Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 62
November 5, 2019
Review: The Little Mermaid Live!
I can't believe this day finally came! My favorite movie was broadcast on television in front of a studio audience with live-action performers and Broadway-style sets and costumes. The Little Mermaid Live! special was a long time coming. It was supposed to happen in 2017, but it got postponed, leaving only my memories of seeing it performed at the Hollywood Bowl without the fancy costumes or sets. Now that the television production finally happened for real, I am pleased to say that they did it right. The transitions between the animated film and the live-action performances were on point, the songs were entertaining, and the spectacle was pure Disney magic. Of course, nothing is completely perfect, not even The Little Mermaid Live!
The special was introduced by the one and only
Disney made good use of the extra time they had by postponing this production to pick and choose the best elements of their older live versions of The Little Mermaid to incorporate into this one. They used two of the strongest songs from the Broadway production, "Her Voice" and "If Only," but had much nicer costumes than the spring-loaded butt tails and heelies from that version, proving that they can learn from their mistakes. The Sebastian costume was somewhat harder to salvage since there's no tasteful way to make a grown man look like a crab, so they did the best they could. What I found the most unique about the mermaid costumes in this show is that they had what appeared to be swirling hair covering their chests instead of seashells, similar to the aesthetic of the Filipino mermaid series Dyesebel. I loved everything about these mermaids from their flowing chiffon tails to their diverse body types to the way they floated around the stage on cables. It was a vast improvement over some of the questionable Broadway designs.
Overall, I thought the performances were great considering that they were done in one take. Auli'i proved that she has what it takes to go from the daughter of the village chief to a mermaid princess. I was incredibly moved by the intensity of her singing in "If Only." Instead of belting out the melody, she sang it as the emotional ballad it was meant to be and perfectly conveyed Ariel's conflicted emotions about being with Eric while not being able to tell him who she really is. Queen Latifah gave a powerful rendition of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in a transforming tentacle costume. Auli'i's participation in Shaggy's "Under the Sea" number added a sense of fun and playfulness to it as she floated around the stage on a big swing. Graham Phillips was charming as Prince Eric as well. I was a bit disappointed by the absence of "She's in Love," a song that Flounder performed with Ariel's sisters in both the Broadway play and the version I saw at the Hollywood Bowl, especially when the sisters didn't even perform their own song from the movie, "Daughters of Triton," which was instead performed by an Emcee character played by Amber Riley. I would have loved to hear Ariel's six sisters harmonize with each other like they did in the original film, but I suppose Disney could only hire so many singers for this production.
It took a few years longer than it was supposed to, but The Little Mermaid Live! finally came to fruition as an outstanding spectacle. Yes, there were a few flubs, such as Queen Latifah saying "Don't forget to underestimate the importance of body language" instead of "Don't underestimate the importance of body language" and John Stamos referencing a "Prince Alfred," whoever that is, but these minor issues proved that we were seeing the production exactly as it was performed with no edits. I loved how the mermaids were brought to life with bubbles, cables, and flowing chiffon tails instead of the silly roller skates they used back in 2007 for the Broadway show. It was a fun night that allowed me to dive into the world of my favorite movie and forget about my problems for a few hours. I would love to see Disney release more specials like this one in the future.
The special was introduced by the one and only
Disney made good use of the extra time they had by postponing this production to pick and choose the best elements of their older live versions of The Little Mermaid to incorporate into this one. They used two of the strongest songs from the Broadway production, "Her Voice" and "If Only," but had much nicer costumes than the spring-loaded butt tails and heelies from that version, proving that they can learn from their mistakes. The Sebastian costume was somewhat harder to salvage since there's no tasteful way to make a grown man look like a crab, so they did the best they could. What I found the most unique about the mermaid costumes in this show is that they had what appeared to be swirling hair covering their chests instead of seashells, similar to the aesthetic of the Filipino mermaid series Dyesebel. I loved everything about these mermaids from their flowing chiffon tails to their diverse body types to the way they floated around the stage on cables. It was a vast improvement over some of the questionable Broadway designs.
Overall, I thought the performances were great considering that they were done in one take. Auli'i proved that she has what it takes to go from the daughter of the village chief to a mermaid princess. I was incredibly moved by the intensity of her singing in "If Only." Instead of belting out the melody, she sang it as the emotional ballad it was meant to be and perfectly conveyed Ariel's conflicted emotions about being with Eric while not being able to tell him who she really is. Queen Latifah gave a powerful rendition of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" in a transforming tentacle costume. Auli'i's participation in Shaggy's "Under the Sea" number added a sense of fun and playfulness to it as she floated around the stage on a big swing. Graham Phillips was charming as Prince Eric as well. I was a bit disappointed by the absence of "She's in Love," a song that Flounder performed with Ariel's sisters in both the Broadway play and the version I saw at the Hollywood Bowl, especially when the sisters didn't even perform their own song from the movie, "Daughters of Triton," which was instead performed by an Emcee character played by Amber Riley. I would have loved to hear Ariel's six sisters harmonize with each other like they did in the original film, but I suppose Disney could only hire so many singers for this production.
It took a few years longer than it was supposed to, but The Little Mermaid Live! finally came to fruition as an outstanding spectacle. Yes, there were a few flubs, such as Queen Latifah saying "Don't forget to underestimate the importance of body language" instead of "Don't underestimate the importance of body language" and John Stamos referencing a "Prince Alfred," whoever that is, but these minor issues proved that we were seeing the production exactly as it was performed with no edits. I loved how the mermaids were brought to life with bubbles, cables, and flowing chiffon tails instead of the silly roller skates they used back in 2007 for the Broadway show. It was a fun night that allowed me to dive into the world of my favorite movie and forget about my problems for a few hours. I would love to see Disney release more specials like this one in the future.
November 3, 2019
With a Smile and a Song
I'd like to expand a little on my "Confessions of a Grown-Up Princess Fan" to discuss how getting older has not only affected my perspective on princesses, but also my attitude toward the world in general. Thinking about how a live-action "Snow White" movie would inevitably be different for a modern audience sparked some of these thoughts. One of the biggest complaints about the "Damsel in Distress" stigma that Disney has been working hard to overturn is that princesses only smile and look pretty while their princes do all the hard work. I personally think that the movies from the Disney Renaissance have the best balance of proactiveness between the male and female protagonists. In today's movies, it's often the men who sit back and do nothing while the women lead the majority of the action for the plot, which creates an imbalance in the opposite direction. It also forces princesses to take on a lot more responsibility, which impedes their carefree, innocent, and child-like nature. As a result, we have princesses who are more serious and less happy.
Most of the issues that many forward-thinking individuals have with the original Disney Princesses are encapsulated by the song "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Walt Disney's original 1937 animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . However, I've never heard anyone complain about her more obscure "With a Smile and Song," and that's because there's nothing objectional about the prospect of singing to lift one's spirits when they are having a bad day. Unfortunately, this notion is an unintentional casualty of the modern princess archetype. If you place the responsibility of fighting a war or saving a kingdom on a single princess's shoulders, she isn't going to have much time to smile or sing. That's why I think we still have something to learn from the older princesses who were created before the days of the internet.
The serious nature of modern princesses is absolutely a sign of the times. People had fewer responsibilities back when the economy was booming, so it was easier in 1950 to relate to someone like Cinderella being granted a wish to go to the ball and enter a life of prosperity with very little action on her own part. In contrast, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog in 2009 knew that it takes a lifetime of hard work to achieve and maintain a big dream. She represented a different generation--the Millennials who grew up during the job market crash who struggle to pay off college debts with jobs that have nothing to do with their major. It's no wonder that our generation has a harder time staying positive. Rapunzel encapsulated the older princess optimism in Tangled in 2010when she expressed her joy for freedom from a life of captivity, but just a few short years later, she was forced to come to terms with her heartbreak when her best friend betrayed her.
