Disney Films Part 3

ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Film: This is the movie Walt himself had been wanting to make for forever. He had been talking out of doing this film for Disney’s return to feature length story-telling (opting to do Cinderella instead). It’s a good thing because Alice bombed at the box office.

Plot: A young person who talks to animals follows a mysterious someone underground . . . where a civilization of people in mime make-up with robot farmers use him to inseminate all the women . . . I may have this plot confused with A BOY AND HIS DOG.

Nature of Villain’s Death: I suppose the villain is the mannish Queen of Hearts – even though she doesn’t make her first appearance until over an hour into the movie. She does not die however as much as she, and the entire court, slips into non-existence as Alice wakes up from her nap.

Nature of Songs: Most of the songs aspire to mimic the nonsense logic and wordplay of Lewis Carroll’s source material, but is so watered down for the kiddies, most of the ambiguity and cleverness is neutered. Except for that song about the flowers. That’s just more of the same soporific shit from before.

My Favorite Moment: Clearly the most interesting character is the Chesire Cat. But while there should be something sinister about him, he mostly just comes off as frustratingly unhelpful.

However, there’s something wonderfully creepy about the cards painting the roses blood-red. Slapping the red paint around willy nilly. It’s very much like imagery from a horror movie to see trails of red dripping across the lawn. The threat of being beheaded hanging over each of the characters involved. There’s a darkness there that seems unintentional and unsettling in it. When the Queens screams “Off with their heads!” she is greeted with cheers. The Queen smiles and basks in the bloodthirsty approval.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: Alice opens a small box with mysterious food and a note that reads “Eat me.” How time has changed the meaning of that particular phrase. I also find Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum’s schtick pretty embarrassing. They speak in goofy voices, honk when they bounce on their asses, and tell terrible jokes.

Political Agenda: The movie seems to imply that curiosity and travel are pointless, absurd, and detrimental to a good education. It is safer and more practical to sit and listen to your mother (or older sister or private tutor or whoever the hell that is) read stiff text books all afternoon.

Competition at the time: None that I know of.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: It was famously mined for one of their role-playing games, KINGDOM HEARTS.

Verdict: Alice is the first heroine not to sit around longing for a boy to come along. She doesn’t seem to care about boys once during her entire adventure. Instead, she just longs for the world to be different. She wants up to be down and down to backwards. Compared to Snow White and Cinderella, this is downright Communist! But whereas Cinderella padded its story shamelessly, Alice plows through its events with relentless drive – not even bothering to properly introduce any of its characters or linger for more than three minutes with any character other than Alice.

Like Fantasia, Alice in Wonderland gained a wider audience later on when many became more interested in head films, surrealism, and absurd humor. In each new episode, Alice is asked to eat something strange or drinking something strange. This movie could not be made today without most audience members reading something about drug use into the action.

Regardless, Alice is such a blank slate meant only to observe one bizarre situation after another that it is impossible to care much about the tacked on lesson she learns in the end. There’s absolutely no point-of-view to this movie. Only a workman-like tour through Wonderland.



PETER PAN

Film: The second Disney flick in a row to feature a young girl longing to go to another world, and then doing so. Only to find that she really wants to come back home.

Plot: A boy sneaks into a children’s nursery, gives the children inside “fairy dust” and then kidnaps them. He takes them to an isolated island populated by a savages, sirens and killers. He introduces them to the other children he has drugged and kidnapped. Soon, the band of killers tracks them down and a violent confrontation ensues. The children insists on being taken home and the boy kidnapper relents and reunites them with their abusive father.

Nature of Villain’s Death: Hook doesn’t die – as much as he’s banished to narrowingly escaping the crocodile’s jaws as they swim into the distance.

Nature of Songs: Generally, the songs are choir-heavy lullabies or rhyme-heavy novelty songs. Mostly, they involve sugary Hallmark card level bon mots of wonder. “When there’s a smile in your heart, there’s no better time to start . . .” And then there’s that one song I’ll get to in a moment.

