3 Animated Disney Movies Ruined by the Live-Action Remake

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Things are currently uncertain for Disney’s live-action remakes. While the live-action Lilo & Stitch earned a billion dollars worldwide and another film is already planned, Disney recently announced that a live-action version of The Aristocats has been cancelled. Because Disney’s animated films are often beloved childhood favorites, their live-action remakes have high expectations to meet. Reimagining such treasured stories is always a gamble, and here are 3 films where we believe Disney didn’t quite succeed in bringing these animated classics to life:

3) Beauty and the Beast

Beauty and the Beast is often considered Disney’s greatest animated film. The movie made history by being the first animated feature ever nominated for the Best Picture Oscar; while it didn’t win, this achievement established Disney as a leading storyteller and paved the way for the many beloved classics that followed during what is now known as “The Disney Renaissance.” So, when a live-action remake of the story was announced, particularly with Dreamgirls director Bill Condon at the helm, there was a lot of anticipation.

As a big fan of the original, I was really disappointed when the live-action Beauty and the Beast came out in 2017. It just didn’t live up to the hype, honestly. It’s never a good look when they have to autotune the lead actress’s singing, and Belle’s iconic yellow dress felt like a cheap, fast-fashion copy of the original. Plus, the attempt at queer representation felt forced and didn’t really work. The movie relied way too much on CGI, which failed to recapture the charm of the original animation, and it didn’t even use its amazing supporting cast – many of them were Broadway stars! – to their full potential. Honestly, I’d choose the animated version over the live-action one any day.

2) Aladdin

Making a good live-action version of Aladdin, particularly without the incredible talent of Robin Williams, seemed like an insurmountable challenge. Even with director Guy Ritchie’s efforts, his 2019 live-action Aladdin didn’t quite measure up to the beloved 1992 animated film. The new film did a fantastic job of casting actors of Middle Eastern/South Asian descent, a welcome change from the voice casting in the original animated version; both Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott truly embody Aladdin and Jasmine. Nevertheless, Robin Williams’s portrayal of the Genie is unmatched and was key to the animated film’s success over thirty years ago.

Will Smith definitely put his own stamp on the role, but without Robin Williams’s incredibly fast impressions and cultural references, Aladdin lost a lot of its joy and magic. Smith’s rapping wasn’t enough to make up for what Williams brought, and the big musical numbers like “Prince Ali” and “Friend Like Me” weren’t as grand or impressive as the animated versions. The classic songs didn’t evoke the same feelings of nostalgia, and the new songs written by Pasek and Paul aren’t particularly memorable. Despite the live-action Aladdin earning over a billion dollars globally and rumors of a sequel, we think it might have been better if a second Aladdin movie had followed the path of the live-action The Aristocats.

1) Mulan

Disney made a major mistake when adapting Mulan into live-action: they removed the music, which was a key part of what made the original animated film so beloved. The story of Hua Mulan-a young woman who disguises herself as a man to take her father’s place in the army-is a traditional Chinese story. Because of this, removing the songs, particularly “Reflection” and “I’ll Make a Man Out of You” – both iconic Disney tunes – essentially stripped away the unique and special elements that Disney originally brought to the story.

Viewers were even more disappointed to find that Mulan’s sidekicks, Mushu and Cri-Kee, weren’t included in the new film. Eddie Murphy’s portrayal of the small dragon brought a lot of energy and humor to the original, and its absence makes this version feel too somber. The character could easily have been replaced with a talented Asian comedian, such as Ronnie Chieng, but the filmmakers chose not to include a similar comedic element.

Look, I totally get wanting to empower women in Mulan‘s story, but honestly, getting rid of Shang and any romantic interest for her just made the whole thing less enjoyable for me. Their connection was so key – it brilliantly highlighted the stakes of Mulan’s disguise! It was a clever element that’s now missing. Ultimately, this live-action version felt like just another generic action movie, and not the fresh, exciting reimagining of the Disney classic I was hoping for. It just didn’t have that same magic, in my opinion, and it really disappointed me.

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2025-10-01 14:12