Meet the Robinsons

Well, we've arrived at the last film on this journey that I had never seen before: Meet the Robinsons.

The movie premiered in 2007 and is the 47th film on this journey.  It tells the story of a creative, inventive orphan named Lewis whose science fair project is stolen by the villainous Bowler Hat Guy.  It turns out Bowler Hat Guy is from the future and soon Lewis is on a crazy adventure in a time machine with his new friend: Wilbur Robinson.

The highlight and focus of the film is meeting the Robinsons (as the title implies).  Wilbur belongs to a large, loving, eclectic family of Robinsons including:

• a mom who teaches frogs to sing
• a grandpa who constantly loses his teeth
• a superhero-esque, intergalactic pizza delivery man (with requisite rocket ship)
• a butler who also happens to be an octopus
• and Carl the robot

Meet the Robinsons was a fun trip, though not terribly deep or broad in its artistic merits or plot lines.  I certainly applaud the film's core message about the importance of family.  It's a theme Disney does very well.  The film also includes some well-delivered plot twists.  I don't want to give too much away, so I think I'll leave it at that.

In closing this post, I'll leave you with the same words from Walt at the film's end:

"Around here, however, we don't look backwards for very long.  We keep moving forward, opening up new doors and doing new things, because we're curious... and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths."

Coming Up Next: Bolt

Chicken Little

Oh.  Hello again blogging world.  I apologize for my long absence and realize now that I should have named this blog "Two Years with Walt," but alas I am once again back on this journey through Disney films and will certainly finish by the end of year two.  :)  And away we go...

So I think I’m about to go against the grain again (apparently Emperor’s New Groove is endearing and funny to most of the population…), but I very much enjoyed Chicken Little. 

I’m not saying it’s the most brilliant film on this journey, but it definitely hit my funny bone and made me engage with and enjoy the story.  J

Chicken Little is loosely-based on the well-known Chicken Little fable (aka Henny Penny) where Chicken Little erroneously believes the sky is falling because an acorn seems to fall from the sky.  (This is why the infamous line used in the face of mass hysteria is “The sky is falling!  The sky is falling!”)  In Disney’s take on the classic tale, anthropomorphic critters live an idyllic suburban town where our hero (Chicken Little) has already earned a reputation for being overly anxious and gullible when he sends the town into a panic by declaring that the sky is falling – only it turns out to be a piece of eggshell, not the sky.

Low and behold a year later, a real "piece of the sky" hits Chicken Little in the head (due to some Earth-visiting aliens), but unfortunately, the second time around no one believes him.  And so, what's a little chicken to do?  Save the world, of course.

One of the great criticisms of this film is its use of modern-day references for humor - certain things that a younger generation will not appreciate because they simply don't understand the reference point.  (I still loved the inclusion of the Spice Girl song for karaoke!)  I admit that future generations may miss out on some of the humor included in the film, but I still enjoyed it very much.  Also, there are several classic, funny puns and gags used throughout the film as well.  The fish driving a fishbowl/car hybrid.  The goat eating grass like a lawn mower.  The chameleon changing colors to match the traffic signal signs that he is holding.  Just to name a few.

I also enjoyed the heart of the film.  Chicken Little shows persistence and bravery and really cares about the people of his town.  He has a great (albeit) quirky group of friends who help him through life's little (and large) disasters.  And finally, I also enjoyed watching Chicken Little's relationship with his dad grow and improve throughout the course of the movie.

So all in all, I liked Chicken Little.  I may be the only movie blogger to say it, but I will: I think this one's worth a watch.  Don't skip it.

And with that I will leave you with some words of wisdom from Mr. Walt Disney himself:

Somehow I can't believe that there are any heights that can't be scaled by a man who knows the secrets of making dreams come true. This special secret, it seems to me, can be summarized in four C s. They are curiosity, confidence, courage, and constancy, and the greatest of all is confidence. When you believe in a thing, believe in it all the way, implicitly and unquestionable.

