Film Review #96: The Avengers

This film was basically guaranteed to succeed, no matter what kind of effort they put into it.  With the famous superheros like Iron Man, Thor, Captain America, and the Hulk teaming up to battle an invading force of aliens on Earth, the only way that The Avengers would have failed would have been if the film was just one gigantic ponzi scheme.  But instead of "Michael Bay"ing us, Joss Whedon directed us one of the most epic and profound crossovers in the history of motion pictures.  What can I say about this film that hasn't already been said?  This is the first time that a large group of superheros will appear on screen together and combat a horrific evil.  Everything that led up to this film is worth it because this film is that awesome!

Plot: A narrator reveals to both the audience and his master of an alliance that has been forged between a certain Asgardian and the great one, who has given his new ally control of his virtually invincible army, the Chitauri and a powerful staff to control the Earth in exchange for the Asgardian to return the Tesseract to him.

At S.H.I.E.L.D.'s headquarters, Erik Selvig is tasked with overlooking the Tesseract in the hopes that it's unyielding power could perhaps power the Earth.  But when it starts reacting on it's own, it opens a gateway to the other side of space that Loki uses to arrive on Earth and begin his conquest of the planet.  Using his staff, Loki bewitches both Selvig and S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Clint Barton (Jeremy Renner) otherwise known as Hawkeye and steals the Tesseract from the organization while also crippling their base.

Frustrated with their inability to capture Loki, Nick Fury calls in his "Avengers Initiative" , calling Steve Rogers, Natasha Romanov, Bruce Banner (now played by Mark Ruffalo), and Tony Stark to action.  While he begins to track Loki, Loki begins planning his scheme to utilize the Tesseracts power to call forth his immense army.  In order to garner enough time, Loki fights but ultimately surrenders to the Avengers and is taken captive.  But Thor intervenes and tries to force Loki to surrender the Tesseract.  Thor and Iron Man get into an awesome fight but Captain America stops them and convinces Thor to join up with them.

Loki then sets about to tear the Avengers apart from the inside.  When Tony and Bruce learn that S.H.I.E.L.D. is planning to use the Tesseract to make WMD's they confront Fury about this.  Natasha defends Fury's actions, Rogers argues with Stark about his ego and Fury reveals that they only planned to make WMD's after Thor's fight with the Destroyer in New Mexico.  As the group argues, an angered Banner unleashes the Hulk and begins tearing the base apart while Loki manages to escape from his cage, trapping Thor inside.  Hulk is taken out of the base by a fighter plane while Stark and Rogers try to keep the engines going.  Loki then kills agent Phil Coulson and dumps Thor's cage out of the sky.  While Hawkeye tries to finish his mission, Natasha fights and beats him, freeing him from Loki's control

With Loki gone, the base in tatters, and the group broken and weary, Fury manages to convince the remaining heroes to fight for Coulson.  Stark flies off to Stark Tower while the remaining team follows in a helicopter.  In a hilariously epic confrontation with Loki, Iron Man dons a new armor and begins to fight off the Chitauri armies.  Thor returns to fight Loki, Captain America and his allies fight on the ground and Banner returns and unleashes the Hulk once more to help fend off the armies.  But when the council of S.H.I.E.L.D. sends a nuclear weapon to destroy New York City, the Avengers must defeat the invasion of the Chitauri before the nuke wipes out mankind in the city.

What's Bad?: There are a few very minor flaws in this film, some of which can detract from the story if you are one of those over analyizing guys.  For example, you have the unexplained "dark magic" that Odin had to use to bring Thor to Earth, as the Bifrost was being reconstructed at the time.  You also have the tidbit that Bruce Banner can somehow now control the Hulk for the services of the plot.

My personal grief with this film is the virtual uselessness of Captain America.  While he does do a lot of fighting in the city and protects civilians, he doesn't have as much to do with the overall defense to the city as Hawkeye, Thor, Iron Man, and even Black Widow do.  And on top of that, his extremely patriotic attitude towards S.H.I.E.L.D. may come off to some as naive, but it comes off to me as annoying and detrimental to the plot.  And this film does NOT rake advantage of having the Super Soldier on their side at all.  And need I say anything about the goofy costume?  Thank GOD for The Winter Soldier.

What's Good?: Literally every other aspect of this film is perfect.  In terms of their performance and the sheer entertainment value their character brings to the film, the best grades would undoubtedly go to Hiddleston reprising his role as Loki and RDJ as Iron Man once more.  But the singular best performance in the movie goes to Scarlett Johansson as Black Widow.  She is absolutely kick ass in this film and makes me eager to see her in more films beyond this one.

The action is some of the best superhero action I have ever seen.  An honor I once gave to Spiderman 2, this film has THE best fight scenes of any superhero movie ever made.  My personal favorite fight scene is the "Superhero Pissing Contest" between Thor and Iron Man (even though Thor was probably going easy on Iron Man, as Mjonir could have probably shattered Stark's armor in a flash).  But the dialogue the two exchange before the fight is freaking hilarious.

That's another thing.  This movie's humor is really freaking awesome.  Unlike the really heavy superhero movies like The Dark (Knight Rises and Man of Steel, this film feels no need at all to take itself seriously all the way through.  With such perfect exchanges as:

THOR: Do not touch me again.

STARK: Then don't take my stuff.

THOR: You have no idea what you're dealing with.

STARK: Um, Shakespeare in the park?  Doth Mother know, you weareth her drapes?

along with:

THOR: (To Banner): Have care how you speak!  Loki's mind may be beyond reason, but he is of Asgard.  And he is my brother.

ROMANOV: He killed eighty people in two days.

THOR: He's adopted.  

and of course:

STARK: (To Rogers): Then tell him to "Suit Up".  I'm bringing the party to you.

(Stark flies on screen with one of the Chitauri demons pursuing him.  Thor and Hawkeye prepare for the upcoming onslaught.)

ROMANOV: I don't see how that's a party...


...you cannot buy this kind of humor in a superhero movie these days.

Overall: The Avengers is an absolute masterpiece in the art of filmmaking.  With a few minor flaws aside, the film is one of the single best superhero movies I have had the privelege of seeing and I look forward for the film's sequel, set to come out in a month.

Final Grade: 97, or A

Next: Iron Man 3
Then: Thor: The Dark World
Later: Captain America: The Winter Soldier

The Blueprint for a Perfect Frozen 2

You just couldn't leave well enough alone, could you Disney?  You couldn't just let something die a peaceful and quiet death for once in your life.  If it wasn't The Little Mermaid in the 1980's, it was The Lion King in the 1990's.  If it wasn't Toy Story, it's Lilo and Stitch.  Now, we're all strapped in for the long haul.  Never again will the dreammakers at Disney ever capture our innocence as filmgoers.  Never again shall we be able to dream that Happily Ever After actually MEANT Happily Ever After.  You couldn't heed my warning, and like Homer Simpson in The Simpsons Movie, you have to dump your silo of enchantment in the lake that's one more sequel away from exploding (Paul Blart Mall Cop 2 did enough damage alone), and making the world of Hollywood eternally beyond salvation.  Now, you may as well cause the entire Middle East to Jihad the living crap out of the West when you make your inevitable remake of Aladdin.

I, like the rest of you, was not surprised in the slightest when I heard that the most successful animated film of all time was getting a sequel.  It was inevitable.  The only major box office of the post-Walt days that Disney hasn't given a sequel to is Tangled, with obvious reasons.  When you leave the movie with Elsa still able to wield her powers, Anna and Kristoff becoming a couple and when you've whored poor Josh Gad out to the point where he'll NEVER be able to do any stand up ever again, how can't you make a sequel to Frozen?

