"Disney's Princess Ka'iulani"

Walt Disney presents:
"A Hawaiian Fairytale: Princess Ka'iulani"

 

Preview: Introducing Walt Disney's newest princess! Princess Ka'iulani! A fairytale, less told about. When Princess Ka'iulani is 13 years old, she gets forced away from her island home by evil governor, Governor Captain Robins, who wants to turn Hawaii into one big hotel and home empire for himself. He sends all the Hawaiian children to schools throughout the world and Princess Ka'iulani gets sent to England and is put into a boarding private school. By the time she is 19 years old, she hears word that her Hawaiian home and people are in danger of being over ruled by Captain Robins and he wants all the Hawaiians off of the island. In an attempt to save her island home, Princess Ka'iulani abandons the boarding school in England and sets off on an epic journey along with the help of her gecko friend Mo'o, wise owl Pueo, orphan friend Phillip, and old, sailorman Mr. Henry. As time races out, they embark together on an adventure of a lifetime full of fun, laughter, misfortunes, and embracing the spirit of aloha together. Can the Princess save her Hawaiian home before it's too late? Join Disney's newest Hawaiian princess as you relive a Hawaiian fairytale!

 

Characters: Princess Ka'iulani

                  King Kuhio

                  Queen Makamae

                  Governor Captain Robins

                  Mo'o

                  PueoPhillip/Phil

                  Mr. Henry

                  President Grover Cleveland

                  Random Hawaiians

                  Random American crew

                  Random England characters

 

Setting: Hawaii

            England

            Washington D.C.

 

Plot: (Brace yourselves...this is waaaaay long...lol!) The first scene in the beginning of the film shows the evil Governor Captain Robins as he studies a map of the Hawaiian islands. The map displays the island as it is undisturbed, green, and paradisiacal. Upon staring, he casts the map aside to make way for a 3-D map of little towns and hotels which dot the island. His dream is to create the biggest hotel empire and industry for himself and to rule the islands. He writes up a treaty and seeks out the President's signature. Upon the meeting together, the President denies the signing of the treaty because of the good and peaceful terms that the American nation has with the Hawaiian nation. He does not see fit for the Americans to take over land that the Hawaiians owned. Unhappy with the denial, Governor Captain Robins seeks to bring about his desires in his own hands. At a president banquet dinner party, the Governor secretly poisons the President's food and the President goes home very sick. Once in the hospital on a bed trying to get better, the Governor visits him and forces the limp, sickly, non-alert and inattentive President to sign the treaty. Satisfied, Governor Captain Robins sets out with his own crew of men to Hawaii.

 

The next scene takes place in Hawaii as the Hawaiian people are enjoying a lu'au feast. There is hula, music, aloha, and food (poi, kalua pig, fish, lau lau!!!). Upon celebrating, Governor Captain Robins sneaks ashore with his American crew and they surround the village where the Hawaiians are having a lu'au. They then surprise ambush the Hawaiians using weapons as a threat. The Hawaiian King Kuhio is completely confused because they've always had a good and peaceful relationship with the American people. The captain holds up the treaty that states that President Grover Cleveland agreed to taking the Hawaiian islands from the Hawaiian people in order to establish a more populated coast of attraction--full of hotels and homes. In addition to submitting to the treaty, the Hawaiian children would be sent away to schools throughout the nation in order to learn proper behavior and the parents would remain on the island to become slaves to help build up the new establishment.  If they didn't submit, the Hawaiians would be forced to leave the islands or suffer death by war. However, the Governor promised that if they submitted to the treaty, the Hawaiian people could remain on the islands and after finishing building the establishment, all of the Hawaiian children could return to the islands and their parents. Unhappy but left without any choice, King Kuhio and Queen Makamae submit to the treaty and sign in agreement. The children are torn from their parents but 13 year old Princess Ka'iulani strong-spiritedly tries to resist. This in turn raises up some opposition and resistance amongst the Hawaiian children and parents. Seeing her strong heart to resist, as well as the courage she could muster by her Hawaiian people to oppose him, Governor Captain Robins feels threatened and binds her using the threat to hurt her parents, so instead of fighting back anymore, she is forced to give in. Governor Captain Robins decides to send her to the most toughest, strict, boarding private school for girls in England as a result of her bravery and rebellious spirit to him.

 

As the Princess is forced onto the ship, she cries in the old, creaky, damp ship room that she is locked into. Upon crying, she discovers that her little gecko friend Mo'o had tagged along and she takes comfort in her little friend. (He can't speak though. He's just a smart gecko who can understand but not talk.)

