8 Disney Movie Endings That Are Genuine Masterpieces

Spoiler Alert: This list contains spoilers for multiple movies.If there’s one thing that Disney has always specialized in, it’s wonderful endings. As one of the most prolific studios making family films since the 1930s, the House of Mouse have unsurprisingly produced sheer movie magic throughout their entire history. And though their catalog is not without its fair share of duds, their best movies are absolutely timeless classics—and as such, they have some of the most memorable endings the family genre has ever seen.

Whether it’s a sweet, traditionally feel-good conclusion to an animated gem like Lilo & Stitch; or a thrilling ending to a big franchise blockbuster like Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, there are particular Disney movie endings that are pure masterpieces. They’re a masterclass in how to end a film in a way that’s both satisfying and unpredictable in all the right ways.

‘Lilo & Stitch’ (2002)

Image via Walt Disney Animation

Lilo & Stitch may very well be Disney’s best animated movie of the 21st century thus far, a modern classic that’s right up there with the House of Mouse’s best masterpieces from their early days. It’s an entirely unique kind of alien invasion movie, one whose surprisingly mature and complex story explores themes of family, loss, and healing in ways that you don’t typically see in films aimed at children.

Thanks to its perfect balance between emotion, excitement, and sci-fi creativity, Lilo & Stitch is one of the most amazing Disney movies ever made, which logically includes a flawless ending. After the Grand Councilwoman (Zoe Caldwell) realizes the deep bond that has bloomed between Lilo (Daveigh Chase) and Stitch (Chris Sanders), she decides to allow Experiment 626 to stay on Earth with his newfound family. It’s an emotionally powerful conclusion with just the right amount of poignancy sprinkled in to really make it pop.

‘Tangled’ (2010)

Image via Walt Disney Animation

Yet another one of Disney’s best 21st-century animated gems, Tangled was proof that Disney princess movies were still alive and well going into the 2010s. Almost two decades after its release, it’s still one of the most universally-beloved Disney movies of all time, and that’s unlikely to ever change. After all, it’s one of the sweetest, funniest, and most creative romantic comedies that the animation studio has ever produced.

As the film nears the credits, Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) returns to the kingdom and reunites with her real parents, the King and Queen, after being freed from Mother Gothel’s (Donna Murphy) manipulative grip by Eugene (Zachary Levi). Eventually, the two get married. Boosted by Zachary Levi’s endearing narration and standing in strong contrast to the surprising darkness of the final confrontation against Mother Gothel, this vibrantly colorful and romantic conclusion is the most fittingly uplifting way of bringing this love story to a close.

‘The Muppets Christmas Carol’ (1992)

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Not only is The Muppets Christmas Carol one of the best Muppets movies ever, and not only is it one of the funniest Christmas movies ever made; it’s also one of the most essential classics to watch during wintertime, regardless of whether one celebrates Christmas or not. After all, never has there been a Charles Dickens adaptation more heartening, magical, innocent, or charming than this one.

The Muppets Christmas Carol ends much like Dickens’ A Christmas Carol does: Scrooge (Michael Caine) wakes up a new man on Christmas morning, joining Bob Cratchit’s (Steve Whitmire) family to celebrate. Pair that with a beautiful musical number, as well as the admirable way in which Michael Caine treats his Muppet co-stars as though they were real people all the way until the very end, and it should be no surprise why this ending is one of the most universally beloved in Disney’s live-action catalog.

‘Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest’ (2006)

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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl didn’t represent the first time that Disney ever made a film adaptation of one of their iconic theme park rides, but it was the first time that such a premise had produced such tremendous financial success. As such, it’s hardly surprising that a sequel eventually came together. It just so happens that said sequel is one of those movies that critics got absolutely wrong. They generally disliked Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest, but as the years have passed, movie lovers have come to remember it as one of the best family movies to make over $1 billion dollars at the box office.

