Top 10 Disney Movies That DON'T Need a Remake

This film is one of the few pure comedies in the animated Disney vault and it’s absolutely hilarious. Following a spoiled emperor who’s turned into a llama and deposed from his throne, “The Emperor’s New Groove” is a Disney movie unlike any other. That’s part of what makes it a cult hit, but the key there is cult, and not mainstream. Even if Disney did decide to remake it, people wouldn’t be lining up to see it; since most people wouldn’t recognize it and those that did would probably prefer the comic timing of the cartoon. Here’s hoping Disney doesn’t decide to “pull the lever” on a remake, because it’d definitely be the wrong one.

One of the more underrated Disney films, “The Aristocats” tells the story of a group of pampered cats who must find their way back to their owner after being abandoned in the countryside by a bumbling butler. While we could see the film getting a treatment similar to the “One Hundred and One Dalmatians” live-action remake, “The Aristocats” doesn’t have the name brand recognition of that movie. Even if a remake would give them the opportunity to remove the culturally insensitive part from the movie’s most memorable song, we don’t want to be a cat again that much.

“Frozen” tells the story of two sisters, whose kingdom and relationship becomes strained by one of them having powerful freezing abilities. The entertaining characters and catchy songs have helped make it one of Disney’s biggest hits ever, so we can see why they’d want to remake it. However, it’s still such a recent hit, that we don’t feel like Disney needs to redo it. Plus, with a sequel hitting theaters in 2019, we don’t feel like the initial momentum of the franchise has stalled at all. We can only hope that if Disney is considering a “Frozen” remake, that they decide to “let it go,” at least for the immediate future.

Pixar’s debut computer animated feature film, “Toy Story” changed animation with its groundbreaking technology, as well as through its exceptional storytelling. The story of a toy cowboy and spaceman, as well as the rest of a young boy’s playthings, captured our hearts for decades. Although the animation is rather dated by modern standards, the fact that it’s otherwise a nearly universally acclaimed film means that we’re reluctant to call for a remake. And given that a fourth film came out recently, we feel like “Toy Story 5” would be made before a remake.

This classic of Disney cinema depicts the childhood and young adulthood of the eponymous deer and his woodland friends. Despite being a famed entry in Disney’s archive, we don’t feel like “Bambi” is talked about enough these days to generate much hype. Besides, some of the events in the movie could be legitimately traumatizing to young viewers if a live-action/CGI route is taken, such as the forest fire sequence. Oh, and nobody wants to see Bambi’s mom die again, no matter how old you are or what the medium is.

“Robin Hood” is Disney’s version of the classic tale of the legendary archer thief and his Merry Men who rob from the rich and give to the poor. Disney’s spin on it means that there are talking animals in all the roles. There have been so many versions of the “Robin Hood” story adapted to screen, with at least one appearing about every ten years, so we don’t feel like this one in particular is one that people are clamoring for. The talking anthropomorphic animals might make it difficult to realize in a live-action/CGI format and we don’t think the classic animation style needs updating either. It’s best to leave Robin Hood and Little John walking through the forest just as they are.

A film about a young Hawaiian girl who discovers and befriends a mischievous alien superweapon, “Lilo & Stitch” actually has a live-action remake reportedly in the works already. However, that doesn’t mean we’re all that eager for it. A set of hoax images depicting a supposed CGI version of Stitch circulated the internet and its unappealing design has left many wary of Disney’s ability to translate the character, as well as other aspects of the story, into 3 dimensions. While we definitely think Disney will do a better job, our expectations have already been set low.

Based on historical events, albeit ones that have been heavily romanticized, “Pocahontas” follows the titular daughter of a Powhatan chief who falls for and saves the life of an English colonist. While the film has some beautiful animation and some memorable songs, its loose and problematic interpretation of history made it controversial upon release and time hasn’t done it any favors. Like “Lilo & Stitch,” Disney reportedly has a live-action “Pocahontas” remake in the works, but a new medium isn’t going to be able to fix the fundamental flaws inherent in the story. Since it’s still in early stages of development, this is one remake we really hope isn’t just around the river bend.

The story of a pair of monsters who accidentally bring a human child to their surprisingly relatable world, “Monsters, Inc.” is a much beloved movie with an inventive world and premise and tremendously entertaining leads. However, despite featuring a few humans, most of the characters are literally monsters. While Pixar manages to make them visually appealing and even adorable, we think that would be very difficult to pull off well in live-action. Sure, Sulley might end up as cute as a “kitty,” but many of the other cast might look too slimy, scary, or gross in a photo realistic setting. We’re prepared to treat this potential remake like a 23-19.

Before we get to our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions:

“Tangled” (2010)

“Hercules” (1997)

“The Fox and the Hound” (1981)

“Tarzan” (1999)

“Chicken Little” (2005)

“Zootopia” depicts a rookie bunny cop teaming up with a fox con man to unravel a conspiracy in the titular city full of animals. As we mentioned previously, remaking Disney films with animals that look and act like humans would not translate well in a CGI/live-action movie, and “Zootopia” is basically the epitome of this trope, so it would look extra bad in that medium. Also, as the most recent movie on our list, it is absolutely too soon to even consider the possibility of a remake. Disney needs to take a cue from the DMV sloths and just slooooooowwwww doooooown… and then never remake it.