The Lion King (2019) Review

The thing about Disney live action remakes I don't get is this: if it ain't broke, why fix it? I know the live action movies won't be as good as the originals, but I still watch them anyway. They suck you in with beautiful trailers which evoke our sense of nostalgia. And well, I genuinely want the movies to be good too. When I first saw a trailer of a live action Disney remake (I can't remember which one it was, but probably one of the earlier ones), I went, "Ah, Disney is running out of ideas! What's the point of making this again?" And even now, I'm still saying the same thing. I know they just want to earn our money, yet I'm still watching these remakes. This is the power of Disney, I suppose. 

Anyway, I just watched the remake of The Lion King and it wasn't as good as I had hoped. The trailer looked promising so I was super hyped. All the animals in the movie were so realistic! I was amazed by the detail and loved how cute the lions were because big cats remind me of house cats too, like my cat Shadow of course! So I was squealing whenever the lion cubs did something cute, like tumble on the ground while playing with each other. 

Speaking of that, I liked how they kept the details from the original movie, like how Nala would play with Simba and press her paw down on him to show that she was triumphant. I knew exactly what was going to happen next and I felt validated as a Disney fan when it happened, which is kinda dumb, I know, but I liked that they stuck to the original plot. 

One scene that stood out for me was a new one: it was when Simba's fur was carried down the river. Once that happened, I was like, "Ooh! Yes! And that's how Rafiki will know that he's alive and come to give him a lecture!" True enough, the lock of fur was carried by a bird, eaten by a giraffe and even became part of a dung beetle's dung ball, until it finally was carried by an ant at Rafiki's tree. I was so happy and validated when it finally reached the monkey!

However, they unfortunately took out the part where Rafiki lectures him about the past. It was such a memorable scene! In case you can't recall what happened, it's the part when Rafiki hits Simba with his stick and Simba goes "Ouch! What's that for?" at first, but Rafiki tells him that it doesn't matter because it's in the past! The past can hurt, but you can either run from it, or learn from it. Honestly, that scene was so meaningful and it made so much sense, so I'm devastated that it was left out.

The visuals were good, but I feel that they were also too good. It makes you feel that all these animals are real. But then, they start singing and it becomes unrealistic. And I already felt that this would be a problem at the part when Simba was about to start singing "I Just Can't Wait to be King" in order to lose Zazu and get to the Elephant Graveyard. Even before he started singing, I started wondering how the scene would look like and whether it would make me cringe. Most songs did make me cringe because I was taken out of the whole movie. But I also know that if the songs weren't added in, the audience would be in uproar and complain about it too. Damned if you do and damned if you don't, I guess.

And about the songs: I was disappointed with them. Don't get me wrong. I didn't walk into the movie theatre thinking that the songs would definitely sound good because of the cast. I didn't really look at the names or anything. I just went into the theatre looking forward to the Disney songs because of the brand Disney. 

First of all, I must admit that I'm probably extremely biased towards the original songs because I grew up with them and I've heard them a million times and still love them. But one very obvious and perhaps even unforgivable change is how the villain song became... (I hate to say it) boring. Disney villain songs were awesome, but Scar's 2019 rendition of the song "Be Prepared" was just anti-climactic. It was a lot shorter than the original and there was no build at all, if you know what I mean. When Scar started singing, I was so excited! But when he sang lyrics from what I recognised as the last verse of the original song and was already getting pretty loud (crescendo), I realised that he had nothing else to sing after that! And when he reached the end it was just like, "Huh, that's it?"

Let me get a few more things out of the way about the songs before I move on: I didn't like the explicit fart joke in "Hakuna Matata" and the fact that the lyrics were changed. I don't know about you, but I'm very sensitive to the lyrics of songs. If the singer mumbles and I can't really understand what he/she is singing, I can't appreciate the song. If the song consists of meaningless lyrics, I wouldn't like the song either. For "Hakuna Matata", I liked the fart joke the way it was presented in the original version because Pumbaa did not explicitly say the word "farted". If you weren't paying attention, you'd miss the joke (although it's actually still pretty hard to miss, since the movie gives us an image of Pumbaa walking over to drink water and animals are just passing out because of his smelly farts). 

I feel like instead of just stating it, children should be left to guess what Pumbaa is saying. Why must everything be spelled out for children these days? Aren't we spoonfeeding them too much? Come on, are they really that dumb? Is the movie too scary and dark that a fart joke has to be spelled out for us? 

And when Pumbaa sings that he thought of changing his name, Timon should have replied with, "Oh, what's in a name!" but in the remake he sings. "To what, Brad?" Oh my goodness. Whose idea was it to replace a Shakespearean quote with this nonsense? Does Disney think that Shakespeare isn't relevant anymore or something?

Another reason why realism worked against the movie was because the animals looked so realistic that it was difficult to tell how they felt. The movie failed to tug at my heartstrings. Trust me, I watched the original movie too many times to count and I still cried when Mufasa died. But when it came to the live action? I felt nothing. 

When Simba and Nala first explored the Elephant Graveyard, they were chased by the hyenas. That scene was certainly impressive because the cubs were frantically squeezing through tunnels and hyenas were popping up everywhere. And that stampede scene? Much, much better than the 1994 version, and therefore much scarier too. In fact, it was so scary that perhaps children would not have enjoyed it. There was a kid crying in a cinema and I wouldn't have been surprised if the kid was crying because the movie was frightening. Some of my students told me that the movie was scary and I was surprised, but now I get it. They are probably better off watching the 1994 movie. The last fight scene where Simba confronts Scar and the hyenas and lions start fighting was much longer than the original version too, and I felt that it was unnecessary.

