Disney Movie Marathon Challenge

I agree with your thoughts on Bedknobs And Broomsticks 100% @BrianL :) It''s worthwhile, but it just seems like a failed attempt at making another Poppins. Not that it's bad but (as you noted) MP is a tough act to follow...probably impossible. There are just so many similarities between the two films but B&B just can't match the excellence of MP.

I read an extensive article on the various edits of the movie in a now defunct Disney fanzine many years ago. I too have the bluray but there is still some missing content because it literally has not been found. It's plenty long anyway;)

I think the shots with Cosmic Creepers are a blend of live action cat and some kind of mechanical or puppet cat. Glad you circled back to this one!:)

There really is an interesting history to that movie apparently. I do wish the Blu-ray was the "restored cut" as that sounds like the best one, but you're right, it's pretty long anyway. Apparently there is a 90 minute cut that excises almost all of the songs. What?

My favorite line in the film is, "I don't believe in giving animals silly names. I call him Cosmic Creepers." That's just a little bit of that subtle humor like Mary Poppins has, like when the policeman is on the phone. "They found him, sir. No, alive." That stuff is brilliant!
 
Wow. I don't think it's all that bad. Sure, it's not one of the greats, but I've always thought it was pretty decent. I actually like the way it looks, the world anyway. The characters are a bit all over the place, but the world of the future is very retro-cool, like Tomorrowland. I love how Space Mountian and the Rocket Jets are featured in "Todayland." I also like the Sinatra styled gangster frogs. Actually, that stuff is more interesting than the A Plot, so I get where some disappointment could set in. Like I said, it's okay, but rock bottom? I mean, we're already heading up from Chicken Little!

Not at all sure about this :) I did like the fish in Chicken Little!
 
Cars- I'm not a "car guy" in general so this movie doesn't resonate with me like it would for many. I do appreciate the artwork though, the backgrounds are fantastic. If you aren't to put off by the on-screen persona of John Lasseter, there's a bonus feature on the disc where he talks about capturing the essence of Route 66 and the era of exploring the country by automobile stopping at diners and sites of interest. This feature made me enjoy the movie more than I had initially. FWIW comedian Adam Carolla, who is also a race car driver and owns several Paul Newman racing cars, has remarked that Cars is among the greatest auto racing movies ever.

Meet The Robinsons- Here's another film I own and have watched a few times. I think it's ok but not having seen it for a few years I really couldn't tell you anything about it.:confused3 Do they use some kind of Jetson's vehicle to travel in? That's all I got;)

Toys- I had quite a few Disney items in the 50s & 60s, many of them Mickey related. One favorite was a metal bank that replicated the look of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse from the original series.
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This is AWESOME!
 


I'm gonna jump back a little and chime in on a movie that didn't make your list that I saw this weekend for the first time (at least that I can remember), Bedknobs & Brooksticks. This is live action, but with animated sequences, like Mary Poppins. In fact, it was the backup plan in case Walt never got that approval for Mary Poppins from P.L. Travers.

Anyway, it's an interesting movie, also directed by Robert Stevenson, but it doesn't raise to the heights of Mary Poppins (I mean, what does?). The animated sequence, which in and of itself is rather good, developed by Ward Kimball, just slows the movie down as it's a bit too long and inconsequential to the plot, though there is voice acting by the wonderful Lenny Weinrib. David Tomlinson also appears in the movie, though he may have been miscast as the shady con-man as I usually find him to be such an upstanding British gentleman, or maybe I just always see George Banks. Angela Lansbury is delightful as usual, and the kids give a surprisingly strong performance. The Sherman Brothers did the music, so there's nothing not to like there, even if the songs aren't as memorable as Mary Poppins.

Okay, okay, so actually if Mary Poppins never existed, this would be a really good movie that is fondly remembered by Disney fans everywhere. It's just...not Mary Poppins. That's the worst thing I can say about it other than the pacing issues. This was the 117 minute cut too (Blu-ray edition), and I understand there are a few different cuts of this movie out there (it's the Blade Runner of Disney). I still had fun watching it.

It also introduced me to my new favorite Disney cat, Cosmic Creepers! He's just amazing! If a cat can act, he's doing it. There were times I'd think he was an animatronic puppet, but then he'd lick his lips. It's kind of a surreal performance from an animal actor!