Dead Man’s Chest is the last true swashbuckling epic masterpiece that Hollywood ever produced, a spectacular two-and-a-half-hour-long adventure that ends with one of the most explosive third acts of any Disney film. Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) is dragged to his death by the Kraken, Lord Cutler Beckett (Tom Hollander) gains control of Davy Jones’ (Bill Nighy) heart, and the Black Pearl’s crew enlists a resurrected Barbossa’s (Geoffrey Rush) help to rescue Jack. The action is enthralling, the evolution of the character arcs is great, and the way the movie sets up At World’s End is a top-tier franchise blockbuster conclusion.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ (1991)

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Beauty and the Beast is one of the greatest masterpieces of the Disney Renaissance period, a gem of a film so special that it became the very first animated movie ever to be nominated for the Best Picture Academy Award. The hype was, and still is, well-deserved. Visually stunning, beautifully romantic, tenderly emotional, and full of incredibly catchy and perfectly-composed tunes, it really is one of the best animated musicals of all time.

The film ends with the Beast (Robby Benson) defeating Gaston (Richard White), and Belle (Paige O’Hara) confessing her love just in time to break the spell and turn the Beast, as well as the castle’s inhabitants, back into humans. It’s the sort of “happily ever after” ending that Disney specializes in, wonderfully sweet without ever feeling saccharine. Resolving the Beast’s redemption arc, bringing the story’s themes of inner beauty full-circle, and offering a joyful conclusion where every character gets a chance to say goodbye, it’s one of the most moving conclusions in the House of Mouse’s stacked filmography.

‘Fantasia’ (1940)

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Calling Fantasia one of the most ambitious fantasy movies ever made is not an exaggeration. Hugely different from anything Disney had ever made before or has made since, this anthology musical is a celebration of fantasy, magic, classical music, and animated cinema itself. Delightfully experimental and surprisingly epic in scope, it’s definitely a film that today feels best-suited for slightly older animation fans, but is nonetheless a must-see for anyone who loves the art form.

The movie ends with a powerful transition from darkness to light, moving from Modest Mussorgsky‘s “Night on Bald Mountain” to a soul-stirring rendition of Franz Schubert‘s “Ave Maria.” The transition is moving enough in itself, but even in a vacuum, the visual grandeur and bright colors of this concluding segment make it a masterpiece in and of itself. It’s a simple enough ending to a movie that doesn’t really have much of a story, but it’s so hopeful and thematically potent that it’s hard to resist.

‘The Lion King’ (1994)

What follows one of the best opening movie shots of the 20th century is Disney’s The Lion King, regarded by many as the studio’s greatest animated outing to date. Ironically enough, this was a project that the House of Mouse actually didn’t have much faith in initially, thinking that their big award-winning project of 1994 would end up being Pocahontas. Instead, it was this tale inspired by Shakespeare‘s Hamlet and West African folklore that ended up becoming the studio’s greatest modern classic.

Like many of the greats, The Lion King has a beautifully moving conclusion. “The Circle of Life” comes full-circle with Simba (Matthew Broderick) defeating Scar (Jeremy Irons) and taking his rightful place as King of Pride Rock, welcoming a new cub with Nala (Moira Kelly). Accompanied by the rousing “Circle of Life,” this conclusion is a downright perfect way of closing off Simba’s arc, bringing the story’s themes to a satisfying ending, and further stirring the audience’s emotions with the gorgeous visuals and music.

‘The Straight Story’ (1999)

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David Lynch is best known as one of the greatest surrealist auteurs that have ever graced the Seventh Art, but he was a far more versatile filmmaker that some may give him credit for. A perfect testament to that fact is Disney’s The Straight Story, the only G-rated film that Lynch ever made. It’s based on the true story of Alvin Straight, a retired farmer who journeyed from Iowa to Wisconsin on a lawnmower to see his estranged brother. It’s one of those forgotten family movies that are utter masterpieces.

Lynch was a master of mind-bending conclusions that completely recontextualized the meaning of everything that came before, but much like its title would have you believe, The Straight Story instead reaches a conclusion that’s delightfully straightforward. Alvin finds his brother, and the two share a moment of quiet stargazing that conveys with a single pair of looks what a thousand words never could. Marvelously performed by Richard Farnsworth and Harry Dean Stanton, it’s the most artful and emotionally-stirring conclusion that the House of Mouse has ever produced.