Elio

Image source: IMDb. (2025). [Steve Bloom, Brad Garrett, Elio, Shirley Henderson, Harley Jessup, Zoe Saldaña, Anna Wolitzky, Yonas Kibreab, Remy Edgerly, Mary Alice Drumm, Rob Simonsen, Adrian Molina, Jameela Jamil, Madeline Sharafian, and Domee Shi in Elio (2025)]. Retrieved 16 July, 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt4900148/mediaviewer/rm1176538626/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

Two years ago, Elemental became the first original Disney-Pixar movie to come to theaters after the COVID-19 pandemic. The second movie is recently revealed as Elio.

Pixar movies have touched on monsters, robots, personified emotions, etc. Hence, it is no surprise they center on aliens here. Elio uses aliens to address the universal question "are we alone?" If taken literally, Christians (especially children and immature believers) can have a problem with the substitution of aliens for Jesus Christ. However, the film can also be an allegory illustrating what's beyond this earthly life. 

As with many Pixar movies, Elio has well-developed characters and a solid three-act structure. The titular protagonist, a preteen boy, faces the universal internal conflict of loneliness. Because of his loneliness, Elio (Yonas Kibreab) desires to be abducted by aliens-and eventually gets his wish. Elio has employed the hero's journey structure previously seen in Up and Inside Out. 

Like Elio, many of us long for something beyond this earthly life (though, of course, it probably doesn't involve aliens). From a Christian viewpoint, the alien world serves as an allegory for the existence of Heaven (of course, except for the conflicts in the alien world). 

Through the alien world, Elio takes on new concepts never addressed by Pixar before. One such concept is cloning; Elio sends his replacement clone back to his Aunt Olga (Zoe Saldaña) on Earth. Thankfully, such cloning does not turn out well in the end.

One critique I have for the story, though, is that the action drags on during the climax. There have also been critiques that, as with many recent animated features, the concept lacks originality. Regarding Elio's loneliness, I get it, but the film explores the theme freshly (loneliness leading to interest in space). 

Regarding the character designs, the "bean mouth" can be another point of criticism. While I understand how repetitive it's gotten in modern animation, I do not mind it much. Besides, not all the characters have "bean mouths"-think the alien Glordon (Remy Edgerly). I find Glordon (and his father outside his battle suit) the cutest character in the film because of his eyeless, caterpillar-like look. 

Alongside Glordon's looks, it has been enjoyable watching him befriend Elio, ailing his loneliness. Elio even sacrifices himself to save Glordon once, an illustration of Jesus' sacrificial love for us. There's also a cute scene involving Glordon and his father towards the end of the picture. 

The visuals, as always in Pixars' films, are stunning with rich textured animation and an inviting pastel color palette. Of course, there is also a well-composed score and believable vocal performances.

In an age mostly dominated by animated sequels and live-action remakes, it is not surprising Elio has not performed as well as the box office as How to Train Your Dragon and Lilo and Stitch. Hence, I encourage everyone, especially families and animation fans, to catch Elio at theaters while they can.  

SCORE: Great (9/10)

AGE RATING: 6+

Have you seen Elio? What do you think about it?

How to Train Your Dragon (2025 Live-Action)

Image source: IMDb. (2025). [Mason Thames in How to Train Your Dragon (2025)]. Retrieved 9 July, 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt26743210/mediaviewer/rm2901707266/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

For many years, only Disney has been turning their animated films into live-action remakes. Dreamworks recently joined in with How to Train Your Dragon. 

Unlike Disney's remakes, How to Train Your Dragon adapts from a CGI-animated film. This would make its visuals stand out less from those of the 2010 predecessor (which I'm unsure I've ever seen). One notable feature in the remake (that is so prevalent in live-action) is the drab lighting. I know they want to be realistic (and I could see just fine in the theater), but the visuals could still be better. 

Of the dragons, Toothless was the most cartoonish in appearance. He looked similar to his animated counterpart, putting How to Train Your Dragon in the same territory as the recent batch of Sonic films. 

