Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 66
June 25, 2019
Princesses of the Magic Kingdom
I just got back from Florida, and my trip would not have been complete without a visit to the Magic Kingdom! Ever since the 2013 Fantasyland expansion, Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom has become the ultimate destination for theme park princesses. I noticed some changes to the princess attractions since my last trip. Unlike Disney Springs, these changes were all improvements. Instead of waiting in a long line to meet three princesses at random and hope to get the one you want, the princess meet'n'greets have been streamlined to specific spots for specific princesses, eliminating the guesswork and frustration of learning your favorite princess just got swapped with another one when you reached the front of the line.
As usual, Ariel is in her grotto next to her ride. You can meet her in mermaid form at Walt Disney World, as opposed to Disneyland in California, where she only makes appearances as a human. Belle comes out in the secret library through the magic portal in her cottage where she performs her Enchanted Tales with Belle show along with some help from an animatronic Lumiere and Wardrobe. Merida is in the old location for Belle's show, and Aladdin and Jasmine are still at their usual spot in Adventureland. The Princess Fairytale Hall, which used to feature three random princesses, is now split between two lines that each lead to two specific princesses. One is for Tiana and Rapunzel, while the other is for Elena and Cinderella.
I have a suspicion that Disney started a new policy for their princess interactions. When I went to meet princesses in previous years, they would usually ask me how I was enjoying my day in the parks and suggest that we get a picture while only occasionally referencing their movies unless I prompted them. During my trip yesterday, every single princess I encountered regaled me with anecdotes about her kingdom and hobbies that aligned perfectly with her unique story and persona. Ariel told me about how Flounder liked to swim around and see her collection of human things, Tiana talked about New Orleans and how I should come during Mardi Gras and visit her restaurant next time I'm there, Rapunzel talked about a romantic date that Eugene planned for her that started with surprising her with cupcakes for breakfast, and Cinderella talked about playing a game called "Hide and Squeak" with her mouse friends, Jaq and Gus.
I was particularly excited to meet Elena of Avalor for the first time. We got into a long discussion about mermaids that was triggered by the Ariel dress I was wearing. She talked about how her friend Sofia (from Sofia the First) is able to transform into a mermaid with her amulet. Then she started telling me about how she asked her abuela to help her make a carrot cake for Sofia's bunny, Clover, but the cake didn't turn out very well. She asked me if I would come swimming with her and Sofia, and I said that I would love to be a purple mermaid like Princess Marisa from the Song of the Sirenas special. Elena said I could have a purple tail with tacos on it! I'm not sure where she got the taco idea from. She also gave me a high-five when I remembered the name of the seaweed she used to breathe underwater. At the end of our meeting, she said she would send a jaquin to take me to visit her again.
Another attraction that I looked forward to for this trip was the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. This interactive experience is a mix between a trading card game, a scavenger hunt, and a video game, while not quite qualified to be any one of those individually. The challenge I gave myself was to defeat the game's villains using only princess and prince cards. In order to make sure I had the right cards, I ordered a complete set of the 60 main cards on ebay. The only princess cards I was missing were Ariel and Jasmine because they are from an ultra rare set of 10 cards that can only be obtained at random by purchasing packs from the gift shop. When you register to play this game at the Fire House on Main Street, you get a pack of cards for free, so there's no need to purchase them in advance unless you are planning a challenge that requires specific cards like mine did.
You play the game by locating secret portals throughout the Magic Kingdom park like the one pictured above. These portals can be located on a map you receive when you sign up for the game and identified by the gold keyholes nearby as well as the circular sorcerer symbol on the ground in front of the portal. When you wave your park ticket over the keyhole and stand on the sorcerer symbol, a screen magically appears on what otherwise looks like an ordinary storefront display. A cartoon of Merlin plays on the screen where he recruits you to defeat a Disney villain that has stolen a magic crystal in an attempt to take over the park. The plot of the game is vaguely reminiscent of the Kingdom Keepers book series by Ridley Pearson. In order to fight the villains, you must pick a card from your deck and hold it up to the camera at just the right angle so the character can unleash their attack. I had trouble getting it to read my cards the first few times I tried it. You have to hold them at different positions an angles until the portal reacts. There are nine villains in all, and I managed to get to seven of them during the one day I had to play the game.
I was pleased to find that some princesses appear in the game with brand new animation and in their original voices. As far as I know, there are three princesses in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. I saw Pocahontas in several of the portals I activated to defeat Ratcliffe, Tiana when I faced off against Dr. Facilier, and a few brief cameos of Ariel when I fought Ursula. Princess Aurora is sadly absent from the Magic Kingdom these days, despite Maleficent being a villain in the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game and having a dragon float during the new parade. I did use Aurora's card quite a few times, though. Her attack is quite elegant, portraying a shower of petals falling from a blooming rose onto the villain you are attacking. The funniest princess attack card was Snow White's, which basically just tosses a big pile of brooms, soap bars, and other household cleaning supplies at the enemy. Cinderella's attack is also pretty funny. She strangles the enemy inside fancy purple ribbons. Mulan's looks the coolest. It fires a dragon cannon with Mushu riding on top just like in the movie when she started the avalanche.
I braved the heat to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade, which I must say is the most princess-friendly parade I have ever seen at a Disney park. It is introduced by three pairs of beautiful court dancers twirling and curtsying in gorgeous gowns resembling Tiana's wedding dress followed by a massive float containing Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Anna, Elsa, Tiana, and Naveen on rotating platforms. They are proceeded by an elaborate Tangled float that replicates some of the architecture of the Snuggly Duckling tavern with Rapunzel excitedly waving to everyone up front while Eugene swings back and forth on a giant ax behind her. After that, Ariel has her own float with colorful "Under the Sea" dancers, Merida has her own float with Scottish dancers, and the Three Good Fairies precede a giant fire-breathing dragon Maleficent float while Prince Phillip fights off her goons below. Even Snow White and Alice are among the parade's many colorful dancers alongside all seven dwarfs, who interact with the audience on the sidelines.
There has never been a better time to interact with all your favorite Disney Princesses than right now at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Florida. I'm not sure if the rules for meeting princesses changed or if I just got really lucky, but I absolutely loved regaling in all of the wonderful and energetic stories that they recited for me. Though I didn't get a chance to see Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire in person, this show features princesses whose movies came out within the last decade in contrast to the previous castle show, Dream Along With Mickey, which featured the three classic princesses whose movies were released when Walt Disney was alive. Between Ariel's ride, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster, Belle's village, the Festival of Fantasy parade, princess animations and trading cards in the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, and more streamlined meet'n'greets, the magic of living our your princess fantasies is more alive than ever before.
As usual, Ariel is in her grotto next to her ride. You can meet her in mermaid form at Walt Disney World, as opposed to Disneyland in California, where she only makes appearances as a human. Belle comes out in the secret library through the magic portal in her cottage where she performs her Enchanted Tales with Belle show along with some help from an animatronic Lumiere and Wardrobe. Merida is in the old location for Belle's show, and Aladdin and Jasmine are still at their usual spot in Adventureland. The Princess Fairytale Hall, which used to feature three random princesses, is now split between two lines that each lead to two specific princesses. One is for Tiana and Rapunzel, while the other is for Elena and Cinderella.
I have a suspicion that Disney started a new policy for their princess interactions. When I went to meet princesses in previous years, they would usually ask me how I was enjoying my day in the parks and suggest that we get a picture while only occasionally referencing their movies unless I prompted them. During my trip yesterday, every single princess I encountered regaled me with anecdotes about her kingdom and hobbies that aligned perfectly with her unique story and persona. Ariel told me about how Flounder liked to swim around and see her collection of human things, Tiana talked about New Orleans and how I should come during Mardi Gras and visit her restaurant next time I'm there, Rapunzel talked about a romantic date that Eugene planned for her that started with surprising her with cupcakes for breakfast, and Cinderella talked about playing a game called "Hide and Squeak" with her mouse friends, Jaq and Gus.
I was particularly excited to meet Elena of Avalor for the first time. We got into a long discussion about mermaids that was triggered by the Ariel dress I was wearing. She talked about how her friend Sofia (from Sofia the First) is able to transform into a mermaid with her amulet. Then she started telling me about how she asked her abuela to help her make a carrot cake for Sofia's bunny, Clover, but the cake didn't turn out very well. She asked me if I would come swimming with her and Sofia, and I said that I would love to be a purple mermaid like Princess Marisa from the Song of the Sirenas special. Elena said I could have a purple tail with tacos on it! I'm not sure where she got the taco idea from. She also gave me a high-five when I remembered the name of the seaweed she used to breathe underwater. At the end of our meeting, she said she would send a jaquin to take me to visit her again.
Another attraction that I looked forward to for this trip was the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game. This interactive experience is a mix between a trading card game, a scavenger hunt, and a video game, while not quite qualified to be any one of those individually. The challenge I gave myself was to defeat the game's villains using only princess and prince cards. In order to make sure I had the right cards, I ordered a complete set of the 60 main cards on ebay. The only princess cards I was missing were Ariel and Jasmine because they are from an ultra rare set of 10 cards that can only be obtained at random by purchasing packs from the gift shop. When you register to play this game at the Fire House on Main Street, you get a pack of cards for free, so there's no need to purchase them in advance unless you are planning a challenge that requires specific cards like mine did.
