Lisa Dawn's Blog: The Princess Blog, page 71

Review: Wreck-It Ralph 2 - Ralph Breaks the Internet

Today is the day we have been waiting for since last year's D23 Expo, where it was revealed that the original voices of the Disney Princesses would be reunited for the Wreck-It Ralph  sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet . There are a lot of different things I want to comment on after seeing this movie last night, so my review is going to cover two very different aspects. Since this is a princess blog, the first half of my review will cover the Disney Princess scenes in the film, which is the reason that many of us were excited about seeing it in the first place. If you just want to know about the movie itself, feel free to scroll down to the second half of my review, where I will discuss the plot and my overall enjoyment of it.


Ralph Breaks the Internet foreshadows its big princess reveal by showing two generic video game princess characters in the background of the opening scenes. Is Wreck-It Ralph a Disney Princess movie? Technically, yes. Vanellope is revealed to be a princess at the end of the original film when we learn that Turbo reprogrammed her coding to hide her royal status. However, she chooses to forgo the gown and title for her comfy clothes and spunky attitude. For that reason, she was not included in Disney Princess merchandise until this movie, where the animated heroines play a major role. When the Disney Princesses meet Vanellope for the first time, it's no surprise that they have trouble understanding just what kind of a princess she is. She doesn't match most of the stereotypes such as being cursed or finding true love, but they come to accept her after she reveals that everyone thought her problems were solved when a "big strong man" showed up, something that comes up again in a big way during the movie's climax.

The second half of the scene, in which the princesses wear their comfy pajamas and hoodies, was cut short from what was allegedly shown at the D23 Expo. According to eyewitnesses, there was originally a section where the princesses discussed their secret flaws, such as Snow White needing glasses and Jasmine being allergic to cats despite having a pet tiger. Afterward, Vanellope was supposed to say something along the lines of "I thought you were all boring and perfect, but you're just as messed up as the rest of us!" None of that was included in the movie. It particularly doesn't make sense to cut this because a doll set that the Disney Store released of this scene included a pair of glasses for Snow White and an inhaler for Jasmine, which will be confusing to anyone purchasing it who didn't attend the Expo. Even though there was a joke during the end credits about the film not including all the scenes that were in the trailers, I have to say I felt a little disappointed about not being able to watch the scene in its entirety. Another teaser video that was not included in the movie was the famous princess selfie scene that Disney used as the new social media covers for their princess pages. It included a cameo from Pocahontas's raccoon, Meeko, revealing that he bites.

The princesses show up again to save the day during the climax. It was pretty ridiculous, but I won't spoil it for those of you who are eager to see what kind of role the princesses will play in Ralph and Vanellope's story. The scene was entirely about deconstructing the "Damsel in Distress" stereotype that the Disney Princesses have had for many years. The way they went about it was so forced and over the top that I didn't enjoy it as much as I would have liked to. Though I'm sure many princess fans will find it hilarious, it had an overwhelming air of fan service. Fortunately, there were other aspects of the princesses that didn't feel forced, such as when they taught Vanellope that being a Disney Princess means singing about your heart's desire, culminating in a surprise new musical number from the legendary

Ralph Breaks the Internet is about Ralph and Vanellope entering the world of the internet through the arcade's new Wi-Fi system to purchase a replacement steering wheel from eBay for Vanellope's game, Sugar Rush. Ralph is determined to save Vanellope's game because he can't imagine his life without her. It gets major props for being the first Disney movie I've seen in a while that does not invoke the same story formula that they've been using for roughly the past five years. The conflict is very much internal, focusing on Ralph's unbreakable bond with Vanellope and his determination to keep her close to him no matter what it takes. It makes sense that Ralph would be overly clingy. If you recall from the first movie, no one was very nice to him until he met her due to his character being forced into the role of the villain in his own game. Someone who finally gets a taste of true friendship after so many years of being alone would certainly have a difficult time letting it go.

The movie doesn't take itself too seriously, which makes it a lot of fun. It also doesn't lose sight of the heart of the story, making it memorable. Ralph and Vanellope's journey through the internet is filled with colorful characters who introduce them to both good and bad aspects of the online world. J.P. Spamley brings them through a questionable pop-up ad where they learn they can earn money through certain games, introducing Vanellope to the grungy racing game called Slaughter Race, which she enjoys a lot more than her whimsical candy world of Sugar Rush. Yesss, a character featured heavily in ads for the movie, is an algorithm who helps Ralph make money by creating lots of silly viral videos. In that way, the movie pokes fun at how people are entertained by some of the most ridiculous things on the internet, especially if they're bored at work. Ralph Breaks the Internet is chock-full of one-liners and memes, many of which didn't even make into the final cut. The fact that so many scenes got pulled, including some that were already show in the trailers, helped it stay just as focused as it needed to be to teach a simple lesson about friendship and letting go. I'd love to be able to watch a reel of deleted scenes from this movie someday.

Overall, Ralph Breaks the Internet is a zany and fun adventure about friendship and social media memes. The internet gets a little overwhelming with all the franchises that Disney paid to include in the film as well as all of the Disney and Star Wars character cameos, but that adds to the fun and humor of the experience. The final scene with the princesses was just as epic as it was silly. The reason Wreck-It Ralph 2 truly succeeds as a film is that all of the zaniness and fun builds up to a valuable life lesson about the true meaning of friendship. If you're able to stay until the very end of the credits, there's one last surprise that I won't ruin for you.

