Monthly Archives: May 2013
Top 5: Disney Stories Horribly Ruined by Modernization
May 31
Since the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937, the Walt Disney company has made a serious living off of animated stories. Some of those stories take place in current time, like 2012’s Wreck-It Ralph, which many children can identify with. Some stories, however, are based on times long ago and places far, far away (Not Star Wars) and aren’t up to speed with the current times. Basically period films with magical twists, these fairy tale stories couldn’t take place in today’s world. They would be less magical. Some of them wouldn’t even be necessary, and problems that were caused by certain events, would be less likely to happen with a modern version. What do I mean exactly? Here are my top 5 Disney stories horribly ruined by modernization.
Maybe you wouldn’t be crying if you had your cell phone!
#5-Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. In this tale, Snow White gets lost in the wood. By getting lost, she meets seven small workers. Due to the lack of her knowledge of the forest, the Dwarfs help her in finding her prince. If this tale was modernized however, she just would have used GPS to find her way back home. There would be no need for any of these dwarfs to get involved in her life. She could have just gone home and gotten married. Sure she would have eventually had to deal with the Evil Queen but she probably could have gotten a restraining order put in place and that problem would have been over and done with. Seriously, she should have had a cell phone!
#4-Aladdin. Okay, so Aladdin is poor. Jasmine comes from wealth. Aladdin needs to impress her so he changes clothing and pretends to be a prince. In a modern world, Aladdin would be cool due to his trashy clothing right? I mean jean companies are ripping jeans apart before even selling them. Jeans with holes already in them sell for tons of money. By that definition, couldn’t he pretend that he has money based on how many holes are in his pants? What about thrift stores? Those are all the rage. I feel like any hipster I’ve come into contact with only shops at a thrift store for everything they own. In a modern retelling, Aladdin would either be rich, or a hipster. Not a hobo. That means he doesn’t have to pretend to be a prince because the Sultan would love him due to his wealth and Jasmine could have her father’s blessing. Of course, they would probably listen to indie folk music all the time and have a joint tumblr account but that’s besides the point.
You should sing about reconstructive surgery!
#3-The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The story of Quasimodo is really a story of beauty on the inside, not the outside. Frollo, being the evil person he is, tortures Quasimodo because he is hideous. I would assume in Modern Times that Quasimodo would make a doctor’s visit and get plastic surgery. Frollo would be ridiculed as a bully and probably be outed as a judge. (We don’t like our politicians to be meanies you know!) So really this story would turn into more of a transition story for Quasimodo and the villain would lose far too quickly here.
#2-Cinderella. This classic fairytale gets complicated after our heroine, who falls in love with a prince at a ball, has to leave quickly due to faking her societal class. She leaves behind a glass slipper, which the Prince tries to fit on every woman’s foot to find the one he fell in love with. Alright, so let’s skip over the fact that the Prince isn’t very smart because he forgot what Cinderella looks like and has to put a shoe on every girl in the land to figure out who his dance partner was. in a modernized story, despite the Prince being brainless, he could have handed the slipper over to a DNA analysis team. Through lab work, he could have been able to match the shoe to the person it fits without having to be Jehovah Witness-like and knock on everyone’s door. Thanks to every crime scene investigation type of show, I can now talk about this with good authority!
You look horrified! You don’t like the new Kindle Fire?
#1-Beauty and the Beast. I’m putting this film at the top of my list because I feel like a modern telling would absolutely kill this story. Some of the more intriguing characters in this story are the inanimate objects that have personality and come to life on the screen. A lamp, a clock, a dresser, a tea pot, and the list goes on. This makes the story so magical, especially in knowing who these pieces of furniture really are. That being said, I’m not too keen on finding love and turning my iPhone into a beautiful girl named Siri. I’m actually kind of content with my phone staying a phone. (Sorry Siri!) Modernization takes the fun out of these characters because half the stuff in my house already talks to me even if I don’t want it to. That’s just technology these days, it’s not magic. Another big part of the romance between Belle and the Beast is the reluctancy of Beast until he allows Belle into his library which is filled with more books than she has ever seen. This is one of the more inspiring parts of the film because Beast gives in to Belle and starts to really enjoy her being around, while Belle finds herself falling for the Beast. So what if Beast gave her a Kindle? Is a Kindle as romantic as a room filled with books from end to end? Not really. What a mood killer! Saying I’m in love with you by giving someone a Kindle really doesn’t cut it. Sorry Beast. The modern version or you really sucks.
