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Description
Writers: Silvia Olivas & Rachel Ruderman

Director: Elliot M. Bour

Date: September 21, 2018

Synopsis: "Elena visits her cousin on the west coast."

So, how do I describe how far Elena Of Avalor has come? Well, read my review for the movie "Song Of The Sirenas" to find out. The movie starts with Elena and the royal family, as well as their friends, going to Nueva Vista on the west coast of Avalor to see an old family friend, Duke Cristobal. It's there that they meet Sirenas, singing sirens known for sinking ships, but they put that behind them in the past, unbeknownst to humans. Things get really bad when Shuriki, Fiero, Victor, Carla, Cruz, and Vestia get involved. Well, call me hooked. I really enjoyed this. The main thing that brings it all together is its message on how family is about sticking with each other, yet also knowing how to set limits. Let's go over the major characters that fit this idea.

Let's start with our crown princess herself, Elena. As per usual, she's in top form. At the start of the movie, she makes an instant connection to Princess Marisa due to sending how she's not all that bad. This is later proven true when she sees they were just trying to defend themselves, and she does everything they can to show that they're innocent. It's very noble of her to try and reach out to a society that's generally feared. We also see the potential consequences of her behavior. Because of her determination to help, she does not see how her cousin Cristobal (who I will talk about more below) was just using her to help Shuriki and trap the Sirenas. What really ties her character together is her mentality. She has the heart of a leader and hero, with a realistic mindset befitting that of a teenager.

Now let's talk about the Sirenas themselves. The ones that stand out the most are Princess Marisa, her brother Marzel, and the king. Marisa is shown to be as open hearted as Elena, upon seeing that she actually tried holding back the attack against then, and would do anything to help her. The Sirenas were once known for sinking ships, hence their feared reputation, which she wants to mend by helping her out. Her impulsive tendencies work when you consider that she's been underwater for pretty much her whole life. Her brother is definitely shown to be more cynical and weary of her being on the surface, but we see its from a place of love and concern, and making sure she doesn't get hurt. As for the king, he is hardcore, but not without reason. As a child, Marisa discovered she can walk on land, but through a misunderstanding, he thought the humans that were trying to help her not drown were trying to hurt her. His wife Camila also came about when he used special seaweed to turn her into a Sirena when she was a human who nearly drowned. They're all quite interesting.

Now let's talk about the main villains who stand out the most, Cristobal and Shuriki. Let me be honest. Cristobal is one of those villains you love to hate. He once allied with Shuriki when she promised to make him rich, but Elena defeating her caused him to lose most of his wealth. Yes, he's betraying his family to satisfy his greed. He is very slimy, yet also has a bit of sympathy. His father (who's Elena's uncle) was lost at sea when his boat was sunk by Sirenas, and he couldn't handle the loss. That is what makes him interesting to watch, on top him being a crafty manipulator given how he initially puts on a jovial appearance. As for Shuriki, we get to see more of her slimy side in how she's dead set on wanting to end Elena once and for all. The "family" dynamic she has is also reflected in how she treats her subordinates. She treats Fiero and the Jaquin twins with the most respect since they're shown to be more successful in helping her accomplish her goals, as opposed to Victor and Carla, who she treats with simple tolerance since they're too bumbling, but are also undyingly loyal.

Now let's talk about the entertainment aspect. It manages to be very high stakes with lots of action and almost everyone playing a role, yet also has a fun, upbeat vibe with great music to listen to.

Now let's talk about the ending. The Sirenas manage to move Shuriki's ship away in order to give Elena more leeway to defeat her. She then manages to defeat her with her scepter with only a purple crystal ball left. It is ambiguous as to whether she's trapped in it or turned into it or was killed, but we know Elena still has a sense of control over her actions and took the movie's lesson to heart. After all is said and done, she has Cristobal locked up in the tower, meaning she's being generous in sparing his life since he is essentially a beggar now. In the end, the Sirenas and humans manage to mend their severed ties and be friends. Now this is what I call a great movie and a great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Here is the cast for the movie.

Aimee Carrero as Princess Elena

Gina Rodriguez as Princess Marisa

Prince Royce as Prince Marzel

Edward James Olmos as King Pescoro

Rita Moreno as Queen Camila

Javier Muñoz as Duke Cristobal

Jane Fonda as Shuriki

Hector Elizondo as Fiero

Lou Diamond Phillips as Victor Delgado

Myrna Velasco as Carla Delgado

Mario Lopez as Cruz

Diane Guerrero as Vestia

Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel

Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban

Emiliano Diez as Francisco

Julia Vera as Luisa

Jorge Diaz as Gabe

Joseph Haro as Mateo

Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi Turner

Carlos Alazraqui as Skylar

Yvette Nicole Brown as Luna

Chris Parnell as Migs

Gia Lopez as Young Marisa

Julie Nathanson as Scarlett Turner

Rosario Dawson as Daria

Travis Willingham as Cuco

Richard Steven Horvitz as Ocho

Rich Sommer as Daniel Turner

Description
Writers: Silvia Olivas & Rachel Ruderman

Director: Elliot M. Bour

Date: September 21, 2018

Synopsis: "Elena visits her cousin on the west coast."

