Disney: Animated vs. Live Action

When I think of my childhood, I think of the tiny little TV and VCR we had in our basement. My siblings and I would huddle around it and watch our favorite Disney movies. The magic onscreen was simple compared to what we see now, but it was enough to spark my imagination.

With all the new technology and discoveries in film and animation, our beloved Disney classics are being remade into live action films. Do we have to choose between classic and innovative? Original and modern? Childhood and adulthood?  It’s all a matter of magic and imagination, so why should we have to choose?

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Cinderella

Let’s start with one of the most loved (and remade) Disney films. Cinderella is iconic, yes because of her fairy godmother and glass slippers, but also because of her her kindness and willingness to be happy despite the unkind people around her.

There are countless remakes of this film, including Ever After and A Cinderella Story. All have a deserving girl in a less than ideal situation who gets a sparkly dress, prince, and chance to reform her life.

But every version of this story has the same message: be kind and have courage. Prevail against the darkness in the world and rise above their expectations. Be a good person.

_Jungle Book   _

Jungle Book was one of my favorite movies when I was a kid. I loved the swing dancing monkeys, and the boy who slept in trees and played with wolves. Baloo was my favorite, a bear seemed like the ultimate best friend.

Though the tiger poses a real threat in the animated film, it’s not that alarming until the climax.

The live action film, however, takes a different approach.

I swear to you, I have never seen anything creepier than King Louie in this year’s Jungle Book. That guy was a serious beast with a mobster complex.

And he wasn’t the only danger in this film. With the technology of film these days, we were reminded how crazy this story is. Mogli lives in a jungle full of real animals, not little furry friends. He has the opportunity to die at every corner of his home.

Mogli’s strengths lie in his human instincts because that’s what sets him apart. He is not the biggest, fastest, or scariest. But he is different, and that is much more emphasized in the live action film.

Alice in Wonderland

I think we can all agree that this story is the result of some late nights and some interesting substance choices. But it’s a story that really speaks to the colorful and wacky style of childlike dreams.

Like the animated film, the live action versions maintain the strange creatures. You never know what sort of nonsense you’ll find in Wonderland. But like the Once Upon a Time spinoff, it often defies logic while making you fear for your sanity.

I love how Alice goes about this adventure with her proper English manners. She’s almost unimpressed with this new world she finds herself in, which makes sense since it is her own imagination. Alice is portrayed differently in most remakes, seeming a bit more unstable and off beat.  Wonderland itself stays relatively the same level of weird, it’s Alice who really changes from one portrayal to the next. _ _Sleeping Beauty

Now we have Maleficent’s side of the story, not just the tale of Sleeping Beauty. This is a really cool way of retelling a story, take it from the villain’s point of view. It changes the plot line enough to make it a completely different movie, like the case of Sleeping Beauty and Maleficent.

The dreaming Aurora dancing with her furry friends in the woods becomes a real girl who is bursting with love for life. The real difference is Maleficent herself. She may sound the same in both movies, but she is a much deeper character in her title film. She’s given a purpose behind her hatred for King Stefan, and a reason for placing such a terrible curse on a baby princess.

The way this story is reimagined is beautiful. The magic, the fairies, the creatures, it’s all darkly romantic, much like Maleficent. Maleficent and Aurora are such opposites, but they have a really charming relationship.

Tarzan

The animated man who can vine-surf and talk to monkeys can do some amazing things. The transformation of this classic tale to live action is breath taking. Like Jungle Book, the CGI made this film of wild creatures possible.

This was also a bit different than the original story, it gave a glimpse into Tarzan and Jane’s life after their adventures in the original film.

Like Jungle Book, the audience is reminded of the vast differences between humans and beasts. Tarzan is a combination of both, because what normal guy can fly through trees so gracefully?

Snow White

Snow White is probably the second most popular remake. She’s the first ever Disney princess, setting the precedent by escaping her evil stepmother’s clutches and finding refuge with dwarves.

Snow White began the string of dreaming and singing princesses who fight for their future and bring joy to their lives no matter the circumstances. She’s Walt Disney’s darling, and filmmakers have been inspired by her for years.

Once Upon a Time is probably my favorite version of Snow White. She becomes an arrow shooting outlaw on a quest to save her prince and reclaim her kingdom. She makes mistakes, but she works hard and has so much love for the people in her life.

So while animation and live action present different versions of classic Disney tales, they both have their strengths.

With so much being done with CGI, why is animation even necessary? But there’s something about animation that resonates with the audience. Movies such as Big Hero 6, How to Train a Dragon, and Cars don’t need to be live action. Maybe it’s just because we all grew up watching cartoons, but I don’t think Disney will ever completely stop making animated films. I hope not.

I also love all the live action remakes coming out lately. I was so excited to see Beauty and the Beast this year.  There’s something so enchanting about seeing fairy tales played out in our world by real people. It’s really beautiful and genius film work. And though I love the classics, there’s room in my heart for both. And who knows, you may discover new things from tales reimagined.