Moana and Cultural Appropriation

Walt Disney Studio's next animated film, Moana, which is inspired by the mythology of Oceania and the Pacific Islands, has recently been subject to fierce criticism centring around one particular piece of merchandise used to promote the movie. The merchandise in question is a costume of one of the protagonists, Maui. In both the film and the Oceanic/Pacific Mythology which inspired it, Maui is a demigod with the power to create continents and move the sun. In the film, Maui has very little clothing, but instead wears a number of tattoos recounting his exploits. The costume of Maui aims to provide children with an opportunity to dress as the character who will likely be the most memorable in Moana, as it consists of a brown bodysuit designed to replicate Maui’s muscular body, complete with “the demigod’s signature tattoos, rope necklace and island-style skirt”. However, the costume has been accused of promoting racism and cultural appropriation.

The most obvious complaint against the costume is that getting children to dress in the skin colour of a minority figure invokes racist tropes such as “Brownface”, which have been used to belittle minority people throughout history. In addition, Body Art is sacred to many Oceanic/Pacific cultures, so using Maui’s tattoos as the basis for merchandise has created further offense.  The controversy surrounding the costume has become so intense that a spokesman for the Human Rights Commission has issued a statement saying that:

"Right now Polynesian people from across the Pacific region are voicing their views about this costume and it's their voices that are important right now. We hope Disney listens to the views of the communities and people whose cultures their movie is based upon."

As someone with only a basic knowledge Oceanic/Pacific culture, I am not particularly qualified to talk about many of the specific issues here, and there are other people who have provided more sophisticated analysis on the issue. Two particularly nuanced and interesting articles have been written by Nathan Ross and Becca Dague, and I urge you to read them. However, here is my opinion on the controversy.

First of all, I have to say that I understand a lot of the anger surrounding the costume. The one of a number of recent controversies surrounding the concept of “cultural appropriation”. Out of the numerous angry comments on Twitter when the costume was unveiled, one of the most insightful said that “We are not a costume”, and this sums up why people object to “Cultural Appropriation". Complaints about “Cultural Appropriation” stem from the fact that many depictions of minority cultures can often rely on stereotypes which are frustratingly simplistic at best and offensive at worst. If costumes of Maui are the only access people have to Oceanic/Pacific culture, they create a simplified perception of Oceanic/Pacific people which focuses on their skin colour and tattoos, and not their personality and values. Furthermore, stereotyping minority cultures can often ignore the history of persecution that they have suffered. This persecution was fuelled by a lack of respect for a culture regarded as alien, and if minority cultures are still treated with insufficient respect, it can create a climate which leads to further prejudice.  I generally don’t think that Walt Disney Animation Studios aim to promote racism (Many recent Disney Animations, from 1982’s The Fox and the Hound and 1989’s The Little Mermaid to the recent smash Zootopia, have contained strong anti-prejudice messages) but the decision to make merchandise out of Maui is pretty insensitive. I think that there are numerous ways of appealing to children’s interest in Maui which don’t involve making them wear costumes which seem to trivialise a complex and often misunderstood culture.

However, to use a problematic piece of merchandise to condemn the film itself is incredibly misguided. Moana is not merely the product of a corporation, but a work of entertainment created by a wide range of people. From the early stages of development, numerous Pacific figures have helped contribute to the making of the film. Several experts on Oceanic/Pacific culture were consulted, and they helped set up an “Oceanic Story Trust” to ensure that their mythology would be depicted as faithfully as possible. New Zealand filmmaker Taikia Waititi, whose recent film Hunt For The Wilderpeople is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year, wrote the first (and probably the most important) draft of the script. The Oceanic musician Opetaia Foa'i helped write the songs, and out of the eight members of the central Voice Cast, six (Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Temuera Morrison, Rachael House, Jermaine Clement and Nicole Scherzinger) are of Oceanic or Pacific heritage. Of the other two Voice Actors, one (Disney “Lucky Charm” Alan Tudyk) is only voicing animals. To judge the output of so many prominent Oceanic/Pacific people based on one piece of merchandise is unfair, and before we rush to condemn Moana, we need to hear their opinions on the matter.