These were just five examples but there are plenty of films out there that would be ruined by a modern telling of them. What are your thoughts? What films would be ruined? What films could even be better? Leave your comments and keep this top 5 rolling!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Disney Food: Coral Reef Restaurant
May 29
Photo by Marc Uchman
Coral Reef restaurant is located in the Land Pavilion of Epcot next to Turtle Talk with Crush and The Sea with Nemo and Friends. Every seat in the restaurant has a view of the panoramic windows of The Seas with Nemo and Friends aquarium. The aquarium is home to over 85 species of tropical fish, sharks, turtles, and sea rays. Every table contains a souvenir Fish Guide to help you identify the marine life. The cast members are also very knowledgeable of the marine life. If you are having difficulty identifying a species, just ask!
During certain times of the day, there are also divers in the aquarium. The divers will interact and feed the marine life and pose for pictures. They are quite entertaining! When one of the divers realized that we were taking pictures of him, he began to wag his finger at us as if he were scolding us and then made faces at us. The divers were certainly a highlight and memorable part of our dinner!
Photo by Marc Uchman
The menu changes seasonally and also contains a sustainable catch of the day, so be sure to ask your server what is new or what has changed. Kid friendly options include pizza, grilled fish, meaty macaroni, and grilled fish. Because we were on the Disney Dining Plan, my 11 year old stepdaughter had to order off of the adult menu. She is picky eater and was not very happy with her choices. Our server was kind enough to offer her popcorn shrimp and fries, even though it wasn’t on the menu. This made my stepdaughter (and me) very happy.
I had the grilled mahi mahi with laughing bird shrimp, hearts of palm, jasmine rice, cilantro, and coconut-lime sauce. My two year old (and non-picky eater) ate off of my plate and we both loved it. For dessert I had the Bailey’s and Jack Daniel’s mousse with a caramel crisp. It was amazing. But then again, I am a sucker for anything that involves Baileys. My stepdaughter reluctantly shared her chocolate wave with raspberry gelato with her little sister. I say reluctantly because my stepdaughter is a chocoholic. She tried to just give her little sister the raspberry gelato and keep the chocolate cake for herself. Even though she is two, my daughter knew better. She knew her big sister was trying to save the best part for herself and made her share.
Photo by Marc Uchman
Overall we enjoyed our time at Coral Reef. My girls enjoyed watching all the marine life and the divers. The adults enjoyed the quiet atmosphere. As much as we love character meals, it is nice to have one nice, quiet table service meal as well.
Alexia Christensen
Disney Trip Planning: Fashion vs. Comfort
May 27
I’m a girl. I hope that’s been obvious enough by now. But really what I’m trying to get at here is that I know how it is being a girl – I like making sure my hair is styled, not going out in public if my make-up isn’t done, and always wearing cute shoes. With that said, I have to say that when it comes to taking a Disney vacation, compromises must be made in order to be comfortable.
This post will mostly apply to girly things, but you men out there should feel free to keep reading, maybe this stuff applies to you, too! I won’t judge! Actually, I have always wondered if the Prince in Show White and the Seven Dwarfs wore lipstick, but if so, hey, more power to him!
So, when left up to choosing between either extreme from comfort to “fashion” in the parks, it’s always advisable to go with comfort. Of course you can either disagree with me and/or not take my advice here, but then you’ll probably end up with blisters all over your feet after the first morning of walking around the parks. But, hey, maybe that works for you!
There are some no-nos that are obvious here. Certain things are never a good idea for the parks, like high heels, mini skirts, and sock with sandals (the latter is not necessarily for comfort reasons, it’s just because – no, please don’t, ever). But, there are also things you might not consider, like – how humidity will treat your hair, how sweat will make your make-up run (ewwww), and how those sneakers weren’t actually previously worn-in enough to be walking in for a full park day.
