The return of Frozen fever

So now that the hype around the sequel has receded (ever so slightly) along with the thrill of the Christmas holidays, what did we all actually think of Frozen II?

It definitely felt great to be reunited with the hilarious Olaf, the adorable Sven, the lovable Kristoff, the beautiful Anna and the astonishing Elsa and see more of their life together as a family. The scenery is just as captivating with the crystal waters, the enchanted forest, the treacherous ocean and the handsome mountainous backdrop. The costumes were also a highpoint with brand new dresses worn by both heroines. Anna renews her autumnal charm with a grey dress and striking purple cape and Elsa returns with her icy blue number and a brand new sparkly white gown which no doubt was on the top of every little fan’s Christmas list along with the magnificent ice horse she rides across the Scandinavian horizon.

In terms of the plot, Elsa finds herself misplaced and confused for a second time and chooses to venture out in search of her destiny. She discovers she is part of five elemental spirits who will unite people and the natural forces. The film ends with the two sisters acting as a bridge between two kingdoms, one of people of which Anna becomes queen and one of magical spirits of which Elsa will reign over. This ending elevates both women to equal status of power unlike the first film where Elsa had both political and mystic power.

Even though it can be argued that the plot is not as gripping and songs not as resonating as the first film, the storyline still sends out a number of positive messages to young viewers; family values, ambition, self awareness and perseverance with a reaffirmation of a woman’s ability to reach success without a prince to save the day. Anna’s engagement to Kristoff towards the end of the film (something that had been his focus for the film’s duration rather than hers) when she has already reached her goal serves as an example of female empowerment and independence. Despite Anna and Kristoff's happy ending together as a couple it can definitely be argued that Anna and Elsa’s achievements are the main happy ending and the film’s closing would have been just as complete without Anna’s engagement to Kristoff.

So despite the less lively script and songs, it can be said that due to the story’s reunion of man and nature and prevailing feminist message, Frozen II is another keeper. Whether there is a need for a Frozen III remains to be seen.

Anna, Elsa, Kristoff, Olaf and Sven in Disney's Frozen II

By Tasneem Mahmoud

The importance of Maleficent 2

It certainly cannot be denied that Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil embodies the global crisis of climate change and its effect on wildlife. While the first film focuses more on the relationship between both female characters; fallen fairy Maleficent and lost princess Aurora, the sequel has a more external focus on humanity’s negative impact on flora and fauna and sheds light on the dark significance of endangered species.

The beauty of the natural world is portrayed through the Moors, which both female heroin’s reign over and protect together. Queen Ingrith’s cruel treatment of the Moor creatures mirrors humanity’s dismissal of the needs of the wildlife as a result of its own greed and self-regarding nature. Moreover, the Dark Phoenix Fey, a species of powerful fairies who have gone into hiding and resent humankind as a result of human oppression, is a clear reflection of how humanity’s insensitivity to endangered species is leading to extinction.

Aurora's emotive declaration of Maleficent as her mother before Maleficent is murdered and reborn as a magnificent phoenix symbolises humanity's true bond and everlasting need for mother nature. Finally, Maleficent and Aurora’s united fight against Queen Ingrith in the film’s climax demonstrates the story’s final message; we must unite no matter how diverse we are on the issue of climate change as it is one global cause.

As always, Disney brings real global themes to the fore through fantasy, adventure and enchantment, calling all young minds to question and understand an issue that has finally and sadly reached its peak.

Maleficent and Aurora from Disney's Maleficent 2: Mistress of Evil

By Tasneem Mahmoud

Top Sequels

Its sequel time! I know there is a general consensus nowadays that sequels do not tend to do as well as the original nor are they as engaging as the original, but that’s just not true when it comes to Disney! There are over forty sequel animations, but let’s have a look at my top five:

First place:
The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

This is probably because The Little Mermaid is my all-time favourite so I welcomed any continuation of Ariel’s world, but the fact is, this has a very good plot. As Ariel had already lived happily ever after at the end of the first movie, it made sense to have a spin of events and focus on something new and someone new. What better way to continue the story’s theme of self-identification than through Ariel’s own daughter, Princess Melody! Unlike Ariel, who dreamed of life as a human, Melody dreams of life as a mermaid. The songs may not have been as catchy and definitely did not resonate the same way as ‘Part of your World’ or ‘Under the Sea,’ but there were some exciting new characters including Morgana, ‘Ursula’s crazy sister,’ the quirky penguin Tip and the clumsy Walrus Dash. The film ends uniting those with fins and feet forever, a perfect close to one of Disney’s most beloved classics.

