Weird Disney Curse of Bring-backness

Specialty Other Disney
#1

I was thinking today. What keeps bringing us back to Disney? We should hate it since it’s become so plastic and money-grubbing but yet… you can’t. No matter how much you hate it, you can’t help but smile when that old familiar mouse comes on screen. No matter how low it gets, you still love seeing that logo and those inspiring commercials. For example:

[url]- YouTube

I almost CRIED the first time I saw that commercial. YOUR RIGHT! THERE IS ONLY ONE DISNEY!!! sob

My point is, how do they do it? Wonderful movies out of them are rare these days, but yet they have this ability to seem untouchable. Now matter how much you think you hate them, you love them. You just can’t help it.

#2

For me, Disney is a symbol of my childhood. Most other things from that time have faded away, and while Disney HAS gone downhill over the last decade or so, they’ll be there until the day I die. I can’t imagine myself getting tired of Peter Pan or Merlin or Belle! Their movies have been a part of my life as long as I can remember, which makes them more than just a movie studio.

But I don’t worry too much about their current dark age (IMO, at least). They’ve had comebacks in the past, and glorious ones at that. A lot rests on the shoulders of The Princess and the Frog in December. I’m really glad that John Lasseter is creative director of WDFA now, because he could very well hold the key to Disney’s next golden age! My fingers are crossed.

Anyway, about the whole “magic” thing… A lot can probably be contributed to their history and how they connect all living generations at the moment. Families go on vacation to Disney World, a large majority of the population enjoyed watching the Disney classics at one time in their life–if not always. The detail that goes into not only the films but Disney theme parks around the world is just astounding. It’s as if they’ve really created their own pleasant, breathtaking world for us to become a part of whenever we pop in a DVD or take a trip to Orlando. And the character designs, animation, and music are also superior to most other animation studios. Those things make many of the classics unforgettable.

#3

I don’t know. Some studios are just like that maybe… I was always more into PIXAR though, and am much more reserved about Disney. They have a lot of very good older films, and Bolt could be the start of something, but for me, they are at a point, where it is film by film. We will just have to see where it goes in terms of their animation. As for me, I am hoping that with John Lasseter’s help, it will continue in the ‘Bolt’ direction.

#4

I wouldn’t call it a “curse”, but more like a thing of Disney magic. There’s some people I know that call Disney something made for kids, and I totally disagree with that. Then, when I think about it, maybe it is for kids- for the kid in all of us, no matter what age. It’s like, watching those old classics bring back so many memories, and make us feel like we’re watching it as children again, and we suddenly feel so happy, and the animated sequences are so intense and dramatic that we can feel like it’s so real.

Enchanted, for example, completely blew me away. It was beautiful and did, as the title says, enchant me. It let me taste Classic Disney again, just when I thought it was all over, in a modern environment, and it was genius. It gave me new faith in Disney’s work nowadays.

I don’t hate modern Disney, but I do hate how classic Disney can’t coexist with them on Disney Channel like Enchanted brought out. I loved that commercial in that link you provided, because it involved both classic and modern Disney. I just want modern Disney Channel to start to show their respect for the classics that started it all, then I can live with it!

I loved Meet the Robinsons, though not a Disney classic, because it showed in an inspirational way how Disney hasn’t forgotten Walt Disney himself. What really touched me was that they quoted him!

Anyway, you get my point. Disney magic always gets us, and that’s why we just can’t escape it. :wink:

#5

Yeah, bright dot-dasher. “Adults are only kids grown up.” - Walt Disney

I, too, wouldn’t call it a ‘curse’ but rather a ‘magic.’

#6

That commercial epitomizes what Disney has become. Did no one else cringe when movies such as Chicken Little and Disney’s other more mediocre recent films were featured?

Disney were a great company once, and I love all of their old films, but I like few, if any, of their more recent offerings (and Pixar films don’t count).

