Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 61

Review: The Cursed Prince

Aya Ling recently released The Cursed Prince, the third and final book in her Reversed Retellings series. Of the three fairy tales that she covered, I think the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale lends itself to gender-reversal the best without changing the themes of the original story because the roles of the protagonists have are not affected by their physical strength or conventional beauty stereotypes. Till Midnight, the first book in the Reversed Retellings series, changed the plot of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses" by requiring the princes to battle trolls at night instead of dance at a ball, which made them more conventionally masculine. In The Beast and the Beauty, Lady Sybil attempted to use magic, fashion, and makeup to make herself look more presentable to suitors in spite of her monstrous appearance, which are conventionally feminine things that we never saw the Beast do in "Beauty and the Beast." In contrast, the main character in "Sleeping Beauty" was cursed as a baby, a time when all people are the most vulnerable regardless of their conventional gender, and rescued by true love's kiss, a task that anyone who loves another person can easily perform.


The Cursed Prince tells the story of Gabi, a young woman who lost her parents and the use of her foot in a battle with an evil mage. She was taken in by Freja, a mage who appeared in earlier books from this series, but only on the condition that Gabi could keep her secret. Freja was the caretaker of a young prince named Alrik who everyone else in the kingdom believed was dead. Alrik was cursed as a baby to prick his skin on his 21st birthday and die, but Freja amended the curse so that he would only fall into a deep sleep that he could be awakened from by true love's kiss. Gabi agreed to keep the secret and took on the task of making Alrik fall in love with her in case it would be necessary for her to save him one day. Unfortunately for Gabi, she found herself falling in love with Alrik over the seven years that she lived with him, while he showed no sign of loving her as anything more than a sister. Aya Ling excels at writing love stories, especially in her Unfinished Fairy Tales series, so I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the romance and conflicted feelings between Gabi and Alrik.

The Cursed Prince would have been perfect if it only focused on Gabi and Alrik's relationship and their struggle with the witch Moira who cursed him, but Aya Ling wanted to bring all of the stories in Reversed Retellings to a close, which I think was a detriment to this book in particular. Many of the later chapters focused on Alix and Sybil, characters whose stories were already completed in the first two Reversed Retellings books. I thought that bringing back Alix and Theo's conflict with the trolls felt like old news and something that should have already been resolved in Till Midnight. There were so many characters involved in the final battles that I found it difficult to keep track of who everyone was even though I had read all three books. For that reason, the development of Gabi and Alrik's relationship didn't get the full attention it deserved, which was a shame because that was my favorite aspect of The Cursed Prince.

Personality-wise, I found Gabi easy to relate to. She was insecure about her disability, even though it rarely ever came up in any important scenes. I loved that she was incredibly smart and so good at memorizing books that Freja promoted her from being her student to Alrik's teacher. Alrik was a charming extrovert who hid most of his true feelings from the people around him. I personally thought his reason for hiding his feelings toward Gabi was a bit silly, though. In order to protect Alrik from his curse, Freja convinced him that he had hemophilia and that any prick of his skin could be fatal. Since he was worried that the gene for the disease might pass onto his children, he pretended that he didn't have feelings for anyone. I don't think it's realistic for a lovestruck teenager to plan that far ahead, but I was happy to see that Gabi's feelings toward him were reciprocated because she had such a hard life.

Overall, I absolutely love the idea of a gender-reversed "Sleeping Beauty." In some ways, I think it works even better than the original story because a kiss is an act of gentility, which is something that is more conventionally associated with femininity. The Cursed Prince had a great love story, but it was overshadowed by other characters whose stories should have already been resolved in previous books. I wish that more of the book focused solely on Gabi and Alrik's relationship and their conflict with Moira, who reminded me a great deal of the Snow Queen. It's a shame that Reversed Retellings series is ending after only three books, but I'm looking forward to reading Aya Ling's future books that she stated will take place in the same world.

Let's Welcome Disney's First Jewish Princess!

When I first learned that Elena of Avalor was going to do a Hanukkah episode, I was hoping for a two-part special like The Magic Within that would provide enough time for the first Jewish Disney Princess to assert her individual identity outside of being Jewish. However, just like the Maccabees, I will make the most of what I've been given. "Festival of Lights" came out today as a single episode that focused almost entirely on Jewish characters celebrating Hanukkah, and I do not want to downplay the historical significance of it in any way, shape, or form. I've seen many holiday princess specials, and this is the first one that Disney has released about characters who grew up with the same traditions as me. This is so important because it normalizes Judaism for today's audience of children by showing them that not all fairy tale princesses celebrate Christmas.


