Princess Eloise's Castle: 2011

Double-sided Mirror

So there's two Snow White movies coming out next year.

2011 seems to be the year that everyone called out, "MORE FAIRY TALES!" They came up with the shows Once Upon a Time (which is great by the way) and Grimm and two Snow White movies and Puss in Boots.

What is going on here?

I'll tell you: people just can't get away from fairy tales. They can make them less dark (Disney), make them way darker (Snow White and the Huntsman), give them a twist while retaining some of their classic elements (Mirror Mirror), apply some of their concept and characters to the real world (Grimm), or make a whole new tale with the traditional stories as a backdrop (Once Upon a Time which uses some elements created by Disney).

Or they can go the Pixar route and use universal themes to create a compelling and amazing story (I know it's going to be amazing. We don't even have to discuss the possibility of its not being so.)

They're everywhere!!!

And, as I've mentioned before, some of the themes have been updated which makes perfect sense in this day and age. Snow White and the Huntsman is hard core battle: Snow White is a warrior with armor and everything and Thor battling with her. Mirror Mirror features a princess fighting evil by doing good something along the veins of Robin Hood. However, she remains "classically feminine." In Brave The girl does not like girly things and wants her "freedom," obviously learning about bravery in the process.

I'm noticed that with Brave, some people are saying things along the vein of "The first female Pixar protagonist and she's a PRINCESS? Why?"

To that I answer, "Who not?" There's no reason that she shouldn't be a princess, and obviously her being one is going to be a major part of the story because it's part of what creates the conflict.

Another thing a few people are saying is, "Please don't give her a love interest! She doesn't need one! A woman can stand on her own!"

Oh please. There's absolutely nothing wrong with a woman falling in love in a film whether she is a strong heroine or a side character or a passive heroine. I know this sounds silly but Zenon could've done everything she did whether or not she fell in love with Greg (I know that's a little silly but it's definitely a good example). It's not as if a woman becomes completely handicapped when she falls in love. And just because she's in love doesn't mean that she is no longer independent. She can still be a hero and have a man. A girl falling in love in a story doesn't prove she "needs a man." She just fell in love. It happens all the time! And people who say that a woman's falling in love ruins the story or makes it weaker are denying the fact that people fall in love and that stories reflect this. And we never hear anyone saying, "Why does the hero have to fall in love? For once, can we have a movie where the hero can stand on his own without a woman?" See what I mean? After all, there's a reason there's two sexes. Simply put, unless you feel truly called to be single, we need each other.

So, Brave will still be good without a love interest for Merida, but if there were and it fit well into the story, I wouldn't mind her falling in love at all.

In conclusion: with Snow White and the Hunstman, I'm looking forward to Charlize Theron's evil queen. She looks pretty epic. With Mirror Mirror, I'm looking forward to . . . basically everything. And with Brave I'm looking forward to . . . EVERY FRAME AND EVERY PIXEL but most of all Merida's beautiful HAIR! It's absolutely gorgeous!

Every One a True Princess

Beautiful and glamourous!

The Disney Princess Designer Collection is here! The concept is fabulous and the dolls are absolutely beautiful. I'm especially fond of the accessories. Click on the links below the photos to learn more about each product!

Belle Doll
(The bottom of the post in this link has a video featuring all the dolls.)

Ariel Doll

Cinderella Doll

Nail Polish Set!!
Love this one. The colors are perfect for each princess.

Jasmine Tee

Long-sleeve Snow White Tee

Sticky Notes

Mugs. Sadly, they are very hard to find.

Journals. Very hard to find as well.

I See the Light

The moment I found out Disney was going to release a version of Rapunzel, I got really excited. My only worry was that it would suck or not be as good as I knew Disney could make it. I mean, Disney has had lots of flops lately. Perhaps the worst thing they've done is the exorbitant number of crappy sequels. Instead of investing in new and excellent stories, they've wasted time ruining some of their best films. I mean, really? Lady and the Tramp 2, 101 Dalmatians 2, Pocahontas 2, Atlantis 2, Brother Bear 2 . . . need I go on?

But then I started hearing that it was really good, and even my male guy-movie-loving cousin told me it was good. That's when I really started to get hopeful. But I decided to play it safe and kept my expectations low until we actually got to the theater. And when I saw it, I said, "THANK YOU, DISNEY!!!"

All my expectations for a great film were met. I was a little wary of Mandy Moore playing a princess but she did it beautifully. She gave Rapunzel genuine sweetness, and I didn't know her voice could do what it did in those songs. And when I found out that Chuck Levi did Flynn's voice, I was like, "Get out of here. I didn't know he could sing." But he can and he made the perfect hero. His voice was just the right cross between rogue and lovable hero.

