My Top 5 Unsung Disney Heroes

Some Disney characters choose to fade into the background. They could be surrendering the stage to an undisputed champion,  just happy to be doing their job, or wary of yet more slings and arrows. They don't end up on the backbench because they're dull or unexciting, but because they have a stronger sense of tact, survival instinct or …

Mickey the Merciful…? Part Two – Who Disney Killed Off

Continuing our (my) bout of morbid fascination, let's now look at some characters who survived the original but were doomed by Disney. Yes, this does actually happen from time to time, as these four will attest: #4: The Sea Witch Film: The Little Mermaid Original Version Left to continue organ-trading/spell-casting Disney Doom Impaled by ship's …

Mulan vs. The Legend of Hua Mulan

Based on a legend from medieval China, Mulan is the story of a girl who disguises herself as a man and goes to war in place of her father. At the time of the film's release in 1998, it was widely rumoured that the Chinese government banned it because they were so insulted by Disney's …

Disneyfied, or Disney tried?

(Formerly known as "Disney - the Dettol of Storytelling?") Like most people, I grew up with Disney films, and some of my favourite films have been made in their studios. However, they are notorious for sanitising many a fairy tale for more modern and family-friendly audiences. Out of curiosity, I am embarking on a literary …