The time has come to re-read The Hunchback of Notre Dame! Every monday for a while I will blog on the novel by chapters. Since the book has like 57 chapters I will do a few  at a time. I will blog on my thoughts and feeling on each chapter. Some chapters  may just have their own post and some post will be a few, pending on the chapter. I going to re-red my old stand-by version, Barnes & Noble Classics Series of The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These posts will be pretty off the cuff.

Book 1, Chapter 1, The Great Hall
Personally, I have never enjoyed this chapter. It’s lot of stuff that amounts to almost nothing. We are introduced to two characters, Jehan Frollo and Gringoire, though Gringoire is not named. The chapter just sets-up a scene with a a lot of chaos and noise. Tonally, it’s a good set-up for the book but with all the names you kind get bogged down with names and people you’re not going to hear from again. It give us a good look at common everyday people but it just not my favorite chapter in the book.

Book 1, Chapter 2, Pierre Gringoire
As the name of the chapter implies, in this chapter we meet Pierre Gringoie. Gringoire is putting on a morality play. This play is about Nobility, Religion, Commerce and Labour. The play is not well met by the common people and poorly met by a beggar name Clopin Trouillefou who interrupts the play. Like the last chapter it the same scene, so it’s noisy and full of people. At the end the Cardinal arrives. Like the last chapter, not favorite.

Book 1, Chapter 3, The Cardinal
With the Cardinal’s entrance, Gringoire’s play is once again interrupted. There some political stuff going on here with the Cardinal being annoyed that he has to show respected to the Flemish. Again not a fan of this chapter but I swear I do love this book just not the opening chapters.

Book 1, Chapter 4, Master Jacques Coppenole
In this chapter, Gringoire play is allowed to continue on by the Cardinal but names and titles are still being called out of people who are important enough to sit along side the cardinal so no one in the crowd is listening to the play. And just when it seems like the everyone who is anyone is there and people might start listening to Gringoire’s play, a houser named Master Jacques Coppenole, makes a speech about how this no fun and they should crown the Pope of Fools. This chapter saving grace is explains how the competition for the Pope of Fools is chosen. The speech also ends Gringoire plays. Still not my favorite but it starts us moving to the next part.

The First four chapter set-up Gringoire’s misfortune and lack of appriciation for his literally work. Poor Guy. They also shows  how mad a crowd can be which a big thing later.

Tangled Ever After picture image

Tangled Ever After

Disney may have a notorious reputation for bad sequels that got the Direct-to-video treatment BUT they also had a few sequels that got Theatrical releases. The first one I’m going to deal with is the shortest. Released in 2012 following the re-release of Beauty and the Beast is the direct sequel to Tangled, Tangled Ever After.

Max about to sneeze Tangled Ever After picture image

Maximus about to sneeze

Plot is simple, Rapunzel and Eugene or Flynn, whatever you which to call him, are getting married, Yays! However trouble is brewing, Maximus and Pascual lose the rings during the ceremony. The rings go rolling throughout the festive city. Maximus and Pascal get into all manner of crazy obstacles.

In the end they get the rings back to wedding just in time after all matter of damage to the city and getting themselves icky but unfortunately for them they lose the cake.

Max and  Pascal presenting the rings Tangled Ever After picture image

Maximus and Pascal presenting the rings

It’s a short that gives the audience a wedding and mayhem. It’s fun and I did enjoy the peaceful wedding juxtaposed against the craziness of Pascal and Maximus. I also loved Pascal’s expression when he and Maximus presented the rings. But I did think the chaos went on a bit too long and the short is only 6 minutes.

 Rapunzel and Flynn at the Alter Tangled Ever After picture image

Rapunzel and Flynn at the Alter

Tangled Ever After was a fun short but could have 30 seconds shorter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AsSH9ifRwds

 

Every so often, the original French trio of Belle, Garou, Daniel Lavoie and Patrick Fiori, sing Belle. It’s alway nice to see and and hear Belle sung by these three.  I love how Lavoie is hold his hand like he did in the show.

Get the original version of Belle sung by these three here, I love this song

Melody & Quasimodo, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody & Quasimodo, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame

Where do you start critiquing The Enchanted Tales version of The Hunchback of Notre Dame? Everything is wrong with this adaptation. They got nothing right, even most of the names are wrong. I may complain about every other version but at least they got the basics right, Enchanted tales can’t even do that much.

