News Update: January 31st 2014

Mitchell Stein- The Disney masterpiece Frozen, hits theaters again today with an all-new special sing-along version of the film! Over 2,000 theaters across North America are taking place in this all-new experience to Frozen. As the movie's soundtrack is heard in the film, a bouncing snowflake will follow the on-screen lyrics. The rest of the movie will remain untouched.

Along with that, a special version of Get A Horse! will accompany the Sing-Along at the El Capitane Theater in Los Angeles. The sing-along will also include appearances by Anna and Elsae and flurries inside the theater itself.

Check local listings to find a showing of Frozen Sing-Along near you!


Saving Mr. Banks the Disney biopic telling the story of how Walt Disney wooed P.L. Travers into the rights of her books Mary Poppins into a film adaption is to be released on March 18th 2014. The release date was made official by Amazon.com and the Walmart website but not yet confirmed by Walt Disney Home Entertainment.

Last week we reported that The Muppets would be starring in an all-new commercial alongside Terry Crews promoting The Toyota Highlander during the Super Bowl this year. Toyota released the entire ad online as well as a whole bunch of extra bonus videos. Read some more about it on our sister site, The Muppet Mindset.

The Muppets will also be appearing on Jimmy Fallon's final show on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon as announced last night. The final show will premiere February 7th on NBC as Fallon prepares to take over Jay Leno on The Tonight Show. 


Maleficent, the film based on the villain from Sleeping Beauty and starring Angelina Jolie released an all-new trailer this week, includes Lana Del Ray's rendition of Once Upon A Dream from the original Sleeping Beauty film. The trailer can be seen on the right.

Maleficent hits theaters May 31st, 2014.  The soundtrack will be released on May 27th.

With the Super Bowl approaching, be prepared to see several Big Game Spots for many upcoming Disney movies. So far announced was for Need For Speed, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Maleficent and probably many more. Be on the lookout for an ad for Muppets Most Wanted, The Wind Rises, and more.

Speaking of Captain America, an all new poster for Captain America: The Winter Soldier was released late last night. The poster showcases the return of Steve Rogers (A.K.A Captain America) Natasha Romanoff (A.K.A Black Widow) and S.H.I.E.L.D director Nick Fury.
The Winter Soldier arrives in theaters April 4th 2014.



Continuing in the promotion for Need For Speed, the Disney distributed film set under the Touchstone Pictures banner in partnership with Dreamworks, released yet another incredible behind the scenes look at how they filmed the movie. This week's video includes Dominic Cooper in "Driving School...Again."

Construction has already begun on Avatar Land in Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando. This week, John Rhode and John Landau held a press conference and explained lots of new info about the expansion. Here's video of the event, courtesy of Big Fat Panda.  

                                  That's it for this week's news! Have a great weekend! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

Retro Reviews: Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Mitchell Stein- Not exactly a Disney movie, per say, but worth the title of a Disney Classic by far.

Released under Disney's Touchstone Pictures banner, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, directed by Robert Zemeckis (who also directed my other favorite movie of-all time, Back To The Future) and produced by Stephen Spielberg, is a masterpiece which combined brilliant animation with the classic “film noir” 1940’s detective style and created something really unique which will live on forever.

When I saw this movie for the first time a few years ago, I don’t think I appreciated it as much as I did today. In traditional movies, like Mary Poppins, Pete’s Dragon, and Song of the South, the animation was a lot less sophisticated and usually was the animation pasted on to the already existing live action sequences, creating a flat looking 2D effect, but still cool. Who Framed Roger Rabbit created a highly sophisticated new style to animated-live action films. Every sequence had to be drawn over stand-in puppets, and some of the sequences call for some really wacky cartoon acts, and the Toons are usually holding an actual item, ( i.e. a gun, or handcuffs, cigar) so the animation must have taken them months to fill in and a lot of work as well. 

To ensure the effect of cartoons living in our world, the camera had to move as much as possible. 2D sequences barely exist in this movie, not to make it look like the characters were just pasted over the scene. Once you start paying attention to the small details in this movie, you’ll come to appreciate it a lot more than you already do. Every sequence had to be filmed with stand in puppets or costumes (depending on how big the character was) and in some scenes, the actors had to act a two-man scene with themselves since the animation hasn’t been filled in yet. The work that went into this movie was tremendous and was worth it all.

