As a lover of all things Disney, I am especially interested in their line of live action movies. However, I’ve noticed a steep decline in viewership and positive reviews of these films so I’ve taken a deep dive into each movie to really get into the root of the problem. Here’s what I found:
1. Aladdin (2019)
“Aladdin” is the best Disney live action to be aired to date. It takes the original storyline and successfully tweaks songs and storylines to really bring the animation to life. Naomi Scott played Jasmine beautifully and really is an accurate portrayal of her headstrong, yet elegant, character. Mena Massoud took on Aladdin’s conniving wit and managed to have comedic and heartwarming chemistry with a CGI monkey. The Genie’s character is one of the best “tritagonist” across Disney. Will Smith did an amazing job taking him from a cartoon character to a real whimsical man. The writers made the correct decision when they decided to give Genie the power of being a normal man because it really added depth to the character and allowed viewers to connect with him on a larger level rather than just being comedic relief. I also enjoyed the addition of Jasmine’s handmaid, Dalia, who also doubles as her friend. Although Jasmine was a modern and headstrong character in the original movie, her life was fairly lackluster as a princess who was kept away from the outside world. She didn’t have anyone to turn to (a pattern seen a lot in early Disney movies). Dalia’s character rectified this by giving it a better sense of womanhood and exploring female relationships, without having to completely erase the romance. Womanhood and romance can co-exist without taking away from one another. From set and costume design, to vocals and script changes, “Aladdin” took an original animated story and most successfully brought it to life for audiences to enjoy across the board.
2. The Little Mermaid (2023)
Not far behind “Aladdin,” “The Little Mermaid” live action is an aesthetically pleasing and close depiction of the 1989 animation. Starring singer-songwriter and actress, Halle Bailey, who had some of the most astonishing vocals across the live action franchise. She didn’t exactly fit the type casting requirements of the original Ariel which featured paler skin, bright blue eyes, and fiery red hair, however she was still able to portray the wide-eyed innocence and aquatic majesty of the character. The film also features the original songs with reworked lyrics by Lin Manuel Miranda, who is one of this generation’s best composer-lyricist-music producers. Melissa McCarthy’s more comedic take on the villain, Ursula, was an interesting choice; however, in the end it worked out as she was still able to keep the character charismatic yet menacing. There are some things I wish directors had paid more attention to such as brightening the color of Bailey’s natural locs to better match Ariel’s original red hair or giving flounder a less creepy design, but all in all the film came together very well to create a lively and profitable watch for Disney lovers.
3. Cinderella (2015)
“Cinderella” hands down has the best costume design out of all six movies. Costume designer Sandy Powell recreated the film’s “once upon a time” look, inspired by the Georgian and Victorian eras and designed a distinct, character-driven wardrobe for the entire cast. The dramatized version of Cinderella’s iconic blue ballgown featuring over 10,000 Swarovski crystals set a high standard for the classic princess costumes that the rest of the movie’s fell short of achieving, earning it third spot on this list. As the first live-action Disney princess movie to premiere, “Cinderella” stayed non-musical and faithful to the original storyline which ended up being the best choice as fans new and old got to experience the magic of the story as it was first told. Casting couldn’t have been more perfect from Lily James’ angelic aura, to Cate Blanchett’s portrayal of the irking Evil Stepmother, even the Evil Stepsisters did a fantastic job conveying the ditziness of their characters. There were some script changes that helped the movie focus on character depth such as expanding the backstory of Ella’s parents and naming Prince Charming Kit to give him more personality and connection with the audience. Thankfully, these small tweaks enhanced the storyline rather than confusing viewers or ruining the film like in some of the other movies.
4. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
The “Beauty and the Beast” live-action had both its pros and cons. On accuracy, it places pretty high; Emma Watson’s gentle demeanor and elegance translated perfectly into Belle’s innocent character. However, her vocals were subpar compared to the other live-action actresses. The makeup and costume design are a close runner up to “Cinderella” with Oscar-winning designer Jacqueline Durran taking on the project alongside Jenny Shircore, creating looks for the entire cast that brought the animation to life. My one note would be about the modernized version of Belle’s dress; it came across as unfinished or lazily made, especially compared to the “Cinderella” dress from just two years prior.
Despite this, the movie still successfully brought the animation to life with an improved story plot that gives Belle and the Beast more depth. Belle is portrayed as an inventor, giving her more connection to her father, and she has a specific backstory regarding her mother which strays from Disney’s brushed off dead mother trope. The Beast’s (Dan Stevens) traumatic childhood is also shown which better explains his harsh attitude. Even Gaston’s (Luke Evans) actions are more sinister, like leaving Maurice (Kevin Kline) to die, effectively establishing him as the true villain of the story. Arguably the most important plot change is LeFou (Josh Gad) being explicitly portrayed as gay, making him the first openly LGBTQ+ character in Disney history. The final scene features a small clip of him dancing intimately with another man, a small but important acknowledgement of sexuality and expanding Disney’s typically heterosexual romances.
