I was testing out some new lighting and so did this Disney Princess Tag. I think it turned out fun but would be curious for your feedback. Still got to work on this whole lighting thing but it’s going to make my videos much better in the end.
What would be your answers to the Disney Princess tag?
Who is your favorite Disney Princess? (top 5)
What is your favorite Disney Princess movie?
Which Disney Princess not included in the princess line up should be included?
What is your favorite Disney Princess song?
Which Princess are you most like and why?
What Disney Princess dress is your favorite?
If you could have any of the Princesses sidekicks which would you pick?
What ethnicity or country would you like to see a Disney Princess from?
What is your favorite Disney princess sequel?
Which princess do you think had the best home life?
Who has the most attractive prince?
Anyone who wants to do the tag consider yourself TAGGED!
I thought this was pretty brilliant from the Nostalgia Critic:
So I will say my peace on the issue.
I like both movies!!! Both make my top 10 Disney Canon films. Tangled is at 4, Frozen is at 7. So I guess that makes me a true hipster! I refuse to take a side.
Here’s the thing’s I like about both films.
Tangled- It’s Disney’s first romantic comedy. The banter between Flynn and Rapunzel is just great. They feel like a real couple and the fact Rapunzel accepts Flynn, even prefers him as Eugene is so lovely. Flynn’s sacrifice for Rapunzel is something we’ve really only seen in Beauty and the Beast. Usually it is the woman or princess in a Disney film that is incapacitated and the prince rescuing her (ie Sleeping Beauty, Snow White etc). We even have Aladdin where he refuses to make the sacrifice for Jasmine- for good reason so he can free the Genie but she is nevertheless a subordinate to his choices. Here Rapunzel decides if she can save Flynn. That’s great.
We also have Flynn narrating the film and a variety of both male characters that make Tangled appeal to both boys and girls. This is balanced by Rapunzel being such a likable character and Mother Gothel being a terrific villain. You could say there is something for everyone in Tangled!
The action is really fun in Tangled and the animation is wonderful. I had sworn off animation for a long time. Aside from Pixar films I wasn’t seeing it or watching it. Then I went to Tangled with my siblings and the lanterns in 3D blew me away. I’ll never forget it.
A lot of people are tough on the songs but I enjoy them. I like the fun songs like I Have a Dream and When Will My Life Begin?. I LOVE the villain song Mother Knows Best and I think the romantic ballad is very sweet in I See the Light.
I also agree with Doug, Maximus and Pascal are fantastic comic relief and overall Tangled is an entertaining, beautiful, heartwarming film. It’s also one of Disney’s most rewatchable.
Frozen- It’s Disney’s first true Broadway musical. Yes, their films have been retconned into Broadway musicals like Lion King, Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast, but those films are more of a classical sound, where Frozen is Broadway in all it’s belting glory. As a huge Broadway buff that was such a thrill! The Lopez’ songs and getting the divine Idina Menzel to sing the part of Elsa put Frozen on another level than any other Disney film for me.
There are some holes in the backstory with Frozen but there are with Beauty and the Beast and neither bothers me a bit. A good movie will sweep you up so you don’t mind those leaps. Again, I’m just sharing my OPINION, so if it differs from yours, that’s awesome.
The thing I like about the backstory with Elsa is that unlike Ariel (who I think she mirrors in many ways) Elsa is told if she messes up or rebels, she will kill her sister. That’s entirely different than Ariel’s grotto being destroyed or other threats. This keeps her hidden and fearful and it is empowering when she finally does ‘let it go’! At least it was for me. Can you imagine what a burden it is to worry what makes you, you could kill someone? And then to finally be free from that burden?
A couple things that make Frozen special is it is the first Disney princess movie with 2 princesses and I think that is great. It’s nice to have 2 characters to enjoy and I like both story arcs (again just my OPINION!). We even get Disney’s first Queen! Elsa is actually coronated as Queen, which I think is part of what makes her such a compelling character. She’s got power both ostensibly and inside her own body.
I know some people don’t like the ending. Fair enough but I thought it was pure truth. I have 3 sisters and the struggle of Anna to try and understand her sister I really related too. I also related to Elsa and her struggle to be her true self. When they save each other I thought it was moving.
I also enjoy Kristoff and find him a likable, sarcastic, funny character. His interactions with Sven are very funny. I like Olaf and find him funnier than Maximus and Pascal to be honest. Part of that is Josh Gad’s endearing vocal performance. He also experiences more character growth than many Disney sidekicks- going from the goofy snowman who likes summer, to the one who is willing to melt for a friend.
