From ‘Cinderella’ to ‘The Lion King’, Disney’s live action movies are only getting more and more popular. Is their idyllic image beginning to fade?
Disney is undoubtedly a childhood staple for many of us. The opening theme alone welcomes a warm feeling of nostalgia, but the heart has always been the movies. Many spring to mind among them ‘Alice in Wonderland’ and ‘Aladdin.’ No matter the film, one thing has remained; they are unique, memorable and full of character (there’s a reason Disney still dominates the animation industry.) But this dreamlike image of Disney is beginning to slip away as the company continues to churn out live action remakes of their most beloved projects.
Disney is now but a shadow of its former self. Creativity is lacking, and to cope, Disney has begun to purge its classics one by one, luring audiences with nostalgia for a quick cash grab. Of course, since Disney’s establishment in 1923 money was always an objective, but at least their projects were born of passion and determination to define and shape the animation industry. It’s undeniable that the talent behind the remakes are remarkable, from the actors to the camera crew to the costume designers. But one could only imagine how far that talent that could have taken them if Disney still had the creativity they were once so famous for.
From a business perspective, perhaps it’s brilliant. An industry powerhouse has found the key to eternal success - or have they? 2020’s ‘Mulan’ remake received only $70 million in the box office, as opposed to a whopping $200 million budget. Matters were only made worse when it emerged the movie was filmed in close proximity to detention camps for Uighur Muslims in China, causing the film to be boycotted. Reviews aren’t exactly brilliant flying either: 2022’s ‘Pinocchio’ was rated 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, with a similar audience score of 28%. Overall, critics described it as “hollow” and “forgettable,” feeling it lacked any authenticity or “Disney magic.” If you want to see a new rendition of Pinocchio, by the way, Guillermo del Toro’s new film is a must-see.
My biggest gripe with the remakes is the lack of passion. I can imagine Disney executives green lighting a project if the phrase “live action” is even uttered - I dread to imagine the worthwhile, unique ideas that have been rejected in favour of a soulless remake. 2019’s ‘The Lion King’ was beyond a disappointment compared to its predecessor. Not only was the film bland in colour, but the characters were deprived of their expressions in favour of realism. Mufasa died and I don’t think Simba even cracked a frown. The true tragedy of the film wasn’t Mufasa’s death but rather its stoic, drab nature. But hey, since Beyoncé’s in it, audiences will be watching.
I’m guilty of it too. I saw ‘Cinderella’, ‘The Jungle Book’ ‘Beauty & the Beast’ and ‘The Lion King’s’ live-action remakes all in cinema, even if by the third remake my opinion of these films was plummeting into the negative. We will watch whether we like them or not and Disney knows this. They’ll only stop when the money does.
The next live action film to release is ‘The Little Mermaid’ in May this year, starring singer Halle Bailey as the titular character. Of course, the decision to cast a black woman as Ariel should be celebrated; she will undoubtedly be an inspiring role model for all children, but Disney have already shown they can explore cultures within new and unique storylines with ‘Coco’ (2017) and most recently ‘Encanto’ (2021). With the success of these films, shouldn’t Disney expand their horizons? Disney have shown that they are still capable of heartfelt films; whether they will decide to keep their integrity or not is the question.