film criticism by maryann johanson | since 1997
Fairy tale goes jukebox musical with a feminist, gender-fluid spin. Throws irony and sarcasm at heterosexuality, patriarchy, even monarchy. Pretty darn fun, with a sweetly spunky Ella in Cabello.
The most soulless of the live-action Disney remakes yet, weighted down by too many blah characters, too much convoluted plot, unconvincing CGI, and a message that doesn’t say what it thinks it does.
Dude thinks calling me ugly somehow negates my review of Captain Marvel.
Like a theme-park mounting of the 1991 cartoon, or the blandified pop version of an enchanting signature character tune. A watered-down pastiche of itself.
Goes right up to the bleeding edge of cinema to tell a story that is strapping yet simple, and hugely appealing. Disney found a good reason to redo an old film.
Now updated with all the winners…
The numbers are almost identical to the U.S. situation, which isn’t terribly surprising: the movies are mostly the same. [This post is not behind the paywall.]
Women make up 50 percent of the moviegoing public, but telling stories about women continues to not be a primary concern for Hollywood. [This post is not behind the paywall.]
Subsume your individuality and your desires in the hopes that other people will like you? How come we never tell stories about men that sound like this? [This post is not behind the paywall.]
A product of the Disney princess machine. Its highest ambition is to move a new line of toys. Or to evoke despair in the fairy-tale-ization of girls’ lives.
