MovieChat Forums > Moana (2016) Discussion > Fourth wall breaks in Disney movies...

Fourth wall breaks in Disney movies...

posted 8 years ago by sul-uddin96
12 replies | jump to latest

One thing I've noticed about Disney's animated films since 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009) is that, Disney seems to make fun of their material even more so than their previous works.

Ever since films like 'Shrek' (2001) and even Disney's very own 'Enchanted' (2007) poked fun at this type of work, we - as audiences - knew that going in. It was actually their selling-point and what made their films what it is.

In 'The Princess and the Frog' (2009) which is inspired by The Frog Prince tale, the said tale appears as an actual story within the film. That's like if Tony Stark (Iron Man) handed Peter Parker (Spider-Man) a Spider-Man comic book in 'Captain America: Civil War' (2016) and said "This reflects your life! Be like him!".

With 'Tangled' (2010), Flynn Rider (or "Eugene Fitzherbert") acknowledges that people sing, no other Disney character has ever noticed this. The very fact that he is aware that characters sing to express their feelings is a bit of a fourth-wall-break.

In 'Frozen' (2013) there are many jabs at the romantic side of these films. When Anna and Hans announce their abrupt engagement, Elsa scolds them and tells Anna that she "can't marry a man she just met". Not sure if the writers knew that this line would be that remembered, but it did feel like a subtle jab at previous Disney characters who did such a thing.

Now, we have 'Moana', where Maui - voiced by "The Rock" - looks at Moana and tells her that she "wears a dress, and has pets for companions... you are a princess!". It's almost like Maui knows about the Disney store, and knows about the Disney Princess franchise and merchandise.

In a way, it's nice to see that Disney is acknowledging that their old formula isn't as fresh as what it used to be... but there are times where their adaptations of these famous stories can feel like parodies. I remember when I saw the first trailer for 'Tangled' (2010) and thought that it was a parody of the Rapunzel fairy-tale. But, in a way, the humorous tone kinda worked for that story... so it's a win-win, I guess...

[–] Zaphenzo 8 years ago

Maui also says at one point, "If you start to sing, I'm gonna throw up."

[–] sul-uddin96 8 years ago

Oh yeah... forgot about that!

[–] UnvoicedApollo1 8 years ago

Robert from Enchanted noticed the singing before Flynn from Tangled did.

[–] sul-uddin96 8 years ago

I'm referring to Disney animated films. 'Enchanted' was a spoof film, so it was obvious for them to make that observation.

[–] Thornspike 8 years ago

You referenced Enchanted in the second sentence.

[–] sul-uddin96 8 years ago

I also referenced Shrek in that paragraph. I'm saying that ever since those two films poked fun at Disney's animated formula... WDAS started doing it, too.

The Princess and the Frog being the first Disney animated film to do this.

[–] Dave_Robicheaux 8 years ago

Shrek is a BatB 2.0, Jeffrey K. nailed it like this.

'Lottie was a nice Princess fangirl, I see the bitterness of her situation under her intangible positivity, and Tiana had to follow the path that her father dreaming for her in the real life.
Princess business is just a futile distraction and waste of Tiana's short time to pursue her calvary path to the success.

You can poking fun of Disney Princesses movie, IMO of DP fanboy, until you had more to propose more than Olaf body jokes, and a emo Diva dispensed to act in half of this own movie.

Moana offers the great initiatic journey, and it be proud of it.

The CGI stuff doesn't look like a cash grabbed mockbuster, but a true piece of digital art.

Your thoughts?

[–] Hiphopotamoose 8 years ago

I really disliked this in "Moana." The self-references and modernisms kept breaking me out of a film I thought was otherwise really enjoyable. It's cool when Disney wants to update its formula, but calling attention to it as they did here feels contrived instead of playful.

[–] Thynight 8 years ago

Agreed. Breaking the 4th wall didn't work for me. Still loved the movie, but that and a couple other things made it where I could only rate the movie 9/10.

I love the way you laugh.

[–] Dave_Robicheaux 8 years ago

It's not bad, at least Moana movie have a plot development and a idea of of his own metaphoric values about "Dream come true" formula and the real efforts to give it to life.
Frozen rants are the only way to push forward the movie, if not, Elsa & Anna stay old women with cats for all time.

Whatever, this gen grown-up too fast, and have some Peter Pan issues when the nature calls a little conversation about human biology business. They follow a hypocrite way, but many of them should be proud to have a family in the future.

However, I'm glad Musker & Clements knows Ghibli Princesses and their inner ambitions to save the world, even in a christic way, like Nausicaä, the Princess of the Wind and Bugs, and her disinterested compassion about Mankind and Nature.

[–] BrokenDreamer 8 years ago

The best fourth-wall-break from Moana was after the credits when they showed Tamatoa, the crab monster, laying on his back and struggling to flip over, before directly addressing the audience and saying "if my name was Sebastian and I had a Jamaican accent, you would all love me." This, of course, is a reference to The Little Mermaid, from the same directors.

I don't have a problem with Disney poking fun at themselves. Other studios are doing it, and since their formula has not only become recognizable but also viewed as sexist, Disney tries to subvert what is expected. It worked for Frozen, when the "prince" was not the one who could saved Anna, but rather the love of her sister. It shows Disney is striving to grow beyond the expected and do something different, and I have thoroughly enjoyed all of their movies since the John Lasseter-led renaissance of the last decade (he took over as CCO in 2006, but his first movie to have his stamp was Bolt in 2008, though he did contribute to some changes in Meet The Robinsons from 2007.)

[–] Saucy_Jacky 8 years ago

"The Princess and the Frog" was actually based on a novel by the same name: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Frog_Princess_(novel)

It was one of my favourites when I was younger.

Catch me when you can, Mishter Lusk.