The Little Mermaid: Her Part in Our World

The Little Mermaid: Her Part in Our World

by Mikayla Nelson

            Once Upon a Time – These iconic words introduce most fairy tales.  The magic and mystery these words possesses set the mood for a timeless story full of fantasy and fun.  Some of the fairy tales we know and love today were first published in a book called Contes du temps passé (Tales of the Past), in France during the late seventeenth century (Zipes Fairy 17).  Since the rise of the fairy tale genre began, it has expanded vastly throughout the world. 

What exactly are fairy tales?  Jack Zipes, a retired German professor from the University of Minnesota who wrote and lectured about fairy tales, wrote, “literary fairy tales are social symbolical acts and narrative strategies formed to take part in civilized discourses about morality and behavior in particular societies and cultures” (Zipes Fairy 19).  Fairy tales teach us lessons and morals.  These morals make most fairy tales universal and they are rearranged to fit changing values, and social norms (Zipes Fairy 19).  One of the better known fairy tale authors is Hans Christian Andersen, a man of Danish decent.  One of his best known stories was The Little Seamaid.  In 1989 this was made into a movie, The Little Mermaid, by the Walt Disney Company.  The different endings and details of these two versions of the classic tale, The Little Seamaid, portray two different messages.  Disney’s personable ending teaches hope and optimism, while Andersen’s story gives a less optimistic, but realistic message about things not happening as planned.  Each of these messages say something different about vocation and purpose and contribute to how we see the world.

Through this fairy tale, children learn that if plans don’t turn out the way they had hoped, they have failed and this notion carries with them throughout their life.  The result being giving up, not wanting to truly work towards their goal and instead, wanting it handed to them.

Disney offers children the opportunity to dream, vindicating the necessity of fantasies that contain utopian traces and that offer an antidote to the brutality and emptiness of everyday life.  But like all dreams, the dreams that Disney provides for children are not innocent and must be interrogated for the futures they envision, the values they promote and the forms of identification they offer… [to] saturate everyday life with its own ideologies (Zipes Breaking 118).

Even with these ideologies and skewed visions of life, “the fairy tale, though mediated, still projects rays of hope that humankind may yet come into its own (Zipes Breaking 145).

Disney made many minor changes from, The Little Seamaid.  In the original, the mermaid has no name, while in Disney’s version they gave her a name, Ariel.   There was a grandmother in the original who served as a mother figure to the six (not seven) daughters, who was cut from the Disney adaptation.  Contradicting to Disney’s adaptation, the mer-people weren’t strict about humans; on their fifteenth birthday each mermaid was allowed on shore to discover the world for themselves.  They were also able to keep human artifacts in their gardens as decoration.  For the most part, the movie and the book are very similar.  The mermaid goes to shore, saves her prince from a sinking ship; although, in the Disney adaptation, Ariel sings to the prince and he looks for her that way.  She falls in love with him and dreams of the human world, but after she decides to visit the sea witch, the story drastically changes.

In Andersen’s version, the little mermaid sought out a witch that could give her legs.  The little mermaid made her way through a very difficult trek to the witches’ residence.  When she finally arrived, the witch knew exactly what the mermaid wanted:

It is very foolish of you! All the same you shall have your way, because it will lead you into misfortune, my fine princess. You want to get rid of your fish's tail, and instead to have two stumps to walk about upon like human beings, so that the young prince may fall in love with you, and that you may win him and an immortal soul.  (Andersen 87)

The witch warned, I will make you a potion that you must take before sunrise that will turn you human.  It is very painful, like swords.  Everyone will see you as beautiful and graceful, but every step you take will feel like you are walking upon knives.  Once you are human, you can never again be a mermaid.  You will never see your family again. If you do not marry the prince, you will not gain an immortal soul and the morning of after his marriage to another you will turn to sea foam (Andersen 88).

