Jab’s Builds! (Beaker! Sam Eagle! Miss Piggy! The Swedish Chef!)

Where in all of your character write ups will go.
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Woodclaw
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Re: Jab’s Builds (Mother Gothel! Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph!)

Post by Woodclaw »

My view of Wreck-It Ralph is kind of biased because I watched it with some friends that are massive videogames nuts. Still, I think that it's a really enjoyable, albeit really predictable, movie and I love some of the playful pokes they did to how the storytelling in videogames changed over the years (in particular Ralph screaming at the camera while he was in Heroes' Duty).
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

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Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds (Mother Gothel! Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph!)

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 4:54 am What's especially funny about Wreck-It Ralph is how much of a lie the trailer is. It paints the picture of it being some big video game crossover, where the actual appearances of other characters is incredibly brief. As Jab has mentioned, the scenes with the other Disney properties is likewise going to be very brief in the sequel and it's mostly going to focus on the original characters of the film and the weird Mad Max scenario.
It's a very weird trend with Disney over the past while- I think only Moana was particularly honest about its intentions.

I mean, Wreck-It Ralph isn't even NEARLY as misleading as Tangled, which, as I mentioned, basically lied about the genre, characters AND tone of the film. Frozen was advertised at first only with the snowman & reindeer; then added vague stuff about "That's no snowstorm- that's my SISTER!" Let It Go wasn't even advertised in the trailers, and Elsa wasn't even a speaking character.
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Re: King Frederic

Post by Jabroniville »

Ares wrote: Fri Oct 19, 2018 2:54 am
Wow, a father figure actually treated with a modicum of respect.and dignity.
Disney's cartoons are oddly good at that in many instances- Tangled, Sofia the First and Elena of Avalor all feature the fathers as symbols of wisdom and respect. It's the SITCOMS where both parents are depicted as uncool idiots easily outsmarted by their children.
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Vanellope Von Schweetz

Post by Jabroniville »

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VANELLOPE VON SCHWEETZ
Played by:
Sarah Silverman
Role: Disney Princess (sorta), Annoying Kid, Tomboy
PL 2 (72)
STRENGTH
-1 STAMINA 0 AGILITY 2
FIGHTING 2 DEXTERITY 0
INTELLIGENCE 0 AWARENESS 0 PRESENCE 2

Skills:
Athletics 9 (+8)
Deception 2 (+4)
Expertise (Video Games) 2 (+2)
Stealth 2 (+4, +6 Size)
Vehicles 8 (+8)

Advantages:
Equipment 2 (Kart), Improved Defense, Move-By Action

Powers:
"Small Size" Shrinking 4 (Feats: Innate) (Extras: Permanent +0) [9]
(-1 Strength, +2 Defenses, +4 Stealth, -2 Intimidation)

"Glitching" Teleport 4 (Feats: Change Direction, Increased Mass 5) [14]
"Extra Guy" Immortality 19 (Flaws: Limited to Within Own Game Cabinet) [19]

Offense:
Unarmed +2 (-1 Damage, DC 14)
Initiative +2

Defenses:
Dodge +4 (DC 14), Parry +4 (DC 14), Toughness +0, Fortitude +2, Will +4

Complications:
Motivation ("I Wanna Race!")- Vanellope's fondest wish is to race in the "Sugar Rush" game.
Responsibility (The Rules of Video Games)- You do not cross games (you can be killed permanently if you do, or cause glitches), and you play your designated role properly.
Reputation (Glitch)- Other game characters believe that since Vanellope is a glitch, her racing in the game will get the game unplugged, resulting in their eviction.
Relationship (Wreck-It Ralph)- The annoying young girl is nonetheless being picked on and bullied, and Ralph eventually takes a liking to her, realizing they've both been mistreated for who they are. Though she thinks he's a buffoon and an oaf at first, she comes to appreciate what he does for her, giving him a homemade medal saying "You're My Hero".
Enemy (King Candy)- The ruler of the Sugar Rush game world hates Vanellope for being a glitch, but has an even darker reason for disliking her.

Total: Abilities: 48 / Skills: 38--19 / Advantages: 10 / Powers: 42 / Defenses: 11 (130)

-Vanellope is sort of a test of Ralph's morality in the film- initially she just makes fun of him, but once they realize they're both being picked on for who they are, they come to terms and work together. As a "glitch", she's discriminated against by the characters in Sugar Rush- a Mario Kart-inspired game of chibi-style kid racers. Ralph eventually betrays her to save her life (or so he thinks), but when he realizes what's really up, he moves in to save her and the entire Arcade.
-Vanellope is a pretty weak kid and no real fighter, but she has the same abilities most video game characters have, plus a "Glitch" short-range Teleportation ability (big enough to allow her to carry her entire Kart with her). She's also a quick study at Kart Racing, being able to go from "doesn't know how to race" to "can win the race" in a short Montage Sequence.