I know people like to hate on Frozen, but I love it. I really do.
But I also know people that are very tough on Tangled, and I love that too.
What’s wrong with liking both? I like most Disney movies for goodness sakes. In many ways I feel the two movies compliment each other well. I think they are kind of this generations Little Mermaid (Frozen) and Beauty and the Beast (Tangled). I think it is great girls have both stories to dive into just like I did as a little girl. Neither movie has done damage or been bad for my nieces or other little girls to watch. In fact, they have had a great time with both.
So I refuse to pick a side. I’m team ‘I love Disney Princess Movies’. What’s it too you!
I already know a bunch of you are Team Tangled. That’s cool. Feel free to explain why but try to be respectful. Remember- neither is Norm of the North! 🙂
I will be reviewing Snowtime in the next couple of days on this blog, as I didn’t want to take anything away from the Rotoscopers review. I have previously reviewed Rocks in My Pockets on this blog (but I would still love it if you checked out the Rotoscopers review).
But I also posted 2 new videos on my youtube channel. I created a tag called The Little Mermaid tag and my fellow youtuber Aly did it with me. It ended up being really fun and if any of you want to do it I would love to hear your answers. (My cannon review of Little Mermaid is here)
Here are the questions if you want to do the tag.
Little Mermaid Tag
Favorite Ginger actress?
Have you ever had ginger hair?
What world from movie or book would you like to be a part of?
What teenage movie or book is your favorite?
If you could be a mermaid would you want to?
Best name- Aquata, Andrina, Arista, Attina, Adella, Alana or Ariel?
What would you wish for from Ursula?
What human device could you picture using in a new way?
Favorite Disney song?
Favorite Disney couple?
Favorite fish recipe?
Could you convince someone to love you without speaking?
What is your ideal date/proposal/kiss?
Best father/daughter combo in a movie?
Belle vs Ariel? Lumiere vs Sebastian?
Is Little Mermaid feminist or not?
Who should play Ariel in live action Little Mermaid?
Why do you love Little Mermaid?
I also posted my review of Dumbo in my Disney Canon Project on my channel this morning. I worked really hard on it and would love if you gave it a look.
So a bit of a jumbled post today but I hope you enjoy all the content. I had a blast making it!
This weekend should be very busy coming up as well with Kung fu Panda 3 and The Finest Hours, which I will review. Will look forward to your feedback.
So I have to admit I get a kick out of fan theories. Most of them are nonsense but I think they are funny. I find it amusing how the good theorists can weave themes and characters together to create compelling arguments.
Of course most of us know the Pixar Theory. Basically it is a theory that all of the Pixar films are connected from Toy Story all the way to The Good Dinosaur. Here is how The Good Dinosaur fits into the theory
(Warning all of these videos I am posting have spoilers so if you haven’t seen the films beware!):
This Inside Out theory I thought was pretty good. Is Riley adopted?
There are also a lot of fun fan theories for Disney. This one about Elsa and Rapunzel being sisters is very solid and fun.
This one about Beauty and the Beast is great!
Harry Potter has a lot of fun one’s. Here is one that JK Rowling liked and said fits!
There is also a theory that Harry might not be the Chosen One after all
I also liked this one that merges Star Wars and Harry Potter- Is Kilo Ren Snape?
Here’s a fun one that supposes is the Joker in Batman v Superman Jason Todd not the Joker we see in other films?
This was pretty clever about James Bond. Is it just a code name?
In the world of Star Wars we have many fan theories and this one was legendary. Jar Jar is a Sith Lord!
Here is one I love debating who is Rey’s father?
Anyway, there are a ton of fun fan theories. What are some you like? Do you enjoy watching them?
So Norm of the North inspired me to create a top 10 list of the worst animated films I’ve ever seen. Here it is:
10. Lorax- This bright, messy film ruins Dr Seuss’ subtle message into a story of bland corporate greed.
9. Mars Needs Moms- Gray, drab, motion capture film with a strangely dark message for kids of Moms getting abducted by aliens.
8. Legends of Oz: Dorothy’s Return- Some of the worst animation I’ve ever seen. It does not look finished. The story is cluttered and I nodded off more than once. It is not worthy to bear the name of Oz.
7. Pound Puppies Movie- The worst of the corporate toy movies from the 80s with no creativity or cleverness. We get the origins of Puppy Power and that’s as lame as you might guess.
