Traditional Animation: The Return

[frogboy4]

Now, if only the dudes who composed the scores for the Modern Classics were still around to oversee production of the score...

Nope. Unfortunately it will feature "orignial work by Randy Newman" instead of hiring Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King and of course Little Mermaid veteran - Alan Menken. His work on Enchanted was so inpsired I don't understand this Newman turn here. I know Randy's got a lot of fans around Muppet Central so I won't go out on a rant here. He's okay with me in small doses, but I'm just not a particular fan of his. I associate him more with Pixar and Toy Story movies than this sort of thing. I hope he can rise to the occasion and impress (not only his fans but) people like me.

 

[wwfpooh]

Nope. Unfortunately it will feature "orignial work by Randy Newman" instead of hiring Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King and of course Little Mermaid veteran - Alan Menken. His work on Enchanted was so inpsired I don't understand this Newman turn here. I know Randy's got a lot of fans around Muppet Central so I won't go out on a rant here. He's okay with me in small doses, but I'm just not a particular fan of his. I associate him more with Pixar and Toy Story movies than this sort of thing. I hope he can rise to the occasion and impress (not only his fans but) people like me.

Ditto. It's hard to try and imagine classic 2D Disney animation without Alan as the key composer.

 

[theprawncracker]

*cough* Menken didn't work on Lion King, Elton John and Tim Rice did... *cough*

But yeah, that's VERY strange to have Randy Newman doing the music... not who I would've picked. Menken seemed like an obvious choice.

 

[D'Snowth]

What do you all have against Randy Newman?

If I were doing a movie, he'd be on my list of composers I'd like to compose the movie score.

 

[theprawncracker]

What do you all have against Randy Newman?

If I were doing a movie, he'd be on my list of composers I'd like to compose the movie score.

It's nothing against Randy Newman's music, I just agree with Jamie that I see his songs fitting better in a Pixar film sense where the characters aren't the ones actually singing, he's just providing wonderful songs like "You've Got a Friend in Me," "Strange Things," and "If I Didn't Have You." I feel like Menken's music is better suited for singing characters. Just my thoughts.

 

[D'Snowth]

Well...

At least we can thank God John Powell's not doing the music.

 

[wwfpooh]

At least we can thank God John Powell's not doing the music.

Point taken.

 

[Vic Romano]

I feel less of a sense of affirmative action with this film telling. I feel that it is long overdue! Disney already has Pocahontas, Mulan, Jasmine and countless Caucasian princesses in films and printed on just about every type of product imaginable. The country has already seemed to catch up with the times.

I agree. It's a just a natural progression. I don't feel that Disney is creating a black princess because they have to create a black princess, even if there was some minor controversy when they first announced it.

Nope. Unfortunately it will feature "orignial work by Randy Newman" instead of hiring Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, Lion King and of course Little Mermaid veteran - Alan Menken. His work on Enchanted was so inpsired I don't understand this Newman turn here. I know Randy's got a lot of fans around Muppet Central so I won't go out on a rant here. He's okay with me in small doses, but I'm just not a particular fan of his. I associate him more with Pixar and Toy Story movies than this sort of thing. I hope he can rise to the occasion and impress (not only his fans but) people like me.

Totally agree here too. I LVED Menken's work on Enchanted. I do not care for Randy Newman's music. Blech.

It's nothing against Randy Newman's music, I just agree with Jamie that I see his songs fitting better in a Pixar film sense where the characters aren't the ones actually singing, he's just providing wonderful songs like "You've Got a Friend in Me," "Strange Things," and "If I Didn't Have You." I feel like Menken's music is better suited for singing characters. Just my thoughts.

Menken's music really feels Disney, you know? It adds a lot of magic to the films he composes for. I was just awe struck with Enchanted as a total package, and I really believe that Alan had a lot to do with that.

 

[wwfpooh]

Indeed. The Shermans, Alan, and Xavier ARE Disney's music as far as I am concerned!

 

[frogboy4]

Just my froggy opinion, of course...

Randy Newman is okay. He is a multiple award winner who is very successful at writing catchy and sweet individual songs with commercial appeal. Alan Menken's songs work on that level but also seem to have a wider scope; more of a deeper, layered journey and emotionally cathartic sense when considering the body of work as it plays out in each project.

I first became a fan of Menken's music after Frank Oz' film adaptation of Little Shop of Horrors. Shortly after that Disney's Little Mermaid sealed the deal and I now consider him a great musical composer second to only Cole Porter. Newman is an award-winning song writer, but I see Menken as a musical storyteller.

Maybe Newman has more New Orleans flavor he can bring to the project due to the fact he spent some of his early years there as a child. Let’s hope he does have some local perspective to bring to the piece. Yeah, that’s a way to look at it.

o Oops, my bad on the incorrect Menken-Lion King connection. How did I forget that?)