Film Review #50: The Return of Jafar

You knew these were coming.  Disney just couldn't keep their hands off their beloved classics without trying to "improve" on them.  The saddest part of this new line of films, is the best chain of them is first.  It'd be very hard for Disney to screw up the Aladdin franchise, considering two major factors:

1. Aladdin was their most successful film ever at that point (The Lion King wouldn't be released until the Summer 1994)

2. Unlike Beauty and the Beast or The Little Mermaid, the skewing line was very broad.

With that said, The Return of Jafar is by no means a great movie.  And yet, somehow, this is one of the superior of the films that darkened the legacy of Disney's name considerably.

PLOT: After escaping his imprisonment with his former ally Jafar, Iago the parrot flies back to Agrabah in hopes of regaining the power he lost.  After rescuing Aladdin and Abu from a group of bandits, Aladdin decides to take the bird back, but is hesitant to show him to either Jasmine or the Sultan.  After Aladdin fails to keep Iago a secret, the Sultan orders Aladdin to watch Iago's every movement.  Despite the Sultan not trusting him, Jasmine, Abu, and even Genie start warming up to their former enemy.

Speaking of enemies, Jafar is unleashed from his lamp by a clumsy thief named Abis-Mal.  Jafar agrees to give the thief all he wants in exchange for helping him express his wrath on Aladdin and company.  Using his intimidation over Iago to his advantage, the evil sorcerer uses the parrot to trick Aladdin into bringing the Sultan on a carpet ride.  While they're away, Jafar takes complete control of Agrabah, imprisoning Genie, Abu, and Jasmine in the dungeons.  Then, the evil vizier attacks Aladdin and kidnaps the Sultan.  Iago flees and Aladdin is framed for the "murder" of the Sultan.  With the others incapacitated, it is up to Iago to choose whether serving Jafar again was worth it.

What's Bad?: Don't expect me to keep complaining about the animation with each of these.  These were made by the second hand animation studios in Australia and Japan, and were being ordered to be made on severely tightened budgets and due dates.  I will only comment on the animation if it is either really good or REALLY BAD.  Return of Jafar is the prime example of this.  While the animation is choppy, I expect that this was never supposed to be a direct to video release.  In fact, this was supposed to be the first two episodes of "Aladdin: The Series".  I expect it was released to video because they delayed the re-release to theaters of Sleeping Beauty, which also delayed it's re-release to video until 1997.

The film's biggest problem has already been discussed in a previous article.  If you haven't read it, I'll fill you in.  Aladdin, who learned that lies tend to blow up in your face in the last movie, now feels no shame or remorse when lying to the love of his life.  And by the way, what was the point of lying to them about Iago anyway?  Anyone?  No?

But the character who takes the biggest hit is the Genie.  In this film, along with most of the series and the third film, Genie is relegated to spewing jokes and pop culture references, which is about the only useful thing about him considering his powers are now "semi-phenomenal and nearly cosmic".

What's Good?: The only two characters worth talking about in this one are Jafar and Iago.  Jafar returns to his beloved role as main antagonist and remains his awesome and menacing self.  Iago, along with Anastasia in the Cinderella franchise, is the only sidekick that has a character arc.  He does show signs of development, including his decision to stand against Jafar in the final battle (YOU ALL KNEW IT WAS COMING!) and his decision to help mend Jasmine and Aladdin's relationship.

The songs are still entertaining.  Not a single Alan Menken worthy song, but they're still okay.

Overall: As films go, this one has it's high moments and it's really low moments.  But in the end, the high moments outweigh the bad moments and the film is still enjoyable.  But the dark clouds were gathering at this point.  They were waiting for just the right moment to strike.

Report Card:

Hero:                                 B-
Heroine:                            B-
Villain:                               A
Side Characters:               B+
Songs:                                B
Musical Score:                  B
Animation:                         B-
Story:                                 C

Did it Match the Original in any sense at all?:      Not Really

Final Grade:                      B

Top 20 Disney Animated Films

HERE IS A LINK TO THE UPDATED VERSION OF THIS LIST:

http://simbaking94.blogspot.com/2015/03/top-25-disney-animated-filmsupdated.html

Now that I'm done reviewing them, I've decided to rank them from best to worst.  Here it is, the list of best to worst Disney films, from Snow White to Frozen.  I'm giving you all a warning right now, I have no idea if your favorite film is in the Top 20.  The Top 20 is reserved for the most elite of all of the Disney films.  This list took a very long time to craft.  So, let's begin with numbers 53-21....

53. Home on the Range (2004)
52. Chicken Little (2005)

NONE ARE AWFUL AFTER THIS POINT!!!!

51. The Rescuers (1977)
50. Meet the Robinsons (2007)
49. Saludos Amigos (1943)
48. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
47. Brother Bear (2003)
46. Dinosaur (2000)
45. The Aristocats (1970)
44. Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
43. The Sword in the Stone (1963)
42. The Three Caballeros (1944)
41. Melody Time (1948)
40. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
39. Treasure Planet (2002)

NONE ARE PRETTY BAD AFTER THIS POINT!!!!

38. Make Mine Music (1946)
37. The Black Cauldron (1985)
36. Oliver and Company (1988)
35. Bolt (2008)
34. Mulan (1998)
33. Fantasia 2000 (1999)
32. Robin Hood (1973)
31. Winnie the Pooh (2011)
30. Pocahontas (1995)
29. Lilo and Stitch (2002)
28. Hercules (1997)
27. The Princess and the Frog (2009)
26. Wreck It Ralph (2012)
25. Tarzan (1999)
24. The Emperors New Groove (2000)
23. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)
22. Tangled (2010)
21. Peter Pan (1953)

HERE IT IS!!!!  THE ELITE OF THE ELITE!!!!  THE TOP 20!!!!

20. The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977)

Combining simple heartfelt lessons with the nicest group of characters in Disney History, this film is a delight from the first second you turn it on.  Christopher Robin's menagerie of stuffed nursery companions come to life and live the lives Walt Disney always intended to have them live.  One of the last projects he worked on prior to his death, Winnie the Pooh has become a longstanding icon, all thanks to his feature length debut in 1977.

19. Lady and the Tramp (1955)                                                        

One of the most endearing love stories ever told, combined with Peggy Lee's great songs and some of the finest voice over work for a Disney film, Lady and the Tramp is a surefire Disney Classic.  With a cavalcade of unforgettable moments from the spaghetti dinner to the Siamese cats, the picture is a gem that will shine for decades beyond it's upcoming 60th anniversary.  

