Animation has been a mainstay in cinema since its inception back in November 1917. Since then, studios such as Disney, Pixar, Dreamworks and Studio Ghibli have all made their mark on animated cinema, with Disney now owning most smaller animation studios. There are plenty of reasons why animation captures the hearts of so many audiences.
However, there are also plenty of animated movies out there that have a poorly-written story, sub-par animation, bizarre characters, or nonsensical soundtracks. One of the most obvious cardinal sins in cinema is to have a poor ending that leaves the audience dissatisfied or confused. Many animated movies just don't hit the mark and suffer from awful endings.
9 Planes Is A Disney/Pixar Picture That Has A Dull Ending
Many audiences might not have heard of Planes, a Disney/Pixar venture that was released after the success of the Cars series. Planes premiered in 2013 and follows a young and talented pilot who wants to win a prestigious race. The movie follows Dusty, a crop duster plane, who qualifies for the Wings Across the Globe race.
This Pixar movie may have been better received if it hadn't reused the story of Cars, but Planes is particularly sinful given its dull ending. The fact Dusty wins the race purely due to the villain Ripslinger's hubris is a little underwhelming.
8 Playmobil The Movie Was A Poorly Timed Movie
Playmobil and Lego have had a rivalry for decades, and that rivalry continued into cinema. The Lego Movie released back in 2014, but Playmobil joined the movie scene too late, releasing their own movie in 2019. While Playmobil the Movie has a decent cast (including Anya Taylor-Joy and Daniel Radcliffe), the film suffered from jarring songs and a predictable storyline. Nonetheless, Playmobil the Movie was still cited as "uncomplicated fun."
The ending, however, was lackluster. The heroes (Marla and Charlie) managed to thwart the bad guy by locking him in a cage and then went home. It's a disappointing happy ending that could have used a little pizazz.
7 The Nut Job Boasts A Cringe-Worthy Ending
The Nut Job is a 2014 heist comedy that stars the likes of Will Arnett, Brendan Fraser and Liam Neeson. Despite being the most expensive animated film co-produced in South Korea, the film received mostly negative reviews. However, some found The Nut Job to be a pleasant watch.
While a predictable and easy-to-watch movie, The Nut Job's ending really is the nail in the coffin for its story. After Surly is seemingly killed, audiences are treated to a surprise revival. Ultimately, Surly reunites with his love interest and close friend. After Surly's monologue about team work and how he's not a hero, The Nut Job's ending becomes a loud and boring moral lesson.
6 Foodfight! Wasn't Saved By Its Ending
Foodfight! stars the likes of Charlie Sheen and Christopher Lloyd, and is rated 1.3/10 on IMDb. Foodfight!! has grown in popularity as so-bad-it's-good film and has developed a cult following. Foodfight! was panned by critics for its outdated animation, bizarre storylines, sexualized characters, and inappropriate humor.
However, Foodfight!'s ending is particularly bad. The villain is defeated and audiences are left with a confusing statement from the protagonist: "We saved each other, because the secret is inside, inside all of us!". The hero then proposes to his lover and the credits roll, leaving the audience with a confusing ending after a bizarre film.
5 Mulan II Irritated Many Fans With Its Nonsensical Ending
Mulan II revolves around the conflict between duty and love, fueled by the threat of China being in danger. Although it's a great story, it makes the ending even more nonsensical and out of place. Disney's affinity for happy endings meant that the message of Mulan II was altered drastically. Ultimately, Mulan II's ending implies that personal love is more important than the fate of a nation.
To forge an alliance with the neighboring kingdom, the Emperor organizes for his daughters to be wed in a political alliance that will save China. However, the Emperoror's daughters fall in love with their guards. In the end, the princesses are allowed to marry whoever they please. While a happy conclusion and an important message, the ending makes no sense and ignores the film's main plot entirely.
4 The Aristocats' Ending Is Nothing To Write Home About
The ending song of The Aristocats is perhaps one of the most confusing songs in Disney history. The notion that "everybody wants to be a cat" is somewhat confusing, and the song is one of Disney's least catchy tunes. Moreover, the song barely ties into The Aristocats' actual ending, which sees Edgar sent to Timbuktu.
The Aristocats then return to Madame Adelaide, who rewrites her will to exclude Edgar. The movie's overall theme, that a woman loves her cats more than her son, is also bizarre. In 2020, Disney added a content warning to The Aristocats as the 1970 film features racist caricatures.
3 Frozen 2 Confused Many Fans And Left Them Disappointed
The sequel to the massively successful Frozen, Frozen 2 received quite a bit of backlash from fans regarding its ending. While the story is fantastic and fans enjoyed another movie about Elsa and Anna, the ending felt out of place. In the end, Elsa saves everyone from a flood but is separated from her sister, leading Elsa to abdicatw the throne of Arendelle off-screen.
This off-screen occurrence annoyed many viewers, particularly as Anna becomes the new Queen of Arendelle while Elsa protects the Enchanted Forest. The sisters are torn apart again, seemingly making the events of the first Frozen movie redundant. Moreover, audiences are left wondering what Elsa is doing out in the forest.
2 Hercules' Ending Is Disheartening And Makes No Sense In Greek Mythology
Hercules is one of the classic Disney films, which set a precedent for more movies to come. Released in 1997, Hercules stars the likes of Danny DeVito and Rip Torn, and follows the titular character as he learns of his heritage and true power. Hercules inevitably wins the battle against the villainous Hades, diving into the Underworld to recover Meg's soul.
This selfless act allows Hercules to become a god, but he decides to decline so he can spend his life with Meg. Hercules' ending doesn't fit with Greek mythology. While Meg wasn't in mythology, Disney should have kept Hercules as a god and Meg as a mortal.
1 Toy Story 4 Has A Heartbreaking Ending That Doesn't Fit The Franchise
The ending to Toy Story 4 doesn't fit well in the franchise. Disney-Pixar wanted to end the series and the best way to do that was to have all the toys go their separate ways. However, audiences didn't enjoy the fact that Woody chooses Bo instead of returning to Bonnie.
Woody passes his sheriff badge to Jessie and says goodbye to his friends for the last time. While this is certainly a heartbreaking ending for audiences' favorite cowboy, Woody and Bo should have had their happy ending with Bonnie and their friends.