Disney Movie Marathon Challenge

[Micca]

I actually do like the Tinker Bell movies. And I'M A GUY for crying out loud! A man who has recently turned 26 as of today anyway.

Happy Birthday! Hey if you're a Tinker Bell fan, so be it!

 

[TheStarscream759]

Happy Birthday! Hey if you're a Tinker Bell fan, so be it!

Though technically my birthday was only just yesterday but thank you all the same. And yeah I've gotten to the point in my life where I just don't care what people think where something like: "Oh YOU like this?" or "For god sakes your a man watch something that's manly!" doesn't really do anything to me cuz I generally just don't care what they think. Yeah I like the Tinker Bell movies, so what? I'm allowed to like girly stuff if I want, it's my choice and that's my general response to anybody who just think guys should like guys stuff and girls should like girls stuff only.

 

[Micca]

Though technically my birthday was only just yesterday but thank you all the same. And yeah I've gotten to the point in my life where I just don't care what people think where something like: "Oh YOU like this?" or "For god sakes your a man watch something that's manly!" doesn't really do anything to me cuz I generally just don't care what they think. Yeah I like the Tinker Bell movies, so what? I'm allowed to like girly stuff if I want, it's my choice and that's my general response to anybody who just think guys should like guys stuff and girls should like girls stuff only.

I'd say that's pretty mature thinking for someone in their 20s. After all we are discussing art here, pretty sure that's open to any gender/age.

 

[BrianL]

As I said I've never watched the Tinkerbell movies, but they seem like they are pretty good, at least from a quality standpoint. The animation is very nice looking and they seem to be made with a lot of care. I always figured if I did see them I'd probably enjoy them. I like tons of stuff I "shouldn't like" so that's fine with me.

 

[TheStarscream759]

I'd say that's pretty mature thinking for someone in their 20s. After all we are discussing art here, pretty sure that's open to any gender/age.

So true, my friend, so true.

 

[RSandRS]

Up (2009)

I love Up. I love it sooooooo much! It’s definitely one of the best Pixars and completely embodies what Pixar is about as a studio. The story and characters are completely unique, the music is insanely good, and some of the imagery just sticks with you forever.

Of course I could go into everything that makes Up so amazing, but I think the most striking thing is how unusual it is. The main characters are an old guy and a little Asian kid, which is unusual in itself (it definitely shouldn’t be, but it is). The movie also features all of the following things: bereavement, a coming of age story, talking dogs, a damning portrayal of the treatment of the elderly in our society, a floating house, a damning portrayal of our treatment of the environment and endangered species, a dirigible...did I mention the talking dogs? They also fly planes. And as you watch it part of you is wondering, ‘How the heck did they come up with this stuff?’ but the rest is marvelling at how beautifully it all comes together. Yes, Up is weird, but you’re not overcome by its weirdness. You are overcome by how beautiful, funny, heartfelt and exciting it is.

Up is the film I credit with really getting me back into Disney as an adult. I’d watched a lot of the 90s films while at university for nostalgia’s sake, but still firmly thought of Disney as ‘for kids’. It was something I liked, but not something I was going to go around telling people I liked.

We saw Up together for the first time, soon after it was released on DVD, when we were staying at our friend's house. We decided to randomly rent a movie and, having heard that Up was good, we decided to give it a go. Of course the first ten minutes of that film are some of the most perfect in all of cinema and they hit all three of us right in the solar plexus. We just weren’t expecting it. And when I finally turned to look at sis I had tears streaming out of my eyes and nose, only to find that she was crying too, as was our friend. We all burst out laughing. We’d never cried like that at a Disney movie before. All three of us now openly adore Disney and watch and discuss every new movie that comes out over and over again. We also all went to DLP together last Halloween-which started this whole thread if you might remember! Up is something really really special. One of the best movies I have ever seen generally.

 

[RSandRS]

Happy Birthday! Hey if you're a Tinker Bell fan, so be it!

And so say I, and my 7-year-old self is very happy as well!

People should watch what they want. We often watch the terrible Disney TV movies with the catchy soundtracks!!!-High School Musical I am looking at you!!!

Life's too short to worry what people think about you watch and this is a space for sharing Disney loves!!!!

