Project Disney- Lady and the Tramp

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it and participate!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories. 

Confession:  This was not one of my favorite movies growing up.  I don't know why either.  As I have gotten older I have enjoyed this movie more.  Unfortunately I am totally bummed but I was unable to find the original story that the movie is based off of. Lady and the Tramp by Ward Greene (1953) - an expansion of "Happy Dan the Whistling Dog" is what the movie is based off of and it's pretty impossible to find.  I looked all over the internet, tried my library, tried inter-library loan.  Just came up blank.  Though on the Disney Wiki you can find out a little information on the short story. For now... I am just going to review the film!

I love the music in this film.  It one of the reasons why I think this movie is a Disney classic and people still really love it.  The scene when Lady and Tramp share a plate of spaghetti is so romantic.  Disney does a great job of getting you to really feel the love despite watching two dogs.  The music in this scene "This is the Night" and the ambiance is just perfect.  Lady and the Tramp has a big message to me though.  The difference between two classes.  The rich and the poor.  I can't help but feel bad for Tramp and how he's treated.   We see even how judgmental Lady's friends are when they see Tramp.

What I like about this film too is showing that people who have babies/families can still take care of their pets.  I know too many people who get rid of their pets after having children.  Like there just isn't room or any time for them.  So sad.  I understand priorities change... but to just get rid of them?  The film also shows a scene in the pound which I like too.  People never see really what's in the pound.  If you have ever been to a humane society then you know when you go in you just see a counter and a clerk.  You don't actually see the cages of all the animals which makes it easier to get rid of a pet.

Back to the fun Disney movie and off my soap box.  There are some great side characters in this movie.  The Siamese cats and their fabulous song!!  I love it!  I know that people say that these cats are racist.  As a child though I didn't notice this and just thought... well that they were Asian cats.  The end of the movie is cute... Lady and Tramp have babies.  Now as an adult though I can't help but think that this is NOT what the puppies would look like. The movie Lady and the Tramp II: Scamp's Adventure, is actually based on the puppies. 

Be sure to check out my other fun Project Disney posts:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under

Check out Picture Me Reading's post!

Project Disney- Beauty and the Beast

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it and participate!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

"Tale as old as time... song as old as rhyme"...  This week's Project Disney's book and movie is Beauty and the Beast.   I am so excited to write about this movie.. it's one of my favorites! This movie is based off of two stories La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Le Prince de Beaumon and
The Story of the Beauty and the Beast  by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve (you can read both stories from the links).  I read both stories though the latter is much much longer and has a lot more detail. I recently watched this movie in theaters when it was re-released in 3D. Now that was amazing and if you didn't take the time to go to the theater and watch it you sure did miss out.

The book starts out with Belle having many sisters and brothers.  Her father becomes poor because of a huge house fire and the family is disgraced because of this. In the book she is not called Belle but Beauty.  Which causes her siblings to be jealous of her. Beauty's father then goes to the city to find some of his fortune that may have returned from sea.  When her father gets there the fortune has already been stolen.  He makes his way back to the country where his family is and becomes lost.  The father comes upon a castle and enters it for shelter where he sleeps and keeps finding food ready for him.   The father then thinks that the castle is his to own and begins to gather roses.  Then the Beast reveals himself and is angry that the father was taking his roses (for Beauty). The father told the Beast the the rose was for his daughter Beauty.  The Beast then tells the father that he can leave for exchange for one of his daughters.  Who of course is Beauty.

Beauty sees her father in a magical mirror and sees that he isn't well.  Beast asks her to marry him every night but Beauty refuses. He tells her she can go visit her father since he is alone now and her siblings have moved away.  Beauty and the Beast story should be the story of the evil stepsisters, not Cinderella. The sisters see how happy Beauty is and decide to keep her longer at the house then a week (which is how long she told the beast she would be gone). Beauty finally says yes to the Beast and wants to marry him.  Before they get married though... there is a twist in the story that is much different from the movie. You can also read about the Beast's story here. The fairy that we see at the beginning of the film actually raises the prince.  When he is older the fairy wants to marry him (gross right?).  She is an older lady and the prince doesn't feel right marrying her.  The fairy is angry and turns him into the beast.

The Disney movie really follows this story quite well.  The mirror, the library, the painting of Beast as a man,  the spell on Beast.  The household items aren't alive but there are monkeys and birds that talk to Beauty.  My favorite characters of the film are the household items that talk like Lumiere, Mrs. Potts, her son Chip, and Cogsworth.    The music in this film is amazing.  I can sign along to every song.  The art work for the film is one of the best I have seen yet in 2D form.  The character Gaston is amazing for a great villain.  He is cocky, charming, and evil all at the same time.  Belle is one of my top Disney Princesses.  I mean she READS BOOKS! 

