The King Triton Discussion Thread

[Zavi]

TLM's got a superb cast of three-dimensional characters, and you can't talk about them without mentioning the king of the sea himself. He's a real step above the bumbling, stocky Disney fathers (I love Porter and all, but does everybody have to be like that?) and he's completely identifiable. There's so much I want to say that it'd go on for ten pages, so discuss, discuss, discuss.

[Coral]

He is definitely one of most well-rounded father figures. He also has a very clear character arc and grows throughout the story. That's one of the best things about TLM in general. Every character grows!

In some ways he reminds me a lot of my own dad. My dad is also a big guy, has a beard, and when he gets angry look out! But he would also do anything to protect his children.

[Zavi]

Amen. It's fascinating how these movies fall by the wayside once most people reach their preteens, even when they're bursting with excellent characters. There's so much struggle within someone who's supposed to be all-powerful. I'm especially interested in how he relates with Eric, the savage harpooning fish-eater who saved him and his daughter. It's a horribly difficult card to play, but I love it!

[WickedElphie]

Exactly. Triton is a flawed multi-layered caharcter who has real understandable reasons behind his actions.

[DanTheMan]

He's the typical overly protective father figure, who's hocked up on steroids lol..

However, IMO, his character never really got to fully develop. I mean, it never really changed at all, through the movies, and even the TV show. When it looks like it would change, it immediately goes right back to where it started, no if ands or buts.

[Coral]

I don't agree, Dan. Triton at the beginning of the movie would NEVER have turned Ariel into a human. He had to change in order to change her. that doesn't mean he has to like, but he did change and he recognized that change.

[DanTheMan]

You missed my point, I said he would change, but then later on, it would go back to where it started. I never said he never, ever changes lol..

The TV series is the best example of this.

[Coral]

I'm a little confused. The TV series is entirely pre-movie and a completely different character arc.

[Zavi]

Do you think he did the same thing between TLM and TLMII or just pre-movie?

'Cause I think Triton is as stubborn as kings of the sea can get, but he learns to do right in most cases. He lets his daughter go [as far away as she can possibly get], after all. Poor guy must've felt completely helpless, but he made his daughter happy.

Is anyone else addicted to the "I Loved Her First" TLM fanvids like I am? That song never gets old, at least for me.

[Coral]

I don't think I've ever seen any of them, Mare.

[fathomsbelow]

I think that Triton develops alot during the movie. He starts out by hating humans and anything about humans because of his wife's death and is livid when he finds out Ariel's in love with one. I think during the time that she was MIA he started to realize that he was being overprotective. But I think one of the most touching scenes in the movie is when he takes his daughter's place and gives up the trident. Then when both him and his daughter are saved by a human he finally realizes that he wants Ariel to be happy and changes her into a human( my favorite scene in the movie ). So I think Triton goes through alot of character growth from when he'd sooner see a human die to having one as a son-in-law.

[Zavi]

I wonder if Eric convinced Triton to change his mind about ALL humans, though. It seems like it could go one way or the other. I'm sure he'd at least feel terrified for Ariel going into this new world.

[WickedElphie]

I think Eric would help get Triton over the "all human are evil" mindset BUT I think Triton would still be very wary of them as a rule, and it'd take him a lot of time to warm up to even Eric in his own right rather than "that human my duaghter is in love with".

[Coral]

I like to think Eric didn't change Triton's mind about all humans. He just made the king realize that maybe he should be a little more open-minded instead of immediately wanting to blast anything with two legs.

[DanTheMan]

I thought this was an overall character perspective, not just the movie. In that case, then it makes sense lol.

[Zavi]

You know what I was thinking? Like all of you I love King Triton as a character, but I can't possibly choose my favorite scene with him! I love everywhere from the destruction of the grotto to "I love you, daddy" at the end. Do you all have a favorite Triton moment?

[Coral]

Having just gotten married, I'm now rather partial to the end scenes where he realizes he has to let her go. I'm the oldest instead of the youngest, but letting that first daughter go is one of the hardest things a father ever has to do.

[Zavi]

Heh, I'm the only child. Got a half-sister on my dad's side who's never lived with me, so it's my mother I'm most worried about. As weird as it sounds, she'll have to pull a King Triton soon enough. I guess that's why he's such a good character, though--everybody knows somebody like him.

I really can't pick! Andreas Deja did an awesome job making him furious at the destruction of the grotto, and then having him look back at how he'd hurt his daughter. And then, at the end... -sniffle-

[faya27]

Jul 9, 2009 11:00:18 GMT -5 Coral said:

I don't agree, Dan. Triton at the beginning of the movie would NEVER have turned Ariel into a human. He had to change in order to change her. that doesn't mean he has to like, but he did change and he recognized that change.

Yes, that is true. While watching TLM with my sister, she wonders if Ariel could ask her father to turn her into a human instead of going to Ursula. I told her no, he wouldn't do it because he wouldn't dream of sending her up there. When Eric saved the ocean, it really changed his mind about humans.