Love or hate them, but Disney’s live-action remakes will keep coming. With another decade filled with sequels and retellings of the iconic animated classics, a new generation of Disney viewers discover the magic for the first time. For those who grew up on the original stories from the twentieth century, the remakes have become a divisive topic. Some audiences and critics claim the Mouse House has no originality left. In contrast, others adore the opportunity to share the wonderful world of Disney with their children and grandchildren with stunning visuals and new faces.
Rotten Tomatoes wields the power and the respect to sway a viewer’s mind. Many movie lovers rely solely on the critic score, while others the audience score—and some look for a happy medium, just wanting to know if this Disney remake warrants the watch. Averaging the scores of all the current live-action remakes, look at a ranking of Disney’s live-action remakes.
90% – The Jungle Book (2016)
Disney knew what audiences needed in a remake, making Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book the best live-action remake to date. Staying true to the original tale of Mowgli (Neel Sethi) needing to leave the jungle at the paws of Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba), this feature went above and beyond expectation. The visuals won Oscars, a star-studded cast did incomparable work, and the updates felt like they’d always been there. Nostalgic, fun, and an arguable improvement on the original, The Jungle Book hit a home run with audiences and critics from the moment it hit the big screen.
86% – Cruella (2021)
The Oscar-winning origin story of one of Disney’s baddest villains finally gave Disney movie lovers a chance to root for a villain. A prequel film, Cruella tells the story of the young titular character as she finds her way in the cut-throat fashion industry. Led by the immaculate Emma Stone, the feature won the Oscar for Best Costume Design–fitting for the storyline. For critics and audiences, it told an origin story they didn’t know they needed. With a certified fresh critic score and a high audience score, Cruella proved Disney villain stories as a successful live-action avenue.
81% – Cinderella (2015)
Combining masterful directing talent from Kenneth Branagh and old-fashioned Disney magic, Cinderella delighted audiences and critics with one of the first installments in the Disney princess live-action genre. Alongside clever casting of scene-stealing legends like Cate Blanchett and Helena Bonham Carter, Lily James brought the beloved scullery maid to life for the generations who grew up with the animated original and for new audiences seeing Cinderella for the first time. Critics remained surprisingly captivated with a certified fresh score, and audiences applauded the balance the film struck with a coming-of-age tale and magical princess feature.
80% – Pete’s Dragon (2016)
Adding to Disney’s success with remakes in 2016, Pete’s Dragon proved the wisdom of updating a classic golden-era feature. The original version blended animation with live-action, and though critics balked, it gained a cult following over time. Director and co-writer David Lowery proved Disney had the right team to do it on a whole other level almost 40 years later. The production handled with care the story of an orphan boy and his magical dragon friend, producing a stunning remake adored by audiences of all generations and critics—who awarded the feature a certified fresh rating.
80% – The Little Mermaid (2023)
Despite the initial hubbub and noise surrounding Halle Bailey’s casting as the iconic mermaid, Disney produced a delightful remake. Carrying the film, Bailey provided a new generation with a beautiful songstress who remained faithful to the original character while adding touches to make it her own. The Little Mermaid made waves in the best way possible with its loyalty to the beloved animated feature while making changes that elevated the feature to a live-action treat, ranking high among the long list of modern-day retellings.
77% – Christopher Robin (2018)
A sweet and simple live-action retelling of A.A. Milne’s beloved literary characters, Christopher Robin satisfied moviegoers with its enjoyable cast and new story. Featuring Ewan McGregor as the titular character, the feature finds Christopher as an adult confronted with his childhood friend Winnie-the-Pooh (voiced by Jim Cummings) determined to help Christopher rediscover himself and find joy in life once again. Both sides agreed that the emotional adaptation featured a magical cast that allowed audiences of all ages to feel like kids.
75% – Beauty and the Beast (2017)
An evenly reviewed feature, Beauty and the Beast remained faithful to the source material while bringing a fresh set of elements to the tale as old as time. With elaborate production design modeling a bygone French era, the remake earned two Oscar nominations for Best Costume Design and Best Production Design. Despite solid performances from a star-studded cast, new musical elements, and the attention to world-building, Beauty and the Beast didn’t quite reach the full potential all audiences had hoped for but managed to keep its head above water for a solid remake compared to others in the canon.
75% – Aladdin (2019)
Classic Disney viewers held their breath waiting for this feature: how could anyone match Robin Williams’ performance as Genie? For audiences, Will Smith made it his own, and the feature soared as high as a magic carpet could take it. For critics, the lavish production didn’t fly above the original but played straightforwardly enough to justify its existence. In another divisively scored remake, all viewers agreed that Aladdin featured more like a spectacular stage show instead of a movie—each respective side decided whether that was a good or bad thing.
70% – The Lion King (2019)
After his success with The Jungle Book, critics and audiences prepared for another masterful CGI remake from director Jon Favreau, but many felt disappointed. A frame-by-frame retelling of the original animated feature managed to generate audiences but repelled critics. Favreau’s storytelling creativity stopped at the stunning visual effects instead of enhancing the original story, earning a rotten score. For audiences, the immaculate casting and realistic portrayals of the African creatures solidified a positive score for the film overall.
68% – Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book (1994)
A deep cut in the live-action vault, this early adaptation of The Jungle Book scored with critics to secure a certified fresh rating—but didn’t impress audiences. The story occurs mainly as adult Mowgli (Jason Scott Lee) tries to find his way into the civilized world but must protect his jungle. Critics enjoyed the golden-age nostalgia the 90s feature brought to the screen instead of relying heavily on the cartoon. Audiences felt it was more of a Tarzan adaptation than The Jungle Book.
67% – Maleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
One of the most drastic score differences of Disney’s live-action canon, audiences adored the Angelina Jolie-led sequel while critics labeled it rotten. In this origin-story sequel, as Aurora (Elle Fanning) prepares for her wedding to Prince Phillip (Harris Dickinson), Maleficent (Jolie) begins to question Aurora’s family ties as Phillip’s mother threatens their magical lands. Audiences loved this sequel better than the original, scoring it 95%, while critics failed to see a justification for a second film with a rotten 39% score.
62% – Maleficent (2014)
An origin story for Sleeping Beauty’s and Disney’s most notorious villain, Maleficent featured Angelina Jolie in a stunning performance. The movie provides a backstory for how Maleficent went from a pure-of-heart creature to a betrayal-hardened villain. Audiences applauded the dark dynamic of Jolie’s Maleficent against the purity of Elle Fanning’s Aurora. Maleficent earned an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design. Disney demonstrated its technical talent for world-building; however, for critics, the creativity and performance couldn’t hold up without a driving plot they felt it lacked.
59% – Mulan (2020)
Despite a certified fresh critic score, the rotten audience score dragged this feature to the middle of the pack. With many updated elements to preserve the cultural integrity of the film, Mulan went from a catchy musical to a stunning martial arts feature, all while maintaining the coming-of-age story for the titular protagonist. Audiences refused to forgive the removal of the beloved animated sidekick Mushu (originally voiced by Eddie Murphy) replaced instead by a witch. Its theatrical release suffered multiple delays due to the pandemic and eventually became the first of many Disney+ exclusive premieres. A two-time Oscar nominee, Mulan wowed critics but disappointed audiences.
58% – Lady and the Tramp (2019)
Plucked from deep within the Disney vault of classics, Lady and the Tramp is a middle-of-the-road streaming remake lacking most of the original’s magic. For critics, the talented voice cast, including Tessa Thompson, Justin Theroux, and Sam Elliott, saved the feature from securing lower scores with critics. For audiences, the score hovered at 50%, with reviews citing specific elemental changes that made the feature less endearing and labeling it a one-time watch.
53% – Alice in Wonderland (2010)
An Oscar-winner, Alice in Wonderland seemed like a match made in whimsical heaven for Tim Burton fans. The adaptation scored wins for Best Costume Design and Best Art Direction and earned a nomination for Best Visual Effects. The story features adult Alice (Mia Wasikowska) as she accidentally returns to Underland with almost no memory of being there as a child. There, she gets caught in a vicious feud between The Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter) and The White Queen (Anne Hathaway). The film earned its technical dues for the stunning world-building; however, the messy plot was only saved by said visuals and strong performances from the all-star cast, including Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter.
47% – Dumbo (2019)
Saved by director Tim Burton’s unique visual flair, Dumbo still falls to the lower end of the scale for moviegoers. The movie strays from the original source material with various elements while retaining the central premise surrounding the beloved baby elephant with oversized ears and the magical ability to fly. Critics and audiences felt that removing Dumbo as the protagonist did away with the emotional impact that earned the acclaim of the original animated feature. With pacing issues and missing the mark on story impact, Dumbo missed the magic.
40% – 101 Dalmatians (1996)
In an early Disney live-action adaptation before their onslaught of a new remake every year, 101 Dalmatians brought the terrifying and beloved characters to life. Holding even between critics and audiences at 41% and 40%, respectively, the only commendable element of the movie came in the form of Glen Close’s menacing performance as Cruella. The movie featured other familiar faces like Jeff Daniels, Joely Richardson, Joan Plowright, Hugh Laurie, and Mark Williams, bringing the beloved cast of characters to life. In the words of the acclaimed critic Roger Ebert, “… it’s passable fun.”
38% – Alice Through the Looking Glass (2016)
Another doomed sequel, Alice Through the Looking Glass missed the mark on several counts with Disney fans and critics alike. In this time-traveling retelling of the classic literary characters, Alice (Mia Wasikowska) returns to Underland to help the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) save his family. It has no shortage of stunning visuals but lacks charm. Underwhelmed by the story and the performances this time, critics and audiences provided rotten scores.
37% – Peter Pan & Wendy
Finding success with pirate films and children’s stories, Disney put its visual effects and budget to the test, only to drastically disappoint audiences. Peter Pan & Wendy set sailed straight for a streaming launch without a theatrical release. Critics found mild satisfaction with the streaming feature’s ties to the source material; however, it lacked true magic. Audiences provided a devastatingly low score of 11%, with many reviews indicating they couldn’t finish the film, labeling it “boring.” A divisive pick between sides, Peter Pan and Wendy is either an “okay” or a “not worth the watch” for viewers.
31% – 102 Dalmatians (2000)
This sequel to one of Disney’s first live-action remakes put the Mouse House in the doghouse with moviegoers. With Glenn Close returning to the villainous role of Cruella de Vil, audiences find the fashion designer rehabilitated and ready to move on from her cruel past with the Dalmatians. The consensus among both parties, 102 Dalmatians fell into the trap of most sequels and repeated the same story with no added value. However, Close’s performance still mesmerizes, and the film earned an Oscar nomination for Best Costume Design.
27% – Pinocchio (2022)
Audiences and critics agree that this remake, directed by the acclaimed Robert Zemeckis, was dreadful. Like The Lion King, Pinocchio remakes the animated feature frame-by-frame. The tale of the puppet determined to become a real boy captivated audiences for decades after 1940, and the recent stop-motion retelling by Guillermo del Toro won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature. The story’s magic still holds today; however, Disney’s attempt to wow viewers of old and new with alums like Tom Hanks, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Luke Evans as the iconic characters fell flat as the film earned a 27% Rotten from critics and audiences respectively.
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