Reaction: Disney's Oscar Nominations 2013

Ryan Dosier - The Academy Award nominations for 2013 films were announced today and Walt Disney Pictures, Walt Disney Animation Studios, and Marvel all received some great nominations. Check them all out below:

Animated Feature Film
   - FROZEN
     Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee, and Peter Del Vecho

Makeup and Hairstyling
   - THE LONE RANGER
     Joel Harlow and Gloria Pasqua-Casny

Original Score
   - SAVING MR. BANKS
     Thomas Newman

Original Song
   - "Let it Go" from FROZEN
     Music and Lyric by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Bobby Lopez

Animated Short Film
   - GET A HORSE!
     Lauren MacMullan and Dorothy McKim

Visual Effects
   - IRON MAN 3
     Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick

   - THE LONE RANGER
     Tim Alexander, Gary Brozenich, Edson Williams and John Frazier

As with every year, there were some major snubs as well. Here are the (Disney-related) snubs that shocked me completely...

• Emma Thompson not nominated for Best Actress - Emma Thompson received NOTHING for her role as P.L. Travers in Saving Mr. Banks. This is just an egregious error that I completely don't understand. Shutting out the strongest part of Saving Mr. Banks and one of the finest performances by an actress this year? Baffling. Many critics agree with me that Meryl Streep's performance in August Osage County does not merit a nomination. How she won out on a nomination over Emma Thompson I will never know.
• Monsters University not nominated for Best Animated Feature - What?! I just... HUH?! Nominating The Croods over Monsters University is just unbelievable. I'm stunned to see Pixar shut out of the Oscars completely for the first time since 2001. I never thought I'd have to say this, but Pixar was robbed.
• Tom Hanks not nominated for Best Supporting Actor - The fact that Tom Hanks wasn't nominated for Best Actor (Captain Phillips) is one thing, but to see him snubbed for Supporting Actor as well is crazy. I'm very disheartened to see that no one is awarding--or even nominating Tom Hanks for his turn as Walt Disney in Saving Mr. Banks. Incredibly disappointing.

I could go on, but these are the biggest snubs that completely infuriate me this year. Seeing Saving Mr. Banks only receive one nomination is also ridiculous... but maybe I'm biased.

Nonetheless, huge, huge, HUGE congratulations to everyone at Disney for their nominations. Especially the folks at Walt Disney Animation, who have elevated the studio back to where it belongs. To my friends at the Animation Studio who worked on Frozen and Get a Horse!, I'm so proud to know you!

Disney Animation Reviews #1 - Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Today marks the first entry in a 53-part series of reviews of every animated feature from Walt Disney Animation Studios. Two reviews will be posted every week until we finish. We're excited to share our opinion of some of the greatest films of all time!

Disney Animation Review - 1/53: Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Ryan Dosier - Last night I watched Walt Disney’s 1937 classic Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. If you don’t know, Snow White was the first animated feature film ever produced, Disney or otherwise.

So there’s your history lesson. The film itself is a product of a bygone era which is almost entirely unable to connect in modern times. From her very first scene, Snow White is as obnoxious as Jar-Jar Binks and Councilman Jamm combined. (Yes, I did just reference Star Wars and Parks and Recreation while reviewing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.) In fact, Snow White is barely a character. She is a device with zero motivation, no faults, and absolutely nothing interesting about her. In a world where we have dynamic characters like Rapunzel, Jessie the cowgirl, and Merida, it’s even more jarring to watch the ultra-pathetic Snow White prance about.

Thankfully, substance finally comes to the film about 20 minutes in with the introduction of the Seven Dwarfs, who are instantly and infinitely more interesting than Snow White. Grumpy, Dopey, and Doc are particularly fun characters with humorous quirks and quips. Grumpy is perhaps the most broadly drawn (pun intended) of the Dwarfs, but they are all fun in doses. In fact, the only scenes in the film that I legitimately enjoy are the Dwarf’s mining scene and the Dwarf’s party scene. They’re fun, silly, energetic, and showcase the beautiful animation of Disney’s team of expert animators better than any other scenes in the film.

Then there’s the Evil Queen. The first Disney villain is interesting but lacks the depth and quirk of a truly great villain. She is nothing but pure vanity, greed, and hate. Maybe her character could have developed into something better if she had more screen time. The Evil Queen is briefly present in the first few minutes, then disappears until 45 minutes in. It’s bizarre and you completely forget she’s a threat. Although, by the end of the film, I did find myself more interested in the Evil Queen as a character because she exhibited flaws and interesting character traits.

Unfortunately, Snow White keeps hitting with drawback after drawback. The voice acting is distinctly unremarkable. There is no character whose voice adds depth or Disney magic, a la Jiminy Cricket or Aladdin's Genie. The most interesting thing I noticed on this viewing is just how painfully long sequences in the film last. The sequence of the Dwarfs discovering Snow White in their home lasts an incredibly long time and plays out like one of Disney's “Silly Symphonies” shorts. It certainly stands out in today's fast-paced film world. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but it is odd.

All in all, Walt Disney’s first feature film is obviously a labor of love by Disney and his unmatched team of animators. The animation is beautiful, the colors are vibrant, and the layouts are some of the best. If only the story department would have been up to par with the rest of the crew, it could have been so much better. But still, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs deserves to go down in history as one of the most important animated films of all time because of what it brought about, not because of what it is.