We love Bednobs and Broomsticks and its disappointing it's not on the 'official list'-or the one we are working from on wiki! Thanks for bringing it back in .I probably watched this far more then Mary Poppins as a kid because my youngest sister LOVED it. This may have had something to do with the fact that the film either is? or feels very long? and she could just chill and watch it for ages. The characters are really likeable and come on what other film includes animated singing ballroom fish and enchanted armour which chases off a Nazi invasion? Plus Angela Lansbury! Its not perfect, but its loads of fun and the songs are great!
 
Ratatouille (2007)

Yey back to great Pixar!

Ratatouille is not my fav Pixar but its a very joyful and fantastic movie, with lots of humour and zany action to keep you entertained. Its attention to detail and perfect tone are what make it special.

There’s something extremely satisfying about every aspect of this movie, from the score to the animation, to quirky-looking, lovable characters - it’s like a big cuddle of a movie that you can just snuggle into. especially when it comes to the food. A good example of this is the sequence where Remy can’t help but transform the soup that Linguini has ruined. He throws vegetables and herbs into the soup in a sort of food ballet and it feels like you can almost smell it! You’re laughing because it’s funny, excited for Remy as this is a big character moment (his first chance to do some real cooking), marvelling at the beautiful animation, nodding along to that brilliant music. And of course you’re hungry. Damn that movie makes me hungry!

Remy is probably a more likeable hero than the usual Pixar protagonist. He is a rat so I guess he’s an unlikely hero in that respect, but he’s more like traditional idealistic Disney hero with hopes and dreams than other Pixar heroes. He almost needs an ‘I Want’ song. Through Remy we explore what it means to be an artist in a gentle, good-humoured way. Remy doesn’t just want to be a cook, he has to be a cook, and we watch him struggle between following his art and meeting his family’s expectations, before finally being able to find acceptance for who he is. Not only that, but we also get an insight into the frustrations of being a great artist, as there’s so few people around who are able to appreciate him.

In fact all the characters in Ratatouille are wonderfully fleshed out. Remy and Linguini are of course very well realised, and compliment each other beautifully, but many of the side characters are given complexity too. Skinner could have been a bit of a forgettable villain if he wasn’t voiced by Ian Holm or animated so brilliantly. I love the way everything he does is so overly dramatic. There’s a brilliant moment where he eats Remy’s ratatouille for the first time and he obviously wants to hate it, but it’s so wonderful that he has to clutch the table cloth and lets out a little moan. Details like that make this movie the work of art that it is.

One of the characters I love most is Colette. We learned in one of the little Disney Life documentaries that Brad Bird had only female animators work on Colette’s animation, which is really nice. I love to see the conflict between her determination to remain ‘the toughest cook in the kitchen’ versus her feelings for Linguini. There’s also some moments of real frailty, like when she comes into the kitchen the morning after Linguini has been called into the Chef’s office because his dish went down well. You can see on her face that she’s determined not to resent him for his success, because he’s her friend, but she’s also completely vulnerable. The attention to detail in every aspect of this film is spectacular!

The score is fantastic - I love the way Michael Giacchino’s scores are so witty and full of flavour. He picks one or two brilliant themes and then plays about with them for the whole movie, meaning that you always feel very grounded in the place and tone of the movie. Is it too stereotypically French? Who cares! It’s beautiful and fun and is the musical equivalent of a big glass of red wine.

Again, I’m not going to go into every aspect of the Ratatouille because it’s too yummy to cover everything. One last thing I’ll say, however, is that this is an example of how to do pacing correctly - take heed Meet the Robinsons! The movie is fast-paced and action-packed, but never confusing. It’s a perfect three-act structure, with key plot points driven by decisions that Remy makes, and not just by things happening to him.

Ratatouille is pretty well represented in the Disney parks, but of course best at DLP. The Ratatouille area is altogether too beautiful for Disney Studios, as it puts all the other areas to shame. The Ratatouille ride is also really nice, as it keeps the humour and madcap action of the movie and then opens out into Bistro Chez Remy, which is also gorgeous. One of the few places in DLP you can get a decent meal!

Cheers guys, see you next time!
 
Ratatouille: Is it wrong for me to admit that I'm obsessed with Ratatouille as a movie? Is it because I'm more intrigued with French culture? Or the fact that I'm a Disneyland Paris fan? Who knows. But I feel this one is on the underrated side of things when it comes to Pixar movies because not that many people talk about Ratatouille, Remy I do feel is a likeable character and there's a lot of real struggles of being who he wants to be and that he's determined about his ambitions. Skinner is probably my favourite parts of the movie I swear to you I've quoted Skinner a lot more recently even to the point where I've recorded a silly video on my laptop where I'm just quoting the entire "Phantom Rat" scene, he's that good of a character and having him played by Ian Holms or old man Bilbo Baggins to me is also a delight.