So, now you’re like, “So, you want me to cover up these luscious locks with my boyfriend’s baseball cap, strap on some stinky old sneakers, and show off the bags under my eyes without wearing concealer?” My answer is – No! Part of the beauty of having gone to the parks about 10 times in my life is that I’ve learned some valuable lessons on these girly matters.
These solutions require a bit on compromise, but still wont require you to walk around in the oh-so criticized Crocs or reveal what all that make-up has been hiding!
Some tips include:
• Bring and wear a poncho on rides where you will get wet (like Splash Mountain) so your hair style doesn’t get ruined. Don’t let messing up your hair ruin your fun!
• Wear waterproof eyeliner, mascara, etc. Stuff that wont sweat off or run on water rides.
• Consider what shoes you will wear weeks before your trip and do a test “drive” long walk around your neighborhood before you commit to them for a whole day in the parks.
• Find cute versions of your shoe preferences that match more comfortable solutions. For example, I like wearing black flats, but none that I own would give me the right support for a full day of walking, but there are options out there.
• Wear big sunglasses if you don’t want to go make-up-less, but can’t seem to get it right.
• Avoid flip-flops which aren’t designed for comfort. (I think Crocs, some sports brands, and some knock-offs have good ones that are designed for comfort). I actually have a pair of Adidas flip-flops that I got at Dick’s Sporting Goods which I reserve just for my WDW trips!
• Don’t use skinny straps for purses and backpacks. By the end of the day, they will be digging into your skin.
• Dresses are fun and cute and girly, but you might want to consider wearing bike shorts underneath. Seriously, getting out of the Space Mountain ride vehicle in WDW would give the other riders a very un-flattering view of your crotch-ile-region.
Just remember that even though you want to look your best in all of your vacation photos, nothing beats having the time of your life and not worrying about the way you look while on your Disney vacation! (I say this, but will probably never stop flat ironing my hair before going to Blizzard Beach)
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Keith’s Disney Cruise (Part 1)
May 25
In case you haven’t listened to the Modern Mouse Radio show, Keith has been overly excited about going on his first ever cruise. On top of that, he did 7 days. Throughout the next few weeks we will be showcasing his cruise videos. This is part one. Keith and family jump aboard the Disney Dream and Keith eats everything he can.
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Top 5: Art Pieces that are Distinctly Mary Blair
May 24
Earlier this week I took a good look at The Three Caballeros (Read that HERE!) and one person’s involvement in the story of that film, Mary Blair. Her story really begins with the involvement of El Grupo and the South American tour during World War II. She became Walt Disney’s favorite artist during that time and because of his favoritism, became an influential part of the Walt Disney company from the 1940s through the 1960s. Her artwork is so different from the average art we’ve seen from other popular Disney artists of the time, especially from Disney’s Nine Old Men. Her artwork was a bit more offbeat and colorful. It amazes me how, even today, she has influenced so many people at the Disney company and her art style, despite how different it may be from the norm, can only be described as a “Disney” style. So many have replicated her artwork and you can see it almost everywhere in the company. From the theme parks to the films to the merchandise, Mary Blair is still alive and well in all of those places. I’ve talked to artists inspired by her and they talk abouth Mary just as if she were still alive, like how many people talk about Walt. So, why bring this up? Why talk about Mary Blair? She is much a part of the Disney company as anyone and probably one of the top artists to have ever worked for the company. You might ask where you can see some of her art? Here are my top 5 art pieces that are distinctly Mary Blair.
5-The Three Caballeros. Before we go any further, I will say that film is an art piece of Mary’s work. Not only was her concept art used for the film, but so many of the scenes in the film look identical to that of some of those paintings and sketches. It’s amazing how simple shapes and colors make a world of difference and how Mary really used colors to get the South feel for the film changed how the film ultimately looked. The Three Caballeros is the better known of the two Latin American films and I credit that partly to better writing and Mary’s touch of art to the film.