And while I both leap for joy and cringe at the sheer thought of this announcement, I do have some reservations that I feel I must address.  Lest we forget that blitzkrieg of nightmare inducing horror that was the direct to video Disney Sequels.  They ruined our childhoods with their mere existence.  All we wanted was a film as good as the original, but instead we got:

George Carlin as a weird monkey thing
Homer Simpson trying and failing to duplicate Robin Williams
Timon and Pumbaa crapping all over a good movie
The Beast being a dumb old stupid head on Christmas
Quasimodo getting his groove
Tod and Copper joining a band
Mulan risking the fate of China for her ideals
Ariel doing the EXACT same things her dad did that pissed her off to her own daughter
Winnie the Pooh becoming Emo

and many other childhood ruining things.  For all that is innocent and pure in this universe, Disney, PLEASE DON'T MAKE ME RELIVE THIS!  Just pretend these movies don't exist.  Give all the people that worked on them a couple of hundred bucks for their inconvenience and make these films disappear as quickly as the Star Wars Christmas Special.  When I go to buy Aladdin on Blu Ray this Fall, I don't want to have to watch kids curiously ask their parents about The Return of Jafar.  Go on and give this film Rescuers Down Under effort.  No, not even.  John Lassetter, I speak directly to you now.  You are the head of Disney Feature Animation.  You have stood over the immense success of the Pixar films (and also Brave), and was able to capture our imagination when Disney was crapping on it.  Give something like Frozen 2 the kind of story and effort it deserves.  I'm talking Toy Story 2 effort!  If this indeed HAS to happen like you say it does, then you at least owe me an honest effort, Disney!

Speaking to a fan of both my YouTube account and this site this weekend (who is also one of the biggest Frozen fanatics I've ever met) gave me a good notion that the fans of this film take if very seriously and will be super pissed if the sequel does tank worse than any of the aforementioned Disney Sequels.  Here's an idea of what you can do with the plot to NOT have it suck:

Idea #1: The film begins with a prologue.  Every winter for many years, a mysterious sorcerer named Calder would come down from his home near the North Mountain to collect the snowflakes that fell in Arendelle, which were rumored to be the most beautiful in all of Scandinavia.  One day, while on his travels, he met and fell in love with a beautiful dancer who was performing for the greedy King of Arendelle.  Using his powers to protect her, the sorcerer transformed her into a snowflake and took her with him to his fortress  ("Insert Song Here").  Smitten with Calder, the young woman and he were wed in secret and enjoyed their life together, until the King brought an army to kill Calder.  Calder transformed his wife back into a snowflake and kept her locked away, sealing them within the North Mountain.  One of the suitors of the King's daughter finds the snowflake and brings it back to the princess.  The King blesses a marriage between the two and on the first day of winter, their daughter Elsa is born.  Calder comes in the night to look over the sleeping infant, vowing that he and his wife would be together once more.

Cut to several years later, the people of Arendelle are enjoying the last few warm days of fall before the winter would come again.  Despite her desire to relax and rekindle her relationship with Anna after the events of the first film, Elsa is being pressured by her advisers to marry a prince so that she may continue the line for the kingdom ("Insert Song Here").  Despite Elsa's misgivings, Anna plans an Autumnal Ball to commemorate Elsa's upcoming birthday, and manages to invite several potential suitors for Elsa's hand, including one of Prince Han's brothers.  Desperate to keep to herself, Elsa disguises herself and runs away the night before the Ball, but runs into Kristoff, who had taken a job as a Lumberjack for the upcoming winter.  Elsa confesses her fears to Kristoff, who reminded her of the consequences of her shutting herself away from the world the last time.  Elsa agrees to go to the Ball on the condition that Kristoff would work up the courage to ask Anna to marry him.  At the Ball, Elsa entertains many suitors, none of whom manage to woo her.  But the Ball is interrupted by Calder, who kidnaps Elsa and brings her back to her fortress in the North Mountain.  Anna and Kristoff set off to rescue Elsa from the clutches of the sorcerer.

Calder tells Elsa of her origins and that she is only powerful because of the enchanted snowflake that was passed down to Elsa at the time of her birth (Insert Song Here).  Calder also explains that Elsa constructing this fortress was what awoke Calder from his sleep.  He locks her away while he begins to look for a way to get the snowflake out of her.  In her imprisonment, Elsa befriends a young man named Erik and his pet snow leopard named Snowball.  Erik reveals himself to be Calder's son and that he is being locked up because of the reminder he is of his mother to the wizard.

Anna and Kristoff continue their way up the North Mountain, all while Kristoff is trying to propose to the princess.  The two arrive at the home of the Rock Trolls, who warn them of Calder's power and how he is likely going to murder Elsa in the hopes that he can bring his wife back.  Despite some urging from his friends (Insert Song Here), Kristoff is unable to get Anna's thoughts off of Elsa.

Erik, moved by Elsa's recounting of the previous films actions, is determined to free Elsa so she could be free from his father's demented grip.  Erik first confronts his father, who tells his son that the only way he could bring the mother back was to kill Elsa.  Erik forgoes his own opportunity at freedom and sets Elsa free (Insert Song Here).  Enraged that Elsa was able to escape, Calder places a curse on his son, a curse that only Elsa could cure.  Calder then goes off in pursuit of Elsa.

Elsa encounters Anna and Kristoff.  Despite their reunion, Calder returns and tries to kill Elsa.  Anna is struck by one of the sorcerer's bolts of magic, causing a poison to go through the princess.  The sorcerer warns Elsa that there are only two cures for this kind of illness and that Erik too has been cursed by it and that Elsa must either brave the den of the Frost Dragons in the far north to retrieve the antidote, or sacrifice herself to save one of the two.  Determined to rescue both Erik and Anna, Elsa and Kristoff take Sven, Olaf, and Snowball with them to the Frost Dragon's lair, not knowing that Calder had lied and that the antidote could only cure one of them (Insert Song Here).  At the Frost Dragon's lair, Elsa is told by the head dragon that Calder has changed the curse on one of the victims so that only one of them could be saved and the other was likely to die.  Elsa gives the antidote to Anna, curing her of the illness, which means that Calder's spell would kill Erik.  The team hurries back to the Ice Palace.

Elsa confronts Calder and the two have a battle over the fate of Erik.  Calder overpowers Elsa and prepares to kill her, but a weakened Erik takes the brunt of his father's wrath.  Erik dies in Elsa's arms (Insert Reprise Here), causing an infuriated Elsa to turn and reprimand the sorcerer for his actions.  The two argue briefly, but when Elsa reminds Erik that his wife was always inside of his son, the sorcerer sees the error of his ways and decides to give his life force to his son.  Erik reawakens and says one final farewell to both his mother and father, who have been reunited in spirit.  As the group departs from the Ice Palace, Elsa disassembles it and reforms it into a tribute to Calder and his love and to forever end her days of wanting the life of loneliness.  Having received his father's scepter and his snowflake collection, Erik scatters the snowflakes in the air.

That winter, as Christmas time rolls along, a Christmas Ball is held to replace the Autumnal Ball.  Snowball and Sven, who have a subplotted rivalry for most of the film, become friends.  Anna teases Elsa and Erik by putting mistletoe above the two, which causes the two to share their first kiss.  Finally working up the courage, Kristoff proposes to Anna and the two get engaged in front of their subjects.

After the end credits, Elsa and Anna are sitting down and enjoying their new found relationship, when Nick Fury shows up and tells the young Queen about the Avengers initiative...

One of the snowflakes Erik set out into the air flutters about in the air until it flies through a window and a skeletal hand reaches out and asks: "What's this?"

Or have I been watching too much MCU movies lately?  Um...


Casting Ideas: 

Calder the Sorcerer: Tom Hiddleston
Erik: Adam Jacobs or Daniel Ratcliffe

Songs?:

"Wings of an Angel"
"Royal Pain"
"Insert Name of Villain Song here"
"Tying the Knot"
"Home and Free"
"Mystic Wonders"
"Home and Free (Reprise)"

Please do not ask for lyrics, because I pretty much just pulled song titles out of thin air.  I'm honestly surprised I haven't ripped off someone else's song yet...

Film Review #95: Captain America: The First Avenger

I used to always laugh when I heard the name, "Captain America", for two reasons.  The first is the fact that I saw that cheesy 1990 film version of the story, that was way too clunky to cheesy to care about, in any sense (everyone remembers the "psych Heil Hitler" from the movie).  The second is that, despite being a renowned tactician and strategist, Captain America does not have the backing behind his name superheroes like Iron Man, Batman, Superman, or Thor have behind theirs.  Apparently, I wasn't alone, because Captain America: The First Avenger was absolutely thrashed at the Box Office, only making about $150 million more than it's budget worldwide.  I'll admit I didn't see this movie in theaters in 2011.  I chose the last Harry Potter movie before I chose this, even though this is the direct intro to The Avengers.  As it happens, I think I made a mistake.  Upon first glances, this film isn't that special and is pretty much just telling us who Steve Rogers is before the first major crossover of the MCU.  But I think there is something to this movie that people don't yet see.  And if The Winter Soldier didn't convince them, nothing will.