In my opinion, the person who embodies all of the youth and optimism of a modern princess the best right now is
In today's world of skepticism, it has become harder than ever to be a real-life princess. Everyone is fighting their own personal battles. Even the princesses we see in fantasy kingdoms are struggling with betrayals, war, and responsibilities. That's why the princesses that many people consider outdated might actually be the ones with the most to offer us in these trying times. If we can clear out all of our anxiety and stress for with a lovely ballad, perhaps we can remind ourselves that it's the simple things in life that bring the most joy. Sometimes a smile and a song are all you really need.
Most of the issues that many forward-thinking individuals have with the original Disney Princesses are encapsulated by the song "Someday My Prince Will Come" from Walt Disney's original 1937 animated masterpiece, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs . However, I've never heard anyone complain about her more obscure "With a Smile and Song," and that's because there's nothing objectional about the prospect of singing to lift one's spirits when they are having a bad day. Unfortunately, this notion is an unintentional casualty of the modern princess archetype. If you place the responsibility of fighting a war or saving a kingdom on a single princess's shoulders, she isn't going to have much time to smile or sing. That's why I think we still have something to learn from the older princesses who were created before the days of the internet.
The serious nature of modern princesses is absolutely a sign of the times. People had fewer responsibilities back when the economy was booming, so it was easier in 1950 to relate to someone like Cinderella being granted a wish to go to the ball and enter a life of prosperity with very little action on her own part. In contrast, Tiana from The Princess and the Frog in 2009 knew that it takes a lifetime of hard work to achieve and maintain a big dream. She represented a different generation--the Millennials who grew up during the job market crash who struggle to pay off college debts with jobs that have nothing to do with their major. It's no wonder that our generation has a harder time staying positive. Rapunzel encapsulated the older princess optimism in Tangled in 2010when she expressed her joy for freedom from a life of captivity, but just a few short years later, she was forced to come to terms with her heartbreak when her best friend betrayed her.
In my opinion, the person who embodies all of the youth and optimism of a modern princess the best right now is
In today's world of skepticism, it has become harder than ever to be a real-life princess. Everyone is fighting their own personal battles. Even the princesses we see in fantasy kingdoms are struggling with betrayals, war, and responsibilities. That's why the princesses that many people consider outdated might actually be the ones with the most to offer us in these trying times. If we can clear out all of our anxiety and stress for with a lovely ballad, perhaps we can remind ourselves that it's the simple things in life that bring the most joy. Sometimes a smile and a song are all you really need.
October 27, 2019
Review: Anastasia The Musical
In general, I find that animated movies don't translate well the stage even though they have musical numbers that seem perfect for Broadway. Disney shows such as Aladdin often miss the point of having an additional hour to develop the characters and squander the time on extra dance numbers that are completely unnecessary to the plot. In the case of Anastasia, which was not produced by Disney, they cut a major character from the 1997 Don Bluth masterpiece. Rasputin, the movie's chilling undead villain, was replaced by a more sympathetic antagonist named Gleb, a Russian revolutionary. They most likely did this for the sake of historical accuracy and because it would have been difficult to portray a rotting corpse on stage. "In the Dark of the Night" is one of my favorite villain songs of all time, so Rasputin's absence was very noticeable when I attended the final performance of the Anastasia tour at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.
Anastasia is one of my favorite movies of all time, so it would be difficult for any adaptation to rival the original. I must not be alone in thinking this because the show ended its three-year Broadway run this past March. The play isn't so bad if you've never seen the movie. The musical numbers are entertaining enough, and the second act is extremely touching. The ballet scene at the opera house is pure magic. However, the story lacks any true conflict due to the lack of a good villain. In the original Anastasia, Rasputin invaded Anya's dreams and sent scary green minions from Hell after her before ultimately defying the laws of physics in an attempt to take her life and complete his vow to end the monarchy. In contrast, Gleb spends most of the musical adaptation sitting around an office and singing about how he needs end the monarchy because his father wanted him to, even though that might not really be what he wants. His inner conflict makes him a fascinating character, but a boring villain.
From a technological standpoint, Anastasia is more dependent on projections for its sets than any other Broadway show I've seen. This might be because I haven't seen another show that came out after 2016. I certainly hope CGI projections are not the future of theater. Practical sets are so beautiful and creative that it's a shame to virtually erase them just because LED screens are easier to produce nowadays. I felt the same way about the CGI backgrounds in the new Frozen show at Disneyland in comparison to the gorgeous practical sets of Agrabah from their retired Aladdin show. There some set pieces in Anastasia for the actors to interact with such as a fountain in St. Petersburg or a chair in Gleb's office, but just about everything behind the characters was projected on a screen. The only set piecethat seemed even a little creative was the train, which was a rotating steel frame skeleton that allowed the audience to see inside of it from all angles.
Rasputin aside, the story was pretty similar to the original film. Anya, an orphan with very few memories of her past, teams up with Dmitry and Vladimir to go to Paris and figure out if she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Anya's pet Pooka was cut as well, which makes sense since it's hard to have animals onstage. Still, without Pooka pointing her in the right direction or her "Together in Paris" necklace, it makes little sense that she would want to go to Paris based on a vague whim that she might find a clue to her past there. Dmitry is cruel to her at first, and her trust in him seems ill-placed. Their romance reaches a turning point in the second act with their duet "In a Crowd of Thousands," where they remember seeing each other as children. Vladimir still has his love interest, Sophie, but her name was changed to Lily, and she is now the Dowager Empress's lady-in-waiting.
Overall, Anastasia is a decent play, but it does not hold a candle to the magic, wonder, and romance of the 1997 movie, which is now owned by Disney. I can understand why its Broadway run was cut short. The lack of a strong villain like Rasputin removes most of the suspense and conflict from the story. The projected backgrounds felt like lazy way to avoid building elaborate sets. I only found them useful when they created the illusion of snow outside the windows and portrayed the current year in the play. The only scene that I felt truly recreated the enchantment of the animated movie was when all of the major characters watched a performance of "Swan Lake" and sang about how everything would change when Anya meets the Dowager Empress and truly becomes Anastasia. Perhaps they were right to think that change can be dangerous because in this case, Anastasia would probably have been better off left alone.
Anastasia is one of my favorite movies of all time, so it would be difficult for any adaptation to rival the original. I must not be alone in thinking this because the show ended its three-year Broadway run this past March. The play isn't so bad if you've never seen the movie. The musical numbers are entertaining enough, and the second act is extremely touching. The ballet scene at the opera house is pure magic. However, the story lacks any true conflict due to the lack of a good villain. In the original Anastasia, Rasputin invaded Anya's dreams and sent scary green minions from Hell after her before ultimately defying the laws of physics in an attempt to take her life and complete his vow to end the monarchy. In contrast, Gleb spends most of the musical adaptation sitting around an office and singing about how he needs end the monarchy because his father wanted him to, even though that might not really be what he wants. His inner conflict makes him a fascinating character, but a boring villain.