6. Fly Me to the Moon- Basically a script of unending fly puns and toilet humor. Poor animation, annoying characters, stupid story.
5. Hero of Color City- Terrible Toy Story rip-off about crayons who come to life. The animation is awful, the story is boring, humor falls flat.
4. Hunchback of Notre Dame 2- Takes the subtle dark message of the original and turns it into a maudlin atrocity. Terrible animation, horrible villain and a bell with jewels on the inside is stupid. The worst of the Disney sequels in my opinion.
3. Norm of the North- Call it recency bias but this may be the worst animated film I’ve seen in a theater. The story makes no sense, animation is sloppy, villain super lame. Not one good thing to say about it
2. Eight Crazy Nights- Disgusting animated film from Adam Sandler featuring jokes in poor taste to put it mildly. His vocal performances are insulting and annoying. The songs wouldn’t even work in a bad SNL skit. Terrible film in every way.
1. All Dogs Go to Heaven Christmas Carol- You guys know how dear Christmas Carol is to me and this film adds hypnotized dogs and a she-devil spirit called Belladonna who wants to destroy Christmas. Making Carface Scrooge doesn’t work because he isn’t the primary villain trying to ruin Christmas. The Tiny Tim dog is the worst and The animation is terrible and the songs unoriginal.
Hi friends so I have been tagged by Natalie over at her Disney Freak blog. The Golden Era of Disney films is considered 1937-1942 or basically 5 films- Snow White, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. They are all true masterpieces and such bold artistic visions and I think they all hold up very well both animation and otherwise. As I love this era it was a pretty easy tag for me to do so here are my answers:
1.Are there films you haven’t seen from this era? Nope seen them all! You can read my reviews of all of the films here: (These were the first reviews I ever wrote for the blog!)
2.What is your favorite film from the era? My favorite is Fantasia because it has the most variety and I love seeing the artists interpret the beautiful music. I honestly don’t get it when people think it is boring- a new world, characters, story, music happens every 10 minutes or so!
3.What is your least favorite film of the era? Pinocchio. I didn’t like it as a girl and while I appreciate it now it still isn’t a favorite of mine. The animation is beautiful but as a morality tale it can be a little heavy handed and scary.
4.What is your favorite main character? I love Timothy Q Mouse. He sticks up for Dumbo and doesn’t allow him to be bullied or made fun of by the elephants.
5.Who is your favorite villain? Night on Bald Mountain aside there really is only 1 villain in these films- the Evil Queen. She is great because she is queen. She has all the power and money but her vanity wants more. She must be fairest in the land and when she isn’t she wants Snow White killed. That’s pretty wicked! I also love the vocal performance and her design both as old lady and evil queen.
6.Who is your favorite sidekick? Well I already said Timothy Q Mouse so I will go with Dopey. He’s so funny and sweet.
7.What is your favorite song of the era? When You Wish Upon a Star is about as good as it gets. It’s a song about hope and daring to dream for greater things in life. That’s what Disney does at its best is inspire hope and imagination. I would put Baby Mine as a close second.
8.What do you consider to be the most underrated film of the era? Dumbo because it gets a bum rap for being racist. I think the crows are a caricature but I personally don’t find them that offensive. I think it is especially forgivable when the entire message of the movie is about accepting people (or elephants) that are different.
9.What is your favorite thing about this era? I’m just blown away by the artistry and how bold Walt was. It would have been so easy for him to pump out 5 more Snow Whites but he went for Pinocchio, Fantasia, and Bambi which are all artistic masterpieces and bold storytelling. Dumbo is the simpleton of the group and that’s saying something because it is also bold in kind of a simple way. They are challenging in tone and themes and take multiple viewings to absorb. I love all 5 more each time I see them.
10.What is your least favorite thing about this era? My least favorite scene is when the boys get turned into donkeys; although, as an adult I find it more enjoyable. As a kid I was petrified of it! The scene where Dumbo and Timothy Q Mouse get drunk isn’t my favorite either.
I haven’t mentioned Bambi at all in this tag, which is a shame because I really do love it. It’s so textured and beautiful to watch. I love how it doesn’t have much plot but is just a baby deer growing up. It’s sweet and simple and then sad when it needs to be. The scenes with the fire are stunningly animated and the way it uses music as a sound effect was groundbreaking. I was probably a little too tough on Bambi when I reviewed it. I definitely should have given it an A.