The mermaid accepted.  She gained legs and lived with the prince, but “he loved her as one loves a good sweet child, but it never entered his head to make her his queen” (Andersen 92).  One day the prince was told that he would be married to a princess of a neighboring kingdom.  The prince agreed to marry her if he could meet her, so he ventured to see her.  The young princess was indeed the girl from the school who he thought saved his life.  They were married.  The little mermaid sat on the ship that night, deeply saddened knowing that when the day comes, she will surely die.  Suddenly her sisters arose from the water, their hair cut off. They spotted the mermaid and told her, we have given our hair to the witch for her help to save you.  She has given us this knife.  Before sunrise, you must kill the prince with it and when his blood falls on your feet, you will once again become a mermaid.  Hurry, either he dies or you die (Andersen 96).

The little mermaid goes into the princes chambers and looks into the face she loves, realizing she could not kill him.  She kissed his forehead, and as dawn came, she began dissolving into sea foam.  The little mermaid saw clear, beautiful creatures in the sky above her and she gradually took form into the creatures she saw:

To the daughters of the air! answered the others; a mermaid has no undying soul, and can never gain one without winning the love of a human being. Her eternal life must depend upon an unknown power. Nor have the daughters of the air an everlasting soul, but by their own good deeds they may create one for themselves… You, poor little mermaid, have with your whole heart struggled for the same thing as we have struggled for. You have suffered and endured, raised yourself to the spirit-world of the air, and now, by your own good deeds you may, in the course of three hundred years, work out for yourself an undying soul. (Andersen 97)

For the first time, the little mermaid could shed a tear.  She then noticed the prince and his bride searching for her, and cried at the water knowing she had flung herself into the sea.  The little mermaid kissed the prince, smiled at his bride and floated into the air beginning her journey to gaining an immortal soul.

In Disney’s version the story is quite different, Ariel goes to see the sea witch, Ursula.  Ursula convinces her to trade her voice for human legs.  In order for Ariel to keep her legs, she must get the prince to kiss her in three days, or she will become a prisoner to the sea witch forever.  Ariel agrees, gives up her voice, is given human legs, and is brought to shore where she will begin her journey.  She meets Prince Eric on the shore and he brings her to his castle.  The mute girl begins to spend time with the prince while her friends try to assist her in her ultimate endeavor, true love’s kiss.  The prince begins to ponder whether he should give up on this mystery voice that saved him and marry Ariel, a girl he has grown quite fond of.  When suddenly, the voice that captivated came from a distance, he had finally found her.  The prince and his mystery maiden were to be wed.  Ariel was confused and her heart broke.  Ariel’s seagull friend, Scuttle, saw the prince’s beloved getting ready in her room, when he noticed her reflection.  It was the sea witch in disguise.  She had used Ariel’s voice to trick the prince into believing she was his mystery maiden.  Scuttle rushed to tell Ariel and she swam to the ship as fast as she could.  When she arrives, the shell necklace, where Ariel’s voice was being kept, shattered into pieces and freed her voice from the sea witches’ possession.  It found its way back to Ariel and broke the curse put on the prince.  He realizes it was Ariel all along and runs to kiss her, but it’s too late, the sun has set on her third day as a human and she becomes a prisoner of the sea witch.  Prince Eric tries to save her, while down below King Triton makes a deal with the sea witch, his life for Ariel’s.  Ursula now possesses King Tritons Trident and crown and becomes ruler of all the oceans, her original plan all along.  Ursula becomes a giant, erupts out of the sea and begins to try destroying Ariel and her prince.  Prince Eric stabs Ursula with a shipwrecked ship that she conjured out of the bottom of the sea and she is thwarted.  The Sea King is no longer a prisoner, and takes back his place as king.  Ariel still a mermaid, while Prince Eric is washed up on shore near his castle.  Ariel swims to the surface and watches Eric from a distant rock while her father and Sebastian (King Triton’s assistant and Ariel’s friend) watch Ariel daydream about her beloved.  Her father, feeling sympathy for his youngest daughter, gives her human legs.  She arises from the ocean and Eric runs up, twirls her around and they embrace and share true love’s kiss.  They are married and they live happily ever after.

