tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8747628996258898152024-03-12T23:10:46.462-04:00The Mickey MindsetRyan Dosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18128434357825986817noreply@blogger.comBlogger208125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-69653218610287586782014-09-23T18:10:00.003-04:002014-09-23T18:10:41.875-04:00The NEW Mickey Mindset! <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Greetings Disney fans! Thanks for checking out <b>The Mickey Mindset! </b>We're super excited to announce that we moved our extensive library of articles over to our <a href="http://mickeymindset.com/">brand new</a><a href="http://mickeymindset.com/"> website</a> in a brand-new stunning and easy to use format which can be found at <a href="http://mickeymindset.com/">mickeymindset.com</a>! <div>
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Future posts will no longer be posted here, but business will continue as usual over on our new site. </div>
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<a href="http://mickeymindset.com/">VISIT US AT THE NEW MICKEY MINDSET! </a></div>
Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-58077526084318820152014-09-22T18:25:00.002-04:002014-09-24T12:26:05.164-04:00Ten Years of LOST: A Tribute to Oceanic 815<b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Exactly ten years ago to this day, forty survivors boarded a plane from Sydney, Australia heading for Los Angeles, when disaster struck causing them to crash-land on a mysterious island.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXwzm_5T4JaK2joaTEE9hbRKco_dG_mt_0eTjGFZWZ4L6qqXfSNpYK1jpk6npMf7BODHyztaqx04mIRSrUklsZphgBR5itrXlpQMbHDXh2jxz2ZqfqbIc32b3DqqfGq3ToxVjLmqmO4Y5/s1600/lost_y1_23l_s_FULL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIXwzm_5T4JaK2joaTEE9hbRKco_dG_mt_0eTjGFZWZ4L6qqXfSNpYK1jpk6npMf7BODHyztaqx04mIRSrUklsZphgBR5itrXlpQMbHDXh2jxz2ZqfqbIc32b3DqqfGq3ToxVjLmqmO4Y5/s1600/lost_y1_23l_s_FULL.jpg" height="133" width="200" /></a>This Disney-owned ABC series was quite honestly one of the most brilliant and creative story-telling in a television series in recent memory. Nearly every episode was well-crafted with usually brilliant stories and suspense always leaving me wondering what would happen next, which made for some very serious binge-watching. One of my main complaints concern the lack of answers that the show provides. They spent a tremendous amount of time building up to different questions and mysteries and barely bother to answer half of them. I'm one of those folks who actually appreciated the series finale. I felt it was bittersweet, poignant and moving and really redeemed the lackluster final season.<br />
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Head writers Carlton Cuse and Damon Lindelof built a fantastic mysterious island, from the Dharma Initiative, Polar Bears and Smoke Monsters, everything felt like it fit, no matter what direction the story began to head in. I really enjoy the change that season four took on and beyond, and the time travel in season five was ingenious. Each season took upon a very different style and grew rather well.<br />
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<a href="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/17/lost_2.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/photos/uncategorized/2009/03/17/lost_2.gif" height="110" width="200" /></a>The characters were great too. In the early episodes, they managed to make unlikable characters like Sawyer, Sayid, Sun and Jin grow and to get you to actually care. They also do a great turnaround in character storytelling. Many times at first who seems to be the villain is actually no threat at all, and shifts over greatly.<br />
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While other shows have come and gone since <i>LOST, </i>but I think most of us can agree that most of them don't quite live up to Lost's legacy. We have to go back!<br />
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<b><i>What are your favorite moments from LOST? Feel free to share them below!</i></b></div>
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-52616148829585242172014-09-22T12:59:00.000-04:002014-09-22T12:59:26.672-04:00Disney Animation Review #44: Brother Bear<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Disney Movie Review:
44/52 - Brother Bear</b></div>
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<b>Ryan Dosier- </b>Brother Bear (2003) is my next viewing stop on my ride
through one of the weaker periods of Disney animation. The early 2000s failed
to capture the love and admiration that other times in Disney animated history
has, and it continues to be looked down upon as one of the worst periods for
the company. Brother Bear did not help to curb that trend.</div>
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Right off the bat, it’s clear that Brother Bear will be a
visually stunning piece. The animation is outstanding throughout and the
layouts are severely impressive. The colors used in the film are also extremely
vibrant and stunning. Disney animators had gotten very good at shading and
coloring and lighting their films by this point. The artists created an amazing
rendering of the ancient wilderness and watching the characters move in the
backgrounds is one of the true highlights of the film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Unfortunately, the rest of this lackluster effort doesn’t
match the wonder of the artistic work. The storytelling is shoddy at best with
some major plot holes and contrived resolutions that make no sense whatsoever.
Kenai, the main character, kills a bear as a human before he himself is turned
into a bear. Later we find out that the bear he kills is the mother of Koda,
the young bear cub he has become friends with. Once Koda finds this out, he
is—obviously—upset and refuses to be with Kenai. But this lasts all of five
minutes before two comic relief moose inadvertently remind him that brothers
love each other and sway him. (?!?!?) It is a baffling resolution that is
solved way, way too simplistically. It is incredibly disappointing.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Kenai, the main character (inexplicably voiced by Joaquin Phoenix) is not at
all compelling. He is grumpy, stubborn, and comes to a very lame resolution.
Rutt and Tuke, the two moose, are relatively funny but they serve virtually no
purpose and simply appear randomly throughout the movie. The only truly fun
character is Koda, who has a wonderful voice and spunk and charm that draws you
in. He is very funny and an accurate representation of excitable kids on a road
trip. Koda is the only great character in Brother Bear. </div>
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Phil Collins, who had previously done music for Tarzan,
wrote the music of the film. Brother Bear fails to have any song that reaches
the level of anything in Tarzan, but there are a few great tunes. “On My Way”
and “Welcome to Our Family” are both very good and very catchy. The rest of the
songs left no impression on me and for the most part, Brother Bear's music is
completely forgettable. Throughout the film, the music is not used to further
the story, but it is used merely as an excuse to use a montage. This happens at
least four times in Brother Bear and it just gets annoying and repetitive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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There’s not much more to say about Brother Bear. The film is
entirely forgettable and leaves the viewer no good reason to remember it. While
there is some truly stunning artwork in Brother Bear, the inexcusably weak
story and resolution, the unenjoyable characters, and the forgettable music
make it one of the least impressive Disney animated features to date.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>1.5/5 Miffed Moose</b><br />
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Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-43093988713993657062014-09-19T18:32:00.002-04:002014-09-19T18:32:19.969-04:00Backlot Studio Tour Closes Permanently on September 27th <a href="http://wdwnt.com/wp-content/uploads/backlot-tour-580-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://wdwnt.com/wp-content/uploads/backlot-tour-580-1.jpg" height="202" width="320" /></a>In a shocking reveal to Walt Disney World cast members earlier this afternoon, the famous ever popular Disney's Hollywood Studios attraction Backlot Studio Tour is closing for good starting September 27th 2014.<br />
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The report was first rumored by the folks over at WDW News Today, who speculated a Pixar Place expansion in an<a href="http://wdwnt.com/blog/2014/09/bye-bye-backlot-tour-hollywood-studios-pixar-place-expansion-coming-many-current-attractions-closing-soon/"> article</a> this morning. WDW News Today has got word of the confirmed expansion just recently and have posted about it on their <a href="http://wdwnt.com/blog/2014/09/confirmed-studio-backlot-tour-closes-september-27th-2014/">website.</a><br />
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No <i>official </i>word from Disney on what will replace the beloved attraction, so this page will be updated as more info becomes available.<br />
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Thank you WDW News Today for the scoop! Follow them at @WDWNT on Twitter for up-to-the minute updates on everything in Walt Disney World.<br />
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<i>(Photo Credit: WDW News Today) </i><br />
Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-52231983886335634872014-09-16T00:07:00.003-04:002014-09-16T00:07:54.696-04:00Film Review: As Dreamers Do<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpSFQ1SF_PQeRUVQCu-fJhEvhqB8gwORVQif3VU1XnWP-Yvl2JaMGrrE7cfWiKLB5pb1AWso3TDjaEF-vkodE2f-bVKlFqvNCwAQ3O-LqGs3YJiA8rL5lcvuemTqfsNUZCZhkd_XYBDQ/s1600/486216586_640.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtpSFQ1SF_PQeRUVQCu-fJhEvhqB8gwORVQif3VU1XnWP-Yvl2JaMGrrE7cfWiKLB5pb1AWso3TDjaEF-vkodE2f-bVKlFqvNCwAQ3O-LqGs3YJiA8rL5lcvuemTqfsNUZCZhkd_XYBDQ/s1600/486216586_640.jpg" height="112" width="200" /></a><b>Mitchell Stein- </b>As I sit here typing this review just moments after I finished <i>As Dreamers Do </i>which is finally available for purchase <a href="http://waltmovie.com/">online </a> and in-stores. This awesome Nashville based film crew managed to put together a beautiful fitting tribute to Walt Disney, but unfortunately, copyright problems cause the writing team to go a little bit farther back in history, to the early days of Walt's animation, and the early seeds of the Walt Disney Company.<br />
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The film is wonderfully directed by Logan Sekulow. Mr. Sekulow does a great job at steering the story, mixing hilarious and emotional scenes scattered throughout the film. There are quite a few sequences that felt like they dragged on for far too long, but those mistakes are made up for later in the film with every perfect emotional scene. Some scenes don't flow as well as they should, especially in the first act of the movie, but as the film progresses everything falls into place perfectly.<br />
The movie does take some time to find it's footing, but when it gets there, it's delightful. Every aspect of the story is spot-on, and writer Wendy Ott really did her homework when it came to writing this film. The story is fabulous, and the character development throughout is superb.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PQK8XemQuKuV4NJO1UFvPE8WdUzUSBlDwMs7JQvJgyxdf6ZmETLU7p81NUJNs0rzuv6VqKty1cYru9me_CsrBKMGTyv1WLRrJaTs6KUUNpgBzrOkmUOEussuS62AEeBn3bJu4FU5YC8/s1600/MovieTheater.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0PQK8XemQuKuV4NJO1UFvPE8WdUzUSBlDwMs7JQvJgyxdf6ZmETLU7p81NUJNs0rzuv6VqKty1cYru9me_CsrBKMGTyv1WLRrJaTs6KUUNpgBzrOkmUOEussuS62AEeBn3bJu4FU5YC8/s1600/MovieTheater.jpg" height="111" width="200" /></a>Speaking of characters, I think it would be appropriate to mention Olan Rogers who takes on the role of Walt Disney quite well. Maybe not quite as an honest portrayal as I would have hoped, but Rogers creates a charming, likeable character who the audience will love regardless of whether that's portrays Walt's exact persona in those early years. Ryan Dunlap does a good job of playing Roy Disney, portraying a loyal likable character and William Haynes does a brilliant job of playing Ub Iwerks, filling the character and steals almost every scene he's in.<br />
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The story ends off at a rather interesting point in Disney history, but one that really opened the doors to the impossible achievements that Walt conquered, leaving the beautiful message in it's midst: To never give up, and keep moving forward.<br />
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<b>3/5 Stars</b><br />
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<b><i>As Dreamers Do is <a href="http://waltmovie.com/">now available</a> to own on DVD and Digital Copy</i></b><br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-49721479629902557472014-09-15T08:58:00.000-04:002014-09-15T08:58:14.321-04:00111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 6<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Ryan Dosier</b> - Part 6, Part 6, woo-hoo!<br />
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<b>56.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCwQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DpguMUFyJ3_U&ei=cDkTVJqYN87coASVt4H4Bg&usg=AFQjCNHWfyK-6mxJEbeilZYdL2RrD4YW0A&sig2=nznk_yfH0DweIGONkaNdLw&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGE">When You Wish Upon a Star</a>" from <i>Pinocchio</i></b><br />
No song says Disney more than the theme from <i>Pinocchio</i>. In fact, this was (and in my opinion, still is) undoubtedly the anthem for The Walt Disney Company. "When You Wish Upon a Star" encapsulates everything that Disney stands for as both an entertainment company and an ideal to strive for. The "Disney Way" <i>is</i> this song, and it's perfection. Jiminy Cricket's original version from <i>Pinocchio</i> remains the stalwart best. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Like a bolt out of the blue/Fate steps in and sees you through/When you wish upon a star/Your dreams come true."</i><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIA050ZXOHm32F0pvGqalnQEN__ESRhBKjXyMjdmrjuP3zsDOx3sGSluPoxGrXDPksfT-2-tdG0jPwJt9_4ZYLUl1pqGun481Ee3_ic1NQxpehyTdJf-L6NICy4M-qlwOMEf7ZZ9h3kI/s1600/perfectworld.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpIA050ZXOHm32F0pvGqalnQEN__ESRhBKjXyMjdmrjuP3zsDOx3sGSluPoxGrXDPksfT-2-tdG0jPwJt9_4ZYLUl1pqGun481Ee3_ic1NQxpehyTdJf-L6NICy4M-qlwOMEf7ZZ9h3kI/s1600/perfectworld.jpg" height="192" width="200" /></a><b><i><br /></i></b>
<b>57.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuT4ySwoh27Q&ei=6zoTVMGANePoigKp4YCACw&usg=AFQjCNEuQEf_Nf_jlTcKmqkZAKFB6GFJhg&sig2=t6cIPGy0QlGbnMo698Uwzw&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGE">Perfect World</a>" from <i>The Emperor's New Groove</i></b><br />
