Tag: animation

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Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: The Emperor’s New Groove

Movie: The Emperor’s New Groove

Release year: 2000

I don’t think that many people are familiar with this movie – so let me just say, it is actually really funny and a lot of fun. A great buddy story. In fact, I know someone who calls this is favorite Disney movie of all time – and I don’t think he’s crazy for saying so. (Fun fact: He just told me it’s the first DVD he ever purchased himself, and it cost $40. So that’s a fun glimpse into life 10 years ago.)

Just in case you have no idea what I’m talking about, The Emperor’s New Groove takes place in South America (Peru?). David Spade (remember him??) plays an incredibly self-centered 18-year-old emperor, who is turned into a llama by his scheming advisor (Eartha Kitt). He winds up in a small village outside of his kingdom, and with the help of a kind and charming villager (played by John Goodman, who I love), he has to find his way back to the castle to take back his empire and make himself human again.

Side note: My Emperor’s New Groove-fanatic friend just told me this is officially the first Disney movie to feature a pregnant character – the villager’s wife. She is a great character and that is another great fun fact!

Drew hadn’t seen this before, so I tried to get him to sit and watch it as much as possible, while I did the chasing portion of our movie-a-la-toddler-viewing. He said he liked it. I look forward to sitting down one day and watching it all the way through again!

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I took 40 pictures, this was the best I could do.

The Emperor’s New Groove is #40 on our list! For funsies, here’s what we have coming up:

Atlantis: The Lost Empire
Lilo & Stitch
Treasure Planet
Brother Bear
Home on the Range
Chicken Little
Meet the Robinsons
Bolt
The Princess and the Frog
Tangled
Winnie the Pooh (2011)
Wreck-It Ralph
Frozen

What have you seen? What have you never heard of?

Categories
Children Movies

Disney Project 2014: Dinosaur

Movie: Dinosaur

Release year: 2000

Let me answer your two questions right now: Yes, it’s been awhile since we fell off the Disney-movie-watching-train. But we were tracking down Dinosaur, which neither of us has ever seen, and which we finally got at the library (thank you, library!). And your second question: Dinosaur is a movie about a young iguanadon named Alador, raised by lemurs (I think?), who has to travel to the Great Valley Nesting Grounds when an asteroid destroys the island they live on.

It feels much like Disney’s answer to The Land Before Time. Except everyone saw and loved The Land Before Time.

Also, why do all of the dinosaur movies have to be about them combating asteroids and devastation and trying to cross deserts and volcanoes in search of water and green food? Because even if they find the Great Valley Nesting Grounds at the end, you know that this is really just a brief reprieve before they are extinct anyway.

Maybe that could be applied to any romantic comedy, in the grand scheme of things?

The animation is pretty impressive – it’s not what you see now, 14 years later, but it’s definitely a step in that direction. There are some amazing sweeping vistas, although according to wikipedia, many of the backgrounds were actually shot on location. But the dinosaurs are also very well-done.

Also, this is a pretty good ride at Disney World.

So that’s Dinosaur.

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Categories
Children Movies

Disney Project: Fantasia 2000

Movie: Fantasia 2000

Release year: 1999

Well, my prediction came true. I watched about 3 minutes of this – 2 minutes of the first piece, and then about a minute of the “Rhapsody in Blue” piece. This is (sort of) the second time I’ve watched this – the first time was when we first got it, as part of a 2-disc set with Fantasia, but that was years ago, and while I like the pieces, it doesn’t have the same classic feel as original Fantasia. But then, nothing does, especially not when it was made in 1999.

B did sit down and watch some with us, so maybe it’s just a matter of making it clear that we’re going to be in the living room watching this, not chasing him around the apartment. But that only worked for so long.

If you’ve seen Fantasia 2000, let me know how it was. Did you like it? What was your favorite piece?

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Tarzan

Movie: Tarzan

Release year: 1999

I actually really like Tarzan. I like the Phil Collins music. I like the way the animators based Tarzan on a teenager with a skateboard. (It’s true!) I like the Tarzan/Jane relationship. I like the ending. I just really like this movie.

…From what I remember. Because I did not really watch it when it was playing at our house this weekend.

B just doesn’t want to have anything to do with any Disney movie that isn’t Frozen. It’s going to make the rest of this project difficult. Because we’re going to get into the movies that neither Drew nor I have seen (Home on the Range, Meet the Robinsons, etc), and I’m just not even going to be able to talk about them, because out of a 90-minute movie, I will have seen 8 minutes. Oh well.

I might have to rewatch this one, because I do really like it. Also, if you haven’t seen it, or haven’t seen it lately, Clayton has one of the creepier Disney villain deaths. Very well done, Disney animators.

Also, the less he’ll sit still for a movie, the blurrier our pictures are. This is literally the best picture we got.

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Categories
Children Memoir Movies

Disney Project 2014: Hercules

Movie: Hercules

Release year: 1997

Man, we are catching up to the present-day. We have 18 weekends left in 2014, and 18 movies to go.

