Wish (Walt Disney Animation - November 2023)

[MisterPenguin]

That statement made me chuckle out loud.

From what I've seen in the trailers, you nailed it. Unfortunately, I think Disney relies far too heavily on that tired trope now. A girl who does goofy and crazy faces is supposed to equate to someone with a "fun!" personality who is "relatable" because she is not polished or poised. She's just as klutzy and awkward as you! Fun!

It's a young female personality that's getting a bit tired and overused at this point. Maybe it's past time to return to a princess that is naturally elegant and graceful? Because, you know, she's a royal princess and not the awkward girl in gym class?

At least have just one traditional princess, and then they can go back to the "wacky and unpolished" gag for the next three or four movies to fulfill some bizarre internal company quota they must have for that tired stereotype.

Really? We're doing this? Disney needs more princesses because it hasn't been princess-focused enough?

In the past 10 years, we've had Frozen and Frozen II. Where one royal is adorkable, the other serious.

Then we have Moana, daughter of a chieftain.

Yes, that's a princess. Not all peoples have formed themselves into "Kingdoms." Moana takes a hard turn to become serious and responsible. A far cry form adorkable.

Then there's Raya, another daughter of a chieftain. She is serious and a warrior. Not adorkable.

Then there's the Live "Remakes" of the princesses. Keeping them out front and updated. And the recent and upcoming animated series based on princesses.

So...there's been a mix of warrior and citizen, royal and lay, adorkable and serious.

But you know, choose one and say there's too much or too little of it. And *that's* the problem.

 

[Chi84]

Really? We're doing this? Disney needs more princesses because it hasn't been princess-focused enough?

In the past 10 years, we've had Frozen and Frozen II. Where one royal is adorkable, the other serious.

Then we have Moana, daughter of a chieftain.

Yes, that's a princess. Not all peoples have formed themselves into "Kingdoms." Moana takes a hard turn to become serious and responsible. A far cry form adorkable.

Then there's Raya, another daughter of a chieftain. She is serious and a warrior. Not adorkable.

Then there's the Live "Remakes" of the princesses. Keeping them out front and updated. And the recent and upcoming animated series based on princesses.

So...there's been a mix of warrior and citizen, royal and lay, adorkable and serious.

But you know, choose one and say there's too much or too little of it. And *that's* the problem.

I think they want more of the love at first sight beautiful princess trope.

ETA: Actually, the trope is more accurately described as the princess who is a physically perfect but helpless victim of circumstances who falls in love at first sight (and from afar) with someone she needs to save her.

Remind me again whose fantasy this is

 

[MisterPenguin]

I think they want more of the love at first sight beautiful princess trope.

Well, there's the remakes of Beauty and Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White.

 

[Chi84]

Well, there's the remakes of Beauty and Beast, The Little Mermaid, and Snow White.

Still not good enough. They don’t want them looking at the guys too closely

 

[TP2000]

To be fair, Frozen’s Elsa is elegant, regal, and mature.

Oh, and apparently a lesbian - or something.

Why Elsa from Frozen is a queer icon — and why Disney won’t embrace that idea

The queen of Arendelle might have been accidentally coded queer in Frozen, but Frozen 2 goes all in. Kinda.

www.vox.com

Yes, that's exactly who I had in mind as elegant, regal, polished, poised, etc. but with an interesting and unusual backstory. I don't want all the Disney Princesses to be Stepford Wives, I like interesting people, but the predictable dorky-klutzy girl cliche' is wearing thin in the 2020's.

And Frozen did over a Billion dollars (not adjusted for inflation) a decade ago. And then the sequel did another $1.4 Billion just four years ago.

Since then for Walt Disney Animation Studios?.... We give them a pass in 2020 due to Covid. Then in 2021 they had Encanto, which was modestly good financially and had a surprise hit pop song, but didn't have a regal or elegant princess in it. Then in 2022 they had Strange World, which was a disaster and one of the biggest box office flops of the decade so far. (Second only to maybe West Side Story or Shazam?)

Now in 2023... it's Wish. And it has yet another "adorkable" girl instead of a regal princess. Let's see how it does at the box office with a $220 Million production budget.

 

[LittleBuford]

Yes, that's exactly who I had in mind as elegant, regal, polished, poised, etc. but with an interesting and unusual backstory. I don't want all the Disney Princesses to be Stepford Wives, I like interesting people, but the predictable dorky-klutzy girl cliche' is wearing thin in the 2020's.

And Frozen did over a Billion dollars (not adjusted for inflation) a decade ago. And then the sequel did another $1.4 Billion just four years ago.

Since then for Walt Disney Animation Studios?.... We give them a pass in 2020 due to Covid. Then in 2021 they had Encanto, which was modestly good financially and had a surprise hit pop song, but didn't have a regal or elegant princess in it. Then in 2022 they had Strange World, which was a disaster and one of the biggest box office flops of the decade so far. (Second only to maybe West Side Story or Shazam?)

Now in 2023... it's Wish. And it has yet another "adorkable" girl instead of a regal princess. Let's see how it does at the box office with a $220 Million production budget.

Interesting that you left The Little Mermaid out this time. You normally include that whenever you’re enumerating Disney’s failures, but I suppose it doesn’t serve your narrative on this occasion.

