The Rescuers Down Under

G’day Mate!  We’re off to Australia this week in Disney’s The Rescuers Down Under.

This is one of three sequels on this journey through a year of Disney movies.  (And Fantasia 2000 and Winnie the Pooh are arguably only sequels in characters and themes as they do not continue the storylines of the preceding movies... But I digress.)  We first met our heroes, Bernard and Bianca, in The Rescuers back at movie #23.  This time they’re crossing oceans to help a boy named Cody who is being held captive by an evil poacher who is hoping Cody will lead him to the rare and beautiful golden eagle.  The Rescuers Down Under premiered in 1990 and is considered the second movie of the Disney Renaissance. 

This was an artistically-beautiful adventure tale, though it definitely deviated from the traditional Disney recipe for greatness. (See here or here for my explanation of the perfect Disney movie recipe.)  While the story was missing the Disney music element (Not a single song in the whole movie!), it definitely still scored high in the categories of good story, likable heroes, and humor (not to mention a dastardly villain).  And of note regarding the music, the score is still sweeping and adds greatly to the artistry of the film.

 

 

Our heroes, Bernard and Bianca, are mice from the Rescue Aid Society in New York.  On their first mission, they helped Penny, an orphaned girl, escape the evil clutches of Madame Medusa in Devil's Bayou.  This film's adventure finds them in the even greater unknown of the Australian outback.  They are aided on their journey once again by a comedic albatross- Wilbur (Orville's brother) and Jake, a hopping mouse (with a definite dash of Indiana Jonesish mystique) once the reach the land down under.  The pair soon find themselves on a perilous journey to save Cody, the golden eagle and her eggs!

 

 

 

 

 

The film is truly beautiful in its sweeping landscapes of the Australian outback and the soaring sequences featuring Marahute (the golden eagle).  While this is not the most famous or memorable film from the Disney Renaissance, the grandeur and artistry of the period is clearly evident.  It was lovely to see Bernard and Bianca (and their blossoming relationship) again. 

 

 

Thanks for continuing on this journey with me!

 

This week's quote is from Wilbur and captures the warmth, heart and humor of the film:

 

Kidnapped?  Oh!  That- that's awful!  Lockin' up a little kid.  Kids should be free!  Free to run wild through the house on Saturday mornings, free to have cookies and milk, and get those little white mustaches, you know?

 

 

Coming Up Next Week: Beauty and the Beast

 

The Little Mermaid

And we have officially arrived at my childhood!  This week's movie is Disney's 28th Animated Masterpiece: The Little Mermaid!

The film premiered in 1989 and is considered the first film of the Disney Renaissance.  The Disney Renaissance was a decade of highly successful Disney film releases from The Little Mermaid (1989) to Tarzan (1999).  I was fortunate to grow up during this "Renaissance" which might help explain my love of all things Disney!  The Little Mermaid definitely shaped my childhood.  I even had Little Mermaid curtains.  (True story.)  And I'm fairly certain Sebastian and Flounder and all of their undersea friends ruined seafood.  To this day, I still don't like to eat fish or shellfish...  Anyways, on to the movie!

The Little Mermaid tells the tale of Ariel (a sixteen-year-old mermaid and princess) who longs to explore the human world (the world above) but her father thinks that humans are barbarians and has thus decreed that all things related to the human world are expressly forbidden.  Ariel (of course) falls in love with a human prince, but must make a pact with Ursula (the evil sea witch) to gain legs for a few days to try to win his love.  Conflict, comedy, and crooning crustaceans ensue!

This film is the complete Disney package!!  As outlined in my first movie review on this Disney journey through film, there are 6 main ingredients that set Disney films apart as the best:

• A good story (the heart of any great film)
• A likable hero/heroine
• A little bit of romance
• A scary villain
• Humor
• Music

 And The Little Mermaid has them all!

The story of this particular film really centers on the romance between Ariel and Prince Eric and their respective journeys to find each other.  Ariel struggles to find legs to stand on (literally) to be part of Eric's world and Eric searches for the girl who rescues him from the sea.  Sigh.  <3  Ariel and Eric are a very likable set of heroes and it's very easy to be caught up in their story and want to see them together for the happily ever after finale.  I have seen this film countless times but I still found myself caught up in the plot and storyline when I watched it just this past week.  I was arguing with Ariel not to make certain decisions and generally worrying about how the whole thing would turnout, even though I obviously know how it ends. :)  What can I say?  It's a good story.  :)

Ursula, the sea witch and villain of this story, is fabulous.  Her character has such depth and charisma, but it is ultimately entirely selfish and villainous.  Also, she arguably has the best villain song in the entire Disney cannon with "Poor Unfortunate Souls."  (I know.  We still have to get through some 20-odd other Disney films so I might be speaking too soon, but I definitely say it ranks in the top 5!)

