HAPPILY N'EVER AFTER (PART 1)



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Writer: Robert Moreland, Douglas Langdale
Director: Paul J Bolger, Yvette Kaplan
Stars: Sarah Michelle Gellar, Freddie Prinz Jnr, Sigourney Weaver, Andy Dick, Wallace Shawn, Patrick Warburton.

In "Happily N'Ever After" the main story is that of Cinderella(Sarah Michelle Gellar) but told slightly differently. She is in love with the wrong guy while Prince dishwasher(Freddy Prinze Jr) is desperate for her love.

In Fairy Tale Land, stories go by the book with happy endings. Usually things are run by a wizard who makes sure that the balance between good and evil is well maintained and that at the end good wins over evil. In "Happily N'Ever After", the wizard is going on vacation and things are twisted and turned during his absence. He leaves his assistants Munk and Mambo(Wallace Shawn and Andy Dick) behind with precise instructions on maintaining constant supervision on Fairy Tale Land so that situations do not go out of control and happy endings happen.

Unfortunately, Frieda(Sigourner Weaver), Ella's (Sarah Michelle Gellar) evil step mother discovers the secret place where happy endings happen and decides to take matters in hand to ruin everything. She easily disposes of Munk and Mambo who are helpless and turns every situation as much as possible to the worst to prevent the happy endings between Cinderella and Prince Charming and everything happening in the domain. Now that things are under her control, she sets out to change fortune into misfortune.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN PRINCE CHARMING AND PRINCE DISWASHER



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 Compared to the Prince(Patrick Warburton)who is neither princely nor chraming, Prince dishwasher(Freddy Prinze Jr) is very handsome and a down to earth guy who uses common sense to do stuff while the Prince gets his ideas from a "how to be a Prince" manual. He doesn't wear the royal suit, does not ride a royal white horse, neither does he have a golden crown on his head but his love for Cinderella whom he affectionately calls Ella is true and sincere. He knows the latter loves the Prince but nevertheless offers his help when she is in trouble and even helps her to find the Prince even when it hurts him to do so.

Prince Charming as mentioned earlier is neither Princely nor Charming but is a pretentious stupid guy who learns stuff in a "how to be a Prince" manual. Besides he is unsure about who Cinderella is. After the ball when the magical spell fades and that Cinderella turns back to her ordinary maiden appearance the Prince doesn't recognise her and calls for the "Maiden" three times and whispers when he sees her slippers: "May be she was the maiden afterall" without conviction.

CHARACTER OF CINDERELLA

The Cinderella of "Happily N'Ever After" differs slightly from the original Cinderella. The former is much more independent in her way of doing things when situation gets worst, she takes matters in hand, is not  afraid of her evil step mother and tries as much as possible to save herself. She loves the prince and desperately wants to be his wife but when Prince dishwasher shows his kindness towards her, she turns realistic and takes the wise decision to return his love. She has found true love and the true lover.

CHARACTER OF FRIEDA

Cold hearted, selfish, crazy, rude and cynical that's Frieda's usual way of living. Her nature is totally evil. She belongs to the groupe who are happy to see others miserable and miserable when others are happy. She hates Cinderella and wishes the worst for her. She lives in the evil world and delights in it.

The movie has been criticized and unappreciated by most reviewers. It might be true that the movie is not great but it does teach a few things. One thing we learn is that evil never prosper or sometimes they even contribute to good things happening. The hard time given to Ella by her step mother made her realise that she was choosing the wrong Prince. She ended up falling in love with Prince Diswasher.

Another lesson we learn is that people's current situation and title do not say the truth about them. The Prince for instance is stupid and learns how to be a Prince in a book whereas Prince Dishwasher does not have a title and a royal situation but he is a good hearted guy and ready to help.




