10 Best Plot Twists In Disney Movies (2024)

Summary

Te Kā is revealed to be Te Fiti in
Moana
, tying into themes of loneliness and purpose.
Vanellope’s role in Sugar Rush’s game design in
Wreck-It Ralph
leads nicely into the Turbo reveal.
Stinky Pete’s hidden villain twist in
Toy Story 2
adds depth to the characters and raises the stakes.

Disney has created some great movie plot twists in recent years, many of which surprise viewers by subverting tropes that Disney itself cemented in the cultural zeitgeist. Many of the best classic animated Disney movies feature plot points that could technically be called twists but have been ingrained in cultural consciousness for so long that few people can remember a time when they were actually surprising. It is even more impressive when Disney is able to twist their own long-held plot twists.

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Twists on what people expect from established characters can be effective, and hopefully, some of Disney’s upcoming live-action remakes will feature plot beats like this. On the other hand, certain Disney-Pixar movies have amazingly surprising plot twists. Many people go to see Disney movies expecting an enjoyable, familiar formula. Recent additions to Disney’s repertoire manage to be what they advertise while still offering some surprises.

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10 Te Ka Is Te Fiti

Moana (2016)

There are several bumps in the road in Moana and Maui’s mission to restore the heart of Te Fiti, one of which is the fiery guardian Te Kā. Moana overcomes other obstacles — Maui temporarily deserting her, her own self-doubt — and makes it to the location where Te Fiti should be, only to realize she is not there. Only then does Moana put the pieces together and realize that Te Kā is Te Fiti, due to the spiral she sees on Te Kā which is meant to hold her heart.

This is not the most shocking twist in Disney, but it is a nice last surprise in this story. It leans into Moana‘s themes of loneliness and purpose, something Moana and Maui have both been dealing with throughout the movie. While Maui stole the heart to earn people’s love and Moana has always been passionate about a forbidden pursuit, Te Fiti became destructive when she lost her ability to love and, with it, her nurturing nature that helps agriculture and wildlife flourish.

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Disney’s Moana takes place in ancient Polynesia, and tells the story of the titular princess. The daughter of a tribe chief in a coastal village, Moana (Auliʻi Cravalho)is drawn to the sea, believing it is her quest to return the Heart of Te Fiti – a mysterious relic – to its rightful home in order to stop the blight threatening her island. Along the way, she meets the trickster demi-god, Maui (Dwayne Johnson), who helps her on her quest.

Director Ron Clements , John Musker Release Date November 23, 2016 Cast Dwayne Johnson , Temuera Morrison , Auli’i Cravalho , Rachel House , Nicole Scherzinger , Alan Tudyk , Jemaine Clement Runtime 107 Minutes

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9 Vanellope Is Part Of The Sugar Rush Game

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Wreck-It Ralph has a classic plot twist of a villain in disguise, with the reveal that King Candy is secretly Turbo, the displaced race car game protagonist seeking to reclaim his glory days. However, the initial plot twist that leads into this is the reveal that Vanellope is part of Sugar Rush’s artwork and therefore cannot possibly be a glitch is even better. It’s an interesting plot twist because of its quiet delivery, with Ralph alone when he notices Vanellope’s image on the side of the game console.

It is the twist that turns things around in this darkest hour, making the protagonist realize that the terms are different from what he thought, sending him back into the fray again. It is also an interesting moment because it reminds the audience of the strange terms of this setting. The arcade game characters in Wreck-It Ralph exist in their own worlds, but they are aware of the outside world and things like branding and console parts, which affect their lives.

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Wreck-It Ralph is an animated action-adventure comedy film directed by Rich Moore. It follows the titular character as he tries to break away from the stigma of being a bad guy in a video game. Ralph, who lives in an arcade along with several other characters, plays the role of the villain in the game Fix-It Felix. Tired of being the bad guy, Ralph sneaks into another game to become a hero – but meets a young girl named Vanellope von Schweetz, who helps him learn to accept himself for who he is.