So yes, I can help but love them. I can’t help but be disappointed in them, that’s for sure. Disney had the magic, but now it’s gone, and all that’s left is commercial rubbish. It’s a shame, but at least there’s still Pixar to carry on the idea that just because a film is suitable for children, doesn’t mean it has to be childish or immature.

#7

Lizardgirl: Not all of their more recent stuff is bad. Have you seen the 2001-2003 TV show House of Mouse? I saw a few episodes on YouTube and it, I think, is the Animaniacs for Disney. It’s shorts are pretty darn close to the quality of the original Walt shorts.

Yes, the magic may be gone. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t salvageable. I think that is what keeps bringing us back. We always hope that this time Disney will be right, this time they’ve found what worked and what didn’t. And with John Lassiter, that hope may come true. Bolt was pretty good. Hopefully G-Force will be the last of those type movies, and hopefully Disney Channel will improve. May take a while, though.

And like queen_of_painting said, Disney had a rough spot in the 70’s. Their quality was going down, and they were getting more money-grubbing. Still, they had a comeback, and that comeback is the source of movies like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.

#8

I know this might sound like the weirdest theory, but I think Disney may be taking advantage of a few musical notes to MAKE people like them. Pay attention to the notes at around 0:06 to 0:09.
au.youtube.com/watch?v=L1IfpwJmH … re=related

These are what I call the “really happy yet strangely tear inducing sometimes” notes. I’m sure that people who know how music works probably have a name for them, but that’s what I call them.

Every game, film or tv series that I’ve really really liked has used this in their soundtrack. Metal Gear Solid 2 used it, and at one point I listened to the title theme over and over again at one point just for a section on it that used those notes, of course I just listened to it because I liked the piece of music without knowing why.
au.youtube.com/watch?v=DUHJsU_ooWQ

There it is again! At 0:12 to 0:19 it uses what I believe to be the same or similar notes, but not necessarily in the same order.

Even WALL-E does it. 0:19 to 0:36 of this video it uses similar notes.
au.youtube.com/watch?v=oJ_x9FIAZHU

I don’t know what it is, but these particular notes make me insanely happeh. I only just thought of that when I made this post.

#9

Although I’ve been disappointed in Disney the last few years, I honestly believe they are shaping up. They’re doing a lot to get the company back in line, because there’s a lot of new management.

No one has to believe me. But seeing as I now work for Disney I do get some inside information. What Disney is doing for the Disney Stores alone impresses me. Whatever anyone wants to believe, not everyone at Disney is all about the money and a lot of the company heads do care about the ‘little people’ and making the company great again.

The problem is that Disney is now SO huge, of course it’s going to slip up in a few places. But then I see them try to fix their mistakes. They’re making good animated movies again. They bought back their stores. They’re improving the parks.

There’s a lot more to Disney than some people really realize, and I think it’s easy for people to be so critical because they don’t really understand what it takes to keep such a humongous company in control. No company is perfect, but at least Disney is trying to get back on it’s feet.

#10

OMG, Hog-Hug, your explanation is so true and so great!

Disney is so huge, and so, it’ll never be easy to keep huge company in control. Not everyone in Disney thinks all about money. And as a whole company, I can see them trying to improve themselves, trying to show that they’ll not give up even when they’re down, and trying to do whatever that would make Walt Disney proud.

I like that line, Hog-Hug.

#11

I stopped liking Disney when I was around 7 or 8 years old. I only liked Pixar films when I saw them in theaters. I started liking Pixar again about a year ago. In my opiniom, the only good part about Disney is Pixar and the amusement parks.

#12

I wouldn’t call it “Disney magic”, more like “clever marketing” or “clever branding”. :stuck_out_tongue:

But I must confess I’m not immune to Disney’s magic. Even the Disney logo makes me think that it must be good for families and it’s just got that Disney quality. “When You Wish Upon a Star” is one of my favourite studio themes, and it reminds us of the original Disney classics. It was a smart move for Disney to associate its new movies with that theme. If it wasn’t for the many years beforehand of Disney classics that solidified Disney as the top quality animation studio, it probably would have gone under before the year 2000.

