The 10 Best Disney Sci-Fi Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

Not including any Marvel or Star Wars movie, Disney has struggled to find success over the decade when it comes to science fiction movies. Very few of the films have been financially successful, and not many have been loved by general audiences either.

The genre sits a little outside the studio’s wheelhouse, as there aren’t going to be any princesses appearing in The Rocketeer or Tron: Legacy. But between futuristic adaptations of Treasure Island, time-traveling animated movies, and adorable-looking aliens, Disney still has some sci-fi hits.

10 Honey, I Shrunk The Kids (1989) – 6.4

Honey, I Shrunk The Kids has a low score on the website, and it makes sense, because younger audiences would be thrown off by the dated special effects. But there’s no denying how much fun the movie is and how its practical effects are endearing, especially upon viewing the movie today when everything is CGI.

Though there was friction with Disney when the movie was in production, it was still successful enough to get several sequels. There’s even a direct sequel currently in development all these years under the title Shrunk, so there are obviously still a lot of fans of the movie.

9 The Rocketeer (1991) – 6.5

The Rocketeer was a massive box office bomb when it was released, and unlike other Disney flops, it has failed to find an audience or reach cult status in the time since. The movie follows a stunt pilot who becomes a superhero after finding a rocket-powered jet pack. The way it interpolates real-life inventor Howard Hughes and revises history is a stroke of screenwriting genius.

It’s a surprise that the movie hasn’t gotten a reboot yet. The film might not have been all that successful in 1991, but the IP has a lot of potential, especially with the development of special effects in the 30 years since. Though the premise and even the design of the suit are eerily familiar of Iron Man.

8 John Carter (2012) – 6.6

John Carter is infamous for being one of Disney’s biggest catastrophes. The film had an inflated budget of well over $300 million, making it one of the most expensive movies ever made, and it didn’t even come close to earning back its budget at the box office.

The movie’s problem at the time was mostly down to the way it was marketed, as John Carter isn’t actually as bad as the box office result hints at. The movie sees the titular character trying to restore peace to Mars after civil unrest turns into war. It’s a shame that it flopped, as it could have been another flagship franchise for Disney with the novel it’s based on having 10 sequels.

7 Meet The Robinsons (2007) – 6.8

It’s no surprise that Disney sci-fi movies are so rare, because very few of them are actually successful. Meet The Robinsons is yet another Disney-distributed sci-fi movie that underperformed despite it having inventive animation and fun characters.

The movie is about a child genius and features time travel, dinosaurs, and mind control, making it one of the most entertaining movies in Disney’s catalog. Not only is the whole 95 minutes is a thrill ride, but Meet the Robinsons is extremely detailed too, such as references to Nikola Tesla and all the inventions in Lewis’ lab.

6 Tron/Tron: Legacy (1982/2010) – 6.8

Tron follows Kevin Flynn, a software engineer who is transported into a digital world and has to compete in strange games. It might not look all that exciting today, but it was way ahead of its time in 1982. And though Tron wasn’t the biggest hit, Disney still greenlit a sequel.

Being better late than never, Tron: Legacy arrived 28 years later. It’s bittersweet that the sequel came decades later, as though it might have been a long wait for fans, Legacy is a visual spectacle and a film that fans hate but critics love. However, it was mostly style over substance, as the narrative was stretched thin, and that led to the IMDb score of 6.8, the same as the original.

5 Flight Of The Navigator (1986) – 6.9

In recent years, Flight of the Navigator has become a cult hit, so much so that popular YouTuber Captain Disillusion made a whole documentary on the movie.

It isn’t that surprising that the 1986 movie doesn’t have the highest score in the world, as it was somewhat of an experiment for the studio. Flight of the Navigator was one of the very first movies to use extensive CGI, and though the movie wasn’t financially successful, the experiment paid off, as it laid the groundwork for the current movie landscape.

4 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea (1954) – 7.2

There’s nothing wrong with movies that are decades old, but sci-fi films tend to age the worst due to their dated special effects and bizarre concepts. However, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea is still entertaining today. It was a precursor to the steampunk genre and has the iconic fight scene with the giant squid.

The movie also features one of the most charismatic anti-heroes, Captain Nemo, who has influenced so many other anti-hero film characters in the time since. There have been not one but two remakes of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, but neither of them has come close to the quality of the 1954 original.

3 Treasure Planet (2002) – 7.2

Disney has developed several entirely different adaptations of the classic novel Treasure Island, with the first one being mostly faithful and the second being a vessel for The Muppets. But it’s the third one, Treasure Planet, that’s the most interesting, as it lifts the source material and places it in outer space.

The high concept didn’t do as well as expected at the box office, and that’s exactly why it’s a Disney flop that deserves more attention. Treasure Planet is full of imagination and humor, and it was ahead of the curve with its digital images.

2 Lilo & Stitch (2002) – 7.3

Lilo & Stitch has remained as popular as it was ever since its release in 2002. In the film, Stitch might look like a cute koala bear, but he’s actually a genetic experiment that was created by a mad scientist.

What makes the film one of the best in Disney’s catalog is the charming friendship that’s sparked between Stitch and Lilo, a young Hawaiin girl who calls stitch her “dog.” Lilo & Stitch is one of the best friendly alien movies, and it was so successful that it spawned an entire series of sequels. However, they were all direct-to-DVD and didn’t have half of the charm of the original.

1 Big Hero 6 (2014) – 7.8

Even though Disney had been making sci-fi movies for decades, Big Hero 6 set a precedent for Disney. It was the first sci-fi film from the studio that was universally received by both critics and general audiences, as well as being a resounding success at the box office.

The film follows two young robotics engineers who form a superhero team, and it’s surprisingly heartfelt as they attempt to avenge a loved one’s death. The movie’s success makes it strange that there was never a sequel, but the story did continue in the TV series that followed three years later.