Animated Disney movies w/ plotlines that you'd change

[thedisneyspirit]

Snow White: Just the pacing, really. The first five/ten minutes go so quickly and then the film feels like it's overfilled with filler once she arrives into the dwarfs' cottage. Just measure better pacing or cut some of the filler dwarf scenes. Some scenes of the Prince would've been nice, too, but I understand the technical difficulties of the era didn't allow for any of that.

Fantasia: shorten some of the scenes (the abstract and the dinosaur segments, mostly)- just personal reasons for this one.

Dumbo: maybe extend a little the ending. After he learns to fly everything seems to go too fast.

The package films / Three Caballeros/Saludos Amigos: Maybe just a sense of direction, I guess. In Caballeros the plot is really the weakest part of the film, since it seems to go in different directions throughout all of it.

Cinderella: Cut down the mice, more focus on Cinderella / the Prince.

Peter Pan: Just make Peter and Tink, or maybe more mysterious. They come off as big jerks throughout most of the film. I also heard the original play is very different from the Disney adaptation, so I wonder if they could've developed that instead. And I suppose cutting out the Indians...But honestly that comment would also go for the Crows, the Siamese Cats, etc etc...

Sleeping Beauty: More focus on Aurora and Philip, less baking and Scrumps filler, etc.

Jungle Book: Maybe change and develop a little more the idea of why Mowgli would go to the village, or why he would resist. Maybe have some of the original ideas of the book in there, but that's probably what Walt would not have wanted, so...I like a lot the film as it is, but I reckon it has some flaws, so I'm not sure what to do with it.

Aristocats: Maybe make Edgar either a lot more threatening or just less stupid. He's really the worst villain the studio has done till now. Also the dog scene...Just minimize it.

Robin Hood: More focus on Robin and Marian's relationship, how they grew up, and maybe give Marian a bigger presence in the finale. It was always weird how she disappears in the end until her wedding.

Lion King: Give more screen time to Nala, I guess. And maybe change the songs, since aside from one or two they never did much for me.

Hunchback: Make the Gargoyles' humor a little more subtle. Get rid of the goofy guards or change Esmeralda's wacky escape. Just really don't make the tone so contrasting.

Atlantis: Either make it longer or simplify the story as it is/cut a lot of the characters. I know people wouldn't like the second option but the film is very convoluted as it is, leaving illogical and vague explanations as to how their world building works and such.

Treasure Planet: Overall ok, but like Hunchback, the overabundance of kiddy jokes like the alien farts and BEN sorta bring the film down at points.

PATF: Just less swamp scenes, takes too long and feels overall pointless. Once they turn into frogs the film just becomes obnoxious for me for a while. Do something so Louis isn't so useless, and maybe connect Tiana more with Facilier.

Tangled: lose all the modern stuff. Make Flynn less dreamworksy, Maximus not too forced, Gothel not so wacky and vague, and maybe change the colors so it looks less like a Barbie movie. I'll always be curious about that "dark Rapunzel" that was originally envisioned.

[DisneyFan09]

jpanimation, I understand what you last said very much, and agree with some of it.

DisneyFan09, all of us love and some of us are obsessed with Disney here. The way I love Disney, I can't explain. I just love it. I loved it since I saw Cinderella when I was 3. You don't need me to tell you that to know and accept I love Disney whenever I talk about it here, and I can't explain why I loved Cinderella so much. Or maybe I can, it's because of all the magic, the prettiness, and Cinderella's warmth, but Ariel explained she loved the sun and the cool way legs moved instead of fins, right? So Ariel's love of the human world doesn't need any more explanation, if one even can explain why they love anything. Her love of the human world is believable which is the important thing.

As for her friends, yea, I can see how Ariel took them, and other good things she had, for granted, but when people fall in love with other people and places, they must sometimes leave their family and friends for something bigger that they feel they belong with.

And we can very safely assume Ariel thanked her friends at some point in her life, either before or after the wedding. We didn't see Cinderella say thank you to the mice bringing her the key at the end, but we know she must have done it sometime, right?

First of all, I know that I'm replying late, so I apologize for that, but I stumbled across this thread again because I wanted to address my opinion about something else.

You're right about Cinderella. However, it's easier to feel for her. She's opressed by a stepfamily who hates her and doesn't want nothing to do with her, so therefore it's easier to symphatize with her. Ariel, however, is also opressed, but at least by someone who genuinely loves her.

