Alice Drops Out of Netflix on January 4th

First of all, Happy New Year, everyone! I wish I had better Netflix news than this to start the year with, but if you subscribe to the service, you've only got a couple of days left to stream one of the most unusual Disney classics (and a particular favorite here at Mouse Troop).

After months and months of steadily building up an impressive library of Disney films, the service is dropping one confused little girl, a grinning cat, a stressed-out rabbit and a pack of armed playing cards; Alice In Wonderland will disappear from the Netflix streaming service on January 4th.

I'm sure I'm not the only Disney fan surprised that Alice is the first major drop; Of all the Disney animated classics, Alice in Wonderland has been more or less in steady video release ever since the dawn of VHS. Along with Dumbo, Alice has been one of the "always there" Disney classics, never locked away for hiatus in the infamous "Disney Vault." I'm sorry to see it leaving the streaming lineup.

So, if you subscribe to Netflix and don't already own Alice In Wonderland in some format, the White Rabbit's watch is ticking. Boil some tea, make some bread-and-butterfly sandwiches and take one last drop down the rabbit hole before this wildly imaginative film, one of the strangest productions ever to emerge from Walt Disney Studios, vanishes from Netflix like a grinning Cheshire Cat.

Netflix Graced By Two More Disney Classics

As the wonderful Frozen sets box office records in theaters, Netflix has added more Disney magic to the home viewing world with the arrivals of The Sword in the Stone and Robin Hood. I was asleep at the switch when these two classics appeared last week: Many thanks to Josie Becker for alerting me to these welcome additions to the Netflix streaming lineup!

Both these films feature great character animation, and The Sword in the Stone is one of my very favorite Disney movies. What a great pair to watch beside a crackling fireplace this winter!

Netflix Invaded by Pirates of the Caribbean

Rejoice, all ye fans of swashbuckling, dark comedy and undead scallawags. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (the one truly great Pirates of the Caribbean movie) has landed on the shores of Netflix for instant streaming.

If I'm not mistaken, this actually marks a return of the film to Netflix, following a lengthy absence that began when the Netflix/Stars agreement ended. This new appearance falls under the terms of the more recent Netflix/Disney arrangement.

One way or the other, it's great to see this film available once again. Even if you feel a bit burned out by all the sequels, over-exposure and classic ride makeovers, Black Pearl remains a fresh, imaginative and (thanks to outstanding performances by all four leads) tremendously likable film.

Netflix Delivers a Holiday Mouse-Fest

I wasn't planning on another Netflix post so soon, but the service has just added a quartet of Mouse Flix, all direct-to-video productions, to their instant streaming service.

The highlight of the bunch is the wonderful, hilarious and very under-appreciated  Three Musketeers, which places the Disney Fab Five in a fast-paced, fan-pleasing feature-length send-up of the classic tale. In-jokes, great animation and unique character moments abound, plus Pete gets his peg leg back! If you haven't caught this beauty, you're in for a treat. This could have (and should have) been a theatrical release.

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas is a trio of well-done tales. In the first, Huey, Dewey and Louie wish every day was Christmas and soon realize not all wishes should be granted. The second finds Goofy trying to give young Max a perfect Christmas in spite of a belief crisis. In the finale, Mickey and Minnie play out their own version of Gift of the Magi. Watch for Mortimer Mouse and an animated version of Firehouse Five Plus Two!

I'd love to see the entire run of the wonderful House of Mouse series show up on Netflix someday. In the meantime, the two compilation specials, Snowed In at the House of Mouse and Mickey's House of Villains will do. Both combine new animation with classic clips to create entertaining hour-long Disney mash-ups.

Gather the family, cook up some Mickey pasta and settle back for a good time. What a great way to start the Holiday video season!

A Classic and a Clunker hit Netflix

The much-loved compilation film, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, has arrived on Netflix for digital streaming. Fans will be pleased to find it's the good version, not the awful cable TV edition from years back that substituted Tigger Too with the cheaply-made Day for Eeyore.

This happy arrival completely makes up for the other new addition: Hunchback of Notre Dame II, one of the awful video sequels that boggles the mind and shames the studio name with its very existence. The best thing I can say about HoND2 is that its production gave employment to animators. Hooray for that, at least.

More Tricks Than Treats as Netflix Adds Four Video Sequels

As October rolls in, let's all remember Netflix currently hosts a terrific collection of Disney films. It's also helpful to recall they recently added the excellent Lilo and Stitch and The Emperor's New Groove to the lineup...because they've just ushered in a big pile of mediocre video sequels. These pale follow-ups serve as a reminder of the bad old days when Disney was shoving Stitch in the public's face over and over again and running a once-fresh concept like New Groove into the ground.