This story is so wonderful it's amazing how many spinoffs there has been.  I still want to see the Broadway show.  I did see the ballet put on by the Colorado Ballet and that was awful.  They did not do a good job.  I haven't checked out the new show Beauty and the Beast on the CW but it's still on so someone must be watching it.  As always in my Project Disneys I include the Twisted Disney pictures (seen above) and the Annie Leibovitz pictures which are always so neat!

I can't end this post without posting a song from the movie!


 Reading this story and comparing it to the film is really interesting. The story is really good if you want to take the time to read it. A really good fairy tale full of detail. This film too is outstanding. Several people I know says it's their favorite Disney film (mine is still Cinderella). What do you think of the movie and story?

Check out my other Project Disney
Snow White  
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Check out Picture Me Reading's Beauty and the Beast post too.. they have trading cards!

Project Disney- Fantasia

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it and participate!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

This week we are going to talk about Fantasia based off of Sorcerer's Apprentice - 1797 poem Der Zauberlehrling by Goethe.  This poem is neat... it is easily found on the internet, you can read it here.  The poem was passed around the Disney studio and the staff was asked to answer twenty questions on how to bring the poem to life, and along came Mickey! The Sorcerer Mickey... my favorite Mickey out of all of them.  A few years ago when I went to Disneyland I heard there was an area you could take pictures with Mickey in different rooms.  They were random so you never knew which Mickey you got.  NOT ME.. I demanded ok I asked politely if I could get my pictures with the Sorcerer Mickey.. and I got my wish!  Fantasia is one of my most favorite Disney movies out of all of them.  The artwork and music makes it wonderful.  I have noticed most kids don't really love it though.  I have tried to show my little cousin this movie and she loses interest fast.

I love this poster.  Disney tried to market to college students and give them a psychedelic time. The poster includes the names of all the composers. There are a few really outstanding songs/art in this film.  One I really love is the Nutcracker Suite.  This shows the seasons changing, and features fairies, fish, mushrooms, and flowers! The clip here only has the fairies but you can just see how beautiful it is.
 


 Next up the Sorcerer's Apprentice. One of my all time favorite Disney moments. I just love the story told .. with Mickey wanting to be a wizard and not wanting to clean up. Casting a spell on the broom to help him... which turns into a disaster. I also love the Wizard in this video. He comes back and grabs his hat from Mickey.. but you can tell he cares about Mickey. It's great!

The Pastoral Symphony ... I just love the art work for this. The features Greek icons... centaurs, cupids, fauns, Gods! It's great. This isn't my favorite music in the film. But the beauty of the scenes
make up for it.

 

Dance of the Hours is so fun!! Madame Upanova and her ostriches (Morning); Hyacinth Hippo and her servants (Afternoon); Elephanchine and her bubble-blowing elephant troupe (Evening); and Ben Ali Gator and his troop of alligators (Night) then they all get together! The music is perfect with the animation.. this is the part of Fantasia I remember loving the most as a child.

Last we have of course Night on Bald Mountain. WOW!! Such a masterpiece. The music, the animation= FLAWLESS. I always remember this video from A Disney Halloween.  To me this is classic Disney at it's best. When it could show evil and scary things. I think if this came out today parents would have a fit.
 
 

If you haven't taken the time to watch this film you should. Each clip as you can see above wordlessly tells beautiful stories. I personally think it's a classic and entertaining.  I only own it on VHS (yea you read that right) and need to pick it up on DVD soon! 

Check out my other Project Disney posts:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Check out Picture Me Reading's Post on Fantasia! There are trading cards! 

Project Disney-Princess and the Frog

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it and participate!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

This week we are watching and discussing the books for The Princess and the Frog.  The books we are using are The Frog Princess by E.D Baker and the Frog Prince by the Brothers Grimm (you can read the whole Grimm story at that link).   For those who don't know what this movie is about here is a little description: A fairy tale set in Jazz Age-era New Orleans and centered on a young woman named Tiana and her fateful kiss with a frog prince who desperately wants to be human again. I love this movie.  The whole Louisiana scenes in the film are wonderful.  And the music!!  Almost there is an amazing song that inspires me every time I hear it!  I love the art deco art that is drawn in this movie which you can really see here:




Let's start with comparing this movie to the Brother's Grimm version. If you have been following my Project Disney posts you know I love the Grimm stories. I love the Wickedness that they are. This one is terrible too! In the original Grimm version of the story the frog's spell was broken when the princess threw it against a wall in disgust.  That has always blown me away!!  Speaking of evil.. this movie has one of the best villains in a Disney film in my opinion.  It is the first time in a long time Disney has a true evil villain.  I love the evil Disney Princess series, here is the one of Tiana:

Back to the villain... The Shadow Man! I love the Voodoo that he does and his "Friends on the Other Side".  I mean the guy just straight up kills Ray.  I remember when I was at the theater watching this I was like... did that really just happen???