 

[BrianL]

Up (2009)

I love Up. I love it sooooooo much! It’s definitely one of the best Pixars and completely embodies what Pixar is about as a studio. The story and characters are completely unique, the music is insanely good, and some of the imagery just sticks with you forever.

Of course I could go into everything that makes Up so amazing, but I think the most striking thing is how unusual it is. The main characters are an old guy and a little Asian kid, which is unusual in itself (it definitely shouldn’t be, but it is). The movie also features all of the following things: bereavement, a coming of age story, talking dogs, a damning portrayal of the treatment of the elderly in our society, a floating house, a damning portrayal of our treatment of the environment and endangered species, a dirigible...did I mention the talking dogs? They also fly planes. And as you watch it part of you is wondering, ‘How the heck did they come up with this stuff?’ but the rest is marvelling at how beautifully it all comes together. Yes, Up is weird, but you’re not overcome by its weirdness. You are overcome by how beautiful, funny, heartfelt and exciting it is.

Up is the film I credit with really getting me back into Disney as an adult. I’d watched a lot of the 90s films while at university for nostalgia’s sake, but still firmly thought of Disney as ‘for kids’. It was something I liked, but not something I was going to go around telling people I liked.

We saw Up together for the first time, soon after it was released on DVD, when we were staying at our friend's house. We decided to randomly rent a movie and, having heard that Up was good, we decided to give it a go. Of course the first ten minutes of that film are some of the most perfect in all of cinema and they hit all three of us right in the solar plexus. We just weren’t expecting it. And when I finally turned to look at sis I had tears streaming out of my eyes and nose, only to find that she was crying too, as was our friend. We all burst out laughing. We’d never cried like that at a Disney movie before. All three of us now openly adore Disney and watch and discuss every new movie that comes out over and over again. We also all went to DLP together last Halloween-which started this whole thread if you might remember! Up is something really really special. One of the best movies I have ever seen generally.

There can be no doubt, Up is a masterpiece. It is so emotional - heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. I saw this very shortly after my Grandmother had passed. Yeah, it got to me. It's not always the first movie I go-to on a rainy day because it can be so sad, but it certainly is also great. I'm glad Carl finally got to go see the world without leaving his house behind. Adventure is out there!

 

[Micca]

I think RSandRS pretty much nailed it in the "Up" post. That opening sequence...good grief, what a wallop that packs. This is where my ability to maintain objectivity comes into play. I agree that "Up" excels in almost every way, it just isn't a favorite for me, it's probably just a little too weird for my tastes. At the same time I'd highly recommend "Up" to almost anyone.

As it relates to the parks, do we know how the bird show is doing at AK? I saw the old version just one time before it changed and I really enjoyed it. The initial reviews on the new version were less than stellar. Any updates?

 

[RSandRS]

Tinkerbell and the Lost Treasure (2009)

It’s a not particularly welcome return for Tink-unless you are a fan!!!! who continues her antics from the previous movie. The film is of very similar quality. At least they’ve got consistency I suppose.

They have removed one of the classiest aspects of the first movie (Loreena McKennitt) and replaced her with someone more generic, and the film is still crying out for some songs. I think it would take someone an afternoon to write the following songs and in the process vastly improve the movie: Autumn Harvest, Friends Are Very Annoying (But You Love Them Anyway), Macguffin (You Drive the Plot Along), and Friends Are Very Annoying (But You Love Them Anyway) Reprise. Just sayin!

Tink continues to be a deeply annoying heroine. She is genuinely useless and effs up everything she does, making the plot extremely predictable. ‘Oh look, an extremely fragile object that for some reason is the cornerstone of fairy survival and that Tink has been put in sole charge of...I hope nothing happens to it.’ Facepalm.

Tink is also not very nice to her friends, which makes her even less likeable. Though in her defence I would also find Terence extremely irritating and was rooting for Tink to get rid of him (he could def be accused of mansplaing her job to her ), but the movie is trying to convince me that he was the good guy.