They captured the essence of Paris as a city and it looks so beautiful, from the rooftops of the buildings to the Eiffel Tower itself, it's a sight to behold and a lot of detail had been into this film like most Pixar films do. I will admit when I was at Chez Remy's for the first time it did make me want to see Ratatouille again and like you say the are at Walt Disney Studios is just amazing and it does help that the French actually do like the film in question as they've actually said that Pixar had done a great job of representing their country and honestly they are not wrong there.
 


Ratatouille (2007)

Yey back to great Pixar!

Ratatouille is not my fav Pixar but its a very joyful and fantastic movie, with lots of humour and zany action to keep you entertained. Its attention to detail and perfect tone are what make it special.

There’s something extremely satisfying about every aspect of this movie, from the score to the animation, to quirky-looking, lovable characters - it’s like a big cuddle of a movie that you can just snuggle into. especially when it comes to the food. A good example of this is the sequence where Remy can’t help but transform the soup that Linguini has ruined. He throws vegetables and herbs into the soup in a sort of food ballet and it feels like you can almost smell it! You’re laughing because it’s funny, excited for Remy as this is a big character moment (his first chance to do some real cooking), marvelling at the beautiful animation, nodding along to that brilliant music. And of course you’re hungry. Damn that movie makes me hungry!

Remy is probably a more likeable hero than the usual Pixar protagonist. He is a rat so I guess he’s an unlikely hero in that respect, but he’s more like traditional idealistic Disney hero with hopes and dreams than other Pixar heroes. He almost needs an ‘I Want’ song. Through Remy we explore what it means to be an artist in a gentle, good-humoured way. Remy doesn’t just want to be a cook, he has to be a cook, and we watch him struggle between following his art and meeting his family’s expectations, before finally being able to find acceptance for who he is. Not only that, but we also get an insight into the frustrations of being a great artist, as there’s so few people around who are able to appreciate him.

In fact all the characters in Ratatouille are wonderfully fleshed out. Remy and Linguini are of course very well realised, and compliment each other beautifully, but many of the side characters are given complexity too. Skinner could have been a bit of a forgettable villain if he wasn’t voiced by Ian Holm or animated so brilliantly. I love the way everything he does is so overly dramatic. There’s a brilliant moment where he eats Remy’s ratatouille for the first time and he obviously wants to hate it, but it’s so wonderful that he has to clutch the table cloth and lets out a little moan. Details like that make this movie the work of art that it is.

One of the characters I love most is Colette. We learned in one of the little Disney Life documentaries that Brad Bird had only female animators work on Colette’s animation, which is really nice. I love to see the conflict between her determination to remain ‘the toughest cook in the kitchen’ versus her feelings for Linguini. There’s also some moments of real frailty, like when she comes into the kitchen the morning after Linguini has been called into the Chef’s office because his dish went down well. You can see on her face that she’s determined not to resent him for his success, because he’s her friend, but she’s also completely vulnerable. The attention to detail in every aspect of this film is spectacular!

The score is fantastic - I love the way Michael Giacchino’s scores are so witty and full of flavour. He picks one or two brilliant themes and then plays about with them for the whole movie, meaning that you always feel very grounded in the place and tone of the movie. Is it too stereotypically French? Who cares! It’s beautiful and fun and is the musical equivalent of a big glass of red wine.

Again, I’m not going to go into every aspect of the Ratatouille because it’s too yummy to cover everything. One last thing I’ll say, however, is that this is an example of how to do pacing correctly - take heed Meet the Robinsons! The movie is fast-paced and action-packed, but never confusing. It’s a perfect three-act structure, with key plot points driven by decisions that Remy makes, and not just by things happening to him.

Ratatouille is pretty well represented in the Disney parks, but of course best at DLP. The Ratatouille area is altogether too beautiful for Disney Studios, as it puts all the other areas to shame. The Ratatouille ride is also really nice, as it keeps the humour and madcap action of the movie and then opens out into Bistro Chez Remy, which is also gorgeous. One of the few places in DLP you can get a decent meal!

Cheers guys, see you next time!