  18. The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Vincent Price's outstanding performance and a surprisingly enduring motion picture, what was almost Disney Animation's last breath has become the foundation for which the return to form for the studio's most famous department.  The chemistry between the hero and villain remains the best for any film beyond all doubt.  It's a classic that I hope gains more fans as time goes on.

17. Alice in Wonderland (1951)

The one and only genuine retelling of Lewis Carroll's classic insanity filled universe of talking white rabbits, dodo birds, walking playing cards and hookah smoking caterpillars.  Alice is charming, each eccentric character she meets along the way gets their own moment to shine, and the Queen of Hearts is one of the finer villains in Disney lore.  All of the rabbit holes in the world shouldn't keep us from watching one of Walt Disney's finest work, even though he personally detested it.

16. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

The strongest film of the Pre-Katzenberg/ Post-Walt era, the film's ability to challenge the rules and roles society has in store for us is still as touching as it was all those years ago it was made.  Tod and Copper's friendship proves that even the worst of enemies can turn it around and become friends.  The power of Disney's adaptation group remains one of their most solid sections of work, and this classic will never cease to touch our hearts.

                                                       

15. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

A hundred and one laughs, a hundred and one cheers, and a hundred and one reasons to see this near 55 year old classic.  If the adorable puppies can't sway you, the zany antics of the film's psychotic villain, Cruella DeVil, definitely will.  The xerox process may be skimping out in people's opinions, but the film's most important quality is the relationships between Pongo and Perdita, and their puppies.  And that is where the film is at it's strongest and where all Disney films should be.

14. Dumbo (1941)

The most heartfelt of all of Disney's work, this 63 minute film will tug at the heartstrings from it's first moment to it's sparkling finale.  The devotion Mrs. Jumbo has towards her son is matched only in how adorable her son is.  It's a story about overcoming the judging eyes of others and finding the hidden values in what others see as comic jokes.  Dumbo's ears are large enough to carry even the most sour-pussed of us to a smile.

13. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

A film of nearly umatchable technical wonder and delight, this classic Disney fairy tale has brought us some of the most enchanted and most exciting moments ever in our history.  Eleanor Audley's performance as the cruel and malicious Maleficent is one of the best ever, and the animation and musical score is top notch compared to the rest of the 1950's.

12. Bambi (1942)

The naturalism of Bambi is only matched by it's simplicity in story and character development.  The film did not need to be a story heavy epic to get around the message it needed to.  A film that can encompass life, death, and regeneration within 69 minutes more than deserves a spot on this list.  But come on...we all know this movie by only one bit of Onomatopoeia: BANG!

11. Cinderella (1950) 

Enchanting leads, cruel and devious stepmothers, and a group of mischievous mice leads to a "Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo" spectacular like this.  All of the enchanting moments, from Cinderella's gown appearing for the first time, to the Duke placing the slipper on Cinderella's foot are simply stunning to watch.  The beautiful animation, combined with one of the finest group of songs ever assembled for a Disney film, and you've got one truly unforgettable masterpiece of animation and a longstanding milestone in the art of cinema.

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

The ultimate crown jewel for Walt Disney and the history of animation is still as emotionally powerful as it was almost 80 years after it's initial release.  From the pure innocence of the fair princess and the ruthless desires of the Queen, to the mystery of the Magic Mirror and the comic antics of the seven dwarfs, Snow White is the single most important film on this list.  Had this failed, none of the films before this or after this on the list would have been made.

9. The Little Mermaid (1989)

A film that brought about the return to form for Disney and their artists, every last second of this film is magical.  An enticing mermaid, her Jamaican singing crab, her dashing prince, and her slippery antagonist make for a group of characters charming to the last kiss.  Combined with top notch animation and some of the greatest music ever written, The Little Mermaid was, is and will always be one of Disney's finest efforts.

8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

The darkest and most challenging of all of the Disney Classics, this interpretation of Victor Hugo's greatest tragedy is still a chilling motion picture.  Full of famous moments and endearing lead characters, this film is put into this great list with great thanks to it's almost terrifyingly evil villain, Judge Frollo, who could have easily merited this film an infamous PG rating.  Great animation and an even deeper score makes this one a gem on the great crown.

7. The Jungle Book (1967)

In what has to be the simplest retelling of a classic piece of literature, Disney's last film contains the most lovable and engaging cast of characters ever assembled for a Disney picture, from the comic monkeys to the elegant and cruel Shere Khan.  Combine that with the deep connection between boy and bear and the endlessly "listenable" list of songs, The Jungle Book is the single most heartfelt film made in the life of Walter Elias Disney.

6. Fantasia (1940)

The most unique film on this list, this is a film composed of several musical segments animated flawlessly by Walt Disney's group of marvelous artists.  Every moment from Mickey and his master's hat, to the hellish shadows of Chernabog's infamous Bald Mountain sequence, the power and majesty of Fantasia will last even beyond the last note.

T-4. Pinocchio (1940)

The most technically flawless animated film ever made is still one of the greatest gems of Disney Animation.  A film that proves that if you simply wish upon a star, your dreams can come true.  Every moment, every jaw dropping animated scene is simply breathtaking.  A journey that takes us from the falsely named Pleasure Island to the belly of a whale the size of an island, Pinocchio is the best film made during Walt Disney's life.

T-4. Frozen (2013)

Simply put, the most amazing and jaw dropping animated film I've ever seen in Disney 3D.  A film that focuses on the relationship between two estranged sisters and the love they share for each other.  This, combined with the most beautiful 3D animation ever composed and some of the best music ever, puts Frozen in the same group as the best films Disney has ever released.  It is simply beautiful, from the first bit of snow we see, to the spectacular blizzard in the finale.

3. Beauty and the Beast (1991) 

The only canon animated movie nominated for best picture, Beauty and the Beast is sheer perfection.  Every song is a masterpiece, every scene of animation is wonderful, and each character is engaging.  Gaston is a legendary villain, the emotional transformation of the Beast is so moving, and Belle's character is the most engaging female a film has had ever.  Be Our Guest indeed, my friends.

2. Aladdin (1992)

While it's easy to expect Disney to have an animated drama, like the aforementioned film above, it's rare that Disney comes out with a comedy.  not just a comedy, a legendary one.  And while most of the comedy does come from Robin Williams and his riffing, Aladdin is still one of the best films ever made, filling the mixing pot with a diabolical sorcerer, a loud mouthed parrot, a plucky young princess and a thief with a heart of gold.  With a healthy combination of sensational music and lovable characters, this is easily the best Disney Fairy Tale ever made.

