Some of you may have noticed that I didn't exactly care for Cars 2. After re-watching Cars again, I hate the sequel even more for taking away everything that I love about the first movie. Cars is a love letter to a bygone way of life in America: the days of adventuring out in your car just for the sheer thrill of driving. It's about small towns along winding, thrilling highways. It's about the memories we make when the journey is as important as the destination.
Re-watching Cars, I came up with a theory for why this film is thought of as a miss-step for Pixar. I have a feeling many film reviewers live rather busy lives in major cities. Gas is expensive, navigating city traffic is a pain, and there are always deadlines to meet. I can sympathize with people for whom car travel has never been something to enjoy, but to endure. If that is the case, this movie is nothing but half-baked sentimentality for the red state crowd, a bone thrown to dumb country folk. You would have no frame of reference to connect to this movie on an emotional level.
The other thing I noticed is that Lightning McQueen isn't really the most important Character. We know what his arc is almost immediately and that's ok, because once you know where you are going, you can relax and enjoy the rich scenery. It's the townsfolk of Radiator Springs and their interactions the make up the soul of this movie. They make up a loving an touching family. Luigi and Guido make a great comedic duo, the crazy old lady Model-T is always amusing, and the shy fire engine is adorable. As for Larry the Cable Guy's Mater, I think this is the best performance the Cable Guy will ever give us, and I mean that as a compliment. Mater is goofy and dim-witted, but restrained and nuanced enough to create a character we'd like to hang out with. Who wouldn't want to go tractor tipping with Mater? Owen Wilson does a great job playing the straight man(car?)and the balance is just about perfect.
The anchor of the movie though, is Paul Newman's Doc Hudson. While many people choose to live in small towns to feel free, Doc has come to hide from his past, to deny his former greatness. Paul Newmans does a fantastic job of slowly revealing the deep emotional scars of a fallen athlete, and his reintroduction to his fans in the third act is lovely.
The most moving moment of the movie for me by far was the montage of what's happens to a town when it is forgotten. I saw the movie in Kilgore, TX. It's an old oil town where the wells have all but dried up. the downtown is filled with long dried up oil derricks and shuttered store fronts, all businesses have moved out to the highway or by the Walmart. If not for the small collage that holds the Texas Shakespeare Festival and boasts one of the best Cheerleader squads in the state, the town would have dried up and blown away years ago. When a montage essentially shows you the very thing you look at everyday when you go outside, you cannot help but feel the impact. I know of other towns, forgotten because of a freeway bypass, and it's like putting a kink in a garden hose.
The film takes ample time to preach the treasure that is Route 66. It's a highway that winds through the country and gives travelers a journey worth remembering. It's the symbol of the countless state highways throughout the country. The fondest Memory I have of my father is the time we took a road trip to St. Louis and back, just because. We spent a few hours on route 66 just for the heck of it, and it is the coolest road I've ever ridden on. We loved it so much we decided to take the quieter highways the whole way back, cruising along the Mississippi River and stopping in towns like Hannibal, MO just to see the town where Mark Twain lived. We took our time and I have a wealth of precious memories because of it. The Film also reminds me of a trip with the whole family out to Colorado, winding through Wyoming and the Black Hills of South Dakota. If you've only ever taken the interstate through the heart of the country, you might as well just fly because your missing all the things that make car travel a joy.
In the end it's the memories the film brings up that make Cars so special to me. Yes, it's a little weird that the world is only made up of cars and no organic life except for plants. But When you're writing a love letter to the open road and the thrill of driving, adding humans to your film is redundant because the movie speaks to the special moments when you become one with your car and the road. It's about the moments when you feel free.
7/10 - I have to dock it a point 'cuz even though it's redundant, it's still weird to have sentient cars ride around inside of each other.
Thursday, September 8, 2011
DCMP #48-63 - The Sword in the Stone
I'm back after over a month off and it's time for me to review the final film that Walt Disney himself saw through to completion (he died during Jungle Book). Sword in the Stone is a brisk tale Merlin and his attempts to educate a young boy who would become King Arthur. It's light, airy fun, and it never takes itself very seriously. Because of this, there's not much too this movie at all. It lacks the depth of Character to be very engaging. The best Character by far is the Mad Madame Mim. In a film where Wart is a little too bland, and Merlin a little too dumb, Mim is wonderfully insane, and breathe a gust of life into the procedings. There's not much really to say about this movie actually. It's a fun movie for a lazy Sunday, but nothing more. Oh well, still 15 films to go! Up next: Cars
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
DMCP - Tangled #47-63
For Disney's 50th Animated feature, they went back to what they do best - Fairy tales. This time up, Rapunzel. All the signature Disney touches are there: Independence minded princess, a wicked villain, silly sidekicks, animal friends, and animation that is second to none. For all the strides made by Dreamworks recently with How to Train Your Dragon and King Fu Panda, they can't touch the beauty of the lantern sequence in Tangled.
Tangled has a lighthearted sense of fun about it, without being too cutesy. It strikes that magic balance between childlike playfulness and an adult sense of story and character. The witch in Tangled marks a very mature step for Disney. She is a complex and cerebral villain who almost never shows her wicked side. Instead, she is a masterful manipulator, charming others to do her dirty work. Her treatment of Rapunzel is so disturbing because it is so calculating. She uses feigned love and passive aggressive tormenting to keep Rapunzel as emotionally locked up and she is physically. Rapunzel is so damaged by her mother that the very act of leaving her tower sends her into Bi-polar fits. It's a funny scene, but it underscores the years of emotional abuse. In fact, Mother Goethel has more in common with the modern parent than a mustache twirling villain. While kids are enjoying a fun fairy tale adventure, parents are treated to the dark side of being an overprotective parent, trying to reclaim their youth at the expense of their child's development. Mother Goethel is a 21st Century villain who would be quite at home on an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. (I wonder if the writer's room was down the hall from the latest Disney Channel auditions, it makes sense that those who work at the Mouse House see an overabundance of this behavior.)
Apart from the deeper meaning, you also get a lot of pretty great sight gags (including a sword fight with a horse and a frying pan), and the dude from Chuck makes a great Flynn Rider. Mandy Moore is perfectly charming as Rapunzel, and her voice is ideal for the light and fluffy songs in the movie. While the movie is technically a musical, the songs are not very memorable. That's not to say they're bad, they just fit so snuggly into the story that you can watch it and forget anyone was every singing. The only stand out number takes place in a scary tavern in the woods with a bunch of criminals with hearts of gold.
Also, because of the ending, my wife now has princess hair, and that's awesome.
9/10
Tangled has a lighthearted sense of fun about it, without being too cutesy. It strikes that magic balance between childlike playfulness and an adult sense of story and character. The witch in Tangled marks a very mature step for Disney. She is a complex and cerebral villain who almost never shows her wicked side. Instead, she is a masterful manipulator, charming others to do her dirty work. Her treatment of Rapunzel is so disturbing because it is so calculating. She uses feigned love and passive aggressive tormenting to keep Rapunzel as emotionally locked up and she is physically. Rapunzel is so damaged by her mother that the very act of leaving her tower sends her into Bi-polar fits. It's a funny scene, but it underscores the years of emotional abuse. In fact, Mother Goethel has more in common with the modern parent than a mustache twirling villain. While kids are enjoying a fun fairy tale adventure, parents are treated to the dark side of being an overprotective parent, trying to reclaim their youth at the expense of their child's development. Mother Goethel is a 21st Century villain who would be quite at home on an episode of Toddlers and Tiaras. (I wonder if the writer's room was down the hall from the latest Disney Channel auditions, it makes sense that those who work at the Mouse House see an overabundance of this behavior.)
Apart from the deeper meaning, you also get a lot of pretty great sight gags (including a sword fight with a horse and a frying pan), and the dude from Chuck makes a great Flynn Rider. Mandy Moore is perfectly charming as Rapunzel, and her voice is ideal for the light and fluffy songs in the movie. While the movie is technically a musical, the songs are not very memorable. That's not to say they're bad, they just fit so snuggly into the story that you can watch it and forget anyone was every singing. The only stand out number takes place in a scary tavern in the woods with a bunch of criminals with hearts of gold.
Also, because of the ending, my wife now has princess hair, and that's awesome.
9/10
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
DMCP - Winnie the Pooh - #46 of 63
So I tallied up my movies so far and out of 63 movies (51 Disney and 12 Pixar) I have watched 45. Today I'll talk about #46 - Winnie the Pooh.
I loved this movie. After the tragedy of Cars 2, it was great to see something as polished and gentle as Pooh Bear and his friends. The voices may be a little different, but Disney has really captured the heart of what made these characters so great in the first place. Jim Cummings does a remarkable job as Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger too!) and Craig Ferguson does a nice job as owl.
The themes of the movie are very basic; friendship, imagination, and helping others; but the story is told with an effortless grace that is a welcome relief in a summer filled with superheroes, giant machines, and sex comedies. I an era filled with irony and cynicism, I enjoy the directness and honesty of Christopher Robin and his friends. None of them have ulterior motives - Pooh wants honey, Tigger wants to bounce and pounce, Piglet wants to help, and owl wants to read you his memoir. For the brief 70 minute run time (including an adorable short about the Loc-ness monster narrated by Billy Connolly)I was transported back to my child hood days, being tucked into bed and having my father read me a bedtime story. If you ever find yourself in need of a little break from the stress of modern life, take the time to sit down and spend an hour in the Hundred Acre Wood. You'll be glad you did.
9/10
Also, Stay for the end credits, and if you think of it, look up California Public Television personality Huell Howser or any of comedian James Adomian's Huell Howser impersonations on the Comedy Bang Bang (formally Comedy Death-Ray) podcast. It will only add to your enjoyment of the post-credits sequence, I promise.
I loved this movie. After the tragedy of Cars 2, it was great to see something as polished and gentle as Pooh Bear and his friends. The voices may be a little different, but Disney has really captured the heart of what made these characters so great in the first place. Jim Cummings does a remarkable job as Winnie the Pooh (and Tigger too!) and Craig Ferguson does a nice job as owl.
The themes of the movie are very basic; friendship, imagination, and helping others; but the story is told with an effortless grace that is a welcome relief in a summer filled with superheroes, giant machines, and sex comedies. I an era filled with irony and cynicism, I enjoy the directness and honesty of Christopher Robin and his friends. None of them have ulterior motives - Pooh wants honey, Tigger wants to bounce and pounce, Piglet wants to help, and owl wants to read you his memoir. For the brief 70 minute run time (including an adorable short about the Loc-ness monster narrated by Billy Connolly)I was transported back to my child hood days, being tucked into bed and having my father read me a bedtime story. If you ever find yourself in need of a little break from the stress of modern life, take the time to sit down and spend an hour in the Hundred Acre Wood. You'll be glad you did.
9/10
Also, Stay for the end credits, and if you think of it, look up California Public Television personality Huell Howser or any of comedian James Adomian's Huell Howser impersonations on the Comedy Bang Bang (formally Comedy Death-Ray) podcast. It will only add to your enjoyment of the post-credits sequence, I promise.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
DMCP - Cars 2
New Pixar Film!!! They never mess up!!! This is gonna be....Pixar's answer to the Phantom Menace? Wha-happened?? Why did John Lasseter sucker punch me? This is a joke right? Right?!
This movie sucks, hard. I am utterly baffled at the terrible script. For a studio that prides itself on always having a compelling story, the folks at Pixar made a movie that was worse than your worst fears. The dialogue in this movie is unbearable, like, Star Wars Prequels bad. Case in point, at the end of the movie, the two British spies fly from England to Radiator Springs with an order from the Queen to bring back Mater for another mission. Mater says something stupid like,
"Gee, thanks fellers, but my home is here in Radiator Springs." To which they reply, "Oh, I understand." AND THAT'S IT!!!! THE FLIPPING QUEEN SENT TWO TOP OPERATIVES TO COLLECT SOMEONE FOR A MISSION AND A "NAH, I'M GOOD." IS ALL IT TAKES TO ABORT THE MISSION!! SERIOUSLY?! Nothing holds any weight, major developments are just shrugged off, and Pixar seems to just assume we care rather than put any effort into making us care.
There are no characters in this movie, just vague shadows of the ones from the original Cars (which I love, by the way). The biggest problem with this movie is that John Lasseter assumes our sympathy for Mater instead of earning it. When your main character is a rude, selfish dolt with no concern for the feelings of others, it's impossible to feel bad when Lightning McQueen gets fed up with him. I had a friend who was similar to Mater growing up. He was loud, sometimes obnoxious,and often spoke before thinking. But you know what? He also knew when to cool it. He may say something embarrassing in public, but never humiliating. He could be himself AND acknowledge the feelings of his friends. He could rein himself in enough to respect his friends. The point is there is a line between being true to yourself, and being true to yourselfish (to turn a phrase from Peer Gynt) The problem with Mater in this movie is he lacks an ability to see what he's doing to his friends. If Mater cares about Lighting McQueen, then Lighting shouldn't have to scream at him to get his attention. Mater is a bad friend, which makes his words meaningless. If the central relationship rings false, the movie has no emotional core, and everything is a waste of time.
