Posts

Showing posts from 2018

Review: Audette of Brookraven

Image
The Entwined Tales  book series introduced me to many authors I had been previously unfamiliar with. Of them, Shari Tapscott  was far from a favorite of mine. Still, I couldn't resist when her novel Audette of Brookraven , was being offered for free along with several other books from the Entwined Tales authors as a holiday promotion. Since I didn't have very expectations for it, I was pleasantly surprised by how easy of a read this was compared to the sample novellas from her mailing list. This was largely thanks to the quirky antics of the main character, Princess Audette (not to be confused with Princess Odette ). The plot, on the other hand, left much to be desired. Audette of Brookraven  is the fourth book in Shari Tapscott's Eldentimber series, which consists of tales about various princesses from various lands. It's difficult to properly summarize this book because the story is all over the place, which is an issue I've had with all of the work I've...

The New Princess Jasmine

Image
The internet went a little crazy when Entertainment Weekly released Disney's first promo photos of the fully costumed actors from their upcoming Aladdin  remake last week. Many were disappointed with what they saw, which unfortunately tends to be the case for live-action remakes . For instance, Aladdin's signature purple vest was changed to red, making it closer to the Broadway version of the show. He was also given a relatively nice shirt underneath, which is more than a little confusing for those of us who remember how poor he was in the original film. Will Smith  as the Genie looked a little too much like a normal human instead of a mystical blue entity, but apparently that's still coming . Princess fans were most excited to see previews of Jasmine's wardrobe. In terms of quantity, the internet did not disappoint. We now have images of three of Jasmine's looks that will be featured in the movie as well as a peek at her new handmaiden. For me, this regal...

Review: Goldheart

Image
Kenley Davidson  was the author of my favorite book  from the Entwined Tales series , so I jumped at the opportunity to read her book Goldheart  for free. Goldheart  is the second book from her series of fairy tale adaptations called The Andari Chronicles. It is a reimagining of  "Rumpelstiltskin."  While my favorite version of "Rumpelstiltskin" is still The Princess Pact  by Melanie Cellier , this one is a solid runner up. Kenley Davidson excels at writing stories about capable women with traditionally feminine flaws, which is becoming more of a rarity in modern times . Her characters' weaknesses make them easier to relate to than many of the modern movie princess heroines , who often excel at far too many skills for a well-rounded character. This level of realism also accounts for lack of magic and fantasy in her stories, which is the reason I didn't seek out her books as eagerly as most of the other authors from the Entwined Tales series. Elain...

Princess Animatronics

Image
There are many ways to find immersive princess experiences at the Disney Parks . The most common way is through meet'n'greets. They let you interact with the princess in real life, allowing you to ask them any question you can think of and learn how they might respond, not to mention the terrific photo ops. Another way is through dark rides, which is the official term for the slower rides at the parks that allow you to travel through movie scenes that are recreated by  animatronics , a revolutionary technology that bring sculptures to live with mechanical movement and programming. All of the dark rides at the Disney Parks use animatronics for their constantly moving characters. Until a few years ago, the only Disney Princess dark ride that could be experienced in this way was Snow White's Scary Adventures . This ride was overseen by Walt Disney himself and is one of the few remaining rides that opened with Disneyland's launch in 1955. Even though it feels a little dat...

No, "Kiss the Girl" Is Not Misogynistic

Image
If you haven't heard the news yet, there was a recent controversy  about an all-male a capella group from Princeton University called the Tigertones , who were pressured into removing the song "Kiss the Girl" from Disney's The Little Mermaid  from their set list. This comes right on the heels of another controversy regarding the holiday classic "Baby, It's Cold Outside" getting banned from various radio stations for similar reasons. Supposedly, both songs counteract the #MeToo movement because they are about women being coerced into situations that they have not consented to. The jury may be out on "Baby, It's Cold Outside," but as far as my favorite redheaded Disney heroine is concerned, this preconception is straight-up wrong. "Kiss the Girl" takes place after Ariel has given her voice up to Ursula in exchange for legs under the terms that Prince Eric must give her the kiss of true love to prevent her from turning into one...

Is Hollywood Out of Ideas?

Image
I was thinking about writing a review of Netflix's sequel to A Christmas Prince , but it really speaks for itself. It's a cheap sequel  to an already low-budget movie that isn't worth anyone's time. A better thing to discuss is why Netflix bothered making a sequel to A Christmas Prince  at all, especially after they already contributed a low-budget movie  to the princess-filled month of November , which, while not exactly original, was at least not a sequel. Netflix produces a ton of content. Even Disney Legend Glen Keane is working for them  now! Even though everything they produce is not guaranteed to be a high-quality blockbuster, this unwanted and unnecessary sequel is just the tip of the iceberg. A bigger problem lies below the surface. The best new princess show Netflix has made is actually a reimagining of something from the '80s , and almost every Disney movie in production right now  is either a sequel or a live-action remake . Are there trul...

PattyCake Productions Launched a Disney Princess Web Series!

