Stanislaus

Aladdin captivates the viewer above all with its boundless imagination in the field of animation, a pleasant musical score and a brisk story. A large part of the film's appeal is without doubt the character of the Genie, whose various transformations and many allusions from different areas were endless, and who, along with the monkey Abu, was the main source of humour. Of the songs, I liked “A Whole New World” the best, and I'm glad the 2019 live-action remake wasn't a carbon copy, so the original gave me a few nice surprises.

The Little Mermaid does not have much to surprise in terms of story, but it does offer a few lessons that the viewer will take away in older age; the blending of boundaries between two different worlds (here human and marine) or a reasonable and healthy relationship between parents and children. In this case, the film doesn’t rely so much on humour, although it does have a few genuinely funny moments (Sebastian and the cook or the goofy seagull) and musical numbers to lighten the atmosphere, but it’s built on a dramatic-romantic story of two seemingly very different beings who were not entirely happy at first. Of the characters, I was most intrigued by the diabolical Ursula, who made for a very suspenseful and frightening conclusion. A weaker four stars!

There are countless films about Hercules and the Disney version of this famous story about the invincible strongman is undoubtedly one of the funniest. In terms of animation, it is a smart piece with many nice ideas and allusions to contemporary culture. Besides the action-fantasy scenes, Hercules is brimming with many funny moments, mainly provided by the incompetent sidekicks Hades, Pegasus and the satyr Phil. Hercules himself isn't all that remarkable, but it was funny to watch him brimming with enormous strength, but also shyness and trepidation when the murderously seductive Meg came along.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame refers in a kind and unobtrusive way to the old familiar saying of don't judge a book by its cover, or in this case don't judge others by their deformities or skin colour. In addition to the nicely delivered message of tolerance towards others, the film offers a story of all colours with a beautiful musical score and more than one humorous moment, especially provided by the gargoyles and the goat. Despite the demonic character of Frol and the darker ending, the film radiates an incredibly positive atmosphere that makes it an enjoyable watch.

Who doesn't know the classic tale of The Beauty and the Beast? I'm glad that after a long time I finally decided to watch the Disney adaptation, whose unmistakable charm persists even years after its premiere. At first glance, the rather simple story of two (seemingly quite) different individuals is presented in a very sweet and sincere way, complemented by a multitude of characters in the form of enchanted servants and enriched by an overwhelmingly pleasant musical score, which makes the film a wonderful experience, which, thanks to the boundless imagination of the animators, playfully resists the ravages of time.

I had kept the original Disney Cinderella "in the closet" for quite a long time and after watching it, I have to say that I was not that impressed. The animated Cinderella definitely appealed to me less than the live-action remake by Kennet Branagh or the legendary Czech version by Václav Vorlíček. I was surprised by the complete neglect of the prince, who has only a few lines and one major scene in this classic adaptation. The animals were cute, although I found them a bit annoying at the end (the mice), but they formed a bright counterpoint to the demonic Lady Tremaine, her silly daughters and the dastardly Lucifer. I think the scene with the Fairy Godmother and her chaotic spells amused me the most. P.S. It may sound strange, but it was only with this version that I realized that the iconic glass slipper was supposed to disappear together with the other enchanted items after midnight (right?!).

Catching up with the Disney classics when you are older has its advantages and disadvantages. You no longer look at the film through the eyes of a child, you do notice things that a young eye and mind will miss. Bambi offers a mostly simple story about the circle of life with all the good and not so good moments. From a carefree playful childhood with a bittersweet aftertaste (who doesn't know the sad fate of Bambi's mother?), to a "frumpy" misguided adolescence (with more than one "adult" reference that a young child won't understand), to responsible adulthood. In terms of animation, this is a solidly made timeless film – though I watched the remastered version – that appeals for its innocence and rawness at the same time.

I approached the live-action version of Mulan with a clean slate, so I decided ("for peace of mind") to watch the original film as well to have some comparison. Unlike the new Jungle Book and The Lion King, the live-action adaptation of Mulan is in many ways different from the animated original, which has its pros and cons. The film's comedic-fairytale line has been replaced, in a rather non-violent way, by a primarily war-drama-action dimension, and there are some changes in the cast of characters (here I very much appreciated the presence of the witch). The film offers some audiovisually impressive sequences (the avalanche or Mulan's encounter with the witch), while the plot is a bit more grounded and at times is too blatantly laced with feminist overtones. On the other hand, I appreciate the camera work and the pleasant musical score. Personally, I think the new Mulan definitely deserves a more favourable assessment.

Right after watching the live-action version of Mulan, I decided to broaden my horizons and watch the original animated film, which I had avoided for a long time. The original Mulan intrigued me above all with its story, which, although simple on the one hand, conveys a clear message, both about finding oneself and about equality between people regardless of their gender, timeless and still relevant themes. Apart from the more serious and action-war level, I also had a royal good time with Mulan, thanks to the huge contribution of the little dragon Mushu, whose wisecracks and poses were truly funny, while he was well supported by a cricket, a horse and a grandmother.

In The Blond One, Marco Berger follows similar narrative techniques as in his previous works, but in this case his film probably got to me the most in terms of plot. Berger is really excellent at building sexual tension from mere innuendo to pure physical action, and I personally think that in The Blond One he has gone the furthest in these waters. The only thing I would fault the film for is the somewhat longer running time, but I still enjoyed watching the slowly developing and, due to their differing outlooks on life, complicated relationship between the two men. The minimalist musical score and the mundane dialogue "about nothing and everything at the same time" added to the believability of the film.