Review: The Princess Switch

Today, Netflix dropped The Princess Switch , a low-budget modern-day knockoff of Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper . Was it just as cheesy and predictable as it looked in the trailer? Well, yes. Does that make it completely unwatchable? Surprisingly, no. It's normal to see a lot of fluffy feel-good family movies out around the holidays, so setting the film during Christmastime and releasing it right at the start of the holiday season may have been just the right touch to prevent it from being a huge disaster. Since we've already seen movies about twins or lookalikes switching places so many times, it's the perfect flick to play if you're busy cleaning or doing your nails or reading articles online and want to have something on in the background.. Trust me, you won't miss anything if you need to run to the microwave and grab your popcorn. No need to pause it.


Thanks to the magic of green screen technology, Vaness Hudgens plays both Stacy De Novo, a baker from Chicago, and Duchess Margaret, the fiancée of a foreign prince. When Stacy gets an invitation to an exclusive baking competition in Belgravia, the home of Prince Edward, she has a run-in with Margaret, who immediately begins scheming to switch places with her to experience life as a "commoner." In her guise as Stacy, Margaret must also fool Stacy's best friend and sous chef, Kevin, and his daughter, Olivia. One is much easier to fool than the other. I won't say which, but I will say that in princess movies, little girls tend to be much smarter than adults. Meanwhile, Stacy gets to live a life of luxury with Margaret's handmaiden, who is in on the secret and does her best to help cover for her. Prince Edward was supposed to be away the whole time, but unfortunately, he decides to cancel his trip to spend more time with who he thinks is his future wife, causing the unlikely pair to grow quite fond of each other.

While the acting and writing are pretty atrocious, the story makes just enough sense to hold your interest assuming you're in the mood for something light. It got pretty amusing watching Vanessa Hudgens attempting to play herself as herself. Stacy and Margaret slip in and out of their fake accents depending on how nervous they are in the scene. It was also interesting how the subtle differences in personality between the two lookalikes made them more appealing to their love interests. For instance, Kevin knew Stacy for many years but never cared for her romantically because he found her too obsessed with planning things, while Margaret is more spontaneous. Meanwhile, Stacy takes a much stronger interest than Margaret in using her royal advantages to reach out and help her community by volunteering at an orphanage, which greatly impresses Prince Edward.

This marks the second Netflix movie I watched this year that contained extremely obvious product placement by showing the characters choosing a movie to watch and then cutting to the actual Netflix browsing screen. In this case, Margaret selects last year's royal Christmas special from Netflix, A Christmas Prince . Could this have been a not-so-subtle reminder to the audience that they are releasing the sequel, A Christmas Prince: The Royal Wedding  at the end of this month? Interestingly enough, it looks like the editors didn't choose the movie until after filming the scene. When Kevin asks Margaret which Christmas movie she wants to watch, she responds "The one with Santa," and he replies, "They all have Santa." Yet, they selected the one Christmas movie on Netflix that doesn't. I suppose I can forgive them for using this as an opportunity to shamelessly promote themselves since Netflix has contributed quite a bit to Princess Month this year.

If you're in the mood for something fluffy and predictable with a recycled Disney Channel plot and a recycled Disney Channel actress, The Princess Switch may be right up your alley. Don't expect anything new to come out of it. It's the same old story we've heard a million times about a princess wanting to experience life outside the castle and a city girl who scores every little girl's fantasy. It's a little difficult to swallow that they both fall in love after only two days, but no more than the fact that they just happen to look exactly the same while being in the same place at the same time. It's your usual Hallmark holiday fluff, but with princesses, so it's better.

Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Season 1

We are right in the middle of Princess Month with Netflix's release of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, an updated reimagining of the '80s classic, She-Ra: Princess of Power. The first season of the DreamWorks Animation series dropped yesterday with 13 magical action-packed episodes. The captivating story drew me in from the very beginning and never wavered once. Even though the cast was altered to be more diverse by giving the characters different shapes, colors, and sizes, the focus was never placed on their diversity and instead on their desires and stories, just as it should be. The daily character guides that the show's creators unveiled on social media before its release were a big help in keeping track of their names and attributes so that I could place all of my focus on the evolving the story.


