From soulless recreations to CGI overload, Disney's live-action remakes have been dividing audiences worldwide. Join us as we explore why these modern adaptations of beloved classics are receiving so much criticism from fans and moviegoers alike!
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks as to why this new era of live-action Disney flicks are receiving so much hate from moviegoers.
00:20Number 10. Audience Fatigue
00:22It seems we can't go a week without hearing about a new announcement that The Mouse House is going to be releasing a new movie based on one of their animated classics.
00:29What might have been intriguing at first with lesser-known titles such as Pete's Dragon has almost become a parody by this point.
00:35You're very brave. Did you know that? You might be the bravest boy I've ever met.
00:44Only to be confirmed when we found out 2016's Moana was going to be getting the same live-action treatment.
00:49We are so excited and happy to announce that a live-action reimagining of Moana is in the works.
00:55Regardless of the quality of each flick, the sheer abundance in rapid succession has grinded audiences' last nerves in recent years.
01:03There's being persistent, and there's banging your head against a wall.
01:12Number 9. Cash Grab Perception
01:14You don't get more corporate or greedier than Disney these days, though who can blame them when their live-action remakes keep making so much money?
01:21Their Lion King remake, as polarizing as it was, earned a total of over $1.6 billion worldwide.
01:28Look, kid, we've all made mistakes. Uh, there must be something we can do, right?
01:33Not unless you can change the past.
01:35With a win like that, they've been progressively plowing through their old catalog with the same live-action framework.
01:41It's the most blatant definition of cash grab, and everyone knows it.
01:45The same way everyone knows it won't be stopping anytime soon.
01:48What's happening, Jiminy?
01:50Looks like some sort of fairy magic.
01:53Kinda on the nose, if you ask me.
01:54It's a perpetual cycle that has stripped away numerous layers of magic and joy associated with the brand.
02:00There's no circle of life.
02:02No, it's no circle.
02:02No, not at all.
02:03In fact, it's the opposite.
02:05Yeah.
02:05It's a line.
02:06Yeah.
02:07It's a meaningless line of indifference.
02:09Number 8. Lack of Originality
02:11A live-action Disney remake is, in and of itself, a catch-22.
02:15A shot-for-shot recreation is a pitfall waiting to happen, while on the other hand, deviating from the original stories too much feels like a slap in the face.
02:23We'll touch on both sides momentarily, but for now, a question.
02:27How does one thread the needle between the two?
02:29Original stories, that's how.
02:31For years now, it feels like Disney has been relying on the shoulders of giants rather than endeavoring to pave the way with new animation.
02:38Why are you acting weird?
02:40There are, of course, exceptions.
02:41Zootopia, Moana, Big Hero 6, and Encanto are all phenomenal.
02:45You are perfect.
02:47Just like this.
02:49You're just as special as anyone else in this family.
02:53But these days, it's like Disney is more interested in stepping back than taking bold steps forward.
02:58We'd honestly give them more credit if they had kept going the Maleficent route.
03:02At least that felt like an attempt to be original with an established property.
03:05Oh dear.
03:07What an awkward situation.
03:10Do not offend it.
03:11Number 7.
03:12Loss of animation.
03:13Technology evolves, and with it, the movies that utilize it.
03:16Hey!
03:17I owe this alley.
03:20Oh, hi.
03:21At least you don't live here.
03:23While we all lament the decline of the hand-drawn animation that defined Disney's golden era,
03:27there's no debating that some of the modern animated flicks can be just as breathtaking.
03:31Sometimes, she can be too hard on herself.
03:34But every bit of Riley makes her who she is.
03:37And we love all of our girl.
03:40Even if the story wanes, the visuals and artistry on display keep us entranced.
03:44With a live-action remake, it all goes out the window.
03:48Ask anyone, and chances are they'll tell you how they'd much prefer to immerse themselves in the beauty of Dumbo,
03:53compared to his 2019 counterpart.
03:55It's gotten to the point where we'd rather have three elementals each year than face another live-action Mulan.
04:01I knew it!
04:02My nose always knows!
04:04Number 6.
04:05Awful alterations.
04:07I see a lost soul, an insect of no fixed address, an aimless vagabond hopping from hearth to hearth,
04:13with no direction, no job, no prospects, and no purpose in life.
04:17Something new is always going to be preferable to retelling the same old tale with a different coat of paint.
04:21But there are limits.
04:23And Disney has crossed them several times over by now.
04:26For every intriguing reimagining of a one-note villain like Maleficent,
04:29you have Snow White becoming... a revolutionary?
04:32How about Mulan becoming an incredible warrior not by her own merit,
04:35but because the Cosmos made her the chosen one?
04:37And for crying out loud, did we need to give Will Smith's genie a love interest?
04:41Would you like to take an evening stroll?
04:45Just the two of us?
