Disney Veterans create Hullabaloo, a 2D Animated Film to Preserve Classic Animation Style

Former Disney animation veteran James Lopez (The Lion King, Hercules, Paperman) is turning to fans for their help in an all-new campaign set up for a potential new film, Hullabaloo. The possible film is an incredible new visual masterpiece, blending incredible hand-drawn 2D animation with CGI (as seen previously in Disney's Paperman short).

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.

Watch their campaign video right here:


Some more info on the project, as seen on their Indieogo page.

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.


The campaign has officially launched over at their Indieogo page, 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.

Girl Meets World is Disney Channel's Best Series in Years

Mitchell Stein- 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 Girl Meets World. 

Finally, an entertaining show with actual entertaining humor, good story-plots and likable characters. Girl Meets World takes place nearly a decade after Disney's 90's hit show Boy Meets World 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.

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 Boy Meets World 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.

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 Dinosaurs, The Torkelsons, and Boy Meets World).

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.

Blu-Ray Reviews: Tarzan, Hercules, Three Musketeers, Ichabod and Toad

Mitchell Stein- 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.

TARZAN: 

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 Frozen) and Kevin Lima take the helm to direct, and Phil Collins lends his talents to supply the wonderful music to the movie.

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.

(Read Ryan's Animated Review on Tarzan right here)

HERCULES: 

In my personal opinion, following the high standards that films like The Lion King and Aladdin 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.

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 Tarzan, 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.

(Read Ryan's Animated Review of Hercules right here)

The Three Musketeers: 
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.

The Adventures of Mr. Ichabod and Toad/ Fun and Fancy Free/The Reluctant Dragon 
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.
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 The Reluctant Dragon 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.

(Ryan's Animated Reviews of Ichabod and Toad, review of Fun and Fancy Free)

Hercules, Tarzan, Ichabod and Toad and the Three Musketeers and now available wherever Blu-Rays are sold. 

111 Awesome Disney Songs, Part 4

Ryan Dosier - 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...

34.)   "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo" from Cinderella
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. Favorite Lyrics: "Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/Put 'em together and what have you got/Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/Salagadoola mechicka boola bibbidi-bobbidi-boo/It'll do magic believe it or not/Bibbidi-bobbidi-boo."

35.)   "The Phony King of England" from Robin Hood
One of the major highlights of Robin Hood 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 The Jungle Book and Thomas O'Malley in The Aristocats returns for his third Disney animated feature in a row as Little John and delivers this deliciously silly and fun tune. Favorite Lyrics: "He sits alone on a giant throne/Pretending he's the king/A little tyke who's rather like a puppet on a string."

36.)   "A Guy Like You" from The Hunchback of Notre Dame
This song, performed by the three gargoyles of the film, Hugo, Victor, and Laverne, is vastly different than any other song in The Hunchback of Notre Dame. 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. 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."

37.)   "Sugar Rush" from Wreck-It Ralph
Ah, Wreck-It Ralph, how I adore thee. Absolutely one of my favorite Disney animated features. Wreck-It Ralph 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. Favorite Lyrics: "S-U-G-A-R, jump into your racing car, it's Sugar Rush! Sugar Rush!"

38.)   "When I See an Elephant Fly" from Dumbo
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. 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!"

39.)   "Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat" from The Aristocats
Although Disney animation took awhile to find its foothold again after the passing of Walt Disney, this moment in The Aristocats, 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 The Aristocats--including myself. 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."

40.)   "Under the Sea" from The Little Mermaid
"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 The Little Mermaid 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. 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!"

41.)   "Kiss the Girl" from The Little Mermaid
Sebastian's two songs from The Little Mermaid 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. Favorite Lyrics: "Now's your moment/Floating in a blue lagoon/Boy, you better do it soon/No time will be better."

42.)   "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes" from Cinderella
Probably the most famous song from Cinderella, 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. 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."

43.)   "Circle of Life" from The Lion King
Is there any better opening to a film than "Circle of Life" in The Lion King? 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. 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."

44.)   "Gitchee Gitchee Goo" from Phineas and Ferb
I love Phineas and Ferb, 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. Favorite Lyrics: My baby's got her own way of talking/Whenever she says something sweet/And she knows its my world she's a-rockin'/Though my vocabulary's incomplete/I know it may sound confusing/Sometimes I wish she'd give it to me straight/But I never feel like I'm losin' it/When I take the time to translate."

Disney Animation Reviews #42: Lilo and Stitch

Disney Movie Review: 42/52 - Lilo & Stitch

Ryan Dosier - Lilo & Stitch (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 Aladdin.

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. Lilo & Stitch 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. 

From a design standpoint, Lilo & Stitch 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 Dumbo) and the effect is soft, light, and beautiful.

Lilo & Stitch 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.

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.

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 Lilo & Stitch 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. 

Much like The Emperor’s New Groove, Lilo & Stitch 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.

But, unlike Emperor’s, Lilo & Stitch 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.

It is really, really hard not to adore Lilo & Stitch. 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 Lilo & Stitch to fill most of the past handful of Disney movies.

4.5/5 Weather-controlling Fish

John Perrucci Reviews...A Bugs Life

This article was written by reader and contributor John Perrucci

John Perrucci- 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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.
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.

Antz was moved from March 1999 to October 1998 to compete with Pixar's release of A Bug's Life.


The movie is has some fun moments, great animation, with some good quotes being heard here and there, and a really good story, which is why I give it 4 stars.

Disney Animation Reviews #41: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Disney Movie Review: 41/52 - Atlantis: The Lost Empire

Ryan Dosier - Atlantis: The Lost Empire (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 Atlantis just does not work. It lacks the excitement of the action in Tarzan or the solid humor in The Emperor’s New Groove and makes for an overall disappointing film.

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 Toy Story 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). 

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.

One of the first problems that Atlantis 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 Atlantis is a prime example of this.

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 Atlantis, which at least explains some of the better dialogue. 

Atlantis 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 Atlantis. 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.

Definitely one of the weaker Disney films, Atlantis: The Lost Empire 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 Atlantis worth watching at least once, but after that don’t be surprised if it remains lost.

1.5/5 Flying Fish Things