And hey, it’s still an infinitely better movie than Snow White and the Huntsman.

3.5/7 Dwarfs

The Mickey Mindset, mickeymindset@gmail.com

FROZEN Film Review

Ryan Dosier - Yesterday I had the incredible opportunity to see an advanced screening of the new Disney animated feature Frozen. The 53rd animated feature from The Walt Disney Animation Studios is loosely based off of Hans Christian Anderson's The Snow Queen and stars Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Josh Gad, Jonathan Groff, and a host of others talented actors. Frozen is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, written by Jennifer Lee, and with songs by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez.

I'll be honest, when I first saw a trailer for Frozen (with Olaf the Snowman and Sven the Reindeer), I was not too thrilled. Because of this, I avoided most plot details about the film. That paid off in spades when I finally saw it, because I was floored by the wonderful story, the fantastic characters, the soaring music, and the unbelievable artistry put into every single shot by the animators. Put all of these elements together and Frozen is a fresh, stunning take on the fairy tale genre. The filmmakers put a spin on this story that I was so thrilled with and I truly adored every minute.

My favorite aspect of the film was far and away the music. The husband and wife team of Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez created such a brilliant, uplifting, and stunning soundtrack. Their combined effort makes for the best Disney animated feature soundtrack since The Lion King. Every song has been stuck in my head since last night, but none more so than Elsa's power ballad "Let It Go." The song is delivered with unbelievable wonder by the great Idina Menzel (Broadway's Wicked). She absolutely blows the song out of the water. In the pantheon of Disney princess songs, "Let It Go" stands as the absolute best--and that's saying something.

The other songs are all magnificent as well, especially "Do You Want to Build a Snowman," which is an earworm if I've ever heard one. Olaf's song "In Summer" is funny, charming, and performed with outstanding ease by Josh Gad. Anna and Elsa's duet "For the First Time in Forever" is reminiscent of Tangled's "When Will My Life Begin?" and works just as effectively. The Troll song "Fixer Upper" is a delightfully fun ditty, and the duet "Love is An Open Door" is a spectacular Disney love song. Again, this soundtrack is just out of this world good. I can't wait for November 25th so I can buy it and listen to it over and over.

Another stand out aspect of Frozen is its outstanding cast of characters. Anna is my favorite of the group. She's quirky, awkward, funny, and determined. Her journey in the film is magnificent and she is a strong, stand-alone woman. Elsa, on the other hand, is serious, stern, and powerful. Her presence alone is enough to unnerve someone. But when she finally lets it go (during "Let It Go," no less), she turns into her true self: a free spirit who has been contained far too long. Elsa's journey is very different from Anna's, but just as powerful. Disney has once again gotten their female characters so very right.

Kristoff and Hans, the two male leads, are vastly different as well. Frozen really excels at accentuating the parallels between people. Kristoff is sort of a yokel, Hans is a wealthy prince. Kristoff lacks charm altogether, Hans has charm out the wazoo. Both of these characters have twists near the end that you probably won't see coming--I know I didn't. I love Kristoff's relationship with Sven the reindeer as well. They're like brothers when they bicker, but they would both do anything for each other. It reminded me of Aladdin and Abu in all the best ways.

But the character that will latch onto your heart and never let go is Olaf. The little snowman is hysterical, aloof, loving, daring, and just plain excellent. He is like no other character in a Disney movie, and that's such a refreshing thing to see. Olaf gets the best lines, the best gags, and the happiest ending. This frozen fellow will melt your heart--guaranteed.

Visually, Frozen is simply breathtaking. There are moments when you won't believe you're watching an animated film. The ice and snow look so real that I found my mouth dropping open just from that. Elsa's crystaline ice palace is a visual marvel both inside and out and an absolutely gorgeous animated spectacle. The visuals that accompany "Let It Go" are the most spectacular in the film and make it absolutely the best scene. Every time a character falls in the snow, it looks perfect. The layout team for Frozen deserves all sorts of praise and reward. They truly broke the mold.

There are so many aspects of this wonderful film that I didn't mention... the character design, the Duke of Wesselton (voiced by the enigmatic Alan Tudyk), the score... it all just comes together to create a beautiful, touching, and magnificent Disney animated feature. Disney Animation continues to be on a major hot streak that started with The Princess and the Frog and continues bountifully with Frozen. I can't recommend this film highly enough.

Frozen - 5/5 Singing Trolls

And as if that weren't enough, Frozen is accompanied by a brand new Mickey Mouse short Get a Horse! There are not enough positive adjectives in the English language to describe how much I adored Get a Horse! The short breathes exciting, impressive, and unbelievable new life into Mickey Mouse--and it does so by tapping into his history. Get a Horse! is a triumph of animation in every possible way. The reaction of the audience in the theater watching the short was incredible. There were audible gasps, huge laughs, and major applause at the end. I can't say too much more about the short without giving away the incredible surprise within it... but prepare to be blown right away. Get a Horse! is animated perfection and I hope beyond hope that this is just the first of Mickey Mouse's return to the big screen in staggering fashion.

Get A Horse! - 5/5 Turkeys in the Straw

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