Disney Re-watch Part 2

Part of the fun of re-watching old Disney films is that I get to pick up on things I'd never quite noticed before. For example, they got to call people 'jackasses' in Pinocchio, something that would never fly in today's environment. More importantly however, I've come to realize that the world of Disney has a system of government that appears to be based on one simple thing: can you talk to and/or command animals? If you can, congratulations! You're a princess! One would think there are better ways to set up a monarchy, but then again I'd expect King Triton would just lightning bolt the first timid shrimp that suggested forming a republic.

Moving on to more specific thoughts...

Pinocchio
I mentioned above that some of the language Disney got away with in this movie surprised me. That's not the only thing that makes Pinocchio a product of its times: it notably lacks the karmic retributions that are so prevalent in most children's fare. Stromboli attempts to kidnap Pinocchio as an indentured servant, the fox and cat duo lead him astray twice (though really, after the first time that's on Pinocchio for not learning anything) and the coachman runs a horrifying magical slave market. While our hero escapes all of these foes, none of them are ever brought to justice and remain free to prey on others. It's a jarring disconnect from pretty much any modern Disney tale (and it's a bit ironic here, seeing as Pinocchio is all about acting good so that good things will happen to him). And yet I think this attitude works very well here. I'm not saying the villain has to win (as much as some of my favorite films may seem to dispute that theory), but not spending time on the bad guys' comeuppance is a refreshing change of pace and it allows the story to focus solely on Pinocchio and his adventures.

Also getting off scot-free: Gepetto, cat-kicker

Of course one of the reasons that the story works out this way is that the film's based on a series of serial stories. As a result, Pinocchio is far more episodic than an organic whole. The movie can be essentially divided into four distinct sections, all of which are introduced abruptly. The final act literally starts with a note that reads 'BTW, a whale ate Gepetto :p' Even Pinocchio's lie-lengthened nose is only mentioned in a single scene, and even there it's not actually utilized. Still, all of these different mini-arcs give Pinocchio a good amount of variety and it's definitely an enjoyable lark.

Sleeping Beauty
Story-wise this film isn't exactly a cinematic triumph. Running only 76 minutes, Sleeping Beauty's plot still manages to feel simplistic and padded. The motives of the villainess never go beyond "she's EVIL", potentially interesting dynamics and conflict between the two kings and Prince Philip are cut short, and Princess Aurora herself is around for less than 1/4th of the picture. Instead, the three good fairies are put front and center and their role is...problematic.

For the first two-thirds of the movie, pretty much everything bad that happens is these three's fault. Maleficent only curses Aurora in the first place after the blue fairy provokes and insults her. They spend sixteen years in hiding only to prove too impatient to wait another two hours before casting spells, a move that brings about the princess' discovery and spindle-prick. Then, in order to stall for time rather than admit their failings, they curse the entire kingdom with their own slumber spell. I can't underscore how awful a plan that is: it's not only a shortsighted and drastic solution with no end in sight, but because of it they almost miss learning about their only chance at a cure. And yet in the third act, the the fairies' competence level is suddenly boosted to a perplexing degree. During the final confrontation their spells are so strong that they seem to barely need Phillip's help in slaying Maleficent at all, a move that sadly undercuts the heroism of the film's male lead and serves as a fittingly frustrating capstone to the trio's scattershot characterization.

What Sleeping Beauty does have going for it though, is that it's absolutely beautiful to look at. The animation is a wonderful blend of stylized, storybookesque backgrounds mixed with smooth and fluid characters, giving the film a unique look as Aurora and the others dance through a series of fantastically-drawn sets. The effective "look" of the movie also proves exactly why Maleficent has become the poster child for Disney villains. While her personality may be cliche, her horned cowl, flowing cloak, and regal posture is a strikingly effective character design that is as ominous as it is elegant. Plus, dragon. Dragons are awesome.

Snow White
Looked at with a critical eye, the plot of Snow White isn't actually any more complicated than that of Sleeping Beauty. If anything, this movie (whose story only spans about 36 hours!) might have even more filler. But it doesn't feel that way, and it's because each of Snow White's many interludes is different and charming by itself. Sure Snow fleeing through the woods, the forest creatures cleaning the house, and the dwarves washing their hands for dinner each take around five minutes, but they manage to stand alone as distinct 'silly symphonies' that also manage to work into the greater plot. Snow White also wastes no time getting started: we've met Snow, the Prince, the Queen, and had an assassination attempt and flight within the first ten minutes. It's not all great: the animation of the human characters mostly is distractingly creepy (especially the Prince) and "Someday my Prince Will Come" terrible and overrated. But it is charming and funny, and holds up not just as an animation landmark, but also a genuinely good movie.

The Little Mermaid
This movie, more than any other in this batch, is where my memory diverged the most from what's in the film. Ursala has stood out in my mind as being one of the better Disney villains, but upon a rewatch I was surprised to discover that her character and motivations are very simple and under-developed: the awesomeness of "Poor Unfortunate Souls" had led me to oversell a relatively average antagonist. Even weirder, while I remembered the fish Flounder, I had completely forgotten about the seagull Ariel deals with despite the fact he's extremely relevant to the plot while Flounder mostly just swims around nearby things.

Considering it hasn't been that long since I'd rewatched The Little Mermaid, I'm a bit surprised at how much of it felt new to me. The songs are famous enough but I'd overlooked how phenomenal the score is as well, and how atypically proactive Eric is as a prince, taking in random shipwreck victims into his home (and risking his life and a messy succession dispute in order to save a dog). But these things are exactly the point of this project: to rediscover things.