Disney is steadily working its way thorough its animated classics library, bringing them back to life as live-action remakes and reimaginings - but how do they all rank against each other? So far, each of the Disney remakes have been mostly well-received, with some arguably improving upon the originals. Now it’s the turn of Aladdin.
One of Disney’s best-loved animated movies, Aladdin retells the classic fairytale, with a bit of Disney magic thrown in. First released in 1992, Aladdin became the highest grossing animated movie of all time upon its release, and won two Academy Awards. The fourth Disney movie released during what became known as the renaissance era, Aladdin instantly became ingrained in popular culture, thanks largely to Robin Williams’ vocal performance as Genie. His role, which was mostly improvised, paved the way for well known actors to lend their voices to animated characters. The new, 2019 version follows the same tale as the original, but with a few added twists and turns. Starring Naomi Scott as Jasmine, Mena Massoud as Aladdin and Will Smith as Genie, how will a live action Aladdin fare in our list?
With so many Disney live-action movies now released, will Aladdin soar above them all, or sink without a trace? Below, we’ve ranked all the Disney live-action remakes so far, from worst to best, including Aladdin.
10. Alice Through the Looking Glass
Although not strictly a remake, since this is the only version of this movie, Alice Through the Looking Glass is included here because it’s a sequel to Burton’s 2010 Alice in Wonderland. It’s also easily the worst movie of Disney’s live-action adaptation trend. Released in 2016, Alice Through the Looking Glass was produced by Burton and directed by James Bobin. Virtually all of the Alice in Wonderland cast reprise their roles, including Mia Wasikowaska as Alice, Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, and Helena Bonham Carter as the Red Queen. While the movie is visually impressive, and Burton’s hallmark is clear, the storytelling is weak and directionless, and the movie lacks any kind of purpose or punch. Alice Through the Looking Glass did not fare well at the box office, bringing in an estimated $70 million loss for Disney.
9. Maleficent
Released in 2014, Maleficent was Disney’s live-action take on Sleeping Beauty, one of its oldest classics. Directed by Robert Stromberg, Maleficent stars Angelina Jolie as the wicked fairy, but the story of Sleeping Beauty is told from her perspective, with a smart twist on the notion of true love’s kiss. Maleficent’s place on this list isn’t because it’s a bad movie; on the contrary, it’s an enjoyable enough story, cleverly told, and Jolie plays the misunderstood fairy excellently. In fact, Maleficent has proven itself worthy of a sequel, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, which is set to be released in October 2019. However, it’s not as impressive as Disney’s other movies. This is because as good as Jolie is, if it wasn’t for her performance, Maleficent wouldn’t be nearly as good.
8. Pete’s Dragon
Pete’s Dragon released in 2016; a live-action remake of the 1977 live-action/animated hybrid musical. Directed by David Lowery, starring Robert Redford, Bryce Dallas Howard, and Oakes Fegley, Pete’s Dragon wasn’t musical, but it was arguably a significant improvement on the original. A beautiful story with real heart, Pete’s Dragon was well-received by critics but didn’t really set the box office alight. In part, that was owing to the fact that the original movie hadn’t been a massive hit either. Regardless, the movie was a financial success owing to its modest budget.
7. Alice in Wonderland
Alice in Wonderland was Tim Burton’s first foray into live-action Disney remakes, and it worked well. Burton assembled an all-star cast, including Johnny Depp, Alan Rickman, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter, Stephen Fry, and Michael Sheen, among others. His vivid imagination and talent for dark, twisted storytelling is a perfect match for the whimsical story told by Lewis Carroll, which Burton loosely weaved into his movie. Alice in Wonderland was a huge hit at the box office, becoming the second biggest movie of 2010 (behind Toy Story 3), and while it wasn’t the first Disney live-action remake, its success then paved the way for Disney to remake nearly all of its classics. A visual treat, Alice in Wonderland is an enthralling watch, but it does sacrifice a lot of Carroll’s original novel leaving the resulting movie often incoherent at times.
6. Dumbo
In Dumbo, Burton took on the rather unenviable task of embellishing Disney’s shortest, but one of its best-loved, classics. Dumbo is an adorable baby elephant and his story of triumphing over all his fears and insecurities and learning to fly is a heartwarming tale. However, Burton needed to significantly add to the story; not only for it to be longer, but also to effectively tell an entertaining enough story when the main character is entirely mute.
For the most part, Burton achieved this well. Dumbo himself is cute as a button, and you can’t help but root for him. Danny DeVito and Michael Keaton are both fantastic as shrewd circus owners, and Burton’s visuals are a feast for the eyes. But it’s a predictable tale right from the outset, and Burton’s love for darkness means that some scenes are particularly upsetting for children.