I'm not going to defend all of Triton's actions, but the problem with Ariel is that she's obsessing over something that she has vague fantasies about and the movie never gives her a legitimate reason for doing so. I'm not a Ariel-hater at all, but I think a backstory or a more legitimate reason would justify her intentions for going to the human world more.

Either way, the reason that I started this thread is about the plotlines of animated films that I would have and since then, we've gotten some new films.

"Frozen"; Making the plot less busier and let the story be primarily about Elsa and Anna's relationship and Elsa's inner struggle, which is enough for an entire movie. The story also centers about Anna's quest for true love and giving her two love interests (which one of them turns out to be evil when a villain isn't needed). And expanding Kristoff's character. The movie never explains why he is a loner to begin with.

[sunhuntin]

not so much a plotline change, but an addition. id like to see the pound dogs succeed in escaping in lady and the tramp. even a cameo in the sequel would have done, so long as it was obviously them and not just look a likes.

[BwayJ]

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
I have no qualms with "Blustery Day" and "Tigger Too," which manage a good mix of the books' wordplay and the slapstick of American cartoons. However, I think the slapstick in "Honey Tree" does not match the stories' gentle nature. I refer to the failure of the rain cloud disguise and when Pooh is shot out of Rabbit's door. Certain elements (the foreboding/suspenseful music, the somewhat realistic way the bees are drawn, the way Sterling Holloway says, "These are the wrong sorts of bees") make me feel less like these are cartoonish obstacles and more like these are situations where Pooh can really get hurt.

[Disney Duster]

Snow White: make the Queen more intelligent. Why did she have to go herself to kill Snow White when she could just send more servants?

Because the first servant didn't do the job and lied. How would she prevent all other servants from not doing the ob and lying?

You're right about Cinderella. However, it's easier to feel for her. She's opressed by a stepfamily who hates her and doesn't want nothing to do with her, so therefore it's easier to symphatize with her. Ariel, however, is also opressed, but at least by someone who genuinely loves her.

I'm not going to defend all of Triton's actions, but the problem with Ariel is that she's obsessing over something that she has vague fantasies about and the movie never gives her a legitimate reason for doing so. I'm not a Ariel-hater at all, but I think a backstory or a more legitimate reason would justify her intentions for going to the human world more.

Ariel's father may love her but he is in the wrong in keeping her from growing up and being free and going after what she really wants. As for what she really wants, why does she need more reason? What is your reason for loving Disney? Because it's cool, because it's exciting, because it makes you happy? That's why Ariel wants to be apart of the human world. Why does Cinderella want to go to the ball? Because it sounds cool and wonderful to her, even though she's never been there. That's just like Ariel wanting to be apart of a world that seems cool and wonderful even though she's never been there.

[DisneyFan09]

Remember that we're analyzing a movie/story here and a story is more compelling/legitimate when the characters catalyst has an explanation/motive. That's why. I'm analyzing from a logical context. And frankly, I don't find the comparison with Cinderella's desire to go to the ball that comparable. Cinderella's main goal is to escape the house, the ball becomes a way for her to do so.

Look, I'm not trying to be condescending. If you disagree, then fine. We can agree to disagree.

[Disney Duster]

1. A story is not more "legitimate" if a character has an explanation or motive.
2. What more explanation or motive do you need than "this person likes this thing"?! Who can EXPLAIN why you like what you like?! Do you think people need an EXPLANATION for why they like their favorite color?!

[Disney's Divinity]

Big Hero 6: Switch the focus on the brothers; have Hiro be the one that dies in the accident, with Tadashi overcoming his grief. Actually, it would make more sense if he started the "group" anyway, since Hiro only met the 5 of them a handful of times. I'm not even sure what they could do to salvage the villain... Hire a different voice actor, give him better dialogue? I have no idea, because on paper his plot/motivation should've been effective onscreen.

Tangled: Develop Gothel and Rapunzel's relationship more so that an internal conflict on Rapunzel's side is believable. Gothel doesn't see Rapunzel as anything more than an object. Not giving Gothel a little conflict between the maternal feelings she'd grown unconsciously and her self-centered motivation was a very big missed opportunity. Cut the narration at the beginning, or at least make it more serious. I'll take the early Bastion over Flynn, too.

The Princess and the Frog: Make Facilier's plans/goals more clear. I've always read race/social status-related undertones into his focus on Charlotte's father, but it's like Disney didn't want M&C to touch it with a ten-foot-pole, so it's left incredibly vague. I'd also leave Louis his original plot of being a previous victim of Facilier. And I'd have liked it if they'd had Naveen and Lawrence have some kind of moment together at the end, with Naveen acknowledging how much of a dick he was to Lawrence before Lawrence is jailed.

