This is one of the few Disney animated films I've actually never seen until now. At first, I was kind of surprised about how under the radar this was to me, considering it was the first of these to be released after I was born (missed 'Fox and the Hound' by about a year). Disney animated features take a big jump here, from 1981 to 1985, and this late-to-the-game, very non-Disney-like feature is often considered one of the worst of the bunch. But is it really that bad? After all, this has developed a cult following over the years. I further have to admit there was a little something about this, and I can't honestly say I found it all that horrible. We meet a young boy named Taran (Grant Bardsley), an assistant pig-keeper at the home of Dallben the Enchanter (Freddie Jones) who dreams of becoming a bigshot warrior. One day, Dallben learns about the evil Horned King (John Hurt) seeking out the "Black Cauldron", which will grant him the ability to raise an invincible army of the dead. Since Dallben's pig, Hen Wen, has oracular powers, Dallben fears the king may come after Hen Wen to use him, locate the Black Cauldron, and set his plan into motion. Dallben then has Taran take Hen Wen to find a place to hide and stay safe. Taran epically fails, however, and Hen Wen is nabbed by Gwythaints - dragon-like creatures working for the Horned King. Now it's up to Taran to keep his promise to protect Hen Wen, and go after him. Along his way, Taran meets a few interesting characters, but perhaps most interesting was a dog-like creature (not a dog though) named Gurgi (John Byner). He's just a lonely critter who wants a friend, and sounds exactly like Gollum from 'Lord of the Rings'. He evn talks like him, saying things like "poor miserable Gurgi deserves fierce smackings and whackings on his poor, tender head". I even paused the movie to check to see if it was Andy Serkis before he got famous. He further meets (mainly) Princess Eilonwy (Susan Sheridan); the princess who the Disney princesses didn't seem to let into their club, and a bard named Fflewddur Fflam (Nigel Hawthorne) who is meant to be a source of comedy relief, but doesn't really deliver many laughs. Taran also comes across a sword that allows him to fight a little better - almost like a cheat code as opposed to him having to learn through trial and error on his journey. So remember way back in the opening paragraph when I said "I can't honestly say I found it all that horrible"? Well, to set the record straight, I still think this is pretty bad. I found it a little boring at times, thought a lot of the journey was sort of handed to our hero (ie the sword, and the fact that Princess Eilonwy basically walks them both out of a prison at one point) and some of the dialogue is a bit tedious. But the film does have its merits as well, like the first time Disney animation tried out that early CG, making a lot of the backgrounds look pretty awesome. Along with that, this is very Bluth-like animation, though he had little to do with this, aside from a few uncredited scenes (he also worked uncredited on 'Fox and the Hound'). It is, honestly, pretty cool to see just how dark this gets, especially for a Disney film. Now, this film does have a pretty big cult following, as I mentioned before, and I can actually understand why. If you were to ask if I recommended it, I would say it depends on the type of thing you're looking for. If you wanna see a Disney animated movie as you know them, I'd say avoid it. But if you wanna see a bit of Disney dark, and appreciate the risks that a film like this can take, then I'd say it's worth checking out. What's far more interesting than the film itself is the film's overall history, but I could be here all day dissecting it, so here's a simple link (some of this, I covered, but there's more). For yours truly, it's not making a favourites list any time soon, and I definitely felt like the bad outweighed the good here. This is similar to so many other things I've seen that have just done it a little better, and I didn't exactly fall into the cult following with it. Although if you did, I can actually understand why, and wouldn't question your choice. 3/5
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It has been long enough for me since I last watched this that I had pretty well forgotten it altogether. It was definitely a treat to feel like I saw a movie like this for the first time again. I can't help but appreciate how good an example this is of how to make a story both deep and simple. Like a lot of Disney movies, one may find a concept or two a bit dated. But in my case, I found the problem overshadowed by something else that sort of saves it (which I'll get to later). Regardless, this is a particularly good story, and it leans a bit more towards the dramatic side than the comedic, which is often a breath of fresh air. It all starts in 'Bambi'-ish fashion, as we experience a pretty breathtakingly animated sequence that is robbed from us when the victim of a hunter is shot. In this case, we have a mother fox, who carries her cub to safety before things go down. He is taken under the wings (pun totally intended) of Big Mama the owl (Pearl Bailey), Dinky the finch (Richard Bakalyan), and Boomer the woodpecker (Paul Winchell). The trio drop the baby fox on the doorstep of the kindly Widow Tweed (Jeanette Nolan), who takes him in and names him Tod - short for "toddler". (Keith Coogan/Mickey Rooney). The pair develop a very friendly and loving relationship, and he helps her with her loneliness. Meanwhile, Tweed's Neighbour, Amos Slade (Jack Albertson) has adopted a new hound puppy named Copper (Corey Feldman/Kurt Russell), and his regular hunting dog, Chief (Pat Buttram) is assigned to take care of him. Eventually, as Tod's out playing and Copper is out tracking something (which ends up being Tod), the pair meet, play, become best friends, and pledge to be so forever. Soon, though, Slade takes Copper and Chief away to learn the ways of the hunt. This is after Slade finds Tod hanging out with Copper on his property, and accusing him of raiding his chicken coop. It all turns into a question of whether or not Tod and Copper will be able to be friends in the future - and that friendship really does get its fair shake of testing, often through misunderstanding. Now, to revert back to what I mentioned earlier about the "problem" and the "overshadow", it basically boils down to how Slade sees Tweed - basically as a dumb, useless female. I'm not sure he says those exact words, but the message is clear. The overshadow, however, is Tweed, herself. She's actually a rther strong female character, not afraid to stand up for herself, and able to make extremely hard decisions with Tod in the interest of Tod's safety. I think, speaking as a pet owner, she's extremely easy to relate to as well as empathise with. The guy being a jerk about things is just that - a very unlikable jerk. I might not label him as a villain, but he's definitely the everyday stubborn asshole we all know in one way or another. Setting that whole deal aside, this viewing was, again, like seeing it for the first time. Though critics tend to kind of meet this one in the middle, as there's nothing particularly ground-breaking about it, it's that simplicity that I think makes this so good. This is a story that tells valuable lessons the young watchers are learning about friendships, and the tests that they may inevitably endure one day. I know I've been to Hell and back with a few close friends, and it's something one should probably have a heads up about at an early age. To some degree, it's saying "one day, your friendships will be tested", but another way to look at it is that if things do fall apart, you can still hold on to those fond memories of that friendship. I think this is another one to be strongly considered for a Top 10 of these Disney animated films. It quickly rose up the ranks for me on this viewing, and although there's no real nostalgic attachment to it for me, it does make me think of a lot of the solid friendships of my youth. Some are still around, some have moved on, and some, I've even lost. But this film really did manage to spark a lot of those happy memories I had with these people. It definitely got deep with me, and gauged just about every emotion. It does it all with ease, but impact at the same time. For yours truly, this is one of Disney animation's better titles... and yes, I do realize how bold that statement is, but honestly, I loved this movie. 5/5 Here's another one I hadn't seen since childhood, and a find example of a Disney title that I remembered much more fondly than may have been deserved. It's not like it's a bad movie or anything, it's just... not very exciting for something called 'The Rescuers'. The characters here are kind of bland, and the saving grace that would be the villain makes me think of Cruella DeVil's drinking buddy. She's a villain you hate, but can make you laugh all the same with just how over the top she is. They might as well be sisters. The film opens as A mystery girl aboard a riverboat casts a message in a bottle out to sea, asking for help. The bottle is received by the Rescue Aid Society, located within the UN; a group of rodents who specialize in, well, rescuing people. The note is addressed to Morningside Orphanage, New York, and suggests that our mystery girl's name is Penny (Michelle Stacy), and she's in terrible danger. Hungarian representative, Bianca (Eva Gabor), volunteers for the mission. But being that this was 1977, she needs a male representative to go with, because of the dangerous possibilities the mission might hold. Of all representatives to choose from, she goes with the janitor, Bernard (Bob Newhart). The pair embark on their journey, and eventually learn of Penny's whereabouts. Bianca and Bernard follow a woman named Madame Medusa (Geraldine Page), who seems to be Penny's kidnapper, to a desolate swamp area called Devil's Bayou. There, Penny is meanwhile being held by Medusa's partner in crime, Mr. Snoops (Joe Flynn) and a couple of gators named Brutus and Nero. The reason for the kidnapping seems to have something to do with a diamond called the Devil's Eye, and the villains here need Penny's size to head down into a tight, dark and dangerous well to go looking for the diamond. Will the Rescuers be able to save Penny from these brutes before something terrible happens to Penny? Maybe it's just me, but I tend to find this chapter of 'The Rescuers' very humdrum. As mentioned before, the characters are pretty bland, and on top of that, the soundtrack is something so "lullaby" in tone, it's enough to make you nod off. Again, this isn't something I would call "bad", it's just, perhaps a bit more aimed at the youth of the time than kids today. I would imagine kids today might find this extraordinarily boring. However, things would change in the future with this film's forgotten sequel, 'The Rescuers Down Under', which basically fixes everything this movie may have been lacking. I might recommend a little background reading, then just diving into the sequel, because I don't feel like this is a Disney movie you have to see. This is another one I can't help but meet in the middle. I don't get much out of it now, but for its time, it was probably considered pretty damn good. The highlights are probably Bianca and Bernard, themselves, who are out to prove that a little mouse can make a big difference. I've always appreciated that message in a movie, and this one does it pretty well. The side characters are fine, Penny's... a touch irritating, but also fine (I mean, you can't help but feel bad for her) and on the whole, this movie is just... fine. I think a lot of that also has to do with 'Down Under' being so good, and completely overshadowing this - but that's a review coming in September, so stay tuned! Bottom line, this is passable, but it's really nothing special. 