Melody and Sebastian from Disney's The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea

Second place:
The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride

This one never seemed to appear in the top twenty either, but again, very solid plot! Like Return to the Sea, the story continues through the eyes of a new protagonist, Simba’s daughter Kiara who is gutsy and adventurous like him, but ends up falling in love with the enemy. Unlike Return to the Sea, I actually think some of the songs from this film were just as good as the original. ‘He lives in you’ was so successful that it was added to Disney’s Broadway musical The Lion King to enhance the theme of the circle of life. A very well made sequel.

Nala, Simba, Kovu and Kiara from Disney's The Lion King II: Simba's Pride

Third place:
Toy Story 3

I skipped number 2 because we all know number 3 was better! That day care centre and that crazy strawberry bear! Aside from the new characters, this film is more sentimental than the first two because Andy has finally grown up and is off to college. We identify with both Andy and the toys, we are excited for Andy, but we don’t want the toys left behind feeling unhappy so ending the film where the toys are able to all stay together in the gentle hands of Bonnie is the perfect end. Looking forward to Toy Story 4!

Bonnie and the Toys from Disney's Toy Story 3

Fourth place:
Finding Dory

Since Finding Nemo was one of Pixar animations 'top successes, we all welcomed this sequel with open arms even though this one wasn’t all about Nemo. Again some pretty awesome new characters including Hank, the grumpy octopus who plays quite a prominent role in helping Dory on her journey to find out where she came from. Nemo and Marlin are of course still in many scenes of the film, but it was important for Dory, the character who brought so much comic relief in the original Finding Nemo to have a story of her own. A heart-warming sequel.

Hank and Dory from Disney's Finding Dory

Fifth place:
Aladdin and the King of Thieves

As great as it is, Aladdin wasn’t one of my favourite Disney films, but the sequels were made very well and I remember watching this one over and over as a kid. Like the other films on this list, this one had a real plot. We join Aladdin on his quest along with Jasmine, Genie, Iago, carpet and Abu to find out more about his heritage leading him to defeat a crew of crazy thieves. Disney definitely painted some very original characters in this one including the villainous Sa’luk, the mysterious Casim as well as dropping in some catchy tunes such as ‘There’s a party here in Agrabah’, ‘Are you in or Out’ and of course bringing in a reprise of ‘Arabian nights’ to seal the deal at the film’s closing.

Iago and Cassim from Disney's Aladdin and the King of Thieves

So there are my top five sequels. I hope you all enjoyed them as much as I did and I can’t wait for more to be added as time goes on!

By Tasneem Mahmoud

Top 5 Disney moments

One thing that cannot be overlooked with Disney animations is detail detail detail! Disney sure is good at not rushing through scenes that bring out key plot developments, characters and themes. I have handpicked the following five scenes as my favourite moments because they encapsulate the enchantment of the entire films through their impassioned motions, music and landscapes.

It is very difficult to rank the following scenes as they are all very different and have special significances, but here it goes:

Fifth place:

‘I am never going back, the past is in the past!’

Yes of course I had to throw Frozen in there! The film is an international phenomenon because of this character and this song we never seem to get bored of! The whole mountain scene is exquisite, but the point she is getting at is brought out towards the last few moments of the song starting from just before the bridge (my power flurries through the air into the ground, my soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around)…yes you get the picture. This is when after a prominent heave with both her arms she boosts up huge channels of sparkling ice, which form into an icicle style castle surrounded by flurries of sparkle. When the castle has formed she chucks her crown asserting the past is in the past before fashioning herself a dazzling silvery blue gown, smoothly styling her hair into a sparkly braid and lets not forget that shimmering cape before announcing to the landscape: 'here I stand in the light of day, let the storm rage on, the cold never bothered me anyway.’

