The Real King Stefan - A Tribute
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- Опубліковано 8 бер 2015
- Warning: Maleficent spoilers below!
(Skim to the bottom if you're just looking for song/artist info!)
While I was in bed (actually, 'on couch' would be more accurate, since my room is under renovation) I ended up calling to mind 2014's Maleficent (which I watched one of the last times I had a cold). And, once again, I found myself absolutely irate. Why? Several reasons.
[Disclaimer: These are my thoughts and my arguments. Obviously, you are welcome to your own.]
3) BACK STORY.
Giving the self-proclaimed 'Mistress of all Evil' a sentimental back story is a stretch to begin with, but portraying her as a doe-eyed youth with no conniving inclinations, or wicked tendencies, or any kind of mean streak whatsoever goes beyond stretching it. My disbelief does not suspend that far. Even though the loss of her wings is traumatic, as is Stefan's betrayal, I would be more inclined to believe in her complete change of character (meaning, the vengeance she takes out on the entire world and not just Stefan) if she hadn't been quite so 'innocent' and 'perfect' at the beginning. Even seeing her pull a few mean-spirited pranks, or showing a degree of selfishness would have been enough. The writers tried, essentially, to turn her into a Disney princess and I feel that this was a mistake.
2) IGNORING THE FACTS.
This film was marketed as 'the real story behind the story', yet instead of operating behind the scenes it straight-up changes the original movie's plot and characters to suit Maleficent's revamped character. It can't be the "real story behind the story" if it's changing the facts. If it hadn't been marketed this way, I wouldn't have gone into the movie with the same expectations.
- Let's start with the most obvious. In the animated film Maleficent is actively searching for Aurora for sixteen years. The film makes a point of pointing out that she has no idea where the princess is, and-judging from her enraged reaction when she finds out her minions were still searching for a baby-if she had found Aurora she would have most definitely killed her. However, even though this inaccuracy discredits Maleficent (2014) right from the get-go, I'm willing to let it slide-because when compared to every other inaccuracy and outrageous embellishment, this barely makes a mark.
- Next. Maleficent does not turn into a dragon. Like, WTF, that was the best thing about her! I don't have a problem with her crow's human shape-shifting shenanigans (since there are plenty of instances where that could have happened behind the scenes in the original) but self-sacrificing dragon-no. Be gone!
- The fairies, though bumbling and nonsensical in the original, became completely mindless little Navis tittering around aimlessly. Maleficent is given all of the maternal credit. Don't think so.
- Philip does not do ANYTHING. He is entirely stripped of his heroics and humour; the only two things he had going for him-- good looks notwithstanding. Sorry, Disney but if Prince Philly is anything, it's brave.
1) KING STEFAN.
Without a doubt, the number one reason why I cannot and will not (voluntarily) watch Maleficent a second time around. Not only does this film dethrone King Stefan from his humour (SKUMPS!) and paternal nature, it turns him into-arguably-the evilest Disney villain of all time (yes, even eviler than the Mistress of All Evil herself) by making him greedy, power-hungry, manipulative and-wait for it-a rapist. Yes, a rapist. Disney writers have confirmed that Maleficent's loss of wings = rape.
Obviously, since I made this tribute in memory of Disney's original King Stefan, I have a problem with this. And not just because I've loved King Stefan (and Hubert! And the drunk servant!) since childhood.
More than anything else, I have a problem with the fact that in order to make an evil woman good Disney chose to make a good man evil. If you have kept up with Disney over the years, you have probably noticed the 'female empowerment' trend (I would argue that all of the princesses are strong in their own ways, that's another argument for another day). I'm all for female empowerment (I am a WOMAN, after all), but I believe in equality, not dominance. Many of the men in this film were brought down (Stefan became the villain, Philip the hero was cast aside, Hubert is entirely absent) to give the female characters prominence. I think it's wrong for women to be raised up by putting men down, and vice versus; this is an incredibly flawed kind of feminism that will not benefit anyone in the long run and it makes me incredibly uncomfortable to see it in media, let alone in a Disney movie.
That is essentially why I made this tribute. To make a point, blow off steam-and recover from a cold. Technically speaking, it's not my best work and there are glitches I can't get rid of, but I've wanted to make this for a while, so I made it. :)
Song: Once Upon a Dream - Cover by AmaLee - Фільми й анімація
I completely agree especially about the feminism aspect. We don't have to put down men to lift women up. Everyone can have equality without this kind of dominence.
Same.
Because both men and women are strong.