Fortunately, there's a nifty spy movie to keep this movie partly watchable. Michael Cain's Finn McMissile is the coolest car James Bond never drove. When the movie is in action mode, Pixar has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve and the world building animation is stunning. In the end though, this moving is a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Movie - 2/10
Animation - 9/10
This movie sucks, hard. I am utterly baffled at the terrible script. For a studio that prides itself on always having a compelling story, the folks at Pixar made a movie that was worse than your worst fears. The dialogue in this movie is unbearable, like, Star Wars Prequels bad. Case in point, at the end of the movie, the two British spies fly from England to Radiator Springs with an order from the Queen to bring back Mater for another mission. Mater says something stupid like,
"Gee, thanks fellers, but my home is here in Radiator Springs." To which they reply, "Oh, I understand." AND THAT'S IT!!!! THE FLIPPING QUEEN SENT TWO TOP OPERATIVES TO COLLECT SOMEONE FOR A MISSION AND A "NAH, I'M GOOD." IS ALL IT TAKES TO ABORT THE MISSION!! SERIOUSLY?! Nothing holds any weight, major developments are just shrugged off, and Pixar seems to just assume we care rather than put any effort into making us care.
There are no characters in this movie, just vague shadows of the ones from the original Cars (which I love, by the way). The biggest problem with this movie is that John Lasseter assumes our sympathy for Mater instead of earning it. When your main character is a rude, selfish dolt with no concern for the feelings of others, it's impossible to feel bad when Lightning McQueen gets fed up with him. I had a friend who was similar to Mater growing up. He was loud, sometimes obnoxious,and often spoke before thinking. But you know what? He also knew when to cool it. He may say something embarrassing in public, but never humiliating. He could be himself AND acknowledge the feelings of his friends. He could rein himself in enough to respect his friends. The point is there is a line between being true to yourself, and being true to yourselfish (to turn a phrase from Peer Gynt) The problem with Mater in this movie is he lacks an ability to see what he's doing to his friends. If Mater cares about Lighting McQueen, then Lighting shouldn't have to scream at him to get his attention. Mater is a bad friend, which makes his words meaningless. If the central relationship rings false, the movie has no emotional core, and everything is a waste of time.
Fortunately, there's a nifty spy movie to keep this movie partly watchable. Michael Cain's Finn McMissile is the coolest car James Bond never drove. When the movie is in action mode, Pixar has some pretty cool tricks up its sleeve and the world building animation is stunning. In the end though, this moving is a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.
Movie - 2/10
Animation - 9/10
Thursday, June 23, 2011
DMCP - Lady and the Tramp
Ahhh.... Back to the classics. After suffering through some of Disney's lesser films, it easy to see how their classics are taken for granted. Lady and the Tramp was a welcome reminder for why I started this in the first place. It's touching, thrilling, adorable, and a whole lot of fun. For Disney's first full length original tale, Walt and Co. have done a fabulous job. This movie features some of Disney's favorite voice actors in multiple roles. The guy who played Smee in Peter Pan has about 6 roles in this movie and Lady is voiced by the same woman who voiced Kanga in Winnie the Pooh and Merriweather in Sleeping Beauty. It's also Kind of a hoot to hear the voice of Cinderella's fairy Godmother as crazy cat lady Aunt Sarah. Peggy Lee even pulls triple duty, playing both Siamese cats and the sultry dog in the pound. (Is it weird to describe a dog as 'sultry'? Maybe, but she is basically the doggy version of a lounge singer, so I'm gonna stick with it.)
As the spouse of a woman who really wants a puppy, (I wouldn't say no to one either) I was a little dismayed at the treatment of Lady by her owners once Darling became pregnant. I understand being cautious or distracted, but ignoring your dog's existence? That's just bad pet ownership. But I'll forgive it because it allows us the chance to see Lady go on her adventures. The climactic scene with the rat is really fantastic. I highly recommend revisiting this movie if you haven't scene it for a while.
8/10
*on a nerdy theatre note: You have to love any movie where the Russian dog in the pound quotes Gorky's "The Lower Depths"!
As the spouse of a woman who really wants a puppy, (I wouldn't say no to one either) I was a little dismayed at the treatment of Lady by her owners once Darling became pregnant. I understand being cautious or distracted, but ignoring your dog's existence? That's just bad pet ownership. But I'll forgive it because it allows us the chance to see Lady go on her adventures. The climactic scene with the rat is really fantastic. I highly recommend revisiting this movie if you haven't scene it for a while.
8/10
*on a nerdy theatre note: You have to love any movie where the Russian dog in the pound quotes Gorky's "The Lower Depths"!
Thursday, June 16, 2011
DMCP - Melody Time & Make Mine Music
Double feature today. Melody Time and Make Mine Music mark the last of the Disney Compilation features of the 1940's. After sitting through Three Cabelleros, Saludos Amigos, Fun and Fancy Free, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad, I'm glad to be moving on. Both Melody Time and Make Mine Music feature animated shorts set to music sung by popular artists of the day and it works to a certain degree.
Melody Time is by far the stronger film. It features shorts about Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill, both of which are highlights for me. The animation in Melody Time is consistently creative and stunning, spanning several artistic styles. The Flight of the Bumblebee sequence is outstanding, as is the opening winter ice skating scene. After watching this film I was very excited to see what hidden gems would be hiding in Make Mine Music. I would be disappointed. The highlight of MMM is Peter and the Wolf. Other than that, it's the opposite of Melody Time. The final sequence of MMM involves the zealous murder of a whale who can sing opera. That's the closing number. Not good, not good at all....
Oh well, with the exception of Fantasia 2000, it's all narrative features from here on out. Up Next, Lady and the Tramp!
Melody Time - 7/10
Make Mine Music - 3/10
Melody Time is by far the stronger film. It features shorts about Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill, both of which are highlights for me. The animation in Melody Time is consistently creative and stunning, spanning several artistic styles. The Flight of the Bumblebee sequence is outstanding, as is the opening winter ice skating scene. After watching this film I was very excited to see what hidden gems would be hiding in Make Mine Music. I would be disappointed. The highlight of MMM is Peter and the Wolf. Other than that, it's the opposite of Melody Time. The final sequence of MMM involves the zealous murder of a whale who can sing opera. That's the closing number. Not good, not good at all....
Oh well, with the exception of Fantasia 2000, it's all narrative features from here on out. Up Next, Lady and the Tramp!
Melody Time - 7/10
Make Mine Music - 3/10
Sunday, June 5, 2011
DMCP part 4 - Chicken Little, Fox and the Hound, Fun and Fancy Free
Well, we finally got back to some good stuff. Let's get to it:
Chicken Little - It's easy to see why people dislike this movie. The hip, current twist on an old fairy tale idea was well worn out by the time it came out in 2005. Turning a tale about a silly little chicken into a movie about space aliens sounds ridiculous, but watching it again, I feel like Disney was in on the joke. It's so referential it turns into a meta commentary on self-referential movies, just look at the movie within a movie at the end. Also, a lot of the jokes are quite funny. My favorite side character in the movie is easily Fish out of Water. The animators do a fantastic job with his physical comedy. At it's heart though, Chicken Little is about forgiveness. It's about a boy (or chicken) trying to undo the damage of his one big mistake and earn back his dad's trust. Chicken Little spends most of this movie trying to prove to the world that he's not just the summation of one mistake, and that he's much more than that. Gary Marshall does a nice job of playing the single father who isn't quite sure how to deal with the fallout from his son's actions. Under all the flash and silliness, there is a nice emotional core to this movie that I think people can relate to.
7/10
Fox and the Hound - I'm not quite sure what to make of this movie. The story is fairly well put together and there are some great moments to be sure, but the message of the movie is a little unclear, and the movie is a bit dated. I could never quite figure out who Copper, the hound dog, and Todd, the fox, were supposed to represent. Is this a movie about race relations? If so, it's troubling that they spend so much time dwelling on the fact that Copper and Todd should be natural enemies. Or is the movie more about overcoming society's influence on defining the roles we must take on? I think that's a little better, after all, Copper isn't Todd's enemy until he is trained to be so. By the end of the movie though, Copper is able to overcome his conditioning and he defends Todd as his friend, regardless of the consequences. I guess I was thrown off by the rather stereotypical performance of Pearl Bailey as Big Mama. It struck me as pretty racist and I don't think that was the intention but it did affect my view of the movie. The highlight of the movie for me was young Copper's attempt at howling. It's one of the more adorable things I've ever seen. The biggest problem with this movie though, is the music. Oh man, is it sappy and dated and terrible. The whole spoken word poem/song as Todd is being taken to a game preserve is unbearable. The animation is good, but it lacks a proper Disney shine. The colors are muddy and the attention to detail is just not there. Overall, I'd say I liked this movie more than I thought I would, its a bright spot in Disney's dull years, but it doesn't quite hit Disney quality.
5.5/10
Fun and Fancy Free - This is another compilation movie from the post WWII years as the Disney studios were still getting back to their prewar output. It contains the stories of Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk and Jiminy Cricket is our guide into these tales. Bongo is a pretty cute story of a circus bear learning to cope with his new found freedom. His bewilderment as he learns how to live with the wild bears makes for a cute little story, and Dina Shore lends her voice as the narrator much in the same way Bing Crosby did for the Legend of Sleepy Hallow. Mickey and the Beanstalk holds a very dear place in my heart, as it was a favorite of my friends and I when we were kids. We marched around the woods singing the Giant's silly "fee fi fo fum" song while building forts in the woods. However, I quickly realized that I grew watching a truncated version of the story. The theatrical version of the tale includes a rather large amount of live action characters as well. The set up for the tale is an older gentleman and his puppets telling a little girl some stories. These puppets provide their own witty asides throughout the tale. While the jokes are cute, I have to say, the puppets are fairly unsettling when looked at today. They could be the reason some children develop a phobia of ventriloquist dummies. Apart from that; Mickey, Goofy, and Donald get to have a lot of fun playing the poor farmers who sell their cow for some magic beans. If you can get over your fear of dummies, you'll enjoy this lighthearted film. The only thing I didn't like about this movie where the slow, ballads sung in each piece. They went on too long and brought the momentum of the film to a grinding halt. cutting the songs in half would have fixed this, but I suppose attention spans were longer in the 1940s.
6.5/10
Chicken Little - It's easy to see why people dislike this movie. The hip, current twist on an old fairy tale idea was well worn out by the time it came out in 2005. Turning a tale about a silly little chicken into a movie about space aliens sounds ridiculous, but watching it again, I feel like Disney was in on the joke. It's so referential it turns into a meta commentary on self-referential movies, just look at the movie within a movie at the end. Also, a lot of the jokes are quite funny. My favorite side character in the movie is easily Fish out of Water. The animators do a fantastic job with his physical comedy. At it's heart though, Chicken Little is about forgiveness. It's about a boy (or chicken) trying to undo the damage of his one big mistake and earn back his dad's trust. Chicken Little spends most of this movie trying to prove to the world that he's not just the summation of one mistake, and that he's much more than that. Gary Marshall does a nice job of playing the single father who isn't quite sure how to deal with the fallout from his son's actions. Under all the flash and silliness, there is a nice emotional core to this movie that I think people can relate to.
7/10
Fox and the Hound - I'm not quite sure what to make of this movie. The story is fairly well put together and there are some great moments to be sure, but the message of the movie is a little unclear, and the movie is a bit dated. I could never quite figure out who Copper, the hound dog, and Todd, the fox, were supposed to represent. Is this a movie about race relations? If so, it's troubling that they spend so much time dwelling on the fact that Copper and Todd should be natural enemies. Or is the movie more about overcoming society's influence on defining the roles we must take on? I think that's a little better, after all, Copper isn't Todd's enemy until he is trained to be so. By the end of the movie though, Copper is able to overcome his conditioning and he defends Todd as his friend, regardless of the consequences. I guess I was thrown off by the rather stereotypical performance of Pearl Bailey as Big Mama. It struck me as pretty racist and I don't think that was the intention but it did affect my view of the movie. The highlight of the movie for me was young Copper's attempt at howling. It's one of the more adorable things I've ever seen. The biggest problem with this movie though, is the music. Oh man, is it sappy and dated and terrible. The whole spoken word poem/song as Todd is being taken to a game preserve is unbearable. The animation is good, but it lacks a proper Disney shine. The colors are muddy and the attention to detail is just not there. Overall, I'd say I liked this movie more than I thought I would, its a bright spot in Disney's dull years, but it doesn't quite hit Disney quality.
5.5/10
Fun and Fancy Free - This is another compilation movie from the post WWII years as the Disney studios were still getting back to their prewar output. It contains the stories of Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk and Jiminy Cricket is our guide into these tales. Bongo is a pretty cute story of a circus bear learning to cope with his new found freedom. His bewilderment as he learns how to live with the wild bears makes for a cute little story, and Dina Shore lends her voice as the narrator much in the same way Bing Crosby did for the Legend of Sleepy Hallow. Mickey and the Beanstalk holds a very dear place in my heart, as it was a favorite of my friends and I when we were kids. We marched around the woods singing the Giant's silly "fee fi fo fum" song while building forts in the woods. However, I quickly realized that I grew watching a truncated version of the story. The theatrical version of the tale includes a rather large amount of live action characters as well. The set up for the tale is an older gentleman and his puppets telling a little girl some stories. These puppets provide their own witty asides throughout the tale. While the jokes are cute, I have to say, the puppets are fairly unsettling when looked at today. They could be the reason some children develop a phobia of ventriloquist dummies. Apart from that; Mickey, Goofy, and Donald get to have a lot of fun playing the poor farmers who sell their cow for some magic beans. If you can get over your fear of dummies, you'll enjoy this lighthearted film. The only thing I didn't like about this movie where the slow, ballads sung in each piece. They went on too long and brought the momentum of the film to a grinding halt. cutting the songs in half would have fixed this, but I suppose attention spans were longer in the 1940s.