There are many slight differences between these two versions, but the most drastic difference is the endings.  In the Disney version, the princess gets her happily ever after, both her voice and her prince; while in the original version, she dies and becomes a “daughter of the air” (Andersen 97) in hopes to one day gain an immortal soul. The original mermaid sacrificed much more then Ariel, Disney’s mermaid.  The original mermaid not only gave up her voice, she was willing to walk with stabbing pains in her feet for months, and in the opportunity to become a mermaid again and live by killing the prince, she declined and made the ultimate sacrifice of her life.  Whereas Ariel not only got her voice back in the end, she didn’t feel pain when she walked and even if she had, it was for three days instead of months. Also, when Ariel failed she didn’t die, but became prisoner of the sea witch. Even that didn’t count as a sacrifice because her father took her place as prisoner, her prince saved her and her father gave her happily ever after to her in the end.  She got her prince.  “The spiritual aspects of the tale are usually replaced by romantic love and the goal is to find a soul mate, not a soul” (Frus 201-202).  We must not forget the fact that Ariel got her happily ever after and the original mermaid did not, at least in the convention sense.   

 The drastically different endings of this beloved tale send a differing message and meaning.  In Andersen’s tale, the little mermaid discovers salvation doesn’t have to be achieved by the love of a man, but can also be achieved through good deeds, suffering and self-sacrifice.  Andersen writes, “I have not allowed the mermaid’s acquiring of an immortal soul to depend upon an alien creature, upon the love of a human being… I have permitted my mermaid to follow a more natural, more divine path” (Leadbeater 2). Whereas in the Disney adaptation, her goal is achieved for her out of the love of her father, without any consequences for her actions to follow.  “Since Eric kills the witch for Ariel, and since Triton makes her marriage possible. Ariel does not solve her own problems” (Trites 6).  Ariel isn’t the hero of her own story.  The lesson behind the original is completely lost, it portrays a poor, impractical message and gives false hopes to young girls.

Why does this matter?  “From the folk tale, one learns ones role in life; one learns the tragic dilemma of life, the battle between good and evil, between weak and strong.  One learns that if he is kind, generous, and compassionate, he will win the princess.  The triumph is for all that is good in the human spirit” (Hasse 1).  Fairy tales and folk tales teach life lessons in a fun and hopeful way.  “One could argue that the sanitized versions we have today are actually counterproductive to the original purpose of fairy tales, so the children can safely confront their darkest fears” (Gubler).  Disney’s version defeats the purpose of fairy tales and instead brings false hope and “one-dimensional portrayal and thinking, for it is adorable, easy and comforting in its simplicity” (Zipes Fairy 95).  Society has comfort in the belief that happy endings do exist, but are effected when they don’t get a result they hope for or if they have to work hard to get it.   

            Even when considering the radical differences from the original story, somehow the Disney adaptation is still adored and loved despite its differing and controversial message. Dr. Susan Cocalis, offered a class where students discussed these two versions of The Little Seamaid.  At the end of the class, the students wrote an essay explaining if their views of the Disney movie changed after knowing the original story.  Among the fifty usable papers of these students, 90% of them did not change their views about the Disney movie, and the ones who did change their views, did not offer much critique (Chyng 44).  Why is it that the Disney version is subject to favoritism?  Many of the students wrote that the Disney version has an entertainment quality, was a part of their childhood and that “… overanalyzing a film and picking every little bit apart ruins it so you start to look too closely at other films and lose the entertainment quality which is what film essentially is” (Chyng 51). 

A rigid view of this flawed story says a lot about how we see the world. 

Indeed, the animated tales made by Disney himself, as well as those produced by his followers are simply flawless, as evidenced by the enthusiasm with which several generations of viewers have been relishing the animators’ technical brilliance.  Across the world ‘children from seven to seventy’ predominantly relate such fairytale characters as Cinderella or Snow White with their cartoon version created by Disney.” (Deszcz 1)

Though the Disney version is flawed, it is entertaining for the audience, has a happy ending, conveys a concept of good versus evil, is advertised by the media and “the message of the fairytale is conveyed in terms suitable for a modern public” (Mortensen 449).  In a world full of wars and consistent violence, people look to fairy tales to take them to a world of fantasy, where good always defeats evil. “The fairy tale… projects the relief of all pressures and not only offers ways to solve problems, but promises that a ‘happy’ solution will be found” (Bettelheim 36).  People seek for a place where dreams come true and where happiness lies, but what they forget to focus on is the meaning behind it. “Many of the stories have a moral, although, we think more as we read them of the diversion than of the lesson” (Lieberman 384).  The Disney version is entertaining, but the original reminds us of the intended lesson, that our happiness may not come in the way we expect, a lesson everyone should learn.