Adora, the main character in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, is voiced by
Even though the show has a large cast of characters, it did a terrific job of introducing them in bite-sized chunks, providing just enough time to get to know her and her purpose in the world of Etheria. It was established early on that the core cast is Adora, Glimmer, and Bow. I loved how the core group because they balanced each other out. Adora acts a lot like Ariel or Starfire after leaving the Horde because everything is new to her. She was raised in the Fright Zone and therefore knows absolutely nothing about the outside world. Glimmer is a fiercely loyal friend who is always trying to prove herself to her powerful mother, which is why it took her so long to warm up to Adora. Bow served as a mediator because he is the only one who is not a princess, so he is willing to take more time to understand those who are different and have trouble fitting in like he does. This doesn't always mesh with Glimmer's possessiveness over him, and she often gets jealous if he pays too much attention to someone else. Not all of the other princesses were immediately appealing. Mermista, who was voiced by
Even though many people had reservations when the character designs initially, the animation looks beautiful in action. The characters are very expressive. I loved the little details they included in Glimmer's design, such as the big sparkles in her hair and the tiny pink wings on her back that identify as the daughter of the winged Queen Angella. The backgrounds of the whimsical and colorful world of Etheria are breathtakingly gorgeous. She-Ra and the Princesses of Power builds one of the loveliest and aesthetically pleasing fantasy worlds I have ever seen. The world is also filled with secrets derived from ancient people known as the "First Ones" with hidden technology and languages peppered throughout. The Sorceress from the original series is known as Light Hope in this version and appears only as an AI projection from the past, collecting data over the centuries. She-Ra's sword is revealed to be a relic of the First Ones, which is why it is so important. When Adora finds it, she transforms into the first new She-Ra after many generations. I love how they built a much richer mythology around the character than the original series. She-Ra from the '80s looked like Adora in a different outfit, but this She-Ra is several feet taller than Adora with longer blonder hair, bluer eyes, and an angelic golden glow around her.

Unlike Mysticons, where the villains kept changing and weren't always consistent, She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is very direct about the main conflict. She-Ra must stop Hordak and Shadow Weaver, the people who raised her, from attacking the innocent civilians of Etheria. Hordak was not a consistent presence in this version of the show, which actually helped make him more mysterious. He came off as devlishly wicked and dangerous in a way that he did not in the '80s version. It helped that he had a smooth and commanding voice instead of snorting every other word. Shadow Weaver felt like an evil stepmother who abused Catra by making her feel worthless in comparison to her preferred child, Adora. This mistreatment is what pushed Catra over the edge, making it impossible for Adora to convince her to join the right side. It's interesting how Catra's relationship with Shadow Weaver parallels Glimmer's relationship with her mother, Queen Angella because both are always getting into arguments and placing themselves in dangerous situations to try to prove themselves. The difference, however, is that Queen Angella eventually comes around and accepts Glimmer for who she is, while Shadow Weaver continues to see Catra as inferior to Adora no matter what she does. This is the biggest benefit of aging the characters down to teenagers because this demonstration of good and bad parenting would not have been possible if they were already adults.

She-Ra and the Princesses of Power is a perfect modern-day example of a Magical Girl series that encourages diversity and empowers girls. The pacing is exponentially better than the '80s, and the episodes flow into each other beautifully to tell one complete story. Each character was brilliantly cast and animated with unique features and expressions in an breathtakingly magical world. It teaches a wonderful lesson about what it means to be a family, even if you don't look always alike. It doesn't get too serious or too silly because the characters' personalities are different enough to play off each other in an entertaining manner while their goals are meaningful and important. I loved seeing Adora struggle between her past as a member of the Horde and her future as She-Ra and look forward to many more magical seasons.

November Is Basically Princess Month Now

Last November, I posted about all of the festivities that took place for various princess movie anniversaries. Did you know that an overwhelming majority of Disney Princess movies were released in November of their corresponding year? That makes it a huge month for celebrating many of our favorite theatrical releases. Sometimes people ask why that is, and I think it's mainly about accessibility. Disney likes to release their biggest blockbusters right before holiday vacations so that parents and kids will be available to go out and see them, guaranteeing a successful run. You might be wondering why these movies don't open in December so they're closer to the bigger holidays, but most blockbusters stay in theaters for at least two months, which means that opening in November will bring in both the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation crowds. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms , which came out last week, and even though it was somewhat disappointing, Disney's most anticipated princess blockbuster this year is still yet to come.  Ralph Breaks the Internet  will be released nationwide the day before Thanksgiving. Just look at all of these talented princess actresses who attended the premiere at the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood a few days ago!


Even though there were a few missing faces compared to the actresses who attended the D23 Expo panel last year, namely
Disney isn't the only studio getting in on the princess action this November. Netflix has two upcoming princess releases next week as well. The first is one you've probably already heard about. The Dreamworks TV reboot of She-Ra called She-Ra and the Princesses of Power has pushed up its release date by three days! Instead of November 16th, which now belongs to another Netflix princess release, She-Ra is dropping on November 13th. They have been releasing more previews of the series everyday on social media. Little by little, we've been getting official character bios of the princesses and their abilities, including She-Ra, Perfuma, Frosta, Entrapta, Mermista, Glimmer, Netossa, Spinerella, Bow, and even some members of the Horde. There are also some wonderful extended clips that give us a glimpse at the pacing of the show including one about She-Ra's rocky relationship with Catra, who she abandoned from the Horde to join the Princess of Power and another that came out today, humorously revealing the origins of She-Ra's flying unicorn, Swiftwind.


A less anticipated Netflix movie that was recently announced for this month is The Princess Switch, starring former Disney Channel actress

There's no doubt that this month is packed to the brim with princesses. Between Disney and Netflix, princess fans have no shortage of options, whether their preference is high fantasy, animation, film, TV, or Hallmark cheesiness. Aside from all the movies celebrating an anniversary this month, ABC recently aired a 90th Birthday Spectacular for Mickey Mouse, the character that began Walt Disney's corporate empire. The special included lots of Disney songs performed by famous actresses, including a beautiful rendition of "Part of Your Wold" by , who hovered over the stage on a levitating swing made of thick ropes in a gorgeous sheer seafoam green gown with puffed sleeves reminiscent of Ariel's tea dress and wedding dress. There has never been a better November to be a princess. On that note, I hope you're prepared for Black Friday this year because the Disney Store's website is now packed with even more merchandise of the Disney Princesses in their comfy new looks from Ralph Breaks the Internet !

