The first question you might ask about the rise of these movies is: Why? Simply put, these movies combine nostalgia, proven success, franchises, and global appeal to easily create a big movie with a lower chance of failing at the box office. Though these movies often do well, due to the extreme production of live-actions and sequels, many viewers have judgments such as comparisons to the better previous version, laziness, and unoriginality. This article will focus solely on the movies released in 2025 and how good they really are, ranked based on various criteria. 

Live-Actions

Lilo & Stitch

Similar but slightly different from the 2002 Disney family movie, Maia Kealoha as Lilo recreates the old film with new flair. 

1. Like the original movie, it was set and filmed in O’ahu, Hawaii, focusing on the cultural aspects of native Hawaiians and the complicated relationship between sisters. 
2. Although the movie nearly follows the same plot, it differs through Nani’s new dream of going to college for Marine Biology, Lilo ending up living with David’s Grandmother, and the new character, Mrs. Kekoa, who appears as the social worker attempting to support Nani. 
3. Something super fun about this movie was the incorporation of voice actors from the original movie getting to star as new characters in the film, such as Mrs. Kekoa (Nani’s voice actor), David’s Grandmother (Mrs. Hasagawa’s voice actor), and the Lua Manager (David’s voice actor). 
4. This film does use CGI for Stitch and the aliens, which did not blend in very well with the large, realistic focus of the movie. 

Overall, the movie included many new interesting parts to it but excluded large nostalgic points and magical aspects, which makes it a worthwhile watch if you love Lilo & Stitch, but definitely worse than the original film.

How to Train Your Dragon

This 2025 recreation of the DreamWorks film from 2010 stars Mason Thames and Nico Parker as Hiccup and Astrid, following the same plot as the original animated film. 

1. The movie was filmed in Northern Ireland to resemble the Isle of Berk, using the natural landscape and amazing production to give the film a new life and beauty different from the original. 
2. Unfortunately, the film had to use CGI for the dragons, for obvious reasons, yet it blended into the movie perfectly to make a magical, realistic production. 
3. The movie was targeted at a younger audience, but it also used great timing to make the most out of teens’ and adults’ nostalgia, since the original was a fan favorite when it first came out. 
4. It capitalized on the already extremely successful How to Train Your Dragon franchise. 

Ultimately, it used captivating settings, great actors, and good timing to craft a well-made Live-Action that is totally worth watching.

Snow White

Following the same plot of the original 1937 Disney classic, the new live-action stars Rachel Zegler as Snow White and Gal Gadot as the Evil Queen. 

• The movie fell short during casting for Rachel Zegler and Gal Gadot. Though an amazing actress with a beautiful voice, Rachel is a strong belting soprano unlike Snow White with a squeaky delicate soprano voice. Along with that, Gal Gadot showed nearly no emotion throughout the film and made it feel like she didn’t really care for the movie especially when attempting to deliver powerful lines but saying them like a robot. 
• The dwarfs in the movie were CGI and looked extremely odd in the movie. Using CGI for characters is fine but the dwarfs looked off-putting and too unrealistic for the movie. It is also unfortunate because the dwarfs, unlike dragons or aliens, are human and could have been created in a much better way.
• Throughout the movie, the entire production felt lacking with costumes being lazy, the plot being the same but with less magic, and the overall vibe being glum.

This movie was honestly a miss from the time when the first trailers came out, and it was even more disappointing when watched in theaters. There is no real purpose to watching this over the original and the entire concept was definitely a cash grab. 

Sequels

Freakier Friday

In the much later sequel to the Disney Channel, Freaky Friday, Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis come back to create a new version, but including Lindsay/Anna as a mother.

1. Freakier Friday brought back the original cast, like Jake, Anna, and Tess, giving the film that nostalgic and heart-warming feel of Disney Channel movies.
2. The new movie had hilarious scenes like the Record Shop, where Anna (who is swapped with her daughter) starts dancing for Jake, one of the characters from the original movie, which reflected the movie’s original light-hearted comedic feel. 
3. The plot was similar to the original, where daughters and mothers switch bodies, but this time it includes four people: Anna, Tess, Harper, and Lily to create a new movie that reflects one of its pasts. The plot also focuses on Anna’s personal life with marriage, daughter troubles, and blended families, which made it feel like you were watching something original. 

This movie had so many great components, and is a great family watch, especially with mothers and daughters. Even if you haven’t seen the first, it is totally worthwhile to see. 

Wicked: For Good

Unlike the other movies in this article, Wicked: For Good has been known and anticipated since Wicked: Part One came out. Similar to the 2024 film, it stars Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda and is the final half of the Wicked series. 

1. Wicked: For Good has kept everyone on the edge of their seats after seeing the first half of the movie in Wicked. This layout is extremely similar to how the musical is played on Broadway, with intermission splitting Wicked into two parts. Unfortunately, unlike Broadway, movies take a long time to come out, making people wait a year to see Wicked: For Good, and needing a reminder of what even happened in the first half. 
2. To even watch this sequel, you had to have seen the first half, which is not in theaters anymore. Though this is not a downside, because Wicked was such a huge movie that many people watched in the first place, it is good to keep in mind in case you are planning to watch it. 
3. The movie was such a highly anticipated sequel that it felt like it fell short. The ending felt rushed and unsatisfying, with the plot jumping around and being unclear. Without prior context to the musical, this movie could definitely be confusing and lacking for many viewers. 
4. The high budget of around 150 million dollars allowed this movie to have a beautiful production, amazing actors, and a harmonious soundtrack. Each character had perfect outfits and makeup, changing to fit the scene with such attention to detail, giving it that extra special touch of Oz’s magic. 

This movie was huge, viral, and beautiful, but lackluster when compared to the first half, making it seem like it didn’t need to be split into multiple parts. For huge Wicked musical fans, the new details definitely make it worth watching, but for new viewers, it may be better to see the musical first before you jump into the films.