Ron Clements Talks Disney, The Little Mermaid and Moana - Which Is Apparently a Musical

Photo credit: Sioux City Journal

Ron Clements, alongside directing partner John Musker, is a legendary name in animation, having directed Disney classics like The Little Mermaid, Aladdin and, more recently, The Princess and the Frog. Clements and Musker are now hard at work on their seventh feature film, a film we've previously learned is called Moana. In a new interview with Sioux City Journal, Clements talks about his tenure at Disney and speaks a little about Moana.

Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #31: Aladdin (1992)

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective - Animated Classic #30: Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Aladdin is often perceived as the weakest film of 'The Big Four' group but I think that all of them offer something unique and entertain in their own ways. After the smash success of Beauty and the Beast the year before, Aladdin had the difficult task of trying to replicate or surpass its predecessor's glowing reputation (both critically and financially). But even if it didn't quite surpass BatB critically, it was nonetheless a smashing success and is still one of Disney's most appealing films. The third film helmed by legendary duo of Ron Clements and John Musker, Aladdin had a very difficult production where many things had to be reworked and many characters had to undergo many changes. Jeffrey Katzenberg came close to shutting down the project completely, but, thankfully, all the retooling worked, and the result is one of the most funny, heartfelt and beautiful Disney movies that ever graced the screen. Legendary composer Alan Menken returned to compose the score and his late partner Howard Ashman contributed some of the songs, making this his final work before his unfortunate death. Renowned lyricist Tim Rice had to step up to complete and create additional songs for the movie. In the end, all the troubles and problems paid off because not only do we have an appealing story, but also one of the best ensemble pieces and some of the most unforgettable characters in the entire canon.  We cannot think of Aladdin and not think about the Genie. This wonderful creation - the product of Eric Goldberg's fantastic animation and Robin Williams's superb voice acting - is one of the best and most hilarious characters to ever come from the studio. It's true that when he makes his appearances in the film, he does tend to overshadow the rest of the characters, but fortunately the filmmakers were wise enough to introduce him late in the picture so we can get to know the rest of the cast beforehand. And what a cast it is! Jafar is one of the best and most menacing villains to come from the studio and Aladdin is one of the most appealing heroes, one you can relate to and root for throughout the entire movie; and that's a good thing because, even if the Genie is a powerful presence, we never forget that this is Aladdin's story and we care for him the entire time. Added to this is top-notch humour that doesn't feel dated and is still as funny as it was 21 years ago, and fantastic songs that help the story flow more easily. As with its predecessor, the animation was also pushed to new heights and that can be seen in the 'Cave of Wonders' sequence which was done with the aid of computers and is one of the best sequences in the movie. And who can forget the "A Whole New World" scene which pairs one of the studio's best songs with some fantastic animation? You can't help but be swept away every time you see it. Aladdin may not be held as highly as Beauty and the Beast but it ended up being another huge success at the box office and took home the same Academy Awards that its predecessor did (Best Song and Best Score). More importantly though, Aladdin is still widely beloved by audiences all over the world today and remains one of the studio's brightest spots. A classic. Rating: 5/5.

Next Week - Animated Classic #32 Review: The Lion King (1994)

Munir's Disney Retrospective -- The Renaissance, Part 1 (1989-1994) Introduction

Last Week's: Munir's Disney Retrospective -- Animated Classic #27: Oliver and Company (1988)

After a difficult decade, where the studio struggled for survival, the end of the 80s arrived like a breeze of fresh air to the ailing studio. With John Musker and Ron Clements at the helm, they returned to the fairy tale genre and found tremendous success, a success that would accompany almost every feature the studio released for the next five years. Adding a Broadway-esque style and ambitious animation experiments, the studio arose like a phoenix, again becoming the king of animation. The first part of the Renaissance not only brought huge amounts of revenue to the company but also tons of critical acclaim and audience love. Moreover, this period of time put the studio back on the map and made animation important and relevant again. The animated films released in this era have become undisputed and beloved classics and brought some of the most talented crews of animators into the fold, crews that have now become legends in their own right. Arguably the best era for the studio since the Golden Age, the Renaissance is fondly remembered for its heartfelt and sharp stories, memorable characters, unforgettable songs and gorgeous animation and their films continue to enchant new and old generations of people even today.

