The team at Disney have produced some of the most successful movies in history. And their
legacy extends all the way back to 1923. You don't achieve that level of success by pleasing
only half of the audience, so they load their films with diverse humor. And have a habit
of making everyone laugh. But some are so downright sophisticated that calling them
“kids movies” just doesn’t make sense. Here are 10 Amazing Disney Movies That Were
Secretly Made For Adults.
Zootopia Since it’s release in March, Zootopia has
grossed over one billion dollars worldwide. Judy Hopps is a rabbit with big dreams of
law enforcement. Even though her city, is home to all kinds of animals, no rabbits have
ever been cops. Some audience members have spoken out about the parallels between the
movie and underrepresentation in todays society. Furthermore, one character refers to another
as “articulate”; a callback to the word being used as a racist backhanded compliment.
Who knew a kids movie could be so insightful.
Toy Story Puns are for adults. Kids do not understand
them. So putting one right in front of their eyes is a pretty brazen way to tell a joke
that only a portion of the audience will recognize as being a joke. The animators behind Toy
Story are masters of this. And if you look closely, you’ll recognize some risqué innuendo
hiding in plain sight. Just have a look at this hooker and try to tell us we’re wrong.
Finding Dory Nostalgia is big business, just look to the
latest movie trends for proof. Remakes and sequels abound, and some pretty cool movies
are getting made as a result. But some argue that this past summer’s Finding Dory nothing
more than a cash grab. Opponents allege that the movie was made simply to pull the heart
strings of those who were kids when it’s predecessor Finding Nemo was released in 2003.
But none of that really matters in the end. And the movie has gone on to make over nine
hundred million dollars in the short three months since its release.
Inside Out Inside Out follows the story of a young girl
named Riley, who’s family moves across country and leaves her life behind. Told with a psychological
flare, the storytellers turn emotions into characters. And use the girl’s mind as a
landscape to show how the change is affecting her internally. Led by Joy, other emotions
Sadness, Fear, Anger, and Disgust also play a big part. But a few lines make it clear
that this isn’t just a movie for the kids in the audience. Shortly after Riley sees
their new house in San Francisco, Fear makes a remark about bears in the city. And Anger’s
response made more than a few people chuckle, since “Bear” is a slang word used in the
LGBT community that describes a certain aesthetic. And given how important the city has been
in the gay rights movement, there’s no way the line wasn't a callback.
Up Because no kids movie could be so impossibly
cruel, Up must have been made for adults. On the outside it’s all balloon houses and
hilarious dogs. But on the inside it’s a vast pit of despair. The first ten minutes
are genuinely heart-wrenching as they tell the story of Carl meeting, loving, and ultimately
losing, the love of his life. We’re told that happy things happened after that, but
after being removed from the theatre for crying too loudly, we can’t be sure.
The Emperor’s New Groove Wordplay is a great way to launch a joke right
over a kid’s head. And combining that with an innocent-looking visual kicks it up a notch.
But at what point does a movie stop being for kids and start being for adults? The longer
you watch The Emperor’s New Groove, the more you’ll be convinced it was written
with a mature audience in mind. For example, a scene where the lovable Kronk spends a night
in the great outdoors. And while kids may be laughing at the size of his lean-to, the
adults know what it really means to “pitch a tent.”
Wreck it Ralph Wreck-It Ralph is a movie so loaded with
references that if you so much as sneeze, you'll miss one. Inspired by elements of Donkey
Kong and Rampage, Wreck-it Ralph himself is a temperamental brute who smashes his way
from A to B during the course of his day job duties inside a video game. Ralph, the golden-hearted
thug trying to change his violent ways, attends Bad Anon, a support group for bad guys. Now,
we don’t want to say you have to be a certain age to appreciate the classics. But we’re
willing to bet that most young people wouldn’t have a clue who a lot of those characters
are.
Frozen Since its 2013 release, Frozen has become
one of Disney’s juggernauts. The tale of two sisters is one of the highest grossing
films of all time, and the biggest in the company’s history. The story is interesting,
and the soundtrack is.. well.. everywhere. But contrary to popular belief, little kids
aren’t the ones who benefit most from watching Frozen. The writers reserved some of the laughs
for the grownups, throwing in a dirty joke here and there. Like when Kristof is quizzing
Anna about her love life, and the question of shoe size comes up. She might have shrugged
the question off, but we know it was adults who got a kick out of that one.
Toy Story 3 Toy Story 3 is about growing up. And maybe
the only good part of growing up is sex. While it might not be directly addressed, if you
pay close attention there are definitely some sexy jokes in the mix. For example, after
the Lotso the jerk removes Mrs. Potato Head’s mouth from her face, her husband shouts some
choice words at the burly bear. It happens so quickly that even some grown-ups might
miss it. But in retrospect, it’s pretty overt.
Hercules Greek Mythology is complex and loaded with
intertwining personalities. Much like in Game of Thrones, they all have their own agendas
and it can be difficult to keep things straight. Thanks to the animators behind 1997’s Hercules,
at least audiences will always be able to recognize the centaur. Especially if they’re
into phallic comedy. After Hercules wallops the beast, it’s head swells into a.. well
you can see it right there. Disney serves a wide audience, can you blame them for throwing
in a little low-brow comedy?
So what do you think of our list? Which Disney movies do you think were secretly made for
adults? Join the conversation in the comments, and subscribe to our YouTube channel for more
videos like this one.