10 Movies That Prove Rob Minkoff Is A Big Deal
Crystal Kung-Minkoff became a fan favorite on RHOBH but it was her husband, Rob Minkoff, that had fans wondering what other movies he's worked on.
In season 11 of Bravo's The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, Crystal Kung-Minkoff was added to the roster. Hollywood stars like Kathy Hilton already knew Crystal but for fans, she was brand new. Outside of being a businesswoman and mother, Crystal was married to director Rob Minkoff.
Fans wanted to know more about Crystal and her marriage to Minkoff after it was said that he was the director behind Disney's The Lion King. As it turned out, Minkoff is an incredibly talented animator and director who has worked on a variety of projects.
The Lion King (1994)
The Lion King is a timeless animated classic that never gets old. The coming-of-age tale is so beloved that it became a live-action movie in 2019. And as it turns out, The Lion King wouldn't have been the success that it was without Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers in the director's chair.
Minkoff went on to win awards for his role in the animated movie and solidified himself as one of the greats.
Stuart Little (1999)
Stuart Little was based on the 1945 novel of the same name. The story followed a family as they adopted Stuart — who was more of a son than a mouse. He spoke, listened, and acted like his older human brothers. The adorable movie showed Stuart as he got used to life at home with a human family.
Stuart Little was Minkoff's first live-action film and it was deemed a success, bringing in $300 million worldwide at box offices, according to Box Office MoJo. Critics ended up loving Stuart Little in the '90s and it spiraled into a sequel...
Stuart Little 2 (2002)
If fans loved the movie Stuart Little, they were bound to love its sequel, Stuart Little 2. Minkoff directed the sequel and had the main cast return for another adventure with this anthropomorphic mouse.
In the sequel, Stuart has problems with his adopted human brother and leans on a new friend — a canary named Margalo. But when Stuart finds out Margalo works for a greedy thief (who happens to be a falcon), their friendship is strained because she attempts to steal from Stuart's mother. The movie is heartwarming and shares messages of growth and youth for younger audiences.
The Haunted Mansion (2003)
In 2003, Eddie Murphy was the star of Disney's The Haunted Mansion. Rob Minkoff directed the film and it's created a cult following during Halloween.
The spooky movie followed Murphy's character, who was a realtor, as he and his family visited a haunted mansion in hopes of one day selling it for commission. But when a storm hits, the family finds out just how scary this mansion is and that no one was safe. The movie was done in such a spectacular way with visuals and sound effects that Disney had to make some cuts before opening a Haunted Mansion ride at Disney parks. As if directing The Lion King wasn't a big deal, Rob has an entire Disney ride created after a movie he directed.
Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014)
Mr. Peabody & Sherman is a computer-animated movie produced by DreamWorks Animation. Rob Minkoff, again, was in the director's chair.
In the movie, Mr. Peabody is unlike any other dog on the big screen. He's human-like in the way that he wears a bowtie and glasses, and he's dedicated to the world of science. After being ignored by potential owners, Mr. Peabody adopted a human boy, Sherman. Together, the two learn about the world while living in New York City. The movie had respectable reviews from critics and went on to become a show on Netflix.
Flypaper (2011)
Flypaper was an action-packed comedy starring Ashley Judd and Patrick Dempsey. Judd portrays a bank-teller who is stressed when the bank she works at is bombarded by thieves. Dempsey's character is a member of the bank who does his best to protect her. The film takes on a parody of sorts in regards to bank robberies and has a shocking twist at the end.
Sadly, Flypaper didn't perform well at box offices but it had a mega cast that also consisted of Mekhi Phifer, Jeffrey Tambor, and Octavia Spencer.
The Little Mermaid (1989)
Minkoff didn't direct Disney's The Little Mermaid but he was a part of the animation team.
The Little Mermaid had a lot of lessons viewers could learn from as Ariel pushed against the norm for a different life. Although Ariel was a mermaid, her dream was to be a human so she could be with a man she saved from a burning ship, Prince Eric. In the end, Ariel gets her wish but it wasn't without a few hardships, spells, and family drama. Being an animator on The Little Mermaid could have gotten Minkoff's foot in the door before directing The Lion King, The Haunted Mansion, and others.
The Brave Little Toaster (1987)
In 1987, Minkoff was yet again a part of the animation department when he worked on the character designs for the characters in The Brave Little Toaster. Although the animated The Brave Little Toaster came out in the late '80s, it's an underrated classic that spiraled into two sequels.
The movie follows different home appliances that were left behind in an abandoned cottage. Toaster is the leader of the pack as they go on an adventure through the woods to find their owner. However, being appliances charged by electricity, the characters can only go so far before needing to be charged again. The storytelling and character design set itself apart from the rest.
The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
Minkoff directed The Forbidden Kingdom in 2008, starring Jackie Chan and Jet Li. In the film, a teen named Jason Tripitikas finds a golden staff in an old shop and becomes fascinated by it when he realizes how in-demand it is. After an accident occurs, he wakes up in a new world where Jackie Chan's character takes him under his wing.
The action-packed movie did well, making over $128 million in box offices, according to Box Office MoJo. Fans of Jet Li's English movies loved The Forbidden Kingdom, especially because of the martial arts scenes with Jackie Chan.
Paws Of Fury: The Legend Of Hank (July 2022)
Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank is an upcoming animated film produced by Paramount Pictures. Rob Minkoff co-directed the film with Nate Hopper, and it stars the voices from Samuel Jackson, Michael Cera, Rickey Gervais, and more.
The movie follows a beagle named Hank who is tired of his everyday life and dreams of becoming a samurai. He soon trains with a gifted cat named Jimbo to fight a villain taking over a cat village. As many great animated movies came out in 2021, fans of Minkoff's are hoping Paws of Fuy is on the list for 2022. The movie has had a lot of hype in pre-production and is set to release this July.
NEXT: The 10 Best Animated Movies of 2021, According to Rotten Tomatoes