There’s some OK animation, but in general it still looks too pretty to be very interesting. The fairies all look the same as each other and have pretty much the same personalities, making it extremely difficult to tell them apart, or to recognise characters from movie to movie. I have started calling them ‘The Bratz fairies’. But hey, Tink got a new outfit in this one so…

Oh goodie, some new outfits for my Tink Barbie!

Pipe down, you.

All in all...not the best. 2 down, 3 to go. Part of me worries I will eventually become absorbed in these fairies lives just by sheer force of repetition!

Yey, a wonderful outing for Disney's animation department next!!!

 

[RSandRS]

I think RSandRS pretty much nailed it in the "Up" post. That opening sequence...good grief, what a wallop that packs. This is where my ability to maintain objectivity comes into play. I agree that "Up" excels in almost every way, it just isn't a favorite for me, it's probably just a little too weird for my tastes. At the same time I'd highly recommend "Up" to almost anyone.

As it relates to the parks, do we know how the bird show is doing at AK? I saw the old version just one time before it changed and I really enjoyed it. The initial reviews on the new version were less than stellar. Any updates?

I really enjoyed that show, but I seem to remember ppl did not rate it that highly. Whenever we go back to Florida (third trip)-fingers crossed its not too long, look forward to see the new one!

 

[RSandRS]

There can be no doubt, Up is a masterpiece. It is so emotional - heart-wrenching and uplifting at the same time. I saw this very shortly after my Grandmother had passed. Yeah, it got to me. It's not always the first movie I go-to on a rainy day because it can be so sad, but it certainly is also great. I'm glad Carl finally got to go see the world without leaving his house behind. Adventure is out there!

I adore the moment when he opens the book and realises that Ellie never had to have an adventure beyond the walls of their home as just being with him was one! Tears me up even thinking about it...Masterpiece indeed!

 

[Micca]

I'll pass on the Tinker Bell comments to allow @TheStarscream759 extra space to express his views.

 

[TheStarscream759]

You didn't enjoy this one, RS? Well...the plot thins.

Anyways another Tinker Bell movie and more thoughts on the matter. I honestly think Lost Treasure is not my personal favourite but I do like Terrence but maybe that's just because he's played by Jesse McCartney? Maybe because he plays Roxas in the Kingdom Hearts series maybe there is another reason for liking him but whatever the case, I like his dynamic with Tink. I do think when she got mad at him it kind of reminded me of her original self from Peter Pan because remember Tink wasn't a goodie two shoes to begin with and was the same fairy who tried to kill Wendy. So it kind of adds to her character, the way I look at it, Tinker Bell is with her own kind and she acts differently around them than how we saw her in Peter Pan mainly because her relationship with Peter and she viewed him as a long time friend whilst Wendy she had only known for a short time and felt Peter was spending more time with her hence why she was jealous of Wendy in the first place. So I am to assume that Tink's friends in Pixie Hollow are people she's known for quite some time so I get the sense of why she'd act nicer.

Not a fan of the music in this one but like I said it's cheesiness is it's charm. Visuals are amazing once again, not as good as the original maybe but still enjoyable regardless.

 

[RSandRS]

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

We’re back eith the good stuff! Walt Disney Animation Studios, how I’ve missed you, but you’re back back back!

Princess and the Frog is a gorgeous film! I have so missed 2D animation, both in this marathon and in real life. I wish this wasn't Disney’s last 2D animated film, but if it is, it’s a banger to go out on. Overall it feels old-school; it feels like what Disney does best. It feels like a little bit of nostalgia for my childhood - which as you all know by now, is a big plus for me!

First, the story. Maybe it’s not Disney’s most exciting one, and it does take a bit of time to get going, but it’s got all the ingredients that make that Disney magic: romance, humour, literal magic and some brilliant dark elements too. It’s maybe the voodoo aspects that really bring Princess and the Frog to life and make it stand out. Dr Facilier is a fantastically charismatic villain and the animation of him, his shadow and his ‘friends on the other side’ is probably the best in the whole film. I love when Disney really leans into the dark side - they do it so well! The animation overall is stellar in The Princess and the Frog - it really makes me want to visit New Orleans!

Tiana is a great heroine, and really holds her own among the other Disney princesses - she’s certainly the best dressed! She is a lovely role model to be Disney’s first African-American princess being a bit more of a grown up and a realist than some of the other princesses. And although there are other Disney princesses of colour, Tiana is maybe the first to be less obviously sexualised in the way she looks.

