Posted: Fri Aug 27, 2010 10:06 pm
Odd. My list hasn't really changed since 2007, except I've replaced Chicken Little with Meet the Robinsons. I already wrote at length about the other nine films on page 12, so I'll copy and re-arrange some old posts I made in the past regarding Meet the Robinsons, as well as add a couple more bits:
For the longest time on UD, I was one of the biggest supporters of Chicken Little, and while I still am, it's no longer my favorite from Disney's CGI films. Meet the Robinsons is, because I just love the story and characters. I could really connect with Lewis and his loneliness, his desire to understand more about his past, along with the final realisation to keep moving forward. It's become a movie I hold dear to my heart for a variety of reasons.
2007 was a bad year for me, and so watching Meet the Robinsons and seeing its ending really resonated with me, as it was that reminder that things happen in our life, some which we can control, some which we can't, but we keep moving forward. And eventually, life will give us a break now and then and we get better and better.
A lot of people think the middle is a muddled mess, but I always felt that was the intent, and that it was done the right way. After all, Lewis isn't going to wait patiently for Wilbur, all the while having each family member suddenly come to the garage to have a nice cup of tea and pleasant conversation. That's not who the Robinsons are. The madcap humour and the whole craziness and random laughs are the Robinsons. Introducing them any other way just wouldn't work as well. It doesn't really ruin the tone for me because for Lewis, he's just been taken from a very serious event (messing up the science fair) to some wonderful world. And he has very little time to take it all in. So the whole unexpectedness and fun he has with this crazy family becomes the new tone of the story. The viewer becomes just like Lewis, as they're thrust into something new and exciting, with very little time to catch their breath.
Regarding Bowler Hat Guy, I think he's an excellent character in terms of how he allowed himself (though technically, he told himself to allow himself) to keep blaming events in the past for his actions in the present. You pity him because you see how his path was changed for the worse, and his realization that *he is responsible for himself* is truly heartbreaking (the "?" at the end of his list). Had he not skulked away wondering what he would do now, he most certainly would have been welcome in the Robinson family.
Wilbur too is quite a character. In first viewings, he can be somewhat of a jerk at time ("I screwed up, help me and I'll do this for you! Oops, I lied...oh no, I'm disappearing! Okay, I'll take you to your ma..."). But when you re-view the film, you notice that he's very much like Lewis. He's strong-headed, determined, and has amazing hair. Plus, he knows the importance of family, and eventually puts their feelings and well-being before his own. Even though he said he was lying about bringing Lewis to see his mother, eventually he did take him, even if he knew it could potentially change his own future. But he wanted his father to be happy, to at least get that chance.
I'm also glad that Lewis didn't take that chance. Had he done that, it would have been five steps backwards in what the story was trying to say. A part of me is upset that he never met his biological mother, but at the same time, it's his decision. Who knows, maybe Disney will make Meet the Robinsons 2 where Lewis's birth mother is held prisoner by Doris' predecessor, DOR-14 (Doria?). But I don't want that to happen. Ever.
The movie has a lot of heart, and a lot of craziness, both of which go hand in hand. It's all about what makes a family, and how it's not always the nuclear set-up. It's depiction of the future is bright and optimistic, something I'm very glad to see. It's very comforting to know that in this world's future, we travel in bubbles, tomorrow is today, and people still enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Anyway, here's my top ten list, unchanged since 2007, except for slot 6...
1. Beauty and the Beast (1991) always tied with Aladdin (1992)
3. Peter Pan (1953)
4. Robin Hood (1973)
5. Pocahontas (1995)
6. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
7. Dumbo (1941)
8. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
9. Fantasia (1940)
10. The Black Cauldron (1985)
albert
For the longest time on UD, I was one of the biggest supporters of Chicken Little, and while I still am, it's no longer my favorite from Disney's CGI films. Meet the Robinsons is, because I just love the story and characters. I could really connect with Lewis and his loneliness, his desire to understand more about his past, along with the final realisation to keep moving forward. It's become a movie I hold dear to my heart for a variety of reasons.
2007 was a bad year for me, and so watching Meet the Robinsons and seeing its ending really resonated with me, as it was that reminder that things happen in our life, some which we can control, some which we can't, but we keep moving forward. And eventually, life will give us a break now and then and we get better and better.
A lot of people think the middle is a muddled mess, but I always felt that was the intent, and that it was done the right way. After all, Lewis isn't going to wait patiently for Wilbur, all the while having each family member suddenly come to the garage to have a nice cup of tea and pleasant conversation. That's not who the Robinsons are. The madcap humour and the whole craziness and random laughs are the Robinsons. Introducing them any other way just wouldn't work as well. It doesn't really ruin the tone for me because for Lewis, he's just been taken from a very serious event (messing up the science fair) to some wonderful world. And he has very little time to take it all in. So the whole unexpectedness and fun he has with this crazy family becomes the new tone of the story. The viewer becomes just like Lewis, as they're thrust into something new and exciting, with very little time to catch their breath.
Regarding Bowler Hat Guy, I think he's an excellent character in terms of how he allowed himself (though technically, he told himself to allow himself) to keep blaming events in the past for his actions in the present. You pity him because you see how his path was changed for the worse, and his realization that *he is responsible for himself* is truly heartbreaking (the "?" at the end of his list). Had he not skulked away wondering what he would do now, he most certainly would have been welcome in the Robinson family.
Wilbur too is quite a character. In first viewings, he can be somewhat of a jerk at time ("I screwed up, help me and I'll do this for you! Oops, I lied...oh no, I'm disappearing! Okay, I'll take you to your ma..."). But when you re-view the film, you notice that he's very much like Lewis. He's strong-headed, determined, and has amazing hair. Plus, he knows the importance of family, and eventually puts their feelings and well-being before his own. Even though he said he was lying about bringing Lewis to see his mother, eventually he did take him, even if he knew it could potentially change his own future. But he wanted his father to be happy, to at least get that chance.
I'm also glad that Lewis didn't take that chance. Had he done that, it would have been five steps backwards in what the story was trying to say. A part of me is upset that he never met his biological mother, but at the same time, it's his decision. Who knows, maybe Disney will make Meet the Robinsons 2 where Lewis's birth mother is held prisoner by Doris' predecessor, DOR-14 (Doria?). But I don't want that to happen. Ever.
The movie has a lot of heart, and a lot of craziness, both of which go hand in hand. It's all about what makes a family, and how it's not always the nuclear set-up. It's depiction of the future is bright and optimistic, something I'm very glad to see. It's very comforting to know that in this world's future, we travel in bubbles, tomorrow is today, and people still enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
Anyway, here's my top ten list, unchanged since 2007, except for slot 6...
1. Beauty and the Beast (1991) always tied with Aladdin (1992)
3. Peter Pan (1953)
4. Robin Hood (1973)
5. Pocahontas (1995)
6. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
7. Dumbo (1941)
8. Sleeping Beauty (1959)
9. Fantasia (1940)
10. The Black Cauldron (1985)
albert
Lady and the Tramp