Come on, I had to include a song from <i>The Emperor's New Groove</i>, one of Disney's most under-appreciated animated features. No, it's not a musical, but this number performed by rock and roll legend Tom Jones to open the film is spectacular. It sets the tone for the film immediately, and clues you into the fact that this will definitely not be the traditional Disney fare. "Perfect World" is a perfect song for this film. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "He was born and raised to rule/No one has ever been this cool/In a thousand years of aristocracy/An enigma and a mystery/In Meso American history/The quintessence of perfection/That is he!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHJZbw_7ICMTJl5hLsBXovZqB_SA4FdeVltHY-wkehjSt2Az0fGTf3RZSCiLwS3EgHMq857uyjHdeMc9sdP7eZcc5FmimWOXgZTV-G-1IiYSvSQjUYR6Sxu8phTdzsbeJaqlFpAJEt6s/s1600/once.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmHJZbw_7ICMTJl5hLsBXovZqB_SA4FdeVltHY-wkehjSt2Az0fGTf3RZSCiLwS3EgHMq857uyjHdeMc9sdP7eZcc5FmimWOXgZTV-G-1IiYSvSQjUYR6Sxu8phTdzsbeJaqlFpAJEt6s/s1600/once.png" height="191" width="200" /></a><b>58.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=4&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC8QtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWcEkAn-FI8M&ei=WzwTVL7UC4esogSuoIGABw&usg=AFQjCNH2Jt_rRMSZfJtRANUadj1hJFXlHQ&sig2=41RSk8jcCDjBSGbuVKqSRA&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Once Upon a Dream</a>" from <i>Sleeping Beauty</i></b><br />
This song is actually my favorite part of <i>Sleeping Beauty</i>. It's gorgeously animated, the backgrounds are incredibly stunning, and the song is magical. The lyrics illustrate such a beautiful ideal--meeting your true love in a dream, and knowing they're the one for you when you meet them for real. It's such a delightful moment in one of Walt Disney's classic films. Perfectly performed, stunningly animated, and a wonderful part of Disney music history. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "I know you, I've walked with you/Once upon a dream/I know you, the gleam in your eyes/Is so familiar agleam/And I know it's true/That visions are seldom what they seem/But if I know you/I know what you'll do/You'll love me at once/The way you did once upon a dream."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gzX0EzH3xJB1GaUvETeDAEIMEyM0DzQHhDHxNYQ1m0nrbmQNoCi5eEQv7DKB0jncRdp6-JjytquD1i-0uuFrDUpvTAFv_-uVa1cMDhO6SiiQlHb9yGCflUILaeRkmj-EUR1OCmCdrwI/s1600/snowman.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9gzX0EzH3xJB1GaUvETeDAEIMEyM0DzQHhDHxNYQ1m0nrbmQNoCi5eEQv7DKB0jncRdp6-JjytquD1i-0uuFrDUpvTAFv_-uVa1cMDhO6SiiQlHb9yGCflUILaeRkmj-EUR1OCmCdrwI/s1600/snowman.png" height="185" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>59.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=video&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CB0QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5xGEMyn4DKY&ei=Qz0TVIasKYTZoATJiIH4Bg&usg=AFQjCNGj-efGK4h9pubwr-10GxKDHf46UA&sig2=B06GXtlWYSZFuhVWBjNqcQ&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Do You Want to Build a Snowman?</a>" from <i>Frozen</i></b><br />
The newest song in the list this week comes directly from the icy world of <i>Frozen</i>, the latest Disney animated blockbuster. "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?" is the catchiest song in the film and the one that stuck with me the most after my first viewing of the film. I love the angelic voices of the girls singing the song, the adorable way Anna says "It doesn't have to be a snowman," and everything else about this song. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Do you wanna build a snow man?/Or ride our bikes around the halls/I think some company is overdue/I've started talking to/The pictures on the walls!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNstFGMVeevtBupKJynxve8NYs0tgC0q3TlLqmEI7pgoH_JrCWtMJlvRDVoY83jvaXbIh3V9TqjPWM5cStHXBRD4BiJrd-84XrZz5eyfQYBbtv49LclUMw_h3E3DkWVD6T51issiT5EDg/s1600/gonna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNstFGMVeevtBupKJynxve8NYs0tgC0q3TlLqmEI7pgoH_JrCWtMJlvRDVoY83jvaXbIh3V9TqjPWM5cStHXBRD4BiJrd-84XrZz5eyfQYBbtv49LclUMw_h3E3DkWVD6T51issiT5EDg/s1600/gonna.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>60.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DnD9tKWQYdcs&ei=Pj4TVKXZMtH7oQSgpYH4Bg&usg=AFQjCNFwY-Ze1wLHKofomnWmWiEaR5ua_w&sig2=ysSjdwzPjkitYLkodFKl0w&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Gonna Take You There</a>" from <i>The Princess and the Frog</i></b><br />
I really don't understand how you could not love <i>The Princess and the Frog</i>. Stunning traditional animation, wonderful storytelling, and exceptional music from Randy Newman. Ray the Lightning Bug (voiced by voice actor virtuoso Jim Cummings) is my favorite character in the film, and this quick zydeco-flavored song he sings to Tiana is a blast. The animation in this scene is especially stunning, with the many lightning bugs hopping and flying through the swamp. It's a joy. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "We all go through together/</i><i>Down here that's how we do!/</i><i>Me for them and them for me/</i><i>We'll all be there for you!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ0HpaW3IcFM5zDNC_S9JRmN6mtqswra7dWXzJEOuc4LxRmN1ugKRb8eZ_FI8fwdzFhsXuKZMBQvAx71LqcbufQ5TPy3-WT3sIpoHLolqV_RF4oJ07iHCVPvHExtUpn3czH1kegGmR6s/s1600/stand.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPQ0HpaW3IcFM5zDNC_S9JRmN6mtqswra7dWXzJEOuc4LxRmN1ugKRb8eZ_FI8fwdzFhsXuKZMBQvAx71LqcbufQ5TPy3-WT3sIpoHLolqV_RF4oJ07iHCVPvHExtUpn3czH1kegGmR6s/s1600/stand.jpg" height="188" width="200" /></a><b>61.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D3debg_o3u_o&ei=_D4TVN_LAYqpogTfoYH4Bg&usg=AFQjCNG_M-chPZxQS9RyM2gqNvWN6v50WQ&sig2=BG7fXJYYJql_p9_sbDiuLQ&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Stand Out</a>" from <i>A Goofy Movie</i></b><br />
I'm pretty sure I've already said this, but my goodness does <i>A Goofy Movie</i> have excellent music. "Stand Out" is the first Powerline song we hear in the film, as Max ruins his school assembly performing it with incredible light and video effects. The song is actually a really nice message of coming to terms with how you're different and how you stand out because of it. Plus, it rocks super hard. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Some people settle for the typical things/Living all their lives waiting in the wings/It ain't a question of if, just a matter of time/Before I move to the front of the line!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfi_P-X_B2yzn5yL77EBbKNHUn8PAtUfSwpUFH2h1hT2hFa0ll9Baa0uRcjjrZ_iUvVn09DXDZzAAbbdrMS7raJi5GfoEgPQW9RXCjGCU7sXsP_EUp-JFlJbHquzbodIamkkw2HfQVHw/s1600/herc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZfi_P-X_B2yzn5yL77EBbKNHUn8PAtUfSwpUFH2h1hT2hFa0ll9Baa0uRcjjrZ_iUvVn09DXDZzAAbbdrMS7raJi5GfoEgPQW9RXCjGCU7sXsP_EUp-JFlJbHquzbodIamkkw2HfQVHw/s1600/herc.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a><b>62.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DzgnHF2CwrPs&ei=eEATVJqWJ4faoASsmYH4Bg&usg=AFQjCNGb_9jnC3ahHA8tQCDiPt3CasJSbQ&sig2=X2p8wm0nqXDUNz2ku_0SpQ&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Go the Distance</a>" from <i>Hercules</i></b><br />
Perhaps my favorite Alan Menken ballad, "Go the Distance" is the anthem for many, many people setting out to live their dreams on a grand scale. I adore this song so much and I've sang it in the car when I needed a reminder of how important dreams are on multiple occasions. It's one of those songs with a message that will never get old or stop being important. "Go the Distance" is one of many factors that makes <i>Hercules</i> so wonderful. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "I have often dreamed/Of a far off place/Where a great, warm welcome/Will be waiting for me/Where the crowds will cheer/When they see my face/And a voice keeps saying/This is where I'm meant to be."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsT501zR2iYv-cGONEu1w83MSczrFVRIAcLEISLqwvg4ciaAzRfiL7Mn_rVGgdG6Dxmlr_nVyy71Fm3yEro1lux-40LBj_mPasXf_obmDqWB-DTFur_cO2D_IL1DRWcgFc1aK3ywwpZk/s1600/goofy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjsT501zR2iYv-cGONEu1w83MSczrFVRIAcLEISLqwvg4ciaAzRfiL7Mn_rVGgdG6Dxmlr_nVyy71Fm3yEro1lux-40LBj_mPasXf_obmDqWB-DTFur_cO2D_IL1DRWcgFc1aK3ywwpZk/s1600/goofy.jpg" height="200" width="196" /></a><b>63.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D6nqWNZl3Ou4&ei=UEETVLe-LYu7ogSl8YD4Bg&usg=AFQjCNGBMCBRrjcpfzyJZWXzox9ycniZEQ&sig2=YnGDhOJwzKzH3BxFbCBuiw">On the Open Road</a>" from <i>A Goofy Movie</i></b><br />
Ooh, yet another song from <i>A Goofy Movie</i>, and one of my favorites! This is the only true "musical" style song in the whole film, where there characters are spontaneously all singing the same song. Oddly, I think "On the Open Road" is my favorite tune from the flick. I love Bill Farmer's singing voice as Goofy and this song fits him so well. The chorus of other drivers who chime in are also incredibly well done. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Do ya need a break from modern livin'?/Do you long to shed your weary load?/If your nerves are raw and your brain is fried/Just grab a friend and take a ride/Together upon the open road!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnDxhdNXAWtRA8H7d3DRO4RpIB7hTeZzt3lMe-Ez2OjIXv8fnjTtvqb2B20KpGv944qlatrmfz8PDkG0HJ8j1Cp5qsQ5mINcU34y_kdFuh1lC9lHpBd_p8TuyK6YAs1cnaTqW52Y6Hl4/s1600/strangers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlnDxhdNXAWtRA8H7d3DRO4RpIB7hTeZzt3lMe-Ez2OjIXv8fnjTtvqb2B20KpGv944qlatrmfz8PDkG0HJ8j1Cp5qsQ5mINcU34y_kdFuh1lC9lHpBd_p8TuyK6YAs1cnaTqW52Y6Hl4/s1600/strangers.jpg" height="199" width="200" /></a><b>64.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3Dzc3MnoSS5Hw&ei=PkITVJfJG9C5ogTmx4GABw&usg=AFQjCNH0Lz6l5YLAMubxszOfGqDeySuZIQ&sig2=CV-oTnDqhW6hHNA2sdtUZg">Strangers Like Me</a>" from <i>Tarzan</i></b><br />
Have we had any songs from <i>Tarzan </i>on the list yet? Probably... and I'm too lazy to go back and check! Anyway, Phil Collins' work with the music in <i>Tarzan </i>is wonderful. One of the few Disney animated features to feature prominent songs that characters <i>don't sing</i>, <i>Tarzan</i> features a plethora of hits. "Strangers Like Me" is a beautiful storytelling song in the film, but also works as a wonderful anthem for finding a place where you belong. A true highlight of the film. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Every gesture, every move that she makes/</i><i>Makes me feel like never before/</i><i>Why do I have/</i><i>This growing need to be beside her /</i><i>Ooh, these emotions I never knew/</i><i>Of some other world far beyond this place/</i><i>Beyond the trees, above the clouds/</i><i>I see before me a new horizon."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-SaI2rLtPQhVwqPe0pnSxqUgVECbVIRrMya-8Q05t-kDLoRG22dKXH601XQmHHC8VtVQ8AukQeZUh9yhrhaQVHl16tLwawhGHDnai1fLADN_maMLcqld0BfVh4tMjGqJUMcYZe7FwB0/s1600/mulan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU-SaI2rLtPQhVwqPe0pnSxqUgVECbVIRrMya-8Q05t-kDLoRG22dKXH601XQmHHC8VtVQ8AukQeZUh9yhrhaQVHl16tLwawhGHDnai1fLADN_maMLcqld0BfVh4tMjGqJUMcYZe7FwB0/s1600/mulan.jpg" height="195" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>65.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D5A_Rl8aQxII&ei=2kMTVLnJO8O7ogTOhIH4Bg&usg=AFQjCNGcfz5kuOQzauemM4oMMDKFFlzv-w&sig2=vA4TsDXxBkH4JY2mqjHz7Q&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Reflection</a>"<i> </i>from <i>Mulan</i></b><br />
Another beautiful anthem from a Disney animated feature, "Reflection" is a favorite of many girls and women who adored <i>Mulan. </i>But really, "Reflection" reflects all of us searching for purpose and trying to define who we truly are. It's a touching and staggering song expressing how most people feel at a young age. Trying to figure out who you are at the most confusing period of life is never easy, and this song explores and expresses that incredibly well. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Who is that girl I see?/Staring straight back at me/Why is my reflection someone I don't know?/Somehow I cannot hide/Who I am, though I've tried/When will my reflection show/Who I am inside?"</i><br />
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<b>66.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtRFHXMQP-QU&ei=Y0QTVMO6IaK6igLr9YDABw&usg=AFQjCNHigOo-WQh4pCslEgBsVQL6HeASWg&sig2=v71ws6qBS4VubKUg5tSfMw&bvm=bv.75097201,d.cGU">Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious</a>" from <i>Mary Poppins</i></b><br />
Absolutely one of the most clever songs ever written, this impossible to spell Sherman Brothers classic is a delight. When performed by Julie Andrews and Dick van Dyke, "Supercali-" becomes a masterpiece. I adore this song and how silly and fun and wonderful it is. It's the definition of a nonsense song, and it's marvelous. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Because I was afraid to speak/When I was just a lad/Me father gave me nose a tweak/And told me I was bad/But then I learned a word to help me save my achin' nose/The biggest word you ever hear/And this is how it goes, oh!/Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" </i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_ddbRgXIABap-cfu4kVJdMfm_iV8oYXieb6q9ekyyW8t91Io-bVdyDfHlwoONY2PWxUfqZRK3Jt01LLgA-6_qUo6E9LZg-3delgR6PhbOU3zOZx32A_0xJCXyjmhICJXyZZPZIwLEes/s1600/super.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja_ddbRgXIABap-cfu4kVJdMfm_iV8oYXieb6q9ekyyW8t91Io-bVdyDfHlwoONY2PWxUfqZRK3Jt01LLgA-6_qUo6E9LZg-3delgR6PhbOU3zOZx32A_0xJCXyjmhICJXyZZPZIwLEes/s1600/super.png" height="217" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>Ryan Dosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18128434357825986817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-35802820036223214412014-09-12T16:36:00.002-04:002014-09-12T16:36:26.758-04:00Frozen Attraction Heading to Epcot in 2016, replacing Maelstrom dark-rideThe Disney Parks Blog announced earlier today that <i style="font-weight: bold;">Frozen </i>is heading back to Walt Disney World, but even bigger than better than ever. After much speculation, it was confirmed that Frozen will find a new home and attraction in the Norway pavilion of Epcot's World Showcase. The new currently unnamed attraction will replace the Maelstorm attraction which has been operating since 1988. The attraction is currently planned to open in 2016.<br />
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<a href="http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FCS796642.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://parksandresorts.wdpromedia.com/media/disneyparks/blog/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FCS796642.png" height="207" width="320" /></a>" We’ve made “Frozen” a part of the guest experience in a number of ways already and our guests have both loved them and asked for more." says Tom Staggs in a Disney Parks Blog post "So I’m pleased to say that we’re starting construction at Walt Disney World Resort on a brand new “Frozen” attraction at the Norway Pavilion in Epcot. The new attraction, which replaces Maelstrom, will take our guests to Arendelle and immerse them in many of their favorite moments and music from the film."<br />
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Disney Parks also revealed that Anna, Elsa, Sven, Kristoff, Olaf and the rest of the Frozen gang will be joining Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas Time Parade later this year with a special pre-show which will include Queen Elsa icing over the Cinderella Castle every night.<br />
