Best Live-Action Disney Movies of All Time

The title refers to the Glienicke Bridge over the Havel River in Germany. During the Cold War the river formed the border between East and West Germany and the bridge was used multiple times to exchange captured spies. “Bridge of Spies” is a historical drama set in the 1950s and ’60s. Tom Hanks plays lawyer James B. Donovan, who defended Soviet spy Rudolf Abel and is then put in charge of negotiations to swap him with captured American pilot Francis Gary Powers.

“Barfi!” is an Hindi-language comedy released by Disney India and set in India in the 1970s. The film was shot on a low budget but quickly became a success both critically and at the box office. The story follows Murphy “Barfi” Johnson, who is mute and deaf, and his relationships with two women, one of which is autistic. The film was praised for its positive portrayal of people with disabilities.

“Queen of Katwe” depicts the life of Phonia Mutesi, a girl from Kampala, Uganda, who grows up in the slum of Katwe. Her life changes dramatically when she learns to play chess and naturally excels at the game. She quickly becomes a talented player and attempts to use chess to lift her family out of poverty.

Directed by Christopher Nolan and written by Nolan and his brother Jonathan, “The Prestige” is a thrilling mix of stage magic, high stakes competition, and sci-fi. When the film begins, two stage illusionists, played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, work together as apprentices under another magician. However, after an illusion goes wrong they become bitter enemies and embark on a reckless competition to create the greatest illusions the world has ever seen.

Set in Chicago but based on the 1995 London-based British novel of the same name, this comedy-drama tells the story of Rob Gordon (John Cusack) as he deal with his failed relationship and reexamines his life while running a record store and getting more deeply involved with the music industry.

This is a biographical drama based on the life of legendary singer Tina Turner. The film lays out Turner’s life from her childhood in poverty to her rise as a musical sensation. It also focuses on her tumultuous marriage to her abusive husband, Ike Turner. Angela Bassett stars in what was to be her breakout role.

Wes Andersen’s second movie and first big financial success, this movie launched Jason Schwartzman’s career and began his long collaboration with Andersen. The story follows eccentric teenager Max Fischer as he navigates his prestigious private school and his crush on an elementary school teacher. It’s a zany and funny movie with a great soundtrack.

This, the third Captain America movie produced by Disney, borrows heavily from Marvel’s “Civil War” crossover comics. In the film superhero supergroup the Avengers fracture, with one side led by Captain America and the other by Iron Man. The star-studded cast contributed to making this a box office mega-hit.

Robert Redford directed this story of the real-life scandal surrounding the 1950s TV quiz show “Twenty-One.” Certain contestants were given the correct answers and the game show was rigged in order to boast ratings. Richard Goodwin, a real-life congressional investigator of the incident, helped produce the film. It received good reviews but did not do well at the box office.

“Never Cry Wolf” is a film adaptation of Farley Mowat’s autobiography of the same name. The film follows a young Canadian biologist who is dispatched to the Arctic to study why caribou populations are declining. He is told that experts believe it is due to wolf predation despite no one having seen wolves kill caribou. The biologist is quickly thrust into a world of survival and discovery as he grows closer to nature.

This is a coming-of-age film about an English teacher inspiring his students at an elite conservative boarding school in Vermont. Robin Williams plays unorthodox teacher John Keating, who uses poetry to teach his students to think outside of the box of the rigid boarding school education system. The story follows the students as they learn and grow and fall into eventual conflict with the world around them.

“The Sixth Sense” is an iconic horror-thriller that cemented M. Night Shyamalan’s reputation as the king of twists and turns. A psychologist with a difficult past finds himself treating a child with mysterious problems. The boy can see dead souls who refuse to move on because they do not realize that they’re dead. The movie creates an extraordinary world and perhaps asks more questions than it answers.

Mixing animation with live action, “Who Killed Roger Rabbit” creates a zany world where toons and humans live in semi-harmony. Toon Roger Rabbit has been accused of murdering a wealthy businessman and detective Eddie Valiant is on the case to prove his innocence. The wacky plot touches on real-life historical conspiracies amongst other things. The author who wrote “Who Censored Roger Rabbit?,” upon which the film was loosely based, later entered a lengthy legal battle with Disney for unpaid royalties.