3/5 Back when I was a kid, we used to have the segments of this movie recorded from the TV, but until now, I've never seen this as a movie (although, of course, I knew it existed). These three segments would show up separately from time to time as part of Sunday's 'Wonderful World of Disney'. The movie used the three famous shorts to piece itself together, with a bit of new material to bridge the gap. This brings us back around to yet another anthology movie; the last one reviewed being 1949's 'Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad'. But this might be the most charming of them all. All segments are based on the classic children's stories by author A.A. Milne, and portray a young Christopher Robin (Bruce Reitherman/Jon Walmsley/Timothy Turner) and his stuffed animal friends, brought to life by his imagination; Eeyore the Donkey (Ralph Wright), Kanga (Barbara Luddy) and her son Roo (Clint Howard/Dori Whitaker), Rabbit (Junius Matthews), Piglet (John Fiedler), Owl (Hal Smith) and of course, a teddy bear named Winnie the Pooh (Sterling Holloway). Each of the three segments involves Christopher Robin and friends helping other friends with their problems, and that's basically all there is to it. These are nice, mild children's stories that might have a little lesson or two, but nothing so extreme as what a company like Pixar might bring to the table. Winnie the Pooh and the Honey Tree (1966): Perhaps most famous among the 'Pooh' stories, this one involves Pooh's insatiable appetite for honey. He really just wants to get up a honey tree and get at the honey the bees are working hard on making. After a failed attempt, he invites himself to Rabbit's house for lunch, where he eats all of Rabbit's honey, and becomes a bit too fat to fit back out the door, getting himself stuck. Of course, this would go on to become one of the first images that comes to mind when you think of 'Winnie the Pooh'. Eventually Christopher Robin and the gang have to try to get him out of there, but he's got to go a few days to slim down first. My childhood takeaway from this was always about eating too much, only to find yourself in some sort of trouble. It also has that karmic factor as he eats all of Rabbit's honey but then gets himself stuck because of it. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968): This one was always my personal favourite when I was a kid, largely because it's almost a Halloween segment. It's unofficial, but you get the sense that it's Fall, there's bad weather, and just some creepy stuff happening throughout. There's two things going on here; one involves Pooh and Piglet and how they deal with some of the troubles of what the blustery day brings with it. This includes the introduction of Tigger (Paul Winchell). Meanwhile, Eeyore searches for a new house for Owl, since his blew over in the wind. We also get introduced to the concept of "heffalumps and woozles" (elephants and weasels, as pronounced by Tigger); animals who really covet honey, which adds to Pooh's unease. They even have their own song as part of a dream sequence, right up there with 'Elephants on Parade'. Winnie the Pooh and Tigger Too (1974): This one focuses primarily on Tigger, and sort of involves two stories in one. First up, we have Tigger bounce through Rabbit's garden, destroying it. This leads Rabbit to rally Pooh and Piglet to try to take to bounce out of Tigger. In the first attempt, they bring Tigger out to the woods and try to lose him. They end up lost, themselves, and Rabbit learns a thing or two about Tigger's worth. The season shifts from Fall to Winter, and Tigger eventually learns a lesson about playing too much when he bounces too high, and gets stuck up a tree. This one also brings the film's narrator (Sebastian Cabot) into play with a neat fourth-wall break. I like how this one has a sort of coin-flip lesson to teach kids. My basic takeaway is to know and understand your value, but don't get cocky about it. As a kid, seeing this all in divided segments on TV, I never actually saw it as the 1977 anthology film that this is. Having said that, I couldn't help but appreciate the additional short segments between each story, which eventually lead to a very touching end. Spoiler alert, but it involves Christopher Robin having to go off to school and perhaps grow away from his toys. It's sort of a "goodbye", but it's really more like a "see you again". Remembering the way the 2018 film 'Christopher Robin' opens (very similarly), this was even more touching to me now than it could have been back then. It's neat to know that the story will eventually continue. All in all, this is a very charming ride down memory lane, as I remembered watching all of these. I can distinctly remember moments when I watched some of them (not necessarily for the first time). I can remember watching 'Honey Tree' shortly after getting my tonsils out; I remember getting ready to go out for Halloween one year after watching 'Blustery Day' (another reason I see it as Halloween-ish); and for some reason I distinctly watching 'Tigger Too' one afternoon while home sick from school. So this all had some place in my childhood - a cheerful place I could go, however I may have felt. The sheer purity of it all is enough that I know parents who have passed it down to the next generation as something fun, safe and innocent for everyone in the house to watch. It hasn't lost its charm over the years, and this viewing really hit me in the nostalgias. It's pure comfort food! 5/5 It is my humble opinion that, if any Disney animated film was just made for a lazy Sunday, it's got to go to 'Robin Hood'. It's a hard thing to explain, but there's something about the ever-pleasant atmosphere of this film that makes it a sort of "comfort food" movie. It's one I can remember 'Wonderful World of Disney' (every Sunday at 6:00) airing at some point in my childhood, and it's one I haven't seen a lot, but it's one I definitely really like. With a Disney animated take on things, one can probably imagine that this is a very simplified version of the 'Robin Hood' story. For those unfamiliar, in this version, we follow Robin Hood - a Fox (Brian Bedford) and Little John - a Bear (Phil Harris); two outlaws who dwell in Sherwood Forest. Their M.O. is to rob from the rich, and give to the poor. Being that they interfere with Prince John - a Lion (Peter Ustinov), and his taxation of the townsfolk, they are constantly pursued by the Sherriff of Nottingham - a Wolf (Pat Buttram) in an effort to arrest them, but they outsmart him at every turn. Robin and Little John are two characters you instantly like, as they "stick it to the man", but also have a sweet side to them - which is Robin Hood in a nutshell. Unlike many different versions of this story, we actually see a little something from a kid's perspective. Robin helps out a young rabbit named Skippy (Billy Whitaker) and gives the kid a bow and arrow and his signature hat. While playing with sharp objects outside, he launches an arrow into the grounds of Maid Marian - a Vixen's (Monica Evans) castle. While going in after it, Marian and her attendant, Lady Kluck - a Chicken (Carole Shelley) meet Skippy (and his friends), and it's here that we learn about a romantic history between Marian and Robin, leading to an archery contest Robin knows he can win; the big prize being a kiss from Marian. Without spoiling the entire movie, much of what ensues involves the relationship between Robin and Marian while Prince John keeps trying to thwart him. It might bear mentioning a few other characters, like Sir-Hiss - a Snake (Terry-Thomas); Prince John's assistant. PJ and Hiss play very well off each other, and I find it interesting that Hiss is more the straight role while PJ is the comedy relief. We've also got the old favourite, Friar Tuck - a Badger (Andy Devine) who, while part of the church, decidedly helps Robin and Little John under the radar. The there's the folk-singing, story-telling rooster, Allan-a-Dale (Roger Miller) who comes in and out of the film, but is essentially meant to be the film's narrator. They all bring a little something of their own to the film, and deserve the credit for providing us with some rather likable but much lesser known (or not at all known) characters, adding to the fun of it all. One might watch this version of 'Robin Hood' and suggest that it's far too simplistic. It's often seen in films as somewhat epic, and with a bit of a dark side. However, there's no real sense of any sort of dark side of this. Even our primary antagonist constantly cries for his mommy and sucks his thumb. However, some may not know that this could have been seen as a sort of "quick fix"; and it you ask me, a successful one. This was the first film to start production after Walt Disney's death, so imagine being stuck with that "first project" after the guy who founded the entire juggernaut company just died. So, the story is a simple take on something very familiar, and it takes elements from an abandoned project called 'Reynard the Fox'. Nowadays, we have different and even more modern takes on the tale; each one with a more or less different take on things. For example, in this version, the concept of Robin's "Merry Men" just doesn't exist. It has, over the years, become akin to something like 'Dracula' or 'James Bond' or even 'Batman' in as much as we all have our select favourite, or one version we consider the best. Although this one wasn't met with a whole whack of positive critical reception, it is very clearly beloved by the masses; often seen as one of the all-time best versions of the story. This is the kind of movie I'm doing this site for (other than it being a hobby of sorts); reviewing it as a general audience member more than a critic. I could get critical, but why? This is so well done, completely inoffensive, and a fun little jaunt for the family. It's one that leaves you with a smile. 