I think that this was a decent movie overall. But storytelling is an art and this movie doesn't do it justice. What's the point of telling the same story in a different and less impactful way? Oh, right. I forgot again. Profits.

Descendants 2 (Film Review)

The movie was rotten to the core, and here's why.

1. Songs that do not make sense

Before the Disney Channel Original Movie was released, the song "Ways to be Wicked" was uploaded onto YouTube. The actors also performed it on Dancing with the Stars. And guess what? It turns out to be a completely unnecessary song that does not even move the plot. When the song ends, the camera zooms in on Mal's eye and then zooms out to Mal with blonde hair, being bombarded with questions by nosy reporters. So the song was just Mal's daydream and therefore meaningless. Erm, okay? I thought apples were going to be important in the story but it was just a pointless song and an excuse for a musical number at the start of the show.

"What's My Name" was another song that Disney tried to hype up before the movie was aired. The audience is introduced to Uma, Harry and Gil, descendants of Ursula, Captain Hook, and Gaston respectively. Before singing, Uma asks Harry what her name was. Um, what? Why would she do that? Doesn't he know her name? They were obviously flirting with each other throughout the song. Harry says that "Uma's so hot, they get burned if they look" while Uma says "Hook me" and winks at him several times. So they clearly know each other well. The lyrics are just weird.

Uma sings a little bit of "What's My Name" after a rap battle and a supposedly epic sword fight between Uma's gang and Mal's gang. The rap battle was strange because Mal refers to her group as "VKs", which stands for Villain Kids. However, this doesn't apply to the situation since Uma and her pirate crew are VKs as well, and Mal actually has Lonnie on her side, who isn't a VK at all. But the weirdest part is when Mal and her friends manage to escape. Mal pushes down a bridge and Uma is unable to chase after them. Uma then angrily pushes Harry and sings "What's My Name" in a frustrated manner. It's like OMG. JUST. WHY.

Was it supposed to be a reprise of the song? To quote Wikipedia, "reprises are any repetition of an earlier song or theme, usually with changed lyrics and shortened music to reflect the development of the story." The movie Tangled is a great example. Rapunzel sings "When Will My Life Begin" at the very start of the film, showing the audience how bored she is to be cooped up at home. When Flynn brings her out for the first time, she sings again but the lyrics are changed. She sings about grass, dirt and the summer breeze. Similarly, the song "Mother Knows Best" is sung twice. The first time Mother Gothel sings, she portrays herself as a nice lady who is just looking out for her daughter. However, when the song is sung again, it becomes more like "Rapunzel Knows Best". Mother Gothel continues to insult and guilt-trip Rapunzel. The song is more sinister than the last, since Mother Gothel is looking older and more desperate than ever.

Why couldn't Disney do something like that for Descendants?

2. Part of the movie do not make sense

There are some little things in the movie that disturbed me.

For instance, Harry actually puts a piece of gum that Mal was chewing on into his mouth. Again, apart from making me feel grossed out, I don't see the point in this scene.

The song "Chillin' Like a Villain" contained impressive choreography and I particularly liked Evie's line about losing a fight to an alley cat. However, when Carlos says "if you don't, you're gonna get us caught", the three villain kids stared straight into the camera. Um, is it necessary to break the fourth wall here?

I could let the previous two examples slide, but the worst was the unnecessary arm wrestle between Uma and Mal. At this point of the movie, Uma has captured Ben. Then Mal is asked to meet her at Ursula's Fish and Chips. When the two girls meet, they arm wrestle. Uma claims that Ben can leave if she wins. However, this doesn't even make any sense. Uma has the upper hand! She already has leverage over Mal, so why partake in arm wrestling? What if she loses? She would still be able to carry out her plan but she would have embarrassed herself! This is just a really bad plan on Uma's part, and it makes her seem like a joke.

3. Characterisation of Mal

Mal is the female protagonist that I'm supposed to like and identify with, right? Wrong. Apparently, Mal's behaviour is extremely inconsistent. In Descendants 2, she misses screaming at people and making them run away from her. I'm sorry, what? Did I hear right? Is this the same Mal who, in the previous movie, convinced her friends to choose good over evil? Character development from the last movie was flung right out of the window. (This is starting to sound like How I Met Your Mother and trust me, you don't wanna go there.)

It honestly doesn't make sense for her to run away to the isle just because she quarrelled with her boyfriend. Since she already chose to leave that life behind, why does she not choose to go somewhere else? Audrey was cut out of the movie and it was explained that she was on a spa vacation with Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. As much as I detest Audrey's bitchy personality, I think she got it right. Instead of feeling frustrated in Auradon Prep, Mal should go on a well-deserved holiday. Instead of breaking up with Ben, she should just tell him that she needs a break! After all, it is clear that she still loves him. She's just cracking under pressure and that's understandable. Instead of stress talking and having random outbursts in front of her friends, she should just honestly tell Ben how she feels. Ugh.

There are also a few other minor bits that annoyed me. 

The script was pretty terrible. When Ben talks to her at her locker, Mal didn't even know that it was Thursday. Yet, she claimed that she needed to get to class. If she didn't know it was Thursday, how would she have known which class to get to? She would have gotten her timetable all wrong!

After saving Ben, Mal mentions that her spell book is not with her. But she doesn't even panic! And also, when did she realise that her spellbook was left behind? It was as if she left it there on purpose.

4. Unnecessary scenes

Evie, Ben, Carlos and Jay ride a limo to the isle to look for Mal. Ben speaks to Mal and tries to convince her to come home, but Mal insists that she doesn't fit in. She says she's a terrible influence and doesn't say "I love you" back to Ben. 

At this point of the movie, I was still feeling annoyed that Mal ran off to the isle because her actions simply do not make sense to me. Honestly, this entire scene should be cut out because it just establishes what we already know -- that Mal still loves Ben but dating the king comes with a crazy amount of stress. 