6.5/10
Thursday, May 26, 2011
D.M.C.P. Part 3 The Black Cauldron, A Bug's Life, and The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad
Boy Disney is really making the project a chore. Today we have three films, from 3 different eras, and all of them are pretty bad. So Let's go Chronologically.
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - I'd always been curious to see The Wind in the Willows featuring Mr. Toad. I'd heard all about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and was under the impression that this was some sort of hidden Disney gem. Nope. For anyone who thinks children's stories only recently devolved into loud noises, action and no plot, I give you this piece of spastic storytelling. Mr. Toad is a lunatic and the whole thing is a sloppy nonsensical mess. The fight against the weasels is looney toons style slapstick without the fun. The legend of Sleepy Hallow fares better. It's always nice to hear Bing Crosby Narrate anything. But mostly this is a story about two unlikeable men fighting over a pretty rich girl with no character at all. It's more charming than Mr. Toad, but ultimately it's pretty forgettable.
3/10
The Black Cauldron - Every time someone complains about a story being Disneyfied, this is what they are talking about. Disney movies are no stranger to some pretty mature themes and they do go to some dark places. This one doesn't. Even with a Villain getting the Raiders of the Lost Ark death, it has no impact because there is zero character development. I think this could be the worst of all the main Disney movies because it smacks of being directed by an executive rather than an artist. The Source material is a complex world reminiscent of Tolkien, with flourishes of Welsh fables, and the movie is handled with all the care and skill of a bad episode of the Care Bears. In the movie, The Gandalf character is reduced to a silly old grandfather, and one one the major characters is eliminated. Imagine Lord of the Rings without Aragorn, or Star Wars without Han Solo. Would you want to watch anything with just Frodo or Luke showcasing their immaturity and incompetence to the world? No you wouldn't. Now imagine they've taken out Han Solo and leave you Jar Jar Binks. The Characters initiate a 'who's most useless?' contest and somehow defeat the Villain. And guess what, If your heroes are really, really lame, it makes the villain look worse, because he's look like Skeletor with antlers who can't stop a moron, a ditzy blonde, an eccentric octogenarian, and Fluffy Jar Jar from walking right into his fortress and messing everything up. There is nothing positive I can say about this turd sandwich.
-1/10
A Bug's Life - Ahhh, sweet relief, a Pixar film! They never make bad movies, right? WRONG! I didn't like it when it came out, and I like it even less now. It's by far my least favorite Pixar film because, with all the action sequences, the movie is boring. It starts with a really unlikeable protagonist. I'm shocked that the colony didn't just rise up and slay him. If your main character is a comically dangerous inventor, either his inventions need to be a) fun or b) not invite genocide. When our clumsy/overeager hero causes the disaster that sets the plot in motion, usually it's something more fun than knocking over the bribe you spent all summer gathering to prevent mass murder at the hands or a gang of murderous grasshoppers. There's a massive disconnect of tone. Kevin Spacey's hopper is in The Magnificent Seven, and Flik is in Three Amigos. Because of this, I found it very hard to root for Flik and his gang of crazy circus bugs. Don't get me wrong, the circus bugs are the best part of the film, but I don't want to waste time with screw-ups when there is an very real and terrifying threat. Flik's treated as an nuisance when he's demonstrated time and again that he's a threat to the survival of the colony. In that light, he's not a misunderstood outcast, he's a dangerous lunatic. Maybe I could go along with it if the underlying tone of the movie wasn't so grim, but when you're villain is eaten alive screaming for his life, it's not easy to be upbeat. That said, the worst effort of Pixar is still better than 90% of animated family films.
6/10
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad - I'd always been curious to see The Wind in the Willows featuring Mr. Toad. I'd heard all about Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and was under the impression that this was some sort of hidden Disney gem. Nope. For anyone who thinks children's stories only recently devolved into loud noises, action and no plot, I give you this piece of spastic storytelling. Mr. Toad is a lunatic and the whole thing is a sloppy nonsensical mess. The fight against the weasels is looney toons style slapstick without the fun. The legend of Sleepy Hallow fares better. It's always nice to hear Bing Crosby Narrate anything. But mostly this is a story about two unlikeable men fighting over a pretty rich girl with no character at all. It's more charming than Mr. Toad, but ultimately it's pretty forgettable.
3/10
The Black Cauldron - Every time someone complains about a story being Disneyfied, this is what they are talking about. Disney movies are no stranger to some pretty mature themes and they do go to some dark places. This one doesn't. Even with a Villain getting the Raiders of the Lost Ark death, it has no impact because there is zero character development. I think this could be the worst of all the main Disney movies because it smacks of being directed by an executive rather than an artist. The Source material is a complex world reminiscent of Tolkien, with flourishes of Welsh fables, and the movie is handled with all the care and skill of a bad episode of the Care Bears. In the movie, The Gandalf character is reduced to a silly old grandfather, and one one the major characters is eliminated. Imagine Lord of the Rings without Aragorn, or Star Wars without Han Solo. Would you want to watch anything with just Frodo or Luke showcasing their immaturity and incompetence to the world? No you wouldn't. Now imagine they've taken out Han Solo and leave you Jar Jar Binks. The Characters initiate a 'who's most useless?' contest and somehow defeat the Villain. And guess what, If your heroes are really, really lame, it makes the villain look worse, because he's look like Skeletor with antlers who can't stop a moron, a ditzy blonde, an eccentric octogenarian, and Fluffy Jar Jar from walking right into his fortress and messing everything up. There is nothing positive I can say about this turd sandwich.
-1/10
A Bug's Life - Ahhh, sweet relief, a Pixar film! They never make bad movies, right? WRONG! I didn't like it when it came out, and I like it even less now. It's by far my least favorite Pixar film because, with all the action sequences, the movie is boring. It starts with a really unlikeable protagonist. I'm shocked that the colony didn't just rise up and slay him. If your main character is a comically dangerous inventor, either his inventions need to be a) fun or b) not invite genocide. When our clumsy/overeager hero causes the disaster that sets the plot in motion, usually it's something more fun than knocking over the bribe you spent all summer gathering to prevent mass murder at the hands or a gang of murderous grasshoppers. There's a massive disconnect of tone. Kevin Spacey's hopper is in The Magnificent Seven, and Flik is in Three Amigos. Because of this, I found it very hard to root for Flik and his gang of crazy circus bugs. Don't get me wrong, the circus bugs are the best part of the film, but I don't want to waste time with screw-ups when there is an very real and terrifying threat. Flik's treated as an nuisance when he's demonstrated time and again that he's a threat to the survival of the colony. In that light, he's not a misunderstood outcast, he's a dangerous lunatic. Maybe I could go along with it if the underlying tone of the movie wasn't so grim, but when you're villain is eaten alive screaming for his life, it's not easy to be upbeat. That said, the worst effort of Pixar is still better than 90% of animated family films.
6/10
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
D.M.C.P. - The Aristocats, Treasure Planet, Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Triple play of duds this week. Let's get this over with,
The Aristocats - This is the 1st movie produced totally after Walt Disney's death (he died during Jungle Book) and it looks like they went out of their way to prove he was the heart and soul of the company. This movie has no heart, no plot, and almost no characters. Rich cats being kidnapped and slowly walking home with no real danger along the way does not make for a thrilling movie. In fact, I'd rather watch paint dry. The kittens have a few cute moments, but that's it. It feels like I put more effort into this paragraph than they did in the whole story.
2/10
Treasure Planet - This is actually a pretty cool adaptation of Treasure Island done all steam-punky and sci-fi. There is a ton of impressive animation in the artwork and design of this movie, and the characters are pretty well defined. Joseph Gordon Levitt does a nice job as Jim Hawkins, and David Hyde Pierce is his usual charmingly neurotic self. Emma Thompson does a great job as the space captain. Unfortunately, right when the movie is revving up for the 3rd act, you are subjected to Martin Short as a marooned robot. Think C-3PO meets Jar Jar Binks and you'll have an idea of how truly awful he is. It's almost a total movie killer. Fortunately the adventure is engrossing enough that you can sort of grit your teeth and get through it. The Heart of this movie is really with Long John Silver, as any decent adaptation should be. Here he looks like Jabba the Hutt, a borg, and your grandfather had a baby. The end result is a very unsettling looking dude, who is also quite charming. Despite his terrifying cyborg arm and eye, the animators and Actor Brian Murray give him enough weakness that you can't help but feel for the guy. Regardless of his high-tech prosthesis, he is a crippled and lonely man, desperate to find the treasure that will bring meaning to his life of piracy. It's not a glamorous portrayal, and his evil side certainly comes out, but in the end, his new found friendship with Jim wins out. It's a softer take on the character, but I think it's much more fascinating than a truly evil Silver would have been. He's like a much older Jack Sparrow in many ways. But still, Martin Short is in this movie, and the film suffers most when it goes for a slapstick humor that feels forced.
6.5/10
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
This movie could almost be called "Treasure Planet, Version 1.0" You have a protagonist who doesn't fit in and dreams of making a great discovery, an academic acquaintance funds his expedition and unwittingly hires the bad guys as part of the crew, then all the excess characters are unceremoniously killed off, and no one gets the full treasure. The problem with Atlantis is, there is no emotional core to this movie. Milo, played by Michael J. Fox, is way too boring to ultimately care about. He's basically James Spader's character from Stargate, all wide-eyed gee-whiz genius and no life experience. Unfortunately, there's no Kurt Russel here to bring a sense of reality. Leonard Nimoy is woefully underused, and James Garner is Stephan Lang from Avatar without the knife-wielding battle mech. For all the flashy animation, this movie is quite hallow and ultimately dull. On a truly Nerdy note, the young female mechanic in the movie reminded me an awful lot of Kaylee from Firefly. Guess why? Joss Whedon is listed as one of the screen writers for this movie! It's basically a prototype for the character Kaylee would become. And that's the best thing about this movie. That it probably helped inspire something much, much better. Also, James Garner turns into a Crystal Monster and is shredded by a propeller, so that's kinda neat.
4/10
On a side note, although I've certainly had my share of disappointments with this project, Disney studios never have anything less that brilliant animation. Even when the stories are bad, they're all at least lovely to look at.
The Aristocats - This is the 1st movie produced totally after Walt Disney's death (he died during Jungle Book) and it looks like they went out of their way to prove he was the heart and soul of the company. This movie has no heart, no plot, and almost no characters. Rich cats being kidnapped and slowly walking home with no real danger along the way does not make for a thrilling movie. In fact, I'd rather watch paint dry. The kittens have a few cute moments, but that's it. It feels like I put more effort into this paragraph than they did in the whole story.
2/10
Treasure Planet - This is actually a pretty cool adaptation of Treasure Island done all steam-punky and sci-fi. There is a ton of impressive animation in the artwork and design of this movie, and the characters are pretty well defined. Joseph Gordon Levitt does a nice job as Jim Hawkins, and David Hyde Pierce is his usual charmingly neurotic self. Emma Thompson does a great job as the space captain. Unfortunately, right when the movie is revving up for the 3rd act, you are subjected to Martin Short as a marooned robot. Think C-3PO meets Jar Jar Binks and you'll have an idea of how truly awful he is. It's almost a total movie killer. Fortunately the adventure is engrossing enough that you can sort of grit your teeth and get through it. The Heart of this movie is really with Long John Silver, as any decent adaptation should be. Here he looks like Jabba the Hutt, a borg, and your grandfather had a baby. The end result is a very unsettling looking dude, who is also quite charming. Despite his terrifying cyborg arm and eye, the animators and Actor Brian Murray give him enough weakness that you can't help but feel for the guy. Regardless of his high-tech prosthesis, he is a crippled and lonely man, desperate to find the treasure that will bring meaning to his life of piracy. It's not a glamorous portrayal, and his evil side certainly comes out, but in the end, his new found friendship with Jim wins out. It's a softer take on the character, but I think it's much more fascinating than a truly evil Silver would have been. He's like a much older Jack Sparrow in many ways. But still, Martin Short is in this movie, and the film suffers most when it goes for a slapstick humor that feels forced.
6.5/10
Atlantis: The Lost Empire
This movie could almost be called "Treasure Planet, Version 1.0" You have a protagonist who doesn't fit in and dreams of making a great discovery, an academic acquaintance funds his expedition and unwittingly hires the bad guys as part of the crew, then all the excess characters are unceremoniously killed off, and no one gets the full treasure. The problem with Atlantis is, there is no emotional core to this movie. Milo, played by Michael J. Fox, is way too boring to ultimately care about. He's basically James Spader's character from Stargate, all wide-eyed gee-whiz genius and no life experience. Unfortunately, there's no Kurt Russel here to bring a sense of reality. Leonard Nimoy is woefully underused, and James Garner is Stephan Lang from Avatar without the knife-wielding battle mech. For all the flashy animation, this movie is quite hallow and ultimately dull. On a truly Nerdy note, the young female mechanic in the movie reminded me an awful lot of Kaylee from Firefly. Guess why? Joss Whedon is listed as one of the screen writers for this movie! It's basically a prototype for the character Kaylee would become. And that's the best thing about this movie. That it probably helped inspire something much, much better. Also, James Garner turns into a Crystal Monster and is shredded by a propeller, so that's kinda neat.