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Ok now let's talk about The Frog Princess by E.D. Baker which is the book the movie is really based off of.  I hadn't heard about this cute little series until I was doing project Disney.  I of course thought the movie was based off of the Grimm story.  This book is a perfect fit for the movie.  In this book... the girl who is named Emma does kiss the prince Eadric and is turned into a frog also.  There is no villain like the Shadow Man.. the two frogs go on a journey to find the witch who started the spell in the first place to get it reversed.  Just like the Disney movie.. they find fellow animals as comrades in their adventures.  In the book it is a large snake Fang and a bat Lil'.  In the movie of course we have Ray the lightning bug (the frogs in the book eat lightning bugs for dinner) and we have the musical alligator Louis.  I love both these characters.  They are fun!  Tiana has a good friend in the movie Charlotte.  There really isn't a character in the book to represent her at all.  She is a good friend to Tiana though.

I had no idea about this book series... I loved this book so much I will for sure be reading the entire series! I think E.D. Baker does a good job of writing books that are a spin on this fairytale.    One thing I would like to mention is I am glad that a black princess is finally being used here.  Yes I know everyone complained that the prince Naveen isn't actually black.  But hey Disney got close right?  It was about time.  Bravo! The book has nothing to do with Louisiana, jazz, or a girl trying to open a restaurant.   I thought this was very creative on Disney's part and a good story.

Usually at the end of my Project Disney posts I show you pictures from Annie Leibovitz.. but she hasn't done a Disney Dream Portrait from this movie yet.  Disappointing Annie!!  That one should be next! I could go on and on about this movie and the book!  I really do love both.

Update:  Annie did finally do a portrait!  yeah!

Be sure to check out my other Project Disney posts!!
PROJECT DISNEY:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Be sure to check out the host's post Picture Me Reading talks about Princess and the Frog!

Project Disney- The Hunchback of Notre Dame

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it and participate!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

 Sanctuary! Sanctuary!!  This week's Project Disney is The Hunchback of Notre Dame based off the book with the same name by Victor Hugo.   This time I had a lot of fun with Project Disney.  I hadn't read the book or seen the movie in a long time so it was all new to me.  I watched the movie on a VCR tape!!  We have all the Disney movies on VCR tapes (until they stopped making them) and so I thought.. why not?   Here are all our VCR tapes:

This movie is obviously completely different then the book.  There is no way that the movie could've been faithful to the book since it is a movie for kids.  Quasimodo is not deaf in the movie like he is in the book, he speaks more in the movie, and of course he has 3 gargoyles who are his mentors. They are supposed to also add some comedy to the movie but I really didn't find this Disney movie that funny.  Though sometimes the goat Djali was funny.  In the book, the priest Frollo falls in love with our main character Esmeralda and we know about it.  I felt in the Disney movie we never figured it out until all of a sudden she was going to die and the Frollo tells her to chose death or him.  I was like WHA?????  Plus I must admit I kept having issues with the voice of Esmeralda.  I am not sure what it was.. annoying?  Not really a girly pretty voice?  Something I couldn't put my finger on and then I looked it up and saw she is voiced by Demi Moore.  And then I was like ... hummmm....

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And then of course this movie does not end like the tragic book.  The Disney film seems to end when Quasimodo grabs Esmeralda and yells "Sanctuary"! But in the book that is only about a little past the middle.  The book everyone's story ends poorly (and if you don't want the book to be spoiled stop reading this part).  Everyone DIES!  Quasimodo realizes that Esmeralda has been hung and then goes and finds her body and lays with her and just dies with her.  Phoebus who is the hero and love interest in the movie really only uses Esmeralda for sex in the book and is some sort of hero in the movie.  He is a total bad guy.

While watching the Hunchback and doing research on it I discovered that there is The Hunchback of Notre Dame 2!  I can't believe it either.  I mean umm... this is the description about the film: Now that Frollo is gone, Quasimodo rings the bell with the help of his new friend and Esmeralda's and Phoebus' little son, Zephyr. But when Quasi stops by a traveling circus owned by evil magician Sarousch, he falls for Madellaine, Sarouch's assistant. But greedy Sarousch forces Madellaine to help him steal the Cathedral's most famous bell.  
I find this so hard to believe because of how the book ends.  But now I am on a mission to see this second film!