Ben should have immediately been kidnapped by Uma and her crew after the song "Chillin' Like a Villain". It would save a lot of time. The movie is about 1 hour 50 minutes long. Perhaps better Disney films are not as long because they have a tighter story.

Oh, and there is another unnecessary scene. After Jay makes Lonnie the captain of some sword fighting club (Apparently it's called the Swords and Shields team. Whatever), she commands the team to do ten push ups and then... dismisses them. I'm all for making Lonnie captain and I like how she gets back at Chad for being stupid and sexist, but the extremely short training session was ridiculously lame. 

5. Cutting from scene to scene

It seems like the film was not edited properly. Sometimes, the camera cuts from one shot to another, but it is inconsistent. For example, during "It's Goin' Down" aka the rap battle, Harry tries to intimidate Mal. The audience first sees Mal's hair being touched by the hook. Then, the scene cuts back to Harry, but his hook is nowhere to be seen. Inconsistent much?

Also, at the cotillion, Evie shows up with a blue dress. It is so long that it looks like it sweeps the floor. Mal, on the other hand, appears in a yellow and blue dress, which are the school colours. It makes sense for Mal's dress to change. I mean, Mal did become a purple dragon, so I guess she is entitled to a purple dress. And it shows her progress. Instead of trying to hard to fit in, she is finally ready to be herself. That being herself means having green eyes, purple hair, and wearing a purple dress. OK.

But for the last musical number, Evie's dress becomes short and Mal's dress changes from a more elaborate purple dress to a simpler one. What gives? Why did the dresses change? Did the girls have a spare dress to change into in case they wanted to break out into song and dance? Did they know that Uma was going to splash water onto the ship and so long dresses were a bad choice? 

You may think that I'm paying too much attention to their clothes, but it's not my fault. Since Evie was shown working as a fashion designer, obviously I'm going to pay more attention to the dresses. 

--

Although the movie wasn't that great, here are some things I liked about it.

1. Character development

Ahem! *Clears my throat* Ahem! I'm looking at you, Mal. Apart from having love interests, the VKs discover what they like and their passions in Auradon. Evie has fashion, Jay has sports and Carlos has his pet dog. What does Mal have? Ben. It's no wonder why Mal isn't a relatable character. 

Since this is ultimately a kids movie, it's important to portray characters children can look up to. Evie started out in the first movie as a superficial, vain princess wannabe. In the second film, she is working as a fashion designer. She is the mature one who actually advises Mal to donate her spell book to the museum just like she donated her mirror! Not only does she give fashion advice, she also gives relationship advice to Mal (who doesn't actually listen and continues to lie) and advises the king as well. At the end of the movie, she provides King Ben a list of kids from the isle (including Drizzy, daughter of one of the evil stepsisters from Cinderella) who deserve a "second chance". (I'm putting this phrase in quotation marks because the children were kept on the isle just because their parents were villains so technically, they have not done anything wrong yet. So it's more like a first chance actually) She is a great friend who doesn't hesitate to go back to the isle for Mal and she tells her friends that their experience at the isle has made them who they are. Who cares about the fairest of them all? I'd say Evie is the wisest.

As for Jay, the first movie showed that he has stopped stealing. Instead, he channels his energy into sports. In the second movie, Jay has been appointed the captain of the sword fighting team. He's fitting in so well that he's becoming the typical jock at a high school, and many girls seem attracted to him. However, after Evie tells him, Carlos and Mal that their experience back home counts for something as well, he decides to bend the rules by making Lonnie the captain. He's not breaking the rules since the rule book specified that they needed a captain and eight other men, and I totally approve. It's a wonderful loophole that should be exploited.

Carlos wasn't actually very evil to begin with. In the first film, he provided us with laughs because he was so afraid of dogs. When he realises that Dude is actually a lovable creature, he adopts the furry dog and they're always seen together. Thankfully, Descendants 2 allows for more character development. He initiates what he calls "girl talk" (quotation marks since that was in the script. However, I see it more as a heart to heart talk that girls and boys can both partake in) and shows Mal that they support her. He gives great advice too: if he doesn't love you for who you are, he's not worth it. Dude, the talking dog that had consumed a truth gummy, repeats his words and Carlos finally plucks up the courage and asks Jane out.

In Descendants, Chad and Audrey were just assholes. They harbour prejudice against villain kids from the isle and it's just like xenophobia. In the sequel, Audrey isn't around but Chad continues being a douchebag. He's sexist as he's the one telling Jay that girls aren't allowed on the team. He has an inflated ego and thinks that he would be a great king. Chad even resorts to making a copy of the key to Jay and Carlos's room just so that he can use their 3D printer. The worst part was probably when he was caught making a miniature figure of himself. I think it's hilarious that he didn't manage to complete it and it ends up being headless. His head is too big for the figurine anyway. 

I liked the first movie because it portrayed people like Chad and Audrey, kids from supposedly happy, married couples. Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty might have had their happily ever after, but their children are spoiled rotten and narrow-minded. I really liked how the Auradon kids were the actual villains in the first story. Perhaps the movie was trying to show that children from dysfunctional, broken families tend to be more mature. However, it's hard to say and it's not right to generalise, since Ben probably had everything he wanted too but he isn't like Chad or Audrey. And Jane is alright as well. She has become a lot more confident in the second movie and is mostly seen planning the royal cotillion instead of being awkward and nervous around the villain kids.


