Movies that feel likeThe Sword in the Stone (1963)

Name: The Sword in the Stone
Director: Wolfgang Reitherman
Genre: animation, family, fantasy
Released: 1963

Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

If you loved The Sword in the Stone, the closest films we have are The Rescuers (1977), Robin Hood (1973) and Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1938). All three share The Sword in the Stone's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977).

🍅 65% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.1 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Wolfgang Reithermanwhimsical warm cozy dreamlike

12 of 12 streaming nowDisney Plus · FlixFling · Artiflix

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If The Sword in the Stone hit the spot, these will too

The Rescuers

1977 · dir. Wolfgang Reitherman

🍅 79%★ 6.9fantasy · family · animationDisney+

Wolfgang Reitherman directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Leans harder into adventure than The Sword in the Stone does

Two agents of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society search for a little orphan girl kidnapped by sinister treasure hunters.

Robin Hood

1973 · dir. Wolfgang Reitherman

🍅 56%★ 7.5animation · family · adventureDisney+

The same hand behind both of them: Wolfgang Reitherman

The difference: Takes it somewhere less dreamlike than The Sword in the Stone does

With King Richard off to the Crusades, Prince John and his slithering minion, Sir Hiss, set about taxing Nottingham's citizens with support from the corrupt sheriff - and staunch opposition by the wily Robin Hood and his band of merry men.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

1938 · dir. David Hand

★ 7.6fantasy · animation · familyDisney+

The same two preoccupations: witch, and magic

The difference: Made in the 1930s, in a different era of the craft

A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.

Peter Pan

1953 · dir. Clyde Geronimi

🍅 79%★ 7.3animation · family · adventureDisney+

One thread runs through both: villain

Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.

The Jungle Book

1967 · dir. Wolfgang Reitherman

🍅 88%★ 7.6family · animation · adventureDisney+

Both are built on the same subject: villain

The boy Mowgli makes his way to the man-village with Bagheera, the wise panther. Along the way he meets jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli "The Bare Necessities" of life and the true meaning of friendship.

Alice in Wonderland

1951 · dir. Clyde Geronimi

🍅 82%★ 7.3animation · family · fantasyDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: female villain

On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.

Sleeping Beauty

1959 · dir. Clyde Geronimi

🍅 90%★ 7.2fantasy · animation · romanceDisney+

Both keep coming back to the same thing: witch

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

Cursed to die by the evil fairy Maleficent when she was a baby, Princess Aurora is sent into hiding under protection from three good fairies. As she grows up far away, Maleficent becomes increasingly determined to seal the princess's fate.

Dumbo

1941 · dir. Ben Sharpsteen

🍅 95%★ 7.2animation · familyDisney+

The same mix in both: whimsy, then warmth

Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.

One Hundred and One Dalmatians

1961 · dir. Wolfgang Reitherman

🍅 98%★ 7.3adventure · animation · comedyDisney+

Common ground: female villain

When a litter of dalmatian puppies are abducted by the minions of Cruella De Vil, the parents must find them before she uses them for a diabolical fashion statement.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

1977 · dir. John Lounsbery

🍅 100%★ 7.5animation · family · adventureDisney+

Cozy where it counts, dreamlike underneath

Whether we’re young or forever young at heart, the Hundred Acre Wood calls to that place in each of us that still believes in magic. Join pals Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger and Christopher Robin as they enjoy their days together and sing their way through adventures.

Pinocchio

1940 · dir. Hamilton Luske

🍅 100%★ 7.5animation · family · fantasyDisney+

One thread runs through both: magic

When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

1993 · dir. Henry Selick

🍅 95%★ 7.9fantasy · animation · familyDisney+

Animation built on whimsy, twice over

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.