Besides Aladdin, Flynn is the only Disney prince who started out as a "bad guy." He was a thief and deserved to be hanged for his crime (assuming that the laws in the kingdom were just). Others didn't see potential in Aladdin and Flynn, but when a princess did, it changed their lives. Flynn ends up doing the right thing and realizing that there's more to life than himself. His dream was awful and selfish and he replaced it with the more noble one of love. Usually, the prince is the "savior" and "saves" the princess from something. But both he and Rapunzel needed saving. Flynn saved Rapunzel from a life of solitude and boredom. Then Rapunzel saved him with her warmth and kindness and love. Then he saved her and turned his life around.

Which brings me to the element of sacrifice. Flynn saves Rapunzel by cutting her hair, which pretty much shocked me. At the same time, I realized it was the only thing that could be done to free Rapunzel from Gothel. The only thing that would mess all this beauty up is the big question: Why didn't he cut her hair AFTER she healed him? Of course, that's easily resolved by the fact that Gothel could've dragged Rapunzel away the second he was healed and he wouldn't have had the chance to save her. Also, it's important to remember that his first priority was her. As much as he would've liked to live, his life wasn't what was first on his mind. Rapunzels' freedom was.

I love how they mixed all the classic fairy tale elements but created characters with modern sensibilities. There's a kingdom faraway and magic and an evil stepmother character and a princess. But the characters, while staying true to their classical origins, are refreshingly new and modernly humorous. Rapunzel is spunky, adventurous (once she gets out of that tower of course), and surprisingly social for someone who's only spoken with one other person and a chameleon all her life. What's funny is that she understands what he's saying even though he's mute. But that's Disney for you. She's optimistic and energetic and is willing to embrace everything life has to offer. She doesn't waste her time and is very industrious. While she's in the tower, she gets up at 7 a.m. (willingly) and cooks, bakes (twice if you hear the lyrics correctly), reads (if she has time to spare), charts stars, paints, sews, works out, and crochets. Wow. She's just amazing. And those eyes! She's so cute. Plus, she's sweet and sees the best in everyone and is quick to realize that the world is not full of "ruffians" as her "mother" taught her. And although she doesn't agree with Mother Gothel about leaving the tower, she does her best to honor her and feels extremely guilty about disobeying her. Of course, it turns out she doesn't have to obey her in the first place, which solves the "should Rapunzel have obeyed who she thought was her mother?" dilemma. But the woman was almost psychotic. I mean, it was completely unreasonable for Rapunzel to stay indoors ALL the time for safety and Rapunzel was innocent enough not to know that.

And as for "waiting for someone to rescue her," it's important to note that unless she cuts her hair, she really can't get down. Perhaps Cinderella could've left her abusive household and Jasmine did escape her oppressive palace, but there was no way Rapunzel could've escaped her tower without killing herself. She didn't know about the secret entrance either. She doesn't so much wait for someone to rescue her as much as she takes advantage of a chance to get out.

I also really liked the supporting characters. They are too cool. Pascal is the liveliest mute supporting character ever and he is really hardcore. Seriously, he basically killed Gothel. The pub thugs are the coolest ever especially the one who collects ceramic unicorns. He's really confident in his manhood to do that. Then again, he can pretty much beat up anyone who challenges him.

And the music was amazing! It wasn't a full-fledged musical like the other fairy tales, but it didn't need to be. The songs were in just the right places and told us more about the characters. The songs didn't overpower the plot or slow it down. They were fun and beautifully written by Alan Menken. The man is a genius.

But perhaps the best thing about the movie was THE LANTERN SCENE! I loved it!!!! It was so beautiful. Soooooo beautiful!!! AMAZING!!! It's my favorite scene apart from the ending.

On October 2, Rapunzel was officially inducted into the Disney Princess Royal Court with a ceremony at Kensington Palace in London. Wish I could've been there! But at least there's YouTube!

Conclusion: Disney redeemed itself with Tangled and I hope it's the start of a great stream of films from them.*

*Except Mars Needs Moms. That was sad. I know what happened though. That kid was too ugly. I know that sounds elitist, but no one wants to see an animated film with an ugly kid. And no one wants to see a really ugly guy as the sidekick. Not lovable Disney. Not lovable.

Almost There

Okay, here's the deal: When I first heard about The Princess and the Frog, I thought, "I'm soooo watching that." When it came out on DVD, I rented it, and I thought it was a good movie. It was nice to see Disney going back to its roots.