No, you weren't dreaming, Disney really did release a sequel called Leroy and Stitch.

It's a crummy pill to swallow, especially considering Netflix recently dropped The Muppet Movie from its streaming lineup. Despite that loss and this influx of ickiness, the majority of the Netflix Disney library remains very impressive.

If you're in the mood for a good laugh, I highly recommend streaming the original Lilo and Stitch and The Emperor's New Groove. Let the low-budget video sequels gather virtual dust.

Lilo and Kuzco Arrive on Netflix

The Netflix library of Disney classics just got a great dose of later-era comedy. Lilo and Stitch and The Emperor's New Groove have arrived for instant streaming.

Two of the best-received films of Disney's post-Lion King hand-drawn lineup, they certainly seem to belong together in one release. Both are extremely funny, sharply directed, and much-loved by fans of all ages. The Emperor's New Groove is one of the most-quotable films Disney's ever released. Lilo and Stitch, despite the company's later over-exposure of the little alien, remains an incredibly original and imaginative story (its directors would go on to create the best Dreamworks film ever: How to Train Your Dragon).

It's good to see these two added to the streaming mix, they're the perfect films to watch on a brisk nearly-autumn evening!

The Avengers Storm Netflix

A quiet little art-house movie Disney distributed last year has become available for instant digital streaming on Netflix. You might have heard of it; It's about two British spies named John Steed and Emma Peel who -- oh, wait. Sorry. No, this is the one where superheroes bicker, things explode, Loki gets beat up real good and the Walt Disney Company dances all the way to the bank.

It's not perfect, but The Avengers is certainly a spectacular flick with an outstanding cast and some amazing action set-pieces. If you haven't yet seen this one, get some popcorn and settle back for a fun ride.

For more films, see our full guide to Disney on Netflix.

Netflix adds Mulan and The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In a very solid, welcome little update to their increasingly-awesome library of streaming Disney films, Netflix has just added Mulan and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, both excellent productions well worth seeing.

And...oh, yeah...they also added the direct-to-video sequel Mulan II. We all remember Mulan II, right? Anyone?

Bit by bit, the Netflix digital Disney catalog is becoming very impressive. Check out our updated Disney on Netflix page for the full list of available classic animated films.

Netflix Adds Brother Bear 2

Disney's direct-to-video sequel, Brother Bear 2 has arrived on Netflix.

After the recent flood of great classic Disney animation onto the digital streaming service, today's addition certainly seems anticlimactic all by its lonesome, but it's better than nothing. At least I hope it is...I haven't seen it yet. But--hey--It's gotta be better than Cinderella 2.

Netflix Adds Five Disney Children's Series

I wish I had more exciting Netflix news for animation fans this month, but the streaming service has added no classic Disney films in the last several weeks. For younger viewers, however, four popular Disney pre-school shows and an action series for older children are arriving this month.

The two most recent shows on that short list are the fist to arrive--In fact, they're available now. Jake and the Never Land Pirates, the At-Least-It's-Not-As-Bad-As-Little-Einsteins preschool show and Tron Uprising, an action series for older children, are ready for viewing.

Later this month, the service will add the cheerful Handy Manny, the Someone-Please-Tell-Disney-That-Adult-James-Bond-References-Do-Not-Make-Appropriate-Preschool-Show-Episode-Titles awfulness of Special Agent Oso and the classic claymation Jo Jo's Circus.

Again, I wish I had more exciting news to report for older Disney fans, but I'm willing to cut Netflix some slack, for their current Disney selection has a decent number of great classics.

I wonder, though: Does anyone at Netflix realize how many subscribers they'd instantly gain if they added shows like Ducktales and Talespin to the roster?

Atlantis Surfaces on Netflix

Netflix has just added Atlantis: The Lost Empire to its lineup of Disney films available for digital streaming.

Released in 2001, Atlantis has quite a bit in common with Treasure Planet (also on Netflix): It's a non-musical, straightforward science fiction/fantasy adventure about a fatherless young man on a quest to make a name for himself.

Also, like Treasure Planet, this film is greatly under-appreciated. If you've never seen Atlantis, now's your chance to embark on a terrific adventure that unfolds like an animated spiritual successor to live-action Disney adventures such as 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea and In Search of the Castaways. Its unique blend of Jules Verne-inspired settings and hand drawn animation gives it a unique and very effective style. Highly recommended.

