Sorting Disney Villains into Hogwarts Houses

Sorting Disney Villains into Hogwarts Houses

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Today I am going to be going through many different Disney villains and sorting them into the Hogwarts houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin.

Just to recap the houses:

Gryffindor values bravery, bold, guts, and chivalry

Hufflepuff values hard work, trustworthiness, commitment, patience, loyalty, and fair play

Ravenclaw values understanding, intelligence, knowledge, and humour

Slytherin values aspiration, cunning, self-belief and resourcefulness,

It would be easy to place all villains into Slytherin, but that would also be wrong, villains appear in all the houses, apart from Hufflepuff. Rita Skeeter was a Ravenclaw and Peter Pettigrew was a Gryffindor. So with that in mind, let’s get on with the sorting!  

The Evil Queen

The Evil Queen would be sorted into Slytherin house, for so many reasons. She literally only cares about herself, her only friends is a magic mirror, she’s willing to have Snow White murdered, just because she’s prettier than herself and she’s even willing to murder Snow White herself. You have to have a lot of self-belief if you think it’s okay to murder someone just so you can be the prettiest one in all the land.

Lady Tremaine

Just like The Evil Queen, Lady Tremaine is pretty selfish, she’s a character a lot like Narcissa Malfoy, a Slytherin. They both aspire for great things by advancing the members of their family, which is why I’d place her in Slytherin.

Captain Hook

Continuing to sail the seven seas after a crocodile bites off your hand, is a pretty brave, and he’s pretty gutsy to go up against Peter Pan and the Lost Boys, if not a little foolish, in order to achieve his goal of getting as much treasure as possible.

Maleficent

I wanted to put Maleficent in Slytherin, but she’s really not really aspirational, or cunning, I mean she’s a villain just because she acted out when she wasn’t invited to a baby’s christening. However she’s pretty bold, I mean cursing a baby to die if she ever pricks her finger on a spinning wheel, and then she transforms into a dragon, talk about bold and fearless.

Gaston

Gaston would definitely be a Gryffindor, he may not be chivalrous, but he does remind me a lot of fellow Gryffindor Cormac McLaggen. They both are big headed, arrogant, and think that all the women want to be with them.

Jafar

Jafar is the Royal Vizier of Agrabah, he is the second in command to the Sultan, which is a pretty important job, and required Jafar to rise up above the ranks. You have to be pretty clever which is why Jafar would fit into Ravenclaw.  

Frollo

Frodo would be a Ravenclaw,  I did um and ah about whether he would be a Slytherin, but ultimately I think he would be a Ravenclaw. He reminds me a lot of Rita Skeeter in the sense that Frollo likes to spin a narrative which may or may not be true, he’s very good at convincing others to believe whatever he wants them to believe, like how he made Quasimodo believe that he was unlovable and that he needed Frollo to survive.

Hades

There is no other house that the God of the Underworld could fit into other than Slytherin. He’s big headed, a thug (like Crabbe and Goyle), he has a one track mind and he has big goals.

Hans

Hans definitely makes me think of Gryffindor characters like Wormtail and Percy, characters who try to advance themselves by any means necessary, so like Wormtail and Percy I’m placing Hans in Gryffindor.

Disney Mug Collection

Disney Mug Collection

I have a small obsession with mugs, specifically Disney mugs so I thought I would show you my collection.

So as you can see I have two Winnie the Pooh mugs. Both are from the Disney Store and each cost roughly £12.99. The Winnie the Pooh mug is a more standard everyday shaped mug, whereas the honey pot, which also has some honey bees dotted around it, is a lot bigger and sturdier.

I love my Wall-E mug, there is not enough Wall-E merchandise so I am really happy I have this mug. One thing I need to point out about this mug is that because it is square shaped you have to drink out of the corner so it’s not for everyone.

I first saw the Mr. Potato Head mug on Instagram and thought that I would never be able to get one of these mugs, thinking that they were only sold in the Asian parks so when I found this on the Disney Store website I knew I had to get it.

I love how much character detail is in this mug and in all honesty I have no trouble drinking from this mug, but other people in my household say they could never drink out of it.

Keeping with the Toy Story theme I also have this Alien mug. This is the first Disney mug I ever bought back in either 2015/2016. It’s a good size, it’s easy to hold and I like the added detail that the alien sticks out, it’s 3D rather than just a printed on picture.

I purchased the Dory mug back in 2016 when the Finding Dory film came out and I’m so glad I did because this mug is such a good representation of the film. Similarly to a lot of other mugs you have seen this mug is on the bigger side.

My Jack Skellington mug is a really nice shape and size, not too big, not too small and it’s really comfortable to hold. I also don’t own any “Nightmare Before Christmas” merchandise so this is a perfect addition to my collection. This mug was £5 from Shop Disney.

Can a girl ever have too many mugs? Well according to some members of my family, she can, but then I go onto BrummyMummyof2’s Instagram page and she assures me you can have as many as your little heart desires which is why I bought this petite Ursula mug, because it’s nice to cup your hands around and keep you warm. I also bought this castle Maleficent mug because it’s tall, sturdy and I’ve had my eye on it for over a year and I like big mugs, I cannot lie!

Ursula mug cost: £11

Maleficent mug cost: £12

I am obsessed with my Up mug, it’s so different to all the other mugs I own. The mug is so lovely to hold and I find it really comfortable to drink out of the lid. It’s also helps to keep my tea or coffee warm.

This mug costs £11.

I don’t actually drink out of my Snow White, Cinderella, Ariel or Belle mugs, they sit on my desk and hold all of my pens. They were each around £8.

I love mugs, and there have been so many mugs that I’ve wanted but I have resisted and now they don’t sell them and I always regret not buying them, so decided to treat myself to this Dumbo mug. Dumbo is such a loveable character, and I own very little merchandise related to him so I thought this would be a perfect addition to the mug family I’m growing. I was sold on this mug because the handle is designed to look like a feather.

This mug cost £12.

Chip and Chip are both from the Disney store and are the only mugs that are still on sale online on the Disney store. The smaller chip costs £4.99 and the larger chip is £14.99. The difference in price is a good representation of quality difference. For example the smaller is made out of plastic and I don’t think is practical for using as an actual mug to hold tea or coffee. The larger is also more of an accurate representation of the Chip from the film.

What I love about my Olaf mug is the detail of the handle looking like a wooden stick. It’s the added detail in Disney mugs that I love. He is still available on Shop Disney for £12.

Amazingly I only have one Christmas mug and it’s this Mickey and Minnie mug. They look very classy in their traditional festive outfits. I love that Pluto is on there and a cheeky little chip and dale. The size is not too big, not too small and it’s really comfortable to hold.

