Hi folks! Welcome to my My Own Personal Nerdy Disney and Animation Scrutinizing Analysis blog. A blog where I'm analyzing several Disney films, Disney or Animation in general! These entries are just meant to be my analyses. Not reviews or statements. Just fun analyses! Though I'll make some personal remarks now and then, the content of these entries are meant to be depicted objectively. They're made for entertainment purpose only and the pictures/clips are copyright Disney or other companies.
Make sure to leave a comment if you like this site! And if there's something you think could be improved, please let me know. But in a constructive way, please. And just a note; I'm not a Native English writer, so my incorrect grammar may be notable.
And finally; If you haven't seen the films, beware of spoilers! And the funny lines aren't meant to be nothing than funny. So I hope you won't find them offensive. If so, I apologize
For once I'm going to write about something distinctive as directors. While it seemed like a synergy to do so when John Musker officially retired in March 2018, I was originally planning to write about this beloved duo anyway. To synergyze with Ron Clements' 65th birthday in April (an age which both of them turned in 2018 when this entry was written).
Out of all the latest directors on Disney, none have had such a legacy as John Musker and Ron Clements! Both of them have managed to survive at Disney through three decades! From 1986's The Great Mouse Detective (which Clements actually proposed) to 2016's Moana. It's amazing to see how they've managed not only to be at Disney at so long. But also transport Disney through three ever changing decades! Several people, both critics and audiences, have cited that these guys are Disney animation as it's come and it's understandable to see why!
Musker and Clements have managed to become a duo who's been immediately linked as being yin and yang. And also managed to be such good friends that they finish each other sentences! And are often perceived as a married couple! 
Another directing duo that would've been perceived as similar as them, would be Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale. Who also acted like a married couple and transferred Disney through different genres. But unfortunately never made more films again after the Box Office failure of Atlantis The Lost Empire. Which is truly a pity, not only because of their qualities. But also because it would've been nice to have a similar directing duo to compare Musker and Clements with. As aforementioned, in March 2018, John Musker officially retired after 40 years at Disney and also had his farewell party. While one would wonder that Ron would retire as well (who stated in 2018 that he wasn`t planning to retire. But still left Disney for Warner Bros Animation Studios), at least John can be glad to have made a great contribution to Disney's huge Legacy.
Information
Both John Edward Musker and Ronald Francis Clements have many things in common than just one thing. Both were born at the same year, 1953 (Ron in April, John in November). Both are Midwestern (John from Chicago, Ron from Iowa), which is a reason why Musker claims that they get along. Both were drawn to animation by seeing Pinocchio (Clements being at the age of 9, which is not strange why his all time Disney favorite song is When You Wish Upon a Star. Yet this first Disney films he saw were Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty).
Both Musker and Clements made their own super-8 animated films, while Clements made a fifteen-minute short Shades of Sherlock Holmes as a teen and was a cartoonist for the school newspaper. Clements eventually got a job at animating commercials for the local market for a television station and eventually studied life drawing at the Art Center.
Both started at the studio within three years span (Ron in 1974, John in 1977, the same day Star Wars opened). But both were initially rejected at first, still both winning at CalArts eventually led Ron to the studio. Which he rejected at first to complete his studies, which he describes the process of convincing the studio was a little bit like American Idol. Where he had to do a test of both Rabbit from Winnie The Pooh and
Cruella DeVil, the latter citing that it was his personal favorite (and citing that the praise from two of the Nine Old Men was his high-point in his career). Which was where Musker heard about him (and vice versa, since Ron learned about John through a test).  |
| Without Huckleberry :) |
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| At least it's not Hannah from a certain state :) |
Information Part II
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| It's brown now for consumers device :) |
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| This mermaid is so tiny that she's invisible :) |
Both of them originally wanted to work on The Black Cauldron as story artists, but were removed. But it was around that time they bonded, because both loved the original books (but John's ideas to the movie were rejected from the older group).
Originally the duo resigned from Disney in 2005. Yet their time off Disney would be a short one, since they were brought back again in 2006 for The Princess and the Frog (David Stainton saying that he knew that they had many more movies to make, but not for Disney. A comeback they've enjoyed.
And since this is after all an entry about them, it's suitable to throw a little trivia; Musker's favorite quote is that everything has to serve the story. Whereas Clements favorite quote is about how to make two credible characters living and interacting. The duo are always referred to as "Ron n' John" and never the opposite. And having other nicknames as Chaos Kids, Nutballs, Comic Dervishes, Reticent Geniuses. While they've been labeled of being shy and strait-laced, they've been raved for their strengths. They've been praised for their good sense of design. David Stainton knew how to fuel Ron with caffeine at a story meeting. While they've been known for setting their high standards, they've been known for being inclusive and open to other ideas. Yet they've known for being hectic and apparently John was very vocal about the things that didn't work for him, whereas Ron twitched his face and got very antsy.