Well one thing I can say about this movie is I love the music.  I really think it has some great songs.  I love the time period the movie takes place in, I love all the dancing and the pretty colors.  I have actually been wanting to re-watch this movie forever and am glad I did.  I plan on ordering it on blu-ray.  The book was amazing too and I am so glad I finally read it.
Oh and I always add the evil Disney princess pictures since I love them so much.. here is the one of Esmerelda:

Edit.. here is what I think is an Annie Leibovitz picture of Angelina Jolie.  It looks like Esmerelda for the Notre Dame Disney movie but I can't find confirmation anywhere that this picture is for that.  I wanted to post it here anyways because it looks like it is:

Here is my review on The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Be sure to check out my other PROJECT DISNEY:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under

Be sure to check out our host's post Picture Me Reading write about Hunchback and make TRADING CARDS!

Project Disney -The Great Mouse Detective

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

The Game's Afoot!! This week we get to talk about The Great Mouse Detective based off the book Basil of Baker Street by Eve Titus.  I am surprised that this movie isn't more popular right now and that Disney hasn't advertised it a little more with the popularity of Sherlock Holmes right now. The movie was released in 1986, and isn't one of the more popular movies.  The animation is dated but it is back on Netflix right now so if you want to see what it is all about be sure to watch it on there.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to read Basil of Baker Street before this post.  Turns out the book is out of print.  I am trying to get it from the Inter-library Loan from the library so I am waiting patiently to read it.  So this week's post will mainly be about the movie thought I was able to read this synopsis of the story.   I love Basil. He is a great spin on Sherlock Holmes!  Basil knows everything... science, math, disguise! In the movie Basil plays the violin well, but in the book he is no good at it so he plays the flute.  Of course there is a great villain named Professor Ratigan. A young mouse Olivia comes to find Basil to search for her father whom Ratigan has stolen away. (In the book it is parents who go to find Basil because their twin children are missing).  How can you have a Sherlock story without a Watson? Well it just so happens there is a mouse similar to Watson named Dr. Dawson.

Some things in this story you don't see anymore in any film for kids is the smoking.  Basil smokes in a bar.. and there are others in the bar smoking too.  I suppose my generation didn't even think twice about this.  But nowadays people might be offended for their kids to see this. Also.. I love that Basil and all the mice live in the same house as Sherlock Holmes and use his dog to help them out!! They have a mini city under Sherlock's house. Another interesting fact is that the voice we hear of Sherlock Holmes in the Great Mouse detective is clips taken from the original films voiced by Basil Rathbone.  You only see glimpses of Sherlock in the film.. including him playing a violin at the end of the film! In the book.. Basil and Dawson are the only ones allowed in Sherlock's house as a rule.

Even though I only got to read a little of the book I really enjoyed it.  I prefer the villains in the book which are just three mouse thugs.  I thought the villain in the movie was a little over the top.  This movie is not my favorite Disney movie and I think it is because I didn't really think the villain was that great.  I really like the parts though when Basil was being a detective!

My other PROJECT DISNEY:
Snow White
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Sleeping Beauty
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Here is the host Picture Me Reading's exciting Great Mouse Detective Post!

Project Disney- Sleeping Beauty

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

This week we are talking all about Maleficent.. oh I mean Sleeping Beauty.  This movie is based off the book "The Sleeping Beauty  by Charles Perrault or "Little Briar Rose"by the Brothers Grimm. This is my second favorite Disney movie behind Cinderella.  I love this movie.. the art, the story, the evil, the good, the everything!  One of the best.  First I'll compare the stories to the movie.

The movie is basically based off the Perrault story.  Though in his story there are 7 fairies who show up for Aurora's birthday party and one that was left out because she was thought to be dead or missing. This fairy then curses Aurora to prick her finger on a spinning wheel .. and DIE!  Did you just say that in your head in Maleficent's voice?  Because I know I did!

Anywho... also Aurora is not taken away to live with fairies.  She stays in the castle and one day the king and queen go out and she happens to try out a spinning wheel and pricks her finger.  A fairy comes and realizes that the princess will wake with no one there so she puts the whole castle to sleep and covers the outside with thorny bushes. (In Grimm's version there is only the Queen and she dies because she is so worried about her daughter after she pricks her finger.  ) A prince discovers the castle and sees the princess who wakes up after 100 years at that moment (he does not kiss her) and she was in love!

