Post by Shenzi on Nov 25, 2007 3:22:44 GMT -5
Well I have just returned from seeing this movie with my friend.
I must say I did not think there would be so much humor my friend and I were laughing constantly. But I am getting a little ahead of myself.
Note: the second paragraph and the fourth short sentence in the spoiler tags are NOT spoilers but I can't get the stupid tags to behave and not cover it. Sorry.
First off the one thing I did not like was that it should have spent more time on the back story with meeting the characters in the animated world. I feel that they did not really properly introduce you to the characters, they just show you who they are and then move the story along to where it ends up in the real world very quickly. I would have liked to see more about how the Queen came into rule and decided the the prince must never marry. And then we should have learned more of who Giselle is and where she came from. They really just begin with where she is currently and how she meets the Prince just by singing. I would have liked to see more of where she came from and where she got a lot of her fairytale ideas, and how she came to except a prince to just waltz into her life. I am sure it was more than just growing up in a fairytale world, perhaps bedtime stories she was told by her mother or father.
Once the story got to real life New York it still moved a little quickly however they began to develop more of a plot. I liked the character of Robert and how Giselle helped him to believe in love again and how in turn he helped her to realize that love is not what fairy tales make it out to be. I also love how this serves as a message to the little kids that watch Disney films because while all the classic Disney fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella are all wonderful of course they give children a little too much hope, and tend to give the impression that love can just come to you with magic or just one kiss, that its as simple as making a wish and you'll have it. That's why I liked Robert; how he was a single father who's wife had walked out on him which made him a stick in the mud and did not really seem to value love, and how Giselle helped bring that part of him back to life.
Now the character of the prince is where most of the laughing came from. He was such a ditz and seemed to only have half a brain. But thats what made his role in the film so hilarious. There was the bus scene and the getting trampled by the bikes and his guesses as to what the chipmunk was trying to communicate with him. To me he was just good for the laughs, what was really amazing besides the story between Giselle and Robert was the story with the Queen and the Nathaniel. Susan Serandan put on a wonderful performance her character reminded me of a mix between Maleficent, and Yzma. I loved how she was most of what put some wonderful twists on the traditional fairytale structure. I love how these characters are sent into this entirely new world and how they learn to adapt. That was such a wonderful original idea which for Disney was about time.
The songs were also great, I loved the song that was played at the ball when the two couples were forced to switch dance partners.
I also loved the song that everyone in the park and joined her in singing earlier in the film and how Robert at this point was still being a stick in the mud so he was feeling very awkward throughout the entire number.
All the performances were wonderful despite that the only two actors in the entire film that I had ever heard of were Susan Serandan and Timothy Spall, by the way it was wonderful to see him again after his performance as Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban. It was very different to see him not so rat like but the role was totally in the same league; the minion who pretended to be the prince's best friend but behind his back his heart went out toe the evil Queen. Everyone else was spectacular as well despite that I had never heard of them. The special effects and animation for the cartoon world were wonderful. The animation for the cartoon world was really a wonderful and refreshing blast from the past back to Disney's good old days when films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King were the newest things.
Overall a wonderful and refreshingly original film, I can see Giselle being the newest Disney Princess craze with all of today's little girls. As a few people above have pointed out this is most definitely a film suitable and enjoyable for the entire family. There really is something for all ages in this film.
I must say I did not think there would be so much humor my friend and I were laughing constantly. But I am getting a little ahead of myself.
Note: the second paragraph and the fourth short sentence in the spoiler tags are NOT spoilers but I can't get the stupid tags to behave and not cover it. Sorry.
First off the one thing I did not like was that it should have spent more time on the back story with meeting the characters in the animated world. I feel that they did not really properly introduce you to the characters, they just show you who they are and then move the story along to where it ends up in the real world very quickly. I would have liked to see more about how the Queen came into rule and decided the the prince must never marry. And then we should have learned more of who Giselle is and where she came from. They really just begin with where she is currently and how she meets the Prince just by singing. I would have liked to see more of where she came from and where she got a lot of her fairytale ideas, and how she came to except a prince to just waltz into her life. I am sure it was more than just growing up in a fairytale world, perhaps bedtime stories she was told by her mother or father.
