Disney is famous for their animated content, both on the big screen and their more episodic
storylines, but that doesn’t mean their live-action content doesn’t also deserve
some praise. Some of the live-action films such as Lady and the Tramp or The Lion King remained
true to the animated versions of those stories, and just broaden the universe a little more.
Others such as Malificent or Dumbo, showed a much different telling of those stories.
And then there were the original films that introduced completely new heroes.
But out of all of these stories, how do their protagonists stack up when it comes to heroics?
I’m Brad with WickedBinge and this is Disney Live-Action Heroes : Good to Most Heroic.
As usual, we’ll be starting off our list with the least good and working our way to the most heroic.
Taking the ranking as least good we have the twins Annie and Hallie from the 1998 Parent Trap.
When these two met- as in actually seeing each other face to face-
they quickly became close and schemed for a way to see the other parent they hadn’t met yet,
with Hallie going to see their mom and Annie meeting their dad. When they found that Nick
was planning on marrying Meredith, they plotted to stop it. Being kids,
they had to resort to using fairly harmless pranks such as filling Meredith’s bag with rocks, placing
lizards on her water bottle, and eventually pushing her inflated bed out into the lake.
Our next ranking goes to Ella. Unlike in the animated feature,
Ella had been tempted to run away from the abuse of her home,
but instead ran into Kit who introduced himself as someone who worked in the palace
rather than as the prince. After they had created a connection, Ella was given new hope,
and upon hearing about the ball, decided to do everything she could to try and see Kit again.
The following spot goes to Milly and Joe in Dumbo. They’re encouragement had been what
pushed Holt into caring for the elephants and taking care of Jumbo, stating he was a part
of the circus family. When Jumbo was trapped on the platform, they encouraged him to fly.
Joe was able to find a feather, knowing Jumbo needed it to have the confidence to try flying,
while Milly was the one to risk hurting herself getting the feather to Jumbo.
Following is Leslie from Bridge to Terabithia. After moving to a new town,
she didn’t waste time trying to make friends. Though Jesse initially didn’t show any interest
in accepting her as a friend, Leslie didn’t have any hard feelings when he finally did come around.
In fact, Leslie became a huge help to Jesse, teaching him to be more open to new things
and being willing to take risks. Unfortunately, Leslie’s fondness for living in the moment
wound up doing her in, as she lost her life while Jesse was away.
While there are quite a few major characters in Mary Poppins, George Banks is who is listed as the
main protagonist. In the beginning of the film, he expected his family to be more like employees
than relatives. He wanted everything to be timely and efficient, and was more concerned about his
children being well-behaved than he was spending time with them. As far as George was concerned,
providing food and a home made him a good husband and father and there was no reason to
put more work in. Thankfully, after spending time with Mary and seeing the change in their home,
George eventually came around to appreciating Mary’s teachings. He allowed himself and his
children to indulge in the small things in life, no longer concerned about whether something was
a waste of time or money. George learned to have fun without putting a dollar sign on his efforts.
From the film Freaky Friday we have Tess and Anna. These two were a regular mother and daughter who
had to go through the obstacle of living each other’s lives. Aside from the whole ordeal of
switching bodies, there was nothing out of the ordinary about them. They had been two women that
had trouble communicating how they really felt and it snowballed into aggression and resentment. It
wasn’t until they learned how the other lived that they finally met each other halfway. The fact that
it took a curse to get them to be kinder to one another is a shame, but in the end it worked out.
The main protagonist from the High School Musical series, we have Troy Bolton. Troy
was your typical careless highschool kid. While he was nice enough and had good intentions for
the most part, he was young and so made a lot of mistakes. Between the films,
he had a few times where he caved to peer pressure, got swept up in the power of a
new job, and had issues in really maintaining his relationships. Though Troy made mistakes, he was
able to find his footing and pursue his passions, which in turn inspired others to follow his lead
and break out of social norms to embrace their interests regardless of the risk of being mocked.
The listed lead for Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves and Honey, We Shrunk the Kids is Wayne Szalinski.
An awkward man and passionate inventor, Wayne had created some of the most impressive machines,
such as the shrink machine that was used in the film. Unfortunately,
his work wasn’t perfect and led to not only him and the other parents shrinking,
but also all of their kids. However, Wayne wasn’t easily defeated. He took every loss
as a chance to improve, and pushed for success. Wayne was also always willing
to do whatever it took to fix any mistakes he made, such as when his kids were shrunk and he
created a whole rigging system to find them while making sure he didn’t accidentally crush them.
Next we have Pete from the 1977 Pete’s Dragon. An orphan that was often disregarded by the
townspeople, Pete was the one to first come across the dragon he named Elliot, who at the time was
just an invisible force. When Elliot followed Pete into town, invisible so as not to cause a fuss,
his clumsiness had labeled Pete as a sort of jinx, but Pete endured it to keep attention
off of Elliot. Pete was even blamed by the superstitious townspeople for the lack of fish,
and was punished for it. However, Pete did have one ally among them:
a woman named Nora who insisted Pete be welcomed rather than seen as a source of bad luck.