I remember when Hercules came out, my bff and I watched it constantly. I remember spending the night at her house and watching this and Mulan back to back. These are great movies. We quoted almost every single line that Meg says. She was such a break from the typical Disney princess, who, although getting stronger and more independent, hadn’t quite yet attained that level of sass and sarcasm.

And WHY isn’t this a Broadway show yet?? It’s perfect for one. It would open with a scrim down, with a Grecian vase painted on it, and the opening lines would begin. When the muses “come alive,” they’d be behind the scrim and then it would rise up and they’d take over. It would be so great. Act I would close with Hercules defeating the Hydra – Act II opens with Zero to Hero. COME ON PEOPLE. MAKE IT HAPPEN.

The best song, hands down, is I Won’t Say I’m In Love.

Did you know LaChanze (the original Ti Moune in Once on This Island) is one of the muses? She’s the second-shortest one. With the kinda spiky hair. Love her!

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Movie: The Hunchback of Notre Dame

Release year: 1996

My reaction: I didn’t grow up watching this one, but I have seen it on TV several times recently. The music is pretty great. And there are lots of little Easter eggs, like Belle and Aladdin‘s magic carpet in the opening song, and the fact that the two male gargoyles are named Victor and Hugo.

This one is super religious – all about judgment and heaven and hell. It’s an interesting perspective for a Disney movie. I like that they went there.

We don’t own this, and didn’t get around to purchasing it, so thank you very much, Netflix streaming!

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He wouldn’t sit still for a picture – just kept rolling around and laughing. =)

 

Categories
Children Movies Parents

Disney Project 2014: Pocahontas

Movie: Pocahontas

Release year: 1995

So all year, my dad has been saying how Pocahontas is a lame Disney movie, and how the music is forgettable and weak. So I had this hope that maybe when Pocahontas week rolled around, we could make my parents watch it with us.

It somehow worked out! They were here babysitting last week, so we broke our normal weekend movie-watching schedule, and dragged the high chair into the living room so we could eat dinner during it. I don’t want to speak for them…but I’d say they loved it.

If I had to guess, I would say my dad would tell me, “You were right, this is actually a really great movie. The music is quite memorable and clever. I highly enjoyed my viewing of Disney’s Pocahontas.”

And this picture is totes the best:

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: The Lion King

Movie: The Lion King

Release year: 1994

My reaction: Man, this is a good time in Disney movie history. Each of these movies holds favorite songs and moments, and while Drew and I have watched many of them together before, it’s always fun to rediscover old faves.

Did you know The Lion King was Disney’s B-movie? They put all their A-list people on Pocahontas, and expected it to be the runaway hit. And it’s great, but it’s no Lion King.

When I was 10 years old, I was helping my mom in her classroom during summer school. And one of the end-of-the-year summer things we did was take all the kids downtown to the movie theater to see The Lion King. I just google mapped it. It’s 1.7 miles. And we walked a huge group of elementary school kids all the way through town. That was brave of us.

Our DVD includes The Morning Report scene, which is totally unnecessary. I’m fine just skipping that song.

This was one of those days that we just could not take a good picture of the three of us. So you get this!

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Categories
Children Drew Love Movies

Disney Project 2014: Aladdin

Movie: Aladdin

Release year: 1992

In a week when everyone is talking about Robin Williams, it’s a strange coincidence that we watched Aladdin this weekend. We talked about how this was the first Disney movie (that we could think of) where they cast current celebrities to do the voices. And we both realized how amazing this movie is, although it seems to get lost in the shuffle of the second Disney Renaissance. In a way, I’m glad we had the chance to watch Aladdin this weekend, so it was just an enjoyable experience rather than a bittersweet one.

Anything I can say has been said already. I remember being 8 years old and seeing this movie, and having a talent-crush on Robin Williams. He was an inspiration to watch, and I am sorry for the loss of such a brilliant actor.

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Categories
Children Drew Movies

Disney Project 2014: Beauty and the Beast

Movie: Beauty and the Beast

Release year: 1991

My reaction: This rounds out my top 4 favorite Disney movies: Sleeping Beauty, Lady and the Tramp, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast. Drew and I started in on the plot holes and inconsistencies…and then I cut him off and was like, “But for reals, this is one of the best ones, RIGHT.” I could watch this movie over and over again. And should. Because I missed huge chunks of this one. Like most of the end.

I did drag B back into the living room to watch the Beast transform. Because you gotta watch that part.

I remember watching this movie with my mom when I was…I must have been like 8 years old. And he turns into the prince, and I remember my mom and I were both like, “…Ew. Can he turn back into a beast please?” Which is funny. It’s also funny that now I totally think he’s cute. If I was Belle, I would be like, Score.

Also, what with all the fan theories going around right now about Frozen/Tangled/Little Mermaid/Tarzan (which I think is dumb, btw), Drew and I have a new theory to propose. You know how at the very very beginning (before the stained glass), you see Bambi’s mom drinking from the stream in the forest outside the castle? That’s because she didn’t die when the hunter shot her. She got away and moved to France.

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