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You can read more info about these upcoming attractions on the <a href="http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/2014/09/frozen-attraction-coming-to-epcot/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+DisneyParks+%28Disney+Parks+Blog%29&utm_content=FeedBurner">Disney Parks Blog. </a><br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-57589161276356720082014-09-11T09:58:00.001-04:002014-09-11T09:58:40.770-04:00GIVEAWAY: Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIidJIZc074I-_0wsKf73iDN81_sxZ0WUn6aVlCl8I3TDAGgbprumZqXykEo-tIofAofNWo4XHvRqF_RHRMXog_CkzgSfUoHbUY-fWsb0JqgSZKswQGXoRrWvIFvks03Qt51i72hHSj6Y/s1600/9781465420800.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIidJIZc074I-_0wsKf73iDN81_sxZ0WUn6aVlCl8I3TDAGgbprumZqXykEo-tIofAofNWo4XHvRqF_RHRMXog_CkzgSfUoHbUY-fWsb0JqgSZKswQGXoRrWvIFvks03Qt51i72hHSj6Y/s1600/9781465420800.jpg" height="320" width="251" /></a>With the premiere episode only a few weeks away, we've begun prepping up for Disney/Lucasfilm's epic new Star Wars adventure, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Star Wars Rebels</i>. Set five years before the events of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Episode VI: A New Hope, </i>Rebels follows young Jedi rebels as they escape and cheat the Empire as they continue to be hunted down because of their Jedi past. The series is bound to be just as incredible as <i style="font-weight: bold;">Star Wars The Clone Wars </i>was before it, so we couldn't be any more thrilled.<br />
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In order to prepare for the explosive new series, be sure to whip out your light-sabers and enter our latest giveaway contest. This month we're giving away a copy of DK Publishing's <b>Star Wars Rebels: The Visual Guide. </b>Be sure to enter so you can brush up on your Star Wars knowledge and stay up-to date with every passing episode.<br />
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To enter, just be sure to enter by following one of the easy tasks below. You can enter by simply following us on Twitter and/or liking us on Facebook, and tweeting and posting about the contest. The more times you tweet/post, the more entries you get to increases your winning chances. Be sure to enter through the Rafflecopter link below. Hurry! Contest closes Sunday September 21st.<br />
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<a class="rafl" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/7cc89fa14/" id="rc-7cc89fa14" rel="nofollow">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
<script src="//widget.rafflecopter.com/load.js"></script>
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<b>RULES AND CONDITIONS: </b><br />
No purchase necessary to enter. Shipping address must be within the United States and Canada. Contest is open to fans of all ages.<br />
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Good luck, and may the Force be with you!<br />
<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-3054595691622413242014-09-09T22:38:00.002-04:002014-09-10T09:53:54.500-04:00Blu-Ray Review: Captain America The Winter Soldier<a href="http://media.aintitcool.com/media/uploads/2013/merrick/1382480720000-capt-america-winter-soldier-mov-jy-9061_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media.aintitcool.com/media/uploads/2013/merrick/1382480720000-capt-america-winter-soldier-mov-jy-9061_large.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a><b>Mitchell Stein- </b>In quite possibly what is the most brilliant Marvel movie yet to date, Captain America returns to the big screen, in an unbelievable nail-biting adventure that keeps you on the edge of your seat from beginning to end. It's intelligent story keeps the movie fast-paced and suspenseful, and the characters that fill it are all incredibly enjoyable to watch move the story along. Marvel has yet created another masterpiece and set Anthony and Joe Russo to direct it. Major kudos go out to Christopher Markus and Stephen McFeely for giving it such an entertaining and suspenseful story, being far more than just "your average comic book movie", but rather a political spy thriller, but with the same action and excitement you'd expect from Marvel.<br />
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<i style="font-weight: bold;">Captain America: The Winter Soldier </i>is a major game-changer for the entire Marvel Cinematic Universe, preparing us for what's to come in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Avengers: Age of Ultron, </i>and by the looks of it so far, we're in for a pretty awesome ride.<br />
Finally, this awesome adventure is available to own on Blu-Ray, so let's take a quick look at the Blu-Ray release to see if it matches up with the theatrical film.<br />
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<a href="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2014/04/Captain-America-The-Winter-Soldier-Batroc-610x406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://oyster.ignimgs.com/wordpress/stg.ign.com/2014/04/Captain-America-The-Winter-Soldier-Batroc-610x406.jpg" height="132" width="200" /></a>Most notably, there's <i>On The Front Line: An Inside Look at Captain America's Battlegrounds </i>which gives insight from the Russo brothers and stunt coordinators at the wonderfully-choreographed battle sequences of the film and some behind-the-scenes looks at how they filmed some of the iconic scenes of the movie.<br />
Along with that, there's <i>Steve Rogers' Notebook, </i>which is a short two minute feature about Steve's notebook, and specifically how the notebook was edited for international versions of the film according to the culture. Also there's another short delightful feature, <i>On Set With Anthony Mackie: Cut the Check! </i>with Anthony Mackie, a.k.a Falcon, (a.k.a your new favorite Marvel character) and how Mackie has brought life to the character on set, ending off each of his perfect scenes with "Cut the Check!". I have no idea where Mackie even thought up the idea, but it's pretty hilarious.<br />
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That's not it though! There's also an awesome Audio Commentary, four deleted scenes, and a hilarious blooper reel. The deleted scenes are rather short but still perfectly incredible, and the reason it was likely cut was due to the movie's time duration.<br />
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In the end, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Captain America: The Winter Soldier </i>is a worthy Blu-Ray release, adding fun and exciting bonus features to an already brilliant movie. I very much reccomend you pick up a copy of this fantastic masterpiece.<br />
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<b>Film: 4.5/5 </b><br />
<b>Blu-Ray Bonus Features: 3.5/5</b><br />
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<b><br /></b>Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-1951608398546423112014-09-05T00:00:00.000-04:002014-09-05T00:00:03.119-04:00Aladdin The Series: 20 Years Later<div class="MsoNormal">
<b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Coming right off the tremendous success of <b><i>Aladdin
</i></b>in 1992, it was clear that there was a lot of demand for more Aladdin
products and films. Continuing directly off the events of <b><i>Return of Jafar, </i></b>the
television show brought back all of the favorites from the Aladdin films and
aired on Disney Afternoon for a few years before moving to CBS. </div>
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<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Disney_Aladdin_intertitle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/a/ae/Disney_Aladdin_intertitle.jpg" height="233" width="320" /></a>Being a major fan of the Aladdin film, I really do enjoy
this show a lot. It obviously doesn’t match up against the original film, but
it stands as a great show on its own feet. Just like the films before it, Genie stands out as the greatest aspect of the show, delivering the most hilarious scenes. Dan Castenella returned to perform
the voice of Genie, previously voicing the character in Return of Jafar. While
not quite the same as Robin Williams, I couldn’t possibly think of anyone nearly
as perfect to step into the role of Genie. Castenella is hilarious as the
Genie, although sometimes he can end up sounding a bit like his character Homer
Simpson. The other characters are great too. Gilbert Gottfried is back as Iago and even better than he was in the movie. Iago steals almost every episode with the most memorable of lines. Where Genie is more slapstick-type humor, Iago always delivers the last laugh through dialogue. Also returning is Scott Weinger as Aladdin, Linda Landin is back as Princess Jasmine once again and Jim Cummings as Razoul. </div>
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<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_qs7x_jTDvL3V8LSsCWUPHhmieulinDCjJSuOkzLp2NK1ToAY" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ_qs7x_jTDvL3V8LSsCWUPHhmieulinDCjJSuOkzLp2NK1ToAY" height="212" width="320" /></a>Then of course the villains are equally fantastic. Most notably, there's Mechanicles, who describes himself as "the greatest of the great Greek geniuses" who planned his evildoing by his mechanical creations, most memorably, giant mechanical insects in the episode "Getting the Bugs Out". Sadira is a great returning character who begins as a jealous and determined girl who attempts to get Aladdin to herself by any means necessary. Although she makes an appearance in "Strike Up the Sand" her most notable debut was in "SandSwitch" where she sets a memory eraser over everyone in order to lure people with false memories that she was the princess and Jasmine was just another street rat. Unfortunately for Sadira, the spell did not work on animals, and Iago and Abu get in the way of her plans. Sadira comes to join up with Aladdin later in the series and becomes good friends with the group. My favorite by far is Abis Mal, voiced by Jason Alexander and makes his first appearance in <i style="font-weight: bold;">Return of Jafar</i>. He is the main antagonist in the first episode of the series, "Air Feather Friends" and makes several recurring appearances throughout the rest of the series. Jason Alexander is just hilarious so there's no doubt that this is my favorite villain throughout the series. </div>
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Although it can be rather silly at times, I really love this
show. I think it’s one of the best crafted Disney television of the era..The story follows Aladdin and Jasmine <i>still </i>planning to get married (which
they never do in the series, but finally get married in <i>The Forty Thieves</i>). What I think it's lacking is probably musical numbers like <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Little Mermaid </i>television series did before it, or at least an original opening song. The opening theme used was reminiscent of "Arabian Nights" with very different lyrics. I think I would have preferred the show with some songs like the movies before them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Twenty years later, <i>Aladdin: The Series </i>still stands as a great and fairly entertaining television series, although quite forgotten by Disney fans. I do hope this series makes it's way to Blu-Ray or DVD sometime soon. </div>
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Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-6873997413307767562014-09-04T08:33:00.000-04:002014-09-04T08:33:40.135-04:00Disney Animation Reviews: #43: Treasure Planet<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaABb-M4kEAxPmdskDuZoJnCVYzlbqzFMrm-4CWG_PkiqX-pax_XkrSPG_t3z81tY7qLPy7jjqDtjS9wKtBqb59kzkNkLh10tU_fYTIKyZsfke1hYBt4E0kuWR15m0zhzWTghzFvu7WvI/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaABb-M4kEAxPmdskDuZoJnCVYzlbqzFMrm-4CWG_PkiqX-pax_XkrSPG_t3z81tY7qLPy7jjqDtjS9wKtBqb59kzkNkLh10tU_fYTIKyZsfke1hYBt4E0kuWR15m0zhzWTghzFvu7WvI/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Disney Movie Review:
43/52 - <i>Treasure Planet</i><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b>Ryan Dosier - </b>With the release of <i>Treasure Planet</i> (2002), Disney animation
starts to fall into a rut that they wouldn’t escape for 6-7 years (depending on
your opinion). The scope and the ideas behind <i>Treasure Planet</i> are huge and
impressive, but the execution is unfortunately lacking on almost all fronts.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The idea to take Robert Louis Stevenson’s <i>Treasure Island</i> to
space is an interesting one, but one has to wonder if a more straightforward
animated adaptation would have been better. Yes, space is modern and fun, but
the vast landscape in this film fails to capture the adventurous nature of the
original story. Give me the high seas and desert islands for Jim Hawkins and
Long John Silver over spaceships and robots any day.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://adventuresofalostboy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/mv5bmjawnzyyotgxn15bml5banbnxkftztywotu3mtm3-_v1-_sx485_sy311_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://adventuresofalostboy.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/mv5bmjawnzyyotgxn15bml5banbnxkftztywotu3mtm3-_v1-_sx485_sy311_.jpg" height="205" width="320" /></a>But I digress. The flaws present in <i>Treasure Planet</i> are
consistent throughout. The character designs of the alien creatures are, for
the most part, very weak. There is very little attractive or interesting about
the look of the characters. The most appealing is the cyborg Long John Silver,
whose robotic arm, eye, and leg are quite appealing. But on the whole,
creatures like Dr. Doppler, Captain Amelia, and Billy Bones just do not look
good. The designers should’ve taken note from films like <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> for
greater looking creatures. </div>
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There are numerous dynamic and exciting moments throughout
the film, especially near the beginning when Jim is surfing on his flying
board. The scene in the supernova is exciting, the climax is exciting, and a
handful of other moments are fun, but as a whole the film rests on its laurels.
There is a lot of wasted potential that is spent on humdrum montages with Silver
and Jim bonding.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The writing of <i>Treasure Planet</i> is weak. The jokes are
extremely lazy and involve fart jokes, funny sounds, and silly voices. Gone is
the wit and smart dialogue of <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> and <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i>.
It’s very unfortunate that a film written by the men behind <i>The Little Mermaid</i>
and <i>Aladdin </i>lacks charm and whip-smart dialogue.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Long John Silver is the only truly entertaining character in
the film. He is troubled and appealing throughout and is the only character
that really seems to grow. Yes, Jim Hawkins is the protagonist who we’re
supposed to root for, but I am more delighted by Silver’s evolution by the end
of the movie than I am Jim’s. Silver’s animation is also very impressive, with
a great mix of hand drawn and computer generated animation. It’s the first mix
of this style on a lead character and it is wonderful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://www.areyouscreening.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/treasureplanet5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.areyouscreening.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/treasureplanet5.jpg" height="188" width="320" /></a>The voice acting in Treasure Planet is good, but not great.
David Hyde Pierce is the most surprisingly entertaining in the film as Dr.