This mug costs £11

The last thing I have to show you is this Mickey Mouse teapot which I have to admit isn’t 100% functional. You have to pour it very quickly and confidently in order to be able to not spill the tea which is a  little frustrating but just something I have to get used to. I do love it though and it definitely adds a bit more colour to the kitchen.

I hope you enjoyed seeing my collection of mugs.  

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Film Review

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil Review

Spoiler Free

On the 18th October 2019 in the UK Maleficent: Mistress of Evil was released and it’s the sequel to the original Maleficent film

It once again stars Angelia Jolie as Maleficent, Elle Fanning as Princess Aurora, Sam Riley as Diaval and Harris Dickinson plays Prince Philip. We also have some new members of the cast. Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Conall, Ed Skrein plays Borra, Robert Lindsay plays King John and Michelle Pfeiffer plays Queen Ingris.

The first Maleficent film focused mainly on the updated and improved retelling of Sleeping Beauty. It showed how Maleficent, although she did curse Aurora, wasn’t evil and did have a heart. It also showed the reasons for why Maleficent did what she did. It was a beautifully rich film and that’s something I’m happy they brought into this new film. From the beginning of the film you guide around Ulstead and the Moors and it feel unfathomable that this world doesn’t exist in real life because it’s so rich with the beautiful buildings, the colourful nature of the moors and the people and the creatures that inhabit those worlds.

The film dives into the story from start and from there you’re whisked off on a story that’s full to bursting with such interesting characters, all of them, from the minor to the major. Michelle Pfeiffer as Queen Ingris was perfect. She reminded me a lot of her character in Lamia from “Stardust”, they have a lot in common. Robert Lindsay as King John was a little shocking of a choice, I remember him from his days of playing Ben Harper in the BBC sitcom “My Family”, however he brought such a warm and gentle nature to the role.

Elle brought the same beautiful and gentle nature to this film as she did the first, but at times I was frustrated by her characters lack of action in the beginning. I don’t put this down to Elle, I put this down to the direction her character was up in. Aurora is a lot wiser than her character was made out to be in the beginning of the film. It’s a shame that for the first half of the film we’re stuck with the same cliché that most films fall into: A misguided character learns whoose actually in the wrong.

Harris Dickinson is going to be someone to watch. I don’t think he was able to show his full potential in this film because Disney didn’t want to turn Aurora into a character who only means something because of who she is which I greatly appreciate. However because they wanted to focus more on Aurora and the other cast, Philip was more in the background. If they do another film I wouldn’t mind Philip being more in centre stage.

The one cast choice we can’t not talk about is Maleficent who was played by Angelina Jolie. I had my reservations about her playing the role in the first film, but when you see her in action you quickly reason she’s perfect for the role. Her dead pan face, the power and terror and selflessness she can command is tremendous and she adds a lot to the film.

One small change I would make to the film if I could is that I would have liked to have seen some funny moments. Throughout the whole film I can only remember one small laughing moment and that was a very silly one. The film in part dealt with some really horrible situation and I would have preferred it if humour was there throughout the film to remind you that this is an enjoyable film to watch. Sometimes films are too serious, it’s nice to have some comedy.

I loved the storyline of this film. It didn’t feel like they wanted to make just another Maleficent film, it felt justified and I would say that it is just as good, if not better than the first film. Very few live action Disney films are worth it, I’m looking at you “A Wrinkle in Time”, but Maleficent: Mistress of Evil, I would not put it in that category.

Let me know what you thought in the comments below.

Disney Halloween Haul

Disney Halloween Haul

Hello and welcome back to my blog, today I’m going to show you all of the Disney Halloween Merchandise I have bought from the Disney Store, Hobbycraft, etc.

Disney have really upped their decoration game from last year, they now have Halloween decorations and I just couldn’t resist, I purchased the Headless Horseman. I thought that this was just a made up character for the Mickey’s Not So Scary Parade over at Walt Disney World in Florida, but actually he’s from “The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad”. I rather liked that film so I thought I would purchase him to hang on my Halloween tree.

The Headless Horseman cost: £13

Can a girl ever have too many mugs? Well according to some members of my family, she can, but then I go onto BrummyMummyof2’s Instagram page and she assures me you can have as many as your little heart desires which is why I bought this petite Ursula mug, because it’s nice to cup your hands around and keep you warm. I also bought this castle Maleficent mug because it’s tall, sturdy and I’ve had my eye on it for over a year and I like big mugs, I cannot lie!

Ursula mug cost: £11

Maleficent mug cost: £12

There I was casually strolling round Hobbycraft with my list of items I needed in my hand when POW this puzzle came and attached itself to me and it whispered to me “Take me home” so I did, and I regret nothing! This puzzle is going to be perfect for those dark evenings, listening to the rain outside, watching Descendants, Hocus Pocus and Halloweentown.

The puzzle cost:£14

Normally when I go into a Disney store with either my mother or my boyfriend they’re trying to dissuade me from buying anything but this time things were different. I’ll set the scene. I was showing my mum the pumpkin Mickey Mouse mug that I was going to get when I looked over her shoulder and noticed Lucifer and I noticed that she looked cute and would be perfect to sit on my Halloween themed bed (I have black cats on my bedding that are riding broomsticks) and my mother, for some crazy reason agreed with me and said “Yes, you have to get it!” So I did.

Lucifer cost: £20

I have recently become very aware of how damaging fast fashion can be for the world so I’ve decided to start shopping more second hand and more vintage which meant that when I was visiting Brighton I focused on finding some second hand clothes, specifically Disney clothes. I found loads of t-shirts, some that I really regret not buying but I did purchase this Goofy jumper and I love it! It’s so 90’s and it’s perfect for the colder evenings and it was only £20. A bargain from the shop Beyond Retro.

Disneyland Paris Rides Review

Disneyland Paris Rides

 

Disneyland Paris Park is spit into 4 different lands which include Adventureland, Fantasyland, Discoveryland and Frontierland. Each land has some incredible attractions and that is what I am going to be sharing with you in this blog. All of this is my personal opinion from when I went to Disneyland Paris with my friend Tim in 2016.

 

Fantasyland

All of the rides in Fantasyland are family friendly, perfect for the small to incredibly old and it’s my personal favourite land.

 

Dumbo: It’s a ride for anyone, pink your Dumbo and he takes you on a flight into the air. This ride is so simple but so magical and you can get some really great pictures of the park from up high.

It’s a Small World: It a Small World takes you on a gentle boat ride around the world in under 10 minutes, the down side? You have to listen to the most repetitive song ever. It’s not the most thrilling ride, but it is a classic and it’s one you have to ride.