Well my friends I have finished my series of watching all of the Oscar nominated films for Best Animated Feature Film. Last year I said 2014 was one of the best years in animation in a long time and now after seeing films going back to 2001, I stand by that claim. You can make an argument for 2009 and 2010 but for not having a Pixar movie it was pretty darn good- and really diverse in style, tone and everything else.
So here is my video breaking down my thoughts on the 2014 nominees:
This is the first year I was doing this blog and have reviews for all of these films, so my thoughts probably aren’t a surprise to any of you. Nevertheless, here is a little summary:
How to Train Your Dragon 2-A rare sequel that improves upon the original. An epic feel to the story and some of the best animation Dreamworks has ever done. I find the story with the 2 alpha dragons to be a little confusing and I think they give the Mother too much of a free pass for leaving her family. But still a very satisfying, entertaining, exciting film.
Big Hero 6- A film with real heart from Walt Disney Animated Studios. I love the character of Baymax and the relationship of Hiro and Tadeshi. I found the villain to be clever and surprising and Sanfransokyo was extremely creative.
Boxtrolls- A wonderful stop motion film about a town whose leadership gets to wear white hats and eat cheese. Snatcher the villain wants to wear the white hat and be respected which I think is a unique motivation and a good lesson for kids about labeling through clothing and other items. The Boxtrolls are sweet and the humor worked for me. The ending didn’t 100% work for me and the lead Eggs is a little flat and I don’t love the drag queen segment but it is very entertaining.
Tale of Princess Kaguya– A movie that has improved each time I’ve seen it. A true artistic masterpiece and a story unique to Japan. It is about a girl found in a bamboo stalk who is trained to be a princess. She has independent instincts but she chooses to be obedient. At first that was challenging to accept but now I love it’s different perspective. It is so gorgeous to look at and uses music very well. It’s a little bit of an artistically challenging movie but worth the effort.
Song of the Sea-A true masterpiece. Even with Inside Out, Song of the Sea is the best film I’ve seen this year. It’s got the emotional depth of Inside Out with Ben trying to deal with the loss of his mother but the hand drawn animation is stunning. Ben’s sister is a Selkie and Ben must get her back to the sea before it is too late. Along the way they meet an Owl Witch and other creatures so it is exciting, heartbreaking and tense. It made my Top 10 Favorite Animated Films. The music is stunning and I wish I could convince everyone to see it. I love it so much .
So if I was giving away the award I would pick Song of the Sea, despite my liking all 5 films. Of the mainstream nominees I do think Big Hero 6 is the best so in that sense the right film did win; however, I think Song of the Sea is the best of 2014.
What about you? What do you think of these 5 films and which would you pick as best of the year?
This review was previously posted on my column over at ldsblogs.com. I would love if you guys checked out that column and maybe added a comment or two. It would make my day!
Welcome to another week’s pick for Family Movie Night! This marks my 10th entry in this column (12th video on my channel). I’ve really enjoyed working on the series so I hope you have as well.
Today I hope I can introduce you to a series which may have fallen outside your radar. Since 1953’s Peter Pan, Tinker Bell has become one of the most iconic figures in all of Disney. Tinker Bell is even the one that puts the sparkly ring around the castle in the Disney logo. With this kind of notoriety, it was probably only a matter of time before everyone’ favorite fairy got the starring treatment in a Disney film. And not only one film but a series of to this point 7 films!
It might seem easy to discount a direct to DVD series like the Fairies franchise but I’m telling you they are well done. The voice talent is top notch. The animation is bright and colorful and the stories are predictable but entertaining. But most importantly I like what the characters and message give to young girls who the franchise is mainly aimed at.
With the exception of Frozen it is no secret girls get the short end of the stick when it comes to magic or superheroes in animated movies. Of the 13 current Disney princesses (or Princesses in waiting as Elsa and Anna are designated. ), Elsa and Rapunzel are the only ones with magical powers. Many Disney female villains have magical powers like Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Madame Mim, Ursula, or Mother Gothel but basically none of the good girls (strange isn’t it?). The fairies from Sleeping Beauty are one of the only notable exceptions but they are the side characters not the leads.
You could say the same thing about other popular franchises which sometimes have a token hero female like Black Widow in Avengers, Hermione in Harry Potter, or Wonder Woman in Justice League.
This makes what girls get in the Tinker Bell series special because it is almost all about girls and they each have a special power that makes them unique.
