Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Farerb
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Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

Post by Farerb »

Who do you think has the worst romance or the worst romantic story or the worst chemistry from all the Disney couples?

Doesn't have to be just the Princesses.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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I pondered this and I donโ€™t think thereโ€™s really any worst romance in a Disney film. Iโ€™m assuming weโ€™re talking just animation.

So if I had to pick one Iโ€™d say Simba and Nala for the sole reason that itโ€™s incestuous as they are half brother and sister. Mufasa, when he took over the pride, would have killed all the cubs and expelled the young adult males from the area . He would have then mated with all the lionesses including Sarabi and Nalaโ€™s mother making Simba and Nala half siblings. I mean Scar could possibly be Nalaโ€™s father, I guess, but I highly doubt it. So for that reason (incest) I name it the worst romance. When Simba took over the pride , I donโ€™t even wanna think about him banging his Mom, aunts and other relatives. ๐Ÿคฆ๐Ÿปโ€โ™‚๏ธ


If I had to choose a human romance, Iโ€™d probably go with Tarzan and Jane, for the sole superficial reason I donโ€™t find them animated very attractively. (So Iโ€™m shallow that way when it comes to animated characters). Their chemistry is ok; I just find them kind of ugly. Tarzan is killer, though, from the neck down!
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Great idea for a thread Farerb! I would say Mariano and Dolores. We see Marianno for the entire movie being crazy about Isabela, but in the end just because Dolores says she's interested in him, he instantly asks her to marry him. That means neither his feelings for Isabella nor for Dolores are real. He's just in love with love. A person so desperate for affection he'd take just about anybody who would want to be with him. This is played up for laughs, but if you think about it, it's pretty messed up.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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1. Todd & Vixey ~ Oh, God... This one is just awful. Vixey is nails to the eardrums. I just hate that character so much.... It's a lot like with Bambi, where the characters are thrown together because "mating time," but she is 10x more irritating than Faline.
2. Phillip & Aurora ~ I always disliked Phillip, to me he reminds me of an early Flynn, as far as he comes across like he's only interested in one thing, lol... Besides the fact I don't like Phillip, Aurora and the romance itself are pretty flat and uninteresting. Stefan & the Queen are the same way. Stefan is more defined the way Phillip is (and is unlikable just like he is), whereas the Queen is a complete nonentity.
3. Prince Charming & Cinderella ~ I hate Charming and his design. I guess I often tend to dislike pairings when I hate one of the characters and love one the other (in the sense that, well, "They're not good enough for X character."). Charming has the worst design of all the princes to me, I just don't care for it.
4. Bambi & Faline ~ Same as Todd & Vixey, but I at least liked Faline when the two characters were children, so not quite as bad. They make her very annoying when they're both older though.

I used to dislike Rapunzel & Flynn, too, before the series--so I sort of still include it because I think of the movie as lesser than the series... He comes across as the cheater type in the movie, lol, I just couldn't buy it. They made him much more vulnerable and the romance more believable in the series. Jasmine & Aladdin are the same way, although not as bad; I always found Jasmine annoying in the movie and not deserving of Aladdin, but she's better in the series.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Although it's my favorite movie, I'm gonna have to admit the romance between Phillip and Aurora is pretty funny to me. The scene after "Once Upon the Dream" where Phillip is yelling "When will I see you again" and Aurora goes from "Never" to "Tonight, in the Woodcutter's Cottage" has always been funny to me. Girl seriously goes from never to essentially setting up a time and giving a stranger her address in a few lines. :lol:

It's hard though to put today's standards of romance on some of these classic characters. I don't know if the "love at first sight" trope exists in any modern media any more.

I guess the most modern romance that has kind of confused me is Anna and Kristoff in the first Frozen. The movie even calls out the whole "you just met him" thing, and yet after about a day together we're supposed to accept that Anna and Kristoff are somehow any different? I feel like they should've let them settle as a crush by the end of the first film, and have their conflict be about starting to date in the sequel and not an engagement. Leave us wanting a wedding in a 3rd installment! I know these films aren't necessarily made with a planned sequel though so I get it.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Sotiris wrote: โ†‘Sun Nov 27, 2022 5:01 am Great idea for a thread Farerb! I would say Mariano and Dolores. We see Marianno for the entire movie being crazy about Isabela, but in the end just because Dolores says she's interested in him, he instantly asks her to marry him. That means neither his feelings for Isabella nor for Dolores are real. He's just in love with love. A person so desperate for affection he'd take just about anybody who would want to be with him. This is played up for laughs, but if you think about it, it's pretty messed up.
That's a good example. I never even thought about mentioning them because I forgot about them.
singerguy04 wrote: โ†‘Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:56 pm I guess the most modern romance that has kind of confused me is Anna and Kristoff in the first Frozen. The movie even calls out the whole "you just met him" thing, and yet after about a day together we're supposed to accept that Anna and Kristoff are somehow any different? I feel like they should've let them settle as a crush by the end of the first film, and have their conflict be about starting to date in the sequel and not an engagement. Leave us wanting a wedding in a 3rd installment! I know these films aren't necessarily made with a planned sequel though so I get it.
Anna and Kristoff are one of the weakest for sure. They have the chemistry of a brother and a sister. They spent the entire movie having insipid conversations about "love experts", all in the service of breaking Disney tropes (done much better with Giselle and Robert on Enchanted). It was so "romantic" when he told her that boys pick their nose and eat it, so sophisticated, definitely something that an adult would say to another adult.