The craze of this moment signifies Elsa’s self discovery and self liberation and by the same token, shows the audience what she is made of. If it weren’t for the details of this scene, from the flurries of snow, the glitz of her clothes, the blast of her vocals, this turning moment in the film would not have had the impact it has had worldwide. All it took was some enchanting sparkles, snowflakes and a genius song for little girls to be flouncing around the living room in their sparkly blue costumes. The rest is history.

Elsa from Disney's Frozen

‘Belle, its me.’

Beauty and the Beast is one of my all time favourite Disney animations and Belle and the beast are also one of my top Disney couples so that makes this moment all the more convenient.

I have always found the level of detail in this scene truly spectacular. From Belle’s mournful words ‘please don’t leave me, I love you’ to the sparks that start to shoot towards the beast to contrast with the heavy downpour of rain, the change in music to the look on Cogsworth's Lumiere's and Mrs Potts’ astounded faces as these mythical forces lift his deceased body into the air and begin to transform his beastly features into human traits, we are all reminded of the importance of breaking the enchantress’ spell which has held the beast and his castle captive for so many sorrowful years. We see his paws transform into human hands, his furry feet transform into human feet and then finally his face changes back to the handsome prince he once was. Belle’s last words ‘it is you’ upon recognizing his kind eyes and gentle demeanor also mark the film’s paramount morale that true beauty is found within. A wonderful moment.

Beast and Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast

'Beluga sevruga
Come winds of the Caspian Sea
Larengix glaucitis
Et max laryngitis
La voce to me
Now, sing!'

Now this part has always sent shivers up my spine because it is set in Ursula’s domain where she is abusing Ariel’s naivety (poor unfortunate soul indeed) and it highlights Ariel’s true vulnerability in becoming entrapped in Ursula’s wicked deal, but again Disney made sure to accentuate this imperative moment.

After seeing Ariel’s beautiful voice literally being pulled out of her throat in the form of a miniature light ball and traveling into Ursula’s grasp as she licks her teeth eagerly, the deal is sealed and the transformation begins. Instead of a flash and two legs popping out of her tail we actually see her transforming amidst fireworks, explosions and Ursula’s demented laughter. The end of her tail suddenly splits into two lively human legs and we then see a human Ariel struggling for breath many meters under the sea causing Flounder and Sebastian to spring to her rescue and pull her up to the surface as quickly as they can before we see Ariel taking her first full and climatic human inhale of salty air in the early hours of sunlight. A mesmerizing scene.

Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid

'It's the circle of life
And it moves us all
Through despair and hope
Through faith and love
Till we find our place
On the path unwinding
In the circle
The circle of life'

It is difficult to put into words why this spectacular scene brought me such exhilaration as a child and brings me to tears as an adult. The level of detail exhibited to us in this crucial moment of the film is beyond incredible. The scene begins with the rising sun arousing all those living; large and small, mighty and dainty, in the air, in the water and on the ground as they dutifully make their way in unison towards pride rock for the presentation of Simba, the new born prince and future king. Disney ensures we are introduced to the main topographies of the animal kingdom in their natural habitat; a cheetah emerging out of tall grass, stalks wading through swamps, gazelles leaping through mists, zebras trotting through dust, elephants stomping through barren landscapes with the silhouette of Kilimanjaro in the background, ants scurrying over brunches until Zazu the bird leads us to pride rock where king Mufasa stands watching the animals assemble below him.

The notion of the entire animal kingdom coming together to welcome the future king, something so mighty in the form of something so small and defenseless as a lion cub reinforces the message of peace, deliberation and most importantly unity through diversity. The cries of the animals rejoicing as Simba is presented to them produces an air of elation and triumph, an ambiance of compassion and love as they acknowledge the law of pride rock and the great circle of life.

Disney’s ability to observe these aspects of wildlife in its natural habitat and create such a panorama that has captured these most significant elements of rural Tanzania and depict such emotions in the form of animatronics is, in my opinion, an accomplishment that has has allowed The Lion King to resonate as one of the truest masterpieces in the history of animation making it one of my top five Disney moments.