Melody and her team of annoying instruments Enchanted tales The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture images

Melody and her team of annoying instruments

Well they got the basic basics, we have a guy who sports a hunch who rings the bells at Notre Dame and likes a Gypsy girl who dances. That’s it!

Now we have a Gypsy who is in fact some sort a sorceress as she makes instruments come to life with annoying personalities. That is the most niche super power ever, but instead of Esmeralda her name is Melody and she being pursued by a rich egomaniac named Jean-Claude.

Melody with Handsome Quasimodo Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame  picture image

Melody with “Handsome” Quasimodo

The name changes and annoying instruments are the least the problems; Quasimodo isn’t deformed, he’s handsome. He has hunch because he was sad and had low-esteem. This is just wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong a thousand times wrong. Then to add to to this cacophony of ass-ness they tell children that looks don’t matter if people think you’re attractive. Looks don’t matter if you’re pretty. I suppose personality don’t matter either since Quasimodo does not have one. So we have terrible moral to boot.

Jean-Claude putting the moves on Melody again Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean-Claude putting the moves on Melody again

The main issue with the Enchanted Tales version is despite calling it The Hunchback of Notre Dame, this adaptation plays out and feels like a Beauty and the Beast knock-off. The power of love pretty much changes Quasimodo’s appearance which Melody claims to have accepted when he was ugly. That or that swing did wonders for his hair. Seriously his hair gets pushed back and instant Disney Prince. Also Jean-Claude looks exactly like Gaston and we have enchanted objects that dance around.

Melody and a handome Quasimodo Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody and a “handome” Quasimodo

It’s like the creators on Enchanted Tales were told that Disney is making The Hunchback of Notre Dame, they were told the bare basics of the original story and decided that it’s close enough to Beauty and the Beast and ran with that to make a half-assed stupidly annoying tale with the worst moral EVER!

Next Time – Melody a.k.a Not-Esmeralda

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda,Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame

The Gargoyles were by in large, the biggest flaw in Disney’s The Hunchback in Notre Dame. Out of the three Gargoyles, Hugo was the most annoying. He was loud, brash and stupid. In June 2013 Disney released a teaser trailer for Frozen that featured Olaf and Sven trying to get Olaf’s carrot nose on ice. This was not a good introduction to Olaf because all he did was laugh. For many people they thought this snowman was going to be annoying. Perhaps not as annoying as Hugo but still annoying. As it turns out Olaf wasn’t annoying, he was likable.

Olaf vs Hugo

Olaf vs Hugo

Olaf and Hugo are polar opposites while still being very similar. They are both short comic relief sidekick who are of the magically variety that help the main protagonist. But where Hugo is loud, Olaf has a soft tone most of the time, where Hugo talks about looks all the time, Olaf talks about people’s warmth. Olaf seems to have a childlike innocences while Hugo is more affective. Olaf wants warm hugs and to see summer while Hugo wants Quasimodo to get a girlfriend or to at least gain some self-worth.

Anna and Olaf Frozen picture image

Anna and Olaf

And this makes sense with their characters. Olaf is newly given life in the movie so his innocence makes sense. I’m sure Disney could have made him loud rough talking like so many of the 90’s sidekick but the soft innocence worked so much better and was refreshing.

Hugo playing poker Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Hugo playing poker Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hugo on the other hand was a product of the other Disney movie cashing in on the wisecracking sidekicks. His affectedness makes sense if you think of him as part of an old work structure. It could make sense if he was a facet of Quasimodo’s personality too. Maybe Hugo is Quasimodo’s Id personified (more on this in a future blog post).

Sven and Olaf from Frozen picture image

Sven and Olaf from Frozen

While Hugo brings down The Hunchback of Notre Dame, it’s not really his fault that he is a product of the Disney Standard of the time. He is a colossal fail and that why Olaf, Sven and even Tangled sidekicks are refreshing and seem better by comparison. Olaf clear winner.

The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning is the 2008 prequel to The Little Mermaid. It’s also the last Disney direct-to video sequel, that is till the Tinkerbell movies came along.  It’s better than Return to the Sea but it’s pretty stupid and dare I say confused in its focus.