About the Performer: Vanellope is played with grand annoyance by Sarah Silverman, a shock-style comedian who's a bit controversial given how she's a fan of the "swear and say outlandish things for comedy" approach, often going WAY into the offensiveness category (“I was raped by a doctor… which is so bittersweet for a Jewish girl”). Some of her stuff is pretty funny, though (like when she was on Conan and took a picture of a close-up of her lips with her tongue sticking out slightly... then put the image at groin level. Conan was aghast with embarassment, and then went "I just remembered you're here to promote a DISNEY film!"). Plus she proves that a comedienne doesn't have to be ugly to be funny (trust me, I've heard some people claim that hot girls are antithetical for comedy)- she actually looks remarkably good for someone in their forties (a recent movie scene she did certainly proves that). Sarah's annoying weirdo patter is actually pretty fitting for this kid, with infantile insults and rapid-fire dialogue. She's more deliberately-annoying than the accidental-annoying a lot of "Annoying Kid" characters are.

-Silverman has since proved herself a bit in dramatic work, like many in comedy before her. But she’s probably most well known for the hilarious “I’m fucking Matt Damon!” song, which was used to gag on her then-boyfriend, Jimmy Kimmell. I actually first discovered her on the short lived sitcom Greg The Bunny, where she played a very button-down, boring network executive… and I found her business attire insanely hot. Though I guess she was a friend on There's Something About Mary.
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Fix-It Felix

Post by Jabroniville »

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FIX-IT FELIX, JR.
Played by:
Jack McBrayer
Role: Video Game Protagonist, Nice Guy
PL 6 (111)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 1 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 4
INTELLIGENCE 1 AWARENESS 1 PRESENCE 3

Skills:
Athletics 10 (+10)
Expertise (Architecture) 4 (+5)
Expertise (Video Games) 10 (+11)
Insight 1 (+2)
Persuasion 1 (+4)

Advantages:
Agile Feint, Move-By Action

Powers:
"Golden Hammer" (Flaws: Easily Removable) [20]
"I Can Fix It!" Transform 10 (Broken Objects to Fixed Objects/Objects to Stronger Objects) (Extras: Continuous) (30) -- (31)
  • AE: "Healing Touch" Healing 8 (16)
    "Upgrades Objects" Protection 4 (Flaws: Affects Others Only +0, Limited to Objects) (2)
-- (33 points)

"Extra Guy" Immortality 19 (Flaws: Limited to Within Own Game Cabinet) [19]
Leaping 1 (15 feet) [1]

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +8 (DC 18), Toughness +1, Fortitude +3, Will +6

Complications:
Motivation ("I Can Fix It!")- Felix loves to fix things, believing it's his responsibility. Therefore, he takes it upon himself to fix his game when Ralph disappears, endangering them with being unplugged and left homeless.
Responsibility (The Rules of Video Games)- You do not cross games (you can be killed permanently if you do, or cause glitches), and you play your designated role properly.
Responsibility (Nice)- Fix-It Felix is programmed for niceness, and is the hero of "Niceland".
Relationship (Sgt. Calhoun)- Fix-It Felix is quickly impressed and infatuated with Sgt. Calhoun of "Hero's Duty", seeing the tall amazonian woman as a "Dynamite Gal".

Total: Abilities: 42 / Skills: 26--13 / Advantages: 2 / Powers: 40 / Defenses: 14 (111)

-Fix-It Felix is the nice, good-hearted protagonist of the "Fix-It Felix, Jr." game, and is the only Nicelander not rude to Ralph- at the same time, he took Ralph's role for granted and never considered how playing the bad guy all that time would make him feel (not to mention not even thinking of inviting him to that 30th Anniversary party). But as soon as he & Calhoun meet up with Ralph and hear his side, he's willing to help out. He has a tacked-on Love Interest story with Calhoun that I didn't really buy (I mean, what was that even in there for, aside from some backstory and some stuff for them to do?), and oddly was also going to be the protagonist of the film in early development, but the writer felt that Ralph's attempt to become heroic was more compelling.

-Felix has a magical Hammer that can fix stuff and heal people (though I don't remember that- it's been several months since I saw it. He is able to heal himself when Calhoun punches him in the face to make the laughing taffy lower to get them out of the Nesquiksand... "Sugar Rush" is a weird game), with the Healing Objects fitting more of a Transform (it's actually there in the rules- 2 points per rank) that can also make things stronger when hit (though this was an unfortunate thing, since he couldn't use the Hammer to break through his prison cell's bars- he just MADE THE BARS STRONGER!). He's not much of a fighter though, since his Hammer is really only good for helping others, so consider him the Team Healer or something (the video game lets him turn Cy-Bugs into their egg forms as it's their "Pristine Condition" or something). He's also not very durable, as Ralph killed him BY ACCIDENT by dropping something on him.