 

Disney's The Lion King

First place:

‘Listen with your heart, you will understand’

When two worlds meet! I have always found this scene utterly captivating. Disney made sure not to rush this essential moment; a moment that marks the start of an amorous relationship, a moment that sparks off tensions between two tribes, two languages, two cultures and a moment that symbolizes the anxiety caused by the British conquest of the Americas.

John Smith already knows he is being watched before he sees her. He hides behind the waterfall (couldn’t have set this in a more romantic spot!) and Pocahontas creeps out slowly. She jumps from stone to stone nearing the waterfall, hopelessly inquisitive of this strange looking being and unaware he is armed. John Smith jumps out aiming his gun straight at this supposed savage who has been following him and pauses when through the mist of the water he sees the embodiment of the princess as she slowly straightens up from her crouched posture until she is standing parallel to his level. He lowers his weapon to take her in; her firm physique, her chestnut skin, her magnificent hair, her dark eyes seemingly perplexed, but also mesmerized by his presence. They stare at each other with the deafening sound of the waterfall behind them.

He moves towards her lifting his arm to take her hand and she flees in fear. She ignores his baffled cries of ‘wait!’ and continues running towards her boat, but pauses as he approaches throwing him a look of alarm, but also marvel. She begins speaking in her native language, but is soon able to decipher he is asking who she is. She takes his hand and gently utters her name. He responds by offering his name back to her and the introduction is complete.

Their insistence to absorb and comprehend one another in this scene sets a unique and contrasting backdrop to the story’s plot. Their choice to initiate peaceful relations where they learn from each other and grow together as people challenges the conventions of both their worlds bringing them at last together at the film’s closing. An exquisite moment.

John Smith and Pocahontas from Disney's Pocahontas

So there you have them, my top five Disney moments which bring me back to these beloved classics time and time again and will continue to entrance generations of Disney lovers for years to come. Thank you Disney!

By Tasneem Mahmoud

Top 3 princesses

Well they’re all pretty fly, but when it comes down to choosing your top three you have to look for the most unique, the most memorable, and the most striking.

First place

If only I could make him understand. I just don’t see things the way he does. I just don’t see how a world that makes such wonderful things could be bad. Ariel has always been my number one. For one thing, she is the only half human princess; a mermaid and the one thing I associate merpeople with. I used to look out for the swish of the red hair and turquoise tail in the sea and that crystal voice resonating through the waves.  What I love about Ariel is her curiosity and affinity to question her surroundings. She is adventurous, courageous whilst still maintaining an air of innocence and naivety.  Her exploratory nature is affirmed in her will to marry a human and embrace a completely different world. Ariel inspires young ladies to take risks in order to reach their goals (even if it means losing your voice for a bit), to unite through diversification, to challenge convention and to welcome change. Ariel is the perfect example of how we do not have to stick to what we know to live a fulfilled life.



Princess Ariel from Disney's The Little Mermaid

Second place

It’s a pity and a sin, she doesn’t quite fit in, but she really is a funny girl, a beauty, but a funny girl, she really is a funny girl, that Belle. This one may be human, but she definitely doesn’t fall for one.  What strikes me about Belle is how her unconventional character clashes with the conventions of a small provincial town in rural France. Unlike other girls she has no interest in finding a husband or falling for Gaston’s falsified charm, she just wants to read her book and explore new places. What makes Belle the most memorable for me was her kindness and compassion. She risks her life for her father and challenges the Beast to be the best he can be. She has no prejudice towards differences and is not in any way superficial as conveyed at the end when she falls deeply in love with the beast despite his hideous appearance. The movie’s main message 'not to be deceived by appearances for beauty is found within' is indeed personified by Belle’s character.

Princess Belle from Disney's Beauty and the Beast

So we have a red head and a brunette and now we need a fair haired gal. Most people would include Elsa in their top three as the fastest selling and most lucrative Disney princess in history. As fabulous as she is, I am not going to list her in my top three. My third is going to be Rapunzel (yes I know she becomes brunette at the end, but that short scruff of a bob ain’t her selling point, let’s face it, we are all nuts about that long golden hair).