Sebastian singing Jump in the line The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Sebastian singing Jump in the line

Some ten years ago, the Mer-kingdom was awesome. Triton was super happy with his wife and daughters and music was everywhere. One day, when the royal family was chilling at surface, Triton gave his wife a music box that played their song. In that same hour however Triton’s wife dies by getting crushed by a pirate ship against a cliff or something. In his sorrow, Triton outlawed music and started enforcing icky rules.

Ten years later, Ariel hates rules, Sebastian is the chief of staff at the palace, and the Governess, Marina, is an ambitious meanie, as she wants Sebastian’s job but she needs to get some dirt on him.

One day Ariel meets a fish named Flounder. Flounder gets in trouble for making music but Ariel covers for him. Later that night, Ariels follows Flounders to a music club and sees that Sebastian is the head liner. When Ariel wakes and her sisters’ question her about where she was last night. Ariel tells them and they ask to go. That night they all go and Marina somehow finds them. She tells Triton who ruins the club and arrests Sebastian and the some of the others.

Triton puts Ariel and her sisters under house-arrest and Marina gets Sebastian’s job. Ariel decides to run away and frees the band. Sebastian takes them to a place where Ariel’s mother’s music box fell so that Triton can remember fun awesome times with music.

Marina then decides that to keep she position she will have kill Sebastian and Ariel with her electric eels. But they defeat the electric non-talking eels, Triton brings back music and gives Sebastian the job of court composer. Marina and her manatee minion land in jail.

Benjamin The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Benjamin

Manatees? Really movie? You know, I’m not surprised that a Little Mermaid movie or a Disney sequel movie doesn’t know that Manatee don’t live in the deep ocean. Also why don’t Marina’s eels talk? Everything else in the ocean won’t shut-up but the evil eels don’t talk but Ursula’s eels spoke. Oh whatever. It’s futile trying to make sense of Disney sequels.

Sebastian The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Sebastian

The movie gives us the impression that this movie is an Ariel story but it’s not. This movie focuses more on Triton and Sebastian. This movie is really Sebastian’s beginning.

We see how he got to be court composer, though we didn’t need a movie to explain that. Marina is focused on bringing Sebastian down. It’s a Sebastian’s origin story but an origin story that includes Ariel.

Triton is also the one who learns or rather relearns a lesson that music is awesome. Ariel helps but it was Sebastian’s idea that save the day.

Ariel and Flounder at The Catfish Club The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Ariel and Flounder at The Catfish Club

For a movie called Ariel’s Beginning, Ariel does very little. She’s there, she complains, she dances and sings. The trouble is Ariel was never about the music in the first movie. Ariel was obsessed with human items and the human world.

Hey, creators of Ariel’s Beginning, remember in the original movie when Ariel missed contest to steal human stuff from a sunken ship? I do. Ariel’s Beginning should have been about Ariel discovering a love for humans. Now Ariel hates rules and likes music, that is her character now apparently.

Marina and King Triton The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Marina and King Triton

Triton banning music in the first place was stupid. He bans music because his wife died. Her death was stupid, she got crushed against a cliff by a pirate ship because she reached for her music box. He didn’t ban going to the surface, he banned music. King Triton is a bad king.

 Ariel and her sisters, from left to right Attina, Aquata, Alana, Arista, Andrina, and Adella The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Ariel and her sisters, from left to right Attina, Aquata, Alana, Arista, Andrina, and Adella

Then we have Ariel’s sisters. Ariel’s sister have vague attempts at personalities. They have their little quirk that separate them out but they are by no means fleshed characters but then again Ariel in this movie isn’t really a character but more of a mechanic for the movie to follow Sebastian’s rise and fall and Triton rediscovering his love for music and laughter.

Marina The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Marina

Then there is the villain, who is a goofy and weak. She is one the few villains who gets what she wants and is probably in the right. She did run the palace better than Sebastian but she was crazed about getting and keeping her position.

One question I have to ask, How the hell did Marina find the music club? Did the girls have tracking devices? Also, when Ariel follows Flounder, the club has all these safety knocks and codes, How did Marina pass them or know them? EXPLAIN movie! That is not a little thing, it’s how Triton finds out about evil music in his Kingdom. Was the club even in the Kingdom? This movie is stupid.

