It used to be that the Disney logo stood for magic and imagination. Now a days, those Mickey ears represent lifelessness. Although Disney, like any other corporation seeks to make a respectable profit, Disney is no longer able to provide the promise of substance. With nearly (nine!) live action Disney remakes considered or slated for the rest of the decade, Disney seems less occupied with the content of their product, and more focused on their tried and true money-making approach.
Growing up during Disney's Renaissance, I was always elated to see what new animated treasure Disney had to offer me. From The Little Mermaid to The Lion King, I marveled at how Disney always seemed to transcend my expectations. However, it looks as though after 77 years of releasing original feature films, Disney has finally surrendered from pioneering into the great unknown.
It's not difficult to understand the reasoning Disney has in making such lazy and unoriginal efforts. Recent Disney CGI-heavy remakes Alice and Wonderland, Maleficent and Cinderella have proven that this model can provide box office gold....but also poor reviews. (With the exception of Cinderella that is.)
I do understand the appeal of a live action remake from time to time. It's almost an ingenious scheme when you consider the wide audiences Disney can attract. For one thing, older viewers may want to relive their childhood by watching a reimagined take on their favorite Disney movies.
Yet, it seems rather presumptuous that all of these remakes are going to become as timeless as their animated counterparts. And does Disney really care? Not if you financially support each of these franchised titles....and statistically speaking, you most-likely will.
I'm not sure our rantings are going to stop the remake monster :(
ReplyDeleteNo, the public has made their mind. :(
ReplyDeleteI have no problem with live-action remakes as long as they are good. So far it's been a mixed bag. I remember the days when you could count on a Disney movie being fabulous. Now, not always the case.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I wouldn't mind if they made a few live-action remakes every so often. But now that this is their main focus and they are looking to produce close to 5-9 remakes within the next few years, it looks as though they want to beat this concept to death. I guess we'll all look forward to the percentage of decent films they do put out.
DeleteWalt Disney was a wonderful creative person who brought his dreams to life in ways that no one had ever seen before.
ReplyDeleteDisney however is now a big corporation, run by Squares for a profit, just like most other corporations. I am sure all the Squares that read this would say "What? Are you against a company making a profit ?!", because that is about as far as a square can think about such a thing.
I do feel that Disney has some great talent in their midst, and I do enjoy their films the majority of the time, however, I am sure that the decision to remake the old cartoons was made by the number crunching squares seeking to make a fast profit.... I could care less if I see them, I already saw the old ones.
I completely agree. Disney is very much a corporation. I understand that they need to make a profit, I just wish that they cared more about their cinematic product. And yes, there plenty of passionate and creative types at Disney....but I'm not entirely sure how much of an influence that have in this particular setting anymore. I suppose only time will tell if the glut of remakes will become a result of their creativity or business savvy tactics.
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