Should Disney Reboot Kim Possible?

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney.   And with the news of a DuckTales reboot on the horizon, I've been thinking of another Disney animated show.   

And whether or not,   Disney should take the chance and reboot it.   This also came up because of the fact that KP's voice actress starting next week will be recording herself reciting famous KP lines on YouTube.   I'm torn here because I love KP.   Kim Possible is in my opinion, the greatest Disney animated show ever.  And as much as I would probably like a reboot, I think it's better to leave KP, how she ended.   I mean the fourth and final season was only made because of fan demand to have a final season of the show.  Because originally,  So The Dram was supposed to end the series.  And in many regards, that would've been a fine ending but I am happier that we got a proper final season.

However, the series finale, Graduation was much better as it gave all the characters a proper sendoff with a threat where our heroes had to team up with the villains to save the world. And it was nice to see Ron get one last moment to step up.

So, honestly KP had two good endings that I am happy with.   More than that though,  I would be weary of  Disney rebooting this series because we how saw what happened with the horrid Mickey Mouse reboot.

Even with the current voice actors voicing the characters, it still misses the point of what made these characters so appealing.   Thankfully for KP, however her creator is still around and if Disney were to reboot this show, I would want Mark McCorkle to come back.    Another thing that we have to take into consideration is that Disney Channel is a different beast than it was in 2007, when the show ended.   Disney Channel  doesn't really air animated programs and instead shoves them off to Disney XD.  I mean heck, Gravity Falls which aired it's first season on Disney Channel was pushed onto Disney XD for it's second season and it's already been announced that the DuckTales reboot will be airing on Disney XD as well.   Early '00s  Disney Channel wasn't ashamed of their animated programming whereas nowadays, they only want to seem to focus on their tween-coms.  And that's another thing, I don't know how many get Disney XD, so how many people would see a possible Kim Possible reboot (pun not intended).  

This is something that isn't easy for me because  more than any animated show, (yes including MLP),  I adore Kim Possible. And as much as I would love new adventures with Kim and Ron, I don't think that a reboot series is the right way to go as I feel Kimmy's time on TV is done. However, I do have another suggestion that could work.  Comics!   This goes back to the old now out of print Disney Adventures magazine, they would run comics based on Disney TV shows and they would sometimes have  Kim Possible comics.

And with Disney now owning Marvel and also  working with the king of licensed comics...

IDW to publish comics based on their  classic characters, they have two options they could go for to  make a licensed Kim Possible comic.  And I think that this would be the perfect route to go.  I would have the comic series set after events of the series.  And perhaps introduce new characters and new villains along the way, while at the same time not forgetting KP's original rouges gallery. Because the villains of Kim Possible were one of the biggest highlights of the show.  Could this work? Well,   I think so and  I think at the same time,  it could give a new generation a really cool hero to look up to and in the process, it could lead them to tracking down the show and that in turn could get people interested in watching it. 

In the end, do I think Disney should reboot Kim Possible?  The nostalgic part of me would love to see that but I have to admit that at the same time, there really isn't much need for it to return on TV as Disney  has some decent animated shows airing right now such as Gravity Falls and Star Vs. The Forces of Evil.   But I do think a  Kim Possible comic could work in that regard to whet people's appetite for  KP nostalgia and give them new stories with her.  So on TV,  no Disney shouldn't reboot KP but I don't think the series should be dormant either.  What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments. Peace!

Villains Profile: Jafar

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney and the last  of these 4 Villains Profiles  as we take a look at my favorite Disney Villain, Jafar.   As always, this will include  Voice Actor,  Entrance, Personality,  Grand Desire,  Villain Song, Lackey, Most Evil Deed, Demise, & finally, Is Jafar A Good Villain?  With that out of the way, let's begin.




Voice  Actor 


Jonathan Freeman

Jonathan Freeman owns this role.   He is  superb here as every line, Freeman delivers  as Jafar is oozing with sarcasm, wit and a hint of menace.  I mentioned last week  how Cruella  had a balance of comedy and terror, I would say that is also very true of Jafar but in many respects, I believe the balance here is tighter. Oh, it might also be fun to note that Freeman is the first voice actor to reprise his role for a Broadway adaption as he played Jafar on Broadway, when the musical adaption opened.

Entrance



What's really interesting here is in-story, Jafar is the first character of the cast we are introduced to in the movie. Because we meet him at the very beginning of the movie as he send the humble thief, Kassem into The Cave of Wonders after obtaining what is needed.

And I just love here,  how the background and the shadows make him seem so sinister. Giving you the hint, that there is something up with this guy. And that he is not to be trusted.