So, how do I describe how far Elena Of Avalor has come? Well, read my review for the movie "Song Of The Sirenas" to find out. The movie starts with Elena and the royal family, as well as their friends, going to Nueva Vista on the west coast of Avalor to see an old family friend, Duke Cristobal. It's there that they meet Sirenas, singing sirens known for sinking ships, but they put that behind them in the past, unbeknownst to humans. Things get really bad when Shuriki, Fiero, Victor, Carla, Cruz, and Vestia get involved. Well, call me hooked. I really enjoyed this. The main thing that brings it all together is its message on how family is about sticking with each other, yet also knowing how to set limits. Let's go over the major characters that fit this idea.

Let's start with our crown princess herself, Elena. As per usual, she's in top form. At the start of the movie, she makes an instant connection to Princess Marisa due to sending how she's not all that bad. This is later proven true when she sees they were just trying to defend themselves, and she does everything they can to show that they're innocent. It's very noble of her to try and reach out to a society that's generally feared. We also see the potential consequences of her behavior. Because of her determination to help, she does not see how her cousin Cristobal (who I will talk about more below) was just using her to help Shuriki and trap the Sirenas. What really ties her character together is her mentality. She has the heart of a leader and hero, with a realistic mindset befitting that of a teenager.

Now let's talk about the Sirenas themselves. The ones that stand out the most are Princess Marisa, her brother Marzel, and the king. Marisa is shown to be as open hearted as Elena, upon seeing that she actually tried holding back the attack against then, and would do anything to help her. The Sirenas were once known for sinking ships, hence their feared reputation, which she wants to mend by helping her out. Her impulsive tendencies work when you consider that she's been underwater for pretty much her whole life. Her brother is definitely shown to be more cynical and weary of her being on the surface, but we see its from a place of love and concern, and making sure she doesn't get hurt. As for the king, he is hardcore, but not without reason. As a child, Marisa discovered she can walk on land, but through a misunderstanding, he thought the humans that were trying to help her not drown were trying to hurt her. His wife Camila also came about when he used special seaweed to turn her into a Sirena when she was a human who nearly drowned. They're all quite interesting.

Now let's talk about the main villains who stand out the most, Cristobal and Shuriki. Let me be honest. Cristobal is one of those villains you love to hate. He once allied with Shuriki when she promised to make him rich, but Elena defeating her caused him to lose most of his wealth. Yes, he's betraying his family to satisfy his greed. He is very slimy, yet also has a bit of sympathy. His father (who's Elena's uncle) was lost at sea when his boat was sunk by Sirenas, and he couldn't handle the loss. That is what makes him interesting to watch, on top him being a crafty manipulator given how he initially puts on a jovial appearance. As for Shuriki, we get to see more of her slimy side in how she's dead set on wanting to end Elena once and for all. The "family" dynamic she has is also reflected in how she treats her subordinates. She treats Fiero and the Jaquin twins with the most respect since they're shown to be more successful in helping her accomplish her goals, as opposed to Victor and Carla, who she treats with simple tolerance since they're too bumbling, but are also undyingly loyal.

Now let's talk about the entertainment aspect. It manages to be very high stakes with lots of action and almost everyone playing a role, yet also has a fun, upbeat vibe with great music to listen to.

Now let's talk about the ending. The Sirenas manage to move Shuriki's ship away in order to give Elena more leeway to defeat her. She then manages to defeat her with her scepter with only a purple crystal ball left. It is ambiguous as to whether she's trapped in it or turned into it or was killed, but we know Elena still has a sense of control over her actions and took the movie's lesson to heart. After all is said and done, she has Cristobal locked up in the tower, meaning she's being generous in sparing his life since he is essentially a beggar now. In the end, the Sirenas and humans manage to mend their severed ties and be friends. Now this is what I call a great movie and a great way to celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month.

Here is the cast for the movie.

Aimee Carrero as Princess Elena

Gina Rodriguez as Princess Marisa

Prince Royce as Prince Marzel

Edward James Olmos as King Pescoro

Rita Moreno as Queen Camila

Javier Muñoz as Duke Cristobal

Jane Fonda as Shuriki

Hector Elizondo as Fiero

Lou Diamond Phillips as Victor Delgado

Myrna Velasco as Carla Delgado

Mario Lopez as Cruz

Diane Guerrero as Vestia

Jenna Ortega as Princess Isabel

Christian Lanz as Chancellor Esteban

Emiliano Diez as Francisco

Julia Vera as Luisa

Jorge Diaz as Gabe

Joseph Haro as Mateo

Jillian Rose Reed as Naomi Turner

Carlos Alazraqui as Skylar

Yvette Nicole Brown as Luna

Chris Parnell as Migs

Gia Lopez as Young Marisa

Julie Nathanson as Scarlett Turner

Rosario Dawson as Daria

Travis Willingham as Cuco

Richard Steven Horvitz as Ocho

Rich Sommer as Daniel Turner