“It’s been quite some time since Disney has produced an antagonist as brazenly wicked as Ursula” from the original Little Mermaid, [Vox’s Tom] Smyth writes. “That kind of unbridled villainy has become a relic of sorts in the animation studio’s latest original storytelling, which might have you wondering: Where are all the bad guys?” …

Smyth, however, can’t seem to put his finger on the actual culprit: “why exactly did this change come about? Disney’s storytelling patterns have always evolved over time, but typically that evolution has been guided by (and can be traced back to) previous successes and failures.”

So close to getting it, and yet so far.

[Maybe they have more sympathy for villains these days? It certainly would explain their corporate moves these days. — Ed]