2. Toxic relationships

In the first movie, we see how the villain kids have toxic relationships with their parents. Maleficent educates her daughter about how wonderful it is to be evil and pressurises her to steal fairy godmother's wand. Carlos hears a bunch of lies from Cruella de Vil, mostly about how evil dogs are. She screams at him a lot as well. Jay's father just wants him to steal a bunch of stuff and rub them to see if they are magical lamps that contain genies. Evie had been brainwashed into thinking that appearances are extremely important, and that she should marry a prince and live in a castle. This is terrible advice since Evie ends up doing Chad's homework for him, hoping to eventually live in his castle. (Really glad that she is with Doug! He tells her that she'll eventually make enough money to buy the castle she's always wanted, and Evie tells him that she doesn't need a prince. Aww, such a sweet moment)

In the second movie, the toxic relationship is actually between Ben and Mal. I'm not quite sure what is up with Ben but he seems to have low self-esteem and is intimidated by Mal. Maybe he just really wants to impress her. But obviously he's trying too hard and overcompensating by giving Mal a surprise almost everyday. He corrects her and says it's every other day or rather on even days, because she's even more perfect than he thought. What a cheesy and fake line. Right from the start, it's already hard to buy into their lovey dovey act. Besides, a purple scooter is way too big a present for teenagers to just be casually giving to one another. And I don't care if said teenager is royalty.

And on Mal's end, she lies so much that she could become the next Pinocchio. She uses her spell book to whip up a meal, dye her hair blonde and she memorises books using a speed reading spell. She's trying too hard to fit in and to be perfect, since Ben always praises her for being so perfect. I feel that the most basic thing that a relationship should have is honesty and trust. As mentioned by Evie, Mal should not be keeping secrets from Ben (and vice-versa of course). She's trying to keep her whole identity from him and that's not who he fell in love with in the first place.

Thankfully, this toxic relationship isn't that toxic. I mean, it's not like Mal was forcing Ben to buy her things and it's not like Ben was forcing Mal to change. But I also wouldn't mind if they chose to split up. I think that Evie is a more interesting character and she stole the show. I know that Descendants 3 is going to be a thing but they should come up with a better plot next time. 

10 Disney Songs We Can Relate To

Disney concept art for Tangled. (Image from Tumblr)

Here is a list of Disney songs that we all can relate to -- even without the context of the movie. Which means I'm not talking about songs where you sing about feet like you've never seen them before, or singing like you were a handsome street rat who's able to get away with stealing.

I mean, as much as we all want life to be like a Disney movie, we can't be a princess or a mermaid, or a mermaid princess. And in your daily life you wouldn't be singing about life under the sea or asking God to help the gypsies. You can't be a monkey asking about the secret of man's fire and we aren't gonna defeat the Huns and we can't all be snowmen dreaming about summer. We aren't fairy godmothers saying nonsensical magic words too. We aren't genies who can grant wishes or servants wanting more than dusting.

This means no duets; in real life, you don't just come up with a well-composed song and expect a random prince or princess to harmonise perfectly with you out of nowhere. Especially not on a magic carpet ride.

Also, I'm not talking about lame connections like singing "It's the circle of lifeeee! Humans are at the top of the food chain!" in front of your steak and have vegan friends stare at you. No.

1. Reflection (Mulan)

Look at me

I will never pass for a perfect bride

Or a perfect daughter

Can it be

I'm not meant to play this part?

I'm sure everybody can relate to Mulan when she start singing. It is so difficult to live up to the expectations of others. This is especially true for Mulan as the movie takes place in ancient China!

But I'm sure most of us can relate to Mulan. We may have traditional parents who expect us to fit into the mould of a typical daughter or son. Society also expects us to behave in a certain way, depending on your race, class, and gender. But what if we've tried, and we just can't do it? Why can't we go against social norms for a change?

2. I Won't Say I'm In Love (Hercules)

(Image from Tumblr)

If there's a prize for rotten judgement

I guess I've already won that

No man is worth the aggravation

That's ancient history, been there, done that

This is for anyone who's ever been in love. And when someone whom you like comes along, you're afraid. You deny that you're attracted to him/her. But deep down inside, you know you are. The inner voices inside your mind are like the Muses, telling you to just admit it and go for it.

Of course, unlike Meg, in the real world, the situation is much safer because at least you didn't sell your soul to Hades to save your ex-boyfriend's life before he left you for someone else. Ugh, men.

3. Colours Of The Wind (Pocahontas)

You think you own whatever land you land on

The Earth is just a dead thing you can claim

But I know every rock and tree and creature

Has a life, has a spirit, has a name 

You think the only people who are people

Are the people who look and think like you

But if you walk the footsteps of a stranger

You'll learn things you never knew, you never knew

Ah, this is a classic. First of all, Pocahontas is telling us not to be so materialistic. Why are we so  bothered about what type of house we live in or what clothes we wear? Ultimately these are just dead things that we can claim as our own, but it doesn't make us happy.

Secondly, we should not judge others based on our own expectations. For anyone who has studied history, John Smith is a typical coloniser here, judging natives by his Western standards. Yuck.

But basically, this logic still stands. What's that cliche saying? Don't judge someone until you've walked a mile in their shoes.

For all the animal lovers out there, yes, animals are people too! Well, sort of. Remember that scene where Pocahontas stopped John Smith from shooting a bear, and it turns out that she's a mother bear with cubs to look after? I love that part. Animals are living creatures with souls and feelings. Why are we always competing with nature and destroying natural habitats? We should put ourselves in the position of animals too.

4. I'm Almost There (The Princess and the Frog)

Trials and tribulations

I've had my share

But there ain't nothing gonna stop me now

'Cause I'm almost there

Tiana represents the working class. The people who put in the most amount of hard work and backbreaking kind of labour, who slog their guts out all day and all night to get what they want. This song is for people like Tiana, who will aspire to achieve success someday.

