Live-action movie adaptations of animated properties tend to get written off as inferior to the latter, and unfortunately, not without legitimate reasons. They often alter necessary elements or work too hard to keep up with the current time that they inevitably become dated.
The slightest detail revealed about a live-action remake can make or break the movie's hype. Nevertheless, the adaptation must have some basis in its source material. While many changes get made for the worse, some actors surprisingly fit their roles. They may not always be enough to save the movie, but they do just enough to shine.
10 Hank Azaria Brought Delightful Comedy To The Role Of Gargamel
The Smurfs (2011) and its sequel were notorious for taking their stories away from the creative world of Smurf village, focusing more on the human world and characters, and capitalizing on mainstream trends. Unfortunately, despite a big-name cast, the film's writing couldn't utilize their talents.
However, the one exception to this rule was Hank Azaria's performance as the villain, Gargamel. While the character's motivation deviated from the show, Azaria provided an unforgettably over-the-top performance with awkward but entertaining comedic timing that even the animated reboot could not recapture.
9 Peter Cullen Gave Maximum Effort In Portraying Optimus Prime
The live-action Transformers movies received dislike from fans due to their lackluster attempts at comedy and subpar human characters. Despite them being financial successes, people had become burned out on the franchise by the fifth film, leading the studio to reboot it with Bumblebee (2018).
The franchise's problems would become more apparent with each movie, but one element that consistently remained entertaining was Optimus Prime. The films brought back the character's original voice actor from the cartoon, Peter Cullen, whose voice performance brought life into even the most mundane dialogue.
8 Bill Murray's Garfield Was An Ideal Choice In A Less-Than-Ideal Film
The characters in Garfield (2004) hardly resemble their comic strip or cartoon counterparts in terms of look and personality. However, one of the few that came close was the title character, voiced by Bill Murray.
Despite the dated CGI on the character, Murray's performance brought most aspects associated with Garfield. The choice to have him would also be somewhat amusing as Lorenzo Music, Garfield's voice actor in the cartoons, would voice a cartoon version of Murray's character from Ghostbusters in the Ghostbusters animated series, The Real Ghostbusters.
7 Justin Timberlake Did A Spot-On Impression Of Boo-Boo Bear In Yogi Bear
The Yogi Bear movie in 2010 fell victim to problems that plagued most live-action remakes of nostalgic cartoon TV shows. It had a rather clichéd plot, CGI that could be better, and writing that didn't provide much for its audience. However, the pacing kept these weaknesses from flying too high.
While fans were divided on Dan Aykroyd's performance as Yogi, most agreed that Justin Timberlake did a spot-on impression of his friend Boo-Boo. The only downside was that Boo-Boo's character in the show and movie was relegated to being the straight man, giving him less time to shine compared to Yogi.
6 Jim Cummings Brought Winnie The Pooh's Innocence To Live-Action In Christopher Robin (2018)
The magic of Disney's animated films rarely translates to live-action. As such, fans tend to write them off upon their sole announcement. Unfortunately, Christopher Robin (2018) seemed to be yet another victim, with a predictable story but managed some surprises.
A significant part of its merit came from the portrayal of the famous stuffed bear, Winnie the Pooh. While the effects looked somewhat strange, Jim Cummings, who voiced Pooh bear in most of the cartoons, returned to voice the character and brought a familiar sense of endearment to even the most ordinary of dialogue.
5 David Cross' Performance Reveled In Ian Hawke's Evil In The Alvin And The Chipmunks Movies
The first Alvin and the Chipmunks movie introduced the characters to a new generation. Unfortunately, as the franchise progressed, there was less focus on crafting a genuine story and more of an excuse to do chipmunk covers of any popular songs.
Few of the protagonists had enough character to drive any of the films. However, the villain of the first three movies, Ian Hawke (David Cross), proved to stand out. Despite being little more than a greedy business person, he was enjoyable due to Cross' humorous performance while executing his schemes to the point some audiences wanted him to win.
4 Angelina Jolie Stole The Show As Maleficent In Maleficent (2014)
Maleficent (2014) was a live-action remake of Disney's Sleeping Beauty. It told the story from the villain, Maleficent's (Angelina Jolie) perspective, giving her a sympathetic backstory leading her down a dark road like the animated version.
Most fans were divided on making Maleficent, who was considered the mistress of all evil, more sympathetic and didn't like how subdued her heinous acts were compared to the cartoon. However, Jolie's performance brought forth the appropriate charisma to associate her enough with the same character and allowed audiences to get invested in her plights.
3 John Goodman Proved To Be The Perfect Casting Choice For Fred Flintstone In The Flintstones (1994)
While The Flintstones (1994) wasn't a perfect movie and was lambasted by critics, some audiences still find it a piece of nostalgic charm. It tried its best to translate the cartoon's workings to live-action and its cast, for the most part, did their best to represent the characters.
One of the casting choices most fans unanimously enjoy was John Goodman's performance as Fred Flintstone. Goodman could not only do a perfect impression of Fred's famous catchphrase, but also embody his stubborn and big-headed nature, making the character likable despite his flaws.
2 Emma Stone Surprised Audiences With Her Portrayal Of Cruella's Evil In Cruella (2021)
Cruella (2021) was yet another origin story for a classic Disney villain. In this case, it was Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians. Although most audiences derided the idea, it proved itself as one of the better Disney live-action remakes.
Some of the elements that tied into the cartoon fell flat. However, Stone shines when her character is allowed to go all out in her evil. It tends to be somewhat mean-spirited but, in a way, befitting the character, which takes up most of the first two acts. Alas, it goes in a more hackneyed direction in the third one, which brought the film's quality down.
1 Matthew Lillard Put So Much Heart Into His Portrayal Of Shaggy Rogers In Scooby-Doo (2002)
Scooby-Doo (2002) made some rather questionable decisions in its storytelling. However, its cast mostly did well to bring to life the characters audiences had grown to love, and its writing had the occasional clever joke.
Perhaps the most memorable of the cast was Matthew Lillard's portrayal of the gang's coward and big eater, Shaggy Rogers. Lillard not only did a stellar impression of the character but also offered a great deal of energy and passion to his performance, making the film more entertaining. He would even go on to voice the character in the cartoons 2010 after the original voice actor retired.