The autocratic Chinese government pulled another one of its classic stunts this week, giving a back-handed compliment to "The Croods" in the process. Having earned a worldwide total gross of $570 million, which isn't quite "Ice Age" money but isn't chump change either (roughly similar to "Wreck-It Ralph"), the Chinese decided that was quite enough for the upstart Americans. They pulled the film from Chinese theaters two weeks early just because the Chinese people were liking it just a little too much. It isn't like the film is doing "Avatar"business, but "The Croods" proved to be a handy target anyway.
This is an important issue to the Chinese, who (rightfully) feel left behind in the global cultural wars and want their own animated films to pull in money from America, not vice versa. They were incensed, for instance, that "Kung Fu Panda" presented Chinese culture in a better light than their own Chinese animators could portray. One might say the Chinese have built up a bit of an inferiority complex about animated films. It is a unique battle being fought by the Chinese for no particular end, but it must make them feel good to tweak the high-flying American film industry when they can.
This isn't the first time that the Chinese government has pulled a fast one on an American animated film that hit a little too close to home. Some will recall that they maneuvered the Disney classic "Mulan" (of all films) into a weak part of the Chinese film calendar (roughly equivalent to February in the United States) in a show of spite after Disney funded an obscure film, "Kundun," about the Dalai Lama. Quentin Tarrantino's recent film "Django Unchained" also was pulled early, though the Chinese arguably had legitimate (as far as that goes) issues with that film's content.
"The Croods" will survive to film another sequel, and, as the accountants and lawyers would say, all the Chinese did was cause the equivalent of a rounding error in the worldwide gross. Still, it is an indication of the unappreciated pressures that film studios face when focusing and marketing their films to a global audience.
Walt Disney took classic tales that often were hundreds of years old and re-worked them for modern audiences. He never really claimed to do anything more than that. There are enduring themes in those fairy tales that strike a chord in the human spirit, otherwise, they wouldn't have lasted so long. The modern tales he chose followed in the same spirit.
On the other hand, a cynic can pick almost anything apart he if or she tries hard enough. Unless a tale is crafted by a computer and stripped of all personality, there will be aspects that "trouble" someone, somewhere, who has too much time to kill, too many agendas to complete, and too little confidence in the ability of people - particularly children - to evaluate "messages" on their own. "It's all about the children" is the eternal cry, as about people implement their own agendas.
It's the old Horatio Alger or Jack Armstrong story "re-examined." Is he a hard-working, diligent, ambitious young man determined to better himself for the good of his family? Or, is he simply selling out to "The Man" in order to further the oppression of, well, anyone he's able to oppress? You can go to a more fundamental level if you really want. Is a wedding a joyful celebration of life, the happy union of two compatible souls, or a devastating reduction in freedom for all concerned, with the poor woman bound into virtual servitude in an archaic, soul-destroying institution created solely for the perpetuation of male dominance? Well....
As an example from the films below, Ariel the Little Mermaid goes to extreme lengths to get her man, which many would say is a charming example of being goal-oriented, adventurous and romantic. Others, however, determined to look on the negative side, would say that poor little Ariel is simply a brain-washed young girl who is giving up her own identity for - heaven forbid - some man, and "we all know" that "no man" is worth a girl changing herself for.
It's a fun game, and can be done about just about anyone from the present and the past. Thomas Jefferson - should we remember him as writer of the Declaration of Independence and founder of the United States, or just another sleazy slave-owner? Abraham Lincoln - Freer of the slaves and Savior of the Union, or cynical manipulator who did all the right things for all the wrong reasons? There are no more than perhaps a handful of names from the past that you can't tag with some kind of negative interpretation if you try hard enough.
You can be the judge of which type of interpretation makes the most sense with fairy tales and to what your children should be exposed. The thing about most of these stories, though, is that they are significant in their own right regardless of "negative underlying messages" simply because they have been around for so long. Would you really want your child not to know the basic story of "Alice in Wonderland" or "Cinderella"? Kids might be programmed the way you want if they don't, but they'd also be devoid of cultural references that everyone around them knows, understands and can judge for themselves. "It's a Cinderella story!" - huh, what's that?
Going through life clueless about the basics of Western culture could, you know, have its drawbacks. But if the "wrong" ideas trouble you and you believe they must be stamped out, maybe that's what you want. There are plenty of books for you to burn, too.
