Disney vs Disney... the Great debate

I love #Disney. I'll get it out in the open now. I've loved it ever since I even knew what a TV or a film even was, and no one will ever be able to tell me otherwise.

I don't care if Disney takes over the world. Yes, it owns Marvel, and Lucasfilm, and has a global turnover of $69.57 billion but if they make great movies and allow kids (and adults) to have an extreme amount of fun in their parks and watching their movies, then I'm all for it.

I first went to a Disney park when I was about 9. And I remember it vividly. It was Walt Disney World Florida, and even though we only had tickets for the day, I absolutely had the best day there. We met several Disney characters, and my ultimate idol at the time, Tigger. We rode many rides (although I can't remember the names of them now because they've probably been replaced given I last went to Disney World in 2000... which is literally 20 years ago. WELP!) and we probably ate our body weight in chocolate and drank many fizzy drinks.

But as I get older (and now have to pay for my trips to Disneyland myself :p), my main in Disney pleasure comes from the films they make. Apart from the some of the random ones nearer the beginning (Classics 6-11*) I have seen every single Disney film, and I still love the old Classics just as much as I love the new ones. (*6 = Saludos Amigos, 7 = The Three Caballeros, 8 = Make Mine Music, 9 = Fun & Fancy Free, 10 = Melody Time, 11 = The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad)

So where, may I ask, is this blog post going then...?

Well, the answer is... reboots. Where an original classic is remade...

Disney's released a fair few over the last few years, including remaking some of my favourites... and I've got to say that, for me, most haven't really compared to the old iconic ones.

Yes, I enjoy them and yes and I go watch them. But each and every time, I've come out disappointed and either not impressed or just not as enthused. The songs are different, they're not the same iconic ones we're used to, and it just seems really... forced? Like they know what songs the people like and they go overboard.

So if I say I love Disney so much, then why am I bothering about this post then? Well... To be honest I just have a bee in my bonnet about these news ones. And there are two in particular that have been bothering me more than others.

So let's start with Lady and the Tramp, Disney+ new release, released only for the streaming service.

The original came out in 1955 and it's about a homely dog, Lady, who meets the Tramp, who shows her the world outside of her backyard. Given it's about dogs, of course it's one of my favourites... :D

Now, I know it's available on Disney+, so I know not everybody would have seen this... so if you don't want this spoiled for you, then please don't read on.

My 3 favourite parts/songs in Lady and the Tramp are the 'Siamese Cats', 'Bella Notte' and 'He's A Tramp'. And my favourite non-song part is when they meet the whistling beaver.

Okay so number 1. The Siamese Cats. Okay, not the characters, but the song they sing. 'We are Siamese if you please... We are Siamese if you don't please.' It's SUCH a good song. And perfect for a chaotic pair of felines who cause Lady nothing but trouble. But the song was nowhere to be seen in this new one. It's called "What A Shame" and although it's in a similar guise to it's original, it's just NOT the original. And the cats aren't Siamese anymore.

That said... I do now understand why it was taken out - thank you to a special person for pointing this out to me! The Siamese Cat song depicts the two cats with buck teeth... which represented a post-war era unease about America's feelings towards the Chinese at the time. And now... Well the times have changed and the song doesn't belong as it's representing a regressive message... and that isn't the message Disney wants to be preaching to children! So... New cats and a new song it is... and I suppose the new song will grow on me... They always do!

And let's be honest... they still cause Lady trouble, and it still gets her muzzled, so it's not untrue to the original story in any case!

Number 2. Bella Notte. Just not as good. But I am glad they did keep it. It's the iconic song belonging to Lady and the Tramp, and I'd have been surprised if they'd taken it out. For this bit, I think for me it's more because it isn't the original. Strike one and a half.

Number 3. He's A Tramp... Again I think for me it isn't the original, and that's the one thing that Disney can't control. But it still annoys me! That said, Janelle Monae did a really good job! The scene is almost the same too, with her singing in the Pound, telling Lady that Tramp isn't good for her to hang around. The new Peggy Lee is also a similar dog... and has her fringe over one eye. So they've tried a bit harder with this one at least I suppose...

And number 4. The Beaver. Aw man that was such a good scene. When Lady gets muzzled, Tramp takes her into the zoo, where they trial several animals (including a crocodile) before the get to the beaver that whistles through his teeth. In exchange for taking it off her, Tramp says the beaver can keep the muzzle and leash, to help build his dam... But guess what. In this version, Beaver is just a statue... Tramp hooks the buckle on it and fishes it off himself.

Now you could say it's very clever, but again... NOT THE SAME. The whole scene makes me laugh... and the whole comic character isn't there anymore.

Now... that said... there is a lot that's right with this film too. And those parts I really love actually. So, there isn't everything wrong with the film.