The film starts off with a classic style cartoon, with a familiar style opening, trademarked as the Warner Bros. cartoon openings. In this scene we are introduced to Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman who as you see until the director yells cut, work at a cartoon film industry. The transition from the first scene into the real world is incredibly brilliant. I can’t think of a better way to move that wacky cartoon-ish type scene into our real world. It also establishes the fact that characters actually exist in this movie, and are not actually drawn by anyone.

But don't be fooled by the cartoon-ish style of the film. This movie is by far not a kids movie. There's violence, language and other innuendo that might be considered a PG-13 rating in today's style of movies.  Be aware. The first scene when we're introduced to Judge Doom still creeps me out 'till today. 

Another one of the incredible feats that Who Framed Roger Rabbit accomplished was managing to be able to include not just original characters, such as Roger and Jessica Rabbit, Benny the Cab and Baby Herman, but rather to be able to include several well-known and copyrighted cartoons owned by several Disney companies. 

Managing to land these characters a spot in the movie created some of the most iconic sequences in Disney history. Only in Roger Rabbit will you see Warners Bros.’ Daffy Duck duel piano with Disney’s Donald Duck, Mickey and Bugs Bunny share a memorable scene, and include other characters like Droopy, Betty Boop, Woody Woodpecker, Dumbo, and much, much more.

Overall,  Who Framed Roger Rabbit is one of my favorite animated movies of all time. A true Disney classic and surprisingly, doesn't have a sequel. That’s probably a good thing anyway. 

My Favorite Places in Walt Disney World, Part 3

Ryan Dosier - Today we're ontinuing on our pictorial journey through my favorite Walt Disney World spots! We've already been through Magic Kingdom and EPCOT, so the next logical place is...

HOLLYWOOD STUDIOS

Disney's Hollywood Studios (formerly Disney/MGM Studios) has always been my favorite Disney World Park. For someone who loves the movies as much as I do, Hollywood Studios is heaven. It has two incredible thrill rides, Star Wars, Pixar, old Hollywood fun, and, of course, the Muppets. Here are some of my favorite spots to be in the park...

"Toy Story Mania" Queue

There are few spots more fanciful and well designed than the queue for the ultra popular "Toy Story Mania" attraction. Once you enter the building, you become the size of a toy and everything around you is to scale. Crayons are huge, board game boards line the ceilings and walls, Andy's drawings are everywhere... and a giant, living Mr. Potato-Head animatronic barks at you. It's Disney magic at its best.

Hand and Footprints Outside "The Great Movie Ride"

It's so cool to explore this area. An homage to the actual Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, this area features the hand and footprints of Disney-related celebrities, stars, and other such people. Included in the sidewalk... Jim Henson and Kermit the Frog, Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Steve Martin, Whoopi Goldberg, and many more.

"Muppet*Vision 3-D" Queue

There is probably nowhere in Hollywood Studios (and possibly Walt Disney World as a whole) as incredibly detailed and jam-packed full of jokes and references as the queue for "Muppet*Vision 3-D." Every single corner of the place has a joke or a gag or a reference to something. From the key actually under the welcome mat, to the toy soldiers from the show hiding in the rafters, to crates for the different Muppets, to the Electric Mayhem's luggage, and so much, much more, this is the place to be for the best in Imagineering.

Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Hall of Fame

The only place in any Disney Park where you can take a picture with Walt Disney and Bill Cosby and Bea Arthur. How can you not love it?! Plus, it's a great place to watch the parade.

50's Prime Time Cafe

I love this restaurant. No, it's not classy or fancy (like, at all) but the food is great and the service is hilarious. You want to talk about Disney Cast Members being committed to their jobs? Come here. They'll treat you like their children--in both the good and bad ways. Plus, the decor is outstanding and the atmosphere is delightful. If you go, do not miss the peanut butter and jelly milkshake. You'll thank me later.

"Star Tours" Queue

Since its update, "Star Tours" has become one of the only attractions I absolutely have to do at least three times--every time is different! So it's no wonder that I've gotten so enamored by the queue. Starting outside with the giant AT-AT walker and the Ewok village, and continuing inside with live R2-D2 and C-3PO, everything about the queue is a blast. My favorite part is the baggage scanning droid. Watch his screen and you'll see numerous Disney and Star Wars references.


Well there you have it! Check back next week when we conclude the series at Animal Kingdom!