While they've been labeled for not being changed by other ideas, but eroded and known for cutting to the chase when they really want it. But they're said to be unpredictable about their preferences. Musker's three rules of comedy are a funny face, hitting on the head and pants on fire. However, the pair has cited that they do disagree at times and that they do argue, but still in a friendly manner. Yet Ron is known for not taking no for an answer, but at the same time being thoughtful.
However, they've both been labeled of being great party hosts and to turn a disagreeable situation into a funny one, even at their own expense. Yet their main criteria is of course a comic idea, they have a tendency to throw out a bunch of ideas out and see if somebody picks them up. They've also known for being good listeners and having a infectious energy. They've been known for being less controlling than other directing teams. Also their initial ideas often comes back.
Information Part III
Due to their similarities, perhaps there's no surprise that their story notes for Hercules were strikingly similar! While funny enough, some co-writers for Hercules meant that both directors names should've been switched! John is also known for sacrificing the seriousness for a laugh. However, both have cited that they first and foremost makes movies to please themselves first. Ron have said that his humor is more low-key and self-deprecating, whereas John's more edgier. Yet Ron has more of a deadpan sense of humor, which they both appreciate. But due to their reserved nature, it was contradicting for many to associate them with comedy.
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| I can offer you a good sight with glasses :) |
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| Of course the sticky stuff is uncomfortable ;) |
Both of them go to lunch together every day
and Musker sends Clements self-made Christmas cards. While Ron is known for remembering various versions of a screenplay in his head. John is more of a risk-taker than Ron. While both of them overlap each other, they do agree on their same choices. Ron says that he usually watches his own movies so much during production that he never sees them afterwards. |
| And I'll hope it will be soon :) |
Musker and Clements` Movies, Their Popularities and Their Rejected Projects
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| She's shrunk to fit my glass :) |
Musker and Clements are of course familiar names to Disney buffs. But of course they've mostly known for The Little Mermaid and Aladdin, two films that managed to usher the true, short-lived, yet quite iconic Disney Renaissance. With that bias, it would've been easy to dismiss their other films, due to how those both aforementioned films are so important in Disney history and gets more mentioned than their other films (logically enough). And they've managed to inspire and shape their later films after the components that shaped their firsts.
The notable thing about Mermaid's Box Office result that while it wasn't as groundbreaking as it would`ve been today, it still made more money than it's predecessors (and Mermaid was famously rejected initially because it was too close to Splash, before being revived soonly. Yet it was Ron's first introduction to the tale, which he bought a copy of that he still has). But the remarkable thing regarding Hercules' Box Office results, is while it technically made more money than Mermaid on it's Theatrical run, it was still perceived as a disappointment. Mostly due to how it paled against it's peers.  |
| Ignore the title, it's just a marketing devise :) |
It's funny to think that the duo were offered films as Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King (when it was called King of the Jungle), Tangled and even Swan Lake, but eventually rejected them (Beauty was rejected due to them being tired and not really grasping the movie's potential. Yet they faced the dismay to surpass Beauty with Aladdin. Swan Lake seemed too close to Mermaid. And the directors failed to see the potential of King, since it was about lions). It's funny to think that both Beauty and the Beast and Tangled were followers to Musker and Clements movies that ushered Disney into a new generation.
Even projects as Don Quixote, The Odessey and Around the World in Eighty Days was something that they chose from. Originally they were working on Terry Pratchett's Mort, which they had trouble acquiring the rights to.
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| Yes, love can transcend species. Believe it or not :) |
After Mermaid they wanted to do another adaptation that the studio wasn't interested in, which was the dinosaur-themed We're Back (which Steven Spielberg had his rights to). They were also working on Fraidy Cat, which was going to be their first CGI feature in Alfred Hitchcock-style, which also was declined from the executives.
The Genre of Their Movies
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| Note the irony of the title :) |
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| Hitler would've love this book :) |
But to analyze their very films films closely, they of them were different genres. The Great Mouse Detective, based from Eve Titus' Basil of Baker Street, was their anthropomorphic Detective Movie (yet it was originally rejected due to it's similarity to The Rescuers, while Clements came up with the idea, inspired from his aforementioned Sherlock short.