My Favorite Moment: The sword fight at the end – despite the fact that it lacks much suspense and relies too much on silly humor. But out of this, my favorite moment is the single cut to the Crocodile splashing the water as the children singing their taunting song at Captain Hook. It’s the one bit of humor that’s stylish and just slapstick.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: The entire depiction of the Native Americans. The worst moment being “What Makes the Red Man Red.” I know the casual racism is considered of its time, but did no one working on the movie stop and say, “Hey! An entire race of people might find this offensive.” I’m sure it was (and still is) viewed as complimentary and good-natured in the context of the movie.

Political Agenda: “A jealous female can be tricked into anything.” This line sums up most of everything about the movie. Every girl in the movie is depicted as jealous of Peter Pan’s attentions – despite the fact that Pan treats all the women like crap. He’s callous and self-absorber, so of course all the women fight over him.

Competition at the time: Russia began doing a lot if animated film around this time, but I haven’t seen any of them.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: Two sequels that were actually released to theaters over fifty years later.

Verdict: Peter Pan always puts me to sleep. As usual, I had to go back and rewatch some scenes. There was some beautiful animation – particularly in the beginning. It seems though that once they arrive in Neverland, the detailed animation suffers. I do appreciate how the film deals with the theme of never growing up. It’ll happen when it’s supposed to happen. Peter Pan is not punished for not growing up. And Wendy does not decide that it’s time to grow up. She accepts that she must, but she is not forced to. It’s a nice balancing act. But it’s all superficial. The conflicts within the movie have nothing to do with growing up or staying young. It doesn’t really amount to much. For an adventure story, it’s too dull.

Despite the title character being a boy, this is very much Wendy’s story. At this point, Disney became obsessed with the passing wants of the young girl. At least, Wendy doesn’t move in with Peter Pan and live happily ever after.

Sometimes offensive, always dull. Never engaging. Another story about a rich girl who has nothing better to do than pine and moan for nothing in particular. Thumbs down.



LADY AND THE TRAMP

Film: The first Disney movie to be based on a unpublished story. Also the first to be filmed in cinemascope. It was very successful financially and has come into very high regard in the years since.

Plot: DOGGIES!

Nature of Villain’s Death: Aunt Sarah and her Siamese cats are the villains, but they don’t die. Nothing at all happens to them. No comeuppance whatsoever. The rat that sneaks into the nursery however, gets decimated by Tramp.

Nature of Songs: Other than the song at the beginning, this movie features a sharp departure from the music that had come before. This becomes clear during the song that Lady sings inside her head. A single voice. Sparse and emotional. Instantly I liked it so much more than what had come before.

Most (if not all) of the songs were written by Peggy Lee. Some were even sung by Peggy Lee – including the torch song “He’s a Tramp,” which I would consider a highlight of the film.

My Favorite Moment: I think my favorite moments are Peggy Lee’s “He’s a Tramp” and the part where Tramp gives Lady his philosophy on life. He explains how he spends each night of the week with a different family. He has so many different families, but “None of them have me.” It’s a philosophy that I personally subscribe to.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: The racial stereotyping. The two Siamese cats. And the dogs in the pound – which include a Russian, German and Mexican.

Political Agenda: The movie implies that despite being a vagabond and rover at heart, every loner really wants to settle down and have kids. Despite not showing any desire at all to settle down with Lady. Tramp suddenly does in the coda of the movie. He has a family, and enjoys Christmas Eve with them. It’s disgusting.

Competition at the time: The British animated ANIMAL FARM. Much darker than anything Disney was doing at this time. I’m not sure how it did at the box office, but I know that Lady and the Tramp did better.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: A sequel was made almost fifty years later.

Verdict: First off, I need to point out that the DVD I received from Netflix is not letterboxed. This movie is in cinemascope. Fucker should be letterboxed. Disney’s style was getting better and better with each film. They took advantage of the cinemascope plane by using wider angles. The animators also became more detail-oriented with their backgrounds. This movie has a very realistic look to it.

It’s too sentimental by far. The scene in the pound features a montage of doggies sitting around with tears in their eyes – miserable. The cutesiness factor is off the charts even early on when Lady refuses to go to bed.

So it’s cute and sweet. It looks great. And it has a message that even the most restless of us just want to settle down and procreate. I never before realized how much I dislike this movie.



SLEEPING BEAUTY

Film: An expensive flop for Disney. The last animated fairy tale Disney made before his death. It did not go over well at the time.