4/10
On a side note, although I've certainly had my share of disappointments with this project, Disney studios never have anything less that brilliant animation. Even when the stories are bad, they're all at least lovely to look at.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Disney Movie Completion Project Part 1
So I'm back from Disney World, and that stinks, so I'm coping by finishing what I started with the countdown; I'm going to watch all 50 Disney Animated features, plus Pixar. There's little rhyme or reason to the order, so you'll just have wait to find out what's next. Today I'm covering The Three Cabelleros, Saludos Amigos, Hercules, and Tarzan.
Three Cabelleros and Saludos Amigos - These are basically travel films about Mexico and South America. There are a few good moments, but mostly these are an relic of the 1940s, something to keep Disney in production while most of his staff fought in WWII.
Cabelleros - 3/10
Amigos - 2/10
Hercules - What a hot mess. This movie is all over the place and has a hard time disneyfying Greek myth for a Judeo-Christian audience. Music is the highlight of the movie, as is James Woods as Hades. Meg is the emotional center of the film which is a shame, since she's a supporting character. Mediocre is the order of the day here. Oh Well.
5.5/10
Tarzan - So this movie came out right after Mulan, which, you may remember I wouldn't watch when it came out because of my hatred of Donny Osmond. I also recall being rather offended my the existence of Phil Collins. I was a high school freshmen, and highly unappreciative that he's one of the greatest percussionists in the history of rock and roll and the ideal artist for a jungle adventure. Anyway, this movie rocks. There action set pieces are thrilling, and there's danger everywhere. It's basically a more dramatic and serious version of Jungle Book, with more tragic consequences. This movie also features quite a brutal death for the villian. If you haven't seen this one in a while, check it out!
8/10
Three Cabelleros and Saludos Amigos - These are basically travel films about Mexico and South America. There are a few good moments, but mostly these are an relic of the 1940s, something to keep Disney in production while most of his staff fought in WWII.
Cabelleros - 3/10
Amigos - 2/10
Hercules - What a hot mess. This movie is all over the place and has a hard time disneyfying Greek myth for a Judeo-Christian audience. Music is the highlight of the movie, as is James Woods as Hades. Meg is the emotional center of the film which is a shame, since she's a supporting character. Mediocre is the order of the day here. Oh Well.
5.5/10
Tarzan - So this movie came out right after Mulan, which, you may remember I wouldn't watch when it came out because of my hatred of Donny Osmond. I also recall being rather offended my the existence of Phil Collins. I was a high school freshmen, and highly unappreciative that he's one of the greatest percussionists in the history of rock and roll and the ideal artist for a jungle adventure. Anyway, this movie rocks. There action set pieces are thrilling, and there's danger everywhere. It's basically a more dramatic and serious version of Jungle Book, with more tragic consequences. This movie also features quite a brutal death for the villian. If you haven't seen this one in a while, check it out!
8/10
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 1 - Up
Grab your kleenex (or barf bag), I'm about to get mushy.
Up was the theme to my wedding. The opening scene of Carl and Ellie's relationship is the best 15 minutes of Storytelling I've ever seen. It's their never ending support and love for each other that I strive for in my own marriage. I've found the person I want to share all my life's adventures with, and tomorrow we begin a new one. The reason for this countdown is that tomorrow, I'm taking my new bride to Disney World for our Honeymoon. We have our adventure badges and our adventure book (hand made by my mother) is waiting at home to receive it's newest entries. I can't wait!!!!
As far as the movie is concerned, after the opening scene reduces me to a blubbering mess, We get a remarkably personal story of a man learning to live after his reason for living is gone. We also get Russel (who's way cuter than Boo in Monster's Inc!), talking dogs, and a fantastic adventure. Pixar has raised a bar that they may never be able to top. As I was watching the movie again tonight, I was most struck by the moment when Carl, after finally reaching his destination, resets his chair next to Ellie's. He turns to the chair and has a painful realization that she's never coming back. It's a brief moment, but it's heartbreaking. And then he finds the rest of the adventure book, and I need another tissue.
On a lighter note, I love that this movie has a joke about snipe hunting. If you had to have it explained to you, you had a very sad childhood, and you have my pity. If I ever have a kid, I want one like Russel. He's the best. If you'll forgive me, I need to go to bed now as I have an early flight to catch. I hope you've enjoyed this countdown, and I look forward to some follow up posts when I get back. Thank you for reading, now if you'll excuse me, I'M GOIN' TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Up was the theme to my wedding. The opening scene of Carl and Ellie's relationship is the best 15 minutes of Storytelling I've ever seen. It's their never ending support and love for each other that I strive for in my own marriage. I've found the person I want to share all my life's adventures with, and tomorrow we begin a new one. The reason for this countdown is that tomorrow, I'm taking my new bride to Disney World for our Honeymoon. We have our adventure badges and our adventure book (hand made by my mother) is waiting at home to receive it's newest entries. I can't wait!!!!
As far as the movie is concerned, after the opening scene reduces me to a blubbering mess, We get a remarkably personal story of a man learning to live after his reason for living is gone. We also get Russel (who's way cuter than Boo in Monster's Inc!), talking dogs, and a fantastic adventure. Pixar has raised a bar that they may never be able to top. As I was watching the movie again tonight, I was most struck by the moment when Carl, after finally reaching his destination, resets his chair next to Ellie's. He turns to the chair and has a painful realization that she's never coming back. It's a brief moment, but it's heartbreaking. And then he finds the rest of the adventure book, and I need another tissue.
On a lighter note, I love that this movie has a joke about snipe hunting. If you had to have it explained to you, you had a very sad childhood, and you have my pity. If I ever have a kid, I want one like Russel. He's the best. If you'll forgive me, I need to go to bed now as I have an early flight to catch. I hope you've enjoyed this countdown, and I look forward to some follow up posts when I get back. Thank you for reading, now if you'll excuse me, I'M GOIN' TO DISNEY WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Disney Movie Countdown Day 2 - The Princess and the Frog
A New Orleans twist on the fairy tale, The Princess and the Frog is a blast that grows on you with every viewing. If your aren't craving beignets and etouffe by the end of this movie, there's something wrong with you.
Princess Tiana is a nice twist on a Disney Princess, and Prince Naveen is a wonderfully charming rogue. They have nice parallel story arcs that bring them together; Tiana learns to let people in, and Naveen learns to be responsible. The Shadow Man is wonderfully played by Keith David. That man's voice is built to terrify, but Disney does a nice job of playing up his weaknesses too. He does have quite an upsetting demise, what with getting dragged to hell by demons and all, but I suppose that's what you get for playing with Voodoo. I loved all the southern touches to this movie, the food, the voodoo, the music, and the different cultures. They do a nice job of showing the racial inequality of the deep south without belaboring the point. You can see the second class status of Tiana and the other black characters without turning the movie into "ROOTS: for Kids!" I also loved the inclusion of the cajun culture. Ray the firefly is one of my favorite characters, and his death is one the cruelest in all of Disney. He is literally the light of this movie, and I'll admit it got a little dusty when he passed on, and even dustier when he was united with Evangeline.
Lastly, the Trumpet is my favorite instrument, and having a aligator who is also a trumpet virtuoso is a nice touch. For those who don't know, this movie is the reason we are staying at the Port Orleans resort in Walt Disney World.
9/10
Up next, Up!
Princess Tiana is a nice twist on a Disney Princess, and Prince Naveen is a wonderfully charming rogue. They have nice parallel story arcs that bring them together; Tiana learns to let people in, and Naveen learns to be responsible. The Shadow Man is wonderfully played by Keith David. That man's voice is built to terrify, but Disney does a nice job of playing up his weaknesses too. He does have quite an upsetting demise, what with getting dragged to hell by demons and all, but I suppose that's what you get for playing with Voodoo. I loved all the southern touches to this movie, the food, the voodoo, the music, and the different cultures. They do a nice job of showing the racial inequality of the deep south without belaboring the point. You can see the second class status of Tiana and the other black characters without turning the movie into "ROOTS: for Kids!" I also loved the inclusion of the cajun culture. Ray the firefly is one of my favorite characters, and his death is one the cruelest in all of Disney. He is literally the light of this movie, and I'll admit it got a little dusty when he passed on, and even dustier when he was united with Evangeline.
Lastly, the Trumpet is my favorite instrument, and having a aligator who is also a trumpet virtuoso is a nice touch. For those who don't know, this movie is the reason we are staying at the Port Orleans resort in Walt Disney World.
9/10
Up next, Up!
Friday, April 29, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 3 - Aladdin
How do you accurately describe the movie that defined your childhood? I found I could still pretty much quote this movie verbatim, and I was transported back to the days where my friends and I would re-enact the Price Ali song, silly voices and all. I got a little giddy I won't lie.
This movie is a perfect fairy tale for boys. It is the rare instance where the male lead is the one dreaming of becoming a prince, instead of the other way around. I recently read an article chastising Jasmine for falling for a hobo like Aladdin. While it's often fun to be snarky about Disney movies (I've been guilty of it during this countdown) calling Aladdin just a hobo misses the whole point of the movie. It's like calling Belle just a nerd. The whole movie is about a man who is worth more than the world knows. He's a Diamond in the rough, an exceptional human being in a sea of filth. That's why he can go into the cave in the first place. He's not just a poor man with a heart of gold. He is a man destined to greatness. He is worthy of the genie's lamp because he is the rare man with the ability to use it responsibly. He wishes to be a prince, not to seek power, but to be worthy of the woman he loves. The reason Jafar almost wins isn't because Aladdin is greedy, or cruel or flawed. It's because the thought of being in power terrified him. Aladdin demonstrates the best quality you could want in a leader; he doesn't want the power. He'll make a great ruler because his natural impulse is to care for and serve people, not dictate to them. We could use a few more leaders who comprehend the vast responsibility demanded of them.
The other Characters in this movie are fantastic. Jasmine is a strong woman who wants to have an active role in her destiny, and refuses to be just a decoration. She's almost an anti-princess, and one of the better role models in the Disney cannon. She realizes that freedom is better than wealth. She's willing to shun the life of luxury for a chance to make her own choices. The genie is every bit as great as you remember. Robin Williams isn't doing anything he hasn't done before, but his energy is incredibly infectious and you can't help but have fun with him.
I noticed an unusual thing about this movie; the four main characters all have a sidekick. Aladdin has Abu, Jasmine has Raja, Jafar has Iago, and the Genie has the flying carpet. Disney usually keeps the sidekicks to a minimum, but each one is a great compliment to their corresponding character. The carpet is the Genie's shy side, Abu is Aladdin's mischievous side, Raja represents Jasmine's independence and determination, and Iago is the Costello to Jafar's Abott.
Needless to say, I freaking love this movie. Up next, The Princess and the Frog
10/10
This movie is a perfect fairy tale for boys. It is the rare instance where the male lead is the one dreaming of becoming a prince, instead of the other way around. I recently read an article chastising Jasmine for falling for a hobo like Aladdin. While it's often fun to be snarky about Disney movies (I've been guilty of it during this countdown) calling Aladdin just a hobo misses the whole point of the movie. It's like calling Belle just a nerd. The whole movie is about a man who is worth more than the world knows. He's a Diamond in the rough, an exceptional human being in a sea of filth. That's why he can go into the cave in the first place. He's not just a poor man with a heart of gold. He is a man destined to greatness. He is worthy of the genie's lamp because he is the rare man with the ability to use it responsibly. He wishes to be a prince, not to seek power, but to be worthy of the woman he loves. The reason Jafar almost wins isn't because Aladdin is greedy, or cruel or flawed. It's because the thought of being in power terrified him. Aladdin demonstrates the best quality you could want in a leader; he doesn't want the power. He'll make a great ruler because his natural impulse is to care for and serve people, not dictate to them. We could use a few more leaders who comprehend the vast responsibility demanded of them.
The other Characters in this movie are fantastic. Jasmine is a strong woman who wants to have an active role in her destiny, and refuses to be just a decoration. She's almost an anti-princess, and one of the better role models in the Disney cannon. She realizes that freedom is better than wealth. She's willing to shun the life of luxury for a chance to make her own choices. The genie is every bit as great as you remember. Robin Williams isn't doing anything he hasn't done before, but his energy is incredibly infectious and you can't help but have fun with him.
I noticed an unusual thing about this movie; the four main characters all have a sidekick. Aladdin has Abu, Jasmine has Raja, Jafar has Iago, and the Genie has the flying carpet. Disney usually keeps the sidekicks to a minimum, but each one is a great compliment to their corresponding character. The carpet is the Genie's shy side, Abu is Aladdin's mischievous side, Raja represents Jasmine's independence and determination, and Iago is the Costello to Jafar's Abott.
Needless to say, I freaking love this movie. Up next, The Princess and the Frog
10/10
Thursday, April 28, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 4 - Monsters Inc
Monster's Inc. suffers from what came after it. Watching it, I can't help wishing for Wall-E, Up, Ratatouille, Finding Nemo, etc... Monster's inc is a good movie, but it doesn't reach the levels of greatness that would come after. In fact, if you take away Boo, or made her less adorable, there isn't much to hold this movie together. The voices and animation are all great, but the story is kind of blah. It's has it's moments (The abominable snowman scene is pretty great) But a factory, even a cool monster factory, just isn't a very exciting location for a movie. I'd much rather spend time in Monstropolis or the real world. Also, for some reason, the villians in this movie aren't threatening. Even when they're trying to capture Boo, you always know that Sully, the biggest and scariest monster, will be able to win out. I wonder what this movie would have been like if Sully was up against more physically imposing foes? I like the movie enough that I will watch it again, but It has enough problems that I'll probably be surfing the internet too.
