Director John Musker, who has directed such animated films as The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules and others for Walt Disney, criticizes the company for favoring political messages over stories in its latest films.
«I think they need to course correct a little bit in terms of putting the message in the background, behind the entertainment, compelling story and engaging characters,» Musker said in an interview.
«The classic Disney movies didn’t start out by trying to convey a message. They wanted you to get involved in the characters, the story, and the world, and I think that’s still the point. You don’t have to eliminate the agenda, but you have to first create characters that you sympathize with and that are compelling,» the director added.
John Musker has collaborated with colleague Ron Clements on several Disney animated films, including «The Great Mouse Detective» (1986), «The Little Mermaid» (1989), «Aladdin» (1992), «Hercules» (1997), «Treasure Planet» (2002) and «Moana» (2016). Musker and Clements also helmed the 2009 film «The Princess and the Frog, which was controversially received for its portrayal of Disney’s first black princess.
The animation director also shared his thoughts on Disney remakes:
«Companies are always asking: «How do we reduce risk?» They love it, right? We’ll just do it again and sell it to them in a different form. Or they think: «Well, we could do it better».
He criticized film adaptation of «The Little Mermaid» 2023:
«They didn’t recreate the father-daughter story — that was, in a way, the heart of the movie. And the crab — you can look at live animals in the zoo and they are more expressive than in «Kings of Leo». This is one of the main things Disney does — appeal. Animation does the best».