Regular readers of this blog will remember that there's no love lost between me and the Disney Princess brand. And yet, as I was channel surfing a few weeks ago, I stumbled upon Princess Protection Program on the Disney Channel and was pleasantly surprised. A princess movie with a positive message? What will they think of next?
The basic plot is this: Princess Rosalinda (Demi Lovato) is about to be named queen of Fictional European Country when General Kane, dictator of Neighboring Fictional European Country tries to assassinate her and go all coup d'etat. Zut alors! For her own safety, Princess Rosalinda is taken into the Princess Protection Program, a Fictional Government Agency charged with keeping young princesses safe, because apparently these kinds of hostile takeovers happen all the time. Agent Joe Mason brings the Princess back to his home in Louisiana to keep her safe. Fish-out-of-water story ensues as Princess Rosalinda (now "Rosie") clashes with Joe's daughter Carter (Selena Gomez), confuses the locals, and wins over the entire school.
Unlike the typical Disney princess, Rosalinda inspires more than she annoys. In this movie, it takes more than marrying a prince to become a princess. According to Princess Protection Program, princesses:
- Speak multiple languages
- Are kind to their staff (and address each person in his/her native tongue)
- Can cook complex meals
- Will do menial labor if asked
- Offer free tutoring sessions
- Do not engage in conflict
- Help the less fortunate
- Value the importance of friendship
Not bad, right? It's nice to see that at least there's at least one princess out there who's a great role model for young girls. The movie, while nowhere near as good as the Disney Channel films of yesteryear (*cough*JohnnyTsunami*cough*), was one of the best made-for-tv films I've seen in a long time. If you haven't seen it yet, set your DVRs. After reeling in 8.5 million viewers for its June debut, I have to think there's a sequel in the works somewhere. And I for one, am ready for seconds.
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Related Links:
* The Problem with Disney Princesses
* Disney's Real Leading Ladies
* Princess Cake - Akershus, Epcot
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