As thanks, Pete promised to ask Elliot to look for her husband who was lost at sea.
From the movie A Wrinkle in Time, we have Meg Murry. After her father
had disappeared, Meg had pulled back from interacting with a lot of people,
driven to find him. After she was able to locate him on Gamazotz,
she was able to successfully save her father and bring him home. When Charles was left behind,
Meg returned for him and had been able to do the act of love to save Charles from Red’s influence.
Taking the title of main character in 101 Dalmations, we have Anita. Though Roger was
the one that Cruella vowed revenge against, Anita was the one that had to deal with Cruella and was
the one who made the connection that Cruella had been the one to kidnap the puppies. She was
a devoted woman, and eventually found the ability to stand up to Cruella and her constant dismissal.
Next is Lady from Lady and the Tramp. Lady was loyal to her owners, and happily took on the
role of protecting them and the home, especially after their child was born. Her resolve only
wavered when under Aunt Sarah’s care, Lady felt neglected and was taken to get muzzled. She had
confessed that the whole ordeal made her feel like her owners didn’t want her anymore, but ultimately
decided to return home, feeling she belonged there. When Lulu was in danger from the rat, Lady
was the one who initially tried to take it out. When Tramp was being blamed for trying to harm the
baby, Lady made sure to get everyone’s attention on the now dead rat to save Tramp from punishment.
After Cinderella is another princess: Belle. Belle was headstrong and intelligent,
refusing to fall back on the norm to make other’s more comfortable around her. She wanted more for
herself and her father, encouraging his work. When he was imprisoned by the Beast, Belle surrendered
herself to save him. Though they began their relationship as prisoner and master of the castle,
Belle was eventually able to break through to the Beast and broke the enchantment.
Next on our list is Simba. At first he was a carefree cub, but after the death of his father,
Simba was effectively chased away from the Pridelands by Scar and the hyenas.
He was saved from death by Timone and Pumba, and so regarded them as parental figures
as he learned how to survive following their examples. When he was found by Nala,
Simba was forced to finally face what had happened to him,
and soon returned to his home where he fought to end Scar’s tyrannical rule.
Following is Mowgli from The JungleBook. Raised by the wolves,
Mowgli became protective of the pack and was reluctant to return to the human village,
even with the threat of Shere Khan. During his journey to the village, Mowgli had learned of
the death of Akela, and so made the choice to go and confront Shere Khan despite the danger
that came with it. Using one of the torches he came across, he accidentally began a wildfire,
but was able to use it to his advantage when Shere Khan pursued him. Mowgli was able to lead Shere
Khan up a weakened tree that led to him falling to his death and restoring peace to the jungle.
Taking our next spot is James from James and the Giant Peach.
James was neglected and used as a live-in slave by his two aunts, but he didn’t allow
the experience to make him cold-hearted. When his aunts nearly killed a spider,
James made the effort to save it from their wrath, never once realizing that this same spider would
become an ally later. He had become incredibly attached to the creatures he met in the peach,
thankful for them helping to protect him from his aunts and find a way for him to get to
New York City to see the sights his parents had always wanted to. During their voyage,
James was able to find a sense of courage and faced the the creature that killed his parents
in order to save his new friends as well as broke free of his aunts and their abuse for good.
Lead to the Pirates of the Carribean franchise is Captain Jack Sparrow. Though Jack could be
deceitful and underhanded, he relied on swaying others with his words rather than relying on brute
force. Many of his actions towards the beginning of the franchise showed him being selfish,
but they also revealed how resourceful he was. It was a skill others such as Elizabeth and Will came
to rely on, because it appeared Jack was capable of doing the impossible. The more time Jack spent
with people like Will and Elizabeth, the softer he became. Though on a few occassions he was tricked
into being offered up to some dangerous situation, his actions led to helping a lot of people.
Our next ranking goes to Amelia from The Princess Diaries. In the beginning of the films,
Amelia is more reserved, having little interest in interacting with others
for fear of being mocked. Once she was told her true role in life, she slowly found the
courage to stand up to those looking to hurt her. In return for teaching her all the ways
of being a royal. Amelia’s bright disposition and vibrant nature led to her winning over many
of the people around her and bringing new life to the royal family and all those working for them.
Following is a three way tie from Homeward Bound with Chance, Shadow and Sassy.
These three are a prime example as to why pets are often too good for their person.
Seriously, we don’t deserve them. These three weren’t able to clearly understand their humans,
but were always able to pick up on when they were upset or in need,
which caused Chance and Sassy a lot of distress when they were left behind on the farm.
Shadow had been reluctant to join in their mission to find the kids as he had been given
up by a family before and it left him jaded, but eventually admitted to missing his new owner
just as much as Chance and Sassy did. Not only did they face danger traversing the wilderness
and proved their loyalty to seeing their humans again, but they were devoted to one another.
