Match Made in Disney Heaven
I've been on a Disney animation high since Oscar season began. What started it? The latest animated movie, Frozen (2013). Now, instead of going and writing a review on it, I ended up in a conversation with one Kyrie Adderholt about the movie. Well, it was a tiny argument, really, and it mostly boiled down to her yelling at me that I wasn't Elsa, and me yelling back that the cold never bothered me anyway.
Which got us thinking (yes, dangerous, I know).
If we could match certain Ravenclaws with Disney (and/or Pixar) characters, who would they be? That is what we underwent to try to find out. Some of these matches came off the top of our heads, others took a bit more thought, but overall, they're really just something fun to think about.
Milo Thatch - Amy Lupin
When I think about Amy Lupin I often remember how much of a language person she is, so it's no surprise that I would link her to one of Disney's only practicing polyglot: Milo Thatch from Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). Milo is a cartographer and linguist in the Smithsonian Institute, often ridiculed for his obsessive research on Atlantis. When given the opportunity to further his interest, he embarks on a trip with a motley crew, in the hopes of finding the legendary city. And of course, he'd be the only one to know how to speak the language once arriving at a still-existing city. Impressive.
Vanellope von Schweetz - Amy Charz
"Charz has to be someone difficult," are sort of the words Ms. Adderholt used to describe the possible characters that Amy Charz could match up to. So when I mentioned Vanellope von Schweetz from Wreck-It Ralph (2012), we both agreed that the match fits quite well. Vanellope is a hyperactive, cheerful character with a strong personality and a bite to match her energy. She is a glitch in the Sugar Rush arcade game, and it takes a bit of work for Ralph to get her confident and ready to compete against her rivals. She's occasionally cute, though, so she's not all that bad.
Captain Amelia - Ariella McManus
I'd recently seen Treasure Planet (2002) a few months back, and wondered why I hadn't watched the movie any sooner. I mean, come on, Joseph Gordon-Levitt. That is all. Anyway, Ariella's often struck me as a non-hero, but still a fierce female to boot. So why not Captain Amelia, the cat-like captain of the RLS Legacy, with her sharp wit and her adventurous nature? Captain Amelia is not a hero in all respects, and often in the movie she is represented as a stern leader, one who shows some disdain to incompetency, but really cares about her crew deep down. She's certainly dependable, though, and one can't help but love her.
Ariel - Arielle Lemoyne
Okay, a little cliché, because honestly, every time I say Arielle's name, I do think about Ariel from The Little Mermaid (1989). And there's no rhyme or reason to it. But it works, and I'm sticking to this match. Ariel is a dreamer, the princess of the seas searching for a greater world. When Ursula finds her a way to experience humanity, Ariel no doubt tries it, even at the sacrifice of her voice and her father's kingdom (though I suppose she shouldn't be blamed too much, she hardly knew Ursula would screw her over). Ariel's red hair, sing-song voice, and hilarious sidekicks are her trademarks.
Flounder - Ryan Granger
Which brings me to Ryan Granger's character, Flounder, from the same movie. It was a no-brainer, because we were perfunctorily obligated to make him Arielle's sidekick. And why not Flounder? He's not entirely useless in the movie, and is often considered the comic relief (because Sebastian does try to steer Ariel to a moral compass). Flounder is the loyal sidekick, the one who tries to cheer the princess up on times of sadness, and one who Ariel goes back to in dire days ahead.
Helen Parr/Elastigirl - Matilde Rayne
Superheroes are totally awesome. At first The Incredibles (2004) didn't even come to mind when thinking about Mattie's match-up, but Kyrie suggested the fact that she liked superheroes as a bouncing-board. Naturally, The Incredibles made its way to our match-up list (and I did so love the movie!). There are certainly numerous characters to choose, each more awesome than the next, but Elastigirl has a superhero quality to her that made her stand out, much like Mattie, I suppose. Helen Parr is a kick-butt female, stretching and manipulating her body to extremes, and still looking fabulous to boot.