Third place

I could go running/ and racing/and dancing/ and chasing/and leaping/ and bounding/hair flying/heart pounding/ and splashing/and reeling/and finally now’s when my life begins! I am more of a classical Disney lover and so have never been as fond of the 3D princesses, but Rapunzel broke the mould for me. As one of the first 3D princesses and thus one of the most modern day girl princesses, Rapunzel was one of the first non-feminine, gutsier princesses introducing a quirkier kind of energy as shown in her speech and persona. Like the others she is brave and daring, but is one of the first to befriend a prince before becoming romantically involved. In the movie, Rapunzel and Eugene become ‘intertwined’ in each other’s mess and support each other before realising they are attracted to each other romantically. She’s also sassy and feisty as well as ’warm and real and bright’. Oh and she has a pet chameleon.

Princess Rapunzel from Disney's Tangled

All the Disney princesses have left their own mark, their own songs, their own look and their own stories, but Ariel, Belle and Rapunzel have inimitable characters which is what make them the most unique, the most memorable, and the most striking.  Let’s hear it for my home gals. 

By Tasneem Mahmoud

‘It's kind of fun to do the impossible.’ Getting to know Walt

It is hard to imagine our world without the magic brought to us by Walt Disney. So lets go back to where it all started. Who was Mr. Disney?

His story began in Hermosa, Illinois where he was born in 1901. He was one of five children of Elias and Flora Disney. Walter Elias Disney spent most of his childhood in Marceline, Missouri and moved to Kansas City in 1911. His chief childhood interests were trains and drawing. From a young age he would draw and paint pictures and sell them to family and friends. As a high school student he took drawing and photography lessons and was a cartoonist for the school paper. He attended The Art Institute of Chicago for night courses.

In 1919 Walt decided to pursue a career as a newspaper artist. His brother Roy Disney who later co founded the Walt Disney Company found him a job at Pesmen-Rubin Art Studio. He also worked at the Kansas City Film Ad company. This is when he began experimenting with commercials based on cut-out animation, hand drawn cel animation and the camera. He named his cartoons ‘Laugh O Grams.’ Shortly after this, the Disney Brothers Studio was set up between Walt, his brother Roy and cartoonist Ub Iwerks. During this time a character known as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit was invented.

Unfortunately the rights to Oswald the Lucky Rabbit were stolen and the Disney crew had to come up with another character. This character was Mickey Mouse. The first animated shorts for Mickey were The Gallopin’ Gaucho, which were both silent films. These cartoons were not so successful due to lack of distribution. Steamboat Willie was the third cartoon to be created upon the introduction of sound into film and was an instant success. The following year Disney created a cartoon called Instant Symphonies, which featured Mickey and his newly created friends, Minnie Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Pluto. The first cartoon to be created in colour was Flowers and Trees, which won Disney an Oscar. The ball was now rolling.

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Disney’s first full length animated film, hit the spotlight in 1937 producing $1.499 million, in spite of the Depression and also won eight Oscars. Snow White was followed by some other classic favourites, Pinocchio, Fantasia, Dumbo and Bambi. Walt Disney studios was finally opened in 1939 where some other Walt Disney classics were produced including Cinderella, Alice in Wonderland and Lady and the Tramp. As well as his animations, Disney became popular for other forms of television entertainment. He was indeed one of the first people to use television as an entertainment medium. Shows such as The Zorro and The Mickey Mouse Club were popular with children. He used his Sunday night show Walt Disney’s Wonderful World of Colour to promote his new theme park. What can I say, the man was a genius.

On July 17th 1955 Disney embraced a new challenge by opening up the first ever Disneyland theme park where families could meet Disney characters and enjoy rides. Disney World in Florida was under construction when Disney was diagnosed with lung cancer at the age of 65. Walt died on December 15th 1966 and his brother Roy followed through with the Florida theme park project, which eventually opened in 1971.

Walt Disney Productions is one of the best- known motion picture production companies in the world. During his lifetime, Disney became known as one of the most innovative animators and won 22 academy awards. His efforts and notions have led to The Walt Disney Company becoming a leading diversified global entertainment and media enterprise; a colossal success, an international phenomenon and an inspiration to the world of creativity and innovation. He started the magic and left us with a lifetime of enchantment, dreams and delight. Can we ever thank him enough?