RIP
Taylor Holmes
(1878-1959)
The voice of King Stefan, this was his final film role before his death on September 30, 1959.
Hans Conried (1917-1982) was the live reference model for King Stefan, but he was replaced from the voice role and was taken by Holmes.
@@StephenLuke and Conried was probably re casted as Duke but in a higher pitch. Not Grand Duke from Cinderella but Lord Duke the Herald in Sleeping Beauty
I'm happy that a lot of Disney fans disliked Maleficent. I've been weirded out by people acting like Maleficent (2014) was great when it had so much wrong with it. Primarily, how Disney could make Maleficent: the Mistress of Evil, the Ruler of all Disney Villains, the summoner of the FORCES OF HELL a bland, generic, pure Mary Sue!
The movie felt like a bad fanfic in so many ways. All the characters exist only to make Maleficent look perfect. The fairies are stupid to make Maleficent look smart, the King is greedy and deceitful to make Maleficent look selfless and honest, Aurora was just a prop to show Maleficent was maternal, and Diavol was just there to point out the obvious fact that Maleficent wasn't evi. Which wasn't necessary cause... she was only bad for 5 minutes of the movie, the rest of the movie she was without flaw. (The most "mean" thing she does is knock the fairies' hats off. Pathetic.)
It's really sad that they perverted so many of the characters to make Maleficent look nice, and the result was that it made her just boring and perverted the rest of the cast. King Stefan in the original genuinely loved Aurora and was worried about her safety. He felt sad that she was going to be absent from his life and was overjoyed to have her back. And the Fairies loved Aurora as their "Briar Rose". I always imagined that they had a lovely life together like they were her three aunts and they taught and took care of her. In the movie... they didn't have an ounce of dignity so they weren't allowed to even have the slightest bit of affection for her because if they had any it would have made Maleficent look less motherly to Aurora. (bleh!)
And the fact that Maleficent didn't turn into a dragon was pathetic. I mean, what, could they not show Angelina on screen for 5 minutes? Is it not enough that every single shot of her was tailored to make her look alluring? I mean, it's like the movie was all just a huge ego-wank for Angelina Jolie (the end is met with the movie's title then immediately after "ANGELINA JOLIE"). I honestly don't even think she was especially great like lots of peopls say. She barely had to act since she had such few lines and was mostly there to cast mysterious expressions at things.
Even though you make a good point about how anti-male it is, I think I see this movie more being anti-Sleeping Beauty than anything. They treated both male (Stefan) and female (the fairies) characters like crap just to tell their version. The writers just seemed to loathe the every single thing about the original. I mean if they loved Disney's Sleeping Beauty they would do a better job of treating the source material with respect.
Well said! I too saw the fairies as her eccentric, but loving aunts, and not seeing that bond in the new movie really depressed me :(
Thanks you very much ! 👍🏻
I agree and Philip was useless in Maleficent(2014) and he's my favorite Disney Prince.
I know how you feel, I do love the new version but I prefer the story told by the original. But let me offer this head cannon as a comfort.
The King Stephan portrayed in the animated movie is a reincarnation of the one in the live action. No really knows how old Maleficent or the fairies are so the Old Stephan could have been injured during the battle in the begining and cuts off her wings. He was able to locked them away in the castle but died from the wounds and was reborn as a kinder soul with no knowledge of the wings. So they could be locked up in some lost part of the castle no one knows about. Maleficent would have know knowelge of this bacuse she cuts herself and all the other magic people from the human world. After all it would take some time for her to learn such powerful spells like the sleeping death and the dragon transmogrification.
So in conclusion Maleficent would mistake the reborn king for the one who broke her heart and took her wings. So the story would play out normal just like in the animated one. The End~
Ooooo that’s good
I really love how you made this video all in a green hue, up to when Aurora is reunited with her parents.
As for the whole Maleficent film issue, I... Well... I did enjoy it. The acting was amazing, I liked (some of) the characters, the story was okay...
The only thing I really hated about it was the way it's advertised as being the "true" story of Sleeping Beauty and the latter/original film being a "lie."
I loved your video and agree with your points, especially what they did to King Stefan. Also, I loved the fairies in Sleeping Beauty but absolutely hated them in Maleficent. They were so annoying and not likeable at all. I did enjoy Angelina Jolie as Maleficent, but even if they made her evil I would've loved her still. I thought casting her was the only thing they did right with the movie, but they could've gone so much further. As far as I'm concerned, the two stories are completely different and each their own.
