3. Aladdin (1992)
My family recently ordered this off of Netflix, and I was
reminded of what an awesome movie this is. I love how Aladdin is a street rat
that no one would look at twice—unless he happens to be stealing a loaf of
bread—yet he has so much character. We see his unbelievable compassion when he
offers his hard-stolen loaf of bread to a pair of orphans. We see his courage
when he protects the same children from the whip of an aristocrat. We see his
dreams when he stares at the palace in the distance, knowing he has the
potential to be so much more.
And then there’s Jasmine, feisty and independent. She
doesn’t want a man that will lavish her with luxury (she has plenty to go around),
showcase his exorbitant wealth, or marvel at her beauty. She wants a man who
will love her.
“If I do marry, I want it to be for love.”
-Jasmine
And, of course, who doesn’t love the flamboyant Genie?
“Three wishes, to be
exact. And ixnay on the wishing for more wishes. That's it. Three. Uno, dos,
tres. No substitutions, exchanges or refunds.”
2. Tangled (2010)
Not only is the story structure of Tangled practically
perfect, but it has magic, romance, and a seventeen year-old longing for
freedom. I can relate, Rapunzel. The foreshadowing was great—something I’d
really like to emulate in my stories. The minor characters all had their own
flare, especially Pascal and Maximus.
And the songs were so much fun. From the
haunting tune of Rapunzel’s Flower Gleam and Glow song to the
character-revealing Mother Knows Best to the fun and rather ironic I’ve Got a
Dream.
“Bruiser knits.
Killer sews.
Fang does little
puppet shows.”
Each song reveals a little more about the characters
involved. And then there’s Flynn.
Dashing, handsome, and a scoundrel to the core. At first.
His character development is so fun to watch. I especially love the montage in
Corona, where they dance, read, and hide from soldiers while eating cupcakes. I
mean, who wouldn’t want to do that
with a cute guy? I wouldn’t mind! ;)
And then there’s Rapunzel. She’s like Aladdin, with big
dreams, but no way to fulfill them—until Eugene Fitzherbert comes along… Hmm,
I’m not completely sure if she had a positive character arc or a flat character
arc. What do you guys thinks?
1. Inside Out (2015)
Oh, I really, really loved this movie. If I had participated
in Best Movie of 2015 Poll, Inside Out would have been my #1 choice. It’s so
ridiculously fun to watch the emotions run around inside Riley’s head. A recent
bible study I read by Hannah Duggan (it’s not published yet, but it soon will be)
mentioned how instead of emotions battling for control inside of us, it’s a
battle between the mind, spirit, and flesh. As soon as her bible study, Dare
Greatly, is published, I would highly recommend reading it.
I love how at the end of Inside Out, Joy realizes that the
other emotions have their places too. It’s okay to be sad, angry, disgusted,
and afraid. We all are at times. And watching the credits is so much fun. I
love seeing the cat’s emotions and the bus driver!
Now, somewhere around this point, I would have had Beauty and the Beast, but Laurie snatched it first
;) Of course, I could’ve done it again, but I wanted this to be original. So,
Beauty and the Beast gets an honorable mention. Frozen was a great animated
movie as well. I really like Disney Princesses J
So, do you think Rapunzel had a positive or flat character
arc? Which of the Disney princess movies are your favorites? And, if you didn’t
get a chance during the last Top 3s Animated Movies post, what are your favorite
animated movies?
Hope you enjoyed reading!
-Elizabeth
Attributions:
Aladdin Cover: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:MPW-10542.jpg
Genie Photo: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Aladdin3192.jpg
Tangled Cover: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tangled_poster.png
Pascal and Maximus Photo: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tangledever-disneyscreencaps.com-66.jpg.jpg
Flynn Rider Photo: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Tangled-disneyscreencaps.com-6492.jpg
Inside Out cover photo: http://disney.wikia.com/wiki/File:Inside-Out-60.png
Great post, Liz! I am blind to all Tangled "flaws". :)
ReplyDeleteMy all time favorite movie. Sigh. My all time favorite hero, Eugene.
I loved it so much, it unthroned Beauty and the Beast. And I just can't pick between Beauty And The Beast, The Little Mermaid aaaand Frozen.
Lol! I love Eugene too! ;) Oh, WHAT?! Unthroned Beauty and the beat?! But it's a classic! ;)
DeleteThanks, Liz! I love Tangled as well! Partly because both my girls have impossibly long hair, and partly because of Eugene. I love watching them get to know each other for their real selves, and not just how they are supposed to look. And, Inside Out has so many great lessons. I have to confess, though, I found myself wishing Sadness would stay in her circle and not turn the core memories blue. Maybe I have work to do with my emotions. : )
ReplyDeleteThanks for a fun post!