5. Go The Distance (Hercules)

I am on my way

I can go the distance

I don't care how far

Somehow I'll be strong

I know every mile

Will be worth my while

I would go most anywhere

To find where I belong

Sorry, another one from Hercules. But I love this song! With every verse, there are changes to the lyrics to show the hero's progression. He starts off with a dream, feeling unsure about his place in this world. But he knows he'll "find his way". Then his adoptive parents point him in the right direction and he starts his journey, and the lyrics change to "I am on my way". In the last verse, he is absolutely confident about himself and sings that he will "beat the odds" and "face the world". This is powerful stuff. I always get goosebumps.

6. Let It Go (Frozen)

The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside

Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I tried

Can you blame me for including this song? I know it's been overplayed but it is still so good. We can relate to the snow queen -- sometimes we feel like we are alone, or that we have to hide how we truly feel. Obviously we don't have any deadly ice powers to hide from the rest of the world, but what if the rest of the world has been holding you back from unleashing your true power? Shouldn't we just embrace ourselves for who we are?

7. I Wonder (Sleeping Beauty)

I wonder, I wonder,

I wonder why each little bird has a someone

If you've been brought up by three fairies in a cottage in the woods you would probably be as desperate as Aurora was and start being jealous of birds as well. In reality, this happens to most of us. When we are looking for love, we see all the happy couples out there and we wonder to ourselves: when would that ever happen to me?

8. So Close (Enchanted)

A life goes by

Romantic dreams must die

So I bid my goodbye

And never knew

I feel so sad when I listen to this song! When Giselle and Robert dance knowing that they cannot be together because they come from different worlds, I just feel sad. I love this scene.

Sometimes life gets in our way. Sometimes we think that we've met the right person at the wrong time. Sometimes we are just not brave enough to take the first step. Sometimes life pulls people apart.

9. Everybody Wants To Be A Cat (The Aristocats)

Everybody's pickin' up on that feline beat

'Cause everything else is obsolete

I'm talking about this song without the racist part (why does the Siamese cat have to be some dorky Chinese talking about Shanghai, Hong Kong, and fortune cookies?). Besides, who doesn't want to be a cat?

With the Internet being crazy over cats, I think it's a pretty good time to be a cat. We humans are jealous of how cats can just lie around, be cute, and not have to do anything. And now, cat celebrities probably earn more than we do. I wish I were a cat!

10. How Far I'll Go (Moana)

See the light where the sky meets the sea
It calls me
No one knows how far it goes

I'm sure everyone has had a burning desire to get away from their usual, mundane lives. Moana feels like the sea is calling out to her for some greater purpose. Sometimes, we feel that way too. Maybe there's something wonderful out there, waiting for us. Or maybe the sea is calling out to us because we just need a vacation at the beach.

I know everybody on this island
Seems so happy on this island
Everything is by design
I know everybody on this island
Has a role on this island
So maybe I can roll with mine

Just wanted to mention that this verse sounds pretty much like Singapore, where everything seems to be running smoothly.


Other songs worthy of mention:

I was thinking about these two songs, When You Wish Upon A Star (Pinocchio) and A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (Cinderella). The message is similar: your dreams will come true if you keep on believing. They didn't make the list because I felt that these songs are quite cliche. Instead of just having faith and wishing upon stars, get up and do something about it!

A Spoonful of Sugar (Mary Poppins) reminds us that even if work sucks, if school sucks, and if life in general sucks, we should face whatever life throws at us with a positive spirit. Find a way to make challenges fun! Come to think of it, this sounds like Whistle While You Work from Snow White. (But I can't whistle. Ah well.) Again, they did not make the list because sadly, not everything can be made better with sugar or music. (And that's the gospel truth!)

Beauty and the Beast Songs Compared

The Beauty and the Beast soundtrack is so awesome. I'm going to list down the songs that most people are familiar with in both movies and compare them to see which version I like better. I have already blogged about how much I like the new movie but I didn't really analyse the songs in that post, so I'll be writing about the soundtrack here!

P.S. I have never watched the Beauty and the Beast Broadway musical, so this is all I know.

1. Belle

I prefer the 1991 version of this song. Many people on the Internet have expressed their disappointment over the fact that the line, "Marie! The baguettes!" was cut. However, as mentioned in my previous post, I simply did not take to Emma Watson's singing in this particular song. I like Paige O'Hara's version because she sounded bright, chirpy and the lively. Emma Watson's voice was low and seemed dull, especially at the beginning. Obviously Emma Watson already did a good job, considering how she isn't a professional singer, but still.

2. Belle (Reprise)

I'm going to give this one to Emma Watson. I like the spunk in her voice and how she cries out in frustration.

3. Gaston

Josh Gad wins, hands down. I love the the song in the live-action film so much! LeFou is awesome but the LeFou in the animated film had a slightly more annoying voice. In addition, the new song features some incredible new lyrics. Gaston sings about how he aims for the liver when he hunts and how he shoots from behind! It's gross but it makes him sound more like a coward even though he is trying to sound masculine. It causes you to respect him less, and I love it.

The song slows down at the iconic line, "I use antlers in all my decorating!" which makes this funny line more dramatic! Another addition to this song in the 2017 version is the part where LeFou tries to spell Gaston's name but realises that he is illiterate. So funny!

4. Be Our Guest

This is a hard one as they are both so good! I'm not ever going to be able to make a decision. However, I have to say that the 2017 version was a lot grander than the 1991 version. Also, the 2017 version changed the lyrics from "10 years we've been rusting" to "Too long we've been rusting". Again, this clarifies that the Beast and his servants had not been cursed for 10 years. Both songs were tastefully done.