This biographical film by Tim Burton, starring Johnny Depp, focuses on the life of cult filmmaker Ed Wood. Wood created many low-budget movies that ranged from sci-fi, crime, and horror to sexploitation and even porn. The movie follows Wood as he fights to build a career in Hollywood while using unconventional means and low-budget techniques to develop the unique style he became known for.

“The Force Awakens” is the first film in the most recent Star Wars trilogy, and the first entry in the franchise that Disney created, after its acquisition of Lucasfilm in 2012. The movie introduces a new generation of characters while bringing back some of those from the original movies. Episode 7 takes place some years after episode 6, and suggests that all the previous progress made towards a freer and more just universe has gone to waste.

The sequel to “Captain America: The First Avenger” and the ninth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “The Winter Soldier” continues Captain America’s adventures as one of the Avengers. The superhero is quickly thrown into a complicated situation where no one knows exactly who to trust. Further, a mysterious figure known only as the Winter Soldier suddenly appears and poses an existential threat to the superhero order.

“Thor: Ragnarok” mixes comedy with its superheroes to make a less conventional Marvel movie than usual. Directed by Taika Waititi, known for dark comedy films “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Jojo Rabbit,” “Ragnarok” is the third Thor film and sees the deity/superhero trying to escape from the planet Sakaar to save his home world Asgard from the impending series of disasters known collectively as Ragnarok. Rich with Norse mythology and superhero action this takes superhero movies in a new direction with dramatic success.

The third Avengers movie and the 19th entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, “Infinity War” is one of the most expensive films ever made. The star-studded cast includes actors reprising their superhero roles from other MCU movies. The story follows the Avengers as they attempt to stop Thanos from acquiring the infinity stones and unstoppable power.

In her feature film debut Julie Andrews stars as Mary Poppins, a nanny who comes to help a dysfunctional family in London. The movie was released to massive commercial and critical success and received 13 Academy Awards nominations. Live-action and animation is mixed as Mary Poppins takes the children on a surreal adventure through a magical world to teach them important life lessons.

The first movie in the Avengers series is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name. The movie sees the formation of the Avengers by bringing together heroes like Thor, The Hulk, and Iron Man in order to fight threats facing the planet and beyond. The 2012 movie would go on to create a massive series and play a key role in the continued development of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

“Guardians of the Galaxy” is a space adventure that follows the formation and adventures of a motley crew of interstellar degenerates. Thrown together by circumstance, Star-Lord and his new companions are forced to out-maneuver evil in a quest for personal gain that eventually leads them to actually helping the universe and doing good deeds. The movie has a terrific soundtrack.

“The Insider” tells the true story of a tobacco industry whistleblower and the CBS “60 Minutes” producer who ran his story as both confront the massive pressure brought against them by the corporate tobacco industry and even CBS itself. The film was nominated for seven Academy Awards and was widely praised by critics, though was not a commercial success.

Directed by David Lynch, “The Straight Story” tells the true tale of Alvin Straight’s 1994 journey across Iowa and Wisconsin on a riding lawnmower. Straight is an elderly WW II veteran whose declining eyesight makes him ineligible for a driver’s license. However, when he hears his estranged brother has had a stroke, he sets out to visit him and make things right between the two of them before it’s too late.

Released by Disney India, “Dangal” is a Hindi-language biographical sports movie. The true story focuses on an amateur pehlwani wrestler who trains his daughters to become some of the sport’s first female participants. The movie, which takes place mostly in India’s Haryana state, received considerable praise for its honest telling of the story. It was nominated for a range of awards around the world.

Originally titled “Avengers: Infinity War — Part 2,” this is the sequel to “Infinity War” and resolves the battle between the superhero group and supervillain Thanos. With its superstar cast and dazzling special effects, this, the 22nd film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, is one the most expensive movies ever made — and one of the highest-grossing films of all time.