Favorite Antagonists (MIld Spoilers)

In most (if not all) stories, the protagonist must be faced with a challenge in order to develop and grow as a character; most often, said challenge will come in the form of an antagonist blocking their path. The antagonist serves as a foil to the main character, and prevent them from achieving their intended goal. Some villains in fiction can be as bland and one-dimensional as a piece of paper, and some are about as compelling as the hero. The five listed below (in my opinion), are prime examples of compelling villains in fiction, and serve as five of my favorite antagonists of all time.

#5, Cell (Dragon Ball):
While many fans of this franchise consider Majin Buu as the Z-Warriors' ultimate enemy in the franchise, I actually find that distinction better suited for his predecessor, Cell. This foe served as a match for Goku, Gohan, and their friends on not only a physical level, but intellectually as well. This antagonist is an intelligent, strategic being (more than likely because he contains the DNA of Gohan and Frieza), with his ability to plan his movements accordingly and create a strategy that keeps the protagonists on their toes. He was also one of the few that managed to strike an absolute blow to the prideful Vegeta, which furthered the aforementioned's development from the coldhearted, selfish prince to the loving father/hero viewers see later on. Cell also managed to do the unthinkable on two occasions; defeating Goku and managing to push Gohan beyond his limits, with the latter unfortunately becoming his undoing. As I have stated in two previous posts, Cell being a match for the Z-Warriors should have made him the final enemy of the story. His defeat completed both the development of Goku and his son, and it was a perfect "passing the torch" moment between the two; with Goku's sacrifice, Gohan would have been entrusted with the title of Earth's hero.

#4, Inspector Javert and Dom Claude Frollo (Les Miserables and The Hunchback of Notre Dame/Notre Dame de Paris):
Since these two characters embody the concept of "obsession driving a person mad", it would be best to give both of these two characters the number four spot. The two characters are so driven by their goals, that it eventually becomes their downfall. Javert's obsession to capture ex-convict (and protagonist) Jean Valjean causes his judgment to become clouded, seeing his enemy as nothing more than a menace to society that needs to be re-incarcerated. Once he sees that Valjean is not a criminal but a good man, it absolutely shatters him on a mental level. Upon seeing the error of his ways, not only does he pardon the former convict, but commits suicide by jumping into the River Seine. Similarly, Dom Claude Frollo's obsessive lust for La Esmeralda drives him down a similar path. At the beginning of the novel, the reader sees Frollo as a pious, caring man; he adopts the abandoned Quasimodo and cares for him as if the latter were his own son. However, as he slowly begins to lust for the gypsy La Esmeralda, his morality and mental state begin to drastically shift, to the point of stalking the lovesick gypsy, using his ward as a scapegoat in a failed kidnapping attempt, framing Esmeralda for Phoebus' attempted murder, and when she refuses Frollo's advances, he personally oversees her attempted executions. His ward, Quasimodo, serves as a foil to Frollo, since the former is also in love with Esmeralda; however, Quasimodo naively wishes to protect her. Matter of fact, the misshapen Hunchback is the main cause of Frollo's demise when Esmeralda is ultimately executed. The corrupt priest believed if he could not have the gypsy, nobody could. However, karma bites him hard, being thrown off the cathedral as he starts laughing maniacally.
The reason these two are such compelling antagonists is that they are not inherently evil, they are simply two men corrupted by an obsessive desire to achieve their goals. Javert is simply a police inspector trying to do his job, and Frollo is a priest torn between his moral compass and his human desire. They also teach the reader a simple lesson, while it is okay to pursue a goal, do not cause the obsession of doing so to drive you mad; it could lead to a tragic downfall.

#3, Scar (The Lion King):
Scar, like Frollo and Javert (moreso the former of the aforementioned two), is obsessively driven toward his goals. However, while he carefully calculates each move in his plan, he does not shy away from tactics such as manipulation and first-degree murder. His desire to become king of the Pridelands drives him to manipulating the lions' mortal enemies (the hyenas) into working with him, and throwing his own brother off a cliff into a herd of stampeding wildebeests. He is one of the few Disney villains that is actually successful in his goals... until he is usurped by his nephew, Simba (whom he also attempted to murder in the same stampede). Scar is an absolute sociopath, caring only for his own desires and achieving them by any means possible, which ultimately becomes his downfall. In order to save himself, he sells out his co-conspirators, which causes them to turn against him in the final battle. Scar is a bit of an outlier on the list, but his descent into madness is handled nicely and he sings one of the best villain songs in a Disney film (Be Prepared). In the 2019 remake, his character is further fleshed out, adding a lust for Mufasa's mate, Sarabi as part of his character motivation (which is a reference to his lust for Nala in earlier drafts of the film and the stage musical).

