Disney's Live Action The Little Mermaid

Casper Gutman

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
Disney Analyst said:
I think there are properties you can absolutely go a different direction on with these remakes, as to the examples you mentioned.

I also think there are properties that would get eviscerated if they were anything but a fully realized recreation of the animated film (and its music) in a real world setting, with subtle changes here and there.

I mean, the proof is in the pudding for which remakes have been insanely successful in terms of $$$, even if they don’t meet what you seek creatively.
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Oh, it’ll make buckets of cash, and in this case I hope it does. But I’ve seen JB and Aladdin and B&tB in theaters and they were just so… dry. Honestly, I think the only thing you really need in these is the music. Aladdin had Guy Ritchie, which was a decent start - they should have told him you need to keep these songs and do them big, but otherwise really lean hard into some Indy-style action and go in a different direction.
 
LittleBuford

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
But isn't that the point? Like... if they're making the same movie (as opposed to Maleficent, which was a different movie from Sleeping Beauty), and it's very unlikely that it's as good as the thing that already exists, then what are we even doing here?
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The best analogy I can provide is that I often listen to, and enjoy, cover versions of songs I love, even though they’re never as good. I find such tributes interesting and, if they’re well done, pleasurable to listen to: they put a new spin on familiar favourites and sometimes pick up on aspects of the originals that I never noticed before.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
LittleBuford said:
The best analogy I can provide is that I often listen to, and enjoy, cover versions of songs I love, even though they’re never as good. I find such tributes interesting and, if they’re well done, pleasurable to listen to: they put a new spin on familiar favourites and sometimes pick up on aspects of the originals that I never noticed before.
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Asking sincerely... do you often go back to those cover songs years later, or if you want to hear a song do you go back to the original?

I listened to Weezer's Teal Album for kicks when it came out, but four years later if I want to hear "Africa," I'm going to play Toto's version.
 
LittleBuford

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Asking sincerely... do you often go back to those cover songs years later, or if you want to hear a song do you go back to the original?

I listened to Weezer's Teal Album for kicks when it came out, but four years later if I want to hear "Africa," I'm going to play Toto's version.
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I have listened to the Glee version of Katy Perry’s “Teenage Dream” multiple times over the years and enjoy it greatly. The same goes for Mary J. Blige’s “Sweet Thing” and “Natural Woman”, which I actually prefer to the original versions (I guess I should take back my earlier qualification that covers are never as good). There may be other examples, but those are the ones that spring to mind.
 
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CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Californian Elitist said:
Sometimes the remakes/covers are actually better.
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100%. That's why I said do it *better* or do it *different.*

Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" is better than Dolly Parton's.

Maleficent is sufficiently different from Sleeping Beauty that they don't even need to be compared in terms of quality.

Heretofore, the Disney remakes (that are actually remakes and not "inspired bys") have been too similar to avoid comparison and lacking the excellence of execution to shine on their own.
 
Casper Gutman

Casper Gutman

Well-Known Member
LittleBuford said:
The best analogy I can provide is that I often listen to, and enjoy, cover versions of songs I love, even though they’re never as good. I find such tributes interesting and, if they’re well done, pleasurable to listen to: they put a new spin on familiar favourites and sometimes pick up on aspects of the originals that I never noticed before.
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But the spin's the thing - covers don't work as well when they're simply imitations, they work when a new artists unique talents and approach bring out something new in the material. I'd be very enthusiastic about those kinds of "covers" of Disney classics.

And you're right, Dolly is better.
 
Disney Analyst

Disney Analyst

Well-Known Member
CaptainAmerica said:
Strongly disagree. Remaking the beloved thing is what opens up all of these avenues for criticism. A fresh story using some of the same characters would free these movies from the baggage of their predecessors.
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I guess my question would be, is the criticism large enough to warrant a change of course, specifically when the remakes that are more true to the original have been their biggest successes?


The Lion King:

DOMESTIC (32.8%)
$543,638,043
INTERNATIONAL (67.2%)
$1,113,305,351
WORLDWIDE
$1,656,943,394

Beauty and the Beast:


DOMESTIC (39.9%)
$504,014,165
INTERNATIONAL (60.1%)
$759,506,961
WORLDWIDE
$1,263,521,126

Aladdin:

DOMESTIC (33.8%)
$355,559,216
INTERNATIONAL (66.2%)
$695,134,737
WORLDWIDE
$1,050,693,953


This is why I stand firm that certain properties benefit from a more faithful adaption, which includes the classic tunes many of us love. At least from a business perspective they do, we can debate the creative perspective if we want.
 
LittleBuford

LittleBuford

Well-Known Member
Casper Gutman said:
But the spin's the thing - covers don't work as well when they're simply imitations, they work when a new artists unique talents and approach bring out something new in the material.
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I agree. That’s why I really hated the remake of The Lion King, which was so close to the original that I couldn’t understand the point of it. I think the other remakes (or the ones that I’ve seen anyway) have had enough of a twist to keep me interested. That’s hardly high praise, but at least I got something out of them. I’m hoping for considerably more from the new Little Mermaid—again, it’s just a feeling I have—but I know it may end up falling into the “That was interesting and even enjoyable, but I’m not sure I’ll ever watch it again” pile with the rest of them.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Casper Gutman said:
This particular sea is apparently located very close to the uncanny valley.
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I wish I had the vocabulary to explain how much I hate this and why. Halle's little facial expressions are charming and adorable, but all of the motion just feels so flat and slippery and bad. You're acutely aware the whole time of the harnesses, computers, and green spandex involved in creating this.
 
CaptainAmerica

CaptainAmerica

Premium Member
Disney Analyst said:
I guess my question would be, is the criticism large enough to warrant a change of course, specifically when the remakes that are more true to the original have been their biggest successes?


The Lion King:

DOMESTIC (32.8%)
$543,638,043
INTERNATIONAL (67.2%)
$1,113,305,351
WORLDWIDE
$1,656,943,394

Beauty and the Beast:


DOMESTIC (39.9%)
$504,014,165
INTERNATIONAL (60.1%)
$759,506,961
WORLDWIDE
$1,263,521,126

Aladdin:

DOMESTIC (33.8%)
$355,559,216
INTERNATIONAL (66.2%)
$695,134,737
WORLDWIDE
$1,050,693,953


This is why I stand firm that certain properties benefit from a more faithful adaption, which includes the classic tunes many of us love. At least from a business perspective they do, we can debate the creative perspective if we want.
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Right, which goes back to my previous comment about hoping this movie fails. So far these have been bad art and good business. I want the bad art to be bad business so they start making some good art.
 
BlakeW39

BlakeW39

Well-Known Member
DCBaker said:
Entertainment Tonight has released a new clip from The Little Mermaid.

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