I'll start this post by saying that I am no Hollywood movie guru, and my thoughts and opinions expressed in this post are based entirely on my personal experience as a consumer of entertainment media.
That said, what in the world has become of Disney? When I was a child growing up, Disney represented everything high-quality, super-memorable, classic storytale magic. I was raised on Disney films in the theatre, from the video rental store, and even in the form of "tape-books" that gave a summarized version of the film along with an audio accompaniment to help young readers get some practice. I think what I always enjoyed most about Disney was the songs. Every movie featured great songs that will forever be associated with the films and with Disney in general. I was probably about 5 years old when I took my first trip to Disneyland, and it will forever hold a special place in my heart. The moniker "the Magic Kingdom" still rings true for me.
But somewhere along the line, in the last 10 years or so, Disney strayed from their magic formula. No longer do I wait with anticipation for the next Disney classic to be released in the theater. No longer does a Disney trailer invoke the same excitement as a Star Wars trailer. No longer do I find myself singing along to songs from the latest Disney release. Classic Disney animations featuring Mickey, Donald, Goofy and the rest have become hard to come by on television. What has become of the name that was once the highest standard in family entertainment?
Some of my earliest Disney memories including going to see the Jungle Book (re-released of course) with my dad and older brother, being super excited to find out that our hotel room carried the Disney channel, and listening to Disney tapes on a family vacation to northern California.
This era was followed by what I'll call the Disney Renaissance which spanned, in my mind, the years from 1989 (the release of the Little Mermaid) to 1994 (the release of the Lion King). Also included in this span were Beauty and the Beast (1991) and Aladdin (1992). At this point, Disney could do no wrong. They had just released 4 back-to-back theatrical triumph, each one critically acclaimed and full of the songs and storylines that Disney was famous for.
And yet, somehow they did do wrong. The next big animated feature released was Pocahontas (1995). A film based on a story from American history that featured several songs, but none that resonated with viewer like the others. Its no wonder we've yet to see a Broadway version of this Disney film. I remember that I took my little brother and sister to see this movie in Tooele and in the other theater there was a Power Rangers movie playing. About halfway through Pocahontas we were all wishing we would have chosen to see that one, because there was no way it could be as dull and preachy as Pocahontas.
Pocahontas, for me, marks the beginning of the end of Disney as we once knew it. Theatrical follow-ups to Pocahontas included The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Hercules, Mulan, and Tarzan. Each of these while decent family entertainment failed to meet the high standard that movie-goers had come to expect from Disney. Mulan could arguably be considered a last gasp of Disney greatness, but at that point Disney had already lost its hold over the family animation market. Tarzan could arguably be considered as the first big-release Disney animation feature to not feature any real songs, other than Phil Collins singing in the background. At this point, I was done with Disney. No longer were they making the effort to produce films that would stand the test of time with songs that kids could learn and sing throughout their lives. More recent Disney releases have not even seemed interesting to me (Brother Bear, Home on the Range, Chicken Little) and while I'm sure they are fine family entertainment, they fall far short of what I've come to expect. The most recent Disney animated release I've seen advertised is something called "The Wild" which as far as I can tell is a rip-off of Madagascar.
In parallel with this decline in theatrical release quality, Disney began another practice that reeks of just trying to make a buck entertainment -- the straight to video release sequel. 1994 marked the first of these sequels to established Disney classics with the release of Aladdin 2: The Return of Jafar. The hallmarks of these straight to video releases is the failure to return the same voice talents as the original films, coupled with substandard animation quality and an overall decline in the quality of the final product. It would be one thing to me if they were just releasing a lower-tier series of animated products, but its another thing when you are taking characters and storylines that people have grown to love and expanding them without giving them the proper respect just to make a buck. It was one thing to make The Rescuers Down Under theatrically, but quite another to make a film like Peter Pan 2 just to capitalize on the popularity of the Peter Pan franchise.
Other examples of Disney fairytales that have been extended in this fashion include: Beauty & the Beast (Belle's Magical World), the Lion King (Lion King 2: Simba's Pride, and Lion King 1.5), the Little Mermaid (Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea), Lady and the Tramp (Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp's Adventure), Cinderella (Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True), 101 Dalmations (101 Dalmations II: Patch's London Adventure), The Jungle Book (The Jungle Book 2), and Dumbo (Dumbo 2). How long until we see Steamboat Willie 2: Willie's Adventure?
Imagine if you will that 30 years from now, after George Lucas is dead, whoever owns the rights to the Star Wars franchise starts making sequels to the movies, and in addition, making straight-to-video poor quality Star Wars films. Or someone deciding now to write sequels to the Lord of the Rings books, but just having some no-name run of the mill fantasy writer sit down and crank them out to make a buck.
The final vestige of Disney magic, Disneyland, has as yet managed to hang on to most of its magic, but given that it has previously relied heavily on characters from Disney's theatrical releases, how long until we see older classic rides like Mr. Toad's Wild Ride replaced with something like Home on the Range's Wild Tractor Ride.
