Disney (and others) at the Box Office - Current State of Affairs

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t recall Cruella being an issue… maybe some thought it was just ok… but I have seen no one dislike the film outright

Cruella and Malificent were received well and good ideas

The rest?…not really so much

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I couldn’t disagree more. And I’m not sure why Disney would want to do it.

If they were both the same, why would a live action version make a ton of money?

That’s exactly what they’ve been doing with the remakes for ten years?

Except for the one where they didn’t try that and not too many people remember

 

[Chi84]

That’s exactly what they’ve been doing with the remakes for ten years?

Except for the one where they didn’t try that and not too many people remember

No, I’m talking only about Snow White. You have to go back a few pages to get the entire meaning.

 

[erasure fan1]

I don’t recall Cruella being an issue… maybe some thought it was just ok… but I have seen no one dislike the film outright

It didn't really set the world on fire, and since it wasn't a remake people seem less critical. I've said that people would be much more accepting of the live action stuff if it was all stuff like mufasa, cruella, Christopher robin...

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Cruella and Malificent were received well and good ideas

The rest?…not really so much

That’s exactly what they’ve been doing with the remakes for ten years?

Except for the one where they didn’t try that and not too many people remember

A winning formula that (mostly) worked well for over a decade, they’d either make a more or less scene for scene remake or make an entirely different movie with secondary characters. Cruella and Maleficent are still my favorites as they are originals, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast being my favorites of the remakes.

It wasn’t until the D+ remakes that they started taking the lead characters and drastically changing the stories around them.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

No, I’m talking only about Snow White. You have to go back a few pages to get the entire meaning.

Maybe it wasn’t your intent…but you gave a direct respond to a direct post and that was what I commented on

 

[Chi84]

Maybe it wasn’t your intent…but you gave a direct respond to a direct post and that was what I commented on

It was my intent to give a direct response to a direct post. It would be a very tedious thread if every comment had to incorporate the entire discussion preceding it.

 

[Chi84]

A winning formula that (mostly) worked well for over a decade, they’d either make a more or less scene for scene remake or make an entirely different movie with secondary characters. Cruella and Maleficent are still my favorites as they are originals, Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast being my favorites of the remakes.

It wasn’t until the D+ remakes that they started taking the lead characters and drastically changing the stories around them.

My thought is that if the original stories are interesting and would be appealing reproduced as is, there is less reason for a change.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

My thought is that if the original stories are interesting and would be appealing reproduced as is, there is less reason for a change.

I’d argue Pinocchio, Dumbo, Mulan, Peter Pan, etc were all interesting as written, far better than the changed remakes that were all horrible.

 

[Chi84]

I’d argue Pinocchio, Dumbo, Mulan, Peter Pan, etc were all interesting as written, far better than the changed remakes that were all horrible.

The only remake I saw was Mulan and I liked it. I like the original too.

 

[Baloo124]

Beauty and the Beast was good mostly because the source material was good. A good animated movie tends to be a good live action movie.

Of all the live action remakes... this one irked me the most. It seemed to add more plot holes and create more (huh??) with the additions supposedly meant to "improve" on the animated original.

For example:
In the live action version, the Enchantress who turns the prince into a beast hangs out in the village with the townfolk. She's in the tavern at times. She helps free Maurice after Gaston leaves him for dead. She witnesses a lot of arrogance and terrible things... in person... by GASTON. So... why didn't she turn him into a beast as well? Her whole identity is solving injustices by turning jerks into literal monsters until they learn to love. At least in the animated version you can say she wasn't around to even know about Gaston. But in this live action version, why target one stingy fellow with a curse (and his entire castle of innocents) yet literally watch another jerk do worse things in person, and leave him without consequence?

Another is the magical book which can take you anywhere anytime in history to see anything you want... for free. (Belle and Beast used to travel back in time to Paris). That's a reward! Who wouldn't want one of those? I'd want to be turned into a beast in a heartbeat just to have one of those books. It does nothing to add to the "punishment" or the story in general.

Yes, I'm ranting. But still...

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

The only remake I saw was Mulan and I liked it. I like the original too.

I dislike how gifted they made her, nearly superpowered, from infancy. My favorite part of the original is how she uses her intelligence to overcome obstacles, in the new one she’s just a super athlete and uses pure physical ability to overcome her obstacles, it also removes a lot of the sacrifice, in the original she knowingly volunteers for a likely death sentence to save her fathers life, in the new one with her near superhero physical abilities a lot of that risk is gone.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

Of all the live action remakes... this one irked me the most. It seemed to add more plot holes and create more (huh??) with the additions supposedly meant to "improve" on the animated original.

For example:
In the live action version, the Enchantress who turns the prince into a beast hangs out in the village with the townfolk. She's in the tavern at times. She helps free Maurice after Gaston leaves him for dead. She witnesses a lot of arrogance and terrible things... in person... by GASTON. So... why didn't she turn him into a beast as well? Her whole identity is solving injustices by turning jerks into literal monsters until they learn to love. At least in the animated version you can say she wasn't around to even know about Gaston. But in this live action version, why target one stingy fellow with a curse (and his entire castle of innocents) yet literally watch another jerk do worse things in person, and leave him without consequence?