Doppler. He is manic and delightful. Martin Short voices B.E.N., and he is
fantastic, but doesn’t appear until 45 minutes into the story, which causes him
to lose a lot of potential. Short should steal the show, but he doesn’t have
enough screen time to make it work.<o:p></o:p></div>
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While <i>Treasure Planet </i>has a few merits, for the most part it
lacks any of the magic present in most of the previous Disney features. There
are some fun moments and fun characters, but <i>Treasure Planet</i> never reaches any
sort of peak. It drudges on until some legitimately exciting moments at the
end, but that is not enough to save the film. <i>Treasure Planet</i> has potential to
be out of this world, but instead it stays grounded and dull.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>2/5 Space Surfboards</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span>Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-55846209257089768942014-09-02T22:10:00.000-04:002014-09-02T22:10:28.558-04:00The Story of Frozen: Highlights and What to Expect Next<a href="http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/frozen-box-office.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://pmcvariety.files.wordpress.com/2013/12/frozen-box-office.jpg?w=670&h=377&crop=1" height="180" width="320" /></a><b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Somehow since it's release, Frozen has become an incredible instant classic, becoming the highest-grossing films of all time, and one of the most beloved Disney films in many years. Just under an hour ago, ABC finished airing <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Story of Frozen </i>gave us an insight behind-the scenes for this fantastic film and what's to come from Disney's latest cash cow.<br />
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What I'm not going to do is not tell you if it's good or not, because I am assuming we've all seen it by now, but what specific points seem to stand out for me and what I hope to expect in the future from the franchise.<br />
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The beginning of the special introduced us to some of the cast and crew of the film. The crew takes us through a quick journey which brings us back to the days of Walt Disney and the original concepts for <i>The Snow Queen </i>which would eventually become <i>Frozen. </i>The entire crew did a brilliant job on taking us behind the scenes and showing the journey on developing the Frozen characters, from early concept sketches to final animation, the work that went into this film is brilliant.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSxeje0vA4TUOagVXfK1qSbPdKxJmA9ds7Jh-isceKfFd4nWaX" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTSxeje0vA4TUOagVXfK1qSbPdKxJmA9ds7Jh-isceKfFd4nWaX" /></a>Beyond that, we look at some of the story development that went through <i>many </i>rapid changes. Originally in the new concepts, Elsa was a villian at first, but they swapped that idea when the Lopez's working on Elsa's song, switching out the original villain song for Let It Go, and an idea from John Lasseter, which would change Elsa's character from the evil villain into the misunderstood sister in the final draft. We also see some footage from the crew's trip to Norway to learn more about the architecture and culture in order to translate into animation and the promise of a big announcement was on the way.<br />
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Frozen, and the incredible TV special we saw tonight are just some of the examples of what kind of impact this film has had on the studio and the world, and it's quite clear this cultural phenomenon isn't going to be over quickly. The only questions that stand in the way are what direction Disney is planning to point them in.<br />
Tonight they revealed that the studio is working on a brand-new short to premiere in Spring 2015 (no word on where the short will be shown) named "Frozen Fever" (which oddly is not about the overload of Let It Go parodies you've seen online). Another big project set to premiere soon is the characters of Frozen appearing on <i>Once Upon a Time</i>'s fourth season in just a few weeks. While these are just a few big things, I have to say I'm really surprised how Disney is really holding back from milking this major cash cow that they have.<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHJjAjha0gAsVnMbULQZLqQBcYflPMTSrC6czwENadUmM72UtrtQ" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcRHJjAjha0gAsVnMbULQZLqQBcYflPMTSrC6czwENadUmM72UtrtQ" /></a>Many people (myself included) were hoping for a little more to come out of the announcement, with major rumors like a potential Frozen themed attraction replacing Maelstrom in Epcot, or a sequel led nowhere, at least for tonight's special that is. I have no doubt that we will hear some announcements about these eventually, and it's highly possible they're already concepts floating around at Disney, but why they are holding back on making these plans public are beyond me. My guess would be that Disney is holding back and just seeing how popular Frozen will be and how long this "Frozen Fever" can go on for, to see if it's a viable franchise.<br />
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For the future of the franchise, what I would like to see is a theme park tie-in, like Epcot's Norway would be a viable option to settle the characters, possibly a spot in Fantasyland. I wouldn't be surprised if they happen to land a show in Disney World sometime soon. With the American Idol Experience theater empty, it seems pretty possible a show may end up in that spot. I would also love to see a Frozen television series. Once Upon a Time will likely go in the opposite direction Frozen should be going in, so I think a television series, done in the same great fashion Disney series in the 90's such as <i>The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, </i>and <i>Hercules </i>did before it. I think that would be a smart next move for the characters and would keep them in the spotlight for enough time for the folks over at Disney Animation to come up with the next Frozen feature film masterpiece. Whatever it is Disney is holding back from, I hope it's just because perfection takes time.<br />
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<b><i>What would you like to see Frozen do next? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below! </i></b></div>
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-22661952756066249392014-09-02T00:00:00.000-04:002014-09-02T00:00:07.581-04:00111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 5<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikAoAq_al8KzGJfak5eGJqj-deB-PSegNU3oNk75sBaC7-VovNFztqrkQ7339i_GSZS6_39fJZECl4tfGXcrcOcTDaE6qLfdJ_zHeEIurD03ZcD8vb2FJRO9tR-DfOxeeWkHBFi5ENLw/s1600/DisneySongs.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhikAoAq_al8KzGJfak5eGJqj-deB-PSegNU3oNk75sBaC7-VovNFztqrkQ7339i_GSZS6_39fJZECl4tfGXcrcOcTDaE6qLfdJ_zHeEIurD03ZcD8vb2FJRO9tR-DfOxeeWkHBFi5ENLw/s1600/DisneySongs.png" height="190" width="400" /></a></div>
<b>Ryan Dosier </b>- Look, I'm being consistent and updating this list again! Let's jump forward with even more Awesome Disney songs!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Xvab6Gtq7OBjTGNWRd9vwtc0BwVH6IRvfcEwqZmu17iewKnz5GY-PBxdnDJQM7O9MW_76y7-VlW1UQWA_NhNnxN70CKtTeUukuXsXWVdykofT1ims5VsFiHFcbtQ9yyMFC0nAPKzQU/s1600/tiki.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm0Xvab6Gtq7OBjTGNWRd9vwtc0BwVH6IRvfcEwqZmu17iewKnz5GY-PBxdnDJQM7O9MW_76y7-VlW1UQWA_NhNnxN70CKtTeUukuXsXWVdykofT1ims5VsFiHFcbtQ9yyMFC0nAPKzQU/s1600/tiki.jpg" height="160" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>45.) "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trtJMX90Etw">The Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room</a>" from Disneyland</b><br />
This is one of those songs that immediately makes me think of Disneyland, and makes me wonder why I'm sitting here typing and not in the park right now. It's chock full of great, silly lyrics and jokes ("I sing so beautiful, I should sing solo." "Si, so low we can't hear you!"), and the birds are all wonderfully fun characters. Really, there's not much more to say other than I adore this attraction and this song. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "All the birds sing words/And the flowers croon/In the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki, Tiki Room!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7b3CJRr6Tepofz7v6my71yBl3tC18WCO842y5HMwT-kJIfCnnjWSI-u__isPHHd7YSA2xxP6Sj30IXHdwDxn1HoSgFmUOCl2gYZBvG6lif5eACtsNbdb5fTOEJHpq0VXklu1KfBWuVc/s1600/igns04.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY7b3CJRr6Tepofz7v6my71yBl3tC18WCO842y5HMwT-kJIfCnnjWSI-u__isPHHd7YSA2xxP6Sj30IXHdwDxn1HoSgFmUOCl2gYZBvG6lif5eACtsNbdb5fTOEJHpq0VXklu1KfBWuVc/s1600/igns04.jpg" height="134" width="200" /></a><b>46.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DiAykOz1gWi4&ei=kZoDVI_GBOKJjAL06oGoBQ&usg=AFQjCNE_j7joRJueO4tpx7tsujZUvHPewg&sig2=9OCHnE3GSgxYUoVppdAHgA&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGE">I've Got No Strings</a>" from <i>Pinocchio</i></b><br />
<i>Pinocchio</i> is one of my favorite films, and the music is such a huge part of why it's so delightfully charming and enjoyable. This little number performed by Pinocchio as part of Strombolli's marionette show is so innocent and sweet... until the saucy German marionette girls swoop in. It's funny, it's fun, the music is simple but delightful, and the lyrics are adorable. Just like Pinocchio. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "I've got no strings/So I have fun/I'm not tied up to anyone/They've got strings/But you can see/There are no strings on me."</i><br />
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<b>47.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&sqi=2&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DWUUAkax8oDA&ei=vJwDVP2uJ8y5ogSI84FQ&usg=AFQjCNEGN3VYY5fWBF0N6RK6KzijYmjvTQ&sig2=7kq1XhVy2HDs3xasdVAEXg">Dig a Little Deeper</a>" from <i>The Princess and the Frog</i></b><br />
My favorite song from <i>The Princess and the Frog</i> is Mama Odie's brilliantly upbeat and joyful "Dig a Little Deeper." This song breathes so much life into Mama Odie, a character who only appears in a few scenes in the film, but steals every one of them. Couple that with the soulful vocals of Jenifer Lewis, and you've got one of the finest gospel-themed songs in any animated film. It's a blast. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Don't matter what ya look like/Don't matter what ya wear/How many rings ya got on your fingers?/We don't care--no, we don't care!"</i><br />
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<b>48.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DjXJ7Gtmw5rY&ei=W9UDVKzuC-q1iwKL54DACQ&usg=AFQjCNHcLUCOm0ImX7kwkIc8wVFJNrG6fA&sig2=xctnofwK9oQWAdzCFEIS5g&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGU">It's Gonna Be Great</a>" from <i>Winnie the Pooh</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM8ftUtBP4gb_NHjCOnGEbeC3drazdUxKER6DF1oF6MMbAVkTtwA5zuZmG4GRKTpxyhWl6PQjMlnjIrUpuV3v3y1t3LHlRt-ejk25fvbwQYIAf640zizAqeMONryH1jiu6JrKu8If03U/s1600/tigger.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimM8ftUtBP4gb_NHjCOnGEbeC3drazdUxKER6DF1oF6MMbAVkTtwA5zuZmG4GRKTpxyhWl6PQjMlnjIrUpuV3v3y1t3LHlRt-ejk25fvbwQYIAf640zizAqeMONryH1jiu6JrKu8If03U/s1600/tigger.jpg" height="169" width="200" /></a>One of the most vastly underrated Disney animated features is 2011's <i>Winnie the Pooh</i>. It's so deliciously funny and clever, and its charm is never-ending. One of my favorite moments from the film is this song that Tigger sings with Eeyore as he helps the morose donkey become a Tigger. The song is, dare I say it, bouncy, and one of the finest singing performances from the legendary Jim Cummings. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Strike me down, give me all you got/</i><i>Bounce me, trounce me, flounce me, pounce me/</i><i>Do it, do it, do it/</i><i>It's gonna be great, it's gonna be great, it's gonna be great."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzL8n9Myxje5LlNn7XbN2lNOfQKmhZi-kbE6M41YI9n2ub7X7hpVCPOxgLB-3OAwpgq7aO3U-vwy2vCmRUWl-zN0dGCQMBcQmRzJL7ifQoO4-5IM1lwsJlExuiMTtECvHqmBymEUyusW4/s1600/enchanted.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzL8n9Myxje5LlNn7XbN2lNOfQKmhZi-kbE6M41YI9n2ub7X7hpVCPOxgLB-3OAwpgq7aO3U-vwy2vCmRUWl-zN0dGCQMBcQmRzJL7ifQoO4-5IM1lwsJlExuiMTtECvHqmBymEUyusW4/s1600/enchanted.jpg" height="177" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>49.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DxRYU4cqUAUs&ei=DNcDVOHSOeGgigLuxYDYDA&usg=AFQjCNFqImcOYOhaqS9GTlmzI6jAvc1KBQ&sig2=4EgSrUGxC74sKlwP8INNiw&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGU">That's How You Know</a>" from <i>Enchanted</i></b><br />
Ah, the modern day fairytale classic <i>Enchanted</i>. Not only is it one of Amy Adams' best performances, but the film features new music from Alan Menken and its awesome. No song is better than the show stopping production number "That's How You Know." The dancing, singing, spectacle is one of the best in live action Disney films. Trivia: the old men dancing in the park were the original "Step in Time" dancers from <i>Mary Poppins</i>! <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Well does he leave a little note/To tell you you are on his mind/Send you yellow flowers when the sky is gray?/He'll find a new way to show you/A little bit everyday."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2425r9EEauDt_GkGLgWPKpvegQAYs0-lRSpM7vRhHGBagOstThtmywbXbTMqVtXVUHANB5yQDKAkwbrhGlge7V1QYAoyUoahnAiJm8hSni8kCjkAP6rgOPCPdGWOA5xHt3Pu1e7TiwTs/s1600/belle.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2425r9EEauDt_GkGLgWPKpvegQAYs0-lRSpM7vRhHGBagOstThtmywbXbTMqVtXVUHANB5yQDKAkwbrhGlge7V1QYAoyUoahnAiJm8hSni8kCjkAP6rgOPCPdGWOA5xHt3Pu1e7TiwTs/s1600/belle.png" height="193" width="200" /></a><b>50.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D11fOJ3JckVo&ei=E58EVJDvOoW8igLYnoGwAQ&usg=AFQjCNEVKPy1cRKmv6_ab6gPOBGI4MwTNg&sig2=gxuExPFW4FLPkLRBiVZgIA&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGU">Belle</a>" from <i>Beauty and the Beast</i></b><br />
A spectacular opening number to one of Disney's finest features. "Belle" is a wonderful example of group performance and echoes Broadway-style music better than any Disney animated feature song before it. Leave it to Howard Ashman and Alan Menken for that! The catchy, "talking" lyrics, the refrain of "Bonjour!" to open the song, Paige O'Hara as Belle, and so much more make this song simply delightful. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "There goes the baker with his tray, like always/</i><i>The same old bread and rolls to sell/</i><i>Every morning just the same/</i><i>Since the morning that we came/</i><i>To this poor provincial town/Good morning, Belle!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLeOMlwMGgCnZufQZXkrY2L15_j-Cs_CzmbLL-S4BWpTb3zB3MlvaH7pbGNa_FLnhabdTGS5KisWabFiuHIuByfr6ochpoNbDi-O0lPp5J93RT7RxVDDmw-_wWkJspnIaVLZ9ODSBq5k/s1600/423422_1271603347701_full.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiLeOMlwMGgCnZufQZXkrY2L15_j-Cs_CzmbLL-S4BWpTb3zB3MlvaH7pbGNa_FLnhabdTGS5KisWabFiuHIuByfr6ochpoNbDi-O0lPp5J93RT7RxVDDmw-_wWkJspnIaVLZ9ODSBq5k/s1600/423422_1271603347701_full.jpg" height="183" style="cursor: move;" width="200" /></a><b>51.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=3&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CC4QtwIwAg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DrvNMEuedsJk&ei=4aAEVN6VGaS5igLYq4FY&usg=AFQjCNEZacDKZgImcWvlK_K60xDgZrakUw&sig2=_1-FucsH9xtxlRaGasKwEA&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGE">Topsy Turvy</a>" from <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i></b><br />
A break from the dark tones of <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i> is this joyful, colorful blast midway through the film. Clopin, the clown gypsy, sings the song with ease and speed. It's so much fun to watch all the wacky things going on in Paris on this Topsy Turvy Day. It also provides a brief moment of happiness for poor Quasimodo... before ripping it away in one of the film's darkest scenes. But still, fun song. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Once a year, we throw a party here in town/Once a year, we turn all Paris upside down/Every man's a king, and every king's a clown/Once a year on Topsy Turvy Day!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yPfQu2wSMF5wCRKE9CTUgOODoZCHk-aH-m59MvS2qcyv9i6fxmQkP3WA3Srwwbeml2Fkw4oY32bUGYriRlnUh1TWWdTa7p5sFqLGvmt6lyBEHibXYCdgZU3UB3pynsXlEtdwpz8qQpE/s1600/tangled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6yPfQu2wSMF5wCRKE9CTUgOODoZCHk-aH-m59MvS2qcyv9i6fxmQkP3WA3Srwwbeml2Fkw4oY32bUGYriRlnUh1TWWdTa7p5sFqLGvmt6lyBEHibXYCdgZU3UB3pynsXlEtdwpz8qQpE/s1600/tangled.jpg" height="185" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>52.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DBate_tvVUpk&ei=AKIEVI-1M8m2igKo_oGYCQ&usg=AFQjCNFnyNJ0VnqOkpoRtGBr7kalnjt6Cw&sig2=rc3on3Z7zmX7jQTxG1873g&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGU">I've Got a Dream</a>" from <i>Tangled</i></b><br />