Plot: A rich baby is born. An entire kingdom pretends to care. Various witches and fairies show up to rhyme at the baby in lieu of bringing gifts. Then three raging fairies kidnap the girl and show her how awesome being a peasant is. She grows up and her stench attracts all the animals in the kingdom to her. She is sexually assaulted by a stranger while being inappropriate with the wild life. She likes it. Crazy bitch finds the girl. Crazy bitch induces a coma in the girl The fairies drug everyone in the kingdom. The sexual assailant finds the crazy bitch and kills her with the help of the fairies. He then takes advantage of coma girl. Hey live happily ever after.

Nature of Villain’s Death: Maleficent. Stabbed through the heart with a sword and falls off a cliff. It’s about time they got back to killing the villain.

Nature of Songs: More choir-heavy love songs. All dreamy lovey shit. As one of the fairies makes her spell on Sleeping Beauty, the choir chimes in, “For True Love Conquers All.” The only exception is the song performed by the kings – about how awesome it will be when their kids get married and their kingdoms unite.

My Favorite Moment: Some of the interplay between the fairies is quite good. It turns out they are legitimate characters with relatable personalities. One such bit of dialogue: “It looks awful.” “That’s because it’s on you, dear.”

The shot of Aurora passed out on the floor is pretty jarring.

But the best part is Maleficent’s transformation into the dragon. A beautiful bit of dark fantasy animation and gripping drama. “Now shall you deal with me . . . and all the powers of Hell!” And she rises through the clouds to reveal herself as a dragon. Kick ass.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: By far, it’s the scene of Aurora and Philip meeting in the forest and dancing together. Once again, true love is decided at first sight.

Political Agenda: If there’s any political agenda here, it’s about class. Oh, the outrage at marrying a peasant! This is a movie about how rich people are destined to marry other rich people.

Competition at the time: None that I know of.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: The characters were used in various Mickey’s House of whatever projects.

Verdict: This movie looks amazing. It was a distinct change from the style that had come previously. All sharp edges and stylized lighting. The animators also made brilliant use of the widescreen. At times, it is jaw-dropping. Also chaning: how the characters move. There’s no longer the same kind of heaviness to the movement.

The writers also did a great job of expanding the plot. It’s not just drawn out with extended song and dance numbers. There are twists. There are numerous developed characters. There’s a real sense of danger is Maleficent’s anger and power. In general, the story-telling is much stronger than it had been. For instance, when the fairies find Philip’s hat on the floor and instantly deduce that Maleficent has been there and kidnapped Philip. They’re smart and they make the leap without any exposition.

In a way, Sleeping Beauty is the reverse of Peter Pan. This is a boy’s movie disguised as a girl’s movie. The trick in adapting this story is to figure out how to deal with a protagonist that’s asleep for most of the story. The answer: make the prince the protagonist. As a result, the climax features a sword fight with a motherfucking dragon. Not just some chick biting an apple.

There is a darkness here that had not been in previous fairy tale films. This movie was a massive leap forward on all levels, and it’s a shame that Disney lost so much money on it initially. The best of the fairy tale Disney movies up to this point.



101 DALMATIONS

Film: The first of Disney’s films to have a contemporary setting. Also one of the few to revolve around poor people. The movie and its intricate visual design was made possible with the use of Xerox. It was a huge hit – both commercially and critically. When it was re-released in 1991, I remember it making at least $70 million.

Plot: Doggies! Plus an evil bitch. Doggies win!

Nature of Villain’s Death: No death. She totals her car, but that’s it.

Nature of Songs: Sparse. The jazzy “Cruella De Vil” is the highlights. An ode to stylish villainy.

My Favorite Moment: When the maid realizes that the men who broke into the house stole, not the silverware, but the puppies. She screams into the street. It’s a powerful and emotional moment.

Also, my favorite puppy is Lucky, who has to be dragged away from the television.

The hide and go seek chase through the ghost town is very suspenseful – despite the fact that Cruella willfully ignores 101 Labradors.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: The puppies getting milk from a cow’s utter. It’s cringe-inducing in a good way. “The little darlings!”

Political Agenda: Clearly, the movie is for animal rights. That is up front and center. Secondly, it is one of the few Disney movies to not feature the troubles of the rich and famous. In the end, the poor family comes into money, but it’s almost as a way to insure that they can take care of 101 Dalmatians rather than some divine reward for being good and proper or some shit.