1. The Lion King (1994)

Was there any doubt?  No, it isn't the funniest film, nor is it the most dramatic, but this epic masterpiece combines the two aspects of storytelling into such a perfect blend, that it rivals the best films ever written.  The story of Simba is a timeless allegory.  With the loving teachings of his father Mufasa, to his epic clash with his ruthless Uncle Scar, The Lion King is Disney storytelling at it's most basic, and yet, it's most powerful.

Now that the main films are done, sigh, it's time to go on to those lovely abominations they call sequels.  Someone, please bring me cyanide!!!!  :(

Film Review #49: Frozen

Disney was climbing the pole back to relevance in animation, but they would have a steep hill to climb.  After all, Pixar and Dreamworks were at the top of their game.  It would take a couple of bad films from both to give Disney the shot they needed.  And in 2013, Disney got their chance.  The Dreamworks films The Croods and Turbo, failed to capture the kind of comedic gold we'd been used to.  Pixar also fell into a slump.  While Brave was an okay film for 2012, Monsters University and Planes were very big disappointments, at least from my point of view.  If Disney was going to win their audiences back, they would have to capitalize on the shortcomings their rivals had.  Along came Frozen, a film a very long time in the making for Disney.

To put it in the most honest terms, this film completely blew me away.  Not only is this the first time in forever that a Disney film has "wowed" me this much, but it is signaling a return long in the making for Disney.  In every conceivable way this film is a masterpiece that should and will be held in the highest esteem, along with classics Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and yes, even The Lion King.

Plot: In the Kingdom of Arendelle, two princesses live in the gorgeous royal palace.  Elsa, the eldest, was born with the ability to create ice and snow with her bare hands.  At night, her and her little sister Anna often play in the halls with Elsa's powers.  But after an accident causes Elsa to hurt Anna, the King and Queen take her to a valley of trolls.  The troll leader, Grand Pabbie, is able to heal Anna, but in the process wipes her memory of her sister's powers and warns Elsa that if she had struck Anna in the heart, it would have been fatal.

Despite efforts to control her powers, Elsa ultimately decides to isolate herself in her room, severing the relationship the two sisters once had, while the King closes the gates to their palace.  Anna tries for many years to be friends with her sister again to no avail.  After the King and Queen die several years later, Elsa is to be named Queen and the gates are to be opened for the first time in 13 years.  While Anna is open to the chance at meeting people and finding love, Elsa is very uneasy, wearing her gloves to prevent her from freezing anything.  Anna ultimately meets Prince Hans of the Southern Isles and the two seem to fall in love with each other.  While the two seek to get married, Elsa refuses to bless the wedding, citing the fact that the two just met each other.  After an argument ensues between the sisters, Elsa accidentally unleashes her powers.  Fearful of the repercussions of her actions, Elsa flees Arendelle, unknowingly causing a permanent winter during the summer.

Anna goes off in pursuit of her sister, with the hopes of mending their bruised relationship, leaving Hans in charge of the Kingdom.  Along the way, she meets the mountain man Kristoff, who agrees to take her up the mountain to find Elsa, in exchange for getting a new sled in return (Anna ultimately causes it's destruction).  Elsa, meanwhile, creates her own beautiful castle made entirely of ice.  When the duo and their new snowman friend Olaf arrive, Anna tries to reason with her, but Elsa strikes back, hitting Anna in the heart with ice.  After throwing them out of the castle, Anna begins to grow fatally sick.  Kristoff, who had been raised by the trolls, takes Anna to them, but Grand Pabbie only tells them that only an act of true love can save her.  While the trolls think Kristoff is the one who can save her, he insists that only Hans can.  With Anna dying in his arms, Kristoff rushes down the mountain and back to Arendelle to bring her to Hans, while Hans and his men go up the mountain to arrest the Snow Queen.  After several of the men nearly die, she is ultimately arrested and locked in the dungeon.

Anna and Hans's reunion is bittersweet when the prince proclaims he had tricked Anna and will now use her death as a reason to kill Elsa and become King.  He locks Anna in the parlor and puts out the fire.  Olaf is able to reach Anna and rekindles the fire, while Kristoff, realizing he is in love with Anna, decides to go back and save her.  Anna and Olaf go in pursuit of Kristoff, as Anna realizes she finally understands what love is and that she loves him.  Hans confronts Elsa, telling her that her actions caused Anna's death.  It is now up to Kristoff to make it to Anna in time, and for Elsa to stop Hans however she can.

What's Bad?: Much like Aladdin, if there is a flaw in the film, it is very minimal.

What's Good?: This should be changed to what is amazing.  Because that is the rest of the film.  The single best part of the movie is the story.  It doesn't focus on the romance between Anna and Hans/ Anna and Kristoff.  It focuses on a relationship few Disney films do, the relationship between siblings.  Much like how The Lion King focused on the relationship between a father and son, and how The Prince of Egypt focused more on the relationship of Moses and Ramses, Frozen's focus is practically fully on the relationship between Elsa and Anna.  These two are the only family they have left and Anna's ever loving attitude towards her older sister is only further magnified by Elsa's protective love for Anna, feeling incredibly guilty over hurting her all those years ago.  But, as she departs from Arendelle, Elsa becomes more of a three dimensional character, utilizing her magic to create her perfect dream kingdom.  And when the two sisters do reunite, Elsa does want to see her and for things to go back to the way they were, but knows all too well that her powers can harm Anna.  And how devastated she is when she finds out she may have killed her sister, is an especially powerful scene.

Anna's naivety about love is also a welcome change.  Unlike Rapunzel, she is quick to trust the first person she meets in the outside world, who ultimately ends up becoming the villain.  And it isn't until she begins spending time with Kristoff and his troll family that "love at first sight" isn't the best way to find your soul mate.  But it's her devotion and love to Elsa that makes her character so strong.  The first big musical moment "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" almost brought a tear to my eye.  You see how much Anna wants to rekindle their friendship, but Elsa is too afraid of her abilities and the chance that she may hurt her little sister to allow it.

Hans is the first Disney Villain that I have grown to really detest.  While some could compare him to Gaston, the rogue hunter from Beauty and the Beast at least had the charisma of an absolutely self-smitten jock who actually does love Belle, but for his own selfish purposes.  Hans is as evil as he is heartless.  He was willing to let Anna, a girl who had a huge crush on him, die while he could become King.  Jeez man, and I thought Scar was evil...