<i>Tangled</i> features one of the few songs in modern-day Disney animated features to be primarily performed by unnamed characters, and it's this riotous ditty "I've Got a Dream." The main singers, voiced by Brad Garrett and Jeffery Tambor, are never given names, but their plights and their dreams are wonderful. It's such a treat to hear incredibly different voices like these performing in a Disney feature. This is perhaps my favorite moment in all of <i>Tangled</i>. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "I've got scars, and lumps, and bruises/And something here that oozes/And let's not even mention my complexion!/But despite my extra toes, and my goiter, and my nose/I really wanna make a love connection!"</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMSC3WxMf6f-4OSJ26kKSPT6gkTONtMhMduydV5yIIJzHXtiIO2qDMGrZzmIM1DNC96oEkUpcGwRb5PIjoJQ54orqDewp3zXPZXtajzBpS3-Hpamo8JPtAX8DDGrVr69szfa2_mFQUKE/s1600/Proud_of_Your_Boy_-_Adam_Jacobs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoMSC3WxMf6f-4OSJ26kKSPT6gkTONtMhMduydV5yIIJzHXtiIO2qDMGrZzmIM1DNC96oEkUpcGwRb5PIjoJQ54orqDewp3zXPZXtajzBpS3-Hpamo8JPtAX8DDGrVr69szfa2_mFQUKE/s1600/Proud_of_Your_Boy_-_Adam_Jacobs.jpg" height="161" width="200" /></a></div>
<b>53.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DDX4YR3ItBsw&ei=jacEVO6BB8TXigLjwoC4Ag&usg=AFQjCNEupUZ72_nqXa1m6S3kToLu06sErw&sig2=WLXdl5lKJKypMiHGYwQ9tg&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGE">Proud of Your Boy</a>" from <i>Aladdin</i> (Deleted Song)</b><br />
The only deleted song included on the whole list is also the <i>fifth</i> Alan Menken song in a row! Of course, "Proud of Your Boy" went on to be a major player in the Broadway version of <i>Aladdin</i>, but originally it was penned by Alan and Howard Ashman for the animated film. It was cut after a sub-plot involving Aladdin's mother was removed. But the song is so important and soft and powerful. It's one of the most resonating Disney songs, period, and I'm so thrilled that it has found a home on Broadway. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Proud of your boy/I'll make you proud of your boy/Believe me, bad as I've been mom/You're in for a pleasant surprise/I've wasted time/I've wasted me/So say I'm slow for my age/A late bloomer/Okay, I agree!"</i><br />
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<b>54.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCkQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D_WgMJRT9gGk&ei=vKcEVISAN6rsigLZg4DoBg&usg=AFQjCNHisFXrUoS1SPoIZ9qZgE4OHlXcIA&sig2=0S-nXNkueTLXQz9LGxDg1A&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGE">Winnie-the-Pooh</a>" from <i>The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh</i></b><br />
I just need to hear someone start humming this song, and I immediately have to start singing along. It's so bouncy and catchy and lovely. This Sherman Brothers tune evokes everything that Winnie the Pooh represents: joy and kindness and friendship. Plus, it's a really handy way to remember all of the Pooh characters (except the oddly absent Tigger) in one handy song! <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Deep in the Hundred Acre Woods/Where Christopher Robin plays/You'll find the enchanted neighborhood/Of Christopher's childhood days..."</i><br />
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<b>55.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DApsR4pDI5tk&ei=vKkEVJBc5bCMAubHgIgI&usg=AFQjCNEzO1dPSmSpygEv-nSTFfItp5TapA&sig2=J3ux9vO4feJTpK6ADkiWVQ&bvm=bv.74115972,d.cGE">Bella Notte</a>" from <i>Lady and the Tramp</i></b><br />
"Bella Notte" is one of the most wonderful Disney love songs, and one that often gets overlooked in favor of the newer era of songs. Still, its music and lyrics are some of the best to be found in the Disney canon. Performed by Tony, the Italian restauranteur who feeds Lady and the Tramp the famous spaghetti, "Bella Notte" is the perfect accompaniment to any romantic dinner or occasion. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "This is the night/</i><i>It's a beautiful night/</i><i>And we call it bella notte/</i><i>Look at the skies/</i><i>They have stars in their eyes/</i><i>On this lovely belle notte."</i>Ryan Dosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18128434357825986817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-30726226180325700842014-09-01T20:03:00.002-04:002014-09-01T20:08:17.065-04:00Disney Veterans create Hullabaloo, a 2D Animated Film to Preserve Classic Animation Style<a href="http://www.insidethemagic.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/girl-550x349.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.insidethemagic.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/girl-550x349.png" height="202" width="320" /></a>Former Disney animation veteran James Lopez (<i>The Lion King, Hercules, Paperman) </i>is turning to fans for their help in an all-new campaign set up for a potential new film, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Hullabaloo</i>. The possible film is an incredible new visual masterpiece, blending incredible hand-drawn 2D animation with CGI (as seen previously in Disney's <i>Paperman </i>short).<br />
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The traditional hand-drawn is said to be a dying art, these former Disney veterans decided to team up together to create this brand new film which they hope will restore 2D animation in film studios and bring 2D animation back into the public eye. But they need your help.<br />
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Watch their campaign video right here:<br />
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Some more info on the project, as seen on their <a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hullabaloo-steampunk-animated-film">Indieogo page</a>.<br />
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<i>Hullabaloo is a 2D (hand-drawn) animated steampunk film that hopes to help preserve the dying art of 2D animation; and by supporting this project, you get to help save 2D animation from an untimely demise. We want you to join us in making a short film that will showcase the world of Hullabaloo, which we can show to investors to fund a full length 2D feature. 2D animation is a beautiful but dying art form that the animation studios have all but abandoned. But if we can fund this film with your help, we will be able to show investors that people really do want to see a feature length animated steampunk film, allowing us to get the tremendous amount of funding needed to complete Hullabaloo as the full-length feature we believe you want to see.</i><br />
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The campaign has officially launched over at their<a href="https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/hullabaloo-steampunk-animated-film"> Indieogo page</a>, and they need fan donations to reach their goal of $80,00 to make this film possible. Please consider donating even a small amount to this incredible new ambitious project in order to restore 2D animation and bring it back to it's rightful place. Every dollar counts, and we wish the best of luck to the entire crew of Hullabaloo.<br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-6735450183888794992014-08-31T20:55:00.002-04:002014-08-31T20:58:00.539-04:00Girl Meets World is Disney Channel's Best Series in Years <b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Disney Channel currently lives in the darkest of timelines, making actual good entertaining shows almost impossible to come by. Every show is just so awful and brings the whole former glory of Disney Channel to an ultimate low, and it seemed as if it were never going to be redeemed. Then enters <b><i>Girl Meets World. </i></b><br />
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Finally, an entertaining show with actual entertaining humor, good story-plots and likable characters. <i>Girl Meets World </i>takes place nearly a decade after Disney's 90's hit show <i>Boy Meets World </i>left off. When it was announced, many people were concerned it would just be another disappointing Disney Channel tween show, but man does it soar so far above all of that. For the first time in many years, Disney delivers a good, fun, entertaining family comedy enjoyable for all, but leaving out the general stupidity that surrounds the channel today. Okay, maybe not all of it. It still has some Disney Channel stupidity, (which mostly generates from Farkle) but about 80% of the show is real family entertainment that hasn't been seen in many years. Most of the time, it feels worthy of being on primetime TV, where Boy Meets World was home to for many years. Maybe not yet, but if it continues to step in the right direction, it would easily be worthy of it.<br />
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The show centers around Riley (Rowan Blanchard), a middle-school aged teenage girl facing the many challenges of life and growing up, in many of the same ways <i>Boy Meets World </i>did, normally tackling every-day situations and coming of age. Ben Savage and Danielle Fishel reprise their roles as Corey and Topanga, now living in New York and the parents of Riley and her younger brother Auggie. It has a ton of fantastic call-backs to it's original predecessor, though not always quite living up to the original. It's great to see where the characters ended up after these years, and ironically, Corey ended up as a teacher in Riley's school, showing what kind of major impact Mr. Feeney had years before. We've been told that Shawn will make more cameos in some upcoming episodes as well.<br />
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Currently the show is in middle of it's first season, and on August 6th, it was announced the show had already been renewed for a second season, which I am thrilled about. Disney has finally created a masterpiece with Michael Jacobs at the helm (who worked on dozens of beloved Disney television shows including <i>Dinosaurs, The Torkelsons, </i>and <i>Boy Meets World</i>).<br />
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It's impossible to not have only positive things to say about this series. It's practically perfect in every way, with a great cast of characters, hilarious humor and great and emotional story-plots, and paved a whole new potential future for Disney Channel. I'm hoping that Disney Channel will get back on track eventually, and this is definitely a step in the right direction.<br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-73962875171104991552014-08-27T22:13:00.002-04:002014-08-28T09:10:23.622-04:00Blu-Ray Reviews: Tarzan, Hercules, Three Musketeers, Ichabod and Toad<b>Mitchell Stein- </b>With the debut of five classic Disney features last week on Blu-Ray, we're here to review all of the releases and see if they stack up with their previous home releases, in technical aspect and in special bonus features.<br />
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<b><u>TARZAN: </u></b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61K7pqdJFLL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61K7pqdJFLL.jpg" height="200" width="157" /></a><b><br /></b>Tarzan is by far one of the most brilliant well-done Disney movies of all-time and very much under-appreciated, blending beautiful stunning animation, spectacular story, wonderful music and great characters into the mix creates a terrific instant Disney classic which remains one of the greatest to this day. Chris Buck (who will later go on to direct <i style="font-weight: bold;">Frozen</i>) and Kevin Lima take the helm to direct, and Phil Collins lends his talents to supply the wonderful music to the movie.<br />
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Sadly, there's not much bonus features to be found in this new Tarzan release. The bonus features are lazily recycled from the old VHS features, and still lack in picture quality. The features remain great, but without any new exclusive Blu-Ray features, this release doesn't hold up.<br />
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(Read Ryan's Animated Review on Tarzan <a href="http://mickeymindset.blogspot.ca/2014/07/disney-animation-reviews-37-tarzan.html">right here</a>)<br />
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<b><u>HERCULES: </u></b><br />
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In my personal opinion, following the high standards that films like <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Lion King </i>and <i style="font-weight: bold;">Aladdin </i>set before it, Hercules doesn't stand-up as a very memorable Disney film and is easily forgettable. The story is rushed, the characters are boring and the relationship between Meg and Hercules feels forced. <br />
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Regardless, the movie still earns it's spot in the Disney movie family and has a major fan-base. But those fans will be disaappointed to find out that no new Blu-Ray bonus features can be found in this release, and just like <i style="font-weight: bold;">Tarzan</i>, it blandly recycles old bonus features from VHS, along with the grainy footage it always had. With lack of bonus features and an mostly under-appreciated film, this release doesn't hold up either.<br />
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(Read Ryan's Animated Review of Hercules<a href="http://mickeymindset.blogspot.ca/2014/07/disney-animation-reviews-37-tarzan.html"> right here</a>)<br />
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<b><u>The Three Musketeers: </u></b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81-4uq4VHzL._SL1500_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/81-4uq4VHzL._SL1500_.jpg" height="200" width="153" /></a>Disney's Fab Five star in a fun adventure with Mickey, Donald, and Goofy at the helm playing the roles of The Three Muskateers. There's really nothing too major about this film, besides it being another fun film from the famous and ever so popular mouse. Just like the other re-releases of this month, bonus features are lacking and there's not much extra entertainment to be found, with the exception of "Get Up and Dance" and a few Deleted Scenes and Sing-Alongs. A fun film, but seriously Disney, that's three releases in one day without any worthwhile features. Please get you act together and set this straight for your next upcoming features on home release.<br />
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<b><u>The Adventures of Mr. Ichabod and Toad/ Fun and Fancy Free/The Reluctant Dragon </u></b><br />
<a href="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YQKmUJEoL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61YQKmUJEoL.jpg" height="200" width="158" /></a>An odd pair-up indeed, but I'm glad that these obscure forgotten Disney films are finally making their way to Blu-Ray. While not the most legendary and popular Disney films, Fun and Fancy Free stands up to be a fun entertaining film, pairing up the stories of Bongo and Mickey and the Beanstalk during the Second World War to keep the studio afloat.<br />
Ichabod and Toad hit theaters in 1949 and still remains just a fun entertaining film, but not much more. It's easy to understand why these two films are forgotten easily, but it's good to finally see them get the Blu-Ray transfer. The only great bonus feature on the disc is the Disney forgotten classic <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Reluctant Dragon </i>and a great behind the scenes look at the making of Fun and Fancy Free...from 1997. I'm going to sound like a broken record, but the Blu-Ray transfer for the films look nice, but it still seems empty with old features.<br />
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(Ryan's Animated Reviews of <a href="http://mickeymindset.blogspot.ca/2013/12/disney-animation-review-1011-melody.html">Ichabod and Toad</a>, review of <a href="http://mickeymindset.blogspot.ca/2013/12/disney-animation-review-89-make-mine.html">Fun and Fancy Free</a>)<br />
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<b><i>Hercules, Tarzan, Ichabod and Toad and the Three Musketeers and now available wherever Blu-Rays are sold. </i></b></div>
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-20216534946816146532014-08-26T09:00:00.001-04:002014-08-26T09:00:03.400-04:00111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 4<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Ryan Dosier</b> - Hello, Disney fans! First off, an apology for the lack of updates to this series lately. I just moved across the country, so my life has been hectic as all get out. But I've found some time to settle in and listen to some of my favorite Disney music and continue 111 Awesome Disney Songs! Here's Part 4...<br />
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<b>34.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DuJYvOadSG-c&ei=pCT6U8-eD8a7ogT3vYDIDg&usg=AFQjCNHXYU9DElQd-Qr8g4cIigMLKmWhEQ&sig2=LAlvD74bWVgTL-S5A9LIPg&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo"</a> from <i>Cinderella</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUet1CCO73xI_8jHnHmduXGTX0SWm1trgE_GSvBeXPflsgn8MSkHXpFjQRxkl2oQsiO47JAhPuCUb_c5aW3nHRXW_o54zMeTQMY6va140zuWJSueUB8mC0W6NXunZJASspQ3-s8U74G8/s1600/bibbidi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZUet1CCO73xI_8jHnHmduXGTX0SWm1trgE_GSvBeXPflsgn8MSkHXpFjQRxkl2oQsiO47JAhPuCUb_c5aW3nHRXW_o54zMeTQMY6va140zuWJSueUB8mC0W6NXunZJASspQ3-s8U74G8/s1600/bibbidi.jpg" height="188" width="200" /></a>Of all the magic numbers produced by Disney animated films, the incredibly hard to spell "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" may just be the finest. The Fairy Godmother bounces and bobs her way through this delightful ditty, with some nonsensical lyrics and joyful fun. Though the Fairy Godmother's appearance is incredibly brief, the song makes it endlessly memorable. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/</i><i>Put 'em together and what have you got/</i><i>Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/</i><i>Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/</i><i>It'll do magic believe it or not/</i><i>Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."</i><br />
