No. Nuh uh. No way. Nada. Not happening. Not at all. Absolutely Not. Never. Nope.
I knew that Disney would eventually get to remaking their modern films. With the films left from their classic years being slim and the Lilo and Stitch remake being a success, there’s a lot of incentive to start plundering their recent work. We are going to get that Frozen remake soon, aren’t we? However, I expected all of that in maybe a decade or more from now. I never would have even entertained the idea that Disney would remake one of their movies less than ten years after it came out. But lo and behold, Moana is being remade, and it will be released a few months before the 10th anniversary of the original film.
This is some sort of twisted chocolate and peanut butter or two birds with one stone thing for Disney. The remakes have always been a cash cow, and they got over a billion last year by stapling together remnants of the scrapped Moana Disney+ show to make a movie. Combining the two makes perfect sense from the cold, cynical, focus-tested, algorithm, board room perspective. Moana has become one of the most popular and consistently successful Disney films of the past decade, and in a period where franchises and brands have been focused on original ideas, more of it was inevitable. While I already mentioned the Disney+ show that was Frankensteined into a theatrical sequel, the concept of making a remake is already just ridiculous. From a business perspective, yes, it’s easy money and makes all the sense in the world, especially with The Rock coming back to play Maui. From an artistic perspective, though, this is rock bottom. Not only continuing the trend of Disney making the film equivalent of the reheated, days-old, dried-out leftovers and audiences paying top dollar for the privilege, but setting a dangerous precedent moving forward. Now, nothing is off the table. If Disney is willing and able to copy and paste a movie in live action this quickly, we might see more projects like this again soon. I joked about Frozen earlier, but I know serious discussions might be happening and Encanto could be next too. Heck, with the success of How To Train Your Dragon, other studios might look more earnestly into their catalogs and remake stuff. A K-Pop Demon Hunter remake is very likely being talked about at this moment, and I have no doubts to the contrary whatsoever.
As for the film itself, I don’t have to say much. It’s been reported that it’s going to be a shot-for-shot remake like the aforementioned Dragon remake. I have to ask, what is the appeal of this mindset? I’m genuinely curious. If you want to watch Moana, just watch Moana. I know there’s an odd curiosity with placing cartoons in real life since it simply attracts a certain mindset, but there are just so many better alternatives than spending 200 million to make a Xerox. Watch another movie set in a similar location, look at a picture or art of realistic interpretations of the characters, or search for some cosplay of the Moana characters. They all feel more constructive than spending so much money to go through the original beat-for-beat, and removing the inherent strengths and beauty that animation brought. I can rightfully complain about that since it’s inviting comparisons to the original. The unbound creativity and potential of what animation can present is what makes films like the original Moana so appealing. Being able to do anything and create any sort of environment, limited only by the talent of the artists and the time and money they are given. These remakes are honestly a wholly uniform insult to the hard work of said artists since it basically implies that it is not good enough and needs to be real to be taken seriously (yes, some people have said this). What’s better, the soulful and expressive eyes of Simba in the original film, where animation can give human expression to anything, or his blank, realistic expression in the remake that is constrained by the focus of realism above all else? It’s uncanny to put characters created to be unrealistic into realistic settings. Just look at the rooster at the end of the teaser. Nightmare-inducing stuff.
At the end of the day, I know this is going to be huge. People already go in droves to see these remakes, and one that is catching the concurrent success of a recent hit will no doubt continue said success. And honesty, I just don’t expect any better from Disney. This is a company that has basically lost all drive to innovate in favor of jingling their characters in front of everyone. The creative voices are either gone or muffled and instead replaced by workmen who just do what the producers and suits tell them. This was a problem back in the 70s and 80s for Disney, too, but that was an era of misguided and out-of-touch leadership, not knowing how to adapt to the changes of the time, until they let new voices in. Now, Disney is the market leader, and what they do becomes the standard that the industry sets. Franchises and cinematic universes, done. Computer animation replacing hand-drawn, done. Remakes, reboots, and sequels aplenty, oh, you better believe it. For every decent or even good film out of the company, there are a dozen others that just do the bare minimum and don’t try artistically or emotionally.
I know it’s a lot of cynicism, but it’s because I want films to be better. Audiences should ask for more than something that simply exists to fill a spreadsheet at the end of the company quarter. I love movies and feel that they can be an avenue of deep expression and experimentation. There can be so much to admire, study, and enjoy in any great film. That is why I am passionately against this remake and similar projects like it. It doesn’t ask you to try new things. It’s not experimenting with a new idea. It isn’t even presenting fun popcorn entertainment that has some craft to admire. It’s just repackaging a movie with worse visuals and the same script, and asking for 15 to 20 dollars for the privilege. And ask me this: are people going to remember these remakes in a few decades? Of course not. They’re in one ear and out the other, while the original films will still be watched by kids for years to come. Don’t believe me, remember when they remade Robocop? Do you remember any Terminator film past 2? How about all those young adult movies trying to follow in the steps of the Hunger Games craze? Good works stand the test of time, and people need to have an open mind with new ideas and different media. Audiences, especially in America, are so dismissive of animation and only view it as kids’ material. While the stranglehold of merchandising and marketing won’t likely let that change, I feel that people simply need to stop acting like animation is inherently weaker than live action. These animated films still appeal to many after all these years, and they deserve better treatment than what Disney has done with them over the past decade. Films like K-Pop show that animation can be a huge force if allowed the opportunity, and we simply need to be more open. Allow for more creativity and less retreading, and be willing to help that mindset bear fruit, but not supporting films like this, please?
