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Second Take: Disney loses its magic with overly nostalgic sequels and remakes

(Anagha Srivatsav/Daily Bruin)

By Sanjana Chadive

Feb. 28, 2023 9:20 p.m.

This post was updated March 1 at 1:51 p.m.

Dreams do come true at Walt Disney Studios – that is, if those dreams are anything but imaginative.

With the latest announcement of “Zootopia 2,” “Frozen 3” and “Toy Story 5,” Disney has once again demonstrated its inclination to produce unnecessary sequels and remakes over wholly original and creative stories. Unfortunately, the company has no plans to stop, as there are currently 36 sequels, prequels, live-action remakes and reboots in development. In order to enjoy its ongoing success, Disney must prioritize original content over nostalgic cash grabs.

Audiences will question why Disney keeps funding these sequels and remakes, as most of them have not lived up to their initial inspirations. Barring Jon Favreau’s “The Jungle Book,” every live-action remake has a worse Rotten Tomatoes score than its animated counterpart. The largely dull and uninspiring quality of Disney’s remakes was especially scrutinized with its latest and worst addition, “Pinocchio.” Featuring disturbing CGI, lackluster pacing and a soulless color palette, the 2022 release’s Rotten Tomatoes score of 27% brought down the average score of the live-action remakes to 59.91%, just barely below the “Fresh” threshold.

[Related: Second Take: Class satire genre contrasts wealthy, working classes through dark comedy]

Although a few of these nostalgic films were acclaimed, critics and viewers alike agree that they felt unnecessary. For example, while “Toy Story 4” received widespread praise for its vibrant animation and emotional weight, many were left wondering why it was made. Woody and Buzz Lightyear’s story seemingly came to a bittersweet yet fitting end in “Toy Story 3” and was even advertised as the conclusion of a trilogy. Within the same franchise, the 2022 film “Lightyear” left much to be desired because it simply retold the titular character’s origin story touched upon in “Toy Story 2.”

Nevertheless, capitalizing on past films has proven to be profitable numerous times. Almost every theatrical release has succeeded at the box office, which is probably why Disney continues investing billions of dollars in them. In spite of Disney being a 99-year-old company with a trove of tales, there are only so many ways to reinvent them before viewers grow exhausted by the same stories and tropes being told over and over again.

The aforementioned notion is especially important when considering some of the company’s earliest films. Belonging to the so-called “Golden Era of Disney,” most of these movies aren’t longer than 90 minutes, so there isn’t much content to reimagine in the first place. Many of these shorter films also include racist and antisemitic stereotypes. For example, a number of older Disney villains have large noses, evoking harmful conceptions about the Jewish community.

Consequently, the short runtimes and problematic aspects have limited the creative potential of directors attempting to revive Disney’s oldest pictures. For instance, Tim Burton’s 2019 remake of “Dumbo” was panned by critics because it tried to reimagine a film that ran only a little over an hour and is infamous for being harmful to the Black community through its inclusion of crows clearly based on minstrel show stereotypes. Burton addressed this problematic element by removing the crows and having their dialogue said by a circus ringleader instead. However, audiences’ stomachs will still turn knowing the lines’ grim history.

Moreover, the bulk of whichever original films Disney is producing, such as “Soul” and “Turning Red,” is being released directly on the streaming service Disney+ instead of in theaters. Even Disney+ users might have to pay an extra fee to watch a new movie, as seen with the live-action remake of “Mulan.” In order to reach all audiences, these innovative and refreshing stories deserve to be shown on the big screen along with the less novel ones.

Those with a keen eye will also notice a troublesome truth behind most of the movies that are exclusive to streaming services: marginalized communities are central in all of them. Historically, Disney films have predominantly featured white, straight and cisgender characters. Choosing to not theatrically release the movies with minority groups at the center is gravely detrimental to the goal of meaningful representation.

[Related: Second take: Studios fail to uplift people of color in true crime miniseries]

One can argue that Disney is embracing diversity by casting Black and Latina actresses as the leads in the remakes of “The Little Mermaid” and “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves,” respectively. While these choices are small steps toward inclusivity, it would be more meaningful if Disney started investing in more original stories centered around cultures often overlooked in film.

Once upon a time, Disney was known for its magical storytelling. Now, it’s no better than a factory that prioritizes quantity over quality. Even though these countless sequels and remakes have proven to be successful at the box office time after time, there are so many wonderful stories to be told, especially by members of historically underrepresented groups.

At some point, even the most devoted fans will eventually say, “So long, partner,” to the house of the mouse.

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Sanjana Chadive | Lifestyle editor
Chadive is the 2023-2024 lifestyle editor. She was previously an Arts staff writer from 2022-2023. She is a third-year comparative literature student from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania.
Chadive is the 2023-2024 lifestyle editor. She was previously an Arts staff writer from 2022-2023. She is a third-year comparative literature student from Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania.
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