When a musical is adapted to film, one thing’s for certain: a new song will be added whether it needs one or not (it usually doesn’t).
The main reason for this is increased awards potential. In order to be eligible for “Best Original Song” honors, a movie needs a new track as they can’t submit one that previously existed. This doesn’t mean the songs are generally awards-worthy, though — far from it. Most end up feeling little more than obligatory when all is said and done.
The infamous Disney live-action remakes are a whole other beast, however. A lot of their original songs come across as phoned-in and lazy. This makes it odd that many of them have more than one, often unnecessarily replacing beloved songs from their animated counterparts.
Here’s a ranking of the original songs from the Disney live-action remakes, from the painful to the pleasant.
15. When He Was Here With Me (Pinocchio)
This only makes the list because the Pinocchio soundtrack claims it’s a song. It’s really just Tom Hanks as Geppetto speaking about his dead son while the orchestral score plays in the background.
It’s only before the two-and-a-half minute mark of this three-and-a-half minute song that Hanks even attempts to sing. While it isn’t good per se, the emotion makes up for it the same way some performances in movies like 2012’s Les Miserables do. But like that movie, this song is better in context than played on the soundtrack.
I’m not generally one to advocate for the removal of the more “talkative” numbers from a musical’s soundtrack album, but there’s a decent case to be made for this one to have missed the cut.
14. Pinocchio, Pinocchio (Pinocchio)
Okay, maybe Tom Hanks holding off on actually singing wasn’t such a bad idea after all. On top of the fact that this number replaces the delightful “Little Wooden Head” from the 1940 movie. The music is nice, but Hanks isn’t a great vocalist, and his breathing sounds pretty labored at times.
That’s not even mentioning the lyrics, which contain such inspired lyrics as “Pinocchio, Pinocchio / I’ll feed you beets and gnocchi-o / And rice that comes from Tokyo / And you’ll think it is good.” I don’t think I need to say anything else here.
13. Scuttlebutt (The Little Mermaid)
The live-action Little Mermaid starts off as a pretty basic, uninteresting remake until Ariel gets to shore. Once she’s on land, things diverge from the animated movie and the remake becomes its own thing — and a pretty enjoyable one at that.
This all changes, however, as soon as “Scuttlebutt” begins. The song is meant to cut the rising third act tension, but it really wasn’t the moment for a break in the increasing stakes. It somehow grinds the film to a halt even though it’s technically moving the story forward.
But really, this song would be bad no matter where in the film it landed. Awkwafina may have been a rapper at one point, but there’s a reason she’s had more success as an actor. But a lot of the blame has to go to Lin-Manuel Miranda, who couldn’t resist throwing his signature style into a movie that didn’t really suit it. It usually works pretty well, but The Little Mermaid really didn’t need a squawking Scuttle rap song feat. Sebastian.
12. How Does A Moment Last Forever (Montmare) (Beauty and the Beast)
This reprise comes at a moment in which Belle has traveled to the past with the Beast. Her backstory was not present in the original, and while it isn’t really necessary in this one, it does make for an alright foundation for her to bond with the Beast.
Emma Watson received a fair amount of criticism for her singing in Beauty and the Beast. With that in ind, it’s nice to have a song that seems to have been written specifically for her voice. She does a great job with the track, even if it isn’t really necessary.
11. How Does A Moment Last Forever (Beauty and the Beast)
Yes, even Kevin Kline as Maurice gets a little song in this remake. It’s a pleasant enough moment looking back on his life with Belle and his dead wife; nothing to write home about, but not painful to listen to, either. Ultimately, more of a purpose to the story than the reprise, but not by much.
10. Aria (Beauty and the Beast)
Does this one have any connection to the story? No. But it does give us a number from Braodway legend Audra McDonald, and for that, it’s much better than some of these other songs.
9. Wild Uncharted Waters (The Little Mermaid)
One thing the live-action Little Mermaid improves upon is Prince Eric. In the original, he’s a generic love interest, but the remake works to rectify that by giving him a backstory, interests, and yes, his own “I Want” song. While Ariel is still the clear star of the movie, all of this makes the romance between the two more compelling and easier to get invested in.
