For many years Disney has produced undeniably great movies that transcend time. No childhood is complete without the essential of viewing of some Disney classics, including "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin."
However, that does not mean we need to keep making those same movies again.
The first film to kick off the craze of remaking any already established and celebrated Disney animation was "Alice in Wonderland" in 2010. I did not see a problem with this movie at the time, as it adds more to the limited story presented in the original 1951 animation. It also went for a completely different feel by abandoning the whimsical feel of the original in favor of a more dark tone.
If the remakes Disney has made and are planning to make follow the model of this movie, where the remakes offer new takes on old classics, I would be more accepting. Instead, they just copy and paste every detail from the original with the only difference being the use of live actors instead of animation. Doing this is no way adds to the story, and if anything, lends to ruining the magical feel that came from watching the animations.
You can also get away with more when you are dealing with animation. I loved the original "Beauty and the Beast" movie. I mean who didn't? I never really considered the fact that Belle fell in love with an actual animal, and felt no qualms about it whatsoever because it was animation, so who cares? But there was something about watching a real actor do the same thing that left me feeling more than a little uncomfortable with the whole situation.
Disney will keep making these movies because it is easy money.
Instead of taking risks when making their movies like they used to be known to do, Disney instead pumps out these remakes and sequels with little inspiration. These movies are guaranteed to make money in the box office because the originals are so beloved, so who could say no to see it done again? Me, that's who.
I have never enjoyed re-watching movies no matter how good they are. Once I know everything that is going to happen, I find myself less interested. So you could understand why I think these movies are such a snooze fest. Honestly, everything about it is just lazy. There is minimal screenwriting involved when developing these movies, as all they really need to do is take the screenplay from the original. No need to develop a story, it already exists.
Nothing we see on screen is going to surprise us because we have already seen it before. I don't feel the excitement that usually comes with seeing a new movie for the first time. I remember seeing the "Be Our Guest" scene from the original "Beauty and the Beast" and being astounded. When watching the same scene in the remake, while it was visually stunning, it just felt dull and I was not moved like when I saw the original.
These remakes make for a bleak viewing experience, but Disney is only going to continue making them until they run out of movies to remake.
2019 is looking to be a bleak year in terms of the amount of Disney movie remakes being released. This year will see the release of live action remakes of "Dumbo," "Aladdin," "The Lion King," and "The Lady and the Tramp." One can only hope that Disney will return to producing movies with new stories over the lazy remake. While the prospect seems highly unlikely considering Disney has confirmed fourteen upcoming remakes, one can only hope.