4-Monster’s Inc. Opening Credits. Mary Blair wasn’t alive when Monster’s Inc came out. Mary wasn’t even alive when Pixar started, but her style was tossed into the opening credits of the film. If you recall, the film’s credits use several doors and show off Monstropolis as a busy urban city. It’s a cute tip of the hat to someone who inspired the artists at Pixar to do what they do.
3-The Grand Canyon Concourse. One of Mary Blair’s last projects after coming back to the Disney company in the 1950s was a mural at Walt Disney World’s Contemporary Resort. The mural is 90 feet tall and took over 18 months from start to installation. From everything I’ve ever seen of Mary Blair, this piece seems to sum up her life story. Heavily influenced by the South American trip, the mural represents a more peaceful place. One of the images particularly noticeable is the five legged goat within. Added into the mural, it showcases that not everything is perfect despite the Disney’s company, and it’s cast members, strive for magical perfection.
2-Alice in Wonderland. Walt Disney had been a fan of the Alice stories for a long time. His first real projects under the Disney company banner were the Alice comedies, silent films with animated cartoons and a live action girl inserted into it. That said, Disney was never ready to green light an Alice feature length film. The story was too dark and scary for his family friendly films, until Mary Blair showed him some concept art. He loved her illustrations of a whimsical Wonderland and a very cute blond haired Alice that he decided to green light the film under the ideals of her art direction. That’s why Alice in Wonderland, despite how strange it may be, is still delightful and charming. Also to her credit is the amount of Alice that went into Disneyland. Not only are the Teacups distinctly Mary Blair, but so is the Alice in Wonderland dark ride. Alice is the only film to receive two attractions in Fantasyland and that’s saying how something for how popular the film really is thanks to Mary’s artwork.
1-It’s a Small World. The charm of It’s a Small World, the Disneyland version, stems completely from Mary Blair. From the attraction to the facade outside, it screams out that Mary Blair was in charge. Her imagery of children from around the world gives a hopefulness and a beauty to the ride. There is so much to look at while riding and everything is detailed and gorgeous. As for the facade, it isn’t Mary who designed it, but Rolly Crump. In talking with Rolly Crump, I felt that he was very fond of Mary Blair. He looked up to her, almost as much as he did Walt Disney, and he wanted to pay tribute to Mary the best he could. The clock facade is definitely her style and is the best tribute Mary could receive. Another small tribute to Mary Blair is the doll on top of the Eiffel Tower within the French portion of the attraciton. That’s her. That’s Mary Blair standing up there. Well, not really her, but it’s her doll and if you ask cast member, they will tell you that the doll’s name is Mary and it’s their small way of saying “Thank You” to someone who gave so much to the Walt Disney company.
Do you love the art of Mary Blair? Do you consider it a Disney style? What’s your favorite thing Mary Blair worked on? Leave your thoughts and comments!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com
Disney Film History: The Three Caballeros
May 22
World War II was a crazy time for the Walt Disney company as they had their hands full in propaganda shorts and several films that were being used to lead the United States to victory over Japan and Germany. We talked about Walt Disney’s 1941 Goodwill Tour of South America with the 1943 release of Saludos Amigos. (Which you can read about HERE!) Saludos Amigos was a success for the company. It was cheap to make and brought in revenue for the studio. So the studio went back to the drawing board and started on a second film about Latin America. The end result is the much more popular and memorable film, The Three Caballeros.
The Three Caballeros, “The Three Friends” in English, is set once again in South America but instead of focusing on Walt Disney and his group of artists, the film revolves around the main plot of Donald opening gifts from his friends from Latin America. The plot here seems much more put together despite the film obviously being chopped into segments. (This film is also considered the second of the “Package films” of the 1940s because of it’s segmentation.) Several segments combine music, comedy, and live action film to make this film an overall joy to watch from beginning to end. Where some people might find Fantasia as tedious or Saludos Amigos as too choppy, this film flows well from scene to scene and shows off the brilliant styles of the artists involved. In fact, this film and it’s back story is less about Walt Disney and more about one of the his artists on the South American tour, Mary Blair.