Coming Up Next: Meet the Robinsons

Home on the Range

Singing cows, yodeling cattle rustlers, and karate-chopping steeds – yes, you’ve landed in Disney’s 45^th animated feature film: Home on the Range.

 

 

The film premiered in 2004 and was moderately successful at the box office.  This was another new film to me on this journey that I had never seen before.  And now that I’ve seen it, it’s actually rather forgettable…

 

 

Home on the Range tells the tale of an unlikely trio of cows who set off to find one of the West’s most wanted villains in order to win the reward money to save the farm.  It features the voice talents of Roseanne Barr, Cuba Gooding Jr. and Judi Dench.  The film does have some good humor and the farm animals create some unique, fun characters.  The film seemed to lack a strong story, and so it fell rather flat for me. 

 

 

Once again, the music of the film is not performed by the characters but plays along as the soundtrack undertones to the film.  I do very much enjoy “Will the Sun Ever Shine Again” performed by Bonnie Raitt and written by the exceptionally talented Alan Menken.  (That might mostly be from the mostly-unknown Disney On the Record soundtrack.  Google it.  Trust me.)

 

 

I was excited to see this film on this journey as I had never seen it before, however it didn’t leave me with the glow of Disney wonderment.  Granted it seems that most of these post Disney Golden Age films just can’t quite compete with the magic of the nineties. 

 

 

Anyways, this week let’s end with a quote from the man himself, Mr. Walt Disney:

 

“I would rather entertain and hope that people learned something than educate people and hope they were entertained.”

 

Coming Up Next: Chicken Little

Brother Bear

Phil Collins once again provides the musical backdrop in Disney’s 44^th animated feature film: Brother Bear.

 

 

The film premiered in 2003, and was one I had seen over a decade ago.  Brother Bear tells the tale of three brothers long, long ago (like when there were still Wooly Mammoths long ago) and their journey to find what family truly means.  The brothers belong to an Inuit tribe where each person is given a totem to guide their journey into adulthood.  Sitka, the eldest, is given the eagle of guidance; Denahi, the middle brother, is given the wolf of wisdom; and in the film’s opening scenes, Kenai, the youngest, is given the bear of love.  (In case you were wondering, Kenai does not like his totem.)

 

Unfortunately tragedy is not far behind and Sitka is killed while fighting a bear with his brothers.  Kenai vows vengeance and successfully hunts the bear to its demise.  Meanwhile Sitka has become one of the “spirits in the sky” and uses this opportunity to teach Kenai what love and family actually means – by turning him into a bear.  Enter Koda, a cute, very-energetic, talkative bear cub who talks Kenai into journeying to the salmon run (which is also where the lights touch the mountain and thus where Kenai needs to go to talk to the spirits to turn him back into a man).  It is on this journey that Kenai will learn what love truly is.

 

This film has many of the ingredients that make a Disney film great – good story, some humor, good music, and heart (I may have cried. Again.)  The music, as mentioned above, is provided by Phil Collins (who also brought us the musical greatness of Tarzan).  And the music is good, but not quite as memorable as Tarzan.  Also, I find that I much prefer music sung by the actual characters in a film as opposed to music simply provided by a third party as part of the soundtrack.

 

 

The film also has some good humor.  Most notably moose brothers, Rutt and Tuke.  J  They’re rather silly, but decidedly funny.  And finally the film has a good story.  You really become invested in the story of Kenai, Koda, Sitka, and Denahi. 

 

The film is filled with Native American spirituality and folklore.  (A fact to consider before sharing this film with a younger audience as the concepts of death, spirits and totems could be confusing and ultimately misguiding.)  This was an enjoyable stop on this Disney film journey – and now there’s just 10 films left!

 

Perhaps the most famous thing to come out of this film is the song “Welcome.”  It was used as the anthem in Disneyland’s 50^th Anniversary “Parade of Dreams” along with these famous words from Walt himself:

 

“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past, and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America, with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

 

 

Coming Up Next: Home on the Range

Treasure Planet

Hello!  This week's Disney film takes on a classic tale with a futuristic adaptation.  It's Treasure Planet.