The debate about Moana’s merchandise highlights the thorny issues surrounding the use of a specific cultural mythology in a mainstream blockbuster. One one hand, Moana will introduce the stories of Maui to millions (or even billions) of people with little knowledge of Oceanic/Pacific mythology. One the other hand, in trying to appeal to a mass audience, major companies such as Disney need to be especially careful to honour the heritage of their stories. When a big corporation like Disney releases a film, it can often be hard to tell whether they aim to provide an interesting piece of entertainment or a product which they can make money out of. When they seem to place too much emphasis on making merchandise, as they did here, it can fuel negative perceptions of their work. Ultimately, whilst I believe that the Maui costume should not have been released, I don’t think it affects my opinions on the film as a whole.  Therefore, whilst I acknowledge most of the concerns upon which this issue has shone a light, I still think that people should see Moana when it is released to cinemas. This would allow them to make a more complete and satisfactory judgement on whether or not the film waters down and trivialises Oceanic/Pacific culture or treats it respectfully.

Kubo and The Two Strings - Review

Who Made Kubo and The Two Strings?

Kubo and The Two Strings is the fourth movie by Laika Studios, who specialise in Stop-Motion animation. It is directed by Travis Knight, with Mark Haimes and Chris Butler writing the screenplay and Shannon Tindle helping to provide the story.

What's It About?

Kubo and the Two Strings tells the story of Kubo (Voiced by Art Parkinson), a one-eyed child who lives in Ancient Japan. In order to raise the money to provide for himself and his ailing mother Sariatu, he puts on street performances where he uses a guitar-like instrument called the Shanisen to bring Origami sculptures to life and tell stories about his father, the heroic samurai Hanzo. Kubo is forbidden from staying outside his home when dark comes, lest the sinister Sisters (Both voiced by Rooney Mara), the servants and daughters of the Moon King (Voiced by Ralph Fiennes) capture him and take his remaining eye. However, one night, Kubo misses his curfew, unleashing the sisters. At the cost of her own life, Sariatu uses her magical powers to transport Kubo away from the village. In order to defeat The Moon King, Kubo needs to find the three pieces of Hanzo's magic armour (a sword, a breastplate and a helmet). He is aided in his quest by Monkey (Voiced by Charlize Theron), a wooden doll brought to life, and Beetle (Voiced by Matthew McConaughey), a half-beetle, half-samurai, both of whom have significant hidden secrets.

My Review

"If you must blink, do it now. Pay careful attention to everything you see no matter how unusual it may seem. If you look away, even for an instant, then our hero will surely perish."

These are the opening lines to Kubo and the Two Strings, and they do an excellent job of getting the viewers attention. They create an intriguing sense of mystery and highlight one of the central themes of the film - the power and importance of storytelling. An opening narration is not always the best indicator of a film's quality, but Kubo and the Two Strings resoundingly lives up to the promise suggested by Kubo's introductory comments.

The best aspect of the film is the way in which it deals with a number of important themes. The focus on storytelling and its value is the most prominent, but Kubo and the Two Strings also deals with a number of other difficult topics. In addition to storytelling, it tackles the value of family, coming of age, death, bereavement, redemption, and the importance of emotions. Kubo and the Two Strings does justice to these themes. communicating them effectively to both children and adults. The film has numerous sad moments, but also plenty of hopeful ones. and the manner in which the themes and messages are conveyed gives these scenes their power.

Kubo and the Two Strings also has brilliant visuals. These are a must for any animated film, but Kubo's animation is so detailed that it is impossible to tell that it was mostly done in stop motion (Albeit with a good deal of CGI) There are scenes with sheets of origami paper transforming into Samurai, a flock of birds and even a giant chicken. In addition, we get a giant boat made entirely out of leaves, a river full of floating lanterns as beautiful as those depicted in Tangled, and a scene where our heroes have to fight a giant skeleton with hair made out of swords. The end credits include a clip where we see the latter being brought to life by animators, and it says volumes that I forgot about the stop-motion for much of the film and instead paid attention to the story.

Like many of the best children's films and fairy tales, Kubo and the Two Strings has a number of scary elements. In addition to the aforementioned battle with the skeleton, there is a fight against a sea monster with many eyes. The villains are also pretty creepy. The Sisters have porcelain masks (inspired by Japanese Theatre) and a witch-like design, whilst The Moon King is able to transform into a scary and powerful flying monster. However, the film is not without comedy. Beetle's often overconfident behaviour leads to a number of amusing moments, and Monkey's authoritative nature generates some dry humour as well.