"Festival of Lights" had a similar story to most Christmas specials except that it was about Hanukkah instead. Rebeca, a Jewish princess, crashed her ship in Avalor and was determined to give her grandmother the perfect Hanukkah, but everything seemed to go wrong. The menorah broke, the dreidels didn't spin the right way, and Elena's family did not have the right ingredients for Rebeca's Hanukkah recipes. In the end, Rebeca learned that the most important thing about Hanukkah is being together with family and making the most of what they have. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Rebeca and her little brother Ari teach Elena and Isa all about the traditions that I grew up. It was a fun touch to have Isa use her clever inventing skills to help Rebeca make Hanukkah gelt for her family, and hearing Elena talk about packing chocolate for an "emergency nosh" brought a smile to my face. I also loved seeing Ari teach Isa how to play dreidel, although I'm surprised it landed on Hey and not Gimel, since every Jew knows that Gimel is the best result.

The episode also contained what I believe is the first and only Disney song about Hanukkah. "On Hanukkah Night" had a traditional-sounding Jewish melody. Rebeca sang about all of the traditions that Jewish families associate with celebrating Hanukkah, such as eating latkes, playing dreidel, and lighting the menorah. The word "menorah" was never used in this episode because that term commonly refers to any candelabra that holds seven candles to symbolize the days of the week. Instead, Rebeca and her family used the more specific term "hanukkiah," which is a special type of menorah that holds nine candles with four on either side and one in the middle called the "shammash" that is used to light the rest. The hanukkiah was created specifically in memoriam of the Maccabees' oil for their  menorah lasting for eight nights even though they only should have had enough to last one. A lot of the episode's conflict revolved around Rebeca wanting to fix her grandmother's special hanukkiah after it broke in the shipwreck. I loved that the grandmother was just as happy to use a homemade one that Isa and Ari put together.

I tried to keep my expectations realistic for Princess Rebeca as a character because she was only a guest star on Elena's show.
Overall, "Festival of Lights" made a quiet impact on Disney Princess fans from the Jewish community. I would love to see a feature film about a Jewish Disney Princess someday, or perhaps a series like the one Elena got. I am grateful for this small contribution that Disney made to my culture after so many years of silence. I enjoyed Rebeca's vibrant personality and singing as well as seeing her share the traditions that I grew up with. Elena of Avalor is a culturally inclusive show, so it comes as no surprise that the first Jewish princess made her appearance there. The fact that Rebeca is Latina makes her even more diverse, and I love that Disney wants Jews like me to feel seen. However, the reason that I love and relate to princesses so much is not because they make me feel seen, but because they make me feel inspired. For me, the most inspiring part of "Festival of Lights" was the beginning when Rebeca got her family safely to shore with Elena's help. I'd love to see another Jewish Disney Princess in the future with Rebeca's resourcefulness and a more aesthetically pleasing character design.

New Mulan Trailer Reaction

Disney released the new trailer for their live-action remake of Mulan today, and it's... fine, I guess. The trailer confirmed many of the rumors that were flying around since the movie began production such as how Mushu will be replaced with a silent phoenix and Shan Yu would be replaced with a new villain. We hear an instrumental track of "Reflections" throughout the trailer, but none of the actors drop their serious expressions to break into song at any point. That's because this movie is not going to be a musical. Even though the original movie had only four songs in it, they took place at four of the most memorable points in the story and carried the story in a fun and entertaining manner. Without Mulan singing her heart out about how her reflection doesn't show who she is inside or Shang belting out "I'll Make a Man Out of You" as he trains his troops, the movie loses many of the elements that made it so nostalgic, and without Mushu's antics, most of the humor is gone as well. As a result, we are left with a run-of-the-mill girl power action movie, which, I suppose, fits right in with the times.

I enjoyed this trailer more than the teaser because it revealed more about the movie. We learn that Mulan is no longer an only child and now has a sister, which is a change from the original folk tale where Mulan had a brother who was too young to be conscripted as a solider. The animated Disney movie changed his character to a dog named Little Brother. This movie has more focus on humans than animals, so it makes sense that Mulan now has another person in her family. Even the new phoenix character doesn't do much in the trailer besides fly overhead in a symbolic gesture that she is always watching over the emperor as his guardian. She is more of a spirit here than an actual sidekick like Mushu, so it looks like her presence in the film will likely be minimal and only take place during key scenes to restore hope to the protagonists.

Just as the new Aladdin added a female empowerment ballad for Jasmine, this version of Mulan is taking its strong girl power theme to the next level by adding a female villain alongside Shan Yu's replacement. The emperor's narration in the trailer states that their new enemy fights alongside a witch, who is revealed in a pretty epic way. Her gold crown and claws make her appear truly menacing as she knocks down soldiers with a mere flick of her hand. The white paint on her face is reminiscent of Adira from Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure. Her magical prowess raises the stakes for Mulan by giving her an even more elusive foe than sheer brawn. Even though I don't know much about this new witch character yet, she is my favorite addition to the story so far. She demonstrates that a woman can be just as threatening to China's well-being as a man, solidifying the themes of the original movie. The animated version may have had a talking dragon, but this is the first time we've seen a character in Mulan's world with the ability to actually manipulate magic.