And finally we have the music.  Oh the music!!!!!  This film is filled with great songs!  Ariel's iconic "Part of Your World" is still sung by a bevy of little girls today, and I'm guessing most women my age can also sing every word...  The song is so good, it even gets a fantastic reprise!  There are also some great comedic elements imbedded in the music of the film.  Ursula's lyrics in "Poor Unfortunate Souls" are worth a close listen, and I guarantee you'll hear something clever that you hadn't noticed before.  Also, Prince Eric's chef has comedic gold with his "Les Poissons" song in the kitchen in which he ends up battling the uncrushable crustacean, Sebastian.

And speaking of Sebastian- his two musical numbers in the film might even eclipse the music already mentioned.  The show-stopping "Under the Sea" in which he and his friends form a rollicking, sea-faring band is so good.  It's lively and funny and just plain good music.  But that's not all, Sebastian also sings the romantic "Kiss the Girl" on Eric and Ariel's boat ride through the lagoon.  Definitely one of Disney's greatest hits!

If you can't tell, I really like The Little Mermaid!  In fact, it is my favorite film so far on this Disney journey.  Yes.  I like it even more than this film.  (For full disclosure, it may be bumped out of the first spot by Beauty and the Beast in a few weeks, but it's definitely in my top 5 favorite Disney films ever!) 

This week I'm leaving you with lyrics from Sebastian's "Under the Sea:"

Under the sea
Darling it's better
Down where it's wetter
Take it from me
Up on the shore they work all day
Out in the sun they slave away
While we devotin'
Full time to floatin'
Under the sea

 

Because really.  How else could you end a The Little Mermaid post?  ;)

Coming Up Next Week: The Rescuers Down Under

Oliver & Company

We are halfway through this year of Disney films!  We've arrived at movie 27: Oliver & Company.

The film premiered in 1988 (a very good year for birthdays!) and is loosely very loosely based on the storyline of Charles Dickens' Oliver Twist.  Oliver & Company tells the tale of Oliver, a kitten without a home, and his unlikely inclusion into a gang of misfit dogs who strut the streets of New York without a care in the world.  Oliver is then lucky enough to find a home with Jennifer, a lovely little girl who lives in the wealthy district on 5th Avenue, but alas greedy men, vicious Dobermans, and an unscrupulous (but likable) chap make dastardly plans against the duo.  It's the misfit gang to the rescue!

 

This film was so much fun!  From the opening "Once Upon a Time in New York City" number to the great finale, this was super enjoyable.  Oliver & Company has great characters, great music and great heart. 

Oliver himself is adorable, but plucky at the same time.  He certainly isn't afraid to stand up for himself, go after what he wants, or race to the rescue when someone is in trouble.  The gang of dogs is an eclectic assortment... lead by the worry-free Dodger.  Dodger may seem laid-back, but he clearly cares for his motley crew and fights for them every step of the way.  Most of the gang add a good dose of comedy to the film.  Most notably, Tito, a Chihuahua with major spunk.  Then there's Georgette, Jennifer's spoiled (show-winning) poodle.  Her narcissism and lack of street savvy provide great comedic fodder throughout the film. 

The soundtrack to this film is also wonderful!  Dodger's show-stopping "Why Should I Worry" and Rita's "Streets of Gold" belong on any Disney music lover's list of favorites!  This would also probably be a good time to mention the voice cast for Oliver & Company.  Dodger is voiced by the music legend: Billy Joel.  (Did I mention he has a major show-stopping number, complete with a reprise?!)  Bette Midler voiced Georgette (the poodle).  You also have the talents of Ruth Pointer (of the Pointer Sisters) and Cheech Marin.  Oh.  And Oliver is voiced by a young (12-year-old) Joey Lawrence!  :)

On top of the wonderful cast and music, this film also has heart.  The characters band together to fight the villain and reunite the innocent.  The film definitely treads on some morally gray areas in terms of stealing and petty crimes which should not necessarily be minimized, but the villains are clearly bad, and there is a true, good outcome to root for.  There are friendships formed, sacrifices made, and a love worth fighting for.

I definitely enjoyed this stop on this Disney journey!

Here's a little Walt wisdom for the road:

Life is composed of lights and shadows, and we would be untruthful, insincere, and saccharine if we tried to pretend there were no shadows.  Most things are good, and they are the strongest things; but there are evil things too, and you are not doing a child a favor by trying to shield him from reality.  The important thing is to teach a child that good can always triumph over evil.

Coming Up Next Week: The Little Mermaid

The Great Mouse Detective

Eeek!  I am so sorry that this post is so late.  Unfortunately life (and Disneyland!) intervened, but nevertheless I am back on track.  This week's Disney movie takes us to London.  It's The Great Mouse Detective.