About the Performer: Felix is voiced with cheery aplomb by Jack McBrayer from "30 Rock", a show I can't watch since I neither find his nice-guy act amusing, nor find Tracey Morgan entertaining IN THE FREAKING SLIGHTEST. Seriously, I hate Tracey Morgan SO MUCH that I can't even watch that show, despite being pathologically in love with Tina Fey, who is awesome. McBrayer is really only known for that one character.
Jabroniville
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Sgt. Calhoun

Post by Jabroniville »

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"'Fear' is a four-letter word, ladies! You wanna go peepee in your big-boy slacks, keep it to yourself!"

"All right, ladies! The kitten whispers and tickle fights stop now!"


SERGEANT CALHOUN (Tamora Jean "T.J." Calhoun)
Played by:
Jane Lynch
Role: Video Game Protagonist, Action Girl, Nasty Drill Sergeant
PL 8 (142)
STRENGTH
3 STAMINA 4 AGILITY 5
FIGHTING 10 DEXTERITY 5
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 1

Skills:
Athletics 8 (+11)
Expertise (Soldier) 8 (+11)
Intimidation 7 (+8)
Perception 4 (+7)
Stealth 2 (+7)
Technology 3 (+6)
Vehicles 4 (+9)

Advantages:
Diehard, Equipment 4 (Laser Blaster, Armour), Great Endurance, Improved Aim, Improved Critical 2 (Unarmed, Lasers), Improved Defense, Inspire, Last Stand, Leadership, Move-By Action, Power Attack, Precise Attack (Ranged/Concealment), Quick Draw, Ranged Attack 5, Set-Up, Teamwork

Powers:
"Extra Guy" Immortality 19 (Flaws: Limited to Within Own Game Cabinet) [19]

Equipment:
"Laser Blaster" Blast 6 (Extras: Multiattack) (18)
"Armour" Protection 2 (2)

Offense:
Unarmed +10 (+3 Damage, DC 18)
Laser Blaster +10 (+6 Ranged Damage, DC 21)
Initiative +5

Defenses:
Dodge +10 (DC 20), Parry +10 (DC 20), Toughness +4 (+6 Armour), Fortitude +7, Will +8

Complications:
Responsibility (The Rules of Video Games)- You do not cross games (you can be killed permanently if you do, or cause glitches), and you play your designated role properly.
Responsibility (Late Fiancee)- "The only day she didn't do a perimeter check... was her WEDDING day..." Calhoun was left heartbroken when, on her wedding day, her husband-to-be was eaten by a Cy-Bug. She is devoted to wiping them out ever since.
Responsibility (Cynic)- Calhoun is now a bitter, cynical woman, frequently violent, and extremely nasty to others. Only True Love can melt her heart...

Total: Abilities: 68 / Skills: 36--18 / Advantages: 24 / Powers: 19 / Defenses: 13 (142)

-Sgt. Calhoun (who, curiously, is not named on film until the Epilogue, which I wouldn't have known if the Disney Wiki hadn't mentioned it) is basically Jane Lynch playing her breakout character, Sue Sylvester, from Glee, but in a different setting. For the uninitiated, Sue is the hard-nosed, bitter, militaristic, angry coach of the evil Cheer Team in "Glee", often torturing her girls as part of training ("You think THIS is hard! Try waterboarding- THAT'S HARD!") and commenting about her time in the Marines. Sue was a HUGE hit and instantly became a big character on the show, which became a smash in its first season. Alas, crappy writing (seriously, the show was GREAT in its first several episodes, with many interesting characters with potential, and they pissed it all away with stupid subplots), variable characterization (this show has the least-consistent characters I've ever seen in fiction, AND I READ COMIC BOOKS- Kurt will be a sympathetic shy gay boy in one episode, and a vicious, outgoing catty queen the next; Santana & Sue are either Disney Villain evil or weepy and sympathetic depending on who's writing... most characters default back to their status quo after learning a lesson more than even "Scrubs" characters did), over-doing the current popular songs to be part of a fad, and sticking with the same old plot lines all combined together to drop the show's ratings like a lead balloon, and its currently barely paid attention to, save when star Corey Monteith died of a heroin overdose.

-ANYWAYS, Calhoun is a fun, awesome character for much the same reason Sue is (or was)- she's just nicer overall. And keep in mind Calhoun is still verbally-abusive, rude, brusque and hyper-violent. Lynch fills her dialogue with a VICIOUS sneer, and she really kicks some ass. And she REALLY fills out that body armour (why do kevlar vests not come in D-Cup in real life like they do in the video games?), giving her a kind of Butch Lesbian (Lynch is totally gay in real life)/Vasquez-From-Aliens kind of vibe, but more sexy-like. I REALLY didn't buy the relationship between her and Felix, though- he's a total nerd, and like 1/5th her size. While that's ordinarily HOT AS HELL, he's totally child-like in temperament and proportions. It feels tacked-on and unnecessary.

-Calhoun is easily the best fighter and most expensive character from Wreck-It Ralph, packing the Advantages of a gunfighter. She's less-experienced with gaming than both Ralph & Felix (who've been at this for three decades), as she has no idea what "Going Turbo" means, or why it's bad to Game-Jump, but she packs a ton of accuracy. In a Ralph-inspired game (and really, aside from ReBoot, or comics in general, what setting allows for more varied adventures?), she'd be your Ranged DPS, while Ralph is the Powerhouse and Felix is Team Assister.

