I am a Disney fan who loves the classics. So when they started remaking these old movies I grew up with, I was not fond of them. But then my mom pointed out that the original one that I loved and grew up with would always be there to watch. Since she said that, I have changed my mind about watching these Disney movie remakes. Whether they work or not is a complex question, though. But I will try my best to answer it.
I think it depends on the remake, the creative team attached to it, their vision, and their spin on the movie. It also depends on the people working on it because the movie will turn out great if they are passionate about the storyline. Plus, if they want to see changes in representation, like with The Little Mermaid, they can make remakes even more popular. But the same could have been said for Mulan, yet the movie wasn’t such a big success.
It was an excellent representation of the Asian community, but it made barely any money.
I have watched both versions, and that remake fell short because it was way too serious and too action-packed compared to the original, which was light and fun. I think the creative team behind it thought it was necessary because everything is being re-done nowadays. So they felt it was time to get on that train. But they couldn’t reach the same levels of quality and success as other Disney remakes.
I believe we are asking the wrong question. We keep asking whether the new Disney remakes work, but we should ask what’s wrong with a Disney movie being remade. If the latest version brings people joy and includes a previously underrepresented community, then it’s worth it. After all, the new generation of Disney fans wants something for themselves, and these new movies could be it.
As I said, the original will always be there for you to watch. So, there’s no point in bashing the new version. When it comes to all these movies being remade, their success lies in whether they will create excitement for the new audience and Disney fans. And if they do, they will succeed tremendously, which is all filmmakers can hope for.
Right now, there are two trains of thought regarding this hot topic.
Why did they have to remake the classics? People point out all the flaws and differences between the new movies and the classics they grew up with. People who follow the second train of thought prefer the new movie over the classic. No matter what, we need to get rid of that mindset and be open-minded to the latest versions. We may be too stuck in these mindsets. And that can become problematic.
We will never know if these movies can succeed if we keep bashing them just for existing. We have to keep an open mind and let future generations enjoy the films we did but in their own way. Each generation has to have the chance to experience Disney movies on their own terms, just like we did when the original versions first came out. And that’s perfect.
Featured image via Bo shou on Pexels
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