The film premiered in 1986 and is our 26th movie stop on this year through Disney films.  The film centers on Basil of Baker Street (aka the Great Mouse Detective) and a mystery that leads him to the opportunity to take down his nemesis - Ratigan (a rat (in EVERY sense of the word) who wants to take over the mice-dom throne).  Olivia Flaversham's father, a toymaker, has been kidnapped.  Seeking help, the young Olivia sets out to find Basil and on her way meets Dr. Dawson.  The trio soon find themselves on an adventure to find Olivia's father, stop the evil Ratigan, and save the Queen (of the mice).  Has anyone else noticed how many Disney movies have mice in them?  I've rather lost count...  Moving on.

This film is much more enjoyable (and a greater success!) than it's unfortunate predecessor.  The Great Mouse Detective is fun, lively, and cleverly comedic, with a sufficient pinch of heartwarming content as well.  While not as rich as some Disney films musically, there are still a few tow-tapping numbers.  (Watch out for the Ratigan song though!  That one gets stuck in your head!)

Basil, of The Great Mouse Detective, is fashioned after the famed, fictional Sherlock Holmes detective.  Basil was actually named after Basil Rathbone, an actor known for his role as (you guessed it!) Sherlock Holmes.  One of the greatest points in the movie has got to be the cameo of "Sherlock Holmes" that briefly appears while the mice hurry to solve their own mystery.  The voice of Sherlock Holmes in the film is taken from a 1966 reading by none other than Basil Rathbone.  Disney details!  They're the best!

Perhaps my favorite part of this movie was Toby, Sherlock Holmes' dog and Basil's somewhat obedient transport and tracker.  His scenes always add a touch of humor.  :)

This was definitely a fun Disney trip and a wonderful introduction to the character and personality of the "Sherlock Holmes" detective.

This week it seems appropriate to leave you with a Sherlock Holmes quote:

It has long been an axiom of mine that the little things are infinitely the most important.

Now ain't that the truth?

Coming Up Next Week: Oliver & Company

The Black Cauldron

Well.  We've arrived at another movie that I have never seen before.  It's Disney's 1985, dark fantasy: The Black Cauldron.

The film is the story of Taran (an assistant pig keeper) and his eventual quest against the Horned King who plans to use the magical black cauldron to create an evil (dead) army to take over/mostly destroy the world.  What would a quest be without a few (interesting) friends?  Taran is joined on his journey by Hen, the clairvoyant pig (That's not a typo. Clairvoyant. Pig. True story.); Princess Eilonwy (I still have no idea how to pronounce her name); Fflewddur Fflam (Good luck spelling that without Wikipedia), an eccentric minstrel; and Gurgi, a furry creature with a poor grasp of grammatical English.  The film has affiliations with Welsh mythology, and was loosely based on two books from The Chronicles of Prydain by Lloyd Alexander.

 

This is the first Disney animated feature film to receive a PG (Parental Guidance suggested) rating and I heartily agree.  The violence, dark villain, skeletal imagery, and a bit of inappropriate humor are all red flags warning parents to proceed with caution.  (I must also confess that this is the first movie to make me jump in fright... I don't do well when evil things pop-up suddenly on-screen...)  I would definitely not recommend this film for young children.  Though I'm not really sure I would recommend it to anyone at all...

It seems there is a reason that I've never seen The Black Cauldron before- it's not a Disney masterpiece.  I actually borrowed this movie from the library a few years ago but didn't make it past the first 15 minutes because I got bored...  I made it through the whole film this time, but I must confess that I would still describe the overall trajectory of the film as boring.  It's missing the Disney magic- the spark of humor, the dash of romance (they tried to put that in, but it just didn't work...), the unforgettable characters.  This film just did not deliver on all that one normally expects from the House of Mouse.

Perhaps the most glaring missing piece of a Disney masterpiece in this film for me would be the music.  There are no musical numbers!  (This is probably another reason why the film dragged...)  Disney music makes up a significant part of the soundtrack of my life.  Listen to my iPod on shuffle and there would be no doubting my love of Disney music, and this film had none! 

Interestingly enough, the final released version of the film had been ultimately severely edited by the producer of the film.  The producer tried to make the film more family-friendly, however his efforts were unsuccessful and The Black Cauldron was ultimately a box office flop.  One of the best things about Disney though is that failures don't stop them.  They keep pressing forward.  And in just a few short years we will have arrived at the "Disney Renaissance"- a decade of award-winning, beloved Disney masterpieces. 

This week I'll leave you with a quote from the Walt man himself:

Money doesn't excite me- my ideas excite me!

Coming Up Next Week: The Great Mouse Detective

The Fox and the Hound

Sorry for the late post!  You can blame Disneyland.  ;)

Well it's happened.  We've arrived at the first Disney movie to make me cry.  The Fox and the Hound.

