Editor's pick: The best movies on Disney Plus Australia

Disney Plus is home to all your favourite childhood Disney and Pixar flicks, Marvel's superhero blockbusters, the Star Wars saga and more. But with so many movies to choose from, where do you begin? Here are a few of our must see Editor's Picks.

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Tron: Ares

Nathan's notes: An unfairly maligned sci-fi sequel with a positive spin on our increasingly technologically dependent future

Nathan's rating:

Tron feels like one of those so-so '80s movies that never really should've got a sequel. Yet here we are with not one but two sequels out in the wild. 

I'm just gonna come straight out with it: Tron: Ares isn't as good as Tron: Legacy (also on Disney Plus), and absolutely not on the soundtrack front (Daft Punk FTW). Though diehard Nine Inch Nail fans may disagree with that last bit. But what Tron: Ares lacks on the audio front, it more than makes up for on the visuals front. 

Director Joachim Rønning blends the familiar Tron-scape – both original and Legacy – with his own vision, which is even more impressive when the events of the story make the digital world collide with the real world. Your connection with titular antihero Ares (Jared Leto) will determine your overall enjoyment, but there's enough great action sequences, entertaining dialogue, and a surprisingly hopeful take on our AI-obsessed world that make Tron: Ares worth viewing. - Nathan Lawrence

The Avatar series

Nathan's notes: The Creed of movie series: seemingly nobody publicly likes them, yet they somehow make bank

Nathan's rating:

Disney Plus isn't a stranger to billion-dollar IPs. Star Wars, the Marvel Cinematic Universe, and Alien, to name a few. And when the House of Mouse bought 20th Century Fox, it also became the owner of Avatar. 

James Cameron's technological marvels didn't even need multiple flicks to become multi-billion-dollar success stories. And you can watch them all on Disney Plus. Sure, 3D was the best way to view Avatar back in 2009. But nowadays, 4K TVs look a lot better (and brighter) than the light-leaking, ageing bulbs of cinema theatres. 

The original Avatar is the best of the bunch, and the only logical place to kick off. After that, The Way of Water and Fire and Ash continue the sprawling tale of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña), and the villainous Miles Quaritch (Stephen Lang). If epic sci-fi storytelling and set pieces are your jam, you're ready to join the millions of Avatar fans on the faraway beauty-meets-hostility planet of Pandora. - Nathan Lawrence

Fantastic Mr. Fox

Christie's Critique: A Roald Dahl classic perfect for parents and children alike.

Christie's rating:

Fantastic Mr. Fox is the latest Roald Dahl reimagining, joining films such as Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, James and the Giant Peach, The Witches, The BFG, just to name a few. But this animal animation has a unique twist.

Told via 535 painstakingly hand-made puppets in a quirky stop-motion format, we follow the story of Mr Fox, his family and community of various other animals as they attempt to outwit a local farmer. 

Anderson's colour signature is obvious in this film, with an autumnal palette designed to set an old-fashioned tone throughout. Children will enjoy the cheeky plot and unique style while parents will marvel at the star-studded cast. - Christie Graham

Moana

Joe's judgement: As good as anything from Pixar, Moana has great music, and is a window into a culture not often the subject of movies.

Joe's rating:

Through some of the best known kid's movies we've been introduced to a number of cultures and histories. Pocahontas, Mulan and Coco are great examples, as is The Little Mermaid, with its detailed exploration of mermaid life. But how much do you know about Polynesian culture and mythology? Moana is a masterclass, offering up a bevy of great characters and an ocean-full of larger-than-life heroes and villains. It's a real treat, and Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson proves he has quite the singing voice. - Joe Hanlon 

Hocus Pocus

Jacqui's gist: Thanks to Bette Midler and her witchy co-stars, Hocus Pocus will forever remain a children's classic.

Jacqui's rating:

An obnoxious teenager, his girl-crush and little sister accidentally wake three witches from the dead on Halloween night in the small American town of Salem. As you do. The witches set off on a magical rampage across town, and it's up to the three kids, a friendly zombie and talking cat to stop them. Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy are fabulous as the three witches, and the rest of the cast are okay too, I guess. - Jacqui Dent

Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Alex's analysis: The Star Wars prequel we actually wanted.

Alex's rating:

A good Star Wars prequel? No, you're not dreaming. Rogue One takes place right before A New Hope, telling the story of how the Rebels got their hands on the Death Star plans. While the film is much stronger than the entire prequel trilogy, it's a tad rough around the edges; the first half is rushed, introducing an entirely new cast of characters at breakneck speed.

