Jim On Film
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(c) Disney

Despite all this, the real proof is in the non-Alan Menken films. While The Lion King shares several musical similarities with the three musicals before it, it also shares several key differences. The film opens up with a song that establishes the environment and also doubles as the theme song. The song that states the desires of the main character doubles as a production number ("I Just Can’t Wait to Be King"), and the love song is both humorous and romantic. These are not only styles of music common to most forms of musical storytelling, but the distinct differences with the perceived formula set by Alan Menken set it significantly apart.

Mulan, the only other traditional musical of the post-Oliver & Company films not to be composed by Alan Menken, is very different as well. In musical tradition, Mulan states her desire to fit in through "Reflection," but that is the only musical similarity it shares with its predecessors. "I’ll Make a Man Out of You" might be considered a production number, but there is no dancing, and it serves a completely different purpose. It is not solely for entertainment, but it is a montage of Mulan’s training and develops Shang’s character. "A Girl Worth Fighting For" has no comparison song with any other Disney film. It grows out of the plot and the need to elaborate on the awkwardness of Mulan’s situation as well as shows the travels of the army. "Honor to Us All" establishes the subject of honor and establishes the values of the Chinese, but it is not a theme song, and it has no direct comparison with any other Disney film. If Disney were following a formula, these differences would not be the case.

Perhaps a more constructive approach would be to evaluate the songs in the Disney films themselves. Even if he hadn’t been honored with so many Academy Awards and other awards, Alan Menken’s music would stand alone as a testament to the genius of his talent. His Disney music is some of the best theatrical music ever written.

Fun and Marketable Animal Sidekicks
The loosely used term sidekick, which can probably be interchanged with companion, is in reference to the fun animal supporting cast that populates some of Disney’s best films. These characters can fulfill any number of roles in a film. Some, such as Figaro from Pinocchio, are comedy relief. Others, such as Jiminy Cricket from the same film, have a more integral part in the story. Jiminy is more than a companion or comedy relief; he helps illustrate the struggle between right and wrong in Pinocchio’s mind so that the audience gets to see Pinocchio choose to do wrong. Other sidekicks act as helpers for the main characters. The mice in Cinderella provide much comic relief, but they also do more. In the end of the film, it is the mice who help Cinderella escape from the room in which she’s locked, which is an important plot point. Using animal characters for these reasons is one of the great things about animation. It is a medium perfectly suited to bring to life what cannot be done in live-action, and it doesn’t make sense to criticize films that take advantage of this.

When the new breed of Disney animators began creating their own stories, it would only make sense that sidekicks would come into play. Again, by looking at the role of sidekicks themselves, it is clear that they are not present in films for formula but out of necessity. As it is, The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Djali only), and Mulan have sidekick characters. The remaining eight films do not. For Hercules, Hades has Pain and Panic, but they are henchmen who play a pivotal role in the plot. There are Terk and Tantor in Tarzan, but these characters are friends along the lines of what Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po are to Mulan. Similar analysis of non-human characters in the films not listed above would draw similar conclusions.

Some critics in the regular media have also suggested that characters such as Meeko, Djali, and Mushu were created for their marketability. This suggestion is ludicrous when considering how tightly the story for each film is constructed. Meeko is comedy relief, and without him, Pocahontas would be a very different film. Furthermore, as many animal sidekicks do, he plays an important role in the outcome of the film. For Pocahontas, Meeko’s quarrel with Percy becomes the visual for an object lesson on peace. Also, he brings Pocahontas the compass that reminds her of the path in her dream. The fact that he is a lovable and collectable character is based solely on his masterful animation and character development.

Since Mickey Mouse, Disney has had a history of ingenious marketing. America is Capitalism at its best and to criticize a company for taking advantage of honest moneymaking and promotional possibilities is absurd and against what every other studio in Hollywood does. In film footage from when Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was released, Walt Disney can be seen promoting the charming personalities of the Seven Dwarfs, emphasizing the fun of Dopey. It was part of his genius to capitalize on this, but to suggest that the Seven Dwarfs were created for selling products in not credible. Similarly, because Meeko and characters like him fit so well into their individual films, it would be ludicrous to suggest that the filmmakers created them for selling products.