Most of the films produced by the Walt Disney Animation Studio receive major releases all around the world. But amidst a host of higher-profile releases, there was actually one Disney co-production that only had a one-week engagement in the United States. It's not because the film is bad - it was a critical success in its home country of India. But it's also so different than most Disney films that it truly stands out.
Arjun: The Warrior Prince is one of the most unique films to ever be tied to Disney, a hidden gem that's surprising in its inspiration, style and sheer intensity.
WHAT IS ARJUN: THE WARRIOR PRINCE?
Arjun: The Warrior Prince was released. The Arnab Chaudhuri-directed film was a critical success in India, where it received a much wider release than it did in the States. It was a co-production between Walt Disney Pictures and UTV Motion Pictures. As with many films that fall in the Disney canon, the story of the film can be traced back to cultural folklore and mythology. The plot is framed as the tale of Prince Arjuna being told to the young Prince Uttar of Virata, an adaptation of the first four books of the ancient Indian epic, Mahabharata.
Arjun is the talented and good-hearted son of King Pandu, and one of the Pandava family. Of his brothers, Arjuna proves to be a prodigy in combat- becoming a gifted swordsman and showcasing such incredible archery skills that he wins the hand of Princess Draupadi in marriage. The machinations of a rival family, the Kuravas, lead to all the Pandavas being exiled from their kingdom. While most of his family remains together, Arjuna ventures into the north alone - learning the ways of tapasya and even earning a bow from Shiva himself. As the Prince listens, he is faced with his own epic threat in the form of an invading army.
WHAT MAKES IT SO UNIQUE
Like more recognizable entries in the Disney canon, Arjun adapts a classic story for a modern audience, but it stands out from the pack. Although the character animation can be stiff at times, it shines when it shows off the expansive and majestic settings. The animation becomes far more lively during the many action scenes, when it's closest to the fluid movement of other Disney cartoons. It's one of the most action-packed films the animation studio has ever been associated with, featuring multiple massive battles. It also features a powerful soundtrack, featuring some huge songs in dramatic moments.
It is unique among Disney films for just how surprisingly violent it can be. While Disney films have featured some large battles over the years (like the Hun army in Mulan) , they're toned down to appeal to children. Gore is kept to an absolute minimum, with almost any amount of blood being removed from scenes that would otherwise have lots of it. That's not the case in Arjun: The Warrior Prince. The film features combat as a chief part of life, and shows a certain respect for the artistry that can be found in swordplay, archery and warfare.
But violence is also shown to be an absolutely vicious affair in the film, with scores of minor characters being killed brutally on-screen. The hero even uses his weapons in the climax to behead members of the opposing army, with splashes of blood flashing across the screen with each fallen soldier. At one point, Arjun unleashes a torrent of arrows, killing multiple men on screen - including with bursts of blood shooting out of their chests. It's intense, in a way that the rest of the output from Disney never is.
It feels inspired by Bollywood cinema epics, which compliments the tone but embraces a type of bombastic action that Disney has never approached to this degree. Even just as a unique footnote in animation history, Arjun: The Warrior Prince is fascinating, an amalgamation of two cultural traditions to make something wholly unique in the history of Disney animation.