I have not seen the original (at least, not recently), but I heard that How to Train Your Dragon was almost identical to the animation (even more so than Disney's remakes). Almost all the scenes, including Hiccup (Mason Thames) touching Toothless and his ride with Astrid (Nico Parker), have been copied from those I recognize from the animated version. 

Such an approach would imply the original film had no issues to fix (Disney's remakes attempted to fix socially perceived issues, which caused lots of backlash). Yet, it also gives the remake little reason to exist. To remake an already thoroughly developed animated film would imply animation as inferior. 

It is also notable that How to Train Your Dragon became the first CGI-animated film to get the live-action treatment. CGI 3D animation itself brought the medium a long way from being a "kiddie thing" since the release of Toy Story in 1995. According to Noel Brown in The Hollywood Family Film: A History, from Shirley Temple to Harry Potter, 3D animation allowed moviegoers to expect the same thrills as they would from live-action; it no longer looked merely "cartoonish." 

Enough with the debate. How to Train Your Dragon showed me why the franchise became beloved. Hiccup had a character arc from being an outcast afraid of dragons to befriending them. The film also had a three-act structure prevalent in many beloved on-screen stories. 

The performances and costumes were also well-done. Mason Thames as Hiccup gave off a teenage boy vibe. Nico Parker, who previously played Millie in 2019's Dumbo, also shined as Astrid. I also liked her braids. The costumes, overall, gave off the Scandinavian viking vibe I was expecting. 

One more element to praise in How to Train Your Dragon was the score. It was grand and moving, though it struck me as more Celtic than Nordic (maybe because I'm Irish). 

Worldview wise, How to Train Your Dragon could be seen as a gnostic allegory with the dragons representing the devil, hence the bond with humans signaling sympathy for Satan. Yet, one can also read the film as a story about restoring human-animal harmony. 

Overall, How to Train Your Dragon is far from my favorite film, but fans wanting to introduce the franchise to their children or those who have yet to see the original might want to check it out. 

SCORE: Alright (7/10)

AGE RATING: 9+

Have you seen How to Train Your Dragon? What do you think about it?

The Snow Queen (1957 Animated)

IMDb. (n.d.). [Sandra Dee, Louise Arthur, Paul Frees, Tommy Kirk, and Patty McCormack in The Snow Queen (1957)]. Retrieved 1 July, 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0050987/mediaviewer/rm640804353/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

Long before Disney's Frozen hit American theaters, a hand-drawn adaptation of The Snow Queen released in Russia, later to travel overseas. 

The 1957 film will appeal to fans of classic hand-drawn fairy tales such as Disney's Pinocchio and Peter Pan. There is even a Jiminy Cricket-like character, Ole Lukoje (Vladimir Gribkov), who narrates at multiple points throughout the story. Plus, unlike Frozen, The Snow Queen is faithful to Hans Christian Andersen's literary tale. If you've read it, you should be able to follow the film well. 

As a faithful adaptation, The Snow Queen is more Christian than Frozen. While both feature self-sacrificing female leads, the Snow Queen (Mariya Babanova) clearly represents Satan here. Babanova's voice acting succeeds at bringing out her wickedness, which has no motives other than to destroy. 

Unlike Disney's early classics, though, The Snow Queen suffers from a few things. First, the live action opening scene took a bit long to conclude. Instead of focusing on the Christmas presents of multiple children, it could have focused on the one girl who unwrapped "The Snow Queen" and go directly from there. Second, the lighting is surprisingly poor for an animated movie, enough to make me grow drowsy. I don't know if this film has ever been restored, but regardless, The Snow Queen can use one. 

Of course, there are more things I appreciate about The Snow Queen, especially the art style. It has Disney's cartoony realism, but at the same time, it is distinct. For example, the eyes of Gerda (Yanina Zheymo) and Kay (Anna Komolova) are smaller with no white shading. They also appear as if they came out of a European folk painting. The red and white village, too, was charming to look at. 

There are a few songs, including an opening one that plays during the opening credits. Their holiday-inspired tone was memorable, but regarding the lyrics, I only remember the "spring" reference in the opening song. Of course, the songs are not in Broadway-style; they are incidental. 