Ratatouille probably is my favorite Pixar movie. It just has so much heart. There are great characters and the pacing is snappy. I appreciate the funny moments, like when the health inspector opens the door to see hundreds of rats! :scared:

Anyway, it's an unlikely number one for me considering other great Pixar (and Brad Bird) movies, but there it is. I love it! I have not gotten to Disneyland Paris yet, though it is on my list. I can't wait for the Ratatouille ride to open at Epcot though as that will be much closer to home.
 
I appreciate the funny moments, like when the health inspector opens the door to see hundreds of rats! :scared:
I gotta admit, that skeeved me out. I don't have a great fear of rodents, I've had hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs as pets as kid, but placing them inside a restaurant kitchen is problematic for me. I can't deny that it's very well done and the points made by others in this thread are well taken. I'll watch the movie again somewhere down the road, and perhaps I'll be a bigger fan when the Epcot attraction opens. (I didn't like Nightmare Before Christmas until I saw the overlay at DLR)
 
WALL-E (2008)

WALL-E is one of those rare Disney movies that is openly trying to transcend the limits of a mere kids cartoon into the realms of true art. Which sounds like I’m suggesting it’s not all that fun, but for the most part WALL-E gets the tone pretty spot on. It does, however, make the movie a bit difficult to review, if you’re a bit shallow like me. Nonetheless, let’s give it a go.

The most obvious difference between WALL-E and many of Pixar’s other films is how dark and bleak it is. It’s also probably Pixar’s most political film, commenting on current society and warning against the dangers of corporate monopolies and the implications of the way we treat the planet. Yes, it ends on a hopeful note, but the grim dystopia has been so effectively created up to that point that it’s almost a bit unconvincing. The end credits soften it a bit, but without them you’d be left with a grim outlook for humanity. I’m by no means against this, and if anyone can pull it off it’s Pixar, but it was a very interesting and bold move.

The movie looks fantastic, with both the bleak, inhospitable earth and the creepy cruiseship/spaceship both beautifully created, giving a sense of scope and detail. The design of the characters is brilliant too, particularly WALL-E himself. He looks like he could really function as a robot, but also looks like a cross between a child and a puppy. Pixar have set themselves another crazy challenge, this time to make us root for characters who don’t speak, and it’s all done through tiny details. The way WALL-E’s eyes telescope, or the way EVE holds something in her hand tell us so much.

We need to be invested in WALL-E and EVE’s relationship as it’s the driving force for the monumental change that has occured by the end of the film. Luckily it’s presented as very believable and organic, and because the characters are so well animated, they feel like real people. Like with Miss Bianca and Bernard, you can see how WALL-E and EVE complement one another. A driven career woman like EVE needs someone a bit more free-wheeling like WALL-E!

The design of the human characters is a cross between cute and chilling - they look like innocent babies and that’s really what they are - so it’s hard to know how to feel about them. You like them because they’re so innocent and have such a sense of wonder (kind of like WALL-E himself), but they’re also unsettling. Everything that’s happened to make them the way they are is both something that’s been done to them, and something they’ve done to themselves. It leaves me with an unsettled feeling, that no amount of adorable trundling about by WALL-E, or reminders of the good things the human race has contributed, can quite displace.

Pixar made a wise choice not to include a ‘villain’ as such in this movie. Ratcliffe in Pocahontas showed us that adding a stereotypical villain where the issues being explored are so much more complicated than one person, can be a mistake and cheapen the film. In WALL-E the villain is something too complex to put your finger on. Although AUTO seems to be trying to destroy humanity, he’s only doing what he’s been programmed to do. And you can’t simply say that the villain is ‘Technology’ either; the humans are what they have made themselves, so they are the architects of the their own destruction. That having been said, you can’t really blame the humans either, as they’re like children and have never known anything different. And, though it is ultimately technology, in the form of WALL-E and EVE that rescues humanity, the driving forces behind their actions are very human ones, such as love, curiosity and nostalgia.

Music obviously plays a big part in creating that perfect tonal balance and encapsulating all the themes that the movie tries to bring together. The define dancing theme is one of my favourites in all of Pixar. They also make great use of music from other sources, which heightens the sense of nostalgia. Even among the other amazing Pixar soundtracks, this has got to be one of the best.

Overall WALL-E is definitely a bit of a tonal balancing act. It sets out to be entertaining and funny (it is still nominally a kids’ movie after all) but also thought-provoking and moving, and definitely ends up leaning more to the latter, making it a more sober watch than other Pixars. This is not at all a bad thing, and there’s still moments that have you chuckling (and going awwww!), but this is maybe not the one to choose if you’re feeling a bit down about the world. Which would be understandable!

