Search Results for: blog what about the princes pt 2

Disney Redefining Princesses

Disney’s gotten a lot of criticism, from me and from plenty of others, for its dedication to princesses.  But today I’m here to give Disney some serious kudos for its latest Princess-related ad.  You can watch the clip on YouTube. It’s just awesome.  If you’re not able to watch it at the moment, the ad features a variety of girls, from all ages, races, and backgrounds, and the voice over repeats that “I’m a princess.”  But in between saying that, the narration says other fantastic things as well, such as “it’s important to stand up for myself.  It’s more important … Continue reading →

Shanghai Disneyland to Open in 2015

In 2015, a brand new Disneyland will open its gates.  Don’t believe it?  Did you think you would have heard of something so momentous happening sooner?   At the end of 2015, Shanghai Disneyland will be open for business. It was easy to forget about the at-times controversial park, because it’s been years since we’ve heard more than a peep about it.  But now that we’re getting closer to its opening date, more details are beginning to trickle in.  The Disney Parks blog has a snapshot of the Shanghai Disneyland model, or at least a portion of the model, focusing on … Continue reading →

Disney on Ice 2012-2013 Season

A new year means a new group of Disney on Ice shows debuting for the public. All right, I know we’re over halfway through the year, but so many interesting things have been happening with Disney so far in 2012 that this got pushed back to the list. Plus, it’s unlikely that, given how new most of these shows are, they’re going anywhere for a while. Speaking of shows that aren’t going anywhere: Disney on Ice: 100 Years of Magic is still going strong. It started in 1999 to commemorate the Disney legacy, and although it’s sometimes toured under a … Continue reading →

Princess John Carter of Mars

This is the story of a guy called John Carter. He’s a protagonist from a series of Edgar Rice Burroughs science fiction novels. The first is called “The Princess of Mars” because the book is as much about Dejah Thoris, the titular princess, as it is about Carter. Today Disney releases its adaptation of the book, called “John Carter.” Wait, what? “John Carter” sounds like an Oscar-bait movie about an unassuming middle management guy who has a mid-life crisis and learns the meaning of family, or something like that. It definitely doesn’t bring the genre “space epic” to mind. So … Continue reading →

Princess Sofia the First: Let’s Hope She’s the Last

Next year Princess Sofia the First, the newest and youngest of Disney’s royalty, will make her debut. She’s going to star in a movie that will air sometime in the next few months on both the Disney Channel and Disney Junior. Her royal highness is only still just a child, with her main peer group (i.e., the ages at which Sofia is directed) being children between the ages of 2 and 7. Sofia’s a true Disney original; unlike any of her predecessors she’s not based on a pre-existing character from a fairy tale, myth, or historical event. She’s going to … Continue reading →

Rapunzel Inducted into the Disney Princess Royal Court

I hadn’t realized the Disney Princess craze went just this far, but apparently it has, with the Disney Princess Royal Court. At first glance the phrase is just a title under which Disney’s many princesses fall. However, it’s used in a much more specific way: to identify the 10 princesses – Ariel, Aurora, Belle, Cinderella, Jasmine, Mulan, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Snow White, and Tiana – whom have been officially welcomed into the royal court. Disney holds an actual ceremony in real life, using the cast members who play the princesses at the parks, to add new members to the royal court. … Continue reading →

Disney D23 Expo Report

D23 has come and gone, and with it all the latest news of Disney’s upcoming features. As I anticipated, despite not announcing anything about them very far in advance, D23 offered some fantastic sneak peak at the Mouse House’s most anticipated upcoming films. Entertainment Weekly has the scoop on the new films. The Expo was packed with Pixar previews. We got tidbits of what to expect from “Monsters University”: expect Mike and Sully to be a little thinner, less shaggy, and with some orthodontia. The movie focuses on how the two form their friendship. They’ve actually known each other all … Continue reading →

Captain America: The Noblest Avenger

“Avengers, Assemble!” With these words, Captain America calls together the many scattered members of Marvel Comics’ crime-fighting squad. It’s appropriate, then, that Captain America is the subject of Marvel Studios’ last superhero flick before next summer’s “Avengers” ensemble piece. When first perusing the list of this summer’s comic book films I figured I’d give “Captain America” a pass. The straight-laced always-been-a-do-gooder Steve Rogers (the Captain’s alter ego) has less character development than some of his more conflicted counterparts, and thanks to an overabundance of History Channel specials on the topic I’m currently experiencing a little of World War II-era ennui. … Continue reading →

A Study in Princesses: Rapunzel and Beyond

Today we come to the last of Disney’s Princesses, at least those who exist so far. With “Tangled” our lead is yet again a princess, but as in the previous movie it’s ancillary. Like many other Disney heroines before her Rapunzel just wants to experience new things in the world, though she has the greatest justification for her desires. Her goal develops along the way; once she learns the truth of her past she wants to reunite with her parents, and not because they’re royalty. Rapunzel wasn’t a little girl who grew up hating her circumstances and wishing that secretly, … Continue reading →

A Study in Princesses: Giselle and Tiana

In the penultimate part of my piece on the Disney Princesses, we watch the House of Mouse strike out before finally starting to get it right. “Enchanted” is a tricky movie to critique because it’s mostly a spoof. For the majority of the movie Giselle is a parody of her predecessors, particularly those from the Golden Era. Hidden behind the laughs in “Enchanted” is a fantastic message (though one that gets sloppy when characters start vocalizing it): don’t just marry the first guy you meet. Spend time getting to know first yourself and then him. Learn what true love really … Continue reading →