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<b>35.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D3H2rO4HC8s8&ei=aSb6U8rAIcP7oQTRz4LgAw&usg=AFQjCNEjdSbSJOXhvLdL_T8gIj3CkmyaqQ&sig2=VwHBo6o5aFiwTtPmhucqNg&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"The Phony King of England"</a> from <i>Robin Hood</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jTKk0VjPwrbJTXwBwVvt0-msnh-uCM4Mo7zRq6nKagijGpXjXWTx1XlF6gFSSPR3tLv1sEu-w7uzEmsDlU0kE_H2l7B_xZNecjf2jcpIVCSp_L1UffoWg7-82HYAT3djTtBFoR7O19k/s1600/robin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jTKk0VjPwrbJTXwBwVvt0-msnh-uCM4Mo7zRq6nKagijGpXjXWTx1XlF6gFSSPR3tLv1sEu-w7uzEmsDlU0kE_H2l7B_xZNecjf2jcpIVCSp_L1UffoWg7-82HYAT3djTtBFoR7O19k/s1600/robin.jpg" height="190" width="200" /></a>One of the major highlights of <i>Robin Hood</i> is its delightful soundtrack. Most of the songs are handled by the rooster minstrel Alan-A-Dale, but the best song in the film is absolutely the jazzy tune performed by Little John. Phil Harris, who did the voice of Baloo in <i>The Jungle Book</i> and Thomas O'Malley in <i>The Aristocats</i> returns for his third Disney animated feature in a row as Little John and delivers this deliciously silly and fun tune. <i>Favorite Lyrics:</i> <i>"He sits alone on a giant throne/Pretending he's the king/A little tyke who's rather like a puppet on a string."</i><br />
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<b>36.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CB4QtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DPo7LeNHkNNI&ei=xSf6U_ewDcXkoASKvoKADg&usg=AFQjCNGrHoGqbJM-hGVNJjhFtPItzViZQA&sig2=cu3U2O6rmcsMVrCAXya_9Q&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"A Guy Like You"</a> from <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSWM3fpHRJiX6gLiZo3yrsQSwHAWicq05OBqDc0NtwCo6deXN_erzx4klgRWzmrPCiNvZJJdE4cO6bHy1aCLj0QPDrfVGZ0uth_gD8JdQ9AMZaH0ZTGHOzaJNSCSrT67nCnNzpKhpY28/s1600/hunchback.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSWM3fpHRJiX6gLiZo3yrsQSwHAWicq05OBqDc0NtwCo6deXN_erzx4klgRWzmrPCiNvZJJdE4cO6bHy1aCLj0QPDrfVGZ0uth_gD8JdQ9AMZaH0ZTGHOzaJNSCSrT67nCnNzpKhpY28/s1600/hunchback.png" height="193" width="200" /></a>This song, performed by the three gargoyles of the film, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne, is vastly different than any other song in <i>The Hunchback of Notre Dame</i>. Yet, it still fits (in my opinion). It provides a moment of levity in the middle of some pretty hefty darkness. The gargoyles are fun and bouncing and the song is the same. I adore this number so much. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Paris, the city of lovers, is glowing this evening... True! That's because it's on fire, but still, there's l'amore."</i><br />
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<b>37.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4wSQ5s2PEHc&ei=ryr6U43lJ4zboAS0zoLwCA&usg=AFQjCNHnqbsC7lPVLTd_E-aplOMgA5eBmA&sig2=GdmJWJWr2m8TTPqP905Bmw&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Sugar Rush"</a> from <i>Wreck-It Ralph</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEvfcuTt-P6saK8XjihvHh3oenMOc5-PnqjHq4Vfhfckc3xCuqMnwnDAM5RkjZhlgF33CJGPeRFl7VikluKWOArYmT8AjEZeI-3uxpOClbSm1W_G6YLjHTD7NvCFVpjk45YLD7UIh7dY/s1600/f646b72e9c6c1602241ed6ddbfbf224b1cfccb25.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzEvfcuTt-P6saK8XjihvHh3oenMOc5-PnqjHq4Vfhfckc3xCuqMnwnDAM5RkjZhlgF33CJGPeRFl7VikluKWOArYmT8AjEZeI-3uxpOClbSm1W_G6YLjHTD7NvCFVpjk45YLD7UIh7dY/s1600/f646b72e9c6c1602241ed6ddbfbf224b1cfccb25.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a>Ah, <i>Wreck-It Ralph</i>, how I adore thee. Absolutely one of my favorite Disney animated features. <i>Wreck-It Ralph</i> has so much fun going on per second that it's incredible. The theme song to the candy-coated kart racer "Sugar Rush" is a blast. It's clearly influenced by many factors, including 8-bit music, Japanese anime themes, and pop music. I love it. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "S-U-G-A-R, jump into your racing car, it's Sugar Rush! Sugar Rush!"</i><br />
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<b>38.) "<a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCAQtwIwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D-Oph8sXHfsI&ei=iSf6U53eHoWvogTE2IHAAQ&usg=AFQjCNH1ofSlsZSfbhSM-omSAyQNo7KkMw&sig2=1PqdARXBLpV-4fSEAhuigg&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">When I See an Elephant Fly"</a> from <i>Dumbo</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjxZbXwiOmGQbiLxkdm7aGc3R8StmzmsDstYGm52e1E1chMIQfpGFNYx-1FQr4rNJQE-zbhc3YOWjIf5wvjjm81a8kxYYYNR5RVsDS5s6nVl-JWjuUzq3UpV6b8HVXIiEirIE-IPCsGc/s1600/dumbo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWjxZbXwiOmGQbiLxkdm7aGc3R8StmzmsDstYGm52e1E1chMIQfpGFNYx-1FQr4rNJQE-zbhc3YOWjIf5wvjjm81a8kxYYYNR5RVsDS5s6nVl-JWjuUzq3UpV6b8HVXIiEirIE-IPCsGc/s1600/dumbo.jpg" height="187" width="200" /></a>Perhaps one of the most racially divisive moments in any Disney animated film, but it really isn't bad as many casual fans assume it is. The Crows in the film are all voiced by an actual African American scat band and are portrayed as heroes of the film. They raise Dumbo up and allow him to fly. The song they sing pokes fun at poor Dumbo, but it's so fun that it's hard to be too upset. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "I seen a peanut stand/I heard a rubber band/ I seen a needle that winked its eye/But I be done seen about everything when I see an elephant fly!"</i><br />
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<b>39.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DJI7cIYcnTRU&ei=4C36U_bKB8O2ogTaz4LABA&usg=AFQjCNH3Fwk78j99heAUQMOv4dVxqkEemQ&sig2=CDIqQp85MH64XXhSdrqiKw&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat"</a> from <i>The Aristocats</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudJM3_wzK8MCApFZ9PVGfyqW9m5vSOEHPmh9P9eWbHnZga6KfBlu79jEi41TH9rkCv7SZ8GjNXU4Hbwg8xCKVX-rwp5kvA0QRYN1a-NNnEfQXOhvQ3n9VZhgX0CP1_jInVNkOsqfPnig/s1600/cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudJM3_wzK8MCApFZ9PVGfyqW9m5vSOEHPmh9P9eWbHnZga6KfBlu79jEi41TH9rkCv7SZ8GjNXU4Hbwg8xCKVX-rwp5kvA0QRYN1a-NNnEfQXOhvQ3n9VZhgX0CP1_jInVNkOsqfPnig/s1600/cat.jpg" height="183" width="200" /></a>Although Disney animation took awhile to find its foothold again after the passing of Walt Disney, this moment in <i>The Aristocats</i>, the first animated film released without Walt's input, showed signs that things would be okay. This jazzy classic song is a perennial favorite for many folks who grew up loving <i>The Aristocats</i>--including myself. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Ev'rybody's pickin' up on that feline beat/'cause ev'rythin' else is obsolete/A square with a horn makes you wish you weren't born/Ev'ry time he plays/With a square in the act, you can set music back/To the caveman days."</i><br />
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<b>40.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDIQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DGC_mV1IpjWA&ei=0jH6U6_3POPBigLm6IGgCg&usg=AFQjCNFUQfeh8tecZoRH5gVVr83PWoscCQ&sig2=hMyPcdNwfnh2F2znhF-adw&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Under the Sea"</a> from <i>The Little Mermaid</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhtcxCP4b_6SBRKXCQ70PpqaxLPgZGY1u3k9rAWwLcyg6Tisc4nemfnLYHW0OORYOM65RXoGk_pmvUDuOdGhiLGZYau4FYjReq_OhL2meg_Ll9vdbHLrHz59UgVbRlLSbQou3u0t0RZg/s1600/seb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEhtcxCP4b_6SBRKXCQ70PpqaxLPgZGY1u3k9rAWwLcyg6Tisc4nemfnLYHW0OORYOM65RXoGk_pmvUDuOdGhiLGZYau4FYjReq_OhL2meg_Ll9vdbHLrHz59UgVbRlLSbQou3u0t0RZg/s1600/seb.jpg" height="176" width="200" /></a>"Ariel, listen to me. The human world? It's a mess!" Darn right, Sebastian. I don't think there was anyone, young or old, who has seen <i>The Little Mermaid</i> and who didn't immediately want to jump ship and go live under the water after seeing this Oscar-winning song performed. Simply one of the finest musical numbers ever put on film, with color and charm, an endlessly catchy tune, and insane lyrics, "Under the Sea" is the best of the best. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "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're devoting, full time to floating/Under the sea!"</i><br />
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<b>41.) <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXmLRHnoSAs">"Kiss the Girl"</a> from <i>The Little Mermaid</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cZ89nPQBiSJJ8zUVMWuJ3_VvXySF-jvYqIlXeR3BLTCZhWHH6ncO7hxvxHYho0WNl80aO1R0bDlY9aBlEkZZIGwUJECvTDCmTEag_DJ0InpXDbcnnnb9GhB8ho-2P3Kv73xaSq-jKUM/s1600/mermaid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8cZ89nPQBiSJJ8zUVMWuJ3_VvXySF-jvYqIlXeR3BLTCZhWHH6ncO7hxvxHYho0WNl80aO1R0bDlY9aBlEkZZIGwUJECvTDCmTEag_DJ0InpXDbcnnnb9GhB8ho-2P3Kv73xaSq-jKUM/s1600/mermaid.jpg" height="176" width="200" /></a>Sebastian's two songs from <i>The Little Mermaid</i> right in a row? Yup. Blame iTunes shuffle. Anyway! "Kiss the Girl" is one of the most soulful and wonderful Disney love songs there is. The slow Caribbean beat and Samuel E. Wright's vocal work as Sebastian is astounding. Plus, it's a great motivator for taking a chance with that girl (or guy or sandwich) you really like. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "Now's your moment/Floating in a blue lagoon/Boy, you better do it soon/No time will be better."</i><br />
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<b>42.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCMQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DtjIssqHQJ6o&ei=Crr6U9v0FIrdoATJg4KwAQ&usg=AFQjCNFFOaqi7nDTOiU2LlJ78pBB8ihC3A&sig2=xiFhLFoUqfy9Sh_rKD4Gng&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes"</a> from <i>Cinderella</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9GTHCP35LTv6UOwjQsVnW6VaK8AokPqixNxlaox-ueDOHFf0cP4mJ6ubclbC-rDPXGQNbJsosEbldCAs_Zxj6-JoVQwM801yhONvizTCAxwiKvpAgvB3gmLk7MJosqEljZFHybJabAY/s1600/cinderella.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgD9GTHCP35LTv6UOwjQsVnW6VaK8AokPqixNxlaox-ueDOHFf0cP4mJ6ubclbC-rDPXGQNbJsosEbldCAs_Zxj6-JoVQwM801yhONvizTCAxwiKvpAgvB3gmLk7MJosqEljZFHybJabAY/s1600/cinderella.jpg" height="178" width="200" /></a>Probably the most famous song from <i>Cinderella</i>, which marked a major turning point for Disney animation, saving the studio after World War II ravaged the funds. This little song is what opened this great film and set a tone for the rest of the film and the rest of Walt Disney's career in feature animation. It's beautiful. <i>Favorite Lyrics: "A dream is is a wish your heart makes/When you're fast asleep/In dream, you will lose your heartache/Whatever you wish for, you keep."</i><br />
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<b>43.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCEQyCkwAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D8zLx_JtcQVI&ei=fL_6U7HnEI20ogT2vICgCQ&usg=AFQjCNHseN1erG8Yh7otDqMPotxKX-JXBw&sig2=J35g342qTfmbEZvXxisxDg&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Circle of Life"</a> from <i>The Lion King</i></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRoY6q7TimVMf1DI27goWnjm2dg0K_pBCK9IG9Cv1RtS7Ty8MRJ3atCrFW9OA8rlmM5OIfSlBoyzOTVPfhAHV-r0GBTGq9j5AaToQ_NC3JNqWnc_l0fXv6ARjUu-JBKt0CVYM7l9iFOk/s1600/circle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRoY6q7TimVMf1DI27goWnjm2dg0K_pBCK9IG9Cv1RtS7Ty8MRJ3atCrFW9OA8rlmM5OIfSlBoyzOTVPfhAHV-r0GBTGq9j5AaToQ_NC3JNqWnc_l0fXv6ARjUu-JBKt0CVYM7l9iFOk/s1600/circle.jpg" height="184" width="200" /></a>Is there any better opening to a film than "Circle of Life" in <i>The Lion King</i>? No. No there isn't. The stunning animation, the impeccable Swahili vocals, and every element adds together for something that will never be repeated. Perfection. <i>Favorite Lyrics: From the day we arrive on the planet/And blinking step into the sun/There is more to see/Than can ever be seen/More to do than can ever be done."</i><br />
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<b>44.) <a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCgQtwIwAQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DeVLzBb7B1Z0&ei=mMH6U9uCENLkoATK2ICYCg&usg=AFQjCNE1iHGrDnA7Jwn0GrpiCAWjFUp3pg&sig2=RUzXIfXSiKPu9rgKv1dEDA&bvm=bv.73612305,d.cGU">"Gitchee Gitchee Goo"</a> from <i>Phineas and Ferb</i></b><br />
I love <i>Phineas and Ferb</i>, unashamedly. It's so delightfully fun and inventive and bountiful. The music in every episode is flawless, and this early rock and roll ditty that Phineas performed is phenomenal. I could listen to it forever. <i>Favorite Lyrics: My baby's got her own way of talking/</i><i>Whenever she says something sweet/</i><i>And she knows its my world she's a-rockin'/</i><i>Though my vocabulary's incomplete/</i><i>I know it may sound confusing/</i><i>Sometimes I wish she'd give it to me straight/</i><i>But I never feel like I'm losin' it/</i><i>When I take the time to translate."</i><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJNlOkM62vuNBrwqaBpBHPJV9ZSvcdv45zTCax2KMnpcM2LwP56CMUI5nTcqtWCRK2v8vSdJv5L676YpWhVGUqAQgRA3xruvuUIB7lDB-KZLDs_0YOCz0tlIFgNTr9pc6M7ZSrqqU8hg/s1600/GitcheeGitcheeGoo.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTJNlOkM62vuNBrwqaBpBHPJV9ZSvcdv45zTCax2KMnpcM2LwP56CMUI5nTcqtWCRK2v8vSdJv5L676YpWhVGUqAQgRA3xruvuUIB7lDB-KZLDs_0YOCz0tlIFgNTr9pc6M7ZSrqqU8hg/s1600/GitcheeGitcheeGoo.png" height="342" width="400" /></a></div>
<i><br /></i>Ryan Dosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18128434357825986817noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-71442777126700886392014-08-26T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-27T00:38:27.061-04:00Disney Animation Reviews #42: Lilo and Stitch<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjWf36QiqZVM1aOemW1wquTIsnU9GnOy0DGAjsWVJjckOQWd_HDK5UjbDDalr2NioyJKgUuZZHtIvrO-hX2nTofOD2Teal-E98xXah3Vy0TI5c4HjIIF1GZ40eGHwap37Hpe3NwnwddY/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjWf36QiqZVM1aOemW1wquTIsnU9GnOy0DGAjsWVJjckOQWd_HDK5UjbDDalr2NioyJKgUuZZHtIvrO-hX2nTofOD2Teal-E98xXah3Vy0TI5c4HjIIF1GZ40eGHwap37Hpe3NwnwddY/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Disney Movie Review:
42/52 - <i>Lilo & Stitch</i></b><br />
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<b>Ryan Dosier - </b><i>Lilo & Stitch</i> (2002) does not boast any big-name
celebrity voices or classic fairy tale or legend backstories. It is a wholly
original tale that relies on expert storytelling, outstanding character
development, and amazing comedy to make a resonating, beautiful, meaningful
film. It stretches the boundaries of Disney animation more than any feature
since <i>Aladdin</i>.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/disney/lilo/lilo4_L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/disney/lilo/lilo4_L.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a>The film combines elements of great sci-fi movies with
bountiful Hawaiian culture, mixes in some stunning animation, and careens along
with an excellent sense of humor. <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> also heavily and
impressively features the music of Elvis Presley. The King’s music accentuates
the film in so many wonderful places and adds another layer to the story. The
original Hawaiian-influenced music is masterful and gorgeous. It is a delight
to listen to and perfectly fits the setting. </div>
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From a design standpoint, <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> is at the top of
the class. The designs of the countless alien creatures at the beginning of the
film are dynamite, and the rest of the characters look fantastic as well. But
the true design highlight of the film is the backgrounds, which are all painted
using watercolors and are all perfect. This is one of only two Disney animated features
that use watercolor backgrounds (the other is <i>Dumbo</i>) and the effect is soft,
light, and beautiful.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>Lilo & Stitch</i> has some of the most likable, realistic,
and funny characters of any Disney feature. Stitch is a riot right from the
start and carries a lot of the emotional weight of the story very well. He is
surprisingly impressive for a rabid, animalistic character. He becomes more and
more enjoyable and impressive as the film goes on.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But far and away my favorite part of the film is Lilo. This
beautiful, wonderfully weird, deceptively funny little girl is a spectacular
creation. Animated by the amazing Andreas Deja, Lilo is perfection. Lilo is
every weird, misunderstood little kid and I absolutely adore her. She feeds
peanut butter sandwiches to a fish that controls the weather, attempts voodoo
on her friends, listens to Elvis records, and has a book titled “Roadmaps of
Iowa.” Lilo is an amazing character and she’s impossible not to love.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/disney/lilo/lilo5_L.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://g-ecx.images-amazon.com/images/G/01/dvd/disney/lilo/lilo5_L.jpg" height="195" width="320" /></a>Lilo’s older sister, Nani, is another fantastic character.
