“Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” is definitely one of the most highly anticipated animated movies of the year, thanks to all the Disney Princesses’ moments which helped build up all the hype surrounding the sequel.
However, all of the hype we’ve seen kind of hides the main plot of the movie cause we’re pretty sure that the Princesses’ appearance will only contribute to a small part of the movie since the official synopsis doesn’t exactly mention anything about them.
The synopsis reads:-
“Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2” leaves Litwak’s video arcade behind, venturing into the uncharted, expansive and thrilling world of the internet – which may or may not survive Ralph’s wrecking. Video game bad Ralph and fellow misfit Vanellope von Schweetz must risk it all by traveling to the world wide web in search of a replacement part to save Vanellope’s video game, Sugar Rush. In way over their heads, Ralph and Vanellope rely on the citizens of the internet – the netizens – to help navigate their way, including a website entrepreneur named Yesss, who is the head algorithm and the heart and soul of trend-making website “Buzztube.”
Disney has been trying to cover up the actual plot of “Wreck-it Ralph” sequel with the Disney Princesses’ scenes since its trailer and sneak peak doesn’t reveal anything about the storyline, only showing adorable interactions between the Princesses – and it worked like a charm, because that’s what everyone has been talking about!
Right now, many avid fans are excited to see the animation sequel, especially when the Princesses get together for the first time to show us the different sides of them! But then again, you cannot please everyone because apparently, some people are not exactly happy with how the Princesses are portrayed in the upcoming film.
Are their concerns valid? Here, we are going to list out 6 problems fans have with the Disney Princesses from “Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2”.
1. Tiana & Pocahontas are whitewashed
Over the years, Disney has started to include more and more diverse princesses in its lineup to cater to a variety of audience from different enthnicity and background. So when the animation studio introduced 1995 Native American princess Pocahontas and 2009 African American princess Tiana, fans of coloured skin were truly grateful to see their representation in the franchise.
But in the recent trailer and sneak peek of the “Wreck-it Ralph” sequel, many seem to notice that the 2 aforementioned princesses appear to have lighter skin tones compared to their original appearances in their respective movie.
Okay… As hyped as I am for this amazing still of Ralph Breaks the Internet… Why the hell are Pocahontas and Tiana's skintones lighter than what they truly are? Are you kidding me right now? I'm tired of this crap. pic.twitter.com/Ntsd5Mmmhu
— {MIA} Ꭵ'ᏞᏞ ᎪᏞᎳᎪᎽs sᎬᎬ fᎥᏉᎬ °▪︎~🌸🌒 (@TheLoyalShawol) August 10, 2018
Some fans have noticed that apart from lighter skin, Tiana has been given a smaller nose and mouth. Not only that, African American fans have pointed out that her curly hair doesn’t look natural and it seems blondish and dyed instead of black. Meanwhile, fans also find that Pocahontas appears to be whiter with different features as well, making her look sort of Caucasian instead of native.
2. Mulan is Americanised
Similar to Tiana and Pocahontas, fans also believed that Disney’s only Chinese princess Mulan is kind of whitewashed in the new “Wreck-it Ralph 2” trailer as she looks more like a half Asian instead of full Asian. In the new design, her eyes are much bigger and her nose is a lot smaller.
Many also noticed that she seems paler compared to the original. There are several mentions of how American she looks in the film, from her jock jacket to her cuffed pants and she also wears shoes indoor which is not a common practice among Asians.
Mulan looks hapa in Wreck-It-Ralph 2
this isn't a diss to hapa ppl – if Disney and its audience can't fully embrace Mulan's Asian-ness that's a problem pic.twitter.com/jLrZBS2Udx
— Stephanie 'has to study again' Tran (@YouAndYourEgo) June 5, 2018
On the whole though, most of the fans are loving Mulan’s appearance in the upcoming 3D animation, especially her stylish modern outfit which led many fans to believe that she is a bisexual judging from the way she dressed and also her posture.
Previously, fans also concluded that her love interest Captain Li Shang, who will not be appearing in the live-action remake, is hailed as a bisexual icon.
3. Cinderella has ears now
It’s been almost 7 decades since the release of Disney’s “Cinderella”, so when her updated 3D version appears in the new “Wreck-it Ralph” trailer, fans couldn’t help but notice that she looks very different from her original design. One particular feature which truly stands out are her ears.
A Twitter fan noted that there is something off about the new Cinderella and she finally realised that her old design doesn’t have ears. Apparently many people didn’t notice this until the fan pointed it out.