The thing that bothers me the most about the new trailer is how obvious it was that Mulan is a woman when she pretended to be a male soldier. She looks like a girl, talks like a girl, and moves like a girl. I suppose that's the point, but I'm not sure how she manages to stay in the army for as long as she does without getting found out. The animated movie used angular lines on her face during the scenes when she disguised herself, but that's obviously impossible for live-action. It also seemed like
Overall, this trailer is way too serious for me as a remake of such a comical and light-hearted film. I understand what they are trying to do because it is a war movie, and war is not something that should be taken lightly. I am also aware that Disney is using this remake as an attempt to make up for offending the Chinese with the original film. That's all well and good, but I'm generally not a fan of war movies. Mulan was an exception due to the singing and magic, which are the very elements that helped her to fit in with the Disney Princesses despite not being a princess. I also don't have a very strong opinion about cultural appropriation. After seeing this trailer, I believe that this movie is not being made for people like me, and there's nothing wrong with that. I hope it finds a place in the hearts of the ones it is made for while I continue to enjoy the animated masterpiece.

Review: The Siren Princess

The "Little Mermaid" nerd in me could not resist reviewing another adaptation of my favorite fairy tale. The Siren Princess  is the second book in The Forgotten Kingdom series by Lichelle Slater. Its prequel,  The Dragon Princess , had very little to do with "Sleeping Beauty," so I wasn't too surprised to find that The Siren Princess also had very little to do with the fairy tale it was based on. In fact, it had more in common with Peter Pan than it did with "The Little Mermaid" with a love interest who was none other than Captain Hook himself. This romantic version of Captain Hook was polite and heroic unlike Emma Swan's rough-around-the-edges beau from Once Upon a Time. There were a lot of random name references to Disney's The Little Mermaid, J.M. Barrie's Peter Pan, and Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs , but the characters' personalities bore no resemblance to the ones they were named after. Like its predecessor, I thought that the references in this book were forced and that it would have worked better as an original story instead of a reimagining. Ironically, the name "Ariel," and the protagonist was randomly named "Odette" like the princess from "Swan Lake." I could not for the life of me figure out the relevance of that story here.


The Siren Princess tells the story of Odette, the daughter of the pirate queen, who dreams of being the captain of her own ship. I think "The Pirate Princess" would have been a more accurate title for this book because most of it was about pirate culture, which is quite literally the opposite of princess culture. Odette is brash, blunt, belligerent, and hates dressing up. As a princess fan, I found her difficult to relate to. The mermaid elements of the story also lacked the whimsy and imagination of other mermaid stories I've read. Instead of a magical kingdom of merfolk, there was a sunken city filled with cursed inhabitants. The sirens were described similarly to the ones from Freeform's Siren series as monster-like beings with sharp fins, scales, and pointy teeth. I thought it was interesting that Odette was lured in by the sirens' song at the beginning of the book when most siren mythology implies that the song only works on men. Unfortunately, the rest of the book barely paid any mention to their song or its powers.

This version of "The Little Mermaid" was similar to J.M. Stengl's The Siren and the Scholar in that Odette lost her memories instead of her voice. However, she wasn't trying to pass a test of true love nor did she give up the memories willingly. The first three-quarters of the book was a difficult grind because so much of the story was shrouded in the missing part of Odette's memory. It was easy to understand her frustration that everyone else knew the secrets of her past except her and refused to answer any of her questions. When she finally does learn the truth, it changes a lot of the dynamics that I believed to be true up to that point. I was hoping to learn more about Odette's mysterious ability to transform into a siren, but the big reveal turned out to be yet another princess tale of betrayal. Odette's love interest made more sacrifices than she did, which caused her to come off as rather selfish, unlike her "Little Mermaid" counterpart.

My favorite part of The Siren Princess came within the final chapters of the book when it briefly retold the story of "The Frog Prince" with far more accuracy than it did "The Little Mermaid" with one exception. This time, the prince was gay. It was a cute and light-hearted take on the story that should have gotten its own book entirely instead of being used as a bookend for The Siren Princess. There are few fairy tales out there that embrace non-heteronormative couples, so I was pleasantly surprised to see that done here so well. Prince Ulrich was a far more interesting character than Odette, and I would have enjoyed a full-length story about him more than the one about her. It's disappointing to say that my favorite part of a "Little Mermaid" reimagining was the part that wasn't about "The Little Mermaid," but I've never enjoyed stories pirates very much.

Overall, The Siren Princess contained very little of what made "The Little Mermaid" such an appealing story. The protagonist had the exact opposite personality of the character from the fairy tale, and her story focused more on pirates than it did on mermaids. I think this book could only be truly enjoyed by people who dislike or criticize "The Little Mermaid" and would prefer a version in which the main character is less self-sacrificing. Fans of Peter Pan might enjoy this book due to the inclusion of Captain Hook and the Lost Boys. All the random fairy tale references got kind of messy after a while, and it felt like the author had just dumped all of the stories into a blender. If you're a fan of Peter Pan or the Pirates of the Carribean  movies, there might be something here for you. However, if you love classical princess stories as much as I do, you might want to skip over this one.