And ordinarily, you'd expect the lead male, Kristoff, not to have a personality.  But no, he does.  He has the personality of someone who spends way too much time with himself and Sven the reindeer.  In fact, the two funniest scenes in the movie are when he is talking to the reindeer and starts acting like he knows what the reindeer is saying and gives him a ridiculous voice.  The other, is when Kristoff takes Anna and Olaf to the place with his trolls and begins talking to the rocks before they appear, making him look certifiably insane.

The comedy in this movie is also perfect.  The side characters, like the Duke of Weselton (they call it Weaselton) is a funny and bumbling old man who tries to be a villain but he's too easy to mock.

The music is the best since Aladdin.  Every song in this movie is a gem that should be sung for the next several generations.  My personal favorites are "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" and "Let it Go", which was Elsa's song after she leaves Arendelle.  The score is also very detailed and wondrous.  It is the best since The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Much like how The Lion King was heavily influenced by the Zulu tribe in South Africa, and how Hunchback was by Latin Choirs in Europe, the film is heavily influenced by the northern European cultures, like Denmark and Norway.

The animation is breathtaking.  The amount of scope and detail they use in each shot is the best since Sleeping Beauty or even Bambi.  It seems that every particle of snow in movie is different from the others.  The snow also seemed more realistic than snow seen in other movies like Aladdin, Mulan, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Overall: A motion picture of almost unparalleled wonder and delight, if Frozen does not follow in Beauty and the Beast and Up and receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture, I'll be really pissed off.  This is the most well rounded, well drawn, well written, and well told Disney film since The Lion King and I'll be sure to see this film a few more times in theaters.  I strongly recommend this film if you haven't seen it.  Go on guys, it is one of the best animated films ever made.  Period.

Report Card

Hero:                               95
Heroines:                        100
Villain:                             92
Side Characters:             96
Songs:                             100
Musical Score:               100
Animation:                      100
Special Effects:              100
Story:                              100
Themes:                          100

Final Grade:                    98

Film Review #48: Wreck It Ralph

For the Toy Story of the Disney canon of films, Disney had an uncanny amount of tie-ins within the film, from Pacman ghosts, Sonic the Hedgehog and Bowser, to newly invented characters.  And while again not a truly amazing masterpiece, Wreck it Ralph is perhaps more engaging and imaginative than the two previous fairy tales.  The characters are more developed and the story is more original.

Plot: When the arcade closes in the nightfall, the video game worlds come to life and are free to commune with each other.  Tired of the life of a villain in his game (Fix it Felix, a kind of Donkey Kong hybrid), Wreck it Ralph decides he wants to be a recognized hero.  But to do so, he must earn a hero's medal.  So he travels to a "Call of Duty" knock off and ends up earning a medal there, but is knocked out of the game in the process.  With Ralph gone, Fix it Felix is unplugged, deemed faulty by one of the arcade employees, leaving everyone in the game without a home.

Ralph crash lands in a Mario Kart knockoff called Sugar Rush, and has his medal stolen by a little girl named Vanellope, who uses it to get into the race.  As Felix searches for Ralph to bring him back, Ralph and Vanellope must  elude the evil King Candy and his ruthless schemes.

What's Bad?: I wish the video game characters had larger roles in the games.  Not the Disney named ones, I mean Sonic, Bowser, and the like.  Like in Toy Story, which had large roles for Mr. Potato Head, Slinky Dog, Barbie, and board games like Battleship.  But the characters only make brief cameos.  I mean, with all this limitless money Disney seems to have (they bought Lucasfilm at this point), surely they could have shelled out more money for a couple of characters to have large roles.  I'm certain Mario won't earn another film role anytime soon.

What's Good?: The lead characters are likable and interesting, particularly Vanellope, who is like that little hyper sister no one ever wants to have.  The techno score they used for much of the soundtrack was great, and the animation is still top notch.

Overall: I do like this film, but I think it could have been so much better.  It's passable, but not legendary.  I'll save that word for later...

Report Card:

Hero:                           87
Heroine:                      90
Villain:                         75
Side Characters:         86
Songs:                          82
Musical Score:            90
Animation:                   94
Special Effects:           88
Story:                           95
Themes:                       89

Final Score:                  88

Film Review #47: Winnie the Pooh (2011)

Another go around in the Hundred Acre Wood?  Well...why not?  Not only is this the most universally loved cast of characters in the history of motion picture, but there could be dozens of other adventures for Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and the whole crew to go on.  And in 2011, Disney gave us another chance to delve into the adventures in the friendliest community in animation history.  While only making a fraction of what Tangled drew at the box office, Winnie the Pooh was Disney's second 2D animated film since The Princess and the Frog.

Plot: The film is based on three stories found in the Milne books. Two stories are from Winnie-the-Pooh: "In Which Eeyore Loses a Tail and Pooh Finds One" and "In Which Piglet Meets a Heffalump". The other story is found in The House at Pooh Corner: "In Which Rabbit Has a Busy Day and We Learn What Christopher Robin Does in the Mornings". Some elements, such as the gang thinking that Christopher Robin has been captured by a monster, are based on events from the film Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin.

Pooh wakes up one day to find that he is out of honey. While out searching for more, Pooh discovers that Eeyore has lost his tail. Pooh, Tigger,Rabbit, Owl, Kanga, and Roo come to the rescue, and Christopher Robin decides to hold a contest to see who can find a replacement for Eeyore's tail. The prize for the winner is a fresh pot of honey. After many failed attempts for what would replace Eeyore's tail (such as a cuckoo clock), Kanga suggests they use a scarf, but it unravels.

The next day, Pooh goes to visit Christopher Robin and he finds a note that says "Gon Out Bizy Back Soon". Because Pooh is unable to read the note, he asks for Owl's help. Owl's poor reading comprehension skills lead Pooh and his friends to believe that Christopher Robin has been abducted by a ruthless and mischievous monster they call the "Backson". Rabbit plans to trap the Backson in a pit, which they think he'll fall into after following a trail of items leading to it. Meanwhile, Tigger, wanting a sidekick to help him defeat the Backson, recruits Eeyore to be a second Tigger. He dresses up like the Backson and tries to teach Eeyore how to fight. Eeyore, who is doing this against his will, escapes from Tigger and hides underwater.