Review: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

When I learned that Disney was making a movie based on "The Nutcracker," I did some research to become more acquainted with the original fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffman. That research may have gotten in the way my future enjoyment of the movie. Then again, I'm not sure there's much in it for adults to enjoy regardless of how much they know about the original story. That said, I think I may have liked it if I saw it as a kid even though it would not have been one of my favorites because I'm a sucker for stories about girls who journey to fantasy worlds and discover that they're princesses. It has the same sort of whimsical charm as The Wizard of Oz  or Alice in Wonderland , but without the emotion or heart that would have made it a true classic.


By far, the movie's greatest strength is its visuals. This film has one of the most beautiful posters I've ever seen, filled with varying shades of pink, lavender, teal, and blue with the characters blossoming into view like a flower. I was amazed by the way Clara's party dress seemed to shift from periwinkle to lavender in the trailer depending on the lighting, and the Sugar Plum Fairy's pink cotton candy hair and puffy multi-layered gown detailed with frills, sequins, and embroidery was just as stunning on the big screen as Clara's other elaborate princess dresses. Before I saw the movie, I was teased with tantalizing concept art showcasing the Lands of Snowflakes, Flowers, and Sweets as well as interviews stating that the movie mainly used practical sets instead of CGI. However, it turned out that these impressive sets made from real flowers and candy were only actually on screen for a few seconds that had already been spoiled by the trailer. The majority of the movie was set in mundane snow-covered forests, or enclosed in the mechanical-looking palace, allowing little time to enjoy the impressive scope of the whimsical man-made sets.

Of course, a movie can't sustain itself on visuals alone. When it comes to the story, The Nutcracker and the Four Realms truly misses the mark. It's an embarrassment that E.T.A. Hoffman received a credit at the end of the movie because it had virtually nothing to do with the story he wrote. It tries to present itself as a messy sequel to his version in the same vein as the live-action 2018 Little Mermaid movie by making Clara the daughter of Marie Stahlbaum from the Hoffman story, but it fails to do even that properly because it changes too much of Marie's backstory. If Marie had married the Nutcracker like in the original fairy tale, that would make him Clara's father in this movie, which he definitely is not. In The Nutcracker and the Four Realms, Marie was a genius inventor who created a machine that brought toys to life and used it to fill the four magical realms with whimsical inhabitants who worshipped her as their queen, making Clara their princess. In the original story, Marie was a badass who saved the Nutcracker from the Mouse King, which would have a much more interesting backstory for Marie, especially considering that the movie was obviously focused on empowering women. Whether it's a physics lesson or an army general you need, Clara can do it all. The Mouse King, who was described in Hoffman's tale as a seven-headed mouse, also could have been an interesting and creative Disney villain, but instead, it was a creepy-looking person created from hordes of regular-sized mice that didn't talk and had a very small overall role in the story.

Calling it The Nutcracker is one of the most problematic aspects of The Nutcracker and the Four Realms because Clara never receives a Nutcracker that comes to life for Christmas, which is pretty much the entire premise of the story. Instead, her recently departed mother leaves her a useless locked music box and a cryptic note that takes someone as smart as Clara way longer than it should have to decipher the true meaning. Clara's quest to find the key for the music box triggers the entire story when it turns out that she would have been better off without it all along. Her brother Fritz does receive a nutcracker as a present from Drosselmeyer, but the scene is presented as more of a gag than anything truly important. When Clara meets the titular character in the fantasy realm, he is already human and introduces himself as Captain Phillip. Clara only identifies him as a "Nutcracker Soldier" because he resembles a Nutcracker ornament her mother gave her in a flashback. He was apparently turned human by Clara's mother before the events of the movie took place. His relation to Drosselmeyer as his nephew from the original story is never mentioned in this version despite their obvious family resemblance. In fact, if Captain Phillip had not been in the movie at all, it would have changed absolutely nothing from the plot.

The Nutcracker and the Four Realms pays significantly more tribute to the ballet than it does to the story of "The Nutcracker and the Mouse King." It heavily features the music of Tchaikovsky along with an unnecessary dance sequence featuring headlining ballerina Misty Copeland. Characters like Mother Ginger and the Sugar Plum Fairy exist only in the ballet and not the fairy tale. The Tchaikovsky score also features waltzes dedicated to flowers and snowflakes that were probably the inspiration for the realms. Ironically, though, the changes that they made would probably confuse the heck out of children who watch this film before seeing a live performance of the ballet. The biggest twist was one that I had a suspicion might happen because of a pattern from many recent Disney movies, but I was hoping my suspicion was wrong, the recent Disney trope has become so trite that it's more frustrating to watch than it is surprising. It also gives them less time to fully develop their villains because they are not introduced as such until much later. Gone are the days of powerful queens of darkness like Maleficent. Thanks to that eyeroll-worthy twist, many of my biggest issues with this movie parallel my issues with Frozen.

