Make Mine Music (1946)
For Disney, the 1940s were all about making patriotic films. Feature-length films were not really getting made but when they were, they were basically a collection of unrelated shorts mashed together. “Make Mine Music” was a perfect example of this. While the animation for its time was rather good, the film had no real narrative that made it feel like a cohesive film.
The film was also peppered with nudity and “graphic gunplay”, all of which have been edited out since. Even if these were to be restored, the film wouldn’t raise much of an eyebrow. If anything, it makes for an interesting piece of history.
Home on the Range (2004)
Like so many Disney films in the early 2000s, the humor was mostly childish and slapstick. If there was any sentimentality, it probably got lost in the burp jokes. While Disney films are geared towards kids, the good ones still have quality writing that keeps the grown-ups entertained. Not this one.
It's just rather depressing. Even with all anthropomorphic characters, the charm is lost.
Fun and Fancy-Free (1947)
Here's another messy package film from the 1940s. The film contains two long segments, one about Bongo the circus bear who escapes captivity, and finds love, the other is a Disney spoof on Jack and the Beanstalk that features Mickey in place of Jack.
While we get to see our hero Mickey Mouse and appearances by Goofy, the writing is silly and involves too many recurring gags of Goofy's pant falling down. There is also the random addition of a live-action sequence of a ventriloquist and his dummies.
The Three Caballeros (1944)
The Three Caballeros was a sort of thematic follow-up to Saludos Amigos. Out of all the package films, this one probably has the strongest narrative. The humor has more of a Loony Tunes feel to it than Disney and while it may lack in substance, it does compensate in style.
The characters are colorful and include Donald Duck, José Carioca, the cigar-smoking parrot, and Panchitos Pistoles, a gun-slinging rooster. It's full of vibrant scenes and action-packed fantasy sequences.
Chicken Little (2005)
There's nothing terribly wrong with this movie, but nothing mind-blowingly brilliant about it either. Cute and able to evoke a mild chuckle, the film is loosely based on the original fairytale of the same name.
Like in the original story, Chicken Little thinks the sky is falling after getting hit on the head by an acorn. Of course, Chicken seems to be onto something as we discover an alien attack is underway (even if no one believes him.) Ultimately, a lot goes down in this chaotic story so it might be wise to give it a miss.