All the live action Disney remakes (so far), ranked.

Let's see how many times I reference "tHe AeStHeTiC" in this post, shall we? 😊

These are ranked primarily according to personal enjoyment.  I've also taken what I see as technical quality into account, in some way, but the main determinant has been how I personally feel about them all. 😜

Minor spoilers throughout.

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#11.  

Aladdin

I love Naomi Scott, "Speechless," etc.; but unfortunately I was underwhelmed by this.  I felt that parts of it were lacking, both in terms of narrative and technique.  Once again, that's my opinion, and I get why people like it.  It just wasn't an insta-love situation for me.   

(Its position as my least favorite, despite the fact that other remakes have more flaws, could have something to do with the fact that the original Aladdin has never been one of my favorites — and yet I somehow had higher expectations for this one than some of the others?  Idk.) 

#10.  

Lady and the Tramp

I wasn't expecting much from this, and I didn't personally feel that I got much from it.  (In fact . . . I sort of only skimmed it. *cough*)  But, that said, I was surprised by how much I liked The Aesthetic™.  I might select scenes from it again just for that, because that was lovely. 

#9.  

Dumbo

I fully recognize the flaws in this movie — and, from where I'm standing, there are several 😅 — but I still liked it decently well.  The opening music was A Pleasant Surprise, I must say.  I'll have to look into buying that track. 😜  And the aesthetic was fun.   

Plus, I mean:  we stan Colin Farrell as a wounded war vet father Trying His Best™.  We stan him very much.  Give him hugs. 

{Side note:  Speaking of Colin Farrell in live action adaptations of animated movies, who else would watch the heck out of it if he and Beyonce were to repeat their voice roles in Epic, but as a live action film?  I'm just . . . I'm just saying.  Their characters were one of the only worthwhile reasons to watch that movie, for some of us, and can you imagine some of those scenes playing out between real-life Beyonce and Colin Farrell?  I mean, the angst??  We would die.}

(just like Tara)   

#8.  

Christopher Robin

Unfortunately, this film is always sort of overshadowed in my mind by Goodbye Christopher Robin, since I watched them around the same time and loved GCR so much.  Plus, I don't tend to love the magical realism angle of fantasy worlds mixing with this world unless it's done in a fairly specific way, so this movie had that going against it.

STILL AND YET, it's a darling film and I completely understand its importance, appreciate its message, etc.  I also like the way Disney found a balance between how the real Christopher Robin's stuffed animals actually looked and how the studio drew them in the original animated films.  I will definitely watch it multiple more times, I expect.  Very wholesome and happy.

#7.  

Alice in Wonderland

Not an AiW fan, in general, but every now and then it's a nice change of pace. 😛  Burton's reinventions are wacky and dark, but satisfying in their way.  Some of the lines are very quotable, and the aesthetic is strangely pleasing.

#6.  

The Jungle Book

This remake manages to create a very different "feel" for the story.  It's much darker, just in terms of the color and texture palettes.  The makers also heighten the tension, pulling off a sense of impending danger through most of the movie.  Shere Khan is nothing to mess around with in this version, Ka is chilling, and LOUIE FREAKS THE HECK OUT OF ME OKAY WOW.  

(also little baby Mowgli is the cutest ever what the HECK?!  making me feel feelings like that.  shame on you.)

All in all, I was (and am) impressed.  Unfortunately, there's still something that seems a touch "off" to me, something that keeps me from giving it a completely glowing rating as a whole story.  It's close to being a 10/10, but there are a few tiny quibbles.  

#5.  

The Lion King

I get why this isn't everyone's cup of tea.  But, personally, I like it a lot.  

I think the original animated feature has the upper hand (or claw, if you will) on these elements:

• Grown-up Simba & Nala.
• They were okay in the remake, and I did love that Beyonce voiced Nala, but they also seemed . . . fairly two-dimensional, I guess?  Just kind of flat and boring.
• (I don't love them in the original, either, but if I'm remembering correctly there's at least a little more Zest™.)

• The "Be Prepared" sequence.
• They had a golden opportunity here and they blew it?!?!  Why, sir?!  We demand to know.

• The opening and closing scenes.
• The first "Circle of Life" is still just unbeatable, and the climax and denouement at Pride Rock seem more vibrant and intense and pulse-pounding in the original, too.

But, for me, the remake wins on . . . a lot of other things.  The dysfunctional brother dynamic between Scar and Mufasa stood out to me even more movingly in this one; the overall aesthetic is more fun, for me, because it's more toned-down and realistic; the visuals in general are stunning; aND TIMON AND PUMBAA ARE THE DELIGHT OF MY SOUL.  You don't even know.  I rate the remake this highly in large part because I love them so much.  Billy Eichner's performance is everything I aspire to be. 

#4.  