#2, Jafar (Aladdin):
Similar to Scar, Jafar simply wishes to be the ruler of his own little part of the world. However, instead of wishing to reclaim a birthright, he wishes to be out of the sultan's shadow and be "second no more". As his character descends further into madness, and he achieves his goals of becoming sultan of Agrabah, he begins to desire more in an attempt to being the best overall. First, he desires to become the world's greatest sorcerer, and then "the most powerful being in the universe", which soon causes his downfall. He perfectly represents a quote from Genie in the 2019 Aladdin remake, "the more you have, the more you want", a theme which is emphasized in that version in regard to both Jafar and Aladdin. Matter of fact, Jafar serves as a foil to Aladdin, showing the viewer what could happen if the genie's power managed to corrupt Al (which it almost does). This relationship between the two is further emphasized (once again) in the 2019 version, as Jafar's backstory is expanded to show he was once a street thief like Aladdin, but slowly rose to power. Any villain that can serve to show what the hero could have been is definitely a compelling antagonist.

Honorable Mentions, Ursula (The Little Mermaid), Biff Tannen (Back to the Future), Lord Voldemort (Harry Potter):
These three villains were close to making this list, but did not primarily for one reason; they are one-dimensional with little to no character development. They are evil simply for the sake of being evil, because the hero needs some sort of obstacle to overcome. While Voldemort does have a compelling backstory, he is simply a one-dimensional sociopath bent on the ever-cliched goal of world domination. However, if I had to pick a villain from Harry Potter for this list, I would have gone with either Draco Malfoy or Delores Umbridge; at least those two had more development than Voldemort. (I would like to apologize to two friends of mine for that statement, but I wholeheartedly stand by it). Ursula I kept off the list for the same reason, her main goal is simply domination with little explanation as to why she desires to do so. It is never explained why she wants to usurp King Triton, and why Ariel needs to be involved in her plan. Hopefully the remake fixes this issue, as this is a character that desperately needs to be expanded upon (along with Ariel being so selfish and naive).
Biff... he's simply the stereotypical "bully" character found in every other high school story, and was easily my least favorite part of Back to the Future. He has literally zero development throughout the entirety of the trilogy, which makes him even less of a compelling villain. Simply put, he is a jerk for the sake of being a jerk, and who wants to see a villain like that? The most we learn about him is his family heritage in the past and future, and (surprise surprise), they are all one-dimensional idiots like him.

#1, The Joker (Batman):
Joker serves as not only the ultimate foil to Gotham City's caped crusader, but also serves as a reminder of his biggest mistake (bigger than the death of Jason Todd/Robin/Red Hood). He also serves to show what could happen after one has an "extremely bad day", how one bad moment could change a person's life forever and lead them down a dark path. That aspect of the character allows the reader to somewhat sympathize with him, and prevent themselves from going down a similar path (a living cautionary tale, if you will). The clown serves as the polar opposite to Batman; while the latter wishes to keep the world safe and prevent others from suffering the same fate his parents did, Joker desires to see the world go up in flames. Batman refuses to take another life, while Joker is more than eager to do so, and so on. Additionally, Joker exists because of Batman (depending on which version you are looking at) and vice-versa in some continuities.

Who is your favorite fictional antagonist? Feel free to discuss in the comments below, and also be sure to like and follow for future Reviews and Retrospectives updates.




 

Top 5 Unpopular Opinions

The greatest aspect of an opinion is that everybody is entitled to their own; while many may have a similar opinion on one thing, there may be some that think differently. For example, some may think it is great to have more Dragon Ball content on the air with the advent of Super and the new movies, others may think the franchise has long overstayed its welcome. Another example is in regard to Disney's direct to video sequels; some may think a majority of them are horrendous trash, others may think there are quite a few hidden gems (I am in the latter camp, I loved the Lilo and Stitch, Lion King, and Aladdin sequels). I am just as guilty when it comes to unpopular opinions, matter of fact, here are five examples of my own (along with an honorable mention):

• One Piece is an anime that has long overstayed its welcome 
• Before explaining this unpopular opinion, let me give you all a disclaimer; One Piece is by no means a bad anime at all. However, I think an anime (or any ongoing series for that matter) that has gone on for well over 900 episodes is a tad excessive, and creates a problem in terms of pacing. I understand this series is about a band of pirates traveling the globe in search of the titular treasure, but we do not need to see every second of their adventure. If its creator were to streamline the story to the most important moments of the Straw Hat Pirates' adventure, then this series would be much more palatable and easier to get into. I have attempted to get into this series multiple times, but failed each time because the massive episode count and horrendous pacing makes it a chore to watch completely. This series has been ongoing for over twenty years, I believe it is well beyond time for the Straw Hats to reach their final destination and end this series. The longer it goes, the more difficult it will be for a newcomer to get into.

