Disney’s trend of transforming its animated classic films into live-action, or live-action-looking, projects has proven to be a massive success overall. While not every film is a hit, many of them have been absolute blockbusters, bringing in billions of dollars at the box office. Having said that, it seems like while many people may appreciate them for what they are, there also seems to be a pretty pervasive feeling that these movies don’t necessarily need to exist.
While the live-action version of these films might not be the ones that anybody goes to first when given the choice, that doesn’t mean that none of them have anything at all to offer. When looking at the recent batch of remakes that started with Alice in Wonderland and brings us right up to the new version of The Little Mermaid, here’s a look at the things that work best in each of Disney's live-action remakes.
Alice In Wonderland: It Is The Most Tim Burton Movie Ever
If you somehow have never seen Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, then really all you need to know is that Tim Burton made an Alice in Wonderland movie. Whatever image that conjures in your mind, I promise you the actual movie is a good 60% stranger than that. It's absolutely bonkers, but it's more a Tim Burton movie than it is a Disney movie, and that's a great thing. It's a film that has the freedom to be whatever the hell it wants to be.
Maleficent: Angelina Jolie’s Heartbreaking Mutilation
Maleficient figured out early on that one of the best ways to do these movies was to take what fans know, but put a different spin on it. Maleficient makes the villain in the original story a sympathetic victim in this one, and what a victim she is. Angelina Jolie's character is drugged and then mutilated, and the movie doesn’t even try to avoid the obvious implications. Jolie’s scene where she realizes what has happened to her is as harrowing as anything we’ve ever seen from Disney.
Cinderella: Cate Blancett Is Perfect
Cinderella is possibly the absolute best of the live-action Disney remakes, as it nearly perfectly blends the classic with the new. It’s not a direct translation of the original, but all the key elements are there. But of all the things it does right, the thing it may do best is bring a Disney Villain to life in a way we’ve never seen before. Cate Blanchett is deliciously evil as the Wicked Stepmother. It’s a performance not to be missed.
The Jungle Book: Idris Elba's Sher Khan Is Scarier Than The Original
What Cate Blanchett brought to a live performance, Idris Elba brought to the voice performance of Shere Khan in The Jungle Book. I’m not sure there’s a lot in any of the live-action remakes that I would actually say is better than the comparable part of the original films, but Elba’s performance brings a menace to the villain that it just doesn’t have in the animated version.
Beauty and the Beast: Belle And Her Father
The Beauty and the Beast remake makes various small changes to the story that seem primarily focused on dealing with perceived "problems" with the original film. They are largely pointless changes that don't actually improve the movie. However, if there is a change that does, it's the (slightly) stronger focus on Belle's relationship with her father. It includes the song "How Does A Moment Last Forever," the best of the new songs, and gives an endearing performance from Kevin Kline.
Christopher Robin: A Remake Made For The Adults That Grew Up On The Original
For the most part, the Disney live-action remakes have been about recreating a classic movie in a way that will work for all generations. Christopher Robin, on the other hand, may be the most “adult” of them all because it’s a story that really isn’t meant for kids who love Winnie the Pooh. It’s meant for the grown-ups who used to, and. it's a movie about remembering childhood, not experiencing it.
Dumbo: The Villain Is An Evil Walt Disney
Dumbo is actually more a sequel than a remake of the Disney animated classic, and it’s when the film dispenses with the events of the original that it actually gets good. But nothing quite prepares you for the fact that the movie’s villain, V.A. Vandevere, as played by Michael Keaton, is the successful creator of a new type of entertainment complex: a theme park. He’s basically, “What if Walt Disney, but evil.” It’s incredible that this movie was allowed to go there, and it should be appreciated.
Aladdin: The Jams Scene Is Comic Gold
Aladdin, like so many other Renaissance Disney remakes, is a pretty faithful adaptation of the animated original, but there is one entirely new scene, where Prince Ali and the Genie present themselves to the Sultan which does not appear in the earlier movie. It’s an absolutely hilarious scene where Aladdin makes a fool of himself and the Genie can’t bear to watch. It’s a scene that would not have fit in the original movie since the humor is an entirely different tone, playing to Will Smith's strengths instead of those of Robin Williams. Honestly, the remake could have used more of that.
The Lion King: The Circle Of Life Is Breathtaking
The “Circle of Life” from the original animated version of The Lion King is one of the great movie openings of all time. It's an epic song showing off equally epic animation from the company that does it better than anybody. The Lion King remake, which isn't "live-action," showcased digital effects at an incredible level of quality. Put the two things together and you have something truly special. It’s an absolute showcase of the technology in the best way. One look at this and it's not shocking that The Lion King remake won an Oscar.
Lady and the Tramp: Janelle Monae and “He’s A Tramp”
When remaking any Disney classic, there are going to be hurdles. Additionally, there things that were done so well the first time around that when doing them again, it’s going to be difficult not to come up short. For Lady and the Tramp, that thing is the song “He’s a Tramp” sung by the iconic Peggy Lee in the animated classic. How do you even try to clear that bar? You get Janelle Monae. She takes on the task and she makes it look easy.
Mulan: Solid Action Filmmaking
Mulan is one of the few of the Renaissance era Disney movies to not go full musical with its remake, but what it lacks in songs it makes up for in action. While Disney’s animated movies have upped their action with recent films like Raya and the Last Dragon, this was the first Disney Princess that we really got to enjoy kicking some butt.
Cruella: Punk Rock Disney
Cruella is an interesting twist on the live-action remake not only in that it's an origin story prequel, but also in the way that prequel was set up. A true prequel to 101 Dalmatians would be set in the UK in the 1950s, but this one goes full 1970 English punk, and it's the perfect pace or Cruella to thrive, giving the movie an energy many of these remakes lack. It's not a prequel to the animated film, but rather the launch of its own franchise, and that's ok. Cruella 2 is a sequel that many may actually get excited to see.
Pinocchio: Pleasure Island Is Surprisingly Dark
If there's one thing that could be said about classic Disney animated films, it's that they could get really scary. The original Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs famously terrified children, but it's hard to imagine most of these remakes doing the same. The original Pinocchio's Pleasure Island sequence had children transforming into donkeys and I'm guessing more than a few kids had trouble with that back in the day. The remake doesn't lighten the sequence at all, making for one of the scarier parts of any of the modern remakes.
Peter Pan & Wendy: Jude Law’s Hook Is A Villain With Depth
Peter Pan and Wendy played with some interesting ideas that were not present in the animated classic, and most of them aren’t really taken anyplace interesting. The one character who is given surprising depth is Captain Hook. Jude Law’s performance in the film is the one to watch. Hook isn’t the simple caricature that he was in the animated movie, which gives his never-ending battle with Peter Pan a lot more weight.
The Little Mermaid: Halle Bailey’s Voice
The newest live-action remake, The Little Mermaid, certainly brings the animated film to life. All the songs and key plot beats are there. It’s a fun movie, but the thing that stands out among all is “Part of Your World.” The movie’s classic "I want"
song is performed with incredible power by star Halle Bailey. It’s clear why she was the one cast when you hear her sing this song above all others. It’s even better than the original.
We certainly haven't seen the end of the live-action Disney remakes. A new version of Snow White is among the upcoming Disney movies we'll be seeing in the next few years, and films based on everything from Hercules to The Aristocats are also planned. Maybe one of these will be a truly great film, but even if they are not, they will certainly have something worthwhile to offer.
