When you opened up HBO Max this morning you might have noticed something a little …funnyabout the vast selection of available movies on Warner Media’s streaming platform. Alongside the voluminous offerings from Criterion, Studio Ghibli and Warner’s incredible inhouse library, there are a lot of Disney movies. This is thanks to an ironclad licensing agreement signed before the streaming wars got really heated (this is also the reason whyNew Mutantsisn’t just popping up on Hulu one day). Most of these titles will make it to Disney’s twin streaming services of Hulu and Disney+ in the not too distant future, but as for now it’s striking that they’re appearing on a competitor’s new direct-to-consumer juggernaut.
While the siloed brands of Marvel Studios, Lucasfilm, Pixar, and Disney Animation aren’t accounted for, there are still a number of hidden gems from the generous Disney library currently available on HBO Max. And as a disclaimer these are all Disney movie produced in house either by the main studio or one of its subsidiaries – we’ve purposefully left off Fox movies (now a part of the Magic Kingdom) and also any movies released by Dimension or Miramax from that era because …ick.
Air Buddies
Armageddon
There are few live-action Disney movies as kick-ass or as incredibly profitable (globally it was the #1 movie of 1998) asArmageddon. Advertised as “aJerry Bruckheimerproduction directed byMichael Bay,”Armageddonwas basically designed in a lab to be the biggest, most 1998 possible, with a cast that includesBruce Willis,Liv Tyler,Billy Bob Thornton,Ben AffleckandSteve Buscemi, working from a script with five credited screenwriters and several more who went uncredited (includingJ.J. Abrams,Robert TowneandTony Gilroy) and a soundtrack album full of new and preexisting songs fromAerosmith(their Disney theme park attraction, Rock N’ Rollercoaster, would open the following year at what was then Disney-MGM Studios). And while some of the visual effects (a handful of which were added last minute to give it more ammo againstDeep Impact) don’t hold up, and the rah-rah patriotism is more befitting a Coca-Cola commercial than a major motion picture,Armageddonstill holds up and exists as the kind of big budget, high concept stand-alone Disney spectacle that they just don’t make anymore.
Beverly Hills Chihuahua
Is this the best Disney (or HBO Max) has to offer? Absolutely not. ButBeverly Hills Chihuahuais the kind of competent, for-the-kids programmer that you are in desperate need of. Directed byRaja Gosnell, who was the editor ofHome Alone, and with a surprisingly starry cast that includesPiper Perabo,Jamie Lee Curtis,Drew Barrymore,George LopezandAndy Garcia. While not the most culturally sensitive family comedy out there (including the fact that Barrymore voices the lead character, a Mexican chihuahua), it is sweet and occasionally funny and will remind you of those Disney movies from the 1960s whose only objective was to happily occupy an hour-and-a-half of your child’s Saturday afternoon.Beverly Hills Chihuahuawas also a fairly sizable hit that inspired two direct-to-video sequels which are also available on HBO Max. Viva la chihuahua!
Bicentennial Man
Accompanied by one of the worst marketing campaigns in Disney’s history, Bicentennial Man is a much better movie than anybody gives it credit for. Based on theIsaac Asimovstory (get ready for the three rules!),Chris Columbus’Bicentennial Manstars a very gameRobin Williamsas a household robot who slowly becomes more human over the course of 200 years. For a family film where Williams plays a wacky robot, it wrestles with a number of complex, philosophically rich themes and has a terrific supporting cast (includingSam Neill,Embeth Davidtz,Bradley WhitfordandOliver Platt) and memorable score byJames Horner. One of a pair of sci-fi-themed co-productions with Columbia Pictures (the other was, surprisingly,Starship Troopers), the much gentlerBicentennial Manis the kind of curiosity ripe for streaming service rediscovery – on HBO Max or elsewhere.
The Big Green
Part of a rash of mid-level sports comedies aimed at families (don’t worry, there’ll be more on this list),The Big Greenis harmless-enough fun that exists in that mid-90s sweet spot that millennials will undoubtedly soon embrace as a nostalgic favorite. (Mark my words, it’ll soon get theGoofy Movietreatment.) Notable for being the directorial debut ofHolly Goldberg Sloan, who co-wrote and produced the genuinely wonderful Disney movieAngels in the Outfielda year earlier. In fact,The Big Greenwas the first Disney movie to be written and directed by a woman in checks notes the year of our lord 1995. It’s also worth noting that the film centers around the incredibly European sport, wisely transported to Texas (they shot outside of Austin), giving it an additional, super fun fish-out-of-water quality.