Review: The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince

There are precious few video games that allow you to play as a princess who does something other than dress up or recover the royal jewels. Until recently, Child of Light was the only game I knew of for modern consoles that fit those criteria. That's why I was eager to play The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince when it went on sale in the PlayStation Store. Its storybook illustration aesthetic and sidescrolling gameplay look so similar to Child of Light that I mistakenly thought it was made by the same people at first. Once I actually started playing, it became clear that The Liar Princess has a much smaller budget and a more linear world. Instead of the colorful cast and robust battle command menus from Child of Light, The Liar Princess's story is told entirely by a single Japanese narrator accompanied by cutscenes of an illustrated storybook that depicting the story. I completed the entire game in a single evening, which made me question its $20 price tag.


Story-wise, The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is an excellent fable. It draws elements from many classic fairy tales such as "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Little Red Riding Hood," and "Rapunzel," while telling a unique new tale. You play as a wolf who traded her beautiful singing voice for the ability to transform into a princess and help her beloved prince restore his sight after she accidentally clawed his eyes. It's a little dark but no darker than the original fairy tales that it clearly drew inspiration from. I thought it was interesting that the wolf wished specifically to be a princess and not just a human girl. It demonstrates that princess culture has reached a point where every girl is a princess in her own story, and the words have become interchangeable. Women are no longer "maidens," a word that focuses more on their unmarried status. Now, they are all "princesses," which has come to mean a woman with the ability to restore hope to those around her as opposed to just the daughter of a queen and king. The Liar Princess also deconstructs the common belief that princesses are always good with a strong overarching theme of forgiveness and redemption.

If this had simply been a picture book, it would have instantly become one of my favorites. As a video game, I found it a bit lacking. You must essentially drag the blind prince through the game's dangerous environments in order to reach the witch who can restore his sight. The princess can transform into a wolf to defeat any monsters in her path, but she can only guide the prince as a princess because touching him as the wolf would reveal her true identity that she is ashamed of. I especially found it difficult to hold the prince's hand and jump at the same time because it required me to press the jump button with the same thumb that I was using to hold down the button to hold his hand. If I let go by accident, I would jump without him. For the first portion of the game, he can be a bit of a deadweight, but once it unlocks the ability to tell him to walk short distances and carry objects, he becomes more useful. There are no hit points in the game and no way to become stronger. Any time the prince or princess gets attacked by a monster once, it instantly triggers the "Game Over" screen. This can get tedious, but the game compensates for it by making the wolf invincible to attacks.

Even though The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince could be completed within a few hours, it felt like many of the puzzles and story chapters were unnecessary for such a simple fable. It seemed like they forced in extra narrations just as an excuse for more gameplay. A new chapter of the story unlocks after every two puzzle levels, but only the first and last couple of chapters are actually important. I wish this story had been published as a fable and not a game. It has excellent lessons about self-acceptance and forgiveness that hearken back to the recent "Snow White" adaptation Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs . I loved how it incorporated classic fairy tale elements such as transformation and sacrifice with more modern princess themes of betrayal and female empowerment. I didn't like the ending until I realized that the true ending of the game takes place after the credits sequence and was exactly as bittersweet as I was hoping it would be. I would love to see this story done as a movie or cartoon short instead of a video game.

Overall, The Liar Princess and the Blind Prince is a charming modern fairy tale that includes classic and contemporary elements. As a video game, it is simple, straightforward, and somewhat tedious. The storybook illustrations are lovely at first, but everything starts to look the same after a while even though it takes you through various physical environments. I don't feel that the price tag accurately reflects the amount of gameplay that get for it. If you are looking for a short fable with an interactive element, this game is for you. However, if you want to truly enter the world of a fairy tale princess, meet colorful characters, and fight off dragons, I would recommend playing Child of Light instead. I hope that someone decides to adapt The Liar Princess into a more easily consumable format so the imaginative story can be fully appreciated for what it is.

The Swan Princess Has a Live-Action Concept Trailer

Yesterday was November 18th, which was dubbed National Princess Day in 2017 in honor of the anniversary of The Swan Princess. To celebrate the 25th anniversary of this underrated classic, the filmmakers got together to create a concept trailer that would give its fans an idea of what a live-action remake might look like. Don't get too excited though. There are no concrete plans for a live-action "Swan Lake" adaptation as far as we know. The team behind The Swan Princess is extremely enthusiastic about the film, even 25 years later and are looking into every avenue they can find to keep its legacy going. Earlier this year, they released the ninth sequel in The Swan Princess franchise and are currently working on the tenth.

Just like the famous line from the 1994 animated classic, this trailer is not what it seems. It is likely to stir up of confusion among some fans who may assume that this is an actual movie that is coming out at a future date. Though that is the filmmakers' end goal, unless they get the proper backing, it may be far longer than forever before it shows up in theaters. Now that Disney owns both Anastasia and Thumbelina , The Swan Princess  is the last popular animated princess movie from the '90s that is still run by an independent franchise (although Sony is their parent company). Such an expensive project might not work well without crowd sourcing, which is something that Don Bluth has effectively used in recent years. I personally don't think that this concept trailer reflects the production values that would be necessary for a suitable remake of such an enchanting movie. If they plan to do a remake that competes with Disney, I would expect all of the animals int he movie to look photo real.