From a technological standpoint, Anastasia is more dependent on projections for its sets than any other Broadway show I've seen. This might be because I haven't seen another show that came out after 2016. I certainly hope CGI projections are not the future of theater. Practical sets are so beautiful and creative that it's a shame to virtually erase them just because LED screens are easier to produce nowadays. I felt the same way about the CGI backgrounds in the new Frozen show at Disneyland in comparison to the gorgeous practical sets of Agrabah from their retired Aladdin show. There some set pieces in Anastasia for the actors to interact with such as a fountain in St. Petersburg or a chair in Gleb's office, but just about everything behind the characters was projected on a screen. The only set piecethat seemed even a little creative was the train, which was a rotating steel frame skeleton that allowed the audience to see inside of it from all angles.
Rasputin aside, the story was pretty similar to the original film. Anya, an orphan with very few memories of her past, teams up with Dmitry and Vladimir to go to Paris and figure out if she is the Grand Duchess Anastasia. Anya's pet Pooka was cut as well, which makes sense since it's hard to have animals onstage. Still, without Pooka pointing her in the right direction or her "Together in Paris" necklace, it makes little sense that she would want to go to Paris based on a vague whim that she might find a clue to her past there. Dmitry is cruel to her at first, and her trust in him seems ill-placed. Their romance reaches a turning point in the second act with their duet "In a Crowd of Thousands," where they remember seeing each other as children. Vladimir still has his love interest, Sophie, but her name was changed to Lily, and she is now the Dowager Empress's lady-in-waiting.
Overall, Anastasia is a decent play, but it does not hold a candle to the magic, wonder, and romance of the 1997 movie, which is now owned by Disney. I can understand why its Broadway run was cut short. The lack of a strong villain like Rasputin removes most of the suspense and conflict from the story. The projected backgrounds felt like lazy way to avoid building elaborate sets. I only found them useful when they created the illusion of snow outside the windows and portrayed the current year in the play. The only scene that I felt truly recreated the enchantment of the animated movie was when all of the major characters watched a performance of "Swan Lake" and sang about how everything would change when Anya meets the Dowager Empress and truly becomes Anastasia. Perhaps they were right to think that change can be dangerous because in this case, Anastasia would probably have been better off left alone.
October 25, 2019
The Swan Princess 25th Anniversary Celebration
Princess anniversary celebrations seem to be an ongoing theme this year, but nothing can compare to the one I experienced last night. I was invited to the 25th anniversary celebration of
The Swan Princess
as a social media influencer. This event was everything a Swan Princess party could be and more. From the sprawling pink carpet outside the W Hollywood Hotel to the ice swan sculpture in the lobby, no stone was left unturned for this massive celebration of the 1994 animated classic. The elegant reception lasted for roughly two hours before moving to the Arclight Hollywood for a 4K Ultra HD remastered screening of the movie preceded by a speech and award ceremony from producer
Reporters, videographers, and cosplayers lined the pink carpet as Seldon conducted interviews for the press. The carpet was pink in honor of lead actress
The fun continued upstairs where a full banquet was being held in the movie's honor. Near the elevators, a glass swan was on display in front of a sign-in board that featured an art piece from the movie's supervising animator Steven Gordon that was created exclusively for the 25th anniversary. The banquet was decorated like a wedding with Swan Princess-patterned fabrics surrounding the columns and flowers garlands draping the ceiling. A life-sized cardboard backdrop of Odette and Derek was available for photo ops as well as a traditional photo booth. Dinner was served with a complimentary buffet, open bar, and decorative cakes that were judged in a contest later that evening. Each table had a centerpiece featuring an original sculpture of a character from the movie. There was also a wall of original cells from the film and a table where two artists drew sketches for the attendees. I spent a good chunk of the evening talking to the exuberant Talia Ellis, who drew a sketch of Jean-Bob for my friend and Odette for me. Both artists were hand-picked by Steven Gordon to entertain the guests with their drawings and conversation.
The screening at the Arclight ran a little long due to Seldon's many surprise announcements. He gave special attention to fans who had traveled from other countries and posted tribute videos for the movie on YouTube. Then he discussed what a massive impact the film had on both its fans and creators asthe last animated movie with hand-painted art cels. Afterward, he presented the "Swanscar" awards to some of the most influential people who worked on the film. These limited edition foil trophies of Odette transforming into a swan were crafted exclusively for the event. The final surprise was a performance of "Far Longer Than Forever" featuring Liz Callaway, the original singing voice for Princess Odette. The 4K presentation of the movie was a vast improvement over the initial DVD release. Similar to the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of The Little Mermaid, there were a few shots where the separation between the painted cels and backgrounds was visible. Afterward, the hostess sat with the producers, screenwriter, and director of the movie for a quick Q&A where they discussed their favorite characters and how they met.
I am so grateful to The Swan Princess team for allowing me to be part of such a magical event. The Swan Princess was a staple of my childhood. Last night, I had an unforgettable experience mingling with the crew that brought it to life. Even though I felt a little out of place at such a fancy event, the cast and crew did everything in their power to make each guest feel welcome. When I told director
Reporters, videographers, and cosplayers lined the pink carpet as Seldon conducted interviews for the press. The carpet was pink in honor of lead actress
The fun continued upstairs where a full banquet was being held in the movie's honor. Near the elevators, a glass swan was on display in front of a sign-in board that featured an art piece from the movie's supervising animator Steven Gordon that was created exclusively for the 25th anniversary. The banquet was decorated like a wedding with Swan Princess-patterned fabrics surrounding the columns and flowers garlands draping the ceiling. A life-sized cardboard backdrop of Odette and Derek was available for photo ops as well as a traditional photo booth. Dinner was served with a complimentary buffet, open bar, and decorative cakes that were judged in a contest later that evening. Each table had a centerpiece featuring an original sculpture of a character from the movie. There was also a wall of original cells from the film and a table where two artists drew sketches for the attendees. I spent a good chunk of the evening talking to the exuberant Talia Ellis, who drew a sketch of Jean-Bob for my friend and Odette for me. Both artists were hand-picked by Steven Gordon to entertain the guests with their drawings and conversation.
The screening at the Arclight ran a little long due to Seldon's many surprise announcements. He gave special attention to fans who had traveled from other countries and posted tribute videos for the movie on YouTube. Then he discussed what a massive impact the film had on both its fans and creators asthe last animated movie with hand-painted art cels. Afterward, he presented the "Swanscar" awards to some of the most influential people who worked on the film. These limited edition foil trophies of Odette transforming into a swan were crafted exclusively for the event. The final surprise was a performance of "Far Longer Than Forever" featuring Liz Callaway, the original singing voice for Princess Odette. The 4K presentation of the movie was a vast improvement over the initial DVD release. Similar to the 30th Anniversary Edition Blu-ray of The Little Mermaid, there were a few shots where the separation between the painted cels and backgrounds was visible. Afterward, the hostess sat with the producers, screenwriter, and director of the movie for a quick Q&A where they discussed their favorite characters and how they met.
I am so grateful to The Swan Princess team for allowing me to be part of such a magical event. The Swan Princess was a staple of my childhood. Last night, I had an unforgettable experience mingling with the crew that brought it to life. Even though I felt a little out of place at such a fancy event, the cast and crew did everything in their power to make each guest feel welcome. When I told director
October 22, 2019
Two More Weeks!
