Feature Animation Marathon

[pap64]

Wow, I predicted your "best" picks pages ago.

Does it bother you - at all - that the movie you're selecting as the best disney animated film takes time out if its climax for Taxi Driver and Chalkboard Jungle pop culture references? That cheap and easy jokes are thrown in to remind the audience, "Hey, don't take this seriously, it's a cartoon."

That doesn't bother you at all? The Lion King is based on a false premise -- it MIMICS drama as opposed to CREATING drama. The film punctures its own balloon at every possible moment. If they don't take it seriously, why should you? The Lion King is to the film it rips off (Bambi) what Tim Burton's Batman is to Chris Nolan's. It's a joke. Sure it's fun. Burton's Batman is fun. But it's a joke, and has no right to be ranked anywhere near the best of the modern features, to say nothing of Walt's animated films.

"But I saw it as a kid and I really really like it and its fun! Pumbaa farts! Ha! Ha!"

I don't see how a movie can't be both great and don't take itself seriously. I also hope you realize that its all a matter of preference. If Brandon thinks Aladdin is a great movie worthy of being a masterpiece IN HIS EYE, then why not?

Even if the modern films apply modern humor to appeal to audiences they still incorporate good stories, great character development, amazing music and solid visuals. The humor shouldn't take away from the film.

The Walt Era films were also filled with humor appropriate for the times. For example, Snow White had the seven dwarfs, with Grumpy and Dopey getting the most time due to their personalities. There are also the mice in Cinderella, everything in Alice in Wonderland and even Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

Its true that the humor is different from the humor seen in the modern features, but both implement humor in order to bring comic relief in movies that would have been different if they were wholly dramatic.

As for the Batman comment, I hope you realize that the two versions are DRASTICALLY different and represent different visions of the Batman universe. Tim Burton's Batman is very fantastical, coming close to the original comics which were very colorful. Chris Nolan's Batman, however, tries to envision the character in our real world and thus creates more drama around the character. Its OK to prefer one version over the other, but its unfair to compare them or even say one its superior to the other because of how different they are.

Take that as you will.

[Rudy Matt]

During the Forest Fire sequence from Bambi, do the characters suddenly start doing impersonations from Gone With the Wind or Charlie Chaplin comedies?

No, they don't

During the climax of Snow White, do the characters suddenly start to make pop culture references?

No, they don't.

After Monstro's sneeze, do Gepetto, Jiminy and Pinocchio make riffs on The Libelled Lady or other films?

No, they don't.

Does Dumbo make pop culture references as he is plummeting to the ground after dropping the Magic Feather?

No, he doesn't.

When the T-Rex is feasting on the Stegosaurus in The Rite of Spring does he turn and say, "Tastes like Chicken!!"

No, he doesn't.

Katzenberg is the pop culture joke fest King. His films reek with that kind of humour and material. Aladdin, Shrek, The Lion King, even Prince of Egypt and Road to El Dorado, to say nothing of the pain that is Shark Tale, AntZ, and [insert DreamWorks pop culture crap fest here].

The Lion King is the Katzenberg/Dreamworks version of Bambi. If you're cool with that, then fine. I prefer my animation to have the courage of its convictions.

[Disney's Divinity]

I'm sure Bambi was the first and only film to have ever focused on the "circle of life." But only it combines that theme with strains of Hamlet. Oh, wait...

And I'm sure The Lion King is the favorite of many adults out there today because, "Hey, it's just a cartoon!" So much for lasting value.

[BrandonH]

To address a few of Rudy's comments:

1. For each star rating level (based on previously held opinions), I am proceeding chronologically. This is not a countdown. Even if it were, I'm about a dozen films from the end, so I don't know where you're getting the idea that I've said The Lion King is the best Disney animated feature of all time. I haven't said anything about which films top my list. To be sure, I love The Lion King a lot, but it may not get the top spot when all is said and done. Creating the top-to-bottom list is going to take a bit of reflection.

2. Katzenburg may have had an executive position at Disney for a time, but I would hardly call films of that time Katzenburg films. They are Minkoff/Allers films, Clements/Musker Films, Trousdale/Wise films, etc. He may have wielded power and given input, but the films are the creative visions of other people.

3. The Genie gets a special pass when it comes to the pop culture references. That's a central conceit of the character as played by Robin Williams. Even in that film, the climax is balanced more toward the dramatic than the comedic, bad Jafar puns and Genie cheerleading notwithstanding. The other big four films from 1989-1994 do have some anachronisms and comic relief, yet they also play their climaxes pretty straight.

Now, back to the regularly scheduled review.