• The Wii U is a genuinely great console
• This one is pretty self-explanatory; Nintendo's Wii U console is one that is gravely underrated. It combines the best aspects of home console and portable gaming, it is Nintendo's first High-Definition console, and its Virtual Console represents all of their previous systems with the exception of the Gamecube. Unfortunately, it was unable to realize its true potential due to Nintendo's poor marketing of the product. They marketed the console as an upgrade to the original Wii, rather than its successor like it actually was. Additionally, third-party developers found it difficult to create games for it. As a result, the Wii U was a commercial failure to the company, similar to their Virtual Boy, and was quickly phased out in favor of the Nintendo Switch. Personally, I loved playing games on the Wii U, and was disappointed to see its quick demise. Matter of fact, it is one of my favorite consoles from Nintendo, next to the Gamecube and Switch. While the third-party support was severely lacking, its range of first-party titles was phenomenal! Games such as Hyrule Warriors, Super Smash Bros., and Nintendo Land were great experiences, and their remakes of Zelda games such as Wind Waker and Twilight Princess were massive improvements over the original. I never beat the original versions of the latter two games, but I quickly beat their Wii U remakes. If you ever get the chance to play this console, I can assure you it will be an unforgettable experience. However, there are some glaring flaws, such as having to be in the same room if you wish to stream the game to the GamePad controller. If you wanted to play purely on said controller, you had to be less than thirty feet away from the main unit or else the signal would be lost. 

• X-Men Origins: Wolverine is a solid film
• Ironically, I believe the X-Men films that are considered "bad" in the eyes of the general consumer to be fairly solid (with the exception of the recent Dark Phoenix); X-Men Origins: Wolverine is no exception. It presents a solid interpretation of Wolverine's origin story, and serves as an excellent lead-in to 2000's X-Men film. The pacing is also solid, with no events being too quick or overstaying their welcome, in addition to having a good balance of action, drama, and comedy. However, I do agree with one criticism of the work, Origins' version of Deadpool. I am glad this version of the character was quickly retconned into the snarky, crude, fourth-wall destroyer the public is familiar with. Ryan Reynolds' initial version of Deadpool was the polar opposite and a far cry from his counterpart in the comics, to the point of his mouth being sewn shut; the character is supposed to be a chatterbox, why make him mute? That aside, it was interesting to see Wolverine's beginnings and the cause of his memory loss in his later appearances. If you catch this film out in the wild, I would highly suggest giving it a watch.

• Disney's live action remakes are not as bad as people think
• Disney's recent trend of live action remakes based on their animated films has been a polarizing subject, with a general consensus finding them mediocre at best to horrendous at worst. Personally, with the exception of Maleficent, I found these remakes to be very enjoyable, gladly defending them whenever possible. I grew up watching the original animated versions of these films, and I am always excited to see new interpretations of these stories. While some may see these remakes as "cheap, soulless cash-grabs", I find these as opportunities for Disney to bring back concepts that were cut from the original films (along with elements from their stage counterparts in some cases), and integrate them with the stories we all know and love. Additionally, it allows the company to address the flaws found in the originals and expand upon them, such as how Belle and Beast's backstories are addressed. However, I will admit these new versions have their share of flaws as well (if you would like to see my opinions on Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin and The Lion King, click on their respective italicized names, as I do not plan to re-address them here). In the case of Dumbo, we are not only re-acquainted with the original story, but shown what happens afterward. Perhaps it is time to give these remakes another shot, seeing them for their own merits instead of in the shadows of their source material; you might find them as "diamonds in the rough", to quote Aladdin.

• Honorable Mention: Sonic 06 is not the worst game ever
• In many lists of "worst video games ever made", the 2006 reboot of Sonic The Hedgehog is frequently mentioned. While it is a barely playable mess with a plethora of frustrating glitches, there is some merit to the game. It presents an experimental scenario of placing Sonic and his cast in a realistic setting, along with a new design for series antagonist, Dr. Eggman (a design I think would work so much better in the upcoming live-action film). The game also introduced a new character to the franchise (Silver the Hedgehog), along with solidifying Sonic Rush's Blaze the Cat's place among the franchise's cast (despite retconning her origin). I am probably one of the few that finds Sonic 06 enjoyable; matter of fact, it was the game that made me want to get an XBOX 360 in middle school. It is by no means a perfect game, nor is it great, but it is a solid title in the XBOX 360's library despite its flaws. It is not the worst game in history either (that goes to the Atari 2600 game based on E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial), and is one that definitely deserves a second look. However, in regard to the Wii U title, Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric, that mess of a game deserves to burn in the nearest dumpster fire.