But I didn't see most of it.

Why?

I fast forwarded through nearly the whole thing because there was just too much voodoo, and I felt I didn't need to expose myself to that. The thing is that what I love about Disney movies is that they have a clear line between good and evil. But fighting "bad voodoo" with "good voodoo" just doesn't work. It's not going to be pretty. It skews the spiritual dynamics and gives it a kind of twisted world view that doesn't work for the characters and doesn't work for the audience. It's kind of sad. I mean, the first black princess, and they mess it up with a bunch of black magic. I mean, if Dr. Facilier had been a voodoo guy and Mama Odie had NOT also been a voodoo lady, then it would've worked for me. I mean, come on, people: the guy gets dragged to hell. Does Mama Odie not deserve the same thing? Granted her little "minions" are made of light, but that's impossible since IT'S THE SAME KIND OF MAGIC!

So this is the only part of the movie I can watch over and over with complete happiness.

Oh, and the little light bug dies. Really? What's up with that? Okay, I'm not against it completely, but it did put a damper on the whole thing. I guess the purpose was to show how love goes on forever, since he became a star and joined his beloved Evangeline.

I did like the supporting characters though especially Louis the alligator. He's hilarious. That part where he flashes back to what happened when he tried to play music with humans was crazy funny. Charlotte was pretty funny too, and it's nice that she was willing to forgo being a princess so Tiana and Naveen could be happy together as humans.

I think it might have been better to have Prince Naveen be an African prince, not some random European prince. Well, actually, I'm not sure if he's European or not. Europeans are usually light-skinned so if Naveen isn't from Europe, is he from the Middle East or something? Either way, an I think an African prince would've worked better with the whole "first black princess" vibe. Either way, he's really handsome. Props to the animators.

Still, I did the like Prince Naveen and the way he went from playboy to noble prince because of his love for Tiana. He also goes from slob to hard worker and he helps Tiana fulfill her dream. And apparently, they don't receive any help from Naveen's parents. Working it out by themselves probably taught them lessons that they never would have learned otherwise.

As for Tiana, she is a great heroine. She's got a dream that she works extremely hard for, and she isn't unhappy with her circumstances. She also has vision and is optimistic. I guess you can say that she believes her dreams will come true. Her father teaches her that she has to work hard to make her dreams come true. Magic isn't enough. Indeed, when she does take a gamble on magic, it doesn't make her dreams come true: it turns her into a frog. But at least it did allow her to fall in love and discover that even if she fulfilled her dream, it would be empty without love.

Other things that make Tiana cool: her dad is an army hero and she honors his memory by working hard to fulfill the dream that he passed on her and living by the lessons he taught her.

Tiana is probably the only princess to have two weddings. (I think Mulan did, but I can't really be sure. They never show it although they do show a big party.)

Plus, Tiana gets a blue dress, a green dress, a party dress, and a wedding dress. That's way more than the other princesses get. The others usually get their princess dress and their plain everyday dress (Belle has two everyday dresses though).

The only unsettling thing about the unhappy ending is that Naveen is a prince after all. Won't he have to go to Maldonia eventually to fulfill his princely duties? What about when his dad dies? Does he inherent the throne? Or will he abdicate it to his little brother? Or is he not the crown prince? I'm thinking that a sequel would answer all these questions. Of course, if Disney makes a sequel, I won't be happy, so it's a catch-22.

Conclusion: While I do not love the movie, I do like that Disney made an effort to create a black princess. And the movie's good points are positive. While the music is just under the caliber of that of other Disney films, the animation is beautiful. I just wish I can watch this movie over and over the way I planned to when I first heard of it. :-(

Reflection

We watched Mulan because she is in the Disney Princess lineup, although it doesn't make sense to me because . . . I mean, she's not a princess.

But since we're on the subject . . .

I've always loved Chinese culture. But that's only part of the reason I love Mulan.

She risks her life to save her father. That is so cool. At the same time, she has to battle the fact that she is not what society says she should be. Because of this, she cannot bring honor to her family, which is obviously pretty important in Chinese culture. She feels that she doesn't fit in. However, when she goes "against the rules" to save her father's life, she finds the courage and strength to save the emperor and China.

And I love the song "Be a Man" even though I'm a girl. I get into it everytime I watch it. It's too epic.

Shang is probably the most stereotypically masculine "prince" out of the films. Most of the time, he hides his true feelings, even his joy when he is promoted to captain. His relationship with his father is based on respect and admiration but not affection. I wonder if he cried in his tent when he found out about his father's death.

