As time has gone on, we have become less and less original. This is true in every aspect of our social culture. Yesterday a kid I work with came up to me and asked if I wanted to hear a joke. Who doesn't want to get a good laugh right? So I told him yes. Within five words of the joke I recognize it as a joke told by Larry the Cable Guy from TEN YEARS AGO. Way to come up with your own jokes kid. Now, we have had some good ideas here and there in recent memory. I wasn't a big fan of the movie "Avatar" by James Cameron, but hey. It was a good, original idea. Unfortunately, these good ideas are few and far between. How many superhero movies are we going to see where the same superheroes are used with clichéd plots over and over again. One of the most hyped movies recently was "Batman vs. Superman". Hey way to put on your thinking caps guys. I'd take a minute to look up and name who directed and wrote the script for that movie but they'd probably appreciate it if I didn't. Unoriginal/lazy money making ideas are all around us and unfortunately today, Disney is no exception.
We know how this got started. Somebody in that mythical Mickey Mouse shaped head known as Disney headquarters that people who aren't top officials have failed to locate all of these years came up with the brilliant idea of "hey! Let's make a live-action version of The Jungle Book!" Ok. Fine. I loved "The Jungle Book" as much as the next twenty-year-old guy who refuses to let the little kid inside him die. I just recently viewed the movie and aside from the atrocious acting by the kid who played a seemingly kindergarten-aged Mowgli as well as the laughable singing by Christopher Walken's portrayal of King Louie, it really wasn't that bad. Unfortunately, Disney took note of this and now we are scheduled to receive a live-action "The Lion King" as well as "Mulan." Way to dig deep Disney.
It's not that we should be upset by the fact that they are making live-action versions of our favorite classics. Again, I enjoyed the live action version of "The Jungle Book" and I probably will enjoy the same versions of "The Lion King" and "Mulan," as well as The Little Mermaid (because Lord knows if this pace keeps up they are going to make a live-action version of "The Little Mermaid." I can just feel it in my bones).
The problem here is that Disney has lost their creativity streak and gotten lazy. Off the top of my head, I cannot name the last commercial success they have had that was an original idea not named "Frozen." What were the Disney movies to get excited about this past year? "The Jungle Book", and "Finding Dory." I like to think of myself as an avid Disney lover so if I missed any movies they released this year then they did an "excellent" job of advertising and making it worth watching. Back on track. Disney movies to get excited about recently have either been remakes or sequels. Where are the original ideas at Disney? What do we have to look forward to next year? "The Incredibles 2", which don't get me wrong, I LOVED "The Incredibles" but again, it's a sequel. I could come up with my own sequel to "The Incredibles" if not for those damned copyright laws. So there's that and there's the live-action remakes of their already brilliant movies. As of now, there are no original ideas coming anytime soon. The biggest buzz surrounding Disney lately have been the pushes to give Elsa a girlfriend in the inevitable sequel to Frozen. Personally I think it is unnecessary and is as big an LGBTQ stunt as when J.K. Rowling decided to make Dumbledore gay for no reason, with zero reference to it in the books whatsoever, other than to get in good with another 5-10%? (I'm just throwing a reasonable number out there) of the population. If Disney goes through with this they can't even claim the idea as there's because it was practically force-fed down their throats.
Between the recent reliance on sequels and live-action remakes, Disney has begun to show an increasing laziness and simple "payday method" as opposed to take the time to make a quality, original story we can all enjoy. If this trend keeps up, I'd give them another 5-10 years before they transgress into becoming nothing but a distant memory. You can only tell the same story so many times Disney.
