Disney is well-known around the world for being a part of many people’s childhood memories. With older films such as Pinocchio (1940), to newer films such as the remake of Lady and the Tramp (2020), Disney has been around for nearly 100 years. A question that people tend to ask nowadays is: are Disney films as good as they used to be many decades ago?
Disney is well-known around the world for being a part of many people’s childhood memories. With older films such as Pinocchio (1940), to newer films such as the remake of Lady and the Tramp (2020), Disney has been around for nearly 100 years. A question that people tend to ask nowadays is: are Disney films as good as they used to be many decades ago?
I believe the answer to that is that it depends on what film you watch. For example, let's take the remake of Lady and the Tramp on the streaming service Disney+. As much as the graphics were modern and updated, the charm and appeal of the original film just wasn’t there in my opinion. It almost felt to me like Disney was losing its touch for creating magical films that appeal to all ages. However, most importantly, Disney might be losing its spark of creativity that made people love the classic films and the characters within to begin with.
On the other hand, even though the classic films pull at the heartstrings of many generations, modern films can pack just as much emotion as classic films and can teach people of all ages important life lessons. Saving Mr. Banks (2013) is one of those more modern films that can trigger sadness especially with the true-life story of the author of Mary Poppins, P. L. Travers. Emma Thompson portrays Travers in an empathetic light to the viewers especially when Travers has flashbacks to her childhood. Another honourable mention is Big Hero 6 (2014) which shows how the loss of a loved one can affect people in separate ways and how other loved ones can ease the pain.
With some remakes like Mulan (2020) receiving criticism over filming locations, other remakes such as Dumbo (2019) brought back some cherished memories and a lovable main character. Even though the storyline wasn’t the same as the original film, Dumbo (2019) was reimagined in a new light, complete with a brand-new storyline and new characters. Although it’s not the same as the original and quite forgettable after watching it, I thought during the time I viewed it that it was a terrific tribute to a classic film that many people loved.
To sum up, although the remakes that Disney created can be seen as unimaginative and heralding a lack of creativity; I believe that if you want a blast from the past, recreated with modern graphics, by all means, go and watch the remakes. However, my personal experience of the remakes hasn’t blown me away as much as I had hoped. New films can be unforgettable in the right way but these remakes are not experiences that I will cherish as much as the classic films they are based off of.