About the Performer: Jane Lynch is really only famous for playing Sue, which was unfortunate, as Glee kind of wore out its welcome after two seasons and nine million albums. However, she was a bit player in a lot of shows and movies before that- ironically, Glee may have HARMED her career in the long run, as two years of a popular TV show have left her utterly recognizable as a "star" and therefore probably a bit typecast. But then, she's a tall lesbian in her late fifties- she was probably just happy to have some work.
Jabroniville
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King Candy

Post by Jabroniville »

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TURBO (aka King Candy)
Played by:
Alan Tudyk
Role: Secret Villain
PL 5 (95)
STRENGTH
1 STAMINA 3 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 6 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 5 AWARENESS 4 PRESENCE 5

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+5)
Deception 8 (+13)
Expertise (Computers) 6 (+11)
Insight 4 (+8)
Intimidation 3 (+8)
Perception 6 (+10)
Persuasion 4 (+9)
Technology 2 (+7)
Vehicles 11 (+14)

Advantages:
Benefit 2 (Ruler of Sugar Rush Castle), Equipment 2 (Kart), Ultimate Deception

Offense:
Unarmed +6 (+1 Damage, DC 16)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +3, Fortitude +4, Will +6

Complications:
Secret (Actually Turbo)- King Candy was originally the protagonist of TurboTime, and is infamous among the arcade's beings.
Motivation (Survival & Glory)- As Turbo, the King was so annoyed with the success of a rival racing game that he attempted to join that cabinet. When that failed (destroying both games), he entered Sugar Rush instead.
Enemy (Vanellope Von Schweetz)- Vanellope is actually a major character in Sugar Rush, but he edited her code and turned her into a glitch. If she ever passes the finish line in the game, it will re-set, reverting everyone's memories of her. And so, he fights to kill or capture her.

Total: Abilities: 60 / Skills: 48--24 / Advantages: 5 / Powers: 0 / Defenses: 6 (95)

-One of the earlier "Surprise Villains", before that became a recurring cliche in Disney productions, King Candy is at first the douchebaggy ruler of the Sugar Rush game world, who hunts Vanellope for being a "glitch" who threatens the safety of their game... until it turns out that his REAL motivation is because he's secretly Turbo, from a glitched-out game (helpfully, the movie illustrates some of the inner mechanics of their universe ahead of time, showing that you can "Go Turbo" and switch games, but it's destruction and often ruins both- two machines were ruined when a jealous Turbo abandoned his game for another one), and had replaced Vanellope years ago- she's actually a proper character in the game, but was edited out.

-This is King Candy in normal form. When he gets infected by a Cy-Bug (which devours him alive), he grows to thirty feet tall (about Growth 8), adding a ton of hitting power, Flight, and Claws. He was much stronger than Ralph (probably ST 9), and around PL 9-10.

About the Performer: Alan Tudyk started out in Disney film as the Villain of Wreck-It Ralph, but of course segued that to appearing in OTHER Disney features as well, albeit in smaller roles (sort of a reverse of many others, like Tony Jay, who "upgrade" from Supporting Cast to Disney Villain. Tudyk performs King Candy & Turbo, then moved on to being the Duke of Weasel Town in Frozen ("it's WESELTON!"), and a literal weasel in Zootopia. He's most famous to nerds for playing the dinosaur-toy-loving guy on Firefly.
Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds (Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph! Turbo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

It’s kinda weirding me out how selective my memory is about this movie- I remember the crossover stuff early on, Felix repeatedly dying, and Sgt. Calhoun, but a lot of the plot had left my memory, to the point where I was reading my review and going “Cybugs?”.

Maybe because I watched it in a similar timeframe with a lot of their other action movies, like Atlantis and Treasure Planet. Or just did my “casual watch while doing builds” thing (I used to not retain a lot of tv because of that... oddly, now it takes me forever to watch ANYTHING, because I pause the tv instead- I get distracted very easily.
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Woodclaw
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Re: Sgt. Calhoun

Post by Woodclaw »

Jabroniville wrote: Sat Oct 20, 2018 1:01 am -ANYWAYS, Calhoun is a fun, awesome character for much the same reason Sue is (or was)- she's just nicer overall. And keep in mind Calhoun is still verbally-abusive, rude, brusque and hyper-violent. Lynch fills her dialogue with a VICIOUS sneer, and she really kicks some ass. And she REALLY fills out that body armour (why do kevlar vests not come in D-Cup in real life like they do in the video games?), giving her a kind of Butch Lesbian (Lynch is totally gay in real life)/Vasquez-From-Aliens kind of vibe, but more sexy-like. I REALLY didn't buy the relationship between her and Felix, though- he's a total nerd, and like 1/5th her size. While that's ordinarily HOT AS HELL, he's totally child-like in temperament and proportions. It feels tacked-on and unnecessary.
Funny little fact for you Jab, bullet-proof vests do come in D-cup in real life, although they don't look even remotely as they did in videogames. Body armor (especially kevlar-based one) is most effective when it is as close as possible to the body. For this reason, starting around 2000, Scotland Yard started testing custom made body armor for female officiers with rather large bust size. Apparently the results were actually good and it became standard practice.
The one element that makes on sense in gaming design is how the breasts seem often tacked on, since that would create a rather uncomfortable situation and actually put the user in danger, since hits coming in from certain angle would probably connect and "slide inside" causing more damage.
"You're right. Sorry. Holy shit," I breathed, "heckhounds.”

