From reimagining problematic storylines to controversial casting choices, Disney's live-action remakes have sparked intense debate. Join us as we explore what works, what doesn't, and what's downright questionable about these adaptations. From "The Lion King" to "Snow White," we're breaking down the transformation of animated classics.
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00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're covering the good, the bad, and the ugly of Disney's live-action remakes.
00:09This three-way duel will have a few spoilers.
00:20Good. Changing and updating problematic storylines, Disney classics can be a mixed bag at times.
00:26In short, not every element in a Disney film has aged gracefully.
00:30You make the elephant fly, don't you? Well, you gotta use a lot of college, you know, psychology.
00:35There are racial caricatures, off-color dialogue, dark story beats, strange song lyrics, the works.
00:41Then, there's Song of the South, which hasn't even been made available by Disney due to the long controversy about its racial stereotypes.
00:47Stop jumping, bear rabbit, you'll run out of breath. Why don't you sit down and calm yourself?
00:52Live-action remakes have the benefit of changing and eliminating these problematic elements.
00:57Whether they are always for the better is another thing entirely.
01:00Let me try again.
01:01But overall, most of the controversial scenes from the original films are not present in the live-action remake.
01:06It's perhaps for the best.
01:07We seem to be experiencing some technical difficulties.
01:11Good. A new version for a new generation.
01:13It's sad to say, but things are not always available.
01:16While most people who grew up with Disney's original classics would show them to their children,
01:20Sometimes, that isn't feasible.
01:21I set certain rules, and I expect those rules to be obeyed.
01:28Disney chose a strategy of heavily restricting their film's releases, known as the Disney Vault.
01:33The company would release one of their films for a limited time, and then withdraw them from the market,
01:37returning them to the vault, as it were.
01:39On the stroke of 12, the spell will be broken, and everything will be as it was before.
01:44This is great for Disney, but not so much for families.
01:47Making live-action remakes for a new generation raised on CGI animation can serve as an introduction to these classics.
01:54Of course, with the advent of Disney+, the issue of accessibility is less so, but it's still a consideration.
01:59I'm so sorry.
02:00Oh, think nothing, are they, my dear?
02:02Good. Actors and settings are more real than their animated counterparts.
02:06Sometimes, there are benefits to realism.
02:09There are no limits to animation with plenty of energy and charisma to be found in these original films.
02:13Be our guest. Put our service to the test.
02:17There is one thing live-action can arguably do better.
02:20Ground the situation, and thus elicit more emotions.
02:23Actors have the advantage of fleshing out otherwise static, animated characters, personality-wise, with some dramatic choices.
02:30It's you I want. I want to see you suffer, like I've suffered all these years.
02:36Also, having beloved and iconic characters be realized by flesh-and-blood actors is undoubtedly an attraction.
02:42Besides, the live-action cinematography and set design can be gorgeous in their own right.
02:46I made you look like a prince on the outside.
02:50But I didn't change anything on the inside.
02:52Good. Creative and new perspectives.
02:55Live-action remakes have been criticized for their superfluity,
02:58especially since many cleave so close to the source material.
03:01However, there are cases of genuinely creative spins.
03:04Well, well.
03:10What a glittering assemblage, King Stefan.
03:14Maleficent, for one, is less of a remake of Sleeping Beauty than a reinterpretation,
03:19refashioning the fairy as a misunderstood villain who comes to care for Aurora.
03:23I know who you are.
03:25Do you?
03:26You're my fairy godmother.
03:34What?
03:35Cruella also follows this villain origin story theme,
03:38depicting Cruella as a victim of classism
03:40and struggling to break into the rapacious world of fashion.
03:43Successful or not,
03:44these remakes prove that live-action remakes can provide a different spin on an old classic.
03:48I find it very difficult to say no to you sometimes.
03:53It's one of the things I love about you.
03:55Bad.
03:56Fewer original films.
03:58Unfortunately, we live in a world dominated by IP.
04:01With all these live-action remakes crowding the market,
04:03original films get fewer and fewer every day.
04:06You're a man, aren't you?
04:10That's what makes you a man.
04:12You can summon the red flower.
04:14All the time and energy Disney is pouring into these expensive films
04:17could have gone to new projects or even current ones they have already embarked on.
04:21The likes of A Wrinkle in Time and Artemis Fowl were disappointments at best.
04:26But that doesn't mean Disney should solely rely on remakes.
04:28Artemis, it's too dangerous.
04:30Exactly.
04:31It's useless in my hands.
04:32Not to mention,
04:33the live-action remakes of Disney classics have, too,
04:36been critical disappointments,
04:37sometimes severe ones.
04:39Why not take more chances on something new?
04:40Oh, I had the strangest dream.
04:43I dreamt that we had all been swallowed by a whale.
04:46Bad.
04:46Lazy nostalgia bait and cash grabs.
