Director John Musker has voiced critical opinions about Disney’s recent trend of live-action remakes. Specifically calling out The Little Mermaid (2023) for lacking the heart of its animated predecessor, Musker believes it’s time for a major course correction in the company’s approach.
Story Over Message
Musker, who has helmed iconic films like Aladdin and Moana, emphasized that Disney needs to prioritize compelling narratives and well-developed characters over political messaging. He stated, I think they need to do a course correction a bit in terms of putting the message secondary, behind entertainment and compelling story and engaging characters
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Character Development is Key
According to Musker, while having an agenda isn’t fundamentally wrong, it shouldn’t override character development. He remarked, You don’t have to exclude agendas, but you have to first create characters who you sympathize with and who are compelling
. This has been a notable weak point in recent Disney adaptations.
Pitfalls of Hyper Realism
The highly realistic CGI employed in these remakes has also come under scrutiny. Critics argue that it strips away the charm of the original animations, making the characters less expressive. The Little Mermaid‘s CGI in particular was criticized for dulling down character expressions. An example from a review noted, The hair was epic, and King Triton’s beard was impressive, but there were scenes like Ursula’s big one where the face was so poorly done that clouds and smoke were used to cover it up
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Lost Emotional Core
One of the harshest critiques Musker had for the 2023 The Little Mermaid was its failure to properly develop Ariel’s relationship with her father. According to him, this connection was crucial in the original film. He said, They didn’t play up the father-daughter story, and that was the heart of the movie, in a way
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The Path Forward
Musker’s insights suggest that future live-action adaptations should stay closer to their animated origins while focusing on dynamic storytelling and emotional depth. Upcoming projects like Mufasa: The Lion King could benefit greatly from this approach by incorporating more expressive character designs.
No Easy Task
This criticism comes amidst a broader discussion about the general reception of recent Disney remakes. The 2023The Little Mermaid holds a 67% critic score on Rotten Tomatoes — a generally positive yet lukewarm reception indicating room for improvement.
A Long Way Ahead
The journey ahead for Disney’s live-action remakes could hinge on how well they incorporate these lessons. It remains to be seen whether future projects will heed Musker’s advice and strike a better balance between heart and realism.
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