I think that’s also one of the reasons why people are more likely to give Disney a second chance. I really don’t like what Disney has become, but I’m still waiting for the day when they start releasing good films again (like with MtR and Bolt) and then eventually making instant classics, that would be on par with any of Pixar’s films. So, even though Disney became a sequel factory, I’m ready to give them another go. People wouldn’t have put up with their lame films. But maybe there’s a market for direct-to-video cheapquels.

Pewpewpew5522 - Yeah, I get what your saying with that, and it’s a really good point. Those high notes really do lift your spirits. I’d have to say the part that makes me feel really happy in “The Axiom” is at 0:40 and 0:57. But great examples you picked up there.

#13

Aww, thanks. :wink: It’s something I’ve learned in the past few months working at the Disney Store. It’s easy to critisize when you don’t see how far Disney reaches, but when you realize just how many people Disney has impacted, and that Disney IS working hard to keep that impact strong, you start to appreciate their efforts more.

Is it just the rides you like at the amusement parks, or the atmosphere too?

Because half the fun at the parks is being around the Disney themes & characters, otherwise they’d just be another cheap thrill-park.

I’m not trying to be rude, I’m just curious. Are you saying you no longer like ANY Disney movies, except for Pixar movies? I’ll be honest- I think that’s virtually impossible.

#14

You guys have brought up a lot of valid points, and I’d just like to add my two cents to it:

steps up to soapbox

For me, the best Disney age was in the 90s (probably because I grew up in those years, so I have a slight bias). It was in this decade that most of the films that Disney churned out were both instant classics and popular blockbusters. Most of what people would remember Disney for its characters and stories would come from this age too, like Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King, Hunchback of Notre Dame, Pocahantas, Mulan, Hercules, Tarzan…

That’s not to say that there weren’t classics before this decade (such as Snow White, Pinnochio, Dumbo, Fox and the Hound, Black Cauldron, yadadyadayda), but the films really gained international prominence and popularity around this age. People actually began to think that animated films were not just “cartoons for kids”, but films to take the entire family to, and marketing campaigns hyped up this films to become movie events unlike anything seen in earlier decades.

Then as we entered the new millenium, interest started to wane, partly because the storytellers rested on their laurels and resorted to cheap sequels or pop-culture savvy plots (and partly because of the Roy-Eisner debacle). Dinosaur and Emperor’s New Groove were passable family entertainment, but because under new management, genre-pushing films such as Atlantis, Treasure Planet and Brother Bear (all excellent films that represent the best of both traditional and modern animation by the way) were not publicised (in my opinion) heavily enough, so box-office success started to wane. With the exception of Lilo & Stitch, 2-D animation was seen as unprofitable, and when Home on the Range (which I haven’t seen) proved the last straw, they switched to 3-D, hoping they were jumping on the CG bandwagon. When that didn’t prove successful either (wonder why? :unamused: ), as shown by Chicken Little and The Wild, Disney began leaning on Pixar as a crutch, and started to churn out the DTVs and teenybopper movies (like HSM, Montana and Camp Rock) you are now seeing lately.

Which brings us full circle to the beginning. Disney needs a serious reboot, and I’m glad efforts like MtR and Bolt are starting to pay off. I’m really, really anxious for Princess and the Frog to give the spectacular comeback that we’ve all been waiting for, and I hope that is is the prelude to another golden era of enduring classics that will stand the test of time, not another high-school movie starring Dwayne Johnson or Cuba Gooding Jr.

Please make epic films again, Disney. You have a generation of people who grew up loving your films and hate seeing it go down the drain. We await your return.

#15

Here here! : )

#16

thedriveintheatre: Great way of saying it!