Next is the man with a million tools: John Brown- otherwise known as Inspector Gadget. After John
was turned into a partially robotic agent, he stayed devoted to the force. John was a loving
and protective uncle who took his niece’s input concerning his work to heart. The only thing that
could really be said against John is that he was a hopeless clutz and was too oblivious when it came
to his job. Yes, John was well-meaning, but he could be incredibly knit-picky concerning small
offenses while being completely clueless about other things happening around him.
Taking the next spot is the infamous George of the Jungle. George and Ursula first met
when he rescued her from a lion, and then on decided to do anything he could to win
her over and keep her safe. When Lyle and his henchmen found the treehouse,
George tried to stop them from taking Shep, even though it risked his well-being. When Tookie
showed up and relayed the message that George was needed back in the jungle, he left Ursula
in order to save his home and friends, knowing that it was likely he would never see her again.
From The Haunted Mansion, we have Jim Evers. Like George Banks earlier on this list,
Jim was very focused on his career, to the point where he missed his wedding
anniversary. While Jim had been known to not always be there for his wife and kids,
when it mattered he put his life at risk to save them from Ramsley’s wrath. Not many dads
are willing to almost be dragged down into Hell in order to keep their loved ones safe.
Following is Aladdin. Aladdin was short-sighted when he first went about winning over Jasmine.
He wished to be a prince, not fully expecting how to cover up his lies once he and Jasmine grew
closer. When he eventually came clean, Aladdin’s goal went from just winning Jasmine’s heart to
protecting her from Jafar. Aladdin proved to be capable taking on the sorcerer and not only
recused the love of his life from the former advisor’s wrath, but also the entire kingdom.
Next up is the heroine of Wonderland,
Alice. After running away from an engagement party, she found herself in the land of Underland,
a place that she previously thought she simply dreamed up as a little girl. The more time she
spent in Underland, meeting all the people she had thought to be fictional, the more attached
she became to them and their safety. Realizing she was the one they had been hoping to save them,
Alice stepped up to the challenge to face the tyranny and danger of the Underland.
The bronze medal of most heroic goes to Maleficent. A guardian of the Moors,
Maleficent was not someone to cross. After Stefen betrayed her, she had become much
more suspicious and calculating, looking to take vengeance on him for not only hurting her but her
home. She eventually became attached to Aurora and saved her life in the first film. Later,
when Aurora sought out Maleficent’s blessing, she warned Aurora against getting involved with Philip
due to the damage the royals have caused to the fairies and the Moors. Once believed
to be nothing more than a villain, Maleficent proved to be fiercely protective and powerful.
The silver medal of most heroic goes to Jill Young from Mighty Joe Young. Jill didn’t have special
powers or an army on her side, but she did win the trust and friendship of Joe, a highly sought after
giant gorilla. Jill took her role as protector seriously, not only to save Joe but to honor the
promise she made to her dying mother as a child. She dedicated her entire life to keeping Joe safe,
the two bonding after both losing family at the hands of poachers all of those years ago.
The gold medal of most heroic goes to Mulan. It’s hard to top the woman who
took up a sword to not only save her father from dying on the battlefieild,
but all of China from the hands of the Huns. She was in inspiration to those around her,
pushing herself to her limits in order to be at her best when in combat.
With our morality spectrum now complete… Let’s finish this off by handing out some Sinner Medals.
Taking the Darwin Medal we have John Brown. Though Inspector Gadget helped a lot of people by the end
of his films, he caused a lot of damage to get to that point. On top of his clumsiness,
he was also oblivious when it came to anything around him.
The Lust Medal goes to Aladdin. After all, his entire motivation was to win
over the princess he fell for, no matter what the consequences were.
Next the Wrath Medal goes to Maleficent. After the betrayal she endured,
it’s no wonder Maleficent was driven to take King Stefen down and exact revenge.
The Greed Medal goes to Annie and Hallie. Being kids, they weren’t too concerned with
long-term consequences when getting to know the parents that they hadn’t been
raised with. They’re first concern had been to fill the voids in their
own lives and it didn’t matter how their mother and father would react.
The Sloth Medal we’re granting to Simba. After he had been taken in by Timone and Pumba,
Simba was content with spending the rest of his days lounging and pretending like he wasn’t
responsible for the welfare of the Pridelands. Though he goes get some leniency for the
trauma he endured, it was still crummy of him to refuse to return home when Nala begged for help.
Finally with the Pride Medal is Jill Young. Jill’s pride kept her from admitting defeat,
but it also kept her from asking for help for a long time. She was driven to protect Joe,
and refused to compromise for the longest time before ultimately getting what she had wanted
in the first place: a sanctuary in the jungle. But let us know in the comment section if you
agree with our ranking. And tell us what we should cover next. Remember to hit that
notification bell and binge our Good to Evil playlist. Where we break down the morality of
the characters in your favorite cartoons, shows and movies. But most importantly, stay wicked.