Disney chose...poorly

[smurasaki]

There's a video out there critiquing Disney, which Fox in the Stars linked in her journal, and which recently came up on a message board we both frequent.  It’s interesting, though, like a lot of criticism, a mixed bag.  I really wish they had done a better job of dealing with the fact that most Disney movies are retellings of folk and fairy tales

Comments

[shininghalf]

I do think The Little Mermaid would be significantly improved just by focusing on the main character and her dynamism. In the original, AFAIK, the Prince was a pretty minor presence, and the Sea Witch not such a huge deal as Ursula was with her World Conquest scheme and all. But if you keep the focus on "Ariel," you could do it like she starts out immature, literally bets her life on this crush, and you'll need to let her do voice-over thoughts while she can't talk, but realising what a price her voice was, and maturing through the experience, and go at least closer to the Hans Christian Andersen ending, or maybe let her turn back into a mermaid but the crux of the story is how she's matured, literally achieving spiritual salvation if you go with the death version, or coming to value herself for who she is and becoming more independent if you just go back to the sea with her. Maybe also something with her coming to terms with the Prince not belonging to her, maybe let her not "get the guy" but touch him in a lasting way with that

[shininghalf]

With my Little Mermaid thoughts, maybe think of it as kind of an "Emperor's New Groove" / "Spirited Away" kind of take.

[smurasaki]

Good point. That could work. Vastly different story, of course, but still recognizable and without all the yuck.

[smurasaki]

Oooh, new books to check out. That's always nice. ^_^

[smurasaki]

*puzzled frown* I thought I mentioned that. Was I being terribly vague again? I have a bad habit of doing that.

[smurasaki]

That's okay. I could have been clearer, too, obviously.

[jinnayah]

My biggest problem with Mulan is that it's painfully obvious that they did NO research on China AT ALL. EVERYTHING is wrong. From the location, appearance, and contents of the family shrine; to the matchmaker meeting; to the "Huns" (Mongols, you morons!]; to the Emperor making public appearance; to the... Well, you get the idea. Not a single thing is even remotely accurate. (Well, I'm sure somewhere some small detail must be right. But it's faster to count them than to count the things that are wrong. Even the stupid horse is the wrong breed for China.)

As for the "going home at the end" of Mulan, it struck me as out of character. It doesn't matter what the original story's ending was when the rest has been changed so much that it no longer fits.
And even staying true to the story, there's just no excuse for the "who cares if she saved China? She should have brought home a man" bit from mom and grandma.

What makes that even worse is that Disney did insane amounts of research for Hunchback of Notre Dame. (Or at least

[smurasaki]

That is weird. How could they not have done basic research? *puzzled*

[shininghalf]

My favorite "this is so not China" was the character obviously coded as an observant Buddhist rhapsodizing about delicious meat. And grabbing Mr. NotChineseWolverine there to pray with him, and NCW totally screws up "Namo Amitofo" (the "Hail to Amida Buddha", Pure Land Buddhists' standard and often-chanted prayer to be taken to a rough analog of Heaven)---AFAIK this would be like grabbing an American "Let's say the Pledge of Allegiance!" and they spit out a bunch of gobbledygook. Or maybe one Mexican grabbing another for an Our Father and the second one bluffs their way through it?? But don't wanna say it too loud, someone might think that second one was funny... >_<;;

[smurasaki]

*sigh* Disney needs help. Or possibly a kick in the butt. (If one can collectively kick a corporate entity's backside.)