Plot: Fueled with a desire to fight for his country in World War II, Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) is crushed when he is rejected by the military for various health and physical problems, just as the mysterious Tesseract is stolen in Germany by Johann Schmidt (Hugo Weaving).  But as Rogers hopes to find a way to get into the military, he is recruited by Dr. Abraham Erskine for a special program called the "super soldier" program, which involves subjecting Rogers to a series of serum injections and "vita-rays" (whatever those are), but Erskine is assassinated by Schmidt's assassin, Heinz Kruger.

After learning of his friend Bucky's denotation as MIA, Rogers has British Agent Peggy Carter and engineer Howard Stark fly him on a rescue mission into the heart of enemy lines.  Rogers manages to rescue his friends, but not before Schmidt reveals the horrific side effects of his own "super soldier" experiment, which had turned his skull into an inhuman red, hence the name Red Skull.

Rogers recruits Bucky and several others on a mission to raid various Hydra (Red Skulls Nazi group) bases throughout Europe, having been equipped with a circular shield with an extremely rare element called Vibranium, which is virtually indestructible.  With Hydra planning to drop an assortment of WMD's on America, Rogers fights and manages to defeat Schmidt, but is unable to keep the rocket ship from crashing into the surface.  Rogers sends the ship into the Arctic Ocean and freezes along with the Tesseract.  Howard Stark fishes out the Tesseract from the ocean and brings it under the control of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Seventy years later, Rogers awakens in a 1940's style hospital room.  But deducing that he wasn't where he thought he was, he runs out of the S.H.I.E.L.D. building and finds himself in modern day Times Square.  He is ultimately approached by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), who tells him thathe was frozen for some time.

What's Bad?: Like I said in the intro, this film really doesn't feel like it's own film.  It feels like a film that is preparing us for The Avengers more than it is trying to give us the backstory of Captain America.  I would have liked this film more if it did set itself up more as a franchise like Iron Man and Thor did, but that is pretty much a nitpick.


What's Good?: This film did a much better job at representing Captain America than the 1990 film did.  We get to see firsthand exactly what the "super soldier" experiment did to Rogers, who begins this movie as a weak and feeble man and ultimately becomes a legitimate body builder.  Evans himself isn't too annoyingly patriotic in this film, but I figured they'd be saving his most cheesy moments for The Avengers.

In terms of franchising, I really wish they'd have kept Red Skull alive in the same way I'd have hoped Obadiah Stane could have been kept alive in Iron Man.  This would have left a somewhat significant threat for Captain America and something he could do when he is recruited to hunt after Loki.  Hugo Weaving was good as Red Skull, but he didn't seem too interested in returning if Red Skull was back, so I guess it cancels itself out.


Overall: Just because this film is pretty much the third coming attraction for The Avengers, it doesn't make the film bad.  I thought, like Man of Steel did it for me earlier, that this film introduced Captain America to me well enough for me to know about the character.  But it lacked the humor of Iron Man and the mysticism of Thor, and that was enough for me to not give this film a phenomenal grade.  It certainly has it's moments, but this superhero seemed to me the Derek Jeter of The Avengers, an incredibly skilled superhero, but severely lacking in the personality department enough to fall into the shadows of other more interesting superheros.

Final Grade: 85, or B

Next: The Avengers
Then: Iron Man 3
Later: Thor: The Dark World

Rant of the Month (March 2015): Who REALLY ruined Star Wars?

The universe that sprouted from the once fertile mind of George Lucas has become synonymous with pop culture since we first journeyed into that galaxy far far away in 1977.  It is as much a part of humanity as any historical moment ever.  Millions upon millions of people are influenced every single day by this story, and we all have an intense passion for this part of our culture.  

And yet, the confidence in Disney's quest to make the seventh theatrical installment to the Star Wars saga is slim to none.  The more perplexing part is the fact that many of these naysayers are people who swore that the Prequel Trilogy was great and perhaps even superior to the Original Trilogy.  My question is why?  Why are people quick to demonize Disney for The Force Awakens, even when they have done a brilliant job with the MCU so far.  Our fan base has become so divided that I fear that even if Episode VII is indeed worthy of our expectations, we will simply throw it aside because of our general need to be popular or just a complacency that has settled in for all of us.  

But that brings up an even bigger question.  With all of the warring, trolling, and absolute chaos that the words "Star Wars" bring about, why did this happen?  Who is the person most responsible for the chaos that plagues this fandom?  How can we all love a film when no matter what happens, there will always be some big mouthed A-Hole who will say that the film isn't as good as the Prequels or the OT?  The answer might actually surprise you....

The answer is...YOU!  

That's right, you.  The person reading this post at this very moment.  If you are a fan of Star Wars, you are responsible for what it is today.  This includes me.  This includes anyone who has sat through all six films and has liked even a small part of the story, effects, characters, or themes.  

Now how can I come to this conclusion, you may ask.  How can I sit here and say that we're the ones responsible for the destruction of Star Wars when we had little to no part in the making or the conception of these movies and this universe?  The answer to that is pretty simple:

Star Wars was supposed to be Nothing!

Though future circle-jerking self promoting documentaries would say otherwise, George Lucas initially intended for Star Wars to be another American Graffiti.  A film that would allow him to get people to notice him and what he was trying to do with himself as a writer and filmmaker.  It was a story that was too complex to be told in one movie, but it would pretty much be a basic Sci Fi movie with some magic in it.  But nothing paradigm changing.  

The people who flocked to the theaters to see Star Wars in 1977, the ones who turned it into the most successful movie of all time, are the reasons that a fanbase has become so divided and so split.  They gave their children and grandchildren their love for a movie that in all fairness, would not have done squat at the box office a few years earlier or later.  A movie that is ethically flawed, technically marvelous, but told so oddly and in such a clunky manner that it would never have gotten made had it not been for people seeing the potential in Lucas.

Sure you can blame George for his failings as a director, but he is a damn good business man.  Just like another free thinking filmmaker who wanted nothing more than to push the boundaries of his technology further than ever before.  I am of course talking about:

 Walt Disney

In an audio interview taken of Mr. Disney during the 1950's, he explains how after a while of attempting to make better and better films that were less than welcomed warmly by the world, that he actually began to detest his crowning achievement, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.  When both Pinocchio and Fantasia bombed at the box office in 1940 and Bambi followed in 1942, the American public's opinions resonated with, in Walt's own words:

"The one I did after Snow White was Pinocchio.  And it didn't to as well.  People said to me, "There's no dwarfs."  And it really made me begin to hate Snow White,"

This is one of the most cryptic messages I've ever heard about a man who wanted nothing more than to push the boundaries of technology.  But it also instantly made me think of another man.  George Lucas.  I'll admit I get on George Lucas's case too much for what he did to the Prequel Trilogy and all of his unnecessary additions to the plot, but I'm in no way sucking up to the man.  But here's why it made me think of George when I heard of Walt's quote.  

After Return of the Jedi ended, George Lucas went on to do an assortment of other movies including continuing his work on the Indiana Jones series, but he also worked on films like Willow and Howard the Duck.  Both films are, at best, mediocre.  But the backlash Lucas received for these films was unfair.  Sure the films weren't good, but I feel people owed George the benefit of the doubt.  Why?  Because of what transpired after The Last Crusade.  George began to become autonomous and began to care less and less about what people wanted and more and more about what he wanted out of his films.  Case and point, the Special Editions.  

While I don't believe the Special Edition of the OT was the most offensive thing in the world, as it did do a bit to improve some of the especially bizarre special effects in the movies, they did keep doing things that made you want to scratch your head.  Like the unnecessary scene with Jabba at the Millenium Falcon, having Greedo shoot first, or just changing the songs in Jabba's palace and the Ewok celebration.  

George has constantly berated his fans, calling the Expanded Universe "Glorified Fan Fiction" and complaining about their critiques of his movies, most notably the Prequels.  For an independent film maker, who should be able to accept criticism, he has a hard time dealing with it.  That is one of the reasons I bash him so.  He acts like he is above criticism, when he is in the medium that demands criticism.  But he wouldn't be like this if he had been given some leash with his movies that he made after Star Wars.  