The film premiered in 2002 and sports a voice cast of Emma Thompson, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, David Hyde Pierce, and Martin Short.  The film's plot is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's classic published in 1883, Treasure Island.  And so here is Disney's take on one of the world's most famous pirate adventure stories. 

As the film opens, we meet Jim Hawkins (a young man who's taste for adventure oftentimes finds him on the wrong side of following the rules) and his mother (who runs an inn).  A mysterious (badly injured) stranger arrives at the inn and gives Jim a map (before his untimely demise).  Soon after the inn is set upon by pirates and the entire place is burned to the ground.  Jim and his mother escape with their friend Dr. Doppler - and soon Jim and Dr. Doppler find themselves on the adventure of a lifetime.

If the title didn't give it away, you should know that this film is set in the future.  In outer space.  With aliens and cyborgs and black holes and... other very not-classical pirate things.  It's a science fiction adaptation of the traditional pirate story.  There's still pirates and captains and cannons and villainy and general swash-buckling, but it's decidedly low on sea monsters, sand, and... humans.

Nevertheless, it is still the tale of a lonely youth set out on adventure to find a lost treasure only to find himself betrayed and in a race to save his friends, find the treasure, and beat a nasty group of scallywags.

I ended up somewhat enjoying this film.  I had never seen it before, and I was interested to see Disney's version of this classic tale.  It did not delight me as much as it had the potential to.  The first 30 minutes of the film left me entirely nonplussed.  However, at the 30-minute mark, we have a musical montage sequence of Jim learning and finding his place on board the ship and bonding with the ship's cook, John Silver, interspersed with scenes from Jim's childhood.  I'm fairly certain this musical montage saved the film for me. 

Treasure Planet does have an interesting array of characters, some credible humor, and a classic plot, but it does not have the Disney magic like the films from Disney's Golden Age a decade earlier.  Also, I should probably confess that my frame of reference for the classic "Treasure Island" tale is Muppet Treasure Island.  I have actually never seen a pure film production or read the novel.  I will say that I enjoy the Muppets' version very much.  :)  However, I am still at a bit of a loss to a few parts of this story.  For example, whatever happened to Jim's father?  And how does the tale end for Silver?  I'm thinking the Muppet's ending and the Treasure Planet ending might not be the most accurate...

Feel free to draw your own conclusions regarding this film.  As per my above confession, I'm not exactly an expert on the subject...  But I will leave you with words of wisdom from an expert on entertainment (Walt Disney):

There is more treasure in books than in all the pirates' loot on Treasure Island and best of all, you can enjoy these riches every day of your life.

Coming Up Next: Brother Bear

Lilo & Stitch

Aloha!  This week's Disney film takes us to Hawaii!  It's Lilo & Stitch.

The film premiered in 2002 and introduces us to what would turn out to be one of Disney's most beloved characters, a little blue alien with generally bad manners and (as it turns out) a heart of gold.

The film opens in the distant reaches of space at a trial for a mad scientist who has created Experiment 626 - a being created with great strength and the instincts to destroy everything (particularly large cities).  In the process of trying to exile this creature, Experiment 626 escapes and finds himself marooned on an island in the Pacific Ocean.  Aloha!

Meanwhile, Lilo (a little Hawaiian girl) is having trouble adjusting to life with her big sister (after their parents passed away), making friends, and just staying out of mischief.  The mad scientist (Jumba) and the alien "Earth" expert (Pleakley) are dispatched to Hawaii to retrieve Experiment 626, where as luck would have it, Lilo has adopted Experiment 626 from the pound and heads home with her new "dog" named Stitch.

Now all that's left to do is convince Mr. Cobra Bubbles (the social worker) that Nani (Lilo's big sister) is an adequate caretaker (and find her a job); teach Stitch to stop destroying everything (and some manners); oh, and prevent the other aliens from capturing Stitch and blowing up Hawaii.  Sounds like a recipe for some Disney magic!