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Jabroniville
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Re: Jab’s Builds (Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph! Turbo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

And now, with Wreck-It Ralph out of the way... it's time for the Disney set you've ALL been expecting from me-- the next one in the line; the one I spend so much time talking about...

That's right-- SOFIA THE FIRST AND ELENA OF AVALOR BUILDS!!!!!


... What?
Jabroniville
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Sofia the First

Post by Jabroniville »

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SOFIA THE FIRST (2012-2018)
Created by:
Craig Gerber

-One of the central features of the Disney Junior franchise (targetted towards younger kids) for the past half a decade was Sofia the First, which differed from the other stuff chiefly by its appealing to the "Disney Princess" franchise. See, most of the other Disney Junior shows are either unrelated entirely to the rest of Disney (Doc McStuffins and others), or DIRECTLY linked to them (the countless Mickey Mouse-themed shows). Sofia was unusual in that it was its own thing... but ALSO crossed over with established Disney Princesses, to the point where CINDERELLA appears in the opening Mini-Movie! Subsequently, every other canonical Princess (plus Olaf from Frozen... but not Elsa, Anna, nor Moana) makes an appearance, most of the later ones played by their original Voice Actors.

The whole thing centers around a village girl who became "a Princess overnight!" when her mother marries the King. Therefore she immediately jumps up in class, joining a weird school "just for royalty", with the Princes & Princesses of various other kingdoms (the nearby comparisons to... Arabia, China, and Africa?), and the Three Fairies of Sleeping Beauty as their teachers. Given a mysterious amulet by her father, Sofia engages in adventures big and small, with the caveat that nobody else be allowed to wear it. It turns out, the thing is magical, allowing her to speak to animals. And during times of great stress, she is visited by a "Princess of the Past", who gives her either some practical advice, or actual physical help (like Rapunzel with her long hair getting Sofia out of a crevice).

The Recurring Cast:
Sofia- A very young girl who's now got to get used to the royal life. Usually the kindest, selfless, most noble person around.
Amber- Sofia's stepsister, a very "rich bitch" type, usually kept JUST over the edge of being truly mean. Conceited, flouncy, uptight and image-obsessed, many episodes revolve around her being selfish (wanting her father all to herself, wanting to be the best), and the show's pilot movie features her being really rude and snotty to Sofia. The Curse of Princess Ivy also shows her STEALING Sofia's amulet once she discovers its powers, which curses them with Ivy's presence. However, she generally pulls a "Final Minute Breakdown" in the end, and does good. By the final season, is more or less normal and good.
James- Sofia's stepbrother, more of a protective older brother type, though occasionally a bit too energetic and competitive.
King Roland II- Sofia's stepfather. A good and noble king, but very bland. Does a lot of authoritarian stuff that is proven wrong by Sofia in the end (such as keeping the kingdom's feud with the Trolls going).
Queen Miranda- Sofia's mother- a former shoe shop owner who married the king. Acts pretty bland and generic. Both parents generally "know best".
Cedric- The incompetent, scheming court magician. Generally a "doofus villain" who feels antagonized and disrespected by everyone around him. Slowly, SLOWLY develops more facets, as you see his family life (everyone picked on him), and see the reasons for why everyone disses him (he often screws up publicly). A HUGE number of episodes over the years revolve around his scheming to capture Sofia's amulet, but when he finally does... he realizes he can't use its powers without cursing himself. In the end, he turns on his Evil Wizard allies in order to defend the royal family, and becomes their ally in the final season- now a more confident, capable magician.
Baileywick- The very, VERY gay Castle Steward (aka butler, majordomo, whatever). Always helpful and hardworking. No interpersonal relationships are shown aside from his brother, but... come on.
The Other Classmates- Most of them have simple personalities, but each one generally gets an episode of focus to humanize them a bit. Amber has two super-popular-girl friends who follow her around, but one has a secret love of performing that threatens to split them apart. Hugo starts off as an antagonist who cheats in races, but Sofia later comes to his defense as he learns ice-dancing against his father's wishes.
Ruby & Jade- A duo of Generic Friendly Girls who were Sofia's friends from her village life, who usually get to have fun at the palace, too.
Clover- Sofia's pet rabbit, voiced by Wayne Brady. A sarcastic, annoying, gluttonous bunny. Usually the source of... well, they're not funny, but JOKES, I guess.
Minimus- Sofia's pet pegasus-pony, because winged horses are EVERYWHERE in this world (they carry the families between kingdoms). He's tiny and self-conscious about it, especially as his family is full of large, full-size horses.
The Protectors- Guardians of the Realm or whatever, devoted to saving the world from villains. The whole last season revolves around them, but most don't get much focus- they just help out Sofia. The main one actually gets a rip-off of the Happy Days episode with Fonzie celebrating Christmas morning alone, as the confident, "I don't need anybody" Protector reveals a sad, lonely life.