#17

I agree there’s some kind of Disney magic (That’s what they advertise, anyway, isnt it? :wink: ). I mean, yeah I kinda hate a lot of what corporate Disney has done, and I dont like what certain things have become, like the Disney Channel, or certain Disney stores (as a lot of them mostly just cater to the kiddies and there seemed to be this impression on me that once yer past 10 or something, you’re not into Disney stuff anymore. Apparently that had something to do with the Disney stores being partially owned by Children’s Place, although I cant prove that)

On the other hand I LOVE the old Disney movies of the 90s, you know Mermaid through Mulan, because yeah, that’s what I’ve grown up with and I liked them when I was young, but now that I’m much older and watch them again, I think I enjoy them even more, because I can appreciate the story and characters and the work it took to make these movies. So those movies were just great films, not just stuff for kids. I mean, c’mon, Aladdin, Mermaid, Lion King, they’re classics!

And I LOVE Disney World! Still! I dont like some of the things they change (Spaceship Earth and the Enchanted Tiki Room, got ruined, imo) but others stayed the same or got even a little bit better (Like Pirates, The Haunted Mansion, and Small World-yeah I STILL love Small World) When I went last June, walking up Main Street that first day and seeing the castle for the first time in 9 years was honestly just like seeing an old friend. I almost got misty-eyed, honestly! I did feel…something while I was there, whether you’d call that Disney magic, I dont know. Maybe :slight_smile:

#18

I’ll probably read all of these posts eventually, but for now I’m just going to put in my two cent’s worth…

It’s that nostalgic factor. Their original films from the Golden Era touched many of our lives to an extent that it deeply branded them, and now, in a way, we’re dedicated to the company beyond hope. As much as we despise the way it’s been heading for the past couple of decades, we keep watching their films… hoping that they’ll revert back to their old customs eventually.

My sister and I basically lived, breathed, and grew up around Disney films, and we still do. Heck, we watched almost all of those horrific sequels just to see if they might have hit the mark on even one of them. Alas, we were extremely disappointed, but we’ll still see the occasional Disney film in theaters regardless. It’s rather sad when you think about it. (heh)

– Mitch

#19

I do agree on quite a few of these points…however.

I feel as though the modern audience is as much to blame for the decline of disney as the company themselves are. I think as time has gone by over recent years, the world seems to be growing more and more cynical. And despite that select few here and there who still don’t mind a little bit of mushy sentimentality. I would imagine that some people would consider Disney’s efforts to always be pretending or just cashing in on ideals.

And I think it ultimately comes down to an element of trust nowadays. Ever since they got rid of Roy Disney many years ago, it just didn’t really feel like disney. You can just imagine the new business range of Mickey toys and t-shirts with the old mouse counting his money.

But I think things are starting to look up with John Lasseter taking over the animation department at disney once more. Things will start to get better, because we know that he doesn’t allow anything of sub-par quality to get through the doors and into the can.

Though ultimately, we have to think ourselves quite lucky. How many golden ages of cinema come along in a lifetime? Disney had it in the 90s with their constant hit after hit. And now pixar seem to be on track and have created a golden age with their own movies. But it would be silly for us to think that these things could last forever. After all, everything has to end at some point. And the more we wish for another golden age of disney to come along, the harder it will be for them to achieve it.

Our expectations are so high of them nowadays that everything they make has to be of masterpiece quality, rather than “home on the range” quality. Only time will tell whether Disney has the stuff to be great again, but it will come at a cost. And though it seems hard nowadays with everything they produce, we all have to learn to start trusting them again and maybe our good faith will be rewarded. Or maybe they will disappoint us, who knows? I do know that you’re all willing to let Disney be great again, but we have to give a little to get a little.

Perhaps they just need to remember the meaning of that old Walt Disney quote, rather than using it for some sort of corporate tagline!

" * In planning a new picture, we don’t think of grownups and we don’t think of children, but just of that fine, clean, unspoiled spot down deep in every one of us that maybe the world has made us forget…"

#20

“Home on the Range” was a horrible movie. Just sayin… it wasn’t really “cynical audiences,” it was a bad movie. :laughing: