Film Articles
Disney Remakes: How to Compare Two Versions of a Story
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A remake arrives with an advantage and a difficulty: much of the audience already knows the story. Familiarity can make a scene welcoming, but it can also make every alteration feel conspicuous. A useful comparison goes beyond checking whether the new film preserved your favorite line.
Aladdin: compare a performance, not an impression
Guy Ritchie’s 2019 Aladdin stars Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott and Will Smith. Its live-action approach changes the relationship between performers, choreography and the space around them. That gives you something concrete to compare with the earlier animated version.
Pick one musical or comic sequence and watch how it establishes its rhythm. Does a joke depend on a voice, a physical action or a cut? Does the song change a relationship, or pause the story to enjoy a spectacle? Allow a performer to make a different choice before deciding whether it works.
The Lion King: visual style changes expression
The 2019 The Lion King uses photoreal computer-generated imagery. Its relationship to the earlier animated film therefore raises a question beyond technical polish: how does the chosen style communicate an animal character’s emotions?
Compare posture, facial movement and the distance of the camera. An image can appear more physically plausible while communicating differently. Neither realism nor exaggeration is a complete standard of quality; consider what the particular scene needs.
Look for a changed point of view
Ask who gets more time to speak, whose decisions drive the action and what a new scene adds. An expanded role can deepen a story, but additional material can also interrupt its shape. The useful evidence is on the screen, not in the assumption that a longer version must be more complete.
Try watching the versions on separate evenings. Write down two moments you enjoyed in each before drawing a conclusion. This leaves room to prefer the original while still noticing an effective new idea—or to discover that a remake is the version you would choose again.
Choose an edition deliberately
When shopping, check the year and version as carefully as the title. Remakes do not automatically share a cast, running time or presentation with their predecessors. Our current DVD listings establish availability; the examples here are viewing comparisons.
For a wider discussion across eras, read Classic and Contemporary Movies: A Better Way to Compare.