Image
Princess Month  is still going strong with movie anniversaries galore. Did you know that November 18th was National Princess Day ? Creative fans have been getting in on the action  this month as well. To that effect, PattyCake Productions , the team that brought us the Unexpected Musicals and Villains Lair  series, introduced  Princess Academy , their newest web series, last week. Not to be confused with an unproduced Fantasia  short of the same name , Princess Academy is a live-action web series featuring original songs and stories about our favorite Disney Princesses. PattyCake Production had previously impressed me with their gorgeous Little Mermaid  video,  "The Grande Mermaid," so I was excited about their latest endeavor. The premiere episode, "Happily Ever After," was launched on the release date of Wreck-It Ralph 2 , though subscribers to their Patreon page gained early access to it. It wasn't exactly what I was expecting. The main cha...

Review: Wreck-It Ralph 2 - Ralph Breaks the Internet

Image
Today is the day we have been waiting for since last year's D23 Expo , where it was revealed that the original voices of the Disney Princesses would be reunited for the Wreck-It Ralph  sequel, Ralph Breaks the Internet . There are a lot of different things I want to comment on after seeing this movie last night, so my review is going to cover two very different aspects. Since this is a princess blog, the first half of my review will cover the Disney Princess scenes in the film, which is the reason that many of us were excited about seeing it in the first place. If you just want to know about the movie itself, feel free to scroll down to the second half of my review, where I will discuss the plot and my overall enjoyment of it. Ralph Breaks the Internet  foreshadows its big princess reveal by showing two generic video game princess characters in the background of the opening scenes. Is  Wreck-It Ralph  a Disney Princess movie? Technically, yes. Vanellope is reve...

Review: The Princess Switch

Image
Today, Netflix dropped The Princess Switch , a low-budget modern-day knockoff of Barbie as the Princess and the Pauper . Was it just as cheesy and predictable as it looked in the trailer ? Well, yes. Does that make it completely unwatchable? Surprisingly, no. It's normal to see a lot of fluffy feel-good family movies out around the holidays, so setting the film during Christmastime and releasing it right at the start of the holiday season  may have been just the right touch to prevent it from being a huge disaster . Since we've already seen movies about twins or lookalikes switching places so many times, it's the perfect flick to play if you're busy cleaning or doing your nails or reading articles online and want to have something on in the background.. Trust me, you won't miss anything if you need to run to the microwave and grab your popcorn. No need to pause it. Thanks to the magic of green screen technology, Vaness Hudgens plays both Stacy De Novo, a baker ...

Review: She-Ra and the Princesses of Power - Season 1

Image
We are right in the middle of Princess Month  with Netflix's release of She-Ra and the Princesses of Power , an updated reimagining of the '80s classic, She-Ra: Princess of Power . The first season of the DreamWorks Animation series  dropped yesterday with 13 magical action-packed episodes. The captivating story drew me in from the very beginning and never wavered once. Even though the cast was altered to be more diverse by giving the characters different shapes, colors, and sizes, the focus was never placed on their diversity and instead on their desires and stories, just as it should be. The daily character guides  that the show's creators unveiled on social media before its release were a big help in keeping track of their names and attributes so that I could place all of my focus on the evolving the story. Adora, the main character in She-Ra and the Princesses of Power, is voiced by Aimee Carrero , who is already known for her role as Elena of Avalor . Even ...

November Is Basically Princess Month Now

Image
Last November, I posted about all of the festivities that took place for various princess movie anniversaries . Did you know that an overwhelming majority of Disney Princess movies were released in November of their corresponding year? That makes it a huge month for celebrating many of our favorite theatrical releases. Sometimes people ask why that is, and I think it's mainly about accessibility. Disney likes to release their biggest blockbusters right before holiday vacations so that parents and kids will be available to go out and see them, guaranteeing a successful run. You might be wondering why these movies don't open in December so they're closer to the bigger holidays , but most blockbusters stay in theaters for at least two months, which means that opening in November will bring in both the Thanksgiving and Christmas vacation crowds. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms , which came out last week, and even though it was somewhat disappointing, Disney's most antici...

Review: The Nutcracker and the Four Realms

Image
When I learned that Disney was making a movie based on "The Nutcracker," I did some research to become more acquainted with the original fairy tale by E.T.A. Hoffman . That research may have gotten in the way my future enjoyment of the movie. Then again, I'm not sure there's much in it for adults to enjoy regardless of how much they know about the original story. That said, I think I may have liked it if I saw it as a kid even though it would not have been one of my favorites because I'm a sucker for stories about girls who journey to fantasy worlds and discover that they're princesses . It has the same sort of whimsical charm as The Wizard of Oz  or Alice in Wonderland , but without the emotion or heart that would have made it a true classic. By far, the movie's greatest strength is its visuals. This film has one of the most beautiful posters I've ever seen, filled with varying shades of pink, lavender, teal, and blue with the characters blosso...

Review: Clara's Soldier

Image
There are only a few short days before  The Nutcracker and the Four Realms  comes to theaters. In anticipation of this event, I read a recent adaptation of the classic fairy tale  called Clara's Soldier   by Brittany Fichter , the author  The Autumn Fairy . Before I begin, though, I'd like to acknowledge that today is Halloween. I hope everyone reading this is planning to dress up as their favorite princess! While we're mimicking princess fashions of old , the Disney Princesses are dressing down to look like us in Ralph Breaks the Internet . Disney is already cashing in on the princesses' new modern styles making screen-accurate replicas Ariel, Aurora, and Pocahontas's modern clothing available to grown-up women on their site as well as figurine and doll sets of their upcoming Millennial looks. Okay, back to Clara's Soldier . I wasn't sure what to expect from Clara's Soldier  because many of the previous books  I've read by Brittany...