films that had recently been released, but they'd also take age-old classics such as Lady And The Tramp, which premiered in theatres in 1955, and give it a sequel decades later.
Nevertheless, Disney might frequently give viewers sequels, prequels, and remakes that they never asked for and that are completely unnecessary, but sometimes they do manage to do something good with this tired trend.
Let's take a look at 10 underrated Disney sequels that are actually surprisingly good.
THE LITTLE MERMAID II: RETURN TO THE SEA (2000)
The first Little Mermaid movie hit theatres in 1989 to critical acclaim and commercial success, as it basically the norm for just about every Disney animated film ever. The Little Mermaid wasn't actually very unique or different when compared to other Disney princess movies, but that didn't stop Disney from giving it a sequel.
The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea was released direct-to-video in 2000. This movie definitely did not receive anywhere near the attention and praise that the first movie did, but aside from the fact that it was a very unnecessary movie, The Little Mermaid II was by no means terrible. The sequel revolves around Ariel and Prince Eric's daughter, Melody. Much like Ariel's father sheltered her in the sea, Ariel shelters her daughter on land, and naturally Melody rebels, resulting in a pretty entertaining adventure.
CINDERELLA II: DREAMS DO COME TRUE (2002)
Cinderella was released in 1950 and was Disney's twelfth ever animated feature film. It's definitely one of their most beloved, classic films, and although it had a significant fanbase, no one was pining for a sequel when Disney released Cinderella II: Dreams Do Come True in 2002.
This was another direct-to-video sequel, and it's actually widely hated among Disney fans. While the sequel definitely lacked in quality and paled in comparison to the first film, Cinderella II deserves more appreciation than it gets for having sweet storylines such as Anastasia's redemption arc and love interest.
RETURN TO NEVERLAND (2002)
Disney's adaptation of the age-old fairytale Peter Pan was released in 1953 and was the franchise's fourteenth animated feature film. Disney's Peter Pan is definitely the most popular adaptation of the story and is certainly considered a classic, but again, by the 2000s, no one was asking for a sequel to a movie that was released in the '50s.
Nevertheless, we got Return To Neverland, a sequel to Peter Pan that was released in theatres in 2002, going on to gross $109 million worldwide. The plot of this sequel revolved around grown-up Wendy's children, specifically her daughter, Jane. Although unnecessary, this sequel was surprisingly fairly decent.
ALADDIN AND THE KING OF THIEVES (1996)
The original Aladdin movie was released in 1992 and is highly well-regarded as one of Disney's best animated features. Aladdin was a critical and commercial hit and has a massive fanbase of both young and older viewers. Due to its significant success, it was predictable that Disney was going to try to milk this for all it was worth, but the result wasn't as bad as many fans were anticipating.
Disney released to sequels to Aladdin, the first being Return Of Jafar (1994) and the last being Aladdin and the King of Thieves (1996). Both of the follow-ups were released direct-to-video and flopped in the critical reception department. But as far as many fans are concerned, Aladdin and the King of Thieves is often unfairly criticized.
MONSTERS UNIVERSITY (2013)
Monsters, Inc. was future-famed Disney director, Pete Docter's debut. It hit theatres in 2001 and quickly became one of the most successful Disney/Pixar films ever made. Monsters, Inc. captivated the hearts of its viewers with its unique, quirky charm. The film was hugely successful, and although many fans were anticipating a sequel shortly after the film was released, that wish would not come true until over a decade later.
Monsters University hit theatres in 2013, directed by Dan Scanlon while Pete Docter acted as executive producer. Technically, Monsters University was actually a prequel to Monster, Inc., but due to the success of the first film, the fanbased embraced this follow-up with open arms.
THE LION KING 1½ (2004)
The Lion King was released in 1994, right in the heart of the Disney Renaissance area. The film became an instant classic and still has a dedicated fanbase to this day. Due to the success, Disney attempted a sequel in 1998 called Simba's Pride. This sequel didn't exactly receive the amount of success that the first film did, but that didn't stop Disney from trying again in 2004, with The Lion King 1½.
Unlike Simba's Pride, this sequel actually received significant critical acclaim and commericial success and is considered to be a wonderful follow-up to the first Lion King film.
TOY STORY 2 (1999)
The first Toy Story film was released in 1995 and would go on to be one of the most successful Disney/Pixar films ever created. The reception of this movie was so overwhelmingly positive that Toy Story would soon become a film franchise.
A sequel to Toy Story was released in 1999 to notable success. Toy Story 2 holds a perfect rating of 100% on Rotten Tomatoes and was definitely one of the most well-received Disney sequels.
TARZAN & JANE (2002)
In 1999, Disney released their adaptation of Tarzan. Although not the most successful or memorable films to come out of the Disney Renaissance era, Tarzan is a classic, and since it had a faithful fanbase and was widely beloved, Disney couldn't resist giving it a sequel.
Tarzan & Jane was released direct-to-video in 2002. The interesting thing about this film is that it utilized material from three unaired episodes of the corresponding TV show that was inspired by Disney's original Tarzan film.
BAMBI II (2006)
Released in 1942, Bambi was Disney's fifth-ever animated feature film. Bambi, of course, is still one of the most beloved Disney tales, sparking significant success, as many of the animated features from its era did. Again, no one was really dying to see a sequel to Bambi and there weren't really any loose ends to tie up or any questions that fans wanted answers to.
Nevertheless, when has that ever stopped Disney? Bambi II was released direct-to-video in 2006. At first glance, this would appear to be just another unnecessary Disney money-grab, but Bambi II actually unexpectedly serves as a decent coming-of-age film.
CINDERELLA III: A TWIST IN TIME (2007)
As if Cinderella II wasn't enough, Disney proceeded to release yet another follow-up to one of the most uninteresting princess' story in 2007, with Cinderella III: A Twist In Time. Against all odds and expectations, this direct-to-video sequel was very well received by fans and critics alike. It holds a score of 75% on Rotten Tomatoes and is often praised for giving all the previously flat, stereotypical characters more depth and realistic qualities.