Director Rich Moore Release Date November 2, 2012 Cast John C. Reilly , Sarah Silverman , Jack McBrayer , Jane Lynch , Alan Tudyk Runtime 101 minutes

8 Stinky Pete Is The Villain

Toy Story 2 (1999)

Toy Story 2 has a villain: the greedy toy shop owner who wants to make a fortune off selling the Woody’s Roundup collection. It is essentially the same villain as the first movie because he is a human character, whereas Toy Story hasn’t really established yet that the toys can be villains; just uninformed and misunderstood. Stinky Pete seems to be a perfectly friendly grandfather figure who doesn’t have any reason not to go home with Woody and the rest.

Pete being “mint in the box” is another subtle joke Toy Story 2 makes about what the conditions of collectible toys look like from their perspective.

7 The Baroness Is Cruella’s Mother

Cruella (2021)

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The secret parentage reveal is also classic, which is ironically what makes it work in the context of Cruella. Cruella is an absolutely wild movie that isn’t interested in redeeming the iconic villainess; just letting her scheme her way to the top and craft one glamorous costume after another. The reveal that the movie’s “villain” is Cruella’s mother is just one more bizarre addition to the story at the last minute, which prompts Cruella to reevaluate her life.

It leads into her great speech where she asserts that she likes being “brilliant and bad,” before running off to get her revenge. The reason this plot twist works for a Cruella de Vil origin story is that neither Cruella nor the Baroness take it to mean that they should have any kind of affection for each other. Cruella confirms both her stone-cold nature and her affectionate side by framing the Baroness and reaffirming her love for her adoptive mother.

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Cruella is the live-action reimagining of the 101 Dalmatians villain and her origin story. It stars Emma Stone as Estella, an aspiring fashion designer and talented grifter. After finding herself pitted against her boss, the Baroness (Emma Thompson), she creates the alter-ego Cruella, a dangerous criminal who will do whatever it takes to get ahead in both the fashion world and in life.

Director Craig Gillespie Release Date May 28, 2021 Cast Joel Fry , Emma Stone , Jamie Demetriou , Emma Thompson , Paul Walter Hauser , Kirby Howell-Baptiste , Emily Beecham , Mark Strong Runtime 2h 14m

6 Dawn Bellwether Is The Mastermind

Zootopia (2016)

Dawn Bellwether is a perfectly friendly supporting character in Zootopia, and one the audience wouldn’t suspect because of the ways she relates to and supports Judy. However, this is also what makes her an effective villain. Judy has dealt with a lot of obstacles as she pursues a career in law enforcement, as Dawn has as the assistant mayor. Dawn resorts to getting what she wants through her conspiracy plan, giving rise to prejudice against predator animals in the city.

Still, Dawn has a timid demeanor that makes her abrupt character change a surprise. The reveal also gets bonus points for the double plot twist where Judy and Nick trick Dawn into revealing herself. Nick seems to have gone completely feral, provoking real tension when he could hurt Judy, until it is revealed to be another one of the duo’s goofy antics.

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Disney’s Zootopia takes place in the titular city, a place where anthropomorphic animals peacefully coexist. Following Officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rabbit, as she strikes up an unlikely partnership with a con artist fox (Jason Bateman). Working together, the pair discover a criminal conspiracy that involves the disappearance of predators, and follow it all the way to the heart of the city.

Director Jared Bush , Rich Moore , Byron Howard Release Date March 4, 2016 Cast Octavia Spencer , Bonnie Hunt , Maurice LaMarche , Idris Elba , John DiMaggio , Jason Bateman , Alan Tudyk , Nate Torrence , Katie Lowes , Ginnifer Goodwin , Tommy Chong , Shakira , J. K. Simmons , Jenny Slate , Tommy ‘Tiny’ Lister Runtime 108 Minutes Expand

5 Jack Sparrow’s Death

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

Killing off the main character was a bold move when Pirates of the Caribbean had yet to establish that it was a franchise where death is never permanent. It is even more morbid for the character to be killed (sort of) by another main character. Such is the dark ending to Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest. It is actually the natural culmination of the arcs for both Jack and Elizabeth that have been hinted at throughout the movie: Jack would end up doing something heroic while Elizabeth would do something selfish.