After a failed attempt to get honey from a bee hive, Pooh's imagination combined with his hunger get the better of him, and accidentally falls into the pit meant for the Backson. Rabbit, Kanga, Roo, Owl and Eeyore (who had found an anchor whilst he was hiding to replace his own tail) try to get him out, but fall in themselves. Piglet attempts to get Pooh and friends out of the trap (though continuously irritating Rabbit with over-interpretations of his instructions), but he runs into Tigger, still in his Backson outfit, and mistakes him for the actual monster. Piglet escapes from Tigger on a red balloon, which knocks some of the storybook's letters into the pit. After the chase, Tigger and Piglet fall into the trap as well, where Eeyore reminds Tigger that he, being "the only one," is "the most wonderful thing about Tiggers". Eventually, Pooh figures out to use the fallen letters to form a ladder, and the animals are able to escape the pit. They soon find Christopher Robin, and tell him about the Backson, but he clarifies, saying he meant to be "back soon."

Later, Pooh visits Owl only to find that Owl was the one that took Eeyore's tail, not realizing it belonged to Eeyore. Owl had been using Eeyore's tail as a bell-pull for his door. Pooh chooses to leave and return the tail to Eeyore instead of sharing a pot of honey with Owl. Christopher Robin is proud of Pooh's selflessness and rewards him with a large pot of honey.

(borrowed from Wikipedia)

What's Bad: I don't know, but maybe the animation is too good.  The animation of the first Winnie the Pooh, was perfect.  It wasn't too good, but it seemed to be more like a children's book.  The animation here may be a little too perfect.  I'm never pleased, am I?

What's Good: Everything else.  The characters are still as much lovable as they are naive.  The songs are surprisingly effective, and the stories are well adapted from A.A. Milne's classic storybooks.  It's Winnie the Pooh, how bad could you screw it up?

Overall: The film is charming, effective, comedic, and a good well rounded animated film to watch for children from 2-92.

Report Card:

Hero:                         95
Heroine:                   N/A
Villain:                      N/A
Side Characters:       95
Songs:                        85
Musical Score:          80
Animation:                 86
Special Effects:         80
Story:                         90
Themes:                     90

Final Grade:               88

Film Review #46: Tangled

The Princess and the Frog was winning the critical award for the artists.  And we all know about how controversial the marketing decisions were for this film, but for this film to outgross Aladdin?  This film must have been something really special.  And...well...it's pretty good, but certainly not up to snuff with the other Renaissance films.  Nevertheless, this film is currently the second most successful film released by Walt Disney Feature Animation (The Lion King), and deserves to be talked about with some of the finest in Disney Animation.

Plot: A magic flower has mystical healing abilities.  For old hag Mother Gothel, it is a fountain of youth, keeping her alive well past her time by simply singing a song.  The King's men find the flower and use it to heal the sick Queen, who gives birth to a beautiful little princess named Rapunzel.  But one night, the princess was kidnapped by Mother Gothel and taken to a tower deep within the forest to help her keep herself youthful.  In order for the spell to work longer, Gothel brushes Rapunzel's hair so it could grow longer and longer.

Several years later, Rapunzel dreams of seeing the mysterious light show held in the Kingdom, but Gothel refuses to let her leave the tower.  A thief named Flint Ryder sneaks into the tower after stealing the princess's tiara.  Rapunzel takes the crown and offers to return it to him in exchange for him taking her to the kingdom to see the lights.  So the duo head into the woods, dodging bandits, an extreme law abiding horse with a grudge, the wrath of Gothel, and their own budding emotions for each other.

What's Bad?: Like Brother Bear, this film has more modern dialogue than other Disney films like Beauty and the Beast.  Mandy Moore, while a fairly strong Rapunzel, seems a bit too modern for a period fairy tale like this.  And also, Mother Gothel is a pretty weak villain for this movie.  The only thing she has going for her is her psychological grip on Rapunzel's mind, like Frollo and Lady Tremaine had.  But while Lady Tremaine had her sadistic and cruel intentions to use and Frollo had an extra layer of psychotic and emotional depth, Gothel really had nothing else going for her.  In most instances, she doesn't seem to want to be a villain.

What's Good?: The animation in this movie is top notch.  When I heard how much money went into this film, I knew this film must either have had an all star cast, or breathtaking animation.  Every shot in this film is a stunning shot.  The only comparable film in terms of artistic beauty is Sleeping Beauty.  The finest scene is the scene of the King and Queen before they let out the lights.  The animation of the king's face is so emotionally gripping, we hardly notice that there is no dialogue in the scene.

After the horrid writing of Home on the Range's music, Alan Menken is back to writing good Disney songs, as the songs and score of this movie are pretty good.  There isn't a standout song like "Be Our Guest" or "A Whole New World", but the collective whole is fairly strong.

Overall: While no masterpiece, Tangled is an impressive and almost daunting achievement in the history of animation.  The animation is top notch and the characters are fairly strong.  I highly recommend this one, it is a gem.

Report Card:

Hero:                           85
Heroine:                      96
Villain:                         71
Side Characters:         92
Songs:                          87
Musical Score:            90
Animation:                   100
Special Effects:           100
Story:                            94
Themes:                        90

Final Score:                   91

Film Review #45: The Princess and the Frog

Wait.  2D Animation is back?  "AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!" screamed SimbaKing94, fanboying out like crazy.

Yes, The Princess and the Frog was more than just a return to the fairy tale form Disney was known best for, but also a return to 2D animation, the first since 2004.  Not only that, but it was also a return to the musical.  While I'm not a big fan of Randy Newman, his voice isn't in this movie.  But I'm getting ahead of myself.  Let's go over the plot.

Plot: Down on the streets of New Orleans, a young woman named Tiana waitresses tables on the way to her dream of owning a restaurant.  Meanwhile, a Prince from a foreign country arrives supposedly seeking a wife, but wanting to party.  He gets conned by an evil shadow man and is transformed into a frog.

At a friend's ball, the prince arrives and convinces Tiana that if she kisses him, he would return to human form and help finance Tiana's dream.  But when she kisses the frog, she transforms into one herself.  Now, the two must seek the help of the voodoo witch Mama Odie and return to their human selves, while the shadow man plots to become the King of Mardis Gras.

What's Bad?: Perhaps the plot of this movie becomes a little too deep too fast.  I won't give anything away, but let's just say that there is a strong chance you will get as confused as Charlotte does when Naveen explains it to her.