I’m definitely not saying that this film is too earnest to really love, or that it’s only the kind of film you can appreciate and never really enjoy - in many ways the film is a total delight, and as full of enchanting and original ideas as every Pixar movie - all I’m saying is it’s not a film for every mood.

P.S. Also, don't try to watch the first 30 minutes while you’re eating - it requires too much concentration. Pro tip for ya.
 
WALL-E - God I love this one, it's possibly one of my favourites when it comes to Pixar alongside the Toy Story films, The Incredibles and even Inside Out. It's such a beautifully crafted movie, the relationship that Eve has with WALL-E is adorable and it really is a film that tucks at your heartstrings. And I agree Define Dancing is probably one of the best tunes from the movie and I always seem to come back to that song in particular when it comes to WALL-E in general and just keep thinking of the scene where WALL-E and EVE flying around the Axiom while that song is playing in the background. They achieved so much with almost little to no dialogue with those two. Such a beautiful film.
 
Okay, I haven't seen WALL-E. I DO have it on my DVR, though it was recorded off of Disney Channel and will have commercials and maybe some edits (though I don't think they pare them down too much usually). I will try to watch it, maybe this weekend. It just never grabbed me, but I am willing to give it a shot.
 
Wall-E is a seriously good movie. What they pulled-off here is pretty phenomenal--an entertaining movie with a message and heart. It's not as fun for funny as many other of the films we've discussed but still entertaining and clever. It's probably a bit sluggish for the very youngest viewers, there is little dialogue in the opening minutes. Nice music too (Peter Gabriel)
 
So, I watched that copy of WALL-E on my DVR. It was surprisingly good, though a challenging watch. It feels like two different movies, one on Earth and one on the ship. There is this pervasive sadness for a while but that eventually gives way to heroics. There was also more talking than I was led to believe, which I think is a good thing, though the emotion they were able to convey just using the robots is astounding. It really is a great movie.
 
So we all knew it was coming...Its the start of the Tinker Franchise!:)

Tinker Bell (2008)

So within a few seconds of the opening of 2008’s Tinker Bell it becomes clear that the target audience of the movie is 7-year-old girls. This being the case I decided to invite my 7-year old self along to help me with the review. Say hello to the nice people!.


Hello.

Cool, so Tinker Bell is definitely the most shameless cash grab of a movie we’ve experienced so far. Basically there is no story to be told here, just a range of fairy dolls to be sold.


What? Shut up, it’s a great story. It’s all about the fairies and they’re so pretty and they can talk to animals and stuff like that.


Didn’t you also like the Care Bears movie?


So?


Nothing. So this movie should come with a disclaimer: Anyone who is not a 7-year-old girl is advised to rethink their decision to watch it. The story is boring, formulaic and predictable. The dialogue is a mix of terrible, childish jokes and clunky exposition. Still, it’s for younger children, so I guess...


Nah, you actually have a point. Those two boy fairies who were supposed to be funny were just annoying.


It’s also kind of hilarious that the movie so doggedly hits you over the head with a ‘to your own self be true’ message that we actually end up getting a rather confusing message about how you shouldn’t try to better yourself or climb the social ladder in life, you should be contented with what you were born with. Tell that to Remy, guys!


If I was a fairy, I would want to be garden fairy so I could, like, talk to flowers and things.


Are you going to contribute anything helpful at any point?


Fairies are pretty!


OK. So one thing we couldn’t help noticing was that there are way too many characters. And I couldn’t tell you a single one’s name apart from Tinker Bell and Fairy Mary (and that’s just because that one is so dumb it got stuck in my head)...


I know their names! There was Iridessa and Silvermist and Juniper and Flutterby…


You’re making those up. Anyway they were all underdeveloped apart from Tink, who herself was one of those irritating characters who is genuinely useless and annoying, but because the movie requires it, all the other characters are fascinated by her and think she’s fabulous. She’s also been totally retconned from her previous outings (tbf she was a would-be murderer, so it’s probably a good thing), to make her more 7-year-old girl friendly.


I liked her. It was funny when she tried to do what the other fairies could do and she kept being rubbish at it.


Alright, I will be generous and say that they were trying to do something ‘new’ and make Tinker Bell the anti-Disney Princess - birds and little fuzzy creatures hate her and she’s **** at everything. It’s quite refreshing in that way. What else did you like about it?


