From beloved cartoon characters to live-action nightmares! Join us as we explore the most disappointing CGI adaptations that left fans wishing for their 2D versions back. From questionable design choices to uncanny valley territory, these digital makeovers sparked major backlash from devoted audiences.
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00:00I love...
00:01Dogs no can't talk.
00:02Dogs can't talk, me lol.
00:03Ruff, ruff.
00:04Welcome to Ms. Mojo.
00:06And today, we're counting down our picks for the 2D characters that were adapted into the most abhorrent CGI monstrosities.
00:14What did you think I was?
00:15Nothing.
00:16Ghost.
00:17Well, where did you come from?
00:18Are you hungry?
00:19Can we be friends?
00:20Number 10.
00:21Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
00:23Alice in Wonderland.
00:24Even through a pair of looking glasses, these two look rough in live action.
00:29And who are you, if I might ask?
00:31Oh, I'm Tweedledee, he's Tweedledum.
00:33Contrary wise, I'm Tweedledum, he's Tweedledee.
00:35While Tim Burton's quirky aesthetic gives this remake all kinds of style,
00:39it falls flat when adapting characters as wackadoo as Tweedledum and Tweedledee.
00:45By trading smooth animation for questionable CGI,
00:48the two go from charming, goofy, and colorful to the human embodiment of a pair of eggs.
00:54Just what in the world were they thinking here?
00:57How is it you're being so great big?
00:58She ain't great big, this is how she normal is.
01:01I'm certain she's smaller when we met.
01:03No, she drank the piss shower of her to get through the door, recall it?
01:07Oh yeah.
01:08Stripping the Tweedledee brothers of their eccentric look doesn't make them feel more real,
01:12it just makes them stick out.
01:13Which, in a movie that takes place in Wonderland, is really saying something.
01:17Does I believe it so?
01:18No, it ain't so no-how.
01:20I love my fat boys.
01:25Now, get out.
01:26Number 9.
01:27Boots.
01:28Dora and the Lost City of Gold.
01:30In her search for a fabled golden civilization,
01:34Dora stumbled upon something even more memorable.
01:36The complete and utter destruction of her sidekick, Boots.
01:40Hi, Boots.
01:41Hi, Dora.
01:42What's today's adventure?
01:43Today, we continue our decades-long search for Paya Pata.
01:47Yeah, that vague approximation of a chimp is supposed to be everyone's favorite blue monkey.
01:52Look, adapting something as cartoony as Dora the Explorer into live action is no easy feat.
01:57She knows this monkey?
01:59Of course she knows this monkey.
02:02But all the concessions in the world don't change the fact that Boots looks like he belongs
02:06in a horror film, not a children's show.
02:09Even Dora diehards will agree that, in this movie, it's Boots himself that deserves the boot.
02:15Pun fully intended.
02:16It's a super confusing time.
02:20But the fact is, you're right.
02:23You can't do it by yourself.
02:25Good news is you have friends now.
02:29And together, anything is possible.
02:34Boots, you can talk?
02:36Number 8.
02:37Tiana.
02:38Ralph breaks the internet.
02:39As Disney's first ever African-American princess, fans around the world rejoiced at the idea
02:44of Tiana returning for a cameo in this 2018 sequel to Wreck-It Ralph.
02:49What kind of a princess are you?
02:51Uh, do you have magic hair?
02:53No.
02:53Magic hands?
02:55No.
02:55Do animals talk to you?
02:57No.
02:57Were you poisoned?
02:58No.
02:59Cursed?
02:59No.
03:00But then they got a glimpse of her in the trailer.
03:02It wasn't an issue with animation.
03:03It was all in the design, specifically that her skin tone was noticeably lighter.
03:08I gave my mommy a key.
03:10She turned into a big bear.
03:11My audience tried to do it in.
03:12If that's not a pure mess, I don't know what else.
03:15Uh, we can't understand her.
03:17She's from the other studio.
03:18Ah.
03:18Everyone, including Tiana's own voice actress, worried about Disney whitewashing one of their
03:24most groundbreaking characters.
03:27Thankfully, the concerns did not fall on deaf ears.
03:30Tiana's complexion was tweaked before release, and she appeared in the final film in all her
03:35beautiful, dark-skinned glory.
03:36But there was, like, music in the spotlight, and...
03:40Wait, you all saw it too, right?
03:42That's what happens when a princess sings about her dreams.
03:45Number 7.
03:46The Turtles.
