We now have our first look at Disney’s Moana. Set in the South Pacific, a young woman named Moana (Auli’i Cravalho) sets sail for a fabled island with the help of the legendary demi-god Maui (Dwayne “It’s Okay to Call Me The Rock Again” Johnson). Moana opens in theaters this Thanksgiving.
First Look – Moana Read More »
As with Alice in Wonderland, Maleficent, The Sorcerer’s Apprentice, and 101 Dalmatians, Disney’s latest attempt to offer a live-action version of one of their classic animated movies offers mixed results. Originally based on the stories of Rudyard Kipling, 1967’s The Jungle Book took us into the jungle to follow the adventures of Mowgli the Man Cub (Neel Sethi), a young orphan raised by wolves. Rather than offer a straight reinterpretation of Kipling’s work or a direct live-action version of Disney’s animated feature, the new movie attempts to do both leading to an uneven story that is too dark for its lighter moments and simple bizarre when it tries to recreate animated sequences (such as Mowgli and Baloo singing “Bare Necessities” down the river) in realistic CGI.
The choice to cast well-known actors in the main CGI roles also turns out to be a questionable decision. While Ben Kingsley and Idris Elba are used well, and the plodding plot certainly picks up with the introduction of Baloo (Bill Murray), Murray isn’t so much acting here as doing his own shtick which, while entertaining, works against creating the seamless reality needed to sell the story.
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This Jungle Book lacks the Bare Necessities Read More »
Originally released in 1967 The Jungle Book may not have aged as well as some of the older Disney films, but the spirit and legacy of the film has lived on through countless films from Disney (and other animation houses) over the years. Several current filmmakers, including Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant, Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol), credit the movie for getting them interested in animated filmmaking.
Re-released in 1978, I fond have memories of seeing the film in theaters, especially the musical sequence of “The Bare Necessities” sung by Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman) and Baloo (Phil Harris). It’s hard not to see the film’s influence in movies such as Robin Hood (which reused multiple character designs) and others years later particularly in The Lion King with its own animal jungle sidekicks singing a very similar philosophy about life.
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Part wacky buddy movie, part crime drama, part small town girl in the big city, there’s no shortage of themes in Disney’s latest animated feature Zootopia. Boasting three directors and more than a half-dozen writers, the various story elements pull the movie in numerous directions over its 108-minute running time. What the film lacks in a coherent vision it makes for in old-school animated fun.
Zootopia has two great strengths. The first is the world itself which is excellently designed and large enough to encompass far more stories than just the mystery we’re given here. The second is its leading lady in spunky new police officer Judy Hopps (Ginnifer Goodwin) whose can-do attitude never falters, even when everyone around her scoffs at the idea of a bunny cop.
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Disney has released a teaser trailer for their upcoming Spring of 2014 release of Zootopia featuring a world where animals, not humans, evolved. Zootopia opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.
Coming Soon – Zootopia Read More »