I liked the lady who sang the song at the beginning.


Oh yeah, Loreena Mckenitt, she was lovely. My dad is a fan of Loreena and we have seen her live - it was a bit of a surprise to see her turning up in a second-tier Disney movie. Nonetheless, that woman can make any song, even the somewhat saccharine one they gave her, sound gorgeous. In general however, the music was thoroughly forgettable. They needed to give the characters songs really - I mean they had Kristin Chenoweth right there, why waste her?


Yes! I like when Disney movies have songs! *Starts singing Part of Your World very loud*


FURTHERMORE...The animation is OK, but very cutesy and flowery. All the fairies had the exact same features, just different coloured hair and outfits.


Yey! I can’t wait till I can collect all of the Pixie Hollow barbies, and then I’ll have lots of different outfits to try on them all.


Like I said: 7-year-old girls. Shameless cash grab.


What?


Nothing. Overall I didn’t hate the movie, I just didn't like anything about it. It’s an obvious and unoriginal idea and they decided to do something obvious and unoriginal with it, in a transparent attempt to sell things to 7-year-old girls.


Ooh cool! There’s like another five Tinker Bell movies!


Wait what? :0
 
Bolt (2008)

I haven’t really got masses of time at the moment, so I’m just going to dash off this next couple of reviews as quickly as I can. They’re not going to be as detailed but I hope you’ll all bear with me. We actually watched these movies last weekend, but I haven’t been able to write anything up because I’ve been too busy. And I don't want us to watch any more movies until I’ve caught up!


This was my first time watching Bolt and sisters second. I thought it was going to be terrible but was pleasantly surprised. Bolt is...really not bad. It’s definitely the best we’ve seen from Disney Animated Studios for a bit and though I don’t think we’ll be in a mad hurry to watch it again, we probably will at some point.


Bolt’s strength is the road movie, odd-threesome story that makes up the middle part of the film. Either through discovering their original genius or just good luck, Disney seems to have finally remembered how friendship and humour work, and how they should be portrayed in a movie so as to make you care. Bolt himself is a little dull, but his two friends Mittens and Rhino are completely brilliant. Both of them are very funny, particularly Rhino, and you believe in the relationship between the three characters. There are also a few incidental characters, such as the pigeons, which are hilarious too.


The other strength of Bolt is the visuals, which have come on leaps and bounds. They take the approach in this movie of using soft, sometimes 2D backgrounds, which the 3D characters appear on, and it works really well. Since it’s a road movie the movie needs to give a sense of place, and reflect the characters through use of landscapes, and the visual approach really achieves this. It’s a very pretty movie in a lot of places.


I think the downside of Bolt is that it’s maybe a bit unconvincing. We’re sort of given the impression that it takes place in the real world, in our time, which is sometimes a bit hard to swallow as too many questions pop into your head for you to really enjoy it. Why does the TV show require Bolt to believe he really is a super dog? Why does Rhino believe it BUT Mittens doesn’t? How did they ever manage to get all those shots in one take? How does a TV show have such a high budget anyway? Why, when the studio is on fire, is the star of the show the one everyone forgets about, leaving her to burn to death? Why is Penny’s mum such a terrible parent? I don’t know why this plot fails to convince, where other more outlandish ones have been just fine with me, but it is unfortunately the case.


As you can see, most of my problems with Bolt are with the TV show plotline, as I feel it doesn’t really add much to the story. I love the Homeward Bound-esque middle of the film, and I feel like that could have been enough to make a story out of. The strength of this movie isn’t Bolt learning about life without super powers, or even him finding his way back to Penny, it’s his unlikely friendships with Mittens and Rhino.


If you haven’t seen Bolt yet, I’d definitely give it a go. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it will probably keep the kids happy for a couple of hours. On a scale of Meet the Robinsons to The Lion King, I’d say it was a solid Hundred and One Dalmatians.
 
That might be your best post yet RS!:thumbsup2 Yeah this falls under the "not gonna watch this" I'll watch another bonafide Disney classic again before I spend time on this. I do have two granddaughters who are 6 & 7, they might enjoy it. I'll keep an eye out to see if it's streaming or pops up on the Disney channel.

ETA: I was replying while you were posting your Bolt review. I think it's good, generally underrated. I guess I could go along with you "101 Dalmatians" rating...it might be a notch or two higher.

