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!

Top Five Disney Songs (That Were Actually in the Films)

So far on my series of Top Five lists detailing my favorite Disney songs, I have covered both villain songs as well as those left on the cutting room floor. However, I have neglected to list my favorite Disney songs that were actually in their respective films. In this category's list, the songs must meet these two criteria:

• The song must have been in the original film or a remake of the original work.
• They cannot be songs that have been featured in a previous list (which eliminates villain songs as I have already discussed them)

So without further ado, let us see which songs made the cut!

#5: Prince Ali- Aladdin

Ironically (since Aladdin is my favorite Disney film), Prince Ali is at the bottom of this list. This is because my favorite song from this movie was left on the cutting room floor in 1990 (Proud of Your Boy for those who are unaware). However, as for songs that were actually in Aladdin, Prince Ali is my favorite; albeit by a small margin. While I am not usually a fan of Disney's showstopper numbers (I prefer the intimate, character-developing songs), I find Prince Ali to have the perfect amount of energy without being "over the top" like Friend Like Me. As an added bonus, while the song has elements of a Broadway showstopper, it is more down to earth than songs such as Be Our Guest. Unfortunately, the stage version (particularly the one on Broadway) is made to be over the top and extravagant. However, it is an amazing number in every version; and one that will get stuck in one's head for an extended amount of time (the stage version more so than the original).

#4: Circle of Life- The Lion King

Normally, many Disney films will start with a beautiful opening number to set the overall tone and setting. The Lion King's Circle of Life is no exception to this rule. Matter of fact; the song is so amazing, its entire sequence was used for the original teaser trailer and the remake's at D23. While I praise this song for its beautiful lyrics, it is the visuals that attract me. I have always been enamored by the song's slow buildup towards Simba's eventual reveal, and how the song shifts its tone in relation to everything onscreen. The music starts off powerful, to symbolize the announcement of Simba's birth and to call Mufasa's subjects to Pride Rock. During the various establishing shots, the song is soft in tempo. Suddenly, the song regains the power it had in the beginning when Pride Rock is revealed in all of its splendor. This song is a perfect example of how to start a musical, whether it may be on stage or on film, and I would highly suggest listening to it. (While I advocate the stage adaptations over the originals, Circle of Life is one of those exceptions. The original film version is so much better.)

#3: Go The Distance- Hercules

As I mentioned before when discussing Prince Ali, I prefer the songs in Disney films that place emphasis on character development and plot progression as opposed to the production numbers. Go The Distance marks the beginning of the title character's arc, and details the beginning of his journey to become a true hero. Unlike many Disney songs, this song is split into two parts and broken up in the middle with a sequence showing Herc meeting his deity father. I admire this song for a few reasons; the first simply being it is a "character development song", as we learn more about Herc's hopes and desires. Second, I admire the song's unique structure as it is split into two continuous parts of one long sequence (similar to Topsy Turvy in The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Finally, the song has a beautiful melody, heartwarming lyrics, and fits well within the film's overall tone (even the song's title fits in with the message of "never giving up on a goal, no matter what it takes").

#2: Belle/Evermore- Beauty and the Beast

I understand this may be cheating in some regards, but I could not decide on which song was superior. Instead, I chose my favorite song from the original film and my favorite from the 2017 remake. My favorite from the original is used to start a character's development arc, while my favorite from the remake is a culmination of a character's arc. In Belle, we are introduced to one of the two title characters as she starts her morning in the village. As the song progresses, we begin to learn more about the character and the opinions of her from her fellow villagers. We also learn more about the character's interests and hobbies, her initial view of her world, and we are introduced to the antagonist. If the opening song is able to do all of that over the course of five minutes, then the movie is off to a fantastic start. By contrast, Evermore is a prime example of how to culminate a character's development. Throughout the film (and more so in the remake), we see the beast grow as a character; changing from a heartless monster to a gentleman as he slowly begins to fall in love with Belle. As his development comes to a close, he realizes that despite being eternally damned, he must put the desires of others before his own. I am not ashamed to admit this song will cause a few heartstrings to be tugged and a few tears to be shed (I will admit that was what happened to me when I saw the song in theaters). Overall, both songs are a prime example on how to start and end a character's development.

#1: Out There- The Hunchback of Notre Dame

The reason I chose Hunchback's Out There is because the song is beautiful in the visual and musical department, and it beautifully expresses the desires of protagonist Quasimodo. Once again, the song is one that begins a character's arc and allows the viewer/listener to learn more about said character. Over the course of the number, we learn Quasi's desire is to be "out there among the millers, and the weavers, and their wives..." as he has been locked inside the bell tower by Dom Claude Frollo since he was an infant. Frollo sealed Quasimodo inside the tower seemingly for the latter's protection, while in reality the former sealed him away for the purpose of protecting his own reputation. As a result, Quasimodo longs to see what is beyond the cathedral; going so far as to escape it against his master/adoptive father's wishes. Like Belle and Go the Distance, we learn so much about Quasimodo in the span of four minutes and empathize with him as well; as a result, we begin to root for his success and care more about him due to the song's profound effect.

