#5 - Mary Costa as Princess Aurora - Sleeping Beauty (1959)
Best Song: Once Upon A Dream
Let's face it - Aurora is a boring character. Even compared to Snow White and Cinderella, who are often accused of being rather dull, I often wonder at how little people make the same complaints about Aurora, when she's basically all the previous Disney princesses recycled, with slightly less character. I think this is mindset probably how I've managed to talk myself into avoiding writing this entry for a full month, by convincing myself I'd have nothing to write about because she's just so boring.
But that's exactly the beauty of Mary Costa's performance - it's not boring in the slightest. And I'm realizing, now that I really think about it, that's why she's so good - people never realize how boring the character is because her performance is stellar. She brings character in where there's virtually none to be had on the page.
I don't think I need to say much about her singing voice. It's the perfect Disney princess voice - she has a clear, ringing soprano without being as grating as Snow White, but she also has a gorgeous, full alto without being as unremarkable as Cinderella (minus, as I have said, her gorgeous harmonies in Sing Sweet Nightingale, a song only akin to God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen in my confusion over where to put the comma). Her range, and her vocal tone, are utterly superb.
Now, I don't really remember the movie too well, so perhaps my misgivings were correct and I really didn't have enough to say, but I can't abide the idea of Chris bumping this topic with snide comments about my mafia play. Let me just say that when I did see Sleeping Beauty for the last time, I remembered not having liked it that much before, as it's basically a carbon copy of Snow White and Cinderella - but I became totally enchanted, by the beautiful art and by Mary Costa's (and Eleanor Audley's, to be fair) voice acting. I can safely say that she makes the movie much better than it otherwise would have - so much so, that she deserves a Top 5 spot on any list.
Oh man. Totally missed you getting back to this. Great write-ups, and none of the movies I really feared missing out on a spot in the top 10 actually did, so good on you. Our Top 10's are actually not that far apart (although I would've preferred seeing Hercules instead of a couple of them). I can't really predict yours, though, as for my money you're fairly...well, unpredictable. Awesome topic, though.
#6 - Ming-Na and Lea Salonga as Fa Mulan - Mulan (1998)
Best Song: Reflection (duh)
I think this is the biggest gap in "quality of movie" to "quality of entry in this list". I've always thought of Mulan as a movie that's so-so at best, so it's difficult for me to put something from it this high on any list. Well, unless I was doing "best soundtrack moments", and then the music that plays when Mulan cuts her hair would easily make the Top 5. But the titular vocal performances from it are more than deserving, and in a way, I wish this had fit in the Top 5.
First of all, this has something very basic that the other two-voice teams on this list seem to lack: a speaking voice and a singing voice that match up almost perfectly. I've heard Lea Salonga speak (as she seems to for several minutes in all of her live performance videos on YouTube), and actually her speaking voice matches up fairly well to Ming-Na's, except the latter's is slightly less harsh, which makes her a better fit for the character. But really, unlike Jasmine, Pocahontas, Esmeralda, Anastasia, etc., it's never distracted me when Lea Salonga starts singing "Reflection", despite the fact that I know her voice so well. It's practically seamless, and there's no moment of "wait, that's totally not her voice". Maybe I just have a better ear than most, but that's no mean feat.
Now, in lieu of going on and on about Broadway stuff like I did in the last entry, I'll just say that even though Lea Salonga isn't my favorite, "Reflection" is a song that's practically tailor-made to her voice. It is the perfect song for her. In fact, for any of you who haven't ever heard her singing the full version of the song, here it is: It's quite the performance, and it's absolutely perfect for her.
But Ming-Na is really the best part of the movie, bar none. I have my issues with the songs that aren't called "Reflection", with the other characters, with Eddie Murphy, and with the story in general, but what really sells the movie is Ming-Na's fantastic performance as Mulan. It would be so easy to go over-the-top with the "pretending to be a man" schtick, but she walks that fine line between "cartoon" and "realism" just right for a (comparatively) light-hearted Disney movie. I mean, Mulan definitely has its dark moments, but compared to a few of the movies in the Renaissance string that came before it (Lion King, Pocahontas, Hunchback), it's a gay romp in the park.