101 Dalmatians

I'm a big fan of the original Dodie Smith novel, and it's fairly different from either of Disney's interpretations.  Still, though it's not the aesthetic of the original story, I do find the aesthetic of this remake a lot of fun.  It's got a similar vibe (just in terms of setting, decor, color, etc.) to the remakes of The Parent Trap and Father of the Bride — probably because all of them were done in the '90s.  Lol.  

Anyway, the aesthetic is what I really love about this version, but Glen Close's translation of Cruella de Vil is worth mentioning, too.  I've never seen any iteration of 101 Dalmatians that portrays Cruella the way she's written in the book (Once Upon a Time comes closest), but I don't mind that much.  This Cruella is crazy and over-the-top, but Close brings some interesting depth to the character.  Not likability, but dimension.  Her discussions with Anita on marriage vs. career are interesting.  (Plus, her fashion house is A Whole Aesthetic in and of itself.  I feel like, on a purely visual level, this film would be fun to analyze in more depth sometime.)

I like that they don't make the dogs "speak" in this one.  The normal, real-world roles of humans and animals are preserved, which is nice. 😅

(Also, Hugh Laurie and Mark Williams.  They're a fun cameo.  Especially since they both played sort-of related roles in Sense and Sensibility, albeit different adaptations!)

#3.  

Beauty and the Beast

I LOVE THIS.  The colors, the textures, the music, the structure, the light — IT IS ALL BEAUTIFUL & it all makes me happy.  Such a fun story-world to get lost in.  

(In fact, I technically enjoy watching this movie more than the next one.  But I've got to give the next one the #2 spot because I think it's such an important film.) 

#2.  

Cinderella

This is where it might get more controversial.  I think a lot of us have more or less decided that Cinderella is the "best" remake to date, taking all the factors into consideration:  the source material it had to work with and what it created out of that source material; old and new themes explored; casting; music; costuming; etc. 

And I would probably agree, on a technical level — if not wholly, at least mostly.  I have a tremendous amount of respect for this film. 😉  It took what is arguably both the most iconic Disney classic and the most iconic fairytale in circulation today and produced something extremely fresh, unique, and valuable.  (Btw, I'm not saying that the 1950s Cinderella is the best-beloved Disney movie; just that it's probably the most universal, recognized, etc.) 

This iteration addresses kindness in the face of cruelty in a way that I don't think another major feature film has ever done.  It's both profound and lighthearted, and crushingly, upliftingly, relentlessly gracious.  Everyone did an extraordinary job on this film.  

So why, then, is it in the second slot instead of the first?  Well . . . read on, Lizzie.   

#1.  

Maleficent

Yep.  I'm pretty sure that this is my favorite.

There are a lot of reasons for that, but I think my feelings (on the whole) are so subjective and personal that it might be difficult to articulate them well.  Still, let's try.

Essentially:  I just love the way Disney did this movie.  It draws on some elements from the original, both in terms of narrative and style, but it isn't afraid to do its own thing, either.  And its own thing is . . . pretty darn cool, in my opinion.   

Maleficent as a protagonist/antagonist is a very interesting character.  I may have to do a more in-depth analysis of her/this story, but the short version is that I'm really impressed by the way this movie (and its sequel) zeroes in on this one woman and delves deeply into her psyche in a way that feels intimate without being intrusive.  Her flaws and virtues are explored honestly, yet gently, and you as a viewer really come to feel that you understand what makes Maleficent tick.  

I also love how quiet the movie seems.  That's not to say that there aren't battles and crashes and fights and screams, but the undercurrent is one of silence —  silence, a considerable amount of sadness, resignation, and wistfulness. 

That might sound depressing.  It isn't, to me.  But it is truthful. 

Ultimately, I think that's because the overall feel of the show mirrors its main character:  a woman who is both light and dark, and who at bottom carries a profound weariness.  And honestly?  That's one of the things I love most about it.  This movie holds space for pain.  And, yes, it tries to heal that pain in places, but — and I think this is important — the pain doesn't all magically go away.  Even at the end, Maleficent's fundamental personality doesn't change.  Not in this one, not in the next one.  She finds happiness, yes; but she doesn't become a cheery, chipper person.  She is still reserved, detached — *whispers* maybe depressed. 

And the movies don't look at her as something to be "fixed".  Which like?  There is Much To Unpack, here, in terms of how we handle individuality and/or mental illness in our entertainment.  

Not everyone will react as strongly as I did to this movie, and that's okay.  It's certainly not flawless.  But, for me, it's been a favorite ever since I saw it in theaters.  And yes, I could go into even more detail about why I love it so — the aesthetic, Diaval, Elle Fanning — but maybe I'll save that for another day. 😉

For now, suffice it to say that I love it very much, in a personal way.  And I only love it more the more that I think about it.

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Well, that was fun.  Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to revel in the Maleficent story-world* while I wait for you guys to come tell me about your favorite remakes. 😃

*(and also ponder changing my blog look again because apparently I have a super short attention span when it comes to blog looks *facepalm*)