 

Peter Pan’s Flight: I don’t why but this ride is so magical, wonderful and so simple. You take a flight through the London air all the way to Neverland to see some of the key scenes from Peter Pan. This ride always has the longest wait so try and go on this first thing in the morning or you can get a Fast Pass for this ride.

 

Snow White and Pinocchio Dark Ride: Both rides take you on a trip into their film, watch Pinocchio turn into a real boy and see how Snow White escapes the Evil Queen. Both slightly terrifying and creepy, but both rides you need to ride once. They are also the quickest rides in the park.

 

Casey Jr: This ride is a bit of a hidden gem for me because it was such good fun and I didn’t expect it. It’s a rollercoaster, but one that’s aimed at families. It’s small, not too fast and doesn’t last too long, it’s a great introduction to rollercoaster’s if you’re a little unsure.

 

Maleficent: Down a deep dark cave, under Sleeping Beauty castle is the sleeping dragon Maleficent, who is an impressive sight to see and in fact this is the only park in the world that houses her, so go and take a peek, if you dare.

Alice’s Curious Labyrinth: Prepare yourselves, this Labyrinth is a lot bigger than first glance and is easier to get lost in that first hoped. There isn’t anything special about this maze so don’t feel life you have to do it, but if you want to get lost in your imagination, this is the perfect place to go.

Mad Hatters Tea Cups: This ride is as fun as you make it. You sit in one of the Mad Hatters tea cups and you can spin as fast or as slow as you want, but just know they can really pick up speed. I wouldn’t recommend eating right before this ride.

 

Le Pays des Contes de Fees: This is a boat road that will take you through some of the key scenes from the Disney films using figurines. This ride was the only let down for me. There was a lot of nothing going on and it wouldn’t be hard to add more figurines. This is a ride I would like to see improved.

Discoveryland

Discoveryland is all about the future that was imagined in the past, it’s a very steampunk themed area.

 

Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast: The best ride in the park, I think I averaged 4X a day, fast passes definitely helped with this. This ride is unlike any of the other rides they have in the park. Instead of sitting and watching scenes unfold around you, you have to use your gun which is installed in your vehicle to zap all the Z’s standing for Zerg. This ride has the repeatability value because each time you’re trying to improve your score and beat whoever your riding with.

Orbitron: This is the exact same ride as Dumbo, so if you like Dumbo, then you’ll like this ride, however if your pressed for time and can’t do both, pick the ride that you think is going to give you the better views up high. Do you want to see Discoveryland or Fantasyland?

 

Also in Discoveryland is Star Tours which was shut for refurbishment when we went but it’s definitely on my “to ride” list.

 

“Les Mysteres du Nautilus”: Unless you have seen the film “20,000 Leagues Under the Sea” feel free to skip this. It’s a walk through attraction where you can see the inside of the Nautilus, the submarine from the film. Personally I didn’t appreciate the attraction until after I came home from Disney and watched the film. So if you’re going to the park, watch the film first.

 

Space Mountain: This was another ride that I didn’t go on. I have heard that the speed of the vehicle can give you a funny head, this was true for Tim, but this didn’t stop him from riding the ride several time a day. It was definitely his favourite ride of the park.

 

Autopia: The last worthwhile ride of Discoveryland. This one is always a good laugh when you’re going with someone else. The idea is that you ride a 1950’s car around the track which surprisingly goes on for a long way. This ride was great to ride the once, but it didn’t make me want to ride it again and again.

Frontierland:

When I went to Disneyland Paris, Frontierland was a ghost town, the Thunder Mesa River had been dried up, Big Thunder Mountain was under refurbishment along with Pocahontas’s Indian Village so they only thing to do was head on Phantom Manor: which admittedly I was really nervous about riding. There were some creepy moments, like when the ride broke down four times in a row, sometimes in area of near pitch blackness, but really there were some lovely effects and there was always something to look at, it was an enjoyable ride. This ride, especially for a new rider has ride repeatability.

Along with Phantom Manor, Frontierland hosts The Chaparral Theater which, at the time, was putting on the Frozen sing-along. This show was around 45 minutes long and an utter joy to watch. They basically played out the story of Frozen on stage with all the big numbers, including “Let it Go”. There wasn’t a bad place to sit and during the production, these gigantic snowball drop from the ceiling and the audience bounces them around from one person to another. I know this show isn’t on any more but if Disneyland Paris ever brings it back and you have the chance to watch it, then do, it’s worth it.

Adventureland:

Indiana Jones and the Temple of Peril: Another ride I passed on, however Tim did ride it and enjoyed it, he said that the track wasn’t very long. One bonus for me, the person waiting was that this ride never had a long queue time. You can also get a fast pass for this ride.

 

When we went, La Cabane des Robinson, Pirates Beach and Adventure Isle were all closed for refurbishment so I cannot comment on these. I only regret missing out on La Cabane des Robinson which is the Swiss Family Robinson Tree House as I have heard that you can get some really stunning views from up high.

 

Pirates of the Caribbean. I was so scared to go on this ride, however Tim convinced me. We waited in what seemed like the longest line in the world while I became more and more nervous, we got to the front of the queue, we were seated in the back row of the boat and then literally seconds before the boat set off to move I jumped out the other side and headed straight for the exit, leaving Tim to ride the ride himself. Looking back I find this a funny story but I also regret not going on the ride, especially as I have heard so many good things about the ride. When I go back I am definitely riding this ride.

 

Le Passage Enchanté d’ Aladdin: Unless your an Aladdin fan, skip it!

 

That finishes my of all the lands rides at Disneyland Paris. My favourite is definitely Buzz Lightyear Laser Blast. Let me know in the comments below what your favourite ride is.

The Making of Sleeping Beauty

Sleeping Beauty

 

Released on 29th July 1959, Sleeping Beauty was the third Disney princess movie. The movie focuses on Maleficent, an evil fairy who wasn’t invited to a party, gets angry and consequently curses a baby so that when she pricks her finger on a spinning wheel before the age of 16, she will die. Luckily, Aurora, the baby, has three good fairies who protect and care for her.

 

Original Story

There have been a couple of versions of this story. The original story is Italian and titled “Sun, Moon and Talia” written by Giambattista Basile in 1634. This version has some of the same plot points as the Disney version, but the original story is a lot more grim and has more twists and turns to the story. The second version was written in Germany by Charles Perrault and this is version where the name Briar Rose came from. This version has more in common with the Disney version. The third version was written by the Brothers Grimm.