You play the game by locating secret portals throughout the Magic Kingdom park like the one pictured above. These portals can be located on a map you receive when you sign up for the game and identified by the gold keyholes nearby as well as the circular sorcerer symbol on the ground in front of the portal. When you wave your park ticket over the keyhole and stand on the sorcerer symbol, a screen magically appears on what otherwise looks like an ordinary storefront display. A cartoon of Merlin plays on the screen where he recruits you to defeat a Disney villain that has stolen a magic crystal in an attempt to take over the park. The plot of the game is vaguely reminiscent of the Kingdom Keepers book series by Ridley Pearson. In order to fight the villains, you must pick a card from your deck and hold it up to the camera at just the right angle so the character can unleash their attack. I had trouble getting it to read my cards the first few times I tried it. You have to hold them at different positions an angles until the portal reacts. There are nine villains in all, and I managed to get to seven of them during the one day I had to play the game.
I was pleased to find that some princesses appear in the game with brand new animation and in their original voices. As far as I know, there are three princesses in Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom. I saw Pocahontas in several of the portals I activated to defeat Ratcliffe, Tiana when I faced off against Dr. Facilier, and a few brief cameos of Ariel when I fought Ursula. Princess Aurora is sadly absent from the Magic Kingdom these days, despite Maleficent being a villain in the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game and having a dragon float during the new parade. I did use Aurora's card quite a few times, though. Her attack is quite elegant, portraying a shower of petals falling from a blooming rose onto the villain you are attacking. The funniest princess attack card was Snow White's, which basically just tosses a big pile of brooms, soap bars, and other household cleaning supplies at the enemy. Cinderella's attack is also pretty funny. She strangles the enemy inside fancy purple ribbons. Mulan's looks the coolest. It fires a dragon cannon with Mushu riding on top just like in the movie when she started the avalanche.
I braved the heat to watch the new Festival of Fantasy parade, which I must say is the most princess-friendly parade I have ever seen at a Disney park. It is introduced by three pairs of beautiful court dancers twirling and curtsying in gorgeous gowns resembling Tiana's wedding dress followed by a massive float containing Belle, Beast, Cinderella, Anna, Elsa, Tiana, and Naveen on rotating platforms. They are proceeded by an elaborate Tangled float that replicates some of the architecture of the Snuggly Duckling tavern with Rapunzel excitedly waving to everyone up front while Eugene swings back and forth on a giant ax behind her. After that, Ariel has her own float with colorful "Under the Sea" dancers, Merida has her own float with Scottish dancers, and the Three Good Fairies precede a giant fire-breathing dragon Maleficent float while Prince Phillip fights off her goons below. Even Snow White and Alice are among the parade's many colorful dancers alongside all seven dwarfs, who interact with the audience on the sidelines.
There has never been a better time to interact with all your favorite Disney Princesses than right now at Disney's Magic Kingdom in Florida. I'm not sure if the rules for meeting princesses changed or if I just got really lucky, but I absolutely loved regaling in all of the wonderful and energetic stories that they recited for me. Though I didn't get a chance to see Mickey's Royal Friendship Faire in person, this show features princesses whose movies came out within the last decade in contrast to the previous castle show, Dream Along With Mickey, which featured the three classic princesses whose movies were released when Walt Disney was alive. Between Ariel's ride, the Seven Dwarfs Mine Train Coaster, Belle's village, the Festival of Fantasy parade, princess animations and trading cards in the Sorcerers of the Magic Kingdom game, and more streamlined meet'n'greets, the magic of living our your princess fantasies is more alive than ever before.
June 16, 2019
Frozen 2 Trailer Analysis
We now have our first official full-length trailer for
Frozen II
. This trailer expands on some of the images we saw in the teaser along with strategically chosen dialogue to keep us guessing about the story. Though it does not contain any additional footage of the mysterious girl and boy from the initial teaser, we do see a new character in the form of an underwater horse spirit revealed to be a Nokk, a mythological creature from various European cultures. Reminiscent of the will o' the wisps from
Brave
or the blowing leaves from
Pocahontas
, this shapeshifting spirit appears to be Elsa's guiding force to the magical elements of the film. We see a similar horse appear again later in the form of glittering lights alongside illusions of other creatures that later transform into sparkling silver leaves. The Nokk's magic will likely lead Elsa to her mysterious destiny that will be presented in this film.
A major focal point of Frozen II is the inception of Elsa's powers. The official summary on YouTube begins with "Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom." Later in the trailer, we see Pabby the troll cryptically state that "The past is not what it seems." This could be referring to Anna and Elsa's late parents, but it is more likely a hint to why Elsa was born with ice powers. This a big question from the first Frozen movie, which never explored how an ordinary king and queen gave birth to one daughter with magic and one without. I would have been on board with this if I wasn't so satisfied with the way it was already answered on ABC's Once Upon a Time by revealing that Elsa's aunt had snow powers and that the queen herself was Gerda from the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, Once's Frozen arc revealed that the powers are a genetic trait in the queen's bloodline that appears in one sister when two are born and resolved many of my gripes with the Disney film. My biggest concern with this sequel is that it might retcon the carefully crafted backstory from Once Upon a Time in the same way that A riel's Beginning contradicted many of my favorite scenes from The Little Mermaid series.
The most obvious element of "The Snow Queen" that Frozen II is recycling from the original film, is the quest storyline. Anna is once again traveling through unforeseeable obstacles to reach a magical land of ice just like her mother Gerda did to save Kay. This time, however, her sister is right by her side every step of the way. This parallels the original movie except that this time, it is more about Elsa's journey than it is Anna's. Anna had more to gain from her journey in Frozen because she wanted to get back her sister and save the kingdom of Arendelle from an eternal winter, while Elsa was quite content to isolate herself in her opulent prison. Here, the roles are reversed. Elsa is the one who needs to take this journey because her power is the only thing that can stop whatever is threatening everyone. Anna is just along for the ride to make sure nothing bad happens on the way. We still have no idea what the threat they are facing actually is, but they might do a similar reveal to Hans, which means we probably won't learn the identity of the antagonist until the movie is released.
It is possible that the Nokk is actually the villain of the film. The Scandinavian version of the myth compares these water spirits to sirens that lure people to their deaths. Could this magical horse be attempting to lure Elsa into a trap to steal her powers? It didn't look very friendly when she first encountered it after failing to freeze a raging ocean. It's been established at this point that the trolls are good, so if they told Anna and Elsa that they need to take this journey, it likely has both positive and negative consequences in store for them. Then again, who's to say that the destination the Nokk is luring Elsa to is the same as the one the trolls had in mind for her? All we know at this point is that the sisters are traveling "across enchanted lands and into the unknown," which could mean literally anything since every land in a Disney movie is enchanted. The closest thing to an antagonist that I could find in the trailer was the pink flames that jumped across the trees in an attempt to attack Kristoff. It seems unlikely that these flames are connected the Nokk because its powers would probably be blue to match its water energy, but who knows?
Though this trailer did not reveal much more about the movie than the initial teaser did, we now know that there will be at least three new characters introduced in Frozen II, one of which is a mythological spirit. We will probably learn the source of Elsa's powers and join her and Anna on a new quest to save Arendelle and perhaps the rest of the world too. It doesn't look like Hans will be making a return, not that anyone misses him. We will, however, catch up with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and the rock trolls. Unlike many of Disney's older sequels, the cinematic imagery from Frozen II was clearly designed to be viewed on a large screen, which makes sense because the movie is coming to theaters on November 22nd. Hopefully, we'll learn more about the plot over the next few months. This trailer seems to be designed to keep people guessing just like the teaser.
A major focal point of Frozen II is the inception of Elsa's powers. The official summary on YouTube begins with "Why was Elsa born with magical powers? The answer is calling her and threatening her kingdom." Later in the trailer, we see Pabby the troll cryptically state that "The past is not what it seems." This could be referring to Anna and Elsa's late parents, but it is more likely a hint to why Elsa was born with ice powers. This a big question from the first Frozen movie, which never explored how an ordinary king and queen gave birth to one daughter with magic and one without. I would have been on board with this if I wasn't so satisfied with the way it was already answered on ABC's Once Upon a Time by revealing that Elsa's aunt had snow powers and that the queen herself was Gerda from the original Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, Once's Frozen arc revealed that the powers are a genetic trait in the queen's bloodline that appears in one sister when two are born and resolved many of my gripes with the Disney film. My biggest concern with this sequel is that it might retcon the carefully crafted backstory from Once Upon a Time in the same way that A riel's Beginning contradicted many of my favorite scenes from The Little Mermaid series.
The most obvious element of "The Snow Queen" that Frozen II is recycling from the original film, is the quest storyline. Anna is once again traveling through unforeseeable obstacles to reach a magical land of ice just like her mother Gerda did to save Kay. This time, however, her sister is right by her side every step of the way. This parallels the original movie except that this time, it is more about Elsa's journey than it is Anna's. Anna had more to gain from her journey in Frozen because she wanted to get back her sister and save the kingdom of Arendelle from an eternal winter, while Elsa was quite content to isolate herself in her opulent prison. Here, the roles are reversed. Elsa is the one who needs to take this journey because her power is the only thing that can stop whatever is threatening everyone. Anna is just along for the ride to make sure nothing bad happens on the way. We still have no idea what the threat they are facing actually is, but they might do a similar reveal to Hans, which means we probably won't learn the identity of the antagonist until the movie is released.
It is possible that the Nokk is actually the villain of the film. The Scandinavian version of the myth compares these water spirits to sirens that lure people to their deaths. Could this magical horse be attempting to lure Elsa into a trap to steal her powers? It didn't look very friendly when she first encountered it after failing to freeze a raging ocean. It's been established at this point that the trolls are good, so if they told Anna and Elsa that they need to take this journey, it likely has both positive and negative consequences in store for them. Then again, who's to say that the destination the Nokk is luring Elsa to is the same as the one the trolls had in mind for her? All we know at this point is that the sisters are traveling "across enchanted lands and into the unknown," which could mean literally anything since every land in a Disney movie is enchanted. The closest thing to an antagonist that I could find in the trailer was the pink flames that jumped across the trees in an attempt to attack Kristoff. It seems unlikely that these flames are connected the Nokk because its powers would probably be blue to match its water energy, but who knows?