The Fans are also to blame for one other thing.  That is overrating and overly bashing on aspects of the films.  That is why I don't hate on Lucas for Jar Jar, that's why I don't have as much against the cheap acting from star actors.  I criticize the things that need to be mocked and tormented in the same ways I criticize films like The Lion King or Iron Man for their misgivings and flaws.  But people tend to harp on the same things with these films, both good and bad, while failing to see both the good and bad in the other respective series.  Which is something that irritates me.  If you are able to point out the flaws in the Prequels, you better be able to point out the flaws in the OT.  The same goes for the good things.  Which is something the internet trolls from around the world have failed to understand.  The world is chock full of opinions, but no one is able to voice it correctly or accept criticism.  This reason, right here, is why Star Wars will continue to disappoint us, no matter how positive we are in Episode VII.  We are all already saying this film will suck without even giving it an opportunity to please us.

In conclusion, I hope we can all learn to appreciate the good, bad and ugly of all the films in the saga.  Because the more we demonize a film, the less enthused we will be for the next installment.  Thank you all for listening...

Film Review #94: Thor

When I was in elementary school, the first comic book I read was a short comic about The Avengers in which they protected Rye Playland from Loki.  Though the story gave us a brief intro to who Loki was and where he and Thor came from, I was still perplexed about how a demi-god was unable to take care of all of the world's problems himself and about the rest of the realms Odin controlled.  Superman is able to get around these things because of his major weaknesses such as kryptonite and facing off against similarly powerful villains like Brainiac, Zod and Darkseid.  But Thor in the Avengers makes little sense to me, because of his unlimited potential.  Sure, a villain like Loki or Ultron could make things problematic, but to me, his powers would cause more problems than they created.  Nevertheless, seeing Marvel's version of Superman excited me more than others apparently.  And Thor is a brilliant movie, in my opinion.  It has all of the subtlety of a Shakespearean play with kick ass action and a fairly strong redemption story that can contend with some of the best cinema has ever done.

Plot: In the realm of Asgard, the heir of Odin, Thor (Chris Hemsworth), is preparing to take his place as next in line to rule.  But when a few Frost Giants ruin his coronation ceremony, a vengeful Thor leads his friends on a relentless quest to redeem himself.  The result was disastrous, as Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is forced to step in and is threatened with war.  Furious and ashamed of being unable to see Thor's arrogance, Odin banishes him to Earth and takes away his power, throwing the mighty hammer Mjonir into the void and proclaiming that only one worthy of the power of Thor can one day wield this hammer again.

Thor crash lands on Earth and is smashed in by the car of a group of scientists led by Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), who take Thor as some drunk wandering the desert of New Mexico and take him to the hospital.  But when Jane realizes Thor was part of a storm she was investigating, she hurries back to reunite with him.  Though Jane is flustered by Thor's chivalrous and odd behavior, her friends warn her that Thor might be dangerous.  Jane initially agrees, but when S.H.I.E.L.D. takes her equipment to examine for research about the "satellite crash", Jane agrees to take Thor to the location of Mjonir.

Back in Asgard, Thor's jealous brother Loki (Tom Hiddleston), who was responsible for the frost giants attack on Thor's coronation day, discovers his true origins as a Frost Giant and confronts Odin on this.  But when an overworked Odin falls into the "Odin Sleep", Loki assumes the throne in his place.  Driven by his lust for power and respect, Loki attempts to make everyone despise Thor and even plots to have the frost giants invade Asgard in an effort to make him look like a hero.  Knowing that Thor's mere existence makes his claim for the throne invalid, he sends a Destroyer out to eliminate his brother once and for all.  Powerless, throne-less, and full of misery, Thor must figure out what it means to be a king before all of the realms are engulfed in a horrific war that may bring about an end to them all.

What's Bad?: The only really bad thing that stands out about this movie is the fact that I still haven't been able to place it in my Top 50 Favorite Films of All Time yet.  I'm having a hard time choosing what films belong and which don't.  2014 was indeed a good year for films.

What's Good?: As they had done with Iron Man and Black Widow, Chris Hemsworth is an astonishing Thor, who manages to capture both the boastful god and the noble prince all in one film.  More importantly, just like Downey Jr. and Johansson, he LOOKS like Thor.  I'm actually surprised he had to do as much training as he had to while filming.

The only person who manages to outdo Hemsworth is Tom Hiddleston as Loki, which upon first view was the one thing I remembered when I first saw this film.  He is the perfect example of an anti-hero that leans more towards villainy than heroism.  He looks like he is enjoying himself so much that it's actually a bit unnerving.  He is the perfect example of a supervillain role done right.

Even Natalie Portman does an effective job as Jane Foster.  While I personally think Natalie Portman was Megan Fox before it was cool to be Megan Fox (beautiful woman with ZERO acting skills), this role she takes on is actually pretty damn effective.  She comes off as smart and bossy but also dreamy and wide-eyed.  And her romance with Thor, while not the best, is still significantly better than another cheesy love story she was involved with.

Overall: Thor is a magnificent movie that, like many films in this era, is one of those gems that didn't have the appeal other films had (Spider Man, Batman, Shrek).  As a result, it is not given the love it really deserves.  It's the best MCU film since Iron Man and would remain the best until the Summer of 2012, but more on that in two more reviews.

Final Score: 95 or A

Film Review #93: Iron Man 2

Well, if it wasn't broke, don't fix it.  With the MCU reeling after it's less than spectacular showing for The Incredible Hulk, they saw the need to bring back a weary audience with a fan favorite.  Similar to the way Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve had personified both Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent on screen, Robert Downey Jr. had pretty much mastered the enigma that is Tony Stark in this universe.  Yep, Iron Man is back in his own sequel, Iron Man 2.  We're introduced to another character who will fit in among the rest of the MCU characters, while also delving deeper into the story that revolves around Stark, his suit of wonder and devastation, and ultimately his place among the future team of Earth's mightiest heroes.

Plot: Tony Stark begins to come to the realization that the Arc Reactor in his chest is going to eventually kill him.  Therefore, he begins to delegate CEO assignments to his friend and budding love interest Pepper Potts and continually relies on the aid from his assistant, Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson).  After being attacked by a relentless Russian copycat named Ivan Vanko, who manages to prove to the world that Iron Man is not invincible, Vanko is recruited by Stark's rival, Justin Hammer, to build an army of suits to destroy Iron Man.  In order to restrain a drunken Stark, Stark's friend James Rhodes ultimately confiscates one of Stark's suits for the US Air Force.

The suit's theft draws the attention from S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury, who confronts Stark alongside Rushman, who reveals herself to be Agent Natasha Romanov (Black Widow).  The two chastise Stark for allowing his suit to get out of his reach and warn him of the danger Vanko represents to the people of New York.  Following the blueprints his father drew up, Stark manages to create a new element his suit can run on, ultimately preventing his early death.

At the Stark Expo in Flushing, NY, Hammer unveils his new suits for the use of the US Military.  With the suits under the control of Vanko, Vanko unleashes the suits on Stark, including Rhodes to destroy Iron Man.  But Natasha is able to return control of Rhodes's suit to himself and the duo fight to defend the people of New York from this terrible danger, winning the day out when Vanko seemingly commits suicide by blowing up his own suit.  Fury reports that Stark is no longer being considered a part of "The Avengers Initiative" and will only be used as a consultant.

In an end credits scene, Agent Phil Coulson reports that a large hammer has appeared in the deserts in New Mexico...

What's Bad?: One thing that this film lacks that is not well established is the villain.  While Vanko and Hammer are pretty big jerks in the movie, they don't have the intimidating presence a supervillain is supposed to have.  Obadiah Stane at least had the gravitance of having a great villainous quality about him.  We knew what he wanted and how eager he was to make sure his plan was seen through to completion.  I just don't see that in these guys.  They just seem to want to take Iron Man down, and not for any major rhyme or reason other than jealousy.

What's Good?: Though I've always been hesitant about her acting abilities, I thought Scarlett Johansson was absolutely brilliant as the emotionless and calculating Natasha Romanov.  I'm not entirely sure how to personify the Black Widow since she hasn't had much development outside of a few scenes in The Avengers, but from all that I've been able to draw from Scarlett's performance, she is an efficient manipulator who pretty much has to only bat her eyelashes to get what she wants from anyone, but is also capable in combat situations.  This movie only pumped me up more for their upcoming alliance with the rest of Marvel's universe.