04:47On purpose?
04:48Yes, as people.
04:51Just one more second.
04:54Why would I say as people?
04:57My kid is contagious!
05:05I've never done this before.
05:06How does it work?
05:07Number 5.
05:08Lack of heart.
05:09It couldn't be more obvious, but it still bears discussing.
05:12We dare you to find a single moment in a live-action Disney remake
05:16that comes close to capturing the impact of the original.
05:19Oh sure, some may make a valiant attempt.
05:21We dare say that 2015's Cinderella made a charming effort to humanize the OG Disney princess.
05:25They're all looking at you.
05:27Believe me, they're all looking at you.
05:31The same way no one is debating how surprisingly good the performances were in 2016's Jungle Book.
05:37You know who I am?
05:39No.
05:40I am the king of the bad dialogue.
05:47Call me Louie.
05:48But these are exceptions, not the rule.
05:50The baby mind song from Dumbo,
05:52the horror of Monstro from Pinocchio,
05:54the spaghetti kiss in Lady and the Tramp,
05:56Mufasa's death scene in The Lion King,
05:58the live-action versions don't hold a candle to their magnificence.
06:08Number 4.
06:10Musical Missteps.
06:17If there's one thing that Disney animated films are known for,
06:20it's their powerhouse musical performances.
06:22And while the live-action remakes might hire great singers,
06:25there's no chance they can surpass the originals.
06:28Friend like me.
06:32In much the same way those seminal scenes from the Disney renaissance are buried into our brains,
06:36there's no way a modern rendition could ever uproot
06:39Can You Feel the Love Tonight,
06:41Be Our Guest,
06:42or Friend Like Me.
06:43Be our guest.
06:44Put our service to the test.
06:46Tie your napkin round your neck,
06:48sherry,
06:49and we provide the rest.
06:51Unless they play the original version of You're Welcome.
06:53Dwayne Johnson's performance in the upcoming remake is going to be worse than the first time he sang it.
06:57There's no need to pray, it's okay, you're welcome.
07:01Number 3.
07:02CGI Overload.
07:04Modern animation may still be able to inspire and evoke,
07:16but the bombardment coming out of the Disney VFX department is on track to give audiences an aneurysm.
07:21At best, the CGI used to help bring the monsters and magical aspects of the film to life are distracting.
07:27At worst, they destroy the momentum and throw us right into the heart of the Uncanny Valley.
07:32For every shockingly realistic animal that props up in the Lion King remake,
07:36we have the undersea abominations in The Little Mermaid.
07:38Wow, this, this is, yeah, this is very, very unusual.
07:44Though that has nothing on the nightmare fuel that are the seven dwarfs.
07:48Bury them in poison apples.
07:50What did you think I was?
07:51Nothing.
07:51Ghost.
07:52Number 2.
07:53Pointless retreads.
07:54Some of the changes made in these remakes have been truly baffling,
07:57but you could make the argument they're the lesser of two evils
07:59when compared to the absurdity of a live-action Disney remake that changes absolutely nothing.
08:04Magic mirror on the wall.
08:06Who is the fairest of them all?
08:09You may like aspects of the remakes of The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast,
08:12The Little Mermaid, and maybe even Pinocchio, for some unfathomable reason.
08:16But by following the story beats so faithfully, their mere existence is diminished.
08:20Everything that was nuanced or exciting or heartbreaking about the film
08:24had already been displayed on the silver screen decades earlier.
08:27Disney might honestly have saved more face
08:29by just re-releasing the originals in theaters every few years to cash in on nostalgia.
08:33Watch and you'll see
08:35Someday I'll be
08:40Part of your world
08:45Speaking of which
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09:12Number 1.
09:13Trampling Nostalgia
09:14Fan service, baiting, call it what you want.
09:23But these live-action remakes have been getting by,
09:26successfully might we add,
09:27on luring older generations of moviegoers with the nostalgia of the classic Disney titles they grew up with,
09:33presented anew with all the bells and whistles one could want.
09:36Unfortunately, as we've seen time and time again,
09:39if the final results aren't disappointing,
09:41they're dead on arrival as far as quality is concerned.
09:43It's gotten to the point where everyone expects these remakes to be terrible,
09:52so even when one does look like it might break the mold,
09:55a la the new Lilo and Stitch,
09:56we're still dreading the arrival of the Hercules,
09:59Bambi,
09:59Robin Hood,
10:00and Aristocats remakes that are on the way.
10:03Remember.
10:03Do you think the live-action Disney remakes are here to stay,
10:13or are they going the way of the cinematic Dodo?
10:15Let us know in the comments.
10:16Since then, many stories have been told about him.
10:20People say he was transformed into an honest-to-goodness real boy.
10:24Did that actually happen?
10:26Who knows?
10:27Who knows?