Reviewing the Netflix Disney Films: Treasure Planet

Before I start nit-picking, I'd like to make one thing clear: Treasure Planet, Disney's sci-fi/fantasy retelling of Treasure Island, is a beautiful, entertaining film and well worth watching. It contains some of the best animated "acting" ever to appear on screen, and much of its imagery is unforgettable. It's the only family-friendly film one could reasonably file under "Steam-Punk," and it's got more imagination on display in any given five seconds of footage than most of todays sci-fi films have in their entire running length.

There are, however, good reasons the movie didn't connect with a wider audience in its theatrical run.

The Reluctant Dragon Hits Netflix

I have to admit I didn't see this one coming: Netflix just added The Reluctant Dragon to its growing Disney lineup. This isn't merely the short film that's appeared on home video; this is the entire, unedited (and extremely unusual) 1941 feature film starring comedian Robert Benchley with appearances by Walt Disney, Ward Kimball, Norm Ferguson, Fred Moore and Clarence Nash as themselves.

A combination of live action and animation, the film is a wild hodgepodge of fact and fantasy as it presents a very Willy Wonka-like tour of various departments of the Walt Disney Studios, climaxing with the debut of the offbeat and very funny title story. Along the road to Walt's screening room, you'll laugh, groan, and say "What the --" a lot. And --a warning here -- you'll wince at a couple of unfortunate culturally insensitive moments. Speaking for myself, there are two specific seconds of film I wouldn't mind seeing removed.

Most of the movie, however, is a fascinating trip back through time to see how Walt Disney publicly presented his studio to the American public in June of 1941. It's not one of Disney's greatest films, but it contains many terrific moments, and the Dragon short is a mini-classic.

Reviewing the Netflix Disney Films: Alice in Wonderland

With several great Disney classics readily available to stream on Netflix, there's no better time to take another look at these amazing films. Today Mouse Troop turns its attention to one of the most problematic and interesting films ever to come out of Walt Disney Studios. It has a castle, but no princess, no love story, no battles, no time, no way (except the Queen's way), no mustard in the watch, no oysters for the Carpenter and no tea (ever) for Alice.

Few would deny that Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland fails on a few levels. It lacks emotion, it’s episodic, the story has no goal…

And yet…

It’s my favorite Disney film. I first saw it on Wonderful World of Color way back during my 1960's childhood (when a chance to see Disney animation was a rare treat), and it haunted my dreams. I think small children can relate to Alice’s fear of being lost, and if you experience this film at a young age, the movie retains a deep-rooted sense of peril that’s lost on those who initially view it as an adult.

Netflix Adds The Rescuers & Treasure Planet

A quick update: Netflix, as part of their ongoing Disney agreement, has just added more two animated classics to their digital streaming lineup: The Rescuers and the very underrated Treasure Planet.

What a nice way to start the New Year! Check our Disney Netflix List for a full listing of the currently available classics.

Four Wonderful, Offbeat Netflix Holiday Specials

Although Netflix streams holiday feature films such as White Christmas and The Polar Express, they seem a bit sparse on familiar Christmas specials. No Rudolph, no Frosty -- and no Yuletide Disney offerings, except for the feature One Magic Christmas. In light of the recent  Disney/Netflix deal, I hope we'll soon see Prep & Landing and Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas on the service.

Yet, there's no need to get Grinchy; Netflix actually streams four of the best holiday specials I've ever seen (and I am a holiday video fanatic) -- four amazing productions that haven't been rerun to death, and they all share one thing in common: they're all aimed at adults as well as children. Get ready for Vikings, Dragons, Crocodiles, the Radio City Rockettes and the original 1962 Christmas TV Special that started it all! These four shows can truly be enjoyed by the whole family.

Here are Mouse Troop's picks for the Four Best Holiday Specials on Netflix:

#1 - DRAGONS: GIFT OF THE NIGHT FURY

Nothing says Holidays like Vikings and giant reptiles! This crazy, heartwarming follow-up to How to Train Your Dragon returns us to the wondrous Island of Berk as the Vikings prep for their winter holiday, Snoggletog (in Berk, it's considered good luck to give things awful names).

Before it's all over, we'll have exploding decorations, a flying Viking ship, a mystery solved and the true spirit of the Holidays brought forth in a tear-jerking finale.

It's all done with feature-quality production values, amazing character animation and the original film's cast (including Gerard Butler, Jay Baruchel, Craig Ferguson and America Ferrera).

DIsney On Netflix: A List of the Available Films

As you probably know by now, Disney has signed a deal with Netflix to stream classic Disney films directly into homes. The first wave of titles has arrived on the service.