Sidebar note: This afternoon I'm watching "Walt & El Grupo" a documentary about the time Walt & his crew spent several months in South America in the 40s. Anyone interested in Disney history would enjoy this. The world was such a different place but they loved having Disney visit.
 
So we all knew it was coming...Its the start of the Tinker Franchise!:)

Tinker Bell (2008)

So within a few seconds of the opening of 2008’s Tinker Bell it becomes clear that the target audience of the movie is 7-year-old girls. This being the case I decided to invite my 7-year old self along to help me with the review. Say hello to the nice people!.


Hello.

Cool, so Tinker Bell is definitely the most shameless cash grab of a movie we’ve experienced so far. Basically there is no story to be told here, just a range of fairy dolls to be sold.


What? Shut up, it’s a great story. It’s all about the fairies and they’re so pretty and they can talk to animals and stuff like that.


Didn’t you also like the Care Bears movie?


So?


Nothing. So this movie should come with a disclaimer: Anyone who is not a 7-year-old girl is advised to rethink their decision to watch it. The story is boring, formulaic and predictable. The dialogue is a mix of terrible, childish jokes and clunky exposition. Still, it’s for younger children, so I guess...


Nah, you actually have a point. Those two boy fairies who were supposed to be funny were just annoying.


It’s also kind of hilarious that the movie so doggedly hits you over the head with a ‘to your own self be true’ message that we actually end up getting a rather confusing message about how you shouldn’t try to better yourself or climb the social ladder in life, you should be contented with what you were born with. Tell that to Remy, guys!


If I was a fairy, I would want to be garden fairy so I could, like, talk to flowers and things.


Are you going to contribute anything helpful at any point?


Fairies are pretty!


OK. So one thing we couldn’t help noticing was that there are way too many characters. And I couldn’t tell you a single one’s name apart from Tinker Bell and Fairy Mary (and that’s just because that one is so dumb it got stuck in my head)...


I know their names! There was Iridessa and Silvermist and Juniper and Flutterby…


You’re making those up. Anyway they were all underdeveloped apart from Tink, who herself was one of those irritating characters who is genuinely useless and annoying, but because the movie requires it, all the other characters are fascinated by her and think she’s fabulous. She’s also been totally retconned from her previous outings (tbf she was a would-be murderer, so it’s probably a good thing), to make her more 7-year-old girl friendly.


I liked her. It was funny when she tried to do what the other fairies could do and she kept being rubbish at it.


Alright, I will be generous and say that they were trying to do something ‘new’ and make Tinker Bell the anti-Disney Princess - birds and little fuzzy creatures hate her and she’s **** at everything. It’s quite refreshing in that way. What else did you like about it?


I liked the lady who sang the song at the beginning.


Oh yeah, Loreena Mckenitt, she was lovely. My dad is a fan of Loreena and we have seen her live - it was a bit of a surprise to see her turning up in a second-tier Disney movie. Nonetheless, that woman can make any song, even the somewhat saccharine one they gave her, sound gorgeous. In general however, the music was thoroughly forgettable. They needed to give the characters songs really - I mean they had Kristin Chenoweth right there, why waste her?


Yes! I like when Disney movies have songs! *Starts singing Part of Your World very loud*


FURTHERMORE...The animation is OK, but very cutesy and flowery. All the fairies had the exact same features, just different coloured hair and outfits.


Yey! I can’t wait till I can collect all of the Pixie Hollow barbies, and then I’ll have lots of different outfits to try on them all.


Like I said: 7-year-old girls. Shameless cash grab.


What?


Nothing. Overall I didn’t hate the movie, I just didn't like anything about it. It’s an obvious and unoriginal idea and they decided to do something obvious and unoriginal with it, in a transparent attempt to sell things to 7-year-old girls.


Ooh cool! There’s like another five Tinker Bell movies!


Wait what? :0

Well, I think your "7 year-old" has the right attitude with this. It's just something fun for kids. It was not released theatrically, so that usually wouldn't make your cut for these reviews (it had a limited engagement at the El Capitan, but it was not a wide release). Anyway, I've never seen it, and have no opinion on the film. I will say the animation is pretty decent for direct-to-video fare and I think it was a good decision to task DisneyToon toward unique franchises like Tinkerbell and Planes as opposed to the often poorly received sequels. If you're planning to do them all, well, best wishes to you!
 