5. Mulan (2020)
For being one of Disney’s more popular movies, the live action “Mulan” was a complete disaster. From political controversy to getting rid of key characters, this movie felt rushed and like it was unprepared for its release. The main issue lied with production facing intense backlash for their decision to film parts of the movie in China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, an area of the country often referred to as a “genocide region” because of their accused operation of “re-education” camps and detainment of over one million Uyghur Muslims. Human rights groups have described the situation as a massive crackdown involving forced labor, forced sterilization, and ideological indoctrination. So for Disney to choose to film in this location raised many questions about their connection to local government entities involved in human rights abuses. Along with that, lead actress Liu Yifei expressed support for the Hong Kong police during protests, which sparked a boycott of the movie right before its premiere.
With the storyline itself, beloved characters Li Shang, Mulan’s primary love interest, and Mushu, her sidekick and comedic relief were completely erased from the movie for no apparent reason. The entire soundtrack from the animated film was cut out as directors aimed for a more serious tone that failed to resonate with viewers and took away the “Disney magic” from the movie. Additionally, instead of relying on intense training and natural wit like in the original storyline, the new movie focused on Mulan having inherent magic (“Chi”), completely removing her journey of struggle and development which is what resonated with most fans.
Despite the movie priding itself on authenticity, critics noted the amount of cultural inaccuracies, westernization of Chinese mythology and inappropriate wardrobe and set design,and historical elements from the wrong time period placed into the movie. “Mulan” fell flat for both western and local audiences. With a production budget of $200 million, the live action grossed roughly $69.9 million dollars, a $130 million loss, earning itself the title of “box office disaster of the year” and fifth place on this list.
6. Snow White (2025)
As someone who really loves the concept of live-action movies, I have to say “Snow White” is one of the worst I have ever seen. I am truly waiting for the day that another director picks up the script and goes back to the drawing board, because I yearn to see it done properly. From the ending of the first scene where Rachel Zegler’s younger counterpart transitions into her older self and casts a forced look of longing towards the camera, I knew I had to brace myself for a hectic two hours. So many things went wrong with this movie, between casting, costume design, and complete script changes it was all just horrible. I do not believe a single character was casted properly. My gripe doesn’t align with a lot of critics who solely disliked Zegler for the race difference between her and Snow White’s original animation. However, if you are going to make a controversial change like that, make sure the actress is a good one. Zegler in no way connected with the character, she took what was once there and made it something completely different. It may have worked in some instances but with a story as classic as “Snow White”, literally being the first Disney princess, it doesn’t. It’s very hard to turn a character from the 1930s into a modern 21st century feminist when that has never been a part of her story. Directors need to come to terms with that storyline not being what everyone wants to see. Zegler’s vocals also didn’t match the character and lacked that certain “Disney magic,” that most of the live action actresses were able to bring out. Did I mention her dress and haircut were also horrible? Aside from the main character, antagonist Evil Queen, played by Gal Gadot, acted more so as the comedic relief rather than giving the bone-chilling eeriness and anticipation that other actresses such as Angelina Jolie (“Maleficent”) or Emma Stone (“Cruella”) brought forth in their villainous portrayals. It felt as though Gadot was trying too hard to be evil and in turn she failed at playing the iconic character. The animated “Snow White” is a beautiful tale however the live-action completely failed at representing that, rightfully earning it last place on this list.
Based on my interpretation of the Disney princess live-action movies, I can confidently recognize what the problem has been in the past few years: directors are straying farther away from the original storylines. While I understand the urge to modernize stories and fix the mistakes that were made in more ignorant times, changing such iconic stories and expecting it to be just as good is nearly impossible. When it comes to live-action movies, factors such as the imperfections that come with real humans, set, and clothing have to be taken into consideration for the fact that it already makes everything worse. Also, if script changes must be made, writers need to ensure they are accurate and enhance the storyline rather than taking away from the characters and true message of the movie.
It seems as though Disney is already moving in the right direction with the two new live-actions set to release, “Moana” (July 2026) and “Tangled” (TBA). Although there is already some controversy with “Moana’s” apparent use of AI, audiences are excited about the accurate casting – especially Maui being played by polynesian actor, Dwayne Johnson, the original voice actor of the character. Fans are also proud of Milo Manheim, who landed the role of Flynn Rider. He had been on many people’s “fan cast” list and is further evidence that Disney is attempting to correct their wrongs and finally listen to viewer wants.