5. Something There

I definitely like the song in the animated film better. It was hilarious that Emma Watson actually had to be hit by a gigantic snowball! But I prefer how the song was played in the background, and the characters weren't actually singing it in front of each other. The song in the animated film reflected their thoughts, which was ironically more realistic than the live-action film. Also, I like how the Beast dropped the huge snowball on himself!

6. The Mob Song

Luke Evans and Josh Gad win again! Again, both songs are almost equally as good as the other. However, the additional lines in the newer version sung by LeFou is just too perfect. LeFou sings "There's a beast running wild, there's no question / But I fear the wrong monster's been released". Although it's just a small part of the song, it helps with LeFou's character development so much. At first, LeFou is just Gaston's biggest fan. However, he wavers after seeing Gaston tie Maurice to a tree. At this moment, he is questioning who the actual beast is. He has seen Gaston lock Maurice and Belle up, intending to send them to an asylum just because he was unable to woo and marry the prettiest girl in town. This particular bit explains why LeFou switches sides later on.

7. Beauty and the Beast (film version)

I'm referring to the song sung by Mrs Potts as Belle dances with the Beast. Both songs were good, but I prefer the one in the animated film. There was no need to make the song sound overly dramatic and add that extra flair. It was just about timeless, true love, so the scene deserves a simple, sweet song.

8. Beauty and the Beast (duet)

The new version by Ariana Grande and John Legend was so dull. I thought it was rather creative for the dancers in the music video to form a red rose. Apart from that, the song was just so boring and forced. It was as if they were just singing for the sake of it. There was more depth in Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson's version. The previous version was more romantic somehow, and their voices complemented each other's extremely well.

--

These are some other songs from both movies that are worthy of mention as well.

1. Gaston (Reprise)

This song is found only in the animated film. I love how it starts with "LeFou I'm afraid I've been thinking / A dangerous pastime / I know". It shows how Gaston is plotting to marry Belle by threatening to throw her father into the asylum. This song turns the upbeat song that was mainly sung by LeFou to cheer Gaston up into something more sinister. Sadly, it wasn't included in the 2017 film.

2. Days in the Sun

I love this song! It highlights each character's motivation and how they have changed due to the events in the film. The residents of the castle long to be freed from the curse and they wish to be reunited with their loved ones. Belle wants to be free too, and she realises that she has grown up a little at this point. She is no longer under her father's protection as she has decided to take her father's place as the Beast's prisoner. During her stay in the castle, Belle has come to care for the residents of the castle as they have been so kind towards her, and although she wishes to help break the spell, she does not know how.

3. How Does a Moment Last Forever

Whether sung by Kevin Kline, Emma Watson or Celine Dion, this song is just so nice! Maurice is shown tinkering with a music box and thinking about his late wife. The music box is in the shape of a windmill, which is modelled after their house in Paris. Belle later sings to this tune about growing up in that dusty attic and reminisces about her childhood.

4. Evermore

The Beast sings this song after dancing with Belle and after letting her go so that she can rescue her father. It's such a beautiful song because he's singing about how he had let her into his heart and how he would miss her now that she's gone.

Moana (Film Review)

Disney's Moana was an enjoyable movie to watch! Moana is obviously the first Polynesian "Disney princess" and the daughter of a village chief. (Sounds familiar? Think Pocahontas) I thought they were doing away with naming their movies after the characters, with titles like Tangled, Brave and Frozen, but I guess in this case, since Moana also means 'ocean', it makes sense. The ocean can even be considered a character on its own in this case.

So far, the movie doesn't seem as popular as Frozen. I'm guessing that's because there isn't an empowering song that gets stuck in your head immediately. (Which is a good thing, because I'm sure that everyone got sick of "Let it Go" after a while) Instead, the song that got stuck in my head was the villain song! Not that I mind, of course.

I couldn't help but compare Moana to other Disney animated films. Disney probably has a formula for creating their films, and these are a few I've noticed.

1. Short film: Inner Workings

I didn't like this short film that much. Okay, initially it seemed to be just about how this ordinary man goes about his mundane life. He gets up, takes a bath and goes to work. At the same time, they show how his body parts function: his brain, heart, lungs, bladder, etc. Soon, it becomes clear that the conflict is between the man's head and heart; his pragmatic side vs. his emotional side. Deep down inside, he wants to have fun and indulge in life's pleasures. But his head tells him that he has to go to work on time. His job? Some boring, clerical work. A desk job. (Sounds like Paperman, right?)

During lunch break, everybody produces lunch that they had brought to work in a paper bag. The man basically thinks: this stinks. I'm going to die anyway. He then rushes out for some pancakes and spends some time at the beach. At this point I thought he had quit. But no, he returns back to his job and actually makes it fun. Good for him, but it's totally unrealistic that he has the time to do so much during his short lunch break. And come on, how is it possible for your heart and lungs to "wake up" when they have to be working even throughout your sleep? I still prefer Pixar shorts like La Luna, Partly Cloudy and Piper.

2. Narration

I want to roll my eyes whenever Disney starts with narration. Okay, I guess it is necessary to explain that Te Fiti is an island goddess and Maui is a demigod who stole her heart (a small pounamu stone). I don't know much about Polynesian culture and I'm really glad the filmmakers took the time and effort to do proper research. But narration? Again? Thank goodness they've done away with the cliche "let's flip open the pages of a story book and begin like we are reading a bedtime story" type of narration. They did mix it up a little with Flynn Rider narrating in Tangled. But the start of Moana reminds me most of 'The Gospel Truth' from Hercules. 

3. The song which sets the scene (Where You Are)

For example, in Beauty and the Beast, the song 'Belle' follows the main character around town and everyone sings 'Bonjour' at first to remind the audience that this is supposed to take place in France. In Moana, the song 'Where You Are' is mainly sung by her parents who tell Moana that she belongs in her village. The villagers are shown weaving baskets and coconuts. (Consider the coconut!) They are eager to have Moana as their next chief, but Moana is drawn to the ocean and always tries to escape. This is just like 'Under the Sea' in The Little Mermaid, where Sebastian tries to tell Ariel that she belongs, well, under the sea and not up on the shore with other humans.

