With many live-action remakes of classic childhood films like “Snow White,” “Lilo & Stitch,” and “How to Train Your Dragon,” coming to theaters this year, one has to wonder: do we really need live-action remakes?

Many previous live-action remakes have been downright terrible. They change and sometimes completely remove key factors from the stories and lack the magic and lessons of their animated originals. Some just seem like a quick cash grab for the studios instead of a film created with care.

However, remakes do have some upsides. They can bring more attention to and revitalize the fanbase but can also attract more attention and views to the original message, technique, and soundtrack of the movie. 

Now I don’t doubt that these movies will sell well—in fact, they may be some of the biggest movies this year. But why remake the same movie again? Why not use the massive budget of these already produced stories to fund new projects? Why keep repeating old stories when moviemakers can branch out to new ideas? 

The problem isn’t that they are live-action but rather that they don’t justify why they are live-action.Whether it be art style, music, or the actions and mannerisms of the characters, animated movies have a distinct style. Live-action movies often take away important character traits, leaving the film feeling lifeless and dull. “The Lion King,” is a perfect example of this.

The characters are made using very realistic CGI, which is very different from the 2D animated version. The CGI animals are just that, animals. They have no unique characteristics; they just look like normal animals in the wild, which strips away the art style and characteristics of the original.

Now, live-action films are becoming shot-for-shot remakes. Yes, it is important to stick to the source material, but if the remakes are exactly the same as the animated ones, offering nothing of variety, what’s the point of watching them?

Live-actions shouldn’t be carbon copies of the animation but also shouldn’t completely change the important key factors of the story. “How to Train Your Dragon,” could incorporate some content from the original books to enhance the film, but it shouldn’t change the whole story. 

There is a big difference between staying true to the original animated version and making a completely different film. Moviemakers need to find a balance between this.

There are also live-actions with directors who want to pay homage to the animated version but ultimately end up horrible. I love my favorite childhood films without their live-action remakes, and I don’t need them to appreciate the original.