The other characters are good too, though apart from Ray they don’t massively stand out. Ray is adorable and so well-performed! If you want to make your character likeable have them voiced by Jim Cummings - he is the Tom Hanks of voice actors. Lottie is also great fun, and again, it’s the performance that makes her what she is. Come to think of it, the rest of the supporting characters are all pretty great!

The songs are pretty good and help to anchor the film in its setting - which is so important in this movie - but are maybe not up there with the real greats from Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast et al. I like Almost There, Down in New Orleans and Friends on the Other Side, but When We’re Human and Gonna Take You There are less strong. I also think the singers really help to elevate some of the songs - in particular Jim Cummings and Jenifer Lewis (who voices Mama Odie) - and combined with the animation, make middling songs seem really magical and cool.

Overall, I really like The Princess and the Frog. Maybe if it had come out in the 90s it wouldn’t seem quite so special to me, but it wouldn’t be out of place either. Maybe at the time people thought the movie was old-fashioned, because it felt so old-school, and that’s why it didn’t do spectacularly well. The fact that it didn't do all that well seems to have effectively killed off 2D animation, which is a total tragedy and, I believe, a mistake. There’s no denying the importance of ‘the nostalgia factor’ in a lot of popular media these days, but maybe Disney could take inspiration from this to start producing some top quality Princess and the Frog-style 2D-animated films...rather than just remaking the already-perfect 90s films using 3D animation. Just a thought.

 

[RSandRS]

Toy Story 3 (2010)

When Toy Story 3 came out, every damn thing was getting a franchise. Lord of the Rings had made everyone think that if you could split your idea into several bits, and hopefully keep it going forever, you were bound to make more money out of it. Harry Potter was split into 8 films from 7 books, Twilight was split into lord knows how many (12?) films, Pirates of the Caribbean was due its fourth doomed attempt, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was really getting underway. Nobody seemed to want things to just end any more. And then Toy Story 3 came along and taught us that endings are necessary and beautiful, and nothing to be afraid of.

The first time I saw Toy Story 3 I was with my little sis (not the one who has been watching these movies with me) and we had been drinking for several hours leading up to going to the cinema. We also took a bottle of red wine into the cinema and proceeded to play the Toy Story 3 Drinking Game, which we had found online and which seemed like an excellent idea at the time.

There were three things that really ruined our evening that day:

The first was Rule 1: Drink whenever a character mentions the name Andy - if you haven't played this game you might not have noticed it, but during the first third of the movie people are mentioning Andy pretty much every three sentences or so. “Come on, guys, we have to be there for Andy!” “Andy’s all grown up and going to college.” “Andy was throwing us away!” Andy, Andy, Andy. It wasn't pretty.

The second was Rule 4: You had to drink every time Big Baby came on screen, and keep drinking the whole time he was in the shot. Oh boy.

The third was that for the first time I, a grown *** woman, not only cried at the cinema, but stumbled from said cinema tears still streaming from my eyes, leaning on my sister, choking and sobbing. It. Was. Not. Pretty.

So, yeah. Toy Story 3 gets me in the feels.

And one of the things that made Toy Story 3 so great when it first came out was just the timing of it. They aimed the movie squarely at people who had loved the movies as children and had since grown up, maybe gone to university like Andy, chucked out their old toys and developed a (possibly unhealthy) level of nostalgia for their childhoods. It meant that, perhaps even more than most Pixar films, Toy Story 3 appealed to adults as much as children (and obviously I was one of those hapless adults). It told us, ‘It’s OK that you still love movies like this. You’ve grown up and moved on, but your childhood memories should be loved and celebrated.’

Everything in Toy Story 3 points you towards this being the end of a story. Not only do the characters all but turn to the camera and tell you, ‘We all have to grow up and move on’, but the film also contains callouts to things that happened in the first two films, riffs on old jokes, pathos and sentimentality in quantities not present in the first two Toy Stories, and an almost Lord of the Rings-length ‘goodbye’ scene. This is the end of this story, and it’s pretty much perfect.