Competition at the time: Not much going on that I recognize.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: Not only did Disney make a sequel, they also made a live action remake – and a sequel to the remake.

Verdict: Very sixties from the jazzy score to the detailed and cluttered cut and paste look. The animators borrow from Warner Brothers’ playbook and only suggest backgrounds without completely filling them in. There is a refined, more adult humor. And they don’t rely soley on animals doing cutesy shit to gain audience sympathy. The human characters are interesting and well done. Most of the animals have distinct personalities.

There is real suspense in the Dalmations exodus through the snow and menace in De Vil’s character despite her bafoonish antics. Cruella De Vil is one of Disney’s best villains. The hard angles in her cheeks. The gratuitous coat. The black and white hair. The angry rasp in her voice. Disney was firing on all cylanders with this one. This may be one of the very bets of Disney’s animated movies.



THE SWORD IN THE STONE

Film: Disney mines THE ONCE AND FUTURE KING for a few easily recognizable names and events and builds a movie around nothing. The film did decently, but is now often neglected.

Plot: A boy falls in with a creepy old man. The old man stalks the boy. He insists on teaching the boy about love and nature. When the boy decides he wants to do his own thing, the creepy old man blows his top. The boy becomes king through magic and a willful suspension of disbelief by everyone in England.

Nature of Villain’s Death: There is no villain. As there is no conflict.

Nature of Songs: For the first time, an opening song was not sung by a choir, but a single voice and guitar. Immediately, I was grateful for the change. However, the rest of the songs are novelty teaching songs sung by Merlin. The songs are sparse and about as useless and out of place and intolerable as everything else in the movie.

My Favorite Moment: The wizard’s duel – hands down. Merlin and Madame Mim change into various animals in an attempt to one up and ultimately kill each other. It’s a cleverly choreographed bit of fanciful magic and twists. Merlin wins the duel by playing smarter – not stronger.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: The many different voices of young Arthur. It really is jarring to hear his voice change so often.

Political Agenda: Once again, Happiness is equated with wealth and power. Merlin spends the bulk of the movie arguing that Arthur needs to pursue his education in order to fulfill his destiny, but in the end, it is fate that picks Arthur out of the crowd. Perhaps the education, which never seems very effective, could help Arthur in the long run, but the movie stops short of any such suggestion. It seems to suggest that those who should rise, will – because fate dictates it.

Competition at the time: Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol, Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!, Return to Oz, Pinocchio In Outer Space, The Smurfs and the Magic Flute, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, and The Man Called Flintstone.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: Oddly enough, they’ve left his one alone. Despite the fact that the rest of ONCE AND FUTURE KING is just sitting there – waiting to be adapted. Hopefully better.

Verdict: The movement of the characters is cumbersome in a way that’s not at all natural. The style is changing and I blame Wolfgang Rotherman, the director of all the Disney films through the sixties and seventies. They all feature this strange style of movement. I never really liked it much.

The scene when Arthur reveals to the female squirrel that he’s not a squirrel is an excellent twist on how love had been presented up to this point in Disney films. Love at first sight was often treated as the last word in love in these Disney films. Here, that is beautifully undermined.

Self-moving mops and brooms are a recurring image after Fantasia and Sleeping Beauty.

The problem with The Sword in the Stone is the plotting. There is a lack of impetus or conflict. The movie is nothing more than a parade of failed lessons by Merlin with little to no pay off. Merlin’s departure is too calculated and random to feel natural. It is clearly a device meant to leave Arthur alone for the final act – despite the fact that all Arthur does is pull the sword from the stone. There is no indication that his time with Merlin made this possible. As a result, the ending is rushed and has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. The deus ex machina seems to deliberately undercut Merlin’s entire argument. With this lack of conflict, coherence, or character, The Sword in the Stone remains easily forgettable and pointless.



THE JUNGLE BOOK

Film: The last film that Walt worked on before his death. Reportedly, he handed the book to the story editors and told them that the first thing he wants them to do is not read the book. It was a huge hit and remains beloved by many.

