Sunday, March 21, 2010

Lady and the Tramp is Romeo and Juliet

Disney Movie: Lady and the Tramp

Shakespeare Play Disney Ripped Off: Romeo and Juliet

Reasoning: Two dog-houses, both alike in dignity... but not really. But it is enough for me to look at two dogs who are clearly never supposed to be with each other because of societal pressures but who end up TOGETHER!

I saw a production of Romeo and Juliet once where they were eating spaghetti and kissed and then romeo gave Juliet a meatball with his nose. Coincidence? I think not.

Also, in the directors cut of Lady and the Tramp he poisons himself and she grabs a knife with her teeth and through a miracle of animation stabs herself in the chest with it.

Aladdin 2: Return of Jafar is Pericles

Disney Movie: Aladdin 2: Return of Jafar

Shakespeare Play Disney Ripped Off: Pericles

Reasoning: Both of these are hastily thrown together and just not any good. Clearly Disney saw Pericles and said, "Let's come up with something as crappy as this."

Pocahontas is The Tempest

Disney Movie: Pocahontas

Shakespeare Play Disney Ripped Off: The Tempest

Reasoning: World travelers land on an island populated by people that they don't understand but love prevails as larger than life war wages between two patriarchs.

Also, let's talk magic. Prospero was completely able to paint with colors of the wind (Ariel) and command all of the voices of the mountain to sing on command (Caliban). Clearly this is what the Disney writers were thinking of when they wrote this song. They certainly were not thinking of the actual Native American named Pocahontas because, let's be real, there are no similarities there.

The Lion King is Hamlet

Disney Movie: The Lion King

Shakespeare Play Disney Ripped Off: Hamlet

Reasoning: This one is obvious. The young hero Simba's father is murdered by the uncle and the kingdom is in jeopardy because of it. It then takes a spiritual and physical journey for Simba to convince himself of the evil uncle and how he needs to fight back.

Some people might point out that that is just a very very loose story that was stolen and that there are numerous differences between the two... but then I bring up these facts:
  • Remember when Nala murdered herself by walking into that lake?
  • Remember at the end when Timon and Pumba are seen hanging from a ship's mast?
  • That whole scene in Lion King where the player Zebras come and act out how Scar killed Mufasa.
  • All the backstabbing poisoning at the end of the movie?
  • Remember how Fortinbras the Flamingo actually becomes the king?
A lot of similarities between the two. Disney ripped it off.