The Jungle Book: Alive with Magic

[IAmFloridaBorn]

Great park addition for people. I'm not big on shows, but Animal Kingdom needs the capacity. Cool stuff Disney.

 

[Nick]

I'm not sure what people were expecting from a show thrown together last minute though. This isn't to be an apologist for a bad show, but we've been down this road before with Disney rushed entertainment. It sucked when they did it a few years ago with Frozen, why are we suddenly surprised when it sucks again?

 

[epcyclopedia]

*hears the Light Magic theme playing in the distances....*

 

[Teebin]

I'm not sure what people were expecting from a show thrown together last minute though. This isn't to be an apologist for a bad show, but we've been down this road before with Disney rushed entertainment. It sucked when they did it a few years ago with Frozen, why are we suddenly surprised when it sucks again?

Yeah, it probably had a super tight budget too after the money spent on ROL.

 

[WAJAS]

I'm not sure what people were expecting from a show thrown together last minute though. This isn't to be an apologist for a bad show, but we've been down this road before with Disney rushed entertainment. It sucked when they did it a few years ago with Frozen, why are we suddenly surprised when it sucks again?

I know what you mean. I'm less surprise and more hopeful of what it could have been. For what it's worth, the rest of Nighttime DAK seems to be one of the best things to come to WDW in a long while.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

I'm not sure what people were expecting from a show thrown together last minute though. This isn't to be an apologist for a bad show, but we've been down this road before with Disney rushed entertainment. It sucked when they did it a few years ago with Frozen, why are we suddenly surprised when it sucks again?

Yes. Seems like they added live music, dancing, and separate floats to make up for the tech. This could possibly negatively affect RoL too though.

*hears the Light Magic theme playing in the distances....*

"I'm not dead yet!"

 

[Nick]

Yes. Seems like they added live music, dancing, and separate floats to make up for the tech. This could possibly negatively affect RoL too though.

How so? This show isn't much like what RoL is supposed to be at all. And for all the calls of characters supposedly being needed for a better show... well here's the characters/IP and reviews are in calling it crap.

 

[Enbee]

I feel bad for the people who waited multiple hours for that...

 

[WAJAS]

A nice HD video.

So those floats are definitely from DL Fantasmic!.

 

[Brian G.]

How so? This show isn't much like what RoL is supposed to be at all. And for all the calls of characters supposedly being needed for a better show... well here's the characters/IP and reviews are in calling it crap.

From what I've seen, it's how they used the characters/IP - not the characters themselves. I'm seeing it tomorrow night though so I haven't really looked out for spoilers.

 

[Nick]

From what I've seen, it's how they used the characters/IP - not the characters themselves. I'm seeing it tomorrow night though so I haven't really looked out for spoilers.

I'll be seeing it tomorrow as well. I'm trying to avoid reading much beyond the tweets in this thread and not watching videos so I can form my own opinion on the show.

 

[epcyclopedia]

It's tough to put a finger on what's not working... But there are some Obvious poor choices being made creatively.

First is the general dance style chosen. It's not American lyrical interpretive dance. We know that, we understand that. The motions and gestures which have specific meanings are not lost on us... This is a whole different culture and it's just thrown at the audience with an assumption they have any idea how to read the gestures. It'd be the same if they'd chosen to go with theatrical norms of bunraku or something. An American audience doesn't understand what it's seeing.

Second, it reeks of cultural appropriation. So now we've moved beyond "I don't know what you're saying" to the audience to "...but I'm pretty sure it's offensive and that's making me uncomfortable."

Not a great baseline for a show. And speaking of peeling it back to the basics... A clip show with a cast of thousands. The hell?!! Like with the dance the clips assume this level of universality it just doesn't command. Who are these characters? Why do we care? Why is what's being said important? It states these things like we should know them as well as When You Wish Upon A Star and so it comes off as both smug and ludicrous at the same time.

Anyone who thought Jungle Book was a cultural phenomenon is greatly misguided. It missed the zeitgeist. It could be interpreted in an interesting way but assuming it's disparate parts are recognizable or anything is really reaching. But in a company that won't naysay itself or admit any flaws (to do so is career suicide) this show is the sad result.

And the cast of thousands.. Again speaks to a universality that doesn't exist for this show. There's a reason it's used for Olympic ceremonies and even when it's our own culture there's still talking heads explaining the symbolism to middle America. You ain't the Olympics, Jungle Book.

 

[Nick]

It's tough to put a finger on what's not working... But there are some Obvious poor choices being made creatively.

First is the general dance style chosen. It's not American lyrical interpretive dance. We know that, we understand that. The motions and gestures which have specific meanings are not lost on us... This is a whole different culture and it's just thrown at the audience with an assumption they have any idea how to read the gestures. It'd be the same if they'd chosen to go with theatrical norms of bunraku or something. An American audience doesn't understand what it's seeing.