 

Development

It took a long time to create Sleeping Beauty, 10 years in fact. Development started in 1951, voice recordings happened in 1952, the animation was being developed from 1953-58 and the music was recorded in 1957. One reason why the film took so long to make was because it was animated in Super Technorama 70. In comparison, Snow White was animated on 35. To sum up, Sleeping Beauty had more screen space to fill and therefore it took more time to create backgrounds and build scenes. To make things even more difficult, it was decided that the style of the film would be inspired by European medieval paintings and architecture, so all of the backgrounds were rich with colour and detail. This was all down to the man Eyvind Earle, who, because of this style of background, wasn’t too popular. For the first time ever it was the backgrounds being drawn first and the characters had to match the backgrounds theme. This especially annoyed the character animators, however when watching the film you can see just how visually stunning the background are. There is so much detail in this film it’s almost a work of art.

 

In order to help the animation of the film to run smoothly, live actors in costumes served as models for the animators. This meant that the animators had a point of reference. This was also the case for Cinderella and it was used to good effect. Philip was played by Ed Kemmer and Aurora was played by Helene Stanley who was also the live action reference for Cinderella, possibly explaining why the two characters look similar.

Another reason why Helene was chosen to be the reference model was because Helene was a talented ballet dancer and in a lot of the scene Aurora is dancing.

Sleeping Beauty was directed by Clyde Geronimi who was an Italian American director who had previously helped to direct Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. The story was written by Erdman Penner who had worked at the Disney studio since Pinocchio, working specifically on Fantasia, The Reluctant Dragon, Make Mine Music, Victory Through Air Power, Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and more.

 

Cast

Mary Costa voiced Aurora back when she was 19 years old, she has the fewest lines of any of the princesses and the only titular character who has less lines that her is Dumbo and possibly Bambi.

The slim, slender shape of Aurora was inspired by the look of Audrey Hepburn and her reference model Helene Stanley.

Bill Shirley voiced Prince Philip, who was named after Prince Philip, husband of the current Queen Elizabeth of England.

At the end of the film Philip and Aurora dance off and into the clouds. This idea was imagined by Walt Disney who wanted it in Snow White but ultimately didn’t think it would fit. He then wanted it in Cinderella but had the same problem, as you can tell it found its way into Sleeping Beauty.

Another aspect Sleeping Beauty stole from Snow White was the fact that Philip, the prince, was trapped by Maleficent and then escaped and murdered the dragon. In Snow White, the prince was meant to become trapped by the Evil Queen, escape and then kill her. This ended up not being the case because Walt didn’t have faith that his animators would be able to animated a man realistically.

To make sure that their voices blended well Mary auditioned with Bill.

Eleanor Audley voiced Maleficent, this is the second villain Eleanor has voiced as she also voiced Lady Tremaine in Cinderella. Eleanor also went on to voice Madame Leota on the Haunted Mansion ride at Disneyland.

Eleanor reluctantly had to turn down voicing Maleficent due to suffering with Tuberculosis and didn’t want to damage her voice. Luckily Eleanor made a full recovery in time to voice the character and also performed the character reference for Maleficent.

When Maleficent was a dragon, the voice of her breathing fire was recorded from a flamethrower. Quite appropriate really. Castanets were used for the sound of the teeth snapping shut. Also the movement of the dragons head was inspired by the movement of the a rattlesnake about to strike a predator.

Maleficent was mainly inspired by actress Maila Nurmi’s character Vampira who was inspired by Morticia Addams.

 

Verna Felton voiced both Flora and Queen Leah. Verna has also voiced the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella and the Queen of Hearts from Alice in Wonderland.

 

Barbara Luddy voiced Merryweather. Barbara has also voiced Lady from Lady and the Tramp and Kanga from the 1977 “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh”.

 

Barbara Jo Allen voiced Fauna.

It was considered by Walt to have more fairies, like in the German version of the story, and to have them look identical and act identical, Frank and Ollie, two of the nine old men, stepped in and said that they should have their own personalities and look

Taylor Holmes voiced King Stefan. This was Taylors last credited Role as he passed away shortly after the film was released.

 

Bill Thompson voiced King Hubert, he has also voiced Mr. Smee from Peter Pan, Jock and Bull from Lady and the Tramp and White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland.

 

Facts

Throughout the film, the fairies are fighting about what colour Aurora’s dress should be, pink or blue. This was done because the animators themselves couldn’t decide, so instead of making a decision, they created this argument between fairies.

 

Music

Walter Schumann was going to score the music for the film but he and Walt Disney didn’t see eye to eye on the direction of the music so instead George Bruns was brought in. George ended up recording the soundtrack in Berlin rather than LA. Obviously this was a good decision because he was nominated for an Oscar for Best Music.

George went on to work on the music for The Jungle Book, the Aristocats and Robin Hood.

A lot of the music is based on the ballet of “Sleeping Beauty” which was written by “Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky”. In order to give the music of the film the same grandeur style it displayed in the ballet, Walt Disney had the Berlin Symphony Orchestra to record the music.

The song “Once Upon a Dream” which is played when Aurora and Phillip meet for the first time was originally called “Sequence 8” and was a particularly tricky sequence to perfect. Walt Disney was very picky about this scene, so much so that they spent a little too much money on redoing the scene 4 times, nearly bankrupting the company, when they finally got it right, celebratory cake was made and eaten as the animators were so relieved to be finished with this scene. This is one of the reason Sleeping Beauty was the most expensive animated film at the time of release.

One song that was not included was titled “Evil-Evil” and it was sung by two of Maleficents henchmen, you can find the song quite easily on you tube.

 

Reception

In order to promote the release of this film it was decided that Disneyland’s castle should be Sleeping Beauty’s castle. Personally I don’t see the resemblance but it will forever be known as Sleeping Beauty Castle. In Disneyland Paris, there park also has a Sleeping Beauty castle, this castle trumps California’s for the simple fact that it has a full animatronic head of Maleficent the dragon underneath the castle which you can go and see.

Sleeping Beauty didn’t do half as well as hoped and Walt blamed this on the fact that it was a princess movie so Walt said no more princess movies and while he was alive he never produced a princess movie. The next Disney princess wouldn’t be introduced until Ariel in The Little Mermaid in 1989, 30 years after Sleeping Beauty.

As I’ve said, Sleeping Beauty was expensive, $6 million dollars expensive and although it was a hit when it first came out and received positive reviews, the hype of the film died down and the film never made back the money, at least not on the initial run. In fact it was recommended to Walt to pull out of animation and just focus on TV and theme parks as these were going well for Walt Disney.

 

Easter Eggs

When the fairies are discussing how to help the situation with Aurora take note of what Merryweather is cooking, Mickey mouse shaped biscuits.

 

Spin Off

If you weren’t already aware Disney have released a film all about Maleficent and showing the story from her point of view. It was a live action film starring Angeline Jolie. Personally I think it’s a wonderful film, definitely worth the watch , especially as Maleficent 2 film is set to be coming out soon.

