In the vast landscape of films and cinema, there have been a lot of positively received films, mixed films, and negatively received films and the live-action Disney remakes that The Mouse House has churned out have been placed somewhere around the middle.
Many critics have called these films soulless cash grabs that lack the creativity of their animated counterparts. All of those comments are very much debatable and rely on the hinges of the opinions of today’s critics. There has been a lot of derision surrounding their execution but there is more to these movies than meets the eye.
They have hearts. People just don’t see it.
To really dissect and understand these live-action remakes, you have to go to the source of what they are trying to encapsulate. Audiences need to understand that regardless of whether they like these movies or not, they are well-intentioned. I remember watching Robert Zemeckis’ Pinocchio from 2022 with Tom Hanks and Luke Evans and critics did not like this movie at all. They called it soulless, inert, and wooden and I couldn’t understand why there was so much vitriol towards the film. It was an innocent and heartfelt movie that proved to be entertaining.
Moreover, in 2019, Tim Burton released his film Dumbo and it received mixed reviews where critics claimed that the film lacked emotional depth. I watched and it nearly brought a tear to my eye looking at the baby elephant trying to be comforted by his incarcerated mother after a freak incident.
The fact that these critics and audience members are not as receptive to it tells me that people seem very closed-minded and averse to something in the same vein that you saw when you were a child that was updated to a live-action medium. I appreciated every minute of both of those movies.
The Star Wars Prequels had a similar reception
If people don’t have short-term memory loss, they will know that the Star Wars prequels had a mixed to negative reception from fans, as well. It wasn’t until after the sequels came out that the prequels received more love, in the process.
When the prequels came out, critics called the films out for the overuse of CGI, screenplay, and acting. Nowadays, it seems that fans have forgotten all about that with the help of time and nostalgia and the same could easily be said for the live-action Disney remakes. Give it some time and you never know.
The Remakes are visually unique
Another reason as to why these movies are so cool and why they deserve more respect is the fact that they employ some of the best visual effects artists and utilize some incredible CGI. I have never seen a more realistic-looking fox in Pinocchio or a more incredible-looking dragon in Maleficent.
The beauty of these visual marvels should not be bogged down by the opinions of closed-minded critics and audience members who don’t see the true heart of these films. Time heals all wounds and it should certainly change the hearts and minds of these critics. I didn’t need any changing.