Mary Blair, who had worked in animation at Ub Iwerks studio, joined the Disney company in 1940, along with her husband Lee. Mary was one of many animators on the lot during a time period in which Disney had hundreds of people working for him. She didn’t know Walt Disney personally nor had much interaction with him, but when the Good Will tour came about and Lee Blair was asked to join the crew of artists going down to South America, Mary marched into Walt’s office and asked if she could join them on their 3 month journey. Walt agreed to her joining and within that trip, Walt and Mary became good friends. Mary also became Walt’s favorite artist at the studio and allowed her to move up the ladder upon returning to the studio. She first started out as an art supervisor for Saludos Amigos and had done concept art for the film while on the tour. Her breakout point, and the really noticeable distinction in her art, comes to focus in The Three Caballeros.
While in South America, Mary Blair found her own style of art and her concept drawings led to several scenes in The Three Caballeros including one scene of Jose and Donald taking a train across Brazil. Yes, that’s right Jose, as in Jose Carioca, the lovable, suave parrot from Rio. He returns to the film in several segments, taking a more prominent role in the film than in Saludos Amigos.
Speaking of segments, this film provides a better understanding of Latin American culture while providing memorable characters and lots of laughs through it’s many segments. Take “The Little Gauchito” for example. The narrator, speaking for the protagonist, a younger version of himself, gives us all kinds of cultural terms that fit the Uraguay and Gaucho lifestyles. Unlike the Gaucho segment of Saludos Amigos which stars Goofy and provides lots of laughs but little substance, this charming story is much more memorable and taught me things about a culture I didn’t already know. “Las Posada” is the story of Christmas traditions in Mexico as told by our new Disney friend, Panchito Pistoles.
Panchito is one of several animated characters that stand out in the film. Of course I mentioned the suave Brazilian bird, Jose Carioca. Along with Jose and Panchito, there are two other birds that make this film great: Pablo the Penguin and the Aracuan Bird. Pablo is a cartoon penguin looking to move somewhere warm and he takes over the first segment of the film, giving a nice comical, warm hearted segment to the film before delving into more cultural information and abstract animation. The Aracuan Bird, probably a cult favorite character of many, is a humorous bird that not only disrupts the other birds within his segment but also appears throughout the rest of the film disturbing the characters. He pulls apart a train by adding multiple tracks in a segment heavily influenced in Mary Blair’s artwork. He also finds ways to poke fun at Donald, Jose, and Panchito. I’d almost consider him the fourth caballero if there were such a thing.
The film had it’s premiere in Mexico on December 21st, 1944 and was given a mixed response by critics. Many saw Donald lusting over women as crude and unusual for a duck that was in love with Daisy. Why would Donald be going after Aurora Miranda and why are these girls flirting back with him? It doesn’t really make sense and critics felt it was in poor taste. More notably, most critics felt it was an upgrade from Saludos Amigos but it was more about technical animation than giving a true in depth experience for the audience. While that may be true, this wouldn’t be the last of the segmented “Package Films”. Like Saludos Amigos, it made money for the Walt Disney company and was cheap to produce. That doesn’t make this a bad film though. Could if have helped in winning the war for the United States? Maybe. Did it change the Disney company as a whole? Not really. However, it’s cultural references, beautiful art development, thanks to one Mary Blair, and it’s cast of truly unforgettable characters have made The Three Caballeros a cult favorite among Disney fans and might be one of, if not the best film of the “Package” era.
Josh Taylor
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Disney Trip Planning: Where to Find Alcohol
May 20
Mickey? What are you doing?
This next blog post was actually sparked by a comment made on my last post from Colonel Brad (please let that be your real name). Mr. Colonel Brad states that he’s often questioned the availability of alcohol in the parks. Well, let me tell you, Mr. President Colonel Brad, as a young-adult-Modern-Mouse-keteer (I totally just made that up), I must say, I’ve “noticed” many an alcoholic beverage in the Florida D-World and West Coast resorts.
Let’s first get into alcohol availability in the resorts, then I’ll move onto what I think is the best way to go with it.
