Few grunge-era movies made bees such a critical plot point as My Girl, where an ill-fated bee sting had audiences sobbing.

There are action sequences, plenty of clever puns (Gromit reads “Virginia Woof”), and sweet messages about real human (or animal) connection and work being more satisfying than any “smart” device.

From DreamWorks to Sony Animation to pre-merger 20th Century Fox and more, Disney has had many challengers to its throne as ...