Unfortunately, this song is about as generic as it gets when it comes to the “I Want” genre. It’s not bad, but it isn’t catchy or memorable, either. Honestly, it could have been cut for time without the movie losing anything important.
8. I Will Always Dance (Pinocchio)
This song is sung by Fabiana – a puppeteer for villain Stromboli – and her puppet, Sabina, as Fabiana controls her. It starts off as a slow ballad about Fabiana’s love of dance despite her foot injury preventing her from doing so. Later, Fabiana picks up Sabina to deliver the rest of the number and the music turns upbeat. She sings of various styles she loves and demonstrates them through the puppet. Even gets Pinocchio to join in.
This song doesn’t add too much to the movie and ends abruptly, but it’s not really that bad overall.
7. What a Shame (Lady and the Tramp)
This number serves as a replacement for the 1955 version’s “Siamese Cat Song,” which was, well, racist, and obviously wouldn’t be in the remake. Just like that song, this one is about the cats destroying the house to the shock and horror of Lady.
The jazz style they went with for this one is fun. While it’s not a particularly memorable number, it’s pleasant enough to listen to in the moment.
6. Days In the Sun (Beauty and the Beast)
This is a sweet-but-sad song that sees the servants-turned-objects lament their fate and remember better times before the curse was put on the castle. It’s pretty and all, but the much catchier and livelier “Human Again” — a number cut from the animated movie only to return in the stage musical and tenth-anniversary IMAX release of the film — is the superior song centered on this sentiment.
5. Evermore (Beauty and the Beast)
Like “Days In the Sun,” this is a perfectly nice song about the toll of the curse on the castle. This time, it’s sung from the perspective of the Beast as he sings about his feelings for Belle. But also like “Days In the Sun,” the Beauty and the Beast stage musical contains a much better song which serves the same narrative purpose in “If I Can’t Love Her.”
4. The Coachman To Pleasure Island (Pinocchio)
Luke Evans was one of the highlights of the live-action Beauty and the Beast remake as Gaston. It only makes sense that Disney decided to bring him in to play another villain, this time the coachman in Pinocchio.
The character is expanded from the animated movie, even receiving a song of his own — by far, the best new song in the remake. It’s a jazzy little number in which the coachman and young boys pressure Pinocchio to go with them to Pleasure Island. The song is very reminiscent of some classic villain songs of Disney’s past like The Princess and the Frog’s “Friends on the Other Side.” Evans is very convincing in the role, and his portrayal makes for a character that’s different from the animated counterpart but still quite menacing.
3. For The First Time (The Little Mermaid)
It’s strange to grant a song sung by Ariel while her voice is being held captive by Ursula such a high spot on the list. However, “For The First Time” works as a window into Ariel’s mind, and it’s nice to get that considering she spends so much time without her voice.
While the number itself is kind of a run-of-the-mill “Disney Princess” song, Halle Bailey has a lovely voice and it’s nice to have the added dimension of Ariel’s inner thoughts, something not present in the animated movie.
2. Spirit (The Lion King)
I mean, this is a Beyoncé song, so it was likely to be pretty great from the get-go. “Spirit” is fitting as a sister song to the likes of “Circle of Life” and the lesser known “He Lives in You” (from The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride as well as the Lion King stage musical). It’s a nondiegetic song, but still deserves a spot on this list (and a high one at that). Unlike so many other musical pieces from the various Disney live-action remakes, it’s clear there was a considerable amount of heart and passion put into “Spirit.”
1. Speechless (Aladdin)
Jasmine is one of the few Disney Princesses to never get a solo number (at least not in the original Aladdin) but the nearly 30-year wait was worth. This wonderful power ballad showcases the character’s inner strength and determination to be heard that — while present in the animated film — is too often overlooked by audiences. This is truly one of the few songs from a live-action Disney remake that could hold its own amongst the numbers held over from its animated counterpart.