Personality



I think the biggest appeal  of Jafar's personality for me is his dry wit.  You always get the sense that he is thinking, "I'm surrounded by idiots".  The other big factor in Jafar's personality is how manipulative he is.  We see that  with how he had been pretending to be loyal to The Sultan for so long and also with his disguises, most obviously with old man costume that he used to trick Aladdin.

And as the DisneyWiki says he's snobby and classy, which again goes back to what I said about him thinking that he is surrounded by idiots.  Jafar likes to think that he is better than everyone else around him. A prime  example of this  attribute of his personality is how he talks down to The Sultan as though Sultan is a child.





Grand Desire


Jafar is simply put power-hungry and he wants to overthrow Sultan and rule Agrabah.  And y'know what with the aid of Genie, he gets but it still isn't enough.

Because he uses his second wish to become an all powerful sorcerer

And even that isn't enough as he is tricked into wishing that he could be an all powerful Genie because he knew that Genie was still more powerful than him.

Which as we will get to was his undoing.   The point here is that one of the biggest factors of Jafar is that once he gets a taste of power, he wants more. He can never settle for what he has.



Villain Song



Prince Ali (Reprise)







Okay,  while I am sore that both of Jafar's full villain songs were cut,  this is still a good villain song in the sense that it takes a song from earlier in the movie was used to celebrate our hero that was based on lies and now Jafar is turning it against Aladdin and revealing who he truly is to everyone and making Aladdin look like a fool in the process.



Lackey



Iago

I love the bond between Jafar and Iago as they share a mutual bond of respect for one another and they are the only ones that respect each other.While Jafar is clearly in charge in this leadership, he does show an ounce of respect towards Iago. And that's saying something as he's voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. Oh sure, they bicker like an old married couple but I think that just adds to the charm of how much they work so well together.





Most Evil Deed


Enslaving The Genie

As a kid, I found this scene terrifying but as an adult, it's heartbreaking because here you have The Genie, who was so close to getting his freedom.  But it was taken away from him and now under the control of Jafar, he is forced to hurt the ones that he cares about such as Al. Because he has a new master now and there is nothing he can do about it.



Demise



We already went over this up top but Jafar basically caused his own demise.  Thanks to Aladdin taking advantage of Jafar's lust for power. By Jafar becoming a Genie,  he was trapped with the whole part and parcel.   Now making him a slave to the lamp.

 


What I really love about this is that Jafar is so caught up in the moment, he forgets about the negative consequences of this wish.  Which now makes him look like the fool. He  is just basking in the moment, only to have the Street Rat interrupt and remind him that he forgot about the whole package.

 














Is Jafar A Good Villain?



Yes but you knew that was going to be my answer at the start of this article.  Everything about Jafar just is put together so well and it makes him so entertaining.  He is easily one of the most entertaining  Disney villains, while  at the same time being one of the  most threatening.  I honestly can't think of anything about this character that I don't like.   Everytime,  I watch this movie I always look forward to Jafar's scenes as they are just a true delight.

Music Fridays # 152: Top 10 Disney Songs Whose Popularity Extends Beyond The Movie They Came From

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney and to Music Fridays.  Feeling inspired by Les's articles  on popular songs from movies, I've decided to do a countdown of  the Top 10 Disney Songs That   Are So Popular that their popularity extends beyond the movie they came from. These are the songs that you hear  and  you just get caught up in them  and  they are so good that they can stand on their own without the movies.  With that out of the way, let's begin.

10 .  Baby Mine  - Dumbo  

I was hesitant to put this on the list but  seeing as my Mom  did suggest it, I felt that I had to find a place to include it somewhere on this list.  And  I have to say that while it wasn't a song that I would've thought of for this list, it does make sense in a way to include because this song has been covered so many times by  many different artists and even when you take it away from Dumbo,  it stands on it's own as an enduring song because of the message in it. We will come across another song similar to  this later on this list.

9. I'll Make A Man out of You - Mulan 

In the internet  age,  I've noticed so many people of my age love this song.   I honestly think that this song's popularity eclipses of this movie. More people seem to remember this song  than anything else in the movie.  I cannot tell you how many AMV's I've come across of this particular song.   There is just something about this song that has stayed with people over the years since this movie came out.   I can't exactly put my finger on what it is but I am not complaining about the staying power that this song has.

8. You'll Be In My Heart  - Tarzan

Man, this song  got a lot of airplay on the radio, when this movie first came out and I still hear it on the radio to this day.  I personally enjoyed Phil Collins'  work for Tarzan but it is clear that this little song that I've often said is the modern day Baby Mine has the most staying power out of all the songs that Phil Collins wrote for Tarzan and with it still being played to this very day.