But anyway, we've now rounded out everybody but the Top 5. As they seem to be a bit too obvious, I'm going to stop giving hints now, but I'm interested to see if you can pinpoint who exactly is still missing. I think at least one of the entries will be quite surprising, as it's someone who has not yet been mentioned in either topic, but who I would never consider omitting from any decent Top 5.
#7 - Anika Noni Rose as Tiana - The Princess and the Frog (2009)
Best Song: Almost There
I love my Broadway ladies. I really do. Most of my favorite female singers are from Broadway. Ruthie Henshall, Kerry Ellis, Linda Eder, Bernadette Peters, Audra McDonald, Kristin Chenoweth... I'm a gay theater nerd through and through, and these are some of my very favorite singers. And I have to say, if I looked up more of Anika Noni Rose's stuff, I wouldn't count out her being right up among these upper echelons of quality. With one performance in a Disney movie, she impressed the HELL out of me with her voice. And I've heard a lot, by the glory of YouTube, so it becomes harder and harder to impress me.
But she does. I can listen to Almost There, the Down in New Orleans reprise at the end, and even the end of the otherwise-kind of annoying "Dig a Little Deeper", just for those last few notes of hers, over and over again. Add to this a nice and likeable, charismatic performance through the rest of the movie, and you've got yourself a real winner and the star of the show in The Princess and the Frog.
And honestly, I don't have TOO much more to say than that. We've gotten to the point in the list where the only reason someone isn't higher is because she isn't the people above her. These Top 7 are, for my money, the elite of the elite, where I have virtually no complaints about their vocal performances in their films. The only thing I would really want from Anika's voice to make it even better is a little more grit. If any of you are as familiar with musical theater as I am, or if you read into my comparatively low placement of Paige O'Hara correctly, you'll know that the singers I REALLY love have a certain "edge" to their voice, particularly when they're belting, that I just don't get from Anika Noni Rose.
Granted, I've never really sought out other performances by her, and that could tip the balance in her favor, but for now, I'm very happy with where she is. The Princess and the Frog was a wonderful return to classic form from Disney, that had me ecstatic when I saw it in the theaters for the first time, and it is in large part thanks to this brilliant performance. I can only hope that y'all feel the same way about it.
Next HINT: Anastasia probably should've been an honorable mention, by definition. However, I would defend anybody putting this next character on any list of "Disney Princesses", even though she's not technically a princess by any definition.
Ohhh, it could actually be Winnie the Pooh or The Jungle Book. I'm rooting for one of those.
As for what I want to miss the Top 10:
Peter Pan The Jungle Book Winnie the Pooh Mulan Tarzan
These are all good movies (well, I don't like Peter Pan, but I can't deny it's GOOD), but they don't belong in a Top 10. The rest I would have no qualms whatsoever with.
Also I agree with practically everything Karo said. Lady Tremaine is the bright spot of the film for me - she is just EVIL. One of the all-time great Disney villains.
Jean-Luc Picard and I are in China and we are trying to go back in time to stop the JFK assassination, but Islamic terrorist Abu Fayed is plotting against us.
#8 - Paige O'Hara as Belle - Beauty and the Beast (1991)
Best Song: Belle (Reprise)
DISCLAIMER: This is not a fair placement. By all means it should be higher, but personal bias stands in the way.
Let me explain.
For years, I was not a big fan of Beauty and the Beast. It's only recently that I've realized that there's really something there (lol) under the surface that I never really caught on to that makes it a somewhat deeper story than most classic Disney fare, and I realized why it gets all the love and appreciation that it gets. I still have my reasons for not thinking it's the MOST fantastic, but Belle really is a good heroine. She's a multi-layered human being, not your typical Disney princess, and she's smart, resourceful, and generally just a good person to have around.
Paige O'Hara brings all of this across in spades. She really does. Her voice is soothing like perhaps nobody else I put higher than her, and her songs (despite the fact that she really needed a solo - see: "Home" from the Broadway show for details) are very nicely sung. Where she, personally, really shines is in the reprise for "Belle". Something about her voice on "I want adventure in the great wide somewhere!" just sticks with me, and when I think of that musical segment, it's always her voice that pops in my head.
