When Disney blessed the public with the live action adaptation of Snow White, people reacted in the most appropriate manner they could think of: review-bombing the movie so it would temporarily become the worst-rated movie on IMDb.
Poor reception towards Disney’s live action remakes is not an unfamiliar idea, but that doesn’t stop Disney from creating “good enough” products that will always profit due to people’s nostalgia.
It’s true that the live action remake of The Lion King once held the record as the highest-grossing film of all time, but that victory feels undeserved when you look at how soulless the CGI characters look in comparison to the expressive versions in the original.
I won’t deny that Disney has made impressive advancements with their CGI, but I could only call it perfect if I ignored the uncanny nightmare fuel that some sicko thought would make a good realistic-looking animal.
Unfortunately, the faults in these movies extend past their appearances. The biggest weakness across nearly all the live action Disney movies has been their poor writing.
While the old classic animated movies of Disney are far from perfect, they still presented valuable messages that have stood the test of time.
Regrettably, these themes have been forgotten in favor of appealing to a modern audience, with the most notable change coming from the rewriting of women to be “girl bosses” who never need help from anyone, especially not from a man.
This form of superficial female empowerment idealizes characters that are neither relatable nor realistic. Ironically, they act more like flawless beauties who mirror the standards put on traditional women when they were expected to fit the perfect feminine ideal many decades ago.
These characters also diminish the idea that strength doesn’t always come in the form of winning fights. Yes, it’s fulfilling to witness the original Mulan’s skill in combat, but that’s not the main reason she became so loved.
Mulan is admirable because of her determination and bravery to face her fears regarding her identity as a woman. She wasn’t born with the natural fighting talent like in the live action version; she earned those skills through hard work.
As much as I dislike the live action Disney movies, I must admit that there is one movie I make an exception for: Cinderella. While the movie makes many changes from the original, it does so while respecting its source material by expanding on its positives.
This version of Cinderella is compassionate like the original, but she’s given a backstory that provides depth by explaining that her behavior is a product of her deceased mother’s influence.
Additionally, she’s portrayed as strong not because she can fight or because she lacks flaws, but because she remains kind to her abusive stepfamily, even when responding with cruelty would be easier.
Even Kit, the Prince Charming of the movie, is given his own goals and qualities that make him appealing to the audience, which highly contrasts the useless roles most male counterparts play in modern Disney movies to empower the female leads.
Live action Disney movies have the potential to be great like Cinderella, but as long as they remain awfully written and designed cash-grabs, they will never become as celebrated as the originals.
