Disney's Live-Action Thread

I don't have any argument against that. You're preaching to the choir: it's a pretty bad look.

My argument was against the "making a spinoff about a minor character is ridiculous" idea, given that writers and directors do that all the time.

Edited by KnownUnknown on Dec 7th 2019 at 9:57:16 AM

Oh, that's fine. It's the "pick the only white guy for the spin-off" that's stupid.

Also, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead is a great movie and everyone should see it.

Edited by alliterator on Dec 7th 2019 at 9:57:58 AM

They should make a Spin-Off of Iago escaping from Jafar's lamp and striking out on his own. And yes, it would be pretty much Aladdin The Return Of Jafar in live-action but Iago is good enough for a second take.

Edited by Shadao on Dec 7th 2019 at 9:59:00 AM

I now feel bad that the guy's most probable next role is dependent on whether they make a sequel for Aladdin or not.

x4

And I'm not saying making a spin-off about a minor character is absurd. Some great works have come out of that idea. Plenty of season regulars spin-off into their own leads or one-off episode heroes get expanded into regular cast. Good ideas can come from that.

The key word is character here. If it's a character that has an unresolved plot or a charismatic actor or really caught on with the fans, so be it. Prince Anders isn't a character. He's a plot device. There IS no character to really build a spin-off out of because he's purposefully flat. There's no prior history of adventure to tell stories out of, there's no, idk, boyfriend or some other shocker that gets off-hand mention to have the fans clamoring for more, there's not hidden depths, nothing.

Spin-Offs walk a thin-line; too much material from the original work and it's questionable why it's being spun-off into it's own thing at all instead of being tied into the original work. Or there's too much baggage or something of the like. They're too close and the writer doesn't have much room to work and build their own part of the canvas.

But here's the reverse: There's so much blank canvas there that I don't know what drew you there at all from the original. It's not like there is a foundation here to build off of. So why even bother trying to make it a spin-off at all?

Said it in the other thread but, maybe the actor is a great guy and they liked him and wanted him for a new project... but get him onto an actual fresh new project if you're going to spin-off from such a nothing role? Rozencrantz and Guildenstern is a great spin-off mostly because the characters are flat do nothing roles and that's the point. A lot of other spin-offs usually had some foundation. There are a exceptions, sure, but still odd choices that worked out.

Again, not saying it's IMPOSSIBLE to get something good out of it and I am very aware of it, but I don't know what was there to capture the writer's mind to go 'Yes, I see it now, I want to tell his story'. Idk. I'm also admitedly sick of EVERYONE getting a solo film of some kind and it feeling like we're scraping the barrel of 'Hey, look, that random plot device now has an entire 2 hour adventure romp to explain why he's a plot device.'

He's a plot device. He served a story function. It's not deeper than that. Not everything has to be deeper. Shit is allowed to be a simple storytelling technique and nothing more.

Edited by InkDagger on Dec 7th 2019 at 10:15:44 AM

You should read Ransom.

It's both a great book and a great example of a writer making a fully realized adaptation out of what was originally nothing but less than a plot device.

Is it possible for writers to create an interesting plot out of random extras and side characters? Yes, fanfic does it all the time.

Do I expect this film to achieve that? No.

Edited by Tuckerscreator on Dec 7th 2019 at 10:28:05 AM

If nothing else, I'd appreciate it if they didn't connect the marketing to the Aladdin too much, making it more of a retro-active crossover.

Honestly, even though the story was broken by a more reputable source I get the feeling the whole thing was just one of thousands of ideas being tossed around for Disney+, but this one seemed so inane it warranted a headliner just for the controversy it would bring.

Rumors have suggested everything from a Darth Plagueis series to more Disney LA adaptations. There’s no evidence of them being made but some ideas are just...dumb.

I have issue with a comic relief getting a spin-off because I’ve seen Planet Sheen and Angela Anaconda, I know how bad they can be.

...I want to laugh at this but I really shouldn't.

I barely remember who this guy was. A quick Google search and apparently he was created for the movie, replacing the guy from the original film who called Aladdin a "street rat and that only fleas would mourn him."

Edited by Soble on Dec 8th 2019 at 11:28:03 AM

My little sister saw this movie in theaters and could not remember the dude, too.

Edited by fredhot16 on Dec 8th 2019 at 8:56:29 AM

If this spin-off does get made, I want that to be a running joke. Like, nobody remembering who he is at all. Even in his own country.

The only thing I remember about him is how his actor looked a lot like Alan Tudyk (which was odd given how Tudyk is in the movie, as the voice of Iago...)

I love how Alan Tudyk is practically, like, the new Jim Cummings, showing up in some way or form in nearly every Disney project.

Alan Tudyk reminds me of Hank Azaria, in that while both are well-known celebrities, when they do voice over roles, they don't just "say their lines, or use their regular voice". Both of them actually come up with character voices the way a professional voice actor would.

That reminds me of Twisted: The Untold Story of a Royal Vizier's "Nobody Remembers Achmed" song.

Azaria is best known FOR his voice acting, even though he does have a substantial career in front of the camera too. Tudyk is the reverse, best known for his film and tv roles but has managed a respectable voice acting career himself. I think it's because he has a voice that is not particularly distinctive, which lets them get a Celebrity Voice Actor without the distraction of a Morgan Freeman type recognition.

And that he has quite a range that allows him to be cast and not recognized. A number of his Disney roles had to be pointed out to me.

Was literally about to link that since the entire joke of the song IS that no one remembers that prince except that Raja bit him on the ass and he's a one-note joke character with no further purpose. The exact issue we're talking about.

Honestly I'd rather watch that other Mulan live action film for being more grounded.

Like, is it impossible for Disney to just follow the source material faithfully, for once?

The original Mulan ballad, even in its summary, is bloody amazing.

Edited by BrightLight on Dec 11th 2019 at 9:37:04 AM

The original Ballad of Mulan was a relatively mundane story of one woman disguised as a man joining the army for ten years and then returning back to her home after declining a possible position from the Emperor himself.

You don't get much details as to what Mulan actually accomplished in the war, only that she survived for ten years on the battlefield. There's little to no details as to what the enemy was, let alone a Big Bad commanding them.

This is why nearly all adaptations of Mulan greatly altered the story to give more climax and drama. Some of them end with the Emperor wanting to make Mulan a concubine after he discovered her true identity, only for Mulan to commit suicide when she realized that her family is dead. Others fleshed out the enemies, often as Mongols or Xiongnu, with some Big Bad leader that Mulan must personally confront. Some even made the soldier who was shocked that Mulan was a woman become her Love Interest.

These types of changes were inevitable for a Hollywood film. No one would be content with Mulan just surviving as a mere soldier for 10 years like in the poem.

Edited by Shadao on Dec 10th 2019 at 12:50:45 PM

Well, of course they wouldn't. The poem doesn't have really anything to it. It's an Older Than Fudalism example of 'PLOT TWIST, THEY'RE A WOMAN!' which isn't... surprising or noteworthy on it's own anymore. Even for just a poem, there has to be more to it these days.

I do find it strange if they're going to cut the tiny dragon companion, but add a witch and outright magic? Feels strange, though I suppose a dragon might distract from the Humble Origins angle.

Wait is her father still an honored veteran & owner of a decent plot of land?

Cause the animated flick showed her family to be pretty well-off.