4/5 The 'Hotel Transylvania' series seems to be something very much met in the middle by the general public. Most people I know, including myself, tend to enjoy them. But it does seem that in present times, anything Adam Sandler and his crew touch tends to be poison to critics. The "Rotten Tomato" levels are downright fascinating. In order from first to third film, the critic ratings are 45%, 55% and 62%, but the audience ratings are very polarizing with 72%, 64% and 48%. So, according to critics, this is the best of them while according to audiences, this is the worst of them. And oh yes, I am with the audience on this one. The film opens with a bit of a simplified backstory involving Professor Abraham Van Helsing (Jim Gaffigan) and his ongoing hunt for our now familiar monsters; Frankenstein (Kevin James), Wayne the werewolf (Steve Buscemi), Griffin, the invisible guy (David Spade), Murray the mummy (Keegan-Michael Key), and of course, Dracula (Adam Sandler). We see how the monsters constantly thwart his efforts over time, and things fast-forward to present day. As most watching this would know by now, Dracula now runs a hotel for monsters (hence the title), and the first two films focus largely on a human named Johnny (Andy Samberg) stumbling into their world, and falling in love with and marrying Dracula's daughter, Mavis (Selena Gomez). When Dracula starts to get a little overwhelmed by things, including his loneliness, Mavis suggests a vacation. She books a special monster cruise so that Dracula can take his mind off work and spend more time with his growing family. He's not exactly thrilled at the concept of going somewhere just like their own hotel, but all of that is put on hold when he sets eyes on the ship's human captain, Ericka (Kathryn Hahn). Almost instantly, and without mentioning any spoilers, one probably already knows how the main plot of the film is going to unfold, and that's perhaps my biggest criticism. This chapter ends up being far too predictable. I'm not telling a lie when I say that as soon as I saw the ship's human captain, I knew where it was going - and that includes how it all ends. Nothing here took me by surprise, and I feel like it really lacks the overall charm of the first two. There's a few decent laughs, but in a way, that's also the problem. Where the first two seemingly had something to say (speaking more for the first than second), this one is obviously in it for the laughs above much else, and even saying that, some of these "laughs" aren't exactly spot on. It's fun, but I had a blast with the first one, while the second one made me laugh much more. This isn't without its charm, and it rounds out a trilogy, but I wasn't quite as on-board with this one as its predecessors. As far as recommending it goes, it all depends on your stance of the first two. I think if you really liked the first one, this won't be all that special. However, if you thought the first one was weak, maybe this one's worth taking a look at. That said, I'm not entirely sure about why critics consensus' on these movies keep going up as they go, and I feel like there's something I'm missing. But of the three films, while this is still perfectly passable, I can say with all honesty that I had much more fun with the first two. To me, this feels to me like it could have been a straight-to-video release from the get-go, and no one would have complained about it not getting a big screen release. 3/5 Closing the chapter of the Silver Age with 'The Jungle Book', we now begin the Bronze Age (and 4th age) of Disney animation. We begin with a title I haven't watched since I was a little kid, so this may as well be a first time for me. In fact, just about everything from the Bronze Age falls under that category except for 'The Black Cauldron', which I haven't seen at all. So this should make for an interesting era of review... when it resumes in April. Back to the film at hand, however, this is one of those titles that starts off kind of lame and dull, and from the get-go, I wasn't expecting to be very entertained. Taking place in Paris, 1910, a retired opera singer named Madame Adelaide Bonfamille (Hermione Baddeley) lives with her butler, Edgar (Roddy Maude-Roxby), and her precious cat, Dutchess (Eva Gabor) along with her three kittens, Berlioz (Dean Clark), Marie (Liz English) and Toulouse (Gary Dubin). One day, Madame declares in her will that her entire fortune is to go to her cats. Overhearing this, Edgar plots to catnap (not in a good way) the cats and abandon them somewhere. We hate Edgar and his ideas, which include drugging three cute, innocent kittens. You'd take Jasper and Horace over this guy any day. Edgar's plan is (somewhat) foiled, however, by two hounds named Napoleon (Pat Buttram... poor guy) and Lafayette (George Lindsey). In ambushing Edgar as just a couple of hounds chasing some guy on a vehicle, Edgar loses track of the cats who all wake up only to find themselves lost. The next morning, they meet the... almost Bruce Campbell-esque Thomas O'Malley (Phil Harris) who offers to help Dutchess and her kittens get back to their home in Paris. The lot of the movie is pretty much these cats having a homeward bound adventure, and running into interesting characters along the way. Meanwhile Edgar and the two hounds have a sort of ongoing thing, as the dogs now possess whatever evidence could convict him of the crime of stealing the cats. Much as I expected, a lot of the film ended up being about two things - overall cuteness involving the kittens, and the clashing of society. When the main story involves the wealthy and comfortable cat meeting the street smart alley cat, it only brings to mind 'Lady & The Tramp', and in a way, we've kind of done this story already - at least a very similar one. Hell, this title even comes with its own dash of racism in the form of a Siamese cat, just like 'Lady & The Tramp'! Once again, Disney Plus has the forewarning about certain depictions of society before the film gets going, and once again, I credit them for that. I think it's better to get an idea of a time when certain things seemed acceptable so we can learn from our mistakes, moving forward. This may be extreme, but it's not unlike why we learn about WWII in history class. By the end of the film, I consider this movie just sort of "there". I was certainly mildly entertained by several parts of it, but so much of it hasn't aged particularly well. The primary example is when O'Malley, Dutchess and the kittens visit O'Malley's swinging cat friends. The musical number they do is a lot of fun, and well-animated, but at the cost of portraying a racial stereotype or two. Beyond that, O'Malley's constant use of the word "baby" as a term of endearment along with Dutchess being entirely uninteresting in her female role can be somewhat cringe-worthy. Their dynamic would be criticized immensely if this was released today. However, it was 1970, and a lot of this was just the way it was. I guess if I were to recommend this, it would be the same as recommending 'The Jungle Book'. Kids could check this out and have a good time with it, but it might be important to let them know things like... don't ever call a woman "baby" if you don't know already know her AND have her consent to do so. Nowadays, that's the sort of thing that can earn you a kick to the nuts, a slap to the face, or your face to your nuts because she'll find a way to make it happen. As far as this one goes, it just sort of lingers as "okay" at best. There were moments I liked, but they were few and far between, and this is only mildly entertaining at best. The hounds are probably the best part, and they're simple comic relief, so I wouldn't approach this one with super high expectations. 3/5 According to the 7 eras of Disney animation, the "Silver Age" ends with this particular title, thus ending the third age of the animation studio. For those curious, the Golden Age goes from 'Snow White' to 'Bambi'; the Wartime Era goes from 'Saludos Amigos' to 'Ichabod and Mr. Toad', and the Silver Age covers from 'Cinderella' up to this point. Here we have one of my personal favorites that strays away from the whole "Princess" thing and gives us a solid adventure aimed perhaps a touch more at us boys. Once again this is something that happens a bit more than we tend to realize. The film tells us the tale of an orphan boy named Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman), who is found by a Panther named Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot) in the jungles of India. Bagheera delivers Mowgli to a pack of wolves, lead by Akela (John Abbott) who raises him as one of the pack. One day, Akela comes to the decision that Mowgli has to leave the pack as well as the jungle he calls home, and be returned to his own kind in what they call the "Man-Village". A threat has returned in the form of a Tiger named Shere Khan (George Sanders), and it's believed that Mowgli doesn't stand a chance of survival. While being escorted to the "Man-Village" by Bagheera, Mowgli comes across several colorful characters including a hungry python named Kaa (Sterling Holloway), a friendly, rough-and-tumble bear named Baloo (Phil Harris), an Elephant Army, lead by Col. Hathi (J. Pat O'Malley) a greedy orangutan named King Louie (Louis Prima) who happens to be the character of racial controversy in this film. I'm not gonna get too deep into this particular controversy, but once again I give Disney Plus credit for owning up to things in the beginning of the film, and instead of just deleting things, leaving them in to spark conversation among viewers... now if only they'd do something similar for the 'Simpsons' episode 'Stark Raving Dad', but that's a whole other thing. The truth of the matter is, this is another Disney title that comes from my childhood that I've always enjoyed. Although I understand the controversial elements of it, it's a title I hold close to my heart, having once been in Cubs where all of my leaders were named after 'Jungle Book' characters. I mean, this was a movie I bonded with friends over, and to be honest, I've always really enjoyed the story. Fast-forwarding to 2016, the live action remake was released, and to this day, I still consider it the best one they've done. That said, truth be told, I've never really disliked any version of this story - not even the '94 version, which a lot of people look down their noses at. This is a fun, and easily watchable adventure for the family - but be sure to give fresh young minds a bit of an education on why the 'I Wanna Be Like You' song by King Louie might be problematic to some. Otherwise, the songs are catchy, the voice acting is solid, the advancement of Disney's animated animals and natural backgrounds evolves, and above all else, it's not one I feel stuck on. In other words it's not like 'Cinderella' or 'Sleeping Beauty' where I know it's not my thing at all, but I can appreciate it for what it is. 'The Jungle Book' is something I can freely say I very much enjoy, and I think as long as one understands the controversial moments here, one can still find the overall adventure very enjoyable. 