The different endings between the original and the Disney version of The Little Seamaid, say different things about vocation and purpose and these differences in meanings effect our view of the world.  The Disney version creates happiness which gives people hope, belief, and optimism but the original reminds us that things don’t always turn out according to plan.  Both of these lessons are helpful to know for many life situations.  This fairy tale and many others remind us of lessons learned.  In times of darkness and evil, we look to them for guidance, for hope and for the belief that good will always win.  That we will find our life’s purpose and our happily ever after.

The Genie is Free: A Tribute to Robin Williams

The Genie is Free

by Mikayla Nelson

            It was the last week of summer before going off to college and I was spending a day of fun at Valley Fair with some friends.  It was around lunch time when one of my friends looked at her phone to catch up on all of the new things happening.  She stops for a second.  I turn to her and ask her what’s wrong.  “Robin Williams died today” she replied.  My heart immediately sank to my stomach.  All I could say was “really?  Wow.”  I got home that night and my parents asked me if I had heard the news and I said I did.  I asked how he died, they said he committed suicide.  It finally hit me.  A comedic genius admired by many, not only thought about suicide, but succeeded.  That was the day, the world had lost a beloved actor, a husband and a friend.

            Robin Williams took on many roles.  He became the well-known alien on the TV show Mork and Mindy, a DJ in Good Morning Vietnam, Mrs. Doubtfire in Mrs. Doubtfire, a doctor in Awakenings, an alternative school teacher in Dead Poet’s Society, a psychologist in Good Will Hunting, and my personal favorite the voice of genie in Disney’s Aladdin.  These are just to name a few.    He not only performed in countless movies and television shows, but he won an Oscar for best supporting actor in his role in Good Will Hunting, and Golden Globes for his roles in Mrs. Doubtfire, The Fisher King, Good Morning Vietnam, Mork and Mindy and Aladdin.  As Steve Chawkins and Steven Zeitchik from the LA Times said, “Williams became one of the world’s most successful entertainers, and actor and comedian whose energy animated characters who, like himself, seemed to be spinning hilariously out of control – sometimes into dark places that only the ‘most humorous’ can understand.” (Chawkins)

            Williams was born on July 21, 1951 in Chicago, Illinois.  His father was a Ford Motor CO. executive and his mother was what he liked to call a “Christian Scientist.” (Chawkins)  Williams said, “my mother played a huge role in comedic upbringing”. (Robin) He would often want his mother’s attention and would try to do so by making her laugh.  He grew up in a huge estate in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, where he often played alone.  He would give voices to his many toys which he believes was the beginning of the creation of his many voices. (Robin)  Williams’ father was transferred from Detroit to San Francisco.  Williams would finish high school at Red Wood High School in San Francisco.  He would later be voted most humorous and least likely to succeed. Little did they know, the joke was on them.  After high school, Williams attended Claremont Men’s College, where he studied political science.  While he was there he was introduced to an improvisation class and fell in love with it.  Williams said that acting helped him get outside of himself. (Robin)  “The characters can do things that I am too afraid to do myself.” (Robin)  Williams had found his calling.  He then transferred to the College of Marin and was one of two students to be accepted into an acting program at the Julliard School in New York City.  He never got a degree, but it didn’t stop him from acting.

