Sofia the First

[Sotiris]

That was...Horrible.

Indeed. I don't know where to start. Belle looks awful in that low-budget CG animation, her dress is not the same to the one in the film or to the redesigned clipart one, her voice sounds nothing like Belle, and that 2D flashback from the Humans Again sequence feels jarring and out of place.

[Miss Manday]

..ugh. That was dreadful. Nothing like Belle at all. Can we please have Paige or Susan back?

[Atlantica]

Belle sounded so spot on in the Disneyland Kinect game...I don't know what went so wrong here

It sounds vaguely like the woman who sang for Belle in her 'Enchanted Tale' preview...only worse. This makes Aurora's altered singing voice sound not so bad even .... Which isn't saying a lot.

[Sotiris]

Belle sounded so spot on in the Disneyland Kinect game...I don't know what went so wrong here.

Was it the same voice actress?

[#1JasmineFan]

The beginning wasn't too bad. But the song was more in the style of Belle from Sing Me a Story. I wanna hear the whole song on Friday before I give my overall opinion. But as for Julie's portrayal, she had Belle's mannerisms down, but her voice not so much-especially when she sung.

[bruno_wbt]

Belle sounded so spot on in the Disneyland Kinect game...I don't know what went so wrong here.

Was it the same voice actress?

Yes, Julie Nathanson is the official voice of Belle right now.

Here's some of her work as Belle:

2013: Sofia the First
2012: The Perfect Princess Tea Party: Read-Along Storybook and CD
2012: Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure (video game)
2011: Kinect Disneyland Adventures (video game)
2011: Disney Princess: Enchanting Storybooks (video game)

[dvdjunkie]

I still maintain that unless we are between the ages of 3-9 years old, we have no ground to stand on. This show is aimed at the little toddlers in our family and they wouldn't know if the color is wrong or the dress is wrong or anything that those of who are older and wiser.

Let's just not be criticizing this show like that. My five-year-old grand daughter loves this show, and we have every episode from the movie through the last first run episode on DVR for her. When the new DVD comes out next week, we will erase only those episodes that are on that DVD.

The children who watch this show all know the words to all the songs, and I even know some of them. I watch each show with my grand daughter, and even have marathons once in a while just because she asks me to watch them with her.

So I think it is fair to ask all of the grownups to back off the extreme criticism for now. Unless you are a Disney employee, I think that we should just let the kids enjoy the show, and not try to ruin it for them.

[bruno_wbt]

her dress is not the same to the one in the film or to the redesigned clipart one

This dress is exactly the same that the one that she wears at the parks:

[#1JasmineFan]

Hi. I've been a lover of Disney since I was little. I grew up with the Disney princesses, Ariel and Jas being my favorites. Now I have gladly added Sofia to the list. I love Sofia the First. I believe the show is for everyone to enjoy, not just kids. We all can learn something from it. I also believe that those of us who have grown up with the classic Disney princesses have a right to express our opinions when new voice actress's are chosen to portray them. I do like Belle, but I love her portrayed by Lindsey McCleed from Sing Me a Story with Belle the best. My point is, we should all be able to express our opinions freely and respectfully without someone telling us otherwise.

[disneyprincess11]

Wow, the clip of Belle in Sophia the First sounds NOTHING like Belle!

Especially her singing voice. It’s like if they got the Disney Jr. announcer to voice her.

[Sotiris]

This dress is exactly the same that the one that she wears at the parks.

I didn't know her park dress was different to her redesigned clipart dress. Still, I don't think that established characters should be portrayed in film based on the appearance of merchandise clipart, storybooks, or the face characters at the parks. They should stay true to their original look.

[Atlantica]

dvdjunkie, I think it is very much a topic to be discussed - Belle's voice is Belle's voice, wherever it is featured. This time, it just happens to be in a preschoolers TV show.

I just don't know what they are trying to do with the voice - make her more modern sounding as they tried to do with Aurora ? Though it must be noted that they have since swapped Aurora back to her more regal sounding self. The whole point of picking Paige for Belle was they wanted someone who sounded more 'European' than Jodi, who they originally looked at to play Belle. Now Belle sounds more American than Ariel! Well not so much speaking perhaps, but singing for sure.