Fans of hand-drawn animation or the original Hans Christian Andersen tale will appreciate this faithful take, especially during the holiday season. Otherwise, there is little I can recommend. 

SCORE: Okay (6.5/10)

STREAMING SERVICES: Tubi, YouTube

Have you seen The Snow Queen? What do you think about it?

Disney and the Brainwashing "One Iconic Version"

Once upon a time, fairy tales featuring similar (but different) subjects and storylines circulated alongside each other. For instance, during the nineteenth century, Jeanne-Marie Leprince du Beaumont's "Beauty and the Beast" was nearly as popular as Marie-Catherine d'Aulnoy's "The Ram" and "The Green Serpent." The same is true for Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" and d'Aulnoy's "Finette-Cinders." 

Today, though, only "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cinderella" remain widely known. I wonder what happened to the now unheard-of variants, which had more active female protagonists alongside deeper themes. 

Could it be the nature of mass-produced movies? These tell stories by imparting images, rather than words, into the minds of audiences. Plus, images create stronger attachments than words. 

Before Walt Disney

As Anne E. Duggan explained in her book The Lost Princess, "Cinderella" and "Beauty and the Beast" circulated alongside "Finette-Cinders," "The Ram," and "The Green Serpent" through the nineteenth century. The latter three even took on their own oral twists and inspired stage musicals called pantomimes. For instance, British dramatist James Planché adapted "The Green Serpent" into The Island of the Jewels.

The original oral format of fairy tales gave them multi-generational appeal. After the industrial revolution sent more people away from home and increased print culture, fairy tales moved into the nursery. It took just one more thing to end the circulation of d'Aulnoy's tales. 

The Rise of Movie Tales

Multiple fairy tales hit the silver screen in its early days. One of these, a production of the Grimm Brothers' "Snow White," inspired Walt Disney to produce Snow White and the Seven Dwarves. That film immediately became a hit towards the end of the Great Depression, when many turned towards entertainment for escapism. 

Over twelve years later, Cinderella produced a similar reaction among postwar audiences. Walt Disney identified with the "rags-to-riches" storyline of Perrault's tale; he did not adapt the Grimm Brothers' version because he found it "too violent." 

In between, French filmmaker Jean Cocteau adapted "Beauty and the Beast" into a back-and-white film. Subsequently, Walt Disney wanted to adapt the same tale. Even though Cocteau's version qualifies as more an "art film" than a commercial blockbuster, that may have erased memories of "The Ram" and "The Green Serpent" long before the Disney animated film came into existence. 

When Disney's Beauty and the Beast came out in 1991, it cemented the idea that the tale is not complete without a waltzing ballroom dance. Likewise, back in 1950, Cinderella convinced audiences that the story always needs a fairy godmother, pumpkin carriage, and a glass slipper. 

Disney's Takeover

Kenneth A. Myers wrote in his book All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes, "Up until the last decade or two, popular culture has tended to rely on high culture and folk culture for its raw material" (70). Walt Disney took inspiration from folk culture for his works. He even once said, as noted in The Official Walt Disney Quote Book, "Our motion picture productions are designed to augment [literary fairy tales], not to supplant them" (181). 

However, as with much of popular culture, the Walt Disney Company eventually adopted the idea that there is nothing "higher" to adapt from. The beginning of animated sequels during the 1990s and the recent chain of live-action remakes (many of which follow a shot-for-shot format) serve as evidence. 

That's not all; the ABC television series Once Upon a Time and Disney Channel's Descendants featured characters and elements from Disney fairy tales. Disney Publishing also has multiple series centering on the animated tales, including the young adult Twisted Tale series and the Meant to Be romance novel series of contemporary re-imaginings. As Emily Zemler wrote in Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara, "... most modern audiences now recognize a Disney version of a fairy tale as the most familiar interpretation" (60). 