7.   Circle of Life - The Lion King

Okay, so I couldn't just choose one song from this movie,  I ended up picking tow as we will see in a bit but to be fair this entire soundtrack could qualify for this list.  But there is just something about this song and the other that I picked that have stayed with people throughout the years since this movie came out.  I think the reason, this song has lasted as long as it has is because of the sweeping nature of the song and how it gets you caught up  in the grandiose nature of what you are seeing before you and even without watching the movie, you can still envision the grand moments that are associated with this beautiful song.

6.  Beauty and The Beast - Beauty and The Beast

While I'm  sure the Peabo Bryson and Celine Dion version got more airplay back in the day, the Angela Lansbury version, I've found has stayed with people  who grew up with this film more than the credits version.   I think part of the thing that makes this song so lasting as it has been is the singing. It is just sung so beautifully  and  just like with most of the songs on this list, it evokes a spark in you, when you hear it.  And again, you don't need the movie to make this song special.  It's one of those songs that works on it's own and is able to convey the message so well.


5.  Can You Feel The Love Tonight? - The Lion King






Now, this as I'm sure you figured is the other Lion King song I was referring to but in this case, it's the Elton John version.   Just like songs that had come after it,  Elton John's version of this beautiful song had a lot of airplay when the film came out and still to this day gets played on the radio.   That should attest to how popular and long lasting this song is.  I honestly think the biggest thing working in this song's favor is Elton John singing it.  You have one of the most popular musicians singing one of the best Disney songs of all time and it's sure to stick with you.



4. Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious - Mary Poppins





This was one of the most obvious choices for this list.  And you know  the big reason, it has lasted.  I can sum it up with one word.

That sums it up in a nutshell. This song is just fun and that's why it has remained so popular.  You can't help but to have a good time, when listening to this song.  This song is so popular that people try to top each other in spelling it's title.   Which for me is near impossible.  This  is one of the gold standards of popular Disney songs.




3. Let It Go - Frozen







I'm sure, you guys were expecting this one to show up as it is one of the most obvious choices for this list. And what I find really funny is that the sound track had a radio version made with Demi Lovato singing it but it's the Idina Menzel version that gets played on the radio.   Why is that?  Well, I think it has to do with Menzel's version just being the stronger version of this song as there is more weight in her voice when she is singing this as Elsa.   The big reason though that I think this song is so popular is because of how many people resonate with it.  It's  easily one of the most powerful songs to come from a Disney movie and no matter, how hard Disney tries to milk Frozen, be it with a Broadway musical or Frozen 2, nothing can take away from the power of this song.  I believe that in fifty years time, new Disney fans will still be listening to this song and finding the powerful message within it of breaking free and being who you want to be.



2.  Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah  - Song of The South








Now, this is one is interesting.  I've never seen this movie because Disney has kept it locked up in the vault for years now and most likely will never release it but this song has always been able to escape that vault.  This is one of two songs that is often cited as a Disney anthem.  I have a hard time placing exactly my finger on why this song has endured for as long as it has but  I think it might  come down to how nice it sounds.  It's  just a nice  song  that is always  pleasant to listen to and you hear  it at so many things associated with Disney, especially the parks  as they love playing this song at The Magic Kingdom.



1. When You Wish Upon A Star -  Pinocchio






I knew that this had to be # 1.  This song has gone from being a song in Pinocchio to being The Disney Song.  More than any song on this list, this song is the one that is most associated with Disney.  You hear it in the parks, in their commercials. It's played as a part of their fireworks show. There is something about this song that somehow made it The Disney song as I was saying.   And I think that comes from the fact that this song falls in line with what we think of when think of Disney and that is our dreams coming true.   That's why it's The Disney song because just like Disney reminds to believe in magic,  this song reminds us that it's okay to make a wish on a star. Sure, times have changed since this movie came out and other films such as The Princess and The Frog remind us that we need to work for our dreams but I think going back to this song, it's okay to make that wish.   And that's  why  this song to me is  easily the most popular Disney song. I think this has to be the most covered Disney song.   There really isn't anything more I can say on this.



I hope that you enjoyed this special Music Fridays. Peace!

Can We Talk about The Dumbo Remake (A Follow Up)

 Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney.   Early in 2014,  I gave you my first reaction to the announcement of a Dumbo remake.  Which was summed as such.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!

And to quote what I said there...