If Disney had stuck a little closer to their source material, they could have easily solved most of the issues that critics had with The Nutcracker and the Four Realms. At its core, the classic story of "The Nutcracker" revolves around Marie/Clara's heartfelt relationship with him. In the Hoffman's tale, she scorned the self-centered Princess Pirlipat (who, by the way, would have also made a much more interesting villain than the one they went with) for no longer caring about Drosselmeyer's nephew after he was transformed into an ugly Nutcracker by the mischievous Lady Mouserinks. Most versions portray her nursing the Nutcracker back to health when her brother Fritz carelessly breaks him and later saving him from the wicked Mouse King. The bittersweet and romantic ending of Clara being forced to leave the Nutcracker behind in the fantasy land to be rewarded later with a Chrismas miracle of Drosselmeyer introducing her to his nephew in the real world has been faithfully recreated in both movie and book adaptations of the story, but not in the Disney version. Even though there is a subtle hint of romance between Clara and Captain Phillip, there's no Christmas miracle for her in the end. This version of Clara is a scientist, a martial artist, and an army leader, but the one thing she lacks is something that every Disney Princess should already possess--strength of heart. Disney has finally taken their modern feminist princess trope so far that they have lost the very heart of one of the stories they were trying to retell.

Review: Clara's Soldier

There are only a few short days before The Nutcracker and the Four Realms comes to theaters. In anticipation of this event, I read a recent adaptation of the classic fairy tale called Clara's Soldier by Brittany Fichter, the author  The Autumn Fairy . Before I begin, though, I'd like to acknowledge that today is Halloween. I hope everyone reading this is planning to dress up as their favorite princess! While we're mimicking princess fashions of old, the Disney Princesses are dressing down to look like us in Ralph Breaks the Internet . Disney is already cashing in on the princesses' new modern styles making screen-accurate replicas Ariel, Aurora, and Pocahontas's modern clothing available to grown-up women on their site as well as figurine and doll sets of their upcoming Millennial looks. Okay, back to Clara's Soldier.


I wasn't sure what to expect from Clara's Soldier because many of the previous books I've read by Brittany Fichter were dark and depressing. She's the type of writer that loves to torture her characters. With its World War II setting, her usual dark tone fit perfectly with this story. I enjoyed it a lot more than the other princess book I read that takes place during the same time period because it was very romantic and brought magic and hope to an otherwise hopeless and terrible part of history. No longer a little girl who plays with dolls, Clara was aged up to 21 in this version of the story and is engaged to a soldier named James whose status after the war is unknown. She waits for him for over a year with unwavering faith, refusing to believe that he died in action without hard evidence. Her godfather, Drosselmeyer, works up some magic after presenting Clara with a Nutcracker resembling James that allows Clara to finally learn the truth about her beloved.

This book was about half the length of most of Brittany Fichter's novels, which worked in its favor. The perils of war would have been unpleasant to read about in any more detail than it had, and it added a ticking clock to the romantic reunion between the two lovers. The subtle nods to the original "Nutcracker" story never felt out of place. Clara's younger brother Fritz played a minor role by accidentally breaking her Nutcracker just like in the fairy tale. James refers to the Nazis as "rats," as a subtle nod to the Mouse King. Finally, a small child who hints at the truth about what happened to James takes on the role of the Sugar Plum Fairy. The only major detail from the original story that wasn't referenced in the novel was James' connection to Drosselmeyer. In E.T.A. Hoffman's tale and likely the upcoming Disney version, the Nutcracker is revealed to be Drosselmeyer's nephew. Brittany's version had no mention of this, most likely because James was an ordinary man in the context of the story, while Drosselmeyer had a connection to the supernatural. Therefore, being related would alter what they are each capable of.

Even though Brittany's writing tends to be on the macabre side, she excels at love stories, and that is exactly what makes Clara's Soldier an outstanding novel. Clara and James are established as life-long sweethearts ever since they knew each other as children. Their unwavering faith that they will one day see each other again carries the story along beautifully leading up to the book's Christmas miracle. Both characters are in a very dark place at the beginning of the story. Everyone in Clara's life wants her to give up on James and move on, but she instead allows herself to continue suffering for an uncertain future that she has no idea if she still can attain. James is trapped in the midst of the war and its effects on him both mentally and physically. Both characters need each other to become whole again and end their sadness.

Clara's Soldier is a beautiful tale of faith, love, and recovery that pays tribute to "The Nutcracker" while still offering something new to its audience. Clara and James were unique enough characters to hold my interest in the story, and I didn't know what to expect by the end. It was a powerful and emotional journey and dealt with issues that many solders in real life have had to face. I recommend this book to anyone who loves romance and fantasy.

Review: Charming

It took a lot of patience, but I finally had an opportunity to watch 3QU Media's animated film, Charming, which still has no known release date in America. The movie was exactly what it looked like from the trailer--a mildly entertaining and predictable Shrek  wannabe with very little replay value. Considering that it was 3QU Media is still struggling with distribution on their first attempt at a film, I doubt we'll be seeing much else from them. The rudimentary animation was a dead giveaway for the studio's lack of experience. The fact that they incorporated watered down versions of Disney Princesses also shows that they didn't have enough faith in their own story. Even though the princesses did draw me in, I was hoping for a more fulfilling experience than this movie was able to provide.