Though this trailer did not reveal much more about the movie than the initial teaser did, we now know that there will be at least three new characters introduced in Frozen II, one of which is a mythological spirit. We will probably learn the source of Elsa's powers and join her and Anna on a new quest to save Arendelle and perhaps the rest of the world too. It doesn't look like Hans will be making a return, not that anyone misses him. We will, however, catch up with Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf, and the rock trolls. Unlike many of Disney's older sequels, the cinematic imagery from Frozen II was clearly designed to be viewed on a large screen, which makes sense because the movie is coming to theaters on November 22nd. Hopefully, we'll learn more about the plot over the next few months. This trailer seems to be designed to keep people guessing just like the teaser.
June 9, 2019
Review: Beast of Rosemead
You may recall my recent review of the Cahraman trilogy by Lucy Tempest, a gender-swapped adaptation of "Aladdin" with an overly complicated backstory. Needless to say, I wasn't particularly eager to read her latest book, Beast of Rosemead until I was offered an advance copy in exchange for my honest review. As it turned out, I was pleasantly surprised. Beast of Rosemead is the first part of a two-book saga, which is an improvement over the slow pacing of the lengthy three-part Cahraman trilogy. As the next story in Lucy Tempest's Fairy Tales of Folkshore series, it contains plenty of references to the Cahraman books. While it certainly helps to read those first, it's not hard to figure out what's going on in Beast of Rosemead even if you have no prior knowledge of the series.
Beast of Rosemead is the story of Bonnie, Adelaide's best friend from Thief of Cahraman. Unlike Adelaide's story, this "Beauty and the Beast" adaptation is not gender-swapped. If that's what you're looking for, Aya Ling recently released The Beast and the Beauty in her Reversed Retellings series. Bonnie from Beast of Rosemead is very much like Disney's Belle, right down to her name, Bonnibel. She longs for adventure, loves to read, and is fiercely loyal to her father and everyone she cares about. Unlike the Charles Perrault version, Bonnie has no sisters and does not traverse to the castle after learning about the arrangement that her father made with the beast in order to spare his own life. Instead, she personally offers to trade herself as his captive in order to free her father just like Disney's Belle does for Maurice. There are many other references to the Disney film including a character named Castor who is practically identical to Gaston.
The "beast" character is, of course, a cursed prince named Leander. Those of you who read Prince of Cahraman might remember a reference to him as the brother of Fairuza, the "Sleeping Beauty" from this series. Beast of Rosemead also makes references to other fairy tale characters, most notably Robin Hood, who plays a large role in the story's climax. Leander is quite tame for a beast. He doesn't have much of a temper and is ashamed of his cursed form. He finds it necessary to hide away in the castle due to previous misunderstandings about his capacity for violence when he is actually more of a pacifist. His biggest fault is his naivete. He wishes to charm Bonnie in order to break the curse but doesn't know how to court her after she rejects the expensive gowns and jewelry he presents. Just like in the Disney movie, their relationship progresses exponentially after Bonnie gets attacked while trying to escape the castle and Leander rescues her. Bonnie teaches Leander how to form a healthy relationship on a more personal level than buying presents.
If you are expecting this book to have a satisfying resolution, you will probably be disappointed. Even though Beast of Rosemead encompasses all of the major scenes from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, it does not have the same happy ending. This is the first book in a two-part story, so you might want to hold off reading this until the second part is released if you get impatient with stories. That said, it is satisfying enough for what it is. By the end of the book, nearly all of the events of the Disney movie are covered, and we delve deeper into the mythology of the land of Folkshore introduced in Thief of Cahraman . This leads me to believe that the next Rosemead book will contain more original plot developments along Bonnie's journey than this one did. However, Beast of Rosemead was not a complete copy of Beauty and the Beast. There were some original elements, such as the servants in the castle being transformed into mythological beings instead of household objects. Jessamine, a maid who turns into a winged gargoyle, has an interesting backstory that is revealed gradually throughout the course of the book as she and Bonnie become friends.
If you enjoyed the Thief of Cahraman books, Beast of Rosemead delves a little deeper into the mythology of Folkshore and explores what happened on the other side of the portal during the brief moment that Adelaide found her lost friend. Most of the book follows Disney's Beauty and the Beast, so if you are a fan of that, you might enjoy this alternate take on it. Even though I did not personally find Bonnie and Leander are more interesting than Belle and Beast, it was still a quick and fun read overall. I am curious to see how the mythology of Folkshore will impact Bonnie's journey in the next book.
Beast of Rosemead is the story of Bonnie, Adelaide's best friend from Thief of Cahraman. Unlike Adelaide's story, this "Beauty and the Beast" adaptation is not gender-swapped. If that's what you're looking for, Aya Ling recently released The Beast and the Beauty in her Reversed Retellings series. Bonnie from Beast of Rosemead is very much like Disney's Belle, right down to her name, Bonnibel. She longs for adventure, loves to read, and is fiercely loyal to her father and everyone she cares about. Unlike the Charles Perrault version, Bonnie has no sisters and does not traverse to the castle after learning about the arrangement that her father made with the beast in order to spare his own life. Instead, she personally offers to trade herself as his captive in order to free her father just like Disney's Belle does for Maurice. There are many other references to the Disney film including a character named Castor who is practically identical to Gaston.
The "beast" character is, of course, a cursed prince named Leander. Those of you who read Prince of Cahraman might remember a reference to him as the brother of Fairuza, the "Sleeping Beauty" from this series. Beast of Rosemead also makes references to other fairy tale characters, most notably Robin Hood, who plays a large role in the story's climax. Leander is quite tame for a beast. He doesn't have much of a temper and is ashamed of his cursed form. He finds it necessary to hide away in the castle due to previous misunderstandings about his capacity for violence when he is actually more of a pacifist. His biggest fault is his naivete. He wishes to charm Bonnie in order to break the curse but doesn't know how to court her after she rejects the expensive gowns and jewelry he presents. Just like in the Disney movie, their relationship progresses exponentially after Bonnie gets attacked while trying to escape the castle and Leander rescues her. Bonnie teaches Leander how to form a healthy relationship on a more personal level than buying presents.
If you are expecting this book to have a satisfying resolution, you will probably be disappointed. Even though Beast of Rosemead encompasses all of the major scenes from Disney's Beauty and the Beast, it does not have the same happy ending. This is the first book in a two-part story, so you might want to hold off reading this until the second part is released if you get impatient with stories. That said, it is satisfying enough for what it is. By the end of the book, nearly all of the events of the Disney movie are covered, and we delve deeper into the mythology of the land of Folkshore introduced in Thief of Cahraman . This leads me to believe that the next Rosemead book will contain more original plot developments along Bonnie's journey than this one did. However, Beast of Rosemead was not a complete copy of Beauty and the Beast. There were some original elements, such as the servants in the castle being transformed into mythological beings instead of household objects. Jessamine, a maid who turns into a winged gargoyle, has an interesting backstory that is revealed gradually throughout the course of the book as she and Bonnie become friends.
If you enjoyed the Thief of Cahraman books, Beast of Rosemead delves a little deeper into the mythology of Folkshore and explores what happened on the other side of the portal during the brief moment that Adelaide found her lost friend. Most of the book follows Disney's Beauty and the Beast, so if you are a fan of that, you might enjoy this alternate take on it. Even though I did not personally find Bonnie and Leander are more interesting than Belle and Beast, it was still a quick and fun read overall. I am curious to see how the mythology of Folkshore will impact Bonnie's journey in the next book.
June 2, 2019
How Princesses Use Technology
The first teaser trailer for Pixar's Onward dropped a few days ago, and it got me thinking. Onward has a typical fantasy setting of mermaids, faeries, and unicorns, but instead of taking place once upon a time, it takes place during our time. Therefore, these mythological beings whose ancestors lived in the days of magic and adventure now live in your average suburban neighborhood watching TV and surfing the internet. The combination of magic and technology is not entirely new. Series like Mysticons and Winx Club also take place in modern settings, and the characters are shown to take advantage of computers and technology just as much as we do. However, most princess stories are set in the medieval or Renaissance era, long before such things were heard of. Sometimes it's fun to imagine how they might behave if they were brought up with access to all of the modern conveniences we have today.
The first time I saw a traditional princess use modern technology in a fairy tale setting was the 2012 Barbie movie, The Princess and the Popstar , which was really a watered-down remake of The Princess and the Pauper , right down to recycling one of the same songs. Even though The Princess and the Pauper is by far the superior Barbie movie, The Princess and the Popstar was unique in that it featured Barbie as both a fairy tale princess named Tori and a modern popstar named Keira. The dichotomy between these two is interesting because the only trait they don't already have in common is the way they use technology. After all, what is a popstar if not a modern princess? This is portrayed visually in the song "To Be a Princess/Popstar," in which Tori demonstrates instructions of being a princess via a hard-cover textbook, while Keira uses a purple striped tablet to teach Tori the ways of the popstar. Later in the film, we see Keira and Tori communicate from afar using an app that resembles Facetime or Skype via a tablet and smartphone. It was a bit jarring for me to see a princess in a castle wearing a ballgown communicating via a smartphone, but they made it work thanks to the feminine pink and purple skins both girls used to decorate their devices.
Another fairy tale world that uses modern technology is the setting of JM Stengl's Faraway Castle books. These books take place in a modern setting that just happens to have monarchies. The princes and princesses in the books wear modern clothes and use social media but also have access to magic. The Faraway Castle resort has no internet or cell phone service, so the first three books made very little reference to the online world. Her most recent book, The Lady and the Wish , takes place outside the resort, so there are many references to Gillian checking her social media accounts. However, the story mainly focuses on the more controversial aspects of social media. Princes and princesses get the most followers, which seems pretty accurate to reality, but Gillian notices that her friends in the upper circles tend to "like" or comment on posts that show off their high rankings more than personal relationships. The Lady and the Wish also has a wicked prince that humiliates Gillian by sharing old photos of them together and posting publicly that they are in a relationship even though she wants nothing to do with him. It serves as a cautionary tale to be careful what you share with the public.
