If you know me, you know that I am a huge Disney fan. I don’t think it’s normal for someone to love Disney as much as I do. I grew up with Disney, and those movies will always hold a special place in my heart. The old classic Disney movies are my absolute favorites! I know the live-action remakes are a “touchy” subject for some Disney fans, but I personally love some of them! So, in honor of the new Disney live-action remakes coming out soon, I will be writing about some of my favorites throughout the years. I am going to leave out the Maleficent movies and Cruella because I don’t really see those as remakes, but I absolutely love them, and I like getting the villains’ backstories and perspectives! So, without further ado, let’s get into it!
1. Beauty and the Beast (2017)
Okay, so this one is definitely number one for me! This movie is absolutely beautiful, and the attention to detail was so spot on. I like how they added some extra backstory to Belle’s life and how she grew up. Not to mention the cast is absolutely amazing!! Emma Watson was the perfect Belle in my opinion! As a Star Wars fan, I thought it was so cool that Ewan McGregor was Lumiere. Luke Evans and Josh Gad were a perfect pair to have as Gaston and Le Fou. The music was so good! They kept the original music and added some new songs that perfectly described how the characters felt in certain situations. Overall, this movie was absolutely magical! Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite movie, so I think this being my first choice is an obvious one!
2. Cinderella (2015)
This movie was so beautiful! Lily James was such an amazing Cinderella, and she fit the character perfectly. I truly enjoyed this movie and the beautiful details that were added. One of my favorite actresses, Helena Bonham Carter, played Fairy Godmother, and she embodied the character amazingly! I liked getting the backstory of Cinderella’s life and seeing how she got the name Cinderella. I have to mention the dress because it’s absolutely gorgeous!! The little butterfly details on the sleeves of her dress were so pretty! Her glass slippers with the little butterflies on them were to die for! The details on the carriage she rode to the ball were so amazing. This movie is just straight out of a fairytale!
3. Alice in Wonderland (2010)
I love all things Tim Burton, and I think he was the perfect director for this movie!! He perfectly represented Wonderland in the way I imagined it. Wonderland is full of all things weird and curious, and that’s exactly what he created! Again, Helena Bonham Carter killed her role, as always. She was the Red Queen, and she was absolutely perfect for the role. My favorite thing about this movie is Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter, though! We already know Depp is an amazing actor. Anytime you see Helena and Johnny in a Tim Burton movie, you know it’s going to be so good! I love how Burton wrote Alice as a more complex character than what we see in the animated movie. She has a lot more personality, and I loved seeing that! If you haven’t seen this movie, I definitely recommend it!
4. Pinocchio (2022)
Y’all, this movie was so cute! It definitely deserved more hype because it was absolutely perfect! I’m not going to lie, I thought Pinocchio would look like a creepy puppet thing, but when I saw the trailer, I knew I had to watch it. Tom Hanks as Geppetto was the best casting. Cynthia Erivo as the Blue Fairy was so great. She has such a beautiful voice and hearing her sing the Disney classic “When You Wish Upon a Star” was complete magic. The movie followed the original storyline perfectly. I actually cried watching this movie because it was literally like watching the original animated classic come to life, and it was truly magical! If y’all haven’t seen this one yet, go watch it!!
5. The Lion King (2019)
This movie was actually so good!! It was such a fun movie to watch! I’ve always been a big fan of The Lion King, so I’m so happy they made this movie. The characters were fun, the music was great, and the vibe overall was perfect! I feel like this one was getting some hate at first, but it’s actually so good!! I think they told the story perfectly, and they stuck with the original storyline throughout the movie! I thought it was so interesting how they added emotions to the “real” lions. Watching the scene with Simba crying for his dad was so heartbreaking; it was just like watching the original classic. Overall, such a fantastic movie!!
Final Thoughts
If you made it this far, thanks for reading!! If you haven’t seen some of these, I recommend watching them! These are perfect choices for a chill and nostalgic movie night! They can all be found on Disney+. Also, if you haven’t seen the new Lilo and Stitch trailer, you need to!! Stitch looks adorable, and I’m so excited for that movie. Anyway, I hope this helped you decide what to include in your next Disney movie marathon! Lastly, I’d like to leave you with some Walt Disney wisdom: “Laughter is timeless, imagination has no age, and dreams are forever.”