03:47Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
03:49Forget Shredder.
03:50The Turtles' biggest threat is the curse of the so-called gritty reboot.
03:54Children, drop your weapons, or your father will die.
04:01In the throngs of a new creative direction, the team got a serious makeover, complete with
04:06all the lifelike reptile skin you could ask for.
04:13The issue?
04:15This is still a movie about teenage turtles who fight crime in color-coded masks.
04:20Not only are the new turtles horribly over-designed, their realistic proportions are completely at
04:25odds with the tone you expect of a TMNT movie.
04:28Elevator's just around this corner.
04:30All right, guys, listen up.
04:30We stick to my plan, and we won't fail.
04:33Fan out in 3, 2, 1.
04:35It doesn't quite capture the uncanny valley, either.
04:38After decades of sleek, animated portrayals, these were not the turtles in a half-shell fans
04:43wanted, needed, or deserved.
04:45When you put it like that, it sounds ridiculous.
04:48See?
04:48She's looking at us like we're freaks.
04:50Number 6.
04:51Garfield.
04:52Garfield the Movie.
04:54We hate Mondays almost as much as we hate this new look.
04:57Sleeping Beauty, wake up.
04:59You can stop dreaming about me because I'm here.
05:03Now just wake up.
05:06You've got work to do.
05:07While a lasagna-loving house cat would be out of place in most settings, it's like they
05:12didn't even try to blend him into the real world here.
05:15Garfield is constantly glowing with an artificial sheen that reminds you he was digitally slotted
05:20in after the fact.
05:22First thing Monday morning, I'm gonna get to work on losing those last 20 pounds.
05:27To make matters worse, other animal characters like Odie are played by actual pets, which
05:32makes the orange cat even more of an outlier.
05:35If they'd committed to a full CGI cast, at least Garfield wouldn't have been the only
05:40runt of the litter.
05:41Once again, my life has been saved by the miracle of lasagna.
05:47Number 5.
05:48The Chipmunks.
05:49Alvin and the Chipmunks.
05:51Say what you will about the live action films, but they had absolutely nutty chipmunk designs.
05:56We just wish we could say the same about this animated show.
05:59Watch out, cause here we come.
06:02It's been a while, but we're back with style, so get, step to have some fun.
06:08Even considering the added limitations of a half-hour children's program, the downgrade
06:13is simply impossible to ignore.
06:15The models in Alvin are simply not very good.
06:18Both the hair and skin are seriously lacking in detail.
06:21Have you ever heard of an antique?
06:23No, Alvin.
06:24It's a classic.
06:25Indeed, that's the same thing.
06:26Look, look, it's old, right?
06:27But in a good way.
06:28Plus, they messed up the Chipmunks' outfits.
06:31Who in their right mind thought taking Theodore out of his iconic oversized sweater was a
06:35good idea?
06:36Theodore, Theodore, it's okay.
06:38No, no, it's not.
06:40Why, why did you do this?
06:42If you want your dose of cute chipmunk hijinks, you're better off looking somewhere else.
06:47Number 4.
06:48Pleakley.
06:49Lilo and Stitch.
06:50Any Pleakley who doesn't cross-dress is no Pleakley of ours.
06:54The original animated character was truly ahead of its time,
06:57and has grown into a shining beacon of representation for the drag community.
07:02What are you doing?
07:02Nothing.
07:03Uh, say, I want to try it on.
07:06No!
07:07Share!
07:07Hey, Al!
07:08Get your jealous, cause I'm pretty!
07:10Seeing such an integral and important part of his character removed from this live-action
07:14remake isn't just disheartening.
07:16It's outright offensive.
07:18Especially considering the special effects aren't anything to write home about.
07:22Jumba!
07:22No, you bitch!
07:26Ah!
07:27Just look at Jumba and Stitch, both of whom are pale imitations of their 2D counterparts.
07:33The movie clearly didn't have the budget to properly animate all three.
07:37But you want to know what could have helped that?
07:39If they'd just let Pleakley wear a dress in the first place.
07:42Go about your business, I'm okay!
07:44Your head looks swollen.
07:46Actually, she's just ugly.
07:50Darling, he's joking.
07:52Ugly.
07:53Look at me!
07:53Number 3.
07:54Flounder.
07:55The Little Mermaid.
07:56As they say, everything's better down where it's wetter.
07:59Except when you're talking live-action Disney adaptations.
08:02Now let's get out of here.
