Anyone who knows me knows that I love Disney. Understandably, it comes as a surprise to most when I tell them I am not overly fond of this endless series of live action movies Disney has decided to release. With the major successes of Cinderella, The Jungle Book, and the most recently released, Beauty and the Beast, why would such an avid Disnerd be opposed to these highly praised films?

Let me begin by saying that I am the first one to admit that Disney has done a wonderful job with their live action films thus far. The casting has been spot on, the writers have produced great scripts and the movies were overall entertaining and well-done. I was very skeptical when Cinderella was first released in theatres; I was convinced I would not like it and that it would in some way or another distort the original film. I was shocked and relieved to discover that I loved the movie- I even cried like a baby during her dress transformation (which speaks volumes considering I am not a movie crier).

Every live action movie Disney has released since has earned similar reactions from me. I have always entered the movie theatre feeling unsure of the quality of the film but have never walked away feeling disappointed or cheated. My problem with the movies has nothing to do with their quality; rather, it has everything to do with the fact that there are more live action movies being made than new original content. It seems as if every Disney movie ever released is currently in the process of being made into a live action film. The list of movies that are currently in the works seems endless.

It would be so much better for Disney to focus their energy on creating new animated films than remake the ones they have already released. After all, Disney is successful because each of their movies is a unique experience. None is exactly like the next. That is part of the magic and charm of the movies. While their live actions are a unique experience in and of themselves, they have a way of taking away from some of the magic of the original films. Disney's success is owed to these original animated films, and to try to remake them all seems like they are trying to fix something that is not broken.

Disney's writers and animators are some of the best in the business. It almost seems like a waste and a cop out to be rereleasing so many of these movies. Is Disney unable to think of anything new? Are they releasing a long list of live actions in an attempt to cover some sort of dry spell they might be having? Probably not, but it is sure beginning to seem that way.