7: 101 Dalmatians
While it seldom comes up in the discussion of Disney live-action remakes, 1996’s 101 Dalmatians was the first time Disney dabbled with the concept, and the results were, as they have often been, fairly mixed.
The movie makes for a great piece of family fun, and Glenn Close is an absolute delight as Cruella De Vil, but it also ends up feeling overly sentimental come the end, and never really manages to capture the magic of the original movie. The dogs are incredibly cute though.
6: Maleficent
While not strictly a remake, Disney’s Maleficent was a re-telling of the Sleeping Beauty from the point of view of the movie’s iconic antagonist.
Needless to say, Jolie excels in the titular role, bringing the appropriate amount of villainy and charm to the character, while her striking facial features are a perfect match for Maleficent’s general aesthetic.
Sadly, the film fails to hold up when it comes to the narrative, and while it starts well, and features some enjoyable sequences, the decision to change the nature of Maleficent’s character damages the movie tonally in the final third.
5: Beauty and the Beast
For many, Bill Condon’s take on Beauty and the Beast is one of the finer Disney movies in recent years, and while it has its enjoyable moments, it fails to hold a candle to the original movie.
The set design for the movie is stunning to look at, and the musical numbers are excellently delivered, but the movie lacks that Disney magic and a lot of the star-studded supporting cast come across as a little too hamfisted in their roles as the house’s enchanted furniture.
Like a lot of the Disney remakes, the movie is also quite heavy on gender politics, and while this is not necessarily a bad thing, it feels a little too heavy-handed at times.
4: Christopher Robin
Christopher Robin, the first live action-take on AA Milne and Disney’s beloved Winnie the Pooh was a surprisingly sweet affair, one that managed to do a fairly solid job of bringing Pooh and his friends into the 21st century.
While the new CGI Pooh may have angered some purists, the script managed to keep most of Pooh’s sweetness and charm in check and Ewan McGregor was also well cast as the titular Robin.
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Originally published April 13, 2019. Updated July 23, 2024.