            Though Robin Williams was a successful man, he had his downfalls.  Through many years of his life, Williams struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction and battled severe depression.  For Williams, alcohol and cocaine were a way of “pulling back.” (Robin)  “Cocaine for me was a place to hide, most people get hyper on coke.  It slowed me down… and I was so crazy back then, working all day and partying most of the night: I needed an excuse not to talk.” (Chawkins)  Williams was a very hyper man; he was always full of energy and charisma.  This was his way of calming down.  He quit drinking and using cocaine for two reasons.  His main reason being that he would soon have a son and he wanted to experience being a father and watching him grow.  He wanted to be present.  The other reason was the death from overdose of his friend Jim Belushi. (Robin)  Having these moments made Williams realize there was “something more than him.” (Robin)  That the world was going to keep going whether he was high or not.  This helped him quit his addiction habits.  He stayed dry for twenty years and returned to rehab in 2006.  “It waits, it lays in wait for the time when you think, ‘It’s fine now, I’m O.K.’ then, the next thing you know, it’s not O.K. Then you realize, ‘Where am I? I didn’t realize I was in Cleveland.’ (Tauber) ” It waits for you to feel better and think that you can conquer anything and that’s when it strikes again.  “It's the same voice that ... you're standing at the precipice and you look down, there's a voice and it's a little quiet voice that goes, 'Jump,' the same voice that goes, 'Just one.' ... And the idea of just one for someone who has no tolerance for it, that's not a possibility.” (Itzkoff)

            On August 11^th, 2014 that little voice won.  That little voice took the life of a man of many voices that inspired the world.  Many people were inspired and looked up to Robin Williams.  He was an iconic man to many and gave us all many laughs and smiles.  He was someone you would never figure would be depressed.  “He was always in character – you never saw the real Robin, I knew him for 35 years, and I never knew him.” (Chawkins)  It was hard to see his true feelings, because he was always in character.  He leaves behind a wife, Susan Schneider and his three children Zachary, Zelda and Cody.  After his death his wife says, “This morning, I lost my husband and my best friend, while the world lost one of its most beloved artists and beautiful human beings.  As he is remembered, it is our hope the focus will not be on Robin’s death, but on the countless moments of joy and laughter he gave to millions.” (Itzkoff)  That he did.  Not only does he leave family and friends behind, but a legacy that will always be remembered by millions across the globe.  President Obama says, “He gave his immeasurable talent freely and generously to those who needed it most — from our troops stationed abroad to the marginalized on our own streets.” (Itzkoff)

            Some may argue that committing suicide is the easy way out.  However, I have experienced depression and know countless people who experience it and I understand the darkness it brings upon people.  There comes a time where you are sick and tired of being sad, a time where you can’t move or force yourself to get out of bed.  There is a time where the darkness floods over you like waves and you can’t help but let it drift you away.  The time where you hear “that little voice that tells you to jump.” (Itzkoff)  You’re tired and you can’t help but give in to it.  It saddens me that a wonderful, talented and joyous man, and countless other people of the world today feel this sadness.  And countless people give in to that little voice because they’ve lost sight of it all.  Suicide isn’t the easy way out, it’s the hardest thing in the world.  It happens when you see nothing but darkness, and you’ve lost sight of your own existence.

            Did Williams live out his vocation?  Yes, I believe he did.  Though he may have lost his battle with addiction, depression, and the battle of his own life; he inspired many, did wonderful things for his community and the world and brought countless smiles and laughs to people across the world.  He did what he loved to do, and while he did, he changed many lives.  Some may argue that suicide gave his life no meaning, but his vocation isn’t about his death, it’s about his life.  Williams says in the movie Jack, “Please don’t worry so much. Because in the end, none of us have very long on this Earth. Life is fleeting. And if you’re ever distressed, cast your eyes to the summer sky, when the stars are strung across the velvety night, and when shooting star streaks through the blackness, turning night into day, make a wish. Think of me. Make your life spectacular. I know I did.” (Jack)  I couldn’t have said this better myself.

The death of the beloved actor, father and friend will be grieved throughout the world.  His inspiration and legacy will be remembered always.  His countless jokes, movies, talents, voices and characters he brought to life will go down in acting and comedy history.  His depression had him locked up, his wish was to be free from it; like his character the genie once said, “But oh, to be free. Not to have to go Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need? Poof! What do you need?  To be my own master. Such a thing would be greater than all the magic and all the treasures in all the world.” (Aladdin)  You are now free from the chains that bound you.  “Carpe Diem!” (Dead)  Genie, you’re free.

Frozen: A bit of a "FIxer Upper"

I did this for fun.  I really wanted to write a review for this movie because I had a lot to say about it.  I hope you read it and enjoy it!  Let me know what you think!
 