HAPPILY NEVER AFTER (PART2)



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It 's evil going on here again and this time it's about a beauty contest. The story this time is Snow White who has to face her jealous step mother. It begins with Queen Grace and King cole going around the city waving at people. At the same time the queen is teaching her daughter how to be kind hearted and help people in need. Another thing she teaches Snow White, is to "remember, the mirror tells half the story" as "beauty is given by helping others". Unfortunately the queen dies early due to sickness and did not have much time to complete her teaching to Snow White regarding helping others. The latter ended up hanging around with friends just like a misguided teenager when she grew up.

Meanwhile the king is planning to get married again and Lady Vain the evil woman will be his second wife. He is much pleased with Lady Vain's resemblance to that of his former wife not knowing her evil plan to rule the kingdom. When the latter settles in the Kingdom, she finds the opportunity to get rid of Snow White as she sees her as thorn but again all the tricks she tries on her fails at the end. She even tries to create enemity between Snow White and her friends but this will not prosper as well. The story is about jealousy. Lady Vain is not happy with her own apperance and her beauty therefore she envies Snow White for that.


CHARACTER OF LADY VAIN

Her name suits her well. An unhappy lady who is not satified with what she has and wants other people's gift. She has a jealous nature and keeps looking for opportunities to discredit Snow White for her beauty. All the tricks she plays against Snow White are in vain.

CHARACTER OF SNOW WHITE

Good hearted but misguided young girl as she lost her mother when she was too young. She is a happy girl who likes to hang out with other friends without really caring about others and not necessarily being selfish.

CHARACTER OF THE KING

An innocent tolerant man who loves his daughter deeply. He has a good heart and sees that Lady Vain suits him as his future wife. He is so good that he does not see the evil side of Lady Vain.

One more time we witness the power of good over evil. Despite Lady Vain's evil attempt to get rid of Snow White and take control of the kingdom, the latter remained strong. Through this hard time she learns to be good to others and help some people in need on her way. When learns the true intention of her step mother, she runs to the palace to help her father. She gets back the approval of everyone and sends away lady Vain.

What I personally learned here is that to make the most of what we've been given as gift from God. Never try to be someone else or trty to steal what they have even if it's called beauty. Beauty by the way is not on the face only but it is what comes from the heart.

Furry Vengence

 Although this movie has been criticised by many people as mediocre and filled with low standard of live actions by funny animals, I have no doubt that it did entertain kids and animal lovers in general. Animals are out this time for a real "furry vengeance" against unscrupulous and greedy property developers who have no respect for them and nature in general. Racoon, bear, squirrel, crow and ferret and squirrel are all dressed for battle.

The Sanders family has just relocated to Oregon Woods from Chigaco for a supposedly exciting new position offered to Dan Sanders (Brendan Fraser) overseeing the construction of eco-friendly houses. He's been appointed as the head of this important project and sees the opportunity of a better life for himself and his family. Dan is happy and very motivated but his son is pretty annoyed that he particularly has been brought in the middle of nowhere and left to himself with no entertainment and friends.

What Sanders does not know is that  a big surprise is awaiting ahead. He will face opposition from a band of local woodland critters well prepared to oppose him. They will inflict on him all sorts of pain and torture.

Honestly it isn't a great movie but in my opinion, it contains a powerful message regarding human behaviour and action towards nature and animals. When money is the big question on the table, humans don't care about others. They destroy happiness, brutalise nature, disturb those living in peace in the woods and create enemies.

Animals are our best friends. They are pure, cute, loving and they respond back to love when it is given to them, so why do we have to illtreat them? Let them live in peace. This planet belongs to them and they have legal rights to be here for free.

The Philosophy Behind Kung Fu Panda

Kung Fu Panda is more than a DreamWorks animation - it's a philosophy presented in a playful, accessible way for anyone willing to listen. Beneath the colourful animation and action lies a story rich in life lessons about passion, determination, self-belief, and human character. 

We meet Po, a loveable, round panda, living among Chinese pots and noodles in his family's noodle shop. Though kind-hearted, Po Longs for more: he dreams of becoming the legendary Dragon Warrior. Alone, he imagines himself mastering martial arts, far from the mundane world of Noodles. His father, the duck, hopes Po will continue the family business, reflecting a tension many of us know-the tug-of-war between parental expectation and personal passion. 