And the other guys in the film are very concerned about masculinity but change and become more tender at the end. Even Yao, the toughest one, sheds a tear. However, Mulan's balance of both stereotypically masculine and stereotypically feminine traits is upheld as ideal and heroic. There's also the message of how men and woman should be treated equally. Mulan summarizes this concept when she tells Shang, "You said you'd trust Ping. Why is Mulan any different?" She was saying, "Whether I'm a man or a woman, I deserve respect."

It's also interesting to note that Ching Fu, "least masculine" man in the film, is sexist and believes that Mulan isn't worth anything simply because she's a woman. There's so many layers to the gender portrayals in this film that you can watch it over and over observing them in fascination.

The blossom at the beginning of the film was a symbol of Mulan's growth. She wasn't ready to bloom, and when she did, she was "the most beautiful of all" despite the fact that she wasn't dressed like a bride and decked out in makeup and a fan the way she was. Mulan's inner beauty is the focus of the film, although I believe that Mulan probably wouldn't mind dressing up like a bride again. The fact that she didn't feel that she represented the character traits that were supposed to go along with the outfit were what unsettled her and made her question herself: If I can't be what society says I should be, then what am I supposed to be? And can I still be myself and be happy and bring honor to my parents? That's the main thing, mind you. Honor is number one in their culture. Mulan did what she did to save her father's life, but when she got home, the first thing she was concerned about was showing her father that the Fa family had been honored. I love that part with her father and its significance in the film. No matter how much honor and fame she brought to the family, the most important thing for her father was the fact that she was his daughter. That was enough to make him proud of her.

My only caveat of the film is the whole ancestor spirituality thing. I really like the respect that the Chinese have for their ancestors, but I think it was a little much that they worshiped them. I think it's funny that Mushu wakes up from his statue state but the "great golden dragon" doesn't wake up. I mean, what's up with that? Very weird.

Notes on Mulan 2: Well, first of all the way they animate Shang is sooo soo wrong. He's way handsomer in the first movie and there's so much devotion to making him look ridiculous. It's just so wrong. And the caliber of animation and music is just not as good as the original. The only thing I like about the second movie is the wedding, the fight that Mulan and Shang have about maps, and the part where Mulan screams when she finds out the princesses and the soldiers. Also, there are two things wrong with Mushu in the sequel: he's not voiced by Eddie Murphy and he's completely unlikable. In the first, he gets over himself (somewhat); in the second, he's back where he started and even more selfish than the first time.

Conclusion: Mulan rocks! She's strong and independent but does not lose her femininity.

Colors of the Wind

Pocahontas was my Disney heroine growing up. I had the toys, the purses, the bedsheets, folders for school, a storybook with a read-along tape, a harmonica and recorder song book, a poster, collectible glasses, a Pocahontas Barbie doll, a music box that played "Just Around the River Bend," most of the promotional toys, a t-shirt, small purses, a lunch box, a poster, and a Pocahontas-themed party.

Ironically, I didn't have the movie.

But even with all that, I never really thought about why I loved Pocahontas until recently.

And the reason is simply: she's just plain awesome! She's curious, adventurous, free-spirited, resilient, and loyal to her people. She seeks advice and listens to it. And she follows her instincts (which are almost always right in fairy tales but not always in real life). She's very introspective and finds meaning and worth in everything, even a strange dream. She lives that kind of free, worry-free life that I could get into (for a couple of weeks until I feel the need to get back into civilization).

Watching the film again, I found out that I love love love Kokuum. He really cares about Pocahontas; he's brave; he's loyal to his people; and he worries about Pocahontas and wants to protect her. If she hadn't fallen for John Smith, he would've made a cool husband.

But anyway, John Smith is really awesome. He's just as adventurous as Pocahontas is and he protects Thomas even though it means that he'll be captured by the Native Americans. And he allows himself to be open to learn what Pocahontas has to teach him. Although I'm not into the whole "Native American spirituality" part of the film, I appreciate how the Native Americans respect the land they live on. And that sentiment is perfectly portrayed in "Colors of the Wind." No other version of this song compares to the original.

It never sat well with me that they separate in the end, but I suppose it's for the best. He really wasn't going to get better in America. I mean, the medicine man was all, "This wound is strange to me" so even the Native Americans couldn't help him. But at the same time, I would've loved for there to have been some clue that he was coming back for her or something like that. Though I suppose it counts for something that Powhattan gave him his robe and said, "You are always welcome here, my brothers." As for Pocahontas, I understand that she had to be loyal to her people, but why stay at home when you've just found love? He did ask her to come with him, and her dad gave her permission to go: "You must choose your own path." She said, "I'm needed here," but her people could've gotten by without her for a while, right? No? Yes? I don't know. Either way, it would've been cool if John Smith had said something to the effect of "I'll come back" although he is rather stoic.