Treasure Planet: I guess I wouldn't change anything about the plot. My problems with the movie are more with the character designs of the background aliens, voice actors (for Doppler and BEN), and the humor (fart jokes and all things BEN... I'm not a fan of Martin Short's style.). Oh, and those 3D whales looking awful next to the 2D.

The Lion King: I wish the musical's addition for Nala (as far as Scar's intentions for her) had been present in the movie, but I guess that would've been three films in a row that the villain set romantic sights on the heroine; 4 if you count Ursula nearly marrying Eric, even though she has no interest in him. I'd also have liked if they gave Sarabi a little more to do, or cut her completely.

[DisneyFan09]

1. A story is not more "legitimate" if a character has an explanation or motive.
2. What more explanation or motive do you need than "this person likes this thing"?! Who can EXPLAIN why you like what you like?! Do you think people need an EXPLANATION for why they like their favorite color?!

*Sighs*. Well, since you obviously want to discuss this...

When an interest is actually the main catalyst for the actions of the protagonist, then yes, there should've be an explanation. It would've reasonated more emotionally and not least logically. Remember, we're analyzing a movie/story and an interest/motivation usually needs a reason to reasonate.

And yes, you'll probably go on and claim my statement not to be legit enough. And there are several characters who have an interest which isn't justified. Or stories for that matter (which is true). That's fair enough. Ariel's fascination for the human world can be interpreted in many ways (though it's been a while since I've seen it, some claimed that the "Thingamajigger"-episode sparked her interest in our world). And it's due to the Mermaid's interest in human world from the original story. But if you consider this non-explanation to be legitimate, then fine enough. I've stated my opinion and I'm not regretting it. I'm sorry.

[Disney Duster]

You know what only explanations characters need for liking something? God made them like that/they were born that way.

Why do you like anything? Why do you like Disney? When you saw Disney movies as a kid, didn't you love them, and wish you could be part of those movie worlds? Or when you saw commercials for Disney World, didn't you wish you could be "part of that world"?

THAT'S why Ariel and any other characters want what they want.

If you still don't see what I'm saying is right, I want you to tell me, what is your explanation for loving Disney and why you want to be "part of that world"?

[DisneyFan09]

Look. I'm actually done discussing this. I've implied it and therefore you should've followed my implication. I'm not trying to start a fight, but I've actually stated my opinion and have nothing more to add to it. And frankly; I've ranted about Ariel many times priorly and I'm tired of discussing her. So therefore; Please take a hint and end this discussion. I apologize if I come across as rude, but I stand by my statement.

[Disney Duster]

I don't even get what you were saying or how I am wrong, DisneyFan09. You think Ariel needs a reason for her love when there is no reasons for why we love what we love except that we were born to?

Here is a doozy of a movie's plot I would change. It's not an animated movie, so if you want me to move this elsewhere I will, but this is kind of a remake of an animated movie, so here it is:

Cinderella (2015):
Capture more heart, charm, and soul like the original did. Maybe make Cinderella more interesting because some people complained she wasn't interesting enough. Better developed romance for the two leads, probably by spending more screentime on it, especially at the ball. The names of Drizella and Major stay as they are from the Disney film. I hate saying this, but perhaps a prettier actress for Drizella who looks more like Anastasia and Lady Tremaine do in the film. Make the beginning of the film less saccharine, including a more serious dance between Ella and her father where he says, "You're such a good dancer. And your mother is too" and then he goes over to her mother. Less fake-feeling or mushy stuff in all of the scenes between Cinderella and her father, actually. Make Cinderella read that book aloud more enthusiastically/better. Skip Cinderella asking for the tree branch, I don't care if it mixed the Grimm's version in, it was an inane request, she should just tell her father, "All I want is for you to come back quickly, as soon as you can." Her father then says, "Oh Ella!", and hugs her and the rest goes as in the movie except none of the "your mother is the heart of this place" stuff. After Ella becomes a servant, she makes sure she has more food for herself than her stepfamily's leftovers, by buying more or making more and hiding it. We find out Kit's real/full name at least said once. The King doesn't die, and he isn't sick. Kit smells flowers and swings in his mother's garden in a scene juxtaposed with Ella playing with bubbles as she washes a floor. When Kit leaves Cinderella in the forest, he tells her there will be a ball at the palace that everyone can come to, and he can see her again there, but she can’t tell anyone about it until it’s officially announced. Cinderella's reason for not leaving the house is because, she says, "It is still a very nice place to live. And it's my home. I want to have a home." Her friend says, "Well, maybe you'll meet someone you'll get to have a new home with." Cinderella says, "That would be nice." The fencing scene happens in a new set that is meant to be in the palace, not that pre-existing real place it's in. Cinderella's pink dress has neckline-type-of-sleeves similar to the ones the later new blue dress has, so her new blue dress looks like her old pink dress, like it's supposed to. And it doesn't have a bow in the back, just the ribbon around the waist. The pink dress gets ripped up more so Cinderella couldn't fix it in time for the ball at all. Take out the “I’m your Hairy Dogmother” line because it was clearly dubbed into the film and does not fit with her mouth movements. When the Fairy Godmother transforms to her true self, how she transforms is from the fairy dust from her stick that becomes the wand falling onto her. The Fairy Godmother says "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" for each spell she does, except when she transforms herself, and she just says "Boo" when she casts the spell that makes Cinderella unrecognized by her stepfamily at the ball (in the original film, she just said "Boo" to chase Lucifer with Disney dust). There is no fly landing on the carriage and the lizard footman eating it, that scene should just be cut. There's a scene where Kit has an almost fight with his father about finding the girl with the glass slippers, and then the King finally concedes and decides to let Kit go after who he wants, and then he says he'll try to be a better father from then on. They both get emotional about it, mainly Kit, happy his father is finally being this way. When Lady Tremaine confronts Cinderella in the attic, she says, "Now, Anastasia, Drizella, and I need a better life, too, and we can't let you take it from us, so I'm going to make sure you can't", and breaks the slipper and locks Cinderella in. There's a scene where Lady Tremaine comes to give Cinderella food in the attic she locked her in, the day the slipper comes to their house. Cinderella hears her coming and stands to the side of the door. When Lady Tremaine slips in some food, Cinderella grabs her arm and pulls her in, then tries to run out the door. Lady Tremaine overtakes her and says, "You think you can overcome me, you stunted little kitchen wench?" She throws Cinderella to the ground, and quickly walks out the door and locks it again. So Cinderella takes a candle and lights the door on fire. Then the mice open the window, and smoke comes out. The prince and his men see the smoke coming from the tower. Kit says, "It looks like someone is trying to escape that tower. Captain, why don't you go and investigate." We see Lady Tremaine and the Captain come up to the attic with Lady Tremaine holding a bucket of water. She throws the water on the door, and then opens it. She says, "See, it's no one of importance" or whatever she says in the movie at that time. Kit's hands let go of the slipper when it fits her foot, so we can see the beautiful moment of it fitting the servant cindergirl and him still wanting to marry her. But then Cinderella takes it off and carries it with her and Kit as they walk out. In the end narration, the Fairy Godmother calls Cinderella "Cinderella" instead of Ella.

[DisneyFan09]

Oh please, can't you take a hint? I've already explained my points! I'm not stating that you're simply wrong, but I've already made it clear that I'm done discussing this! So should you! Sorry for being harsh, but I really dislike when people keep pushing when the opposite parts have had it.

[Disney Duster]

I don't even get the point you were trying to make, and why you thought it was right against what I said. But I will drop the discussion as you wish.

[Nala]

The sequence for the 3 Little mermaid are wrong. Part 3 should be part 1 and explain Ariel's childhood prior to being 16. Part 1 should be Part 2 and Part 2 should be Part 3.

[DisneyFan09]

I don't even get the point you were trying to make, and why you thought it was right against what I said. But I will drop the discussion as you wish.

Yes, please. No offense.

[Disney Duster]

Yea, I took no offense, I just wish I understood why you think there needs to be a reason she loves what she loves more than the same reason why you love Disney or anything.

[thedisneyspirit]

Hunchback: Loose the uneven tone- either make it closer to the book and allow all the misery and drama of it, or turn into something more watered down for the kiddies allowing the comedy. The film's too uneven for me, one minute we have cute burping goats and the next there's an old guy harassing a woman. The film just comes off odd in its execution and it doesn't seem to know what it wants to be: or another feel good funny Disney film or something new and dark more akin to the book.

Mermaid: Have Ariel speak more. I just feel we get robbed of hearing her beautiful voice and i think we spend very little time with her getting to listen to her needs and wants, but of course if she didn't lose her voice this wouldn't be the fairy tale...

Frozen: Keep the focus on Elsa and her relationship with Anna (sooo downplay Anna's story:..). Hans as a bad guy works with the message but i feel we should've needed more scenes of him interacting with others. Cut down the trolls though and downplay Kristoff, I feel the message of not marrying the first guy you meet goes out the window the moment him and Anna kiss. It would've been better had they stayed friends.