 

[TP2000]

Really? We're doing this?

Apparently. Although I'm not exactly sure what "this" is.

Disney needs more princesses because it hasn't been princess-focused enough?

Well, the princesses certainly sell a lot of movie tickets. And merchandise. And makeovers in Fantasyland.

Is Disney expected to shut down the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique in the parks and turn over their girls toy aisle in Target to adult Lego sets instead? I doubt that.

In the past 10 years, we've had Frozen and Frozen II. Where one royal is adorkable, the other serious.

The adorkable one is the "wrong Frozen princess", according to Saturday Night Live. And they're my arbiters of pop culture. And if they aren't your arbiter of pop culture, they should be.

Then we have Moana, daughter of a chieftain.

Yes, that's a princess. Not all peoples have formed themselves into "Kingdoms."

Do you want to be the one to tell the Hawaiian separatists that? Because most of those Hawaiian guys who are into their cultural heritage are huge and don't think their Kingdom of Hawaii is a punch line in a Disney cartoon. You go first and tell them they aren't really a Kingdom. I'll go out and start the car in the parking lot and wait for you.

Hawaiian Kingdom Government - Welcome - E Komo Mai

The Web site of the acting Hawaiian Kingdom Government presently operating within the occupied State of the Hawaiian Islands.

hawaiiankingdom.org

Denby Fawcett: New Iolani Palace Exhibit Will Describe The Hawaiian Kingdom's Overthrow

Expected to be completed in 2024, it will be the first major new exhibit the palace has undertaken in decades.

www.civilbeat.org

 

[TP2000]

Interesting that you left The Little Mermaid out this time. You normally include that whenever you’re enumerating Disney’s failures, but I suppose it doesn’t serve your narrative on this occasion.

Well, I left that out because it was not a movie from Walt Disney Animation Studios.

It's not a cartoon. It's a live action movie from the same studio that brought us The Apple Dumping Gang and Herbie Goes Bananas.

 

[KeithVH]

Apparently. Although I'm not exactly sure what "this" is.



Well, the princesses certainly sell a lot of movie tickets. And merchandise. And makeovers in Fantasyland.

Is Disney expected to shut down the Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boutique in the parks and turn over their girls toy aisle in Target to adult Lego sets instead? I doubt that.

<SNIP>

Hey. You maybe got a problem with adult Lego sets???

 

[TP2000]

Hey. You maybe got a problem with adult Lego sets???

I don't actually. I keep meaning to buy that Space Needle one, or maybe Big Ben, just to try it over a few rainy winter weeknights. Maybe this year will be the year?

But the girls Princessy toy aisle at Target is a real thing. I doubt Disney would willingly give up that Princess revenue stream.

‘Frozen’ heats up Disney’s earnings

The entertainment giant reported strong gains in revenue as its hit animated film continued to lift merchandise sales.

fortune.com

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

Going back on topic. There’s a Japanese trailer for Wish.

 

[DCBaker]

In a new featurette, hear the song This Is The Thanks I Get performed by Chris Pine as King Magnifico from Disney’s Wish.

 

[MisterPenguin]

In a new featurette, hear the song This Is The Thanks I Get performed by Chris Pine as King Magnifico from Disney’s Wish.

 

[Surferboy567]

In a new featurette, hear the song This Is The Thanks I Get performed by Chris Pine as King Magnifico from Disney’s Wish.

The beginning was slow, then I liked it more as it kept going.

 

[aladdin2007]

this film would make for a beautiful little traditional dark ride, busbar style in the vein of Alice or SnowWhite, not empty frozen.

 

[brb1006]

this film would make for a beautiful little traditional dark ride, busbar style in the vein of Alice or SnowWhite, not empty frozen.

I could already see Tokyo Disney Resort/OLC doing something decent for this movie in the future (such as a special parade dedicated to the film similar the "Frozen Fantasy Parade"). Maybe as a future float for Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights in a future refresh. Unless they get a brand new electrical parade since Dreamlights was rumored to be ending sometime in the future.

 

[DCBaker]

Hear another clip of the song This Is The Thanks I Get?! from Disney’s Wish in the video below.



*Below is the full version the song.



*Edited to update link to the full song. Thanks to @imagineer97 for noting the video was a clip.

 

[Twilight_Roxas]

I could already see Tokyo Disney Resort/OLC doing something decent for this movie in the future (such as a special parade dedicated to the film similar the "Frozen Fantasy Parade"). Maybe as a future float for Tokyo Disneyland Electrical Parade Dreamlights in a future refresh. Unless they get a brand new electrical parade since Dreamlights was rumored to be ending sometime in the future.

Unless Tokyo Disneysea has room for the Kingdom of Rosas in Fantasy Springs.

 

[TsWade2]

Hear the full song This Is The Thanks I Get?! from Disney’s Wish in the video below.

Thank you. But I’m not ready to hear that song yet. I just don’t want to get spoiled.

 

[Disgruntled Walt]

Thank you. But I’m not ready to hear that song yet. I just don’t want to get spoiled.

This wasn't the full song and spoiled nothing. It was a one-minute snippet of the song along with random clips of the movie.

This one is an imitation of "You're Welcome," but as stated earlier, so far an inferior imitation. Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ms. Michaels is not, but she is trying very hard to be.