The voice cast all succeed bringing the characters to life. As Kubo, Art Parkinson (Game of Thrones) has a number of scenes which would be a test for even an adult actor (as he tells his stories and fights The Moon King), but handles them pretty well. Charlize Theron (Snow White and the Huntsman) conveys Monkey's tough personality effectively, whilst Matthew McConaughey (Interstellar) provides an amusing performance as Beetle, also doing a good job with the more tragic aspects of the character. Rooney Mara (The Social Network), who I've never really associated with villain roles, is impressively menacing as the Sisters. The Moon King himself only appears in the Third Act, but Ralph Fiennes (Who has already worked on animated films such as The Prince of Egypt) makes him into a suitably threatening villain, maintaining his signature icy tone whilst changing his voice enough to fit the character and the setting.

However, Kubo and the Two Strings has been beset by allegations of white-washing, due to the fact that the central roles are played by white actors, and none of the people behind the film are Japanese. The iconic Japanese actor George Takei receives prominent billing, but his role is a mere cameo in a crowd scene. I believe that casting should be based on merit, but it would have been nice if one or two of the main characters were voiced by Japanese actors. Though the film is full of respect towards the culture it depicts, I think that the lack of Japanese personnel involved contrasts unfavourably with films such as the forthcoming Moana, which uses several Oceanic writers and actors in order to make its depiction of Polynesian culture more authentic. However, this does not really affect the quality of Kubo and the Two Strings, which is a very good movie as it is.

I also have an issue with the revelations surrounding Monkey and Beetle. I am going to avoid spoiling them here, but I personally wonder if they feel a little too contrived. These twists are handled well, fitting the films themes and advancing the story, but they feel a little over the top. Nonetheless, it is a testament to the quality of the writing that the revelations end up enhancing the film when they could have easily ruined it.

Conclusion

It's a bit depressing that Kubo and the Two Strings has not made much money at the Box Office, but then, many iconic family films, such as The Wizard of Oz were not successful on initial release. The real indicator of a film's quality is how well it is regarded in the future, and I bet that in about a decade, Kubo and the Two Strings will be remembered as a classic. It is a film bursting with ambitious visuals and interesting ideas, with memorable characters, a strong voice cast and a script that handles even the more conscientious elements of the story in a natural and engaging manner. I resoundingly recommend that you see this film.

Once You've Seen This Movie, See...

Coraline - Laika's best-known and most successful film. This contains most of the studio's signature elements, such as creepiness, humour, and a villain who wants to do something nasty to the protagonist's eyes.

Song Of The Sea - An Irish animated film about Selkies, this also centres around themes of family, and also features an antagonist who regards emotions as a weakness in the same way that the Moon King does in Kubo.

Anything by Studio Ghibli - It goes without saying that Japanese animated films were a significant influence on Kubo and the Two Strings. Although Studio Ghibli tend to set their films in more recent time periods, they have set a high benchmark for depictions of Japanese culture.

My Opinions on Chloe Grace Moretz’s Departure from The Little Mermaid

I don’t like starting an article with such a negative statement, but I now hate Chloe Grace Moretz.

This comment is nothing to do with her acting (She’s a very prolific and talented actress for someone of her age, and I really loved her work in the wonderful 2011 film Hugo), or even her recent relationship with David Beckham’s son Brooklyn. Instead, it concerns comments she made in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. In this interview, she said that she “pulled the plug on all my movies because I want to reassess who I am and find myself within my roles again.”

The reason why this statement upsets me so much is the fact that one of the movies Moretz has presumably dropped out of is Universal’s adaptation of Hans Christian Andersen’s iconic Fairy Tale The Little Mermaid, where she was supposed to play the titular protagonist. Moretz hasn’t officially confirmed that she has left this project, but she hasn’t denied it either. Therefore, it is reasonable to assume that the claim is correct, and The Little Mermaid is now without a lead actress.

Universal’s take on The Little Mermaid has been in development since 2010 (If you want perspective on how long ago 2010 was, it is when Chloe Moretz came to prominence as a 13 year-old in Kick-Ass), when Joe Wright (director of Atonement and Hanna) was attached to direct. In 2014, he was replaced by Lost in Translation director Sofia Coppola, but she left the project in 2015, a few months before Chloe Grace Moretz joined it. During this lengthy gestation period, numerous screenwriters have been attached, including Abi Morgan (Who recently wrote historical drama Suffragette) and Caroline Thompson, famous for working with Tim Burton on films like Edward Scissorhands.