I honestly don't understand what Disney is doing these days. If not for their serendipitous relationship with Pixar, it would have been years since I'd even cared about a film with the Disney logo. Its not like there aren't good song writers out there. Broadway seems to still be cranking out hit musicals filled with original music. Has Disney given up on creating the best in quality family entertainment? Disney now owns ABC and ESPN. What does that have to do with making quality family entertainment? Right now, I feel as though I've lost a piece of my childhood.
7 comments:
First of all, props for being able to name all these crappy Disney movies out.
I felt my relationship with Disney deteriorate when they got new animators. I was attached to the old style, I wanted the characters to actually look like people!
I also congratulate you. You either really really love Disney or you really really did some research for all those dates and times and sequels. Wow.
In general, I agree with your assessment. I think disney has gone down the tubes movie-wise. I don't know if it'll ever be the same. I remember The Little Mermaid and Aladdin creating a whole new world for me, excuse the pun.
I don't agree that later attempts were good family entertainment. Did you actually see hunchback? It seemed the later movies were much more for adults than kids. I wonder if that where they went wrong. They increasingly became about the adults and the technology instead of a magical new world for kids.
I do still love Pixar and Disneyland/world though. They keep my hope alive.
A) I do really love Disney, but B) I needed some help from IMBD to work out the exact dates of some of the films. And I haven't seen most of the newer films and even fewer of the direct-to-video ones.
Disneyland is the best. I hope they never try to make the park match the recent crap they've spewed onto us the past few years.
The sad thing is that Pocohontas, Mulan, Hunchback, etc. are all politically correct. Women now fight for (and rescue) men, not the other way around. Frilly ballgowns are now replaced with rough-and-tumble miniskirts (still have some evolving to do with that one, boys, making the heroine show that much thigh? Please). If we wanna go full throttle with the PC crap, then evil people are not always unattractive middle-aged stepmoms, and inherently good people don't always have perfect bone structure and rosebud lips. Oh, and we are going to have to adjust the bust-waist-hip ratio of all the leading ladies to something a little more realistic than surgically enhanced VicSecret models. Pocohontas' maturity and self-possession was a nice idea, but sex objects don't belong in preachy stories, you self-righteous cavemen.
As sick as it makes me to say this, I kinda liked princesses and big skirts, and I kinda like cute, earnest prince-types getting off their butts and showing some respect when a girl's in a bind. And I'm pretty feminist, so it kinda hurts to admit all that. I guess it's just classic, and it's just Disney.
Conspicuously absent from today's Disney: Fairies. Magic. Witches. Royalty. Blatant good-vs-evil plotlines. Silly romance.
Bring back the helpless damsels and heroic princes. Even that is better than this crap.
Good work on calling this out, J.
Just a few nitpicks with your overall very well presented comments. Rescuers Down Under came out after The Little Mermaid, but hardly fits into the renaissance period. Pocahontas' Colors of the Wind by Vanessa Williams was one of Disney's biggest hits ever (though the rest of the music isn’t quite as notable). And Peter Pan 2, was sadly a theatrical release.
Now that thats out of the way, the downfall of Disney has to do with Eisner. He is a real piece of work. But I am very encouraged. John Lasseter, the creative head of Pixar, is to become the head of creativity for all of Disney including the theme parks. He is an awesome guy, and is Disney is savable, he will do it.
Its true what you say, I doubt there will ever be a Home on the Range ride. Its just not "classic." But the other films you listed are actually not that bad. Tarzan and Brother Bear are both pretty good even though Bear's environmental message could be deemed too PC. And I could see a Tarzan ride some day. Mulan and Hercules are not without their charms either, and Mulan's music is better than you would probably expect. The problem with it is that the dragon character is exactly like Donkey from Shrek (though to be fair, Mulan was first).
Treasure Planet, Atlantis, and Lilo and Stitch were the 90s real failures. All of them tred to tap into sci fi and appeal to young boys, and none will stand the test of time. None have much music either. Disney kept trying to do new things instead of sticking with what worked. Atlantis tired an anime approach. Nope! Treasure Planet put Robert Louis Stevensen in Space. ARGH! and Lilo was some weird attemt at blending aliens and elvis. Huh? The Emperors New Groove was also OK, but it hardly rings "Disney" and there wont soon be a ride (though there is already a sequel).
But if you ask me, chicken little is the worst offender. I mean, Disney basically invented animation. Why give it up to copy Dreamworks copying Pixar? How sad. Though it is rummored that a Rapunzel movie is in the works. Maybe they will finally have a new movie that i can get excited to take my little girl to see.
Thanks for the corrections. I only take issue with Colors of the Wind. True it may have sold a lot of records, but how many of Disney's classic movie songs were even marketed as records to be bought separate from the movie itself? It certainly isn't on a par with classics like "When you wish upon a star" or even more recent material like "Hakuna Matata" or "Beauty and the Beast" in terms of memorability. I couldn't care less how many copies they sold. And the success of these remade versions done with professional singers instead of the actual character is part of what I belive led to the current state where they just get Phil Collins to sing a song in the background.
great analogy and description about disney. i, too loved the old disney.
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