All of Disney's Live-Action Animated Remakes, Ranked

Besides conscionable being mostly soulless, nan logic the live-action adjustment of Pinocchio is, successful our mind, nan worst of nan bunch is nan wasted potential. Robert Zemeckis directed it. ROBERT ZEMECKIS. The dude made Back to nan Future. Oh, and it starred Tom Hanks. TOM HANKS. One of nan champion ever. They wasted months and years connected this and that conscionable makes its beingness that overmuch worse.

After nan awesome whimsy of Tim Burton’s Big Fish, which included Danny DeVito, we were excited for this reunion of head and star. But Dumbo, while very tiny and featuring nan champion CG-designed Disney animal characteristic yet, barely took flight successful a meandering communicative astir family loss, pinch a basking sad dada played by Colin Farrell and muddled anti-animal maltreatment messaging.

As you’ll spot connected this list, not only are we including consecutive adaptations for illustration Pinocchio aliases Dumbo, but besides nan spinoffs and sequels of those live-action versions. And each of those are inferior to their (usually, already not-great) originals. The champion example, making it nan worst, of those is Alice 2, which swaps nan astatine slightest nosy communicative of nan original for pointless repetition.

That Glenn Close took a domiciled arsenic a live-action Cruella de Vil remains wholly inspired casting. That helped elevate nan original movie, which had nan original film’s story. In 102 Dalmatians though, it’s fundamentally conscionable nan aforesaid movie again, but little breathtaking aliases absorbing because we’ve seen it each before.

Here Lady and nan Tramp attempts nan romance betwixt 2 spaghetti-loving dogs successful a beautiful paint-by-numbers adjustment of nan animated film. While Disney keeps going backmost and distant pinch its CG animal design, this 1 fares amended than most, favoring much animated eyes connected nan furry formed alternatively of nan hyper-realistic nightmare substance seen elsewhere.

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice isn’t a very bully movie, but does person Nicolas Cage arsenic a wizard and a overmuch bigger, action-packed consciousness than astir of these different movies. Which, well, is much than you tin opportunity for astir of nan different movies. And though it’s a very loose adjustment of nan series successful Fantasia, we figured it benignant of fresh here.

Alice successful Wonderland became nan Hot Topic meets psychedelic wallpaper creation blueprint of imagination worlds successful Disney live-action that we were cursed pinch for a while. The garish tones and moody constitution looks became a immense fad on pinch nan creation of nan main characters, but nan story? Well, bless nan movie, it tried to action-hero Alice successful ways that didn’t consciousness earned—in nan hands of Tim Burton astatine least.

Not to beryllium confused pinch Jon Favreau’s wholly CGI version, this 1994 movie starred Jason Scott Lee arsenic an older-than-usual Mowgli, nan animals don’t speak, and it’s directed by Stephen “The Mummy” Sommers. It’s a different take, and not hugely memorable, but ace solid.

As we move up this list, we deed a fewer movies that are bully based connected nan communicative alone. The originals are truthful cleanable that moreover pinch hundreds of millions of dollars spent to remake them, that bosom remains. The Lion King is that. The unthinkable CG doesn’t consciousness for illustration it adds much, but it’s still sewage that moving communicative pinch nan fantabulous music—and that unsocial makes it worthy watching.

Let David Lowery spell each in! The head behind The Green Knight and Pete’s Dragon is masterful successful making moreover nan astir fantastical of lore person weight and texture successful ways that different live-action Disney films person not been capable to capture. Neverland looks real, nan magic looks real, Peter and Wendy were perfectly cast. Spiritually, nan kids consciousness much on nan lines of Hook pinch a caller return connected Peter and a backstory for Captain Hook that’s riveting and imaginative for fans of each ages. But this caller merchandise was grounded by an evident deficiency of belief successful this task that possibly prevented it from reaching nan heights it aimed for... and it being homed connected Disney+ didn’t help.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil had nary correct to beryllium arsenic bully arsenic it was. Sure, it’s fundamentally alternate-universe canon fanfic, but it cooks pinch Angelina Jolie and Michelle Pfeiffer oozing glitter and going to warfare pinch 1 another. And Elle Fanning? She’s nan warrior Princess Aurora we didn’t cognize we needed. More of these please.

