5 Disney sequels that are actually good


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SALT LAKE CITY — Disney and Pixar’s “Monsters University” opens this weekend, promising a glimpse into the lives of Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan before they became Monstropolis’ greatest scare duo.

The premise sounds fun, and the trailers have a lot of energy, but it’s hard not to wonder if the studio that brought us “The Little Mermaid II,” “Bambi II,” “Mulan II,” “Lady and the Tramp II,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II,” and just about every other classic Disney movie with a “II” after it has what it takes to pull off an engaging sequel. After all, pre-Disney Pixar gave us “Toy Story 2.” Post-Disney Pixar brought us “Cars 2.”

But the truth is, Disney does know how to do a great sequel when it's willing to put its heart into it. And to prove that point, here are five Disney sequels that were actually pretty good:

The Muppets (2011)
The Muppets (2011)

The Muppets (2011)

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No one saw this coming. After a long line of less-than-stellar Muppet movies, most audiences wondered how live-action puppets were going to compete in a CG-obsessed Hollywood. But with a nostalgic script headed up by Jason Segel, a line-up of genuinely funny cameos and a soundtrack worthy of the Muppet name, “The Muppets” managed to reel in an impressive 96 percent on RottenTomatoes. And, in case you’re wondering, “Muppets” didn’t just get generally warm reviews. The 96 percent earned by Kermit’s crew was attached to comments like Tom Huddleston’s: “A film bursting at the seams with sheer, unadulterated joy: watch it, and the world seems just that little bit brighter.”

Toy Story 3

If we’re picking a favorite sequel from the “Toy Story” franchise, I’m partial to the second Woody and Buzz adventure. However, since Disney was still years away from purchasing Pixar back in 1999, the only eligible “Toy Story” title for this list is part 3, which, as most of you already know, was still a pretty solid film.

Toy Story 3
Toy Story 3

Unlike previous “Toy Story” installments, “3” absolutely had to nail its ending. No matter how much fun it may have been to visit the twisted inner-workings of Sunnyside, and no matter how cute the shy but hyper-imaginative Bonnie may have come across, it would have all been for naught had Woody’s posse ended up in a retirement home, or met some dark fate in a landfill.

Luckily, the Pixar and Disney team came up with a solution that wrapped the trilogy nicely, but still left an open door for our favorite characters to enjoy future adventures. That is, unless you were a fan of Bo Peep.

The Rescuers Down Under

The Rescuers Down Under
The Rescuers Down Under

Critics didn’t latch onto this follow-up adventure for mouse heroes Bernard and Miss Bianca with the same love they heaped toward other films on this list. However, “The Rescuers Down Under” is a major piece of Disney history that not only follows an enjoyable little tale, but also marks some significant beginnings for the Mouse House.

Anyone who enjoys film history will recognize this as Disney’s first collaboration with Pixar. While it brought the two animation giants together, it also marked the end of traditional cell animation and helped pave the way for hybrid projects of both traditional and computer-based animation.

If none of that’s interesting to you, the movie is still amazing because a kid flies on a giant golden eagle, and who hasn’t wanted to give that a try?

Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Winnie the Pooh (2011)

I’m not sure what Disney was thinking, but it released this beautifully simple story on the same weekend as the final “Harry Potter” movie, in the summer of 2011. As a result, “Winnie the Pooh” became one of the best Disney classics nobody’s ever seen.

Capturing so many of the reasons kids have always loved the honey-obsessed pooh bear, writer and director Stephen J. Anderson ignored any temptations to give the Hundred Acre characters more to do than just be, and that’s pretty great. In some ways, it’s the sweetest episode of “Seinfeld” you’ll ever see. Mostly, though, it’s just an excuse to hang out with the best imaginary friends a kid could have.

Iron Man 3

Iron Man 3
Iron Man 3

Marvel fans watched suspiciously when Disney took over the superhero giant, and “Iron Man 3” was the first sign that things are still OK — at least for now. Sure there are the bizarre crossovers planned, like the Phineas-and-Ferb-meet-the-Avengers story slated for later this summer, but as far as films go, “Iron Man 3” was a huge improvement over the second chapter.

Writer and director Shane Black proved once again that he and Robert Downey Jr. are a dream team for this particular style of action and comedy. Whether Disney and Marvel will do what it takes to keep them around for part four will be interesting to see, but as a first major sequel for the two companies, “Iron Man 3” was a welcome beginning. Travis Poppleton has been writing tech and film reviews for Deseret News and KSL.com since 2010 and continues to contribute coverage for film festivals and other live events in Utah. Contact him at TSPoppleton@gmail.com.

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Travis Poppleton

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