Another is the magical book which can take you anywhere anytime in history to see anything you want... for free. (Belle and Beast used to travel back in time to Paris). That's a reward! Who wouldn't want one of those? I'd want to be turned into a beast in a heartbeat just to have one of those books. It does nothing to add to the "punishment" or the story in general.

Yes, I'm ranting. But still...

Just highlights everyone’s different tastes, no matter what they do what one person likes another will dislike, etc.

 

[DKampy]

Just highlights everyone’s different tastes, no matter what they do what one person likes another will dislike, etc.

That’s movies in general…. Sometimes we forget all movies are subjective…. What appeals to one person…, may not appeal to another

 

[Baloo124]

My last post was all gripe. So here are my favorite changes that have been done from animated to live action remake, improving from the original.

The Jungle Book adding a lot more Shere Khan throughout, whereas in the original animated, he only shows up for a few quick scenes toward the end, and seems to be defeated/chased-off way too quick and easily.

Dumbo remake having the two children and their father be his main ally throughout, rather than a CGI Timothy Mouse which would look way too silly, imo. (Stewart Little, anyone?)

Beauty and the Beast. Yes I know I said earlier it irked me the most with changes I felt took the story a step back. However it did make one change to improve a plot point I thought was kinda stupid in the original animated. Gaston actually thinks to bring his muskett to confront the Beast in the remake. In the original, it made zero sense to see him shooting a goose in the air with his muskett in his opening scene, yet NOT think to bring the muskett when he goes to Beasts castle toward the end.

The Lion King remake changing the incline a bit that the stampeding herd runs down, rather than the unbelievably STEEP incline of the original, which would create more of a wildebeest avalanche.

Aladdin remake taking out the completely unnecessary scene of Jafar disguising as an old hermit to bring Aladdin to the Cave Of Wonders.

Mulan remake having the Huns be human size, and not a group of Hulks.

There are more positives from the remakes, but those come to mind.

 

[Agent H]

My last post was all gripe. So here are my favorite changes that have been done from animated to live action remake, improving from the original.

The Jungle Book adding a lot more Shere Khan throughout, whereas in the original animated, he only shows up for a few quick scenes toward the end, and seems to be defeated/chased-off way too quick and easily.

Dumbo remake having the two children and their father be his main ally throughout, rather than a CGI Timothy Mouse which would look way too silly, imo. (Stewart Little, anyone?)

Beauty and the Beast. Yes I know I said earlier it irked me the most with changes I felt took the story a step back. However it did make one change to improve a plot point I thought was kinda stupid in the original animated. Gaston actually thinks to bring his muskett to confront the Beast in the remake. In the original, it made zero sense to see him shooting a goose in the air with his muskett in his opening scene, yet NOT think to bring the muskett when he goes to Beasts castle toward the end.

The Jungle Book changing the ending to where Mowgili gets to choose to stay in the jungle if he's happy there, and strays away from the plot point of "stick with your own kind", which was used heavily in the animated, not coincidentally produced back when segregation/desegregation was a hot topic of the time.

The Lion King remake changing the incline a bit that the stampeding herd runs down, rather than the unbelievably STEEP incline of the original, which would create more of a wildebeest avalanche.

Aladdin remake taking out the completely unnecessary scene of Jafar disguising as an old hermit to bring Aladdin to the Cave Of Wonders.

Mulan remake having the Huns be human size, and not a group of Hulks.

There are more positives from the remakes, but those come to mind.

In a lot of ways I prefer the live action jungle book for the actual story but the animated one is classic Disney which has a certain charm.

 

[Agent H]

Weren’t they going to make a sequel to the live action jungle book? I wish they had gone foreword with that.

 

[Baloo124]

Weren’t they going to make a sequel to the live action jungle book? I wish they had gone foreword with that.

I heard that too right as the remake was in theaters.

 

[Vegas Disney Fan]

In a lot of ways I prefer the live action jungle book for the actual story but the animated one is classic Disney which has a certain charm.

I think this highlights another problem with remakes, I had completely forgotten about the live action Jungle Book despite it being in my “good” remake category.

With the exception of the unique stories like Cruella, Maleficent, etc I’ll probably never choose to watch a remake again over the originals.

 

[brideck]

Dumbo remake having the two children and their father be his main ally throughout, rather than a CGI Timothy Mouse which would look way too silly, imo. (Stewart Little, anyone?)

I recall liking some of the story choices around the Dumbo remake, but the execution really didn't work for me. To this day, that's the movie I'll cite if you ever want to see two completely expressionless children. I have no idea why Burton took all of the in-movie emotional responses out of that movie, as if a baby elephant wouldn't evoke smiles from the people around it.