Contest: Win a copy of The Fifth Estate on Blu-Ray Combo Pack, courtesy of The Mickey Mindset!

Mitchell Stein- We're super excited to announce another awesome contest! This time, we're giving away one copy of the Disney distributed Touchstone Pictures' film The Fifth Estate on an awesome Blu-Ray Combo Pack. Combo Pack includes one Blu-Ray, DVD as well as a digital copy to watch whenever and wherever you are.

In case you missed it, read my review of the movie  which I absoloutley loved. This movie is not to be missed, so before you forget, do yourself a favor and enter yourself in the contest below!

No purchase is necessary. Shipping only includes the U.S. and Canada only (No PO boxes) and winner must respond within 48 hours or a new winner will be picked.

Make sure to share this info to your friends! The more entries you refer, the better chance you have!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

News Update: January 23rd 2014

Mitchell Stein- Disney is re-releasing the Disney masterpiece, Frozen to theaters once more as of January 31st in a special sing-along version of the movie. On-screen lyrics and a magical bouncing snowflake will appear on screen during each musical number. Otherwise, the movie will remain untouched.
At Hollywood's El Capitane Theater, the sing-along will feature appearances by Anna and Elsa plus flurries inside the theater.
Frozen sing along hits theaters January 31st.

To celebrate the international success of Frozen, Disney International released a compilation of Let It Go in 25 different languages, including English, French, Swedish, Mandarin, Japanese and more.


Seaworld responded once again to the film Blackfish, this time calling the controversial film 'propaganda'. They issued a full statement which can be read on their website as well as two videos 'showing the truth' about their dedicated trainers at the Seaworld Parks.

In addition, the family of the late Daun Brancheau also issued a statement on Blackfish which can be read on their website.

The Muppets will star in an all new Super Bowl ad this season alongside Terry Crews, the Golden Globe winning FOX show- Brooklyn Nine-Nine in an advertisement for the new Toyota Highlander.
The ad will feature a new song and appearances by Muppets including Kermit, Rowlf, Dr. Teeth, Beaker, Gonzo and many more.

As well as that, Toyota released a teaser of the ad which can be seen below. The Super Bowl airs on February 2nd on all major sports channels.

Universal Orlando held their special webcast for the upcoming expansion of The Wizarding World of Harry Potter: Diagon Alley and released concept art and videos from the expansion, set to open in the Universal Studios park later this year. 

The new section will feature Escape from Gringotts, and all-new roller-coaster zooming through the legendary Gringotts bank as seen in the Harry Potter movies, and was primarily featured in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2. 

It will also include King's Cross Station, The Knight Bus (with Shrunken Head included) Grimmauld Place, and shops including Weasley Wizard Wheezes, The Leaky Cauldron, another Ollivander's shop, Wiseacre's Wizards Equipment, and many more. 

And for our final bit of news this week, Disney D23 event details have been announced for this year's Destination D Fanniversary. This year's event will be named "Attraction Rewind" and will be taking a look at former attractions from the park, including favorites like If You Had Wings, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Adventure Thru Inner Space and more. This event is not to be missed. Full details and schedule and included here.

That's it for this weeks news! Keep checking our Twitter feed for up-to the minute news updates! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com 

                      

My Favorite Places in Walt Disney World, Part 2

Ryan Dosier - As you'll remember, last week I shared some of my favorite places in Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom. This week I continue with a look at some of my favorite locales at the second Walt Disney World park...

EPCOT

Even though it's probably my least favorite Walt Disney World park, I love Epcot. It's my favorite place to just take the time to walk around and explore without any real agenda or anything to do. Yes, I love Soarin' and Test Track, but I think the thing I enjoy most is walking through World Showcase or the other areas.

Les Chefs de France at Lunchtime

Granted, I've never been to this cozy French eatery at dinner, but I've been for lunch many times. The food is delicious, the prices reasonable, the service fantastic, and the atmosphere delightful. But best of all, Remy from Ratatouille is wheeled around on a food cart during lunch and it's delightful.

Spaceship Earth at Night

Spaceship Earth is a spectacle to behold any time of the day, but it's at its most beautiful at night. The lights reflected off it are perfect and it makes for some really stellar picture taking. During the Flower and Garden Festival or at Christmastime the Disney topiaries in front of it make this a must-see picture spot.