My personal view of technology is generally more optimistic. While I did learn the hard way that it's dangerous to put too much of yourself out there on the internet, I've also made some wonderful friend via technology that I never would have met in the real world due to living in different locations. I think that princesses like Jasmine and Rapunzel who feel trapped would find their freedom through the use of modern technology. Jasmine would be able to form relationships with people who respect her for her mind without needing to reveal her status as a princess, and Rapunzel would be able to share her artwork on Instagram and Tumblr without ever needing to leave the tower. Princesses would use technology to spread love and kindness into the world by sharing encouraging posts to people who are feeling down and responding to tweets from their many admirers.
Princesses have come a long way over the years, though their fundamental role in stories remains the same. They once only existed in settings that took place hundreds of years ago, but technology has become so rooted in our society that it's hard to imagine anyone without it, even fairy tale princesses. How would you picture princesses using technology in modern times? Would they spread goodwill by sharing their favorite charities and encouraging people to contribute, or would they simply use it as a means of communication with their princes and royal companions? If there are any princesses in the world of Pixar's Onward, I'm sure many of them will spend a great deal of time on their computers or smart devices. Onward is set to release in March of 2020, so we have a long wait before we can find out for sure. Check out the trailer below.
The first time I saw a traditional princess use modern technology in a fairy tale setting was the 2012 Barbie movie, The Princess and the Popstar , which was really a watered-down remake of The Princess and the Pauper , right down to recycling one of the same songs. Even though The Princess and the Pauper is by far the superior Barbie movie, The Princess and the Popstar was unique in that it featured Barbie as both a fairy tale princess named Tori and a modern popstar named Keira. The dichotomy between these two is interesting because the only trait they don't already have in common is the way they use technology. After all, what is a popstar if not a modern princess? This is portrayed visually in the song "To Be a Princess/Popstar," in which Tori demonstrates instructions of being a princess via a hard-cover textbook, while Keira uses a purple striped tablet to teach Tori the ways of the popstar. Later in the film, we see Keira and Tori communicate from afar using an app that resembles Facetime or Skype via a tablet and smartphone. It was a bit jarring for me to see a princess in a castle wearing a ballgown communicating via a smartphone, but they made it work thanks to the feminine pink and purple skins both girls used to decorate their devices.
Another fairy tale world that uses modern technology is the setting of JM Stengl's Faraway Castle books. These books take place in a modern setting that just happens to have monarchies. The princes and princesses in the books wear modern clothes and use social media but also have access to magic. The Faraway Castle resort has no internet or cell phone service, so the first three books made very little reference to the online world. Her most recent book, The Lady and the Wish , takes place outside the resort, so there are many references to Gillian checking her social media accounts. However, the story mainly focuses on the more controversial aspects of social media. Princes and princesses get the most followers, which seems pretty accurate to reality, but Gillian notices that her friends in the upper circles tend to "like" or comment on posts that show off their high rankings more than personal relationships. The Lady and the Wish also has a wicked prince that humiliates Gillian by sharing old photos of them together and posting publicly that they are in a relationship even though she wants nothing to do with him. It serves as a cautionary tale to be careful what you share with the public.
My personal view of technology is generally more optimistic. While I did learn the hard way that it's dangerous to put too much of yourself out there on the internet, I've also made some wonderful friend via technology that I never would have met in the real world due to living in different locations. I think that princesses like Jasmine and Rapunzel who feel trapped would find their freedom through the use of modern technology. Jasmine would be able to form relationships with people who respect her for her mind without needing to reveal her status as a princess, and Rapunzel would be able to share her artwork on Instagram and Tumblr without ever needing to leave the tower. Princesses would use technology to spread love and kindness into the world by sharing encouraging posts to people who are feeling down and responding to tweets from their many admirers.
Princesses have come a long way over the years, though their fundamental role in stories remains the same. They once only existed in settings that took place hundreds of years ago, but technology has become so rooted in our society that it's hard to imagine anyone without it, even fairy tale princesses. How would you picture princesses using technology in modern times? Would they spread goodwill by sharing their favorite charities and encouraging people to contribute, or would they simply use it as a means of communication with their princes and royal companions? If there are any princesses in the world of Pixar's Onward, I'm sure many of them will spend a great deal of time on their computers or smart devices. Onward is set to release in March of 2020, so we have a long wait before we can find out for sure. Check out the trailer below.
May 27, 2019
Jasmine's Solos Ranked
Another Aladdin production, another Jasmine song. With the recent addition of "Speechless," Jasmine has had a different solo song in every incarnation of the story. Yes, "A Whole New World" is consistently used as the romantic duet, but it is not seen as Jasmine's signature song in the same way that "Part of Your Wold," "Someday My Prince Will Come," or "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" is associated with their respective princesses because it is just as much Aladdin's song as it is Jasmine's. While Ariel and Rapunzel have many original solos scattered throughout The Little Mermaid and Tangled series, the Aladdin series sadly did not contain any original songs. As a result, Jasmine's songs are buried within so many different productions of Aladdin that even die-hard fans might have trouble finding them all. That's why I decided to compile this list of my top three Jasmine solos along with a little background on the ones they didn't make the cut. Not eligible for this list are the songs "A Whole New World" from
Aladdin
, "Forget About Love" from
Return of Jafar
, "Out of Thin Air" from
Aladdin and the King of Thieves
, and "The Ride of Our Lives" from Sofia the First because Jasmine only sings roughly 50% of those songs.
# 3 - "I've Got My Eyes On You"(Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams)
This is a song that a lot of Jasmine fans are unaware of due to the complete and utter failure of the Disney Princess Enchanted Tales series. This direct-to-DVD series was created in the same vein as the Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Tangled series, except that instead of focusing on one movie universe, each volume was supposed to feature two random Disney Princesses and an overarching theme. However, the series bombed so hard that it never made it past the first volume even though it contained previews of songs and clips from future episodes. The song "I've Got My Eyes On You" is from the only volume that did get released that features a Princess Aurora Story and a Princess Jasmine story. Even though the animation, writing, and acting in both episodes were pretty bad, this song was the only decent thing about it. If the Aladdin series had contained songs, I could easily see "I've Got My Eyes On You" being included in an episode. Jasmine sings it to her late mother's horse Sahara to calm and tame it. Though the song has a uniquely Arabian melody, it's also reminiscent another beloved Disney Princess series song of mine, "The Edge of the Edge of the Sea" in which Ariel tames a wild sea horse named Stormy in a similar manner. Lea Salonga delivers a beautiful performance full of sincerity and passion, which is why this song makes it into my top three.
#2 - "Speechless"(Naomi Scott - Aladdin Live-Action 2019)
"Speechless" is the latest ballad in the soundtrack of Princess Jasmine's life, and it looks like a hit. As soon as it dropped online, I got to work memorizing it and found that it was just as much fun to sing as it was to listen to. Naomi Scott delivers an empowering performance of this new Alan Menken classic that encapsulates Jasmine's struggle with Agrabah's laws in a modern way. I've heard the argument that her second performance of the song forces the climax of the film to go hold while we what's happening inside her head, but it's such a powerful rendition that I feel like it would be a disservice to princess fans to cut it. "Speechless" is every bit as catchy as it is empowering. The lyrics incorporate beautiful imagery of storms and breaking free from cages. The message works well as a modern anthem for girls, especially in the middle east, by telling them not to let anyone silence them because their voice matters. Even though it sounds like something you might hear on the radio today, I do not feel like it did a disservice to the Jasmine of the '90s because she wanted to be seen and heard as a person and not just a prize to be won. That's why this is my second favorite Jasmine solo.
#1 - "To Be Free"(Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular)
"To Be Free" is by far my favorite Jasmine solo, and it's a crying shame that it's never been officially performed anywhere outside of the Hyperion Theater at Disney's California Adventure. The stage show Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular was unfortunately ousted a couple of years back in favor of Frozen Live at the Hyperion, so no one has the opportunity to hear this beautiful ballad anymore. I was, however, fortunate enough to hear it performed by
Honorable Mention - "Call Me a Princess"(Deleted Song from 1992 Film and Broadway Production)
"Call Me a Princess" is one of those songs that never quite fit the bill. It was written for a very early draft of Aladdin in which both Aladdin and Jasmine were very different people. Jasmine was a stuck-up spoiled brat who loved everything about being a princess and had no desire to leave the palace. When the Broadway production of Aladdin came out, they tried to use as many deleted songs from the original draft as possible. "Call Me a Princess" was shoehorned in as a comedic attempt for Jasmine to scare away potential suitors by making them think she would be a nightmare to have as a wife. It was performed by the lovely and adorable
I have a huge beef with "These Palace Walls," which is why it did not make my list. Even though it's written by the same mastermind behind "To Be Free," "Speechless," and "A Whole New World," "These Palace Walls" is boring, erratic, and utterly forgettable. The tempo jumps from fast to slow at the drop of a hat, and the lyrics are so on the nose that they might as well be spoken in dialogue. Yes, we know Jasmine is being forced to marry a stranger and that she wants to fly away from the palace walls. Where are the nuanced metaphors about birds and storms and cages? These lyrics are so simplistic that a child could have conceived them. Not only that, but Jasmine doesn't even get to sing the entire song. They wrote a solo for her in the Broadway play and yet the second verse is performed by her ladies-in-waiting, and even they don't get an opportunity to shine because the way it's written forces them to sing it flat and staccato. This song was just a bad choice overall. However, nothing is quite as bad as "Peacock Princess," the second song from Disney Princess Enchanted Tales that did not make my list for obvious reasons.