I guess another romance I don't like is Pocahontas and John Smith.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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singerguy04 wrote: โ†‘Wed Nov 30, 2022 2:56 pm Although it's my favorite movie, I'm gonna have to admit the romance between Phillip and Aurora is pretty funny to me. The scene after "Once Upon the Dream" where Phillip is yelling "When will I see you again" and Aurora goes from "Never" to "Tonight, in the Woodcutter's Cottage" has always been funny to me. Girl seriously goes from never to essentially setting up a time and giving a stranger her address in a few lines. :lol:

It's hard though to put today's standards of romance on some of these classic characters. I don't know if the "love at first sight" trope exists in any modern media any more.
I think that was the point. I think Walt Disney's team meant it to be a joke that Aurora says she can "never" see Phillip because her aunts forbid it, but then can't resist the love she feels anymore so she promises to meet him that night. Mary Costa said she found those lines funny, too.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Farerb wrote: โ†‘Wed Nov 30, 2022 9:12 pmAnna and Kristoff are one of the weakest for sure. They have the chemistry of a brother and a sister. They spent the entire movie having insipid conversations about "love experts", all in the service of breaking Disney tropes (done much better with Giselle and Robert on Enchanted). It was so "romantic" when he told her that boys pick their nose and eat it, so sophisticated, definitely something that an adult would say to another adult.
That's true. I think a better way they could have explored this would be to just show the two slowly getting to know each other better and having Anna come to the realization that real relationships take time and go beyond mere infatuation by the end of their trip. That way, upon returning to the castle she could have told Hans to take things slow and that she couldn't marry him just yet. That would show that Anna actually learned something during her time with Kristoff. Waiting until after she's betrayed and left for dead to learn that lesson makes it much less impactful. This of course would have changed the whole villain reveal, but they could have found a way to still pull it off. In any case, having Kristoff make fun of her about 'love at first sight' as essentially a wink to the audience was too meta and ham-fisted. The whole booger thing was needlessly disgusting too.

Another horrible romance is that of Runt and Foxy Loxy from Chicken Little. Runt telling the aliens not to change Foxy Loxy's personality back so he could be with her is all kinds of disturbing. It's surprising no one making the movie realized that. Other romantic relationships I don't care for are Felix and Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph mainly because of their radically different character designs.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Sotiris wrote: โ†‘Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:21 pm Another horrible romance is that of Runt and Foxy Loxy from Chicken Little. Runt telling the aliens not to change Foxy Loxy's personality back so he could be with her is all kinds of disturbing. It's surprising no one making the movie realized that. Other romantic relationships I don't care for are Felix and Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph mainly because of their radically different character designs.
Ugh the whole Runt and Foxy love is so cringe, even for 2005. I think they could've made an easy enough story change showing us that she was actually dainty behind closed doors and that the aliens just made her more confident to be herself... but that's too good of a story point for what went into that film in general.

Felix and Calhoun have kind of bothered me too, but I do like how their designs display that love can grow from any style or body build. I just don't think we spend enough time with the characters to see a budding romance. It just kind of happens.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Sotiris, I don't think Anna learning the lesson that way would work dramatically for the story. We wouldn't feel for her if she didn't get betrayed when she wanted to marry Hans still. Plus, if she realized with Kristoff relationships take time, and she learned that from her budding romance with Kristoff, wouldn't she have realized Kristoff was who she wanted more than Hans?

