Top 5 animated Disney films that should not be live action
Disney is looking to turn their animated properties into live action films. While they are doing an awesome job of presenting these stories in a new and exciting way and Pete’s Dragon was a completely different movie from the original, there are some films that Disney just shouldn’t make into live action. It should be noted that Pete’s Dragon and to a greater extent The Jungle Book were both released to pave the way for a live action The Lion King. There is no way Disney can’t go there with the success that the animated film and Broadway musical have had. This list will not contain any of the package movies that Disney did because each of them have a number of different stories, and each story may or may not be suitable for a live action adaptation.
5. Dumbo – This tear jerker of a film runs just over an hour. One of the reasons that it works is because it has almost no filler, except the Casey Jr. segment. Trying to stretch this into a 2-hour blockbuster with the same amount of emotional impact would be sad in the worst sort of ways. Dumbo, its pink elephants and its crows should remain the animated classic that it is.
4. Winnie the Pooh – Remember the live action Winnie the Pooh on the Disney channel? I rest my case.
3. Lady and the Tramp – Air Bud, the Buddies, Benji, just about any live action dog film makes me want to gag, with the possible exception of Old Yeller. Translating Lady and Tramp into live-action can only lead to disaster.
2. Pinocchio – There are already too many of these adaptations out there, and I think that JTT finally killed (in a bad way) this story as a live action production.
1. Fantasia – It may seem like a package movie, but Fantasia was born from a different idea and at a different time than the standard Disney package films. It is meant to be an exploration of art and music. It is supposed to bring inaccessible classical music back into the popular consciousness. It is a fusion of drawing and imagination and sound. A live action version of this would be modern dance or ballet – and it just wouldn’t be the same. Drawing can take you place that dance can’t go. “Rite of Spring,” anyone?
Check out the poll below and tell us what you think.
5. Dumbo – This tear jerker of a film runs just over an hour. One of the reasons that it works is because it has almost no filler, except the Casey Jr. segment. Trying to stretch this into a 2-hour blockbuster with the same amount of emotional impact would be sad in the worst sort of ways. Dumbo, its pink elephants and its crows should remain the animated classic that it is.
4. Winnie the Pooh – Remember the live action Winnie the Pooh on the Disney channel? I rest my case.
3. Lady and the Tramp – Air Bud, the Buddies, Benji, just about any live action dog film makes me want to gag, with the possible exception of Old Yeller. Translating Lady and Tramp into live-action can only lead to disaster.
2. Pinocchio – There are already too many of these adaptations out there, and I think that JTT finally killed (in a bad way) this story as a live action production.
1. Fantasia – It may seem like a package movie, but Fantasia was born from a different idea and at a different time than the standard Disney package films. It is meant to be an exploration of art and music. It is supposed to bring inaccessible classical music back into the popular consciousness. It is a fusion of drawing and imagination and sound. A live action version of this would be modern dance or ballet – and it just wouldn’t be the same. Drawing can take you place that dance can’t go. “Rite of Spring,” anyone?
Check out the poll below and tell us what you think.
One person wrote: Lion King, just watching the Broadway musical made me crazy.
I loved the musical, it was very innovative and had some amazing stagecraft. Still with Lion King being the 3rd highest grossing animated film ever (not adjusted for inflation), Disney has to make it. I don't see how they cannot after seeing The Jungle Book.
I loved the musical, it was very innovative and had some amazing stagecraft. Still with Lion King being the 3rd highest grossing animated film ever (not adjusted for inflation), Disney has to make it. I don't see how they cannot after seeing The Jungle Book.