Summary
In an age of cinema hugely characterized byall of Disney’s live-action remakes, there are several original live-action Disney movies that are better than most of them.The Disney live-action remake trend took off in the mid-2010s,which can be traced back to the success ofCinderella.Maleficentcame out earlier, serving as a soft retelling ofSleeping Beautyfrom its magnificent villainess' perspective. These movies have seen varying levels of success in capturing what made the original a hit while adding something to the story.
There are still plenty ofupcoming Disney live-action remakesthat will join the ranks of these titles. However, as some of them are essentially the same story told through CGI rather than animation, they come across as somewhat redundant. Meanwhile,a few standout live-action Disney movies tell original stories about characters from previous Disney classics,while others are adapted from different material or are completely original. Whether or notDisney’s live-action remake strategy is working, these movies suggest that stronger storytelling is outside beat-for-beat remakes.
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The average runtime for a movie these days is around two hours, but several Disney movies will appeal to viewers looking for a shorter watch.
Christopher Robin
Cast
Disney’s Christopher Robin is a live-action adaptation of Disney’s interpretation of A.A. Milne’s character. The movie follows Christopher Robin, a young man who loved embarking on adventures in the Hundred Acre Wood with a band of spirited and lovable stuffed animals who have grown up and lost their way. Now it is up to his childhood friends to venture into our world and help Christopher Robin remember the loving and playful boy still inside.
Christopher Robinis a kind of sequel to the animated adventures of Winnie-the-Pooh, following an adult Christopher Robin rediscovering childhood wonder and applying it to his work and family life. Ewan McGregor and Hayley Atwell are phenomenal actors in any context, whilePooh and friends have a kind of grungy but loved design that helps the characters translate well into live-action.It’s a cute, simple adventure where the residents of the Hundred Acre Woods find their way into the real world and turn everything upside down.
The movie comes to a swift, easy resolution, but it holds such a fondness for the characters.Christopher Robincan’t help but include delightful Easter Eggs like Tigger singing “The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers,“and the others dropping some of their own characteristic lines. Overall, it has a soft and welcoming tone and aesthetic to tell a story about childhood friends.
Tuck Everlasting
Tuck Everlasting follows Winnie Foster, a young girl who escapes her stifling home life to explore the nearby woods. There, she stumbles upon Jesse Tuck, a boy with a mysterious secret - his family is immortal due to drinking from a magical spring. As Winnie and Jesse grow closer, she must decide whether to keep the Tucks' secret and live a normal life or drink from the spring and join them in eternal youth.
Tuck Everlastingis Disney’s adaptation of the classic novel, which expounds the simple but powerful moral that life is precious because it ends.Teenage Winnie Foster has a chance at immortality when she discovers a spring in the woods that grants itand meets the family that accidentally drank from it close to a century ago. The Tucks are effective characters who argue for Winnie keeping her mortality, in large part because of the people who play them, including Sissy Spacek and William Hurt.
Tuck Everlasting also has the gift of a beautiful, countryside aesthetic, making it an incredibly wistful movie.
However,it is Alexis Bledel and Jonathan Jackson who really shine as Winnie and Jesse Tuck,capturing a whirlwind romance and the feeling that things going on as they are forever would be a miracle.Tuck Everlastingmade the effective decision to age up Winnie from the book, so the romance could happen and she actually has something to lose.Tuck Everlastingalso has the gift of a beautiful, countryside aesthetic, making it an incredibly wistful movie.
Saving Mr. Banks
Saving Mr. Banks tells the story of Walt Disney’s 1961 negotiations with P.L. Travers to obtain the rights to her Mary Poppins series in order to make the books into a film. The film also chronicles Travers' childhood in rural Australia and how her family influenced her writing of Mary Poppins. Emma Thompson stars as Travers, with Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and a further cast that includes Colin Farrell, Paul Giamatti, Bradley Whitford, and Jason Schwartzman.
Saving Mr. Banksshowcases the emotional bonds formed between a creator and the characters they have written or drawn into existence through the hesitance of the author ofMary Poppinsto let Disney adapt her works. Tom Hanks has many great scenes as Walt Disney, one of which is when he reflects on his own refusal to sell Mickey Mouse.Saving Mr. Bankstruly works because of the repertoire of great actors who play various Disney legends,whose connections with their own children come into the story.