Singerguy04, I think that Foxy Loxy "secretly feminine" idea could have worked!
Disney's Divinity wrote: โ†‘Sun Nov 27, 2022 10:39 am3. Prince Charming & Cinderella ~ I hate Charming and his design. I guess I often tend to dislike pairings when I hate one of the characters and love one the other (in the sense that, well, "They're not good enough for X character."). Charming has the worst design of all the princes to me, I just don't care for it.
Aw, well, yeah I think his design is bad standing before the ball guests here:
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But I find him cute in his close-ups dancing with Cinderella and by the palace clock:
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Also, it's funny, I just watched a YouTube video where a woman ranked Walt's Cinderella as number 3 in 45 Cinderella movies, and she said how the music and visuals really sold the romance to her. The Prince is more than just a design, he's a romantic song and heady, romantic visuals. Romance doesn't just mean a relationship. It can mean a feeling, created by different elements. So I'd say Cinderella and the Prince actually have a good romance, just not a well-defined relationship.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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There is a quality to Cinderella that verges on rotoscope at times more than most Disney films. I wonder if it had something to do with it being their first film after WWII. Anyway, I think inTremaine and Cinderella themselves the animators mostly manage erase the necessary details so that the characters never end up full on rotoscoping (the way Anastasia is, that movie is so stiff and ugly at times). The Prince unfortunately isn't successful to me, he looks straight like they could've drawn over a real guy from the '50s at times. I just don't find the look of the prince to be attractive, and since he's not defined as a character, how attractive he is matters more. I like Snow White's Prince, for example, even though he's similarly undefined character-wise. I think Prince Charming would've been better if they had his face in shadow all the time and simply let you envision whoever. I think I would've liked that better than what they went with.

Also, I had another thought I wanted to add to when I was talking about Flynn and Phillip. It's not really just that they come across like "cheater" types who are only interested in one thing, it's additionally how vain and pompous both characters come across when you meet them. With Flynn, they at least attempt to break down some of those qualities at the end (not completely successfully), but with Phillip they don't even bother. I agree with Duster about Anna and Kristoff, the film works best the way it is. Hans' betrayal only works because she utterly believes it will save her when he reveals he feels nothing for her. Also, Anna and Kristoff are intended to be in the very early stages of budding romance in the first film. That's why the film doesn't resolve itself by Anna kissing Kristoff even though she initially thinks that might solve her problem.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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I actually never have felt Cinderella looked rotoscoped, but soooooo many people do, so...well, I don't have a problem with it so I wouldn't change it. However, Divinity, that Prince Charming in shadow idea is pretty cool! Personally I would have just developed him and his relationship with Cinderella more and not less (with the shadow), but it's still a cool idea!

I don't think Phillip comes across as a cheater who would go after girls after Aurora, but I guess I can see how he comes off a bit pompous?

I'm glad we agree on Anna and Kristoff! Though one thing I am confused on. Did you mean Anna thought she needed to kiss Kristoff to break the spell, then it turned out it was saving her sister that did it?
Last edited by Disney Duster on Mon Dec 05, 2022 4:07 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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^ Yeah.

As far as the pompous thing, I think that vain quality in Phillip must've been what Gaston and Edward are lampooning, since most of the other princes before Gaston aren't really like that to me.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Hm. Maybe that is why Gaston and Edward were like that. I just never felt Disney princes came off that way. I remember people echoing somethimg I felt, which was that Edward was more like Gaston than a Walt Disney prince. However, if you really feel Phillip is vain and pompous, I only see a little of the pomp, but opinions usually differ!
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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I think Philip is pretty much ideal. What he went through to save Aurora from Maleficent proved to me how much he loved her. I donโ€™t see him as cocky or arrogant at all.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Disney's Divinity wrote: โ†‘Sun Nov 27, 2022 10:39 am4. Bambi & Faline ~ Same as Todd & Vixey, but I at least liked Faline when the two characters were children, so not quite as bad. They make her very annoying when they're both older though.
How so?
Sotiris wrote: โ†‘Wed Nov 30, 2022 11:21 pm Another horrible romance is that of Runt and Foxy Loxy from Chicken Little. Runt telling the aliens not to change Foxy Loxy's personality back so he could be with her is all kinds of disturbing. It's surprising no one making the movie realized that.
Well, I think they briefly mention this issue in the Audio Commentary for the film. But in a mocking way :P
Other romantic relationships I don't care for are Felix and Calhoun from Wreck-It Ralph mainly because of their radically different character designs.
My problem with their romance is not only their character designs, but the overall believability of the romance. A though, no-nonsense, tomboy like Calhoun would most likely not hook up with a sweet, innocent guy like Felix. They`re too radically different in personality, as she comes across as a much more stronger type than him. Most women like Calhoun would go after a man who would be at her level. So the romance just comes across as unbelieavable. In reality, there`s a similar problem with Hercules and Meg`s relationship. But at least there`s more of an actual arc between them.