04:48This is perhaps the most common complaint about these live-action remakes.
04:52Disney is not remaking their animated classics
04:54because they are driven by a new, fresh, artistic vision.
04:57Ever as before.
05:01Ever just as sure.
05:04No.
05:04Live-action remakes are done
05:06to cater to the demographic who grew up on their classic films.
05:09Now that the demographic has grown up,
05:11Disney opted for a dual-audience strategy.
05:13Nostalgia bait for the older generation
05:15and new introductions for the younger generations.
05:18How many wonders can one cavern hold?
05:21For those already familiar with the classic films,
05:24the new remakes often bring nothing new to the table.
05:27Moreover, they can be more boring and even inferior
05:29compared to the artistry of the original films.
05:32It's enough to wonder, what's the point?
05:33I have pledged an oath
05:35to be loyal,
05:37brave,
05:39and true.
05:40Bad.
05:41Some actors are not as fit for their characters.
05:44With live-action remakes comes live-action actors.
05:46And let's face it,
05:47some of the casting choices Disney made were dubious at best.
05:51I once adventure in the great white somewhere.
05:57Emma Watson may have seemed initially like a dead ringer for Belle in Beauty and the Beast,
06:01having ample experience playing a bookish brunette.
06:03But her seemingly auto-tuned singing,
06:05as well as deliberate changes in characterization,
06:08had some fans wondering if the casting was ill-suited after all.
06:11It's wonderful.
06:13While Will Smith's genie had a warm charm,
06:15it's a very tall order to match the wit and energy of Robin Williams.
06:18Wish fulfillment?
06:19Three wishes to be exact.
06:21And ixnay on the wishing for more wishes.
06:23That's it.
06:24Then, there are the controversial colorblind castings,
06:27which have sparked endless discourse online.
06:30Overall, it's a mixed bag.
06:31You would have just heard him, Father.
06:34He's compassionate and kind.
06:36He's a human!
06:38Bad.
06:38More realism doesn't mean better art.
06:40It should go without saying that realism in media
06:43is just as much an artistic choice as fantasy and surrealism.
06:47Real life, after all,
06:48is not as desaturated as the cinematography of these movies would suggest.
06:52Ooh!
06:56I like it!
06:58It's just a convention,
06:59and one that is perhaps misapplied here.
07:01Disney films are filled with idealized fantasy,
07:04including talking animals and magical creatures.
07:06Why, you're a cat!
07:08A Cheshire cat.
07:10These are not easily realized
07:11in a more realistic live-action setting.
07:13By far, the most egregious example of this
07:15is 2019's The Lion King.
07:17The intense photorealism does not serve the story at all,
07:20with the original animated feature
07:22inspiring more depth of emotion.
07:24You deliberately disobeyed me.
07:25And what's worse,
07:27you put Nala in danger.
07:28Our take?
07:29This is Disney we're talking about.
07:30Lay off the realism.
07:32Bad.
07:33Live-action remakes lose money.
07:35With the many artistic problems and controversies
07:37surrounding these projects,
07:38it's no surprise that Disney has lost significant money with these remakes.
07:42Kill me if you must.
07:43But first, listen.
07:44While the live-action versions of Beauty and the Beast,
07:46Cinderella, Aladdin, and The Lion King
07:48were all box office successes,
07:50the same cannot be said to be true for other remakes.
07:53Mulan grossed $57 million internationally
07:56on a budget of $200 million,
07:58and Dumbo could not break even either.
08:01This is an aberration,
08:02travestation,
08:03and I demand my money back.
08:05Some remakes,
08:06like Lady and the Tramp,
08:07didn't even get a theatrical release.
08:09Even if the films start off strong,
08:10some have faltered overseas.
08:12That's not to mention the critical
08:13and audience responses.
08:15I came too close
08:18for the first time.
08:20Ugly.
08:20Live-action is mostly
08:22bad CGI animation.
08:24The open secret of these live-action remakes
08:26is that they are called so in most cases
08:28because they have human leads.
08:30Otherwise,
08:31it's a CGI fest in almost all respects,
08:33requiring extensive voice acting.
08:35This is the law of the jungle,
08:38as old and as true as the sky.
08:40What is this?
08:41Even some of the locations are CGI.
08:43The most egregious instance
08:44is 2019's The Lion King,
08:46which had no human actors whatsoever.
08:49By all accounts,
08:50it's another animated film,
08:51just CGI instead of hand-drawn.
08:53Lady, you've got your lion's cross.
08:54Nice.
08:55With the prevalence of CGI,
08:57what is the point of remaking an animated film?
08:59As for the quality of the CGI,
09:01it varies greatly,
09:02but for the most part,
09:03the results have not been great.
09:04Fans have complained
09:05the films look murkier and blander
09:07than their original,
09:08colorful counterparts.
09:10It's a wash.
09:11I'm nothing.
09:12Then bow to your king.