Among the Typical Episodes:
* Simple "lesson learning" episodes, usually based around one cast member being douchey, or forgetting who they are. Typical kiddie faire.
* Something involving her stepsister Amber or her high-class, snobbish friends, usually similar to the above.
* Actual adventures with lives at stake. Sometimes it's just a simple "being trapped" or "an animal is about to attack", but other times it's quite epic in the "MANY WILL DIE" aspect.
* Cedric, the lowly, incompetent Royal Magician, schemes to steal Sofia's amulet, believing it to have great power. In one of the show's best ongoing stories, Cedric learns that the guileless Sofia always appreciated and liked him, that he couldn't wield the amulet's powers anyways, and that he was never meant to be truly evil. Eventually, he rejects the evil overtures of his allies, and turns completely good.
* There's ALWAYS a song. Mostly they're pretty bad or forgettable.
* Sofia gains a new power.
* Sofia becomes a part of some Magical Library, which forces her to enter various "stories" and create their endings.
* Sofia becomes a "Guardian of the Realm", gaining a magical Snare-thingie on her wrist, and fights off various villains.

All in all, it's very forgettable much of the time, but makes solid background noise. However, the occasional episode is REALLY good, and there's some fun characterization. Sofia is a LITTLE too perfect all the time, making things more dull, but that's a show for five-year-olds for you. One episode that always kind of stuck with me was one in which SOFIA was given some negavite traits. See, when she's chosen to sing the national anthem of their Generic European-Style Country, she brags and goes on about it a little too long, and ends up cursed by her amulet (which punishes misdeeds, which is why it's actually useless for villains). And when she realizes this, and apologizes to the friends she's offended... she's STILL CURSED! And only when Princess Belle arrives do we get the full reasoning- Belle points out that while apologizing is GREAT... to TRULY fix things is to MAKE AMENDS. And so Sofia stands aside and allows her friends to sing instead, which is what finally makes things right. I don't think I've ever actually seen that particular lesson taught that way- that actual apologies are far less meaningful than actually making things right.

Some of the villains are pretty memorable. Princess Ivy has a REALLY great design, which would look great on a super-villain. Crysta is cute and has neat powers (she's basically Evil Elsa, but voiced by Megan "Glinda/Rosetta" Hilty.

The Princess appearances are usually fun. Especially the ones that are big multi-parters. Ariel showing up in the "Mermaid Kingdom" episode (where both she and the Mermaid Queen were voiced by Jodi Benson, no less!) was great. I also liked how Sofia's dad got noticeably turned on by the Mermaid Queen, leading to his wife giving him an annoyed look. It's like, the only time those two ever had a cross word with each other :). And the final episode is actually REMARKABLY epic, with the Not!Maleficent villainess (revealed from the shadows, having possessed lacky Pryzma) potentially trapping Sofia in her amulet forever, requiring Sofia to use every power she's ever gained in the series (including Shrinking, Animal Morph, and other abilities) to defeat her, finally using a "Care Bear Stare" (while EVERY PRINCESS SHE'S MET nods to cheer her on) to wipe out the villain for good.

I was a bit surprised that the show actually ended- six years is an ETERNITY by Disney standards- but you could see them slowly run out of ideas. I mean, they introduced the "Wicked Nine" artifacts of power (accoutrements of Disney's Villains, like Grimhilde's crown), but then abruptly wrapped up half of the un-found ones in the finale. The whole "Sofia writes happy endings for various stories" season really went nowhere, too. So despite being one of Disney Junior's biggest hits ever, it ended in late 2018.
Jabroniville
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Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Re: Jab’s Builds (Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph! Turbo!)