Maelstrom

I think this ride is goofy and weird and wonderful. It's a dark ride and a celebration of Norway's industry and culture... at first. Then it plunges deep into Nordic mythology with trolls and other magical creatures. It never really rebounds, and for some reason the line is always long. But I just love to experience it over and over again and still be baffled by the fact that it is one of two rides in World Showcase.

The Three Caballero's Gran Fiesta Tour

I love this ride and its joyful animation more than I love both Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros  feature films.

World Showcase Lagoon

Disney World lakes and lagoons are my favorite lakes and lagoons. Stand at any point on World Showcase Lagoon and you'll see beautiful sights. That's why I love the fireworks spectacular every night so much, because no matter where you're standing, you have the best view.

Well there you have it! Not as many favorite places in Epcot as Magic Kingdom (or the other parks), but I still love all of these places. Check back next week when I share my favorite spots in Hollywood Studios!

Disney Animation Reviews #15 - Sleeping Beauty

Disney Animation Review: 16/53 - Sleeping Beauty

Ryan Dosier - Although it is one of the more widely popular Disney animated features, Sleeping Beauty is one of the weakest stories in the Disney classics family. There are some truly breathtaking aspects of the film, but the shoddy storytelling is absolutely not one of them.

The story of Princess Aurora is baffling because she is not the main character, she doesn’t change at all, and she causes nothing to happen. The true heroes of the piece are Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather, the three fairies. They come up with the plan to save Aurora from Maleficent, they ruin the plan, and they are the ones who save Prince Phillip, fight all of his fights, and even give him the power to slay the dragon.

It makes one wonder why Aurora and Phillip were necessary to the story at all when the three fairies could have easily done everything by themselves. Both Aurora and Phillip are forgettable characters, sharing only one decent moment with the song “Once Upon a Dream.” Beyond that they fumble and falter and lose all characterization.

Maleficent, on the other hand, is Sleeping Beauty's strongest character by far. The mistress of evil lives up to her name and strikes with power and ferocity. She is deliciously evil, sarcastic, and cruel, which makes for the greatest Disney villain yet. Maleficent has power and inspires fear in everyone. Her demise was far too simple for such a powerful character.

The most impressive, striking, and breathtaking aspect of Sleeping Beauty is, by far, the layouts and background designs. The colors are so sharp and the details are so meticulous that each frame is worthy of a museum. There are stylistic liberties taken with trees and other background elements that make them simplistic yet detailed. It shouldn’t work but it does beautifully. I can’t say enough about the stunning artwork done for Sleeping Beauty. There is simply none better.

But again, the weak story and characters plague the movie horribly. The plot is so weak that the filmmakers had to insert random scenes of the kings drinking and the fairies cooking and cleaning. The entire first act of the movie could have been summed up in five minutes but it takes half an hour. Even the music of the film is lackluster. An unseen, operatic chorus performs most of the songs, which is distracting and bizarre. The only song that works is “Once Upon a Dream,” which makes for one of Sleeping Beauty's most perfect sequences.


Sleeping Beauty was an awkward transition from the 50s to the 60s for the Disney animation studio. The film loses the strong story elements of the 50s in favor of the strong stylistic elements of the 60s. It is unfortunate that they couldn’t come together to make a better film. Instead, Sleeping Beauty is a stylistic master class with a tremendous villain, a forgettable princess, oddly heroic fairies, a dull, pointless story, and lacks the magic and the impressiveness of Walt Disney in the 50s.

2/5 Blue Dresses

Disney Animation Review #14 - Lady and the Tramp

Disney Movie Review: 15/53 - Lady and the Tramp

One of the most delightful Disney films of the 1950s is Lady and the Tramp (1955). It is only the third Disney animated feature to primarily star animals (after Dumbo and Bambi), and it stands right up as a gem of Walt Disney’s career in animated film making. It is said that Lady and the Tramp was partially inspired by Walt Disney’s own cocker spaniel and thus the film was very special to him. It certainly shows.

The story of house-pet Lady and street-dog Tramp is timeless and original. The two dogs meet by mere chance and after a day of adventures they fall for one another. Lady is wooed by Tramp’s charm and spirit, and Tramp is swayed by Lady’s love of her human family. They are totally contradicting characters that compliment each other very well.