So there you have it. Alan Menken had no idea what he was getting himself into the day Disney created the character of Princess Jasmine. Even though his songs from the original Aladdin get recycled every time there is a new production, Disney never seems to want to reuse any of his Jasmine solos. It's as though they call him up every five years or so asking him to write them another Jasmine song. Of course, all of this could have been resolved by simply including a solo for her in the original film. I would absolutely love to see an animated version of "To Be Free." As much as I enjoy the modern themes of "Speechless," to me, that is the quintessential Jasmine song. Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Let me know in the comments!
# 3 - "I've Got My Eyes On You"(Disney Princess Enchanted Tales: Follow Your Dreams)
This is a song that a lot of Jasmine fans are unaware of due to the complete and utter failure of the Disney Princess Enchanted Tales series. This direct-to-DVD series was created in the same vein as the Aladdin, Little Mermaid, and Tangled series, except that instead of focusing on one movie universe, each volume was supposed to feature two random Disney Princesses and an overarching theme. However, the series bombed so hard that it never made it past the first volume even though it contained previews of songs and clips from future episodes. The song "I've Got My Eyes On You" is from the only volume that did get released that features a Princess Aurora Story and a Princess Jasmine story. Even though the animation, writing, and acting in both episodes were pretty bad, this song was the only decent thing about it. If the Aladdin series had contained songs, I could easily see "I've Got My Eyes On You" being included in an episode. Jasmine sings it to her late mother's horse Sahara to calm and tame it. Though the song has a uniquely Arabian melody, it's also reminiscent another beloved Disney Princess series song of mine, "The Edge of the Edge of the Sea" in which Ariel tames a wild sea horse named Stormy in a similar manner. Lea Salonga delivers a beautiful performance full of sincerity and passion, which is why this song makes it into my top three.
#2 - "Speechless"(Naomi Scott - Aladdin Live-Action 2019)
"Speechless" is the latest ballad in the soundtrack of Princess Jasmine's life, and it looks like a hit. As soon as it dropped online, I got to work memorizing it and found that it was just as much fun to sing as it was to listen to. Naomi Scott delivers an empowering performance of this new Alan Menken classic that encapsulates Jasmine's struggle with Agrabah's laws in a modern way. I've heard the argument that her second performance of the song forces the climax of the film to go hold while we what's happening inside her head, but it's such a powerful rendition that I feel like it would be a disservice to princess fans to cut it. "Speechless" is every bit as catchy as it is empowering. The lyrics incorporate beautiful imagery of storms and breaking free from cages. The message works well as a modern anthem for girls, especially in the middle east, by telling them not to let anyone silence them because their voice matters. Even though it sounds like something you might hear on the radio today, I do not feel like it did a disservice to the Jasmine of the '90s because she wanted to be seen and heard as a person and not just a prize to be won. That's why this is my second favorite Jasmine solo.
#1 - "To Be Free"(Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular)
"To Be Free" is by far my favorite Jasmine solo, and it's a crying shame that it's never been officially performed anywhere outside of the Hyperion Theater at Disney's California Adventure. The stage show Aladdin: A Musical Spectacular was unfortunately ousted a couple of years back in favor of Frozen Live at the Hyperion, so no one has the opportunity to hear this beautiful ballad anymore. I was, however, fortunate enough to hear it performed by
Honorable Mention - "Call Me a Princess"(Deleted Song from 1992 Film and Broadway Production)
"Call Me a Princess" is one of those songs that never quite fit the bill. It was written for a very early draft of Aladdin in which both Aladdin and Jasmine were very different people. Jasmine was a stuck-up spoiled brat who loved everything about being a princess and had no desire to leave the palace. When the Broadway production of Aladdin came out, they tried to use as many deleted songs from the original draft as possible. "Call Me a Princess" was shoehorned in as a comedic attempt for Jasmine to scare away potential suitors by making them think she would be a nightmare to have as a wife. It was performed by the lovely and adorable
I have a huge beef with "These Palace Walls," which is why it did not make my list. Even though it's written by the same mastermind behind "To Be Free," "Speechless," and "A Whole New World," "These Palace Walls" is boring, erratic, and utterly forgettable. The tempo jumps from fast to slow at the drop of a hat, and the lyrics are so on the nose that they might as well be spoken in dialogue. Yes, we know Jasmine is being forced to marry a stranger and that she wants to fly away from the palace walls. Where are the nuanced metaphors about birds and storms and cages? These lyrics are so simplistic that a child could have conceived them. Not only that, but Jasmine doesn't even get to sing the entire song. They wrote a solo for her in the Broadway play and yet the second verse is performed by her ladies-in-waiting, and even they don't get an opportunity to shine because the way it's written forces them to sing it flat and staccato. This song was just a bad choice overall. However, nothing is quite as bad as "Peacock Princess," the second song from Disney Princess Enchanted Tales that did not make my list for obvious reasons.
So there you have it. Alan Menken had no idea what he was getting himself into the day Disney created the character of Princess Jasmine. Even though his songs from the original Aladdin get recycled every time there is a new production, Disney never seems to want to reuse any of his Jasmine solos. It's as though they call him up every five years or so asking him to write them another Jasmine song. Of course, all of this could have been resolved by simply including a solo for her in the original film. I would absolutely love to see an animated version of "To Be Free." As much as I enjoy the modern themes of "Speechless," to me, that is the quintessential Jasmine song. Do you agree or disagree with my rankings? Let me know in the comments!
May 24, 2019
Review: Aladdin (Live-Action 2019)
I think it goes without saying that Disney's 1992 Aladdin was a childhood staple for anyone who grew up in the '90s, and I am no exception. Therefore, my initial reaction when I found that they were doing a live-action remake was rather cynical. I have not been a fan of the remakes Disney had done in the past, and the last original live-action princess movie I saw from them left me with a bad taste in my mouth. Therefore, I went into the Aladdin remake with high hopes and low expectations. Is it possible to recapture the magic of the original film without coming off as lifeless clone like the 2017 remake of
Beauty and the Beast
? Spoiler alert: The answer is an enthusiastic yes.
After seeing one Disney disappointment after another and spending a great deal of time studying the art of screenwriting this year, I was beginning to think that perhaps I was becoming jaded. Maybe the sense of wonder I felt after seeing a new movie for the first time simply ceased to exist as I became older. Then I sat down in a dark theater to watch
I think the first thing that drew me into the story was the reimagined world of Agrabah. It looked and felt organic in a way that the Broadway production failed to capture. From the subtle details like the hidden retractable staircase leading to Aladdin's home to the Morrocan inspired fountains, mosaics, and architecture in the palace courtyard, this version of Agrabah felt like one that I could actually see and touch. A lot of it reminded me of the Morroco pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World, which holds a special significance to me because I used to visit that place so often that I was on a first-name name basis with Aladdin. This film rekindled the exact same sense of wonder I had when I sat by the fountain and waited for Aladdin and Jasmine to come out and greet their visiting guests.
I am so grateful that this film cast their lead roles based on talent instead of fame because they could not have found a better match for their leading couple than they did in
The secondary plot revolved around
For a live-action movie, it isn't necessary to portray the same over-the-top mustache-twirling cackling villain that we got in the cartoon, but
In spite of that one shortcoming, I strongly urge anyone who loves princess culture to head to theaters and see this breathtaking new take on a familiar tale. Do not wait for it to come out on Netflix (or more likely Disney+). Guy Ritchie's sweeping camera shots and visceral environments of Agrabah can only truly be appreciated on a grand theatrical scale. Jasmine's gorgeous middle eastern gowns are like nothing I've seen before on the big screen, and her new song "Speechless" is as empowering as it is catchy. However, if none of these reasons are enough, see it for Mena and Naomi's wonderful performances and the nuanced chemistry they bring to Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship.
After seeing one Disney disappointment after another and spending a great deal of time studying the art of screenwriting this year, I was beginning to think that perhaps I was becoming jaded. Maybe the sense of wonder I felt after seeing a new movie for the first time simply ceased to exist as I became older. Then I sat down in a dark theater to watch
I think the first thing that drew me into the story was the reimagined world of Agrabah. It looked and felt organic in a way that the Broadway production failed to capture. From the subtle details like the hidden retractable staircase leading to Aladdin's home to the Morrocan inspired fountains, mosaics, and architecture in the palace courtyard, this version of Agrabah felt like one that I could actually see and touch. A lot of it reminded me of the Morroco pavilion in Epcot at Walt Disney World, which holds a special significance to me because I used to visit that place so often that I was on a first-name name basis with Aladdin. This film rekindled the exact same sense of wonder I had when I sat by the fountain and waited for Aladdin and Jasmine to come out and greet their visiting guests.
I am so grateful that this film cast their lead roles based on talent instead of fame because they could not have found a better match for their leading couple than they did in
The secondary plot revolved around
For a live-action movie, it isn't necessary to portray the same over-the-top mustache-twirling cackling villain that we got in the cartoon, but
In spite of that one shortcoming, I strongly urge anyone who loves princess culture to head to theaters and see this breathtaking new take on a familiar tale. Do not wait for it to come out on Netflix (or more likely Disney+). Guy Ritchie's sweeping camera shots and visceral environments of Agrabah can only truly be appreciated on a grand theatrical scale. Jasmine's gorgeous middle eastern gowns are like nothing I've seen before on the big screen, and her new song "Speechless" is as empowering as it is catchy. However, if none of these reasons are enough, see it for Mena and Naomi's wonderful performances and the nuanced chemistry they bring to Aladdin and Jasmine's relationship.