 

Once in England, Princess Ka'iulani is forced to study at the boarding private school for girls and she is very mistreated by the instructors and fellow study mates. As she learns how to properly behave and follow the school rules, she meets an orphan boy from the streets named Phillip who is a year older than her. They become fast friends.

 

Jumping back to the Hawaiian islands, King Kuhio worries about his daughter and writes a message about how the Hawaiian people are doing and his love for her. He sends Pueo (a wise owl who also can not talk but understands lol) to deliver the message to the Princess.

 

Back in England, the Princess receives her father's message and she sends one in return about how she is doing. They continue this exchange and 6 years pass.

 

Flash forward to 6 years and Princess Ka'iulani and Phillip are still friends and a romance starts to build between them as they like each other more than friends, however, they remain as friends. Princess Ka'iulani receives disturbing news from Pueo that instead of keeping their promise, the American nation was forcing the Hawaiian people to move off of the island and that they only have a month to do so. As the Princess discovers these news, she determines with Phillip to set out to save her people. She decides to head home to the islands to meet with the Governor Captain Robins himself and to demand his end of the treaty by keeping the promise that he and the American nation had made to the Hawaiian people. Princess Ka'iulani sneaks out of the boarding private school for girls and her, Phillip, and gecko Mo'o head to the seaside where they try to stow away on a huge boat. They end up getting caught and kicked off the boat. In distraught, Princess Ka'iulani doesn't know what to do. Overhearing the sad feelings that the Princess shares with Phillip and Mo'o, an old sailor man named Mr. Henry (scruffy and thinks he's useless because of a past fault and history he had made as a sailor man) realizes the opportunity he has to redeem and make something out of himself so he offers to help them. Jumping into his old, rickety boat, Princess Ka'iulani, Phillip, Mo'o, and Mr. Henry set out at sea and head to Hawaii!

 

Along the ocean ride there is singing and they have fun and they encounter storms and survive lol. While at sea, Princess Ka'iulani receives one last disturbing message from her father King Kuhio and it says that Governor Captain Robins has now forced the Hawaiian parents to leave the island in one week instead of a month. He informs his daughter that the Hawaiian people were considering of running away on the island to hide in the caves and as soon as they did, he would send another message informing his daughter of where they would be.

 

Jumping back to the island of Hawaii, we see how the King Kuhio sneaks out at night to write a message and to give it to Pueo to deliver. He has a message to send that informs the Princess of where the King and the Hawaiians would be hiding on the island. But instead of sending this message gets caught by the Governor Captain Robins who arrests the King for sending secret messages to his daughter and then locks him and all the Hawaiians in a cave. He rewrites a message to mislead the Princess to her family home.

 

The group finally arrives at the island and Princess Ka'iulani is shocked at what she sees. She sees many buildings which dot the beach side and she is unhappy because of how much it reminds her of England coasts and dock landings. Saddened by the change in her island, she rushes to her home to find her parents. When she enters her home, she discovers that it is a trap and there inside of her home and awaiting her, is the Governor Captain Robins himself (and not her parents). He binds the Princess and her friends and unfolds his plan of how he lied to the Hawaiians and forced the American President to sign his treaty and how he is going to take over the Hawaiian islands to rule it himself. No one would ever know and there is nothing that the Princess or any of her friends can do about it. He locks the Princess and her friends in another cave on the island, threatening to them that they, along with the Hawaiian people locked in another cave, would be locked until death, never to return out to the Hawaiian sun and island.

 

Saddened, the Princess doesn't know what to do to save her people. Suddenly Mo'o works to unlock the Princess and her friends and the three decide to give it one last shot to save the Hawaiian people by heading to Washington D.C. to see the President themselves and to reveal the evil plan that Governor Captain Robins had fulfilled and was going to fulfill. They sneak away on a boat but almost get caught by the Governor and his American boat crew. He is reluctant to follow but settles on the thought that there was no way the President would see the Princess or listen to her. Satisfied, he lets them escape.

