Yes, the real Hades isn’t a bad guy. Yes, the real Heracles was the son of Zeus and some chick. Yes, the irony of him being named “Hera’s favored” when Hera actually tries to kill him multiple times is lost when she’s his mother in the movie. Yes, Heracles is an absolute brute of a man who murders his family. What you’re forgetting is that they’re adapting the Heracles legend for children. There are going to be liberties, and be thankful they didn’t take more. What you’re forgetting is that the Greek myths, although they generally had some consensus, were not a coherent body of work. It is the screenwriter’s job to tell an interesting story, not to stay true to an ancient body of work.
I do take umbrage to Disney’s Pocahontas, as that’s based on history. I don’t take terrible offense to minor historical innacuracies to improve story, but I do think that they took it a little far in Pocahontas.
Okay, Bambi’s sad, but I’m sorry, it’s nowhere near as sad as Mufasa’s death. Seriously, there’s no comparison, any way you look at it. I really don’t want to go into depth on this (I did this recently with someone, I’m laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazy), but if you want, I’ll do the comparison.
It is somewhat worrisome that Disney villains aren’t generic bumbling jerks, but actual fiends in some cases. Then again, a worthy hero must face a worthy villain, aye?
Aladdin’s my personal favourite. With 101 dalmations as a close second, not to mention good ole version of Robin Hood.
No mention of the Jungle Book yet? It’s more primitive but it was quite enjoyable. The two Jungle Books may be the best work of Kipling btw. Arrr, I’m a bear! No, I’m a panther! No, I’m a wolf!
Yeah, I agree with you, it’s just a number of people I know refuse to watch Bambi because of the mother’s death. Oh, and fun bit of trivia. “The Man” was number 15 on AFI’s top 100 heroes and villains. Can’t remember where Scar was
My favorite Disney villains have to be the Queen from Snow White and Cruella, but Cruella is mostly because of the awesome song about her >_>
ahemOptimus Primewas ripped away from fans, only to be brought back and killed again, this time with half of his face missing. (Just before the end credits he has a short monologue that’s just a short of his face with the other half missing also)
Made me cry, I was never able to get into the “sad” emotions of Disney movies. Some of the jokes sometimes, impressed by cool effects but never was I able to really enjoy a Disney movie for its story.
I haven’t watched that movie in a while either. My favourite modern Disney movies are Aladdin and The Lion King. Timone and Pumba are my favorite sidekick characters.
Whenever I think of the old movies I always recall Cinderalla. The scene where the Prince battles the dragon was my favorite scene.
As a psuedogoth, I submit The Nightmare Before Christmas for consideration, both on grounds of being quite enjoyable as a film, and one of the more original and innovative children’s movies of all time, nailing two hollidays in one film, and making a skeleton, the sort of creature used normally as a villain, for its primary hero. For the kid who literally always rooted for the monster, it was a brilliant change and actually made a movie hero I could legitimately root for.
Also, Alice in Wonderland has always been among my favourite children’s tales, and it was fairly well adapted in the Disney version (if you watch it older, it has the same subtle, mealy-eyed madness of the original work, and the fact that it is animated in the style it is, shortly before greater realism or stylized art were big, make it all the trippier for the weird cross between two), although it does, sadly, lose a few of the lines that taught me how to write, it keeps the general tone.
I can’t really consider that a ‘Disney movie’. A great movie though, sure.
Not really a movie to write home about but Lilo & Stitch had a sequence where Stitch played a uke, destroying it in the progress. A little blue monster rocking it out means fun in my book.
Nightmare before Christmas shouldn’t even BE a Disney movie… but Tim Burton had come up with the movie while working for Disney. Disney then sued citing a contract technicality and used some sketches Burton left at his former Disney desk…
Oh well… ethics NEVER play nice with big business, which is why big companies put them in the corner with a dunce cap to count to infinity… or sweep them under a rug.
Another bit of trivia, Prince Phillip, from Sleeping Beauty, is one of the few Princes to have a name.