Update: More titles have appeared on the service, and we've added them to the list below, as well as to our Disney-on-Netflix page.

UPDATE NOTE: 02/23/14 - Added Brother Bear.

As of this writing, Netflix has no "Disney" category set up, nor any way to easily see a complete list of Disney films they've made available for streaming. Hopefully, this will be remedied in the near future.

In the meantime, I've dug around through the company's search engine and various categories to bring you this list of Disney titles that have recently made Netflix their home:

ANIMATED CLASSICS:

The Aristocats
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Brother Bear
Dumbo
The Emperor's New Groove
The Fox and the Hound
The Great Mouse Detective
Hercules
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
James and the Giant Peach
Lilo and Stitch
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
Mater's Tall Tales
Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas
Mulan
The Nightmare Before Christmas
Pocahontas
The Reluctant Dragon
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Robin Hood
The Sword in the Stone
Treasure PlanetWho Framed Roger Rabbit

More animated classics, such as Mr. Toad, Mickey and the Beanstalk and Paul Bunyan have recently been added as part of the Disney Animation series:

THE DISNEY ANIMATION SERIES

Vol 1: Mickey and the Beanstalk

     Mickey and the Beanstalk
     Brave Little Tailor
     Gulliver Mickey
     Thru the Mirror
     Mr. Mouse takes a trip

 Vol 2: The Three Little Pigs

     Three Little Pigs
     The Big Bad Wolf
     Three Little Wolves
     Lambert the Sheepish Lion
     Chicken little
     Three Blind Mouseketeers
     Elmer Elephant

Vol. 3:  The Prince and the Pauper

     The Prince and the Pauper
     The Pied Piper
     Old King Cole
     Knight for a Day (Goofy)
     Ye Olden Days (Mickey)

Vol. 4: The Tortoise and the Hare

     The Tortoise and the Hare
     Babes in the Woods
     The Saga of Windwagon Smith (A fantastic, rarely seen gem!)
     The Goddess of spring
     Toby Tortoise Returns
     Paul Bunyan (One of Disney's all-time best short films!)

Vol. 5: The Wind in the Willows

     The Wind in the Willows (also known as The Adventures of Mr. Toad)
     The Ugly Duckling
     The Robber Kitten
     The Grasshopper and the Ants
     The Wise Little Hen (Donald Duck's first appearance)
     The Golden Touch
      
DisneyToon and Direct-toVideo Animated Films

An Extremely Goofy MovieSnowed in at the House of Mouse
Mickey's House of Villains
Pocahontas II
Brother Bear 2
The Fox and the Hound 2
The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2
Kronk's New Groove
Leroy and Stitch
Lilo and Stitch 2
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Road Rally
Mulan II
Stitch the Movie
Tarzan and Jane
The Three Musketeers
The Tigger Movie
Tinkerbell
Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure
Tinkerbell and the Great Fairy Rescue
Tinkerbell: Secret of the Wings
Phineas and Ferb: The Movie


Non-Disney Animation Released by Disney

The Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue
The Brave Little Toaster Goes to Mars

Major Live Action Films

The Avengers
Holes
Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl
Escape to Witch Mountain
101 Dalmatians (live-action)
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves
The Big Green
The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story (live action sequel)
I'll Be Home For Christmas
One Magic Christmas
Disney Nature: The Crimson Wing
Disney Nature: Wings of Life


Television Series

Phineas and Ferb
Dinosaurs
Tron Uprising
Schoolhouse Rock: Earth
Jake and the Never Land Pirates
Handy Manny
Jo Jo's Circus
Special Agent Oso

Non-Disney Films of Particular Interest to Disney Fans:

The Croods
Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
Dr. Dolittle (Rex Harrison version)
 
I haven't included some recent Disney Channel Films and "Buddy" talking puppy adventures. Please check out our dedicated and continually-updated Disney-On-Netflix page, which includes some Disney titles which were on the service (and remain there) before this recent deal.

Netflix has just made the best move in the company's history. Let's see where they take it from here.

The Netflix Disney Streaming Has Begun

Attention Netflix subscribers: check out the "Recently Added" section for a very welcome sight.

As mentioned earlier, Netflix and Disney have made a deal, and the result has begun just in time for the weekend. The first wave of selections contains enough gems to make any Disney (and Muppet!) fans happy. I hope this is just the beginning of a huge online library!

Disney's Netflix Deal: Good News for Fans

 

Disney's new agreement with Netflix marks a bright spot in both companies' attempts to get Disney classics streaming into homes. As the first big studio to choose Netflix over cable television, Disney's breaking new ground.