She is realistic looking, realistic acting, and cares for her little sister
more than anything. Their relationship is the real soul of <i>Lilo & Stitch</i>
and it works on every level. They are such a realistic, impressive
representation of siblings. It’s truly amazing how well the filmmakers captured
their relationship. </div>
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Much like <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i>, <i>Lilo & Stitch</i>
creates an entirely new tone for Disney animation and animated comedy period.
The film is unending excitement, fun, and humor. There is dialogue comedy,
physical comedy, visual comedy, and so much more. My favorite sequence is the
montage of Lilo trying to turn Stitch into a model citizen—especially when he
hits on the little old lady. Positively hysterical.<o:p></o:p></div>
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But, unlike <i>Emperor’s</i>, <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> is much better at balancing
the comedy with real, powerful emotional moments. The whole story is very sad
and emotional when you consider that Lilo and Nani’s parents have died and that
Stitch has no family. Stitch brings them together and makes them a family again
while creating a family for himself. The story is powerfully moving and
increasingly surprising. It’s hard to see the last act coming, but it all comes
together so well.<o:p></o:p></div>
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It is really, really hard not to adore <i>Lilo & Stitch</i>.
The film is sweet, funny, and tugs your heartstrings the entire time. The
Hawaiian influence is breathtaking with the backgrounds and the music and the
entire culture. Stitch may have become a hugely popular Disney character, but
the entire film deserves a lot more appreciation. There is enough charm and
heart in <i>Lilo & Stitch</i> to fill most of the past handful of Disney movies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>4.5/5 Weather-controlling Fish</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span>Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-17240150156693854342014-08-20T00:00:00.000-04:002014-08-20T00:00:01.391-04:00John Perrucci Reviews...A Bugs Life<i>This article was written by reader and contributor John Perrucci</i><br />
<i><br /></i><b>John Perrucci- </b>Flik is an individual ant and would-be inventor, who lives in an ant colony, led by Princess Atta and her mother, the Queen. Flik is different and always unappreciated because of his problematic inventions. The colony is oppressed by a gang of marauding grasshoppers led by Hopper who arrive every season demanding food from the ants. When the annual offering is inadvertently knocked into a stream by Flik's latest invention, a harvester device, the grasshoppers demand twice as much food as compensation. <span id="goog_1808965448"></span><span id="goog_1808965449"></span><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oye8p9skpNA/UQ_dDDBcpFI/AAAAAAAAAEI/pJtZTZ1ad2g/s1600/bug-disneyscreencaps_com-10197.png.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oye8p9skpNA/UQ_dDDBcpFI/AAAAAAAAAEI/pJtZTZ1ad2g/s1600/bug-disneyscreencaps_com-10197.png.jpg" height="120" width="200" /></a>Given a temporary reprieve by the grasshoppers, the ants trick Flik into accepting his plan to recruit "warrior bugs" to fight off the grasshoppers. While Flik actually believes in the plan, the other ants see it as an opportunity to get rid of Flik and save themselves trouble. Making his way to the "big city" (a heap of trash under a trailer), Flik mistakes a group of circus bugs, who have recently been fired by their money-hungry ringmaster, P.T. Flea, for the warrior bugs he seeks. The bugs, in turn, mistake Flik for a talent agent, and agree to travel with him back to his home, at Ant Island.<br />
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My favorite character is Flik, because he is a likeable character. My favorite parts, or at less some of them, are when Flik flies through the air on a small piece of dandelion, and when the ants make and use a fake bird to scare the grasshoppers away later on in the film.<br />
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The cast brings great life to the characters, with Dave Foley playing Flik, as well as the cast of Julia-Louis Dreyfus, Kevin Spacey, Joe Ranft, and John Ratzenberger.<br />
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It is similar to the Dreamsworks film, Antz, and both films's bad guys are voiced by actors who have played Lex Luthor in live action Superman films. Gene Hackman as General Mandible in Antz, and Kevin Spacey as Hopper in a bug's life.<br />
<a href="http://www.entertainmentfuse.com/images/antz-bugs%20life.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.entertainmentfuse.com/images/antz-bugs%20life.png" height="145" width="200" /></a>The final product of both films are generally perceived to contrast one another in tone and certain plot points. Antz carries a dark tone, featuring moderate violence and death, as well as social and political satire, geared more towards teenagers and adults, while A Bug's Life is more family-friendly and lighthearted.<br />
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Antz was moved from March 1999 to October 1998 to compete with Pixar's release of A Bug's Life.<br />
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The movie is has some fun moments, great animation, with some good quo<i>t</i>es<i> </i>being heard here and there, and a really good story, which is why I give it 4 stars.Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-45587114045694712832014-08-19T09:00:00.000-04:002014-08-19T09:00:05.005-04:00Disney Animation Reviews #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjWf36QiqZVM1aOemW1wquTIsnU9GnOy0DGAjsWVJjckOQWd_HDK5UjbDDalr2NioyJKgUuZZHtIvrO-hX2nTofOD2Teal-E98xXah3Vy0TI5c4HjIIF1GZ40eGHwap37Hpe3NwnwddY/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmjWf36QiqZVM1aOemW1wquTIsnU9GnOy0DGAjsWVJjckOQWd_HDK5UjbDDalr2NioyJKgUuZZHtIvrO-hX2nTofOD2Teal-E98xXah3Vy0TI5c4HjIIF1GZ40eGHwap37Hpe3NwnwddY/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Disney Movie Review:
41/52 - <i>Atlantis: The Lost Empire</i></b><br />
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<b>Ryan Dosier - </b><i>Atlantis: The Lost Empire</i> (2001) is a film that is hard to
categorize and discuss. It is an action-adventure period piece while also being
a mythical sci-fi fantasy. The idea to pair these genres is a noble one, but
unfortunately for the most part the execution in <i>Atlantis</i> just does not work.
It lacks the excitement of the action in <i>Tarzan</i> or the solid humor in <i>The
Emperor’s New Groove</i> and makes for an overall disappointing film.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjUwNDc0NzcxNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzk0ODAyNw@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMjUwNDc0NzcxNl5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMzk0ODAyNw@@._V1_SX640_SY720_.jpg" height="182" width="320" /></a>This doesn’t mean that there aren’t some strong aspects to
Atlantis, because there are a few. The voice acting is very good for each
character. The large cast allowed for many talented voice actors to show their
chops. Michael J. Fox stars as Milo Thatch and he is unsurprisingly great.
Though all of the voices (really, all of them) are great, my favorite is Jim
Varney, who voices the chef Cookie. Varney (best known as his character Ernest)
also voiced Slinky Dog in the first two <i>Toy Story</i> films and he brings his
unbridled down-home country humor to every role. Cookie is hysterical and has
the best lines of any character. The great Leonard Nimoy even voices the king
of Atlantis and handles it deftly (as only Nimoy can). </div>
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The background design and character design is also
spectacular. The backgrounds become exceedingly breathtaking as the film dives
deeper and deeper into Atlantis. The design work done on the Atlantean city,
language, and artwork is outstanding and is truly the highlight of the film.
The characters also look great and strikingly different from any other human
characters from Disney. They have well defined features and realistic muscles
and bone structures. It is quite impressive.<o:p></o:p></div>
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One of the first problems that <i>Atlantis</i> encounters early on
is its scope. It is simply too big to contain in one hour and a half long film.
There are so many characters and so much to explore that the surface is barely
scratched in the movie. The large cast of characters is especially problematic.
Though all of them have their likable traits, they all outshine one another in
a rampage of one-liners. Too many funny supporting characters water down the
humor and <i>Atlantis</i> is a prime example of this.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9vwMBKONigOuKNIkztbUhvKuG4iffOnUELx-AFxtPEMpbFkIIEw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcS9vwMBKONigOuKNIkztbUhvKuG4iffOnUELx-AFxtPEMpbFkIIEw" /></a>The plot is also convoluted and extremely difficult to follow.
Again, there is far too much story being told in far too little amount of time.
So many scenes and plot points could have been edited down to be more
simplistic but instead there are complicated magic rules, odd discussions about
ancient customs, and many other confusing moments. The story is too densely
packed to enjoy. Oddly enough, the great Joss Whedon is credited for some of
the story of <i>Atlantis</i>, which at least explains some of the better dialogue. </div>
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<i>Atlantis</i> is jam-packed with violence and action—perhaps the
most in any Disney animated feature to date. There are literally hundreds of
deaths in the film, which is jarring when watching a Disney film. This
action-heavy style can work, of course, but only when the emotions balance it
out. That is not at all the case with <i>Atlantis</i>. There is no emotional
connection to any of the characters so all of this hard work and action goes to
waste. The care and dedication put into the animated action sequences is
astounding and breathtaking, but this same care and passion was not put into
the story so it all feels fruitless. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Definitely one of the weaker Disney films, <i>Atlantis: The
Lost Empire</i> never becomes anything wonderful. It has plenty of potential to be
great, but with a weak story, massive cast of characters, and little emotional
connection, the film falters. The great voice acting and the astounding visuals
make <i>Atlantis</i> worth watching at least once, but after that don’t be surprised
if it remains lost.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b>1.5/5 Flying Fish Things</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Cambria","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS Mincho"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><b><br /></b></span>Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-46606808494721857602014-08-13T00:00:00.000-04:002014-08-13T00:00:00.707-04:00Disney Animation Reviews #40: The Emperor's New Groove<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF4dCgAVaY9SaE08iDBNTgSHuDzAXQ5jIKtoPZ4dlcLhWjuY2KCa86BqeftQnPEN8m7ITvYzoNTqK5UWpQEQyljkR242UhzFEw9CXu9MF12AyjO-SF-pTCUl0uWcV4mnlPWSoYKAwgpo/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyF4dCgAVaY9SaE08iDBNTgSHuDzAXQ5jIKtoPZ4dlcLhWjuY2KCa86BqeftQnPEN8m7ITvYzoNTqK5UWpQEQyljkR242UhzFEw9CXu9MF12AyjO-SF-pTCUl0uWcV4mnlPWSoYKAwgpo/s1600/Animated+Review+%25280-00-00-00%2529.jpg" height="225" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Disney Movie Review:
40/52 - <i>The Emperor's New Groove</i></b></div>
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<b>Ryan Dosier - </b>Of the three films released by Disney animation in the year
2000, by far the sharpest, funniest, and strongest is <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i>.
Just saying the name of this film invokes laughter in the minds of some
millennials. <i>New Groove</i> is one of the most distinct Disney films that is
totally different from anything else ever produced by the studio. The humor,
timing, and charm of this film cannot be denied or stopped. It is relentless.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The story in the film is an excellent buddy comedy. The
evolving friendship between Kuzco and Pacha is wonderful. They are one of the
funniest pairs in Disney history and deserve a lot more attention than they
receive. The duo of David Spade and John Goodman is wonderful. I’ve never
enjoyed David Spade more than in this role. He is truly suited for voice acting
and clearly loved the role of the spoiled brat Kuzco. Goodman once again shows
how adept he is at voicing lovable characters and he is absolutely terrific as
Pacha. </div>
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But the duo that completely steals the show is that of Yzma
and Kronk. The villain and her hapless sidekick are absolutely phenomenal in
this film. Yzma, voiced by the great Eartha Kitt, is one of the most hysterical
and inept Disney villains and by far one of the most entertaining. Kronk,
voiced by Patrick Warburton, is also excellent and adorable. Their interactions
are ridiculous and magnificent—incredibly hard not to enjoy. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i> is also the goofiest and zaniest
Disney animated feature. The plot takes a back seat to quips and sarcastic jabs
that totally steal the show. The dialogue is outstanding, the humor superb, and
the gags phenomenal. <i>New Groove</i> never stops unloading joke after joke and great
line after great line. The delivery and timing of everything in the film is top
notch. <o:p></o:p></div>
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The design work in the film is also gorgeous. The influence
of Incan culture can be seen all around Kuzco’s palace and kingdom. The crazy
shapes and forms thrown around in Yzma’s laboratory and in the other creatures
and characters and props in the film are truly awesome. No other Disney film
has looked like <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i> either. </div>
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<a href="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0m32eE3xNvN9ENxNcv222GCChbtyihTCRMzpjwRwd5b6_5qW_" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://t0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcT0m32eE3xNvN9ENxNcv222GCChbtyihTCRMzpjwRwd5b6_5qW_" /></a>The animation is strong as always. Kuzco as both a llama and
a human is animated beautifully. He has the funniest movements in the film.
