Disneyfied

Disney has had a love affair with the Brothers Grimm, Hans Christian Andersen and folklore, with the release of The Princess and the Frog out next week. Walt has dabbled in the world of literature and put their own spin on the goings on, i mean was Robin Hood a fox? What is it that they changed to the original work to please those kiddiwinks. Well Captain Hook was never a codfish, he is a tough old Etonian who strikes terror in Peter Pan and his motley crew. Ariel bites the dust, (I know!) and has to kill the prince to become a mermaid again, I guess they decided to leave that bit out. Why do Disney do this? Add a saccharine taste to the original dark material. Kids like being scared, I was petrified by the witch's transformation in Snow White. Don't get me wrong I love Aladdin but just wonder if Disney had some original ideas in that magic castle of theirs. So what will Disney's take on the Brothers Grimm The Frog Prince be like, I am going to guess singing anthropomorphic animals and a tale of dreams that come true if you wish upon a star, oh and a happy ending. There has been unrest over the skin colour of their latest princess, princess Tiana is the first black regal protagonist in Disney history. But, oh no, Disney have completely sidestepped the racial issues in 1920s New Orleans, can you blame them that would go against the Disney ethos. I know she has dreams and has to find her place in the world but not against a backdrop of racial hatred and prejudice, it wouldn't appeal to the target audience. Some people in America have even boycotted it because it depicts voodoo magic (please). Well, a true adaptation is too much to ask for but I wait with eager anticiptation with Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, to see how far down the rabbit hole he actually goes.