Overall: Iron Man 2 is by no means a masterful followup to Iron Man 2.  It's fairly clunky in spots, it lacks the originality of Downey Jr's performance from the original, yet it's still a successful superhero movie.  It has all the action and explosions and sets up The Avengers really well.  And that end credit scene made me very curious about Thor, so I can't really complain.  Good, not great.

Final Grade: B

Next: Thor
Then: Captain America: The First Avenger
Later: The Avengers

Film Review #92: The Incredible Hulk

One would think in this society that loves to rehash plots and stories, that the MCU's take on one of the darkest and most tragic of all of the superheroes would have been something worthwhile.  But the story of the Hulk had been in cinematic purgatory since Ang Lee completely wrecked the role in 2003.  Nevertheless, there was a bit of optimism with regards to 2008's The Incredible Hulk.  After all, you had a well above average actor in Edward Norton playing Bruce Banner, and a team that had already succeeded with Iron Man was more than willing to add onto their incredible legacy.

And, I was not disappointed in this movie.  To be perfectly honest, though, the story did seem to lack some kind of gusto and the gravitance about it that Iron Man had.  This film is probably why Hulk will likely not get his own movie and will instead be relegated to Avengers movies only.

Plot: In an effort to recreate the formula that was used to make the "super soldier" serum created for Steve Rogers during WWII, scientist Bruce Banner believes that the key to the serum is in gamma radiation.  But the plan backfires and exposes Banner to uncommon amounts of gamma radiation.  This forces him to become a massive green monster called The Hulk whenever he gets angry.  Banner is forced to disappear from the US Army and his beloved Betty Ross.

Despite his best efforts to hide and contain his anger, Banner is followed to Brazil by General Ross and his SWAT team led by Emil Blonsky, who is ultimately injected with the same serum Banner is in an effort to destroy the Hulk.  Bruce returns to his university yet is continually pursued by Blonsky, who craves the limitless power the Hulk has and is willing to do anything he has to to acquire it.  This puts Banner in a difficult situation, as all he wants to do is return to his life with Betty and regain control of his life.  But how can he and Betty be together, when he is a merciless rampaging killing machine?

What's Bad?: There isn't too much that is bad, per say, with this movie.  My only serious issues with this story are surprisingly Edward Norton and the design of the Hulk.  He really didn't feel or look the part of the Hulk or Bruce Banner to me.  And it stands to reason that I wasn't alone, as he would ultimately be recast by Mark Ruffalo, who has since been acclaimed for his performance as the scientist turned berserk killing machine.

The Hulk's design in this movie also rubbed me the wrong way.  Unlike The Avengers Hulk, who looked like the perfect mold of Mark Ruffalo as a CGI monster, this Hulk is much more of a George Lucas style CGI monster.  It lacks the kind of effects and interesting depth the Hulk gets in the later movies.

What's Good?: The rest of the movie did do enough of a job explaining to me the backstory of the muscle behind The Avengers.  And unlike other characters in The Avengers, his backstory is pretty much all you need to know about him.  The rest of the storyline for the Hulk is pretty much him trying to keep in control of his anger.  And that's okay with me.

Overall: While in no way detrimental to the overall flow of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, I can understand the studio's disappointment in the overall receipts for The Incredible Hulk.  Marvel did need a bit of shakeup, as it was no longer the sweet innocent company that unleashed Iron Man on us earlier that same year.  Gone were the likes of Edward Norton and pretty much all hope for another standalone Hulk movie, unless Marvel decides to go with the whole "Planet Hulk" storyline after Age of Ultron.  It's a good film, but a big letdown after the first film.  Luckily, Marvel had three other super heroes to unleash on us before hammering in The Avengers.

Final Grade: 81 or B-

Next: Iron Man 2
Then: Thor
Later: Captain America: The First Avenger

Sequels: Love em or Hate em?

SPOILERS!!!!!!  YOU"VE BEEN WARNED!!!

As a lead in to the eventual blitzkrieg of Marvel Cinematic Universe reviews that will be coming to this site, I've decided to write a post covering a topic that continues to disenchant people with the magic of Hollywood: the sequel.  In a more innocent age, sequels were almost always let downs at the box office and almost never turned a profit.  But as the popularity for movies grew, so too did the demand for more adventures with Marty McFly, Luke Skywalker, Batman, and Buzz Lightyear.  Now, we live in an age where the only films to look forward to are in fact sequels, as the movie world out west is slipping deeper and deeper into a more monetary driven, less artistic driven area of time.

As we all gear up for the epicness that is going to be The Avengers 2: The Age of Ultron, I'd like to take a step back and admire the best and despise some of the worst sequels/prequels Hollywood has ever made.  Why?  Because a franchise is only as strong as it's weakest film and we may be in store for a nightmare era of Cars 3, Frozen 2, The Hangover part 4, and another freaking Ghostbusters movie.

Sequels often give us more time to enjoy with our favorite characters, but it's only a small percentage of the time that we fully enjoy our extended time.  They also expand the universes they create and give us a wider point of view in a world we only dipped our feet into a few years prior.  Most are mediocre, quite a few are bad, but there are still a few that not only build up on the success of their predecessor, but also expand upon it and improve upon it.

Criteria

1. Theatrical Releases ONLY
2. Original Sequels ONLY (No LOTR or Harry Potters)

With that said, let's take a good look at three of the finest sequels Hollywood has ever come out with, starting with two that came our just last year:

Captain America: The Winter Soldier 


To say that Captain America is our collectively least favorite member of the Avengers is probably an understatement.  After all, while he is indeed a super soldier with superhuman strength and stamina, he doesn't have the personality of a Black Widow or an Iron Man, or the incredible power of a Hulk or a Thor.  And the campy costume he wore in The Avengers was not exactly intimidating.  Then The Winter Soldier came out and completely changed our perspectives of the character.  We learn not only has S.H.I.E.L.D. been compromised, but it has been so for years by Hydra.  In a twisting, action packed thriller of a movie, we find that even victory has it's price, as despite having brought their former employing agency to it's knees, both Captain Rogers and Natasha Romanov find themselves as potential enemies of the state, being questioned about events that they could not possibly control or reveal due to safety reasons, and needing to pursue their foes and battle their demons on their own.  This film is the perfect lead in to Age of Ultron, as we may find some of our heroic friendships turn into bitter rivalries due to differing views on keeping the peace on Earth.


How to Train Your Dragon 2

Dreamwork's best CGI film is given a sequel that is not only leaps and bounds better than it's competition (this film got ROBBED at the Oscars), but may one day upend The Prince of Egypt as their best animated film in general.  How to Train Your Dragon 2 is not a direct sequel.  Some time has passed between when Hiccup and Toothless showed the rest of Berk about how vikings and dragons could live in harmony and the beginning to the movie.  We find Hiccup wanting to dodge his future responsibility to replacing his father as Chief of Berk, and just want to enjoy his time with Toothless and Astrid.  This brings him to discover a massive army of dragons lead by the wicked Drago, who intends to conquer the world with his dragons.  This also leads him to reunite with his long lost mother, who like him, has a passion for taking care of dragons and protecting them from those who would destroy them.  Hiccup, like many fantasy hero protagonists, must overcome his own doubts and persona tragedies to save his people and the dragons he's come to love, perfectly capturing one of the singularly most important lessons of the Hero's Journey.


The Dark Knight

What can be said about this sequel that hasn't already been said?  I have one thing to say: if a film as good as Batman Begins can teach me a message about the criminal mind that this film is going to just throw out the window, GOD DAMN!  The Dark Knight is now deemed as the greatest super hero movie ever made, for it's dark, edgy, intense take on a difficult to manage cast of characters that ranged from extremely virtuous to intensely psychotic.  This film makes one question one's purpose in life and could perhaps one day make one doubt themselves to he extent of becoming someone like Bruce Wayne.  Aaron Eckhart is a stunning Harvey Dent, while Heath Ledger is a petrifyingly amazing Joker, who even blew Jack Nicholson out of the water.  This is one of those films that I never want to end whenever I've seen it.  It starts on a somber note and ends on a somber note, without being emotionally pandering or unsuccessful at portraying what it wanted us to see or know.  Can any of you guess why it's my all time favorite movie...



Now let's look at some not so great ones...