If you are looking for drinks in WDW, you wont find them for sale in Magic Kingdom (unless you want a glass of wine with dinner at Be Our Guest Restaurant in New Fantasyland), but EPCOT is notorious for drunken-enthusiasts to “drink around the World” in World Showcase. There are even fan-created drinking games that encourage this sort of thing! MGM, Animal Kingdom, the water parks, and Downtown Disney also offer adult-drinks, but the same thrill of drinking in EPCOT tends not to apply here, (maybe if Downtown Disney’s nightlife scene comes back, it’ll get a little more appealing).
The California resort is sort of the same idea. You wont find alcohol in the more-innocent-atmosphere Disneyland park, but you will find it in California Adventure.
“Trader Sams” Disneyland Hotel
Resort hotels in both WDW and Disneyland have bars and restaurants serving mixed drinks, beer, and wine. Since we’ve been on a romantic kick with Josh, Keith, and Amanda’s last podcast discussion, I should also mention that restaurants offering wine let you purchase a bottle for the table for that special evening out (and if you don’t finish it at the table, you can take it and the romance back to the resort – bow-chica-wow-wow)!
Of course any drinks you get on Disney prope
rty are going to be like sixteen thousand times more expensive than you could make yourself at home, but not much more expensive than you might be paying back at home at a higher priced bar, restaurant, or event.
“La Cava Del Tequila” Epcot
Now, I’m NOT saying that you should totally do this because it’s kind of completely awesome, but sort of and almost definitely against the rules, but it can be easy to sneak alcohol into the parks! As I mentioned above, WDW’s Magic Kingdom and Disneyland don’t have alcohol for sale in the parks, but YOU can have it in the parks when sneakily concealed as a water, Gatorade, or sugary drink in your bag. It’s also much cheaper this way. Be warned – there are security guards that check your bags, so any sign of alcohol smell might get you kicked out, and this goes for if they suspect you are drinking it while in the park as well!
As for the resorts – if you are looking for a poolside mixed drink, it’s actually cheaper to opt-out of the resort bar and instead buy a refillable cup for around $15, fill it half way with soda, and either a.) bring your own alcohol from home, or b.) buy a bottle of your favorite booze from any resort gift shop and mix away! It’ll save so much money if you are planning on drinking a lot. In restaurants this is not an option, though but in the resorts it’s legal!
So, all in all, there is alcohol to be had in Disney. That makes Mickey kind of badass, right?
Angie Carreiro
http://www.ILoveAnimalArt.com
Modern Mouse Radio #19: Romance at Walt Disney World
May 19
It’s May which means there are a lot of reasons to talk Romance. Weddings galore, engagements, kids getting out of school. Well, there are some reasons, but we thought it would be appropriate to bring back our sponsor from http://www.Mouseketrips.com. Amanda Mann helps coordinate and plan Disney Weddings and Honeymoons as well as having great tips for those of you looking to just have a good time with a loved one.
Visit her site at http://www.livingthedreamhappilyeverafter.com to learn more about her Wedding and Honeymoon plans. Don’t forget to book your vacation with her to get a special gift basket to go along with your romantic trip or any trip for that matter.
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Art of Animation Resort Tour
May 18
During Keith’s April 2013 vacation, he stayed at the Art of Animation resort. Here he gives us a full tour of the resort along with his little cousins. They go through tunnels and play on slides. Enjoy
Keith Lapinig
http://www.KeithLapinig.com
Top 5: Reasons Once Upon A Time is Deeply Awesome.
May 17
My favorite television show, Once Upon a Time, has come to a close on it’s season two on ABC’s Season two came with twists and turns as well as a mixed bag of great and lackluster episodes. Different from it’s first season, this season focused in on the characters that we already know and somehow binding them all together. Don’t get me wrong, there were some new characters and some fabulous guest appearances, but overall this show, which started off in crazyville, took some serious turns this year and ended in a completely different world, figuratively and literally. With all of that said, the show seems to carry a cult following as the show really isn’t deemed for an audience that can just jump right in and get it. The people that have stuck around since the Pilot Episode or those who spend the time backtracking to catch up with everyone else seem to be greatly rewarded because this is a show that has delved deep into it’s roots and it’s story. At times it’s fast paced and heart pounding, other times is slow and developing, but Once Upon A Time overall is what I would call deeply awesome. What makes it deeply awesome? Here are my top 5 reasons.