The Lion King: 5 stars

I was 10 years old when this first came out in theaters. I had seen the preview on the Aladdin VHS countless times. My family and I saw it on vacation, and just a couple days later, I celebrated my 11th birthday in Disneyland. You might say it was the perfect storm for a great first impression. While that first time seeing it was particularly magical, I have enjoyed it tremendously on VHS, on its DVD release, and again this weekend. Here are some contributing factors to my love of this movie:

-"Circle of Life"
-Simba ascends to the throne
-Pumbaa
-"Can You Feel the Love Tonight"
-"I Just Can't Wait to Be King"
-Pouncing lesson (original version)
-Mufasa (I left a comment about him on the Disney Heros and Heroines Countdown)
-"Be Prepared"
-Zebra animation
-Mufasa's ghost/vision
-"Cactus butt"
-Action scenes, such as the hyena chase in the elephant graveyard and Simba vs. Scar in the climax

This is the only Platinum Edition DVD where I sprung for the Collector's Edition package. I'm indifferent to the book, but the outer box and artist sketches are very classy additions to the DVD itself.

Once again, the personality game is too transparent for me to recommend, but I will share that I am like Nala with a little bit of Pumbaa sprinkled in.

On Disc One, the audio commentary and deleted scenes/abandoned concepts are satisfactory extras.

I share the complaints of many when it comes to the navigation system on Disc Two's menus. I would have preferred either 100% duplication between continents and journeys or completely different features in each. The grid in the DVD guide and a short-term memory help, but a person shouldn't need those to get the most out of their DVDs.

I will also agree that there is a lot of cross-selling going on in the extra features. However, it doesn't bother me in the slightest. For one thing, Walt was a shameless self-promoter on his Disneyland TV series and elsewhere, so this is a continuation of that practice. Also, the material is interesting in its own right, not likely to be available elsewhere, and 10 times more relevant to the movie it's packaged with than the "Cinderella Stories" feature.

Here is how I accessed my preferred bonus features on Disc Two:

Story Journey (all)
Film Journey (all)
Stage Journey (all)
Music Journey (all)
Animal Journey: Disney & Animals
Asia: Multi-Language Reel, International Release
Burbank: DVD Sound Design
Orlando: Animal Kingdom Park
Glendale: Early Concepts, Abandoned Scene, Early Presention Reel, Art Design Galleries
Virtual Safari: Rides, Lion King 1 1/2 trailer

The multi-language reel has a cool new addition on this DVD: pressing Enter at the start of each new language shows one of that country's favorite scenes in the native language. The Virtual Safaris on The Lion King and The Lion King 1 1/2 are both very entertaining, and they also make me glad that Disney Imagineering has high standards on who they let into their ranks.

Next up: Toy Story

In case you haven't heard, the first two Toy Story films are going to be rereleased in 3-D this year. My local theater is advertising it for October 2-15. How exciting!

[BrandonH]

Toy Story: 4.5 stars

Toy Story is a remarkable achievement, and it is extremely fun to see it with an audience. I've dropped its rating by a half star this time around. It's still quite entertaining, but Pixar has improved noticeably in its storytelling and animation techniques since their first feature. I also find the "mutant toys" to be a little disturbing, particularly the spider-baby.

Now, what are the great elements that still work?

-"Gee, I'd better shave!"
-The entire gas station scene
-Chasing the moving van
-"Strange Things" montage
-Woody mocking Buzz during the ship repair
-"There appears to be no sign of intelligent life anywhere." "Hello!"
-Mr. Potato Head and Hamm's characters and dialogue
-"That happy child?"
-Sneaking into Pizza Planet

My edition of choice for this movie is the Ultimate Toy Box. Must-see's from Disc One are the audio commentary and on-set interviews. If I'm in a casual mood, "The Story Behind Toy Story" is enough to round out the features.

On Disc 3, there's really no bad feature. All of them do a good job of explaining the process of how a computer-animated movie gets made and how Toy Story in particular was created. To list all the titles of the features would take a ridiculous amount of space. Personally, I mostly like the video features and the text screens with the cloud wallpaper background.

Next up: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

[BrandonH]

The Hunchback of Notre Dame: 5 stars

I first saw Hunchback with my dad during the initial theatrical run, and I loved it. In some ways, it is like the "Fab Four" musicals that preceded it, but the story also ventures into some uncharted territory for Disney animated films to that point.

Here are some of the elements I like best:

-The jaw-dropping bookend shots of the movie going into and out of Paris
-The prologue
-Songs and score from Alan Menken, including "God Help the Outcasts," "Out There," "Bells of Notre Dame," and "Hellfire"
-Depiction of Paris in flames (beautiful animation, not any malice toward the French on my part)
-Comparison of gypsies to ants that vividly demonstrates Frollo's views
-Cathedral exterior and interiors
-"What a woman!"
-Phoebus and his interactions with the other characters

Note: I haven't made it too clear previously, but when I praise a song in one of these reviews, it almost always means both the music and the scene(s) going on during the music.