7/10
Tonight: Aladdin!
7/10
Tonight: Aladdin!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 5 - Bambi
I'd forgotten the entire second half of Bambi. Remember when he falls in love? And another deer tries to steal his girl? So he throws him over a cliff? remember when he takes out a mob of dogs and gets shot, and still outruns a forrest fire?! Yeah, he does all that. Bambi grows up to be kind of a badass. Everybody remembers Bambi as a little baby and that his mom get shot. That's about it, maybe they remember Thumper and Flower.
My point is, there's a lot more to this movie than I thought. Also, what's up with the hunter's in this movie?! Does this take place before the DNR? How come Bambi's mom is shot in the spring? Rifle season is in the fall! Later, they go on a "let's kill everything that moves" rampage. Seriously. They shoot at deer, pheasants, chipmunks, and everything else that in the woods, including the dirt. Then they send a pack of dogs to kill whatever was still breathing. Who shoots at deer and chipmunks with the same rifle? Do you know what a high-powered deer rifle will do to a chipmunk? Instant meat smoothie, that's what! And why are the dogs running in a pack toward live animals?! Isn't the whole point of a hunting dog to retrieve your kill? It's like a bunch of rednecks mixed their crystal meth with their beer and went, "BUBBA!!! WE GOTTA KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES SO THE WORMS IN MY HEAD STOP SCREAMING!!! AHHHHHHHH" Disney is almost as fair to hunters as he is to the Native Americans in Peter Pan.
All things considered though, this movie is actually pretty dull. At 70 minutes, it feels too long, and the first half of the movie is aimed at very young children while the second half will go right over their heads. The saving grace of this movie is the artwork, and it's some of the best ever, right up there with 101 dalmatians. I wouldn't recommend seeing it again though
5/10
My point is, there's a lot more to this movie than I thought. Also, what's up with the hunter's in this movie?! Does this take place before the DNR? How come Bambi's mom is shot in the spring? Rifle season is in the fall! Later, they go on a "let's kill everything that moves" rampage. Seriously. They shoot at deer, pheasants, chipmunks, and everything else that in the woods, including the dirt. Then they send a pack of dogs to kill whatever was still breathing. Who shoots at deer and chipmunks with the same rifle? Do you know what a high-powered deer rifle will do to a chipmunk? Instant meat smoothie, that's what! And why are the dogs running in a pack toward live animals?! Isn't the whole point of a hunting dog to retrieve your kill? It's like a bunch of rednecks mixed their crystal meth with their beer and went, "BUBBA!!! WE GOTTA KILL EVERYTHING THAT MOVES SO THE WORMS IN MY HEAD STOP SCREAMING!!! AHHHHHHHH" Disney is almost as fair to hunters as he is to the Native Americans in Peter Pan.
All things considered though, this movie is actually pretty dull. At 70 minutes, it feels too long, and the first half of the movie is aimed at very young children while the second half will go right over their heads. The saving grace of this movie is the artwork, and it's some of the best ever, right up there with 101 dalmatians. I wouldn't recommend seeing it again though
5/10
Monday, April 25, 2011
Disney Movie Contdown Day 6 - Fantasia
Since this is basically a series of short films. I'll take them one by one.
1. Toccata in Fugue - This part is supposed to represent the kinds of random images that float through your head while you listen to music. It's a noble attempt, but they're trying to creating a universal look to something everyone will experience differently. Also, since this song is mostly associated with creepy organs, I just think of Vincent Price or Dracula when I hear this
5/10
2. Nutcracker suite - Much better, creative and gorgeous animation of assorted fairies, flowers, fish, and fungus. Gotta love dancing mushrooms!
9/10
3. Sorcerer's Aprentice - Mickey at is best! Classic and brilliant!
10/10
4. The Rite of Spring - DINOSAURS!!! In 1940, Walt Disney and Fantasia brought the theory of evolution to families across the country, and then gave us an artistic interpretation of how it might have happened. The resulting scene is still as thrilling as you remember. It's sad that, 70 years later, there are still parts of this country where this scene would be considered offensive.
10/10
INTERMISSION - Because musicians in a movie need water breaks too, I guess...
6. The Sound Track - I still don't understand this part...
3/10
7. The Pastoral - The Centaur girls bathe topless, and later they all have flower bras on. How did this sneak past the censors? Anyway, it's still a cute little scene, and Dionysus is funny with his little donkey.
5/10
8. Dance of the Hours - Dancing Hippos. In tutus. I rest my case.
10/10
9. Night on Bald Mountain / Ave Maria - They Saved my favorite sequence for last. Bald Mountain was terrifying when I was a little kid, and it's still quite powerful. Ave Maria provides a perfect musical counter point of the Sacred triumphing over the profane.
10/10
Movie as a whole - 8/10. This is the best Disney Movie for multitasking.
1. Toccata in Fugue - This part is supposed to represent the kinds of random images that float through your head while you listen to music. It's a noble attempt, but they're trying to creating a universal look to something everyone will experience differently. Also, since this song is mostly associated with creepy organs, I just think of Vincent Price or Dracula when I hear this
5/10
2. Nutcracker suite - Much better, creative and gorgeous animation of assorted fairies, flowers, fish, and fungus. Gotta love dancing mushrooms!
9/10
3. Sorcerer's Aprentice - Mickey at is best! Classic and brilliant!
10/10
4. The Rite of Spring - DINOSAURS!!! In 1940, Walt Disney and Fantasia brought the theory of evolution to families across the country, and then gave us an artistic interpretation of how it might have happened. The resulting scene is still as thrilling as you remember. It's sad that, 70 years later, there are still parts of this country where this scene would be considered offensive.
10/10
INTERMISSION - Because musicians in a movie need water breaks too, I guess...
6. The Sound Track - I still don't understand this part...
3/10
7. The Pastoral - The Centaur girls bathe topless, and later they all have flower bras on. How did this sneak past the censors? Anyway, it's still a cute little scene, and Dionysus is funny with his little donkey.
5/10
8. Dance of the Hours - Dancing Hippos. In tutus. I rest my case.
10/10
9. Night on Bald Mountain / Ave Maria - They Saved my favorite sequence for last. Bald Mountain was terrifying when I was a little kid, and it's still quite powerful. Ave Maria provides a perfect musical counter point of the Sacred triumphing over the profane.
10/10
Movie as a whole - 8/10. This is the best Disney Movie for multitasking.
Disney Movie Countdown Day 7 - Peter Pan
Peter Pan is a very charming movie. It represents the adventures all young boys have when playing make believe (I'm not ruling out girls' ability to play make believe, I'm speaking from my own personal experience, and since I was a little boy and not a little girl, that's what I'll be referring to.)
Every boy dreams of running off and having adventures, not having parents around, and staying young forever. This is the spirit that pervades the movie, and it's a lot of fun. Captain Hook and Smee are legends for a reason and they make a great pair of villains, but not as much as Tinkerbell. She's a jealous, treacherous bitch. She tries to have Wendy killed twice in this movie. TWICE!! She's so hellbent of getting rid of Wendy that she's the one who tells Captain Hook Peter's secret hiding place. The only reason we don't remember her as an infamous traitor is that she does save Peter from being blown up. But she's just trying to undo the damage she already did. In fact, the only female in Neverland who isn't a crazy jealous nutjob or grumpy old cow is Princess Tiger Lily.
Speaking of Tiger Lily, the biggest problem with this movie is the rather impressive racism against Native Americans. If you've ever seen a clip of an old lone ranger episode, you have an idea of what I'm talking about. It's the whole 'noble savage' cliche. At one point John tells the lost boys, "Remember men, the Indian is cunning, but not intelligent." Which makes no sense at all, how can you be cunning and not intelligent?! On the other hand, there does seem to be a definite affection for the Indians as characters. It's like the 'Injuns' were created in the mind of a British children's author in the late nineteenth century who'd never met them.....oh, wait...
And that's they paradox. The stereotypes are horrifically offensive, but seem to be created with no malicious intent. It's like a child's misunderstanding of a culture. The love for the characters is such that I'm charmed by the scene while being repulsed by it. I don't know what to make of it.
I need to mention is the action scenes between Captain Hook and the crocodile. The chase scenes are some of the best ever that don't include Willie Coyote and the Roadrunner. The final thing to take away is the lesson Wendy learns through the course of the film. Never Land may be a fun place to visit and tell stories of, but there comes a time when childish playfulness needs to give ground to an sense of responsibility. If that thought is too sad, don't worry; Never Land will always be there. It's like Captain Kirk said, "Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning."
7.5/10*
I'm taking a bonus nerd point for using a quote from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Every boy dreams of running off and having adventures, not having parents around, and staying young forever. This is the spirit that pervades the movie, and it's a lot of fun. Captain Hook and Smee are legends for a reason and they make a great pair of villains, but not as much as Tinkerbell. She's a jealous, treacherous bitch. She tries to have Wendy killed twice in this movie. TWICE!! She's so hellbent of getting rid of Wendy that she's the one who tells Captain Hook Peter's secret hiding place. The only reason we don't remember her as an infamous traitor is that she does save Peter from being blown up. But she's just trying to undo the damage she already did. In fact, the only female in Neverland who isn't a crazy jealous nutjob or grumpy old cow is Princess Tiger Lily.
Speaking of Tiger Lily, the biggest problem with this movie is the rather impressive racism against Native Americans. If you've ever seen a clip of an old lone ranger episode, you have an idea of what I'm talking about. It's the whole 'noble savage' cliche. At one point John tells the lost boys, "Remember men, the Indian is cunning, but not intelligent." Which makes no sense at all, how can you be cunning and not intelligent?! On the other hand, there does seem to be a definite affection for the Indians as characters. It's like the 'Injuns' were created in the mind of a British children's author in the late nineteenth century who'd never met them.....oh, wait...
And that's they paradox. The stereotypes are horrifically offensive, but seem to be created with no malicious intent. It's like a child's misunderstanding of a culture. The love for the characters is such that I'm charmed by the scene while being repulsed by it. I don't know what to make of it.
I need to mention is the action scenes between Captain Hook and the crocodile. The chase scenes are some of the best ever that don't include Willie Coyote and the Roadrunner. The final thing to take away is the lesson Wendy learns through the course of the film. Never Land may be a fun place to visit and tell stories of, but there comes a time when childish playfulness needs to give ground to an sense of responsibility. If that thought is too sad, don't worry; Never Land will always be there. It's like Captain Kirk said, "Second star to the right, and straight on 'til morning."
7.5/10*
I'm taking a bonus nerd point for using a quote from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.
Sunday, April 24, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 8 - The Lion King
"Whadya want me to do?! Dress in Drag and do the HULA?!"
I forgot about that scene. It remains one of the funniest moments in the history of Disney. This is why it's always a good idea to hire Nathan Lane.
Anyway, The Lion King is absolutely astonishing. Scar's assassination of Mufasa is pretty brilliantly conceived and executed. In the same moment, he disposes of his brother and traumatizes his nephew for life, all while keeping his hands mostly clean. Lion King has a couple of firsts for Disney; Simba has both a mother and a father who play a significant part in the movie, and we have a major character murdered at the end of Act 1. Mufasa's death is the most horrifying event in a Disney movie so far. And it's necessary to set Simba's journey in motion. Simba is one of the few protagonist's to be so emotionally broken. What other charcter had to deal with believing they murdered their own father? Even for adult movies, this is a heavy burden to deal with.
The Lion King is a powerful lesson in not letting your past destroy your future. Simba learns to overcome his trauma and become who he was meant to be.
And in the middle of all this you get to see what a cross-dressing Meercat looks like. Timon and Pumba are two of the best comic relief characters ever. (it helps when you hire Ernie Sabela and Nathan Lane to play off each other) Props must also be given to Rafiki, and Jeremy Irons as Scar. On a final note, is there an ookier way for a villian to die than being eaten and burned alive at the same time?!
Cherish that thought on this lovely Easter Sunday.
10/10
tonight - Peter Pan
I forgot about that scene. It remains one of the funniest moments in the history of Disney. This is why it's always a good idea to hire Nathan Lane.
Anyway, The Lion King is absolutely astonishing. Scar's assassination of Mufasa is pretty brilliantly conceived and executed. In the same moment, he disposes of his brother and traumatizes his nephew for life, all while keeping his hands mostly clean. Lion King has a couple of firsts for Disney; Simba has both a mother and a father who play a significant part in the movie, and we have a major character murdered at the end of Act 1. Mufasa's death is the most horrifying event in a Disney movie so far. And it's necessary to set Simba's journey in motion. Simba is one of the few protagonist's to be so emotionally broken. What other charcter had to deal with believing they murdered their own father? Even for adult movies, this is a heavy burden to deal with.
The Lion King is a powerful lesson in not letting your past destroy your future. Simba learns to overcome his trauma and become who he was meant to be.
