“LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest” Offers an Enjoyable Princess Team Up – Review

LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest has Ariel, Moana, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Snow White teaming up to rescue King Triton and save the world in the process.

Even though LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest isn’t an all-encompassing team-up like the one we got during 2018’s Wreck-It Ralph 2, it’s still an enjoyable little treat for Disney fans. The approximately 50-minute animated adventure is targeted at kids. But I still found it to be fun and certain scenes got a chuckle out of me.

The story began with our Princesses noticing something wrong with the weather while going about their lives in their respective kingdoms. We then got to see Gaston being the source of the trouble. Turns out, he’s moved on from hunting beasts to collecting magical artifacts. His current goal was to wield King Triton’s powerful Trident. He even had King Triton trapped in a giant aquarium. The magic mirror from Snow White served as Gaston’s reluctant assistant.

Take note, there are a bunch of Easter Eggs for keen-eyed viewers when it comes to the magical treasures Gaston’s been able to steal. So, don’t hesitate to pause and take it all in.

Being smart about the situation, King Triton offers Gaston a challenge. If King Triton’s team was able to defeat Gaston, he would need to let King Triton go. However, if the team failed, then Gaston would be given the ability to rule everything. And that’s where the Princesses came in. Ariel, Moana, Tiana, Rapunzel, and Snow White were tasked with facing three challenges. Successfully completing said challenges would ensure King Triton’s rescue.

While I didn’t like seeing the Princesses needing to split up, I think it had to be done to keep the story moving and not exceed the approximately 50-minute mark. Ariel and Moana took on a challenge that tested their cunning as they tried to rescue the flying carpet from Aladdin. Snow White, Rapunzel, and Tiana ventured into the Dark Forest (from Snow White) in a test of bravery to procure the Sundrop Flower (from Tangled).

The capable Princesses did come together for the third and final challenge that messed with their insecurities. So, at least, there’s that. I just wanted the five women to spend more time together.

While the narrative didn’t explore anything too deep, I appreciated how the third challenge allowed our leads to stand up for themselves. Snow White declared what made her strong. Rapunzel refused to be held captive again. Moana was indeed a great Wayfinder. You get the idea.

The story also allowed the Princesses to showcase their unique skills and abilities. For example, Snow White was able to communicate with animals, and Tiana was a very observant and logical person.

And while Snow White isn’t on my list of Top 5 Disney Princesses, I did enjoy her slightly unhinged behavior. She’s got an axe and she isn’t afraid to use it. Now, some viewers might think such a character portrayal was too much, but I think it worked for Snow White and really helped set her apart from the rest of the Princesses.

A definite highlight was the original voice actors coming back. Ariel, Moana, Rapunzel, and Tiana were voiced by Jodi Benson, Auli’i Cravalho, Mandy Moore, and Anika Noni Rose, respectively. And as someone who grew up watching these animated movies, hearing the OG voices again really elevated the material for me.

With Gaston defeated by the Disney Princesses, the story definitely left the door open for other team-ups in the future. That’s why I hope we get another such TV special soon. I want to see Mulan kick butt! Also, give me Pocahontas!

As for my gripes, I really wanted some kind of original song or a new rendition of an OG song. It’s a story starring Disney Princesses after all. Perhaps we will get one in the sequel?

Also, Ariel knowing how to fight with a weapon she quickly created by using a pearl necklace and a gold cup didn’t make sense to me. Ariel’s not really that kind of a fighter, as far as my opinion goes.

LEGO Disney Princess: The Castle Quest was released on Disney+ on August 18, 2023.

Go watch it so we can get a sequel ASAP!

You can read more of our Disney coverage here.

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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