LEGO Disney princesses : Les Aventures au château

I was encouraged to watch this by a brilliant 10 year old. I have come to expect a good time when I see a Lego movie. This was every bit as good as all of the other Lego movies. I don't think it matters to little kids that so many of the original voice actors returned, but it made me really happy.

This has enough scary moments to be interesting, but not so many that little kids would be too afraid to watch.

Gaston is funny enough that as a villain, he's not too scary. The princesses and auxiliary characters arrive at the level of growth where they were at the end of their individual movies. Snow White has a few extra skills up her puffy sleeves but they really work with her character.

I really enjoyed this, and I didn't even watch it with a child.

Even in the time period where Disney isn't making too great movies, it's awesome to see them make something that is fun, very Disney, and there are jokes that are funny. I'm really looking forward to Wish, and this movie (or TV Special, since it's only 49m according to IMDB) is actually really good.

Gaston wants the trident and tries to drown King Triton to get it, but five of the Disney Princesses - Tiana, Ariel, Moana, Rapunzel, & Snow White! - go on a quest to stop him. Pirates, forests, and even a death trap- this special is awesome! I totally recommend it! Thank you for reading my review.

My daughter (5 yrs) loves this one already. She said it's just a little scary (intense) sometimes but it's ok! She loves seeing all her favorite princesses on an adventure together. I've been enjoying it as well, it's very engaging and has quite a bit of humor. I love that they have some of the original voice actors. I do wish they had included Belle though. It seems strange that Gaston is the villain but Belle isn't in the movie. Maybe they explained that and I just missed it though. Snow White is hilarious! I also enjoyed the random character cameos from different Disney movies. Very fun and charming!

Obviously this movies is aimed at children, but that's really no excuse for poor storytelling. The story revolves around 5 classic female heroes (they aren't all princesses, but that's what Disney wants to label them as, so...) who must solve 'quests' to save the day. But the puzzles aren't solvable except through coincidences and illogic (such as Ariel having a key she keeps in her hair?!?). The princesses don't have the same character or personality as in the movies or otherwise don't follow their own rules (Snow White has an invincible mech armor?!?) This would be forgivable if the movie were funny, but it really isn't. There are a few jokes, but not terribly great ones. In the end the movie is just...okay. Acceptable for young kids, but only in the sense that this brain rot isn't inappropriate. If possible, find something better to do with your time.

Rapunzel Snow White, Tiana Moana, and Ariel are about to have an adventure, as Gaston, the hunter from Beauty and the Beast, has managed to kidnap Ariel's father, King Triton, and holds him in a castle where he wants to claim his trident, held by the rulers of Atlantica, and has stolen a lot of riches and relics, including the Magic Mirror that once belong to the evil queen that was vanquished by the Seven Dwarves. Soon, Ariel and the other four princesses are summoned to Gaston's castle as part of a contest between the hunter and King Triton, where if he wins, he not only gets the trident, but also gains rule over the oceans.

A neat Lego special, it basically does right what Disney has failed to do with their live action remakes (so maybe they should take notes of this special, if they are not too busy with their next remake and box office flop). Most of the original VAs are back (Jodi Benson voicing Ariel, who is in her original animated incarnation, Mandy Moore as Rapunzel, even Richard White is brought back to voice Gaston) while bringing in other VAs to voice characters whose original VAs are either unavailable or deceassed (like Jim Cummings, who has voiced a lot of Disney characters, his most prominent being Pete from Mickey Mouse, voicing King Triton, Corey Burton voices the Magic Mirror, and there are even surprise appearance by other characters, some not from the Disney Princess movies).

The special is a good one. It has the five princesses teaming up to take on Gaston (I know his fate in the movie he is from, but Lego shorts like this tend to be their own thing and are not connected to the films or other media they are based on). The princesses are done well, even though the special adds some quirks they didn't have (even Snow White, who seems to have learned her lesson from what happened to her, although the special has made her a little crazy to a point where she wields an axe, which is used as a gag, making her somewhat out of character), and the voice acting can be hit or miss, but the story is exciting and teaches a good moral.