4/5 Here we have a shining example of how much opinion can change over the years, from childhood to adulthood. Back sometime in the 90s, when this came out of "The Disney Vault" for a short time, I rented it, watched it and really enjoyed it. However, one should probably also understand that this was pretty much my introduction to King Arthur's legend - a legend that really isn't done justice in this film, upon seeing it now. This particular version begins with the death of the King of England, Uther Pendragon, leaving no heir to the throne. For whatever reason, a sword appears in London, embedded in an anvil (yes, anvil, not stone) with an inscription that states, whoever pulls it out of the anvil becomes the rightful King of England. No one ever does succeed, and that whole plot is dropped for the remainder of the movie. I'm not kidding, either. Things immediately go to the powerful Wizard, Merlin (Karl Swenson) and his meeting Arthur, commonly known in this movie as "Wart". He's the embodiment of the average underdog character, and the film generally revolves around Merlin giving Arthur an education. Throughout the film, Merlin covers such things as using brain to defeat brawn, lessons in love and heartbreak, and other general school material. That's quite honestly most of what the film actually is, just Merlin being a teacher to Arthur. Their meeting is by chance, and Merlin foresees it as a meeting with someone of great importance, but that's about all we have to go by. We further realize that Merlin can travel back and forth through time, so logic dictates he understands that Arthur is to become King, and therefore wants to make sure he's set on the right path. But I will admit that the story doesn't exactly flow; it's a chance meeting, a school lesson, a really cool climax involving a crowbarred in villain, and then about 3-5 minutes of what we actually came to see. The film does stay alive, however, providing some fun to go with the whole educational process. Usually this involves Merlin turning Arthur and himself into various animals to explore their lifestyles, and it's pretty much a land, water, air thing as said animals are a squirrel, a fish and a bird. So the magic is alive and well in this, and it all leads to that climax I referred to where Merlin has a "Wizard's Dual" with the evil Madam Mim (Martha Wentworth). She's not exactly at the top of the list of Disney villains, but for the short time she's there, she's perfectly enjoyable. It's just that she has little to nothing to do with the story; as I said, she's quite "crowbarred in". Yet, this whole fight between her and Merlin is probably the best part of the movie, so it's a strange love-hate criticism where I wish she was a bigger part of things. Along the way, we meet other likable characters like Archimedes (Junius Matthews), Merlin's stubborn, talking owl, and Arthur's foster brother, Kay (Norman Alden) who is being prepped to take over as King by his father, Sir Ector (Sebastian Cabot). Arthur, being the underdog through this, thinks it an honor to become Kay's squire, but a lot of the story involves Merlin trying to push him towards something more. I suppose the big takeaway from this one is something along the lines of "don't just settle, you can be more". The problem is, when Arthur does finally pull the sword (if that's a spoiler, you probably shouldn't be here) he does it in an attempt to arm his foster brother. He stumbles into kingship so abruptly, it happens, he questions himself, and then Merlin shows up to say "nah, you're king" and suddenly he's okay with it. I'll be honest, it feels rushed. All criticisms aside, however, I wouldn't consider this a bad movie either. It has flaws, but none so much that I feel like I'm walking on eggshells with my review ('Peter Pan', man. I'll never get over that). I would say that for young kids, this would actually make for a pretty good educational tool. But having said that, whether you enjoy this or not is gonna depend on what you're after. If you wanna see the legend of King Arthur, you're not really gonna get it. If you're the kind of kid who wants to see Arthur learn, in an almost 'Harry Potter' style, then it's perfectly fine. I think i have just seen too much of Arthur since my childhood that this doesn't really do it for me like it used to. It's interesting, but Disney's library certainly has better titles. 3/5 I can remember seeing this one a few times, growing up, and always enjoying it. It was a Disney movie that took time away from the magic of fairy tales and princesses who needed to find love with a prince. It's all well and good, but as far as this refresher goes, in its entirety, it's been quite a while since we've gotten away from the whole fantasy, fairy tale thing. I guess one could say there's something about this film that feels like a breath of fresh air. A Dalmatian named Pongo (Rod Taylor) is a bachelor dog living with his bachelor owner, Roger Radcliffe (Ben Wright). For this particular film, the roles of pet and owner are reversed for the narration, which is a pretty neat way of doing things considering Pongo is our lead. Anyway, Pongo is determined to find Roger a partner in order to spice up their dull lives. Spotting a lovely woman across the street, walking her own Dalmatian, Pongo gets Roger to take him for a walk. He tracks down the woman, Anita (Lisa Davis) and her dog, Perdita (Cate Bauer) sparks happen, and everyone seemingly gets a "happy ever after" setup from the get-go; that is until Perdita gets pregnant. Upon hearing that Perdy is having puppies, in walks one of the most detestable Disney villains of all time, Cruella De Vil (Betty Lou Gerson). Cruella's obsession is fur, and she makes attempt after attempt to buy these puppies (of which there ends up being 15), believing that everything has its price. However, Roger stands up to her, tells her off and sends her on her way. This of course leads to her arranging a dognapping, along with her bumbling henchmen, Jasper (J. Pat O'Malley) and Horace (Frederick Worlock). Pongo, Purdy, Roger, Anita and eventually most of London (or at least the pets of London) then make every effort to locate the puppies, and try to bring them back home safely. This is one of my personal favorites of the Disney collection, if only because it does everything I already mentioned. I remember renting this one a few times, growing up. We also had a dog of our own, who we adored as a family. So there's certainly a childhood connection to it, along with that of just being a dog-owner and being able to relate. I mean, to put a morbid spin on things here, just imagine a rich and wretched woman coming to your door, offering you a sum of money to take your dog off your hands. You don't know why, but you do realize that fur is her life. I always found myself relating to Roger the most in this, as he just plain knows. Anita, in all honesty, is pretty naive when it comes down to it. While the puppies are altogether cute, and you can't help but empathize for the family through this, oddly enough, the villains are still by far the best part of the movie. It's a neat twist on a Disney movie that most of the comedy relief actually comes from then. While the puppies make you smile, along with a few side characters, these three baddies are totally off the wall. Jasper and Horace are probably funnier in the live-action version of this, but they're a bit less dumb here and a bit more like normal henchmen. It's Cruella that really gets me in this. When she loses it, she really loses it, and you can tell that Betty Lou Gerson is having a blast doing this voice. She really lets it all hang out, and is possibly the craziest villain we've seen yet. Up until now, they've mostly just been dark. For as awful as she is, she's a lot of fun to watch. This is a Disney classic I'd recommend to most people out there. It's just a lot of fun, and there's probably even further appeal to dog owners. There's a few dated things, perhaps, but in my opinion that's reaching just a little bit. This isn't like watching 'Peter Pan' and just feeling awkward about things when it's over. The truth is, this is one Disney classic I can keep coming back to (although I admit some of the barking can get irksome). I always have fun with it, there's some nostalgia attached to it, and once again, it just feels like a beath of fresh air. It's perhaps the most "realistic" story Disney Animation has done up until this point (as in taking place in the real world), and don't forget, '101 Dalmatians' did the Disney live action remake before it was cool - which, by the way, I also recommend for a fun time for the family. 4/5 Once again, we begin a month of Disney animation recapping, starting with 'Sleeping Beauty' - one of the Disney Animated films I tend to have in the back of my head somewhere, as the idea has never appealed to me much. I remember renting this a very long time ago, when Disney Vault Limited Edition VHS tapes were all the rage. I pretty well just shrugged it off as something neat, but not really my thing. I gotta say, my opinion hasn't changed a whole bunch. Princess Aurora is born to King Stefan and Queen Leah. A holiday is proclaimed to pay homage to her, where she is betrothed to Prince Phillip at her christening in an effort to unite kingdoms with King Hubert, and is given gifts from the good fairies, Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. The fairies all come bearing gifts; Flora gifts her with beauty, Fauna with song, but Merryweather's gift is interrupted by the evil fairly, Maleficent, who's all pissed off about not being invited to the party. Maleficent curses Aurora by proclaiming that on her 16th birthday, Aurora would prick her finger on the spindle of a spinning wheel and drop dead before sunset. This causes Merryweather to rethink her gift, and she uses her magic to make it so that instead of dying, Aurora will just fall into a deep sleep, until "true love's kiss" breaks the spell. The fairies soon take Aurora under their protection, knowing that Maleficent will not rest until Aurora is killed. The child grows up with them in a hidden forest cottage, awaiting the day she turns 16. So, the main plot of this story is a pretty weird one, considering that it's a 16-year event that all stems back from not being invited to a party. That said, it's pretty damn incredible how much of a love/hate relationship I have with this movie. For a good chunk of it, i see it pretty much the same way I see 'Cinderella' - it's not really my cup of tea, but there's nothing really wrong with it, per se. However, this does have a lot that stands out about it, starting with Maleficent. Her motivation for revenge is absolutely ridiculous, but that's kind of what makes her such a great villain. Imagine not inviting someone to a house party, and just because of that, that person plots a 16-year revenge that will lead to your first-born's eventual death. Thus far, I'd consider her the single most evil Disney villain, at least as far as I've recapped - the Queen from 'Snow White', a close second, with her motivation being jealousy over beauty. Speaking of 'Snow White', there are quite a few similarities here. This is almost like they took the very basics of 'Snow White' (as in curse causes deep sleep that can only be broken by a kiss, and the villain's motivation is just jealousy) and made it better. Among other things I really like about it include the interaction between the three fairies, the beautifully painted backgrounds, artwork and animation, and about the last half hour or so of the movie which includes a pretty awesome chase/fight between Prince Phillip and a dragon version of Maleficent where she even tells Phillip he's about to face "all the power of Hell" - pretty badass for a Disney villain, and again, she's one of the best parts about this movie, even if her motivation is laughable. Of course, I have to go back to what I said about comparing it to 'Cinderella' as far as personal taste goes. There's a lot I didn't like about this movie, and the biggest beef i have about it is that Aurora just plain doesn't allow you to give a damn. She is there to look pretty, sing with her lovely voice, and befriend woodland critters. She is the cardboard cutout version of a Disney Princess, and I can't really wrap my head around why we care about what happens to her, other than Maleficent's plan being extremely cruel. While I put the villain here up high on the villain list, Aurora's pretty damn low on the Princess list - maybe one step above Snow White, because at least Aurora wasn't dishing out terrible female stereotypes at the time... well, other than helplessness. This is pretty well balanced between what's good about it and what's bad about it, but I'd probably go out on a limb to say that the good somewhat outweighs the bad. I'd probably say there's more to like here than dislike, and if nothing else, it's sort of a perfect example of what "Disney Magic" is all about. It's very "fairy tale", takes you to a beautiful fantasy land, and uses literal magic throughout its entirety. It's my understanding that the original 'Sleeping Beauty' was a ballet production, so a lot of the music, though I find it very bland, does fit quite well. This is another Disney movie I can't help but meet in the middle. It's good for what it is, but I don't see a whole lot of repeat viewings in the future. 