Post by Jabroniville »

(And don't worry- each show will have only one build each, and the builds have real Powers and such attached to them :))
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Princess Ivy

Post by Jabroniville »

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PRINCESS IVY
Played by:
Anna Camp
Role: Power-Hungry Villain
PL 9 (119)
STRENGTH
0 STAMINA 2 AGILITY 3
FIGHTING 4 DEXTERITY 3
INTELLIGENCE 3 AWARENESS 3 PRESENCE 4

Skills:
Athletics 4 (+4)
Expertise (Royalty) 3 (+6)
Insight 3 (+6)
Intimidation 2 (+6)
Perception 4 (+7)

Advantages:
Daze (Deception)

Powers:
"Butterfly Horde" Affliction 8 (Will; Dazed & Impaired/Stunned & Disabled/Incapacitated & Transformed Memories) (Feats: Accurate 3, Homing 5, Ricochet) (Extras: Ranged, Multiattack, Continuous +3) [57]

Offense:
Unarmed +4 (+0 Damage, DC 15)
Butterflies +9 (+8 Ranged Affliction, DC 18)
Initiative +3

Defenses:
Dodge +6 (DC 16), Parry +6 (DC 16), Toughness +2, Fortitude +4, Will +5

Complications:
Motivation ("A Kingdom of My Own!")- Ivy believes that someone of her grandness deserves a kingdom of her own. She'll even SING about it!
Enemy (Sofia)- Sofia is responsible for Ivy's defeat when she tried to take over Enchancia.
Enemy (Sister)- Ivy tried to usurp power from her sister, but was defeated.
Relationship (Roma)- Roma the skunk is Ivy's only true friend- it's his falling victim to the "Deep Sleeps" that gives her the gift of empathy, which causes her to give up on her hatred.

Total: Abilities: 44 / Skills: 16--8 / Advantages: 1 / Powers: 57 / Defenses: 9 (119)

-Princess Ivy debuted in a book/TV Movie combo called The Curse of Princess Ivy, which featured her as a Princess summoned by Sofia's amulet. The problem was- there wasn't a current crisis, and AMBER was wearing Sofia's amulet, having stolen it after learning of its magical properties! And thus more of the nature of the Amulet of Avalor was discovered- it promises a "blessing or curse", and since Sofia was kind-hearted and nice, she was almost always given blessings. Amber's selfish reasons and duplicitous nature ended up giving them a CURSE, which became obvious once Princess Ivy took over the kingdom using an army of black & white butterflies that stole color and memory. She nearly wins (capturing Sofia's amulet and attempting to destroy it in a really long, boring subplot), and the girls can't manage to send her back into exile, but Amber sacrifices herself for Sofia, leaping in the way of a butterfly- this good deed undoes the "curse", sending Ivy back.

-Ivy had a REALLY cool design- a "Princess Dress" consisting of black & white colors and butterfly symbols. This is a really unique look, and I'd love to do something like it for a recurring supervillain character, especially with the cool hair. The character reappeared a couple of years later when Sofia was in her "I can ALSO be summoned to help other Princesses" phase, as she struggles to help Ivy with all the creatures in her island of exile falling into "The Deep Sleeps". Ivy is reluctant and spiteful the entire time, but comes around when someone SHE likes falls to it. This show of empathy apparently reforms her, but she ends up getting an entirely different personality, which... isn't really how reforming works. I'd say it fits for a children's show like Sofia, but they've actually done the legit version with Cedric and other characters, so I KNOW that they're aware of how to do it.

-Princess Ivy's powers are very potent for this universe, essentially allowing her to permanently-disable anyone coming at her with a well-placed butterfly. She can more or less direct them, but they also act as a "Summon" in a way (she names them, and they stick around). It's never QUITE clear what exactly is happening, but she can certainly shoot them right out.

About the Performer: I've never heard of Anna Camp, but research has revealed that she was in Pitch Perfect, where her "Generic Pretty Blonde Girl" looks probably fit the role of cheerleader perfectly. She was also the only fully-clothed woman in the history of True Blood, which is weird when she did nudity in some nothing movie later.
Jabroniville
Posts: 24689
Joined: Fri Nov 04, 2016 8:05 pm

Elena of Avalor

Post by Jabroniville »

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ELENA OF AVALOR (2016-Present):
Created by:
Craig Gerber

-The enormous popularity of Sofia the First led to the creation of Elena four years later. The behind-the-scenes origin of this spin-off is rather interesting, as creator Craig Gerber was like "YEAH, SOFIA IS THE FIRST LATINA DISNEY PRINCESS!!!" before revealing the whitest white girl of all white girls as the lead character. So people were a bit "uhhh...?" about it. I mean, TECHNICALLY you can be Latina and just be descended from spaniards and whatever, and much of Latin & South America (Cuba & Argentina especially) is led by Spanish-speaking white folks with very little native ancestry to them, but... it was pretty obvious what people were expecting. And so, Gerber, being NOT a giant idiot, realized there was some interest in this sort of "legitimate" Latin influence, and so worked on creating a spin-off.

-Elena's backstory is INSANELY confusing, made worse by the fact that her first episode did a rapid-fire explanation of her past, because HER DEBUT MOVIE HADN'T SHOWN UP YET. Elena is the Princess of Avalor, a "Mexican-ish" country (the way Enchancia in Sofia is European-ish and Tangu is Arabian-ish- it's a recurring aspect of this world to look SORT OF like an established place) with lots of Latin influences, but where most people just speak in Spanish accents and say occasional Spanish things, like Chris Claremont is writing this universe. Her parents were killed by the evil witch Shuriki, who exiled Elena into the Amulet of Avalor (the same one that later empowers Sofia the First), and froze her sister and grandparents into a painting. 40-50 years go by, and then Sofia and her family later get involved, as Elena speaks to Sofia from within the Amulet- eventually, Shuriki is defeated and Elena is restored to power, no older than when she'd left.