I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about Sleeping Beauty, come back on Friday 7th September for a blog about who to follow on social media for all your Disney need.

2019 – The Year of Disney and Pixar Films

What to Watch in 2019

 

In 2019 there are a lot of Disney and Pixar films coming out that you may not be aware of and there is definitely some stuff to get excited about. So in this blog I am going to be showing you the Disney and Pixar releases coming out in 2019, however please be aware that I will not be including any marvel or Star Wars movies.

 

Another thing to be aware of is I am not an expert on these films, I have no inside person giving me these details, this is just what I have found out from watching interviews and looking online, furthermore, these films go through a lot of changes and won’t be coming out for another year so what I tell you know might be true, but in 6 months it might not be. I hope what I am telling you will be accurate but I will admit that there are some details that may be wrong and I apologise for that now.

 

The last thing to know about is there will be little to no spoilers. Where possible I will be talking about the plot of the film, but obviously I’m not going to be giving too much of the film away.

 

Dumbo

Dumbo is a live action, possibly sequel, possible retelling, possible update of the original that is due to be released in the UK and the USA on 29th March and most surprisingly to me, it will be directed by Tim Burton who in the past has worked on Edward Scissorhands, Corpse Bride, Beetlejuice, the live action Alice in Wonderland and many more. Personally I always think that his work is memorable and individualistic, but he’s not my favourite director and I am surprised that he has taken on Dumbo.

This film is not going to be a talking animal film, although it will still centre around Dumbo, they seem to be going in a different direction with this film. For example the film will focus on a new character Holt Farrier, who will be played by Colin Farrell (Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them) he returns from war a changed man, no longer able to be a circus star he is instructed by the circus owner Max Medici, played by Danny Devito (Matilda), to look after Dumbo, a baby elephant with gigantic ears. It his children who discover that Dumbo can fly. It’s now time for Dumbo to be made a star with the help of Collette Marchant, played by Eva Green (Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children) who is an aerial artist and entrepreneur V.A Vandemere, played by Michael Keaton (Birdman).

 

Aladdin

The live action Aladdin film is due to be released on 24th May in the USA, it hasn’t yet been confirmed when it will be released in the UK.

The cast has been confirmed, with the most notable name being Will Smith being the Genie. This is a decision that I am very excited about, Will Smith always takes on very emotive and powerful roles and I think the Genie would really suit him well as a character.

Jasmine is going to be played by Naomi Scott, who most recently was the pink power ranger in the power ranger movie, Mena Massoud will play Aladdin, Marwan Kenzari (Ben-Hur and What Happened to Monday) will play Jafar and Navid Negahban will play the Sultan.

It looks as though we don’t have a synopsis yet but I can guess that it will be follow a similar plot to the original film.

 

Toy Story 4

Toy Story 4, the first animated film of the year and the only fouthquel in the Pixar universe is coming to cinemas in 2019 on 21st June to UK and USA.

The only plot line that they have revealed is that it will focus on Woody and Buzz searching for Bo Peep who was one of the toys that was given away. Just from this detail I believe it could be one of the more romantic films.

Just encase you weren’t aware, Don Rickles who voiced Mr. Potato Head passed away last year (2017) and hadn’t recorded his lines so it is yet unknown what they will do with his character.

It looks like a lot of the original cast have signed up for the film including Tom Hanks who voices Woody, Tim Allen who voices Buzz Lightyear and Joan Cusack who voices Jessie and many others.

I know a lot of people have uncertain feelings about this film because they feel as though the trilogy wrapped up so nicely with Andy going to college, but personally I feel as though Pixar wouldn’t be going ahead with this fourth film if they didn’t feel like it had some promise.

The Lion King

The Lion King is going to be a CG-animated version which will follow a similar story line to the 1994 The Lion King. You can’t say it’s a live action because, well it’s not, it’s animated, it’s just animated more realistically and less cartoonish than the original. Either way I am intrigued as to how they will pull it off. As it is directed by Jon Favreau, the same person who directed the 2016 The Jungle Book, I believe The Lion King will be styled very similarly. That is to say, a lot more graphic and less aimed at for children.

To me, The Lion King is special and I love the original and I think it’s practically perfect and so I don’t how they can make it better. I am aware that technology has advanced to make things look more seamless and more realistic, but personally I don’t need that. I am still going to go and watch the film when it comes out in cinemas on the 19th July in the UK.

One thing that I thought that they were trying to do was have more voice actors from Africa, however a quick web search shows that only actor born and raised in Africa is John Kani who voices Rafiki. An internet search tells me that everyone else is was born and raised in England or America, with the exception of Florence Kasumba who is a German Ugandan actress and she will play Shenzi.

The most recognisable people who have joined the cast are Beyonce (the singer) who will voice Nala, Seth Rogen (Pineapple Express) who will voice Pumbaa, James Earl Jones (Darth Vader) who is revising his role as Mufasa, Donald Glover (The Martian) as Simba and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years a Slave) as Scar.

Frozen 2

Not much is known about this film accept the fact that Kristen Bell who voices Anna, Idina Menzel who voices Elsa and Josh Gad who voices Olaf have signed onto the film which will be released on 27th November in the USA.

 

2019+

Upon researching what films will be coming in 2019 I also saw some films that haven’t yet got a planned date and there are minimal to no real details about these films, most are just rumors.

 

The Jungle Book 2

This film will be a live action sequel to the live action remake of the animated version of The Jungle Book.

The film will be directed by Jon Favreau, who directed the first live action and is directing the live action Lion King. Apparently he will start production straight after the Lion King, after the screen writing has begun, however the idea for a sequel started back in April 2016 so they have been thinking about it for a while.

No cast has yet been confirmed, however Neel Sethi has expressed an interest in appearing in it. Although this will all depend on what the story is going to be about and what age they want Mowgli to be.

 

Maleficent 2

The script of this film has already been started by Linda Woolverton and Angelina Jolie, who appeared as Maleficent in the original, is on board to appear, the production will begin in early 2018.

 

Enchanted 2

I should really call this Disenchanted because this is the proposed title for the upcoming sequel which has signed on Amy Adams to return as Giselle. In this film we will find her questioning her happiness which will apparently cause all sorts of problems for people living in the real world and the world of Andalasia.

 

Other films that are rumoured to be coming are a live action The Little Mermaid starring Lindsey Lohan, a live action Mulan staring Liu Yifei, a Chinese actor and to be directed by Niki Caro. A live action Sword in the Stone. The origin story of Cruella De Ville staring Emma Stone. A Pinocchio live action. A Tinkerbell film starring Reese Witherspoon and a Prince film, either the prince from Snow White or Cinderella.

