Disney Princess Intermission 2

Princess Intermission

So what have we seen so far with the Disney Renaissance’s take on the princess line? Well we saw an evolution of the princess, where the first wave (Snow White, Cinderella, and Aurora) were more classic and elegant, with a hope for their dreams to come true, the second wave was different. They were outspoken, opinionated, and driven. They wanted to go out there and pursue their dreams, which sometimes actually was love. It should be noted that the first three were essentially in bad situations; Snow and Aurora hiding out, and Cinderella in servitude to her step family. Ariel, Belle, and Jasmine had few restrictions with Ariel and Jasmine being held back by well-meaning fathers and Belle while having a father that I think needed her, she honestly didn't know what she really wanted.

The Disney Renaissance took some chances, pushing the princesses into the forefront of the story. It’s more about them having an adventure where the first three were the focal point of the adventure itself. Aurora was important to the story but Ariel was the story itself as an example and while Jasmine was not the focal point of Aladdin, she was a key player with her own character contributing to Aladdin’s growth along with Jafar and Genie.

I want to say again that I think that Eilonwy from the Black Cauldron really does in her own way belong in the line. While she was never as strong or interesting a character as the others, she played her role very well. It was one of those situations where the movie ultimately failed the characters that were given. Her problem, like Flueder's ultimately came down to her not having anything to do and not being a major plot point in the story itself.

Mulan had to be the biggest challenge to the line and was the renaissance ultimately where I want to say Belle defined the ultimate goal. Where Belle’s story was more finding a place where she fit in, Mulan’s story was focused on Mulan finding herself and being able to grow and move on. Previous films never really challenged the idea how our characters saw themselves, but Mulan really did showcase the idea that she thought she was the problem. In terms of romance, while Shang is the romantic interest their relationship never goes anywhere further until the end of the story with their respect for each other growing  first. It could have easily ended with them being nothing more than friends but it didn’t and even though the sequel was laughable (and a bit of a betrayal of the characters) it did conclude their romance with marriage.

After Mulan ends, we see a continuation of her character  in Tiana in Princess and the Frog. Tiana, like Mulan wasn't a princess and like Cinderella married a prince but we look to Tiana more as a character much easier to relate to. She, like Mulan and Pocahontas were the main characters of their story without a doubt and it is ultimately them who save the day and come out of the experience as a better and stronger character in the end. Mulan and Tiana ultimately end up showing exactly what it means to be a Disney Princess, they become an example for people to follow and aspire to. Though this is true in most cases in my opinion, they showcased more of a modern idea of it. We often think that a strong female character cannot exist if they have to be saved but that doesn't make much sense and it should be noted that Ariel and Belle saved Eric and the Beast and Phillip was saved by the Three Good Faeries. But that is neither here nor there. 

The high point of the Princess Line ultimately comes from the works of Beauty and the Beast, Mulan, and Princess and the Frog. Apparenly, The Renaissance Era ends at Hercules but I often think that comes down to how popular it was over Mulan which is why I counted her for this era and Princess and the Frog, is considered to be part of the Disney Revival. I might do a review on the princesses that showed up in other films like Hercules, Tarzan, Atlantis: Lost Empire, and Huncbhack of Notre Dame, but not until I finish up here. So I’ll see you all next time when we get tangled up in a story involving a plant, a desperate woman, a man with a fake name, and a combat horse with his new chameleon friend.