3/5 This film opens with a kindly dedication to all dogs, be they "ladies" (trained, housebroken dogs) or "tramps" (strays). It suggests that money cannot buy the wag of a dog's tail, and anyone who has ever owned and loved a dog really knows this to be true. To me, the beginning of the film is actually perhaps the most charming part of it, as it speaks a truth all dog-owners understand to be true. But for as promising as this sounds, there's a lot of stuff about the film that I'm not too fond of, and it's another title in the Disney collection I could totally take or leave. This one also opens on Christmas, at a household where a man named Jim Dear (Lee Millar) gives a gift to his wife, Darling (Peggy Lee); a cute little cocker spaniel with a bow she calls "Lady". The first night is actually pretty adorable, as Lady gets lonely and tries so desperately hard to join her family in their bed. She manages, but they lay down the law that it's JUST for that first night. Naturally, however, the trend lasts much longer, which was something I found they got pretty spot-on for dog-lovers, or even pet-owners in general. In this house, we let both dogs and cats up on the bed, as we appreciate the company, and I know many who do the same. At around six months, they get Lady (now voiced by Barbara Luddy) a dog license, and she shows it off to her friends, a Scottish Terrier (Bill Thompson) named Jock and a Bloodhound named Trusty (Bill Baucom), who has no sense of smell. We get the sense that Lady lives a very happy, comfortable, perhaps even spoiled life with her owners (by the way, do not feed your dog coffee and donuts like they do here!). Lady's owners are very fond of her, she's got them wrapped around her little paw, and life is good. Meanwhile, we are introduced to "Tramp" (Larry Roberts), a stray mutt who sleeps at a construction sight, eats the scraps from a friendly Italian restaurant (probably at least better for dogs that coffee and donuts - seriously, don't do that). He lives his life day by day, outrunning dog catchers and socializing with the local strays. One day Tramp comes across Lady having a conversation with Jock and Trusty about the baby Jim and Darling are about to have. Tramp warns her about what's going to happen, but his opinion is at first tossed aside. Some time after the baby is born, however, Jim and Darling go on vacation, leaving the baby with Aunt Sarah (Verna Felton) who, along with her racially insensitive siamese cats, treat Lady like some sort of unwanted mongrel. This leads Lady out onto the streets, taking her chances with Tramp, who seems to have been right in his opinion about humans the whole time. But will she be able to adjust to the Tramp's lifestyle? Or is she too adapted to her home life? Much like with 'Cinderella', this is one of those Disney animated films that isn't entirely up my alley, but that doesn't mean it's bad. If you take away some of the racial controversy, the story is actually pretty charming - that is, if you can make it past some of the dog noises that are way too overexaggerated here. The dog pound scene, for example, is pretty brutal - like watching one of those SPCA commercials but instead of being heartbreakingly sad, it's this odd combination of annoying, sad and even kind of scary. If you really love dogs, this movie might hit you harder than most. In many ways, the film brings back fond memories of the dogs I had in my life, who I developed very strong and close relationships with. A lot of the charm of the movie does appeal to dog lovers, but a lot of the darker moments here are actually kind of upsetting. I really wasn't a fan of the "taking the long walk" scene, where a very upbeat dog at the pound gets put down behind closed doors. It's a bit much, and doesn't really need to be there other than to pull at heartstrings. In fact, the film does a lot of that, some of it feeling quite forced. Other than a few things that haven't aged very well since 1955, this isn't a bad movie for the right audience. This will appeal to dog lovers easily enough, and has its charm despite not quite being everything I look for in a Disney animated film. It might make for a pretty good date movie, but I otherwise prefer something a little more upbeat because for as charming as this can be, it can get just as dark, and moments of sadness are really crowbarred in. It's made for that soft spot a lot of us have within us for dogs, but it's bound to work better for some than others. 3/5 This is another title that goes all the way back to my early childhood, as we rented it a few times over from whatever local video stores existed at the time. Speaking for myself, I always loved this movie in my childhood. I saw it as a fun, fantasy adventure, full of imagination and frankly dream-like. Much like 'Alice in Wonderland', it helped contribute to my love of imagination in film. Now, allow me to address the elephant in the room briefly. We all know that there are certain depictions in this film that are stereotypical and simply do not hold up. Watching this as a kid, certain things just kind of were what they were, and the internet just wasn't a thing. If we wanted any information on things, we'd have to either know someone who was personally effected by things, or have to find a book to read on the subject, which we probably wouldn't think to go out of our way to do. Since that time, however, we have been well-educated, and a lot of Disney's not-so-proud moments stand out a little bit more, somewhat tainting our childhood perception of these films, perhaps for the better. The film opens in London England in the early 1900s, where we meet the imaginative Darling children, John (Paul Collins), Michael (Tommy Luske) and their storytelling older sister, Wendy (Kathryn Beaumont). The stories Wendy tells are about Peter Pan (Bobby Driscoll), and the power behind the stories is so strong that all of the kids believe in him. Meanwhile, parents George and Mary (Hans Conried and Heather Angel, respectively) pass it all off as nonsense, and the kids imagination even sets Mr. Darling off, who seems to want these kids to be a bit more ordinary and grow up. One night, Peter Pan himself comes to the Darling household to hear stories from Wendy to bring back to his friends, the Lost Boys. However, when Wendy tells him about their need to grow up, Peter brings Wendy and the others to Neverland, where they'll never have to grow up, and Wendy can stay and tell stories to the Lost Boys. Little do the kids know that they will soon have to deal with all aspects of Neverland, including the dastardly Captain Hook (also Hans Conried) and his goofy sidekick, Smee (Bill Thompson). What unfolds is a fun, animated adventure, unfortunately now highlighted by racial overtones that just kind of make one uncomfortable nowadays. It's sadly one of the worst examples of a movie that has aged horribly by today's standards. That said, I can't really deny that most of the film does have a nostalgic tie to it, and the non-controversial parts of it are still entertaining nonetheless. For me, pretty much any scene that features Captain Hook and Smee, especially when blended with a clock-eating crocodile, are funny and still hold up. He's one of the first comedic villains I can really think of in one of these, and that's a bit of a rarity for Disney animation. I'm hard pressed to think of many examples, except perhaps Yzma from 'The Emperor's New Groove', or any number of bumbling sidekicks. And speaking of that, Smee really does have this odd charm to him. It's unfortunate how the film has a fairly strong focus on all of the things that date it, namely the Native American stereotypes. It boils right down to full on songs which, watching them play out nowadays, just have me cringing as they're basically just mockery. So the film is this crazy balance of extremes, between the fun villainous portrayal of Captain Hook and the... well, you know. It picks up, and it drops off, all the way throughout. and although part of me still enjoys it, and embraces the nostalgia it provides, the other part of me see it as a once classic throw-away at the same time. At the end of the day, it's something you just plain have to use your judgment on. For me, it's the lowest end of a pass, based on the aspects of it I enjoyed. 