The majority of the trailer focuses on Prince Derek as he searches through the woods for the missing Princess Odette. I personally think focusing on Derek is a mistake. He is usually the butt of people's jokes thanks to his ignorant like "What else is there?" when Odette asks him if beauty is all that matters to him. In this teaser, we see only a glimpse of Odette at the end as she transforms from a swan into her human form on the lake. I know how passionate the filmmakers are about this project, but I felt that the actors they chose don't do a very good job of reflecting the characters from the original film. I always assumed that Odette and Derek were somewhere between the ages of 18 and 20, but the ones in this teaser look like they are in their late 20s or early 30s. Though these are not the same actors they would use if the movie actually got picked up, the visual representation of them is still a concern. Their outfits also look like mediocre cosplay attempts with Odette's dress missing some of its most iconic elements from the animation. However, I did like the inclusion of Odette's locket that Derek finds in the woods, which creates just the right touch of nostalgia.

In general, I find that live-action transformation sequences are not nearly as magical as their animated counterparts. The 1950 transformation sequence from Disney's Cinderella is one of the most famous and breathtaking animation excerpts ever made. On the contrary, the 2015 live-action version makes it look like she enters an awkward computer-generated void where the dress digitally forms around her before she returns to the real world. Likewise, the unforgettable transformation sequence from the original Swan Princess portrays paper-thin razors of water that swirl around Odette in luminescent shades of yellow and lavender as she morphs back into original body. Conversely, the live-action concept trailer uses particle effects of droplets that rise into the air like a screen as Odette transforms behind them. Though the result is the same, some of the magic is lost here. Hopefully, the visual effects artists would find a better way to do this if the movie actually gets picked up. Don't even get me started on those creepy Jim Henson nightmare fuel representations of Jean-Bob and Speed.

In the end, the live-action concept teaser trailer for The Swan Princess must be taken at face value. It is only an attempt to get people talking and stir up interest in the project. Do we really need a live-action remake of The Swan Princess? My answer is the same as I would give about most live-action remakes and sequels, which is a resounding no. If it's done right, though, it would be nice to see a more modern take on the "Swan Lake" fairy tale. I only hope that the costumes, scenery, and visual effects would have more time and energy placed into them than what we see reflected in this teaser trailer. To be honest, I'd rather see a live-action remake of the original movie than a tenth CGI sequel.

Review: Princess of Mermaids

Did you know that today marks the actual 30th anniversary of Disney's The Little Mermaid? To celebrate, I would like to share a book review of A.G. Marshall's Princess of Mermaids with you. I've read many other adaptations of "The Little Mermaid" and even wrote one of my own, but I have never seen a book that managed to pay tribute to the fairy tale and the Disney movie while also telling a compelling original story so effortlessly. Princess of Mermaids is the third book in A.G. Marshall's Fairy Tale Adventures series. Though it works as a standalone novel, I highly recommend reading the other two first. Not only are they fantastic books, but they also paint a clearer picture of the world and characters in this book. Princess Fiora first appeared in Princess of Shadows, originally called The Princess and the Pea  when I reviewed it. Her love interest, Gustave, was introduced in Princess of Secrets  (originally The Frog Prince ) along with some of the mermaids that appeared in Princess of Mermaids.


I wasn't sure what to expect when I learned that the egotistical and condescending princess from the first Fairy Tale Adventures book, Princess of Shadows would take on the role of the innocent and kind-hearted little mermaid. Yet, as I read further into Princess of Mermaids, I realized that I relate to Princess Fiora more than I care to admit. Like many well-meaning individuals, Fiora has a tendency to speak her mind with little regard to the effect it has on those around her. As a result, she is misconstrued as brash or rude. Yet, the person who misunderstands Fiora the most is Fiora herself. As a half-human and half-mermaid, she feels no sense of belonging to either world. The mermaids sent her to live with her human father for most of her life, but when she failed to land a proper marriage alliance for his kingdom, he sent her back to live with the merfolk. One of the biggest overarching themes of Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Mermaid" is being unwanted. This came from Hans' personal experience of being rejected by various lovers who he tried to court. Most "Little Mermaid" adaptations overlook this theme, but Marshall's story embraces it by making Fiora so ashamed of who she is that she dyes her hair and reveals as little about herself as possible after turning human again because she assumes that no one would love her if they knew who she really was.