4. The "I want" song (How Far I'll Go)

Come to think of it, there are so many songs in Disney animated films where the main characters express their desires in song. I can think of 'Almost There' from Princess and the Frog, 'When Will My Life Begin' from Tangled, 'Part of Your World' from The Little Mermaid, 'Out There' from The Hunchback of Notre Dame... The list just goes on and on. I think Moana's "I want" song sounds like a mix of 'Go the Distance' from Hercules and 'Just Around the Riverbend' from Pocahontas. It reminds me of Pocahontas because Moana also has to make a decision: should she stay in her village and do what is expected of her, or should she leave? And it also reminds me of Hercules because he was also uncertain about his place in society until he sets off on his journey and discovers who he really is.

5. The distraction song (You're Welcome)

During this song, Maui explains that he did so many things for humans. He lassoed the sun, pulled up the sky and pulled islands from the sea. At this point, we get to see his moving tattoos up close and they definitely reminded me of pottery from Hercules. With his magical hook, Maui is also a shapeshifter like Genie from Aladdin. At one point, he turns into Sven from Frozen! This is just like Genie when he pulls Sebastian the crab out of nowhere, an obvious reference to The Little Mermaid, and when he turns into Pinocchio and calls Aladdin a liar.

Some songs from Disney movies seem to be just 'filler' songs. The kind of songs used to entertain children but they don't actually add any value to the plot. Or songs that are just fun! Like 'Fixer Upper' from Frozen, 'Trashin' The Camp' in Tarzan, 'Be Our Guest' in Beauty and the Beast, and 'Les Poissons' in The Little Mermaid. These songs temporarily distract the audience from the main plot, and brings attention to the subplots: like the fact that servants have been turned into household objects in Beauty and the Beast, and the fact that Anna and Kristoff should get together. But the one most similar to Maui's song would be 'I Just Can't Wait to be King' from The Lion King. Both Simba and Maui wanted to distract other characters -- Simba and Nala wanted to get Zazu off their back, while Maui wanted to steal Moana's boat and get off the island he was trapped on.

6. The villain song (Shiny)

I love the villain song! It was totally unexpected that the villain song was the song that got stuck in my head after the movie. For most part, I think that it reminded me of Ursula's 'Poor Unfortunate Souls' from The Little Mermaid, maybe because both songs are sung in underwater caverns by evil characters who have their own interests at heart. Villain songs are always awesome -- remember 'Be Prepared' from The Lion King? Not only does Scar get the best lines, he also gets his own villain song too! The song 'Gaston' from Beauty and the Beast gets the job done by showing us how absolutely disgusting Gaston is (and makes you wonder if LeFou is gay).

'Shiny' sounds like a typical villain song, except for the fact that the chorus sounds too cheery and catchy. This is not surprising, though. Recently, Disney is making villain songs less "villainy". 'Mother Knows Best' from Tangled initially doesn't sound like a villain song at all, because sounds fun and seems to be sung by an overprotective mother. It only sounds evil when she sings the reprise. And in Frozen, 'Love is an Open Door' isn't even a villain song at all! Even though Hans sings part of the song, it is more like a love duet.

Tamatoa, the huge crab, loves collecting all things shiny and lives in the realm of the monsters. It's so funny that he wanted to talk about himself in song form! In his song, he tells people that it's what on the outside that counts. He breaks the fourth wall a couple of times, asking the audience to look up 'decapod', asking if we enjoyed his song and asking the audience for help in the post-credits scene. He even mentions Sebastian! I find it really funny that he also bothered to explain that Moana had tricked him with bio-luminescent algae or whatever.

7. The song about identity (I Am Moana)

This was the most touching scene in the movie. I must confess that I teared up at this point. It was Moana's grandmother who saw that the ocean had chosen Moana. Her grandmother kept the heart safe, and encouraged Moana to set out on her journey and return the heart of Te Fiti. Gramma Tala was also the one revealed to Moana that her ancestors had been voyagers. When Maui thinks that he can't defeat Te Ka and leaves, Moana doesn't know what to do. She's all alone until her grandmother shows up in the form of a manta ray! Aww. This makes sense because she told Moana that she wanted to become a manta ray when she passed on. Sadly, her death was inevitable, and showing up in spirit form is conclusive proof that she has died. But once again, it's Gramma Tala who reminds Moana to listen to her heart and remember who she is.

This scene is very similar to the one in Lion King. When Simba forgets who he truly is, Rafiki brings him to see his own reflection and tells him that his father, Mufasa, lives in him. Simba then looks up to the sky and Mufasa speaks to him. This makes sense because Mufasa had already told Simba that the late kings become stars when they die. In Moana, the scene with Gramma Tala also takes place at night, under a starry sky. Also, Gramma Tala reminds me of Grandmother Willow. Pocahontas always goes to Grandmother Willow for advice, just as how Moana approaches Gramma Tala.

8. No love duet this time

The wonderful thing about Moana is that we do not get a love duet. She doesn't need a man in her life to make her feel complete. In the first place, it is unrealistic for the characters to harmonise perfectly out of nowhere. And secondly, it's been done over and over again: 'I See the Light' from Tangled, 'A Whole New World' from Aladdin, 'Something There' from Beauty and the Beast, and if we go back even further, there are songs like 'Once Upon A Dream' from Sleeping Beauty and 'I'm Wishing' from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

Instead, we get 'We Know the Way' in Moana, a song which pays homage to Polynesian culture. The movie focuses on the idea that Moana's ancestors were wayfinders who were able to navigate the seas by reading the stars. Since there was a period of time when voyages across the South Pacific stopped, Moana is Disney's interpretation of Polynesian history, I guess.