 

Traveling all the way to Washington D.C., the Princess and her friends encounter the guards who protect the President and who refuse her to ever meet him. It was just not allowed. Distraught once again, and feeling the impossible, they feel defeated. Suddenly Phillip comes up with one final idea of how to get the President's attention. He encourages the Princess to embrace her culture and to go onto the lawn of the White House and to dance Hula right in front of the President's window while Mr. Henry and Phillip sing and play ukulele, in order to get the attention of the President. The Princess musters the courage to do this and the group sets out on their final attempt. Just as the guards are about to arrest the Princess and her friends, President Grover Cleveland spots the princess on his lawn and moved and soft-heartened, he sends for her and her friends. The group meets the President and reveal to him the things that Governor Captain Robins had done to the President, to the American nation, and to the Princess' Hawaiian people. Enraged, the President sets out to sea with the group to arrest and punish the Governor himself.

 

Once on the Hawaiian island, the President arrests Governor Captain Robins, rewrites a treaty to restore the land to the Hawaiians, gives Hawaiians the right to the new establishment, sends for the return of all the Hawaiian children to their parents, and puts Princess Ka'iulani and her royal family back in charge of the Hawaiian nation. The peace is restored!

 

At the end of the film, we see everyone reunited and in attendance, having a lu'au and enjoying themselves and the aloha spirit (including the President himself lol). And we see Phillip and Princess Ka'iulani kiss as they start their lives together in Hawaii. And then we see that everyone lives happily ever after, The End. Lol! :)

 

And there you have it! Disney's newest princess, Princess Ka'iulani, a fairytale less told about! Mahalo!!!

 

"Princess Ka'iulani"

For our last section in class, one of the films we watched was "Princess Ka'iulani." I have heard of Princess Ka'iulani before, but never heard so much more about her until we watched this film. I have to say that first of all, I enjoyed how recent the film was produced and published. I also liked how beautiful the film was made and laid out. However, I didn't like how misleading the film was. It seems to me that Hollywood really painted up a beautiful fairytale film and art, and then at the very end, we see that it doesn't result in a happily-ever-after tale. I won't lie; it was disappointing to me because I like happy ending stories. Seeing a film play out and mislead me to think there is a happy resolution when in actuality, there is none--just about killed it for me. It is not a film I'm interested in watching again.

I have to say that I liked how authentic the film was. They really used great actors and actresses who actually LOOK more native or Polynesian!?! Lol! I can't help but compare the non-Polynesian film actress Dolores del Rio in "Bird of Paradise" (who looks FAR from Polynesian), to native-American actress Q'orianka Waira Qoiana Kilcher in "Princess Ka'iulani" (who actually grew up in Hawaii and looks and plays the main, Polynesian female role a whoooooole lot better!!!).

In the film, the history of the story was laid out pretty well. I'm not so sure about the romance that stewed between Princess Ka'iulani and Clive Davies. I thought that was...totally exaggerated and made up. Maybe it is real, but I feel that it was made up in order to add to the storyline and drama of the film.

Overall, I liked how recent the film was produced and I have to say that I feel like this is the closest film yet to representing Hawaii and its history and the reality and truth of what it really is. :)

"Aloha Summer"



Under 'The Angry Hawaiian (and a Disinvitation to the Sexy Luau)' section, we reviewed in class the film titled "Aloha Summer." I really didn't like this film because I thought it was really over-dramatized. I do feel however that it displayed a lot of prejudice which was not only present during the late 1950s/early 1960s when the film took place, but of which continues today.

"Aloha Summer" is a film about a group of teenagers of different ethincities and background. They all meet each other in Hawaii during the summer and the story unwravels full of drinking, lust, love, sex, racism, war (well, not literally, but of opposing forces between characters), hatred, prejudice, miscommunications, misunderstandings, and mistreatment. (I really could just sum up all of this with the word "immature" because these teenagers were really just a bunch of idiots who made poor decisions and didn't know how to keep their heads on straight. They had no restrictions, boundaries, limits, manners, or respect!?!)

One of the things in the film that really irked me had to do with the characters Chuck, Kimo, and Kimo's little sister Lani. Kimo develops a very strong hatred for the "white man" or "ha'ole." Kimo's hatred is so rooted to the point of despising and hating Chuck with all his heart and he was not afraid to show it and express it in the film through his uncontrollable anger and fists. I thought it was the dumbest thing ever for the plot to force the death of Kimo through a silly fight between Chuck and Kimo over the romance relationship that grew between Chuck and Kimo's little sister, Lani. Kimo, completely unforgiving and reluctant to allow the relationship, takes it upon himself to fight Chuck over the protection of his little sister. In a poor move, Kimo ends up dying in a car ride and crash off the edge of the mountain. (Ok, way fake and way over dramatized...waaaay!?!) I just have so many thoughts about this. It's just dumb that Kimo had to die over trying to protect his little sister and over his anger. It's lame how the film industries couldn't even display a succesful interracial relationship--they still couldn't bring it to display a successful NATURAL interracial relationship without interferring!?! We still see how much Hollywood goes to the extremes to force a successsful interracial relationship on film but it's still just so FAR from your normal relationships. Ohhh, film industries...lol.

"Brady Bunch"

In class, we watched the 1972 episodes of "The Brady Bunch" Hawaii Bound. Growing up, I had heard a lot about the famous Brady Bunch from my parents but I myself had never actually watched it so this was a first time for me to see what the Brady Bunch was all about. I found that I enjoyed watching the episodes even though the plot was sort of ridiculous. However, it was a clean show and the humor of it all was quite the entertainment.

The episodes begin in the home of the Brady Bunch. Mike Brady, the husband and father of the family, is needed in Hawaii to check on a construction firm. Due to this, he declares to the family that they will all get to join him in his trip to Hawaii. While in Hawaii, the Brady family gets to participate in many activities on the islands. The episodes focus on the boys of the Brady bunch who stumble upon a so-called "tiki" necklace which ends up being a cultural curse placed upon the boys for messing around with it. Distraught by the continued series of unfortunate events and mishaps that befall the boys, they set out to break the curse and seek the wisdom of the islanders. When the Brady boys adventure to the burial grounds where they are required to abandon the tiki necklace properly, they encounter a "mad" professor who accuses the boys of wanting to claim the burial grounds as their own findings. Completely innocent, the boys are trapped for a space of time with this professor. In the end, Mike Brady comes to the rescue and finds the boys. It is then that he reassures the professor that his boys meant no harm and that the burial grounds would be credited to the professor himself and that Mike and his family would be witnesses of it. Satisfied, the professor lets them go, the tiki curse is lifted, and the Brady Bunch returns home from their Hawaii vacation happy.

It is a cute show, and I thought it was entertaining. A majority of it is pretty predictable. I'm not one who believes in curses or superstitions but it was a fun show over all and it did open my eyes more to the tiki culture that is around me of which I never really observed so much in my life before! All in all, cool! :)

"Blue Hawaii"

The fourth film I'm reviewing for class is "Blue Hawaii". Okay...I'll be honest. I've known about Elvis Presley, but I have never watched any of his films nor really been very interested in him. Lets just say that after watching this film, I now see why he is so famous and popular--he is really, really, reeeally quite handsome!?! Hahaha! I enjoyed watching this film and really enjoyed watching him star in it. I believe that the market industries did really well in starring Elvis in this film to attract a variety of audiences--in particularly, the female audience. Lol!

This film was about Chad (starring Elvis) when he returns home to the islands from the army. Although he is the son of a rich pineapple plantation owner, he returns to his girl friend Maile and she helps him get a job at the tourist agency that she works at because Chad has no interest in taking over his dad's plantation. He goes against his parents wishes (especially his southern sounding mother--she is quite the pest!) and continues to work at the tourist agency. He takes on his first tour group which consists of 4 girl students and their school teacher. To keep the story simple, dramas take place due to MANY miscommunications and misunderstandings. Maile thinks that Chad and the school teacher have a little fling going on, one of the girl students crushes on Chad and puts herself in danger at the cost of Chad's reputation, Maile finds out that the school teacher actually loves Chad's uncle, the school girl is disciplined by Chad and has a change of heart, and Maile and Chad end up together and get married. After which they open up their own tourist agency and put Chad's uncle in charge of the pineapple plantation company. So a happily ever after for everyone! The End.

 There is so much to comment on about this film so I might end up rambling from one opinion I have to the next and so forth without much order or sense (so bear with me please!!!). First off, I will state my negative opinions. I think that Maile's character is annoying--if I saw my boyfriend kissing some lady on the airplane, I would LEAVE him!?! Haha! Throughout the entire film, it annoys me how jealous Maile gets of Chad and doesn't even leave him and just seems so entranced with him (well, actually, I don't blame her lol). But I think it's annoying when women fall into that trap and don't know how to get out of it and are attached to men--and especially if he's irresponsible, unthoughtful, conceited, and even selfish! Men such as the character Chad are a type that just is so...not cool! What do these women think sometimes!?? I like how Chad is close to the Polynesian guy friends of his, however, I think it's not fair that they hardly have a part in the film except to be goofy, sing, and dance. Although, compared to the previous films we've viewed, they actually have a lot more script and involvement (and it's more positive) so I guess that's good.

Now second, I will state my positive opinions. I think that this film is the best one so far that we have watched because it portrays Hawaii a whole lot better as it is! In the mid-late 1900s, tourism really was blooming and Hawaii was becoming an attraction to all. The film did a good job making Hawaii seem bright, friendly, beautiful, entertaining, and good! I feel like this film also did well in portraying Hawaiians/Polynesians as  "aloha" spirited locals and citizens as compared to the previous films where they are such barbaric people. I like how the film displayed some people who were racist but also other people who were completely the opposite of racism--this to me was very good because it's a shame when people are racist. And I liked how FINALLY an interracial marriage happens and is successful!!! YAY!!! I believe they can be VERY successful and happy and good--and for the film industry to display this, well, way to go!!!

"Jungle Heat"

The third film we watched was called "Jungle Heat." It was really just...so over exaggerated and hard for me to follow. Roger McRae and his wife Ann arrive in Kaui to take care of labor on the plantations. When they get there though, one bad event after the next after the next takes place and the "unwelcome" vibes are felt and brewed. Dr. Jim Ransom, a tall handsome Caucasian single man, is there right along side the McRaes to try to help them understand just what they're getting themselves into. Harvey Matthew (a big, sweaty Caucasian plantation owner) also tries to warn the McRaes but is very misleading. He gains the trust of Roger. Dr. Jim on the the other hand tries to warn, gently threaten, and protect the McRaes and he gains the trust of Ann. With time, Ann and Dr. Jim fall in love with each other as Ann sees things through Dr. Jim's "caring" eyes and attitude while the relationship of Roger and Ann diminishes quickly. Along with the developing of this love affair, many bad things happen such as explosions at the plantation, culprit searches, and finally the death of Mr. McRae himself (what!?!). In the end, the laborers receive justice and Dr. Jim and Ann end up together on a beach on the morning of December 7, 1941 (weird!?!).

I have to be honest and say that this was not really a film I enjoyed. First of all, it was hard for me to follow what was happening or going on. I was actually really confused!? But I figured it all out by the end of the film. I didn't like the strong racism vibes from Roger McRae nor the lack of communication and love in the relationship of the McRaes. (How did they even hook up in the first place!? Ann already seemed a lot more sensitive to people around her while Roger didn't really feel the same way.)

We still see that the locals are used to work on the plantations and I really despise the way they show how the Japanese "slaves" or "workers" are mistreated by Mr. Matthews. I suppose that is true though the way that plantation laborers lived and their poor life styles and condition. We see also how they were not treated as great as plantation owners and upper class people. It's just all so messed up and sad!

Over all, this film was not a favorite of mine and was really hard for me to follow and to be entertained by. It was annoying in a way because like I said, it was over exaggerated and just plain hard to follow. :/

"Go for Broke!"

The second film we watched in class was "Go for Broke." I am not much of a war fan because it's always saddening to me. However this film was pretty decent. This film is about Nisei, or Japanese-American volunteers, in the U.S. 442nd Regimental Combat Team during World War II and who try to prove that they are good American citizens and not traitors. Under the training and leadership of a young man named Lieutenant Michael Grayson (who is pretty racist in the beginning of his assignment but decreases over time), they are stationed to serve in Italy and France. They undergo fighting, war, suffering, wounds, (even a bit of romance lol), and life threatening missions. In the end, respect and honor are gained and a ceremony is held at the White House by President Harry S. Truman and General Mark W. Clark for their bravery and heroism.

This was a pretty interesting film. It's interesting to see how in most of these Hollywood films, the main characters or heroes of the film are tall, handsome, dashing, strong, Caucasian men as compared to those around them--especially the Japanese-American actors in this film. It's almost as if they choose the shortest, tiniest actors of Japanese descent as if to compare them even more and make a statement that they are not important or are helpless and not as significant as another ethnicity, status, or rank. I don't know. It's just really interesting. I thought it was interesting to hear the pidgin English being spoken by the Japanese-American local actors in the film. It's also interesting to me to see how bright, cheerful, and willing the Japanese-American soldiers are as compared to the very serious, somber, cold Caucasian officers. It almost makes the Japanese-Americans seem dumb or illiterate and not as smart or important as Caucasians.

Overall, I think it was a good film trying to depict a real event that took place in American history. While there is still so much racism and a sense of misrepresentation of Hawaii, it is pretty good.