Of course, some might consider "Cinderella" to be an exception. Besides the 1950 animated film, many people recall the Rodgers and Hammerstein Broadway musical and film re-imaginings such as Ever After, Ella Enchanted, and the teen-centric A Cinderella Story. Of course, we cannot forget the 2015 reimagining of the animated film. Yet, the problem is that they all point to one succinct literary tale by Charles Perrault.

 

The Problem with the "One Iconic Version":

Over the past century, the visual medium of film adapted one tale from each type by appealing to the emotions. The fairy godmother and glass slipper in Cinderella and the ballroom waltz in Beauty and the Beast touched emotions so much they erased memories or even possibilities of any other version. 

The "one iconic version" has been made possible by mass-produced film. According to Kenneth A. Myers, such visual mediums "establish feelings of resonance. Images remind us of things. They involve recognition more than cognition" (164). Stated differently, mass-produced fairy tale films barely give viewers any time to think or reflect on other versions. 

When fairy tales were dominantly oral and in print, forms that encourage reflection, there was more room for several similar tales to co-exist. Allowing co-circulation of similar stories gives readers access to a variety of story structures and role models, rather than brainwashing them with the one path of "get saved by a prince, marry, and live happily ever after." 

Popular culture, with its demand for substantial formulas, brought in the repetitive marriage endings at the end of most of Disney's "princess" films. Even if getting married is not seen as a "remedy" in the overall film, the visual endings have ingrained the idea of life ending after marriage into many girls' minds. 

Disney princesses may pass on unrealistic expectations to young girls, but the problem is not the modeling alone, but the visual medium. Charles Perrault's "Cinderella" features a protagonist as passive as Disney's version, but at least the literary format gives more room for thought. Hence, first introducing the child to Perrault's literary version, alongside versions with more active protagonists, is healthier for their mind. 

Benefits of Different Versions:

When a child is excessively exposed to one version of a certain fairy tale, it gives them the mindset that stories can only be told in one way. Such a fixed mindset creates unrealistic expectations for their adult life. Exposing children to different versions of a tale type sends the message that there are different ways to tell a story, as there are different lives they can lead. It encourages creative thinking. 

I'm not saying this for sure, but this might be a problem underlying the lack of creativity of modern Disney. Many of today's young adults grew up watching VHS tapes of Disney films on repeat, eroding the traditional idea that there are many fairy tales under a similar type or that fairy tales can be told without the "Disney ingredients." 

Yes, Disney is retelling their stories via various book series and live-action remakes, but these (if not supplemented by non-Disney versions) reinforce the idea that the "Disney way" of telling these tales is the only right way. Besides, many Disney and/or animation fans critique the minor changes they made as "missing the point." 

I am not saying that there's anything inherently wrong with liking Disney fairy tales. Perhaps I am a fan of these stories myself, with the animated Beauty and the Beast being one of my favorites. What I am saying is that, as with anything in popular culture, these stories need to be supplemented with works of higher culture, particularly the written tales with a greater variety of endings. These, of course, include some of the Grimm Brothers' and Hans Christian Andersen tales that inspired the Disney takes. 

To counteract the denigrating effects of the "one iconic version," I encourage you to check out different versions of the tales that inspired Disney. A few examples include the Grimm Brothers' Cinderella with the tree and white birds and the Nordic Beauty and the Beast-type tale: East of the Sun, West of the Moon. I also encourage you to read the non-Disney fairy tales, including the Grimms' Snow White and Rose Red with its sisterly themes. Finally, find opportunities to share these tales with the children in your life. 

Conclusion:

As the apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:23, "'All things are lawful,' but not all things are helpful. 'All things are lawful,' but not all things build up" (Holy Bible, English Standard Version). This easily applies to Disney fairy tales; it is not the most cognitively healthy to watch them too many times. It is much healthier to read a written fairy tale repeatedly. I would rather have my child request a certain picture book on repeat than an over-stimulating movie. 

Countering the "one iconic version" mindset, as implied above, will take frequent exposure to non-Disney fairy tales and then passing them to our children. No child (or adult) should only take in Disney tales; instead, they should develop their creative thinking. It will help them write their own fairy tales in a God-honoring way. If this happens, multiple similar tales can circulate alongside each other once again. 