Oh dear! And they still want to keep it long? I have little sisters, who like to keep their hair length around their shoulders, since neither of them brush their hair particularly often ;) I love Eugene too, like I was telling Lucy ;) *sigh* I probably need work on my emotions too. I just like to be happy all the time, which mostly works.
DeleteYou're welcome! And thank you for commenting ;)
I love Tangled too, and you pose a great question, Elizabeth. Her character arc is a little flat, but I don't consider it a flaw. It's flat in the same way Cinderella's is flat. Her growth will happen *after* the happily ever after moment, when she rediscovers her place within a healthy family structure.
ReplyDeleteI don't think it is either. Flat character arcs can be done well ;) Hmmm, I've never considered that their main character arc could happen after the end of the story. Thank you for commenting, Robin! :)
DeleteGreat post, Liz! I'm so glad you mentioned Aladdin, that's such a classic. Aladdin's story is so inspiring, plus the Genie is such a fun, entertaining character - I love the clever lyrics in his songs :) As for Tangled, I think Robin is spot on saying that Rapunzel's character will experience more growth in the future. Plus, while it took Eugene's appearance to initiate her adventure, I feel like she really went all-in after that rather than just passively going along for the ride. That counts for something, right? :)
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hmm... she did seem more adventurous once Flynn was with her, but maybe that wasn't so much a change in her as it was confidence once she had a guide. If she has a positive character arc, there should be a lie, right? What do you think? :)
DeleteThank you for commenting!
I'm excited about all the love Tangled is getting! I wish it would have come out when I was younger, I think it may have been that movie I want to watch over and over again. As Laurie named her cartoon crush in her post, I have to admit that Eugene/Flynn would be mine! He's a little rebellious but shows his big heart in the end. I love Aladdin and Inside Out too! All these posts are making me want to have an animated movie marathon.
ReplyDeleteLol, Eugene seems to be very popular ;) I know. I love seeing that in him too. I know what you mean about the movie marathon ;) Just not sure where I'd find the time... :P Hope you find time to have yours!
DeleteThanks for the comment :)
Rapunzel's character arc? Not sure. I suppose she has the same set of core beliefs at the end, but her understanding of the world changes. She starts out believing Mother Gothel loves her and wants what's best for her. This belief is tested at various points, and she ends up realizing Mother Gothel was using her. I don't know what that counts as when it's Rapunzel's belief about an individual person, but that person amounted to her entire world at the beginning of the story.
ReplyDeleteBut yeah, like everyone else here, I'm a Tangled fan. :)
True. I guess the illusion of her mother's love and her tower was kind of her "moral world." That's great, Melinda. I've never thought of it like that.
DeleteGreat choices! I haven't seen Inside Out, but Aladdin and Tangled are some of my favorite Fisney princess movies! Thanks for posting!
ReplyDeleteI highly recommend it! ;) You're very welcome. Thank you for commenting!
DeleteWhoops, Disney princess movies. :) I think the commenters above are right that Rapunzel's arc is a little hard to determine. Flynn's arc is much more dramatic, and he practically spells out his lie: he thinks money will make him happy. Since it is so hard to find Rapunzel's lie, I am starting to wonder if she actually does have a flat arc, and she is playing the impact character for Flynn. Wait, she does learn something, but it's more subtle. She realizes the world is not an evil place like Gothel tells her it is. At the beginning, that lie is holding her back from trusting Flynn and leaving the tower, and then she learns the truth as she goes. At the third plot point, Gothel makes sure to point out how evil the world is again, and at the climax when Rapunzel is giving her triumphant speech to Gothel, what is the first thing she says? "You were WRONG about the world..." Her arc isn't as prominent or dramatic as Flynn's, but I think this is it.
ReplyDeleteOh! You're right! I hadn't even noticed. Very nice, Hannah :)
DeleteI love your picks, Liz. I can't wait to see Inside Out--I still haven't! I love, love, love Tangled. It is really a beautiful movie, especially the part where Rapunzel and Flynn go to the village and then go out on the water. The music is really great at that part too. And when Mother Gothel comes with the green lantern and Rapunzel turns away from the floating lamps and looks back at her, I just think that is a great creepy, sad moment. It makes me think of Romeo and Juliet, for some reason. It's a movie I can watch over and over. Oh, and I adore Flynn too!
ReplyDeleteWhy, thank you! :) So glad you liked Tangled and this post. Thank you for being a part of the discussion!
Delete