These days, classics are being brought back in a new light: live actions. These remakes seem to be hit and miss. While some people like the new adaptations to their favorite tales, others do not.
A lot of Disney live-action films haven’t gotten the greatest feedback, some totally flopping in the theaters. Many get controversial when it comes to how these movies are being made, which causes a lot of debate and backlash for the Walt Disney Company. Numerous people believe it’s better if Disney would quit making live actions so they don’t risk dishonoring other well-known classics.
One difference between some original movies and their remakes is the change of the storyline. It can be irritating to find out the live action didn’t stay true to its original plot or maybe added new things into it that no one asked for. Take Mulan (2020) for example. The musical aspect was completely removed, as was the original conflict of Mulan’s treason for the greater good. Li Shang, Mulan’s love interest, was replaced with a different character. With a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, people seem divided on whether or not this remake was a good one. Next, the odd additions in Peter Pan & Wendy (2023). In the original Peter Pan, Peter has a group of boys he calls the “Lost Boys” living with him on Neverland. In the live action, he has both boys and girls in his clan. This may not be a big upset for people, but was the addition of girls in Neverland something that needed to happen? This movie also gave Captain Hook a traumatic backstory. Again, was it needed? The movie earned a 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics say the movie lacked the “spark” that the original had, so those who know the tale most likely weren’t satisfied with it. Disney’s Snow White (2025) remake received a lot of backlash. People argue Snow White wasn’t portrayed like she was in the original. That was actually Rachel Zegler’s intention, but many did not support that. Critics say the movie was overall “boring” and “colorless.” It was a flop at the boxoffice. The live action Lilo & Stitch (2025) had some interesting changes. The message of the original animation was altered, Pleakley was disguised as a man rather than a woman, and new weapons were introduced that affected the plot. Still, this was one of the more successful live actions with a 72% on Rotten Tomatoes.
The point is, these changes and alterations to classics that are already so loved are unnecessary. Yes, the idea of live actions seems like a grand idea, but if they aren’t portrayed right, and if they don’t follow the script, then I won’t be watching.
A touchy topic for a lot of people when it comes to these remakes is the change in a character’s race. Some fans dislike it when Disney changes a character’s skin tone, while others encourage it, wanting more ethnic inclusion. To avoid the controversial arguments, since these movies are simply just live-action versions of existing cartoons, why not just keep them consistent? Same with the hair color and eye color of the characters. If Disney wants more of another ethnic background, maybe the focus should be on creating new movies with new characters. That way, they have another chance to make a new hit movie.
The use of computer-generated imagery (CGI) in live actions is another controversial topic. Mufasa (2024) scored 56% on Rotten Tomatoes. The Lion King (2019) scored 52%. Both were mainly disliked due to the CGI. Some found it weird that the realistic lions burst into song throughout the movie. Some also claim it was hard to see any emotion in the characters’ faces. This could be fixed if the characters had a slightly more cartoony look to them. Yes, the point of the CGI is to make the animal characters realistic, but maybe it’d be easier to animate expressions if they didn’t lose the animated style completely. Maybe lightening up the colors on the lions would’ve also made it easier to tell which lion was which. In Lilo & Stitch, most people found live-action Stitch adorable because he still looked like he did in the animation. So maybe that’s what Disney needs to do for the future of CGI use: don’t ditch the cartoon look of the animals completely.
Now to bring up a new live-action that soared at the box office: How To Train Your Dragon (2025), belonging to DreamWorks Animation and Universal Pictures. As of July 2025, the movie grossed over $627 million worldwide. It landed a 76% on the tomatometer, but a 97% audience score, meaning it was heavily enjoyed by fans. It’s safe to say director Dean DeBlois put a lot of careful thought and effort into making this movie. Critics applaud the actors and the visual effects. Many agree that this movie captures the heart of the original. Yes, the movie wasn’t perfect and wasn’t adored by everyone. There were a few minor changes throughout the movie, and there were some arguments about casting, as always, if the character didn’t look like the animated one. But when it comes down to it, this live-action was a soaring success compared to others released this past year. Lilo & Stitch was probably one of the best Disney live-action films ever. It made over $1 billion worldwide. Still, How to Train Your Dragon seemed to be more enjoyed by fans and by me. Maybe, just maybe, Disney directors and producers should take some notes.
When it comes to live-action, they are never going to be as perfect as the originals were. There’s a reason why the classic Disney movies are so loved: They are classics! It begs the question: Are live-action remakes really needed? Are they worth it? Many think Disney should stop producing remakes and focus on producing new original works that have the potential to be big hits. Leave the classics alone and look to the future of production.