 Okay,  I got that outta my  System.  If you've  followed  this blog series for any amount of time, you'd  know that Dumbo  is my favorite  Disney movie.  Heck, it's  my favorite movie of all time. It's been  my favorite  movie since I was 15 years old and could relate to Dumbo and the scrutiny that he was put through for being different  and I loved  how  he  used his difference to overcome  and adapt. Quite frankly,  the news  of a remake  of Dumbo kinda sorta  leaves me pissed off at Disney. I know  it's  just a movie  and  I shouldn't  make such a big deal out of it but it's  hard not to, when I have such a personal connection to this film.

More than Frozen, More than Tangled, More Than The Little Mermaid, I LOVE Dumbo the most.  So, I take this news with a grain of salt and the news that came out yesterday did not make things much better.  Disney has tapped a director for this new remake (it's not an adaption, it's a remake!)   And at the helm of this new remake is Tim Burton.

Okay,  I am just  going to say it right now.  I don't like Tim Burton movies.     There are maybe a handful such as his Batman movies, Beetlejuice,  and Edward Scissorhands that I enjoy but other than those, I never found much appeal in his body of work.   Do I think he's a bad director? No  but I think even with the movies, I mentioned above, he's more interested in making a good looking movie than he is in making a good movie.  The visuals are usually  good in his movies. Even if some of them such as his Alice In Wonderland was so much of any eyesore that it caused me a headache.

Besides, the choice  of director I have so many other thoughts going on in my head right now about this.  Such as did no one stop and think just because we can now have a CGI Dumbo fly on the big screen, should we do it?   Look, I'm a lover of both hand drawn and computer animated movies as evidenced by my second favorite Disney movie being Tangled but  I'm sorry I feel as though with  a computer animated Dumbo,  you'd lose part of the charm of seeing him fly. Just watch this scene and tell me in the comments, if you think it would work in live action.






In my opinion,  it wouldn't  and that even extends to scenes such as Baby Mine or  Mrs. Jumbo giving Dumbo a bath.   It  just wouldn't look right.   Even beyond the Live Action and Tim Burton news, there are other factors that I take into consideration.  I brought up last time that one of the writers for this remake had worked on the Transformers movies.

They've tapped "Transformers" writer Ehren Kruger to pen the script.

Now,   I cannot  judge him on those movies as I have never seen any of the Transformers movies as I was never a fan as a kid. So, I instead looked up his IMDb page and looked at what he had worked on and most of it seemed to fall into either action, thriller or horror.  The only movie that he worked that I had seen was Scream 3.   Which  was easily the weakest of the original trilogy.  So excuse me,  if I find it a little perplexing that he was tapped to pen this remake.



Even beyond all of this,  there are  two societal issues that could plague this movie.  The first one is The Crows.

Now, I've made mention before that I like these characters but  we need to keep  in mind, when the animated movie was released.   Dumbo, first came out in 1941.   And  with it now, being  74 years since the movie came out,  on has to take into consideration that  through a modern eye, it's not hard to see how  one could perceive these characters as racist.   It's  just one of those things that even with how much, I love this movie, I can't really defend.  But that also leads to another conundrum, if you take The Crows out of the movie,  you have to come up with a new way for Dumbo to get the Magic Feather.  What could it be?   I don't personally know.  


And the last hiccup  facing this movie is the news that came from Ringling Bros-Barum & Bailey.   As you see by 2018,   they plan to retire  all elephant acts.    The reason I bring this up is because we do not know when  they plan to set this movie. If they plan to keep it set in the '40s, they could get away with this but as I might assume plan to update to modern day,  this  could make the film seem outdated depending on when the film is released.   In the grand scheme of things, this is the most minor of details but I do believe that this could reflect upon the film.



At the end of the day,  I just have so many feelings on this and many of them aren't happy thoughts.   As I pointed out in the previous blog on this very topic,  I hold many reservations with this news.  If you have followed this blog for any amount of time, you would know how much this film means to me as the very birthday theme week was Dumbo Week and there have been a plethora of Dumbo articles since including my  What If They Remade Dumbo? article   In hindsight, I now regret saying this.

 it does not and most likely will never get a remake 

Boy,  those were innocent times.   On a personal level, this news is not something I particularly care for.   All around room you can find Dumbo merch including these two.

A wooden copy of the poster, I bought this year, a Dumbo tee shirt (Which I'm wearing as I type this) and some Dumbo pins.  Dumbo was one of the first movies I bought on Blu Ray, even though I already owned the VHS.  That's how much I love this movie. So you could understand  why I am approaching this news with a bit of trepidation.    What are your thoughts on this remake?  Let me know in the comments and well, there's only one way to close this out.