It’s absolutely no secret that I love children’s media. Most of my favorite shows are usually targeted at a younger audience, but I think that makes me lucky.
I get to be put in a position of media literacy that a lot of younger kids can’t quite grasp. Of course, I watch things for fun, but I also get to analyze them.
I’ve always been a character study/essay kind of person, so it makes watching everything more of an educational experience than anything else. It also helps me with pattern recognition in multi-part series.
More specifically, movie trilogies—especially Disney movie trilogies.
I can tell you, based on how each movie was marketed, who’s in the cast, the gap between each movie’s release, the opening, and whether or not a movie will be good.
For example, Disney’s Descendants trilogy.
While the first movie is my favorite and very dear to my heart, the first sequel to follow is objectively the best of the three.
Let’s start with its release date and cast. 2017: probably one of live-action Disney’s most profitable years.
Not to mention the movie’s main protagonist, Mal, is played by Dove Cameron, whose Disney sitcom, Liv and Maddie, had come to a close just months prior to the movie’s release in July.
Fans of the beloved show were sure to tune in due to their devotion to Cameron.
Adding Sofia Carson, Cameron Boyce, and China Anne McClain, all well-known Disney actors, it was slated to be a huge success.
When you account for the promotion of Uma (McClain’s character) and the references to The Little Mermaid (1989) and Ursula’s lore alongside returning cast members and releasing big theatrical numbers ahead of the movie, it’s no surprise that it ended up being the star of the trifecta.
Sure, I may be biased in saying it’s the best of the three. Still, characterization, depth, and cinematography improvements from the first were apparent in several of the trailers released during the movie’s promotional era.
Even as a teenager, I can compare the three trailers and see how the other two pale in comparison, and this is true for other movies as well.
The Maze Runner movies may not have a noticeable standout, but it was pretty clear that even though The Death Cure‘s hiatus was out of the production team’s control, it wouldn’t be as good or as highly anticipated.
It kind of sucks knowing whether or not something will be good ahead of time, especially since I’m a completionist, and I stick through things that suck even when I have every ability to just turn the TV off.
But I value media literacy over enjoyment. Somebody has to do it, you know?