Universal have always aimed to create a darker, edgier take on The Little Mermaid, more faithful to Hans Christian Andersen’s tale (where the Little Mermaid doesn’t end up with her prince, and chooses to die rather than kill him) than the Disney film. Although The Little Mermaid is not the easiest Fairy Tale to transform into a feature-length film (due to the emphasis on religious matters, and the large amount of padding), there have been several international and independent adaptations of Andersen’s tale (not counting Disney’s version), proving that it’s not impossible to film, even in Live Action. In addition, Universal are facing competition. Disney are remaking their own version of The Little Mermaid in live action, but this project is still at a very early stage (it doesn’t have a screenwriter or director attached), and probably won’t arrive for another 3 or so years yet, giving Universal plenty of time to get their version made. Unlike with the recent competing versions of The Jungle Book, or Snow White, there will be enough differences between the two versions of The Little Mermaid to allow them both to be popular and successful. The final reason to bring the story to the big screen is the fact that it has been stuck in Development Hell for so long, meaning that it would be really nice to see it get into production as soon as possible- there’s nothing worse than seeing such an intriguing project languish in limbo for such a long time.

I’m going to be honest and say that I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the project when Wright and Coppola were attached. Though I admire many aspects of Andersen’s story (including the fact that The Little Mermaid doesn’t get to be a fairy tale bride), I am not keen on the more nihilistic interpretations of the story, which can sometimes seem to convey the message that its bad to explore or pursue your dreams.  I thought that Wright and Coppola would focus too much on the bleakest aspects of Andersen’s tale, at the expense of more positive and hopeful ones (At the very least, I would like any adaptation to keep the “Daughters of the Air” ending – where The Little Mermaids’ selflessness and tenacity earns her a wonderful reward in the afterlife - or use some variation on it). However, when it was announced that Richard Curtis was writing the new version (with relative newcomer Rebecca Thomas directing it), I got really excited, as Richard Curtis is one of my favourite screenwriters.

People may know him best for his Romantic Comedies such as Four Weddings and A Funeral, but Richard Curtis is a more versatile screenwriter than people have given him credit for. He created Blackadder, one of my favourite sitcoms of all time, co-wrote the Steven Spielberg film War Horse and wrote the wonderful Dr. Who episode “Vincent and the Doctor” about Vincent Van Gogh. In addition, there are scenes in Curtis’ works which demonstrate that he is able to tackle the unrequited love at the centre of Andersen’s story. One of the most notable sub-plots in Love Actually depicts a man unable to speak his mind when the love of his life marries someone else. Can you think of anything that reminds you more of The Little Mermaid’s romantic disappointment? Therefore, I regard Richard Curtis as the perfect person to adapt The Little Mermaid, as he seems like the sort of writer able to strike a satisfactory balance between the sense of wonder which attracts people like me to the story, and the sadder aspects which make it stand out.

Since Curtis was attached to the project, I have been really excited about it. A lot of this was due to Moretz’s promotion of the project, as she talked endlessly about a “Progressive” update which would make a number of interesting modernisations whilst staying true to the appeal of the source material (One alteration she mentioned was changing the Little Mermaid’s desire to gain a human soul so that she instead seeks out “different human emotions that she's never felt or seen or heard before.”) These innovations made me really excited, as they would emphasise the search for adventure and knowledge, which is what any good incarnation of The Little Mermaid should be focusing on (The main reason why I love the Disney film so much, in spite of its deviations from the source material). This is why I’m so frustrated that Moretz quit the film so nonchalantly. I think that an actor should work hard to maintain the support of their fans, so Moretz getting fairy tale fans such as myself excited over such an interesting project, then dropping out of it in this fashion really feels like a selfish betrayal. Even if she had lost her passion for the project, I think that she should have stuck with it, or at least helped Universal to find a replacement as quickly as possible.

In spite of Chloe Grace Moretz’s decision to quit Universal’s version of The Little Mermaid, I really want the studio to stick with this film, and I really hope that even if they find someone new to play The Little Mermaid, that they keep Richard Curtis attached to the project. It would be really nice to see the non-Disney take on the fairy tale get made, especially with someone as talented as Curtis attached.

Future Fairy Tale Films #1 - Moana

Future Fairy Tale Films is the name for a series of articles on this blog which will discuss forthcoming Fairy Tale films, whether they are nearing release or early in development, and explain why I am looking forward to them so much.

The first article in this series will focus on Moana, the next animated blockbuster from Disney. Walt Disney's Animation studios are in the midst of a purple patch, and it seems like Moana will emulate the critical and commercial success of their recent hits, such as Frozen and Zootropolis*.

(*Also known as Zootopia in America.)