There's not much to say about the supplements on the DVD. Wise, Trousdale, and Hahn do their usual fine job on the commentary, keeping the tone light while providing a wealth of cool details. "The Making of The Hunchback of Notre Dame" is entertaining and an okay overview of production, but I wish we had gotten something like the documentaries on Aladdin or The Little Mermaid.

Next up: A Bug's Life

[Disney Duster]

I always knew, or thought, you meant both the scene and the song were what you loved what you wrote the title of the song as the title of the highlight.

I'm glad you like Hunchback so much, I like it a lot, and the music really is one of the best things, one of the best in the whole Disney canon, maybe one of the best in any movie...

[BrandonH]

A Bug's Life: 5 stars

A Bug's Life is top-shelf cinema in its own right, and it can also serve as an introduction to Seven Samurai and other Japanese classics. My favorite elements include the following:

-Heimlich, a lovable combination of a funny voice, funny lines, and animated performance
-Dim
-P.T. Flea
-Hopper
-Scene in the soup can bar
-Dot's rescue
-Flaming Death
-Bug flying into the bug zapper
-Storm chase
-Grasshoppers flying toward Ant Island backed by the sunset
-Outtakes
-"I'm lost!"

The 2-Disc Collector's Edition is packed with fine extra features. The best of them are the audio commentary, "Fleabie" Reel, Storyboard Pitch, Character Interviews, and all of the introduction segments. The Sound Design featurette is the weak link here. I respect the work of Gary Rydstrom and Ben Burtt enormously, but their featurettes tend to be pretty dry.

Next up: Toy Story 2

[pap64]

Brandon, I believe that what Frollo squashed with the stone were cockroaches, not ants. Cockroaches are universally hated so the scene with Frollo presented very well his hatred towards gypsies.

[stewie15]

Brandon, I believe that what Frollo squashed with the stone were cockroaches, not ants. Cockroaches are universally hated so the scene with Frollo presented very well his hatred towards gypsies.

100% sure there ants, too small to be cockroaches.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Crqq4SD0 ... 1&index=16

[Disney's Divinity]

I like the music of Hunchback, but the only real stand-out is "Heaven's Light/Hellfire." I'm so glad Tony Jay got to play in a Disney film before he passed away--he was always very talented.

Hunchback is, unfortunately, pretty low on my list. I found it to be one of the more preachy films of the modern era in Disney animation (began by, imo, Pocahontas' "Colors of the Wind"). I just felt the whole "you're ugly, so we hate you" thing was overdone, particularly with how he was strapped down and had food thrown at him (I kind of roll my eyes every time I see that). And then, later, with "God Help the Outcasts," Esmeralda is shown as wanting nothing and completely innocent whereas everyone else is shown to be praying for money, beauty, and other superficial things. I think the messages of the film are good ones, it's only too bad they weren't handled better.

Oh, and the other bad thing was that none of the characters appealed to me. They all came off a bit bland, with weird voices (Demi Moore and Quasimodo's voice were particularly off-setting to me). But I know many people out there love this film, so I'll get off my soapbox now.

[BelleGirl]

I just felt the whole "you're ugly, so we hate you" thing was overdone, particularly with how he was strapped down and had food thrown at him (I kind of roll my eyes every time I see that). And then, later, with "God Help the Outcasts," Esmeralda is shown as wanting nothing and completely innocent whereas everyone else is shown to be praying for money, beauty, and other superficial things. I think the messages of the film are good ones, it's only too bad they weren't handled better.

Personally I don't think the humiliation scene was overdone. Remember how Frollo told Quasimodo how cruel and wicked the world would be to him because of how he looked. And yep: the day he comes down from the tower to be among other people he is strapped down and pelt with rotten fruit just for the amusement of a wicked crowd. I think this is quite close to reality. People DO these things. (In some way I think this also is a sort of 'toned down' imitation of the scene in Victor Hugo's original book where Quasimodo is whipped in public -as a punishment for trying to kidnap Esmeralda- and displayed for an hour afterwards. In this case it's also Esmeralda who shows mercy to him: she gives him a drink of water when he asks for it.)

Oh, and the other bad thing was that none of the characters appealed to me. They all came off a bit bland, with weird voices (Demi Moore and Quasimodo's voice were particularly off-setting to me). But I know many people out there love this film, so I'll get off my soapbox now.

Well, that's not my experience. Quasimodo does appeal te me, I don't think he is a bland character at all. (Phoebus is a bit bland I admit, but his voice is good). "Quasi" is still one of my favourite characters.

Now I'll get of my soap box too.

