From subscribers to casual browsers, anyone can spend hours engrossed in Disney+’s library of major theatrical successes, including Disney features, pictures from 20th Century Fox and Searchlight Pictures, and Marvel and Avengers films. There were many new releases with the addition of Disney Plus original films in 2023.
Here are the best 6 movies released on Disney+ in 2023.
The Little Mermaid
Genre: Adventure, Family, Fantasy, Musical, Romance
Run Time: 2h 15m
The Little Mermaid Movie, released by Disney in 2023, is a live-action remake that will mesmerize audiences for decades. Halle Bailey leads in the live-action adaptation, which was an immediate financial success because of the film’s enthralling plot, catchy melodies, and beloved characters.
The youngest daughter of King Triton, Ariel is a captivating mermaid who, as a young girl, becomes fixated on humans, whom she learns about through artifacts she discovers on sunken ships. Ariel is hell-bent on seeing human life for herself, so she makes a pact with the sea witch Ursula to risk her and her kingdom’s lives to overcome Triton’s ban on surface dwellers communicating with her.
Elemental
Genre: Animation, Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family, Fantasy, Romance
Run Time: 1h 41m
Disney Pixar’s animated feature Elemental is set to present audiences with an unforgettable cross-elemental love story. The film follows Ember Lumen as she encounters Wade Ripple, an agreeable water elemental, who takes them both on an unexpected journey together despite family and community obstacles. Elemental is an exciting example of opposites attract, with each character working towards finding themselves again while facing difficult life decisions head-on.
Beautifully and peacefully told, Elemental is an incredibly moving story that will touch you on a profound emotional level. The animation is stunning, while the visuals blur into that uncanny valley between 2D and 3D films. Another outstanding offering from Pixar, Elemental manages to win over audiences with its charming story and charming characters.
Chang Can Dunk
Genre: Drama, Family, Sport
Run Time: 1h 49m
Chang, a 16-year-old marching band member who is 5 feet 8 inches tall and head over heels for Kristy, is the film’s protagonist. Chang takes a leap of faith in his relationship with the popular basketball player by placing a bet that he can do a slam dunk in ten weeks; Deandre lends a hand as a former player turned YouTuber; while Chang begins to spend more time with Kristy in an effort to deepen their bond.
As the film progresses, Chang learns a lot about himself, his loved ones, and the world around him via his numerous metamorphoses. His real success is when his basketball dream takes a back seat, not in making three baskets in a game but in reflecting on his life and making amends. Chang Can Dunk delivers on themes that speak more deeply to our hearts than any standard basketball story could do.
Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny
Genre: Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 2h 34m
Indy is about to retire from archaeology until his goddaughter Helena Shaw tells him of a lost artifact called The Dial of Destiny. Reuniting this artifact could change the path of history. While Voller hunts for them, Indy and Helena join forces to find each piece.
Harrison Ford is one of the key components to Indiana Jones’s longstanding popularity, lending him depth and charm that, on paper, could only ever exist as a silhouette. Harrison delivers an appropriate sendoff in Dial of Destiny – his final movie as Indy. Director James Mangold experiments with time travel and other science fiction cliches to create an intriguing summer popcorn thriller.
Avatar: The Way of Water
Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 3h 12m
Avatar: The Way of Water revisits the tropical moon Pandora and its inhabitants once more. A new conflict threatens to tear apart Jake Sully and Neytiri’s relationship, as Sam Worthington reprises their roles of Jake Sully and Neytiri from the Metkayina tribe, respectively, while returning actors Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, and Kate Winslet as characters from previous films along with Cliff Curtis and Britain Dalton also make appearances as characters that add depth.
Although its story and characters may seem simple and predictable at times, Avatar: The Way of Water is a captivating return to its world. Although it isn’t James Cameron’s finest work, this sequel is undeniably one of his most memorable, building on the visual elements introduced in the first film.
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
Genre: Action, Adventure, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Run Time: 2h 30m
The Guardians managed to come together on Knowhere, an alien planet composed of dead god’s heads. Now, they live as an insular community in this strange world; their pain from past lives always seems close at hand; broken relationships linger, as well as new challenges they must face head-on.
With Rocket at its center, James Gunn expertly weaves together all the threads of MCU lore into a captivating story full of humorous dialogue and gags that packs more emotional punch than either predecessor film. His heartbreaking backstory enhances vol 3’s edge and dark territory, told through flashbacks, which is more effective than in either of the previous films.