Frozen: A Bit of A “Fixer Upper”

It’s all there, the happiness, the romance, the adventure and the love.  Even with all of the Disney magic that this movie brings, things don’t quite add up.  Has Disney lost its touch?

Story:

Two sisters, Anna and Elsa are princesses of the kingdom of Arundel.  The oldest sister Elsa has magic powers of ice and snow, and accidently harms her sister Anna while they were playing together.  Elsa must learn to hide herself and her powers for the well being of herself and the kingdom.  After their parents die in a shipwreck, Elsa and Anna are alone in their castle.  Elsa becomes queen of Arundel and must conceal her powers until coronation is over.  Meanwhile Anna is taking advantage of her first time out of the castle by exploring, and ends up falling for a handsome prince named Hans, whom she has just met and claims she has fallen in love with.  Elsa succeeds at her task  of concealing her powers until her and her sister get into an argument about Anna wanting to marry Hans after knowing each other for one day.  Elsa becomes angry and accidently reveals her powers to the entire kingdom, putting Arundel into an eternal ice and snow.  Everyone is in shock, and she runs away in fear.  Her sister Anna runs after her and is determined to find her sister and have her unfreeze the land.  She asks a young man named Kristoff, his reindeer Sphen, and a cute snowman named Olaf to help her find her sister, and they set off on an adventure.  Anna eventually finds Elsa and tries to talk her into coming home but Elsa refuses and accidently hits Anna in the heart with ice.  Anna begins to feel weak and Kristoff brings her to a healing troll who says Anna will die and the only way to save her is by an act of true love. Meanwhile the people of Arundel have captured Elsa in the dungeon of the castle.  Kristoff brings Anna back to Arundel in a hurry.  When they get there, Kristoff asks the people to bring her to Prince Hans as soon as possible.  The people bring Anna to Hans to receive her true loves kiss, when suddenly Hans reveals he was only after the crown and he didn’t really love her.  He then locks the door leaving Anna alone to die.  Olaf unlocks the door and tries to find a way to save Anna.  Meanwhile Kristoff sees ice and snow erupting from the castle, and he races back to save Anna.  Elsa breaks out of the dungeon and tries to run back to her castle on the mountain, but Hans finds her and tells her that her sister is dead.  Elsa is devastated and falls to the ground in grief.  Meanwhile Olaf sees Kristoff running back to save Anna and Anna uses all of her strength to run outside to meet him in hopes he can save her.  Anna is running to Kristoff and out of the corner of her eye, she sees Hans about to kill her grieving sister.  She looks back and forth debating which way to go, and she than decides to run towards her sister.  Kristoff is watching just as Hans is about to swing his sword, Anna jumps in front of him to save her sister and turns into a solid ice statue and breaks the sword.  Elsa looks up and sees her frozen sister and drapes herself over her and weeps.  After a few moments, Anna and the entire city of Arundel to melt and become the summer it once was.  This was the act of true love.  Elsa and Anna embrace and Elsa begins to control and enjoy the powers she possesses.  Hans is band from the kingdom, Kristoff and Anna share a kiss and it’s once again happily ever after.

What went well:

The animated setting of this film was beautiful!  The animated ice and snow sparkled and gleamed and made for a gorgeous setting for this story.  The voice actors and actresses did an amazing job with their voice over’s and singing. Their voices matched their characters personality very well.  There were many humorous moments in this film, just like most Disney films, that I truly enjoyed. 

The fact that Disney made a point about not marrying a guy after knowing him for a day and having the act of true love be between the two sisters rather than true loves kiss really made this movie stand out above the rest.  It gave a different view point and a wonderful plot twist.  I also enjoyed the fact that this film was more unpredictable than you thought it would be.  At first you think you know how the story is going to go, and in some parts you did, but they sneaked many surprises into the mix. 

There were also many wonderful songs in this film.  My preferred favorites are “Let it Go” (Elsa’s big number) and “Fixer upper” .  All in all, this movie had a Disney feel to it and made me feel warm and fuzzy inside when it was over.