09:14Ugly.
09:15Live-action misses the point
09:16of the original films
09:17with bad changes.
09:18The live-action remakes
09:19opt for many departures
09:20from the original films,
09:21some inconsequential
09:22and others not so much.
09:24But many tend to take umbrage
09:25at the fact
09:26that these changes
09:27miss the point
09:28of the original entirely,
09:29especially with regards
09:30to characterization.
09:31You monster!
09:34Don't be a fool,
09:36you little brat!
09:37Ariel did not need
09:38to be the one
09:38to defeat Ursula
09:39in the remake,
09:40since she already saved Eric
09:41three times in the original.
09:43Animated Jasmine
09:43had no problem speaking out,
09:45so why is her live-action
09:46counterpart singing
09:47about how she's speechless?
09:48All I know is
09:50I won't go speechless.
09:53Bitchless!
09:55Then, there's the live-action
09:56Cinderella,
09:57arguably more passive
09:58than her animated counterpart,
10:00forgiving her stepmother
10:01at the end.
10:01It's baffling at best
10:03and ugly at worst.
10:04I forgive you.
10:05Ugly.
10:06Too close to the original film.
10:08When the remakes
10:08are not making strange changes,
10:10they are busy
10:10dutifully recreating
10:11the scenes
10:12from their animated original.
10:13Sometimes,
10:14these animated recreations
10:15are literally
10:16shot by the shot.
10:17Look at the stars.
10:19The great kings of the past
10:21look down on us
10:23from those stars.
10:24That was the controversy
10:252019's The Lion King
10:26generated upon its release.
10:28The majority of the dialogue
10:29was left largely unchanged,
10:31give and take some additions
10:32and deletions.
10:33Mufasa has always shown
10:35too much restraint
10:36when it comes to hunting.
10:37Hans Zimmer returned
10:38to score the remake,
10:39as did James Earl Jones,
10:41who reprised his role
10:42as Mufasa.
10:43Simba,
10:44you must take your place
10:46in the circle of life.
10:49Apart from the clear
10:49nostalgia bait,
10:50it could be that
10:51Disney itself realizes
10:52that there is little wrong
10:54with the original films
10:55and they have stood
10:55the test of time very well.
10:57Hence,
10:57the lack of true changes.
10:59Pressures of ruling
11:00the kingdom
11:01are no longer yours.
11:03Step down, Scar.
11:04Ugly.
11:05Controversies galore.
11:06The latest controversies
11:07around the new
11:08live-action remake
11:09of Snow White
11:09and the Seven Dwarfs
11:10are too many
11:11to cover here.
11:12The queen is evil.
11:13You must flee
11:13into the woods.
11:14Before that disastrous
11:15press tour,
11:16many other Disney
11:17live-action remakes
11:18generated backlash.
11:19The casting of Halle Bailey
11:20and Rachel Zegler
11:21as Ariel and Snow White
11:22respectively infuriated
11:24both purists
11:25and racists alike.
11:26Beauty and the Beast
11:27opted to make LeFou
11:28pine for Gaston,
11:29brought on accusations
11:30of pandering
11:31and lack of substantial
11:32LGBTQ plus representation.
11:34I needed encouragement.
11:36Thank you, LeFou.
11:37Well, there's no one
11:38as easy to bolster
11:40as you.
11:43Too much?
11:44Add in lyric changes,
11:46removing all the songs
11:46of Mulan
11:47and questionably
11:48feminist plot changes
11:49and it's a gumbo soup
11:50of controversy.
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12:07Ugly.
12:08The new generation
12:09would prefer the live-action
12:10than the original.
12:11Some Disney classics
12:12have aged superbly well
12:14and are highly
12:14rewatchable today.
12:16Others,
12:16not so much.
12:21Regardless,
12:22they are all a part
12:23of Disney's history.
12:24It's good for kids
12:24to be exposed
12:25to the different
12:26artistic conventions
12:27and even ideas
12:28of previous eras.
12:29With these live-action remakes,
12:30the new generation
12:31is largely exposed
12:32to these new films.
12:33I don't think
12:34I like this adventure.
12:35It's limiting
12:35to a child's education,
12:37not the least
12:37because these films
12:38tend to remove
12:39controversial elements
12:40of the original films
12:41that could serve
12:41as teachable moments.
12:43The results can be
12:43the cinematic equivalent
12:44of bland porridge
12:46drained of all life
12:47and our kids,
12:48frankly,
12:49deserve better.
12:50Real character
12:50is always going
12:51to shine through.
12:52Do you think
12:52there is more good
12:53than bad
12:53when it comes to
12:54Disney live-action remakes?
12:55Or is it an ugly trend
12:56we'll be glad to see dead?
12:58Let us know
12:58in the comments down below.
12:59The sequel
13:01The sequel
13:15is also the favorite
13:16The sequel
13:17ahead of the studies