Bridge to Terabithia
One of Disney’s handsomely produced, middle-of-the-road literary adaptations,Bridge to Terabithia, based on the 1977 novel byKatherine Peterson, follows a pair of kids (Josh HutchersonandAnnaSophia Robb) as they create a magical world of their own to compensate for the very real hardships in their lives. It’s the kind of story that feels secondhand even if you’ve never read it, but the adaptation features gorgeous cinematography (it was the last film by legendary cinematographerMichael Chapman) and lively staging by directorGábor Csupó, a Hungarian animator making his live-action debut. (His animation studio did the first three seasons ofThe Simpsons, along with shows likeRugratsandAahh!!! Real Monsters.) With a solid supporting cast (Zooey DeschanelandRobert Patrickshow up) and some unexpected visual flourishes, there are worse things you could revisit (or watch for the first time).
Can’t Buy Me Love
An underrated gem from the 1980s teen romantic comedy movement,Can’t Buy Me Loveworks largely because of how earnestPatrick DempseyandAmanda Petersonare in the lead roles in the story of a dweeb who purchases the affection of “the most beautiful girl in the county” (according to Dempsey’s even-nerdier younger brother). It’s not as explicit as many teen comedies of the period (you’re able to tell there are some judicious cutsaroundpotential nudity) and doesn’t have the edge of something likeFast Times at Ridgemont High. But it is incredibly likable and much funnier than you probably remember, thanks largely to how good Dempsey and Peterson are. (With its mixture of sweetness and kitsch, it should have been a day one priority for Disney+.) Also Paula Abdul has a “choreography” credit (and appears uncredited as a dancer), so it has that going for it.
Dick Tracy
One of the more glaring omissions from Disney+’s lineup was (and continues to be)Warren Beatty’sDick Tracy. A bonkers take on the belovedCharles Goulddetective comic strip, Disney had huge hopes for the movie (which is about to celebrate its 30thanniversary next month), but those hopes ultimately fell flat with disappointing box office returns and a middling critical response. But in the years since, it has amassed a cult following and the movie holds a fascinating place in Disney history at a truly critical juncture for the company. If you’ve never seen the movie, it’s certainly worth a look – Beatty was adamantly committed to preserving the comic strip aesthetic of the source material, heavily utilizing matte paintings and limiting the entire movie’s color palette to seven colors (all the same shade) and the cast is genuinely insane, including (deep breath)Madonna,Al Pacino,Dick Van Dyke,Kathy Bates,Dustin Hoffman,James Caan,Mandy Patinkin,Seymour CasselandCharles Durning. Also, the original songs byStephen Sondheim(yes really) and score byDanny Elfmanare terrific. The only thing missing from the HBO Max presentation is theRoger Rabbitshort film that ran before it in theaters.
Grosse Pointe Blank
Released around the height of the post-Pulp Fictionoooo, dark comedyfeeding frenzy,Grosse Pointe Blankhas emerged as one of the better movies from that period – effortlessly charming and occasionally startling violent. Directed by underrated journeyman filmmakerGeorge Armitage,Grosse Pointe BlankstarsJohn Cusackas a hitman attending his high school reunion, where he attempts to make a romantic connection with a former classmate (Minnie Driver) while avoiding various killers. For a movie as seemingly lightweight as this, it made a surprisingly large impression, from the resurrection of theViolent Femmes’ “Blister in the Sun” (originally released as a single in 1983) to the certification of Cusack and Driver in the Romantic Comedy Hall of Fame. (The score was composed by The Clash’sJoe Strummer, which is also very cool.) Breezy and fun, it’s the perfect HBO Max watch for folding laundry or doing the dishes. HowHigh Fidelitygot the Hulu original series treatment andGrosse Pointe Blankhasn’t is beyond me.
Judge Dredd
Before it got the gritty reboot treatment, the British comic book character first appeared on screen inJudge Dredd.Judge Dredd’s was production was a complete nightmare, from multiple unused drafts of the screenplay being commissioned to a prolonged post-production process that saw Disney endlessly tinkering in an effort to cut the film down and secure a PG-13 rating. (Three separate composers came and went; Alan Silvestri ultimately stayed.) When the movie garnered an R rating, reports came out that kids were buying tickets toPocahontasand sneaking intoJudge Dredd. Disney didn’t care. In fact, it needed all the help it could get. Widely criticized for both its lack of faithfulness to the original source material (Sylvester Stalloneas Dredd takes off his helmet) and its derivative design and screenplay (not to mentionRob Schneider, wildly miscast and deeply annoying, as Dredd’s mismatched comedic sidekick), it ended up losing money and was quietly written off. But the movie isn’tthat bad, with lots of cool ideas and nifty flourishes (like that giant robotArmand Assanterecruits). Even Stallone’s Versace-designed uniform holds up well, an appropriatelyoutrélook for futuristic fascist police attire. Happy it’s here.