But that leads me to my biggest problem with her, and the reason I couldn't put her any higher on the list. Whose voice pops in my head on literally every other song? Susan Egan. And I'm sorry, but Susan Egan on the Broadway cast recording is just...better. Let's take, as an example, the following lyrics from the song "Belle":
Oh, isn't this amazing? It's my favorite part because - you'll see! Here's where she meets Prince Charming - But she won't discover that it's him 'til Chapter 3!
Paige sings this very muted and understated; very calmly and soothing. Whereas, on the Broadway recording, Susan Egan is absolutely jubilant when she's singing these lines, though she's still able to rein it in like Paige does for the calmer parts. And that's really what this placement is about - Paige does a brilliant job, don't get me wrong, but I've been spoiled by getting used to listening to Susan Egan's recordings. Which, with the exception of the aforementioned reprise, are just better. And I'm not biased because of the wonderful additional songs that Susan gets to sing, which obviously help flesh Belle out even more as a character - I'm talking solely about the songs both actresses share. Susan wins out, and thus Paige has been pushed down to a slightly lower rung as a consequence.
It's not fair, but then again, who said anything on these lists had to be fair? I'm the one writing it, dammit. That said, she does do a remarkable job, as has been noted. She wouldn't be in the Top 10 if she didn't. I just adore Susan Egan's voice (spoiler alert), and she has a variety of emotion that is just barely missing from this performance. Sorry, fans, but this was as high as I could justify putting Paige O'Hara.
HINT for the next write-up: We've got one of those Princesses of unusual (for Disney) ethnicity coming up next.. See if you can guess which one.
WTF at all the Littlefinger love. Seriously, I've always hated him. Whenever he's onscreen (page?) I want him to go somewhere else. One of my most-despised characters, along with (pre-Dance w/ Dragons) Theon.
To be fair, part of my love of the movie comes from the fact that I'd just started living in New Orleans when it came out, so I understand the whole culture disconnect thing. But PatF would be way higher on my list.
Doc: I've actually seen the "recobbled" version of The Thief and the Cobbler, and that movie is pretty damn good. A little overlong, and obviously the unfinished sections they put in are distracting just because they're...well, unfinished, but I feel like if it had been finished in that state, it would be really good. Unfortunately, it wasn't, and I've seen clips of the "regular" version of the movie, and by all accounts it looks awful.
If the start can be pushed back a little later (starting a road trip on Wednesday and won't have Internet until Friday, but I have been pining to be in a mafia game), then I'm totally in.
In all honesty, I half expect confirms to slide this to Thursday night
Well in that case, I definitely sign, if you don't mind.
If the start can be pushed back a little later (starting a road trip on Wednesday and won't have Internet until Friday, but I have been pining to be in a mafia game), then I'm totally in.
Very cool stuff. Very atmospheric. An actual whole song, too, unlike some of these.
+4 Victory Stand
Overrating the s*** out of this because I love it.
+3 Strawberry Crisis!!
...I do not understand anything about this, but I like it. Why is there a strawberry crisis? Why is it coupled with pictures of a cute anime girl? I have no idea.
+2 Prologue Theme
And this makes me nostalgic for my parents' old Atari 800 games from the early 80's that I played growing up. Makes me happy.
Huh. This is actually really pretty. Gorgeous, even - the more I listen to it the more I want it to keep going, despite its length. Reminds me of Lord of the Rings mixed with a Civil War movie or something (and a little bit of The Stand). Very nice.
+4 Chicago (Stealth)
Never heard this before, but it makes me REALLY want to play Perfect Dark.
+3 Dire Dire Docks
I'm actually arranging this for piano and violin for a good friend's wedding. She's very excited.
+2 Unification of the Land
Tries a little too hard, but it's a good track. I really like the section at 1:30 - if the whole thing had been like that it might've ranked a little higher.
+1 King Dedede's Theme
You gave me *really* f***ing good competition, or else this might've ranked a little higher, if just for sheer hilarity's sake.
Way too high for me, sorry. Horrid songs, bad main character, no plot to speak of, completely ignored villain, and lots of very irritating humor. Merlin saves it from being a complete travesty, though, and it was a bit more whimsical to me the last time I deigned to view it (a few months ago). Definitely not really bad, though that does mean the end product is much greater than the sum of its parts. I'm pretty sure Merlin is the single saving grace that movies SitS from "abominable" to "decent".