-Elena starts the series declaring that she's Ready To Rule, but her grandparents disagree- she is still too young and immature. She decides to form a "Council" of her friends and relatives. The show itself is very much like Sofia, but with an older edge- there's actual life & death stakes more often, then most episodes are STILL about things like "be true to yourself" and what-not. However, the "Myth Arc" slowly grows, with SHURIKI eventually returning, gathering some villains from other episodes.

-The show's opening sequence kind of reflects everything in a nutshell- she's making "DreamWorks Face" (she's snarky!), she's confident (she's a role model!) she does daring stuff (the show has adventure!), she sings & dances (it's Disney!)... and then she runs up to the throne, sheepishly correcting her crooked crown (LOL she's just like us and is new at this!).

The Recurring Cast:
Elena- The Princess- about sixteen-ish. Spirited, fighty and noble, but still quite immature (actually more prone to mistakes than SOFIA). Tends to make the right decision in the end, and is generally the peacemaker around her supporting cast, but can be nosy and overdo it when trying to help out.
Naomi- Elena's Nordic-looking female friend. Actually gets to join the Council, as her worldly attitude, cleverness and cynicism pay off. Generally acts as the Snarker.
Mateo- Royal sorcerer, using a tambourine thing to engage in minor spells. Younger than the other characters by a bit, giving him a more "eager to please" edge. His grandfather is the one who saved the lives of Elena's family back in the day.
Gabe- A young Royal Guard who, despite not having a huge rank, is basically Elena's pal and nearly always around the group. More stoic and updstanding than the others, but not as big of a doofus or butt-monkey as most characters like this.
Elena's Grandparents- Elena's grandfather is mature, confident and wise, and humorously always finds someone to give him a guitar from just off-camera. Her grandmother is more of a charming "Young Grannie", and speaks with the most Spanish. Very, very rarely featured in the show, she is nonetheless super-competitive with Olaball, coaching the team with an obsessive fervor.
Isabel- Elena's beloved little sister, a big inventor. While she seems a bit of a "satisfy the critics" thing by making this super-genius little girl for kids to look up to, she's actually quite impulsive and immature, and creates many issues by running off or trying to fit in.
The Jaquins- A race of flying winged jaguars (a similar thing appears in Coco). Migs is the practical one, voiced by Chris "Cyril Figgis" Parnell (which creates some REALLY funny things, considering he doesn't change his voice in the slightest, and because Archer is so much more adult-themed). Skylar is the immature one who slowly grows up a bit and gains some responsibility. Luna is the "black-talking" one, who doesn't appear much. Jaquins slowly play a bigger role in the show, as their magical realm Vallestrella opens up for the heroes & villains, Migs suddenly shows up with a mate and CUBS, and more.
Chancellor Estaban- Elena's cousin, who was NOT exiled and has thus aged appropriately. He was the majordomo/assistant to Shariki when she took over, but chafed under her rule. In the Opening Movie, he betrays her in the end, shattering her source of power and causing her defeat. He's an interesting character, in that he's openly stuffy, snobbish and eager to engage in power plays (he suggests HIMSELF for the Grand Council, and repeatedly tries to enact his authority, bossing around various characters and always "suggesting" the proper course of action)... but he ultimately has the best wishes of the family at heart. He's often shown as the butt-monkey since he's so serious. His dark past is hinted at, as some recurring villains used to have an alliance with him, leading to questions about his allegiances and secrets.
Zuzo- Sofia's spiritual guide- a sarcastic glowing fox that only she can see (due to the magic given her while trapped in the Amulet). I... get the feeling that he was supposed to be a much bigger part of the show, but I frequently forget he even exists. He really only comes up during big "Magical Stuff" episodes, and even then tends to only be there for a few seconds.
Armando- A frazzled castle servant, generally taking the "majordomo" role.

Among the Typical Episodes:
* Simple "lesson learning" episodes, usually based around one cast member being douchey, or forgetting who they are. Typical kiddie faire, much like Sofia.
* Elena finding someone acting improperly or needing help, and OF COURSE getting involved. Tends to be rather push about it, actually, but the right results typically occur. She helps Gabe with Olaball, a family regain their ancestral restaurant (with the spirit of their dead matriarch as her guide), Isabel to accept herself when trying to make friends, and more.
* Shuriki and her minions attack something, requiring a full group effort.
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squirrelly-sama
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Re: Jab’s Builds (Cassandra! Varian! Wreck-It Ralph! Turbo!)

Post by squirrelly-sama »

Elena of Avalore? Aw hell yeah! It wasn't my childhood but it was a good show, I put it on for my niece and nephew whenever they came by. But the songs, man they had some amazing songs. Gift of Night and Can't Catch Me of my favorites.
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