• The Little Mermaid's Ariel is a selfish protagonist
• While I understand this may cause me to lose a few readers, I will preface this by saying that I do not think The Little Mermaid is a bad film by any means whatsoever. It has amazing animation (being one of Disney's last to use traditional cel-animation before switching to the CAPS system), a great score from Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, and great characters.... aside from the aforementioned protagonist. In terms of Disney heroes and heroines, Ariel is probably one of the most naive and selfish in the studio's history. Her actions and motivation not only endanger herself, but her supporting cast as well. Her exploring the sunken ship at the beginning of the film almost caused her and Flounder to become shark food, and her desire to be with a human prince puts her entire kingdom at risk from Ursula as well. Her father had every right to be protective, since I have a feeling he knew all of this would happen. She is a protagonist that really needed to learn that all of her actions have consequences, both good and bad; throughout the course of the film, she thought little of how her actions would affect others, thinking only for herself. I do admit I am being a bit harsh on the character, but this is one major flaw that I hope is addressed in the upcoming remake. Ariel is a character that desperately needed to gain a sense of humility and consideration for others. 

What are some of your unpopular opinions? Feel free to discuss them in the comments below and on social media, and be sure to give a follow for future Reviews and Retrospectives posts. 

Top 5 Disney Songs from the Stage Musicals

For a bit of context, whenever Disney makes a stage musical based on one of their films, they will usually include all or at least two of the following:

• All or most of the songs from the source material
• Songs written for the original film but cut (such as Human Again in Beauty and the Beast, and Proud of Your Boy in Aladdin)
• Songs written exclusively for the stage production

I have covered the first two in previous reviews, so it is fitting that I should cover some of the songs written exclusively for the stage versions. I will be discussing when this song takes place in the show (so there will definitely be spoilers), the impact it has on the overall story, and my overall thoughts on the number. As was the case with the previous two reviews of this nature, I will only be doing one song per production, so each show gets their chance in the spotlight (pun intended). I will also be including links to the songs for you to listen to, so you can develop your opinions on which ones you like as well. 

#5: I Need to Know, Tarzan

(Source: TLMBroadway193)

Plotwise, this song takes place during the scene where the young Tarzan is trying to determine who (or what) he is, after a fallout with the gorilla tribe's leader, Kerchak. This song could serve as the customary "I want" number in a musical, something the original 1999 film lacked. Tarzan is trying to determine where he belongs and his place in the world, unaware of his humanity at this point in the story. He is later comforted by his adoptive gorilla mother, Kala, whom essentially informs him that even though they look different, they are indeed one in the same. I like how this song is used to develop Tarzan as a character, and sets up his development for the rest of the production (considering it directly precedes the iconic Son of Man from the original movie).

#4: Esmeralda, The Hunchback of Notre Dame

(Source: Adam Ostrowski)

At this point in the production, we have learned of the desires of both Quasimodo and his adoptive father, Archdeacon Frollo. Essentially, they have the same desire, "the gypsy known as Esmeralda". Matter of fact, Frollo's desire for Esmeralda is so insane, he decides to burn down a majority of Paris simply to locate her; it essentially sounds like a stalker horror gone completely wrong. It serves as a turning point for the majority of the main characters; Phoebus turns on Frollo, Esmeralda decides to stand up for herself and the gypsies, we begin to see Quasimodo rebelling against his master, and Frollo (of course) goes insane. The song serves as a powerful finale for the show's first act, leaving the production on a powerful (and somewhat bleak) cliffhanger. Like the song preceding it (Hellfire) and The Lion King's Be Prepared (coincidentally, Frollo's actor played Scar in The Lion King), this is definitely one song that will send massive chills down your spine. 

#3: He Lives in You, The Lion King

(Source: TheSonicMaster123)

After reuniting with Nala and being persuaded to return to the Pride Lands to reclaim his throne, Simba is left confused on what he should do. He still believes he is the one who killed Mufasa, which makes him reluctant to return home. Essentially, this song takes place during the scene where Simba sees his father's ghost (one of my favorite Disney moments), and gives a powerful message; even though some are gone physically, they still live on in all of us. The message and Swahili vocals alone make this song one of my favorites, in addition to it taking place during my favorite part of The Lion King. Matter of fact, this song is so good, it serves as the opening for The Lion King II as an analogue to Circle of Life. It is one that reinvigorates and is a powerful showstopper before the final confrontation with Scar.