Spider Man 3

It was certainly not the premise or the story that people hated about this film, or at least for me.  It was easily the actor's portrayals of some of these roles, particularly our three leads (Tobey McGuire, Kirsten Dunst, James Franco), alongside a weak performance by the horrifically miscast Topher Grace as Venom.  While Franco wasn't bad per say, he was exceptionally annoying with his brooding and the nasty malicious attitude he takes towards Peter and MJ.  Dunst flat out insults the female acting community with this Disney Princess style performance, and need I bring up emo Peter?  Ugh, this movie still irritates me with all of it's potential going to waste on such odd performances.  Granted, Sam Raimi was pretty much on the end of his rope at this point, but I think he could have easily done something with this movie.  This is not a passable film in my eyes...




Fantasia 2000

In a film that was probably 60 years in the making, how could Walt Disney's nephew screw up THIS badly with one of their most cherished products?  Sure there are plenty of amazing things in this film (Rhapsody in Blue, The Pines of Rome come to mind), but the film is such a commercialized pile of crap that it makes any good segment just as bad as the horrendous cameos.  Fantasia was probably as close to a work of genius as Walt Disney would perhaps ever get, but it's sequel is far from it.  Steve Martin, Bette Midler, and Penn and Teller are here at perhaps their worst, and completely ruin the mood created by some really solid segments.  But even the segments are disjointed and confusing.  The Carnival of the Animals is definitely not a Fantasia worthy product while the beginning segment still confuses the crap out of me.  All I have to say is, I guess Jeffery Katzenberg really was the brains behind the renaissance, because this was not Roy Disney at his best...




Trust me, there are a wide variety of poor sequels that I could go on and on about, but I really do want to keep this short and avoid losing the point.  Sequels are not going away until a succession of them bomb miserably, but people will never lose sight of the mediocrity that is a fair share of movies that get sequels (Hot Tub Time Machine, Madagascar, The Hangover come to mind).  There will always be a gem to thrill us, but most are avoidable at best.  I highlighted a few of the best in my Top 10 favorite movies, but I can't speak for dozens of others.

Film Review #91: Iron Man

Enter a world of endless Box Office potential, unlimited star power, and a cavalcade of super heroes that will continue to entertain audiences for the foreseeable future.  The Marvel Cinematic Universe was a very controversial creation when first conceived.  After all, with Marvel's three biggest draws to date: X-Men, Spider Man, and the Fantastic Four all under the control of other studios, how could Disney and their glory create a film saga of the "rest of the Marvel world"?  How could they possibly make The Avengers without such integral members like Spider Man and Wolverine?  They would need a film to blow audiences out of the water.  Enter the troubled yet dire for a revival Robert Downey Jr.

To be perfectly honest, he is primary reason to go and watch any of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) films that feature Iron Man.  He is the single best thing about this movie and could perhaps be the greatest portrayal of a super hero, with great respect to Michael Keaton and Christopher Reeve.  And his platform movie, and the platform movie for this bold venture in filmmaking is Iron Man.  This film is an absolute marvel (no pun intended), with just enough spunk and style to match the greatness of Downey Jr.

Plot: A self styled "Genius, Billionaire, Playboy, Philanthropist", Tony Stark makes his fortune creating an array of weapons to be used in wars.  While in Afghanistan to test one of his new weapons, Stark is critically wounded and taken prisoner by terrorists.  To keep alive, Stark has an electromagnet grafted into his chest to ensure the shrapnel shards do not find their way into his heart and kill him.  With his life spared, Stark and a fellow prisoner build an Arc Reactor along with a suit of armor in the effort of escaping.  Stark manages to escape and returns to New York and vows to make sure his company never makes weapons ever again, much to the dismay of his father's ally and current company manager Obadiah Stane, who deems that this action would destroy the company.

Stark builds up a much more powerful Arc Reactor and suit, and heads back to Afghanistan to deal with the terrorist group once more, this time drawing the attention of the military.  Stark is able to avoid destruction due to having a friend in the military.  But it is later revealed that Stane is in league with the terrorists and uses the remains of Tony's old suit and his new reactor, causing Stark to battle his old friend in a pitch battle, without his suit at full power.  Tricking Stane, Stark and Potts manage to destroy Stane and the newer Arc Reactor, saving New York.  PRessured by the media, Stark reveals that he is indeed Iron Man to the press, and the movie ends like that.  Well...

In an end credits scene, Stark is approached by Nick Fury of the agency known as S.H.I.E.L.D. who tells him about the plan for "The Avengers Initiative".

What's Bad?: Jeff Bridges, who plays Obadiah, was initially supposed to be the Lex Luthor of the Iron Man series.  This is frustrating to me, because I personally thought Bridges did a splendid job with the role and seemed to expect to be in the following sequels.

What's Good?: Robert Downey Jr. was cast brilliantly.  When it comes to superhero movies, you really have to have the actor playing the lead look perfect in the role.  Keaton, Reeve, and Hugh Jackman as Wolverine seem like perfect actors for those roles.  Jr seems like the perfect guy to play the egotistical Stark, who is in great contrast to the rest of his Avengers team.  Stark is cocky, lackadaisical, immature, self-absorbed, and pretty much anything you could label Gaston with but still manages to be a hero.

The suit looks perfect, too.  I have to point this out, because several superhero movies get the actor right but the outfit/look wrong.  For example, while the suit looks like Iron Man's suit, one could say that Two Face in Batman Forever looked way too silly.  The suit does all the stuff you'd expect it too and really does make Downey Jr all that more bad ass.

Overall: Iron Man avoids falling into the old superhero cliche of being cheesy but respectable, yet avoids the new cliche of being too dark and overbearing.  It, along with Batman Begins and Spider Man 2, is the perfect example of a super hero movie.  It has minute plot errors and mistakes, and the brief and currently unexplored romance between Potts and Stark is a bit clunky, but the film is still pretty damn solid and would have been the best superhero movie of 2008 had it not been for The Dark Knight.  Downey is great, Bridges is great, Paltrow is great, the film is really just great.

Final Grade: 94

Next Up: The Incredible Hulk
Then: Iron Man 2
Later: Thor 

Top 25 Disney Animated Films...UPDATED!

Now that I'm done reviewing them, I think it's high time I ranked these bad boys.  The Disney Animated Canon is among the most beloved feature length film chronologies of all time, giving us our first few entertainment areas as little kids, enriching our childhoods, and capturing us all in it's depth and wonder in our teenage, adult, and older ages.  We go from loving them for just existing as kids, to enjoying the artistry, the music, the characters and the stories as we grow up.

This is an updated list from the previous one I wrote about a year ago.  This list will have a few films jump up and a few jump down in terms of me liking them or not, and has also added the Oscar winning Big Hero 6 to the roster, which is indeed going to shake this list up a bit, maybe not too much though.  Without further ado, let us proceed with the films that did NOT make it into the Top 25 of 54 Disney Full Length Animated Films...

This is ALL opinion based.  If you have any misgivings or whatnot to add, feel free to comment up on this post and tell me your favorite Disney film.  Remember the beauty of film, everyone: NO FILM IS PERFECT, so all opinions are likely to vary.  

54. Home On the Range (2004)
53. Chicken Little (2005)
52. The Rescuers (1977)
51. Meet The Robinsons (2007)
50. Saludos Amigos (1942)
49. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
48. Brother Bear (2003)
47. Dinosaur (2000)
46. The Aristocats (1970)
45. Fun and Fancy Free (1947)
44. The Three Caballeros (1944)
43. Make Mine Music (1946)
42. Melody Time
41. The Sword in the Stone (1963)
40. Treasure Planet (2002)
39. Bolt (2008)
38. Oliver and Company (1988)
37. The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
36. The Black Cauldron (1985)
35. Mulan (1998)
34. Fantasia 2000 (1999)
33. Robin Hood  (1973)
32. Hercules (1997)
31. Winnie the Pooh (2011)
30. Pocahontas (1995)
29. Lilo and Stitch (2002)
28. The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
27. Big Hero 6 (2014)
26. Wreck it Ralph (2012)

HERE COMES THE CREME DE LA CREME, the BEST OF THE BEST!  

25. Peter Pan (1953)


Peter Pan is a very polarizing film for me.  Considering the fact that it is arguably the film that Walt Disney despised the most for how watered down his vision of it had become, coupled with the fact that I really do think this film is criminally overrated, really didn't do this film much justice.  That being said, after re-watching the film recently, I seem to have become more attached to this film.  The music is still pretty memorable, I absolutely adore Captain Hook, and while I do take moral issue with the film's interpretation of Native Americans and Wendy's reasons for wanting to return to London, I do understand the reason as to why Peter Pan is considered a Disney Classic by many.  I'm just not one of them...