Page 2 of 2: The Top 4 Disney Live-Action Remakes
5. Christopher Robin
Directed by Marc Forster, Christopher Robin released in 2018, following a now adult Christopher. With his days in the Hundred Acre Wood long behind him, Christopher (played by Ewan McGregor) is now a hard headed businessman with little time for his young daughter. He finds himself reunited with Winnie the Pooh and all his friends, and rediscovering the magic of childhood. The plot is quite thin, but even so there’s something remarkably charming and lovely about Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Tigger and Eeyore making their way across London to find their beloved Christopher, and the movie has a lovely message. Christopher Robin could have been a much better movie if so much of the focus wasn’t on Christopher’s daughter. McGregor gives a wonderful performance, and his scenes with his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood are pure Disney magic.
4. Cinderella
Kenneth Branagh directed the 2015 live action adaptation of Cinderella, starring Lily James as the eponymous fairytale princess, with Richard Madden as the Prince, Cate Blanchett as the wicked step-mother, and Helena Bonham Carter as the fairy godmother. As one may expect from Branagh, Cinderella is a sumptuous, indulgent movie, which is an almost perfect retelling of the original. Branagh has added to the original, expanding the story yet still remaining faithful to the classic movie. The incredible costumes and score, plus impressive performances from the cast, all combine to deliver a truly great live-action remake, and one which definitely improves on the original. Plus, James is the perfect Disney princess.
3. Aladdin
It may come as a surprise to some, but Aladdin 2019 is definitely one of the better Disney live-action retellings. It’s faithful to the original, but adds some twists to the story to keep it modern and fresh. Strangely, the trailers released for Aladdin really didn’t do it justice, especially the musical numbers, which are lavish and highly entertaining. Naomi Scott and Mena Massoud are perfectly cast as Jasmine and Aladdin, especially Scott who seems born to play the role. As for Will Smith as Genie; taking on a role that had been made so iconic by the late Robin Williams was never going to be easy, and there are moments when he seems to be doing an impression of Williams, and it doesn’t work so well. However, most of the time, Smith revels in his part, and his natural easy going demeanor and humor really shine through.
2. Beauty and the Beast
A live-action remake of one of Disney’s most successful animated movies was never going to be a small thing. Beauty and the Beast was the first animated movie to be Oscar nominated for Best Picture, it won Best Original Score, and three of its songs were nominated for Best Original Song, with “Beauty and the Beast” emerging triumphant. Its remake may not have garnered the same accolades, but it did gross over $1.2 billion worldwide.
Directed by Bill Condon, Beauty and the Beast features an A-list cast; Emma Watson plays Belle, with Dan Stevens as the Beast. Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Kevin Kline, Ewan McGregor, Ian McKellan, Emma Thompson, and Stanley Tucci are just some of the other names to feature. Beauty and the Beast’s score lends itself perfectly to the big screen live-action musical treatment, and Evans, Gad, and Stevens in particular turn in exceptional performances in this regard. However, while Watson is perfect as Belle in many ways, her singing falls short; she misses the classical vocal training that her predecessor, Paige O’Hara, had. It’s a near perfect retelling of the original, and while many have issue with it being so similar, its familiarity is not a bad thing. Beauty and the Beast is one of the most expensive movies ever made and it shows; it’s like a giant Broadway musical on the big screen, and that can never be a bad thing.
1. The Jungle Book
In 2016, Jon Favreau introduced The Jungle Book to a whole new generation, this time told with realistic animals. Technically, The Jungle Book is more of a CGI remake, since the only live being in the whole film is Neel Sethi as Mowgli. However, it’s easy to forget we’re watching CGI animals on the screen, even though they all talk. The Jungle Book is hugely enjoyable, and Favreau is a master at making animals seem realistic, while still capable of human thoughts, emotions, and behaviors. The voice cast are also perfectly matched to their characters, with Bill Murray voicing Baloo, Ben Kingsley and Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, and Christopher Walken as King Louie, to name but a few.
The Jungle Book has been praised for its visual effects, storytelling, and has a massive 95% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It definitely improves upon the original, and is spellbinding to watch owing to its outstanding CGI. Favreau is also helming Disney’s The Lion King remake, to be released in 2019, and given his impressive pedigree with The Jungle Book, we should be in for a real treat.
Next: Disney’s Upcoming Movie Releases - From 2019 to 2023
- Aladdin Release Date: 2019-05-24
