There are only a handful of weekends left before spring is in full swing, meaning there are only a handful of weekends left to bum around inside and watch movies. If your family has exhausted all of its go-to Disney options, try out one of these four unpopular offerings from Disney+. And remember, just because they’re not beloved by all audiences like Frozen or Mary Poppins doesn’t mean someone in your family won’t enjoy them.
‘The Big Green’
Think of The Big Green as The Sandlot-adjacent. Some will say it’s a lot worse – The Big Green has a 0% critical score on Rotten Tomatoes – but others will say it’s underappreciated and unfairly compared to The Sandlot. (Not all sports movies can be like The Sandlot!)
The Big Green actually isn’t that much like The Sandlot plot-wise, it just came out a couple of years later and shares a couple of kids in the cast. The film follows a teacher from England who moves to Texas and starts coaching a soccer team. It’s not the world’s greatest sports film, but it’s worth your time for an hour and 40 minutes.
‘Pinocchio’ (1940)
You’re probably wondering why a bona fide classic like Pinocchio, what some would consider a perfect animated movie, is on this list, but it’s not watched by modern audiences nearly as much as its contemporary counterparts, making it unpopular in today’s world. But audiences of all ages need to see the original animated version at least once (not the 2022 live-action remake). And they need to see it before watching Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio.
‘Get a Clue’
The only Disney Channel Original Movies (DCOMs) to get the credit they deserve have been the High School Musical series and The Cheetah Girls series, but true Disney Channel fans of the late ‘90s and early ‘00s know that there are so many more that are worth watching. No, they’re not cinematic classics, but that wasn’t the point. The point was to entertain children, and they almost all succeeded in doing so.
If your aim is to entertain your children, check out Get a Clue. It’s a mystery starring Lindsay Lohan and Brenda Song that’s set in New York City and has the best costumes of any DCOM ever (yes, even better than The Cheetah Girls).
‘The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement’
Most audiences liked The Princess Diaries better than its sequel, The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement, but the second deserves its flowers, too. (Our formal recommendation would be to watch them in order, but you can watch the second one first without a grave effect on your viewing experience.) Julie Andrews later in her career and Anne Hathaway early in hers – don’t listen to the critics who say this movie isn’t worth watching.
Each of these movies is streaming now on Disney+.