May 19, 2019
Star vs. the Princess Blogger
Today I'm going to talk about a show I have barely ever mentioned before in my blog. Star vs. the Forces of Evil is an animated Magical Girl Princess series that premiered on Disney Channel in 2015. I watched the first few episodes, decided it wasn't my cup of tea, and ignored it for the next four years until they announced that series was about to end. I caught up with the last few episodes leading up to today's finale so I could determine if it got any better. This is not a traditional review because I don't consider myself a fan of the show. I skipped over most of the episodes leading up to the finale, including the entirety of the second and third seasons. If you are a long-time fan of the series, you are welcome to comment below and correct me on any inaccuracies that you will likely find in this post. I would love to hear about why the show appealed to people in ways that it did not appeal to me. This is Star vs. the Princess Blogger. Game on!
My first impression of Star vs. the Forces of Evil was that it looked like an Americanized attempt to copy the mahou shoujo anime genre. Star's wand was practically identical to Card Captor Sakura's, and her backstory as a princess from another world mirrored that of Sailor Moon. Yet, anyone who watches Star vs. the Forces of Evil will learn very quickly that it lacks the serious, dramatic, and somewhat slow pacing of a magical girl anime. In many ways, it blows the traditional formula out of the water from the get-go. Instead of being a middle school student who is imbued with magical transformation powers by an adorable talking plushie, Star Butterfly is a princess of Mewni who is well aware of her magical prowess and is sent to Earth by her parents to learn discipline. Her chaotic nature, which is visually portrayed by the bright pink devil-like horns on her head in lieu of a tiara, is perfectly balanced by her human friend, Marco Diaz, who is selected to be her mentor of sorts due to his obsessive compulsion for order, which he is in complete denial about. As someone who prefers order over chaos, Marco instantly became my favorite character. Star was way too all over the place for me to keep up with.
Watching the first few episodes of the show reminded me a great deal of Dave the Barbarian, a short-lived animated Disney cartoon from 2004. Both Disney series were zany, random, and chaotic, but I related to Dave, a barbarian who hated violence, far more than I did to Star, a chaotic princess who dragged an innocent earth boy into incredibly weird portal dimensions and yelled things a lot. The heart of the magical girl genre comes from an emotional connection with the main character, and I just couldn't find that with Star. I connected with Marco, but he seemed to be an innocent victim of Star's antics for most of the first season. As much as he tried to get her out of trouble, he would always wind up being pulled into more. That's why I decided the show wasn't worth my time. The severed talking unicorn head was also pretty creepy.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I learned that Star vs. the Forces of Evil was ending. I decided to see how it all went down and if I had been missing anything important by skipping over so many years' worth of episodes. After watching the final few episodes and doing a small amount of research, I realized that the series developed some genuine character growth and world building sometime around the third or fourth season. This surprised me because most of my favorite shows started out very strong and went south after the writers ran out of ideas. Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders is a prime example of this. To this day, the first season of Jewel Riders is one of my absolute favorite works of art, but the second season felt completely phoned in. Star, on the other hand, spent the latter half of her series dealing with her dysfunctional family consisting of a misunderstood aunt and a deceptive mother while trying to save her homeworld of Mewni from an invasion of enemy attackers wielding giant magical robots. It was like a completely different show, one that I could have seen myself being interested in from the very beginning.
The final episodes also revealed Star and Marco confessing their feelings for each other, something that I would have expected to see much earlier on due to their complementary opposite natures of chaos and order. Learning that it took so long for the two protagonists to form a relationship actually made me glad that I skipped over so much of the show. Waiting four years for them to smooch would have driven me crazy. The strength of their bond was the heart of the series finale. Thanks to that, I thought it ended on a much stronger note than it began on. In the final episode, Star decides to end the war on Mewni by destroying magic, therefore rendering her attackers powerless. The one caveat with this plan is that it means Marco will return to Earth, and she will never see him again. It definitely played strongly on the emotions of its audience, which is a vibe that I didn't get at all from the episodes I watched in the first season. The final outcome, though a little silly, was cathartic, and powerful, and felt more like a new beginning than an ending, just as all series finales should. It was the perfect ending to an imperfect show.
Now that I know how good the series turned out, do I feel obligated to go back and catch up with its entire 76-episode run? Honestly, no. The fact that it took four years for Star and Marco to fully realize their potential as a couple shows me just how many of the earlier episodes were random silly filler, which would have been fine if I had felt a connection with the main character, but I didn't, at least not back then. Watching the last few episodes showed me how humanized Star became on an emotional level after spending so much time with Marco, which I think is great. She became a princess that I could relate to in the end, but I would not have been interested in following her on her journey when she was an entity of pure chaos. If more of the show had focused on Marco, maybe my relationship with this series would have been different. Regardless of that, I admire fans who stood by Star all this time and were rewarded with such an emotional and powerful finale. I hope that the creators of Star vs. the Forces of Evil learned and grew from this experience and that the next show they create will begin just as strong as it ends.
My first impression of Star vs. the Forces of Evil was that it looked like an Americanized attempt to copy the mahou shoujo anime genre. Star's wand was practically identical to Card Captor Sakura's, and her backstory as a princess from another world mirrored that of Sailor Moon. Yet, anyone who watches Star vs. the Forces of Evil will learn very quickly that it lacks the serious, dramatic, and somewhat slow pacing of a magical girl anime. In many ways, it blows the traditional formula out of the water from the get-go. Instead of being a middle school student who is imbued with magical transformation powers by an adorable talking plushie, Star Butterfly is a princess of Mewni who is well aware of her magical prowess and is sent to Earth by her parents to learn discipline. Her chaotic nature, which is visually portrayed by the bright pink devil-like horns on her head in lieu of a tiara, is perfectly balanced by her human friend, Marco Diaz, who is selected to be her mentor of sorts due to his obsessive compulsion for order, which he is in complete denial about. As someone who prefers order over chaos, Marco instantly became my favorite character. Star was way too all over the place for me to keep up with.
Watching the first few episodes of the show reminded me a great deal of Dave the Barbarian, a short-lived animated Disney cartoon from 2004. Both Disney series were zany, random, and chaotic, but I related to Dave, a barbarian who hated violence, far more than I did to Star, a chaotic princess who dragged an innocent earth boy into incredibly weird portal dimensions and yelled things a lot. The heart of the magical girl genre comes from an emotional connection with the main character, and I just couldn't find that with Star. I connected with Marco, but he seemed to be an innocent victim of Star's antics for most of the first season. As much as he tried to get her out of trouble, he would always wind up being pulled into more. That's why I decided the show wasn't worth my time. The severed talking unicorn head was also pretty creepy.
Fast forward to a few weeks ago when I learned that Star vs. the Forces of Evil was ending. I decided to see how it all went down and if I had been missing anything important by skipping over so many years' worth of episodes. After watching the final few episodes and doing a small amount of research, I realized that the series developed some genuine character growth and world building sometime around the third or fourth season. This surprised me because most of my favorite shows started out very strong and went south after the writers ran out of ideas. Princess Gwenevere and the Jewel Riders is a prime example of this. To this day, the first season of Jewel Riders is one of my absolute favorite works of art, but the second season felt completely phoned in. Star, on the other hand, spent the latter half of her series dealing with her dysfunctional family consisting of a misunderstood aunt and a deceptive mother while trying to save her homeworld of Mewni from an invasion of enemy attackers wielding giant magical robots. It was like a completely different show, one that I could have seen myself being interested in from the very beginning.
The final episodes also revealed Star and Marco confessing their feelings for each other, something that I would have expected to see much earlier on due to their complementary opposite natures of chaos and order. Learning that it took so long for the two protagonists to form a relationship actually made me glad that I skipped over so much of the show. Waiting four years for them to smooch would have driven me crazy. The strength of their bond was the heart of the series finale. Thanks to that, I thought it ended on a much stronger note than it began on. In the final episode, Star decides to end the war on Mewni by destroying magic, therefore rendering her attackers powerless. The one caveat with this plan is that it means Marco will return to Earth, and she will never see him again. It definitely played strongly on the emotions of its audience, which is a vibe that I didn't get at all from the episodes I watched in the first season. The final outcome, though a little silly, was cathartic, and powerful, and felt more like a new beginning than an ending, just as all series finales should. It was the perfect ending to an imperfect show.
Now that I know how good the series turned out, do I feel obligated to go back and catch up with its entire 76-episode run? Honestly, no. The fact that it took four years for Star and Marco to fully realize their potential as a couple shows me just how many of the earlier episodes were random silly filler, which would have been fine if I had felt a connection with the main character, but I didn't, at least not back then. Watching the last few episodes showed me how humanized Star became on an emotional level after spending so much time with Marco, which I think is great. She became a princess that I could relate to in the end, but I would not have been interested in following her on her journey when she was an entity of pure chaos. If more of the show had focused on Marco, maybe my relationship with this series would have been different. Regardless of that, I admire fans who stood by Star all this time and were rewarded with such an emotional and powerful finale. I hope that the creators of Star vs. the Forces of Evil learned and grew from this experience and that the next show they create will begin just as strong as it ends.
