I’m probably going to be burned at the stake for saying this, but I’m not excited about the Lion King remake, or any other remake for that matter. Why? Because we, the viewers who pay at least $10 to get into a movie, deserve better than remakes. Disney, and the rest of Hollywood, is the co-dependent parent of a nostalgia-addicted society who continues to let us stay on their couch while watching us drain our pocket books to view movies that promise us that same ol’ feeling, but lack in creativity and originality.
Whew, that was a little dark for an opening, right? Let me back up and explain. About a week ago I noticed a few memes floating around on Facebook about Disney releasing new live-action versions of Disney classics like The Lion King, Dumbo, and Aladdin. While some of my Facebook friends expressed how excited they were to see another version of their beloved movies, I rolled my eyes at the thought of Hollywood producing another remake while they stand in the corner rubbing their hands together and wiping their butts with our hard-earned cash.
And it’s not that I have anything against the Lion King or Disney. Disney has been one of the most innovative story tellers of our time, for which I am very grateful. The Lion King came out when I was eight years old and I ate that movie up just like everyone else my age. The animation was incredibly advanced for its time and it featured lovable characters who sang and danced their way through a story of redemption. What’s not to love? Aladdin is another one. The songs, the scenery, the comedy, all golden entertainment for kids. Dumbo…well…Dumbo was just kind of depressing and sad. If this was your favorite Disney movie then there’s probably something seriously wrong with you. But, do I think they should make another Lion King or Aladdin with the exact same characters and plot? Absofuckinglutely not.
Why? There are two reasons. The first one is watching remakes of movies you loved as a kid is not healthy for you. Yeah, I’m looking at you millennials, especially those of you in your early thirties. Yes, for the most part we had a lovely time in the late eighties and nineties. There were video games, music videos, skate parties, numerous televised sports games, fun t.v. shows and movies, awesome books that were written just for us, Big League chew, Cheetos, Gushers, Surge. I could go on and on about the awesome shit that we consumed as kids. But there was a lot of really fucked up stuff that happened too. I mean really fucked up stuff that probably no other recent generation (besides maybe those that lived through WWII) had to deal with. Columbine, the September 11th attacks, the recession, mass shootings, political divide…we can go on and on. Yep, shit hit the fan and swirled around the country like a tornado running through a methane-filled cow pasture the size of Texas. Our little happy fun time was over. Can’t we go back to the simpler times of watching Lion King on VHS while eating Fruit Rollups and washing them down with Squeeze-its?
Well geez Andrea, why don’t you give us all a damn break and let us be happy watching the same exact movies we watched as kids. Yep, I get it. But isn’t it kind of unhealthy to constantly be living in a state of nostalgia? And why can’t we see that Hollywood is taking advantage of our pain and making the same movies over and over again? Let’s all enjoy the movies we watched in the past by watching those same movies, not remakes. Let’s all have faith that there will be new, fantastic movies in the future. Trust me, there will be. I know it’s hard. There’s no shame in wanting to relive your childhood, but let’s stop promoting Hollywood’s obvious confession that it would rather invest in remakes, which features old writing, instead of investing in new writers with original stories. Which brings me to my second reason why you shouldn’t watch remakes.
If you watch remakes you are supporting Hollywood’s grossly neglected search of new writers who can offer additional talent and creativity to the already existing pool of writers. There are talented writers out there who can write original stories that will be just as loved as any of the old Disney classics. I know they’re out there. Even in my small corner of the world in Ohio, I know several writers who have to ability or the potential to produce a story that will be loved by all and watched for decades. And yes, I know stories are recycled over and over again. The works of Shakespeare is an example of that. But not the same, exact stories! Imagine if publishers throughout the years only published almost exact reprints of Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Hamlet, etc. The world would be a pretty sad place, right?
So for the love of God, art and decent storytelling, let’s just stop. The more remakes we watch, the less value and power we give writers and their original work. Take the risk. Invest in original, creative works. Don’t see these remakes that Disney is waving in your face just so they can make a profit. You can skip the remake and wait for another great to come out soon. Show Hollywood you deserve better than remakes.
Moody Newts Blog 