Mary Poppins - Edmund Smethwyck
Oh, a spoonful of sugar makes the medicine go down...okay, yeah, now Mary Poppins (1964) songs are stuck in my head, thanks, Kyrie. When thinking about Edmund, we figured he would have to be someone peppy and bouncy and overly cheerful. Why not the singing Mary Poppins? She practically lit up the screen the minute she floated in with her umbrella and carpetbag. And she continues to bring light throughout the entire movie. Kind of like Edmund, who somehow never seems to have his crack turned off. I mean, light. Yes, light.
Mickey Mouse - Iris Ixchel
Iris was a difficult one to match up, because musicality aside, Ariel was already taken, and Belle is more of a Jenna Hathaway than anyone else. However, I went and looked for a musical character outside of the usual norms, and found it in Fantasia, in Mickey Mouse. I'm specifically matching her up with Mickey Mouse in Fantasia (1940), because that's when Mickey shows us his musical artistry, taking up his master Yen Sid's mantle and performing "The Sorcerer's Apprentice." So Iris likes music, and clearly Mickey's loving it as well!
Rapunzel - Scarlet Irisa
Artistry was another one to look out for. Many Disney characters are certainly artistic enough, but when it came time to think of Scarlet Irisa's match-up, it just had to be Rapunzel from Tangled (2010). In the beginning of the movie, we see Rapunzel display her art by painting all over her tower. It's almost arbitrary that we know she has this skill, but it's a good insight into what some of the actual Disney princesses can do. Rapunzel is definitely quite the artist.
Merida - Silmarien Szilagyi
Okay, there are a handful of redheads I could think of that I probably could have used as a springboard for Sil, and frankly, they didn't even have to be redheads to be matched up. But Merida from Brave (2012) was absolutely perfect as a match-up. Merida is a feisty, independent young woman, an old-world princess with a new-world philosophy. Like some of her previous Disney counterparts--warriors, the lot of them--Merida can outperform any man in archery, and has the tendency to experience the world, without the need for a man beside her to make things better. Kick-butt or what?
Charlotte La Bouff - Kyrie Adderholt
Yeah, this was something I've already matched up even before this article came to fruition. The Princess and the Frog (2009) was probably one of my least favorite movies within the official Disney animated universe. However, one character from the film has since been one of my favorites in the Disney realm so far. Kyrie is a bona fide Charlotte, the sassy, classy, bouncy Southerner with her twang and her crazy sayings. She made the movie, even as the main character's best friend, and while she doesn't get all of what she wants, she's still very much as cute as a button. Go Charlotte!
Merlin - Scarlet Leslie
There are probably several dependable characters that I could have matched up with Scarlet Leslie, but Kyrie said it the best: that she would have to be Merlin from The Sword in the Stone (1963), because she "has [the] answers and her [stuff] together," while everyone else was likened to the "[scurrying] squirrels." True enough, I suppose, we're all kinda squirrely (I know I am...). Merlin is a great wizard character, and is a wizened character as far as the Disney film goes. Don't forget he helps Arthur realize his way!
Dug - Ulol Kimil
Speaking of squirrels...SQUIRREL! Ulol was easy. He is most obviously Dug, the dog from Up (2009), and it's not even because he has a short attention span and gets distracted by squirrels...Dug is certainly dependable, even in his slight hyperactivity, and he's constantly a welcome comic relief throughout the film.
Doc - Rhiannon Llewellyn
Another wiseman in our midst! Rhi is definitely someone matchable to a leader, or in any case, someone who can tolerate a lot of crazy individuals without letting it bog her down on the details. That's where Doc from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) comes in. Doc is a constantly kind and gentle character, and often the logically--though not infallibly--grounded of the seven that Snow White encounters. He comes across as the leader, even though technically the dwarfs have no leader. He just seems built that way, I suppose.
Maleficent - Cassandra Lobiesk
Well, call it sappy self-indulgence or what-have-you, but I always consider myself one other character, and she is who I consider the queen of villainy. I mean, Elsa is all well and good, but to be honest, the good Disney characters are not necessarily "me." Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty (1959), on the other hand, practically defines the sass and the fierceness I often try to emulate. This cantankerous fairy has been shunned for her evilness, and what does she do in response? She crashes the party and casts a curse on the celebrant. Yeah, low-blow, but she still manages to do this in style. And, she turns into a dragon. Yeah. Rock on, Maleficent. Rock on.