Toy Story 3 takes the themes that 1 and 2 examined (growing up, friendship, loss) and brings them to their emotional conclusion. There could hardly be a more literal realisation of the themes of loss, acceptance and moving on than the character of Lotso, or the toys literally joining hands to accept their fate in the incinerator. Our boy Woody has gone from the selfish, jealous toy he was at the beginning of Toy Story, to a guy who is willing to accept anything, even death, so long as he’s side by side with his friends, because his life was worth something and is complete. The film is a long, emotional goodbye, which I love and which punches me in the gut every time I watch it. It’s a perfect ending.

Hang on...there’s going to be a Toy Story 4??

 

[BrianL]

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

We’re back eith the good stuff! Walt Disney Animation Studios, how I’ve missed you, but you’re back back back!

Princess and the Frog is a gorgeous film! I have so missed 2D animation, both in this marathon and in real life. I wish this wasn't Disney’s last 2D animated film, but if it is, it’s a banger to go out on. Overall it feels old-school; it feels like what Disney does best. It feels like a little bit of nostalgia for my childhood - which as you all know by now, is a big plus for me!

First, the story. Maybe it’s not Disney’s most exciting one, and it does take a bit of time to get going, but it’s got all the ingredients that make that Disney magic: romance, humour, literal magic and some brilliant dark elements too. It’s maybe the voodoo aspects that really bring Princess and the Frog to life and make it stand out. Dr Facilier is a fantastically charismatic villain and the animation of him, his shadow and his ‘friends on the other side’ is probably the best in the whole film. I love when Disney really leans into the dark side - they do it so well! The animation overall is stellar in The Princess and the Frog - it really makes me want to visit New Orleans!

Tiana is a great heroine, and really holds her own among the other Disney princesses - she’s certainly the best dressed! She is a lovely role model to be Disney’s first African-American princess being a bit more of a grown up and a realist than some of the other princesses. And although there are other Disney princesses of colour, Tiana is maybe the first to be less obviously sexualised in the way she looks.

The other characters are good too, though apart from Ray they don’t massively stand out. Ray is adorable and so well-performed! If you want to make your character likeable have them voiced by Jim Cummings - he is the Tom Hanks of voice actors. Lottie is also great fun, and again, it’s the performance that makes her what she is. Come to think of it, the rest of the supporting characters are all pretty great!

The songs are pretty good and help to anchor the film in its setting - which is so important in this movie - but are maybe not up there with the real greats from Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast et al. I like Almost There, Down in New Orleans and Friends on the Other Side, but When We’re Human and Gonna Take You There are less strong. I also think the singers really help to elevate some of the songs - in particular Jim Cummings and Jenifer Lewis (who voices Mama Odie) - and combined with the animation, make middling songs seem really magical and cool.

Overall, I really like The Princess and the Frog. Maybe if it had come out in the 90s it wouldn’t seem quite so special to me, but it wouldn’t be out of place either. Maybe at the time people thought the movie was old-fashioned, because it felt so old-school, and that’s why it didn’t do spectacularly well. The fact that it didn't do all that well seems to have effectively killed off 2D animation, which is a total tragedy and, I believe, a mistake. There’s no denying the importance of ‘the nostalgia factor’ in a lot of popular media these days, but maybe Disney could take inspiration from this to start producing some top quality Princess and the Frog-style 2D-animated films...rather than just remaking the already-perfect 90s films using 3D animation. Just a thought.

Princess and the Frog is a pretty good movie, getting back to that "Dinsey Formula" while also using a bit of a different setting. It's fun, and very beautiful. I've actually only seen this one once, but it is good. It has some great musical performances, evne if a lot of the music isn't quite to my tastes. It does seem that this was the swan song for theatrical 2-D animation, but at least it went out on a high!

 

[BrianL]

Toy Story 3 (2010)

When Toy Story 3 came out, every damn thing was getting a franchise. Lord of the Rings had made everyone think that if you could split your idea into several bits, and hopefully keep it going forever, you were bound to make more money out of it. Harry Potter was split into 8 films from 7 books, Twilight was split into lord knows how many (12?) films, Pirates of the Caribbean was due its fourth doomed attempt, and the Marvel Cinematic Universe was really getting underway. Nobody seemed to want things to just end any more. And then Toy Story 3 came along and taught us that endings are necessary and beautiful, and nothing to be afraid of.

