To Remake or To Not Remake
A small portion of the movies Disney has made live action versions of, with many more to come.
by Caitlyn Isle
Disney’s live-action remakes are moving into Madison students’ conversations once again. Now, with the streaming release of The Little Mermaid (2023), an in-the-works Snow White adaptation, and more remake plans being revealed or rumored every day, Bobcats are wondering if they’re even worth it.
“It kind of boggles my mind that they’re still making money. I get that they’re making a lot of money, but I just don’t think they’re good,” Long-time Disney fan and Senior Ella Ericksen said.
But for some, they don’t see a cash-grab. They see new movies with individuality and value.
“I love The Little Mermaid [2023]. I love The Little Mermaid actor and the culture that is above land. It’s so fun and festive,” Junior Lydia Lake said.
Even Ella Ericksen, despite her overall opinion on the remakes, has a favorite.
“I did like Cinderella. I thought that one was, like, the only good one. I feel like it came out before all of the crazy ones. But I loved her dress in that one, and just everything about it,” Ericksen said.
Yet, as the saying goes, ‘one bad apple ruins the whole bunch’. And the live action Beauty and the Beast did just that for Ericksen.
“One of my go-to favorite movies is Beauty and the Beast [1991]. I was obsessed with that my whole life basically. But I was really disappointed by Emma Watson’s performance. And I was also disappointed in the CGI, and they changed a lot of plot details which I didn’t think needed to be changed. I think they just kind of were pandering a little bit to the audience. It made me frustrated,” Ericksen said.
So, the question on everyone’s, or at least a few someone’s, mind: are Disney live action remakes worth it?
“I just think it’s hard to remake something and keep the essence of the original and not change it, but also not make it an exact carbon copy. They have to just pick the right story. I think The Jungle Book was a good one to remake because it has a more core story, and it was just interesting to see in live action. But we don’t need to keep seeing Disney princess movies in live action,” Ericksen said.
