Comics, and some media reviews:

[skywaterblue]

Girl Comics!

The Beat had the exclusive this morning.

I think this is a really cool project. In an industry that has frequently had sexism issues, it's nice that Marvel decided to celebrate the women who are currently making comics with these one shots. I'm looking forward to buying this. Shame about the title, though.

The ONTD_P comment thread on this made me want to tear my hair out, however.

Merlin: Meh. I guess the recent events were supposed to feel epic and groundchanging, but they don't for me, partially because I suspect this season will end with some sort of reboot. Show is far, far too attracted to its monster-of-the-week format. Also, I increasingly dislike the choices Merlin is making. Major Kira would call him a collaborator.

Princess and the Frog: Enjoyed this a lot! Lovely animation, especially in Tiana's dream sequences and surrounding the baddie. I did feel it was a tad long for the material - the frog adventures in the bayou seemed to stretch on FOREEEVER. I desperately wanted them to get back to New Orleans and to be human because it seemed as though those earlier sequences were far more interesting to me. And the songs are very slight.



Also, I'm not sure I completely buy the end conclusion of Tiana's journey. It felt like they couldn't decide if her flaw was work-a-holism or that she didn't have a place in her life for family and looove. In making Tiana a more reasonably real character - with a goal outside the usual princess-ism, I guess I found it hard to believe that she'd REALLY have picked that guy as the one. I suppose she's the first Disney Princess I could see realistically having a divorce?

I was really shocked that Ray, the firefly character, died. There was a body and everything! Despite being kind of leery of that character from the trailer, he was really very sweet and I was totally moved.

I also inexplicably liked Tiana's rich white girl bestie, Charlotte. She had all the makings of an obnoxious person, but inner heart of gold wins out.



In conclusion: there was no real race or genderfail in this that I saw, and I enjoyed it, but it is a slighter work than their previous offerings. I hope that Disney continues its newfound commitment to 2D animation, though, as this is a promising start.

Comments

[sarken]

I'm glad you liked the new Disney movie! Until now, the only person I know who saw it said it was awful and full of race and gender fail, which absolutely destroyed my desire to see it. However, now that you and someone else on Twitter said it was good, I'm thinking I might give it a shot.

[skywaterblue]

Really? D: It got a good review on deadbrowalking and everything!

I mean, it just doesn't mention segregation at all, but you didn't think a Disney film would, did you? The black characters still literally sit at the back of the bus, and it's implied a couple of times in the beginning. (Especially in a scene where Tiana is trying to purchase something from white merchants.)

I'm trying to imagine what kind of genderfail you could read into it. There are only four major female characters. One is a good witch, one is Tiana's best friend who is mancrazy but with a good heart, one is Tiana and the other is her mom.

[sarken]

I don't recall the race fail, but the gender fail was something about how a woman is nothing without a man, and I was kind of like, "But aren't all Disney movies about the princess finding her prince?" I mean, sure, it's definitely fail-y, but... I don't know, I don't expect anything else from a Disney film, you know? I just assumed this one had to be worse than normal from the comments.

(She also said that the animation was awful, but I am a layperson who would not notice stuff like that.)

[skywaterblue]

Meh, I could see how you would get that very subtly, though as you say, you kind of know going in that this is the plot of the Princess movie. I will say that Tiana has to be convinced she can have her dream to be a restaurateur AND be with Naveen before she decides to go for it. Which is more than you can say of a lot of Disney princesses, even the modern ones.

[bexatious.livejournal.com]

I think that they went for overkill because there was no way to develop Morgana's story slowly, and also because they can't really move on the further, more epic, development the other characters until she's gone.

If they do a reboot of ANYTHING then I am totally quitting the show. I don't think they will do that, but now you've put the thought into my head. Curse you.

I think Merlin, while not being a collaborator, actually can't see good from evil yet. Or he can't see the shades of gray to be able to easily make choices that are for the greater good.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I think it would be very brave if they didn't reboot it, but given the apparent commitment to Monster-of-the-Week-ism I don't have high hopes.

Kira would say, in regards to Merlin, that this is an excuse for the weak. He does know the difference. He just doesn't care that much, which is why he's a collaborator.

[ionlylurkhere.livejournal.com]

Also, I increasingly dislike the choices Merlin is making. Major Kira would call him a collaborator.