Along the same time Pete Young also discovered the source material. John Musker came from
The Black Cauldron to direct Mouse Detective, still the project wasn't green-lit before the Jeffrey Katzenberg came. Both Ron Miller and Roy Disney were intrigued about it. Much of the material from the book was thrown out. Originally Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener and John Musker were going to be the directors. And yes, it was suggested that Michael Jackson or Madonna should do the song at the bar. Still an idea was to have a pop song in Mouse Detective, Ron and John were reluctant about the idea of Jackson doing it).
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| My hair don't match my body :) |
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| I hate to fight in the rain, so that's why I'm running :) |
Yet despite their comedic stamp, they like to mix various genres into their films, as well as action and romance. The action part is something that they're essentially capable of (something that The Princess and the Frog had quite little of, in my opinion).
Treasure Planet: Their Dream Project
development; Treasure Planet.
It was the brainchild of Ron Clements and while it was suggested when Mermaid was brought up in a Gong Show (alongside with other three ideas), it was post-phoned because Disney never believed in the project (and also because Star Trek was having a similar idea, yet it was never produced). Until the film was finally green-lit when both Musker and Clements signed a seven-year contract in 1995.
The reason for setting Treasure Island in Space was due to Ron's fascination for science fiction. But regardless of how the duo became the A-team, the studio executives still never saw Treasure Planet profitable enough. The directors however went to Roy Disney for the idea and he became on their side. And when the film was finally green-lit by Michael Eisner after Katzenberg's departure (who always dreaded the idea), it was to please the directors, thanks to the special contract provision.
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| This was photoshopped :) |
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| You don't see a flying ship everyday :) What a pity that I forgot to bring a camera :) |
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| I was desperate to be thinner :) |
Yet
Planet was (not coincidentally) released in a time where Disney were getting into the Sci-Fi genre, since Disney had previously released the much panned Atlantis The Lost Empire the prior year and the low-budget Box Office Hit Lilo & Stitch the same Summer (which also had aliens/outer space setting). While Musker has been joking about Treasure Planet killing Disney's Renaissance afterwards.
Out of all the films Musker and Clements have made, Treasure Planet is probably the most subdued one, ironically enough (alongside with Moana), despite it's genre. The comedy is surprisingly low-key for a movie of theirs. It's notable that three of Musker/Clement's films throws out the love interest for their leads and Planet is the second one to do so (most recently is of course Moana, which makes it more distinctive, due to it`s female lead).
The Different Time Periods of Their Movies, Their Medium of Animation and Their Non-White Protagonists
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| I'm living up to my name :) |
In fact, it's remarkable to think that Musker and Clements managed to transfer Disney through three ever-changing decades; From one that Disney were slowly rising from their dud-reputation (pre-Renaissance, Mouse Detective), contributing twice to the Renaissance (Mermaid and Aladdin) and having a follow-up that blatantly tried to copy the early Renaissance success (Hercules). They also followed Disney through the experimental Sci-Fi era (which also coincidentally enough, Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale also followed. Despite how of course their resume is lesser than Musker and Clements).  |
| Yes, computer can be touched with pencils :) |
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| I'm a female version of Midas :) |
Of course Moana was a first for them, being their first feature in CGI. But also being the first one where they've co-directed with two other directors. And the transition from hand drawn to CGI wasn't easy for them (in contrary for what many people believe, the process in CGI is a more arduous and erratic one and less linear). Despite this, Moana was their biggest movie in terms of scope and effects.
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| Surfin' Ocean Motonui :) |
But at least what Musker and Clements have brought to this Revival era, are non-White heroines. And regardless of how their movies have gotten flack for their portrayal of people of color (and yes, they were aware of the backlash Aladdin got, but at least they didn't deliberately wanted to be offensive), at least they shall have credit for actually tapping into those portrayals and even done it trice; Aladdin, Frog and Moana (and yes, regarding Frog, it was the directors choice to have an African-American lead at the time).
The Gender Demographic of Their Movies, Cameos & Elements
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| We're inspired by Dreamworks mold :) |
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| Yes, this is a low key wedding :) |
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| We're lifting a big cheese :) |
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| Soon everyone would want this line :) |
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| We're heading for an A in acting :) |
While Ariel and Jasmine may not be identical personality-wise, both of them have a similar struggles and are assertive in their rebellions against their fathers. And are not particularly content with their life situations (despite how both of them wants different things). Both of them are long-haired gals which basically just wears a bra and shows their bellies. Both Ariel and Aladdin goes through literal transformations in order to get what they want most in life and get transformed afterwards (while Hercules goes through a similar transformation more briefly). Both heroes in Mermaid and Aladdin lifts up their Princess sweetheart and swirls with them at the end (yes, it`s a small notion, but still).
