I’m indifferent to most of the remakes. I was wholly unimpressed with Beautiful and the Beast (I mention it because you did). Emma Watson is adorable, but she can’t sing - perhaps ensemble, but as a lead in a(n iconic) role heavily reliant on song to carry the movie? No.
But I have children and I don’t sit through many of these movies for my entertainment, but for theirs. And my girls watched The Little Mermaid trailer.
Their reactions:
My 7y/o was CAPTIVATED. She sighed and gasped and when it was over she begged me to go see it, “Pleeeeaaase.” (Incidentally, I was 7 when the Animation came out and was equally enthralled).
My 10y/o was mad - that it doesn’t come out till May and they aired the trailer too early and now she has to wait.
Neither of my girls give a damn - if they even registered - that Ariela doesn’t look like their beloved cartoon.
Cash grab? Perhaps. Disney is a business after all, and some formulas work better than others. But these movies are marketable to kids based on recognition with instant revenue in retail (both for the live-actions and their animated predecessors). I’m not mad about it. I would like to see more original content but I guess the risk takers aren’t there (they’re all fumbling around LucasFilm).
Rambling aside (apologies), the kids dig it. They’re genuinely excited. They’re not at all concerned by the change or aware of controversy.
Erik if we are being excellent to each other, then we should assume the best in people. That means not supposing hatred and racism is a primary motivator in people's attitudes towards this.
For me, being a 40 year old parent of 2, I am more annoyed than angry. Annoyed because they go out of their way to make this casting decision. Why go out of your way to do something controversial that will upset people who want the original honored? Changing things that matter to people is going to cause upset feelings. Why do it?
I think the Pinocchio and Mulan remakes lacked joy and soul. Or maybe I just wanted to brag about my new Disney+ sub! =)
Many years ago (50?), I saw "Julius Caesar" performed by the Royal Shakespeare Company. It was set in Mussolini's time.
Wonderful.
But I had seen the play several times and read it (thoroughly) for "O" levels.
If I could see the play only once (like most people), I would want to see it as Shakespeare imagined it.
There is a place for revisionists, but revisionism is a luxury for a saturated society (or a tool for those looking for easy headlines).
I think that most originalists are longing for their memory of a beloved work.
Maybe I am naive and there are more evil people than I imagine.
I’m indifferent to most of the remakes. I was wholly unimpressed with Beautiful and the Beast (I mention it because you did). Emma Watson is adorable, but she can’t sing - perhaps ensemble, but as a lead in a(n iconic) role heavily reliant on song to carry the movie? No.
But I have children and I don’t sit through many of these movies for my entertainment, but for theirs. And my girls watched The Little Mermaid trailer.
Their reactions:
My 7y/o was CAPTIVATED. She sighed and gasped and when it was over she begged me to go see it, “Pleeeeaaase.” (Incidentally, I was 7 when the Animation came out and was equally enthralled).
My 10y/o was mad - that it doesn’t come out till May and they aired the trailer too early and now she has to wait.
Neither of my girls give a damn - if they even registered - that Ariela doesn’t look like their beloved cartoon.
Cash grab? Perhaps. Disney is a business after all, and some formulas work better than others. But these movies are marketable to kids based on recognition with instant revenue in retail (both for the live-actions and their animated predecessors). I’m not mad about it. I would like to see more original content but I guess the risk takers aren’t there (they’re all fumbling around LucasFilm).
Rambling aside (apologies), the kids dig it. They’re genuinely excited. They’re not at all concerned by the change or aware of controversy.
We can learn a lot from them.
Erik if we are being excellent to each other, then we should assume the best in people. That means not supposing hatred and racism is a primary motivator in people's attitudes towards this.
For me, being a 40 year old parent of 2, I am more annoyed than angry. Annoyed because they go out of their way to make this casting decision. Why go out of your way to do something controversial that will upset people who want the original honored? Changing things that matter to people is going to cause upset feelings. Why do it?