#2: A Million Miles Away, Aladdin

(Source: DisneyMusicVEVO)

After Aladdin and Jasmine meet, the audience learns of their desire to escape their current situations; Al wants to break away from being a street rat, and Jasmine does not want to be in an arranged marriage she has no consent to. They both decide to run away from Agrabah and start life anew, having only each other's company. A Million Miles Away discusses their plan and what they hope to expect from it, while also being a beautiful romantic ballad for the two. Matter of fact, this song also sets up their later meeting and A Whole New World, as hinted by Aladdin's short reprise at the beginning of the aforementioned song. I wish this song (or some equivalent to it) was used in the 2019 remake of Aladdin, as it would have further built their relationship. I love the song because it furthers the characters' development, it has a beautiful melody, and it hints at their relationship later in the show. Not having a duet like this in the remake was definitely a missed opportunity for the production staff.

#1: If I Can't Love Her, Beauty and the Beast

(Source: disneysoundtrack89)

Of course, my number one pick on this list is from my favorite stage musical, Beauty and the Beast; specifically, the finale of the show's first act. Taking place after Beast scares Belle out of the castle, the former begins to lament on possibly losing his only chance to break his curse. If he does not change his ways soon, "he would be doomed to remain a beast for all time". The song serves as the beginning of Beast's character development, along with being somewhat of an apology to those he's affected. It makes you want to cheer for the success of this character, and see him through his wish to regain his lost humanity. Like A Million Miles Away in Aladdin, If I Can't Love Her should have also been in its respective live action remake. Having this song and Evermore would have made perfect bookends to Beast's character development. (On a side note, I am glad that production I saw at Shawnee Mission Theater in the Park thought similarly. Instead of performing  If I Can't Love Her's reprise like usual, they performed Evermore instead. While I understand they were paying tribute to the recently released remake by doing so, it was definitely a smart move and gave Beast another well-deserved ballad.)

What are some of your favorite songs from Disney's stage musicals? What are some of your favorite musical numbers in general? Feel free to leave a comment below and discuss! Additionally, feel free to give me a follow for future updates on the blog. 

Henry Cavill Calls it Quits? Advice to DC

According to an article from Comicbook.com, it seems DC may have to recast Superman in addition to possibly recasting Batman. Due to his obligation in Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher and negotiations for a cameo in Shazam falling through, Henry Cavill could be hanging up his cape and leaving the role of Superman in the DC Extended Universe. In my personal opinion, I would not blame him for wanting to leave the role; however, I do see potential as Justice League was a step in the right direction for the character. There is so much Cavill could do with this version of Superman that has not been previously explored, such as teaming up with their own version of Supergirl and a significant amount of lore pertaining to Krypton. Perhaps this will cause DC to realize their Cinematic Universe is an absolute mess due to the decisions they made, such as rushing into the team ups without establishing the major players first (cameos in the team ups to not count, by the way). If their previous actions had not ended in absolute disaster, then maybe Cavill would have stayed and we would have seen more of his Superman. Their best course of action is to simply keep the remaining DCEU cast and do a full reboot with Wonder Woman 1984 and Matt Reeves' The Batman. Additionally, DC needs to make their film franchises more standalone instead of interconnected like Marvel.

UPDATE (09/12/18 11:38 AM CST): According to another article from Comicbook.com, Ben Affleck is also on his way out as Superman. Maybe it is time to completely reboot, DC.

UPDATE (09/13/18 11:03 AM CST): It seems the source's report is merely speculation at this point, as nothing has been made completely official. However, they have not confirmed or denied Cavill's departure from the Superman role, stating that Cavill "still keeps the cape in his closet".