The only thing about the film I don't like is that it feels rushed. The scene where Pocahontas sees John Smith before the execution and the scene where they say goodbye feel too short to satisfy everything I want to see. However, the musical sequences are great and don't feel rushed. That's why it's worth seeing the extended version of the film to see "If I Never Knew You" the deleted song. IT'S BEAUTIFUL!!

Seriously, that's amazing. The only thing I'm not fond of is that line that goes, "Never knowing why." Never knowing why what? Anyway . . . I still love it. But let's not even think about what The Cheetah Girls did to this song. It's one of the worst musical travesties ever.

Something I noticed was that Pocahontas is really curvy. I heard that Disney received some flak for the shape of their female characters in those days. But it totally doesn't surprise me because--let's face it--most of the animators are men. However, women are curvy and that makes perfect sense too. And with all that talk about girls losing their self-esteem because they're surrounded by images of "perfect" women--I'm on the fence about that one . . . but of course that's another subject for another post.

The way Pocahontas and John Smith's love brings peace to their people is beautiful. It's a picture of how true love can move mountains and change everyone around you. When Pocahontas says, "This is where the path of hatred has brought us" she's saying that there's no point in hating your enemies, especially just because they're different from you. The film also shows how ill-conceived notions of others can be dangerous or misleading. John Smith finds out that Pocahontas isn't an "ignorant savage," but Radcliffe and most of the other Native Americans are so scared of what's different that they are willing to kill each other over the differences.

By the way, the reason my sister and I watched Pocahontas is that she's in the Disney Princess lineup. Besides, she is a Native American princess, so it makes sense.

One last thing . . . how the heck did John Smith and Pocahontas understand each other? I guess we'll never know.

Note about the sequel: IT'S AWFUL!! Why make us believe in everlasting love when it obviously didn't exist? I do love John Rolfe and I think he's amazing, but I still would've preferred for her to have ended up with John Smith. I mean, you already seriously revised history, so there's not point in trying to make it all better. And Mel Gibson not playing John Smith? What? Give me a break, guys. The only other good thing about it was Ute, who's hilarious, and the fact that Kokuum and Nakomis are married.

Conclusion: Although it's not historically accurate, I love the mythic romance of Pocahontas and John Smith. I love Pocahontas's free spirit and courage, and seeing this movie again inspired me to take my Pocahontas toys out of storage!

A Whole New World

Princess Jasmine is the only princess that isn't the center of the film she's in. But she's definitely not forgettable. She has the whole "princesses love animals" thing going on because her pet and best friend is a tiger. That's extreme.

Unlike some of the other princesses, she was born into royalty, but she's not happy with being a princess. She only gets happiness from the freedom she finds with Aladdin. Good on her for not letting anyone tell her who to marry and for at least trying to find her own happiness. I'm not saying it's the best idea to run away from a home, but at least she tried.

The other reason she's memorable is that seduction scene with Jafar. Try getting the other princesses to do that. She even kisses him, which is one of the most disgusting moments in Disney animation history.

EEEEEEEEWWWWW I hate hate hate that scene. I don't agree with it at all, but in the circumstances, it did make sense. I mean, what else was she going to do to distract Jafar and stop him from seeing Aladdin.

Anyway . . .

Like the other fairy tales, social position is generally ignored. She values Aladdin's life and knows believes it was cruel for him to have been killed. (It bothers me that they never reverse that law.) She knows that just because someone's a prince, doesn't mean he's charming. In fact, she's not even truly interested in Prince Ali Ababwa until she discovers that he's Aladdin (even though she thinks he's a prince).

And it's good that Aladdin finally learns that he has to be himself and NOT LIE. He steals because he feels he has no other choice because he's not rich. He wants to be though; every night he looks at the palace and says, "Someday, Abu, things are going to change. We'll be rich. Live in a palace and never have any problems at all." We know that he's more than a street rat because he helps two poor children who need the bread he steals more than he does. And he knows that he's more than a "street rat" but feels "trapped" in his life as he tells Jasmine. And he truly doesn't see himself as more than a street rat ("a diamond in the rough" to be exact) until his love for Jasmine brings out his courage and true potential. If you notice, he tells Jasmine the truth after he's saved the day, when he's comfortable with himself and knows for sure that Jasmine loves him without the title. (The first time he was going to tell her the truth, he struggled with the decision.) At first he says to himself, "She was the princess. I must have sounded so stupid to her" and he thought that she would go for him when he was a prince. That's why he was still lying to her after their duet. He still thought she wouldn't care for him if she knew his true social status. Some may say that this makes Jasmine a simple conduit in a male-dominated story whose characters is only defined by the men around her. One thing is for sure, it is a male-dominated story: Aladdin is the title character after all. But at the same time, Jasmine very much has a personality and spirit all her own which she never loses in the film. Furthermore, she plays a major role in the story because without her love, Aladdin would never have really been a redeemed hero. Without her, Aladdin does not reach his potential and his story is not complete. And Aladdin does reach his dream of being rich and living in a palace. But even if he had been able to do this without Jasmine, his life would not have been complete; he would have found that riches alone do not fulfill one's life or heart.

