Once Upon A Studio

For a lengthy period of time, across most of the English-speaking world, animation was synonymous with Disney. That’s no small achievement, and it’s certainly a matter of historical interest, so one can sort of see why this centenary film was shortlisted for a Best Animated Short Oscar, but it will be an embarrassment to the both the event and the industry if it should win.

Built around the idea of Disney characters coming to life, emerging from pictures on the studio’s walls and getting together for an anniversary photo, this really doesn’t have enough story to stand on its own. It’s an eight minute advertisement, and one which is, furthermore, destined to disappoint the studio’s youthful target audience, who will recognise only a tiny number of the characters we see. The format ensures that there’s no room for any character to get more than a few seconds’ attention, and Disney’s sentimental relationship with its older characters ensures that most of that goes to those with least relevance in the modern world.

There are a handful of in-jokes here which will please fans, and some new celebrity names in the voice cast, but it offers practically nothing for anyone else – and to compete at this level, it really should. It also takes a curious approach to dealing with the more problematic aspects of the Disney legacy. The princesses get plenty to do between them, frequently stepping up to take charge, but little effort has been made to deal with racist stereotyping. Interestingly, we see nothing of the seven dwarfs, perhaps because that’s just a little too obviously provocative today.

The biggest problem with this film, however, is that it’s boring. It’s like attending a school reunion and meeting people you only vaguely remember without having time to form any real connections. Furthermore, one cannot help but notice how similar they all are, and how little real change there has been over the years, whilst the rest of the world has moved on. This is strictly an exercise in nostalgia, and cute animals notwithstanding, the strongest message it gives is that Disney has nothing new to offer.