And in the middle of all this you get to see what a cross-dressing Meercat looks like. Timon and Pumba are two of the best comic relief characters ever. (it helps when you hire Ernie Sabela and Nathan Lane to play off each other) Props must also be given to Rafiki, and Jeremy Irons as Scar. On a final note, is there an ookier way for a villian to die than being eaten and burned alive at the same time?!
Cherish that thought on this lovely Easter Sunday.
10/10
tonight - Peter Pan
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Extra Credit - The Rescuers and The Incredibles
As there are 50 Disney Movies plus all the Pixar films, I've opted to do some extra credit. Today's bonus episode: The Rescuers and The Incredibles
The Rescuers - Those who have been following the countdown with know that I didn't even finish Rescuers Down Under. It's terrible, even George C. Scott couldn't save it. Unfortunately, The Rescuers isn't much better. You have to suffer through terrible late 70's easy listening, and a bare bones plot. You don't need to watch this movie ever again.
3/10
The Incredibles - How do I say this? This movie is the greatest superhero deconstruction ever. It nails the tropes of the genre while being aware enough to let the audience in on the jokes. It winks at you in the best way. The filmakers and the audience are coming together to celebrate the golden age of superheroes, with a healthy dose of James Bond thrown in for good measure. On top of all that, you get a multi layered story about the struggles of family life, and our society's current obsession with celebrating mediocrity over acomplishment. Make your Ayn Rand comparisons all you want, but the movie strikes a cord in a country where young people would rather be famous than talented. The Incredibles is a counterpoint to every reality show, every terrible movie, and everyone you tries to tell you that you shouldn't be smarter. It's meant to inspire people to utilize their talents toward a better world. I think that's a very good thing. Also, the Michael Giacchino has created my second favorite Pixar movie score with his swinging 60s action themes. What's my favorite? You'll find out on Day 1.
10/10
The Rescuers - Those who have been following the countdown with know that I didn't even finish Rescuers Down Under. It's terrible, even George C. Scott couldn't save it. Unfortunately, The Rescuers isn't much better. You have to suffer through terrible late 70's easy listening, and a bare bones plot. You don't need to watch this movie ever again.
3/10
The Incredibles - How do I say this? This movie is the greatest superhero deconstruction ever. It nails the tropes of the genre while being aware enough to let the audience in on the jokes. It winks at you in the best way. The filmakers and the audience are coming together to celebrate the golden age of superheroes, with a healthy dose of James Bond thrown in for good measure. On top of all that, you get a multi layered story about the struggles of family life, and our society's current obsession with celebrating mediocrity over acomplishment. Make your Ayn Rand comparisons all you want, but the movie strikes a cord in a country where young people would rather be famous than talented. The Incredibles is a counterpoint to every reality show, every terrible movie, and everyone you tries to tell you that you shouldn't be smarter. It's meant to inspire people to utilize their talents toward a better world. I think that's a very good thing. Also, the Michael Giacchino has created my second favorite Pixar movie score with his swinging 60s action themes. What's my favorite? You'll find out on Day 1.
10/10
Friday, April 22, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 9 - Dumbo
Dumbo is 65min. long, and that's just about right. I mean that in a good way. The pacing is well done, there are no slow spots, the story is complete and it ends on a high note when Dumbo becomes the hero. It's short and sweet. I like it. A friend pointed out that the scene where Dumbo sneezes his ears big could be the cutest moment in all of Disney. We'll see what Bambi has to say about that, but she makes a very good point; Dumbo is adorable, even when he's waving his little broken flag. There are some great moments that keep the movie from being too cute. The scene where Dumbo's mom tries to protect her son is intense and infuriating; I'm willing to bet it's responsible for more than one PETA membership. The scene everyone remembers is of course the Pink Elephants on parade song. It's the charming sequence where Dumbo, the BABY elephant, gets shit-faced (you don't see that much anymore). If you ever want to terrify a toddler or your annoying stoner friend, put them in a dark room with that sequence on loop. In a couple hours, they'll lose their grip on sanity. It's bizarre and trippy and explains the mutual adoration between Walt Disney and Salvador Dali. I'm always impressed with the artistic brilliance of the animators in the classic disney movies. I'm fully convinced that it's this artistic genius that made Disney the empire it is today and Dumbo is no exception.
On a downer note, there is some depressing racism in this movie. The circus hands are all faceless black men who sing a song about never learning to read or write and wasting their pay. The song ends with someone shouting "move you hairy ape!" *sigh* The other part is the singing crows. There just as racist as you remember, but their good-natured attitude seems to make it less uncomfortable than the previous example. As a kid, I didn't know enough to recognize the racism, they were just funny birds. It's the subtext children miss that is problematic. If nothing else though, it is a relic of the attitudes of the time, and I think that makes it historically important. If you censor this movie, you'd be trying to pretend that these ideas never existed, and I think we should always be wary of polishing up the turds of our past. Time to jump off the soapbox and squeeze in some extra credit. Tomorrow: LION KING! Let's see if I still remember it word for word. :)
7/10
On a downer note, there is some depressing racism in this movie. The circus hands are all faceless black men who sing a song about never learning to read or write and wasting their pay. The song ends with someone shouting "move you hairy ape!" *sigh* The other part is the singing crows. There just as racist as you remember, but their good-natured attitude seems to make it less uncomfortable than the previous example. As a kid, I didn't know enough to recognize the racism, they were just funny birds. It's the subtext children miss that is problematic. If nothing else though, it is a relic of the attitudes of the time, and I think that makes it historically important. If you censor this movie, you'd be trying to pretend that these ideas never existed, and I think we should always be wary of polishing up the turds of our past. Time to jump off the soapbox and squeeze in some extra credit. Tomorrow: LION KING! Let's see if I still remember it word for word. :)
7/10
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 10 - Robin Hood
"Forgive me a cruel chuckle, ah-HA, ah-HA!" - Prince John
This movie rocks. It's filled with a bunch of great Character actors, including the voice of Baloo as Little John. Prince John is probably the funniest of the Disney villains and he steals the show. The big fight scene at the archery tournament is very fun and gets major bonus points for including "On Wisconsin". The movie gets crap for recycling animation (the dance number it basically a shot for shot copy of the King Louie scene from Jungle Book). I don't care. It's a dance number, they still had to re-color it, so back off internet trolls!! Another fun fact, this movie has the song that was turned into the hamster dance. (check out the video, it's pretty great) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLo-l52zz_o
On the downside, the movie does have a really boring scene of Robin and Marian wandering through the woods, but thanks to the magic of DVD, we never have to sit through it again.
8/10
This movie rocks. It's filled with a bunch of great Character actors, including the voice of Baloo as Little John. Prince John is probably the funniest of the Disney villains and he steals the show. The big fight scene at the archery tournament is very fun and gets major bonus points for including "On Wisconsin". The movie gets crap for recycling animation (the dance number it basically a shot for shot copy of the King Louie scene from Jungle Book). I don't care. It's a dance number, they still had to re-color it, so back off internet trolls!! Another fun fact, this movie has the song that was turned into the hamster dance. (check out the video, it's pretty great) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLo-l52zz_o
On the downside, the movie does have a really boring scene of Robin and Marian wandering through the woods, but thanks to the magic of DVD, we never have to sit through it again.
8/10
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 11 - Alice in Wonderland
You ever have a friend try to tell you about a dream they had? Remember how boring that was? Alice in Wonderland is worse. Maybe it's because I don't take drugs, but this movie is 75 infuriating minutes of nonsense; boring, tedious nonsense. There's not a single moment in this movie I can say I enjoyed. The artwork is quite beautiful, as usual, but that's it. Watching this movie is like watching your friends get high while you stay sober. Everyone thinks they're so deep and clever, and you can see that it's just a bunch a babbling idiots with nothing to say. At least Pinochio had a plot! Tomorrow it's going to be either Robin Hood or Peter Pan, and I can't wait!
0/10
artwork: 6/10
0/10
artwork: 6/10
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 12 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
It's good thing the Queen was beautiful to start with. If she was say, a 3-legged hunchback and decided to kill everyone less beautiful, we'd have a genocidal lunatic on our hands. As is turned out, she's only a probable serial killer. She could be one of the most flat out evil villains to be in a children's movie. She kills people prettier than her, demands the heart of Snow White, and mocks the dead and dying. (presumably she placed a pitcher of water just out of reach of the skeleton in the dungeon only to return after his death the kick the pitcher into his face.) What. A. Psycho. Also, her old woman disguise is the stuff nightmares have nightmares about.
There is some seriously dark imagery in this movie. My favorite is Snow White's panic attack after the huntsman tries to kill her. She's so traumatized that she mistakes a twig catching her cloak for the trees coming alive. We're then treated to a montage of trees coming to life and terrorizing this poor girl. It's wonderfully creepy, and a nice change of pace after the slow opening scene.
The Dwarves steal the show though. Each one is drawn with such specificity that you are sucked right into their world, and you begin to love Snow White because they do. They are the heart and soul of the movie. Dopey has the best visual gags, but Grumpy is the most realistic of them all. His grumpiness is grandfatherly; he's got a complaint about everything, but he's smart and you can tell that he probably cares the deepest. Look at who he had to live with. If you live with those 6 guys, you'd get grumpy too. Snow White bringing a little order and praticality into his world is the best thing that ever happened to him, which is why her poisoning affects him the deepest.
The movie is much better than I remembered it, but it does seem to drag in places, then rushes to the end as fast as possible. You also have lengthy text with no voiceover in the beginning and end of the movie. Starting with Disney's next movie, a character or narrator would speak the prologue. It's a good change. For the first full-length animated movie, the animation is brilliant. It's not a perfect movie, but It's a solid movie and deserving of it's reputation as a masterpiece.
8/10
There is some seriously dark imagery in this movie. My favorite is Snow White's panic attack after the huntsman tries to kill her. She's so traumatized that she mistakes a twig catching her cloak for the trees coming alive. We're then treated to a montage of trees coming to life and terrorizing this poor girl. It's wonderfully creepy, and a nice change of pace after the slow opening scene.
The Dwarves steal the show though. Each one is drawn with such specificity that you are sucked right into their world, and you begin to love Snow White because they do. They are the heart and soul of the movie. Dopey has the best visual gags, but Grumpy is the most realistic of them all. His grumpiness is grandfatherly; he's got a complaint about everything, but he's smart and you can tell that he probably cares the deepest. Look at who he had to live with. If you live with those 6 guys, you'd get grumpy too. Snow White bringing a little order and praticality into his world is the best thing that ever happened to him, which is why her poisoning affects him the deepest.
The movie is much better than I remembered it, but it does seem to drag in places, then rushes to the end as fast as possible. You also have lengthy text with no voiceover in the beginning and end of the movie. Starting with Disney's next movie, a character or narrator would speak the prologue. It's a good change. For the first full-length animated movie, the animation is brilliant. It's not a perfect movie, but It's a solid movie and deserving of it's reputation as a masterpiece.
8/10
Monday, April 18, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 13 - Mulan
I hate Donny Osmond. The man has no business inflicting his presence on the world anywhere outside of Branson, MO. And that is why I've never seen Mulan all the way through. This is a lesson in why prejudice is bad. I've been missing out on a pretty incredible movie, and Donny Osmond is only the singing voice of Shang. Donny sings one song in the movie, and I just pictured Hugh Jackman singing it instead, so it wasn't so bad.
I love this movie. It's hilarious, it's moving, it's epic. It's not as consistently great as some of the classics, it does have some clunky moments, but the base story is very powerful and the art work is gorgeous. The battle scene in the mountains is epic Lord of the Rings type stuff. Mulan the character is hands down the best part of the movie. the animators did and incredible job breathing life into her every movement, she's one of the best characters in any movie so far. Eddie Murphy is his usual entertaining self, and George Takei, Mr. Sulu himself is in this movie, bringing my Star Trek reference tally to 3 days in a row -- for three different star trek series! ('sigh' I'm such a geek....) Anyway, I'm glad I finally sat down and watched this Movie properly. It will be joining our DVD collection in the future.
Story and Art work - 10/10
Music and Movie as a whole 8.5/10
(including letting Donny Osmond sing about being Macho)
Tomorrow, we go back to the beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
I love this movie. It's hilarious, it's moving, it's epic. It's not as consistently great as some of the classics, it does have some clunky moments, but the base story is very powerful and the art work is gorgeous. The battle scene in the mountains is epic Lord of the Rings type stuff. Mulan the character is hands down the best part of the movie. the animators did and incredible job breathing life into her every movement, she's one of the best characters in any movie so far. Eddie Murphy is his usual entertaining self, and George Takei, Mr. Sulu himself is in this movie, bringing my Star Trek reference tally to 3 days in a row -- for three different star trek series! ('sigh' I'm such a geek....) Anyway, I'm glad I finally sat down and watched this Movie properly. It will be joining our DVD collection in the future.
Story and Art work - 10/10
Music and Movie as a whole 8.5/10
(including letting Donny Osmond sing about being Macho)
Tomorrow, we go back to the beginning with Snow White and the Seven Dwarves
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 14 - The Little Mermaid
Biggest Memory from this movie: watching it with Cousins in Marshfield and hearing my aunt's Ursala impression. It's a nice memory, and Little Mermaid remains a very good movie. Now that I'm a good decade older than the 16 year-old Ariel, I really get where King Triton was coming from. He terrified me when I was younger and now I pretty much agreed with him the whole movie; except for the part wear he trashed her collection. That's a bit of an over reaction. I guess though, if I found out my youngest daughter was obsessed with say, man-eating cougars and wanted to run off and marry one, and had a secret shine built to their greatness, I'd probably be a little upset too. Anyway, Ariel is pretty much what you'd expect from a curious, confident teenager. She could use better parenting (this is a movie where a mother could negate the whole plot with a nice heart to heart), but sometimes, you just gotta let kids make mistakes and hope they don't hand your mortal enemy the keys to the kingdom and the super powers that go with it.