May 15, 2019
That New Maleficent Trailer Though
I posted not too long ago about how fed up I was with all the Disney live-action remakes, sequels, and sequels to live-action remakes. Then I pointed out that many of the new clips from the upcoming live-action Aladdin movie look amazing (and they keep getting better). That movie has a week to go before the general public will be able to see it, but Disney has already gotten down to business in promoting
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
with our first teaser trailer earlier this week. I have to say, it looks promising. The teaser reveals virtually nothing about the plot, but it does drop some hints about the new setting and thematic elements. A lot of plot devices will need to be created from scratch after the conclusive ending of the original film in which Maleficent became a mother figure to Princess Aurora, who was crowned queen of the Moors to unite the magical and non-magical kingdoms
It would be impossible to tell the same story again after how much has already changed by the time this movie begins. Aurora's parents are both dead, and she no longer perceives Maleficent as a threat. That means that an entirely new threat will have to emerge. What that threat is was not revealed in the trailer, but we will probably learn more as we get closer to the release date. It appears that Maleficent is trying to warn a new queen about this mystery threat. The elderly yet imposing queen responds that if she didn't know better, she would think that Maleficent is the one making the threat. If Aurora was supposed to be the queen that unites both kingdoms, why do we have another queen? There is also a king sitting in a throne next to her, but he has no dialogue in the trailer. In a later clip from the teaser, we see the same queen looking out from a dark balcony with an imposing expression on her face. Is this another evil queen for Disney to add to their roster? Could she be Prince Phillip's mother? Or is she from an entirely new kingdom that will be introduced in the upcoming movie?
Much like the first film, this trailer reveals beautifully provocative imagery of the Moors, Maleficent's enchanted kingdom of fairies and magic, as well as references to the original "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale, including Prince Phillip's proposal to Aurora and the spinning wheel. This imagery is one of the things that made me fall in love with the first movie. Fortunately for us, it looks like Phillip grew out of his awkward wimpy phase from the original film. I could have done without the fan service gimmick at the end, however, which portrayed Angelina Jolie in scantily clad ripped black leather, a far cry from her usual long black robes. Up until now, Maleficent has always managed to imbue a sense of power and danger without ever being overtly sexual, but I will hold off on my opinion for that scene until I learn the circumstances behind it.
My biggest fear about this teaser is the same as the Frozen 2 trailer, which is that lately, Disney has been much better at making trailers than at making movies. They provide just enough footage to keep everyone asking questions and wanting more without actually satisfying that desire until the movie is released. Then all that mystery goes away, and we are often left with a bare skeleton of a story. I would say this trailer succeeds even more than Frozen 2 in terms of keeping us guessing. All of the references to the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale and the first Maleficent movie build just enough hype to create an emotional reaction without actually telling us anything new. Even Aurora's question of "What have you done?" as Maleficent's signature green flames burn everywhere hearkens back to when she first learned about Maleficent's betrayal in the first film. Yet, as I said earlier, it would be impossible to tell the same story again because King Steffan, who was the only major antagonist in the first movie, is now dead. Is it possible that the king's role will be taken over by the new queen? Also, is the "Mistress of Evil" subtitle meant to be taken literally, or is it meant to imply that this reborn version of Maleficent is the mistress that stops the evil?
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will be released on October 18th, just in time for Halloween. I'm looking forward to seeing more fairy tale imagery as well as seeing how Aurora fares her new role as queen. I'm not looking forward to their obvious attempt to use Angelina Jolie's sex appeal to sell the movie. I do think it would be interesting to present a queen as the villain because it would be impossible for her to wrong Maleficent in the same way that Steffan in the original did by taking advantage of her romantic desires and naivete. There's still so much that was not revealed in this teaser, but it showed just enough to remind me how much I enjoyed the first film and give me a glimmer of hope that this one will not be as disappointing as I'm sure most of us are expecting it to be.
It would be impossible to tell the same story again after how much has already changed by the time this movie begins. Aurora's parents are both dead, and she no longer perceives Maleficent as a threat. That means that an entirely new threat will have to emerge. What that threat is was not revealed in the trailer, but we will probably learn more as we get closer to the release date. It appears that Maleficent is trying to warn a new queen about this mystery threat. The elderly yet imposing queen responds that if she didn't know better, she would think that Maleficent is the one making the threat. If Aurora was supposed to be the queen that unites both kingdoms, why do we have another queen? There is also a king sitting in a throne next to her, but he has no dialogue in the trailer. In a later clip from the teaser, we see the same queen looking out from a dark balcony with an imposing expression on her face. Is this another evil queen for Disney to add to their roster? Could she be Prince Phillip's mother? Or is she from an entirely new kingdom that will be introduced in the upcoming movie?
Much like the first film, this trailer reveals beautifully provocative imagery of the Moors, Maleficent's enchanted kingdom of fairies and magic, as well as references to the original "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale, including Prince Phillip's proposal to Aurora and the spinning wheel. This imagery is one of the things that made me fall in love with the first movie. Fortunately for us, it looks like Phillip grew out of his awkward wimpy phase from the original film. I could have done without the fan service gimmick at the end, however, which portrayed Angelina Jolie in scantily clad ripped black leather, a far cry from her usual long black robes. Up until now, Maleficent has always managed to imbue a sense of power and danger without ever being overtly sexual, but I will hold off on my opinion for that scene until I learn the circumstances behind it.
My biggest fear about this teaser is the same as the Frozen 2 trailer, which is that lately, Disney has been much better at making trailers than at making movies. They provide just enough footage to keep everyone asking questions and wanting more without actually satisfying that desire until the movie is released. Then all that mystery goes away, and we are often left with a bare skeleton of a story. I would say this trailer succeeds even more than Frozen 2 in terms of keeping us guessing. All of the references to the "Sleeping Beauty" fairy tale and the first Maleficent movie build just enough hype to create an emotional reaction without actually telling us anything new. Even Aurora's question of "What have you done?" as Maleficent's signature green flames burn everywhere hearkens back to when she first learned about Maleficent's betrayal in the first film. Yet, as I said earlier, it would be impossible to tell the same story again because King Steffan, who was the only major antagonist in the first movie, is now dead. Is it possible that the king's role will be taken over by the new queen? Also, is the "Mistress of Evil" subtitle meant to be taken literally, or is it meant to imply that this reborn version of Maleficent is the mistress that stops the evil?
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil will be released on October 18th, just in time for Halloween. I'm looking forward to seeing more fairy tale imagery as well as seeing how Aurora fares her new role as queen. I'm not looking forward to their obvious attempt to use Angelina Jolie's sex appeal to sell the movie. I do think it would be interesting to present a queen as the villain because it would be impossible for her to wrong Maleficent in the same way that Steffan in the original did by taking advantage of her romantic desires and naivete. There's still so much that was not revealed in this teaser, but it showed just enough to remind me how much I enjoyed the first film and give me a glimmer of hope that this one will not be as disappointing as I'm sure most of us are expecting it to be.
May 12, 2019
How Princesses Inspire Creativity
I've written before about how princesses inspire me during daily life, but I also owe a huge debt of gratitude to these stories when it comes to my creative endeavors. Fairy tales have been evolving for hundreds of years. The solidarity between the storytellers who pass these tales along to new generations so we can retell them in unique ways is incredibly motivating to me as an aspiring writer. It sets an idea in place to get the creative gears turning while opening up possibilities to create something entirely new and original. Being that today is Mothers Day, I'd also like to point out that mothers who share princess stories with their daughters empower them with endless potential to play make-believe in a world where anything is possible and girl can be anyone or anything they desire.
It isn't just the stories themselves that act as a catalyst for creative minds. Mythological, royal, and fairy tale women have been portrayed in artwork for just as long as their stories have been told. Many of us grew up with hand-drawn princesses in animated movies that set our imaginations free to a place where colors are brighter, eyes are bigger, and the flick of a wand can transform rags into a glittering ballgown. Artists all over the world show their love for princesses on a regular basis by posting fanart on social media. I got an Instagram account a little over a year ago, and my favorite thing about scrolling through my feed is seeing all the different artistic interpretations that people post of their favorite princesses using their own unique art styles. Every piece of art evokes a different feeling or theme. Disney's Rapunzel is a terrific role model for artistic princess fans because she managed to turn her tower prison into a beautiful and whimsical gallery of paintings.
Another way princesses inspire creativity is through their beautiful and elegant clothing. Feminine clothes have gone out of style in recent years, so those of us who still want to dress like a princess can channel that desire into creative cosplay. Princesses are some of the most popular characters for people to cosplay at conventions and for good reason. Their lovely elegant gowns make us feel beautiful and draw lots of positive attention from other fans and attendees. It's nearly impossible to find women's clothing that has lace, ribbon, or glitter accents in a modern department store, so why not buy the supplies and do it yourself? With all the live-action remakes of princess movies that have been coming out lately, princess dresses are becoming more elaborate and detailed than ever. This gives cosplayers a terrific challenge to really wow people by showing off their skills at replicating or even improving the newer designs.
Rapunzel isn't the only princess with a creative skill. Most princesses are also known for their beautiful singing voices. In fact, it is the signature trait of my favorite princess, Ariel. Singing is a wonderful way to express your innermost feelings to the rest of the world whether it's at a karaoke bar or in the privacy of your own room. The performing arts are the ideal creative outlet for adults who still want to play make-believe. Even though not all princess fans are professionally trained, most of us grew up belting the songs of Alan Menken at the top of our lungs to anyone who would listen. This is a wonderful example of how princesses have inspired an entire generation to express themselves by granting them the melodies and lyrics to let out what's already been inside them for years. Some of us have even tried our hand at writing our own lyrics to truly personalize the craft.
One of the reasons I started this blog is that I wanted to show the world how princesses have allowed me to express myself in ways that I may have found challenging if I had grown up without them. These stories and characters are etched into my psyche and allow me to truly be the most creative version of myself. Whether it's through writing, drawing, dressing up, or singing, princesses have inspired creativity in girls and women for hundreds of years. If you love princesses as much as I do, I hope that you keep allowing them to inspire you and share your craft with the world just as I do through my blog. Happy Mothers Day!