The most remarkable aspect of Lady and the Tramp is the impeccable animation. All of the animals and humans in the film are animated with livelihood and realism. It is some of the highest quality Disney animation to date and truly beautiful. The scenery, layouts, and artwork in the film are absolutely amazing. The colors are dark and brooding when necessary and bright and stunning in all the right places.

The story works very, very well. There are no real low-points and it keeps building and building. It is not episodic like Alice in Wonderland and it doesn’t lull like Peter Pan, making Lady and the Tramp one of Disney’s best story-efforts of this period.

Supporting characters such as Jaq the Scottish terrier and Trusty the bloodhound elevate the film. They are delightfully funny, adorable, and heroic. There are a handful of minor characters that only appear briefly but totally steal the show. These include Peg, voiced by the dynamite Peggy Lee as she sings “He’s a Tramp,” and Tony and Joe, the two Italian restaurateurs who give Lady and the Tramp that iconic bowl of spaghetti and sing the equally iconic song “Bella Notte.”

Lady and the Tramp is a true snapshot of life in this wonderful time period in small-town American life. Spouses called each other “darling” and “dear,” cameras left a cloud of smoke, horses still pulled cars, and the family dog was a crucial member of the family.

At its heart, Lady and the Tramp is a film full of warmth, love, and charm. It hits all of the right notes emotionally, comically, and musically. Like a good dog, Lady and the Tramp is always a delight to spend time with. It is an undeniably charming entry in the Disney animated feature canon and one of my favorites.

4.5/5 Meatballs 

News Update: January 17th 2014

Mitchell Stein- Another big news week this week from the Walt Disney Studios, Pixar, Marvel, Studio Ghibli and much more!

The Golden Globes hosted by Tina Fey and Amy Poehler took place this week and the Disney masterpiece Frozen took home the award for Best Animated Picture. It did not win the other category which it was nominated for which was for Let It Go which was heard in the movie (we're shocked).

In other Frozen news this week, Disney confirmed rumors that they are in fact working on a Frozen stage adaption but not necessarily Broadway. According to a Fortune Article  CEO Bob Iger Disney Theatrical is working on a stage show, quite possibly just for the Disney theme parks but is unknown at this time. (Photo from CartoonBrew.com)

The popular Disney Junior show Mickey Mouse Clubhouse will be releasing another DVD coming up this February. The special "Minne-rella" is inspired by Disney's Classic Film, Cinderella  and will be available to own on February 11th. Be on the lookout for a review soon!

Other Blu-Ray DVDs news includes Delivery Man starring Vince Vaughn, Cobie Smulders and Chris Pratt will be delivered (pun intended) on March 25th 2014. Bonus features include behind the scenes looks and bloopers and more.

Sofia the First,  another popular Disney Junior show, will be returning in her own upcoming DVD special in Sofia the First: The Floating Palace and will feature a cameo by the Little Mermaid's Ariel. The special swims (gee, we gotta stop with the puns...) onto DVD April 8th 2014.

Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers series, the series of novels that take place within the Disney Theme Parks seventh installment now has an official cover! It will be available to own on April 1st, 2014.
Official Synopsis:

The Kingdom Keepers’ senior year in high school is almost over. For more than three years, things have been quiet. Their battles are long behind them, they agree, the threat to the Disney realm silenced albeit at great cost. But inside the catacombs of the Aztec temple where Finn Whitman faced down his nemesis, the monstrous Chernabog, a new threat brews. 

 Camp Minne-Mickey at Disney's Animal Kingdom in Orlando has sadly closed down this week to make way for the Avatar section to open in 2017. We will always miss the legendary and memorable section of the park and we remember the park by a great photo tribute from Character Central.
But, continuing in that news, the Avatar Land (or Pandora?) has already begun construction! Be ready to see construction walls in the parks for the next four years. Disney posted these two pictures on the first day of construction.

The nominees are in! The Nominated films for the 86th Annual Academy Awards have been announced and Disney earned eight nominations in total! The list is as follows:
Frozen- Best Animated Film, Best Original Song
The Lone Ranger- Makeup and Hair-styling, Visual Effects 
Get A Horse!- Animated Short Film
Saving Mr. Banks- Original Score (by Thomas Newman)
Iron Man 3- Visual Effects 
The Wind Rises (Studio Ghibli)- Best Animated Feature 

Of course, we're shocked that Monsters University was not nominated for Animated Feature or Emma Thompson for Best Actress. Read our reactions about the Disney nominees here!