Plot: Wolves raising a young man cub get bored with the whiny little shit and ask a panther to take him to the edge of the jungle and eat him . . . or something. The panther and the man cub run into a bear, who also wants to eat him. They play nice for a while – pretending they both don’t want to eat the man cub. Then a snake is like “Fuck it. I’m eating him.” It doesn’t work. Then a tiger is like, “Fuck you all. I’m eating him.” Also, some monkeys tries to sexually assault him. In the end, he learns the value of friendship and togetherness, but racing after the hot chick at the edge of the jungle is way more important than that shit.

Nature of Villain’s Death: No death. He just runs off with fire tied to his tail.

Nature of Songs: Jungle jazz. When I was only two or three, I had an audio cassette of Disney tunes. It featured both “The Bare Necessities” and “I Wanna Be Like You.” Both of these songs feature a lot of odd grunting and bizarre slang. A lot of the sounds are meant to evoke some kind of sixties hipsterdom, but really it’s just weird and disconcerting.

My Favorite Moment: I like any scee with Kaa. There is a creepy pedophilic tone to his scenes. The scene between Kaa and Shere Khan is pure genius. I always love a scene between two villains – trying to out-evil each other.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: Again, it’s the racial stereotypes. Watching the scenes with the monkees is very uncomfortable.

Also the deus ex machina of lightning creating fire just when Mowgli needs it most. As with the Sword in the Stone before, this scene does not grow out of what happened before. It just happens – effectively negating everything that came before.

Also, the blatant rip off of MARTY by bad Beatles impersonations feels more like a lack of imagination than an in-joke.

Political Agenda: It seems to promote segregation. This came at a time when the civil rights movement was in full effect. Mowgli is clearly not meant for the jungle. For his own good. He has to be with his own kind. This is nature’s way, you see. Any other way will result in violence.

And then, to drive home the point about domesticity, the chick at the end sings about cooking and having a husband and kids. Apparently, that's what civilized people do.

Competition at the time: Yellow Submarine. The Asterix Movies. Yellow Submarine.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: They turned it into an animated series a little over twenty years later. Tailspin. But it only takes the characters and transports them to a world set in the 1930s – completely populated by anthropomorphic animals. Weird.

Verdict: Again, it doesn’t build. His character development (which comes out of nowhere) is dictated by is attraction to a random girl. He seems to learn how important his friends are, only to ditch them instantly. The movie coasts entirely on the personalities of the voice actors. It is episodic and every scene is detached from each previous scene. Even the relationship between Baloo and Mowgli is instant and unchanging. All in all, uninvolving and too much of its time.



THE ARISTOCATS

Film: A mash up of elements from 101 Dalmations and Lady and the Tramp. It was a big hit.

Plot: Animals are named in a will. Poor guy gets jealous and, being poor, he is also evil. He kidnaps the animals, but they get away and come back. He tries to kidnap them again and all hell breaks loose.

Nature of Villain’s Death: None.

Nature of Songs: Faux French, mostly. The highlight, of course, is “Everybody Wants to be a Cat.”

My Favorite Moment: Most of the movie is, as one character calls it, “Sissy stuff.” The one scene I like is an odd moment. It involves the villainous butler trying to steal back his hat and umbrella from two dogs. It has been well established by this point in the movie that human beings cannot hear the animals talking. Yet here, he acts as if the animals are people. He even pauses and remains quiet when the two dogs talk amongst themselves. It’s very surreal and out of place. In this moment, as the movie breaks its own rules temporarily, I was fascinated. Otherwise, not at all.

Most Cringe-Inducing Moment: The geese. “Think goose!” It’s a terrible desperate joke. The animation is rock bottom awful (the characters are badly superimposed on the background).

Also in the running, the lead cat’s learning to be less of an independent spirit and stating, “[The children] need . . . sort of . . .a father around.” Gag.

Political Agenda: As with Lady and the Tramp, this movie is about how even the most independent of loners really, really wants to settle down and have a family. And while wealth plays a large part in Lady and the Tramp’s politics, it plays an even bigger part here.

Competition at the time: A Boy Named Charlie Brown, Fritz the Cat.

How Has Disney Raped the Legacy of this Movie: A sequel was planned, but it never came to fruition.

Verdict: The movie is trying too hard to be 101 Dalmations divided by Lady and the Tramp. I’m pretty sick of movies about people living in mansions. Also sick of childish animals being cute. I’m sick of all these movies.