Remakes and reboots are the big thing in Hollywood right now. I know we're all tired of seeing announcements of the remake of "insert favorite movie here". Disney is perhaps the biggest offender of this at the moment, with numerous remakes already under their belt and there are at least 13 that will be coming out in the future.
There are some where annoyance is warranted, such as the remake of "Beauty and the Beast" that was almost exactly the same as the original. But, there are others that were done well, or had a different spin on the classic tale, such as "Maleficent". While there are some that I'm looking forward to, there are some films on the list that I feel are missing. Without further ado, here are some live action Disney remakes that I actually want to see.
1. "Hercules" (1997)
I'm starting off the list with a movie that won't be like most of the others here. Obviously, this movie is not underrated, and it's pretty much perfect the way it is.The reason I'd want a "Hercules" remake is because there are a lot of Greek mythology films that are way too serious. "Hercules" is the only one that's lighthearted and fun, and I think we need to bring that back to movies. In addition, a lot of movies based on Greek mythology is incredibly white-washed, and I think if Disney made this movie with actual Greek actors then a lot of people might follow in their footsteps. Also, come on, who wouldn't want to see live action Muses?
2. "Atlantis: The Lost Empire" (2001)
This is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time, but it's so underrated. It has an incredibly diverse cast and a complex and interesting plot. Also, the special effects would be amazing. Can you imagine how cool the part where the submarine is attacked by a Leviathan--a giant mechanical lobster--would be in live action? There's so much about this movie that would be great to bring to life. It's almost criminal that such an amazing movie has been forgotten by the masses, and with Disney's obsession with live action remakes, this is the perfect opportunity to bring back the underrated classics.
3. "Lilo and Stitch" (2002)
Again, this movie is not exactly underrated, but it's no "Frozen" either. I think this movie has a really important message that's shown in other Disney movies, but it doesn't play out the same way. Sure, we all know that family is important, but no one knows this more than Lilo and her sister, Nani. Not to mention, Nani is such an amazing character as a young woman who would literally do anything for her sister. Not to mention, this movie stars women of color and is a very female-centric movie that doesn't get as much love as it should.
4. "The Black Cauldron" (1985)
"The Black Cauldron" is another Disney movie that's been criminally underrated, though I don't feel as strongly about it as I do "Atlantis". But "The Black Cauldron" does have a pretty interesting storyline that's rooted in Welsh folklore. It also heavily features witchcraft and magic among the heroes in a really cool way. I think this movie was such a great story that's still pretty unique, but again, it's been forgotten throughout the ages. It's true that this movie wasn't as successful as a lot of other Disney movies, but this could be Disney's chance to improve upon the story.
5. "Treasure Planet" (2002)
People hated this movie. A lot. I think the problem most people had with this movie is that they don't like when films mess with classic stories in a weird way. Such as the cases with any Shakespeare adaptation that has been modernized, such as Baz Luhrmann's "Romeo + Juliet". "Treasure Planet" was an adaptation of "Treasure Island" by Robert Louis Stevenson set in a steampunk universe. It's actually a really well-done and interesting version of "Treasure Island" and if people could accept that it's different, then they would love it. It would be a risk remaking this since it didn't make a lot of money, but I really think people need to give it a chance.
6. "Brother Bear" (2003)
Can we just take a second to appreciate what a spectacular movie "Brother Bear" is? Now that we've done that, let's talk about live action remake. This is one of the few movies about people of color (and one of the many stories about POC where they're an animal for the majority of the film) and it's so underappreciated. "Brother Bear" is based on Native American folklore, and shows that the Native people have rich and interesting stories that aren't just about Pocahontas and Sacagawea. My only qualm about this movie is that the characters are bears for most of the movie, so if there was a remake I would like there to be more screen time with actual, human POC.
I don't think that this is at all a complete list, as there are some other unappreciated Disney movies that I haven't seen. In addition, I didn't include movies that Disney is planning to remake since it would be a little redundant (such as "The Little Mermaid" and "The Sword in the Stone"). And if you haven't seen any of these movies, then now might be the time to go back and remember some lost Disney gems.