Newer Disney princesses

[Guest]

A few months ago we initiated family movie night on Fridays and my three year old loves princesses, so we've watched a few princess movies. We're on a three week rotation of Louis, Eliza, Mom and Dad, so we watch a variety.

 

The newer princesses are so much better than the old ones, even better than The Little Mermaid. From The Frog Prince on, they somehow decided that women should have agency instead of just having things done to them (exception of villainesses who stand out). We watched Tangled last night and it was great with that, even if the music was mediocre. Donna Murphy (Mother Gothel) was the saving grace for the music with her musical theatre background, and Mandy Moore certainly sang some lyrics that I don't remember.

 

Frozen is by far the best of the current crop in terms of princess and queen being actual characters and the music is substantially better. I do miss the traditional animation, though. In my dream world, Pixar would do the CG animation and Disney would be traditional animation.

[zambingo]

I think Brave is the best modern Disney princess film, followed by Frozen and then tied with Tangled and Princess and the Frog. I really enjoy Tangleds When Will My Life Begin but in a humorous way because of my Mr. Mom perspective.

 

As for the older films and their portrayal of females, I think its both the era and just the stories that are adapted. Im not sure how you can adjust Snow White or Cinderella without really altering the core original idea (as in how Once Upon A Times Snow and the various modern Snow live action films evolved the characters).

 

Note: The word evolved in the last sentence is supposed to be in quotes, to acknowledge the debatable nature of the statement, but mobile issues.

 

Afterthought: I spaced Moana, I really enjoyed that film and the soundtrack.

[Guest]

We haven't gotten to Brave or Moana yet. My daughter wants the more traditional looking (aka beautiful dress) princesses.

[Cerina]

Just remember -

 

Aurora is not the protagonist of Sleeping Beauty. The good fairies are. And Prince Phillip is merely a tool they use to defeat Maleficent.

 

Also, The Little Mermaid is a cautionary tale about a girl whose father didn't allow her any agency. She responded the way any typical teenager (or adult) would when they feel oppressed and controlled versus connected and respected. Ariel's interest in humans preceded her meeting of Prince Eric. While she may have been infatuated with him anyway, he was forbidden fruit afterall, it was really a response to her father destroying her collections and then leaving her alone to deal with her overwhelming emotions that drove her to make the decision to seek out Ursula and be tricked.

 

And while Cinderella's agency was also removed from her via a parental figure (and Lady Tremaine remains an excellent example of a strong female character, albeit a villain), she nevertheless exhibited many positive qualities that I try to instill in my children (namely the fruits of the spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and self-control and the points of the Scout Law - trustworthiness, loyalty, helpfulness, friendliness, courtesy, kindness, obedience, cheerfulness, thriftiness, bravery, cleanliness, and reverence). There's still a lot to be learned from her.

I got nothing on Snow White though. That movie is an abomination to women really.

[zambingo]

The only thing I can think about with Snow is that shes a little girl, maybe 13 at the very most. I dunno if that has any basis in relation to the fairytale, but the film feels like shes a child. The Prince even feels really young, like early teens. If the ages are as so, Snow becomes a little more sympathetic and perhaps heroic, Likewise the Evil Queen becomes even more messed up as shes threatened by and plans to kill a child.

 

BTW, Brando, Brave has a great emerald dress with gold highlights. My daughter was iffy way back when about Merida (Braves princess name) but when she saw that dress AND that Merida had a bow well then she was in. Then as we watched it we discovered Merida has several annoying bothers too... brothers, but bothers works.

[Kyrian]

Leia is a Disney Princess now

 

Just saying.

[Zerimar Nyliram]

Don't remind me.

[Tank]

Leia is a Disney Princess now

 

Just saying.

So are all the Marvel female heroes, the Xenomorph queen, and as of their acquiring control of Hulu a couple weeks ago, the girls on my show.

[The Choc]

So any female hero is a "Princess"? Is Yoda a Disney "Prince"?

[Guest]

Except on Thursday nights when he's a queen.

[The Kurgan]

Why are we idealizing princesses? I want the story about the peasant girl who sends the princess to the gulag because she is an enemy of the people.

[Tank]

So any female hero is a "Princess"? Is Yoda a Disney "Prince"?

Yes

[Cerina]

That's not how princesses work.

Mulan isn't a princess. Vanellope Von Schweetz is. Elsa is a queen, not a princess. Several princesses are not actually princesses until the very end of the movie, like Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. Leia counts.

 

Hela is a Disney Princess.

[zambingo]

That's not how princesses work.

 

Mulan isn't a princess. Vanellope Von Schweetz is. Elsa is a queen, not a princess. Several princesses are not actually princesses until the very end of the movie, like Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. Leia counts.

 

Hela is a Disney Princess.

This.

 

But also, congrats on I guess sorta working for Disney now, Tank! Serious congrats, the sorta part was because I dont know how accurate that is in an employed by sense. Still cool though.

[Guest]

So Tank is a Disney princess?

[Tank]

I want to say yes, but Choc or Cerina will come along and suck the fun out of it.

[Guest]

Well Cerina is wrong because Disney says that Mulan is a princess.

[Metropolis]

Scary thought little girls running around dressed like Tank.

[Tank]

I'm fashionable AF

[Lord Darth Hunter]

The only thing I can think about with Snow is that shes a little girl, maybe 13 at the very most. I dunno if that has any basis in relation to the fairytale, but the film feels like shes a child. The Prince even feels really young, like early teens. If the ages are as so, Snow becomes a little more sympathetic and perhaps heroic, Likewise the Evil Queen becomes even more messed up as shes threatened by and plans to kill a child.

Its a tale as old as time. The hottest woman in the land in her prime feels threatened by the young up and coming cutie who one day will supplant her as they get older.

 

As for all these women being princesses, its true that a lot of them, like Mulan and Pocahontas, are not a princess within their movies. But they are treated as such because they become a part of The Magic Kingdom of Disneyland and the other parks, which Disney treats as an extension of their franchises. On that note...

That's not how princesses work.

Mulan isn't a princess. Vanellope Von Schweetz is. Elsa is a queen, not a princess. Several princesses are not actually princesses until the very end of the movie, like Cinderella, Belle, and Tiana. Leia counts.

 

Hela is a Disney Princess.

 

That is correct. Just because youre a female hero character in a Disney film does not automatically make you a princess. Elastigirl/Mrs. Incredible or her daughter are not princesses. Neither is Jessie from Toy Story. Leia is a princess within her universe. But Rey isnt so Disney doesnt consider her as such within the Disney universe. Same for the Marvel characters.

[Tank]

https://vlp.to/wEffhfrS

[Lord Darth Hunter]

Saw this on IG...

[zambingo]

 

 

The only thing I can think about with Snow is that shes a little girl, maybe 13 at the very most. I dunno if that has any basis in relation to the fairytale, but the film feels like shes a child. The Prince even feels really young, like early teens. If the ages are as so, Snow becomes a little more sympathetic and perhaps heroic, Likewise the Evil Queen becomes even more messed up as shes threatened by and plans to kill a child.

Its a tale as old as time. The hottest woman in the land in her prime feels threatened by the young up and coming cutie who one day will supplant her as they get older.

Yeah, I know, thats like common knowledge. :-)

 

What I was pondering was a way to establish the modern buzz word things for characters (females or otherwise)... agency etc. That is without turning Snow into a warrior princess or whatever. Thats why thought if Snow was a child, perhaps the youngest princess (other than Vanellope or say Sofia the First), then Snows perseverance and continued kindness throughout her tale is arguably amplified, heroic even. Snow also instills order among a group of disorderlies (I know thats technically not a word but it works).