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Bolt (2008)

I haven’t really got masses of time at the moment, so I’m just going to dash off this next couple of reviews as quickly as I can. They’re not going to be as detailed but I hope you’ll all bear with me. We actually watched these movies last weekend, but I haven’t been able to write anything up because I’ve been too busy. And I don't want us to watch any more movies until I’ve caught up!


This was my first time watching Bolt and sisters second. I thought it was going to be terrible but was pleasantly surprised. Bolt is...really not bad. It’s definitely the best we’ve seen from Disney Animated Studios for a bit and though I don’t think we’ll be in a mad hurry to watch it again, we probably will at some point.


Bolt’s strength is the road movie, odd-threesome story that makes up the middle part of the film. Either through discovering their original genius or just good luck, Disney seems to have finally remembered how friendship and humour work, and how they should be portrayed in a movie so as to make you care. Bolt himself is a little dull, but his two friends Mittens and Rhino are completely brilliant. Both of them are very funny, particularly Rhino, and you believe in the relationship between the three characters. There are also a few incidental characters, such as the pigeons, which are hilarious too.


The other strength of Bolt is the visuals, which have come on leaps and bounds. They take the approach in this movie of using soft, sometimes 2D backgrounds, which the 3D characters appear on, and it works really well. Since it’s a road movie the movie needs to give a sense of place, and reflect the characters through use of landscapes, and the visual approach really achieves this. It’s a very pretty movie in a lot of places.


I think the downside of Bolt is that it’s maybe a bit unconvincing. We’re sort of given the impression that it takes place in the real world, in our time, which is sometimes a bit hard to swallow as too many questions pop into your head for you to really enjoy it. Why does the TV show require Bolt to believe he really is a super dog? Why does Rhino believe it BUT Mittens doesn’t? How did they ever manage to get all those shots in one take? How does a TV show have such a high budget anyway? Why, when the studio is on fire, is the star of the show the one everyone forgets about, leaving her to burn to death? Why is Penny’s mum such a terrible parent? I don’t know why this plot fails to convince, where other more outlandish ones have been just fine with me, but it is unfortunately the case.


As you can see, most of my problems with Bolt are with the TV show plotline, as I feel it doesn’t really add much to the story. I love the Homeward Bound-esque middle of the film, and I feel like that could have been enough to make a story out of. The strength of this movie isn’t Bolt learning about life without super powers, or even him finding his way back to Penny, it’s his unlikely friendships with Mittens and Rhino.


If you haven’t seen Bolt yet, I’d definitely give it a go. It’s not going to knock your socks off, but it will probably keep the kids happy for a couple of hours. On a scale of Meet the Robinsons to The Lion King, I’d say it was a solid Hundred and One Dalmatians.

Bolt is pretty decent and the sings of a real upswing for Disney! Yeah, it's not great as Bolt himself is a little flat, but still, the world is fun and the friend characters are awesome, especially poor, declawed Mittens! I think a few things that you point out as not reflective of the real world don't matter much, such as how an animal actor is used and the budget of a TV show, however the point of the parental failure is all too true for many child stars. That disengagement and her agent are some of my favorite parts of the movie. Bolt also has Disney's best computer animation yet as things are starting to look more on-par with Pixar.
 
Should I be worried when I say the next thing I'm about to say on this thread? :P

I actually do like the Tinker Bell movies. And I'M A GUY for crying out loud! A man who has recently turned 26 as of today anyway. I think the animation is beautiful to look at for the first movie, and it's got quite a lot of likeable characters and it's a cute story. The music is a bit on the cheesy side of things but that's sort of the charm really. I even have three of the other Tinker Bell movies on DVD and it's even gotten to the point where I actually went to Adventureland in the Magic Kingdom in Disney World back in 2011 in the dead of night while everyone else was watching Wishes I went off and met Tinker Bell and Rosetta in their ol' Pixie Hollow meet and greet spot that they used to have there.

I'll say it's not everyone's cup of tea but I will say it's a lot better than Planes and some of the Direct to Video Disney Sequels. Moving back onto to the animated canon itself: Bolt.

Ah now this was when Disney finally got an animated film in CGI right, it's not on the same level as other classic films but it's still enjoyable I do feel. Rhino is hilarious as well as Mittens being a fun and relatable character. The only thing I would quibble about the film is that Miley Cyrus as a younger girl. I'm sorry but I don't believe she can be convincing as Penny and she sounds waaaaaay too old for her. Otherwise an underrated film and a bit better than Meet the Robinsons but certainly ALOT better than Chicken Little undeniably on that one.
 

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