3/5 This is one among the Disney animation collection that I have seen, but it was long enough ago that seeing it now may as well be a first time. I actually forgot just how enjoyable this movie was for me as a kid. When certain characters in this tale of wonder popped up, I was hit with waves of nostalgia, and I concluded after seeing it again this time around that it must have been a part of where I got my imagination from. Much like Alice, I found things like schooling rather dull and had "my own little world", while in the meantime I took reality for granted. The film opens with Alice (Kathryn Beaumont) in the middle of a history lesson from her older sister, expressing her desire for adventure to her cat, Dinah. She suddenly spots a white rabbit in a waistcoat, seemingly running late for something important. When Alice gives chase, the rabbit leads her down a large rabbit hole, which leads to a room with a tiny door that leads to Wonderland. Once she drinks a shrinking potion, she finds her way into Wonderland where she meets the likes of several strange characters like Tweedledee and Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, the March Hare, the smoking Caterpillar, and of course the dreaded Queen of Hearts who doesn't even make an appearance until about 20 minutes before the film ends - admittedly a tense 20 minutes though. Personally, I found that there's a lot of similarity between this and 'The Wizard of Oz'. Both Dorothy and Alice end up in magical lands, meet some very interesting characters on a journey, and are (at least eventually) just trying to get home. Both characters also seem to realize how much they take reality for granted when they're basically overwhelmed with too much strange. This is a valuable lesson for the kids watching, but both films make sure there's plenty of fun to be had along the way. To top it all off, both are based on classic books, but the thing to note is that 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' came first. Although nowadays it's often seen as one of Disney's many masterpieces, it's funny to think that it was actually critically panned upon its release. The year was 1951, so a part of me wonders if things like having a day-dreamy imagination were a little more frowned upon; accepted, but considered a "waste of time" or something along those lines. It even bombed at the box office for its initial release, forcing Disney to write-off over a million dollars. It wouldn't take long, however, until this became a cult classic of sorts, and Disney's everlasting wish of making money would once again come true, when it was re-released in 1974. Nowadays, it's a little less about daydreaming and a little more about Alice potentially experiencing some sort of drug trip. Honestly though, either way works just fine, as long as that lesson is there at the end. Going back to the 'Wizard of Oz' comparison, I will say that final lesson is really where they differ. In "Oz', Dorothy is on a constant journey to try to get home, and in the end, it's very much a lesson about taking what you have for granted. In 'Alice', it touches on that slightly, but at the end life just kinda goes on. No twists, no turns, Alice wakes up and the movie just ends. However, in the book, upon waking up, she convinces her older sister to sit by the riverbank and experience the fantasy for herself. So that leads me to believe that while a similar lesson is in place, a part of the takeaway from 'Alice' is also to not be afraid to daydream and let your imagination run wild. I'd be curious to actually read the book for myself and see what similarities/differences there are, as this is still seen by many as the best film adaptation of the book. The follow-up story, 'Through the Looking-Glass' never saw the light of day with Disney animation, but I often wonder if that may be for the best. What I really like about this movie in particular is that any way you look at it, it's the perfect example of a film that allows you to escape; perhaps my favorite thing about movies in general. For me, this is like the film equivalent to whatever dream you experience during a light nap; when you just drift off for an hour and a half to two hours, wake up and suddenly remember where you are. It's one of those films that's actually a bit of an experience because it's so fantastical, and it's definitely a personal fave among the Disney classics. It's the very definition of a film you can freely lose your mind to. But don't mind us fans - we're all a little mad here. 5/5 As I take my journey through each and every Walt Disney Animation Studios title, I'm bound to come across a few that weren't particularly made for me. 'Cinderella' is one of these titles. While there's plenty to like about it, the overall concept isn't something that I really think about, and the character just isn't relatable to me in any real way. As a result, I have a hard time getting on board. But make no mistake, none of it has to do with it being too "girly". For the record, I think Cinderella is a perfectly relatable character for anyone who has ever felt trapped under their parents strict, watchful eye, forbidden to do certain things, or even caught up in the wrong family. The fact of the matter is, however, this was made for an audience that doesn't involve me. However, I can respect the title for its position on the long list of Disney classics, and it IS kinda cool to see that she has to go through some crap to get to become a princess. She's not just a princess from the get-go, and that's always a good thing; to show a certain amount of struggle in order to reach such a high-class position. Cinderella (Ilene Woods) once had a loving family with her real parents. Once the mother dies, the father remarries to Lady Tremaine (Eleanor Audley) who brings her two bratty daughters along, Drizella and Anastasia (Rhoda Williams and Lucille Bliss, respectively). Eventually, Cinderella's father passes as well, and she's stuck with her Step Mother and Step Sisters who make her do everything while they live their lives. Her only real friends are the mice and birds who visit her, headed by our comic relief characters, Jaq and Gus (James MacDonald). Meanwhile, Prince Charming (William Phipps/Mike Douglas) of the nearby kingdom is all iffy about getting married and starting a family while his father (Luis Van Rooten) longs to hear the pitter-patter of little feet before his time is gone. The King issues a decree that all maidens on the village attend a Royal Ball. The step sisters and stepmother sabotage Cinderella's attempts at attending, wanting her to have nothing, and she is left alone that night. But then her Fairy Godmother (Verna Felton) shows up and grants her wish to go to the Ball, but only until midnight. Then we all know the rest with the glass slipper, and if you don't know how this ends by now, you may have been living under a rock for quite some time. Although it's not particularly for yours truly, the film still has plenty of merits to speak of. The animation is pretty solid for the time, the singing is a little more subtle than some other Disney movies, and flows rather organically, and I can't deny that one feels the tension behind Lady Tremaine. She's actually a very good villain in that she comes off as a potentially real character. Although it's a fairy tale, the villain is someone who could easily be based in reality. I'll further add that the mice are fun characters, and although she's only in it for a few moments, the Fairy Godmother is very likable. She comes in to give Cinderella a boost, but she doesn't spoil her rotten entirely, given the midnight curfew. For the kind of movie it is, it's not bad, I just have a taste that goes in another direction. 3/5 Here we go for round three of my Disney catch-up. This is one that I've seen a few times before, but I tend to stick to the latter half for several reasons. While 'The Wind in the Willows' is okay for what it is, it's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow' that seems to become most peoples' takeaway from it. On top of that, I'm a fiend for Halloween, and the last moments have left an impression on me that has lasted since I was a little kid. It's probably the primary source of my opinion that atmosphere outdoes blood and gore for a good scare. But of course, I'm here to review the whole movie, so allow me to get the first part out of the way (which was pretty much how I felt watching this). On the whole, the film could be likened to an average family meal for a kid. You wanna get through the first bit and jump straight to your dessert - you may even be willing to sacrifice some of your meal to get there, too (in this case hitting skip until you get to the good parts). So fair warning, I didn't care much for the first segment, and my heart isn't really in it. But I'll give it a whirl. 'The Wind in the Willows': Based on the story by Kenneth Grahame, the story bases itself in London, England in the early 1900s. We are introduced to a variety of critter characters, including J. Thaddeus Toad, Esq. He has a passion for adventure, with no regard to cost, which eventually brings him to the brink of bankruptcy. His habit of getting into all things popular peaks when he discovers motorcars, and Toad's friend, Angus McBadger convinces other friends, Ratty and Moley to try to help curb his habit. This all gets really weird and advanced for something aimed at kids. It involves a lot of financial mumbo jumbo, and even a court case that involves Mr. Toad's reckless driving. When describing it to a friend, i claimed it as being a very boring tale, but complete with some pretty funny visuals and dialogue. For me, it's not bad for what it is, but it's definitely not something I feel like I need to re-watch annually at Christmas (it takes place around the holidays). There are certainly some laugh out loud moments though, and that was enough to at least keep me mildly entertained. 3/5 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow': This segment couldn't have worked out much better for timing. These Disney Animation reviews are all being done in order, and taking place every month with five Thursdays until I'm done. It just so happened that 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad' lands on October 1st, and the last moments of the second segment here always, without fail, gets me into the Halloween spirit. Of course I refer to Washington Irving's 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'. The first parts of this segment are intriguing enough as a sort of twisted love triangle story. Basically, we have Ichabod Crane; a school master who looks pretty gangly and has a certain charm to him that some of the local ladies fall for. However we learn that he's a bit of a jerk as well, going after women for their riches and good cooking more than for love. His competition is local tough guy, Brom Bones, who picks on Ichabod a little bit, but nothing too harmful. In a weird way, there's a very human balance between the two, and we see that the would-be gangly geek between the wto may actually be the jerk. Of course, this all ends with Brom Bones having enough with his competition, and sacring the crap out of him with the tale of the Headless Horseman of Sleepy Hollow. If you wanna get to what makes this whole movie great, skip to the last 13 minutes or so. It begins with a catchy song as Brom Bones tells the tale, and then it cuts to the best and most memorable part of things, involving Ichabod, riding home through the dark forest. Even as a 38-year-old adult, I can say that this is still effectively creepy and a fantastic way to dip your young children into the horror pool. It works really well as a "baby step" in that direction. The segment as a whole is interesting in its execution, and it has become an annual Halloween watch for me. 5/5 If you recall last month, I went through five of the six "package films" Disney made from a bunch of unused footage (at least for a lot of it). This is the sixth and final package film Disney made during this era, and things would go back to normal until 1977 with 'The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh'. On the whole, I definitely recommend checking out the last half of this, especially since we're approaching Halloween. It might stick with you better than some actual horror movies with the atmosphere it creates. As far as the first half, I could take it or leave it. It's good for a giggle, but not something to keep coming back to. 4/5 Yet another one of Disney's package films of the 40's; second to last of them, and leans a little more towards 'Make Mine Music' in style. Once again, we're spread out with a total of seven segments, so the review will be a touch long-winded, but I'll do my best to keep it short and sweet. Much with 'Make Mine Music', it features segments that are punctuated with musical tones and poetry, and you get to guess how much of it may have been originally intended for the almighty 'Fantasia'. The whole thing is narrated by Buddy Clark - a man known more for his soundtrack performances than acting. He is also the man who sings the title song with his delightful, crooning voice. One by one, as usual, the segments are introduced, each offering a somewhat different artistic perspective. 