The first time I saw Toy Story 3 I was with my little sis (not the one who has been watching these movies with me) and we had been drinking for several hours leading up to going to the cinema. We also took a bottle of red wine into the cinema and proceeded to play the Toy Story 3 Drinking Game, which we had found online and which seemed like an excellent idea at the time.

There were three things that really ruined our evening that day:

The first was Rule 1: Drink whenever a character mentions the name Andy - if you haven't played this game you might not have noticed it, but during the first third of the movie people are mentioning Andy pretty much every three sentences or so. “Come on, guys, we have to be there for Andy!” “Andy’s all grown up and going to college.” “Andy was throwing us away!” Andy, Andy, Andy. It wasn't pretty.

The second was Rule 4: You had to drink every time Big Baby came on screen, and keep drinking the whole time he was in the shot. Oh boy.

The third was that for the first time I, a grown *** woman, not only cried at the cinema, but stumbled from said cinema tears still streaming from my eyes, leaning on my sister, choking and sobbing. It. Was. Not. Pretty.

So, yeah. Toy Story 3 gets me in the feels.

And one of the things that made Toy Story 3 so great when it first came out was just the timing of it. They aimed the movie squarely at people who had loved the movies as children and had since grown up, maybe gone to university like Andy, chucked out their old toys and developed a (possibly unhealthy) level of nostalgia for their childhoods. It meant that, perhaps even more than most Pixar films, Toy Story 3 appealed to adults as much as children (and obviously I was one of those hapless adults). It told us, ‘It’s OK that you still love movies like this. You’ve grown up and moved on, but your childhood memories should be loved and celebrated.’

Everything in Toy Story 3 points you towards this being the end of a story. Not only do the characters all but turn to the camera and tell you, ‘We all have to grow up and move on’, but the film also contains callouts to things that happened in the first two films, riffs on old jokes, pathos and sentimentality in quantities not present in the first two Toy Stories, and an almost Lord of the Rings-length ‘goodbye’ scene. This is the end of this story, and it’s pretty much perfect.

Toy Story 3 takes the themes that 1 and 2 examined (growing up, friendship, loss) and brings them to their emotional conclusion. There could hardly be a more literal realisation of the themes of loss, acceptance and moving on than the character of Lotso, or the toys literally joining hands to accept their fate in the incinerator. Our boy Woody has gone from the selfish, jealous toy he was at the beginning of Toy Story, to a guy who is willing to accept anything, even death, so long as he’s side by side with his friends, because his life was worth something and is complete. The film is a long, emotional goodbye, which I love and which punches me in the gut every time I watch it. It’s a perfect ending.

Hang on...there’s going to be a Toy Story 4??

I only saw this recently, along with Toy Story 2. It is in fact really good, and a bit harrowing at the end. It will definitely stir up the feelings! Toy Story is always solid, so I don't know that there is all the much to add here. It's just brilliant work from the team at Pixar.

 

[Micca]

Princess & The Frog -- Yay for old school animation, especially when it's this well done. I also have only seen this once, but I own it and will watch it again at some point.

TS3 -- It's very good but TS2 remains my favorite. It's a beloved franchise for sure, let's hope TS4 doesn't tarnish it.

 

[TheStarscream759]

The Princess and the Frog - Oh my god the return of traditionally hand drawn animation, brilliant story, relatable characters and an awesome villain! I swear it must Princess and the Frog appreciation week for me because not only did I see this when it first came out in 2009 but I've also had an event centered around this movie for Disney Magic Kingdoms! This is a great hit from start to finish, Dr Facilier is probably one of the better villains of the late 2000s, Tiana is a strong character that I think she could a good role model for little girls. It's fun, so vibrant and it makes me wanna go to New Orleans. Its that good I'll probably order a DVD copy of it on Amazon.

Toy Story 3 - Possibly the darkest out of all the Toy Story films and I will not lie was kind of sad at the end. Its probably the best in the series and I'm really 4 does good in the cinemas.