The OG movies hold a special place in our hearts, do the remakes measure up?

From Disney to Touchstone, there have been movie failures and masterpieces. Sure, we’ve all been disappointed after watching a remake, but that doesn’t mean remakes are always bad. 

Remakes are fun, trendy, new, featuring the most popular or upcoming actors. But, that one Disney movie we love or that Barbie series we grew up watching, reminds us of happy times and we often long for the originals. Despite the hype, after seeing the new live-action ‘Mulan’, some hope for remakes is lost. 

‘Mulan’ is an independent, strong, and fearless warrior. The new ‘Mulan’ conveyed her power very well. But the movie was lacking without the songs to move the story along. I get it, I sometimes want to barf when they sing repeatedly in musicals, but the singing and the powerful messages within the songs she sings are a crucial part of her character development and connection to the audience. Rather than taking out the singing because it might make her seem “weak,” it made her stronger and more empowering.

Another example is ‘Mean Girls.’ Little did you know, there is a ‘Mean Girls 2,’ which follows the same plot and has actors who look like the original cast, with the same jokes, but with less shock and suspense. This strange carbon copy leaves us with a weird aftertaste.

Freshman Parker Powers agreed, “I love the original ‘Aladdin’ but not the live action.” She went on, “Same with any Disney movies, I don’t like the live actions.” Live actions are great, they always have the best colors, sound and special effects, but they don’t match up to the originals we all love. It’s brave to make a move based on one so many have grown up with, and sometimes it works out. “The Lion King” is a perfect example of a live action hitting the point. With a fantastic cast made up of extraordinary musicians and actors like Beyoncé and Donald Glover, the ‘Lion King’ hit the mark. It made us laugh, cry and it even made us angry. It had terrific special effects, seeming so real and the amazing music that moves us to sing along. The battle between the OGs and remakes will continue and sometimes remakes like the ‘Lion King’ will delight us. But when people think back to their childhood memories, back to the time when they were happy and worry free, they still think of the originals.

“Honestly, the graphics are much better quality,” stated Senior Lizbeth Ramírez, when asked which she preferred. Lizbeth expressed her love for remakes, “’The Thing,’ ‘The Mummy,’ ‘Magnificent 7,’ and let’s not forget about Robin Williams in ‘The Birdcage.’” 

So, are remakes better? They have top notch special effects, diverse castings and fantastic music. The originals, on the other hand, hold our memories and childhoods. They’re the movies we watched when we were sick or right after school, and the movies we’ll remember into our old age when we want to reminisce about happy times. At the end of the day, it’s all about your opinion, remakes are sometimes better and sometimes worse it depends on you.