 

What went wrong:

          I’m not going to lie, this movie had many flaws.  In my opinion, there were too many songs and many of them (some exceptions) seemed to be forced and pushed into the plot even if they were not absolutely necessary.  I feel that the plot in this story was not developed well at all.  At the end of this movie, there were many lingering questions that were unanswered such as, where did Elsa’s powers come from?  Who was ruling the kingdom for the 3 years between the king and queen’s death and Elsa’s coronation? and how did this all take place in 24 hours?  I had some troubles at first with not being aware of Kristoff being an orphan.  However, a good friend of mine later explained to me that in Norwegian mythology, when a child wonders off from his or her family, the trolls take them in.  However, this is a problem for people who have no recollection of Norwegian mythology.  I feel like this movie was rushed, and could have been developed more, had a clearer story line, and could have been planned better with a little more time.

          As I was watching this movie, a lot of things seemed really familiar to me.  A lot of events, people and parts of the plot reminded me a lot of a movie Disney has done before; Tangled.  The main character is isolated from the rest of the world, the prince is bribed into helping the damsel, and even the kingdoms look undeniably similar.  Yes, the main plot lines were different, but to me parts of Frozen were too similar to Tangled.    

Characters:

          I feel as if the characters in this film were not developed well at all.  Since I have specific problems with each individual character, I am going to pick at each main one individually.  Let’s start with the main character Elsa.  Let’s just say that for being the main character of a movie, I know nothing about her.  I feel like she could have been a very strong and personal character, but she wasn’t seen or developed enough in the film to really feel her pain and suffering.  Although she wasn’t developed, I really enjoyed her featured song, “Let it Go” and I think her voice actress Idina Menzel did an amazing job.

          Next, I am going to look at the other main character, Anna.  Anna is definitely a feisty Disney princess and is definitely going along with the theme that many Disney princesses share; she is independent.  I found Anna annoying, Naive and childish.  Although I do feel like she grew more mature and aware throughout the film.  She did also have her humorous moments.

          Kristoff was one of my favorite characters from this film.  He might be a bit weird and only have trolls and reindeer as friends, and is a bit stubborn, but he eventually legitimately cares for Anna and will do anything in his power to help her.  I would have loved to know a little more about Kristoffs past, but to me Kristoff’s personality was a nice change compared to other Disney princes and his traits represent the best qualities of a (not so much) Disney prince.

          Olaf was amazing!  Although he didn’t have much of a purpose, I honestly believe that Olaf was the most developed, lovable and overall best character of this film.  He was funny, he was adorable, he had his sentimental moments and he was a link between Anna and Elsa’s childhood that gave that part of the plot a nice touch.

Overview:

          This movie’s plot, characters, and songs had many holes and many missing pieces.  I believe this movie had great potential and could have been brilliant, but it needed more time and effort than Disney put into it.  There were many great and surprising plot twists, many good songs, and beautiful animation that made this movie different, and exciting.  I don’t believe that Disney has lost its touch, but with more planning, preparation, and effort, this movie could have gone from good to great!

3 out of 5 stars    

The Disney Vision

The Disney Vision

by Mikayla Nelson

            The Walt Disney Company has brought people entertainment of all kinds for many years.  From the movies they produce to the theme parks you can visit, the Disney Company is known by practically everyone around the world for its flawless animation, heart wrenching stories and their gift of bringing magic to life.  The original mission statement of the Disney Company was simply to "make people happy” (Rasmus).  The vocation of the Disney Company was simple and sweet, it gave room for creativity and precisely described the vocation that Walt Disney intended for his work to do.  The vocation of the Walt Disney Company has changed over the years and has lost touch with its original purpose and mission.

            The mission statement of the Walt Disney Company today has changed quite differently from its original.  Their new mission statement is "to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world" (Rasmus).  This sounds more like a sales pitch rather than a mission statement.  Roy E. Disney, the son of co-founder of the Disney Company Roy O. Disney, claimed "Michael Eisner (the current CEO of the Disney Company) has lost sight of the vision upon which the company was founded," Disney wrote. "The focus has shifted to the chase for the quick buck instead of a dedication to new and high-quality ideas" (Verrier).  Disney has been focusing mainly on the profit they receive and how many movies they make, rather than keeping the focus on thinking of creative and unique ideas, the quality of their movies and keeping the Disney magic alive.   