This, however, is more than made up for by an incredible second half that features one of the very best set pieces in the entire Star Wars universe. Pacing issue aside, Rogue One is a strong addition to the Star Wars canon and, impressively, never feels like a retread. - Alex Choros

Aladdin

Christie's Critique: A live-action reimagining of the 1992 animated Disney film of the same name and the legendary tale from The Arabian Nights.

Christie's rating:

Live-action remakes are dominating our screens lately — Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book, Mulan, Snow White — but they have their own perks over the animated version. Aladdin's visuals are vivid and stunning, the modern special effects are even more special and the costume design is from a whole new world.

However, there's a magical charm the original animation has that this version just didn't quite replicate, not to mention Robin Williams set the bar sky-high when he portrayed Genie back in 1992. - Christie Graham

Zootopia

Jacqui's gist: It's a super fun story about talking animals and an allegory against racial prejudice. Is there anything this movie isn't?

Jacqui's rating:

In the world of Zootopia, predators and prey were once natural enemies. But now they live together in harmony. Or so it would seem. When predators of the multi-zoological metropolis start to became mysteriously rabid, a bunny cop teams up with a small-time criminal fox to solve the mystery. Easily one of Disney's best movies, Zootopia is hilarious and pretty thoughtful too. Keep an eye out for the sequel coming on November 27th! - Jacqui Dent

Coco

Jacqui's gist: A delightful adventure that surprises at every turn, Coco will put a smile on your face, bring tears to your eyes and keep you on the edge of your seat.

Jacqui's rating:

Young Miguel was born to be a musician, but his family has a grudge against anything musical. On Dia de los Muertos, a mishap sees Miguel transported to the land of the dead. Here Miguel must search for his great-great grandfather - a musician, black sheep of the family and the only person who can heal the scars of the past and send Miguel safely home, before he becomes trapped on the other side forever. - Jacqui Dent

Dead Poets Society

Christie's Critique: A must-see coming-of-age classic that will leave you expecting more from your teachers (or your children's teachers).

Christie's rating:

Robin Williams left a vast legacy of films in his wake — Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs Doubtfire, One Hour Photo — but none that stick with you as much as Dead Poets Society. This film is, quite simply, one of the greats. 

Williams plays Professor John Keating, an English teacher at a prestigious New England all boys boarding school. His extra ordinary teaching methods and introduction of poetry inspire his students to seize the day by reaching beyond their mediocre curriculum and aim for greatness while stirring up the judgement of parents and other teachers. - Christie Graham

Saving Mr Banks

Jacqui's gist: The surprising true story of the woman who created Mary Poppins.

Jacqui's rating:

Mary Poppins' prescription for happiness may be a spoonful of sugar, but her creator was anything but sweet. That's if the creators of this movie are to be believed. Saving Mr Banks is the story of cantankerous author P.L. Travers, and the man himself Walt Disney struggle to win her approval for the movie we all know so well today. Hilarious, clever, captivating and more than a little heart-breaking, this movie delves into the true events behind the fairy tale. - Jacqui Dent

Thor: Ragnarok

Jacqui's gist: Hands down the best and funniest Marvel movie to date.

Jacqui's rating:

Even if you're not a huge fan of Marvel movies, you need to check out Thor: Ragnarok for one simple reason - Taika Waititi. Yes, the Kiwi writer-director-actor-genius we all know and love from movies such as What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople has brought his directorial brains to this comic book adventure and it shows. 

Not just in the uniquely Kiwi sense of humour (which is laugh-out-loud funny), but in the casting (plenty of Aussie and NZ faces), the aesthetic (how many directors would make an alien planet look and sound like a 90s video game?) and even the names of the spaceships (they're all named after Holdens). On top of that, it's got all the action-packed spectacle we've come to expect from Marvel. A thoroughly good watch. - Jacqui Dent

Jacqui Dent

Editorial Strategist

Jacqui Dent is an Editorial Content Strategist at WhistleOut Australia, where she writes about mobile phone plans, NBN plans and everything in between. Over her ten-year career, she has worked to provide informed advice to the public, first in the sphere of writing and now in the world of consumer tech. Jacqui has also written about consumer telco products for Business Insider, Pedestrian and the 50Up Club.

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