Yet Po's heart is set on his dream, and he patiently waits for the right opportunity. That moment comes when a nearby fight tournament featuring the Furious Five takes place. Against all odds, Po finds a way in, demonstrating creativity and determination, even building a makeshift rocket chair to reach the courtyard. There, he meets master Oogway, who instantly recognises Po as the future Dragon Warrior, much to everyone else's disbelief. Po himself is stunned, but the cheering audience encourages him to go forward.

From that moment, a journey of rigorous training under Master Shifu begins. Po faces scepticism and gossip about his weight, as well as doubts about his abilities. He struggles in a "deadly training field," where success demands trust, perseverance, and focus. Master Oogway reminds him: "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift."  This reminds me of what the Bible says: "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." (Matthew 6:34) Po learns that actual growth comes from embracing the present, confronting challenges and believing in oneself -even when others doubt you.

The characters in Kung Fu Panda reflect aspects of our own society and selves.

Po's father mirrors the natural tendency of parents to impose their expectations, often unintentionally obstructing their children's passion.

The Furious Five show how people judge others superficially, doubting abilities based on appearances rather than potential.

Tai Lung, the antagonist, represents envy and opposition - those who try to block others from succeeding out of jealousy or malice. 

Master Oogway, however, embodies encouragement, mentorship, and wisdom, seeing potential where others do not and guiding Po with patience and trust. 

These reflections invite us to ask: Who are we in our own lives? Are we supportive like Oogway, critical like the gossiping warriors, obstructive like Po's father, or envious like Tai Lung? And most importantly, like Po, do we pursue our dreams with courage and faith, despite obstacles, doubts, or societal expectations?

Kung Fu Panda reminds us that passion and purpose, coupled with perseverance and a good heart, can overcome even the most daunting challenges. It is a story that teaches through action, humour, and heart - showing that the journey toward one's dream is as meaningful as achieving it. 

Up - Three Kinds of Ambition

There is a difference between chasing a goal without purpose and going after one with meaning. The first is usually linked to selfish ambition, while the second is about fulfilling a dream or vision.

Selfish ambition is the desire to achieve things like success, status, recognition, money, or power without caring about others. It is all about reaching a goal, sometimes no matter the cost. People with selfish ambition put themselves first and may hurt or use others to get what they want. This kind of ambition often comes with traits like narcissism, pride, and a need for fame or authority. It can make someone ignore ethics, compassion, and the impact of their actions. When ambition lacks purpose or meaning, it becomes destructive rather than fulfilling. "Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourself." (Philippians 2:3) In short, ambition feeds the ego.

Ambition with purpose happens when the drive to achieve is guided by a meaningful goal, values, or a sense of calling. This is what turns ambition into vision. Here, ambition is led by purpose, not just the desire for success. Success might come, but it is not the main goal. The real aim is to fulfil a mission, often inspired by personal experiences like loss, love, or a strong sense of calling.

The Disney-Pixar movie Up shows the difference between selfish ambition and ambition driven by a mission to fulfil.

Carl and Ellie start out as childhood friends and later get married. They both admire the famous explorer Charles F. Muntz.

Muntz discovers a legendary bird called a snipe during one of his explorations and shares his findings with the scientific community. Instead of praise, he faces criticism from people who think he is lying. To prove himself, protect his reputation, and stay famous, he becomes determined to find the bird no matter what and show it to everyone. Because of this, he withdraws from society and lives alone with his trained dog, still searching for the bird he believes belongs to him.

Meanwhile, Ellie and Carl live a happy life together and dream of visiting Paradise Falls. But things do not go as planned. Ellie becomes ill and passes away, leaving Carl feeling alone and stuck in the past. He holds on to the dream of reaching Paradise Falls. Driven by this mission, he invents a way to fly his house using thousands of balloons. Along the way, he is joined by Russell, a young boy who wants to earn his final Wilderness Explorer badge, the 'Assisting The Elderly' badge, by helping an older person.