I saw an ultra simplified board-book version of the story. "Princess Jasmine has dreams . . . Aladdin has dreams . . . The genie helps make their dreams come true." I guess that's what it's all about. Dreams coming true for both Aladdin and Jasmine.

And come on, who doesn't love "A Whole New World"? It's one of the best Disney songs.

A word on the sequels: The Return of Jafar is horrible, and the songs are awful. Filmmakers shouldn't attempt to make a sequel when the original voice of an important and funny sidekick isn't the same. In fact, Jasmine isn't even played by the same actress either. I mean, come on, people. Get serious about filmmaking. Don't treat our precious characters this way. Have a heart. Don't even get me started on how bad Aladdin and Jasmine's duet is. As for Aladdin and the King of Thieves, I always held a soft spot for it since I enjoyed it as a child. However, now that I saw it for the second time, I realize it's not that great. However, it is definitely much better than than the second movie, and Jasmine and Aladdin have a much better song. At least Robin Williams is back. But it's not as great as the first one.

Conclusion: Jasmine is one of the more independent princesses, and she's really cool because of that. She's not the main character, but she stands out.

Beauty and the Beast

"Once upon a time, in a faraway land, a young prince lived in a shining castle. Although he had everything his heart desired, the prince was spoiled, selfish, and unkind. But then, one winter's night, an old beggar woman came to the castle and offered him a single rose in return for shelter from the bitter cold. Repulsed by her haggard appearance, the prince sneered at the gift and turned the old woman away. But she warned him not to be deceived by appearances, for beauty is found within. And when he dismissed her again, the old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. The prince tried to apologize, but it was too late, for she had seen that there was no love in his heart. And as punishment, she transformed him into a hideous beast and placed a powerful spell on the castle and all who lived there. Ashamed of his monstrous form, the beast concealed himself inside his castle, with a magic mirror as his only window to the outside world. The rose she had offered was truly an enchanted rose, which would bloom until his 21st year. If he could learn to love another, and earn her love in return by the time the last petal fell, then the spell would be broken. If not, he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time. As the years passed, he fell into despair and lost all hope. For who could ever learn to love a beast?"

Beauty and the Beast has always freaked me out just a bit. I mean, Beauty fell in love with a beast . . . how was that relationship going to work? Unless she knows that he is really a man under a spell . . . but she doesn't, does she? So was it platonic love? Or . . . . let's not go there.

Anyway, Disney's version is absolutely beautiful. And what I love about it is the fact that we actually get to know the prince, and we get to see the couple fall in love. The prince actually shows his love for Belle and says he loves her, which hadn't happened in the previous princess films. That's awesome.

I can't remember what I thought about the film when I was a kid. But I do remember seeing it on ice and thinking it was marvelous. And I really enjoy the live show at Disney's Hollywood Studios (video below--hopefully it won't be taken down). It's the closest I'll ever get to the Broadway show, which closed.

While watching this film, my sister told me, "Do you notice that she wants adventure 'in the great wide somewhere' and she just ends up getting married and living in a castle and not having an adventure?"

But what's funny is that the adventure that she wanted was the one that she got. At the beginning of the movie, we find out that she loves reading fairy tales and that her favorite book has "far-off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise." And let's not forget the line, "Isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because you see, here's where she meets Prince Charming but she won't discover that it's him till chapter three."

She ends up living the life that she dreamed about . . . except there are no swords in the final fight between the prince and Gaston. And if falling in love is the greatest adventure, it's especially so for Belle. Plus, I'm sure she and Adam had adventures after they got married. Knowing Belle, they probably decided to travel.

Belle is kind and dearly loves her father. She looks for the good in the Beast, but fights back when he is rude to her.