What's Good?: The songs are back to being Disney Songs and not just pop songs Disney threw in to make money.  My personal favorite is the evil shadow man's song "Friends on the Other Side", which is the first major villain song since "Hellfire"

Tiana, like Ariel did before her, updated the Disney Princess motif, making her as much a hard worker as a dreamer.  In fact, Tiana gives up on magic side and focuses entirely on working hard for her goal, like her father did.  And while the side characters are perhaps overly developed, they are still likable, particularly Charlotte, who is hands down the funniest character in a Disney movie since Yzma and Kronk.

Overall: The first film since Lilo and Stitch to be considered a Walt Disney Classic, The Princess and the Frog is a sheer delight from start to finish.  But audiences were not yet convinced that a new age of animation was back.  It would take a few more years for audiences to fully come back and embrace Disney, but a new bright era had just begun.

Report Card:

Hero:                          84
Heroine:                     96
Villain:                       100
Side Characters:        86
Songs:                         90
Musical Score:           82
Animation:                  100
Special Effects:          100
Story:                          80
Themes:                     94

Final Grade:              91

Film Review #44: Bolt

Me and my friends were going to the movies.  We originally intended to see the new James Bond movie (ya know, after we laughed at the thought of going to see Twilight), but it was sold out at the theater.  Eager to watch something, we decided to get tickets to see Bolt, the new Disney film.  I had absolutely no expectations for this film, following four disastrous films.  I went in, I ate my popcorn and we began watching what I expected was going to be a terrifying disaster.  But...well...despite hated Miley Cyrus being in it, this film did not suck.  In fact, I would call this the Oliver and Company of the new era.

Plot: Bolt is a star of a TV show where he and his owner Penny fight off an evil villain.  But Bolt (a la Buzz Lightyear), believes himself to be a super-powered dog.  When the show is being relocated, Bolt escapes and believes that Penny has been abducted by a villain.  He captures a cat named Mittens and makes her take him to Penny, all while thinking himself to be immortal and impervious to damage.  While Mittens tries to keep her new canine comrade from killing himself, Bolt and the fanboy hamster Rhino travel cross country to "save Penny" from the evil villain.

What's Bad?: Miley Cyrus sounds WAY too old to be a little girl.  She sounds like an actress trying to be young.  The film also lacked a villain, which could have been a more circumstantial situation if played better.

What's Good?: Like a few misguided critics said about The Rescuers, Bolt is a breath of fresh air and a welcomed return to a more wholesome storytelling perspective.  What I liked most is the fact that the film was hardly marketed by Disney, despite grossing a decent amount of money.  Bolt as a character is another Buzz Lightyear, but is still comedic and the fanboy hamster reminds me of a few of my own friends.

Overall: For a film that had virtually no expectations for it, the film was a fairly decent return to form for Disney that perhaps could signal a sign for things to come.  Could there possibly be a second Renaissance lying just around the riverbend?  Perhaps, a whole new world of imagination?  I wish i could be part of that world.  I'm sorry, I'm really sick of watching Disney movies again.  Thank God it's almost over.  I've been sitting here for almost an Arabian night.  Okay, I'm done.

Report Card:

Hero:                            83
Heroine:                       81
Villain:                         N/A
Side Characters:          86
Songs:                          N/A
Musical Score:             85
Animation:                    89
Special Effects:            93
Themes:                       88
Story:                            84

Report Card:                86

Film Review #43: Meet the Robinsons

This is your average KIDS MOVIE.  When I say KIDS MOVIE, I mean that only kids would like it.  I understand the stereotype of Disney Films being only kid films, because this film is the prime example of it.  Nothing stands out, but it isn't as awful as the two films that came before.

Plot: Orphaned youngster Lewis has dreams of becoming a great inventor along with finding a loving family after arriving at his orphanage.  After his invention stopped working during a fair, the dejected Lewis meets with a boy named Wilbur from the future and the two travel to several years into the future.  There, Lewis meets the Robinsons, an eccentric family of oddballs and crazy folks.  But the two friends must beware of a mysterious villain named Bowler Hat Guy (I'm not kidding), who has ties to Lewis's past and Wilbur's future.

What's Bad?: At this time in Disney History, the company went away from pleasing their longstanding fans and marketing solely to little kids to preteen girls.  Toon Disney dissolved into Disney XD, which played nothing but old superhero shows (Disney purchased Marvel), horrible live action shows, and the table scraps Disney never wanted on video.  And the music from this soundtrack was heavily influenced by the success of The Jonas Brothers (remember them?), who were untalented hacks who stole songs from other writers and somehow won the heart of every female in America at one point.  I hate them, 1D, BTR, and almost every boy band that has ever existed, and their names should be no where near anywhere outside of TV and the occasional "we need money" concert.

As for the film itself, while it lacks in the "easy to mock department" it doesn't have many redeemable things about it.  It is like a Nickelodeon movie, more for kids than the family.  

That being said, the villain in this movie is an absolute joke.  Not in the funny way, either.  He isn't intimidating, funny, or revolting.  He just sort of exists.  He looks like one of cliche 1920s villains.  

What's Good?: Like I said before, there isn't anything stand out good about this film.  It was all around okay.

Overall: While no angelic film from heaven, the excuse could be made that Disney was still experimenting with 3D animation, so I guess this film can get a passing grade from me.  Go see it, but make sure you have sleeping pills ready.

Report Card:

Hero:                         75

Heroine:                    60

Villain:                       30

Side Characters:       80

Songs:                        50

Musical Score:          75

Animation:                 80

Special Effects:         85

Story:                         80

Themes:                     75

Final Grade:               69

Film Review #42: Chicken Little

I stopped watching Disney films once.
It was in the fall of 2005.  I was in the 5th grade.  My little cousin wanted to go see a film based on "Chicken Little".  I went to go see it to see what talentless hacks were conned into making this film.  I sat in and when I saw the Walt Disney Pictures logo, I cried.  DISNEY?  THEY ACTUALLY MADE A FILM BASED OFF OF A ONE PARAGRAPH FABLE?!?!?!?!?!?!?!  WHAT COULD THEY HAVE POSSIBLY EXPECTED THIS FILM TO BE? It was just pure awful.  I am still amazed that this piece of shit came from Disney.

Plot: Chicken Little has faced nothing but ridicule since his psychotic outbursts about the sky falling.  But it turns out he was telling the truth.  But it isn't exactly the sky falling, but effing aliens.  WHAT?  Now it's up to Chicken and his gang of misfit friends to  save the town while trying to earn back his father's love and respect.