'We Know the Way' is actually just another song about identity, but it isn't just Moana's identity at stake here. Her entire village has lost its way too. Instead of a love song, we get a spectacular song which depicts Moana's love and appreciation for her own culture.

Hopefully, this shows that Disney is moving along with the times. Merida (from Pixar's Brave. She is technically a Disney princess as well) rejected all her suitors and proudly proclaimed that she would shoot for her own hand. Elsa didn't even have any male suitors. And Moana sure doesn't need Maui. I mean, did you see her back there in the realm of the monsters? Maui would have been a total goner if she hadn't been there. And before that, she quickly manages to escape the cave Maui traps her in (destroying the narcissistic statue Maui made of himself at the same time). Talk about girl power.

9. Disney making fun of Disney

In Moana, Maui makes fun of Moana and says that she has to be a princess because he sees her with an animal sidekick, Heihei the chicken (she also has Pua, her pig, but the pig was smart enough to stay on the island). Well, Moana isn't a princess in her world, but Pocahontas is considered a Disney princess too, even though she, like Moana, is the daughter of the village chief. So technically, Moana is a Disney princess.

And yes, Disney princesses tend to have animal sidekicks. Jasmine has a tiger named Rajar, Anna has talking snowman Olaf, Ariel has Flounder (and Sebastian), Mulan has Mushu and her cricket, Pocahontas has Meeko and Flit, Rapunzel has Pascal (and Maximus)... somehow Disney princesses are able to tame animals and speak to them in some way or another. Snow White gets all the adorable-looking woodland creatures to help her do the dishes! And the dudes in the movies have their own animal sidekicks too -- for instance, Kristoff has Sven the reindeer, Prince Eric has Max, his pet dog, while Aladdin has his monkey friend Abu.

However, all Moana has is a dumb chicken. Even the studio admits that Heihei is probably the dumbest character ever. But I guess having a dumb animal is little more realistic than having an extremely smart animal sidekick.

In Frozen, Disney made fun of itself by getting Elsa to remind Anna that she can't marry a guy she just met. But obviously, the best Disney film that makes fun of Disney itself in the best way possible is Enchanted, where Amy Adams aka. Giselle bursts into song in Central Park, New York ('That's How You Know'). Giselle and Prince Edward sing a cliche love duet ('True Love's Kiss') at the very beginning, which concludes with Edward saying that they shall be married in the morning. As if that isn't clear enough, Giselle also gets animal friends to help her with chores, and these animals turn out to be cockroaches, mice and pigeons in New York City ('Happy Working Song').

I love it when Disney makes fun of itself -- it shows that they are aware of how cliche their stories can get.

10. Overall message: Safeguard your culture / Stop destroying nature

The main message is extremely similar to the one in Pocahontas. As I've mentioned earlier, both Moana and Pocahontas are daughters of the village chief. Both Pocahontas and Moana are protectors of nature. Pocahontas has an entire song dedicated to nature ('Colours of the Wind') while little Moana was shown protecting a sea turtle as it tried to make its way back into the ocean. She defended the sea turtle from predators and because of this, the ocean chose her to return the heart of Te Fiti.

Both save their people in some or another. Pocahontas saves her tribe from being annihilated by greedy Englishmen, while Moana saves her village by restoring the heart of Te Fiti. (If she hadn't done so, her people would starve to death because there's no more fish in the reef to catch and the coconuts are all black and rotten on the inside)

By saving their people, they are protecting their way of life. In Moana, the main goal is to restore the heart of Te Fiti, the island goddess, the personification of nature. Te Fiti gives life to the land, the plants and animals. But when Maui steals her heart to please humans, the world fell into darkness. Te Fiti becomes Te Ka -- a lava monster. Both still represent nature, since Te Fiti represents greenery while Te Ka represents rock and magma. But this transformation shows that nature can be destructive; if humans keep taking whatever we want from nature without giving back, nature is going to turn its back on us.


--

The "Loophole" in Moana

Recently, someone pointed out to me that there was a major plot loophole in Moana. Maui himself pointed it out in the movie: if the ocean was so powerful, why couldn't it return the heart of Te Fiti? 

I didn't know the answer until I read this article. The idea of girl power is as clear as day, but I didn't get the religious references. This is probably because I'm not a religious person, but in hindsight it should have been obvious. I had suspected that when Moana walks towards Te Ka, it was a reference to the parting of the Red Sea, but there is so much more to Moana than just that.

When coconut pirates called kakamora try to steal the heart of Te Fiti, Moana calls on the ocean to help her, but it doesn't. Maui says that the ocean wouldn't help because you have to help yourself. It's just like the saying "God helps those who help themselves". And I'm sure the ocean, aka God, was the one who sent the thunderstorm which caused Moana to land on the island which Maui was on. 

So Moana is the "chosen one". I didn't think much about this. Harry Potter is considered the "chosen one" too, and so are many fictional characters out there. But in Moana's case, the ocean has chosen her to find Maui, deliver him across the great ocean, to restore the heart of Te Fiti. I'm sure there's some biblical tale about someone transporting people somewhere. Yes, it does sound familiar. How about the story behind St. Christopher, who helped Jesus across a dangerous river?

Gramma Tala comes back as a manta ray. This was a reference to reincarnation, which is something pretty obvious. My mother is always telling me that we should do good things so that we can come back as humans again, but I always tell her that I want to come back as a cat and not a human. I think in actual fact, cats occupy a higher position on the reincarnation ladder than us lowly humans.