To its credit, the story behind Charming is pretty original. Most fairy tales of old portray princes rescuing princesses and marrying them with the automatic assumption that they fall in love at the end, a tradition that Disney feebly attempted to overturn with Frozen. In Charming, Prince Philippe Charming attracts the love of all the princesses he meets with no effort on his part due to a curse that was placed on him as a baby by an evil sorceress named Nemony Neverwish. This cardboard caricature of an evil sorceress was bitter and angry about true love for reasons that we never learn in the film. The curse causes every woman that gazes into Philippe's eyes to fall madly in love with him so that he will never be able to experience what love really is. Like many curses from fairy tale stories, it is also a ticking time bomb that will somehow destroy all love if he cannot share true love's kiss with someone by his 21st birthday, and that is where the movie's originality falls short. Though the idea had promise, the climax fell back on every other movie trope, stripping it of the opportunity to ever become a classic.

There was one key line that was altered from the trailer that completely changed my impression of Philippe's personality. In the trailer, when the king asks Philippe if he is tired of being hated by all the men in the kingdom for stealing their true loves away, the prince claims that he is, but he likes being adored by the ladies. This scene does take place in the movie, but his response is very different. Instead of claiming to enjoy the attention, he tells his father that he has been doing his best to chase the ladies away because he knows that their love is not genuine. I'm not sure why they changed this in the trailer, but it completely transforms his character from the arrogant sleazebag he was promoted as into an ingenue who has no desire to hurt anyone and is curious about the meaning of love in spite of his curse. This made him easier to root for as a protagonist than, say, Prince Charming from Shrek 2 .

The movie reverses the common gender roles for its two protagonists, turning Philippe into a delicate male damsel in distress who wants to go on adventures but isn't capable of defending himself due to living in a castle his whole life, which makes sense. His love interest, Lenore, is hired by the king to protect him on a "coming of age" type passage he must go on to prove his manhood and choose a princess to marry or something like that. The explanation was kind of murky. Lenore, who is immune to Philippe's curse due to metaphorically locking up her heart to protect it, is a lonely and adventurous thief who is a female version of Flynn Rider from Disney's Tangled . Lenore disguises herself as a man with the excuse that people might recognize her from her "Wanted" posters, but that doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering that she and Philippe must leave the kingdom for their journey and travel to places that are uninhabited by people, making it pretty unlikely that someone would have recognized her. In the end, the disguise was really just a plot device to prevent Philippe from falling in love with her too early in the movie, especially after meeting her without the disguise at the beginning on and feeling things that he had never felt before.


The worst thing about Charming was by far the music. The fact that they cast washed up Disney Channel stars to play the princesses foreshadowed the awful tween pop songs that were scattered throughout the film and did absolutely nothing to move the story along. The movie would have far much enjoyable if it had not been a musical at all. I could have overlooked the similarities that Philippe's fiances, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty, had to their Disney counterparts if they had not taken the references even further by including out-of -place cameos of a mermaid with red hair and a green tail, a young woman in a blue dress walking through a crowd reading a book, and more. The premise of Philippe being unable to know what love is because of his curse was a great idea. If they had taken it in a different direction, it could have been a very poignant story. Instead, they incorporated so many Disney references and washed up pop stars that it became impossible to hide the fact that they were trying to rip off a far more successful and creative studio. It's a shame, really.

Review: A Dream of Ebony and White

Of all the books I've read from Melanie Cellier's Four Kingdoms and Beyond the Four Kingdoms series, I have to say that A Dream of Ebony and White  is by far my favorite. This modern adaptation of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" combines all the best things about the original version of the story and contemporary versions such as Snow White and the Huntsman , Mirror Mirror , and Once Upon a Time. The main character's name is Blanche, with means "white," but her nickname is "Snow," allowing her to feel like an organic addition to Melanie Cellier's massive fairy tale world while still paying tribute to the beloved classic character. She is shy and sweet like the Disney version but gains confidence and inner strength throughout the course of the story like in recent adaptations.