November has always been a big month for princesses. So many princess movies have premiered the week of Thanksgiving to kick of the holiday season. This year's big holiday princess blockbuster is going to be
Frozen 2
, which will come out on November 22nd. The excitement starts even earlier this year with ABC's upcoming special
The Little Mermaid Live!
on November 5th. The special was supposed to air on October 3rd, 2017 but got delayed for two years due to vague production issues. This year is the perfect time to revive it with the movie celebrating its 30th anniversary and revealing Auli'i Cravalho as a special guest at the D23 Expo anniversary celebration panel. Auli'i will be starring as Ariel in this made-for-TV special, not to be confused with the live-action theatrical movie starring Halle Bailey, which is still in pre-production. Disney released this fantastic video last week that gives us a sneak peek of what to expect.
The video contains interview snippets that feature
The Little Mermaid Live! isn't the only thing premiering on November 5th. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which launched its third season only last month, is dropping a fourth season on the same day. I'm not sure whether or not this was intentional, but November 5th is sure to be a long day of princess binging. It's amazing how quickly Dreamworks is able to pump out new episodes. It hasn't even been two years since the show premiered, and it's already about to begin its fourth season. A recent teaser that Dreamworks posted on their She-Ra Instagram hinted that this season will see Adora meet Mara, the girl who took on the role of She-Ra before the sword chose her. This opens up so many possibilities for the new season. Was a dream sequence? Time travel? An alternate universe? I know the creators didn't want to include He-Man in this incarnation of Etheria, but now that Hordak is opening up portals to other worlds, it seems like a very real possibility.
Another upcoming November 5th release is A.G. Marshall's new book, Princess of Mermaids . A.G. Marshall is one of my favorite authors right now. Her "Princess and the Pea" and "The Frog Prince" adaptations were some of the best I've ever read. I can't wait to see her take on my favorite fairy tale of all time. The merfolk in her Fairy Tale Adventures series were introduced in the last book, Princess of Secrets . I am eager to see how the mermaids from that story will play into this one. To celebrate the release of Princess of Mermaids, A.G. Marshall is planning a watch party for the east coast broadcast of The Little Mermaid Live! on Facebook. Like previous Facebook release parties, the event will include games, giveaways, and live chats. If you live on the east coast and have no one to watch the show with, this will be a great opportunity to grab some popcorn and join the discussion.
It's unusual for so many princess events to take place on the same day. Even though I will be attending several other events both before and after November 5th, this is the first time to my knowledge that a live princess broadcast will converge with the release of animated series and a fairy tale novel. The stars will align in two weeks, so make sure you're prepared. The Little Mermaid Live! will premiere at 8PM on November 5th, while the new season of She-Ra will drop at midnight. A.G. Marshall's release party on Facebook will commence at 7PM EST that evening. Maybe a princess with magical powers will be able to catch all three magical broadcasts.
The video contains interview snippets that feature
The Little Mermaid Live! isn't the only thing premiering on November 5th. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, which launched its third season only last month, is dropping a fourth season on the same day. I'm not sure whether or not this was intentional, but November 5th is sure to be a long day of princess binging. It's amazing how quickly Dreamworks is able to pump out new episodes. It hasn't even been two years since the show premiered, and it's already about to begin its fourth season. A recent teaser that Dreamworks posted on their She-Ra Instagram hinted that this season will see Adora meet Mara, the girl who took on the role of She-Ra before the sword chose her. This opens up so many possibilities for the new season. Was a dream sequence? Time travel? An alternate universe? I know the creators didn't want to include He-Man in this incarnation of Etheria, but now that Hordak is opening up portals to other worlds, it seems like a very real possibility.
Another upcoming November 5th release is A.G. Marshall's new book, Princess of Mermaids . A.G. Marshall is one of my favorite authors right now. Her "Princess and the Pea" and "The Frog Prince" adaptations were some of the best I've ever read. I can't wait to see her take on my favorite fairy tale of all time. The merfolk in her Fairy Tale Adventures series were introduced in the last book, Princess of Secrets . I am eager to see how the mermaids from that story will play into this one. To celebrate the release of Princess of Mermaids, A.G. Marshall is planning a watch party for the east coast broadcast of The Little Mermaid Live! on Facebook. Like previous Facebook release parties, the event will include games, giveaways, and live chats. If you live on the east coast and have no one to watch the show with, this will be a great opportunity to grab some popcorn and join the discussion.
It's unusual for so many princess events to take place on the same day. Even though I will be attending several other events both before and after November 5th, this is the first time to my knowledge that a live princess broadcast will converge with the release of animated series and a fairy tale novel. The stars will align in two weeks, so make sure you're prepared. The Little Mermaid Live! will premiere at 8PM on November 5th, while the new season of She-Ra will drop at midnight. A.G. Marshall's release party on Facebook will commence at 7PM EST that evening. Maybe a princess with magical powers will be able to catch all three magical broadcasts.
October 20, 2019
Review: Maleficent 2 (Mistress of Evil)
Maleficent
is one of my favorite live-action Disney remakes. It was the only one that tried to do something different with the story it was retelling. Still, I found myself skeptical when I found out that Disney was planning a sequel. It was enough to tell the story from a new perspective without needing to delve further into this alternate
Sleeping Beauty
universe. Once I saw the trailer for
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
, however, I started to get pretty excited in spite of myself. It looked like it had a unique story that we've never seen before in a fairy tale setting. Like the first movie, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil takes place in a world where women are strong and powerful and men are either weak or evil. This didn't particularly hinder my enjoyment of the movie as a woman, but I can see how it might be an issue, and so can screenwriter Linda Woolverton.
My favorite thing about Mistress of Evil was watching Princess Aurora blossom into a fierce young queen. This was one of few Disney movies shows a princess come of age and begin her reign. From her very first scene, Aurora was portrayed as a force to be reckoned with, a stark contrast from the naive foundling from the first movie. Though Maleficent's influence over her for the last five years is clear, she still possesses the youthful freckle-faced natural beauty that I loved about her in the first movie. She is one with the faeries and flowers of the Moors from her free-flowing blonde curls to her floral-patterned lace dresses and bare feet. Her relationship with Prince Phillip has also grown exponentially. In some ways, he is still the same awkward clumsy youth whose meek kiss couldn't even break a curse, but now he is completely devoted to Aurora and would give up everything for her. If it weren't for their powerful guardians, this would have been a very short movie, cutting straight to the wedding. Instead, Aurora must battle forces beyond her comprehension to finally obtain her happy ending.
I really appreciated that Mistress of Evil didn't follow the same tired formula that Disney has been using for the past five or six years in which they try to trick the audience into thinking that the antagonist is someone else. It was clear from the very beginning that Queen Ingrith was the villain, so the main of the story suspense revolved around waiting for Aurora and Phillip to figure it out. Ingrith was indeed a powerful and formidable villain with a much higher death rate than many of Disney's previous evil queens. Using Prince Phillip's mother as the villain was also a subtle nod to Charles Perrault's version of "Sleeping Beauty" in which the prince's mother turned out to be a wicked ogre that tried to eat their children. I only wished that Phillip's father, King John, had not been so oblivious to the politics of his own kingdom and those surrounding it. It was also nice to learn about Maleficent's origins. Seeing the history of the dark fae was a big treat. I probably would have enjoyed the movie just as much if it had been only about them. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that they hid from Maleficent for most of her life, forcing her to think that she was alone and causing her heart to harden.
