Many of us grew up with Disney classics whether they were older like The Little Mermaid, or more recent, like Frozen. While I absolutely adore and enjoy Disney films, there are some details that have stood out to me in recent years. And I am not exactly pleased by them.
1: Good looks on human characters rarely exist after age 30
Many Disney protagonists are young, often ranging from younger child to teen to young adult. Since the turn of the century, however, there have been more adult main characters older than teens. I’m assuming Carl from Up is the oldest Disney protagonist to date. He’s in his 70’s.
Anyway, as I look at the secondary characters, as well as the villains, who are either supposed to be (or are possibly) over 30, I notice that many of them lack the attractive looks that the characters in their 20’s or younger possess.
There are exceptions of younger characters who aren’t as attractive to many other characters or even real people. But a lot of adult Disney characters have large or long noses, and are too skinny or heavy. Very few are as good-looking as the young people.
But people can be as good-looking as late as their 50’s, 60’s, or even 70’s. Some mature TV shows, such as The Simpsons and Family Guy are better at acknowledging this fact. Believe it or not, both Flanders and Quagmire are in their sixties. But they look incredibly youthful and good for their ages.
It’s not just in Disney’s 2D-animated movies where this happens. I looked at the extras in Frozen and saw this same detail there too.
2: Males often have drastically bigger hands and feet than females
Regardless of age, males’ hands and feet in Disney movies are often very big and wide, while females often have much smaller and thinner hands and feet. In fact, there are times where the males’ hands are so big that they could injure the females’ tinier and skinnier hands.
The only exception I notice where this detail is absent is in Tarzan, when Tarzan and Jane place each other’s hands together. The sizes are similar, but it was for plot convenience. Since noticing this detail, I’ve always wondered if this promoted male superiority. Hopefully, it did not.
3: Non-verbal animals understand human language way too easily
While Disney is known for talking-animals (although it’s rare that they speak to people), when the animals make the same sounds as their real types do, they understand words too easily.
This was especially strange in Pinocchio, when he and Jiminy Cricket are asking the sea creatures about the dangerous whale, and underwater. That went a little too far with believability and setting examples for children. Kids, please don’t try this.
Anyway, to an adult, this looks too bizarre. In real life, animals can only understand tone. Even highly intelligent animals, such as dogs, don’t understand English. Parrots may mimic words, but their brains aren’t going to process language the same way humans do.
Yet, animals in Disney films are never that scientifically accurate.
Conclusion
So, there you have it. Are there any unique details you notice in Disney films?