Channel Awesome Controversy Opinions/#ChangeTheChannel

As many of you may know, this blog was inspired by Doug Walker and his character, the Nostalgia Critic. When I created Reviews and Retrospectives, I took a page out of Walker's book with the intention of paying tribute and showing my respect to him. However, in light of the recent controversy surrounding him and Channel Awesome, I am slowly losing respect for him. I understand many of the grievances were caused by CEO Mike Michaud, but I can tell Walker and his brother were also part of the problem. They mistreated many of their fellow producers, such as Kaylyn Dickson (Marzgurl), Lewis Lovhaug (Linkara), and especially Allison Pregler (Obscurus Lupa). It sickens me that a man I looked up to, a man I idolized and saw as a source of inspiration was allowing these problems to happen. He had many opportunities to stand up and say something; despite being an advocate for freedom of speech, he did nothing to quell the fears and he still has yet to address them. I understand he may be afraid of Michaud, but because him and Rob have yet to say anything at this moment, Channel Awesome is going into the red; it is losing subscribers by the day and producers on the site are leaving at an alarming rate. Mr. Walker, I doubt you are reading this. However, if you are, you have to say something and somehow address this situation. One can not ignore a problem forever, and if it is left untouched for too long, it could kill the site. I have always dreamed of working for Channel Awesome, but after hearing of this controversy, I am not sure if I still want to. Until further notice, I think I will be limiting my viewing of Nostalgia Critic; knowing he was aware of these problems and did nothing to change them shows the truth behind his character. I idolized Walker for his advocacy toward the first amendment and equality for content creators; seeing he was partially behind the problems with his company, it makes him seem a tad hypocritical. All I can say is that my heart goes out to those affected over the years, and I pray Channel Awesome  can somehow make a change.

If you would like to learn more about the controversy, feel free to look at the google doc known as Not So Awesome: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WZFkR__B3Mk9EYQglvislMUx9HWvWhOaBP820UBa4dA/preview#heading=h.v89be0jiemu0

Is The Nostalgia Critic going "Nostalgia-Blind"?

(Disclaimer: This is by no means an attack on the Nostalgia Critic; it is simply to express my opinions on his recent "Disney Remake"-themed month, as well as my opinions of his recent reviews.)

Many of my longtime readers will know that I have always been a massive fan of Doug Walker's webshow, The Nostalgia Critic; matter of fact, it was one of the inspirations for this blog. However, I have began to notice a trend with his recent reviews, particularly those surrounding Disney's live action remakes. While I agreed with his opinions on Maleficent and Alice: Through the Looking Glass, I did not agree with his thoughts on The Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast. I felt while he did a great job pointing out the latter two's flaws (and yes, there are some that are prevalent), he neglected to point out the positives of both. Essentially, he "tore the two films a new one" while putting the originals on a high pedestal and seemingly insinuating they are flawless.
The original Jungle Book and Beauty and the Beast are amazing films, but they are certainly not as flawless as Walker implies. The Jungle Book (while it has great animation and storytelling) is somewhat lacking in character development, and has some instances rushed pacing. Beauty and the Beast; while it nailed the story and characters, it had various plot-holes and left viewers with so many questions such as "why is Agathe (the enchantress) cursing an eleven year old boy"? Walker seems to sidestep over these facts in his reviews, continuing to imply they have no flaws. However, when discussing their remakes, he seems to imply any of the changes made did more harm than good. I can agree with this on only two instances, the ending of The Jungle Book and Belle's developing relationship with the Beast.
Keeping Mowgli in the jungle essentially negates any development the character gained, making it seem like nothing has changed at all. As for Beauty and the Beast, it seemed like someone was pressing the fast-forward button on Belle and Beast's relationship. It was rushed, flawed, and it was not given the necessary amount of depth. We see them interacting, but we fail to see the spark until Something There; maybe afterward when Belle revisits her childhood home. As for the other changes that were made, I feel they improved the story.
The characters in The Jungle Book were depicted in a way that was a hybrid of their original Disney and Kipling counterparts. I feel the new version of Shere Khan was more intimidating than the original, hearkening back to how he was written by Kipling; as for Mowgli, I am glad they decided to make him a stronger character. In the original Disney film, I felt he acted more like a spoiled child. However (in all fairness), I did not like how Bill Murray's version of Baloo was manipulative toward Mowgli. In regard to Beauty and the Beast, while the changes could have been executed better, I feel they strengthened the story as a whole. Taking elements from the stage musical such as the castle staff slowly becoming inanimate raised the stakes of the curse, and added a stronger sense of urgency to the film's "race against the clock" aspect. Additionally, giving the characters a stronger backstory (such as that surrounding Belle's mother) allowed for a greater amount of depth and character development; it also gave her the ability to relate to Beast, who also lost his mother as a child. I feel Walker may be watching these films with "rose-colored" glasses. He holds the originals in such high regard, that he automatically dismisses new interpretations of these stories; completely ignoring the flaws of the source material.

How to Make a Michael Bay Movie (Satirical)

Step 1- Hire Megan Fox, and cast her as the main lead. The average audience will follow her more than the true main characters, anyway. 

Step 2- Have explosions every five seconds; explosions are awesome so let's put a ton of them in!