As many of you can see in this list (and as I mentioned at the beginning), I do not care for the showstopper numbers in musical films (with a few exceptions such as Prince Ali and Be Our Guest). I prefer the intimate musical numbers that spark development for a certain character and allow us to determine if it is a character we should cheer for. I prefer plot progression and development over visual extravagance; plus if I get a showstopper number in my head, it usually stays in there for a long time. What songs do you enjoy from this list? What are some of your favorite Disney musical numbers? Feel free to discuss this post in the comments below, and in next year's Disney Top 5 we are looking at the stage adaptations!

Robin Review 2017: Mrs. Doubtfire

Since August 11th of 2014, I have paid tribute to the late Robin Williams as an annual tradition. This year is no exception, as I wish to continuously keep his memory alive. The review for 2017 is of one of his greatest works, Mrs. Doubtfire. While I did not see the movie in full until late 2014, it has since become one of my favorite works featuring this amazing actor. In this movie one sees both the comedic and serious side of Mr. Williams as he tries to be with his children as much as he can. I believe this could be a parallel to a similar struggle Williams must have had in his personal life, as he faced a divorce similar to the one his character faced in this movie. Matter of fact, I believe many aspects of his performance in Doubtfire were based on his personal experiences.
As mentioned previously, a main portion of the plot centers around the divorce of Williams' character (Daniel Hillard) and his onscreen wife. As a result, he loses custody and later visitation rights to his children (the youngest being portrayed by Mara Wilson). To alleviate this problem, Daniel creates a duel persona known as "Mrs. Doubtfire" to spend time with his children without the knowledge of his former spouse. However, while his wife is easily fooled by the disguise, his children immediately learn of their father and new nanny being the same person. As is the case with many comedies starring Robin Williams, the humor is a major aspect of this movie.
For a large majority of this movie, I found myself in fits of laughter until I was nearly out of breath. As an example, the scene where "Doubtfire" is cooking for the children is one scene that had me in that aforementioned state of laughter. Williams was known for improvising large amounts of dialogue, and it makes one wonder if he actually read the screenplay during production (of any of his comedies for that matter). Another brilliant example of his improvisational skills is during the opening sequence; in which he is a voice actor for a Chuck Jones-animated short. While it does cause trouble for his onscreen director, it beautifully shows a side of Williams that he is well-known for.  Robin Williams loved to improvise his dialogue in his work, which truly showed how well he could adapt to a situation and "roll with the punches". When acting in a film, one does not need to follow a script "word-for-word". Sometimes, one must think of how they would react to certain situations and act based on reaction. Robin acted based on reaction in this movie and many of his other works, which allowed the viewer to see his legitimate emotions in each scene and easily connect with his character. I can imagine it would have been thrilling to work with him on the set of this film; and it would have been difficult to finish a scene without bursting into laughter (I know that was definitely the case during production of Aladdin). Overall, this is one movie I would highly recommend if one is in dire need of a laugh, and if one needs something to make them feel better. During a certain time in my life, my mother, younger brother, and I would sit down and watch this movie as we needed something to make us smile (this and episodes of The Big Bang Theory). Despite Williams being gone, his legacy will never be forgotten as he is immortalized in the world of cinema. I wish you well, Robin Williams, and as always, we ain't never had a friend like you!

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.

Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)

      

    

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 and respect he deserves.

              To start this critique, the movie is thankfully not an “origin story”; at least not in the traditional definition of the term. Nobody wants to see Peter Parker getting bit by a radioactive spider and Uncle Ben’s murder for a third time. Thankfully, this movie picks up with Peter already aware of his spider powers and it focuses on him learning what it truly means to be a hero; emphasizing Uncle Ben’s famous quote “with great power, comes great responsibility” and using said quote as the film’s theme.

           Speaking of Peter Parker, I am overjoyed that Sony has accurately portrayed the character in this version. His high intellect is emphasized more than his predecessors (especially Andrew Garfield’s version), as he is known to heavily rely on it over the course of this film. On another note, Tom Holland’s version of the character feels like he leaped right out of the comics; notably the Ultimate Spider-Man series, as Holland draws inspiration from that universe’s Peter. As for the other side of the coin, Holland’s Spider-Man is essentially “on point” with what is seen in the main and Ultimate comics (as the Marvel Cinematic Universe usually combines elements from both). In this film and Captain America: Civil War, this Spider-Man is a wisecracking, naïve, lighthearted hero; as opposed to the brooding and overly emotional versions portrayed by Garfield and McGuire. While I rank McGuire’s version higher on the list (mostly for nostalgic purposes); I believe Tom Holland is truly “the Ultimate Spider-Man” and blows his predecessors out of the water. Thankfully, the antagonist of this film is also a significant improvement over his predecessors; he is also a villain that has never been seen in cinematic form.