Yeah; I only watch it patchily but what I've caught of it recently has had me veering between "Wait, why are we supposed to like him again?" and "Oh, wow, this is very brave of them, making it a show about an anti-hero type who increasingly inhabits not so much moral grey areas as the completely covered in shadow bits of the map" and I suppose it's possible they're going for something like that (Merlin's very much in the mould of Who and we did just have WoM) but it feels to me more like "he knows there is a prophecy and thus everything he does is justified if it helps it come to pass", which is one of the main reasons I hate 95% of all prophecy plotting.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I thought of 'Waters on Mars' as well, but I don't think the show has ever been as well written as RTD's Doctor Who.

he knows there is a prophecy and thus everything he does is justified if it helps it come to pass

Except for all the times on the show where the Dragon has told him NOT to do something and then he does it because it conflicts with his morality. Merlin on this show is a pretty creepy guy, but I'm not sure we're supposed to think there's a subtext of 'well, now that he's well fed and relatively secure, he doesn't give a shit if his own kind get murdered.'

[sio.livejournal.com]

i took the niece to see Princess and the Frog and LOVED it. i was confused too by the indecision of what her flaw was. maybe combine them? i.e. her work-a-holism was what she was using to substitute for her lack of personal happiness? if that makes sense :P

Ray's death...oh man. Gabi went "awwww" in a pouty voice next to me. i was silently boohoo-ing.

i also adored the fact that they did NOT use Charlotte as a token villainness, which i feared when the whole "omg i like him too" light bulb went off over Tiana-the-frog's head. it was neat to see at the end that she wasn't even pouting...just dancing with Naveen's little brother and going "well, i guess i'll just have to wait some more!"

i too hope they make more like this. i'm sick of them depending on Pixar to make EVERYTHING, which IMO, is not what Walt intended Disney to do.

btw i actually preordered the first issue of the DS9 comic. it's so weird knowing i have a COMIC on pre-order. XD

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I don't have it yet! I'm thinking about *shift eyes* obtaining it, because I can't afford to buy comics until student loan moneys.

Charlotte's final line: I'm choosing to view it as a joke and that she's gonna look for other available men, because otherwise the cuteness is ruined. I'm pretty sure it was meant that way. :D I thought Charlotte was awesome.

And Ray's death... I was seriously 'WTF okay he can't be dead right? They did NOT just kill the comic relief sidekick. OMG they did.'

It was pretty great and I secretly want to write fic where Sisko is their great-great x a thousand removed ancestor. AMIRITE?

[sio.livejournal.com]

I don't have it yet! I'm thinking about *shift eyes* obtaining it, because I can't afford to buy comics until student loan moneys.

hehe i won't tell. but i happened into the local comic store just to poke around (my coworker/former jr high school best friend's mom works there) and it popped into my head to ask if they could get it. she flipped and skimmed and said yes and did i want to pre-order it? i thought for a min and said "yea why not!" just the first issue to see if i like it. if i do then i can be set on a "order series list" where i can get each one as it rolls in XD

Charlotte's final line: I'm choosing to view it as a joke and that she's gonna look for other available men, because otherwise the cuteness is ruined. I'm pretty sure it was meant that way. :D I thought Charlotte was awesome.

oh yea definitely in a joking way! i just liked that she was positive about "losing". given how it was shown from the start that what Charlotte wants, Charlotte gets, i feared that she would either end up a minor villainness (rival-type) or at the very least, the friendship would be trashed. i was happy to see that neither occurred!

It was pretty great and I secretly want to write fic where Sisko is their great-great x a thousand removed ancestor. AMIRITE?

oh wouldn't that be ironic??

:coughdoitcough:

i still want to see your take on Winn/Jaro :gigglesnort:

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

I think it's not officially out until tomorrow, so... we'll see.

Charlotte was cool! I want a ton of Charlotte and Tiana best buds stories.

Dude, I forgot all about Winn and Jaro. I have to think of something cool to say about it.

[sio.livejournal.com]

huh...Barb (Ivy's mom) told me that her release book said it had been pushed back to Jan 10th i think. she was looking at the big order books that had the comics listed by publisher.

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

It's coming out later on the West Coast for shipping reasons - maybe they decided to hold it up altogether?

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Rather tangential, but I love She-Hulk so much I can't even begin to describe it. <3

[kahvi.livejournal.com]

Actually, I need a She-Hulk icon. Know where I could get a good one?

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

D: No, I actually don't! I have a soft spot for her too, especially as I had a bunch of those cheesecake Byrne comics with her in my childhood.

[thebratqueen.livejournal.com]

How were the songs for Princess and the Frog? I want to see it but - ugh - Randy Newman. Is his influence at least Toy Story levels of tolerable?

[skywaterblue.livejournal.com]

The characters themselves sing them, there's no Randy Newman v/o - except maybe briefly in one song. I can't remember. They're rather forgettable, actually, except for Tiana's ballad.

So very tolerable. Though I actually LIKE Randy Newman so YMMV.

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