I cried when I watched this and I'm not sure if for the beautiful song or for the thought of how they butchered Stefan (who's supposed to be good, not evil). I thank God there's the original to remind me of Stefan truly is.
I agree. I cried too because I like this version of Once Upon A Dream. Also this video did justice to King Stefan which made me cry even more. This is just my opinion.
I never thought about Maleficent movie the way you did. I try myself to not overly think about disney movies, but I really do see now what Disney had done to make Maleficent a "nicer" version.
Alongside Mickey Mouse, Mario, Sonic, The Fairy Godmother, and the Grand Duke(Cinderella). King Stefan is one of those characters that people depict in a negative evil light online and in the live action remakes when these characters are all likable and are not evil.
*gives you a standing ovation* Your words are EXACTLY my opinion. Sleeping Beauty is my all time favorite Disney movie and Maleficent is my all time favorite Disney villian. I've said in the past that I do have a soft spot for it, I do praise Angelina Joile for _looking_ the part...she still wasn't Maleficent in my eyes. The fairies actually hurt me yeah they actually hurt me. I remember saying "Oh Hell No!" in the movie theater. The ONLY thing I found tolerable in this film is Elle Fanning's portrayal of Aurora, I liked it. Yeah bottom line I really don't like this movie if you want to check it out.. just be aware that you may be disappointed
Can I just first say, THANK YOU! Thank you so much for making this and putting into words exactly what I thought when I saw Maleficent. Every point you made was absolutely spot on and eloquently said. I can understand what Disney was trying to do by making a tragic backstory for a villain, but really, did they have to deface pretty much every character in the original story to do it?
This video is beautiful, I love how you showed King Stefan as he was meant to be seen. I love it!
No, thank YOU for your comment! So far no one has shared my opinion about this, so I'm happy to know that I'm not the only one who feels this way XD I was starting to think that I was going crazy. Thank again!
Maleifcent was just a mess, I hated it so much and was baffled on how some people liked it. It didn't do justice to sleeping beauty. Wonderful video.
Thank you! I think the movie had so much potential, but it missed the mark :/
100% agree with this! One of the weakest ways to make an evil character "good" is by turning their (originally good) opponent evil. Ugh! If you have to reach that far, you're trying WAY too hard. I'm all for villain redemption, but if you're gonna do it, do it right. Maleficent was not done right. :/ Visually stunning, yes. Well thought-out plot...not so much.
What xNightshadex uploaded a new video!!!
I was recently rewatching a favorite video of mine that you made and was shocked to see it's been 4 years. Time flies!!
About this video, I'm glad to see others out there, and especially yourself feel the same as I do about Jolie's Malefient. I know you haven't had the time to reply the last lengthy note I wrote but when you do feel free to include a bit about this as well. Since we feel the same way.
I actually enjoyed the new Malifcent movie, but I will say that I also enjoyed your video.
Fair enough! Thank you :)
I agree AND they made prince philip so dirty i though he would not even end up with aurora
Another great video! Looking forward to your next one, as always-- You're awesome!
Thank you! I totally agree with everything you said, I'm glad I'm not the only one who shares this opinion!
**spits out drink, coughs, sputters** Wh-WUT? xNightshadex uploaded a new Disney video?! **instaclick**
Personally speaking, I liked the 2014 Maleficent movie enough. Visually, it's stunning, and I quite liked the take on Diaval (who, for obvious reasons, needed a name change from the original Diablo) but I still completely separate this movie and the 1959 Sleeping Beauty in my mind. "Maleficent" an alternate retelling to me, an interested point of view change, but certainly one I don't associate canonically with the original animated Maleficent (who is my favorite Disney villain EVAH). I compare it to fanfiction in a way. You know it deviates from the original, and you certainly love the original way more and always will, but sometimes there's some fun in seeing if things went differently.
That being said, I do totally agree with the points you made, I also had quite a few of those thoughts when I first watched the movie.
LOL **awkwardly scratches head** Yeah...I do that occasionally >.< Usually when I think nobody's looking.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this! I really like your take on the whole thing, especially the "fanfiction" part. I never thought of it that way, but I think I'll keep that in mind from now on. If nothing else, it'll keep my dislike for the film simmering, rather than boiling.....(Gah....lame metaphors...why....I should sleep V.V'). Speaking of favourite Disney villains, I actually don't think I have one o.O I've tried to pick in the past but I really can't narrow it down! Gaston is my favourite because he's ridiculous, but then Hades is my favourite because he's hilarious, then Scar's my favourite because he's the most sardonic and diabolical, and then....so on and so on... Sigh.