Though Christopher Robin isn’t a nonstop remake of Winnie nan Pooh, it has nan aforesaid thought astatine its center, truthful we’re putting it connected nan list. It would beryllium higher excessively if it was a spot much focused and not arsenic “Oh bother” arsenic it is, but pinch Ewan McGregor starring and Marc Forster directing, it’s astatine slightest absorbing and noteworthy.

Mulan was done truthful soiled by nan timing of its August 2020 release; retrieve that full “even Disney+ subscribers will person to salary extra” strategy? It’s nan first Disney heroine canon movie to beryllium directed by a woman, Niki Caro—who really captured nan correct position successful handling nan communicative of Mulan. Filled pinch move action, nan movie kept existent to nan tone of nan fable of Fa Mulan while still sprinkling successful immoderate of nan favourite crippled points from nan beloved animated feature.

Would any of these different movies beryllium if, astir 1995, Glenn Close didn’t work together to commencement successful a live-action remake of 101 Dalmatians arsenic nan villain Cruella—resulting successful a movie that was beautiful damned good, acknowledgment successful ample portion to Close’s all-in performance? We don’t know, but you tin astir apt make nan argument. Anyway, it was a immense hit, nan workplace made a sequel, and for nan adjacent 4th period and beyond, Disney has been repeating nan formula.

Lily James embodies Cinderella successful this Kenneth Branagh feature, which really crystalizes that fairytale dream of Perrault’s original folktale and Disney’s animated film. Its downfall? Not including nan euphony successful nan film, a prime made odder by nan truth that Lily James can singing (just watch Mamma Mia 2: Here We Go Again). Thankfully, you tin find her return connected “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” connected nan soundtrack—and truthfully, moreover without immoderate on-screen crooning, she’s still 1 of live-action Disney’s champion casting choices.

Guy Ritchie’s Aladdin is perfectly 1 of nan champion live-action adaptations of a Disney film. Will Smith re-invented nan Genie characteristic pinch his takes connected nan film’s show-stopping classics, and on pinch Mena Massoud and Naomi Scott provided nan strongest ensemble to date. Oh, and Marwan Kenzari’s hot Jafar? A bold prime that worked out. We still want a sequel, dammit!

While Alice successful Wonderland whitethorn person really gotten nan shot rolling connected these remakes, Angelina Jolie’s move arsenic Maleficent is wherever nan inclination solidified. With this film, not only did you person that megastar, you had a movie that added to nan mythology of nan original. She’s a villain who changes and we get to spot her from a full caller perspective. That’s what these movies do best, and fewer do it arsenic good arsenic Maleficent.

Releasing this week, The Little Mermaid raises nan barroom for live-action Disney Princesses, giving fans an Ariel who tin singing and enactment beautifully, and who carries nan movie to statement moreover pinch its underwater shortcomings. Halle Bailey’s capacity successful nan movie is simply a star-maker, and her versions of nan animated movie’s beloved Menken and Ashman songs will guidelines nan trial of time, topping moreover nan originals.

That Jon Favreau changeable a remake of The Jungle Book in a Los Angeles storage remains a technological marvel. That nan movie past captured nan magic of nan original while besides forging its ain unsocial way forward, made it moreover better.

Cruella continued nan alternate beingness takes connected Disney Villains pinch a fun, rollicking riff connected nan communicative of 1 misunderstood manner genius—turns retired she doesn’t dislike Dalmatians arsenic overmuch arsenic she does nan elitist purebred conventions they guidelines for. Emma Stone lets loose successful her chaotic and eager mentation of Cruella arsenic she sets to pain nan manner world down. This is Disney’s Joker but better.

Saying the 2017 Beauty and nan Beast is nan champion of nan live-action Disney remakes whitethorn beryllium arguable to some. But retired of each these films, fewer had arsenic difficult a task aliases knew nan duty arsenic well. This movie intelligibly loves and adores nan original, truthful you get a batch of that—but past you besides get immoderate tweaks and additions that make it guidelines out, and a formed that brings each segment to vibrant life. It’s not a cleanable movie (Emma Watson, sorry you were auto-tuned to hell), nary of these are, but pinch everything connected nan table, Beauty and nan Beast delivered a movie worthy of nan original.