Up introduces three characters, each with their own ambitions. 

Charles F. Muntz is motivated by selfish ambition. He wants to restore his reputation and win back the trust of the scientific community. He refuses to give up and is determined to capture the legendary bird, Snipe, to prove his discovery was real. His drive comes from pride, fame, and recognition, making his ambition ego-driven and harmful. He cares more about being right than doing what is right.

Carl Fredricksen's ambition is different from Muntz's. Carl is motivated by the pain of losing Ellie. His determination to reach Paradise Falls comes from love and grief, not selfishness. He believes that reaching Paradise Falls will fulfil Ellie's dream, but he eventually comes to understand that the real adventure was the relationships and experiences he shared with her and others.

Russell shows what innocent ambition looks like. Children rarely care about fame or glory, and if they do, it is not usually out of selfishness. For them, ambition is more about overcoming challenges, like passing a test. Russell's goal to earn his last Wilderness Explorer badge shows this kind of motivation. He is also kind and pure-hearted, which is clear in the way he cares for the legendary bird he names Kevin, even before he learns Kevin is female.

My 5 Favourite Cartoons

Cartoons were created to entertain kids. They are good fun and are also very instructive. Like all kids I was and am still fascinated by cartoons. I used to think that the sceneries and people were real, that they might exist somewhere. Cartoon movie is the only place where animals could talk and I like it because I love animals. Unfortunately nowadays cartoon is taking a different turn with much violence and bad things involved not worthy watching. Examples are: Sexy Magic Girl, Family Guy and South Park which I qualify as adult movies produced in a cartoon animated version. They are of violent nature (Sexy Magic Girl) and have much of the F words in them - Some are aimed to target teenager teaching them violence, sex and going on the street to kill.
However there are still very good cartoon movies available up there which I watch again and again from time to time and would recommend as well.

They are: Scooby Doo, The lion king, Madagascar 1& 2, Toy Story, kung fu Panda,

Scooby doo:
Recommended cartoon movies for kids. In this Investigative/Adventure cartoon movie, Scooby Doo and Shaggy Rogers are the perfect pair. They love each other and share the same strong taste for food and meat particularly. Scooby Doo is an adorable dog who captures the attention of everyone. He is funny and always “smiles” while acting stupidly when he is afraid. In each episode, he always runs from every situation which seems weird and frightening but he shows sincerity and unveil his talent when he has to save his owner Shaggy Rogers. Another trait of this “out of the ordinary” dog is that he shows some human characteristics; he is bipedal.

The Lion King: This is Disney’s captivating heart-warming story of a lion Simba who lives on the Land of Serengeti in Africa. There friendliness is common thing among all talking animals. Simba the cute Lion cub is learning the “Circle of life” taught by daddy. The attention is focussed on him as he would be the next king of the jungle after dad. Life’s lessons are hard but he has no choice.
Simba is a happy playful lion who likes adventure and plays the brave to look like daddy exposing himself to dangers and villains in the land of Serengeti. He and his friend are left under the care of a funny bird Zazu…

Madagascar 1&2, Action/Adventure story of Madagascar 1&2 have similarities to “The Lion King” where once more the king of the jungle is the protagonist among other talking animals. Friendliness is also well present among all animals. Contrary to other lions, Alex shows a preference to dance rather than learning to be a hunter like dad. One day driven by a bizarre moving object, he decided to investigate (beginning of Escape Madagascar 2) and his curiosity led to his capture by bad man. Contrary to Simba, Alex experienced a different environment far from the family boundary but the cute fellow is brave. He grew up in a zoo together with other animals whom he befriends. Marty the zebra, Gloria the hippo and Melman the giraffe along with other animals namely the zoo’s penguins. They are trying an escape but fail as they are sedated by tranquilizer darts. But thanks to animals activists they will be shipped back to Africa but shipwrecked on Madagascar shore.