You meet and see more of Darling and Jim Dear, and you get to know them and more of their back story. Jim Dear is a musician... (although you never hear him sing/play) and even though it never says what Darling does, she can sing pretty good too! Not only that, but you get to see more of the Louisiana culture in this movie, with the steamers and the music, and it's beautiful.

Jock (although in this Jock is a girl, and called Jacqueline) and Trusty are still cute and loyal as ever. Trusty's still got no sense of smell, but yet still saves the day. Jacqueline is still a Scottie has a very artsy owner, and spends most of the film dressed in a kilt or outfit, but they're still the same loveable neighbours from the original. And you get a back story to Tramp, which is definitely an added bonus... but I'll let you watch that one for yourselves.

So what did I really think? Well, the songs really bother me. Namely because Disney is known for it's iconic songs. And I know it's good to be original, but when you're working with things that are loved and are cherished but so many people in the world, you do need to be careful.

Original: 5/5. New version: 3/5. And the 3 is only because there are so many dogs! (even if they are completely over CGI'd).

On to the next one?

The Lion King. A chorus of gasps shot up from everywhere. Yes I know. And I'm sorry. But I had to admit it eventually...

Now I don't know about anyone else, but I was SO EXCITED when they announced they'd be doing a remake of that one. But I was also a bit worried. Well... very worried. The Lion King is literally one of the most epic Disney movies in history, and has so many catchy tunes for a reboot to ruin.

But this time it wasn't just the songs this time. It was the voices. (NB: I didn't mention this as a problem for Lady and the Tramp because I'm going to hazard a guess and say that the original actors may have died? And if not died then are extremely old...)

Firstly, I was a bit relieved that James Earl Jones was back as Mufasa, but then the more I thought about it, the more I thought 'well if you're changing other things, why not go for a new Mufasa'? But then again, Mufasa is the voice you want the same. The clouds saying 'REMEMBER' whilst Simba chases after him... aw man, goosebumps.

Next characters? You guessed it. Timon and Pumbaa. Now, I am personally not much of a fan of Seth Rogen so was dubious. But what I didn't expect was for me to be more of a fan of new Pumbaa than I was of new Timon. Omg and Pumbaa's little baby back story... AWWW CUTE!

I could go on and on about the characters. Zazu, Nala, Timon, Pumbaa, Rafiki... even Simba... but I'll move on to the real thorn in my side.

THEY TOOK OUT MY FAVOURITE SOUNDTRACK SCORE!

In the 1994 original, the part where Simba is going back to the Pride Lands, it has an instrumental of him running. They have him both in slow motion and in real time, running across the desert. It's the last 20 seconds of the track "This Land" by Hans Zimmer and Lebo M... and (in my opinion) is the best bit of score, and they took it out. And replaced it with a song I actually can't stand. It's even emboldened!

Spirit, although an okay song by itself if it wasn't connected at all to The Lion King, it doesn't fit where they've put it in the movie. And... actually you know what... even listening to it now, I really don't like it. Nope, had to turn it off. Sorry. It just isn't right.

Now the other epic song I love is Be Prepared, and Jeremy Irons is an AMAZING scar, so again I was nervous about Chiwetel Ejiofor, particularly as I'd never heard him sing. I was even more nervous about what they would do with Be Prepared. But to be honest, I loved it. It's all very different to the original, but also the same, but that fits with this one. It's more spoken, and actually makes it seem more sinister. And for this version of the Scar (the scariest lion ever I think) it does fit perfectly. It's probably one of the only ones (apart from Circle of Life) that I could bring myself to prefer to the old one. Emphasis on COULD there. It may never happen...

Now with the new CGI, there are bonuses. The baby lion cubs are WAY cuter, the warthog actually looks like a warthog, and Scar is even scarier in this film than any lion I've ever seen... so there are good things again about it. And it's The Lion King, and it's still up there with my favourite Disneys. But I can't lie and say I liked it. I mean, I did, but I didn't come out of the film excited. I came out annoyed at that song to be honest...

Score wise then? Original: 5/5. New version: 2.5/5. And that's being generous.

So there we have it. Disney vs Disney. And I'm sorry about the rant. I just really don't like that song.

I will never be able to like this version of The Lion King more than the original. And although I would listen to some songs in the soundtrack (Be Prepared, Circle of Life and The Lion Sleeps Tonight namely) I would always go back to the original for the others. Always. And it will be the original I'd be showing my kids (whenever they appear). I won't have my kid thinking that the original was in 2019. It came out in 1994, and I don't care if the kid calls me old because of it.

I've found with most remakes that I compare the songs more than anything else. Every Disney film has an iconic song, and if that's missing, for me that kind of ruins it. No, it definitely does. I very much watch films for their soundtracks or their songs and I do notice if things are missing... and it does make me sad when they forget parts altogether (Beaver scene RIP).

But as predictable as I am, Disney can still count on me to watch all these new originals anyway. Because I do love Disney... and once a Disney lover, always a Disney lover! <3