Princess of Mermaids also spends some time developing the young King Gustave and devotes entire chapters to his perspective. When he was introduced in Princess of Secrets, we learn that he refuses to get married until he can solve the mysterious disappearance of his father. Still, he finds himself enamored by the mysterious girl who saved him from a shipwreck. Many adaptations of "The Little Mermaid" present the prince as slow or clueless. Reading the story from his perspective helped to form a better understanding of his mental state and how muddled his thoughts became after falling under the effects of various mermaid songs. It was also clear that he knew the mute girl he found on the beach had some connection to the one who rescued him even though he wasn't sure if they were the same person. This book also used a creative method of solving the communication issue between the two lovers by making them both know sign language. Other books I've often have the mute princess write everything she wants to say on a pad of paper, but that can seem unrealistic because of how long it would take to write down an entire conversation. Using sign language instead creates more chemistry between Fiora and Gustave by giving them something in common and allowing them to communicate in a way that not everyone around them and understand. It's also a great way to provide visibility for disabled princess fans.

Even though Princess of Mermaids is a terrific book on its own, I also loved the little homages it incorporated to both the original fairy tale and the overwhelmingly popular 1989 Disney adaptation. This was the first adaptation of "The Little Mermaid" I've read that references the little mermaid feeling like she was walking on broken glass and leaving bloody footprints with every step she took. It also included an incredibly touching version of her sisters' sacrifice. Even though I was already familiar with the fairy tale, I got misty-eyed when I read about Fiora's mermaid sister Zoe giving up her hair without a second thought to bring Fiora the enchanted dagger that was promised to save her life. The scene was handled with such care and sentiment that it touched me even more than Fiora's relationship with Gustave did. It was the first time in the book that Fiora realized that someone she grew up with truly cared about her. The darker elements of the fairy tale were balanced out with lighter references to the Disney movie. Another mermaid who claims to be an expert on humans insists on fastening forks into her hair to help her look more attractive to humans. The forks are later revealed to belong to a certain merchant taking refuge in the castle who has a daughter that requested he bring her a rose from his travels, which may be a hint toward the next book in the series.

Princess of Mermaids surprised me multiple times over. I wasn't expecting the little mermaid to be a mean and blunt princess from earlier in the series who wasn't even a mermaid at the time, nor was I expecting to care about her as much as I did by the end of the book. It's interesting that she admits later that not being able to talk may have helped her gain people's favor because she wasn't able to put her foot in her mouth anymore. Maybe I should try that sometime! I loved how A.G. Marshall incorporated new mythology and spells to explain Fiora's human transformations and how perfectly the new magic aligned with elements of the original fairy tale. If you are a fan of "The Little Mermaid," this book is a must-read. I also could not be happier to share this review on the 30th anniversary of the animated Disney classic after picking up this beautiful commemorative doll at the Disney Store yesterday.

What's Still Missing From Disney+

Today is the day!  Disney's new streaming service, Disney+, is now available on smart devices everywhere. The highly anticipated launch did not go as smoothly as planned with the servers crashing earlier this morning, probably due to everyone wanting to be the first to access its content. That snag got fixed in a timely manner, but I can't say the same for the password issue. It seems like I need to reset my password almost every time I log on from a new device. Putting all of that aside, the app works exactly as advertised but with somewhat less content than expected. Initially, Disney claimed that they would be releasing their full library of movies, televisions shows, and specials, but it looks like we're going to have to settle for a decent-sized chunk of them instead. There were a few movies and shows added since the preview that launched in the Netherlands a couple months ago, but not quite as much as I was hoping for. I don't consider myself a Disney expert by any means, so this post will mainly focus on the princess content of the app.


When I first opened Disney+, it took a some digging before I realized that the "Princesses" category is located under the "Search" tab and not as one of the default categories that appear on the menu screens. The header image for this section features Snow White, Elena of Avalor, and Ariel. I did not see the larger version of the header that got leaked a few months ago that included Tiana and Mulan on any of my devices. All of the classic animated Disney Princess movies are in the "Featured" section just below the header along with two live-action selections that comprise of  The Princess Diaries  and the Disney Channel original movie, Princess Protection Program . I personally would have preferred the ABC Family original movie Princess  if they had to include a live-action made-for-TV movie in the mix, but I suppose beggars can't be choosers. It's also important to note that Brave and The Princess and the Frog  have been added to the service after their initial absence from the Netherlands preview. However, the animated/live-action hybrid princess classic Enchanted  is still nowhere to be seen on the app.

Under the "Featured" section of the "Princesses" category is another section called "More Adventures," which showcases all of the direct-to-DVD and made-for-television sequels to the Disney Princess movies. It's nice to see the subtle admission that these films are a notch below the classics. Below that is the "Series" section, which features a handful of animated series that were inspired by the princess movies. Interestingly, Elena of Avalor is included in the "Featured" section alongside the classic Disney Princess films even though it is actually a series. I am extremely disappointed that Sofia the First is still missing from the app entirely, even though Elena of Avalor is actually a spin-off of it. It might be because Sofia's series is still streaming on Netflix, but  don't knwo why Disney didn't simply remove it from there when they launched Disney+. Sofia deserves a home alongside all the fellow princesses she met through her amulet. Right now, the only two full-length animated series that are based on Disney Princess movies are The Little Mermaid: The Animated Series and Tangled: The Series. Aladdin: The Animated Series is still missing as is the original Disney Channel series Star vs. The Forces of Evil. Yet, for some reason, they thought Lego Frozen Northern Lights was important enough to include.