Like most Disney sequels, there were some things in Mistress of Evil that don't make sense if you think about them too hard. For instance, everyone keeps saying Maleficent raised Aurora and that she's essentially Aurora's foster mother. Anyone who saw the first Maleficent or Sleeping Beauty knows that Aurora was raised by the three good fairies. Maleficent put a twist on that by making the fairies incompetent guardians, which forced Maleficent to intervene from the shadows and make sure that Aurora didn't die. However, it was still the fairies that Aurora came to with her problems, questions, and concerns. They were the only ones she ever knew for the first sixteen years of her life. She didn't even meet Maleficent until she was practically a young lady. To say that Maleficent raised her is a bit of a stretch. Another thing that didn't make sense was that the movie implied that the spinning wheel was cursed with Maleficent's sleeping spell, and not Aurora herself. If you are not able put these two gaping plot holes aside, it becomes a bit of a challenge to enjoy the movie.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a beautiful film that is just as empowering to women as the first one. I loved seeing Aurora grow from a naive princess to a magical queen surrounded by faeries, flowers, and sparkles. The movie had a surprisingly high number of casualties thanks to its ruthless villainess, Queen Ingrith. It was great to learn that Maleficent was not the last of her kind, and there was a very powerful emotional climax that I won't spoil. I do wish they had combed out some of the gaping plot holes from the script before filming it, but I enjoyed the rest of the movie enough to ignore them for the time being. I also appreciated the subtle reference they made to Merryweather's sacrifice in the original 1959 Sleeping Beauty movie.
My favorite thing about Mistress of Evil was watching Princess Aurora blossom into a fierce young queen. This was one of few Disney movies shows a princess come of age and begin her reign. From her very first scene, Aurora was portrayed as a force to be reckoned with, a stark contrast from the naive foundling from the first movie. Though Maleficent's influence over her for the last five years is clear, she still possesses the youthful freckle-faced natural beauty that I loved about her in the first movie. She is one with the faeries and flowers of the Moors from her free-flowing blonde curls to her floral-patterned lace dresses and bare feet. Her relationship with Prince Phillip has also grown exponentially. In some ways, he is still the same awkward clumsy youth whose meek kiss couldn't even break a curse, but now he is completely devoted to Aurora and would give up everything for her. If it weren't for their powerful guardians, this would have been a very short movie, cutting straight to the wedding. Instead, Aurora must battle forces beyond her comprehension to finally obtain her happy ending.
I really appreciated that Mistress of Evil didn't follow the same tired formula that Disney has been using for the past five or six years in which they try to trick the audience into thinking that the antagonist is someone else. It was clear from the very beginning that Queen Ingrith was the villain, so the main of the story suspense revolved around waiting for Aurora and Phillip to figure it out. Ingrith was indeed a powerful and formidable villain with a much higher death rate than many of Disney's previous evil queens. Using Prince Phillip's mother as the villain was also a subtle nod to Charles Perrault's version of "Sleeping Beauty" in which the prince's mother turned out to be a wicked ogre that tried to eat their children. I only wished that Phillip's father, King John, had not been so oblivious to the politics of his own kingdom and those surrounding it. It was also nice to learn about Maleficent's origins. Seeing the history of the dark fae was a big treat. I probably would have enjoyed the movie just as much if it had been only about them. The only thing I didn't like was the fact that they hid from Maleficent for most of her life, forcing her to think that she was alone and causing her heart to harden.
Like most Disney sequels, there were some things in Mistress of Evil that don't make sense if you think about them too hard. For instance, everyone keeps saying Maleficent raised Aurora and that she's essentially Aurora's foster mother. Anyone who saw the first Maleficent or Sleeping Beauty knows that Aurora was raised by the three good fairies. Maleficent put a twist on that by making the fairies incompetent guardians, which forced Maleficent to intervene from the shadows and make sure that Aurora didn't die. However, it was still the fairies that Aurora came to with her problems, questions, and concerns. They were the only ones she ever knew for the first sixteen years of her life. She didn't even meet Maleficent until she was practically a young lady. To say that Maleficent raised her is a bit of a stretch. Another thing that didn't make sense was that the movie implied that the spinning wheel was cursed with Maleficent's sleeping spell, and not Aurora herself. If you are not able put these two gaping plot holes aside, it becomes a bit of a challenge to enjoy the movie.
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a beautiful film that is just as empowering to women as the first one. I loved seeing Aurora grow from a naive princess to a magical queen surrounded by faeries, flowers, and sparkles. The movie had a surprisingly high number of casualties thanks to its ruthless villainess, Queen Ingrith. It was great to learn that Maleficent was not the last of her kind, and there was a very powerful emotional climax that I won't spoil. I do wish they had combed out some of the gaping plot holes from the script before filming it, but I enjoyed the rest of the movie enough to ignore them for the time being. I also appreciated the subtle reference they made to Merryweather's sacrifice in the original 1959 Sleeping Beauty movie.
October 17, 2019
Never Mess With a Princess
Betrayal has been a common theme among princess shows as of late, and I think that may be something worth exploring a little further. I incorporated an act of betrayal into my own story,
The Stolen Jewel
, even before it appeared in three of my favorite princess shows. The betrayal of a princess by someone she cares about is a big trend among Disney properties within the past five years or so. It began with the popularity of Frozen which had a novel twist for a Disney movie in which Anna's true love turned out to be using her for power and tried to kill both her and her sister. Once
Frozen
became the cultural phenomenon that it did, Disney decided to duplicate the formula with varying results. In my opinion, the most effective of these was Cassandra's betrayal of Rapunzel. The Tangled series gave us over two years to feel as close to Rapunzel's lady-in-waiting as she did, which made it sting that much more when she stabbed her in the back during the previous season's finale.
Betrayal has been a common theme in stories dating as far back as Shakespeare, but princess stories tend to play it safe. Princesses are loved by all who know them. Anyone who would want to do them harm is branded a dangerous enemy to the kingdom from the moment they appear onscreen. That was not the case for Hans from Frozen, Esteban from Elena of Avalor, Cassandra from Tangled, or Queen Dagmar from Disenchantment. These characters were introduced as allies to their corresponding princesses and were not particularly feared or even spoken of by many other people in the kingdom. This is an example of how storytelling has changed with the times. Before the days of the internet, people's circles of friends were quite small and limited by proximity to each other. If one person was a bad seed, everyone knew about it, like an evil queen that the entire kingdom wants to impeach. Today, the circles are bigger with looser ties. It's so easy to log onto the internet and find people from all over the world with similar interests and try to befriend them. Just because they share your interests, however, does not mean they have your best interests at heart.
"Don't talk to strangers" was the most commonplace lesson on TV when the internet was in its early days. Since then, so many people have used social media to form beautiful friendships with people they never would have met otherwise. Today, a better message is "Be careful who you trust," a line that Cassandra recited just after she backstabbed Rapunzel. It's okay to meet new people and put yourself out there, but it's important to be careful with how much information you entrust with someone before you truly get to know them. Even the two years that Rapunzel spent growing close with Cassandra isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. Elena knew Esteban her whole life, but after she found out that he was working with Shuriki, she revealed that she never truly knew him at all. Princesses tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves, which makes it hard for them to protect themselves from the outside world.
Princesses also respond to betrayal differently than many other people would. They are known for their kind hearts and acceptance for all types of people. When a princess is betrayed, she doesn't get angry or seek revenge. Instead, she is left with a hole in her heart that yearns to be filled. Princesses surround themselves with love, so one betrayal does not mean the loss of everyone important in their lives, even though it might feel that way at first. When Cassandra betrayed Rapunzel, Eugene was right there to support her. The same applies to Elena with the rest of her familia and Bean with Elfo and Luci. We've all been hurt in the past, but if we don't let it taint our hearts, we can allow it to strengthen the connections we have with those who still care about us. Many other types of betrayal stories turn into quests for revenge, but one with a princess for a protagonist will become a story about love in the end.
