I ♥ Disney movies--I'm 25 years old and am still easily pacified by a simple Disney movie (or Studio Ghibli which is--in my opinion--even better than Disney). In recent years Disney has gotten a lot of criticism about the flaws of their characters. Many have pointed out that these movies/characters could be damaging to little girls... Maybe, but one thing I can say is that real people have flaws too. Is it really bad to show that there are two sides to every coin? As a writer I find character studies and the way people relate to characters very interesting. So, I thought I'd point out some of the redeeming and not-so-redeeming characteristics of some of my favorite Disney characters (in no particular order).
Princess Tiana - The Princess and The Frog
Of course I like Princess Tiana--I mean it took Disney long enough to have a Black lead in one of their movies, even if she was a frog 90% of the time--it's only natural. Her redeeming qualities are that she's a hard worker, she knows what she wants and she's not afraid to go for it. While she might have been a touch Type A, she clearly was a dreamer (note: she's the one who stops Prince Naveen from telling Ray that his Evangeline is actually just a star). Tiana strikes me as a realist, she had dreams but she knew she had to make them come true. On the flip side, Tiana falls in love with Naveen, whose only redeeming quality is that he can play a ukulele and dance... Granted by the end of the movie we're supposed to like him more, the only scene where he seems anything other than a lazy, spoiled, brat is when he's fumbling trying to propose to her. I can write this off as poor character development, though...
Princess Merida - Brave
Merida is pretty bad *bleep.* She's a fighter and she may even give Legolas a run for his money with that bow (which is pretty awesomely designed too). It's nice to see a curly red-head as a princess too, though I'm not sure that really qualifies as a redeeming trait. Merida may be the only Disney princess to have siblings (aside from Cinderella) and the relationship between her and her little brothers is quite cute--I love that she steals desserts for them. Merida also exhibits traits such as social-awkwardness and fear of public speaking, which is quite refreshing. Also, she's the only Disney princess who's story doesn't involve her falling in love and "living happily ever after." Go Merida for seeing her crappy choices and not settling! Unfortunately, she's a bit dense. Who trusts a random witch they found by following magical glowing lights? Running away probably would have been smarter than feeding her mom some voodoo witch cake. That's pretty much my only quip with Merida, and I can easily write that off as her being a teenager (she looks all of 14).
Fa Mulan - Mulan
Needless to say Mulan is the most epic Disney heroine ever. She's loyal to her family and to her country. She's fearless and persistent. What's not to admire about Mulan!? Shang gave her an out, but instead of leaving, which still would have been a success in her goal of stopping her father from having to go to war and making it out alive, she spends all night proving she's a soldier worth keeping. When she's found out, she doesn't give up; instead, she risks her life further to stop the Hun army from taking Shang by surprise. (I don't think I would have had the nerve to any of the above...sorry Dad lol). So, what's bad about Mulan? Other than her deep rooted self esteem problem being the driving force for her desire to prove her worth (which would only be a negative if it had driven her in a negative direction...), I can't think of anything bad about Mulan. Bonus to her, she's the only Disney heroine to get a guy who was proven to be worth getting :)
Pocohantas - Pocohantas
Free-spirited, unaffected by prejudice,and willing to risk it all for what she believed was right, Pocohantas is definitely a strong character. She prevents a war and does wonders for the relationship between her tribe and the settlers. Of course those same settlers later massacred the Native Americans, took their land, and forced the remaining Native Americans on reservations... She also deliberately disobeyed her father, put herself in danger, and is the cause of Kocoum's death (Kocoum >>>> John Smith by far too, in my opinion). Remind me, why do I like Pocohantas again? Oh that's right, nothing good comes without sacrifice. She tried; that's all we can ask from her.
Belle - Beauty and the Beast
Belle is a nerd. Throughout the movie we are bombarded with the fact that she likes to read! She helps out her dad, who's an inventor, isn't ashamed of her "oddity" and is a total introvert. To top it off, she sacrifices her own freedom to save her father. How many people would willingly volunteer to stay in a cursed castle with a monstrous beast? That being said, Belle has a serious case of Stockholm's Syndrome. The Beast imprisoned both her and her father, and more importantly, is not human. How did she fall in love with him? That's like falling in love with your dog... Another quip, it seems counterproductive that if his crime was not being able to see past the physical appearance, he still ended up with a beautiful girl... Well, this probably the worst of my loved movies from the Disney list, but the music is awesome
Who's your favorite Disney character? Do you notice their flaws and the flaws of the movie they're in? Does that make you like them more? Or do you think Disney is ruining the minds of young children everywhere?