And so, we have a collection of awesome re-worked posters of classic Disney films from TheFW.com that try to psychoanalyze simple fairy tales for children and cast them in a sinister or otherwise negative light. One or two are back-handed slaps at other popular works (one surmises that these folks take issue with things that are too popular for their taste, but just as likely they simply are having a bit of fun with the politically correct themselves). Some of the posters, admittedly, are more apt than others. There's little actually new with them, but the quality of the presentation is right up there.
Anyway, for anyone deeply familiar with these animated classics, you might get a chuckle out of some of these.
By the time Walt Disney got to "The Jungle Book," the final film which bore his personal fingerprint, he knew how to make animated films like nobody before or since. Against opposition from his own animators, Disney told his writers to take the basic Rudyard Kipling tale and lighten it up until the story was more family friendly. The result was an animation classic, one of Walt Disney's biggest hits. It has withstood the test of time and was the pinnacle of the Disney legacy.
Walt Disney wasn't born with this knowledge, though. Year after year, film after film, he learned hard lessons about what the audience would accept, what would make it laugh, what would make it cry, what would leave it indifferent.
Being a wise man, Walt knew that you don't always keep everything light and fluffy. Sometimes, the biggest moment of a picture, the one that really reaches an audience, must follow something sad and even tragic. It doesn't have to be a death, and indeed some of the most emotional moments just involve a simple display of normal feelings. The audience appreciates that cathartic release, and this magnifies an ultimately pleasant outcome. The Disney studio carried on Walt's legacy after his untimely death, and its animated films have followed Walt's guiding principles. Accordingly, there have been spectacularly sad moments since, but it all stems from the man himself.
Herewith, a list of the ten saddest moments in Walt Disney animated films.
#10 Shang of "Mulan" Dies
Mulan and Shang
In the original "Mulan," Shang and Mulan seem to be getting along quite nicely at the end. In "Mulan II," however, Shang must let go of the rope that he and Mulan are hanging from over a canyon in order to save Mulan. They had broken up by this point, but he still made the ultimate sacrifice for his true love.
#9 Kerchak Dies in "Tarzan"
Tarzan and Kerchak
In "Tarzan," Kerchak, Tarzan's "father," never really accepted Tarzan as part of his family, but Tarzan finally proves himself. Kerchak, with almost his last breath, finally calls Tarzan his son. This galvanizes Tarzan into action, and his retribution is terrible and swift.
#8 John Smith Must Leave Pocahontas
John Smith and Pocahontas
In "Pocahontas," Pocahontas has fallen in love with John Smith, but fate intervenes when he is shot. Smith must leave, and their love never is consummated. There was a sequel, "Pocahontas II," that had a resolution that wasn't a whole lot happier.
#7 Cinderella's First Dress is Destroyed
Cinderella and the ruins of her first dress
The evil stepmother in "Cinderella" doesn't want any competition for her awful daughters at the King's Ball, so she has them destroy any chance that Cinderella has of attending. The step-sisters tear up Cinderella's dress that took so much time and effort by Cinderella's friends to make.
#6 Eric leaves Ariel for Vanessa in "The Little Mermaid"
Prince Eric and Vanessa
Ariel of "The Little Mermaid" has met Prince Eric, but Ursula, who gave Ariel the opportunity to meet him, wants the prince for herself. Eric is hypnotized by Vanessa's voice, which is Ariel's because Ariel gave Ursula her voice as part of the bargain. He decides to marry Vanessa, and Ariel cannot object because she has no voice. Believe it or not, the Hans Christian Anderson short story on which this is based is a whole lot sadder.
#5 Quasimodo Pelted By the Crowd in "The Hunchback of Notre Dame"
Quasimodo
Quasimodo of "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" at first is a big hit at the annual Feast of Fools, but then things go tragically wrong for him. He is tied down and pelted as he cries to Frollo for help. Even after he is released, though, his humiliation deepens as the crowd disdains him as he runs back to the cathedral.
#4 Snow White's Rest in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs"
Snow White sleeping
Snow White in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" is laid to rest after having the Evil Queen's poisoned apple, the dwarfs thinking her dead. They are so sad and love her so much that instead of burying her, they put her in a glass coffin for all eternity. The sadness of this scene sets up the cathartic kiss by the prince.
#3 The Pound Scene of "Lady and the Tramp"
The pound puppies
Lady of "Lady and the Tramp" is sent to the pound by mistake. When she gets there, she is terrified at how the dogs cry and whine, hoping for a way out. She ultimately is rescued, but the sight of cuddly puppies maltreated is a very sad scene.