If you've been hurt by someone you thought cared about you, the best way to handle it is to let your inner princess out and focus on the people in your life who still love you and will be there to help you through it. Those who are innocent and compassionate are the ones who are most prone to betrayal. It's easy to take advantage of their kind nature. Yet, princesses can get an entire kingdom fighting to protect them because their light shines through the darkness and can overturn even the most cynical of minds. It makes me so happy that princess stories have grown up alongside me and continue to teach me valuable life lessons even to this day.
Betrayal has been a common theme in stories dating as far back as Shakespeare, but princess stories tend to play it safe. Princesses are loved by all who know them. Anyone who would want to do them harm is branded a dangerous enemy to the kingdom from the moment they appear onscreen. That was not the case for Hans from Frozen, Esteban from Elena of Avalor, Cassandra from Tangled, or Queen Dagmar from Disenchantment. These characters were introduced as allies to their corresponding princesses and were not particularly feared or even spoken of by many other people in the kingdom. This is an example of how storytelling has changed with the times. Before the days of the internet, people's circles of friends were quite small and limited by proximity to each other. If one person was a bad seed, everyone knew about it, like an evil queen that the entire kingdom wants to impeach. Today, the circles are bigger with looser ties. It's so easy to log onto the internet and find people from all over the world with similar interests and try to befriend them. Just because they share your interests, however, does not mean they have your best interests at heart.
"Don't talk to strangers" was the most commonplace lesson on TV when the internet was in its early days. Since then, so many people have used social media to form beautiful friendships with people they never would have met otherwise. Today, a better message is "Be careful who you trust," a line that Cassandra recited just after she backstabbed Rapunzel. It's okay to meet new people and put yourself out there, but it's important to be careful with how much information you entrust with someone before you truly get to know them. Even the two years that Rapunzel spent growing close with Cassandra isn't that long in the grand scheme of things. Elena knew Esteban her whole life, but after she found out that he was working with Shuriki, she revealed that she never truly knew him at all. Princesses tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves, which makes it hard for them to protect themselves from the outside world.
Princesses also respond to betrayal differently than many other people would. They are known for their kind hearts and acceptance for all types of people. When a princess is betrayed, she doesn't get angry or seek revenge. Instead, she is left with a hole in her heart that yearns to be filled. Princesses surround themselves with love, so one betrayal does not mean the loss of everyone important in their lives, even though it might feel that way at first. When Cassandra betrayed Rapunzel, Eugene was right there to support her. The same applies to Elena with the rest of her familia and Bean with Elfo and Luci. We've all been hurt in the past, but if we don't let it taint our hearts, we can allow it to strengthen the connections we have with those who still care about us. Many other types of betrayal stories turn into quests for revenge, but one with a princess for a protagonist will become a story about love in the end.
If you've been hurt by someone you thought cared about you, the best way to handle it is to let your inner princess out and focus on the people in your life who still love you and will be there to help you through it. Those who are innocent and compassionate are the ones who are most prone to betrayal. It's easy to take advantage of their kind nature. Yet, princesses can get an entire kingdom fighting to protect them because their light shines through the darkness and can overturn even the most cynical of minds. It makes me so happy that princess stories have grown up alongside me and continue to teach me valuable life lessons even to this day.
October 14, 2019
Goodbye, Equestria
After nine seasons, My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic has finally ended. This show had a lengthy history and a tremendous impact on princess culture. It concluded with a flash forward of an adult Princess Twilight Sparkle taking on the role and physical attributes of her mentor, Princess Celestia. The finale taught us that it's still possible to keep in touch with our friends after we get older and go our separate ways, a message that resonates more with the adult fans of the series than it would for its target audience. That makes sense because someone who started watching the series as a child would be a teenager or an adult by the end of its nine-year run. However, Friendship Is Magic has always had a surprisingly large adult fanbase, which is different from earlier incarnations of The My Little Pony franchise that date back the '80s. What is about this version that attracted such a wide and diverse audience?
One reason that 2010 incarnation of My Little Pony stood out so much is due to its extremely talented showrunner,
Lauren Faust placed a lot of focus on princess culture in her version of the show, something that wasn't explored as much in the '80s incarnations. Equestria is a matriarchy ruled by unmarried princesses, giving the show's female viewers a chance to feel empowered. It doesn't discredit the notion of true love either. One of my favorite episodes portrays Twilight Sparkle's big brother, Shining Armor, marrying his true love, Princess Cadence. The show celebrates diversity by demonstrating that there are infinite ways to be a girl and be a princess and that no one type is better than another. At the beginning of the series, Twilight Sparkle is a loner who thinks that she doesn't need friends because the only way to be happy in life is by working hard and following the rules, similar to Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog . Over the course of the series, she learns the importance of friendship and uses her bonds with her friends to make herself a better leader. Starlight Glimmer, who becomes a series regular later on, has a similar experience. This shows us that even girls who are cynical and lonely still have the potential to make friends and be princesses.
What I love about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is that it placed a new perspective on what it means to be a princess. Older fairy tales focus on princesses falling in love and getting married, while the newer ones are usually about them becoming warriors and saving their kingdom. This show took a more novel approach by portraying princesses as mentors, something that was only explored a little in Sofia the First through her ability to summon princesses for advice through her amulet. Though Twilight Sparkle saved Equestria multiple times throughout the course of the show, she trained to become a princess by looking to Celestia for advice on building and maintaining friendships. After she become Princess Twilight Sparkle, she took on the role of a mentor by opening up a school for friendship and training the next generation. This wise and mature demeanor may sound more like that of a queen than a princess, and that is no accident. Lauren Faust revealed in older interviews that she intended for Celestia to be a queen, but Hasbro insisted on making her a princess because girls see queens as evil and princesses as good. Her original intentions shine through anyway with as Equatria's princesses are far more mature than the naive teenagers we're used to seeing in other animated shows and movies.
It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Equestria with its wise princesses, colorful characters, and ancient mythology. This show was by far the best incarnation of My Little Pony. The people behind it were incredibly passionate about making Equestria's inhabitants believable, relatable, and full of heart, and their devotion shines through in every episode with the animation, acting, and storytelling. I've seen rumors about a reboot of My Little Pony planned for the next generation, but I think it will be difficult to compete with this colorful and heartwarming version of the franchise. It's rare for just the right combination of talent to come together at just the right time to create something so unique and unforgettable.
One reason that 2010 incarnation of My Little Pony stood out so much is due to its extremely talented showrunner,
Lauren Faust placed a lot of focus on princess culture in her version of the show, something that wasn't explored as much in the '80s incarnations. Equestria is a matriarchy ruled by unmarried princesses, giving the show's female viewers a chance to feel empowered. It doesn't discredit the notion of true love either. One of my favorite episodes portrays Twilight Sparkle's big brother, Shining Armor, marrying his true love, Princess Cadence. The show celebrates diversity by demonstrating that there are infinite ways to be a girl and be a princess and that no one type is better than another. At the beginning of the series, Twilight Sparkle is a loner who thinks that she doesn't need friends because the only way to be happy in life is by working hard and following the rules, similar to Princess Tiana from The Princess and the Frog . Over the course of the series, she learns the importance of friendship and uses her bonds with her friends to make herself a better leader. Starlight Glimmer, who becomes a series regular later on, has a similar experience. This shows us that even girls who are cynical and lonely still have the potential to make friends and be princesses.
