Ranking Disney’s Live-Action Remakes

When a studio is as old and has as big a catalog of hits as Disney, it's inevitable to look back through past decades of success stories for a property that can be refreshed and re-appropriated for a modern audience. Lately, Walt Disney Pictures has been making headlines for its rampant revisits to some of its most beloved animated classics, with this year's The Jungle Book serving as the most recent example of the studio taking a story from animation to live action. However, in addition to translating these iconic stories into a new visual style, Disney has also sprinkled in several notable remakes of its own live-action films. For this list, we're taking a look only at cases in which the studio has produced a theatrically released update of one of its own live-action hits. As such, we're not counting films like Oz: The Great and Powerful that are reboots of an existing property or those that are connected to non-Disney properties. On that note, read on for our thoughts on the House of Mouse's live-action remakes. 9) The Shaggy Dog (2006) Disney mainstays Tommy Kirk (Old Yeller) and Fred MacMurray (The Absent-Minded Professor) starred in the original black-and-white version of this story about a teen and his father who develop a greater understanding of each other after the former is turned into a dog. So it stands to reason that Tim Allen -- another actor with a long-term relationship with the studio -- would headline an ill-conceived remake as the clichéd businessman who has trouble connecting to his family until he too begins transforming into a dog. Unimaginative and uninspired, the film might work for younger viewers, but for the most part, it wastes a talented supporting cast, including Robert Downey Jr., Kristin Davis and Spencer Breslin, on material that is so blatantly beneath them. Despite dreadful reviews and three Razzie nominations, the film still managed to earn $87 million worldwide. 8) That Darn Cat (1997) Of all the live-action Disney comedies, the original 1965 version of this film was perhaps one of the more memorable the studio released that decade, as it marked the final film that Hayley Mills (more on her later) made for the studio. This remake - which retells the story of a young woman and government agent who team with a wily cat to solve a crime - stars Christina Ricci and Doug E. Doug and, as such, bears a decidedly 1990s spin on the classic property. Though not especially well-received, it did feature the return of Dean Jones, who co-starred with Mills in the original film. Director Bob Spiers also directed the infamous Spice Girls film Spice World later that same year, but while that musical film has gained a sort of cult following for it's so-bad-it's-good replay value, his directorial debut with this Disney entry has largely been forgotten. 7) Herbie: Fully Loaded (2005) Long before she became a Hollywood cautionary tale, Lindsay Lohan was most definitely one of Disney's biggest breakout stars in the early 2000s. We'll get to some of her most successful work for the studio later, but this attempt to remake/reboot Disney's long-running Herbie franchise - which began with The Love Bug in 1968 - did surprisingly solid business when it hit theaters a full 25 years after the previous installment. On a $50 million production budget, the film went on to earn $144 million worldwide. Perhaps that can be credited to Lohan's appeal at the time or simply how the movie leveraged the built-in appeal for the NASCAR fanbase, as it features cameos by drivers like Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr. Whatever the case may be, it proved to be short-term success that never led to the sequel Disney likely hoped for. 6) Flubber (1997) After the release of Aladdin, Robin Williams got caught up in conflict with Disney over contract disputes relating to how his involvement and character were used in the film's marketing campaign. As a result, he didn't return for the first of two sequels to that 1992 hit. However, Disney and Williams patched things up in time for the actor to headline this remake of the 1961 comedy The Absent-Minded Professor, which stars Fred MacMurray as a chemistry professor who invents an energetic substance he calls "flubber." With his built-in appeal and distinct comedic voice, Williams elevated the film to the top of the box office that Thanksgiving weekend, the beginning of a $178 million worldwide cume. Even so, Flubber relied too heavily on its lead actor and the novelty of watching the title "character" wiggle around in elaborate dance numbers to really develop into a long-lasting family classic. 