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| Yeah, you didn't cry this time. I'm so proud :) |
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| We're going to have a heckuva time until we destroy each other with our evil nature :) |
Villains
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| I'm the rat-version of Quasimodo :) |
However, if there's one thing that Musker and Clements has managed to succeed in, is their villains. Their villains has of course mostly fit the comic mold and therefore managed to be quite entertaining, memorable and compelling on their own right (despite how they've managed to be threatening as well). However, just one of them have been a female, while the rest of them have been male. At least with The Princess and the Frog they've managed to create the last, truly great Disney villain (an element that unfortunately the Revival era has diluted).
Comedic Sidekicks
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| I'm a puppy wannabe and a adorable one :) |
Yet to discuss their sidekicks, it's needless to cite that their most beloved sidekick is undeniably the Genie. Perhaps it would be an assumption (since Robin Williams shaped him to greatness), but it's a true one. And while the directors deliberately didn't wanted to repeat themselves by retreating the Genie, at least they've managed to make sidekicks that emulates him, without downright copying him. While not all of their following sidekicks has been like the Genie, it's easy to spot those who resembles him (yet funny enough, Eric Goldberg, who supervised the Genie, was able to animate three different sidekicks).
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| Look at this, Lou Bega :) |
It would be tempting to label Moana's Maui as a Genie-Wannabe. But it's rather fair, due to how the Moana/Maui dynamic is structured. While Sebastian from Mermaid was cherished by critics when it came out, he's been put to the side afterwards. Regardless of this, their movies have managed to have mute sidekicks that has been endearing and memorable of their own.
In Aladdin we have the Carpet, while being a subdued character, he manages to be expressive with it's mannerisms alone. In Hercules we have Pegasus, a more classical sidekick, yet compelling and endearing enough. In Treasure Planet we have the ever-changing Morph who changes into anything (and unfortunately not to other Disney characters). In Moana we have two sidekicks, the extremely silly Hei Hei and the more endearing Pua (who unfortunately didn't get enough screentime).
The Crew Who`ve Worked With Them, Their Contribution in Screenwriting and Production, Their Strengths and Tones and Those Movies Who Lack an Audio Commentary
When the new generation of Disney artists began in the 1970's, most of the crew worked together on the same movies. After Beauty and the Beast it was changed and the crew became scattered through different projects. However, there are certain names who`ve worked with Musker and Clements constantly; Alan Menken, Andreas Deja, Howard Ashman, Glen Keane, Mark Hehn, Randy Haycock, Sue Nichols, Eric Goldberg, Nik Ranieri, Razoul Azadani and Duncan Marjoribanks.
And last, but not least Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio, who wanted to work with Musker and Clements based on Mouse Detective and Mermaid. While Musker and Clements' films shares similar producers, they've known for both screenwriting and producing their own features. Which is truly impressive in animation (which was something that they pleaded to do with Mermaid, when Jeffrey Katzenberg wanted to hire a screenwriter).
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| Thanks for distracting me from those illusions :) |
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| No, my hands don't sweat :) |
Epilogue
All in all, it's incredible that the directors has managed to stay with Disney so long after all these years. And also admirable. Both directors have been Annie- and Los Angeles Film Critic-Awarded and were
nominated for the William Cameron Menzies Award for their features. But perhaps their staying and commitment to the studio is what people love about them. People love their movies because of their overall good quality and aforementioned components. And they've have managed to create pictures that are beloved by generations and will continue to dazzle many generations more. So thank you, John Musker, for all your contribution and commitment and good luck with the rest of your life. And thank you to Ron Clements as well.
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| Not only Princesses can attract frogs ;) |
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References:
Disney's Aladdin: The Making of an Animated Film (John Culhane).
The Art of Hercules: The Chaos of Creation (Stephen Rebello, Jane Healey)
Treasure Planet: A Voyage of Discovery (Jeff Kurtti)
The Art of The Princess and the Frog (Jeff Kurtti)
The Art of The Little Mermaid (Jeff Kurtti)
The Little Mermaid Platinum Edition
Aladdin Platinum Edition
Aladdin Diamond Edition
Moana Collectors Edition Blu Ray.
Beauty and the Beast Diamond Edition
Disney's Art of Animation: From Mickey Mouse to Hercules (Bob Thomas)
Mouse Under Glass (David Koenig)
Waking Sleeping Beauty.
Box Office Magazine July 1997.
Disney D23 Magazine Winter 2009.
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