As for the movie itself, Ursala is one of the more entertaining Disney villains. She's smart, witty, and capable. She's also one of the few villains to get straight up murdered. She gets run through by the prow of a ship! Quick, name another Disney Villain intentionally murdered by one of the heroes. I'll wait. . . doesn't happen very often does it? I'd say this is some sort of subtle jab against women/fish people, but I have a feeling it has more to do with the fact that you can't easily slip and fall to your death standing in the ocean.
The supporting characters are awesome. Scuttle, Sebastian, Flounder, Louie the crazy Chef. Quick nerds, who played the Chef in Little Mermaid? I'll give you a hint - Deep Space 9. Answer: Security Chief Odo. Look it up. The man has the funniest song in the movie and he's a Sci-fi icon. Speaking of music, The Little Mermaid begins a run of some of the best music in the entire history of Disney, and it's all as good as you remember.
9/10
Tomorrow, I'll be watching either Snow White or Mulan, I'm leaving it up to the readers to vote. post your vote in the comments or on my facebook page.
As for the movie itself, Ursala is one of the more entertaining Disney villains. She's smart, witty, and capable. She's also one of the few villains to get straight up murdered. She gets run through by the prow of a ship! Quick, name another Disney Villain intentionally murdered by one of the heroes. I'll wait. . . doesn't happen very often does it? I'd say this is some sort of subtle jab against women/fish people, but I have a feeling it has more to do with the fact that you can't easily slip and fall to your death standing in the ocean.
The supporting characters are awesome. Scuttle, Sebastian, Flounder, Louie the crazy Chef. Quick nerds, who played the Chef in Little Mermaid? I'll give you a hint - Deep Space 9. Answer: Security Chief Odo. Look it up. The man has the funniest song in the movie and he's a Sci-fi icon. Speaking of music, The Little Mermaid begins a run of some of the best music in the entire history of Disney, and it's all as good as you remember.
9/10
Tomorrow, I'll be watching either Snow White or Mulan, I'm leaving it up to the readers to vote. post your vote in the comments or on my facebook page.
Saturday, April 16, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 15 - Beauty and the Beast
I'll admit it. Beauty and the Beast is pretty incredible. I always liked Aladdin better growing up, and I think it had more to do with my being a boy than anything else. I just couldn't get past the fact that an awesome looking beast with super-strength wouldn't want to stay that way. He could take out a pack of wolves bare handed, he was like the Chuck Norris of Disney characters, and he wants to give up being awesome!? For a Girl!? And he looks like a girl when he's human?! What a let down!
After rewatching though, I can see what all the fuss was about; the animation is stunning, especially the stained glass prologue which is probably the best in the Disney canon. The castle fight scene is as thrilling as it is fun, and Gaston is a fabulous villian. I really liked the fact that the villain was the most popular guy in town. It's a nice message to kids that popular isn't the same as right. I had multiple flashbacks to my little sister reenacting the scenes by herself, with a melodramatic flourish as only a 6 year-old can, which was fun, because she would've been the best 6 year-old Belle ever. And although I know Robby Benson played the voice of the Beast, I can only picture Lt. Comander Worf from Star Trek whenever I hear the Beast talk,(for whatever that's worth).
I've heard some complaints that Beauty and the Beast encourages women to be with an abusive boyfriend who they can change. Not true! Beast saved her life, she brought him back and gave basic first aid. You know, the decent thing to do when someone sigle handedly saves you from a pack of wolves. Then he made the effort to be nicer. All she did was allow him to be nicer. She forgave him, he did the work. Her only crime was not being vindictive. Belle is one of the best female role models in Disney, so quit complaining.
Some things I do have questions about. Did you know that the Beast was ten-TEN when he was cursed? The curse lasts until his 21st birtday, and Lemure sings about laying around for 10 years. So in order for the curse to still be in effect without running out, he couldn't have been 11 yet. Who curses a 10 year-old boy? I mean I can understand cursing AT a 10 year-old boy, sometimes they ask for it, but mutating the boy and all his servants?? Seems like a bit of an over-reaction to me. I also question how no one noticed when a full castle with hundreds of servants turned into innanimate objects, but my wife said not to worry about it, so I won't.
9/10 (I gotta dock 1 point for the beast as a human. Seriously, there's no excuse for looking more feminine than your princess!)
Side note: I'm quite enjoying movies I haven't seen in a decade or more, so there will be a marked absence of Pixar movies. I hope you understand.
After rewatching though, I can see what all the fuss was about; the animation is stunning, especially the stained glass prologue which is probably the best in the Disney canon. The castle fight scene is as thrilling as it is fun, and Gaston is a fabulous villian. I really liked the fact that the villain was the most popular guy in town. It's a nice message to kids that popular isn't the same as right. I had multiple flashbacks to my little sister reenacting the scenes by herself, with a melodramatic flourish as only a 6 year-old can, which was fun, because she would've been the best 6 year-old Belle ever. And although I know Robby Benson played the voice of the Beast, I can only picture Lt. Comander Worf from Star Trek whenever I hear the Beast talk,(for whatever that's worth).
I've heard some complaints that Beauty and the Beast encourages women to be with an abusive boyfriend who they can change. Not true! Beast saved her life, she brought him back and gave basic first aid. You know, the decent thing to do when someone sigle handedly saves you from a pack of wolves. Then he made the effort to be nicer. All she did was allow him to be nicer. She forgave him, he did the work. Her only crime was not being vindictive. Belle is one of the best female role models in Disney, so quit complaining.
Some things I do have questions about. Did you know that the Beast was ten-TEN when he was cursed? The curse lasts until his 21st birtday, and Lemure sings about laying around for 10 years. So in order for the curse to still be in effect without running out, he couldn't have been 11 yet. Who curses a 10 year-old boy? I mean I can understand cursing AT a 10 year-old boy, sometimes they ask for it, but mutating the boy and all his servants?? Seems like a bit of an over-reaction to me. I also question how no one noticed when a full castle with hundreds of servants turned into innanimate objects, but my wife said not to worry about it, so I won't.
9/10 (I gotta dock 1 point for the beast as a human. Seriously, there's no excuse for looking more feminine than your princess!)
Side note: I'm quite enjoying movies I haven't seen in a decade or more, so there will be a marked absence of Pixar movies. I hope you understand.
Disney Movie Countdown Day 16 - Toy Story
For those of you who don't know, I was way more like Sid when I was growing up. I think I broke almost every toy I ever owned, and only 20-30% of those were on accident. I didn't hate my toys, but I did love to see how they worked.
Anyway, Toy Story has the best written script of any Disney movie. It helps that it was written by geek god Joss Whedon himself. The movie is peppered with tons of witty phrases, many I garauntee went over your head when you were little. While the script has only improved with age, the animation reallly shows it's age. Especially on Blu-ray, the detailing is just not there and it really shows the limitations of mid-90's computer graphics. It makes me miss the hand drawn style of Jungle Book or 101 damations or any of the classics. What modern computer animation makes up for in depth and demension, it still lacks the human touch of hand drawn animation. I still love the crap out of this movie though.
9.5/10
Anyway, Toy Story has the best written script of any Disney movie. It helps that it was written by geek god Joss Whedon himself. The movie is peppered with tons of witty phrases, many I garauntee went over your head when you were little. While the script has only improved with age, the animation reallly shows it's age. Especially on Blu-ray, the detailing is just not there and it really shows the limitations of mid-90's computer graphics. It makes me miss the hand drawn style of Jungle Book or 101 damations or any of the classics. What modern computer animation makes up for in depth and demension, it still lacks the human touch of hand drawn animation. I still love the crap out of this movie though.
9.5/10
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 17 - The Great Mouse Detective
This will probably be the last non-classic movie that we see, simply because we're running out of time and we still have Pixar movies and the big 4 from my childhood (Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King) to get to. For those who don't remember, The Great Mouse Detective came out in 1986, during Disney's "bad decade." It's basically Sherlock Holmes for mice. In fact, Basil of Baker Street, the mouse mentioned in the title, lives below Mr. Holmes. This isn't so much a bad movie, as simply a forgotten one. There is a lot going for it: it's a fun adventure, the plot is engaging, there's some nice character work, and Vincent Price is the villain. In many ways, the movie feels like a prototype for Chip 'N Dale Rescue Rangers or Duck Tales. But the movie somehow lacks a "cinematic" quality in that it feels like a made for TV movie or the first episode of a TV series rather than a feature length Disney movie. It also suffers from being made in the 80's. Like so many movies from that decade, it doesn't age well. It's most notable in the songs, especially the strip tease number. Yes, you read that right. There's a Burlesque number in the movie that, frankly, makes Jessica Rabbit seem wholesome. Despite it's best efforts, the movie feels a little cynical in it's construction. It hits the beats, but never strives to elicit an honest emotion from the viewer. It's understandable that this movie never became a classic, it's just mediocre enough to be forgettable.
6/10
6/10
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 18 - The Many Adentures of Winnie the Pooh
This movie reminds me a little of Toy Story for an older generation. It tells the adventures of a little boy and his toys. On top of that though, you get characters who interact directly with the narrator and who know that they're in a book. The movie is very cute, as you'd assume a movie about a boy and his cute stuffed animals would be. What I was surprised by was how mischievous Pooh can be. He's always scheming to steal honey from his friends, and he's very self-involved. He's like that friend you have, who's fun to be around, but he's also a big fat mooch. Tigger is overconfident and obnoxious, Owl is a pompous wind-bag (which I've noticed is a popular insult in Disney movies), gopher is a lazy, overpriced sub-contractor, and Rabbit is a bit of a fuddy duddy. This isn't to say they're unlikeable. On the contrary, it's refreshing to see children's characters with such human failings. The movie is very charming and nostalgic, but it has no villain and therefore, there's never a lot of conflict. It's the cinematical equivalent of a bowl of Chicken soup on a cold day. And there's certainly nothing wrong with that. I think we'll have to up the stakes and find something a little more exciting for tomorrow.
7/10
7/10
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 19 - Jungle Book
When I was very young, we had a black lab named Bogey. He was awesome, but he wasn't yard trained. One day, my brother had a friend over who opened the front door too wide and Bogey dashed outside, into the highway and was killed by a car. This day would be the first time I saw Jungle Book. It was a way to help cheer me up, and being young and not quite understanding what had happened, it worked. To this day though, I get a little choked up when it looks like Baloo has died.
Now that you're all saddened by that story, I'm pleased to report that the Jungle Book is still a nearly perfect movie. It stars many of Disney's more famous voice actors. This movie includes the voices of Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, The Narrator for the Whinnie the Pooh stories, Little John from Robin Hood, The Cheshire Cat, Jasper from 101 dalmatians, and on and on. It also stars music Legend Louis Prima as King Louis the Orangutan, whose musical style permeates the film. The music in this film is better than you remember; I'd forgotten about Kaa's lullaby and the vultures Barbershop quartet number done in the style of the Beatles.
I was curious to see if Jungle Book would be overtly racist, being based on a Rudyard Kipling story, and produced by the studio that brought us Song of the South. Honestly though, I didn't see it. You could argue that it's a metaphor for segregation, blah, blah, blah, but I think they do a great job of showing a very diverse and complicated jungle hierarchy that makes it abundantly clear that a 10 year old boy needs to live in a village to be safe. It has more in common with Into the Wild than Song of the South, and I was very happy to see that. Tomorrow, I think I will be watching Winnie the Pooh. It'll be nice to see the voice of Kaa trying to eat Honey rather than Christopher Robin (the voice of mowgli).
9.5/10
On a totally random note, I thought it was very amusing that the monkeys, an animal renowned for its tendency to fling poo, were fans of scat music. So, cherish that thought, I guess....
Now that you're all saddened by that story, I'm pleased to report that the Jungle Book is still a nearly perfect movie. It stars many of Disney's more famous voice actors. This movie includes the voices of Winnie the Pooh, Christopher Robin, The Narrator for the Whinnie the Pooh stories, Little John from Robin Hood, The Cheshire Cat, Jasper from 101 dalmatians, and on and on. It also stars music Legend Louis Prima as King Louis the Orangutan, whose musical style permeates the film. The music in this film is better than you remember; I'd forgotten about Kaa's lullaby and the vultures Barbershop quartet number done in the style of the Beatles.
I was curious to see if Jungle Book would be overtly racist, being based on a Rudyard Kipling story, and produced by the studio that brought us Song of the South. Honestly though, I didn't see it. You could argue that it's a metaphor for segregation, blah, blah, blah, but I think they do a great job of showing a very diverse and complicated jungle hierarchy that makes it abundantly clear that a 10 year old boy needs to live in a village to be safe. It has more in common with Into the Wild than Song of the South, and I was very happy to see that. Tomorrow, I think I will be watching Winnie the Pooh. It'll be nice to see the voice of Kaa trying to eat Honey rather than Christopher Robin (the voice of mowgli).