Fresh off the success of Toy Story of Terror!, Pixar and ABC announced another Toy Story television special will be airing this Christmas on ABC named The Toy Story That Time Forgot. 

The synopsis reads:

During a post-Christmas play date, the ‘Toy Story’ gang find themselves in uncharted territory when the coolest set of action figures ever turn out to be dangerously delusional. It’s all up to Trixie, the triceratops, if the gang hopes to return to Bonnie’s room in this ‘Toy Story That Time Forgot.’” 

 Source: Hypable.com

For the final bit of news this week, Disney's Frozen will be featured at this year's Hotel de Glace (Ice Hotel) in Quebec City, Canada. The Ice Hotel, which is essentially an entire hotel built entirely out of frozen ice will be featuring Frozen themed rooms this season through March 23rd. The hotel was also part of the inspiration for the Ice Castle seen in the film. Photos are of the hotel are now available.




Whew! That took a lot out of me! Make sure to check back for next weeks overhaul of news! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com

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!

Review: The Fifth Estate brings intense sequences telling the story of the infamous WikiLeaks Organization with brilliant acting and storytelling

Mitchell Stein- Fall is a great time for movies. With the annual Academy Awards drawing closer, every Hollywood film company rushes to make sure their movie is in the roster for the upcoming award ceremony and most of those films are placed in the fall schedule to ensure that it's still fresh on people's minds. One of these films is The Fifth Estate. Now, if it deserves the Best Picture award is unknown, but it deserves an honorable mention in the running.

The Disney-distributed film (under Disney's brand; Touchstone Pictures) The Fifth Estate tells the true-infamous story of Julian Assange's WikiLeaks leaking thousands of classified documents and secrets from all over the world. It takes you on a adventure around the world and through the sophisticated world of hacking and computers, something most of us will never understand but can only visualize.

The movie starts off with a brilliant video montage showcasing many legendary and infamous scenes in history including the Civil War, the Titanic, The Holocaust, Kennedy's Assassination, 9/11 and showcases how far we've come in terms of media and press news, first showcasing stamp-machines and typewriters and moving forward to today, with TVs and Internet.
It sets a fast-paced vibe that last throughout the entire movie, slowing down only for several moments to catch your breath before more intense thrilling scenes.

The movie's plot starts in 2010, with the famous leaks of classified US-Military information concerning the Afghanistan War courtesy of Bradley/Chelsea Manning. The rest of the movie flashes back to 2007 and tells the full-story leading up to the events in 2010. A style which is familiar, but never used quite as well as The Fifth Estate used it.

Some people called Assange a hero, and some oppose and call him a traitor to the American people and condemn him. The Fifth Estate captures both sides of that argument and delivers both those aspects of the story to a neutral point of view.

As an aspiring director and being a member of the media, this movie was incredible. Director Bill Condon pulled a lot of great visuals and directing techniques which had me floored throughout the movie. The sequences that imagine the online word of encryption and hacking and truly brilliant.
It also captures a lot of behind-the scenes at the media, showing some secrets and other things that happen on a daily basis at the press office.

The acting was fantastic as well. Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock, Star Trek: Into Darkness, The Hobbit) was brilliant was the movie's co-protagonist Julian Assange along with Daniel Bruhl as Daniel Berg who goes by the pseudonym Daniel Schmidt.
Also in the movie is David Thewlis (Harry Potter films, The Boy in the Striped Pajamas) Peter Capaldi (Doctor Who, Torchwood) Jamie Blackley (Snow White and the Huntsman) and
a whole lot more great actors. Plus, the main actors look almost exactly like the real Assange and Berg/Schdimt as seen on the
right.

The Blu-Ray Combo Pack also has a great lineup of bonus features, my favorite was The Submission Platform showing how they filmed some of the most iconic scenes in the movie. Also included was Scoring Secrets, where composer Carter Burwell showcases a full range of musical styles that were heard in the movie and a lot more great behind the scenes looks along with all the great TV spots and trailers that were seen before the movie was released.

Overall, I highly recommend this Blu-Ray release to anyone who enjoys the biopic style films. It's a great movie included with great bonus features. It's a true masterpiece on stunning high-def Blu-Ray.

The Fifth Estate is leaked to DVD and Blu-Ray January 28th. Be on the lookout for a special giveaway later this week! 

The Mickey Mindset: mickeymindset@gmail.com