It isn't just the stories themselves that act as a catalyst for creative minds. Mythological, royal, and fairy tale women have been portrayed in artwork for just as long as their stories have been told. Many of us grew up with hand-drawn princesses in animated movies that set our imaginations free to a place where colors are brighter, eyes are bigger, and the flick of a wand can transform rags into a glittering ballgown. Artists all over the world show their love for princesses on a regular basis by posting fanart on social media. I got an Instagram account a little over a year ago, and my favorite thing about scrolling through my feed is seeing all the different artistic interpretations that people post of their favorite princesses using their own unique art styles. Every piece of art evokes a different feeling or theme. Disney's Rapunzel is a terrific role model for artistic princess fans because she managed to turn her tower prison into a beautiful and whimsical gallery of paintings.
Another way princesses inspire creativity is through their beautiful and elegant clothing. Feminine clothes have gone out of style in recent years, so those of us who still want to dress like a princess can channel that desire into creative cosplay. Princesses are some of the most popular characters for people to cosplay at conventions and for good reason. Their lovely elegant gowns make us feel beautiful and draw lots of positive attention from other fans and attendees. It's nearly impossible to find women's clothing that has lace, ribbon, or glitter accents in a modern department store, so why not buy the supplies and do it yourself? With all the live-action remakes of princess movies that have been coming out lately, princess dresses are becoming more elaborate and detailed than ever. This gives cosplayers a terrific challenge to really wow people by showing off their skills at replicating or even improving the newer designs.
Rapunzel isn't the only princess with a creative skill. Most princesses are also known for their beautiful singing voices. In fact, it is the signature trait of my favorite princess, Ariel. Singing is a wonderful way to express your innermost feelings to the rest of the world whether it's at a karaoke bar or in the privacy of your own room. The performing arts are the ideal creative outlet for adults who still want to play make-believe. Even though not all princess fans are professionally trained, most of us grew up belting the songs of Alan Menken at the top of our lungs to anyone who would listen. This is a wonderful example of how princesses have inspired an entire generation to express themselves by granting them the melodies and lyrics to let out what's already been inside them for years. Some of us have even tried our hand at writing our own lyrics to truly personalize the craft.
One of the reasons I started this blog is that I wanted to show the world how princesses have allowed me to express myself in ways that I may have found challenging if I had grown up without them. These stories and characters are etched into my psyche and allow me to truly be the most creative version of myself. Whether it's through writing, drawing, dressing up, or singing, princesses have inspired creativity in girls and women for hundreds of years. If you love princesses as much as I do, I hope that you keep allowing them to inspire you and share your craft with the world just as I do through my blog. Happy Mothers Day!
May 5, 2019
Gamora Is Officially NOT a Disney Princess
Well, the verdict is in. "Black Vortex, Part One" is out on Disney XD, and we finally have the full story of that clip where Gamora from Guardians of the Galaxy gets trapped in a Disney Princess nightmare. The "Black Vortex" arc is likely inspired by the Netflix series Black Mirror. It portrays the famous Marvel guardians getting trapped in worlds that look familiar at first but have something that's a more malicious just below the surface. Unlike Black Mirror, these are worlds that remind us of different types of classic animated media instead of the world we live in. Each episode is split into two vignettes, so the princess storyline does not cover the entire 20 minutes. The second half of "Black Vortex, Part One" covers the Guardians of the Galaxy character Drax, who gets trapped in a motion comic that contains pokes fun at several other well-known superheroes including Spider-Man and Superman. The Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout! cartoon is in its third season now, but I didn't realize it existed until they did a princess parody, which is on par with my personal tastes.
In the "Black Vortex" episodes, the guardians must enter the evil dimensional vortex in order to escape sudden death when the ship they are on self destructs. Even though Gamora insists that they all hold hands so they don't get separated, they get separated anyway. When Gamora wakes up, she finds herself with large princess eyes in a bed in Snow White's cottage surrounded by a bunch of talking forest critters that hover on the line between creepy and adorable. When she asks them for her communicator and sword so she can find the other guardians, they feign ignorance and convince her to start cleaning the cottage while they sing an obvious satire of "Whistle While You Work." No matter how much she argues that she isn't a princess, the critters refuse to listen. She is, however, momentarily flattered when they compliment her long flowing hair. Ultimately, Gamora discovers that these adorable woodland creatures are some sort demonic projection created by the vortex world, recovers her stolen items, and obliterates the singing demons in an explosion of sparkles.
Not everyone can be a Disney Princess. Gamora is one of those characters that might pass for one if you stretch the definition to its utmost limits. After all, Mulan is a Disney Princess, and she's a warrior with no real royal title unless you count her spot on the emperor's council. Gamora is a Marvel comic book heroine. Since Marvel is owned by Disney, non-purists with open minds could call her a Disney Princess for humor's sake just as easily as they do with Princess Leia or Anastasia after the Fox transaction was completed. The real question is whether or not Gamora considers herself a princess. The critters claim that being the stepdaughter of Thanos, the wicked conquerer of galaxies, and having an evil stepsister qualify her as such, but she refuses to comply. Near the end of the vignette, she rips apart a frilly pink dress that the critters try to force her into and yells "I'm not that kind of princess!" Could this mean that the evil hallucinations ultimately succeeded in convincing her that she is, in fact, a Disney Princess, just not the gown-wearing house-cleaning type? Who knows?
Watching this episode and the second part, which is up on the website as well, I can admit that like most series on Disney XD with the exception of the Ducktales remake, this show is not my cup of tea. The vignettes were amusing but lacked any sort of real substance in terms of plot and characters. I felt similarly about the Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2014. I appreciate the creative intentions behind this arc to portray different styles of animation, but if I'm being honest, the artistic format of the princess world wasn't that different from the regular opening animation of the show, and the second episode, which was all CGI, looked very generic. Perhaps they're saving the best work for the next two episodes of the arc, but it's doubtful. As entertaining as it was to see that Gamora hates all of the old-fashioned Disney Princess stereotypes, it could also be construed as offensive to fans of the genre, which is something that the 2007 princess parody Enchanted was very careful not to do. Even though fairy tale princesses have changed a lot over the years, there are still overarching themes that remain the same to this day.
I would say that if you're a princess fan but not a huge Marvel fan, you aren't missing much if you haven't seen the "Black Vortex" episode of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. If you're one of the many people who bought a ticket to Avengers: Endgame last week, this episode might be a nice break from the dark tone of the film. It's fun to see unexpected crossovers of different Disney genres once in a while. I think we can decisively conclude from this episode that the Marvel universe could never coexist with the classic Disney fairy tale universe. They are like oil and water. I guess the moral of the story is that if you find yourself waking up in a Disney Princess nightmare, you'd better figure out where your sword is being stashed and find a way out as soon as possible.
In the "Black Vortex" episodes, the guardians must enter the evil dimensional vortex in order to escape sudden death when the ship they are on self destructs. Even though Gamora insists that they all hold hands so they don't get separated, they get separated anyway. When Gamora wakes up, she finds herself with large princess eyes in a bed in Snow White's cottage surrounded by a bunch of talking forest critters that hover on the line between creepy and adorable. When she asks them for her communicator and sword so she can find the other guardians, they feign ignorance and convince her to start cleaning the cottage while they sing an obvious satire of "Whistle While You Work." No matter how much she argues that she isn't a princess, the critters refuse to listen. She is, however, momentarily flattered when they compliment her long flowing hair. Ultimately, Gamora discovers that these adorable woodland creatures are some sort demonic projection created by the vortex world, recovers her stolen items, and obliterates the singing demons in an explosion of sparkles.
Not everyone can be a Disney Princess. Gamora is one of those characters that might pass for one if you stretch the definition to its utmost limits. After all, Mulan is a Disney Princess, and she's a warrior with no real royal title unless you count her spot on the emperor's council. Gamora is a Marvel comic book heroine. Since Marvel is owned by Disney, non-purists with open minds could call her a Disney Princess for humor's sake just as easily as they do with Princess Leia or Anastasia after the Fox transaction was completed. The real question is whether or not Gamora considers herself a princess. The critters claim that being the stepdaughter of Thanos, the wicked conquerer of galaxies, and having an evil stepsister qualify her as such, but she refuses to comply. Near the end of the vignette, she rips apart a frilly pink dress that the critters try to force her into and yells "I'm not that kind of princess!" Could this mean that the evil hallucinations ultimately succeeded in convincing her that she is, in fact, a Disney Princess, just not the gown-wearing house-cleaning type? Who knows?
Watching this episode and the second part, which is up on the website as well, I can admit that like most series on Disney XD with the exception of the Ducktales remake, this show is not my cup of tea. The vignettes were amusing but lacked any sort of real substance in terms of plot and characters. I felt similarly about the Guardians of the Galaxy film in 2014. I appreciate the creative intentions behind this arc to portray different styles of animation, but if I'm being honest, the artistic format of the princess world wasn't that different from the regular opening animation of the show, and the second episode, which was all CGI, looked very generic. Perhaps they're saving the best work for the next two episodes of the arc, but it's doubtful. As entertaining as it was to see that Gamora hates all of the old-fashioned Disney Princess stereotypes, it could also be construed as offensive to fans of the genre, which is something that the 2007 princess parody Enchanted was very careful not to do. Even though fairy tale princesses have changed a lot over the years, there are still overarching themes that remain the same to this day.
I would say that if you're a princess fan but not a huge Marvel fan, you aren't missing much if you haven't seen the "Black Vortex" episode of Guardians of the Galaxy: Mission Breakout. If you're one of the many people who bought a ticket to Avengers: Endgame last week, this episode might be a nice break from the dark tone of the film. It's fun to see unexpected crossovers of different Disney genres once in a while. I think we can decisively conclude from this episode that the Marvel universe could never coexist with the classic Disney fairy tale universe. They are like oil and water. I guess the moral of the story is that if you find yourself waking up in a Disney Princess nightmare, you'd better figure out where your sword is being stashed and find a way out as soon as possible.