But now that I`m on this subject (and I know that many people will disagree), it must be the love quadrangle in Enchanted. First and foremost with Giselle and Robert. Most likely due to the little chemistry between Amy Adams and Patrick Dempsey in the first movie (which was at least changed and improved in the sequel). Because Giselle is essentially out of her element, he does comes across as a authoritarian mentor to her most of the time. I`ve realized later on that their argument is an arc for their relationship. But the problem is that it`s too rushed. After their argument, they just start to have feelings for each other, without having a true development as a couple during their time together. Which makes their turn too rushed.
Nancy and Edward`s romance is just as contrived. The only difference is that Idina Menzel and James Mardsen displays more chemistry. And yeah, it does fall into the same tropes as the romances from Walt`s time. But the difference is that those romances were meant to be reflective of their times and Enchanted was meant to reflect our times. So it felt a little regressive to have such a rushed marriage in Enchanted, especially when it was deliberately mean to subvert such a trope with Giselle`s romance.
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Robert admits he "barely" knows Giselle when he saves her with True Love's Kiss, and Edward and Nancy have an even more rushed romance. Enchanted seems to say, "these love at first sight fairy tale romances can really happen despite us making fun of them and calling them out".
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Re: Worst Romance in a Disney Movie

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Regarding main characters and love being the focus point of the story, I would say Snow White and her Prince is the worst romance. Its not bad, but compared to other Disney couples, their relationship seems more forced as they had no backstory or proper way to connect in a romantic way, where Cinderellas and Sleeping Beautys romances are almost as weak, but feel more destined or romantic with Cinderella spending the whole night with the prince walking through the palace garden and Aurora and Philipp randomly meeting in the forest, falling in love and they dont even know they were promised to each other years ago, theres something really poetic about that, knowing they were definitely made for each other, unlike SW. With Snow White, its more like both of them find some random next best person crossing their way and just go with it. Its not bad, bit just weak. Atleast they have their true loves kiss. There are a few worse romances like Todd and Vixie, but their romance was never the heart of the story so i dont really mind.

My favourite romance however is Lady and the Tramp's. They go really casual with their relationship and it builds itself up with their romantic Highlight like their first date with the Bella Notte sequence and their little fight before the climax. They have their ups and downs. It all feels so authentic and grounded.
2nd favourite would be Beauty and the Beast, the chemistry is probably better here, but LatT pull it off so much more classy and casual :party:
My favourite Disney songs:
๐Ÿ. ๐“Ÿ๐“ช๐“ป๐“ฝ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ป ๐“ฆ๐“ธ๐“ป๐“ต๐“ญ (๐“ต๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฝ๐“ต๐“ฎ ๐“œ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ถ๐“ช๐“ฒ๐“ญ)
๐Ÿ. ๐“ฆ๐“ช๐“ฒ๐“ฝ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ ๐“ฒ๐“ท ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ฆ๐“ฒ๐“ท๐“ฐ๐“ผ (๐“ฃ๐“ช๐“ท๐“ฐ๐“ต๐“ฎ๐“ญ ๐“ฝ๐“ฑ๐“ฎ ๐“ผ๐“ฎ๐“ป๐“ฒ๐“ฎ๐“ผ)
๐Ÿ‘. Wherever I go (Hannah Montana)๐ŸŽถ :cry:
๐Ÿ’. ๐“Ÿ๐“ป๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ญ ๐“ธ๐“ฏ ๐”‚๐“ธ๐“พ๐“ป ๐“‘๐“ธ๐”‚ (๐“๐“ต๐“ช๐“ญ๐“ญ๐“ฒ๐“ท)
๐Ÿ“. ๐’ฏ๐’ฝ๐‘’ ๐’ž๐“๐’พ๐“‚๐’ท :cry: (๐“—๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐“ƒ๐’ถ๐’ฝ ๐“œ๐‘œ๐“ƒ๐“‰๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐’ถ ๐“‚๐‘œ๐“‹๐’พ๐‘’)
& more: 1000 years ( Legend of the Neverbeast),
I'll try (Return to Neverland) :pan: , So close (Enchanted), ๐’ด๐‘œ๐“Šยด๐“๐“ ๐“ƒ๐‘’๐“‹๐‘’๐“‡ ๐“๐‘œ๐“ˆ๐‘’ ๐“‰๐’ฝ๐’พ๐“ˆ ๐“๐‘œ๐“‹๐‘’ (๐’Ÿ๐’พ๐“ˆ๐“ƒ๐‘’๐“Ž ๐’ซ๐“‡๐’พ๐“ƒ๐’ธ๐‘’๐“ˆ๐“ˆ: ๐ธ๐“ƒ๐’ธ๐’ฝ๐’ถ๐“ƒ๐“‰๐‘’๐’น ๐’ฏ๐’ถ๐“๐‘’๐“ˆ), I thought I lost you (BOLT), Into the Unknown (Frozen 2) :pink:
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