In addition to Hanks as Disney and Emma Thompson as P. L. Travers, Colin Farrell and Ruth Wilson are also highlights as the young future author’s troubled parents.Saving Mr. Banksis different from the true story,spinning a more peaceful ending than what happened in real life. However, if one is willing to accept these changes, the movie offers a hopeful and heartbreaking take on the development ofMary Poppinsas a movie and the people who worked on it.
National Treasure
The first film in the National Treasure franchise, National Treasure stars Nicholas Cage as Benjamin Franklin Gates, a historian who discovers the map to a lost treasure hoard, hidden on the back of the Declaration of Independence. With the help of his friends Riley Poole and Abigail Chase, Gates embarks on a mission to steal the Declaration and locate the treasure before his former friend and crime boss Ian Howe can find it first. Along with Cage, the film stars Diane Kruger, Justin Bartha, and Sean Bean.
National Treasuredefinitely bends history for the purposes of the story,but manages to include a lot of real historical information that turns it into a fun action-adventure which might prompt people to find out more about the American Revolution. Nicolas Cage leads as a detective-like protagonist who uses historical knowledge to piece together a map to an amazing treasure. One of the best things about this movie is that most of the people involved are all clearly huge history nerds, who can’t believe what they are seeing.
The overall cast is incredibly charismatic in their respective roles, carrying everything from the high-speed chases to decoding the Declaration of Independence. They manage to hit a lot of landmarks and discuss a lot of big historical moments, resulting in a well-researched movie despite being fiction.National Treasurespawned a sequel and a spinoff TV show,and people can’t seem to let go of hopes forNational Treasure 3just yet.
Tomorrowland
George Clooney and Britt Robertson star in Brad Birds' take on Tomorrowland - a sci-fi action-adventure movie based around the idea from Disney’s attractions. Clooney plays Frank, a rough-around-the-edges jaded man who is teaming up with the equally bright but optimistic teen Casey (Britt Robertson) to find Tomorrowland, a mysterious place full of wonder and futuristic technology with the power to change the world.
Disney’sTomorrowlandwas a huge box office flop, infamously losing the studio $120 million.Tomorrowlandreceived mixed reviews and was hindered by marketing that did not reveal that much about the story to conceal spoilers,and therefore failed to get people interested. However, the movie does have a strong cast, including George Clooney as a jaded mentor and Hugh Laurie as the villain, as well as plenty of epic visuals to elevate it.
Tomorrowlandalso expresses a love for the Disney staple that inspired it,featuring some nods to one ofDisneyland Park’s best themed"lands.“The movie touches upon some themes of where people’s hope for the future went; when they stopped imagining that the advancement of science and technology would bring something as spectacular as Tomorrowland into existence. While it is by no means Disney’s best movie,Tomorrowlandis worth a watch just so the viewer can decide what its merits are for themselves.
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Enchanted
Starring Amy Adams as Giselle, Enchanted follows its heroine as she is cast out of her animated fantasy world by an evil queen, ending up in the middle of New York City where she meets Robert, a jaded lawyer who reluctantly takes the clueless Giselle in. As Giselle begins to adjust to life in the real world, and her relationship with Robert deepens, she must reconcile what she thought she wanted with where life has taken her. Patrick Dempsey, James Marsden, Idina Menzel, and Susan Sarandon also star.
Enchantedstrings together plot elements and iconic images from thebest animated Disney classicsinto an original story about a damsel thrust into the real world, who still finds her happy ending there.Enchantedlovingly embraces all the tackiest parts of Disney’s repertoire:Cringey love duets, an over-the-top prince, talking animals, and more. There is a decadent villainess inspired by the Evil Queen and Maleficent, a royal ball, and an epic final battle.
Enchantedlightly makes fun of the staples of the formulaic Disney plots, but also highlights the hope in them.Stars like Amy Adams and James Marsden made the exaggerated characters beloved overnight,while Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz composed a soundtrack that secured them three spots in the Best Original Song category at the Oscars that year.Enchantedis a (mostly) live-action movie that celebrates Disney animation by rearranging previous stories rather than just retelling them.