PATF: Actually touch on the racism issue. It seems Disney was scared to do so so they ended up whitewashing history (and on the other hand i'm afraid they wouldn't have portrayed it well either), but the final makes things seem a little too sugary. Drop the boring swamp scenes and have Louis be a lost victim of Facilier. Turn him back into his original form of a human black man at the end and maybe hint at him and Charlotte hitting it off. Cut Ray's super dumb funeral/star sequence, it's so long and melodramatic it comes off as funny. The scene with Tiana and the others mourning him on their own works well enough.

Big Hero 6: Keep the focus on Hiro, Tadashi and Baymax. The other characters/members of the team felt way too childish and stereotypically one-dimensional and felt out of place in a film that could've touch a good issue like grief/mourning without a need to be "cool" or "edgy".

Marvel movies: Cut down the snark between the characters. Though I feel this is something more of Whedon's writing since I can take the characters seriously in their original movies it's just that in Avengers they seem to get downgraded into clowns.

[blackcauldron85]

Big Hero 6: Switch the focus on the brothers; have Hiro be the one that dies in the accident, with Tadashi overcoming his grief. Actually, it would make more sense if he started the "group" anyway, since Hiro only met the 5 of them a handful of times.

In my opinion, that is the point.  Tadashi is what brought the group together.  He introduced Hiro to his friends, obviously he designed Baymax.  Tadashi is like the heart of the BH6.  The group became like older siblings to Hiro.  I think that Hiro was so lost, and obviously Tadashi introduced him to his friends and encouraged him to enroll in college to guide him, so he could meet his potential and do good.  Tadashi had his life together...if it were reversed, yes, Tadashi would be grieving, but he'd end up finishing school and doing science as a career...with Tadashi dying, and without the other characters, Hiro would have, IMO, become like a hermit, except for the bot competitions.  Tadashi's friends continued Hiro going on the 'right path.'

Big Hero 6: Keep the focus on Hiro, Tadashi and Baymax. The other characters/members of the team felt way too childish and stereotypically one-dimensional and felt out of place in a film that could've touch a good issue like grief/mourning without a need to be "cool" or "edgy".

Would Baymax have been able to nudge/push Hiro enough to meet his potential?  I think Baymax is a great character, and really is an extension of Tadashi, but I feel that the human element of the other characters was what Hiro needed.  The BH6 were all grieving Tadashi...being/ working together gave them purpose, and thaf helped their grieving.  When Hiro is in his room, and he has the video message from the group...and Baymax says that being with others can help the grieving process... I just think that that's an important part...Hiro doesn't have to grieve alone...the group grieves together while saving the world, and allowing Hiro to see and use his potential.

There was more at stake by having Tadashi die than having Hiro die. Hiro was young and lost, needing guidance, and the group members continued guiding Hiro/utilizing his skills, having him do more with his life...Tadashi would have turned out successful either way- he had that drive. Hiro needed that push.

[Disney's Divinity]

Big Hero 6: Switch the focus on the brothers; have Hiro be the one that dies in the accident, with Tadashi overcoming his grief. Actually, it would make more sense if he started the "group" anyway, since Hiro only met the 5 of them a handful of times.

In my opinion, that is the point. Tadashi is what brought the group together. He introduced Hiro to his friends, obviously he designed Baymax. Tadashi is like the heart of the BH6. The group became like older siblings to Hiro. I think that Hiro was so lost, and obviously Tadashi introduced him to his friends and encouraged him to enroll in college to guide him, so he could meet his potential and do good. Tadashi had his life together...if it were reversed, yes, Tadashi would be grieving, but he'd end up finishing school and doing science as a career...with Tadashi dying, and without the other characters, Hiro would have, IMO, become like a hermit, except for the bot competitions. Tadashi's friends continued Hiro going on the 'right path.'

My thoughts are selfish because I don't like Hiro while on the other hand I loved Tadashi and would've rather he had been the main character. If the roles were reversed, the plot could've mostly followed the same beats--investigating the explosion to find out what happened, bringing in his friends to help him, discovering his teacher is the villain, etc. It probably would've been much more dramatic for Tadashi to have a breakdown moment and nearly have Baymax become an instrument of revenge considering he clearly wanted to help people at the beginning of the story (unlike Hiro). That would've been a more interesting plot to me: someone broken like Tadashi fighting the desire for revenge brought on by grief when his nature is clearly more nurturing.

On a positive note, I don't believe I'd change anything about Moana. I thought that film was close to perfect in execution.