5) Race To Witch Mountain (2009) Is there no franchise Dwayne Johnson can't provide a boost to? Just a few years before he would lend his physicality and charm to the G.I. Joe and Fast & Furious series, Johnson starred in this sci-fi thriller that was essentially a remake of the 1975 release Escape to Witch Mountain., which itself spawned a 1978 sequel and a 1982 TV movie. In the film, Johnson plays an ex-con who helps pair of children with paranormal abilities evade capture by a shadowy organization, and amid mixed reviews, it was able to keep both Disney's and Johnson's track record going strong, bringing in more than $100 million worldwide. Not too shabby for a franchise that hadn't been touched since a made-for-TV remake nearly 15 years earlier. We're just surprised this is one series that Johnson hasn't really expressed any interest in continuing. 4) The Parent Trap (1998) The most memorable thing about the 1961 original version of this Disney film is likely the catchy "Let's Get Together" tune belted out by Hayley Mills, in a dual role as twin sisters who conspire to reunite their estranged parents. Plot-wise, this remake - co-written and directed by Nancy Meyers (Something's Gotta Give) - remains pretty close to the template laid out by its predecessor. Lindsay Lohan shines in her film debut, and Dennis Quaid and Natasha Richardson are both predictably charming as the parents in question. Though its formula is pretty obvious from the start, The Parent Trap brings enough heart and humor to the story to serve as a worthy effort. Meyers' film earned largely positive reviews and $92 million for its trouble. Knowing when it's onto a good thing, it wouldn't be the last Disney remake to star Lohan. 3) Freaky Friday (2003) Five years after landing her breakout role as the dual leads of The Parent Trap, Lindsay Lohan steps in for Jodie Foster (who starred in the 1976 original film) as the younger half of a mother/daughter duo who swap bodies under mysterious circumstances. This is one of those Disney stories that hinges on a parent and child who develop a better understanding of each other's perspectives thanks to supernatural intervention, but where Freaky Friday improves on that premise is in the committed performances of Lohan and co-star Jamie Lee Curtis, the latter of whom even scored a Golden Globe nomination for her role. Director Mark Waters would make an even bigger pop cultural splash when he re-teamed with Lohan for Mean Girls the following year, but as for her work with Disney, Freaky Friday is about as good as it gets. 2) Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993) Okay, this one looks dated technologically speaking, since the talking animals in this remake of the 1963 version don't sport digitally enhanced mouths to move along with their speech. However, if viewers can get past the apparent telepathy in play among the trio of animal stars (voiced by Don Ameche, Sally Field and Michael J. Fox), they'll be in for quite a treat. Harkening back to a time when animal stories featuring the likes of Lassie and Benji represented an entire subset of family entertainment, director Duwayne Dunham - whose only previous directorial credits were episodes of TV's Twin Peaks - infuses its animal protagonists with tons of personality and enough heart to have audiences rooting for their safe return home. After the film brought in $41 million during its theatrical run, Disney greenlit a 1996 sequel, Homeward Bound II: Lost in San Francisco. 1) Pete’s Dragon (2016) If this remake of the 1977 live-action tale of a boy's friendship with an animated dragon crept up on you, we can't say we're surprised. The film has arrived in theaters with seemingly less-than-usual fanfare from Disney, and considering the quaint but dated sentiment many hold for the original version, no one likely expected co-writer/director David Lowery's update to be so damn powerful. Oakes Fegley stars as Pete, a boy who survives in the woods for six years with the help of a CG-animated dragon named Elliot, while Bryce Dallas Howard, Karl Urban, Wes Bentley, Oona Laurence and Robert Redford round out the supporting cast. By imbuing its characters with a sense of realism and warmth, Lowery -- previously best known for indie drama Ain't Them Bodies Saints -- lends the story greater weight than it originally carried, and what easily could have come off as a cheap retread instead uses its fantastical elements to convey a worthwhile message about real-life magic. It's not often that a remake improves upon its predecessor, but Pete's Dragon is certainly the exception, a tender and thoughtful family film that we're really hoping audiences discover during its theatrical run.