Frozen (2013) doesn’t have a traditional villain. The main barriers to the main character’s happiness is a lifetime of being told to keep her superpower secret and the wedge it forms between her and her sister (whose stunted emotional development causes her to jump in the arms of the first man who pays attention to her).
Big Hero 6 (2014) does have a villain, but his motivations are complicated, and the main character’s journey is as much about overcoming the trauma of losing his brother as it is defeating the villain’s plans.
Zootopia (2016) reveals the villain at the very end, and most of the plot is driven by the characters grappling with societal injustice and prejudice.
Moana (2016) is a hero’s journey but the big bad villain is revealed at the end to be, like, environmental destruction personified, and the way to defeat the villain is to apologize and make things right.
Frozen 2 (2019) similarly has a plot where it’s revealed that all the problems are caused by the characters’ grandfather’s sins, and the way to fix it is to undo the betrayal and land theft of the indigenous people (which their entire kingdom is basically built on).
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) is one I’ve only seen once but I remember it being about climate change and generational trauma.
Encanto (2021) is for sure about generational trauma. The antagonists are mostly conceptual: crushing expectations/responsibilities that come with great power, the imbalance and negative family dynamics that come from parents or grandparents showing favoritism, insecurity that comes from going from poor to rich but believing that it can all fall apart in an instant, the toxic effects of keeping secrets. Oh and it all stems from the grandma seeing her husband murdered by soldiers in front of their baby triplets.
Strange World (2022) is about climate change caused by overexploitation of natural resources.
Yeah, the OP meme is funny, but these aren’t just about therapy, and instead require the writers paying attention and putting their findings properly into a story. So I’m guessing Disney got better writers in the 2010s.
92-98 when they stopped all being white Europeans. Although I have girls and can confirm that 2009’s Princess and the Frog is the best Disney princess film.
Aladdin was my favourite Disney film as a kid. None of the characters are white Europeans! The villain is a real villain: someone who is evil that the heroes must defeat.
I had a look at the list of movies and dates, not sure that I get it.
Frozen (2013) doesn’t have a traditional villain. The main barriers to the main character’s happiness is a lifetime of being told to keep her superpower secret and the wedge it forms between her and her sister (whose stunted emotional development causes her to jump in the arms of the first man who pays attention to her).
Big Hero 6 (2014) does have a villain, but his motivations are complicated, and the main character’s journey is as much about overcoming the trauma of losing his brother as it is defeating the villain’s plans.
Zootopia (2016) reveals the villain at the very end, and most of the plot is driven by the characters grappling with societal injustice and prejudice.
Moana (2016) is a hero’s journey but the big bad villain is revealed at the end to be, like, environmental destruction personified, and the way to defeat the villain is to apologize and make things right.
Frozen 2 (2019) similarly has a plot where it’s revealed that all the problems are caused by the characters’ grandfather’s sins, and the way to fix it is to undo the betrayal and land theft of the indigenous people (which their entire kingdom is basically built on).
Raya and the Last Dragon (2021) is one I’ve only seen once but I remember it being about climate change and generational trauma.
Encanto (2021) is for sure about generational trauma. The antagonists are mostly conceptual: crushing expectations/responsibilities that come with great power, the imbalance and negative family dynamics that come from parents or grandparents showing favoritism, insecurity that comes from going from poor to rich but believing that it can all fall apart in an instant, the toxic effects of keeping secrets. Oh and it all stems from the grandma seeing her husband murdered by soldiers in front of their baby triplets.
Strange World (2022) is about climate change caused by overexploitation of natural resources.
Yeah, the OP meme is funny, but these aren’t just about therapy, and instead require the writers paying attention and putting their findings properly into a story. So I’m guessing Disney got better writers in the 2010s.
I am lazy and did none of that. Someone please just comment the answer for us.
This comment elsewhere in the thread addresses it. https://lemmy.world/comment/20680178
Maybe the mid-90s when the princesses started having more agency?
the mid-90s is also when disney was on the brink of bankruptcy so there may have been something else going on
92-98 when they stopped all being white Europeans. Although I have girls and can confirm that 2009’s Princess and the Frog is the best Disney princess film.
Aladdin was my favourite Disney film as a kid. None of the characters are white Europeans! The villain is a real villain: someone who is evil that the heroes must defeat.