You'll have to dig pretty deep into the Disney+ app to find the other animated princess movie that they shoehorned in thanks to the FOX acquisition. Disney now owns the rights to both of Don Bluth's princess movies, Thumbelina  and Anastasia . Of these two, Anastasia is the most popular and the one that people most often confuse for a Disney movie. There was some speculation over whether or not she would be inducted as a Disney Princess when Disney gained the rights to her film. Yet, Disney chose to put Thumbelina on their new streaming service instead. It's unknown whether this is because someone else owns the rights to the recent Anastasia musical, which features some of the same songs as the feature film and is still touring despite ending its Broadway run or because they don't want to heighten the confusion about whether or not Anastasia is a Disney Princess. Nevertheless, Thumbelina is not listed in any of the sub-categories on the app, including the "Princesses" one. Her movie can only be found by either searching for it directly or looking it up in alphabetical order on the page that lists all of the movies.

Though Disney+ hosts some original content with more on the way, it is not a replacement for cable, so don't throw hastily away your DisneyNOW login. Disney+ does not feature any currently airing seasons from shows such as Tangled or Elena of Avalor. It appears that they will likely follow in the footsteps of Netflix by adding new seasons only after they have aired in full. Still, Disney+ is a great way to catch up on older seasons of shows that are no longer available on DisneyNOW and to become reacquainted with some childhood favorites. It's great to see all of the Disney Princess movies together in one place even if there are a few things missing. Hopefully, they will continue to add more great content as time goes on.

Review: Frozen 2

I was fortunate enough to see an early screening of Frozen 2  this weekend thanks to ASIFA Hollywood. Due to circumstances beyond my control, I missed the first few minutes of the movie, so my review will cover what I did see. For a Disney sequel to a movie that I consider overrated, I tried to keep my expectations realistic. Frozen 2 was just as visually stunning as it looked in the trailers, but the story was all over the place and suffered from many of the same pacing issues that I had with the original. While the beginning and ending dragged on much longer than they needed to, the middle was the most engaging portion of the film with many tasteful throwbacks to the original as it expanded upon Anna and Elsa's past and future. Ultimately, however, the story had a lot of buildup with very little payoff.


The first thing I'd like to address is the songs. There were so many songs. As someone who loves musicals, I never thought it would be possible to think there are too many songs, but the beginning of Frozen 2 feels like an endless sing-along that makes you wonder if the movie will ever get started. The first Frozen  strategically placed each song at a pivotal moment in the film that carried it to the next major plot point. Frozen 2 stirred a bunch of childish ditties into a blender and used everything that came out. Elsa's first solo "Into the Unknown" was touted in media interviews as the new "Let It Go," but after having seen the movie that honor actually goes to the song "Show Yourself," which she sings much later when the story gets more serious. Even the visuals of "Show Yourself" parallel "Let It Go," especially when Elsa undergoes a brand new transformation into a gorgeous ice dress that I liked even better than the one from the first film. Anna also has a generic-sounding song at the beginning of the movie and a more serious one later on called "The Next Right Thing." Olaf's new song "When I Am Older" is completely out of place and even lacks the overall fun and charm of "In Summer" from the original film. Kristoff has an '80s style love ballad about his botched proposal attempts to Anna, which are much funnier in dialogue than they are in song.

In terms of story, Frozen 2 feels like it wants to be a prequel but is repeatedly held back by forcing Anna and Elsa into the spotlight. So many of the film's revelations revolve around King Agnarr and Queen Idun, but we never see either of them again after the beginning of the movie, which leaves a mostly forced and adventure for Anna and Elsa to go to on and explore the past. I think what hurt this movie the most was the lack of a villain. As much as I hated Hans' betray in Frozen, I would have given anything to learn that one of the Northuldra people who Anna and Elsa meet was actually evil just for the same sense of satisfaction at the end when the perpetrator is defeated by the two sisters. Instead, all of the movie's conflict takes place in flashbacks that we never actually get to experience outside of vague snow statues that Elsa discovers in a hidden cave. I liked that Anna and Elsa had the opportunity to switch roles in this movie thanks to some reverse throwbacks to the original, but the story fell short and left me mostly unfulfilled.

The one thing that Frozen 2 got right was the animation. The entire movie was a visual feast from the elemental spirits in the Enchanted Forest to the subtle changes in Anna and Elsa's character designs that demonstrate how they've grown since the last movie. There were a ton of costume changes throughout the film, each one more stunning than the last. As I mentioned, my favorite scene was when Elsa sings "Show Yourself" as she chases after the mysterious voices in her head and becomes a beautiful spirit of nature. This movie is the first time we see her with her hair down, and the natural look suits her free spirit perfectly. The overarching theme of Frozen 2 is that water has memory, allowing us to see breathtaking flashbacks of the past reflected in the ice and snow that feel like something between holograms and animatronics. It was also a pleasure to see Anna mature from an awkward teenager into an ambitious young lady through both her design and dialogue.