What I love about My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic is that it placed a new perspective on what it means to be a princess. Older fairy tales focus on princesses falling in love and getting married, while the newer ones are usually about them becoming warriors and saving their kingdom. This show took a more novel approach by portraying princesses as mentors, something that was only explored a little in Sofia the First through her ability to summon princesses for advice through her amulet. Though Twilight Sparkle saved Equestria multiple times throughout the course of the show, she trained to become a princess by looking to Celestia for advice on building and maintaining friendships. After she become Princess Twilight Sparkle, she took on the role of a mentor by opening up a school for friendship and training the next generation. This wise and mature demeanor may sound more like that of a queen than a princess, and that is no accident. Lauren Faust revealed in older interviews that she intended for Celestia to be a queen, but Hasbro insisted on making her a princess because girls see queens as evil and princesses as good. Her original intentions shine through anyway with as Equatria's princesses are far more mature than the naive teenagers we're used to seeing in other animated shows and movies.
It is with a heavy heart that we bid farewell to Equestria with its wise princesses, colorful characters, and ancient mythology. This show was by far the best incarnation of My Little Pony. The people behind it were incredibly passionate about making Equestria's inhabitants believable, relatable, and full of heart, and their devotion shines through in every episode with the animation, acting, and storytelling. I've seen rumors about a reboot of My Little Pony planned for the next generation, but I think it will be difficult to compete with this colorful and heartwarming version of the franchise. It's rare for just the right combination of talent to come together at just the right time to create something so unique and unforgettable.
October 13, 2019
Review: Elena of Avalor - The Magic Within
I watched today's Elena of Avalor special,
The Magic Within
, expecting a drawn-out about Elena getting new powers that cause her dress to change color with her emotions using them to win a temporary victory over her current foe, Ash Delgado. All of this happened within the first few minutes, and then I got something I did not expect--Elena coming to terms with her cousin Esteban's deception. Betrayal has been an ongoing theme in princess shows as of late. Last week's Tangled season premier,
Rapunzel's Return
saw Rapunzel dealing with the effects of Cassandra's betrayal. The new season of Disenchantment had Bean struggling with her conflicted feelings after learning that her mother was actually evil. Esteban's betrayal of Elena was a little different from these, however, because it happened long before the beginning of the series.
The third season of Elena of Avalor premiered last week and left me underwhelmed compared to the massive revelations in Tangled. Now that we've had a week to recover from Cassandra's betrayal, it's time to face Esteban and all the drama that comes with him. I was extremely impressed with the way the writers handled Elena and her family's reactions to learning the truth about his past. It felt very realistic and also a little dark for a Disney cartoon. Esteban's secret was revealed Elena fell into a magic well that turned her scepter to crystal along with her entire outfit. This new look came with new powers that caused unexpected magical things to happen whenever Elena felt strong emotions. The enhanced power of the staff revealed that Esteban was working with the sorceress Shuriki, during the time that Shuriki murdered Elena's parents, took over Avalor, and banished Elena into Sofia's amulet. Shuriki was defeated in the Song of the Sirenas special, but Elena and her family remained blissfully unaware of Esteban's actions until now.
The easiest path the writers could have taken is to make Elena so angry that her new powers caused some sort of horrible disaster that Esteban would need to solve and earn her forgiveness. That is not the route that they took. Instead, Elena's powers caused some plates and silverware to levitate harmlessly over the table, while she remained calm enough to assess the situation and bring Esteban before the Grand Council. I loved how differently Elena's grandparents reacted to deciding Esteban's punishment. Abuelo wanted to forgive him because it had been over 40 years since his traitorous act, but Abuela knew that people don't change that easily and that a deceptive slimeball will only claim not to be a deceptive slimeball just to avoid punishment. Yet, we still see that she loves him and doesn't think any less of him for disagreeing with her, which is an important message. In the end, I felt that Elena made exactly the right decision to exile Esteban from Avalor. As we see later in the special, locking him up in his own home is not a very effective way to keep him under control.
Initially, I thought that Esteban was like Cedric, one of my favorite characters from Sofia the First who had a beautiful redemption arc that concluded in the finale. However, The Magic Within proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Esteban is beyond any hope for redemption. It was painful to watch him get so many chances to prove that he had changed and then repeatedly make the wrong choices again and again. In a way, he is more of a villain than Ash because he had deceived his own family for years. I am so glad that Elena and the others finally know the truth. Now they have the rest of the season to actually do something about it. It was a pleasant surprise to see that this special focused on something so inherent to the show's roots instead of having a bunch of cheap gags to show off Elena's new powers.
The Magic Within surprised me in a good way. Initially, I had been disappointed with the third season, but I see now that it was important to show Ash solved the puzzle box and find Takaina early on so Elena could get her powers at the beginning of the special and still have time to shift the focus to more important things. I also liked that Elena didn't cycle through a bunch of drastic mood swings just to show off her new powers. This special worked so well because the writers understood that it isn't the emotions that are important, but what causes them. I also appreciate the betrayal theme because I recently struggled with a betrayal from someone who I once thought was a good friend, so it's nice to see that I'm not alone and that even Disney Princesses can't reform everyone.
The third season of Elena of Avalor premiered last week and left me underwhelmed compared to the massive revelations in Tangled. Now that we've had a week to recover from Cassandra's betrayal, it's time to face Esteban and all the drama that comes with him. I was extremely impressed with the way the writers handled Elena and her family's reactions to learning the truth about his past. It felt very realistic and also a little dark for a Disney cartoon. Esteban's secret was revealed Elena fell into a magic well that turned her scepter to crystal along with her entire outfit. This new look came with new powers that caused unexpected magical things to happen whenever Elena felt strong emotions. The enhanced power of the staff revealed that Esteban was working with the sorceress Shuriki, during the time that Shuriki murdered Elena's parents, took over Avalor, and banished Elena into Sofia's amulet. Shuriki was defeated in the Song of the Sirenas special, but Elena and her family remained blissfully unaware of Esteban's actions until now.
The easiest path the writers could have taken is to make Elena so angry that her new powers caused some sort of horrible disaster that Esteban would need to solve and earn her forgiveness. That is not the route that they took. Instead, Elena's powers caused some plates and silverware to levitate harmlessly over the table, while she remained calm enough to assess the situation and bring Esteban before the Grand Council. I loved how differently Elena's grandparents reacted to deciding Esteban's punishment. Abuelo wanted to forgive him because it had been over 40 years since his traitorous act, but Abuela knew that people don't change that easily and that a deceptive slimeball will only claim not to be a deceptive slimeball just to avoid punishment. Yet, we still see that she loves him and doesn't think any less of him for disagreeing with her, which is an important message. In the end, I felt that Elena made exactly the right decision to exile Esteban from Avalor. As we see later in the special, locking him up in his own home is not a very effective way to keep him under control.
Initially, I thought that Esteban was like Cedric, one of my favorite characters from Sofia the First who had a beautiful redemption arc that concluded in the finale. However, The Magic Within proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Esteban is beyond any hope for redemption. It was painful to watch him get so many chances to prove that he had changed and then repeatedly make the wrong choices again and again. In a way, he is more of a villain than Ash because he had deceived his own family for years. I am so glad that Elena and the others finally know the truth. Now they have the rest of the season to actually do something about it. It was a pleasant surprise to see that this special focused on something so inherent to the show's roots instead of having a bunch of cheap gags to show off Elena's new powers.