What I liked the most about A Dream of Ebony and White is that it took all of the aspects of "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" that we already know and intensified their emotional impact by telling them from Snow's perspective. In most versions of the tale, we see the queen command her huntsman to kill Snow White before the naive princess learns about it herself, making it less impactful when she finds out later. In this version, we feel the full range of confusion, shock, and horror when Snow's beloved childhood friend, who also happens to be a royal huntsman, sneaks into her room and whisks her away to the middle of the woods with no idea where she's going or why until she learns the awful truth that her life is in danger. The book evokes an incredible sense of relief when she discovers a small cottage where she can restore her strength after wandering aimlessly for days with barely any food or rest until she felt she could die of exhaustion at any given moment.
In most recent film adaptations of Snow White, the formerly helpless heroine is given a weapon and trains to stage a rebellion and take back her rightful place on the throne from her wicked stepmother. This story follows the same contemporary trope, but without the implication that a pampered princess is able to transform into a skilled warrior over a matter of weeks. Instead, she receives lots of help from her huntsman, her grandfather, and former palace soldiers who swear loyalty to her over her stepmother. She does receive some training and a dagger much later in the book, but it's far more believable than the level of expertise she reaches in Snow White and the Huntsman or Once Upon a Time. Her shyness and insecurities are a big part of what makes her character so easy to relate to. She is not a natural-born warrior, but she doesn't need to be when there are so many that are willing to fight and even die for her. After all, the role of a queen is to lead.
I loved all the supporting characters from the fairy tale that were reimagined for this version. Instead of waking up to find seven dwarfs in the cottage, Snow awoke to seven children--both boys and girls--who had been either abandoned by their families or rescued from tragic situations. This faux orphanage was the perfect spot for Snow to hide from her wicked stepmother and pick up some of the skills she wouldn't have been able to learn by living in a castle. The fact that some of the children were girls made it easier for Snow to form a bond with them as well as making them more vulnerable to the evil queen's attempts on Snow's life. Her love interest, Alexander, was a huntsman instead of a prince, but unlike Snow White and the Huntsman, he didn't have that creepy age difference and was not the one chosen by the queen to kill her. That task was given to a different royal huntsman who was loyal to Snow's stepmother, allowing for an exciting face-off during the climax.
Overall, I have to say that A Dream of Ebony and White really hit the mark. It took all the best things about "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" and turned into a fresh emotional tale with a gentle and kind-hearted heroine who was capable of growing as much as her situation required her to. The romance with Alexander was incredibly moving because he was there from the very beginning. Turning the seven dwarfs into seven orphan children made it far more urgent for Snow to defeat her stepmother and protect her new friends. If you are looking for a realistic modern take on this classic fairy tale, look no further than Melanie Cellier's latest book.

Review: Ogre Enchanted

Long before the bumbling fairy godfather Mortimer bestowed troublesome magical gifts on his changes in the Entwined Tales series, Gail Carson Levine graced us with the incompetent fairy godmother Lucinda in her captivating "Cinderella" adaptation, Ella Enchanted. Today, she is writing as much as ever. Last week, she released a companion novel to Ella Enchanted called Ogre Enchanted, which explores some of Lucinda's previous magical follies. The story is a very loose reverse adaptation of "Beauty and the Beast" about a healer named Mistress Evora who doesn't believe in getting married too young. When the troublesome fairy Lucinda overhears her turn down her friend Wormy's marriage proposal, she is cursed to live as an ogre with a time limit of roughly two months to agree to a marriage proposal if she does not wish to remain in this state forever.


Evie took some time to grow on me as a protagonist. Unlike Aza from my favorite Gail Carson Levine book, Fairest , Evie is a confident healer who doesn't easily get sad or frightened. Even when she was turned into an ogre, she found it more of a nuisance than a horrific tragedy. For someone from land of magic and fairy tales, she has some radical ideas about love. I was a bit miffed by her claim that the Beast from "Beauty and the Beast" settled for Belle because she was the only one he could find to break the spell and not because he truly loved her. Anyone who knows the story knows that isn't the case at all. However, Gail Carson Levine has always had strong opinions about classic fairy tales that inspired her cleverly irreverent novels. For instance, she originally wrote Ella Enchanted because she never understood why Cinderella did everything she was told despite how horribly her stepmother treated her. Fairy Dust and the Quest for the Egg mentioned in the author blurb that Gail thought Wendy was a fool for wanting to leave Neverland. My initial ire wore off as I continued reading about Evie's engaging and unexpected adventures.

Though not a princess by title, Evie exhibits all of the kindness and selflessness that you would expect from the protagonist of a princess story. She is extremely even after she is turned into an ogre and faces extreme prejudice. Though Evie ultimately does not want to be an ogre, she takes the curse in stride and uses it to learn more about other ogres and to protect the beings that they prey on. She struggles a little with her new urge to eat other people, but it never gets enough in the way her healing nature to become a true problem. The story is a fascinating look at what life is like for someone who appears intimidating and inspires fear but only wants to help people. Evie winds up staying at a castle that is plagued with an outbreak of a disease and does her best to heal everyone that needs help. Squeamish readers might be a little grossed out by her favorite ingredient called "purpline" that she regularly seeks and uses as the primary cure for most of her patients, which is comprised of purple dragon urine.

The romance in the book was downplayed since Evie spent most of her time as an ogre away from Wormy, her long-time patient and friend whose proposal she turned down at the beginning of the story. Despite her misgivings with the "Beauty and the Beast" narrative, Evie quickly thinks she is falling in love with Sir Peter, a charming and manipulative cad who I found to have much in common with Gaston from the Disney version. Her naive feelings toward him gave off definite  Frozen  vibes, but I was glad that it was not the main focus of the story. I felt awful for Evie's loyal friend Eleanor who was pulled in by Peter's charms as well. It was a shame that things did not turn out very happily for her in the end. My favorite cameo in the book was Mandy, Ella's real fairy godmother from Ella Enchanted, who made a sudden and unexpected appearance as Eleanor's fairy godmother.

Ogre Enchanted is a terrific character study about a cynical young lady who is so devoted to her trade that she is capable of continuing to heal scores of people despite having the appearance of something they fear. Evie inspires perseverance in the face of adversity and is a worthy predecessor for Ella, who was also forced to deal with Lucinda's curse to the best of her ability. I did not enjoy the story quite as much as Fairest, which is still my favorite Gail Carson Levine book, because reading about severed ogre heads and dragon urine was simply not as glamorous as the kingdom of Ayortha that values singing and music above all else. Anyone who enjoyed Ella Enchanted and wants to learn more about Lucinda's previous disasters will probably enjoy Ogre Enchanted.