Aladdin Blu-ray Review - Prince Ali, Yes It Is He, In Glorious HD

©Disney

Aladdin is available to own on Disney Blu-ray™ from 15th April 2013

Within the Disney pantheon, there are good films, there are bad films, there are very good films and there are very bad films. Included in the very good films are indisputable, inarguable classics: The Lion King, Pinocchio, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, One Hundred and One Dalmatians and, yes, Aladdin. The former lot, we have, film by film, drip by drop, got on Blu-ray, but the latter has eluded Disney-collectors for the longest time. Until now.

Upcoming UK Disney Blu-ray Details

©Disney

We in the UK often get a raw deal of things, Disney are a particularly nefarious culprit of giving us films late. One such area is that we get Disney Blu-rays at times completely independent to the US, sometimes this is good (we got Cinderella and Peter Pan early), but sometimes it isn't (we still haven't got the Finding Nemo Blu-ray, and the bonus features we get on our BD releases are always slim pickings). However, once in a while there's a ray of light in the dark, stormy night; for instance, we've got a succulent slew of Disney Blu-ray releases coming up in the next month.

Video of the Day: The Harsh Reality for Disney Princesses, in After Ever After

Concerned Disney films are a little bit too happy? Not enough BP-bashing or Guantanamo Bay jokes for you? Fortunately, YouTuber Paint agrees with you. He posted the above video, suggesting some darker, possibly more realistic, endings to classic Disney fairytales.

It's inventive, tuneful and just plain funny, so be sure to check the video out!

Pictures of the Day: Aladdin Meets DC Heroes and The Simpsons Meets Breaking Bad

I, like many a Disney fan, enjoy randomly bursting out singing A Whole New World. Do you know who apparently shares this passion? Superman. Check out this hilarious mash-up of Aladdin and Batman/Superman (from here) above; I think I may have just found a new iPod wallpaper! I like to think this is the kind of jesting that goes on in the Justice League.

Speaking of cool mash-ups, we've got another cool Breaking Bad one for you! Last time we showed you Threadless's cool Dexter's Lab/Breaking Bad crossover and today TV's best drama meets its most iconic cartoon family, with Breaking Bart (via Breaking Bad Memes).

Related news: What If: Fan-Made "Indiana Jones: The Animated Adventures" Artwork

After 37 Years, Glen Keane Leaves Disney

After almost 4 decades in the employ of Walt Disney Animation Studios, Glen Keane, arguably the famed studio's most well known and respected animator and artist, has retired from Disney.

Keane, who began working for Disney in September, 1974 has been responsible for bringing to life some of Disney's most loved characters, including animating Beast in Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin in Aladdin, and having heavy creative influence over Rapunzel in Tangled.

Cartoon Brew have the text of the letter detailing his resignation to friends at the studio, in which he said:

Over these four decades I have seen so many changes, but the one thing that remains the same is that we all do this because we love it.

I am humbled and deeply honored to have worked side by side so many artists, producers and directors during my career here at Disney, and I am tremendously proud of the films which together we have created. I will deeply miss working with you.

With my most sincere and heartfelt good wishes for your and Disney’s continued artistic growth and success, 

Glen

One thing's for sure, Glen Keane will be sorely missed at Disney, but will remain a true icon and legend of animation, who will surely continue to excel at whatever he tries his hand at next.

Kevin Lima On Board to Direct Monkeys of Mumbai

News broke over the last couple of days that Kevin Lima, who formerly worked at Disney, directing Tarzan and Enchanted and acting as a Story Editor on Aladdin, is set to direct Monkeys of Mumbai for DreamWorks Animation. The film, which was billed as "the studio's first-ever Bollywood-style animated musical adventure" in a press release on Wednesday, has no announced release date yet but sounds, just going off the working title, pretty fun.

Lima, who is married to former Brave director, Brenda Chapman, is surely going to be a great addition to the DreamWorks team, as only the latest of a long string of Disney staff to flock over to the company behind Shrek.

Alan Menken Medley

WaltDisneyStudiosUK have just uploaded the above video onto their YouTube page. The video is a medley, from Alan Menken, legendary Disney composer, of some of his greatest Disney hits. The video really brings back all of the magic of these famed Dinsey Renaissance films. Say what you like about musicals, but they really are very magical. I particularly liked the snippets from Colours of the Wind (Pocahontas), Beauty and the Beast and A Whole New World (Aladdin), although I loved all of them.

Menken certainly is a fantastic composer.