The Magic Within surprised me in a good way. Initially, I had been disappointed with the third season, but I see now that it was important to show Ash solved the puzzle box and find Takaina early on so Elena could get her powers at the beginning of the special and still have time to shift the focus to more important things. I also liked that Elena didn't cycle through a bunch of drastic mood swings just to show off her new powers. This special worked so well because the writers understood that it isn't the emotions that are important, but what causes them. I also appreciate the betrayal theme because I recently struggled with a betrayal from someone who I once thought was a good friend, so it's nice to see that I'm not alone and that even Disney Princesses can't reform everyone.
October 10, 2019
Disney Princess Majestic Quest Is Here!
When I attended the D23 Expo last month, one of the things I was most excited about was the chance to play a demo of the new Match 3 cell phone app, Disney Princess Majestic Quest. The ads for this game taunted me on social media for months, dating back to before they had even selected a title. I took an online survey to share my opinion on which of three titles I thought would work best--Disney Princess Gems, Disney Princess Match, or Disney Princess Majestic Quest. It was a long wait before I could finally download the game on my own smart device, and I am pleased to say it was well worth it. The game was advertised to only include Jasmine and Belle at launch, even though there was a big Ariel billboard for it on display at the D23 Expo. When it became available, I was surprised to see that not only was Ariel included in the launch, but she was also featured the game's menu icon.
If you're not familiar with Match 3 games, they are a digital craze that was made popular by Bejeweled, in which the player must swap around digital jewels on the screen until they are able to match at least three in a row. If the player is matches more than three, the jewels will turn into a magical symbol that helps them clear the board faster. This simple concept has turned into a huge market for various movie and character-themed smartphone apps. Disney Princess Majestic Quest follows the same strategies as any other Match 3 game but also incorporates beautiful CGI environments for each princess and allows you to earn stars that help them restore their castles after a destructive storm. I enjoyed the CGI rendering of Jasmine's castle the most since I wasn't able to go inside her castle in the Kingdom Hearts games. Seeing the Sultan's throne room in full CGI gave me a new perspective of it that made me feel like I was there. Belle's story takes place in her iconic ballroom, which you can also visit in Kingdom Hearts 2. Ariel starts out in King Tritron's Throne room, which is featured in both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2.
My favorite aspect of Disney Princess Majestic Quest is the story. I'm a fan of interactive storytelling apps that allow you to make decisions for the characters that change their dialogue and actions in the next scene. This game allows you to do that in between matching quests to a smaller extent than apps where that is your only mission. For instance, when Princess Jasmine hears mysterious whispers in the throne room, you can choose whether you want Aladdin to search for them inside or outside the palace. I loved the surprise guests that can be unlocked in each princess's world after completing the matching quests. I never knew who I was going to meet next. Jasmine and Ariel start out alone, but you can quickly unlock Aladdin and King Triton once you reach your first game milestone. Belle inspects the run-down ballroom with Cogsworth and summons the Beast after her first few missions. Even though the character designs look a bit off from the original animated films, they are still very impressive for a free cell phone game.
The jewels that you match in the minigames are also princess-themed. They include red apples for Snow White, purple suns for Rapunzel, the green heart of Te Fiti for Moana, yellow roses for Belle, blue lamps for Jasmine, and orange leaves for Pocahontas. The matching quests change as your progress the story and level up your skills. They start out very easy and then become so hard that you'll either want to rage quit or shell out a few dollars to unlock some of the optional bonuses. My favorite matching quest is the one where you have to free fairies that are trapped inside amber squares along the game grid. You crack the amber by matching gems next it, which allows the fairies to break free. Another game mission that comes up a lot is spreading the royal mat. For that one, a few squares along the grid have a greenish textured background behind them, and you must spread matching jewels from that area to expand the background until it covers the entire grid. For each minigame, the princess you are playing with stands next to the rid and reacts to your progress. Once you win, she clasps her hands together in delight to congratulate you.
By now, you might be thinking that this is a sponsored post, but I can assure you that it's not. I just happen to love princesses, sparkly things, and cell phone games. Disney Princess Majestic Quest is a fantastic way to kill time if you're waiting in a long line or if you're just looking for something to do. I love the extra details they included, such as the magic wand that helps your progress when you make a lot of matches and the castle backgrounds that appear behind the game grid, but I especially love the story. After the palaces are restored, the game drops hints of a new story mission at a new location in the princess's world. I already completed Jasmine's story so far, but I can't wait to see what happens next for Belle and Ariel. I recommend this app for anyone who loves Disney Princesses and strategy games.
If you're not familiar with Match 3 games, they are a digital craze that was made popular by Bejeweled, in which the player must swap around digital jewels on the screen until they are able to match at least three in a row. If the player is matches more than three, the jewels will turn into a magical symbol that helps them clear the board faster. This simple concept has turned into a huge market for various movie and character-themed smartphone apps. Disney Princess Majestic Quest follows the same strategies as any other Match 3 game but also incorporates beautiful CGI environments for each princess and allows you to earn stars that help them restore their castles after a destructive storm. I enjoyed the CGI rendering of Jasmine's castle the most since I wasn't able to go inside her castle in the Kingdom Hearts games. Seeing the Sultan's throne room in full CGI gave me a new perspective of it that made me feel like I was there. Belle's story takes place in her iconic ballroom, which you can also visit in Kingdom Hearts 2. Ariel starts out in King Tritron's Throne room, which is featured in both Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts 2.
My favorite aspect of Disney Princess Majestic Quest is the story. I'm a fan of interactive storytelling apps that allow you to make decisions for the characters that change their dialogue and actions in the next scene. This game allows you to do that in between matching quests to a smaller extent than apps where that is your only mission. For instance, when Princess Jasmine hears mysterious whispers in the throne room, you can choose whether you want Aladdin to search for them inside or outside the palace. I loved the surprise guests that can be unlocked in each princess's world after completing the matching quests. I never knew who I was going to meet next. Jasmine and Ariel start out alone, but you can quickly unlock Aladdin and King Triton once you reach your first game milestone. Belle inspects the run-down ballroom with Cogsworth and summons the Beast after her first few missions. Even though the character designs look a bit off from the original animated films, they are still very impressive for a free cell phone game.
The jewels that you match in the minigames are also princess-themed. They include red apples for Snow White, purple suns for Rapunzel, the green heart of Te Fiti for Moana, yellow roses for Belle, blue lamps for Jasmine, and orange leaves for Pocahontas. The matching quests change as your progress the story and level up your skills. They start out very easy and then become so hard that you'll either want to rage quit or shell out a few dollars to unlock some of the optional bonuses. My favorite matching quest is the one where you have to free fairies that are trapped inside amber squares along the game grid. You crack the amber by matching gems next it, which allows the fairies to break free. Another game mission that comes up a lot is spreading the royal mat. For that one, a few squares along the grid have a greenish textured background behind them, and you must spread matching jewels from that area to expand the background until it covers the entire grid. For each minigame, the princess you are playing with stands next to the rid and reacts to your progress. Once you win, she clasps her hands together in delight to congratulate you.
By now, you might be thinking that this is a sponsored post, but I can assure you that it's not. I just happen to love princesses, sparkly things, and cell phone games. Disney Princess Majestic Quest is a fantastic way to kill time if you're waiting in a long line or if you're just looking for something to do. I love the extra details they included, such as the magic wand that helps your progress when you make a lot of matches and the castle backgrounds that appear behind the game grid, but I especially love the story. After the palaces are restored, the game drops hints of a new story mission at a new location in the princess's world. I already completed Jasmine's story so far, but I can't wait to see what happens next for Belle and Ariel. I recommend this app for anyone who loves Disney Princesses and strategy games.