The audience might have inferred that the movie was doing something with both their characters but would not have guessed how it ended. Additionally, the twist plays with the assumptions about what the inevitable final battle with the Kraken would look like.Dead Man’s Chest sets the Kraken up as the ultimate threat for the heroes to defeat. However, it turns out that it really is impossible to escape, and it takes Jack’s death for the rest of the crew to survive.

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Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest is the second installment in the swashbuckling franchise directed by Gore Verbinski. Johnny Depp returns as Captain Jack Sparrow, who must settle a blood debt with the legendary Davy Jones, portrayed by Bill Nighy. As Will Turner (Orlando Bloom) and Elizabeth Swann (Keira Knightley) are drawn into Jack’s perilous quest, they face new dangers on the high seas and encounter the fearsome Kraken.

Director Gore Verbinski Release Date July 6, 2006 Cast Johnny Depp , Orlando Bloom , Keira Knightley , Jack Davenport , Bill Nighy , Jonathan Pryce

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4 Lightning McQueen Gives Up The Piston Cup

Cars (2006)

In most sports movie, the protagonist learns whatever character lesson they are supposed to and still wins the final competition. This is implicitly the direction Cars is heading in up until the final minutes of the movie. The final race is not easy: Lightning McQueen has to work for his victory, which is only possible because of Doc’s instructions, who is only helping McQueen because he has earned his respect. It is not until McQueen is speeding through the last stretch to an easy victory that the sequence’s pacing seems off.

It’s a more triumphant moment than McQueen just winning ever would have been.

Then the King brutally crashes, and McQueen stops right at the finish line, provoking dead silence. Cars commits to its emotional story by showing the hero actually have to give something up in service of the lessons he has learned and the friends he has made. It’s a more triumphant moment than McQueen just winning ever would have been.

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Cars is a 2006 animated film produced by Pixar Animation Studios. Directed by John Lasseter, the film follows Lightning McQueen, a race car who ends up in the small town of Radiator Springs on his way to a major racing event. As he repairs the damaged road, he forms unexpected friendships that teach him valuable life lessons. The movie features the voices of Owen Wilson, Paul Newman, and Bonnie Hunt.

Director John Lasseter , Joe Ranft Release Date June 8, 2006 Cast Owen Wilson , Paul Newman , Bonnie Hunt , Larry the Cable Guy , Cheech Marin , Tony Shalhoub Runtime 116 minutes

3 Eugene Cuts Rapunzel’s Hair

Tangled (2010)

Throughout Tangled, there is an easy solution to all the main characters’ problems: Rapunzel does not need 70 feet of cumbersome hair that grants immortality to live a fulfilling life. She gets a haircut; people stop hunting her. However, she has been so thoroughly gaslighted by Gothel in one of the most evil Disney villain plans that it never even remotely occurs to her to do this. It doesn’t occur to the audience that the protagonist would give up her main gimmick either.

Admittedly, healing abilities are useful to have on a dangerous adventure and Rapunzel saves their lives when she can illuminate the flooding cave. The darkest hour when Eugene is dying seems like it needs Rapunzel to heal him. However, this is where the movie gets a good, dark plot twist when Eugene does what they should have done all along. It’s also just surprising that he has the strength to do it and manages to get all her hair in one sweep.

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An adaptation of the fairytale of Rapunzel, Disney’s Tangled follows the long-haired princess as she journeys to discover her real identity. Kidnapped as a child by the evil Mother Gothel in order to exploit the healing properties of her magical hair, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) has lived her whole life isolated in a tower. A chance encounter with a smooth-talking fugitive called Flynn Ryder (Zachary Levi) sees Rapunzel venture out into the dangerous world to find the kingdom of Corona and unlock the secrets of her past.

