Throughout time, movie have made outlines of what classifies a “good movie” or a “classic”. Movies have been setting standards for creativity and originality for decades but now, it seems like there is no bar to reach, no expectations to exceed. It seems now that, in the movie business, originality is not what people want or what can be made. Standards for movies are changing and becoming easier to exceed with the making of prequels, sequels, and full on remakes of these classic movies.

I’m specifically thinking of Disney/Pixar. Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, Cinderella, Jungle Book, Beauty and the Beast, and pretty much every other classic is being or is going to be taken over by technology and be turned into a live action movie filled with CGI and high-tech animation. The recent release of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast showed how technology could make a beast come to life and how silverware can do kick lines and big broadway-like musical numbers.

My question for Disney is why? What is wrong with the originals? I personally I am a lover of the original classics. I still own and watch them on VHS because that is how I prefer them. It makes me think about the good times from my childhood and how I grew up. Those movies made me the happy person I am today. Now as a teenager, it seems like Disney has almost given up. They have run out of ideas and are reaching in the dark for new ideas. Instead of new ideas they just take the easy route and make everything “better quality.”

On the other hand, there are movie studios that create extended series of the same movie. Marvel comes to mind because it seems like a there are 7 Spiderman movies and 15 Avengers movies. It never ends. I completely understand how this is because these movie represent the original comic books but there are plenty of superheroes that haven’t been recognized. I don’t see the appeal to seeing another movie about the same characters with slightly different plots. When I see these movies, they keep getting more complicated and more fancy on the special effects side of things.

Technology and CGI are the invisible hands of the movie industry that have the ability to change and shape modern movies. Explosions, superheroes, animals, and anything that is in any way a part of a modern movie has to be upgraded to a certain level of realism with animations and special effects. This gives studios a reason to continually make remakes of classic movies—because, in their minds, it can be improved. This isn’t the case for me. I am one to constantly go back to the originals which have a vibe of nostalgia and actually gets across a point without needing any special effects. Standards now just include flashy photography and big visuals instead of an actual plot and that is why it has become so easy to keep remaking movies. Not everything has to be updated with the latest technology and animation. Sometimes simplicity is key.