Sebastian and Marina The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning picture image

Sebastian and Marina

The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning suffers from false advertising. It promised us Ariel’s Beginning but failed as that is not the focus of the movie. All Ariel does is help tells Sebastian’s and Triton’s tale, ha tale because mermaids.

This kind of narrative works better in literature but not in a Disney sequel. To be fair even if this was called Sebastian’s Beginning it still would be a weak stupid movie. And how dare you movie use Jump in the line, shame, that’s Beeltlejuice’s song. Really, Sebastian singing Jump in the line was just weird.

A Blog Note- We may be done with the Direct to video Disney Sequels but now we’re going to look at the Theatrical release Disney Sequels. (sheepish yay)

In the realm of Hunchback we know that Quasimodo will (or should) be ugly and deformed and Esmeralda should be pretty, these are truth in in the novel, they have set looks. Frollo, while he does have a set look in the novel and is supposed to have an austere harsh look gets a wide variety of looks in the movies.   So today we’re are going to look at some Frollo’s various hair styles.

Frollo’s hair in the book is balding. he had tuff of ugly gray hair on the side which give him a natural tonsure. Movie never go for this look

Jehan 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame Brandon Hurst picture image

Jehan 1923 Hunchback of Notre Dame Brandon Hurst

In the 1923 we have two Frollo, Pious Claude and Jerk Jehan. Jehan has black hair that  goes to ears and he also seen wearing a bowler-like hat. Claude has  sepia color. He has a receding hair line.

 

Jehan Frollo (Sir Cedric Hardwicke) 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jehan Frollo, Sir Cedric Hardwicke 1939 Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1939 version we again have Pious Claude and Jerk Jehan. Jehan has black hair that is a straight cut across his forehead. He has lock that curl on the side his face. Claude has white hair and he wears a bishop hat.

 

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo (Alain Cuny), 1956 The Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1956 version, Frollo has a full-head of brown hair. He keeps it short.

 

Kenneth Haigh as Frollo 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Kenneth Haigh as Frollo 1977 Hunchback of Notre Dame

In the 1977, Frollo has the brown hair with a straight bang line.

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Derek Jacobi as Frollo, 1982 Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

In the 1982, Frollo hair at is at it’s most stupid. It’s a blond bowl cut.

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

In the Disney version, Frollo has the same cut of 1939 Jehan but with gray hair. His bangs cut straight along the center of his forehead and then it recedes.

 

Richard Harris as Frollo, 1997 The Hunchback picture image

Richard Harris as Frollo

In the 1997, he is bald.

Daniel Lavoie as Frollo Notre Dame de Paris picture  image

Daniel Lavoie as Frollo Notre Dame de Paris

 

In original Notre Dame de Paris version, he has very short brown hair.

 

Richard Berry as Frollo 1999 Quasimodo d'El Paris picture image

Richard Berry as Frollo 1999 Quasimodo d’el Paris

In the 1999  parody version, Quasimodo d’El Paris, he has short black hair with long thin sideburns.

 

Frollo’s look in the movies (and musicals) are very different than the novel but they seem based Frollo’s look on the past movies than on the novel.

 

 

 

Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame

To understand why the Enchanted Tales; Hunchback of Notre Dame version is bad, you have to know that everything is bad. Nothing is good but the plot is the most unforgivable piece of shit of any of the Hunchback versions.

This is the real plot, someone got paid to write this.

Not Frollo/Phoebus a.k.a Jean-Claude  Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Not Frollo/Phoebus a.k.a Jean-Claude

The movie opens with a crappy song and dance that demonstrates that the creators of the movie have no clue on what time period this is supposed to be. Paris is run by the gluttonous Baron and his son Captain Jean-Claude. Jean-Clause is the enforcer. He has forbidden dancing and singing forbidden in Paris because of tax reasons. Magic is also forbidden. Pierre, Jean-Claude’s minion, sees a Gypsy who instruments come to life. Jean-Claude decides to stop her.

 Jean-Claude putting the moves on MelodyEnchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean-Claude putting the moves on Melody

Then we meet Not-Esmeralda a.k.a Melody and her posse of annoying instruments. In a tree, watching her dance is Quasimodo, the Hunchback. Jean-Claude, Pierre and the Baron enter scene. People run in terror as Jean-Claude is a douche. He sentences Melody to 324 years of jail time but also offers her dinner with him. Melody rejects his offer. Jean-Claude then threatens her with Guillotine. Quasimodo rushes in to help her. People fall down and in the confusion Melody, her mother, their donkey and stupid instruments rush off. Side note the instruments have names but I don’t care.