9.5/10
On a totally random note, I thought it was very amusing that the monkeys, an animal renowned for its tendency to fling poo, were fans of scat music. So, cherish that thought, I guess....
Monday, April 11, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 20 - Sleeping Beauty
Confession time - This was my favorite Disney movie of all time until Aladin came out. So until the age of 8, this was my favorite. Oh, how the times have changed. Pricess Aurora may have the fewest lines of any Disney Princess. She's more of a MacGuffin than an actual character. Suffice to say, she's no Cinderella. The fairies are still the best part of the movie, and Maleficent is a villain with a lot of style (played by the same actress who voiced the wicked stepmother). Overall though, this movie has very little to offer, and drags a little, even with a 74 minute run time.
The movie can be summed up in the scene where Briar Rose finds our she's actually Princess Aurora. The fairies just blurt it out, and rather than reacting like "HOLY CRAP!! I'M A GD PRINCESS!?!?! AND I'M BETROTHED?! AND MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE?! AND I'VE BEEN RAISED BY !@#^&$% FAIRIES?! WTF, Y'ALL?!?!?!?!" She just cries because she can't marry the random dude she met in the woods. No reaction to the copious amounts of life shattering news that was just dumped on her. What a brat! This is why princesses get as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield. NONE! That does it! we're taking a break from Princesses! Tomorrow, it's Jungle Book time!
6.5/10 (for the fairies and maleficent only)
Oh, and that dress should've stayed BLUE!!! (Merriweather gets no respect!)
The movie can be summed up in the scene where Briar Rose finds our she's actually Princess Aurora. The fairies just blurt it out, and rather than reacting like "HOLY CRAP!! I'M A GD PRINCESS!?!?! AND I'M BETROTHED?! AND MY PARENTS ARE ALIVE?! AND I'VE BEEN RAISED BY !@#^&$% FAIRIES?! WTF, Y'ALL?!?!?!?!" She just cries because she can't marry the random dude she met in the woods. No reaction to the copious amounts of life shattering news that was just dumped on her. What a brat! This is why princesses get as much respect as Rodney Dangerfield. NONE! That does it! we're taking a break from Princesses! Tomorrow, it's Jungle Book time!
6.5/10 (for the fairies and maleficent only)
Oh, and that dress should've stayed BLUE!!! (Merriweather gets no respect!)
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 21 - Cinderella
Funny thing about Cinderella, it's easy to forget that she never wanted to marry a prince. With all the 5 star weddings where the bride insists on being in a reproduction of Cinderella's carriage, to all the snotty brats who want to dress as Cinderella and have everything their way, I seemed to forget just how much it sucked to actually be Cinderella.
Your father dies, then your step-mom wastes all your family money, and then you become an indentured servant in your own home. Take a moment and let that sink in. The place where you have Happy Childhood memories with your father who loved you, is now the place where you are emotionally abused and forced to work all day, everyday to the point where you are talking with mice. This is not a good thing. Through all this, she somehow stays a nice person. Her big dream: one night at a ball. Not bagging a husband, she just wanted one good day. She didn't even know she met the prince, did you know that? The whole appeal of Cinderella is that she didn't need the whole carriage and the happily ever after, she just needed one new happy memory to keep her going. The whole future Queen thing was a happy by product. I think that's pretty cool. Oh, and the movie really holds up. And the mice: awesome! That's right world, I'm a 26 year-old married man, and I love Cinderella.
9/10
Your father dies, then your step-mom wastes all your family money, and then you become an indentured servant in your own home. Take a moment and let that sink in. The place where you have Happy Childhood memories with your father who loved you, is now the place where you are emotionally abused and forced to work all day, everyday to the point where you are talking with mice. This is not a good thing. Through all this, she somehow stays a nice person. Her big dream: one night at a ball. Not bagging a husband, she just wanted one good day. She didn't even know she met the prince, did you know that? The whole appeal of Cinderella is that she didn't need the whole carriage and the happily ever after, she just needed one new happy memory to keep her going. The whole future Queen thing was a happy by product. I think that's pretty cool. Oh, and the movie really holds up. And the mice: awesome! That's right world, I'm a 26 year-old married man, and I love Cinderella.
9/10
Disney Movie Countdown Day 22 - Hunchback of Notre Dame
Wow. This could be the most underrated Disney Movie of all time. I remembered really liking it when I was younger, but re-watching it, I'd say it's nothing less than a masterpiece. For the first time during this countdown, I found myself getting choked up on numerous occasions.
What makes it so great? I'm glad you asked, hypothetical reader. First of all, it's a much darker movie than I remembered. It starts with the murder of a woman and the attempted murder of a baby. Judge Frolo is the most dangerous kind of villian. He gets his power from convincing the masses that the poorest of people (gypsies) are the cause of all the evil in Paris. This leaves him free to abuse his power and hide behind his false piety. It's a terrifying lesson in misdirected evil. It doesn't take a genius to see the similarities between the gypsies and our current obsession with immigration.
But I digress. The characters are fantastic, and the voice actors are great at shifting from dialogue to song without taking you out of the scene. The serious material is sometimes undercut by the very broad humor of Jason Alexander as the portly gargoyle, but considering the movie is about racism, genocide, and public ridicule of the handicapped, I'm ok with a few jokes to lighten the tone. If you watch the movie again, it's interesting to note different ways the three males leads relate to the Gypsy Esmerelda. Quasimodo and Frolo in particular, since they both have to deal with her rejection. Oh, and the songs are really, really good. These are starting to get long, so I will end it here.
9.5/10
What makes it so great? I'm glad you asked, hypothetical reader. First of all, it's a much darker movie than I remembered. It starts with the murder of a woman and the attempted murder of a baby. Judge Frolo is the most dangerous kind of villian. He gets his power from convincing the masses that the poorest of people (gypsies) are the cause of all the evil in Paris. This leaves him free to abuse his power and hide behind his false piety. It's a terrifying lesson in misdirected evil. It doesn't take a genius to see the similarities between the gypsies and our current obsession with immigration.
But I digress. The characters are fantastic, and the voice actors are great at shifting from dialogue to song without taking you out of the scene. The serious material is sometimes undercut by the very broad humor of Jason Alexander as the portly gargoyle, but considering the movie is about racism, genocide, and public ridicule of the handicapped, I'm ok with a few jokes to lighten the tone. If you watch the movie again, it's interesting to note different ways the three males leads relate to the Gypsy Esmerelda. Quasimodo and Frolo in particular, since they both have to deal with her rejection. Oh, and the songs are really, really good. These are starting to get long, so I will end it here.
9.5/10
Saturday, April 9, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 23 - Pinnochio
Jiminy Crickett may be the worst conscience and most useless character in the history of Disney. He's a dirty hobo who breaks into Geppetto's house, yells at everyone for disturbing his sleep and is kind of a misogynist. He's never around when Pinnochio needs him, and doesn't really do anything of value in the movie.
Geppetto is a little creepy When you look at him through an adult's eyes. His only friends are a fish and a cat, he makes toys for kids you never see, and all he wants in life is a little boy, not a son, a little boy. This is important. At no point in the movie does Geppetto ever wish he had a son, he just wants a little boy. Way to make Germans not creepy Walt.
If all this wasn't bad enough, the characters all take pot shots at the life of an actor. "what actor ever needed a conscience anyway" "I'd rather be an actor than smart" Then if you go to the IMDB page for the movie, you'll see that all the actors are listed as "uncredited." Did Walt Disney HATE actors? Maybe he had them all shipped to the salt mines.
Anyway, you can probably tell by now that I didn't like Pinnochio. It's a tedious morality tale that doesn't disguise any of the lessons. The characters are all obnoxious/creepy. it's 10 minutes of story stretched to 88min. When your Disney loving wife says "is it over yet!" it's not a good sign. For a Classic movie that so beloved, I was very let down.
Song - "when you wish upon a star" 5/10
movie - 1/10
Geppetto is a little creepy When you look at him through an adult's eyes. His only friends are a fish and a cat, he makes toys for kids you never see, and all he wants in life is a little boy, not a son, a little boy. This is important. At no point in the movie does Geppetto ever wish he had a son, he just wants a little boy. Way to make Germans not creepy Walt.
If all this wasn't bad enough, the characters all take pot shots at the life of an actor. "what actor ever needed a conscience anyway" "I'd rather be an actor than smart" Then if you go to the IMDB page for the movie, you'll see that all the actors are listed as "uncredited." Did Walt Disney HATE actors? Maybe he had them all shipped to the salt mines.
Anyway, you can probably tell by now that I didn't like Pinnochio. It's a tedious morality tale that doesn't disguise any of the lessons. The characters are all obnoxious/creepy. it's 10 minutes of story stretched to 88min. When your Disney loving wife says "is it over yet!" it's not a good sign. For a Classic movie that so beloved, I was very let down.
Song - "when you wish upon a star" 5/10
movie - 1/10
Friday, April 8, 2011
Disney Movie Countdown Day 24 - 101 Dalmatians
Holy swingin' 60's style Batman! If you haven't revisited 101 Dalmatians in a decade or so, re-watch it soon. It's simply one of the most gorgeous movie's Disney has ever done. The subsequent sequels and live-action movies over the years really lowered my expectations for what this movie could be. I was more than a little surprised by how well this movie holds up. It manages to tell a great story in under 80 minutes, but is also packed with great music, engaging characters, and a simply gorgeous art style. I kept wanting to freeze the frame and mount the picture on my wall. From london to the English countryside, you can really see the personality of the artists in the work, and it gives the movie a depth that CG animated movies still haven't touched. Where modern CG cartoons work to make you forget that someone created the images you see, 101 Dalmatians lets you see the brush strokes in almost every scene and I loved it. I may have to look for a few prints when I go to Disney world.
Movie - 7.5/10
Art direction - 10/10
Movie - 7.5/10
Art direction - 10/10
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Disney Movie countdown Day 25 - Rescuers Down Under
Day 2 (or 25 days to the honeymoon) starkly pointed out that not all Disney films are created equal.
Like many entries on this series, this movie was a beloved favorite growing up. I remember loving it. Today I tried to watch it for the first time in almost 20 years. I didn't finish it. I went for a walk instead. George C. Scott, John Candy, Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor. These icons were all in the movie. They could not save it. Our Protagonist is a young Australian boy who's mother has an australian accent, but the boy does not. He must have worked with Kevin Costner's dialect coach. The little boy wonders in to the outback to go adventuring. He can speak to all the animals (aparently he's the only one who can...) but only some of the animals can speak. The giant eagle from Lord of the Rings he rides on can only gesture, but they give full voice to the Jar Jar Binks-like collared lizard he meets later. When they spent 10% of the movie's 77 minute run-time focusing on an albatross crash landing and inexplicably being shot in the butt with a double barrel shotgun loaded with syringes, it's time to just go outside. 2/10.
Like many entries on this series, this movie was a beloved favorite growing up. I remember loving it. Today I tried to watch it for the first time in almost 20 years. I didn't finish it. I went for a walk instead. George C. Scott, John Candy, Bob Newhart, Eva Gabor. These icons were all in the movie. They could not save it. Our Protagonist is a young Australian boy who's mother has an australian accent, but the boy does not. He must have worked with Kevin Costner's dialect coach. The little boy wonders in to the outback to go adventuring. He can speak to all the animals (aparently he's the only one who can...) but only some of the animals can speak. The giant eagle from Lord of the Rings he rides on can only gesture, but they give full voice to the Jar Jar Binks-like collared lizard he meets later. When they spent 10% of the movie's 77 minute run-time focusing on an albatross crash landing and inexplicably being shot in the butt with a double barrel shotgun loaded with syringes, it's time to just go outside. 2/10.
disney movie countdown Day 26 - Finding Nemo
In anticipation of my approaching honeymoon, my wife and I have embarked on a quest to watch one Disney movie a day until we leave. In an attempt to get back to writing again, I will be sharing my brief thoughts on each movie.
We began yesterday with Finding Nemo. When this movie first came out, I think I saw it 6 times in the theater. It was the summer after high school graduation, and I have some fond memories of seeing this movie with friends that I would soon lose touch with. In a similar way, I felt that my fondness for this movie had grown a little distant. It's still a very well made movie, and I still love the humor, but rewatching it, 8 years separated from my initial reaction, I found the pacing to be a little forced and choppy, and the movie feels like it drags a lot after the jellyfish sequence. It was a little weird to be dissappointed in what was once one of my all time favorite movies, but oh well. I will still be anxiously awaiting the blu-ray edition so I can enjoy the gorgeous animation in high-def! that's all for today. wow, I CAN keep a blog post short! Go Me! 7.5/10
We began yesterday with Finding Nemo. When this movie first came out, I think I saw it 6 times in the theater. It was the summer after high school graduation, and I have some fond memories of seeing this movie with friends that I would soon lose touch with. In a similar way, I felt that my fondness for this movie had grown a little distant. It's still a very well made movie, and I still love the humor, but rewatching it, 8 years separated from my initial reaction, I found the pacing to be a little forced and choppy, and the movie feels like it drags a lot after the jellyfish sequence. It was a little weird to be dissappointed in what was once one of my all time favorite movies, but oh well. I will still be anxiously awaiting the blu-ray edition so I can enjoy the gorgeous animation in high-def! that's all for today. wow, I CAN keep a blog post short! Go Me! 7.5/10
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