Recently, Disney has been investing its attention and money into live action remakes of their previously animated movies that were released in the 20th century. But these live-action remakes are nothing short of successful and entertaining for some students at CHS. 

Danielle Johnson, Watch Disney club student leader and senior, said she thought the movies were a good thing if they are made well.

“I think if they are done well, it’s going to be a good thing because millenials and the early 2000’s kids grew up on these shows,” Johnson said. “Now millennials and adults have kids and to have the remakes is like watching the same thing with their kids, and for us high schoolers it’s just a good experience to go back and be able to see the first one in theaters.”

However, according to critic reviews from IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes, the new, live-action remakes scored lower than their original, animated versions. Johnson said she thinks it is because critics do not understand how many different factors go into play between animation and live-action.

“I think it’s hard to be a critic…you can do so much more with animation than you can with people so it’s going to be hard to completely redo it,” Johnson said. “But then also on the other scale you have where if you do (the remake) to the exact same thing then critics and people are going to be mad because you didn’t add to the movie.”

Eve Elliot, Watch Disney club member and senior, said she thinks the changes could be for the better or for the worse.

“I think it depends on the change and I also think it depends on how they portray it,” said Elliot. “If I go (watch the remake) thinking it’s going to be the exact same as the original then I’m disappointed by the changes but if I go in knowing that they’re going to be some big differences it’s not as important to me.”

According to both Johnson and Elliot, there is a significant factor at play for the monetary success of Disney’s live-action remakes: nostalgia.

“(Nostalgia is) definitely a large part because, as I said earlier, it’s people who now have children are taking their kids to these movies that they saw in theaters,” Johnson said. “They remember watching as kids and it’s part of the family time and when they go to the (theater) it’s seeing the people and being able to see the person you saw (in the animation) as a person on screen.”

Elliot also spoke on nostalgia as a factor of success.

“I know for me when I see that a new live action movie is coming out it makes me think of the old movies and how much I love it so then I want to go see the new one and see what they’ve changed,” Elliot said. ”So nostalgia is definitely a big factor.”

Brittany Wiseman, Watch Disney club sponsor and assistant principal, said she thinks that because of the live actions’ monetary success, Disney does them for the money.

“I think they do (the remakes) because they know they’re going to make money,” Wiseman said. “I’m a Disney fan, so I’m going to go because, you know, Disney put it out.”

Likewise, Elliot also said that she believes Disney does it for the money.

“I think that’s definitely one of the main factors,” Elliot said. “I know they make a lot of money because they have all the old fans and new fans, younger kids going to see them, so they do make a lot of money.”

Regardless of the critic reviews and Disney’s reasons for the remakes, Johnson said she still enjoys them just as much and is looking forward to the new ones to come.

“I think that what they’re doing right now is good because they definitely have a lot of animated movies,” Johnson said. “You have Mulan coming out… and that’s highly anticipated because you have such a good animated film.”