              Using a Spider-Man villain that has never been used in cinema is a massive advantage this film has over the previous ones. Since there is only one interpretation, the filmmakers are given a massive amount of creative freedom as they are essentially creating a character from scratch. While I do not know about Adrian Toomes aka The Vulture as much as I do about Green Goblin and Doc Ock, but I was impressed with his cinematic debut in Homecoming. From what I do know about The Vulture, it seems this version takes heavy inspiration from his Ultimate version (despite bearing the name of his mainstream universe counterpart), similar to our protagonist. His character arc seems similar to the nameless man who would later become Joker, Deadshot, and Scott Lang’s version of Ant-Man; a man so desperate to support his family, he turns to criminal activity for survival. Toomes is not inherently evil; he simply wants the happiness and well-being of his loved ones, especially his young daughter. Michael Keaton was an excellent choice to portray the character, not because of his previous superhero experience, but for the wide range of emotions he can portray and how realistically he can portray a character. I enjoyed his role as Batman and Ray Kroc in The Founder (the latter I am hoping to review someday). Back to Keaton’s character; he has no desire to take down Spider-Man (nor does he want to), he merely sees him as a nuisance.

              The supporting cast of the film is as brilliant as the main members of the cast! To start, while Marissa Tomei nailed the role of Peter’s Aunt May, I felt she was too young for the character. Aunt May is supposed to be an elderly woman, and I do not understand Marvel and Sony’s decision to make her younger. I believe Tomei shared this sentiment as well; as she opted to make her character look the age she is supposed to be. (Unfortunately, Marvel did not follow through with this idea) As a result, Tomei’s version of the character is unfortunately the butt of a “hot aunt” running gag. I did enjoy the aspect of her character’s personality being similar to her Ultimate Universe counterpart, as she is (for the most part) against Spider-Man and Tony Stark. She believes Spidey to be a menace to society, and claims Stark is nothing more than a womanizer (I completely agree with you, May. I am not a fan of Tony Stark, either). Stark is essentially unchanged in terms of appearance and personality. However, he feels obligated to keep Peter out of trouble and be responsible for him. He encourages the young man to continue being a hero, but he wants Peter to remain street level for his own safety; this is the reason he does not want the boy to become an Avenger. He feels Peter is not ready and lacks the experience to face higher threats such as Loki, Ultron, and Thanos.  As much as it makes me want to vomit when I say this, Stark’s actions towards Peter are completely justified as he is simply keeping watch on him. When Stark confiscates Peter’s suit, he is doing so to teach him a lesson. Peter did not need the suit to be a hero; he simply needed to do what is right to protect all that he cares about. Although it was not explicitly said, it seems Stark is the one to teach him the iconic lesson “with great power comes great responsibility” in this film.

In the plot department, it seems the romantic aspect of this version of Spider-Man is not as emphasized as it was in the previous incarnations. While Peter does have a romantic interest for a classmate named Liz, the relationship between the two is relegated to a minor subplot. Unlike Mary Jane Watson or Gwen Stacy, Liz is a minor character, and the female lead could arguably go to Peter’s classmate Michelle (portrayed by Shake it Up’s Zendaya Coleman) or Aunt May. The movie strictly keeps the focus on the titular protagonist and his journey, as a Spider-Man movie is supposed to do. While Peter has a massive amount of character development in the film, I felt like more time could have been devoted to developing the supporting cast (aside from Tony Stark and Adrian Toomes). I desperately wanted to know more about Liz, Michelle, Peter’s friend Ned, Aunt May, and maybe his late Uncle Ben as well (I just do not want to see his murder for the third time in a row).

Overall, Spider­­-Man: Homecoming is a nearly-perfect film. Currently; it is tied with Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 2 as the best film in the character’s cinematic history, and it could possibly be the best film to be made under the Marvel label (I consider it the best in the MCU so far). It has the potential to beat The Avengers, Deadpool, and Logan for the spot of “Best Marvel Movie”. The film perfectly portrays the life and daily struggles of Spider-Man, making it feel like a perfect adaptation and it definitely feels like the movie leaps right out of the comics. I am not biased when I say this, I am definitely looking forward to seeing more of Spider-Man in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Welcome home, Spidey; we are glad to have you back where you belong!