Moana is based on Polynesian folk tales about the demigod Maui, and centres around Moana, a girl from an Oceanic Island who seeks out Maui in order to restore the ability to navigate the oceans around her homeland. It will be released in the UK on 2nd December, a week after it is released in America.

Here are five reasons why I'm excited for it:

1. It Looks Set To Recall Disney Classics

Since Disney returned to the fairy-tale genre in 2009's animated film The Princess and the Frog, recent hits such as Tangled and Frozen have sought to capture the magic of classic Disney films whilst pointing out and subverting their flaws. Like its immediate predecessors, Moana will be torn between invoking the glories of the past and pointing the way forward for the future. However, it seems like it will be successful at doing both of these things.

Moana is being directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, the writer-director duo behind some of Disney's most iconic films of their "Renaissance" period (which stretched from 1989 to the start of the new millennium), such as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and Hercules. There are several elements of Moana which seem set to recall memories of Clements and Musker's previous films. Moana's desire to follow her dreams, in spite of her father being opposed to this, seems reminiscent of The Little Mermaid, and the depiction of the demigod Maui will invoke more than a few comparisons to Hercules. However, in case Moana seems a little too much like like a Greatest Hits compilation, there will be a number of unique elements. The titular protagonist will become the first female lead character in a Disney Fairy Tale film not have a love interest, and the film has a "heroes journey" storyline which will bring to mind many classic adventure films. Overall, it seems like Moana will succeed in appealing to both our nostalgia for Disney classics and our desire to see something new.

2. It Will Shine A Light On An Obscure and Fascinating Culture

Clements and Musker are known for playing fast and loose with the source material that inspires their films. The Little Mermaid used Hans Christian Andersen's melancholy tale as the basis for an upbeat romantic musical, whilst Aladdin and Hercules provided a flashy and comedic spin on Arabian Nights and Greek Myths respectively. However, Moana promises to provide a surprisingly faithful depiction of Pacific Culture. Clements and Musker first visited the islands of Oceania in 2011. They visited the continent again in 2014. During their visits, Clements, Musker and other members of Moana's creative team met with numerous experts on Polynesian culture. They formed the "Oceanic Story Trust", and spent years researching for the movie.

The research which the "Oceanic Story Trust" carried out had a significant effect on Moana's development. The concept of Moana was inspired by the 1000 year-long absence of records and stories about Polynesian navigators during the ancient era (their navigation resumed 2,000 years ago, to give you a perspective on how long ago Moana is set), and the Oceanic proverb "Know Your Mountain" - you have to know where you're from in order to know where you're going - was apparently a key influence on the story. This attention to detail extends to the animation, as items like beach sand and clothing were designed to be as faithful as possible to the things Moana's animators saw on the Pacific Islands. Overall, it seems like the people behind Moana are making every effort to convey "the deep relationship people have with the ocean" in Oceania, and this will ensure that the tale is a respectful tribute to Polynesian mythology which will bring it to the attention of millions of viewers.

3. It Has A Talented Cast and Crew

In addition to Clements and Musker, numerous talented people have helped bring Moana to the big screen. Maui will be voiced by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, who is one of the most prominent and successful actors in Hollywood today. Whilst his presence in Moana may seem like stunt casting to some, Dwayne Johnsons's mother is Samoan, and his grandfather is the famous Samoan wrestler Peter Maivia. This means that Dwayne Johnson is probably one of the most notable celebrities with Oceanic heritage at the moment, making him an ideal choice to voice an iconic Oceanic figure.

In addition to Johnson, the Voice Cast features numerous prominent Oceanic actors such as Temuera Morrison (famous for starring in Once Were Warriors), Rachel House (famous for starring Whale Rider) and Jermaine Clement ( who starred in Flight of the Conchords and voiced villains in Rio and The BFG). Moana herself will be voiced by Auli'i Cravalho, a Hawaiian teenager discovered in an online search. In addition, the script was written by veteran New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi (currently working on the next Thor movie), with other screenwriters, such as Disney regular Jared Bush (who wrote and directed Zootropolis) working on the subsequent drafts. With so many talented people involved in bringing Moana to life, it seems like it will succeed in its twin aims of entertaining audiences and introducing them to Oceanic culture.