Anyway thanks! It still surprises me that people still care about this channel enough to check out uploads whenever I upload to this channel....annually :)
No problem :D Glad to be of service.
When it comes to my favorite villains, it's more like Maleficent is slightly in the forefront, maybe Captain Hook, too, and then the rest are fighting, elbowing, and climbing over themselves for a spot right behind xD Because it definitely is hard, they're all so deliciously diabolical.
GURL, I been subscribed to you for years. 2008 or so was my major year where I was obsessed with Disney crossovers, I couldn't get enough of them, they made my heart SOAR. Yours were some of the best around (so many memories, man...). I still hold out hope that you'll pick it up again sometime, even if it's not as often as before. I understand how certain things can ebb and flow, or go into hibernation, but sometimes they just come back full force. I keep holding out hope that it'll happen :P But until then, no rush, my Subscription ain't going anywhere, even if this channel only becomes a relic of the past. At least I always have my memories...
LadyDecember
Captain Hook! How could I forget! That silly old pirate will always hold a special place in my heart ^.^
*HUGS* You're so sweet I can't even!! :D Wow - 2008! Can't believe so much time has gone by! It's crazy how that happens :) I still love Disney, and I always will, (even though these days Disney sometimes feels like a rebellious child making a lot of dumb choices V.V) so I might make crossovers again some day, just for fun. I'll never be as involved as I used to be, but I do have unfinished projects that I'd like to see the light of day lol. Even if this channel does become a relic though, it'll still be here for as long as UA-cam allows :)
"SMEEE! SMEEEE!"
D'oh shucks, t'was nuthin' :D Really, you were top of the game, I was blown away by every single video you made. Just yesterday I decided to go through a little refresher course through your catalogue. They all still hold up SO well, they haven't aged at all, and you know that warm fuzzy feeling you get when you remember how good a particular video used to make you feel? Yeah, I had that...
I had so many ideas to make my own crossovers, but alas, without footage and a good movie maker, I was out of luck. I've still got the ideas tucked away in my head though, just in case.
Yeah, so, take your time if you ever feel a creative crossover itch again. It's always better to form the idea as it comes rather than force something out of obligation.
I COMPLETELY AGREE !!!
I love this video I can't stop watching it
I love this video :D ! Even though I enjoyed Maleficient a lot, I totally agree with you about King Stefan and the fairies, I was a bit disappointed to see them like this. But I consider the movie as an "role-reversal" alternative universe of the story, so I don't associate it that much with the animated movie :) .
Happy to see u make a video. When u made your Disney crossover what program did u use?
Most of what you've said here is the reason I refrained from watching Maleficent when it came out and still have only seen chunks and pieces of it. Tough, to be honest, I wouldn't mind if they made King Stefan evil as long as Maleficent would have remained evil, or at least not have been showed as being so innocent and good. Her name is Maleficent for hell's sake. This is why perfectly good villains shouldn't be given sob backstories, take Darth Vader for example.
This animated version of Stefan is better. Interesting fact: the performance model of King Stefan was Hans Conried (Voice of Captain Hook), who recorded some dialogues before Taylor Holmes was cast. Although Taylor Holmes did a bland performance as Stefan he was okay as the singing voice. Conried would have been a perfect choice for Stefan better so that I would take an admiration for Stefan. But for me, Taylor Holmes he sounded too old and is stressful. He would have been better off just as Duke in the same film. At least Corey Burton did better as Stefan in Disney Princess Enchanted Tales Follow Your Dreams. Stefan is quite a decent character even with his flaws of having Holmes replace Conried for this role and made him sound old and stressful as well as being a villain in Maleficent
I completely agree with this (not saying I hated Maleficent, I thought by itself it was a good movie) but they didn't do King Stefan justice with his fatherly love
I mean the entire movie felt like a fan fiction writer who has a personal bias against the Sleeping Beauty story, while also trying to fix something that wasn’t broken.
I think I would have enjoyed the movie A LOT more if they had just changed it to be about different characters. The plot itself I was okay with, but using characters we already know and slapping different personalities on them really bugged me. Had they changed the one or other detail of the story it would have worked with different characters just as well in my opinion. Such as the interaction between Maleficent and her crow would have worked for just as well with other characters.
What personally annoyed me the most though were the fairies... Making them a bit silly and comic relief characters, fine, I loved their pointless quarrels in the animated version, but there has to be a limit to stupidity... If they were meant to be funny, that joke was lost on me.
Original was excellent, new one was utter garbage. Agenda and nothing more fuels these new remakes.