24. 101 Dalmatians (1961) 


After looking over my list again, I do find myself wanting to relocate certain films on this list.  Some I don't see that many reasons as to why, save for the fact that I overrated certain areas of film.  101 Dalmatians is one of those films.  When I wrote the blurb for this film, I pretty much outright stated that Cruella De Vil was the whole reason the film topped itself over such classics as Alice in Wonderland and The Fox and the Hound.  Nevertheless, while Cruella is indeed a marvelous villain, I don't think she was enough to save the film from tanking in the rankings.  That being said, 101 Dalmatians is what I would consider to be a Walt Disney Animated Classic.  It is funny, Cruella's song is incredibly catchy, and the drawing style is very unique coming off of something as gorgeous as Sleeping Beauty.  I still really like this film. but a few other classics stood out the second time around...

23. The Princess and the Frog (2009)

While some films like 101 Dalmatians and Peter Pan dropped quite a few slots on my list, some have gotten much more favorable responses from me and my crew working here.  One such film that got a sizable hike in terms of it's rankings is yet another underrated Disney Classic that will never receive the love it deserves: The Princess and the Frog.  Disney's long trumpeted return to 2D Animation was pretty much what I expected from a Disney film.  I knew Disney was a few years away from truly blowing me away, and I had to give them some time to build up some steam.  This film is just that.  It adds good Randy Newman songs, beautiful animation and great characters.  Most animated films released nowadays only hit in one of those categories.  If a film manages to reach me in this kind of a degree, where's the adoring fanbase for his movie?  PS, Charlotte is one of the Top 10 Disney Characters EVER!

22. Tangled (2010)


I had a hard time deciding which of these two films deserved the higher ranking.  While I do tend to lean more towards the 2D animated films personally, I decided the mega dollars Disney put into Tangled is just the thing the film needed to avoid slipping on the list.  While the cast is significantly smaller than the previous Disney Princess movie had been, I think the film did a pretty good job with their main characters.  Tangled provides us with some of the finest moments in the history of Disney Animation, and gives us yet another solid list of Alan Menken songs.  I do think Mother Gothel is a very weak lite version of Frollo, but the rest of the cast holds up really well.  And when I watched this film with my gal pal the other weekend, all she did was mock me when I caught a tear in my eye when the parents let up the light for Rapunzel's birthday.  If a film can make me cry, it's doing something right that;s for sure...

21. The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Taking one of the weakest animated films of all time and giving it a sequel is not a very bright idea.  But I guess the 30 people that liked The Rescuers (most of them being the training animators who worked on the film) got enough backing to get a sequel going.  THANK GOD THEY DID.  I mean it.  The Rescuers Down Under is one of the best animated sequels of all time, turning all the weak and uninspired things about the first film into a splendid animated marvel of high soaring adventure and captivating animation that made all the work done to improve the art form in the 1980's disgraced.  This film is a marvel in it's overall conception, even though the plot is a bit on the flimsy side.  Despite a few shortcomings in that department, the film is still pretty damn entertaining.  Go out and see this if you haven't.  It's a gem.

20. Tarzan (1999)


In what many consider the quintessential adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough's fantastic series (which all but the Burrough's family seemed to enjoy), Tarzan was the last dying breath of a dying era in Disney Animation.  Granted the constant listening to Phil Collins and Rosie O' Donnell is a bit agonizing, but I left the theater after seeing this film completely content with what I saw.  The animation is top notch, the story is pretty solid, and the characters (Terk being the exception to the rule), are entertaining and likable enough to carry the film into a conversation with the rest of the films of this era.  Action, romance, drama, and beauty, Tarzan is definitely one for the ages...

19. Lady and the Tramp (1955)

Lady and the Tramp will have the distinction of being the last of the Disney Classics that I ever saw as a kid.  This was one of the movies we didn't own until I became a hardcore collector of the Walt Disney Classics collection.  I wonder why I never owned it as a kid, considering my Mom and Dad were usually really sharp when it came to picking up Disney films.  This film may not be Walt Disney's finest work, but it most certainly should stand out ahead of some of the other films the studio has released.  I don't care if the film is cheesy and predictable.  It's a classic that I think deserves placement among the elite Disney films that have both preceded and will succeed this on the list.  It's one of those classic films I heard about all the time that I never appreciated until I was well into my teens.  Now, I watch it at least twice a year.

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


There is never going to be a soul in the world that will say they hate Winnie the Pooh.  He is just an impossible character to hate.  He is well-meaning, but also prone to causing havoc in the Hundred Acre Wood.  I have never, nor will I ever stop watching Winnie the Pooh related shows and movies, which all started with watching The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh when it first came to video when I was a little kid.  I am the Winnie the Pooh equivalent of a Bronie and I am DAMN proud to admit it.  This movie is almost so innocent and perfect that I considered bringing this film into the Top 10.  But I think the films that will follow this on the list are, with all due respect, more solidly crafted motion pictures that have little to no shame whatsoever.  Sorry Winnie, better luck next time.

17. The Great Mouse Detective (1986) 

This is the only animated film in the entire canon that can get away with having one character be pretty much the sole reason for it's impeccably high ranking on the list.  Without Professor Ratigan, this film is okay at best and would perhaps bring Disney Feature Animation to it's knees alongside The Black Cauldron.  The Great Mouse Detective gets the pass over 101 Dalmatians because literally every good moment and scene in this movie is either featuring Ratigan or is caused by Ratigan.  The film's incredible chemistry between hero and villain is some of the best the studio has ever come up with.  The animation was slowly becoming more like the animation from the 1950's, and because of THIS one little film, Disney Animation was running back up the treadmill of success...


16. Alice in Wonderland (1951) 

When Disney was at their finest, even the likes of Lewis Carroll's demented little book was not off the table for turning into the next big Disney Classic.  While Walt may have despised his watered down version of Alice in Wonderland, the film has become one of the most revered in recent memory, with good reason.  Not only is this one of the few retellings of the story that manages to capture the complete and utter madness of Alice's world, but the animation is still the best of it's time.  No one but Disney would dare to retell this story and no one has succeeded since this little classic first sprouted up in 1951.  Full of wonderful characters, splendid animation, and a captivating lead, Alice in Wonderland is an overlooked masterpiece that Disney should stop trying to kill.  Seriously, Tim Burton.  Stop...

15. The Fox and the Hound (1981) 


One of the most overlooked animated films of the last 40 years, The Fox and the Hound was the first Disney Animated movie in years that had an adult message attached to it.  This film deals with prejudice and social class systems in a way that no Disney Film before or since has challenged.  It proves that hate and prejudice are not born with people.  It is taught to them.  Even two kids with completely opposite views on life and futures can sit together or play together.  To kids, it doesn't matter if you're rich, poor, ugly, pretty, white or black.  If you play with them, friendship will brew, no matter the situation.  This is the first adult Disney Movie, and thanks to this film's cult appeal, it certainly wouldn't be the last...

14. Dumbo (1941) 


Who knew such emotion could be brewed in an animated film the average length of a modern day newscast?  Dumbo manages to accomplish in 63 minutes something that Twilight, Titanic, and The Notebook needed 2 or more hours or multiple movies to do: reach the audience on a deep emotional level.  It captivates us with the story of an infant elephant picked on for the size of his ears, who manages to turn a potential deformity into a sensation.  If a movie like Dumbo proves anything, it's that no matter what you look like or how the people look at you.  If you have talent and heart, you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.  If this can do that in half the amount of time it's taken some of the Best Picture award winners to do, this film deserves nothing but praise.  Complete and utter praise...

13. Sleeping Beauty (1959)

To put it in the simplest terms possible, Sleeping Beauty is one of those animated marvels you have to see to believe.  From it's unicorn tapestry laden architecture, it's sweepingly expansive setting and artistic design, and it's wickedly powerful finale of wonder and spectacle, the film is breathtaking in it's visuals.  That being said, it's leads are way too plain and bland to carry any other picture.  Aurora and Phillip should be thankful that Maleficent is their fantastic villainess and not Mother Gothel.  Maleficent, the Good Fairies, George Bruns's sweeping musical score, and the high caliber animation place Sleeping Beauty among the top dogs of the animation food chain.  No film can match this in terms of high caliber artistry!  Well...

