We’ve seen a lot of films from Disney over the years, including both animated and live-action versions of these stories. Next week we get another live-action version with Lilo & Stitch, the second live-action remake this year. In honor of its release, this week’s binge looks at my five favorite live-action remakes so far! Films appear in chronological order.

Alice in Wonderland (2010)
About: I know this wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I really enjoyed it. Tim Burton created a fascinating and colorful world. There are ideas here that really spoke to me. While Johnny Depp’s take on The Mad Hatter got a lot of attention, there were plenty of other things about this remake that spoke to me.

Beauty and the Beast (2017)
About: The animated film is an all-time classic that earned a Best Picture nomination. This remake had big shoes to fill and does so well. I liked the musical productions, and I enjoyed Emma Watson in the lead role opposite Dan Stevens. This is probably my favorite Disney live-action remake.

Aladdin (2019)
About: Would you expect Guy Ritchie to direct a Disney live-action remake? Probably not. And yet, he does a great job with this. I like Will Smith as the Genie, and I really enjoyed the bright, colorful production here. This film was a lot of fun and much better than I expected.

Mulan (2020)
About: This is probably one of the more surprising entries on this list. The film got a little overlooked because of its strained release during COVID. This isn’t one of my favorite animated films, but I really enjoyed this live-action film. The scope of the visuals is stunning, and it’s a shame it didn’t get a big, theatrical release.

The Little Mermaid (2023)
About: Another remake that got a mixed reaction, but I liked the way it was put together. I enjoyed the way this film was put together. I enjoyed the performances and the way the songs were executed. It ended up being a lot of fun.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.