Live action adaptations: Between nostalgia and controversy
Written by Alessandra Langit | Read in Indonesian
Live action adaptations have become a trend in the global film industry. These films, which are generally based on iconic cartoons or popular anime, have their own appeal. The feeling of nostalgia and the physical form of an imaginative world are what attract the audience to live action adaptations. They are also able to introduce classic shows to the next generation. Despite being highly awaited, live action adaptations often fail to capture the essence of the original version and, instead, spark controversy.
As one of the world’s oldest animation studios, Disney often remakes their classic animations in live action, from "The Lion King", "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast" to the recently released "Little Mermaid". The presence of streaming platforms such as Netflix also drove the production of live action adaptations. In the past year, Netflix has released a live action adaptation of the anime "One Piece" and on 22 February 2022 released the live action "Avatar: The Last Airbender". Live action adaptations have their own strengths and weaknesses. Audiences generally appreciate their visual direction, such as sets and artistic design. Extended storyline, casting and sensitivity to socio-political issues, however, often drag them down.
This makes many wonder, what kind of live action films are considered a success and which are a failure?
What makes live action film a success
There are several aspects, both visual and narrative, that make live action films a success. First, it is undeniable that the advantage of live action adaptations is their visual splendour. The advancement in CGI technology allows filmmakers to make imaginative worlds as realistic as possible. The live action “The Jungle Book” and “The Lion King” take audiences into a world of animals that feels real and magical. CGI technology can make the audience feel what it is like to live in the jungle with its various conflicts. Most of the characters in these two films are animals, which are made to be very alive and real through realistic details and skillful portrayals of expressions, gestures and emotions. Apart from that, well-crafted CGI technology can spark nostalgia of one’s childhood imaginations for certain characters or worlds in classic animation.
The artistic design of live action adaptations is also an important point. The live action "Avatar: The Last Airbender" won praises for its artistic design, from sets to costumes, which stayed true to the original animation and could truly embody the world of Avatar. As reviewed by Vox, “The production design is opulent and rich with detail, carefully incorporating Avatar’s cultural influences, from architecture to costuming. This allows all the visual elements to integrate seamlessly to generate a spectacular show.”
Narration also plays an important role in live action adaptations. Oftentimes, live action adaptations expand the narrative by adding complexity or depth to the characters and storyline. Another regular practice is to add new characters who live in the same universe as the original characters. For example, in the live action “Beauty and the Beast”, the motivation and background of the protagonist are explored and developed more extensively. This adaptation offers a new perspective that is not found in the animated version. The feminist narrative is also embedded in the daily lives and decisions of the characters. Good story development, without forcing things that have no effect on the original narrative, can give the audience a more enjoyable and emotional experience.
What is more important than these technical aspects is cultural sensitivity which can depict characters, character environments, or stories in a way that is inclusive and respectful of the culture in the original story. In the live action "Avatar: The Last Airbender", the four tribes which symbolise the essential elements in human life represent various cultures. The Fire Nation is inspired by the Japanese and Chinese empires and represents East Asian culture well; the Water Tribe is inspired by Inuit and subarctic cultures whose representation is often forgotten in pop culture; the Earth Kingdom is inspired by imperial Chinese culture; and the Air Nomads are inspired by the history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Tibet and some countries in Southeast Asia.
In the live action "Aladdin" (2019), several dialogues and song lyrics were changed to be more respectful of Middle Eastern and South Asian culture. In the song "Prince Ali", the line that reads "slaves, servants and henchmen" was changed to "servants and henchmen" because the word "slave" was deemed too harsh and degrading to the people of the culture that was the setting for the film. The line "Sunday salaam" was changed to "Friday salaam" because Friday is the Muslim holy day. In the adaptation of "Lady and the Tramp" (2019), the Siamese cat who speaks with a stereotypical Asian accent is changed to a generic cat sound.
Polemic caused by the failure of live action adaptations
Sensitivity to culture and socio-political issues is often the main factor that makes a live action film a failure. In recent years, racial issues in film adaptations have become a polemic on social media–sparking heated discussions about the importance of sensitivity among studios or production houses to issues in society.
In her essay "Everything Culturally Wrong With Mulan (2020) and How They Could’ve Been Fixed", Xiran Jay Zhao (Canadian author of Chinese descent) argued that the orientalist view of Chinese culture in the live action "Mulan" (2020) makes Chinese audiences felt disrespected. On China's largest film review site, Douban, it received the lowest rating of all live action films produced by Disney.
Zhao said the problems in the film were rooted in the production staff being predominantly white–from the director and screenwriter to costume designer. This means that the film "Mulan" does not have a Chinese perspective. For example, the costume designer did not have in-depth knowledge of traditional and everyday Chinese clothing. Disney solved the problem by researching Chinese culture through archives or visiting museums. Disney chose to spend more money on research instead of hiring Chinese designers who grew up and live in Chinese culture. Zhao also noticed that the screenwriter filled the narrative with typical Western fantasy things like witches. The concept of traditional Chinese culture was interpreted through a Western perspective, thus showing only a surface level understanding.
Disney also embedded progressive ideology in its classic adaptations which instead sparked debate among the general public. The live action "Snow White" which is expected to be screened in 2025 remains a hot topic because it is deemed forcing too much of a ‘woke’ narrative. First of all, the character Snow White will be played by actress Rachel Zegler, a Latina. This is seen to have strayed far from where "Snow White" originated, namely Germany. The protagonist has "skin as white as snow", thus her name Snow White. Many people are disappointed with Disney's decision, calling it damaging the original story. The first time Disney changed the race of the protagonist was in the live action "Little Mermaid" (2023). However, it was supported by the public considering that Ariel does not come from a particular race or culture and is an imaginative creature who lives under the sea.
Another rumour is that in the live action "Snow White", the seven dwarf characters will be replaced by characters from various backgrounds because the filmmakers feel that the dwarf characters are insensitive to people with dwarfism. In fact, this is an opportunity to show representation of actors with dwarfism who are empowered and have strong characters in a film. This makes Disney's activism feel performative.
The failure of live action adaptations can also be caused by visual and narrative designs that fail to capture the essence of the classic version. In some cases, they suffer from pacing issues. The live action “Peter Pan & Wendy” (2024) is considered to have a rushed tempo, resulting in changes in the characters. The audience is unable to develop sympathy for their beloved characters because the plot moves so quickly. Another problem is the excessive use of CGI. In the live action “Pinocchio” (2022), this makes the characters look lifeless because the emotions couldn’t be conveyed properly.
When making a live action adaptation, filmmakers need to reach a balance. The adaptation must also be able to maintain the essence or original elements of the original version and present emotional depth and awareness of socio-political issues through the story and characters.