And there is an emphasis on her mind. She is portrayed as mentally superior to the man who wants to woo her and spends her time reading. One of the best parts is when Gaston says, "How can you read this? There are no pictures!" and Belle answers, "Well, some people use their imagination." And Gaston considers thinking a dangerous pastime and also believes that women shouldn't read because they start getting ideas and thinking, which shows just how primeval he is as Belle says.

I also like the masculinity contrast between Beast and Gaston. Gaston is the epitome of stereotypical masculinity, yet his selfishness and conceit make us hate him to the core. On the other hand, Beast's sensivity is portrayed as the ideal masculinity. Although the prince looks like a beast, inside, he is not. Gaston is the true beast because although he is good looking, inside he is ugly. As Belle says, "He's not monster, Gaston. You are."

It may be just me, but I think the animators didn't make the prince "traditionally" handsome like the previous princes. In fact, I didn't think he was at first, but after a few more viewings, I changed my mind.

Also, Belle and Beast probably have the best kiss because it creates a firework!

The best thing about Beauty and the Beast is the message about judging people by what's inside. And knowing that people can change. "Finding you can change . . . learning you were wrong." The prince redeems himself by sacrificing himself for Belle. He puts her happiness above his by letting her go to her father when he is sick. I'd like to think that Belle would have returned when her father got well if it weren't for that nasty mob out to kill him.

Some people complain that Belle falls in love with her captor. But with a closer look, it's clear that Belle is not a victim. First of all, she gives her word that she will be the Beast's prisoner in place of her father. But she doesn't put up with his mistreatment. When he tells her he can't have dinner, she goes downstairs to eat anyway. When he tells her that the West Wing is prohibited, she goes there anyway. And when he yells at her for being there, she runs away, deciding she can't stay there anymore. Yet, she is so kind that she cannot bring herself to leave him to die in the snow, so she takes care of him and even thanks him for saving her life. But when he yells at her, she yells back at him, only accepting him when he speaks kindly. This helps the Beast see that he isn't going to gain her love by being mean to her. And that's when he starts to change. Belle brings out the best in him, and he learns to conquer himself. His change culminates in the scene where he decides to spare Gaston's life. Beast's change is probably the most dynamic character development in the princess movies even more so than Flynn's and Aladdin's. What's really cool is that this changed is foreshadowed in the film's first stained glass window. Look closely and you will see a sentence in Latin: Vincit qui se vincit. This means, "He conquers who conquers himself." Beast wins the greatest battle of all: the battle over oneself and one's worst tendencies. Belle is the catalyst to this change and her love eventually wins over Beast, helping him to become a better person.

By the way, the music is amazing. I love, love, love it, especially the theme song. The pop version is okay, but the Jump5 version is awful. Jordin Sparks did an okay job, but I still don't see the point of remaking Disney classics when they were perfectly wonderful to begin with.

And I also don't see the point of the sequels. I can't talk about Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas because we didn't watch that one (I can't watch Christmas movies when it's not Christmas.) But Belle's Magical World is absolutely awful. I mean, really, why? Why? Why? That's the only thing I was thinking while I was watching it. And it was so boring that I know I spaced out there somewhere. Besides, no one can voice Mrs. Potts like Angela Lansbury.

There's something really cool about how the castle transforms from a dank, spooky, gargoyle-guarded place to a beautiful, bright, angel-filled castle.

And I guess the people in the final scene are all the servants who are now human again? I've always wondered where they came from.

Belle should be my favorite princess because of the results of a quiz I took on Disney.com.

What's cool is that that's really me! But I love all the princesses, so I can't really decide on a favorite.

Conclusion: Beauty and the Beast is a beautiful story of change and second chances.

Part of Your World

Hans Christian Andersen must have been kind of depressed. He wrote The Ugly Duckling, The Steadfast Tin Soldier, The Little Mermaid, and Thumbelina. The first is about bullying; the second is about sacrifice; the third is about redeeming love; the fourth is about . . . . well, living happily ever after I guess.

The Little Mermaid is my sister's favorite princess, so she has a bunch of Ariel pins and she's seen the movie a lot. I on the other hand came out of the theater crying when I first watched it. At least that's what my parents tell me. I must've blocked out that memory because I haven't the foggiest about it. Although now when I see the scene in which Ursula grows to a gigantic horrendous size, I'm sure that did scare me when I was a kid.

Anyway, I discovered the original version of the Little Mermaid in sixth grade. There was a bookshelf in homeroom and there was a book about the Little Mermaid. I grew up knowing the Disney version and another happy-ending version in my fairy tale book, so when I read about how the prince chose another girl, and the little mermaid had a chance to stab his heart and spread his blood on her legs to become a mermaid again, I was traumatized. But the other day, I was thinking how beautiful it really is that she couldn't kill him because she loved him too much. She would die and see him happy than return to his old life and see him dead. And for her selfless act, she is rewarded.