In Madagascar 2 Alex and his friends plan to return home which is New York but their plane crashed coincidentally on the land of Africa where Alex will be reunited with his parents.

Toy StoryToy story is the fantastic world of animated toys. Andy the boy has a collection of toys and his most featured one is woody an old-fashion cowboy doll, but Andy will receive another toy who is a Space Ranger to the dismay of Woody who thinks that now he would not get the same attention from Andy. Buzz thinks that he is a real Space Ranger. Both toys in each other an interference in each other’s way and a series of events take place.

Kung fu Panda.3D animation set in China. Here the plot revolves around Po the giant panda who works in his goose father restaurant preparing noodle. Po has an attraction for Kung Fu but is forced to work in the restaurant. He somehow feels trapped in doing something he hates but has a good heart and obeys to his goose mum orders.
This is very important as it is this trait of character which will appoint him as the chosen dragon warrior.
Po is desperate to see the tournament but he arrives late at jade temple and the door is closed. He nevertheless manages to get in by strapping himself to a set of fireworks which rockets into the sky and crashes right in the middle of the fighting platform. Oogway the wise tortoise immediately feels that there is something special about the giant panda and identifies him as the Dragon warrior to the surprise of everybody. Begins a series of daily hard and tuff training for Po.
Kung Fu panda is not only fun but the lesson it teaches is great for kids as well as adults. The words said by the characters are set to create confidence and faith in people. It shows that everything is possible when we believe. Po’s fat body does not qualify him as the Dragon Warrior but he will become one because he is taught to believe and he finally succeeds.

Coraline

Coraline Jones has just relocated from Michigan to Oregon with her parents, leaving behind her friends and familiar surroundings. Her father, Charlie Jones, is a writer, and her mother, Mel, is the garden writing editor. Coraline is bored and feels lonely; her parents are workaholics and don't have time for her, at least that's how the situation appears. 

The house is old, the kitchen needs a makeover, the interior is not well decorated, and the garden is a mess. Everything about the house creates an unpleasant atmosphere, and it's too much for an eleven-year-old girl to bear. Besides, Mel does not cook for the family; she is responsible for cleaning and doing other tasks. Cooking is the father's duty, and Coraline is not appreciative of his food. 

Theerfore Coraline dreams. In her dream, she lives the perfect life she craves in her real life. She has what she calls her other mother. Her other mother is the opposite of her real mother. She is the cook and prepares the perfect dishes in a clean, well-decorated kitchen, much to Coraline's liking. Charlie is a pianist and takes care of the garden. As a result, the garden is a lush, vibrant place, harbouring colourful, vivid plants. The garden and the plants have been organised in a way that they reflect Coraline's face. Blue roses have been designed as her hair, pink flowers represent her rosy cheeks, and the rest have been planted to match her face. 

Everything seems fine except for the eyes of her other parents and Wybie. They had buttoned eyes that Coraline did not know why. Wybie did not talk.

Coraline cannot ask for more than that. All the attention is on her. She's been craving such a life that one day it would no longer be a dream, but it appears that her dream has become reality. She was really living the perfect life until one day her other mother made a request of her. She wants Coraline to sew buttons on her eye so that she would "see like us", which Coraline refused. 

She came back home through the small secret door only to find that her parents had disappeared. She fears teh worst and thinks the other mother has played a bad game to trap her parents. 

Coraline comes to her senses and realises that she might have asked for too much. She was not ready to trade her eyes for buttons, and trouble starts. The other mother reveals her true nature and Coraline 

lives the perfect life where the attention is on her. mel is the perfect cook always cooking her favourite food, dad is a pianist and he also takes care of the garden which is colourful and pleasant. The plants have been designed to reflect her face, with short, straight blue hair, rosy cheeks, and brown eyes. For sure, Coraline has created a perfect world for herself. Every morning