We live in a day and age where people want to see what they know. They go to the movie theaters and watch live action remakes of animated classics. Lots of movies have been remade to varying success levels. From The Jungle Book to Beauty and the Beast, no story is too much of an animated classic to not be converted to a live action movie. It is the live action cash grabs that allowing the big companies that make movies to recycle stories in order to make a guaranteed profit. In honor of the live action casting announcement for the new How to Train Your Dragon, we will take a look at some of these remakes and decide just how good they are.
Are you still in on these live-action remakes or are you tired of them? #MorningXBurningQuestion
— The Morning X (@101xMorningX) June 1, 2023
The Jungle Book
This movie had a lot of talent behind its creation. The voice actors consisted of huge names such as Idris Elba and Bill Murray. While enjoyable on an original viewing it does beg the question of what was the point of remaking it. The original animated film was visually appealing, had good music, and still holds up to this day. While it’s nice to hear familiar voices, is it really worth the millions of dollars to basically put out the same movie?
https://youtu.be/HcgJRQWxKnw
Aladdin
This remake sought to bring new life to the beloved animated film starring Robin Williams. While the original film is great, it is Williams as the genie that made it shine and dazzle audiences everywhere. While Will Smith does an admirable job in trying to make the genie his own, it ultimately doesn’t quite live up to Williams’s performance. On top of this, besides Will Smith’s genie adding a new energy and charm, the rest of the movie doesn’t manage to accomplish anything that was not accomplished in the original movie. The visuals are fun, but it’s the same CGI that you could see in any other Disney movie. The other actors also barely manage to carry a compelling plot that makes the movie worth reviewing. Overall, the movie rides on nostalgia and fails to really add anything else to the original Aladdins legacy.
The Lion King
This ‘live action’ remake is simply remaking a movie for remaking a movie’s sake. The movie has a star-studded cast with big names such as James Earl Jones, Seth Rogen, Donald Glover, and even Beyoncé! Despite this, they decide to do an almost play-by-play retelling of the original movie. While the movie is visually appealing, it is an almost soulless recreation of the original that was put out by Disney to make money.
https://youtu.be/7TavVZMewpY
Beauty and the Beast
Now of course I must be fair and admit; Beauty and the Beast was a pretty good remake. The costumes were beautiful, the buildings and scenery were spectacular, and the acting was on point. The only flaw is that Emma Watson sounds pretty auto-tuned, but to be fair, who else would play Belle? The movie manages to have its own character and feeling that keeps it fresh and different from the original movie. This is a remake done right as they really utilize the actors and there seems to be passion to the project. While other remakes felt like they were remaking it just cause they can, this felt like a movie that people wanted to see and work on.
https://youtu.be/e3Nl_TCQXuw
Christopher Robin
This was a revamp done right. Instead of remaking a classic Winnie the Poo animation, they created a new story using the same characters. Now in today’s day and age, something like that seems frowned upon. Disney seems to think we like the same recycled thing just newer and with real-looking visuals. This movie breaks the mold by having an interesting plot that appeals to not only kids but people who grew up with the older films.
https://youtu.be/0URpDxIjZrQ
All-in-all Disney needs to put some effort into remakes. People don’t want a live-action for the hell of it, they want to see a project that has a purpose for being made. Companies have the money to make new things or to add to the originals, but there is never an excuse for rehashing something that has already been done. Let’s hope Dreamworks manages to make their How to Train Your Dragons something unique from the animated movie.
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