 

Taking into account the fact that there will also be a lot of original content being made as well Disney isn’t running out of ideas of films anytime soon and there is not one thing I’m not looking forward to. I’m especially intrigued by a Prince story as we don’t have enough leading princes.

 

Please let me know what you’re most excited about in the comments bellow and come back next Monday for a blog all about the animated Aladdin.

 

 

 

 

The Worst Disney Villains

The Worst Disney Villains

 

Hello and welcome back to my blog. Today I am going to be looking at the Disney princess movies and discussing who I think are the worst Disney villains.

There are a couple of things to know before we start:

1. I am looking at The Evil Queen/ The Old Hag from Snow White, Lady Tremaine from Cinderella, Ursula from The Little Mermaid, Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty, Jafar from Aladdin, Ratcliffe from Pocahontas, Dr. Facilier from Princess and the Frog, Mother Gothel from Tangled and Hans from Frozen.
2. I am not including Gaston as I am still not convinced that he is the villain of his film.
3. I am not including Mor Du from Brave because he is a bear and I can’t say that animal instinct is a villainous trait.
4. I am not including Shan Yu from Mulan because the war that Mulan is fighting in is not something I can comment on with any authority.
5. I am also not including Tamatoa from Moana because she isn’t yet a real Disney Princess, she has not been added to the Disney line up so I’m not going to include him.
6. I will be looking at the animated films so this automatically excludes the live action versions and any sequels.
7. All of this is my opinion of the facts. I’m very happy to read in the comments who you think is the worst villain.

 

Let’s start with the fist Disney Princess villain:

The Evil Queen/ The Old Hag

Right from the opening of this film it is obvious that the Queen is the villain of the film, I know not to judge a book by its cover, but just look at her. It takes barely any time before the Queen begins to act out her plan of having Snow White murdered by ordering the huntsman to cut out her heart. It’s not just a normal stabbing, the Queen must obtain a souvenir to cherish. If the huntsman actually went through with the act of murdering the innocent Snow White, I’m sure he would be traumatised for the rest of his life, being unable to forgive himself knowing that he did the wrong thing. This is a small example of how easily the Queen doesn’t mind ruining the lives of the people around her.

This murder may be worthwhile if there was a legitimate motive, but what is her motive? Jealousy. Pure jealousy because Snow White is more beautiful than herself. Nope, sorry, that is not acceptable. She is a Queen with immense magical powers, she owns books titled “black magic” and “black arts”. I’m sure giving Snow White a pig snout wouldn’t have been too hard to do and would have stopped her looking so beautiful. I mean look at Penelope, as soon as she got a pig snout it was all about her inner beauty not outer beauty.

The person she is closest to is a raven, not exactly the most friendly of creatures. The only other person she communicates with in the film is the magic mirror who she calls a slave which begs the question, has the queen cursed someone to live forever in the mirror to help her? This we will never known, but I wouldn’t be surprised if that was true.

The Queen actually succeed in murdering Snow White, it was quick and gruesome, the queen took a lot of pleasure in watching it happen, stating exactly how the poison was working, “breath will steal and her blood congeal”. Of all the ways to die, this has got to be quite a horrible one. It is also so obvious that she is happy about what she has done, she shows no regret or remorse. She is full of pure evil. Her plan worked, now all she had to do is murder the dwarves, which she attempts to do with a boulder. Sadly her plan back fired when she falls from the cliff edge when it breaks and is then squashed by that same boulder she tried to kill the dwarves with before being eaten by vultures.

If she had a villain song she would be a 10, but she doesn’t, so instead I’m scoring her a 9.

 

2. Lady Tremaine

Similarly with the Queen, Lady Tremaine shows that she is the villain of the film very quickly and she too is driven by jealousy, it even says so in the film. She is jealous that Cinderella is more beautiful and talented that her daughters and then later on that the Prince wants to be with Cinderella rather than her daughters. Lady Tremaine only wants to “forward the interests of her own two daughters”. It is for her daughters that she is cruel and uncaring towards her, forcing her to move into the smallest bedroom and perform all of the duties for the house without a please or a thank you after she is forced to let go the workers of the house after she squanders the family fortune on herself and her daughters.

In being so rude towards Cinderella, Lady Tremaine has also encouraged this behaviour in her children, making them walk in their mothers footsteps which is also encouraging Anastasia and Drizella to believe that they are entitled and that is okay to act this way towards someone who doesn’t deserve it. For example both girls give Cinderella unnecessarily taxing tasks like getting a load of ironing and mending done within a timely manner. Passing the buck over to Cinderella means that these girls are not learning the skills they are going to need to survive because they are unlikely to marry because no man is going to want to be with such an unkind, uncaring and rude woman and back then not marrying was a travesty and could ruin a person’s life.

However, and this is a big however, the three woman have never done anything that has completely crushed Cinderella’s spirit. Cinderella is still able to fight back in her own way, with her hope and belief for the future, even when at her lowest point after Lady Tremaine has let her daughters rip and tear Cinderella’s dress to pieces, she still has enough hope and kindness in her heart to allow her Fairy Godmother to come and visit. This then allows Cinderella to attend the ball late, not show up with her family, be in the most beautiful dress at the entire ball and be noticed by the Prince who obviously falls in love with her.

I think the thing that make Lady Tremaine not nearly as bad as any of the other villains is she isn’t a murdered. The worst thing that she really does is lock Cinderella in a tower and really if you think that she is going to leave her there forever to starve, I don’t think Lady Tremaine is actually capable of this. All she really does is delay the eventual union of Cinderella and her Prince.

I also have to take a point of for the lack of a villain song.

Overall, so far Lady Tremaine is, in my opinion, the most pathetic villain being that she really didn’t have much of an effect on Cinderella and inadvertently actually helped Cinderella.

I am going to score her a 4.

 

3. Maleficent

Similarly to the previous two villains we have looked at, Maleficent is driven by jealousy because she wasn’t invited to the celebration of the birth of the baby Aurora. As motives go, this in my opinion, is a pretty rubbish one. I mean that hall was pretty packed with people, maybe there wasn’t enough room, it may not have been personal.

Maleficent is a bit of a drama queen and immediately makes many enemies by using her powers for evil and cursing aurora to death by her 16th birthday. I do have to say though that death by pricking your finger on a spinning wheel is a really uninspired method of death, if you’re going to be a villain who is as much of a drama queen as Maleficent, why not have the cause of death be something more interesting, like, well, I can’t think of anything, I’m not an evil being but I’m sure someone could think of something better than an ouchy on your finger. However this is still better planned Merryweather making her wish to let Aurora sleep for 100 hundred years rather than magicing away all of the spinning wheels, I mean how hard can that spell be, if you can magic beauty and song why can’t use do a simple vanishing spell.