In the first film, Tinker Bell, we get to see Tink created (Mae Whitman) and find out she has a special skill called tinkering- basically a knack for inventing things and putting stuff together. The problem is she lives in Pixie Hollow and the most prestigious job is to be part of the nature fairies who go to the mainland and wake it up for the day and help the seasons change.
The main pixies of the series are introduced to us in Tinker Bell and they are:
Rosetta (Kristin Chenoweth)- she is our garden fairy who helps things get planted, take root and grow
Iridessa (Raven-Symone)- she is the fairy of light that lights fireflies and brings the world out of darkness
Silvermist (Lucy Lieu)- she is the fairy over water and helps make dewdrops for the plants.
Fawn– (America Ferrera)- she is the fairy of nature and connects with all the animals in the forest.
There is also Vidia (Pamela Adlon) who is Tink’s rival and Queen Clarion (Angelica Huston) who rules Pixie Hollow.
Tink likes working in the tinkering department but she is still jealous of the nature fairies that can wake up the mainland. This makes the main story of Tinker Bell a unique one of Tink both learning to value her own talents and abilities while also expanding into new worlds and dreams.
The voice work is top notch in this and all the Tinker Bell films and this first film sets the groundwork for all the characters and the world we will get for 7 more films.. Think of it as an origin story in a way. It is not one of the best of the series but it is a good first step into the world of Pixie Hollow.
And I do like the message of accepting who you are while still dreaming big. Overall, it is a well animated, entertaining first step into a great series especially your daughter will love. Think of it as the Avengers for girls!
That said, I don’t think your boys will have a terrible time watching Tinker Bell. There are several boy characters and girls like Fawn who are more tomboys. It’s not like the Barbie movies which are more exclusively girls only.
Tinker Bell is definitely a film and series that is geared more towards children but I find them tight enough and engaging enough to greatly enjoy. Just give them a try and have an open mind and I bet you will like them too.
I would love to get some feedback from the readers on these choices for Family Movie Night. I have tried to do a variety so you aren’t watching the same type of movie each week; however, if you’d like more of a particular style or type please let me know. Put in the comment section any feedback on how your kids react to this or any other film I have reviewed.
Hi guys! We are up to 2013 in my series on the Animated Oscars and I have a special treat for you! Queen Elsa has come to visit to review all 5 films!
I admit in my review for the Disney Canon of Frozen I was a little defensive and perhaps overly concerned with trolls. This time I took a different approach and just decided to have fun with it. I know people feel all kinds of ways about Frozen and I explained it as best as I could. But there are plenty of great animated films for everyone so hopefully you can enjoy hearing my thoughts on one I enjoy.
The other 4 films are also worth seeing (no Shark Tale skunks in this year!).
Ernest and Celestine- Done by some of the same team that did The Illusionist and The Triplets of Belleville. This is a watercolor sketchbook style story about an unlikely friendship between a mouse and a bear. They kind of become bandits and the friendship evolves over time and then when both are put on trial they teach their societies something important about love, labeling and racism. A real gem of an animated film (and can also be very funny).
Despicable Me 2- I think the Despicable Me movies are just ok and I wasn’t a big fan of Minions, so I wasn’t sure what I’d think of Despicable Me 2 on the rewatch. I think the disappointment of Minions actually made me appreciate this film even more. It has a lot of solid laughs, which didn’t happen in Minions. I really like seeing Gru with the 3 little girls and being an overprotective Dad. The Minions are also funnier in small doses than the main attraction. It’s no masterpiece but a decent comedy for kids.
The Wind Rises- The strongest competition for Frozen. A great film that just gives us the life of a man and we decide what we think of him and his dreams. It is a story about hope and how a dream can carry you through tough times. It is a magic-free film from Miyazaki about the life of a airplane designer named Jiro during World War II. It made my top 50 animated countdown so clearly I love it. It goes without saying the animation is stunning.
The Croods- This was a new one for me from Dreamworks. I’d heard bad things about the film and you know what? I actually enjoyed it. I liked it was about a family and thought the script was pretty funny. I liked how the created new animals and world for them to meet. It made it unpredictable and surprising. I liked the voice cast especially Nicholas Cage who has a freak-out even animated! It’s not a masterpiece but liked it a lot more than I thought I would.
I’d still give the Oscar to Frozen because I think it has the best characters, music, story and everything else. One of my favorite animated films from Disney. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it! 🙂