4. The Visuals Seem Stunning

All the best Disney films have a memorable cast, and Moana looks to be no exception to the rule. The supporting characters include the fifty-foot tall crab Tamatoa, a group of diminutive pirates called the Kakamori, and a rooster named Hei Hei. However, it seems like the stand-out character will be Maui. Maui's giant body is covered with tattoos which come to life to recount his numerous exploits. One of these tattoos is called Mini Maui, and will provide the role of his conscience. The tattoos will be depicted using traditional hand-drawn animation, in contrast to the computer animation used for the rest of the film, and there will be scenes where the mute Mini Maui interacts with Maui himself. Blending 2D and 3D animation in this manner is a very difficult undertaking, but the end result should be a lot of fun to watch.

However, the most revolutionary technology used in Moana is a newly-created system called "Splash",which will be used to depict the ocean. In Moana, the Ocean isn't merely a vast expanse of water - it will be portrayed as a living being that can interact with Moana and Maui. This means that "effects shots" will take up 80% of the film. "Splash" allowed the animators of Moana to animate a wide range of water-based scenes more quickly and effectively. This ensure that the water can be depicted with a level of detail seldom seen in an animated film, making Moana's world seem more realistic and beautiful. However, as Moana's technical supervisor, Hank Driskill, has pointed out "the water just has to look right" - the film will rely primarily on great characters and a great story in order to stand out.


5. The Music Will Be Great

One of the best things about Disney's animated films has always been the music. Songs like "The Bare Necessities", "Part Of Your World"and "Let It Go" are as wonderful today as they were when people heard them for the first time. It seems that Moana will continue to showcase Disney's ability at creating excellent songs to enhance their films. The main songwriter is Lin-Manuel Miranda, the man behind Hamilton, probably the most successful musical on Broadway right now. He will be aided by Opetaia Foa'i, a member of "South Pacific Fusion" group Te Vaka and Mark Mancina, who will compose the score (He previously composed the score for The Lion King) The soundtrack of Moana is mostly being kept under wraps for now, but I bet that it will feature excellent songs that will advance the narrative, develop the characters and their world and, most importantly, be enjoyed for decades to come.

Some Sites for Fairytale Fans

If you look at the sidebar on this blog, you will see a section containing links to several fairy-tale related sites. Many of these sites simply contain Folktales or Fairy-tales (ranging from the iconic to the obscure), but there are several more unusual sites listed amongst them. This article contains further information on five of these, and explains why fairy-tale fans should check them out.

Daring to Dream - This site is a must-visit for fans of mermaids. It predominantly focuses on Disney's iconic 1989 film "The Little Mermaid", and is full of information about the franchise it inspired, including a TV Series, a direct-to-video sequel, a play, and numerous books.  However, if you prefer Hans Christian Andersen's version of the "Little Mermaid" story, there are also pages devoted to the numerous adaptations of it. In addition, the site features pages devoted to other films and TV shows which feature mermaids, ranging from "Splash" to "Peter Pan". To sum up quickly, if you love mermaids as much as I do, you should make this site into "Part of Your World" immediately.

Jane Ray Illustrations - Jane Ray is a London-based writer and illustrator who specialises in Fairy-tales. She has a distinctive and beautiful artistic style, and her work is worth checking out, whether she is illustrating classic stories or (on some occasions) writing her own.

Noodleheads: The Wisdom of Fools - Many cultures have stories and folktales about the archetypal "fools", eccentric figures whose unique interpretations of the world generate comedic chaos. This site introduces people to the most iconic works in this genre, such as the stories about "The Wise Men of Chelm" and the German clown Eulenspiegel Till.

Oh My Disney - This site is the official blog of the Walt Disney Company, with numerous articles devoted to all the films and TV shows created by the company. As you can expect, there is significant emphasis on their Fairy-tale films, whether old or new.

Rejected Princesses - This site focuses on "Women too awesome, awful, or offbeat for kids' movies". Its most notable for its section on "Rejected Princesses", which shines a spotlight on numerous significant but forgotten females from history and folklore, all of whom are honoured with an illustration of them done in the Disney style, with big expressive eyes and slender bodies. Overall, this site is an excellent source for anyone wishing to discover a wide range of female role models who they may not have heard of before.

Fairy Tale Fanboy - Introduction

Hello, and welcome to Fairy Tale Fanboy. This blog is for fans of Fairytales and their numerous variations. Whether you're into Disney, the Brothers Grimm or Hans Christian Andersen, you should find something to interest you.

This blog will predominantly focus on Fairy Tale films and TV shows. It will contain a mixture of reviews, opinion pieces and countdowns. 

Therefore, if you're into Fairytales, in any form, then check this blog out!