Project Disney- The Rescuers Down Under

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's Project Disney is the follow up move to the Rescuers, called The Rescuers Down Under.  The Rescuers Down Under was made 12 years after the original film.  The books this movie is based off of is The Rescuers by Margery Sharp.  I am not sure if there is actually a book though about the mice going to Australia since I have only read the first book in the series.  So I won't have a book to compare the movie to in this edition of Project Disney.

One thing about this film is that unlike the first film in the series Bianca and and Bernard don't have as much screen time like in the first film.  I read that they don't make their first appearance until 18 minutes after the movie has started. I love though the romance between the two in this film.  It is funny and romantic!   In the Rescuers Down Under there are several other characters who get scenes.. including the villain McLeach.  I love the lizard in the film who is pretty hilarious!  This film follows a boy, Cody, who lives in the Outback and is captured by a poacher who wants Cody to show him where an eagle is that he wants to kill. 

A surprising factor about this movie is that there are no songs during the film.  That is just crazy to me when it comes to Disney films.  How odd it is too that Cody the main character doesn't use an Australian accent? (This reminds me of a movie I just watched Sharknado.. where the main character switches back and forth between an American accent and an Australian one.. ok just had to point that out). And speaking of .. well speaking.  Some animals speak and others don't!  Joanna and Marahute don't speak but other animals do.   I like that this Disney film has a message for it's young viewers.  The poacher for one shows how people will go out to just kill animals for their feathers (or fur).

This film did not do well at the box office.  It made 47 million there.  I am a little surprised at how little it made.  Overall I enjoyed this movie and think it's good I am hoping to read through the entire Rescuers book series. 

PROJECT DISNEY:
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
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers

Project Disney- The Rescuers

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's Project Disney is The Rescuers movie based of the book The Rescuers by Margery Sharp.  I was excited for this one because I haven't seen the Rescuers but maybe once or twice so I wanted to watch it again.  I have to say the different between the book and the movie are interesting.  In the movie the mice are apart of a Rescue Aid Society (in the book they are the Prisoners Aid Society).  So... in the movie the mice rescue orphans and in the book they rescue prisoners.  I loved this book.  It was soooo good.  Surprisingly good.  Where the movie I didn't enjoy so much.

The book's characters are fun.  There are actually 3 mice on the journey and they go to a prison  The book is about a society of mice whose job it is to rescue prisoners.  There is a prisoner in an impossible prison called the Black Castle and the three mice go on many adventures to get there and free him.  We get to follow their journey which includes cats, sadness, and love!  In the end of the book.. all the mice go their separate ways back to the homes where they came from.  The illustrations in the book are beautiful too! This is how I realized the mice in the book don't wear clothes..HA! I am going to continue with this series! 

The movie on the other hand is very different.  There are two mice, Bernard and Bianca who are out to rescue orphans.  A little girl, Penny, drops a letter in a bottle in the river asking for help and the mice get it. I like her and her cat friend Rufus.  Disney does a really touching scene between the two of them in film.  The mice go to find her only to discover a villain named Madame Medusa has captured Penny. Medusa wants a jewel which Penny can find.   The villain is interesting ... though not my favorite.

I think the plot of the movie was a little messy.  Next up we chase the jewel.. and eventually the animals save Penny.  She is adopted and the jewel is given to the Smithsonian. I will probably watch the movie again soon.  Maybe I wasn't paying enough attention to it?  As I do more research on this.. it looks like I should've read book 2 Miss Bianca in preparation for this film.  In that book they do rescue an orphan.  I have it on hold at the library now and will probably update this post once I read it.

What do you think about this movie?  It is really not as popular as the rest which is too bad.

PROJECT DISNEY:
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
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers Down Under

Check out Picture Me Reading's post!

Project Disney-Alice in Wonderland

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. 

Alice in Wonderland

"WHO ARE YOU??" (my favorite saying from the movie from the Caterpillar of course).  Project Disney is covering Alice in Wonderland this week based off the book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll.  I read this book a few years ago.  I must admit I love this Disney movie but didn't really like the book at all.  It was so odd.   The book has branched an amazing series of retellings though including the Disney film.  

The book has many of the same characters as the movie, the White Rabbit, the Caterpillar, a Dodo bird, Cheshire Cat, Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts.   Just as in the movie, Alice bounces around from place to place in Wonderland.  Alice meets a Duchess in the book who has a baby and gets mad at Alice and throws her baby at her.  Alice catches the baby and goes outside to find it's a pig. This part is really strange to me! A lot of the same lines we hear in the movie are used in the book too. The Cheshire Cat explains to Alice that madness is the chief characteristic of the residents of Wonderland, and that to be in Wonderland is to be mad.  

The movie has some really great scenes.  There is an entire scene of beautiful flowers that come alive and sing a fun song about all kinds of different flowers.  The Caterpillar part of the film is so lyrically clever ( he is smoking his hookah so Disney slides an anti-smoking ad on the DVD before the movie starts). In the book when Alice eats the mushroom her neck grows extremely high (which is where the classic art comes from that everyone sees) unlike in the movie her whole body grows. 

Another amazing part of the film and book is of course the Tea Party with the Mad Hatter.  The song a "Very Merry Unbirthday" is fun, I sing it all the time.  Disney does a good job here of following the book.  The Mad Hatter does talk about riddles and time, and a watch (it's the Hatter's watch that is broke not the White Rabbit since the White Rabbit is not actually at the tea party in the book).  A character that I have always loved is the Cheshire Cat.  In the movie Alice meets him a few times.. in the book she doesn't see him again until the croquet game where she meets the Queen of Hearts.   The Cheshire Cat leads Alice around in the movie to the different locations she visits.

 

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 The music in the film is some of the best I think in Disney films.  There are 14 original songs in this movie. I love how the Queen of Hearts is portrayed in the movie.  In the book she isn't as evil, in the movie it's off with everyone's heads.  The croquet game is fun to watch using flamingos as mallets, hedgehogs as balls, and card soldiers as goals.  In the movie a prank is playing on the Queen and a trail happens right after (in the book someone has stolen some tarts). The Cat made it seem like Alice caused the prank and the Queen tries to take Alice's head.   In the movie Alice runs and there is a chase back to the door to lead her home, and in the book she simply wakes up. 

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The movie is great I just love it... the book was neat but just odd. I was a little confused reading it but I suppose that is the point.  I love all the spinoffs from this book.  Here is the Annie Lebovich picture from her Disney series (I post these on all my Project Disney posts).  This is my least favorite out of all of her pictures.  I am not sure why.. I just don't like the close up shot.  I think she could've had a fabulous background and a more whimsical picture.

 

Be sure to 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 
Fantasia 
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp

The Rescuers

The Rescuers Down Under

Check out Picture Me Reading's Post on Alice in Wonderland

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- Pinocchio

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.

"And always let your conscious be your guide!"  This week we are exploring Pinocchio the movie based off of The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi .  I love Pinocchio.  This movie has some of the greatest sidekick characters of all the Disney movies to me.  We have the beautiful Blue Fairy, Jiminy Cricket, Gepetto, Cleo and of course Figaro!

 
The movie has some great classic Disney songs.  I watched this movie often as a child... and the donkey part always scared me.  I watched it again today and it is still a little freaky.  Pinocchio goes off to this island for kids and is turned into a donkey.  During this scene Pinocchio is smoking a cigar so on the DVD at the beginning there is an commercial message warning people about the danger of smoking.  I thought this was really showing the age of this film.




 I finished the The Adventures of Pinocchio by Carlo Collodi , wow is this book different then the movie!  Pinocchio never seems to want to be a real boy... all of a sudden at the end of the book is made a real boy because he becomes brave and good. There is a Blue Fairy in the book but when we first meet her she wants to be his sister, and then later she wants to be his mother.  There is a cricket in the story too... but at the beginning of the book Pinocchio smashes it against the wall!  Later we meet the cricket as a ghost and then again as alive.  Confusing?  Yes it is.  Gepetto is Pinocchio's dad but we don't really see much of him in the book.  He goes off looking for Pinocchio and then we meet him again at the very end when Pinocchio finds him inside a shark (instead of a whale).

Pinocchio's nose does grow in the book for lying to the Blue Fairy.  But unlike in the movie when it just shrinks... a woodpecker comes and pecks off Pinocchio's nose!  Disney makes Pinocchio much nicer and more likeable in the movie then he is in the book.  He is more innocent in the movie so that he accidentally gets into trouble.  Where in the book Pinocchio is a bad kid wanting to get into trouble.

 

This is another photo above that I have been showing in my Project Disney of Anne Leibovitz's Disney series.  This one is of the Blue Fairy and a Fairy in training.  I am surprised Disney made a movie based off the book by Collodi.  The book didn't really seem like a sweet children's story, though it didn't have a lot of lessons for kids. 

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
The Princess and the Frog
Fantasia
Beauty and the Beast
Lady and the Tramp
Alice in Wonderland
The Rescuers
The Rescuers Down Under

Check out Picture Me Reading's Pinocchio post!

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!