I can't compare and listen to it as I am work, but does it sound at all similar to this voice? (I haven't listened to it in such a long time, I have forgotten the exact voice - I think I remember it sounding more like Susan?)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5V2iJxNCRDM

[dvdjunkie]

I will still stand by what I said. This is a "kids" program, and most kids between the ages of 3-9 wouldn't know the difference in any of the voices. This animated show is for young children, boys and girls, and we should not try to be the director of the show by criticizing whether they use the original voices or not. It is not our place to be giving this type of criticism. As long as the kids it is aimed for enjoy it, there is no room for adult criticism at this point.

I have read all these different posts about colors not being the same, voices sounding different, and the like, and these types of critical things are fine for the adults who have grown up with Walt Disney and know the difference.

Let's leave the little ones alone and let them enjoy "Sophia the First", after all it was meant for children not adults. What part of that don't you understand?

[disneyboy20022]

Disney's 'Sofia the First' meets Princess Belle -- EXCLUSIVE CLIP

http://family-room.ew.com/2013/09/09/so ... the-beast/

..............
........

...

It almost sounds like one of those Disney rip off movies. That's how bad her voice is.

However, while us Disney fans can notice it, a 5 year old might not. Some 5 year olds have never seen the original Beauty and The Beast so they won't notice it. I don't agree with Disney's decision to maker her voice sound so apart from Paige O'Hara but I doubt parents will write to Disney telling them they messed up the voice of Belle.

[Atlantica]

If the new Belle voice was featured in a new DTV film or animated short a la 'Tangled Ever After', would it be more our place to comment on it then ? I don't understand why we can't comment on it.

This isn't a voice just for the Sophia series, this is Belle's actual and official voice - for dolls / games / shorts etc. It does indeed sound peculiar and very distant from the other Belle voices we have had - I think that can indeed be a topic of interest. As you can see, I have made no comment on the show whatsoever; I think it seems a sweet little program that does its job very well and little girls are very taken by it, which is lovely.

Maybe this discussion should be moved to the Disney Princess Voices thread instead...

[bruno_wbt]

I will still stand by what I said. This is a "kids" program, and most kids between the ages of 3-9 wouldn't know the difference in any of the voices.

But they are not criticizing the show. They are criticizing Belle’s current official voice.

Julie Nathanson is the official voice of Belle since 2011, replacing Paige O’Hara.

Here's some of her work as Belle:
2013: Sofia the First
2012: The Perfect Princess Tea Party: Read-Along Storybook and CD
2012: Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure (video game)
2011: Kinect Disneyland Adventures (video game)
2011: Disney Princess: Enchanting Storybooks (video game)

[Miss Manday]

This isn't a voice just for the Sophia series, this is Belle's actual and official voice - for dolls / games / shorts etc. It does indeed sound peculiar and very distant from the other Belle voices we have had - I think that can indeed be a topic of interest. As you can see, I have made no comment on the show whatsoever; I think it seems a sweet little program that does its job very well and little girls are very taken by it, which is lovely.

This exactly. I love the show, but the voice, which we're now stuck with for Belle, just ISN'T Belle. So I think we've got a right to comment on that aspect. It's simply sad to see that the character will never be the same. That Paige and Susan have been replaced.

[disneyboy20022]

But they are not criticizing the show. They are criticizing Belle’s current official voice.

Julie Nathanson is the official voice of Belle since 2011, replacing Paige O’Hara.

Here's some of her work as Belle:
2013: Sofia the First
2012: The Perfect Princess Tea Party: Read-Along Storybook and CD
2012: Disney Princess: My Fairytale Adventure (video game)
2011: Kinect Disneyland Adventures (video game)
2011: Disney Princess: Enchanting Storybooks (video game)

Oh Okay now I get it. Yeah Belle's new voice is horrible.

[#1JasmineFan]

Hey! I just saw the new episode with Belle. It was really good! I really enjoyed it. I still stand by what I said about the song being more something Sing Me a Story's Belle would sing, but I liked it more when I heard the whole thing. The episode was awesome too!

[dvdjunkie]

I would defy you to ask a little pre-schooler or a kindergarten to second grade child if they like the show. Then after the resounding yes. Ask them if they think that Belle's voice is good, and you will get another resounding yes.

We are adults and we are all fans of Disney Animated Classics, and we have the right to discuss who or what Belle's voice belongs to, but for now leave this topic alone and let the little ones enjoy their favorite Disney Junior show.

I don't see anyone here criticizing the "Jake & the Neverland Pirates" show. They have changed most voices each season. And for sure Captain Hook and Smee's voices are not the same as in Peter Pan.

We all know who the original voice overs belonged to, but if you want to complain about it, so it on another thread. This is for Sophia The First fans not critics. Let these little ones enjoy the show for what it is.