So because of this curse Prince Stephen and his wife make the foolish decision to send their daughter, the love and light of their lives away to live with three fairies, stopping them from seeing Auroras first steps, hearing her first words and watching her grow into a young woman. Aurora has to grow up without knowing who she truly is. The fairies also have to live without magic and pretending they are someone they are not. This isn’t down to Maleficent this is down to the adults stupid decisions.

The coolest thing about Maleficent and why I think she is a lot of peoples favourite is because she can turn herself into a dragon. I mean the Evil Queen can make herself old and ugly and Jafar can turn himself into a snake and later a genie, but that is nothing in comparison to turning yourself into fire breathing dragon. In the end though she is a little disappointing, she picks on Prince Phillip and fails to kill him. She has him on the edge of a cliff with a fiery pit down bellow and she is still the one that gets stabbed and falls down to her death.

If you really look at what she did, she cursed a village for a few hours, everyone had a cat nap, big whoop. Maleficent, you may have style but your plan sucks and you don’t have a villain song. You are scored a 5.

 

4. Queen Ursula

As you can see, Ursula has cursed a lot of mermaids as these are the creatures that Ursula refers to as her garden. Ursula shows no remorse for their entrapment, on the contrary she seems to be keeping them as prizes, trophy’s even of all the wicked things she has done. It looks as though some of these creatures are used in her spell making, which shows she is capable of murder, however this may come as a blessing to those creatures as I’m sure a life lived in a bottle, in fear of one day being used for some sick and twisted spell by the person who probably put you there isn’t a life you are going to want to live. This still doesn’t stop Ariel agreeing to Ursula’s terms and conditions of without even having a proper think about the consequences. Ariel doesn’t even listen to the input of Sebastian who calls Ursula a monster and a demon. I don’t know if this shows how cunning and influential Ursula is, or how stupid Ariel is. Also in defence of Ursula, the mermaids who have come to her have done so of their own free will and are under no obligation to accept Ursula’s help. I’m sure Ursula has targeted them because of the difficult position they are in, and used Flotsam and Jetsam to help her, but they all could have said no.

If Ariel hadn’t gone to Ursula for help, then she wouldn’t have stood a chance with Eric. I don’t truly believe that King Triton would have ever changed his mind and turned her human or him into a mermaid without Ariel doing something drastic like what she ended up doing in the film, so really Ariel and Prince Eric’s love is down to Ursula. Wow, the one thing she didn’t want to do and that’s the one things that she made happen. She really is a terrible villain. On the other hand, she does have a song and a pretty good one. It’s not one that has appealed to me until more recently but I like how it represents Ursula really well, it is different to songs we have heard before and it helps move the story along.

At the ending battle when Ursula, already a pretty powerful sea witch, gains the trident and becomes master of all the oceans, she still can’t defeat one tiny little boat, literally one big wave or one storm or one whack of her now giant tentacles could have murdered all of the people on that boat and then she would have no problems. Her plan would have succeeded, but nope she is defeated by that tiny boat and crushed to death. You lose massive points for that Ursula. You get 7 points.

 

5. Jafar

Jafar is the equivalent of Maleficent in style, they both have a sceptre, both have a bird as their closest allies, both are skinny and tall and a big emphasis on headwear and colour co-ordination.

Jafar however has been building up his plan for a long time and has an end goal which is something he is definitely going to get point for because in all the other films we have covered so far, all the villains are a little bit too spur of the moment. This also gives him a motive, and yes that motive is jealousy, but it’s a jealousy that is a lot more logical. Many kings and queens have been murdered in order for the murderer to become triumphant. I mean just look at Stardust where the king basically tells his sons to fight and kill to become king.

If I were to list all of Jafar’s evil quality’s then we would be here for a long time so I am going to only name the main ones.

1. He is completely fine with murder whether by himself or others, as long as it benefits himself. He is also quite creative when it comes to his methods, for example letting someone be buried alive by sand in a sand timer is quite original.
2. He can transfigure himself into a snake. Of all the animals, for me anyway, a snake, a spider or a scorpion, these are probably the most terrifying and disgusting which is perfect for a villain.

Something I am going to have to deduct points for is the fact that after he believed he got his dream, he was the ruler and Aladdin was dead, the city looked ominous, Jafar looked like he was ruining the city. This may have been his plan, but really a better plan would be to be the best ruler ever, have your public love you by doing good, not have them fear you and hate you.

1. He tries to force Jasmine to marry him. Thinking he can force someone to love him against their will is going too far.

In my opinion, Jafar had the worst ending, he was trapped for years and years to come, to grant wishes for someone else. The Genie has explained what it feels like to go through that and so you know that the experience will be soul crushing for Jafar. However this film ending was fantastic. Having a villain bring themselves down by a logical stupidity, that is just genius.

Without a villains song I am going to have to give Jafar an 8.

 

6. Ratcliffe

Ratcliffe is going over to America with two goals, firstly to make money on the gold he thinks is there and second is that they are going to fight with the Indians. This aggressive and selfish behaviour just shows that he is the villain of the film, it also doesn’t help that Ratcliffe was already rich and therefore didn’t need all of the money he was hoping to find.

Ratcliffe isn’t the smartest of the villains we have looked at so far, he seems to be supportive when anyone does something right, but honestly all of Ratcliffe’s workers know he isn’t all he makes himself out to be.

What makes Ratcliffe a very relatable villain is the fact that he thinks that more money will bring him happiness when we all know it won’t. I think deep down he wants to be as well liked as John Smith, if not more and really gaining more money isn’t the way to go about it. He is a villain that has shown his week side and this is something we haven’t seen before.

It is really hard to write correctly about the character of Ratcliffe because he doesn’t like or accept the Indians, simply because they are different and this is not okay but back then when this was really happening this was the normal thing to believe. White people did believe that they were better than the Indians. We obviously know now that this isn’t acceptable, but to criticise Ratcliffe for this belief seems wrong. Just like in the same way I can’t criticise the Indians for their judgment on the invaders and their belief that the white people wouldn’t even believe.

As villains go, he is one of the most pathetic. He doesn’t learn, that is his problem, he was given a proper chance to have his sins forgiven and become a good guy and what does he try and do? He attempts to shoot one of the Indians and instead shoots John Smith, the only person Ratcliffe has probably ever admired and he shoots him.

When I think of Disney villains, Ratcliffe doesn’t even come into my mind, I think that explains why I’m going to score him a 2.