There was something bothering me on Cinderella's 3d model. It's not that I don't like it but she somehow looked different and I didn't know why, I just realized it's because SHE NEVER HAD EARS IN THIS COSTUME pic.twitter.com/EnEU013yPb
— Ali ❄️🌺 (@kaprikume) June 5, 2018
Thanks to the revelation, others have started to chime in sarcastically, saying that they finally understand why Cinderella didn’t stop when the prince called out to her repeatedly or how she didn’t hear the clanking sound of her glass slippers when she walked or ran. Some fans also highlighted her weirdly straight bangs which doesn’t look anything like her orginal look.
4. Merida’s glammed-up appearance
Merida from “Brave” has stolen the spotlight in the latest sneak peek when she confuses the rest of the princesses with her thick Scottish accent. But her appearance in “Wreck-it Ralph” sequel has also started an uproar as it looks very different from how she is supposed to look like.
You have to admit that Merida is one of the most unique Disney princesses ever, not only because she is the first princess made by Pixar, but also the first without a love interest. Fans have been championing Merida’s overall appearance in “Brave”, from her messy hair to her fiery attitude.
However in 2013, Disney gave the Pixar princess a makeover on its official website, with skinnier waist and makeup, making her look like every generic princess, and fans were not happy about it. After the outrage, Disney finally got the message and took down their version of Merida. But the drama doesn’t end there.
In the new “Wreck-it Ralph” movie, fans noticed that Merida looks a lot like the glammed-up version Disney created previously with big eyes and thinner waist. Although her spunky attitude is still there, some fans are still upset that Disney didn’t follow her original design.
5. Rapunzel’s long hair
If you have watched “Tangled”, you would remember that Rapunzel had her hair cut off by the end of the movie, and sported a short brunette pixie cut. That’s also how she looks like during her cameo in “Frozen”. Honestly, most fans are quite accepting towards Rapunzel’s new look and are delighted that Disney finally has a short-hair princess. But when they see how she looks like in “Ralph Breaks the Internet”, many are scratching their head.
https://twitter.com/sgtjanedoe/status/1004748115386089476
Apparently, there is a legit explanation.
In the movie’s animated series called “Tangled: The Series”, Rapunzel’s hair magically grows back when her handmaid Cassandra discovers some mystical rocks with magical properties during a secret adventure.
But still, not everyone is satisfied with the explanation since Disney series or direct-to-video sequels are usually considered non-canon. Nevertheless, others come forward to defend Rapunzel saying that her long blonde hair would be the most recognisable feature of her character and that is what Disney has always used to market the character on the internet or at Disney theme parks.
6. Missing princesses and those not in the lineup
Don’t be surprised, but not every Disney heroine is listed as a Disney princess. For example, fans are debating over the fact that several heroines such as Megara from “Hercules”, Esmeralda from “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”, Kida from “Atlantis”, Jane Porter from “Tarzan”, and more are not included in the “Wreck-it Ralph” sequel.
Though many concluded it was because they weren’t part of the official Disney Princess lineup, some defended saying that Elsa, Anna, and Moana are not part of the lineup either and yet they are in the movie.
Underrated Disney girls that some how didn't make it in to the wreck it Ralph crossover pic.twitter.com/84zICJDi0F
— 👁 (@azrxth) June 5, 2018
Some people have theorised that the princesses in “Ralph Breaks the Internet” are the updated Disney Princess lineup, which means that the 3 characters, and possibly Vanellope too will most probably join the lineup after the movie.
Previously, it was explained that the reason Elsa and Anna are not part of the franchise is because “Frozen” is already successful on its own, so there isn’t a need for the 2 princesses to have any extra marketing. Now that the “Frozen” hype has already subsided, maybe Disney feels that it is time for the sisters to finally be part of the Disney Princess team.
In regards to the whole whitewashing and different feature appearance of the princesses, there are already explanations saying that the movie has different animators and that same animators are probably working on all those characters.
So it only make sense that they look similar to each other, and different from how they appear in their original movies. Plus, changing 2D animation to 3D can make a huge difference in terms of angle and lighting which is probably why Tiana and Pocahontas seem fairer as 3D characters.
Also, the directors of “Ralph Breaks the Internet” have explained in Entertainment Weekly that the princesses in the upcoming movie are the online avatars of Disney Princesses from the Oh My Disney site and not the real characters. Thus, they will have different personalities compared to their original counterparts.
“To be able to work with these characters in a way that’s funny and human… they’re so iconic, but to me, they felt like they were frozen in another time that made it hard for me to kind of identify with or understand them,” said co-director Rich Moore.
What are your thoughts on the whole debate? Share your thoughts in the comments section.
