So, if you haven’t heard, there’s a new Disney Princess movie out.
No, there isn’t a new princess in the franchise, but this little treat is enjoyable all the same. LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest combines all the silly charms of the LEGO franchise with the sparkly, idealistic world of the Disney Princess franchise, and it works like a charm. This fun animated romp is sure to have your kids – and you as well – grinning like an idiot.
So, What’s it About, Anyway?
Think of this as a LEGO-fied Avengers for the Disney Princess line. After Belle’s way-too-persistent (it’s 2023, read the room) suitor Gaston (Richard White) kidnaps Ariel’s (Jodi Benson) father King Triton (Jim Cummings), Ariel assembles a crack team of princesses – Snow White (Katie Von Till), Tiana (Anika Noni Rose), Rapunzel (Mandy Moore), and Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) – to rescue her dear old dad. (You’d think Belle would be there, but nope.) But it’s not as simple as it seems, as Gaston’s broken the tank he’s imprisoned King Triton in. The five princesses head on a magical adventure to rescue Ariel’s father, but Gaston has assembled a villain team of his own.
Gaston in ‘LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest’
Alright, What Makes It So Good?
On the surface, LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest seems to not have much going for it. It’s not a canon installment in the Disney Princess franchise, it’s not going to be a record-breaking hit, and it’s not a particularly deep, moving, or ambitious piece of cinematography. But what it is, is fun. A lot of fun.
The voice acting is on point, the jokes will put a smile on your face, and the dynamic of the princesses is great (and meta – Snow White becomes the team ditz). If you’ve played any of the games in the LEGO franchise (such as LEGO Indiana Jones or any of the LEGO Star Wars games, it’s a very similar kind of humor to what’s on display here. The trailer alone will be enough to get you laughing, mark our words.
One area where this movie excels is in the character designs. All five princesses, King Triton, and Gaston have had their designs excellently LEGO-fied without losing the details that made the original designs special. The animation strikes the perfect balance between stiffness (when you think about it, they are plastic toys, after all) and fluidity – the character’s skirts have a great deal of motion and weight, and the studs and LEGO blocks tumble as they would in real life.
But perhaps the best thing about the movie is getting to hear the original actors once more. For Moana, Tiana, and Rapunzel, hearing their original voice actors return is nothing special. Snow White’s original voice actress has long since passed away. However, this is the first time that Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel who gave us the iconic song “Part of Your World,” and Richard White, whose delightfully hammy portrayal of Gaston captured the hearts of audiences young and old, have reprised their roles since their films. And it’s a treat.
LEGO Disney Princess: the Castle Quest is delightful for everyone. Featuring giggle-worthy writing and a heavy dose of childhood nostalgia, this one is definitely worth a watch.
LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest is streaming now on Disney+.