Lets hear it for Walt Disney!

  By Tasneem Mahmoud

Meet Mickey's crew!

The original Disney family have transcended through generations and generations. But what is the story behind all these bizarre yet incredible critters?

Mickey Mouse

Who’s the leader of the club that’s made for you and me? M-I-C-K-E-Y! Mickey mouse was created as an anthropomorphic mouse in 1928. His original outfit was red shorts, white gloves and big yellow shoes. Between his creation in 1928 and 1947 he was voiced by Walt Disney himself and the job was also carried out by various individuals such as James MacDonald, Stan Freberg, Alan Young, Wayne Allwine, Les Perkins, Peter Renaday, Bret Iwan and Chris Diamantopoulos afterwards. He is brave, helpful, kind and adventurous.

Minnie Mouse

Minerva Mouse, most commonly known as Minnie Mouse is Mickey’s girlfriend. She was also created in 1928 as an anthropomorphic mouse. She is recognized for her dotted dresses, big flouncy bow and high heels. She first appeared in Plane Crazy alongside Mickey. In these earlier cartoons she was often shirtless with a skirt and a flower on her head in place of her bow. She was also originally voiced by Mr. Disney, followed by other individuals before finally taken over by Russi Taylor. She is known to be thoughtful, caring, intelligent and fun.

Pluto

Pluto came barking into Mickey’s family in 1930 as Mickey’s pet. He is therefore not anthropomorphic, although very expressive. He is yellow with long black ears and a bright green collar. He made his first appearance in Chain Gang. Like Mickey he is also adventurous, but also cautious and has a tendency to panic quite easily. He is nevertheless very loving and is known to be Mickey’s best friend.

Goofy

Pluto was followed by another dog Goofy in 1930. Unlike Pluto, Goofy is anthropomorphic and wears blue pants, an orange turtle neck, black waistcoat, a bright green hat and brown shoes. The crazy colour combination of his clothes attributes to his name and personality. He is one of Mickey’s best friends, but does not appear to be as intelligent. Instead he is clumsy, mindless and foolish. He is however caring and lots of fun. He first appeared in Mickey’s Revue and was later included in the Mickey, Goofy and Donald trio films. He has a son called Maxwell, more commonly known as Max who first appeared in 1951.

Donald Duck

Donald Fauntleroy Duck, more commonly known as Donald Duck is a quirky anthropomorphic duck with an uncontrollable temper. He was created in 1954 and is one of Mickey’s best friends. His original outfit is a blue sailor style sweater with a red bow tie and a blue hat. Unlike, Mickey, Minnie, Goofy and his girlfriend Daisy, he does not wear any shoes and has one of the most identifiable voices in animation history. His speech is sometimes incomprehensible which attributes to his being a short-tempered duck and adds to the comedy he brings to the audience. Despite his being one of Mickey’s best friends he is jealous of Mickey’s popularity and rivalry is often shown between the two. He is also very excitable and typically mutters ‘oh boy oh boy oh boy’ when he comes across something interesting. He has an extended duck family that appear in various cartoons with him, his three triplet nephews Huey, Dewie and Louie being the most memorable.

Daisy Duck

Daisy Duck is also an anthropomorphic duck and was the last to join the crew in 1940 when she featured in Mr. Duck Steps Out. Her original outfit consists of a purple t-shirt, a pink bow and heels. She has prominent eyelashes, which she uses to flirt and wears a bangle on her left wrist. Thoughtful and caring, she is Minnie Mouse’s best friend, but like Donald also has a bad temper. She has a sultry, diva-like demeanour, which also adds to her comical value as a female duck.

So there we have our loving Mickey crew! All different shapes and sizes but one loving family! They will continue to put smiles on our faces for years and years to come.

Come along lets sing the song
And join the jamberre!
M-I-C-K-E-Y M-O-U-S-E!
Yay Mickey!
Yay Mickey!
Yay Mickey Mouse Club!

Lets hear it for Mickey and his crew!

By Tasneem Mahmoud