Melody flees with the dumb instruments  Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody flees with the dumb instruments

Melody and crew make it back to their Gyspy camp where they discuss that people don’t like them because they are different. But Jean-Claude finds them and Melody and crew hightail it to Notre Dame.

 Jean-Claude, with Melody's mother and donkey Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean-Claude, with Melody’s mother and donkey

Apparently the bats, a.k.a the DingBats (who are also annoying) control the doors to Notre Dame and allow Melody and the instruments in but not Pierre and Jean-Claude. Jean-Claude then spots Melody’s mom and donkey and kidnaps them.

Pierre tells Melody’s mom about Quasimodo. About how he is Jean-Claude’s half brother by their mother. Their Mother was married to a Gypsy man and had Quasimodo but then she marries the fat-ass Baron and had Jean-Claude. The Baron worked Quasimodo hard and then banished him to the Bell Tower of Notre Dame. Pierre also says that Quasimodo got his hump by working too hard.

Melody & Quasimodo, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody & Quasimodo

Inside Notre Dame, Melody and stupid instruments are welcomed by the Dingbats who can talk to her in the sanctuary while they are in the Bell Tower. She hears the bells and wants to meet the one who rings them. She and the lame instruments go up to tower and meet Quasimodo.

Quasimodo is shy is and standoff. He says he is ugly but Melody says that we all look different and looks don’t matter she adds that she is fond of his music and fond of his looks. Quasimodo presents her with some stupid bells because she pretty (so much for looks not mattering). In her hands the bells start laughing insipidly and Quasimodo remarks on her magic. And Bam they are in love with a dumb song.

Jean-Claude capturing Melody Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean-Claude capturing Melody

When the song is done Melody sees her Mother’s donkey. The donkey tells her Jean-Claude took her mother and she and instruments leave the safety of Notre Dame to save her. They find her in barn laughing and dancing. But they get caught and Melody is taken by Jean-Claude.

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda in Jail awaiting death, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody,  in Jail awaiting death

Jean-Claude throws Melody into a jail cell and tells her that she is be executed tomorrow when the bell rings at dawn. The bells that Quasimodo gave her escape and tells the other instruments and Melody’s mom about the execution. They decide that they must stop Quasimodo from ringing the bells.

Jean-Claude putting the moves on Melody again Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Jean-Claude putting the moves on Melody again

The instruments rush up Notre Dame as people gather to Melody’s execution. Jean-Claude offers Melody to save herself if she renounces her Gypsy ways and has dinner with him. Melody tells him she can’t change who she is. The instruments stop Quasimodo from ringing the bells.

Melody and a handome Quasimodo Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo swings down and saves Melody. Melody then sees that Quasimodo is actually hot. Quasimodo says if that is how Melody sees him then he must be handsome and that looks don’t matter. The moral of this shit feast is that looks don’t matter if you’re hot…and low self-esteem makes you unattractive…….. gah. The movie then interrupts itself for a song.

Melody and Quasimodo getting married Enchanted Tales Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody and Quasimodo getting married

Now that Quasimodo has some self esteem he tells off Jean-Claude which causes the people to revolt against Jean-Claude. Quasimodo and Melody then get marry at Notre Dame. The End

Next Time, More on the Plot

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda,Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Melody, a.k.a Not Esmeralda, Enchanted Tales, Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

This is the audio from the season 4 trailer. The Hunchback characters get three chracter Phoebous as Jaimie Lannister, Frollo as Tywin Lannister and Quasimodo as Tyrion Lannister. Perfect casting if you ask me.   Tyrion is the MAN.

 

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Cinderella III: A Twist in Time

By every account, Cinderella III: A Twist in Time should be crap as the plot sounds really silly especially for a Disney sequel but it’s one the most enjoyable Disney sequels.

Anastasia fitting the slipper Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Anastasia fitting the slipper

The plot is Cinderella and Prince Charming are celebrating their first year anniversary with the Fairy Godmother. Anastasia overhears that Cinderella used magic to win over the Prince and steals the wand when the Fairy Godmother drops it. Anastasia tells Lady Tremaine, who at first is skeptical but when the Fairy Godmother shows up asking for her wand and accidently getting turn to stone by magic, Lady Tremaine uses the wand to undo the last year and resets time to the day after the ball. She uses the magic to make the slipper fit Anastasia leaving Cinderella confused. Cinderella then decides if she going to get her dreams to come true she going to work for it.