Yzma has outstanding facial expressions that elevate her comedy even further.
She grimaces and grins and grouses in an outstanding way. Just watching her
move is truly amazing. All of the characters are animated perfectly.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Humor is far and away the film’s strongest trait. It misses
out on some of the emotional points seen in other Disney features, but it
almost doesn’t matter since you never stop laughing. The relationship between
Pacha and his wife and kids is amazing, but not given enough time in the film
to truly develop into something that transcends the film. Kuzco and Pacha’s
friendship is the emotional core and the end leaves us with a satisfying
conclusion, but their friendship never reaches the high point of, say, <i>Aladdin</i>
and the Genie.<o:p></o:p></div>
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On the whole, <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i> is one of the
funniest, most impressive, and most relentlessly entertaining Disney animated
films. The amount of humor jam-packed into less than an hour and a half is
truly amazing. <i>The Emperor’s New Groove</i> is, in my opinion, the most underrated
Disney animated feature. It deserves more attention, more merchandising, and
more laughter. Emperor Kuzco demands it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>4.5/5 Spinach Puffs</b></div>
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Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-65811837611777587012014-08-12T23:40:00.000-04:002014-08-21T11:37:01.275-04:00Blu-Ray REVIEWS: Muppets Most Wanted, Bears<b>MUPPETS MOST WANTED REVIEW: </b><br />
<a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/m/muppets2/muppets08.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/m/muppets2/muppets08.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a><b><br /></b>
<b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Get ready to do it all again! <i>Muppets Most Wanted </i>is finally available wherever DVDs/Blu-Rays are sold, and you should be nothing but thrilled. When it was released back in March, we had no shortage of positive things to say about the film in both <a href="http://mickeymindset.blogspot.com/2014/03/muppets-most-wanted-film-review.html">my own review</a> and <a href="http://themuppetmindset.blogspot.com/2014/03/muppets-most-wanted-film-review.html">Ryan's review</a> posted at our sister site, The Muppet Mindset. The film is a brilliant crime caper set which takes the Muppets on a world tour through Eurpoe only to get caught up in the nefarious plans of the World's Most Dangerous Frog and Number One Criminal, Constantine and his assistant, Dominic. It's filled with brilliant gags, incredible songs, tremendous and hilarious acting, and a really fun story. If you haven't seen the film yet, it's worth it to pick it up on Blu-Ray for the bare film on it's own. <br />
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Luckily there's even more to be offered on this home release, titled <i>The Unnecessarily Extended Edition </i>including nearly fifteen minutes of extra footage that was cut from the original theatrical film! All of the songs are the original extended versions that you can hear on the soundtrack but were sadly cut from the final version. There's a whole bunch more gags and cameos that also appear, and it's perfect. I'm so glad we can finally see some of these scenes, but there's still a few missing out there which I wish would get onto the Blu-Ray and you can see just a bit of it in the B-Roll footage.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/m/muppets2/muppets07.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/m/muppets2/muppets07.jpg" height="212" width="320" /></a>Sadly, the Statler and Waldorf Cut was just a mere two-minutes and not a commentary throughout the whole film as most fans were hoping for. There's not really much in this feature and it's easily overlooked. "Rizzo's Biggest Fan" is a hilarious short video with features Rizzo the Rat writing an angry anonymous letter to the crew of Muppets Most Wanted for the lack of Rizzo. "The Longer, Longest Blooper Reel Ever in Muppet History (We Think)" is hilarious, and features nine minutes of wacky blunders and mistakes. I love seeing the Muppet performers ad-lib hilarious lines after they mess up on a scene. It's hilarious, but it doesn't add much to the Blu-Ray itself. It also has the "I'll Get You Anything You Want" music video starring songwriter Bret McKenzie.. In short, the bonus features are short and delightful but highly lacks what could have been even greater, especially after the amount of features that were on <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Muppets </i>Blu-Ray release.<br />
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Ending off, <i>Muppets Most Wanted </i>is a fantastic new release from Disney, but follows Disney's recent pattern of lacking bonus features. I do hope Disney gets back on track soon and delivers every one of their new releases with a larger amount of more original bonus features. <i>Muppets Most Wanted </i>certainly deserves your time and money, but could surely do better with some more features.<br />
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<b><i>Muppets Most Wanted: The Unnecessarily Extended Edition is now available to own on Blu-Ray. </i></b><br />
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<b>BEARS REVIEW: </b><br />
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<b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Disneynatures' Bears tells the incredible true-story of Skye, a brown Grizzly bear and her two-born cubs survival through weather, animals, and other obstacles that get in their way after heading back into the world after a winter of hibernating. John C. Reily is stationed as the narrator, giving over the story and hilarious content through the journey bringing so much fun comedy relief to the film. The movie manages to speak to it's audience on an emotional level and it's by far more touching than the previous Disneynature movies.<br />
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The shots and scenes in this movie are breathtaking, whether the bears are walking through a forest, an Alaskan mountain, or taking a swim, the filmmakers set up each scene from a new angle and make you wonder how they even filmed that. The end credits sequence show just a bit of the filming process but barely scratches the surface. Luckily, a feature called <b>How Did They Film That? </b>is included on the release and gives a great background on the process the filmmakers go through to film these scenes.<br />
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<a href="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/b/bears/bears14.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://boxofficemojo.com/img/b/bears/bears14.jpg" height="185" width="320" /></a>The other features are not just entertaining, but educational as well. <b>A Guide to Living With Bears </b>allows us a look at the team interacting with the animals and share a bit of info about them too. <b>The Future for the Bears </b>is a feature which reminds us the importance of protecting the wilderness to ensure the survival of the animals and humans alike. Plus, there's <b>Welcome to Alaska </b>which is also a feature showing the team heading to the Alaskan mountains to follow Skye and her cubs on their journey and finally a music video of <b>Carry On </b>by Olivia Holt.<br />
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This release is great on many levels. There's five great packed bonus features to go with this absolutely tremendous movie, and it's all fantastic, leaving the music video to be the only one easily overlooked. I highly recommend you make sure to give this release a look. It's very much worth your time as well.<br />
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<b><i>Bears is now available wherever DVDs and Blu-Rays are sold. </i></b><br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-53966732138404862012014-08-12T00:36:00.001-04:002014-08-12T02:51:49.068-04:00Celebrating Robin Williams<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b>Ryan Dosier</b> - As I sit here watching <i>Aladdin</i> for what must be the hundredth time, I find myself, once again, legitimately stunned speechless by the immense talent of Robin Williams. A singular, irreplaceable entity of a man, a warlock of comedy whose instinct is unmatched, and a force of nature if ever there was one, Robin Williams seemed to light up any production he was in, perhaps none more so than <i>Aladdin. </i>It's hard to imagine the Genie without Robin Williams' voice, because his manic energy, his rampant enthusiasm, and his unstoppable wit inject the movie with glorious light and wonder.<br />
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But what Robin Williams brought to <i>Aladdin</i>, and what he brought to almost all of the characters he gave life to, was an amazing sense of heart. The Genie's quieter moments of compassion for Aladdin are some of the finest scenes in the film. Watching the Genie as a kid, I felt like I was getting away with something. There was no way something this fun could be for kids, right? And that, more than anything, is what Robin Williams gave to me as a viewer--a sense that he was too good for me. How could it be legal to witness someone so unendingly funny and so deliriously smart?<br />
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With his incredible performances, Robin Williams could do and say anything, be anyone, and run the gamut of all emotions. Again, one need only turn to <i>Aladdin</i> to see Robin do some of his finest work. Watching the film, it feels like animation is where Robin truly felt the most free. Only on the stand-up stage did Robin ever match the maniacal genius energy he oozes throughout <i>Aladdin</i>. And yet, as impressive and all-encompassing as Robin's work in the film is, his performance is so intimate. Every wink to popular culture, every look to the "camera," every snappy aside that Robin delivers as the Genie feels like it's just for you. By catching it, you develop a sense of personal connection to Robin... like he's doing this just for you.<br />
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I'm sure this post is rambling, but trying to capture my emotions is proving more difficult than I expected. Robin Williams means so much to me as a performer, a comedian, and a man. Losing the light he brought to this world brings sadness to me and millions of others... knowing he extinguished that light himself is impossibly devastating. Though his contributions to the Disney pantheon are relegated to a handful of films, Robin Williams' major influence on <i>Aladdin</i>, Disney, film, voice acting, comedy, myself, and the world far exceed anything I could capture in writing. Robin Williams is pure, unrestrained magic caught on film for us to enjoy for boundless years to come. He is a shining treasure, a diamond in the rough, and we'll never have a friend like him again. You're free now, Genie.<br />
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<br />Ryan Dosierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/18128434357825986817noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-3564458433587621922014-08-08T10:52:00.001-04:002014-08-08T10:52:27.894-04:00Retro Reviews: Blank Check<b>Michael Wermuth- </b>Blank Check is a live-action movie from 1994, involving a kid named Preston, who obtains one million dollars. Preston is a kid with little money. His bullying older brothers turn his room into an office for a business they’re starting, and their parents do nothing about it because they have jobs and Preston does not (keep in mind Preston is only 12). Meanwhile, an escaped convict named Carl Quigley takes 1 million dollars he had previously stolen to the bank, which is run by a former associate. The dollar bills are marked, but Quigley arranges so that they’ll be replaced with different dollars in a day (which doesn’t happen) and plans to have somebody pick up the money for him.<br />
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Quigley ends up accidentally running over Preston’s bike and starts writing a check, but when he sees a police officer nearby, he quickly hands Preston the check and runs. Preston’s parents get mad over the fact that his bike was run over (but not for the fact that their kid was nearly run over) and ground him. Preston then finds out that the check is signed but has no written money amount, so he fills in one million dollars. He goes to cash his check close to the time Quigley’s associate Juice was supposed to cash the check and is mistaken for the person who was supposed to get Quigley’s money. Using a voice box on his computer, Preston ends up buying a big house over the phone, going by the name Macintosh.<br />
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Macintosh becomes the talk of the town. He forms a friendship with his limo driver, Henry, and arranges to go on a date with an attractive bank clerk who really wants to meet Macintosh, unaware that she works undercover for the FBI and is aware that the money Preston obtained was stolen money. Preston also decides to have Macintosh’s birthday be on his own birthday, but the party planner makes it a party he doesn’t really like, and to make matters worse, he finds out at the party that he’s run out of money (before everything was even paid for). And the bad guys show up at the house when Preston is all alone, leading to some Home Alone-inspired humor.<br />
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I really like this movie. Many people have criticized the film for having Preston spend his money on things that would interest an adult more than a child, such as a fancy birthday party. But the way I see it, some of that could be him trying to throw the public off that “Macintosh” is a kid. And besides, many of the stuff for his party were planned by a party planner, and Preston was actually bored with the party and disappointed with the food being served. But in addition to that, Preston does buy a lot of things a kid would want but probably couldn’t afford under normal circumstances.<br />
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<br />Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-874762899625889815.post-65865077293556515532014-08-06T00:00:00.000-04:002014-08-06T00:00:04.536-04:00Review: Iron Man & Captain America Heroes United <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-95AMh7R9eeUvOBLZflTrr7x1CdMeI94Io0X8UqJifgrrU036Nx-qCwqXYZbfMOV2o_pKQnTsfBmygJBCdCHngLjpGIo-ZcW5xP6oLBaOg606oWHplbVGZfej6UgCUfASHHSlA8gMZug/s1600/PRE.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-95AMh7R9eeUvOBLZflTrr7x1CdMeI94Io0X8UqJifgrrU036Nx-qCwqXYZbfMOV2o_pKQnTsfBmygJBCdCHngLjpGIo-ZcW5xP6oLBaOg606oWHplbVGZfej6UgCUfASHHSlA8gMZug/s1600/PRE.png" height="200" width="320" /></a><b>Mitchell Stein- </b>Following the events of <i style="font-weight: bold;">Iron Man & Hulk: Heroes United </i>Captain America must team up with Iron Man in order to stop HYDRA and the Red Skull from taking over the globe with a new army of super soldiers. The two Avengers must face off the villainous Red Skull and his trigger-man, Taskmaster.<br />
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From the moment it begins, <i style="font-weight: bold;">Iron Man and Captain America </i>is a visually stunning treat. Featured in a brand-new groundbreaking CG animation platform first unveiled in <b style="font-style: italic;">Iron Man and Hulk </b>the film shows spectacular new animation which raises the bar in the direct-to-video superhero flicks, keeping Marvel ahead of the game once again, although the lip sync isn't very exact with what the characters are saying, the design and the animation, (especially in the battle sequences) are stunning. Kudos the entire VFX and animation team on the great work.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEpAxNTU80c5Zqtm2zWgGmJKLCYPKzw1z-gygbiaBF1aPJps5ZcBMp686fTOL_eiZYSB9JXQrkjcCq-qsdtmOzVphPnt7uIcqlCUiy57Ww96JsZg4Yuo1UjMWdGkncaC8NIhtIxUHRy0/s1600/ALT3.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaEpAxNTU80c5Zqtm2zWgGmJKLCYPKzw1z-gygbiaBF1aPJps5ZcBMp686fTOL_eiZYSB9JXQrkjcCq-qsdtmOzVphPnt7uIcqlCUiy57Ww96JsZg4Yuo1UjMWdGkncaC8NIhtIxUHRy0/s1600/ALT3.png" height="200" width="320" /></a>With Leo Riley, one of the men responsible for the brilliant short-lived television series <i style="font-weight: bold;">Tron Uprising, </i>it's not much of a shock of the greatness of this film. The entire film is fast-paced and hilarious, with a talented voice cast as well. Credit is also due to writers Henry Gilroy and Brandon Aurman for the story. Ever since <i style="font-weight: bold;">Marvel's The Avengers, </i>the studio has been on a roll, on and off-screen and expanding into their short television shows and direct-to-video films. With Guardians of the Galaxy released just last week, I hope the DTV universe will continue to expand to those franchises as well.<br />
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For Marvel fans, I'd highly recommend this film. It's a great new addition to the DTV Marvel universe, and is far more enjoyable than <i style="font-weight: bold;">Iron Man and Hulk </i>was and features longtime legendary Marvel antihero Taskmaster. There's not much of a shortage of fun to be had in this film. Strangely enough, there is no additional scene found at the end of the credits which the last film did have. I hope this is still more to come from this series and the team, even though there is no sneak pek at what is yet to come.<br />
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Unfortunately, unlike it's previous film, this feature is only available in Digital form through Disney Movies Anywhere and iTunes, and there's no bonus features. The film alone stands up greatly, but it does make me upset that this isn't available in DVD/Blu-Ray form and is missing the bonus features it deserves.<br />
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<b><i>Hulk and Iron Man: Heroes United is now available to own on Disney Digital Copy </i></b></div>
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Mitchell Steinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01520589634123833812noreply@blogger.com0