#2 Dumbo and his Mom
Dumbo and his mother
"Dumbo" loses his mother after she is imprisoned for having lost her temper in defending Dumbo. Later, lonely, Dumbo seeks out his mother in her cage, and she comforts him. This touching scene was accompanied by the epic Frank Churchill/Ned Washingon song "Baby Mine." If that sequence doesn't bring a tear to your eye, nothing in a Disney film ever will. World War II Four-Star General "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell wrote that viewing "Dumbo" soon after Pearl Harbor was his happiest moment of the war, and he likely was thinking of this scene.
Below is the "Baby Mine" scene.
#1 Bambi Cries
Bambi
The hunters in "Bambi" send the forest animals out on a wild goose chase. Bambi's mom, however, hears a sound and warns Bambi to run and not to look back no matter what happens. What follows is the most shocking moment in any Disney film and, because of the context, perhaps in all of cinema. In this disturbingly dark scene, Bambi realizes what happened to his mother
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The trailer is out for the upcoming "Walking with Dinosaurs." No, this is not a sequel to the Disney film "Dinosaur," nor does it have anything to do with the upcoming "The Good Dinosaur." Instead, it derives from a popular BBC documentary-style series narrated by Kenneth Branagh. Of course, you quickly will realize that, like "Dinosaur" and just about every other recent movie about dinosaurs (except, of course, the "Jurassic Park" series), "Walking with Dinosaurs" has cute talking dinosaurs, unlike the serious BBC series. That must just be a coincidence with those other dinosaur films.
The plot involves two brother dinosaurs who confront other (presumably bad) dinosaurs in the Arctic North.
"Walking with Dinosaurs 3D" is directed by Barry Cook (Arthur Christmas) and Neil Nightingale (Enchanted Kingdom 3D) and written by John Collee (Happy Feet) and Theodore Thomas (Walt & El Grupo). It arrives on December 20, 2013.
"Despicable Me 2," Universal's animated follow-up (directed by Chris Renaud and Pierre Coffin) to the highly regarded 2010 "Despicable Me," is on the way on July 3, 2013 (UK release is June 28, 2013). Benjamin Bratt voices the main bad buy, perhaps El Macho pictured above, and of course Steve Carrell is back as Gru and Russell Brand as Dr. Nefario. Steve Coogan plays the head of the Anti-Villain League. Kristen Wiig is Agent Lucy Wilde, with whom Gru may be becoming romantically involved.
To get caught up on the storyline, check out the review of the original "Despicable Me."
There are three new 20-second UK trailers out for "Despicable Me 2." The first is the "Fire Alarm" trailer:
Next up is the "New Mission" trailer:
And third up is the "Excuses" trailer:
We will use this space for further updates on "Despicable Me 2" as they become available.
More Background Coming on the Events in "Ghost in the Shell"
The return of Major Motoko Kusanagi
Fans of "Ghost in the Shell," rejoice! Plans are in the works to make a sequel to that classic anime by Masamune Shirow. It will be called "Ghost in the Shell: Arise" and will be in four 50-minute installments.
The first trailer is below, in Japanese:
Here is the trailer with English subtitles. Since I don't speak Japanese, I don't know how accurate the translation is, but it should give you a better idea of what is going on.
This first episode will show the adventures of cyborg squad leader Motoko Kusanagi before all the events of "Ghost in the Shell." The limited series is produced by Production I.G., and is being directed by animator Kise Kazuchika. The first installment is called "Ghost Pain."
The premiere on Japanese television is June 22, 2013. The next installment won't appear until the end of the year. There will be many months between each episode.
A computer-generated animation series is coming in 2014 from Disney, which now, of course, owns the rights to "Star Wars."
Word is that there will be an hour-long introductory special on the Disney channel to start "Rebels" off. Disney XD will air the actual series. It is set in the time right before the original "Star Wars," with a young Luke, Leia, and Han Solo.
According to the studio:
"The Empire is securing its grip on the galaxy and hunting down the
last of the Jedi Knights as a fledgling rebellion against the Empire is
taking shape."
Greg Weisman, Simon Kinberg and and Dave Filoni are behind this project.
Dave Filoni talks about "Rebels" below:
And below is a discussion of the new "Rebels" project from IGN:
