Reconsiders contemporary Disney animation through the critical lens of genre theory
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Reveals new directions for the study of Disney’s gender portrayals by combining a film genre perspective and the concept of post-feminism
Examines the multifaceted interactions between Disney animated films, Pixar, Marvel, and other properties, providing insight into Disney’s expanding cinematic universe
Supported throughout by close analyse of the films, marketing materials, merchandising, and a wide range of comparative case studies from mainstream animation and Hollywood cinema
Contemporary Disney Animation: Genre, Gender and Hollywood is the first in-depth study of Disney’s latest animated output from the perspective of genre theory. Analysing a decade in Disney’s history (2008-2018), Benhamou examines the multifaceted interactions between animated films, Disney properties such as Pixar and Marvel, and popular genres including the romantic comedy, the superhero film and the cop buddy film. Through this extensive critical lens, combined with a focus on gender, she provides illuminating and original insights on films such as Tangled, Frozen and Moana. Informed by wider discourses on contemporary Hollywood and post-feminism, this book challenges conventional approaches to Disney, and foregrounds the importance of animation in understandings of film genres.
1. Animating a Formula: Disney, Genre and Hollywood Animation Part 1: Disney and Romance 2. Re-Animating Fantasies of Fairy-Tale Romance: Disney Nostalgia and The Princess and the Frog 3. Tangled’s Romantic Parodies: The DreamWorks Formula and the Post-feminist Disney Couple 4. Brave New Tale? Reframing Love and Romance in Frozen Part 2: Disney and Action Adventure 5. Animating the Digital Action-Adventure Spectacle 6. Disruption/Containment: Gender, Marvel and Disney’s Superheroes 7. Animal Action Buddies: Disney’s Anthropomorphic Re-Imaginings in Zootopia 8. Reflections of/on Contemporary Disney Animation: Ralph Breaks the Internet Filmography
Benhamou’s book offers a thorough and much needed critical exploration of contemporary animation from Disney and its competitors. Drawing on a multidisciplinary framework from genre to post-feminism through an animation studies lens, Benhamou offers the reader a well-considered, and very well written account of some of the key debates in screen studies.
Dr Eve Benhamou is a teaching fellow in Film Studies at the University Paul-Valéry Montpellier 3, France. Prior to this, she lectured at the Bristol School of Animation and Swansea University (UK). She has published several journal articles on Disney, Hollywood cinema and gender in film.