08:04Getting cold, Vince?
08:06Who, me?
08:07No way!
08:08We're looking at you, The Little Mermaid.
08:10In the name of quote-unquote realism, poor Flounder loses every ounce of personality he once
08:15had.
08:15He isn't even the only victim.
08:18Sebastian gets caught in the crossfire too.
08:20And in both cases, the character is worse off for it.
08:33It's baffling that this is a movie about actual mermaids, and they drew the line at animated
08:38sea life.
08:40While the VFX is certainly impressive, many agreed these characters lost all of their soul
08:44in the leap to live-action.
08:46I've seen bigger sharks.
08:47You just, you know, you can't back down.
08:50You gotta show them who's in-
08:51Number 2.
08:52The Dwarves.
08:53Snow White.
08:54Instead of casting appropriate actors for The Seven Dwarves, Disney decided to write a
08:59check for some fancy visual effects.
09:01The result is, well, you can see for yourself.
09:03My parents always said this forest was a magical place.
09:06And I've always said that humans cause nothing but trouble.
09:09It's as if the animators couldn't decide whether to make the dwarves realistic or cartoony,
09:14with the eventual middle ground failing to satisfy either.
09:17Casting drama aside, reactions from Snow White purists ranged from disappointed to outright
09:23incredulity.
09:24It's time to dance!
09:31While comedic in nature, the dwarves in the original film never once felt like jokes or
09:42mouthpieces.
09:44Here, though, the laughable CGI turns them into walking punchlines.
09:48When in doubt, we recommend hi-ho-ing it back to their 1937 iteration.
09:52Hi-ho, it's home from work we go.
09:58Hi-ho, hi-ho.
10:00Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few dishonorable mentions.
10:05The entire cast, Rugrats.
10:07These 3D models stink as much as a baby's diaper.
10:10The driver has one job!
10:12I guess we're getting eatin' it.
10:14Yeah, nice knowin', everybody.
10:17Did eat it by a dinosaur?
10:19Not today!
10:21Rocky and Bullwinkle.
10:22The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle.
10:24These two look rocky in all the wrong ways.
10:27This is no time to worry about getting the washing done.
10:30Not washing done, washing ton.
10:33A ton?
10:34Well, that is a lot of laundry.
10:35Bullwinkle, that joke just won't wash.
10:38Well, you can't blame me for drying.
10:41Genie.
10:41Aladdin.
10:4210,000 years in a lamp will give you such a crick in the CGI.
10:45I mean, if I take you back to Agrabah, won't people...
10:48No, no, no, no, no, no.
10:49I can look totally normal.
10:51Boo!
10:53Right.
10:54Totally normal.
10:54Play that.
10:56Still blue?
10:59Capayel.
11:00Do we need the topknot?
11:02That's my little cherry on top.
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11:17Number 1.
11:20Mushu.
11:21Mulan.
11:22Disney brought honor to us all when they took Mulan's trusty, fire-breathing sidekick to
11:27the big screen.
11:28It is probably what we'd say if Mushu was actually in this movie.
11:31All right, that's it.
11:32Dishonor.
11:33Dishonor on your whole family.
11:34Make a note of this.
11:35Dishonor on you.
11:36Dishonor on your cow.
11:38But he's not.
11:39Again, we feel compelled to ask, where in the world was Mushu?
11:42Anyways, onto our real top spot.
11:45Number 1.
11:46Sonic the Hedgehog.
11:48Sonic the Hedgehog.
11:49Despite his penchant for going fast, Sonic had a very slow crawl to theaters.
11:54To be honest, it feels like I've been running my whole life.
11:57Is this too much?
11:58Am I going too fast?
12:00It's kind of what I do.
12:01You know what?
12:02Let's back up.
12:03When the trailer for his live-action debut finally dropped in 2019, reactions were mixed.
12:08And that's being generous.
12:10Fans were extremely critical of the blue blur's CG design, which had too much hedgehog and not
12:16enough Sonic.
12:16The backlash was so bad, distributor Paramount Pictures had no choice but to delay the movie
12:28and completely redo Sonic's visuals from the ground up.
12:32It ended up working out, though.
12:33With a final look much more reminiscent of the games and cartoons, Sonic raced all the way
12:39to franchise-starting box office success.
12:41We are a couple of loose cannons just living by our own rules.
12:45Which character do you think was most butchered by CGI?
12:48Let us know in the comments.
12:50Don't be afraid.
12:54It's alright.