'Once Upon a Wintertime': Frances Langford sings the title song, and we follow two young lovers named Jenny and Joe (neither with dialogue) while a couple of rabbits imitate most of their same moves. It's bright, chipper and cute, and would probably make for a nice addition to any Christmas soundtrack. Not my favorite kinda thing, but good for what it is. 3/5 'Bumble Boogie': This one WAS my favorite; Freddy Martin and His Orchestra, along with Jack Fina on the piano crank out a very jazzy, fast and upbeat version of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Flight of the Bumblebee'. All the while, it follows this poor bumblebee as it keeps seemingly getting attacked and chased by surreal-looking instruments and musical notes. It's very artistic-looking and fun, and yes, it was originally considered for 'Fantasia'. 5/5 'The Legend of Johnny Appleseed': Dennis Day narrates a Disney retelling of American folk hero, John Chapman, otherwise, of course, known as 'Johnny Appleseed'. His nicknamed was earned after he spends most of his life planting apple trees across Mi-Western America while spreading Christianity. I'm not a fan, but that doesn't mean it's not fine for its target audience. I have this really weird bias against pioneer day stuff. I have a very hard time enjoying any of it, and find it a bit boring. We do all have our thing we'll never go out of our way to watch though. With that said, it pretty much mirrors how I feel about 'Once Upon a Wintertime'. 3/5 'Little Toot': I'm fairly certain I had this in the form of a read-along book on tape when I was a kid. One way or another, this was something I remembered from my childhood, so there was a bit of nostalgia that popped up. I pretty well forgot all about it until now. It tells of a small tugboat named 'Little Toot' who wanted to be just like his father, 'Big Toot', but couldn't stay out of trouble, and never seems to learn. It did trigger some nostalgia, but not quite enough. Once again, passable, but nothing too special. 3/5 'Trees': Joyce Kilmer's 1913 poem, 'Trees', is here performed by Fred Waring and the Pennsylvanians. For yours truly, I found the song slow, dull, boring, like... watching trees grow? The artistic style of the segment, however, is gorgeous. Each scene is essentially a nature painting brought to life, as it cycles through the seasons and the changing of the trees. All in all, it's actually a great segment if you can just get past the slow drone of the recitation. 3/5 'Blame It on the Samba': A down and out Donald Duck and José Carioca (the Brazillian parrot) meet the Aracuan Bird (who we first met in 'The Three Caballeros'), who introduces them to the Samba, whisking their sadness away with the playful, fun dance. The song is an English-dubbed version of Apanhei-te, Cavaquinho by Ernesto Nazareth, performed by the Dinning Sisters, and featuring organist Ethel Smith in a short, live-action performance. I actually find the song quite catchy, the Aracuan Bird is funny, and it was good enough to make me ignore the fact that José already introduced Donald to the Samba back in 'The Three Caballeros'. 4/5 'Pecos Bill': In the final segment, Roy Rogers (along with his horse, Trigger), Bob Nolan and the Sons of the Pioneers tell the story of Pecos Bill to Bobby Driscoll and Luana Patten (who we just saw talking to a bunch of creepy dummies in 'Fun and Fancy Free). The story tells of a child who was raised by Coyotes, later to become the world's greatest "buckaroo" (which I definitely did not hear right the first time around). Once again, due to smoking content, it was later strongly censored, but revived once it landed on Disney+. Once again, this is just okay, but I probably got a bit more out of it that 'Once Upon a Wintertime' or 'Johnny Appleseed'. It's a little more on par with 'Little Toot'. 3/5 Aside from a couple of the more surreal segments, this movie just works out to be another perfectly average film of its kind. I'm really looking forward to getting through all of these, as I find them a little more challenging to review. I can break down each segment, and work out an average rating, which makes things a touch easier. But when you get segments like this, unless it really speaks to me, it can be hard to say that anything is either terrible or awesome. These will almost always work out to be a 3 or, at best, 4, just due to how average it all works out to be. Like most of these (and it's starting to get frustrating because I want to give more), it works out to be a perfectly passable film, harmless, decent for the kids as well as the cultured (being a bit of Disney history), and something that makes for good background entertainment. It doesn't have the scope of 'Fantasia', or is particularly memorable, but there's really nothing wrong with it either. Here's thanking my lucky stars that the next and final package film, just in time for October, will be 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad', featuring what I can already say is my all-time favorite segment, 'The Legend of Sleepy Hollow'... so gimme a couple more months, and these will be much less boring! 3/5 Finally, I've reached the point where these reviews are gonna be a bit easier. We're still going through some anthology stuff, but this time, instead of reviewing 6 or 7 short segments, I'm reviewing 2. It's a breath of fresh air, really - a somewhat back-to-normal. In this case, the self-contained reviews will be a touch longer, as there's slightly more to cover than just a musical number with visuals. The film opens with our kindly little host, Jiminy Cricket (Cliff Edwards), singing a song about living "fun and fancy free", as he goes around telling different animals how they worry too damn much. He sets the mood for what you're about to see, with his upbeat attitude, and it's enough to pull you in. Speaking for myself, it was nice to see a song about all the worries people have, in regards to society right now with a world-wide pandemic. All Jiminy wants you to do now is join him in a fun, fable-telling film, all starting with the lovely voice of Dinah Shore as she narrates and sings the first of two stories. 'Bongo': Based on the Sinclair Lewis story, 'Little Bear', the story tells of a circus bear cub named Bongo. He's amazing at what he does, but he's treated poorly and wants his freedom. He eventually escapes, and just when he thinks things aren't going the way he imagined, he falls for a female cub named Lulubelle. But he must prove himself against a big brute of a bear named Lumpjaw, if he wants a shot at being with her. It's the classic David vs Goliath/Nerd vs Jock love story. All and all, it's a pretty solid musical, rhyming number for the little ones. It's honestly pretty cute, and even got a few laughs from me. However it should probably be mentioned that bears show their affection in this by slapping each other, so just be sure to remind your kids that humans aren't like that. 3/5 'Mickey and the Beanstalk': With narration by Edgar Bergan, this one's a retalling of 'Jack and the Beanstalk', replacing Jack with Mickey Mouse (Walt Disney), Donald Duck (Clarence Nash) and Goofy (Pinto Colvig). Mickey sells their cow for magic beans, which lead to the beanstalk, which lead to them discovering Willie the Giant's (Billy Gilbert) castle. There, they must retrieve a singing harp (Anita Gordon), and defeat the giant, to restore peace to their village. The animated segment is just classic. If I mention 'Fun and Fancy Free', many don't seem to know what I'm talking about, but if I mention 'Mickey and the Beanstalk', everyone seems familiar. I remember it being pretty popular, growing up,and it was likely featured on Disney's Sunday evening. But there was something about it I never caught on to until this watch. Segment narrator, Edgar Bergan, was a ventriloquist, and the segment is him telling the story to a young Luana Patten, with the help of two dummies named Charlie McCarthy and Mortimer Snerd. It delivers some laughs, but a lot of it is just because of how incredibly creepy it all is. It looks like a scene from 'Goosebumps', and I can't imagine that girl being so comfortable through the whole thing. One of them even offers her a cigar. With that said, though, it just added to the fascination of the segment. But that's honestly just me. It's so weird and creepy that it's funny. 4/5 In short, this is just a feel-good film, and that's all it's meant to be. The only things I found potentially dated here was how creepy the dummies were, and the idea of slapping someone to show them you like them, but if you can just get around those things, it's totally enjoyable, and worth gathering the family around for a few laughs. 4/5 This month would appear to be a somewhat repetitive one. Not to be boring, but it just so happens that a five of these are under-the-radar anthologies, often musical and/or educational, dated, and met completely in the middle with my opinion. This one tries to play a little more on the 'Fantasia'-like anthology, featuring the music and lyrics of a select group of high-ranking artists for the time. With that, it's fascinating, but like it is with a lot of Disney stuff from way-back-when, there's some dated stuff here. For the most part, the film is totally passable and enjoyable, but it's nothing at all that particularly sticks out in Disney's library. In fact, this might be the one title I've mentioned to other people that no one at all seems to recognize. Even the segments within it are pretty obscure; the most famous probably being 'Peter and the Wolf', or 'Casey at Bat' (which, by the way, has the dated comment that really stands out). More than anything, it's the musicians we're here for, and it's pretty interesting going back to hear some of the music of the time. 'The Martins and the Coys': The King's Men, a popular vocal group, sing the 'Hatfields and McCoys' story about a wild west family feud in which two characters from opposing sides fall in love. Eventually, the segment was censored from the film's video release for its gun-use, so apparently nowadays it's a bit of a rarity. But it's not entirely special nowadays when we're familiar with too many similar stories, and the concept of a vocal group is kinda dated. It's fine for its time, but not as timeless as a lot of Disney material is. 3/5 'Blue Bayou': Another fascinating one, featuring animation originally intended for 'Fantasia', using 'Clair de Lune' from Claude Debussy. The segment is quite lovely, featuring two egrets flying around on a beautiful, moonlit night. It would have fit 'Fantasia' so well, and for my money, is probably the classiest segment of the film. It's now featured with the song 'Blue Bayou' by the Ken Darby singers. Apparently, the original cut can still be found, but this is the official version, and it's a shame it didn't make it into 'Fantasia'. 