Director Byron Howard , Nathan Greno Release Date November 24, 2010 Cast Donna Murphy , Ron Perlman , Mandy Moore , Brad Garrett , Jeffrey Tambor , Zachary Levi Runtime 100 minutes

2 Ernesto de la Cruz Killed Hector

Coco (2017)

When Hector first mentions that he died from a food-related incident, it comes across as a joke, and no one would ever think otherwise. In a movie that is set in the afterlife, death does not hold the same threat. Coco is a good movie because it stresses the theme of being remembered by family after death. Hector can have whatever wacky end he needs to so he can be in the afterlife and the movie can happen. Things start to get conspicuous when Hector storms de la Cruz’s mansion, claiming that he wrote all the musician’s most famous songs.

However, the sudden shift in tone when the murder is revealed is chilling — in part because no one would expect this from a Pixar movie. However, Coco also plays with some great sound and color contrasts that highlight the effect. When it abruptly cuts back from the flashback to Hector, de la Cruz, and Miguel, the glowing environment is no longer magical — it is haunting. On the other hand, the twist that Hector is actually Miguel’s ancestor is more obvious, because there is no other reason for Hector to be in the story.

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Despite his family’s generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on a journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel’s family history.

Director Adrian Molina , Lee Unkrich Release Date October 27, 2017 Cast Gael García Bernal , Alanna Ubach , Anthony Gonzalez , Selene Luna , Jaime Camil , Edward James Olmos , Renee Victor , Sofía Espinosa , Benjamin Bratt , natalia cordova-buckley , Alfonso Arau Runtime 105 minutes

Related 15 Best Pixar Movie Villains Of All Time

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1 Anna Saves Elsa (& Herself)

Frozen (2013)

Frozen was a huge hit due to being the unconventional Disney Princess movie, where the romance is not the central relationship, there are two heroines instead of one, and one of them is a queen (who was originally intended to be the villain). However, Frozen is even stronger because it takes the narrative through several twists and turns before it gets to the final, surprising revelation of what the “act of true love” will be. The first is, of course, the twist that Hans will not save Anna because he is the villain.

However, the heroes automatically then assume that Kristoff must save Anna, while even Olaf demonstrates “true love” by asserting that “some people are worth melting for.” However, the plot twist that Anna will save herself by throwing herself between Hans and her sister has even more impact because of how it happens. The incident occurs so quickly with Anna interrupting Hans’ brutal execution of Elsa to great effect, making it one of the best plot twists in recent Disney history.

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In this animated Disney musical, the newly crowned Queen Elsa accidentally uses her power to turn things into ice to curse her home in infinite winter. Her younger sister, Anna, teams up with a mountain man, his playful reindeer, and a living snowman to change the weather conditions and restore peace.

Director Chris Buck , Jennifer Lee Release Date November 27, 2013 Cast Edie McClurg , Kristen Bell , Santino Fontana , Idina Menzel , Robert Pine , Maurice LaMarche , Jonathan Groff , Stephen J. Anderson , Alan Tudyk , Josh Gad , Ciarán Hinds , Chris Williams Runtime 102 minutes

Source: https://www.phonggdkrongpac.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment

10 Best Plot Twists In Disney Movies (2024)

Summary

10 Te Ka Is Te Fiti

Moana (2016)

9 Vanellope Is Part Of The Sugar Rush Game

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

8 Stinky Pete Is The Villain

Toy Story 2 (1999)

7 The Baroness Is Cruella’s Mother

Cruella (2021)

6 Dawn Bellwether Is The Mastermind

Zootopia (2016)

5 Jack Sparrow’s Death

Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest (2006)

4 Lightning McQueen Gives Up The Piston Cup

Cars (2006)

3 Eugene Cuts Rapunzel’s Hair

Tangled (2010)

2 Ernesto de la Cruz Killed Hector

Coco (2017)

1 Anna Saves Elsa (& Herself)

Frozen (2013)

References