Works Referenced:

Duggan, Anne E. The Lost Princess. Reaktion Books, 2023. 

Holy Bible. English Standard Version, Crossway, 2016.

Myers, Kenneth A. All God's Children and Blue Suede Shoes. Crossway, 1989, pgs. 68, 70, 164. 

The Official Walt Disney Quote Book. Disney Editions, 2023, pg. 181. 

Zemler, Emily. Disney Princess: Beyond the Tiara. Disney Enterprises, 2022, pg. 60. 

The Princess and the Goblin (Film)

Image source. IMDb. (n.d.). [Joss Ackland, Claire Bloom, Sally Ann Marsh, Rik Mayall, Peggy Mount, Mollie Sugden, and Peter Murray in The Princess and the Goblin (1991)]. Retrieved 28 May, 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0107875/mediaviewer/rm572654592/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

Multiple little-known fairy tale animations exist. One of them is an adaptation to the novel The Princess and the Goblin, which came out the same year as Disney's Beauty and the Beast.

The movie has a sense of mystery. I especially enjoyed watching Princess Irene (Sally Ann Marsh) explore the hidden chambers of her castle to discover her "great-great grandmother" (Claire Bloom) alongside a spinning wheel; such scenes invited me to put myself in her shoes. However, Irene's grandmother's presence can convey the nonbiblical idea of the dead contacting the living.

Another highlight of The Princess and the Goblin is the sentiment, such as when Princess Irene felt as if she left her servant Looti (Mollie Sugden) down. Her hugs with her father (Joss Ackland) and Curdie (Peter Murray) also stand out, as well as Irene's mission centering on the classic "good versus evil" conflict. Of course, there is plenty of tension involving the villainous goblins. 

That's where my greatest complaint comes in: the goblins are not pleasant to look at. Their frequent spitting and juvenile gags add to the burden of watching them. 

The Princess and the Goblin, overall, is not the most visually stunning animated film. I appreciate how the palette is neutral, but I subsequently find it dull. Some of the cave scenes, especially, were boring. The hand-drawn animation also comes off plain, but I appreciate the shadows. 

One scene I find visually and tonally striking is when the goblin cat enters Irene's room overnight, causing a fight with her cat Turnip. It is among the most thrilling parts of the movie. 

The Princess and the Goblin also has a well-orchestrated score. The opening score has a heavy, old-timey vibe that suits the film's fairy-tale plot. It also has one goblin-scaring song sung by Curdie at least twice, which sounds neither impressive nor irritating. The singing may not be the best, but the voice acting is otherwise memorable. 

From a writing standpoint, the characterization is flat. Princess Irene has no goals that motivate her before the goblins pull her and Turnip underground. I also dislike how the princess's name is pronounced (eye-REE-nee rather than eye-REEN). Curdie's character also mostly revolves his work in the mines alongside his father (William Hootkins). 

The Princess and the Goblin is not a terrible movie, but if you haven't read the novel and prefer more color in animation, you're not missing anything. 

SCORE: Okay (6/10)

AGE RATING: 6+

Have you seen The Princess and the Goblin? What do you think about it?

The Golden Goose

Image source: IMDb. (n.d.). [Die goldene Gans (1964)]. Retrieved 15 May, 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0183126/mediaviewer/rm1297390592/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

Some non-Disney Grimms' fairy tales have film adaptations from other studios. "The Golden Goose" is one example.

Siegfried Hartmann's 1964 take on The Golden Goose is mostly faithful to the original story. For those unfamiliar with it, it follows the youngest brother of three, who cuts down a tree to find a golden goose. As he brings the goose to the inn and to the castle, whoever touches him gets stuck. That gets the princess laughing. Before the marriage, a few more tasks precede the marriage.

However, the film makes multiple minor changes to the story. For instance, Dummling (his name in the original story) has been changed to Klaus (Kaspar Eichel). In addition, their mother and father, who were mentioned in the original tale, make no appearance. The innkeeper also has two daughters instead of three; Lies (Katharina Lind) and Gret (Renate Usko) additionally get stuck to Klaus before they arrive at the inn. Finally, the hungry old man becomes an old woman who takes no part in the pre-marriage tasks. 

