Table Of ContentContemporary Disney Animation
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To my father
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Contemporary Disney
Animation
Genre, Gender and Hollywood
Eve Benhamou
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Edinburgh University Press is one of the leading university presses in
the UK. We publish academic books and journals in our selected subject
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website: edinburghuniversitypress.com
© Eve Benhamou, 2023
Cover image: Frozen (2013), Walt Disney Studios/Photofest © Walt Disney
Cover design: www.paulsmithdesign.com
Edinburgh University Press Ltd
The Tun – Holyrood Road
12 (2f) Jackson’s Entry
Edinburgh EH8 8PJ
Typeset in 11/13 Adobe Garamond Pro by
IDSUK (DataConnection) Ltd, and
printed and bound in Great Britain
A CIP record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 978 1 4744 7612 6 (hardback)
ISBN 978 1 4744 7614 0 (webready PDF)
ISBN 978 1 4744 7615 7 (epub)
The right of Eve Benhamou to be identified as author of this work has
been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents
Act 1988 and the Copyright and Related Rights Regulations 2003
(SI No. 2498).
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Contents
List of Figures vii
Acknowledgements ix
Introduction 1
1 Animating a Formula: Disney, Genre and Hollywood
Animation 22
Part 1 Disney and Romance
2 Reanimating Fantasies of Fairy-tale Romance: Disney Nostalgia
and The Princess and the Frog 51
3 The DreamWorks Formula and the Post-feminist Disney Couple:
Tangled’s Romantic Parodies 77
4 Brave New Tale? Reframing Love and Romance in Frozen 100
Part 2 Disney and Action Adventure
5 Animating the Digital Action-adventure Spectacle 125
6 Disruption/Containment: Gender, Marvel and Disney’s
Superheroes 150
7 Animal Action Buddies: Disney’s Anthropomorphic Reimaginings
in Zootopia 180
8 Reflections of/on Contemporary Disney Animation:
Ralph Breaks the Internet 206
Filmography 221
References 226
Index 242
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Figures
1.1 Shrek tears the page of the formulaic fairy-tale book.
From Shrek 35
1.2 Robert’s incredulity challenges Disney’s formulaic fairy-tale
musical. From Enchanted 44
1.3 Robert embraces sentimental fairy-tale romance,
embodied by Giselle. From Enchanted 44
2.1 Eudora reads The Frog Prince to young Tiana and Charlotte.
From The Princess and the Frog 58
2.2 Tiana and Naveen’s fairy-tale wedding is infused with
post-feminist nostalgia. From The Princess and the Frog 63
2.3 Tiana and Naveen’s unexpected second ‘kiss’. From
The Princess and the Frog 72
3.1 Flynn questions the integrity of the diegetic musical.
From Tangled 82
3.2 Rapunzel’s excitement at visiting the theme-park inspired
kingdom. From Tangled 85
3.3 ‘I See the Light’ celebrates Disney’s formulaic display of
coupledom. From Tangled 93
4.1 The reunited sisters are central to Frozen’s happy ending.
From Frozen 111
4.2 Frozen prioritises ‘sensitive and sweet’ homme-com hero
Kristoff. From Frozen 116
4.3 Elsa reclaims the camp performance of Disney’s witches.
From Frozen 120
5.1 Hiro’s ‘pre-production’ work for Baymax. From Big Hero 6 138
5.2 Ralph represented as a plasticine-like deranged monster.
From Wreck-It Ralph 140
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viii Contemporary Disney Animation
5.3 Sea adventure initially represents a fantasy for Moana.
From Moana 146
6.1 Superheroes’ spectacular muscular physique as a ridiculous
fantasy. From Big Hero 6 158
6.2 Baymax as a hybrid superhero. From Big Hero 6 161
6.3 ‘Mini-Maui’ re-enacts Maui’s spectacular feats. From Moana 164
6.4 Elsa’s powers reveal the ‘plasmatic’ freedom of animation.
From Frozen 171
7.1 Judy is framed as a minuscule, defenceless creature.
From Zootopia 187
7.2 Judy’s over-the-top performance of the attacked prey.
From Zootopia 196
7.3 Zootopia as an enchanting Disney theme park. From Zootopia 198
8.1 The princesses repurpose their fairy-tale icons into weapons.
From Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 210
8.2 Vanellope demystifies the formulaic Disney musical.
From Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 212
8.3 Shank, Vanellope and Ralph form a ‘buddy’ triangle.
From Ralph Breaks the Internet: Wreck-It Ralph 2 217
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Acknowledgements
My first thanks go to Gillian Leslie, her colleagues at Edinburgh University
Press, as well as Eliza Wright, for making this a smoother publication experience
than I could have wished for.
This book began as a doctoral thesis at the University of Bristol. I pass
on my immense gratitude to my supervisors for their dedicated guidance,
patience, and enthusiasm for my project. Kristian Moen’s illuminating advice
and constant encouragement have been invaluable. Sarah Street has always
provided insightful feedback and assistance. My sincere appreciation goes to
the University of Bristol for its financial support. Thanks must also go to my
examiners, Pete Falconer and Susan Smith: the book is richer for their ideas
and constructive criticism.
I am particularly grateful to my fellow PhD students at Bristol for their
thought-provoking observations on my research and infectious passion
for cinema. The long film discussions over cake or ice cream were fully
appreciated. Special thanks go to Miguel Gaggiotti, Dominic Lash, Hoi Lun
Law, Steven Roberts, Polly Rose and Sarah Watts. The denizens of the Arts
& Humanities graduate school also provided joyful and animated support.
Special praise goes to Jawaher Alghamdi, Rhiannon Easterbrook, Bethany
Pleydell and Dana Ramona.
Many thanks to my former colleagues at Swansea University for providing
encouragement and opportunities to share my research as the book devel-
oped, and to Joanna Rydzewska for her mentorship.
The British Association of Film, Television and Screen Studies (BAFTSS)
has represented an important support network for me to develop as a
researcher. I am very grateful to members who shared advice and expertise
throughout this time, including Christopher Holliday, Catherine Lester,
Chris Pallant and Sam Summers, and to anyone who listened to my papers.
Thanks in particular to Malcolm Cook, who provided crucial input and
invaluable insight at key stages of the project.
I am forever indebted to my mother for her unwavering confidence in
me and in my work, and for fostering my love of film through an extensive
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