3/5 'All the Cats Join In': Benny Goodman and his Orchestra play for this segment, probably my favorite in the film. It's a really neat take on animation that I've always enjoyed, where a pencil is drawing out the art as the animation is happening - some of the earliest examples of fourth wall breaking. The segment portrays the swinging youth of the 1940's with a very catchy tune, and even once featured female nudity that has since been edited - and yeah, you can tell where it was. But that's more just an interesting fact. The real takeaway from this is the ever-moving dance animation, and a tune that will have you tapping your feet, providing you with a cool little 1940's time capsule. 5/5 'Without You': A song about lost love by Andy Russell. Though it's punctuated by some beautiful animation, it's all in all depressing, and it feels like a huge drop from the catchy rhythms of the previous segment. I wasn't a fan. 2/5 'Casey at the Bat': While the 1888 poem is a solid classic, the segment opens up with a pretty rough song that states "the ladies don't understand baseball a bit, they don't know a strike from a ball or a hit". It otherwise hits a home run for giving us the comedy we so desperately needed after the last segment, and other than the song in the beginning, provides us with the timeless poem about how cockiness can lead to disappointment. It even got a sequel with 1954's 'Casey Bats Again'. 3/5 'Two Silhouettes': I'm not sure whether or not this was another one originally meant for 'Fantasia', with a different song, but it looks like it might be. This segment features a simple and pleasant love song, sang by Dina Shore, as two silhouetted ballet dancers, David Lichine and Tania Riabouchinskaya dance against a beautifully rendered, ever-changing background. If I'm honest with myself, I can certainly appreciate it. It sets a very pleasant mood, and for as much as I dislike ballet, I appreciate dream-like sequences a lot. If you do like ballet, go look it up on YouTube and check it out. 3/5 'Peter and the Wolf': Sergei Prokofiev's musical composition comes from 1936, and ten years later was made into a classic segment for Disney. I seem to faintly remember having a "read-along" book of this as a kid (a book that came with a tape you could read along with), but it really hit me as something bigger than I thought when 'Tiny Toons' parodied it, almost more as though it was a modern remake. Sterling Holloway (who popped up in the last review) narrates for Prokofiev's piece, and it tells of a boy named Peter who hunts a wolf with the help of his animal friends - Sascha the bid, Sonia the duck and Ivan the cat. Each character is represented by different instruments - Peter, the string quartet; Sascha, the flute; Sonia, the Oboe; Ivan, the Clarinet; an the Wolf, horns and cymbals. It gets kinda dark, but it does have a happy ending, and it still holds up as a classic piece of Disney work. 4/5 'After You've Gone': Benny Goodman comes back for this one, along with his quartet. I really enjoy this one in its creativity, as it features six anthropomorphic instruments, including a piano, bass, drums, cymbal and clarinet somehow putting on a sort of dance number. Between this and 'All the Cats Join In', this film has given me a whole new appreciation for Benny Goodman. They are both easily two of the most entertaining segments in the film. 4/5 'Johnny Fedora and Alice Blue Bonnet': The romantic tale of two department store hats falling for each other. But when Alice is sold, Johnny devotes himself to finding her. All the while, The Andrews Sisters sing the story. As far as any love story goes in this film, the only one that really stuck out was 'Two Silhouettes'. This one was cute, but if I'm honest, I wasn't a fan of the song, and the whole thing felt a bit "mushy". Perhaps just not for me, once again. 2/5 'The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met': It's such a solid choice to make an operatic number the finale, but the problem here is that I really do not like opera at all. I have lots of respect for what they can do, but that's kinda like saying I have respect for anyone whose voice is sharp enough to break glass - it's cool, but the sound of it is a bit much. Nelson Eddy narrates, sings and voices everything here, as we hear the story of a whale named Willie (decades before 'Free Willy') who has an incredible singing talent, and dreams of singing grand opera. Soon, though, his voice is mistaken for being three opera singers he probably ate, and the hunt is on. It ends very bittersweet, and all in all isn't bad, but the operatic singing started taking me out of it just because that's about the one form of music I just can't deal with. The film ended, and I just kinda thought to myself that something like 'Peter and the Wolf' may have made for a better finale. Oh, and the whale sings 'Shortnin' Bread' (an old plantation song) at one point, and that may make one cringe a bit. Maybe it's just me, but I was disappointed by the wrap-up. 2/5 Perhaps most interesting about this movie is how it came to be. During World War II, a lot of the Disney staff was drafted, and several who stayed behind were asked to make US propaganda films (and we all know how well that stands nowadays). The studio was then full of unfinished ideas, and in order for Disney to keep going, six "package films" were created. These began with 'Saludos Amigos' and 'The Three Cabelleros', and after this would eventually be capped with 'Fun and Fancy Free', 'Melody Time' and 'The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad' (to be reviewed in the October Edition of this series). I actually didn't realize the history until I dug into this one. That made for a very lengthy review, and if you're still here, congratulations, you made it. My closing thoughts are just that I'm glad I finally got a chance to check this out. Just bear in mind that while the segments are easy enough to find, the full-length feature is not; even D+ doesn't have it, and that's where I watched the last two films I reviewed for this month. I'm not gonna consider this one underrated, but I will say that it's worth a sit-down, as I think the good actually does outweigh the bad. I keep handing out 3/5, but I recommend going by segments, because some are very well done. 3/5 Another Disney movie with self-contained segments drowned out by 'Fantasia's success was 'The Three Caballeros'. I've been familiar with it since childhood, but never saw or even bothered with. Back then was a time when Disney movies would get video re-releases for a limited time before "going back into the vault, forever". Because of this, there were a lot of titles I was unfamiliar with. For a while, this was one of them, but I was also aware of a movie called 'The Three Amigos', so eventually I caught on. But truth be told, this was my first time watching it. The film begins as Donald Duck (Clarence Nash) is celebrating his birthday (on Friday the 13th, but no month is mentioned). He opens up a package containing all sorts of gifts that will give him further information of the world's geography and cultures. Mainly, it takes a further look at Brazil, as José Carioca (José Oliveira) the Parrot comes back to host Donald, and Mexico, where a rooster named Panchito (Joaquin Garay) comes in to dub the American duck, Brazilian parrot and Mexican rooster "the three caballeros". It all bears very similar aspects to 'Saludos Amigos'. I'd almost call it an unofficial sequel. The Cold-Blooded Penguin: Narrated by Sterling Holloway (most commonly known as the voice of Winnie the Pooh), the segment features a cute little penguin named Pablo, who goes against all penguin logic and decides he's sick of the cold climate of Antarctica, and wants to travel to warmer climates. Before landing on the Galápagos Islands, Pablo passes by Chile, Peru and Ecuador, giving kids a little geography lesson on South America's west coast. It was cute and gave me a giggle or two, but it didn't necessarily stand out either. 3/5 The Flying Gauchito: Narrated by Fred Shields (who was also narrator on 'Saludos Amigos') tells of a cute adventure of a little boy from Uruguay and his winged donkey, named Burrito. The segment is full of cuteness, but in a good way. It pretty much matches my opinion on the first segment, but perhaps with a little more stand-out in the cuteness of the characters involved. 3/5 Baía: I rather enjoyed the concept of this one; a love letter to the Brazilian state of Baía. This is where José really enters into it, as he sings a rather beautiful song about it, and takes Donald on a tour within a pretty damn cool pop-up book. Together, they meet the locals, including the lovely singer, Aurora Miranda. A lot of it involves the Samba, and Donald pining for the beautiful Brazilian women. It combines live action with animation, and I thought it was all put together nicely. 4/5 Las Posadas: We get a glimpse of Christmas tradition in Mexico, as a group of Mexican children re-enact the journey of Mary and Joseph, searching for room an the inn. "Posada" basically translates to "Shelter", which they of course eventually find in the stable. However, Mexican tradition brings in the piñata, which the kids hit for gifts and candy. It was neat, but might be more of a bookmark for something to check out around the Christmas season. 3/5 Mexico: Pátzcuaro, Veracruz and Acapulco: Here's where Panchito kinda takes the reins, and comes in with the song about "Three Caballeros". He then takes Donald and José on a tour of Mexico on a magic carpet. Here, they learn about several traditionally cultural dances and songs. We learn here that Donald is running a gag, often pining for the local women, but kinda failing at getting return affections every time. 3/5 You Belong to My Heart and Donald's Surreal Reverie: Seemingly continuing his running gag, Donald soon falls for singer Dora Luz, who sings him the son 'You Belong to My Heart'. He also eventually dances with the lovely Carmen Molina, singing and dancing to the song 'La Zadunga'. Eventually this all leads to a sort of love-struck, drug-like atmosphere that has Panchito and José ever-interrupting, and even eventually taking over, and there's a bit of chaos before the whole thing ends in a flash of Mexican, Brazillian and American fireworks. This part of the film wasn't one i particularly enjoyed, because it just kinda gets crazy and ends somewhat abruptly. But it's not even close to enough to ruin the whole movie, either. 2/5 All in all, it's not necessarily a title I could see myself revisiting much. The whole thing is something I feel like I'd end up being made to watch in Spanish class, as it mostly serves as an educational tool about geography and other cultures. As I mentioned before, I see it as a sort of loose sequel to 'Saludos Amigos'. And, much like with 'Saludos Amigos', I'm trying to figure out how much of the film is dated with its depictions of certain cultures. Again, not trying to be culturally insensitive at all, but perhaps coming across as such. It didn't really cross my mind in this case; I felt they meant well, trying to give kids an early education on things. To make the review short, it's simply passable, not very memorable, but I'm glad I watched it. 3/5 |