All TK Disney Live-Action Remakes, Ranked From Worst To Best (Including Moana)

Disney’s prolific run of live-action remakes of animated classics continues this week with the theatrical release of Moana. The reimagining of the beloved 2016 animated film is far from the first attempt from the Mouse to attempt to breathe new life into established stories.

So far, the results of Disney’s efforts have been mixed to say the least. While some have been met with critical acclaim and gone on to become massive box office hits, others have languished in mediocrity and failed to recapture the magic of the animated classics they were based on.

Striking the right balance between nostalgia and innovation has proven to be one of Disney’s greatest challenges, with each remake facing the difficult task of honoring its source material while offering audiences something fresh. Some films have expanded on familiar stories with compelling performances, dazzling visuals, and thoughtful updates, while others have been criticized for feeling unnecessary or relying too heavily on spectacle over substance.

Despite the mixed reception, the studio has shown no signs of slowing down, with more live-action adaptations already in development. The continued popularity of these remakes has sparked ongoing debate among fans and critics alike about which films genuinely improve on the originals and which are better left in animation.

As Disney’s live-action catalog continues to grow, it’s the perfect time to look back at every remake released so far and see how they stack up against one another.

25

Alice Through the Looking Glass

As reflected by the steep drop-off in box office receipts compared to its predecessor, Alice Through the Looking Glass sits at the bottom of a list that includes a number of decidedly subpar movies. While Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland had its issues, director James Bobin’s sequel steers even further away from the magic of Lewis Carroll’s original novel by reducing rich source material to the most generic of family-friendly blockbusters. For better and for worse, the visual language of Burton’s film largely translates to this sequel, although it is now accompanied by drab and convoluted narrative and loud, garish filmmaking.

24

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

Convoluted plotting simply hinders Maleficient: Mistress of Evil, another sequel on this list that falls short of its predecessor. Angelina Jolie admirably commits to the delightfully grim and quirky titular character, but even an actress of her caliber can’t salvage an overly long slog full of distracting CGI hindered by a convoluted, plot-hole-ridden story.

The tone is also all over the place in the film. While the first act plays like a run-of-the-mill fairy tale, the final act goes all out with an incredibly high kill count and an attempted genocide that is strangely brushed aside come the end of the film.

23

Peter Pan & Wendy

Peter Pan & Wendy takes a more thoughtful, emotionally grounded approach than most Disney remakes, exploring Wendy’s fear of growing up and giving Captain Hook more depth than many other adaptations. Director David Lowery brings a quieter, more reflective tone that distinguishes it from the animated classic, while the performances add genuine humanity. Visually, Neverland is beautiful, even if it lacks some of the original’s sense of wonder.

Despite its ambitions, the film often feels restrained to a fault. The slower pacing and subdued energy make it less adventurous than audiences might expect, and many iconic moments play with a surprising lack of spark or magic. Ultimately, Lowery doesn’t quite get the tone and pacing right as opting for a middle ground between magical escapism and meditative drama works less well than leaning more heavily toward one or the other would.

22

Pinocchio

Pinocchio may be about a wooden puppet who comes to life, but the 2022 live-action remake does anything but come to life. Robert Zemeckis’ film may be technically polished and feature a warm performance from Tom Hanks as Geppetto, but it is startling just how lifeless and devoid of that quintessential Disney magic the film is.

Despite mirroring the animated classic almost scene-for-scene, Pinocchio misses nearly every emotional beat it attempts to land. In addition to Geppetto and Pinocchio oddly not spending much on-screen time together, the visual effects, while impressive, feel strangely unsettling at times and deprive the film of the beating heart its titular character possesses.

21

Lady and the Tramp

Lady and the Tramp is one of the more forgettable entries on this list. Dropped on Disney+ on the inaugural day of the streaming service, director Charlie Bean’s film was the first Disney remake to not receive a theatrical release and got lost in the hype surrounding The Mandalorian at the time.

The film itself proves to be more sincere than cynical. Additional characters and layers to the story deepen the experience, while not undermining or dramatically altering what made the classic film so beloved in the first place. However, as is the case for many of the Disney live-action remakes, Lady of the Tramp fails to reach the emotional heights of its source material. Some of the magic and charm is certainly lost in translation and renders this remake greatly inferior to the 1955 film.

20

Maleficent

Maleficent warrants praise for being one of the few films on this list willing to do something entirely different with its animated source material. Retelling Sleeping Beauty from the villain’s perspective is a clever premise and evolves Maleficent from a one-dimensional villain to a complex anti-hero.

Angelina Jolie commands the screen with a delightfully villainous, charismatic, and emotionally layered turn, although the disinteresting supporting characters around her pale in comparison. Overuse of CGI aside, the film offers some beautiful imagery to belong, namely in the backgrounds that resemble old matte paintings of the past. Uninspired humor, an overly silly tone, and several odd directing choices from Robert Stromberg take away from the overall experience, however.

19

102 Dalmatians

Glenn Close is once again the undeniable highlight here as she chews up the scenery with infectious villainy as Cruella de Vil. Unfortunately, the movie surrounding her is largely devoid of the wit and charm that characterized its predecessor.

Juvenile humor and predictable plotting render this sequel more frustrating than fun and show that even a powerhouse like Close can’t salvage a live-action adaptation that is far too cartooinish for its own good.

18

Snow White

Marred by unnecessary off-screen controversy, Snow White attempts to modernize Disney’s first animated feature by expanding the heroine’s role and shifting the thematic focus toward leadership and self-determination. Rachel Zegler delivers a committed performance, and the production features lavish costumes, impressive set design, and several visually striking musical sequences.

However, tonal inconsistencies, divisive CGI choices, and changes that don’t always strengthen the narrative make the remake feel conflicted between honoring the original and reinventing it. Backed by a cringe-worthy turn from an unnatural and unintentionally funny Gal Gadot, this remake fails to justify why this particular classic needed such an extensive rehaul.

17

Mulan

Much like Maleficient and a select few other films on this list, Disney’s live-action Mulan deserves credit for doing more than just recreate an animated classic beat-for-beat. Director Niki Caro’s film boldly abandons the songs, Mushu, and much of the original’s comedic tone in favor of a historical fantasy epic. The action sequences are stylish, the cinematography is often breathtaking, and Liu Yifei brings quiet determination to the title role. Rather than copying the animated film, it aims to stand on its own with a more serious and dramatic interpretation.

That ambition is admirable, but the execution leaves the story feeling emotionally distant. By portraying Mulan as naturally gifted from the outset, the film weakens the underdog journey that defined the original. Combined with thin character development and a lack of memorable humor or heart, the remake feels markedly hollow compared to the animated original.

16

The Little Mermaid

The Little Mermaid largely captures the magic and heart of the animated original. Halle Bailey is terrific as Ariel and brings incredible grace and warmth to an unexpectedly complex performance. Unfortunately, Jonah Hauer-King lacks chemistry with Bailey, in turn making the central romance more awkward than compelling.

The film also bolsters dull visuals, with dark and moody cinematography proving a poor fit to bring Atlantica to live-action. The character designs of Sebastian and Scuttle are off-putting, although Daveed Diggs and Awkwafina deliver some great one-liners to inject some humor into the mix. But, at two hours and 15 minutes, a full 52 minutes longer than the 1989 animated classic, the remake runs far too long and would have benefited from a tighter edit.