Why the West Side Story remake worked with critics and why the Disney remakes did not

In a world full of remakes and reboots that seem to have drained Hollywood of any original thought, it came as a surprise to see Steven Spielberg’s own iteration of West Side Story be highly acclaimed by critics. It was one of the few remakes to achieve the standards previously set by its predecessor and was even deemed superior to that of the 1961 film.

Its performances and smart use of nostalgia made the film a perfect Spielberg film that will certainly be a nostalgia-filled film years down the line.

However, there seems to be some discrepancy as to why this remake worked so well with critics and why the Disney remakes didn’t work as well.

Animation ruled Disney while West Side Story was already live action

Disney movies started with the medium of animation and later rebooted them into their live-action counterparts. Shifting from animation to live-action seems like something of a jarring move for the studio when people remember it so fondly for its resplendent animation. As a result, many critics claimed that the live-action Disney films lacked the energy of its cartoon iterations and had less goofy fun in them.

West Side Story didn’t have that problem as the original film was already live-action and neither film would be compared for being in a différent medium. The two films were on a level playing field and didn’t require a reevaluation in the form that it was shot in.

The original West Side Story was whitewashed

The biggest issue in the original West Side Story film was its whitewashing of certain characters. To be more specific, Maria, who was played by Natalie Wood in the original, was the subject of whitewashing.

This controversial topic was fixed when Spielberg decided to hire actual Hispanic actors to portray the characters. It seemed more accurate and natural when the actors portrayed their actual heritage and didn’t require any darkening makeup to give the illusion of the actors playing a different race.

West Side Story didn’t need to take risks with its storytelling

The best thing about this remake is that it doesn’t need to risk anything save for some new actors and a different ensemble. While many remakes change a lot that doesn’t prove to be consequential to the storyline, West Side Story is a remake that takes pleasure in playing it safe.

It doesn’t pride itself on trying to separate itself from its predecessor and embraces its legacy as an homage to its greatness.

What are your thoughts on the different West Side Story  takes?