So going into this film, I did not consider myself a fan of Stitch.  Bad manners and general bad behavior are two things that I have no patience for - and they pretty much define Stitch.  HOWEVER, Stitch is a dynamic character which means by the end of the film, he managed to etch a small piece of territory in my heart.  He learns that his actions have consequences (even if they are unintended) and that the most important thing is family and the people you love. 

Lilo & Stitch has so many of the ingredients that make a Disney film great.  It has great humor (Example: the aliens consider Earth a protected planet because it is a natural habitat for the "universally-endangered" mosquito. Ha!)  It has a good story and plot.  You end up rooting for Lilo and Stitch to get their happy ending.  It has good music.  Not as great as say The Lion King or Aladdin, but significant nonetheless.  I mean, musically, the film has Elvis and "Hawaiian Rollercoaster Ride."  Decidedly significant.

But as usual, the most important factor in the definition of the Disney great film is that it has heart.  And this ingredient, Lilo & Stitch delivers in spades (aka a large amount).  Because at the root of the film, it's really all about family - even if your family looks a bit unconventional.  As they say in the film: Ohana means family and family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten.  And so we've made it to another film that made me cry.  Twice.  It was not as bad as this tearjerker, but it definitely hit me in the feels.

Lilo & Stitch is a must-watch on this Disney journey.  Preferably with family (and a box of tissues).

I think Stitch, himself, sums up the film the best, and so I'll end this post with a quote from a little blue alien:



This is my family.  I found it all on my own.  It's little and broken, but still good.  Yeah, still good.

Coming Up Next: Treasure Planet

Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Hello again blogging world!  I apologize for my long absence.  I put aside blogging in the fall to spend more time making memories with friends and family around the holidays. But, now I'm back and ready to finish this year with Walt!  (Disclaimer: I recognize that it's more than a year with Walt, but is that really such a bad thing?)  The plan is to finish up this journey by Easter (April 5th).  We have thirteen movies to go (after this one) including Big Hero 6 which will be our grand finale.  :)

The movie we find ourselves at is Atlantis: The Lost Empire.  It is the 41st movie on this journey through Walt's animated features and premiered in 2001.

Atlantis tells the tale of Milo Thatch (voiced by Michael J. Fox), a young, bumbling professor who's life's dedication is to find the lost city of Atlantis.  The year is 1914.  And to put it nicely, Milo's theories and hypotheses regarding the lost city are not received well by the rest of the academic community...  Thankfully there are eccentric (and wealthy) expedition/explorer funders in the world.  Enter Preston Whitmore (good friends with Milo's grandfather, who also happened to be an explorer...) and Milo finds himself on the expedition of a lifetime!

The supporting cast is one of the best features of the movie.  They add the warmth and humor that is so prevalent in the Disney franchise.  You've got Vinny (he likes to blow stuff up), Mole (he likes dirt. A. LOT.), Dr. Sweet (the crew's doc), Mrs. Packard (she likes to talk and she's the radio operator), Audrey (the mechanic - she can fix just about anything with a motor), and Commander Rourke (the leader of the pack, voiced by James Garner).  Oh.  And there's Cookie, the cook (though I'm not sure you'd want to eat anything he cooks up...)  This crew definitely makes for one interesting journey.

After many perils, the crew does indeed find themselves in Atlantis.  Milo soon finds himself trying to save the city, rescue the princess, fight some unscrupulous crew members, and all around just save the day.  (Anybody else thinking of another explorer/teacher?  Dr. Henry ("Indiana") Jones?)

This film was far more enjoyable to me than it's predecessor.  It had a good story, good characters, and good humor.  And really, who doesn't enjoy a good adventure story?

This week, I'll leave you with some wisdom from Milo's grandfather:

It's been my experience, when you hit bottom, the only place left to go is up.

Coming Up Next: Lilo & Stitch