Frozen 2 was unapologetically made for the overwhelming number of fans that emerged when the original Frozen came out. It gave the little girls who sing "Let It Go" over and over again lots of new songs to memorize as well as a new sparkly dress for cosplay. What it failed to do was tell the story that it initially set out to about why Elsa was born with powers. By making the backstory so cryptic, the audience is forced to interpret the answers they seek themselves or go by hearsay based on Anna and Elsa's discoveries. A more ambitious and potentially risky approach to the story would have been to make the movie an actual prequel focusing mainly on King Agnarr and Queen Iduna's adventures and only showing Anna and Elsa as bookends to show how they learned their parents' story. Of course, making a Frozen 2 without Anna and Elsa as the main characters would disappoint so many fans who love their sisterly bond that Disney would never have gotten away with it.

Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Season 4

Just when you think a show has nowhere left to go, it throws you a curveball. I was prepared to have lots of fun this week with The Little Mermaid Live!  but not for the emotional roller coaster that the new season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power took me on. The DreamWorks reboot was right on trend with the latest theme of betrayal that has affected every cartoon starring a princess this year. I hate to pick favorites, but She-Ra outdid every other princess series so far on the betrayal scale. That's not to say that Adora's broken relationship with Glimmer was quite as heartbreaking as Rapunzel and Cassandra, but doubt and deceit prevailed everywhere throughout Etheria as new and old characters abounded with malicious intent. Unlike the disappointing second season, which was mostly filler, season 4 of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power was packed with so much plot and character-driven drama that I don't even know where to begin. The only way I can think of to describe it is "mind-blowing."

A lot of She-Ra's fourth season focused on Glimmer and her ascension to the throne. In fact, I would even say she was more of the protagonist this season than Adora. Glimmer is a perfect example of my recent analysis on how modern princesses are less free-spirited and happy than their "outdated" counterparts. Glimmer used to be a perfect mix of naivete, joy, and scrappiness. As a result of the the third season's sudden and unexpected climax, she underwent a massive physical and emotional transformation from a rebellious daughter to the relentless queen of Bright Moon. This regime change affected her in the worst way possible. She transitioned from good princess to evil queen before our very eyes. Of course, she had some help along the way from the new villain Double Trouble, who I would argue is even more evil than Hordak or Catra, which they proved by manipulating both of them in addition to the princesses. Glimmer's decisions were ultimately motivated her her jealousy of Adora for getting so much praise and attention as She-Ra. In that way, Glimmer's character arc in season 4 mirrored Catra's from season 3, who had the exact same motivation for her actions. 

There was plenty of action going on with the Horde this season as well. Catra and Double Trouble continued to manipulate Hordak by taking advantage of his lingering feelings toward Entrapta. It's laughable that Hordak is the leader of the Horde in this version of the show when women are clearly the ones in power. The series poked fun at this in the episode "Boys' Night Out" in which the three male members of the rebellion--Bow, Sea Hawk, and Swift Wind--took on the traditional "Damsel in Distress" role as they waited to be rescued by the girls. Double Trouble demonstrated the power of femininity when they took on the most pink and feminine guise they could come up with in order to spy on the princesses. Flutterina demonstrates that even the most feminine and innocuous persona can still play a vital role in dangerous missions by averting suspicion. In contrast, Scorpia, a character who looks intimidating but has the personality of a classic princess, finally got her moment to shine this season when she gave up on her abusive relationship with Catra and decided to team up with the Princess Rebellion. Scorpia is the perfect example of how you shouldn't judge a book by its cover.
The plot twists in this season were a lot to handle. Sometimes it felt forced as it made you question the very nature of the show and what it means to be She-Ra. I loved the flashbacks that allowed us to know Mara, Adora's predecessor a little better, but when it came right down to it, I found She-Ra's ultimate purpose a bit confusing. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power started with Adora fighting for the evil Horde and turning good when she became She-Ra. Yet, it turns out that She-Ra's true purpose isn't so good after all, so why would becoming She-Ra have required her to switch sides in the first place? It gets a little muddled if you think about it too hard, kind of like the new Maleficent sequel. Both stories use so much time and energy in their attempts to blur the lines between good and evil that the characters' intentions don't always match up with their actions. I understand the message about how everyone makes mistakes and that people do bad things with good intentions, but it still leaves you scratching your head in the end about who you should be rooting for.
The fourth season of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is definitely the strongest one yet. It was full of twists, turns, and surprises that make you question everything you think you know about the show. Many of the characters came full-circle with their story arcs, including people we never wanted to change like Glimmer and ones we were waiting patiently for like Scorpia and Entrapta. It furthered the series' not-so-secret agenda of empowering girls by showing them that they can be strong like warriors or find strength in their femininity. I don't think there's a single episode I would cut from this season. Every second of it keeps you on the edge of your seat from the heart-breaking opening to suspenseful ending. If this keeps up, season 5 is going to be a real whopper of a season.