Evolution of Disney

By Brooke Tan '26

    There is a certain magic in old Disney movies that will never die, continuing to captivate audiences across generations. While many people assume this effect is because of the ‘old’ style animation and whimsical storytelling, the Disney charm comes more from forethought. Aside from entertainment, these films connect viewers with characters emotionally and intellectually, communicating a universal experience. Every story element held a purpose that tied into themes like loss, friendship, family, kindness, and growth, surrounding world-building with limitless potential. Starkly, Disney's modern reliance on live-action remakes and shallow narratives lack substance. To revive their magic, Disney should return to creating animated films and bring back storytelling with cartoon animals and humans instead of using real-life humans with lazy development. 
    One quality of the appeal in old Disney films was personification. Animators could characterize objects and animals in human emotions while showing struggles profound to the audience. For example, The Lion King, Bambi, and The Aristocats create symbolic and iconic characters. While the design choice has the essence of children’s shows, the films communicated serious topics in an engaging manner to all age ranges, ultimately teaching long-term lessons to the children. These narratives gave viewers an emotional connection, helping them to see the depth behind the cute, animated characters. One of my favorites is a short cartoon called The Little House, an adaptation of a children's picture book, depicting environmental problems like urbanization as a consequence of rapid industrialization. Despite the cartoon’s short length, the character development was displayed brilliantly: the animation and color palette were comforting and restorative to the eyes. This particular film connects with modern problems, depicting how deforestation ruins nature excessively. Granted, I was moved to be more appreciative of nature, and I bet all of us were rooting for the little house to get the home it deserves.
    However, present Disney movies are lacking and incredibly empty. The Lion King's live-action remake loses the emotional resonance that was once achieved through animation. The purpose of recreating the film was to use nostalgia to gain attention and views instead of creating something worthwhile and memorable. Instead of investing in creative storytelling and design, Disney recycles its beloved classics like Beauty and the Beast and Dumbo to get quick bucks. These new films are more modernized to a 21st-century lens, but unable to serve the same ambition. This dilutes creativity, as movies are no longer about telling stories that matter, but about riding the wave of what's trending. Yes, Disney can remake classics, but at least they should sufficiently capture their significance or expand beyond the original message, just as Disney proved they could when they remade The Ugly Duckling.
    The noticeable decline in the depth of storytelling especially strikes me in the Mulan live-action, which is an embarrassment as a descendant of the original. Without proper writing, all story elements are dull and fail to nurture deep understanding. Mulan is superficial and flat, with no characterization whatsoever, and the plot is more straightforward due to lazy writing. Originally, Mulan disguises herself as a man to take her father's place in the emperor's army, countering the stereotype of the restricted role of a lady. She learns to fight, gains confidence in her character, and befriends her fellow soldiers. When her true identity is revealed, she chooses to fight as a woman, train tirelessly, and ultimately takes on the task of saving the emperor, earning honor. The plot had significant holes that grew bigger as the story progressed. Character development was non-existent: Mulan was already so strong that she didn't even have to train properly. Constantly, a random guy is charging in with romance baiting that drags away from the purpose of the film. Some new elements were added, such as new antagonists, but were barely developed, making them pointless. Moreover, Mulan’s dynamics with the side characters were odd and forced. There was no rigor, and even fighting scenes felt disconnected. Frankly, she was just accepted right away, jumping to an easy resolution. The only considerable element was aesthetically pleasing visuals, but it was not my style. The storyline heavily relies on special effects to tell the story, which is nowhere as substantial as proper storytelling. The remake was not a carbon copy clone, maybe like the ugly sister, as they attempted to apply their contemporary twists for lasting impact and sunk into a bottomless pit of futility. My takeaway from the remake was that people viewed women as shallow, but Mulan can prove women can be better than men all of a sudden without fighting hardship against this prejudice. The whole idea is targeted to feminists and nostalgic people to cash in, and draw other audiences just because the idea now is that it is the right thing to oppose sexism. Representation in Disney films now feels more like a checkbox than a meaningful, heartfelt portrayal as characters are inserted for social visibility rather than thoughtfully integrated into stories that reflect real, authentic experiences, which is problematic. This feeds into the cycle of money going toward quantity rather than quality.
    Disney’s current approach, driven by profit and trends, erodes the legacy of its classic films. By focusing on quantity over quality, corporations risk losing the magic that made it iconic in the first place. Disney should make films with purpose that connect emotionally with audiences and explore meaningful themes as a source of joy, inspiration, and timeless storytelling. The old Disney movies rose to be a paradigmatic demonstration of profundity because they had a clear idea driving them to propel their magic. To recapture this magic, Disney should return to its roots in purpose. It’s not about going back to traditional hand-drawn animation, but about creating films that have heart, where every design choice, narrative element, and character has a reason to exist. Movies like Inside Out and Zootopia show that Disney is still capable of creating stories with depth. This shouldn't be the exception; it should be the standard.