[Disney Duster]

Right, Quasimodo was whipped publicly in the original book, and the tomatoes in the Disney film represent the blood.

I think the reason they strapped him down was not because he was ugly but because they thought he was like a monster, like an animal, like Frollo said when he saw him as a baby. I mean, he was deformed, not just unnatractive!

I love Quasimodo, I think he's a great and endearing character. Maybe he sings weird, but that doesn't make me not like him. When I was younger I thought he was cute, so, maybe that factors into it. Yea I'm weird but Disney always makes their good characters cute. I think Quasimodo is also cute in his personality and what he does and he is a great character all around.

[Disney's Divinity]

You know, being whipped for attempted kidnapping doesn't feel the same as being strapped down for just being there to me.

Also, are we forgetting that the movie is an entirely deformed version of the book (that was intended; ) after it had been shoved through the Disney formula? I hardly think that scene was done to keep with the book when nearly all of the rest was altered. Maybe the spirit is similar, but I wouldn't say it's anywhere faithful to the book. That's why I don't even really think of the book when I watch the movie.

[BelleGirl]

You know, being whipped for attempted kidnapping doesn't feel the same as being strapped down for just being there to me.

Also, are we forgetting that the movie is an entirely deformed version of the book (that was intended; ) after it had been shoved through the Disney formula? I hardly think that scene was done to keep with the book when nearly all of the rest was altered. Maybe the spirit is similar, but I wouldn't say it's anywhere faithful to the book. That's why I don't even really think of the book when I watch the movie.

I'm not arguing that the story wasn't altered much from the book; but some elements are clearly derived from "the spirit" of the book. Even when I forget about the original story I don't think the humiliation scene is overdone or out of place.

[BrandonH]

Toy Story 2: 5 stars

Toy Story 2 is among that rare breed of second installments that actually outshines the original. Toy Story 2 keeps all the great characters from the first movie (less Sid), gives them better material, and introduces nine new characters who all pull their own weight.

It's hard to whittle the list of favorite parts down, but here goes:

-Wheezy
-Emperor Zurg
-Bullseye
-Tour Guide Barbie
-Rex got a ton of great moments, including using his head and tail to achieve objectives
-The opening credits homage to Superman and Star Trek II
-Video game opening scene
-Toy Barn scene
-Airport climax
-Deluded Buzz
-"When She Loved Me"
-Woody's hat enters on Slinky's tail
-Closing song/curtain call
-Mr. Potato Head's reactions to the Little Green Men
-Andy's playtime
-Movie references galore, such as Oddjob's hat

On the movie disc, "Luxo Jr.," the outtakes, and the audio commentary are all excellent bonus features. Disc 3 of the Ultimate Toy Box is much lighter on good material for the sequel than for the first film. I like "Why a Sequel?", new animation tests, location tours, the Publicity section, "Who's the Coolest Toy?", the guide to hidden jokes, and "Godzilla Rex."

It seems like the Toy Story extras were created for a deluxe laserdisc, while Toy Story 2's extras are more run-of-the-mill DVD extras. Can somebody in the know confirm or deny this?

Next up: Fantasia 2000

[BrandonH]

Fantasia 2000: 5 stars

My family and I were there at the IMAX theatre on New Year's Day 2000 to see this movie. It was good at that time, but I actually have appreciated the film more on DVD. The segment that made the strongest initial impression on me was "Carnival of the Animals," and I can't think of any three minutes of film that are more exuberant and fun.

Other highlights:

-Flight of the whales
-The reunion of Donald and Daisy Duck
-Steve Martin, James Earl Jones, and Penn & Teller acting as hosts
-The entirety of "Rhapsody in Blue" and "The Sorcerer's Apprentice"
-The finale of "The Firebird"
-Orchestra hall assembling in the stars/imagination
-Rising "mountains" in "Symphony No. 5"
-The tin soldier's voyage in the wooden ship

The bonus features on the Fantasia Anthology set are quite nice. "The Making of Fantasia 2000" and the two audio commentaries are terrific pieces. On the third disc, I like the "Creating XYZ" featurettes, "About the Music" text screens, "Mickey Meets the Maestro," trailers, and TV spots. TV Spot #3 deserves special mention because it is rare to have a TV spot with no dialogue or sound effects.

Next up: The Emperor's New Groove

[Barbossa]

^I thought Fantasia 2000 was great too. I'm kind of hoping they'll roll out a third Fantasia in the future.

[ajmrowland]

^Maybe in another half-century or so.

[pap64]

Funny enough, old Disney snubs hate Fantasia 2000 for being too short and "commercial". As great of a film Fantasia is it can get a little long with some boring parts. Fantasia 2000 is more colorful, fast paced and fun.