12. Bambi (1942) 

I, like many critics of today, respect Bambi for not only it's beautiful naturalistic approach in animation, but also it's simplicity in emotion.  That being said, I would be lying if I didn't say I personally think that this film is The Lion King if the latter didn't have a plot.  While I hold Disney's 32nd addition to the canon higher than it's fifth, placing 12th in a list of 54 is nothing to be ashamed of.  In fact, considering how many films got the shaft in this countdown, leaving Bambi unmarred may be the nicest thing I've done on this list.  It's simplistic approach to storytelling is only matched in it's beautiful take on nature and the wildlife we surround ourselves with whenever we go camping.  While it isn't as big as The Lion King, I don't think the film had to be.  It is it's own marvel just sitting and watching it.  The original Circle of Life story is still one of the best the studio has ever made...

11. Cinderella (1950) 

Despite the extreme hate this film get's from feminists (which never really made sense to me) and film's rapidly aging themes and morals, I couldn't find it in my heart to displace one of Walt Disney's finest achievements in his long history of animation.  While far from being perfect, I still think Cinderella is one of those films we show to our kids to get them to start dreaming and believing in the first place.  If we can't get the kids to start dreaming and believing when their kids, what kind of future and lives can they expect?  The film has stunning animation, an enchanting titular character, and some of the best music the studio has ever come up with.  No matter this film's view by modernists, this film will always be an important milestone for not only the art form, but for the studio itself.  Kind of like another film...

10. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)


 Please note that without this film, there would be no successors on this list.  In retrospect, when I began retooling this list, I should have placed Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs at the top, specifically for that reason.  No Snow White = No Rest of List.  This film is still emotionally powerful almost 80 years after Walt Disney first captivated audiences with it.  Snow White's innocence, coupled with the kooky quirkiness of the seven dwarfs, the still magnificent animation, and the magical music, makes for a truly magical film that brought about the creation of an entire new genre for us to enjoy.  Hence why no matter how out of date the movie becomes, I will always be forever indebted to a singular film.  And that film stars a fair little princess who was indeed the fairest one of all...

9. The Little Mermaid (1989)

Like Snow White, had The Little Mermaid failed to captivate audiences the way it did back in 1989, we would be looking at a world far different to the one we live in now.  Alan Menken and Howard Ashman should be forever engraved in our hearts for their spontaneously captivating songs and insight to the future of Disney's next line of Fairy Tales.  Couple that with great characters and beautiful animation, The Little Mermaid is just one of those films that will never leave your heart the minute it enters.  It is easily one of the finer accomplishments Disney has ever done on screen and will always be there to make me smile (It is my "feeling down" movie after all).

8. The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)


In what many consider the darkest and most depraved of all of the films Disney has graced our existence with, The Hunchback of Notre Dame takes Victor Hugo's great tragedy and turns it into a semi-child friendly classic.  I say semi-child friendly because the film still manages to include, in no specific order:
Emotional and Physical Abuse
Attempted Genocide 
Intense Lust
Destruction of Paris due to a boner
Cruel and Malicious Taunting and Jeering

Nevertheless, Disney's take on an extremely dark story manages to captivate more and more people every single year since it's lackluster debut in 1996.  This may one day be in the same vein as the three best animated films of all time.  Only time will tell.  

7. The Jungle Book (1967)

You know that you love a film when your parents have to pay Blockbuster money because you've broken their videotape of The Jungle Book twice.  This film has been a part of my childhood since I was born and I will never let go of this spectacular motion picture.  The greatest cast of characters Disney has ever constructed is joined by a simple yet practical take on Rudyard Kipling's fantastic book of the jungle escapades of Mowgli.  Add in a chillingly strong performance from George Sanders as Shere Khan and one of the best bunches of songs Disney ever came out with, The Jungle Book certainly did prove to many doubters that not only could Disney Animation be good again without Walt, but it could thrive without it's leader as well...

6. Fantasia (1940)

What started out as an ambitious attempt to revive the career of a certain mouse who was losing popularity to a certain duck, eventually molded itself into the spectacle that is Fantasia.  No film can ever match the sheer wonder and delight a series of short cartoons animated to some of the most famous symphonies of all time could.  With memorable moments such as Mickey as The Sorcerer's Apprentice, Chernabog rising in The Night on Bald Mountain, or the entire opening with Toccata and Fugue in D Minor with little to no dialogue apart from the host, Fantasia is artistic brilliance in it's most simple form: just animation and music.  What more could you ask for in an animated film?

5. Pinocchio (1940)

Pinocchio built up on everything that Walt and his animators had achieved in Snow White and created the most technically perfect animated film ever.  With European artists like Alfred Hurter and Gustaff Tengren leading the way, the film brought about the perfect interpretation of an average Germanic-Italian village.  The majesty of the art was joined by incredible music, a solid story, and virtually flawless characters.  A movie that proved that wishing upon a star could one day make your dreams come true, Pinocchio is not only one of the quintessential animated films of Disney lore, but one of the greatest animated films of all time, even Miyazaki's works in Japan (which I think is insulting to put in the same category as Space Chimps and Cars 2).

4. Frozen (2013)

You can hate and trash this movie all you want.  You can call this film an abomination, an overrated piece of trash, a rip off of The Lion King, or just not that good of a movie.  You could even try and shove some more Elsa/ Jack Frost fan art at me.  It will never change my opinion of Frozen.  This film is an absolute joy from start to finish.  I have not felt a love for an animated movie like this since The Lion King and I doubt it will ever be duplicated.  Our leading ladies are still as captivating as when we first laid eyes on them, their stories and dreams are still relatable, and their personalities are perfect to boot.  The music is an absolute sensation, which I still listen to.  The animation IS the best since The Lion King.  There really hasn't been a Disney film like this to come out in my lifetime, and I feel honored to have watched this masterpiece.  It is and will remain well beyond this day, the most jaw dropping 3D animated film I've ever seen.  And for all you haters out there...LET IT GO!

3. Beauty and the Beast (1991)

I'm sorry, but how are their people out there who hate Beauty and the Beast?  What is there to hate?  Is this the same thing as Titanic, where it's become cool to hate something that is good?  I cannot see a single thing someone could hate about this movie.  Really, I can't.  The animation is amazing, the cast of characters is engaging, the music is the best the studio has ever come up with, and the romance is the most enchanting film could ever dish out.  The sheer fact that Belle could look inside a hideous monster and find the man of her dreams should alone make this a film all people should enjoy.  Beauty and the Beast deserves every singular sentence of praise it's gotten since 1991, and is still a vital cog in the history of Disney Feature Animation.  Simply enchanting...

2. Aladdin (1992)

Disney's retelling of the boy who finds a magic lamp and unleashes a genie was a mere .001% away from topping this list in terms of our calculations and voting.  Aladdin was THE first animated film I ever saw.  It is what made me fall in love with the medium.  It is what made me the man I am today.  It's molded me in so many ways that it actually hurts to put this film any lower than #1.  Nevertheless, a second place finish is nothing to be ashamed of.  And why should Aladdin moan?  With a Blu Ray release due in October, a sensational Broadway Show, and a continually passionate fanbase, this film will never be down on itself.  This film was great enough with just the music, the leads, the villain and the animation.  But when you add that dollop of Robin Williams on top, you get one of the greatest films ever made.

1. The Lion King (1994)

Unfortunately, when it comes to cultivating a Top List of any kind, there can only be one #1.  But if there is an animated film out there that could perhaps dislodge The Lion King with all due respect to Aladdin, I have yet to see it.  The Lion King gives us Disney at it's best, telling us a completely original story that teaches us strong and meaningful lessons about growing up and taking our place in the world, and that although the ones we love may not always be there to guide us, they will always be in our hearts, in our judgments, and our actions.  The fable about the struggles we must undergo in life is told from Simba's perspective, and we ourselves grow as an audience while following the young prince through his strife, ultimately to overcome his jealous uncle and save his subjects from destruction.  There is no animated film quite like The Lion King, and there never will be another one.

What is YOUR Top 25?  Or Top 10?  Or Top 5?  Or Top 54?  Leave  a comment below and be sure to subscribe to our channel on YouTube and Follow us here at SimbaKing94 Film Reviews.  

PS: The Big Hero 6 review is being delayed for a few days due to work related issues.  The review will be up within the next week.