What's Wrong?: My biggest issue is not the stupid alien plot, Zack Braff's terrible acting, or even the stupid premise.  It's the father.  All Chicken Little wants is his father to be proud of him, but that would only be if the son was a big hero or a superstar athlete.  Dude, you are an ASSHOLE!  A son only asks for love and respect for so long.

This may not be the film's fault, but the only reason the film was successful at the box office was because of the fact that it was Computer animated.  If this was in 2d Animation, this wouldn't have made any money.  This would haunt Disney fans until 2009, but it still technically does.

What's Good?: -_-

Overall: This was an especially trying film to sit through.  I kept looking at my phone and asking when this film would end.  This is no Disney Film.  It doesn't even deserve to be a film.  It deserves to be...UGH!!!!!!

Report Card:

Hero:                         65
Heroine:                    45
Villain:                      N/A
Side Characters:       53
Songs:                       N/A
Musical Score:          56
Animation:                 53
Special Effects:         60
Themes:                     67
Story:                         60

Final Grade:               50

Film Review #41: Home on the Range

Ugh...lets just get this over with.  This film nearly assassinated the Disney Animation department and put an end to 2D animated films made by Disney.  It is a pitiful film with absolutely nothing redeemable about it.  It was the first movie I saw in theaters that made me walk out of it saying to my grandmother "Well that was a piece of shit!"  There is quite literally nothing in this movie to like, from the ear splitting songs (Alan Menken how could you? T^T), to it's terrible premise, and from it's unfunny moments to it's constant predictability.  Let's just get on with it.

Plot: A new Cow named Maggie is brought to a new farm called "Little Patch o Heaven", where she meets several overdeveloped and underdeveloped characters.  But all is not well on this farm, as it is being foreclosed for a lack of bill payment.  So the cows think that if they could capture a bandit in the west, they could save their farm.  And I'm not kidding, this is the whole damn plot!  The rest of the film leads absolutely nowhere and I pity the poor souls who were forced to work on this piece of F***ing Shit!!!

What's Bad?: To be quite frank, everything.  The animation sucks, the songs suck, the characters suck.  Even one of the cows who is voiced by Jennifer Tilly isn't enough to save this film.  The villain is weak, Rosanne is an aberration to sit through and the rest of the film is just so unmemorable that I don't even have the energy to look up the rest of the stupid plot on Wikipedia.

What's Good?: Well, I liked it when it was over...

Overall: Supercrapafuckerificexpialibullshit!!!!!!  That is the only word that can describe this putrid film.  And the scariest part, the next film isn't better.

Report Card:

Hero:                          40
Heroines:                    50
Villain:                        30
Side Characters:        40
Songs:                         35
Musical Score:           40
Animation:                  70
Special Effects:           40
Story:                           0
Themes:                       6

Final Score: 31

Now if you'll excuse me, this next film requires me to lobotomise my brain.  I'll be back in a few...

Film Review #40: Brother Bear

Remember what I said on the Lilo and Stitch review?  Well, it was true.  

Disney hit a rough spell.  From Treasure Planet forward, Disney lost millions of dollars, fans, and critics following a run of disastrous movies.  No matter how we look at them as films, we know only that this was the beginning of the end for Disney Animation, and feared what lay beyond time.  Brother Bear was one of these first films.  It lacked any story strength and strong character relations.  It was a weak and foolishly put together movie that, like it's predecessor, should have been a much better film.  

Plot: In the days of the Eskimos, three brothers Kenai, Sitka, and Denahi live together with their tribe.  Kenai is ready to receive his spirit animal, but is downtrodden when he receives the "Bear of Love".  Later the brothers are attacked by a mother bear and Sitka dies.  Kenai goes out on a hunt alone and kills the bear.  The spirits are disappointed in him and in order for him to learn the lesson, he is transformed into a bear.

Kenai realizes the only way to become human again is to reach the northern lights.  He is accompanied by the cub of the bear he killed, an annoying little twerp named Koda.  Along the way they meet new friends and must avoid the revenge seeking Denahi.

What's Bad?: The film suffers from over-modernization.  In a story that should have been timeless, the film is modernized by jokes from a couple of annoying Canadian animals, particularly two moose.  The talk that goes on between the animals is way too modern. 

The Phil Collins songs are more annoying this time around than they were in Tarzan.  There should have been more instrumental moments during the emotional scenes instead of Collins songs.  

What's Good?: The scenes of the Eskimo people are far superior.  The dialogue between the humans is more timeless and the characters are more likable, including a Rafiki-esque lead shaman woman.  The relationship between the three brothers is also very believable and genuine.  I especially liked Jason Raize's performance as Denahi, who loses two brothers in a span of a few hours.

Overall: While the film isn't technically that awful, its still a drag to sit through.  The kid is especially annoying and was just written in as a marketing gimmick to appeal to kids.  The film is seriously weak and the studio was in serious trouble.

Report Card:

Hero:                             81

Heroine:                       N/A

Villain:                          N/A

Side Characters:          70

Songs:                           70

Musical Score:             70

Animation:                    80

Special Effects:             75

Story:                            84

Themes:                        80

Final Grade:                  76

Film Review #39: Treasure Planet

A film of overwhelming and underwhelming expectations, Treasure Planet is more than just a silly named retread of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic pirate novel.  It's an example of what not to do when trying to modernize a classic story.  Naturally, directors John Musker and Ron Clements (The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, The Great Mouse Detective), who seemed to lose their original sense of storytelling after the Pop Culture craze that was rampant in Aladdin, fail to tell a story in this film and basically add whatever they think would sell tickets instead of tell stories.

Plot: Set in the far future, a young Jim Hawkins is told of the legend of Treasure Planet, where space pirates stowed away a vast treasure.  Cut to several years later, when Jim, now a delinquent, is given a mysterious sphere by a dying man who crashes into his mother's hotel.  When tinkering with it, he discovers that the once he opened the sphere, it showed him a map to Treasure Planet.  Along with one of his mother's friends Dr. Doppler, the two hire a crew for the journey to the treasure.

On the ship, Jim is taken under the wing of cyborg chef Long John Silver, who secretly plans to mutiny along with many of the sailors, who are actually pirates.  But Silver takes a liking to Hawkins, and finds it continually difficult to double cross/ take care of Hawkins, whom he looks at as a son.