Mickey's Halloween Party Is a Great Place To Be a Princess!

Yesterday, my husband and I attended Mickey's Halloween Party at Disneyland to meet up with some friends. It wasn't my first time attending this event, but they had changed a few things since the last time I went. A ticket to Mickey's Halloween Party now grants admission to both Disneyland Park and Disney's California Adventure from three hours before the start time of the party until both parks close. The Florida equivalent of the event is Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party, which I've also been to several times. One of the biggest benefits of these events was that they used to cover a half day in the parks including parking for slightly over half the price of a full-day ticket. Thanks to some unfortunate changes Disney has been making, admission is now practically the same as a full-day ticket and no longer includes parking. At least it gets you into both parks. The event itself is just as fun as ever. My husband and I attended dressed up as Fairytale Designer Ariel and Eric, the same costumes we wore to the Renaissance Faire earlier this year.


One of the biggest perks of the Disney Halloween parties is that it's the one time of year that people are permitted to come to the parks in costume. It's also one of the only times that you can meet many of the classic Disney villains. Maleficent, Hades, the Evil Queen, and Jafar greet guests all night near the entrance while Lady Tremaine and her two daughters, Anastasia and Drizella, run amuck throughout the park. The villains are also heavily featured in the exclusive Halloween parade and fireworks show. Of course, I'm more of a princess fan than a villain fan, and I'm pleased to announce that this year's Halloween party significantly increased its princess presence since the last one I attended. The princesses used to stopped greeting guests shortly before the Halloween event began, meaning that you would have to catch them during the first few hours you're granted entrance or you'll miss them. This year, they stayed out all night at the outdoor theater near their usual meeting spot, giving guests a rare opportunity to meet two princesses at a time. When I got in line, I was asked to choose between Cinderella and Ariel or Belle and Aurora, but I was told that Jasmine, Tiana, and Snow White also came out at different times. It was a pleasant surprise to see that Disney is now including princesses in their Halloween festivities.


Another new experience for me was meeting characters that came straight out of Disney park rides. The first one switched places with Captain Jack Sparrow while we were waiting in line, giving us a rare opportunity to make her acquaintance. Captain Redd is a recent remodel to an animatronic redhead from the Pirates of the Carribean ride. She was originally part of a rather disturbing scene on the ride where it was implied that she was being auctioned off as a sex slave. Even though it was subtle enough to go over children's heads, it was still an unpleasant scene to watch, even if it was historically accurate. Disney decided to take a step toward female empowerment by reimagining the character to be a swashbuckling female pirate. Captain Redd now makes appearances in person to greet guests. She was a lot of fun to meet and had a great accent. Another new addition was a meet'n'greet with the characters from the Haunted Mansion ride. First up was Constance, the bride who beheaded all of her husbands. My friends volunteered the only unmarried man in our party to be her new husband, and she said he looked like had a good head on his shoulders! She had an incredibly gorgeous look that reminded me of Princess Diana, but she really nailed it with her acting. She was deadpan and expressionless the entire time, creating just the right amount of creepiness. Finally, we met Sally Slater, the tightrope walker from the painting in the elevator that you see right before boarding the doom buggy. The character became an incredibly popular cosplay in recent years, which might be why Disney decided to get their own official version. She acted exactly like a typical theme park princess, which is why I was shocked when she casually mentioned that she died when she fell off the tightrope into the alligator's mouth from the painting and was now a ghost!





The final princess experience I had during the Halloween party was eating dinner at the Red Rose Tavern, which was remodeled from what used to be the Pinnochio Village Haus and transformed into a Beauty and the Beast themed restaurant instead. Even though it wasn't nearly as impressive as the Be Our Guest restaurant from Walt Disney World in Florida, it still had its charms. The Beast's magic rose was suspended above the ordering stations, and stained glass artwork from the movie hung on one of the walls. There were paintings of the characters near the exit, and the other side of the small quick-service restaurant was decorated to look like Gaston's tavern, complete with antlers. I had an amazing Black Rose Dessert there, which was exclusive for the Halloween party. It was a decadent dark chocolate mousse in the shape of a rose filled with raspberry compote. It was the perfect treat for a chocoholic like me! Even though we went to several trick-or-treat stops in the park throughout the night, I made sure to save my candy for after Disneyland, so I was glad I still got to have my fill of chocolate while I was there.



Some of my old favorites from previous parties were still there too, like the giant pumpkin at the front of the park and the villain-themed fireworks show, complete with matching animated projections on both Sleeping Beauty Castle and the It's a Small World ride. The parade had many new floats, including a Nightmare Before Christmas  one and Dr. Facilier one, but my favorite Haunted Mansion ghost dancers were still there. I love how incredibly romantic they look while still appearing undead at the same time in their beautiful Victorian costumes. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience that was full of new surprises. If you want to be able to dress up as a princess while immersing yourself in your favorite Disney park attractions, Mickey's Halloween Party in Disneyland or Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party at Walt Disney World is the place to do it.