But thanks to Disney, we don't have to suffer through the Little Mermaid's death. :) Even so, the theme of redeeming love is in the Disney version.

Although Ariel is a headstrong girl, we never have any doubt that she loves her father. She wishes that he could understand why she loves the human world so much. And when he breaks her heart by destorying her collection of human objects, she rebels, seeking the advice the sea witch. In doing this, she "makes a pact with the devil," who pretends to care about her, but really just wants ultimate power (every bad guy's dream). What's interesting is that for the first time I noticed that Urusla says she used to live in the palace. What? What was she? Some kind of noblewoman? Like Yzma in The Emperor's New Groove?

Eventually, her father takes her place in the contract, showing his love for her. And in the end, he gives her legs because it's what will make her happiest even though she won't be with him anymore. Everytime I see that scene, I go, "Man, that was sooo easy. If only they could've resolved their differences before Ariel went to Ursula." Of course, there wouldn't be much of a movie. Ariel sacrifices her life for Eric and then her father sacrifices his life for Ariel. It all comes together, and it's beautiful.

I think it'd be funny if someone at Disney had said, "Wait. Why don't we make Eric a merman?" That would've been cool, right? But it just wouldn't have been the same.

Prince Eric is really cool, and I love how he comes to the rescue in the end. No matter how mean spirited people may be about this creating a whole "damsel in distress" thing, keep in mind that he has to do everything he can to save Ariel. I mean, come on. If he just swam around like an idiot, we'd hate him.

The Little Mermaid's popularity must be growing because Disney has created new attractions based on it. I think this is a little much. I mean, surely there has to be something more to expand on?

But still, I love Voyage of the Little Mermaid at Disney World.

A note on the sequels: They suck. But it's interesting to see how Ariel's daughter almost exactly follows her mother's path. And I find it a little creepy that Ariel's mom in the third film looks waaay too much like Ariel.

Conclusion: The Little Mermaid is one of Disney's best movies, and the music is incredible.

Once Upon a Dream

A long time ago, my aunt was thinking about getting rid of her copy of Sleeping Beauty because of all the magic. I told her, "No way!"

See, it's another spiritual parallel story along the same vein as Snow White.

See, Sleeping Beauty falls into temptation and falls into a deep sleep, which can represent the sleep of sin. Her prince (savior) wakes her up with love and redemption.

And this is really literal in the ending of Disney version. Every one of the enemy's attacks is turned in something good: flowers, rainbows, bubbles. And the fairies give Prince Phillip a sword of truth and a shield of righteousness. Phillip fights the personification of hell itself and wins in part because of the fairies' admonition: "Thou sword of truth fly swift and sure that evil die and good endure."

Pretty awesome stuff.

Side note: Maleficent is a great villain. In fact, a film about her is coming out in 2013. I wonder if they're going to make her a "good bad guy" or have her be the bad guy in her own story.

Now that I saw Sleeping Beauty for the first time in while, I realized that she doesn't really appear much in the movie. She comes out, she sings, she falls in love, and then spends most of the rest of the movie crying that she can't be with her true love.

She, of course, has her forest creatures for friends, and is really sweet to the fairies who take care of her. But she's obviously miserable without Phillip. I don't see anything wrong with this. It's kind of the way that we're miserable without God.

What I think is really funny about this movie is how the two fall in love in about two seconds. And there's also lots of focus on the principal male characters: King Hubert and King Stephan . . . and that court minstrel who literally drinks himself under the table.

What's also funny is how she keeps running away from Phillip at first, because she's not allowed to talk to strangers. But when he convinces her that he's not a stranger, that in fact they've met in their dreams, she easily falls into his arms. We've always longed for a savior, and when we meet him we don't know how we lived without him.

"I wonder if my heart keeps singing, will my song go ringing to someone who'll find me and bring back a love song to me," she sings. She wants to experience true love but insists that the fairies still "treat her like a child" because they don't want her to meet anyone. In fact, they are protecting her to ultimately bring her to her true love. Sometimes, our guardians are doing what's best for us, but we don't see it at first.

When Aurora finds out that she's a princess, it doesn't matter to her because she believes she will be married to someone else instead of her true love. Even though she dreamed about "a prince" all she really wants is true love, whether he be a prince or not.

This song is AWFUL!

And this song is beautiful.

Conclusion: Sleeping Beauty is another beautiful story of redemption and salvation, and Maleficent is a great villain.