4 Best Disney Live-Action Remakes That Are So Much Better Than Snow White
These are definitely worth your attention.
Live-action remakes of classic Disney animation are a controversial and hotly debated topic. The studio, which exploits nostalgia for its own legacy for commercial purposes, often releases copies of original masterpieces that lack a fresh take on familiar stories.
But among the many soulless knockoffs, interesting films that offer a critical rethinking of the classics get lost.
1. The Jungle Book, 2016
Surprisingly, Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book, a remake of the 1967 animated film, has managed to please both critics and viewers. The main thing to praise about the 2016 movie is the animal characters.
In The Jungle Book, they do not have the eerie articulation like in The Lion King. Considering that everything in the movie is CGI except the boy himself, the story turned out to be "real" and dynamic – the remake even won an Oscar for best visual effects.
In his film, Jon Favreau also draws more on Rudyard Kipling's original text than on the 1967 animated film. The Jungle Book is a remake that reveals the author's ideas and is filmed with great respect for the classics.
2. Cruella, 2021
Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Costume Design, Craig Gillespie's Cruella is not a full-blown remake. This movie reimagines the main villain from the 1961 animated classic.
We are offered to learn the backstory of Cruella De Vil, which turns out to be complex and tragic. The punk aesthetic of the 1970s becomes the framework for a loud and stylish story about the battle for the fashion throne between the Baroness and Cruella.
Cruella, of course, is not as strong a script, but the movie certainly deserves praise for its portrayal of two women who defended the right to be themselves. Gillespie's movie is held together by an inexhaustible villainous charm.
3. Cinderella, 2015
Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella is a remake of the classic 1950 Disney animated film. In his movie, Branagh decided to reveal some of the characters more fully.
Cinderella, played by Lily James, who is called Ella in the movie, has her own principles that she is not willing to give up. Branagh also drew the necessary parallel between the heroine's boundless kindness and her happy childhood.
The addition of references to the stepmother and Ella's past, detailed costumes that emphasize the characters' personalities, and a tender, melodramatic mood made Kenneth Branagh's Cinderella one of the best remakes of the 1950 animated film.
4. Maleficent, 2014
Robert Stromberg's Maleficent is a truly revolutionary reimagining of the 1959 classic Sleeping Beauty.
Disney villains have historically lacked depth. Far from a full-blown remake, the 2014 film is told from the perspective of Angelina Jolie's horned witch, who takes an entirely different approach to the classic tale.
The director manages to craft a powerful story about trauma and the challenges of motherhood that is accessible to children without disappointing adults, thanks to his attempt to see the witch as more than just pure evil.