As someone who grew up watching Disney films religiously, I’m always looking forward to the franchise’s next creative work. However, its obsession with live-action remakes blights imaginative artistry — a staple of many childhoods.
Disney is known for its multinational entertainment, whether it’s movies, streaming platforms or theme parks. The company has a talent for bringing clever, heartfelt stories to life on the silver screen, many of which still bring me joy today. Because of their traditional 2D animation and whimsical storylines, some of my favorite films include “Hercules,” “The Princess and the Frog” and “Alice in Wonderland.”
But now, the Disney magic is slowly getting lost with each live-action remake the franchise films. Recycling past stories does not revive nostalgia; it kills the inventive creativity that has captivated audiences for generations.
Just last month, Disney launched the official trailer for its live-action remake of “Moana” — set to release this summer — and unfortunately, my conniptions with this adaptation decision are greater than previous ones.
Not only is Disney reusing another one of its films, but it chose to remake one from just 10 years ago. The original “Moana” film was released in 2016, making it far from a classic. While there is no specific criteria for what makes a Disney film a “classic,” I would argue that any movie released after 1999 does not fall under this category. Therefore, there is no need to reimagine “Moana” with realism.
The trailer has already left fans unhappy, many making critiques about the film’s desaturated appearance and Dwayne Johnson wearing a long curly wig as his character, Maui.
After watching the trailer myself, I was also left disappointed because it doesn’t capture the same magical essence as the original. It didn’t leave me feeling excited or wanting to see the movie, which is how I’ve felt for many of these adaptations.
Whether it’s an unnecessary plot change or poor casting, many of these remakes lack artistic expression. They miss key elements from the originals, like Ariel’s bright red hair in “The Little Mermaid” or the entirety of the musical numbers from “Mulan.” These films simply cannot compare to the original animations.
However, despite my personal criticism, there have been instances where I’ve been amazed with Disney’s remakes.
The company’s first live-action remake was “The Jungle Book” in 1994, but the live-action obsession started with the 2015 “Cinderella” remake, which admittedly, did blow me away. Everything from the enhanced emotional narrative to the breathtaking costume design was a cinematic masterpiece of a true reimagined classic.
The film was a huge box office success, grossing over $542 million worldwide, which is arguably why Disney has continued to make live-action adaptations. The ability to profit with minimal effort by recycling characters and plotlines is an easy money grab, but it negates the concept of creative storytelling.
It’s why I commend Pixar, an animation studio owned by Disney, for its stance against making live-action adaptations.
Pixar’s Chief Creative Officer Pete Docter told Time how he likes making original and unique movies.
“So much of what we create only works because of the rules of the [animated] world,” he said. “The worlds that we’ve built just don’t translate very easily.”
Instead of remaking previous films like Disney, Pixar has produced unique movies such as “Luca” and “Elemental” in recent years. The former follows themes of self-exploration and childhood friendships, and the latter focuses on the immigrant experience and overcoming societal prejudice.
While watching these films, I can feel the passion and integrity that went into their creation. It’s these same qualities I’ve been missing from Disney. We don’t need more live-action remakes; we want visionary experiences with original ideas.
If Disney keeps recycling its animated films into live-action remakes, the company will lose the magic that has taken decades to create.
This story was written by Rachel Lopera. She can be reached at [email protected]