So the prince and the princess marry and have two children.  He becomes King and then must go off to war and put his mother on the throne as regent.  While she was ruling she wanted to eat both of the prince and Aurora's children!  (Yes this is not only in the Grimm version). The servant who was supposed to feed her the children hides them and feeds her something else instead.  The prince's mother discovers this and then tries to throw Aurora and her children in a huge pot to cook but the prince comes into the courtyard when it is about to happen and then his mother throws herself in instead.

Many differences from the original Sleeping Beauty story compared to the Disney version.   There are many characters missing. Maleficent who is probably a representation of the prince's mother.  The three fairies Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather.  I love these characters.  Disney has made an AMAZING villain in this movie.  I would have to say the TOP villain.  Yes I said it! I wish Disney movies still had villains like her.  She was like true evil....  her minions... her castle... turning into a DRAGON.. and wanting to murder Aurora.  Really you just don't see that anymore.

I also love the whole pink/blue dress changing!  Genius!  And the music in the movie... beautiful!  The scenery in the movie is breath taking as well.  Walt Disney used artist  Eyvind Earle for drawing the background images in the film.  I would love to own some of these pieces and hand them in my home!

 
And for those of you who have been following my Project Disney posts you know I love Annie Leibovitz photos for the Disney campaign!  If you haven't seen them all google them and check them out! David Beckham as Prince Charming??  Yes please!!

Well I do think Sleeping Beauty is really a good movie.  A little dated yes.. but the artwork is classic and the characters are really amazing.  Aurora is not my favorite princess.. but she loves nature and life and is innocent.  What do you think of this film?

Here are my other Project Disney:
Cinderella
Peter Pan
Treasure Planet
Snow White
The Great Mouse Detective
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under
Please check out Picture Me Reading's post on Sleeping Beauty!

Project Disney-Treasure Planet

I am participating in Project Disney hosted by Picture Me Reading!  Go to her blog to learn more about it!

Project Disney: The plan is to tackle all of the Disney films, re-reading the classic stories and tales that inspired many of them and to look at how the changes the filmmakers made, the new elements they introduced and the essential elements they kept. We will, of course, be talking about the films as movies as well, saying why we enjoy them and what some of our favorite moments are, but our focus will be on looking at them as adaptations. For the films that are not drawn from any one work we’ll be looking at some of the possible literary influences that we see in the stories.

AHOY! This week's discussion is Treasure Planet vs Treasure Island.  I hadn't read the book, nor seen the movie for over 10 years so I really enjoyed this one.  It was all really new to me. I love the little songs throughout the book, "Fifteen men on the dead man's chest- Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of rum!" The movie Treasure Planet seems to be Disney's steam punk movie.  In the movie... Jim Hawkins sales out on a boat (The letters in the name of the ship, the RLS Legacy, means Robert Louis Stevenson, the author of the original Treasure Island story. )  through galaxies trying to find Treasure Planet.  

The movie does a good job I think of following the main ideas in the book. The map in the movie is now a neat little sphere that lights up at Jim's touch.  X marks the spot! John Silver is half cyborg in the movie.  I like his character in the movie but of course he's not as sinister at the Silver in the book.  In the book there is murder everywhere, and of course in the movie we are missing this aspect of the story.  One of my favorite characters Morph.. a little blob of a guy who is the comedic relief in the movie and also takes place of Silver's parrot from the book.

We eventually find the treasure and discover BEN a robot who has been stranded on Treasure Planet.  We discover that the planet is booby trapped and the crew has to escape.  Unlike the book the crew don't leave with any treasure they packed up.  Silver and Jim leave on good terms even saying goodbye and Silver gives Jim a few gems that he did manage to take from the treasure.

Overall I enjoyed this book and movie.  I wish I could see the exhibit for the artwork for Treasure Island.  The painting by NC Wyeth were in my book and I loved to look at them.  In 2011, the paintings went on a tour for the first time in 100 years!  Of course I missed the tour and can't find any information on when the next one will be.

This is a lesser known Disney movie.. which I can understand why.  There is no princess, it's isn't as funny as the other movies.  Plus when it came out Pixar movies were becoming big and they were new and 2D movies where out of style at the time.  I think more people should check this film out.  Also the book Treasure Island was great.  There were times where I had no idea what anyone was talking about because there was a lot of boat terminology.  But I thought the characters were great in the book.. especially Silver.  I liked him a lot.  He was able to play his part in the world to survive.  If he needed to team up with the bad guys he did.  If he needed to team up with the good guys he did.  And he survived... a true pirate!  ARR Matey!

My other Project Disney:
Cinderella
Snow White
Peter Pan
Sleeping Beauty
The Great Mouse Detective 
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
The Princess and the Frog
Pinocchio
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under

 Check out the host Picture Me Reading's post on Treasure Planet