Another creative change is seen in multiple Disney films: the addition of a "troublemaker" villain who plans to kidnap the princess (Karin Ugowski). The last task involves not the old woman, but him. 

The best parts of The Golden Goose are the technicolor palette (especially for Lies's red hair and the solid-color dresses) and the festive score. The instrumentals, like that in Three Hazelnuts for Cinderella, make me think of holidays. There are also a few songs, even though the film is not completely a musical. 

The characters, though dubbed, are also charming. I especially appreciate how the princess has her moments of agency despite her submission to her father's arranged marriage plan. It is also interesting how Lies looks slightly like Anna from Frozen and the princess's dress and hairstyle is slightly reminiscent of Disney's Cinderella. Yet, they lack depth because the film is mostly faithful to the source material. 

Overall, The Golden Goose is a festive treat for fairy tale fans who want to go beyond Disney. A bonus is that it is just over an hour long. 

SCORE: Good (8.5/10)

AGE RATING: 6+

Have you seen The Golden Goose? What do you think about it?

The Red Shoes

Image source: IMDb. (n.d.). [Moira Shearer in The Red Shoes (1948)]. Retrieved 13 May 2025, from https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0040725/mediaviewer/rm311467520/?ref_=ext_shr_lnk.

Not all famous fairy-tale movies come from Disney; perhaps many fairy tales have no Disney version. 

Hans Christian Andersen's "The Red Shoes," which has a 1948 ballet-themed adaptation, is a prototype. It does not have the "happily ever after" ending prevalent in Disney movies. Instead, it is a cautionary tale about a girl whose red shoes won't stop moving, conveying the danger of material dedication. 

Released a few years after World War II, film critic David Ehrenstein wrote in his essay "Dancing for Your Life" that The Red Shoes portrays "artistic dedication, even unto death." Some viewers might agree, but the film displays some negative consequences. For instance, the lead dancer Victoria "Vicky" Page (Moira Shearer) gets so taken over by her red shoes she misses a recital and injures herself. 

The original Hans Christian Andersen tale ends with the dancer repenting of her sin while wearing replacement feet. Afterward, her soul goes to Heaven. This element is removed for the film, either for visual concreteness or to encourage dying for the arts. The shoemaker, a woman in the original tale, is also a creepy-looking man in the film (foreshadowing the danger that comes with the red shoes).

Another element in the film that was not present in the original tale is the triangle between Vicky Page, her manager Boris Lermontov (Anton Walbrook), and her lover Julian Craster (Marius Goring). Boris tries to control Vicky (a toxic relationship sign) by forcing her to dance. Besides, unlike in Disney films, Vicky and Julian do not marry. If Vicky did not let the red shoes consume her, they would have.

Filmed in technicolor, The Red Shoes is delightfully colorful. Vicky's red hair, red lips, and her outfits (including her bows) are especially pleasant to look at. However, some of her outfits are rather sexualized. The painterly backgrounds are another visual highlight. Plus, there are some magical transitions, such as when the red shoes appear out of nowhere. 

The classical score, including "The Red Shoes" ballet, is well-orchestrated and complements the story well. For instance, the score in dark during scenes involving the shoemaker. The Red Shoes even has references to other ballets, such as "Swan Lake." 

One critique I have for The Red Shoes is its overly broad focus on the ballet company. It would have been more enjoyable with a stricter focus on Vicky and her desires from the start. The film, which runs over two hours in length, also could have been condensed in a few areas.

Nevertheless, for movie lovers who need a break from Disney, The Red Shoes is a wonderful alternative. Perhaps we need to make "The Red Shoes" fairy tale popular again because it warns children about the dangers of material pursuits, encouraging them to put their trust in Jesus alone.

SCORE: Good (8.5/10)

AGE RATING: 10+

STREAMING SERVICES: Max

Have you seen The Red Shoes? What do you think about it?