I think the key words of the article were these:

> If done with more attention to creative daring
> and imagination than fast-food tie-ins,
> traditional animation can still be as compelling
> and involving as computer animation.

Keep in mind, that I've been a hardcore Disney 
fan for a long time. For years even after I 
graduated college, every Disney animated release 
saw my mother and I in the audience sometime 
during opening week. But we both agree that 
there's something missing. . .

It has nothing to do with Disney not using 
original material. So their thing is to animate 
fairytales. There's nothing wrong with that. Even 
at their *worst*, Disney turns out better looking 
films than the no-namers doing the same stories. 
But the Disney films that are the truly good ones 
were almost all done under *WALT'S* direction. . .

Even if you look at the GOOD ones done since Walt 
died, you'll see lack of creativity. Aladdin, for 
example. The Arabian Nights stories are my 
FAVORITE. I couldn't wait. I did know they'd 
thrown out the non-core plots with Aladdin's 
mother, the magician (Dis.=Jafar) pretending to 
be a long lost uncle, etc. . . No problem. (The 
real Aladdin story is REALLY long.) But when I 
saw it. . . Where is the wonder in the Cave of 
Wonders?? This doesn't even need THEIR creativity 
to improve on. The Cave of Wonders in the original
story is a garden with a river of flowing 
sapphires and golden trees that grow fruit made 
of precious gems! Were they too lazy? Or did 
someone say: "We have this tub of gold paint to 
get rid of." (Aladdin was computer colored. . . 
Guess they were lazy. ~_~) The genie's creativity 
was *pure* Robin Williams. . . and the rest? 
Hero. Heroine. Comic sidekick pets all around. 

They told the story and did get some laughs out 
of me. . . But it just didn't go that tad more.

On the other hand, look what they're up against. 
US parents who think their kids should see nothing
even suggestive of something bad unless it's to 
see it stomped out. US parents don't WANT 
anything more than drivel. Anyone else have the 
copy of the Aladdin soundtrack with the line:
"Where they cut off your ear if they don't like 
your face"? They changed that *DAMN* fast due to 
complaints. And that was just over one arguably 
questionable line in a song. You'd have missed it 
if you happened to be opening your Raisonettes 
just then. 9_9

So yes, Disney has to do better, but US audiences 
have a long way to go too.

Many Sharp Smiles,
--Drac