At the Palace, Prince Charming chats with his father about how he knew the girl he danced with and presumably fits the slipper is the girl for him because he felt true love when he touch her hand. He then meets the girl who fit the slipper, who is now Anastasia and Prince Charming knows it not her but Lady Tremaine uses the wand to make Prince Charming forget dancing with Cinderella and makes him think it was Anastasia. He then asks her to marry him.

When Cinderella sneaks into the Palace she is even more confused to learn that the Prince doesn’t remember her and is going to marry Anastasia. Gus and Jaq, who saw Lady Tremaine use magic on the Prince, tell Cinderella and she tries to get the wand.

Meanwhile Prince Charming and Anastasia share a dance. The Prince figures something is wrong as he feels nothing from her touch but he is still kind to Anastasia who proves to be an awkward dancer. After the dance the King gives Anastasia his most prized possession, a seashell. He tells Anastasia that he meet his Queen when he and her both reached for it and when their hands touched he knew it was true love.

Cinderella along with Gus and Jaq manage to get the wand but are caught and she is sentenced into exile but not before she touches the Prince’s hand. Jaq and Gus tell the Prince the truth about the spell and that her danced with Cinderella and he rushes to boat that is taking Cinderella into exile.

When they return Lady Tremaine and her daughters get way with magic. As Cinderella is getting ready for her wedding, Lady Tremaine reveals she has changed Anastasia into Cinderella. Lady Tremaine teleports Cinderella into a pumpkin coach and sends her speeding away to her death.

Cinderella frees herself with the help of Jaq and Gus and rushes back to the palace where she crashes her own wedding. Cinderella gets there just in time to see Anastasia says that doesn’t want to marry the prince. Lady Tremaine uses the wand to change the soldiers to various animals but when she try to use it on Cinderella, the Prince blocks the magic with his sword. The spell then ricochets and hits Lady Tremaine and Drizella, turing them into toads. Anastasia offers the seashell back to the King to which he replies that she deserves true love.

She then changes back to herself and her and Cinderella bring back the the Fairy Godmother. The Fairy Godmother offers to return Cinderella and The Prince back to their former lives which confuses them.

Cinderella saving herself  Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Cinderella saving herself

This movie makes Cinderella an active player. She now has to work for her happy ending. She is saved by the Prince off the boat and Jaq and Gus help her a lot but it through her own efforts that she gets what she wants. This makes Cinderella more likable by a modern standard. Today, we like characters who are active parts in their stories instead of just being acted upon.

Cinderella gets a little bit of a bum deal because she did try to make an attempted to go to ball but here she is tying her best to get want she wants. Cinderella also uses her wits and her psychical prowess, she tricks, runs, jump etc all in the name of love. The Prince also works her the happy ending when her saves her from the boat instead of making the Grand Duke do it.

Cinderella and The Prince Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Cinderella and The Prince

Another thing I like about this movie is it doesn’t add new characters it just expands on the old ones. With exception of The Fairy Godmother who is out of commission and Drizella, who has nothing to do, the other characters are a little more fleshed out.

Disney sequels have a habit of introducing new characters to focus on at the expense of the original beloved characters. Cinderella III gets away with more than other sequels because the original film didn’t have strongly fleshed out characters, so they were freer with their characterizations.

Jaq and Gun in drag Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Jaq and Gus in drag

The technicals are miles better than most sequels. The songs are bad, I will admit that but the dialogue, background music, pacing and dialogue are all very well done.

Even the animation was much better than most of the sequels. This could because Disney Australia had extensive model sheets and lots of live action footage to work off of. It just seems like there was a decisive effort put into this sequel that can be seen in some of the sequels but is lacking is more.

Cinderella and The Prince Cinderella III: A Twist in Time picture image

Cinderella and The Prince

Despite Cinderella III: A Twist in Time weird out there plot, it’s defiantly one of the few good Disney sequels, that is, if you can get pass the opening number.

I just want to add, I love it when the king tells the Prince that he can’t take another foot down the stairs and the Prince says “Okay” and jumps out the window. Classic!