Okay, first off let me be honest and tell you...I hated Frozen. GASP! I know, right? Perhaps it was all the hype attached to it or the claims that it was the first Disney movie to have a woman do the saving (Um, hello? Belle, Pocahontas, Rapunzel anyone), but other than an amazing soundtrack, I was totally unimpressed by the movie.
Enter Maleficent. Wow! Maybe it's the dark and creepy coming out in me, but I watched the movie and instantly said to myself, "Now that is a strong female character." I looked around the theater, you know to see if it was just me, and no one else seemed to be getting it, so let me explain.
First off, in Frozen, Elsa hides this amazing gift because others won't understand.Even her signature song talks about it with lines like "Don't let them in, don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know..." I mean what the hell? THIS is a strong female character for girls to look up to? Maybe it's just me, but sending the message that girls should hide any sort of talent or gift that isn't the "norm" just seems off to me.
Enter Maleficent. Wow! Maybe it's the dark and creepy coming out in me, but I watched the movie and instantly said to myself, "Now that is a strong female character." I looked around the theater, you know to see if it was just me, and no one else seemed to be getting it, so let me explain.
First off, in Frozen, Elsa hides this amazing gift because others won't understand.Even her signature song talks about it with lines like "Don't let them in, don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be. Conceal, don't feel, don't let them know..." I mean what the hell? THIS is a strong female character for girls to look up to? Maybe it's just me, but sending the message that girls should hide any sort of talent or gift that isn't the "norm" just seems off to me.
In Maleficent, the main character is different...Very different (I mean come on, she has huge wings and horns on her head). Does she hide? No. She's flying around flinging mud and very happy, even proud of her enormous wings.
Now back to Elsa, when she's finally had enough and her secret gift is revealed, does she stand her ground and claim her rightful place in the kingdom? Nope, she puts up an ice wall and runs away. Again, not exactly a sign of strength.
Now back to Elsa, when she's finally had enough and her secret gift is revealed, does she stand her ground and claim her rightful place in the kingdom? Nope, she puts up an ice wall and runs away. Again, not exactly a sign of strength.
Maleficent, on the other hand, doesn't back down. When the humans try to invade the moors, she stands firm and tells the king (quite loudly) that he is no king to her and leads her people in defending her home. Hmm...Bravery...Not afraid to speak up...Doesn't back down...Yeah, I like her!
Shouldn't that be the more positive message as opposed to running away and hiding from the world?
Shouldn't that be the more positive message as opposed to running away and hiding from the world?
Oh, and how does Elsa show that she's accepted herself? She twirls around into a new dress. Because as we all know, it's all about the dress. Seriously?
Even though Maleficent has pretty awesome get ups, they didn't get their own scene.
Even though Maleficent has pretty awesome get ups, they didn't get their own scene.
Okay, in Frozen, Elsa accidentally freezes her sister's heart in an argument...Which am I only one that find it disturbing that it's not as serious to freeze her brain? I guess thinking is less imprtant than feeling? Where was I? Oh, Elsa freezes her sister's heart and has to come and save the day. Okay, so if you have a special talent or something that make you different, be careful because it might hurt the people closest to you. Again, not the ideal message.
Here we go with Maleficent, a man betrays her and she becomes consumed with hate. She lets that one event overshadow her life for years to come. When she realizes her bitterness has hurt an innocent, she does everything in her power to save the day. So, what's the message? Well, the lesson here is that bitterness can ruin your life and it's never too late to apologize for our mistakes.
So yeah, maybe it's just me, but if I had to pick the strong female character out of the two movies, it would be Maleficent.
What do you think?
So yeah, maybe it's just me, but if I had to pick the strong female character out of the two movies, it would be Maleficent.
What do you think?
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