Disney
After 10 years without a princess movie, The Princess and the Frog is a triumphant return for Disney. The movie's heroine is a self-sufficient, hardworking woman who doesn't need rescuing; its cast is racially and ethnically diverse, and the hand-drawn animation is stunning. It's going to be hard for Disney to top this one... but they already have their next princess in the works.
In the continuing tradition of adapting fairy tales, Disney's next movie will be Rapunzel. Set to arrive in theaters in November, the film will feature the voices of Mandy Moore (as the eponymous princess) and Chuck's Zachary Levi (as the prince). We must confess, we have mixed feelings about Disney following The Princess and the Frog with Rapunzel (originally titled Rapunzel Unbraided). Here are our thoughts:
Why the movie might disappoint:
- While The Princess and the Frog brought us a black heroine, Rapunzel returns to the idea that princesses must look exactly like blonde Barbie dolls. Sigh.
- Right after proving how gorgeous hand-drawn animation can be, Disney immediately returns to computer graphics.
- Given that the story of Rapunzel is all about a damsel in distress, can Disney really "modernize" the princess to make her a strong independent woman?
Why the movie might be great:
- This newly released image shows Rapunzel tying up a captive prince with her hair, which is pretty awesome.
- Alan Menken, the composer behind Beauty and the Beast, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Enchanted, is writing the songs.
- A leaked clip on YouTube has Rapunzel saying she "doesn't believe in magic," and an official summary implies that the 'prince' is actually an outlaw... so maybe this is a new spin on the story after all.
Chime In: Do you think Rapunzel will be better than The Princess and the Frog?