Second, it reeks of cultural appropriation. So now we've moved beyond "I don't know what you're saying" to the audience to "...but I'm pretty sure it's offensive and that's making me uncomfortable."

Not a great baseline for a show. And speaking of peeling it back to the basics... A clip show with a cast of thousands. The hell?!! Like with the dance the clips assume this level of universality it just doesn't command. Who are these characters? Why do we care? Why is what's being said important? It states these things like we should know them as well as When You Wish Upon A Star and so it comes off as both smug and ludicrous at the same time.

Anyone who thought Jungle Book was a cultural phenomenon is greatly misguided. It missed the zeitgeist. It could be interpreted in an interesting way but assuming it's disparate parts are recognizable or anything is really reaching. But in a company that won't naysay itself or admit any flaws (to do so is career suicide) this show is the sad result.

And the cast of thousands.. Again speaks to a universality that doesn't exist for this show. There's a reason it's used for Olympic ceremonies and even when it's our own culture there's still talking heads explaining the symbolism to middle America. You ain't the Olympics, Jungle Book.

You lost me at cultural appropriation.

This is America, a giant melting pot. We live & learn from each other and sometimes that means learning different cultures along the way. In fact, to co-exist together in a healthy way, we SHOULD learn from other cultures.

I haven't seen the show so I don't know what you're talking about, but i'm already gonna call BS, because that's what "cultural appropriation" is. Sorry if i'm too progressive for you.

 

[epcyclopedia]

You'll understand it when you actually see the show...

There's a tasteful way to integrate foreign culture into mainstream American Art... This is not it.

 

[Nick]

You'll understand it when you actually see the show...

There's a tasteful way to integrate foreign culture into mainstream American Art... This is not it.

I'll let you know how I feel tomorrow night.

 

[Miketheboss]

Second, it reeks of cultural appropriation. So now we've moved beyond "I don't know what you're saying" to the audience to "...but I'm pretty sure it's offensive and that's making me uncomfortable.".

This is ridiculous. I absolutely hate when people bring up "cultural appropriation". I'm Cuban and if I see a Caucasian man wearing a guayabera shirt (traditional Cuban attire) and dancing salsa, I would not be offended. If I'm eating a taco and wearing a sombrero, that doesn't mean I'm disrespecting a Mexican. Due to the globalization, cultures are intertwining. Please don't bring that nonsense to these boards because I'm tired of hearing that in the everyday media. The media just wants people fighting with each other and creating drama.

Disney did their research to make sure everything was respectfully done. They even had people with an Indian heritage help produce the show.



I watched it and it is lacking. I just think they need more. More fountains, maybe more fire effects. They should bring in some of the characters.

 

[Scott W.]

This is ridiculous. I absolutely hate when people bring up "cultural appropriation". I'm Cuban and if I see a Caucasian man wearing a guayabera shirt (traditional Cuban attire) and dancing salsa, I would not be offended. If I'm eating a taco and wearing a sombrero, that doesn't mean I'm disrespecting a Mexican. Due to the globalization, cultures are intertwining. Please don't bring that nonsense to these boards because I'm tired of hearing that in the everyday media. The media just wants people fighting with each other and creating drama.

Disney did their research to make sure everything was respectfully done. They even had people with an Indian heritage help produce the show.



I watched it and it is lacking. I just think they need more. More fountains, maybe more fire effects. They should bring in some of the characters.

Completely agree. Usually the person bringing up cultural appropriation isn't the one who should be offended.

If anybody wants to wear a kilt and eat haggis and drink whisky, I'll fully support it. Saying you can't is only going to put up barriers between cultures.

 

[Plastic Person]

Haven't seen this show yet, but Disney have always walked a fine, odd line when it comes to 'appropriation' in Animal Kingdom, although judging from that preview video, I don't think that's the case here.

There was a great series exploring the issue a few years ago, on (I think?), Micechat. Disney have essentially spent millions building and maintaining sanitised but accurate recreations of poverty stricken areas. One of the earlier regular complaints, prior to Everest, Nemo and the like, was that the areas weren't 'magical' enough, and even somewhat stressful. But, the world is too small and diverse of a place now to represent anything in any other way. Can you believe Busch Gardens Tampa was once subtitled, 'The Dark Continent'?

Personally, accepting the fact that many of Animal Kingdom's visitors will never have the time, money or interest in visiting these areas of the world of their own accord, I think Disney do a respectable job.

 

[Mad Dog]

Completely agree. Usually the person bringing up cultural appropriation isn't the one who should be offended.

If anybody wants to wear a kilt and eat haggis and drink whisky, I'll fully support it. Saying you can't is only going to put up barriers between cultures.

You woke me up when you wrote "drink whiskey". I couldn't agree more.

 

[Scott W.]

You woke me up when you wrote "drink whiskey". I couldn't agree more.

No 'e' in our whisky. :tongue: I can't stand the stuff so you can feel free to take my share.