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Just how many references are buried in the story became clear when the studio issued a scene-by-scene breakdown of all the hidden (and overt) homages to earlier movies.
These range from the first images of the film, when a storybook pops open (a parody of the storybook openings of “Snow White,” “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty”), through individual scenes.
For example, the scene in which Prince Edward (James Marsden) does battle with a bus in Times Square is packed with references:
•An old woman on the bus with a bag of birdseed is an homage to the bird woman and the song “Feed the Birds” in “Mary Poppins.” She appears later feeding the pigeons in Central Park.
•The bus driver’s hairdo mimics the contours of a Mickey Mouse hat.
•The scene plays out against billboards for the Broadway shows of “Beauty and the Beast” and “Tarzan,” both of which began as Disney animated features.
There’s plenty more:
•The troll hunted by Prince Edward in the opening animated segment wears a loincloth made up of pieces of dresses worn by past animated Disney princesses: Snow White, Belle (from “Beauty and the Beast”), Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella. He also wears as earrings shells worn by Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”
•Robert’s assistant Sam is named after Prince Philip’s trusted steed Samson in “Sleeping Beauty” and is played by Jodi Benson, the voice of Ariel in “The Little Mermaid.”
And that’s just the beginning of the madness.
For a full list of hidden homages, go to KansasCity.com/movies.
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