What's Bad?: One HUGE flaw keeps me from liking this film.  And it is the setting.  Usually, this isn't a problem for an animated film. But here, it actually hinders the experience.  The film is stuck in-between wanting to be this epic Star Wars film and trying to be fiercely loyal to the original novel.  While they do travel in spaceships, they are kind of like sail boats?  And while Silver is a cool looking cyborg, Jim's mom where's a bonnet?  If you're not gonna retell the story of "Treasure Island", the very least you could do go all the way with the sci-fi angle.  It's an awkward and clustered blend of poor mixing of two vastly different universes...

What's Good?: The Characters are surprisingly effective, particularly Jim and Silver.  They're "father-son" relationship drives the picture in most ways and they're two of the most effective characters Disney has had in a long time.  The other characters are good too, although the Martin Short robot and the Doppler guy can get a bit annoying.

The steam punk soundtrack used is interesting, but I never believed it belonged in a Disney movie.

The animation, while clunky, is still very good.  Despite the setting, the animation is still pretty cool.

Overall: This film is a shame.  It has all of the things that could tell a really strong Disney story, but suffers from a seriously flawed setting and general idea.  If you are into character heavy stories where everything else makes no sense at all, be my guest and check this out.  If not, you probably won't like this one.

Report Card

Hero:                               88
Heroine:                          85
Villains:                           90
Side Characters:             82
Songs:                             75
Musical Score:               80
Animation:                      80
Special Effects:              90
Story:                              65
Themes:                          55

Final Grade:                    79

Film Review #38: Lilo and Stitch

Disney was in dire need of a hit.  Not just a hit.  A big hit.  One that could perhaps bring back the lost generation of kids and bring back an interest in Disney Animation, which had been receding since the mid 1990's.  The result was the most well crafted film of the 2000's.  Lilo and Stitch brought back fans and receipts to Disney and gave the studio a little extra jolt of interest that it would ultimately shit on for the next six years.  But until then, this film was a delight to watch and listen to.  If you haven't seen this film, I highly recommend it.  It's a sheer delight.

Plot: Deep in outer space, Dr Jumba Jukiba is placed on trial for illegal experimentation and creating different species based on world domination.  One of them, Experiment 626, is captured and sent to an asteroid to be banished.  But it escapes and takes a rocket ship to Earth and crash lands in Hawaii.  There, he is mistaken for a dog and adopted by a little oddball of a girl named Lilo and given the name Stitch.  While Lilo tries to teach the alien about kindness and obedience, the little blue alien tries to wreak havoc on this new world.  All the while Jumba and his sidekick Pleakley try to capture Stitch to secure Jumba's freedom.

What's Bad?: There really isn't much to say in terms of this film.  There is no serious flaws or misguidings in the film, at least from what I could detect.  But while this fact remains, there really isn't much that stands out.  It's a good film and a charming film, but nothing seriously groundbreaking.

What's Good?: The film has good things about it, like the two sisters Lilo and Nani, who really do love and care for each other.  One would expect Disney to utilize an evil stepmother or something that oppresses Lilo's imagination, but this is a relatable and believable scenario.

The Sci-Fi stuff is pretty funny.  The guns in the movie shoot plasma like goo balls instead of the Star Wars lasers I was used to.

And while few of the songs are original, the songs they chose for the film work really well.

Overall: The film is a delight to watch.  The characters are engaging and funny and the story flows well without any major glaring flaws.  Make sure you see this one guys, its a classic.

Report Card

Hero:                                 86
Heroine:                            94
Villain:                              85
Side Characters:              93
Songs:                               85
Musical Score:                 87
Animation:                        93
Special Effects:                 92
Themes:                            91
Story:                                89

Final Grade:                     90

Film Review #37: Atlantis: The Lost Empire

I originally had zero intentions on seeing this movie.  I had heard all of the rumors of how bad this one was that I avoided it like the plague...until I heard who directed it.  Kirk Wise and Gary Trousdale, the same duo who directed Beauty and the Beast and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, along with Lion King producer Don Hahn.  In short, I wondered how bad a film this could possibly be, when three of the great Disney Legends had worked on it.  What I didn't realize, was that shortly after this film failed miserably, Trousdale and Wise left the studio and Don Hahn went on to Live Action films.  This film is one of the reasons the 2000's were so difficult to endure for Disney fans.  It had all of the right components, but none of the brains or magic that make Disney films successful.

Plot: "Archaeologist" Milo Thatch lives the life of a boil room employee at a museum in Washington DC.  He is also a firm believer in the myth of the lost city of Atlantis, which had discovered electricity before the egyptians had built pyramids.  But constantly being put down by his bosses make him have the desire to quit.  A mysterious woman named Helga appears in his home one night with an offer from an entrepreneur who new Milo's deceased grandfather.  The entrepreneur has a proposition: he is willing to fund a trip down into the depths of the Earth for Milo if he can lead them to Atlantis.

Milo and his team of eccentric individuals travel into the planet and search for the city, ultimately coming upon it.  While Milo bonds with the people's princess, the rest of the explorers only see it as an opportunity for profit and decide to try to be the White Man all over again and take their power source.  As Atlantis begins to fade further out of existence, Milo must save the captured Princess and his people from the archfiend Rourke and his army of followers.

What's Bad?: The film lacks magic, reason, and most everything a Disney film needs to work.  The characters are not in the slightest engaging, despite rounding up some of the best actors in Hollywood.  Milo especially falls into that quirky hero category, along with Hercules and Mulan.  The Princess isn't a very interesting character and her father (Leonard Nemoy) isn't much either.

The story is very clunky and not thought out.  For example, when the people get down there, they all begin to act very kindly towards the local villagers, but quickly turn on them like Anakin Skywalker did in Episode III.  And about five minutes later, they're back on Milo's side.  It makes no sense.  And if every solitary detail about a film can be picked apart, then the film should not have been made.

What's Good?: I guess you can say the animation is good.  Some of the scenes and animation are beautiful to look at and if a well crafted story was built around it, this would have been something special.

Overall: Disappointing.  Very disappointing.  In the year that Monsters Inc. and Shrek dazzled and entertained audiences, this was a most discouraging film for the future of Disney Animation.  Disney would need a miracle to pull audiences in for at least one more go.  The result...we'll talk about next post.

Report Card:

Hero                                  75
Heroine                             70
Villain                                55
Side Characters                80
Songs                                N/A
Musical Score                   80
Animation                          90
Special Effects                  90
Themes                             70
Story                                 65

Final Grade                       75