Bridge to Terabithia
Bridge to Terabithia is an adaptation of the novel by Katherine Paterson which follows a group of children with challenging backgrounds who create their own fantasy realm to escape from the troubles of life.
Also based on a classic children’s novel,Bridge to Terabithiagoes down the same road as some other books focusing on childhood and imagination,but emphasizes how difficult it can be to believe in these things in the face of a grim reality. Early-career Josh Hutcherson and AnnaSophia Robb take on the lead roles of Jess and Leslie, who create their own imaginary kingdom. However, the foundations of that kingdom are shaken when tragedy strikes in the real world.
The movie makes good use of special effects to show what Jess and Leslie are imagining,which both contrasts with and leaks into their homes and classroom. A strong supporting cast props up the younger stars by shooting down their whimsical side but supporting them when it means the most. Overall,Bridge to Terabithiais a heartbreaking drama that lives up to everything the book expresses.
Hocus Pocus
Hocus Pocus tells the story of the Sanderson Sisters, a trio of witches who are inadvertently resurrected by a teenage boy on Halloween. When the witches threaten to take over the town of Salem, Massachusetts, it’s up to Max, sister Dani, and friend Alison to stop them with the help of Thackery Binx, one of the Sandersons' victims trapped in the immortal body of black cat.
Hocus Pocusrevolves around a pretty basic story: a few completely evil villains, a curse to be undone, and some young protagonists who have no adults to count upon.This format is a vehicle for the iconic Sanderson sisters, so they can trapeze through the modern worldinciting chaos and delivering so many laugh-out-loud moments. The main characters and overall tone are completely wacky, making the movie one of the most enjoyable holiday classics Disney has to offer.
Hocus Pocusgot caught up in the remake/legacy sequels trend withHocus Pocus 2,which was not received as well, but at least shows more shenanigans with the main trio.Hocus Pocus 3is also now in the works. Despite people’s reservations about continuing the franchise, the flagship movie will remain a treasured Disney staple.
Cruella
Cruella is the live-action reimagining of the 101 Dalmatians villain and her origin story. It stars Emma Stone as Estella, an aspiring fashion designer and talented grifter. After finding herself pitted against her boss, the Baroness (Emma Thompson), she creates the alter-ego Cruella, a dangerous criminal who will do whatever it takes to get ahead in both the fashion world and in life.
Cruellaworks better than some other live-action movies based on animated Disney characters because it is not too dependent on the plot of101 Dalmatians, although there are some nods to it.The prequel mostly lets Cruella de Vil twirl, scheme, and come up with showstopping outfits,all showcasing what an amazing anti-hero she is. Underneath it is a serviceable origin story which doesn’t justify her supposed actions in the sequel — it’s completely believable that is what she does next.
There are lots of amazing costumes, and while Emma Stone is the star, other cast members deliver strong performances as well.
There are lots of amazing costumes, and while Emma Stone is the star, other cast members deliver strong performances as well. It’s the perfect Disney villain movie becauseit doesn’t contradict Cruella de Vil’s villainy, when people already love seeing her be evil.She is glamorous and over-the-top, and has plenty of opportunities to prove it, while shades of her more sympathetic side still come through.
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Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
The Curse of the Black Pearl is the film that kickstarted the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, a series of supernatural swashbuckling adventures. In 1720, blacksmith Will Turner teams up with eccentric pirate “Captain” Jack Sparrow to save his love, the governor’s daughter Elizabeth Swann, from Jack’s former pirate allies, who are now undead.
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearlsurprised everyone by making a perfect swashbuckling action-adventure out of one of Disneyland’s most famous rides. It hits a lot of classic beats, with a rescue storyline, a dastardly villain, and a star-crossed romance, but also includes some pleasing notes of originality.Jack Sparrow is at his best in the first movie as its strangely charismatic and brilliant protagonist,a performance for which Johnny Depp earned an Oscar nomination.
The villain motivation plot of the undead curse imbuesCurse of the Black Pearlwith a spooky edgethat takes it to the next level. Additionally, there are plenty of fun, natural nods to the ride’s most iconic features.Pirates of the Caribbeanis possibly the instance where Disney saw the most success with an original live-action movie, something they have been trying to recapture with each additional installment to the franchise.