The Disney Company’s mission statement not only seems like a sales pitch, but it very wordy and confusing as to what their mission actually is.  "To be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information. Using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world" (Rasmus).  To break this down piece by piece first we have, “to be one of the world's leading producers and providers of entertainment and information” (Rasmus).  The Disney Company is already the leading company for entertainment and has been for quite a while, with 8 million to 9 million dollars in total profit per year (DIS).  This part of their mission statement seems redundant, though it is always good to keep this in the mission statement as to remind themselves that they want to stay the leading entertainment company.   The second part of their mission statement is, “using our portfolio of brands to differentiate our content, services and consumer products, we seek to develop the most creative, innovative and profitable entertainment experiences and related products in the world" (Rasmus).  This part of the statement is quite a mouthful and has many large words to understand and comprehend such as “differentiate”, “portfolio” and “innovative” (Rasmus).  This part of the mission statement is cumbersome and could be made a lot clearer using less and easier words.  The mission statement as a whole seems undefined, confusing and deflecting of the original mission of the Disney Company in the first place.          

  Since 2012 Disney has made many films such as, Wreck it Ralph, Planes, Monsters University, Brave, Maleficent, and the fan favorite Frozen (Animated).  Out of all of these movies, the only original story lines are from Wreck-it Ralph, Brave and Frozen.  Frozen was one of the highest ranking movies of the year earning Disney billions of dollars. “Since its release, “Frozen” has earned $1.2 billion worldwide, becoming the fifth-highest-grossing film of all time and by far the highest-grossing animation. That’s not to mention two Academy Awards, a BAFTA, a Golden Globe, a soundtrack that’s garnered more than a million album sales and seven million Spotify streams, official YouTube video views in the hundreds of millions, and a DVD that became Amazon’s best-selling children’s film of all time based on advance orders alone” (Konnikova).  Though this movie made billions of dollars, the other movies Disney has made haven’t made the cut.  Brave making a domestic gross income of $237,283,207 (Brave) and Wreck-it Ralph coming in with $189,422,889 (Wreck-it).  The rest of these movies are either sequels to already made movies or similar to others; Planes and Cars have the same concept and none making even close to the same amount of money as Frozen.  In the upcoming years, Disney has said to be releasing animated movies such as Finding Dory, The Incredibles 2, Toy Story 4, and Cars 3 (Animated).  All of these being sequels, none of which being new original films.  The Disney Company gained its fame for its original ideas and stories.  Without these new and original ideas, which direction will Disney go?  Disney is shooting out films one by one at a rapid pace.  With more time and dedication and less focus on money and sales – which I do believe is important as well – the Disney Company could focus on creating movies with creative and unique ideas, holding up the sanctity of the Disney name and appeasing the needs of their fans. 

As Disney tries to thrive within a changing and more demanding society it has begun to focus on the financial goals rather than the enjoyment and beauty of animation and Disney magic.  As competition arises itself, changes must be made to keep Disney in business and to keep the company ahead.  Though with this rise of competition and change within the Disney Company, the original mission mustn’t be forgotten, “to make people happy” (Rasmus).  This was Walt Disney’s original vocation that the Disney Company must keep going, otherwise the vocation of Disney is destroyed by the greed of money thus, depriving the world of Disney magic and tossing Walt’s vocation and dream down the drain.       

 

Once Upon a What?

     My mission of this blog is to talk about a passion of mine, Disney.  I will be posting things such as movie reviews, essays, ideas, opinions and all things about Disney.  Disney is something I love and I like to share my ideas and thoughts with you all!

     A little about myself.  I am a college student going for a degree in Psychology.  I am a published poet and have a strong faith.  I am a percussionist and love music.  Some of my favorite TV shows include Friends, The Big Bang Theory and Once Upon a Time!  My favorite Disney character is Ariel.  I have and always will love Disney and if I could be a Disney princess I would.  I have done many musicals in high school, but my dream role is to play Ariel in The Little Mermaid, obviously.    I hope you enjoy my blog! 

F.Y.I the font I used on this post was Arial.  I find this very amusing even though it is spelt incorrectly.