The film premiered in 1981 and tells the tale of two unlikely friends and the trials that test their relationship.  Todd, an orphaned fox, is adopted by the Widow Tweed after the untimely death of his mother.  (Arguably sadder than Bambi at this point.)  Her neighbor Amos, has just acquired a hound dog puppy (Copper) he plans to train to track and hunt.  Todd and Copper, who seem destined to be enemies, instead become the best of friends.  Of course, childhood is short-lived and so is their happy season of friendship, but the beauty of the movie is watching their bond stand the test of time.

While the main story of the film is about Todd and Copper, there is a wonderful supporting cast.  Most notably would be Big Mama, the owl.  She sees Todd through the many transitions he experiences through the movie.  She also sings the famous "Best of Friends" song.  If you haven't heard it, you must listen to it.  Though prepare to have tissues with you, especially if you've just watched this movie.  Excuse me, while I go in search of my own box...

This film apparently hit me in the heartstrings (kind of like a comedy hits your funny bone.)  Speaking of funny, Boomer and Dinky (a woodpecker and a finch respectively) and their antics trying to catch an elusive caterpillar provide a nice dash of comic relief throughout the film.

The Fox and the Hound also claims some very famous voice actors for the two main characters.  Mickey Rooney supplies the voice of the adult Copper and Kurt Russell supplies the voice of the adult Todd.

This film is a beautiful story of friendship and sacrifice.  I don't want to give too much away to those who haven't seen it.  I'll leave you with this cryptic reference: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:3)

The Fox and the Hound is one of the films I remember watching as a child, however it definitely hit me at a much deeper level as an adult.  I highly recommend the film. (Just be sure to have tissues when you sit down to watch it.)  Please also note that the film does not leave you feeling discouraged.  The overall moral of the tale just really hit me in the heartstrings. 

This week I'll leave you with the beautiful words of Big Mama's song:

 

When you're the best of friends
Having so much fun together
You're not even aware, you're such a funny pair
You're the best of friends

Life's a happy game
You could clown around forever
Neither one of you sees, your natural boundaries
Life's one happy game

If only the world wouldn't get in the way
If only people would just let you play
They say you're both being fools
You're breaking all the rules
They can't understand, the magic of your wonderland

When you're the best of friends
Sharing all that you discover
When that moment has past, will that friendship last?
Who can say? There's a way!
Oh I hope... I hope it never ends
'Cause you're the best of friends

Coming Up Next Week:  The Black Cauldron

The Rescuers

This week's movie was another new one for me.  I'm fairly certain that I had read the children's book growing up, but this was my first time watching The Rescuers.

The movie premiered in 1977 (just like Winnie the Pooh), though the story is much different.  I definitely enjoyed this film.  It was cute, funny and most of all- heartwarming.  Penny, an orphan girl, becomes mixed up with the unscrupulous Madame Medusa and sends a message in a bottle asking for help.  Her message is received by the mice of the Rescue Aid Society- and with little to do, Bianca and Bernard (the janitor) are off on their rescue mission to Devil's Bayou!

 

Penny definitely tugs at my heartstrings.  It pains me so much that children grow up as orphans without families to love them.  When I have a family (all in God's timing), I would love to be able to adopt and make a place in our family for someone who doesn't have one.  And now I should move on before I burst into tears...

The Rescuers is truly a wonderful story.  Bianca is a lovely, adventurous heroine, and Bernard is her slightly-bumbly, ever-lovable, steadfast partner.  The film also has a fabulous villainess in Madame Medusa.  She is an eccentric mix of the laughable and cruel.  Her driving also reminds me of someone... with a penchant for fur coats...  Oh.  And she has pet alligators.  She's memorable to say the least.

As with other great Disney films, The Rescuers has a lovable, dynamic cast of supporting characters.  There is dear Rufus the cat, Penny's friend at the orphanage.  Then there is Bianca and Bernard's pilot/airplane, Orville the albatross (not to be confused with Scuttle the seagull, though there seems to be a bit of a family resemblance).  Once Bernard and Bianca arrive in the bayou, they are assisted in their rescue efforts by an eclectic group of swamp critters- complete with fiery moonshine and a southern twang.  They create fireworks, literally!

This was a lovely, feel-good film.  Definitely a fun stop on our Disney journey together!  Interestingly, this film will be the only film with a sequel in our line-up.  Several other Disney films have sequels, however the vast majority do not meet the feature length release requirements of the Walt Disney Studios, thus they are not part of our journey this year.  In a few weeks, we'll get to spend some more time with Bianca and Bernard in The Rescuers Down Under.

This week's quote is from Rufus (the cat):

Faith is a bluebird, we see from far.  It's for real and as sure as the first evening star.  You can't touch it, or buy it, or wrap it up tight, but it's there just the same, making things turn out right.

Coming Up Next Week: The Fox and the Hound