Dance with me, fat man!
Dec. 19th, 2009 01:12 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadydaveArgh, I was supposed to go the NYC this weekend to see Courtney. Instead, I am stuck at home buried under a foot of snow (which is still falling), and I fear cleaning is imminent. Doesn't the weather know it's supposed to snow during the week? What the hell is up with all this Saturday snowfall crap?
Anyways, I saw Princess and the Frog last night! It was cute. Pretty light-weight, though -- the story wasn't bad, but it didn't have much depth. Likewise for most of the characters, though they were all likable. Prince Naveen, though, was hilariously sketchy; as Mal (I think) put it, he definitely has the most personality out of any of the Disney princes. I think the biggest problem was that none of the songs were particularly memorable -- they weren't bad, but they aren't totally infectious as is Disney's wont, and that highlighted the film's general shallowness. You can do a whole lot with an awesome musical number.
I did like how *active* Tiana was, though -- definitely not one of those Disney princesses who sits around and lets all her more interesting co-stars do all the work. And she actually had a mom and a friend (who was very amusing)! Will wonders never cease. The animation was really pretty (of course), but I think they re-used a lot of character designs from the Emperor's New Groove, which I found rather entertaining.
Overall, though, it was a lot of fun and you should totally go see it. I want more 2D Disney musicals, dammit!
So, have a book meme! Here's a list of all the books I've read in the past year; pick one and I'll give you a short review.
The Lord of the Rings -- J. R. R. Tolkien
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid -- Bill Bryson
The Bell at Sealey Head -- Patricia McKillip
Sabriel -- Garth Nix
Lirael -- Garth Nix
Abhorsen -- Garth Nix
Flora Segunda -- Ysabeau S. Wilce
The Forever King -- Molly Cochran and Walter Murphy
Guards! Guards! -- Terry Pratchett
Men at Arms -- Terry Pratchett
Feet of Clay -- Terry Pratchett
Jingo -- Terry Pratchett
The Fifth Elephant -- Terry Pratchett
Going Postal -- Terry Pratchett
Making Money -- Terry Pratchett
Flora's Dare -- Ysabeau S. Wilce
The City in the Lake -- Rachel Neumeier
Snow Crash -- Neil Stephenson
The White Company -- Arthur Conan Doyle
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies -- Jane Austen and Seth Graham-Smith
The Summoning -- Kelley Armstrong
Chalice -- Robin McKinley
The Awakening -- Kelley Armstrong
Good Omens -- Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Wake -- Laura McCann
The Demon's Lexicon -- Sarah Rees Brennen
Naamah's Kiss -- Jacqueline Carey
I Love You Beth Cooper -- Larry Doyle
Mistress of the Art of Death -- Ariana Franklin
Interred With Their Bones -- Jennifer Lee Carroll
The Belgariad -- David Eddings
The Serpent's Tale -- Ariana Franklin
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- J.K. Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard -- J.K. Rowling
Grave Goods -- Ariana Franklin
Don Quixote -- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Silver Phoenix -- Cindy Pon
Elantris -- Brandon Sanderson
Green -- Jay Lake
Shadow Magic -- Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett
Unseen Academicals -- Terry Pratchett
Mistborn: The Final Empire -- Brandon Sanderson
Reaper Man -- Terry Pratchett
Soul Music -- Terry Pratchett
The Well of Ascension -- Brandon Sanderson
The Hero of Ages -- Brandon Sanderson
Heart's Blood -- Juliet Marillier
Anyways, I saw Princess and the Frog last night! It was cute. Pretty light-weight, though -- the story wasn't bad, but it didn't have much depth. Likewise for most of the characters, though they were all likable. Prince Naveen, though, was hilariously sketchy; as Mal (I think) put it, he definitely has the most personality out of any of the Disney princes. I think the biggest problem was that none of the songs were particularly memorable -- they weren't bad, but they aren't totally infectious as is Disney's wont, and that highlighted the film's general shallowness. You can do a whole lot with an awesome musical number.
I did like how *active* Tiana was, though -- definitely not one of those Disney princesses who sits around and lets all her more interesting co-stars do all the work. And she actually had a mom and a friend (who was very amusing)! Will wonders never cease. The animation was really pretty (of course), but I think they re-used a lot of character designs from the Emperor's New Groove, which I found rather entertaining.
Overall, though, it was a lot of fun and you should totally go see it. I want more 2D Disney musicals, dammit!
So, have a book meme! Here's a list of all the books I've read in the past year; pick one and I'll give you a short review.
The Lord of the Rings -- J. R. R. Tolkien
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid -- Bill Bryson
The Bell at Sealey Head -- Patricia McKillip
Sabriel -- Garth Nix
Lirael -- Garth Nix
Abhorsen -- Garth Nix
Flora Segunda -- Ysabeau S. Wilce
The Forever King -- Molly Cochran and Walter Murphy
Guards! Guards! -- Terry Pratchett
Men at Arms -- Terry Pratchett
Feet of Clay -- Terry Pratchett
Jingo -- Terry Pratchett
The Fifth Elephant -- Terry Pratchett
Going Postal -- Terry Pratchett
Making Money -- Terry Pratchett
Flora's Dare -- Ysabeau S. Wilce
The City in the Lake -- Rachel Neumeier
Snow Crash -- Neil Stephenson
The White Company -- Arthur Conan Doyle
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies -- Jane Austen and Seth Graham-Smith
The Summoning -- Kelley Armstrong
Chalice -- Robin McKinley
The Awakening -- Kelley Armstrong
Good Omens -- Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett
Wake -- Laura McCann
The Demon's Lexicon -- Sarah Rees Brennen
Naamah's Kiss -- Jacqueline Carey
I Love You Beth Cooper -- Larry Doyle
Mistress of the Art of Death -- Ariana Franklin
Interred With Their Bones -- Jennifer Lee Carroll
The Belgariad -- David Eddings
The Serpent's Tale -- Ariana Franklin
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince -- J.K. Rowling
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows -- J.K. Rowling
The Tales of Beedle the Bard -- J.K. Rowling
Grave Goods -- Ariana Franklin
Don Quixote -- Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra
Silver Phoenix -- Cindy Pon
Elantris -- Brandon Sanderson
Green -- Jay Lake
Shadow Magic -- Jaida Jones and Dani Bennett
Unseen Academicals -- Terry Pratchett
Mistborn: The Final Empire -- Brandon Sanderson
Reaper Man -- Terry Pratchett
Soul Music -- Terry Pratchett
The Well of Ascension -- Brandon Sanderson
The Hero of Ages -- Brandon Sanderson
Heart's Blood -- Juliet Marillier
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no subject
Date: 2009-12-20 12:04 am (UTC)And I agree that the music was a weak point in Princess and the Frog (though when I caught one of the songs on the radio the other day, I did start humming along. Maybe they creep on you slowly ...)
I totally did not pick up on the Emperor's New Groove potential klepto-ing. Do you really think so, or is it more just a confluence of twenties' Art Deco and such?
Enjoy the snow (we get ours tomorrow).
no subject
Date: 2009-12-20 06:27 am (UTC)I think the Emperor's New Grooviness was just standard recycling. (They've totally done it before -- Prince Eric and Aladdin look like long-lost brothers.) Though I suspect the Art Deco had a lot to do with it, though ENG is way more stylized.
no subject
Date: 2009-12-23 02:48 am (UTC)Disney reusing animation? Never!