Step 3- Make it as edgy as possible. Lighthearted is so overrated! 

Step 4- Make the title characters the side characters; make Megan Fox the main focus of the film.

Step 5- Make the same film over and over again, nobody will notice... (oh wait, we do!) 

No Animal Characters in Aladdin's Remake?!

Based on various articles floating around the internet, it seems director Guy Ritchie is wanting to replace the iconic animal characters Rajah, Iago, and possibly Abu with human characters his reboot of Aladdin. 

              For Rajah, it seems the tiger is being replaced with a handmaiden known as Mara. Based on these developments, it seems Mara is based on the handmaidens from the stage musical, as well as a deleted character from earlier drafts of the original film. I do not mind the change, (as first of all) it shows Guy Ritchie is attempting to bring in more elements of Howard Ashman’s intended vision of the film by repurposing these deleted characters. Also, Rajah was a very minor character in the original film; he did not contribute anything to the story and if he is indeed omitted from the reboot, it would not impact the film at all. However, Iago is another situation entirely.

              Iago made a significant contribution in the original movie’s storyline and was a member of the main cast. If Ritchie wanted to eliminate the parrot from his adaptation, he could have made the character human like in the stage musical. Unfortunately, it seems Ritchie plans to give the bird “le boot” and replace him with another character known as “Hakim”. Surprisingly, Hakim will be an amalgamation of the original film’s Razoul and the aforementioned Iago. In my opinion, I am disappointed in the change, but I can understand why the character was omitted. If Iago were to remain in his current state, it would take away from the “grounded” and “street-level” vision Guy Ritchie has for the film. However, as I stated before, Iago could have worked if he was turned into a human character like in the stage adaptation of Aladdin. If they plan to axe Rajah and Iago, then it is extremely likely the monkey known as Abu will also be eliminated from this version.

              While I am somewhat disappointed about the possibility of Abu being eliminated from the upcoming film, I am also optimistic about what characters they could put in his place. Since it seems Ritchie wants to evoke more of Ashman’s original “grounded and realistic” vision for the film, this brings up the possibility of him incorporating deleted characters Babkak, Omar, and Kassim to serve as Aladdin’s sidekicks. For those unaware, the three aforementioned characters were written into Howard Ashman’s original 1988 treatment of Aladdin and served as his sidekicks; think of them as prototypes of the monkey. However, when the movie went into production, the three were amalgamated into a singular entity. If these three characters are brought back into the fold, it would also raise the possibilities of three cut Aladdin songs being restored as well; Babkak, Omar, Aladdin, Kassim, How Quick They Forget, and the iconic High Adventure. I know wishing for the trio to be resurrected for this film is like grasping for straws, and they are probably going to give Aladdin a single sidekick like everybody else. However, Disney has surprised us before, so I am cautiously optimistic about this.

              Do you think any other characters will be eliminated or brought back from the cutting room floor? If so, leave your thoughts in the comments below and get some sort of discussion going!

Shawnee Mission Theater in the Park: Beauty and the Beast

Since I was a child, attending productions of Shawnee Mission's Theater in the Park has been a family tradition. The first show I could remember seeing was when I was three years of age; when my grandmother took me to see a production of The Wizard of Oz. Unfortunately, I do not remember much of it as I believe I fell asleep during the first act. This show is when I became enamored with musical theater (and when The Wizard of Oz became one of my favorite stories). As the years progressed, I have seen other productions from this venue such as Footloose, Fiddler on the Roof, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, and recently, Beauty and the Beast.
On the evening of July 29th, 2017, I attended a production of Beauty and the Beast with my younger brother and my mother; the latter of which is a huge fan of the film this show is based on (like myself). This was her and my brother's first time seeing the film's stage adaptation, and it was my second; I saw another production in 2010 at Starlight Theater. The three of us agreed this was a beautiful production in all aspects, from the music and plot to the design of the set and costumes.

The visuals of the production seemingly takes inspiration from the 2017 version of Beauty and the Beast. My theory for this choice is because the recent remake is still fresh in fans' minds. In the costume department, the transformed castle staff takes copious amounts of inspiration from the original Broadway run of the show. As an example, Lumiere's costume is almost identical to the one worn by Gary Beach in the original 1994 production, the only change being his candelabra hands. The other costumes seem to be lower budget versions of their Broadway counterparts, which is understandable since this is a smaller production. The only costumes that were drastically different than other adaptations were those of Belle's father, LeFou, and the wolves. The latter seemed to bear more of a resemblance to werewolves rather than the wolf puppets from other productions. This aspect intrigued me as it shows they were taking a show in a different direction than usual.

While the show's plot was the same as it usually was, there were some small changes that made it an intriguing production. To start, the prologue was narrated by the castle staff in human form instead of an off-screen narrator; similar to the prologue of the 2017 remake being narrated by Agathe (the Enchantress). Starting the show through this method makes it seem like the story is being told from the perspective of the castle staff, similar to another Disney production; The Hunchback of Notre Dame (a show I hope is at Theater in the Park next year). After the prologue, the show plays out as normal. If I could pick two of my favorite moments, I would say that I enjoyed their version of Be Our Guest and my favorite song from the musical, If I Can't Love Her. However, I felt the cast could have done better in two of the show's musical numbers, No Matter What and Gaston. At certain points in these two songs, the actors playing the lead singers (Maurice and LeFou, respectively) would skip certain lyrics entirely. I can forgive them for that mistake as they could have been doing so to keep in time with the music, as the music's tempo was inconsistent in some spots. Other than the minor issues in the audio department (such as the volume being inaudible in some spots), the musical numbers were phenomenal.

Aside from two characters, the cast was perfect in their roles and portrayed them in a believable fashion. While my three favorite characters in this production were Beast, Lumiere, and Belle (as they are my favorite characters from other versions), I believe the character who stole this show was their version of Chip Potts. I found the child portraying him to be hilarious and adorable, especially during the songs Something There and Human Again. That child deserves an award for his role, especially after his final line of dialogue, "do I still have to sleep in the cupboard?" (My mom, brother, and I started laughing when he said that)

Overall, this show is a beautiful one and I look forward to the next time Theater in the Park decides to produce it. While the production values are lower (since it is a smaller production) and there were some small audio issues, it is an amazing show and one I would definitely recommend to everybody if they have the chance to see it. Theater in the Park is known for their quality productions and to see them putting on one of my favorites was an amazing sight to behold. I look forward to seeing what they have next (hopefully next time the "Bells of Notre Dame" will ring for us). Congratulations on an amazing theatrical season and ending it with a bang!

R.I.P. June Foray

(June Foray, September 18th, 1917-July 27, 2017)

Today is truly a saddening day in the animation industry. Unfortunately, the last of the voice actors from animation's "Golden Age" has passed away. June Foray died in her California home less than two months before her one-hundredth birthday. For those unaware, Foray was known as the voice actress for characters such as Rocket J. Squirrel in Rocky and Bullwinkle (a role she would later reprise for the live action adaptation and in other works), Granny and various additional voices for Looney Tunes, and Magica de Spell in Ducktales. In her life as a voice actress, she was considered a female counterpart to voice actor Mel Blanc, as she was known to do many voices throughout her career. I think it would have been amazing to see her live to be one-hundred (a feat people have rarely achieved), but unfortunately a higher power wanted her voicing characters in the great beyond. She will be forever loved by family, friends, and fans such as myself, and she will be forever immortalized by her work! Thank you so much for everything, Miss Foray, and I hope you find peace in your eternal rest.

A Brief Overview of Spider-Man's Cinematic History (Spider-Month Prelude)

Spider-Man has had a rough cinematic history, as everything after Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 was met with mixed reviews. Spider-Man 3 was considered a cluttered mess of a film; overloaded with various subplots and villains, notably the “emo Peter” scenes during the film’s second act. The Amazing Spider-Man was far from “amazing”, as it was merely a modified rehash of Spider-Man’s origin story and mischaracterized his alter ego of Peter Parker. The second Amazing Spider-Man is considered the worst entry in the character’s history in film. Including many of the issues carried over from the previous film (such as the aforementioned mischaracterization of Peter Parker), this movie suffered from massive issues in pacing and character development. In both films, Emma Stone’s Gwen Stacy had as much emotion as Bella Swan in the Twilight film franchise; and Andrew Garfield’s Peter Parker lacked the intelligence his character is known for (even a child would have known rubber does not conduct electricity, you do not need a YouTube video to figure that out). Thankfully, since Spider-Man became integrated into the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the character is being adapted as faithfully to the source as possible. Matter of fact; one of the praises of ­Captain America: Civil War was the perfected version of Spidey portrayed by Tom Holland. (When people say, “third time’s the charm”, they are not bluffing). Despite having a mere fifteen minutes of screen-time throughout the entirety of the film, fans (such as myself) were excited for this version of Peter Parker and could not wait to see his future adventures unfold. Spider-Man has made a fantastic comeback and an amazing homecoming as he made his entry into the MCU. Welcome home, web-head; I am overjoyed because my favorite super-hero is being treated with the utmost amount of care.