Once the story got to real life New York it still moved a little quickly however they began to develop more of a plot. I liked the character of Robert and how Giselle helped him to believe in love again and how in turn he helped her to realize that love is not what fairy tales make it out to be. I also love how this serves as a message to the little kids that watch Disney films because while all the classic Disney fairy tales like Snow White and Cinderella are all wonderful of course they give children a little too much hope, and tend to give the impression that love can just come to you with magic or just one kiss, that its as simple as making a wish and you'll have it. That's why I liked Robert; how he was a single father who's wife had walked out on him which made him a stick in the mud and did not really seem to value love, and how Giselle helped bring that part of him back to life.
You could tell from their first night with her when watches her fall asleep on the couch; the look in his eyes mirrors the first little inch of his eyes and heart opening up. This point however creates a butterfly effect for upcoming predictable romances. You cal tell from that moment that he is going to fall for her and she him, although I love how he tries to deny it like when she puts his description together and decides that she is on a date with him when they eat together at the Italian place. The romance with the prince you can tell for a while is dead, especially as Pride said when she forgets the lyrics to the song, you can instantly tell from that that her heart is no longer with him. There are even moments before the she is reunited with the Prince where you can tell her heart was with Robert. I agree with Robert that it seemed to have never been with the Prince. Like I said they barely got into a back story with the animated characters so all you see is that they hear each other singing and are somehow in love at that second. I agree with Pride about that being very corny how they finished each others sentences and such when they had only met two seconds ago. I liked how her relationship with Robert developed into what it turned out to be that way you get more into it as the viewer. Its like they prepared you for the prince not lasting because first of all they hardly introduce him and secondly they don't allow the relationship with him to develop over time while with Robert it did more because with Robert it was not instant love just at the sound of her voice. He had had a bad loss and protected himself with denial for a while. While with the Prince it was instant love. It reminded me a little of the Lilo and stitch episode with the purple bird experiment that pecked people's necks causing them to fall in meaningless, fake love with the first person they looked at. what happened with her and the Prince was clearly not love in my opinion. It could have just been coincidence that they both knew the song, like in modern times more than one person can learn to memorize a song if they all enjoy it enough. None the less it was a beautiful story and her relationship with Robert was also beautiful.
Now the character of the prince is where most of the laughing came from. He was such a ditz and seemed to only have half a brain. But thats what made his role in the film so hilarious. There was the bus scene and the getting trampled by the bikes and his guesses as to what the chipmunk was trying to communicate with him. To me he was just good for the laughs, what was really amazing besides the story between Giselle and Robert was the story with the Queen and the Nathaniel. Susan Serandan put on a wonderful performance her character reminded me of a mix between Maleficent, and Yzma. I loved how she was most of what put some wonderful twists on the traditional fairytale structure. I love how these characters are sent into this entirely new world and how they learn to adapt. That was such a wonderful original idea which for Disney was about time.
I also loved how at the end it ended up being the woman saving the man, or as the queen put it so humorously, the male ended up the damsel in distress and the female ended up the one with the sward and slaying the dragon. So far Shrek is the only movie to have the princesses kick ass. that was the best twist of all.
The songs were also great, I loved the song that was played at the ball when the two couples were forced to switch dance partners.
Possibly one of my favorite moments in the film as a whole was when she is about to leave with the prince and she looks back at Robert wanting to cry at the sight of him with his long time girlfriend and the line from the song sung at the moment which has now left me made the moment very powerful, it makes you really feel her pain. I also loved how it ended up being his kiss that she needed to be revived from the poison apple. I also loved how Nathaniel came to terms and switched over to the good side after he had had such a thing for the queen, I like that his eyes had been opened as well.
I also loved the song that everyone in the park and joined her in singing earlier in the film and how Robert at this point was still being a stick in the mud so he was feeling very awkward throughout the entire number.
All the performances were wonderful despite that the only two actors in the entire film that I had ever heard of were Susan Serandan and Timothy Spall, by the way it was wonderful to see him again after his performance as Peter Pettigrew in Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Askaban. It was very different to see him not so rat like but the role was totally in the same league; the minion who pretended to be the prince's best friend but behind his back his heart went out toe the evil Queen. Everyone else was spectacular as well despite that I had never heard of them. The special effects and animation for the cartoon world were wonderful. The animation for the cartoon world was really a wonderful and refreshing blast from the past back to Disney's good old days when films like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King were the newest things.
Overall a wonderful and refreshingly original film, I can see Giselle being the newest Disney Princess craze with all of today's little girls. As a few people above have pointed out this is most definitely a film suitable and enjoyable for the entire family. There really is something for all ages in this film.