5-Story overlaps. Some shows settle on a single story, some have minor themes that get dragged in and out of episodes throughout the series course, but nothing compares to the multidimensional layerings of stories and characters in Once Upon a Time. The writing team truly excels at not showing us that “big reveal” and coming up with moments that tie things together all the time. The even trickier part here is that we are dealing with changes in space and time. Throughout an episode we could find ourselves following how Rumpelstiltskin turns into a dark lord in the fairy tale world past while focusing on how he strives for power and magic in the real world current time. It’s spectacular and I’ve found myself, several times this season, wondering where the writing team was taking me but by the end of the episode I always felt like I got it. Of course, then they would leave me with a cliffhanger and I’d be in anticipation for the following week’s episode.
4-World Jumping. Does anyone remember the science fiction show Sliders? Yeah, Once Upon a Time is kind of like that. At any given time, there are parallel worlds where things we can’t even imagine are going on and where the fairy tales we read about come from. The great thing about Once is that it doesn’t use a wormhole or vortex, but the one thing that fairy tales can give us as a weapon and we can accept: Magic. Magic is what brings us to different worlds, the problem is that magic can only work with the right tools and as Rumpelstiltskin does say, “Magic always comes with a price.” To travel we need the Mad Hatter’s hat, beans from giants, or sorcerers so powerful they can create spells to destroy everyone. It’s a wonderful plot device and a reasoning to keep fans of the show looking for the next magical tool or character on the show.
3-Minor Storylines. As much as I like the main cast of Once Upon a Time, I really find myself connecting with the minor storylines and characters of the town. One of my favorite stories from Season 2 involved the reveal of who Dr. Whale was and how he handled himself in Storybrooke, Maine instead of the Gothic world from which he came. He also found a friend in Ruby (better known as Little Red Riding Hood) because of their connections to other worlds and Ruby’s vicious side. Small stories like this really keep the show fresh and exciting. It adds layers to a town full of people that are very complex, each with their own origin from a different world and each with their own life in the real world. I’m glad these characters are just cookie cutter people in a series that is developed around so many long loved classic characters.
2-Edgy and Dark. Because most people in the real world know me as “The Disney guy” I get asked by people about Once Upon a Time. Is it any good? Is it just like the movies? Should my kids watch it? Is it for adults? The list keeps going, but the main thing I tell people about Once is that it isn’t the writing team trying to retell the stories in the Disney classic animated films. They take liberties. They change characters. Most importantly, this show is a bit darker and edgier than your typical Disney film. Granted, I think NBC’s Grimm is even darker and delves into horror at times, but Once is that perfect blend of edgy adult entertainment and family storytelling that draws everyone in. Once takes some of the Disney versions of fairy tales and brings them back to their original tellings. You know, the ones where not everyone is so happy and friendly. The Lost Boys look more like evil Druids than cheerful singing raccoon skin wearing boys. This show gets dark and I like that. If you’re an adult that enjoys the Disney versions but might be a bit too “grown up” to watch Snow White over and over again, this show is for you.
1-The Craziest Family Tree Ever! Seriously, I’ve been watching this show for two seasons now and Henry’s family tree is a mess of a Bonsai tree. As stories are unraveled we see who relates to who and now there are step-grandfather figures from other worlds. Long story short without giving away too much, everyone is tied to each other and along with the liberations I pointed out earlier, you could walk into this show having never seen it before and wonder why The Evil Queen from Snow White and Captain Hook from Peter Pan are somehow related in a giant family tree. It all comes together if you watch the show, but it’s deep roots (tree reference…get it!) are with this family and as time passes with each season, I think we will only see it grow further. Could Henry be related to the Caterpillar from Wonderland? Probably! It doesn’t matter though. I’m interested.
Are you a fan of Once Upon a Time? What draws you to the show? What is your favorite moment from Season 2? Leave your thoughts and comments!
Josh Taylor
https://ModernMouseRadio.com