Fairy Tale

OMG!!!!! I’m so excited Disney is finally going back to traditional fairy tales. No offense to generation X, but I want pretty, romantic and sweet stories. The kind I grew up with. I’m also sick of CGI (computer generated images) and long for the beautiful, lush back drops and portrayal of hand drawn. Who says today's kids don't like classic fairy tales? I remember when Swan Lake came out and even though it wasn't a Disney flick I still loved the story and the pretty princess.

I was stoked when they finally announced The Princess and the Frog, but am saddened it has a New Orleans’s twist to it. I wanted something even more traditional like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White. Don’t get me wrong, I’m thrilled to finally see hand drawn art again (the first feature length since Home on the Range), but am so pissed at all the drama surrounding this movie. It has been so delayed in coming by the black community who wanted everything to be so damn politically correct. I really don’t want to get into it here, but the main thing was that Disney had to bend over backwards to quell the disputes over the movie. Originally the character’s name was Maddy (short for the French Madeline), but I guess it sounded too much like “mammy”. She was supposed to be a handmaid in the house (like Snow White or Cinderella), but that was considered racist. There was tons of other out cries like the prince not being black (I guess he’s Latin) and why isn’t a black princess good enough to have a black prince…..blah, blah, blah.

Needless to say, it really turned me off to the movie. I just wanted to see something new and beautiful with hand drawn art and a loving fairytale that pulls on your hear with out the fear of ogres ruining the moment with belches. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still going to see it, but I’m a little let down by the PC patrol.

All in all, I'm excited for movie; new songs, a new pretty princess and old fashioned art work. I'm sort of hopping we'll finally get to see a princess roaming around New Orleans's square in Disneyland. Fat chance I'm sure, as they shove all the princesses behind a partition in the back of Fantasy Land where you have to wait an hour to see them. Gone are the days when characters roamed the park where you would randomly encounter them. I wonder if they'll revamp "Splash mountain". Right now the theme is about Brier Rabbit from the Movie Songs of the South. Doesn't sound familiar? That's because Disney avoided VHS release in the USA because (once again) the black community thought it too racist. ANYWAYS..... I know Splash Mountain is a classic, but no one knows the story (unless you've seen the movie or read the book) and I just wonder if they'll change out some of the characters for the upcoming movie. Yeah, I'm doubtful too....but you just know they'll have something there to promote the new movie in New Orleans's square.....and they should! The only recent changes have been the seasonal "Nightmare before Christmas" at the Haunted Mansion during the holidays.

Also coming out (scheduled for the holidays in 2010) is Rapunzel!!!!!! Although it’s not hand drawn like the Princess and the frog, the art director is working hard to bring the warmth and romance into the art work. They are also taking a traditional approach (see the castle & forest pics) to the tale keeping with the original story line. I heard they wanted to modernize it, but am excited they’re focusing on tradition. I’m stoked and cannot wait!!!!

I'm a little surprised that she looks just like Enchanted's Giselle (which started out as a traditional fairy tale, but turned modern). I know Rapunzel has blonde hair and perhaps a more deversified wardrobe (I'm hoping for soft blues and sage greens like The Princess and the Frog), but If you look at the concept art of Rapunzel on the left vs. Giselle on the right both with chipmunks, you can see where I'm coming from, but hey I'll take what I can get. Hooray for Princesses!!!!!!

If you want some more concept art, cruise to Walt Disney’s Animated Studios website. They don’t have a whole lot, but they do give you a taste of their latest works in progress when you click through the tabs. You can also google image search the movie titles too. Just make sure you include "Disney" somewhere in there or you might get a "Barbie" rendition.

One more title that is lurking around is Pixar's movie: "The bear and the bow" to be realeased some time in 2011. This will be Pixar's first attempt at a "fairy tale" with a female lead (as opposed to the female being a love interest or moral compass for a male lead). There really isn't a whole lot to be found on it other then a crappy concept piece. Even my secret place to find more concept art by artists in the know at DeviantArt didn't have anything good listed. Luckily I do know that Reese Witherspoon will be the main character's voice. I guess it's set in Scotland where a princess (?) disguises herself in order to become a great archer. This is speculation on my part, but it sounds awesome!!!!