 

7. Dr. Facilier

The manipulative con artist that is Dr. Facilier shows his villainous tendency’s when he turns Naveen, a prince, into a frog by drawing out some of his blood and using voodoo magic with the help of his friends “from the other side”. He also turns Lawrence against the prince and works with Dr. Facilier to become rich and powerful. One question this arises, is why? All we know is that after Lawrence, who is disguised to look like prince Naveen, marries rich girl Charlotte, he will have a lot of money which I assume he will have to share with Dr. Facilier and that’s only if Dr. Facilier doesn’t double cross him and steal all the money and kill him. We know he is capable of murder because he kills Ray by stepping on him. This is one of the few deaths you actually see followed through because unlike with Snow White and the Beast from Beauty and the Beast, he doesn’t come back to life. Anyway Dr. Facilier by the end of the film has led Lawrence down a path that he doesn’t come back from. He has lost his job, any chance of a reference and most importantly his morals.

Dr. Facilier did not turn Tiana into frog so I can’t credit him with that, but he did consciously decide to leave her as a frog, stopping her from living her dream, which for the whole film you are rooting for her to do, and then it looks as though he is about to personally kill her. This however is where he meets his gruesome end as he gets dragged to the underworld by some angry friends who obviously haven’t been paid back. Hey, I wonder if that person is Ursula after she died? Anyway, one can only imagine what gruesome end Dr. Facilier met down there but I’m sure it wasn’t pretty.

My favourite thing about Dr. Facilier is his song “Friends on the other side”. It is probably in my top 3 of villains songs and it is used to move the story along. I’m going to give him an 8.5.

 

8. Mother Gothel

Selfish is not something anyone should aspire to be, but being selfish does not on its own make you a villain so I don’t believe that at the beginning of the film Gothel was a villain. The moment she did become a villain is the minute when she snuck into the King and Queens room, cut a piece of Rapunzel’s hair, it turned brown and she realised that she was going to have to steal the baby in order to obtain its powers. For hundreds of years she had used the flowers power, this wasn’t something she was going to give up easily.

Vanity has been what has driven Gothel to never return the princess or let her out of the tower. Although one of her crimes have been that she has never shown Rapunzel the love of a true mother and has belittled her on occasions, she has given Rapunzel things to do, she has never starved her and she has never forced her to work from dawn till dusk. Rapunzel has been allowed to read, paint, cook, learn candle making, dress making, chess and much more.

Although she has broken the hearts of the King and Queen and the city of Corona and stopped Rapunzel knowing who she truly was for all those years, the moment you truly knew that she had crossed the line was when she decided to personally stab Flynn Rider. I was debating whether it was when she was going to let him be hanged, but really that was Flynn’s own fault, he shouldn’t have been a thief.

The moment she tied Rapunzel up with a cloth over her mouth and you see her trying to pull her into the basement was very disturbing. I mean did she really think that was a good idea, that she could continue doing this?

I guess you could argue that because Gothel allowed Rapunzel to heal Flynn she was partially redeeming herself, but no, this was her trying to suck Rapunzel back into her delusional world that she is a good person. It was all about keeping Rapunzel happy enough to feel like she had some control but really Gothel was in control the whole time. That is until Flynn was the hero.

Gothel hurts Pascal by kicking him, however it is important to note that she could have murdered him by stepping on him, she could have used her anger and frustration to kill Pascal but strange as it sounds, she didn’t have the heart to, why? Because she isn’t that good of a villain, not in comparison to Dr. Facilier who squished Ray in a second. Gothel definitely looses points for her weakness, but she gains them back with one of the best villain songs. Overall I am going to give her 8 points.

 

9. Hans

Hans, I don’t really know where to begin with Hans, he was the unexpected villain. He really did fool me. Hans turns out to be a character that prays on the week, is very manipulative, has come to terms with what he was going to do and is willing to go to almost any lengths to get there.

Hans leaves Anna to die when she is at her lowest point, he is uncaring, selfish and really, there was no reason why those two couldn’t have ruled Arendelle together because actually he was doing a really good job and when he was given the order by Anna to be in charge. He handed out blankets and opened the castle to the people. He also stops Weselton from taking over and yes I do get that this is because he wants Arendelle for himself, but it’s also because he knows that he can do a better job and I would have to agree with that.

Because Disney wanted to really make it a shock having Hans turn out to be evil, they didn’t leave many clues about his true nature, except one, he let Weselton cronies on the trip to save Anna because he knew that Weselton would instruct them to get rid of Anna and or Elsa which means that Hans himself wouldn’t have to. He just has to look like the nice guy ordering for no one to harm Elsa. This just goes to show how sneaky and how much of a forward thinker Hans can be.

There are two scenes that perplex me though. The first is when Hans and Anna meet. I don’t know if Hans knew who Anna was, when he met her. I’m going to go with, he didn’t, only because, if your Hans you’re going to want to put yourself where Anna is likely to be and that is in the palace waiting to greet her royal guests, not out in public near the water. If I’m right then Hans first reaction to a girl he had just met was a kind one, BUT, as Hans would have known, a lot of royalty would have been there and bumping into anyone might have meant bumping into a queen or princess with whom he could impress. With this kink smoothed out, let’s move onto my second quandary.

Why did prince Hans stop Elsa from turning into a monster. She was well on her way to killing to men in her ice palace, yes they were trying to kill her, but does that mean it’s okay to kill them, no. If Hans had let her kill these men, I believe the film would have gone way more differently. Hans kept her a hero. No one else was going with the intension to save Elsa so why did he? I can’t satisfactorily answer this question, only to say that I guess it was part of his plan.

So Hans leaves Anna to die in a pretty callous way and then attempts to have Elsa murdered. After this though I still don’t hate him. I honestly think he could have done good for Arendelle, I mean just look how far he was willing to go to become king. His priority was Arendelle. He was giving them a ruler, unlike Elsa who was shutting everyone out and Anna who was just going along with it. Even news of how badly their country was going was reaching other islands.

To be clear, I don’t like Hans, and I definitely think he is a villain, but he isn’t the worst and actually there is more too him than meets the eye. It’s because Elsa and Anna by the end are so good that Hans can’t win.

I am giving the villains points depending on how evil they are and because I don’t think that Hans is really that bad of a guy I can only give him a 6, but just know that he has been the hardest to score.

 

So Who Won?

There we have it, a very long run down of my opinion on the Disney Princess villains and if you have been keeping track this is how the leader board goes:

1. The Evil Queen/ The Old hag with 9 points
2. Dr. Facilier with 8.5 points
3. Mother Gothel and Jafar with 8 points
4. Ursula with 7 points
5. Hans with 6 points
6. Maleficent with 5 points
7. Lady Tremaine with 4 points
8. Ratcliffe with 2 points

 

Please do let me know in the comments what you think.

Thanks for reading, I’ll see you next time.