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!
He wouldn’t sit still for a picture – just kept rolling around and laughing. =)
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.”
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!
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.
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.
My reaction: This is, I believe, the only sequel on the list. And I think it deserves to be there. I would say Down Under is better than the original Rescuers. Even though the perspective is all over the place, and it’s hard to keep track of how big these mice actually are. One second they’re riding fireflies, the next second they’re like opening cage doors. And when Cody gets free of McLeach, the first place he goes is to check on the eagle eggs…even though HIS MOM THINKS HE’S DEAD. I’m like GO HOME IMMEDIATELY. His poor mom. =(
Drew says: “I don’t think Bianca likes Bernard the way he likes her.” I agree.
Also, this is the first Disney movie we’ve gotten to that we don’t already own. Luckily…streaming on Netflix!
My reaction: I probably don’t need to explain myself to any girls born from 1980-1985. This is one of the best. Movies. Ever. I love every frame, every weird facial expression, every little quirk in this movie. It’s so good.
We were in Tahoe last weekend with two of my best girlfriends – fun fact, the three of us went to see a sing-along version of The Little Mermaid for a bachelorette party a couple years ago. So this was actually a pretty special coincidence, that it was the next movie in our line-up.
We ended up watching it twice last weekend: once on Saturday night, and then again on Sunday morning. I loved it each time. I would love it every time. I’m just saying.
To everyone who has little “But why don’t they just? But why doesn’t she? But she should just?” I say HUSH. This is the epitome of princess movies, to me. Ariel’s voice is THE Disney princess voice. It’s all wonderful. I’ve been waiting a long time to get to this one. =D
My reaction: This is the second time I’ve ever seen this movie. And I’ll be honest with you, I watched maybe 10 minutes of it. I mean, it was playing and everything but we spent a lot of time chasing B around the house.
I think I got the gist though. It’s based on Dickens’ Oliver Twist, with music by Billy Joel. Very 1988. I’m not sure where Jenny’s parents are – maybe they went into that backstory but I missed it. It’s a decent Disney movie, but I get why this is the second time I’ve seen it.
We missed a couple weeks, due to some travel. But we’re ready to jump back into the second half of the year and watch some of the best Disney movies there are.
Seriously though, B was in time out like five times during this one. I guess he just wasn’t in a movie mood.
I was thinking about Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (1971, with Gene Wilder). It’s scary, right? There’s lots of stuff in there that used to give me nightmares. Like for instance:
A bunch of kids and their parents are invited into a creepy factory, led through a maze from which they presumably couldn’t find their way out if they wanted to, and then the kids are picked off one by one. This is like the epitome of the weird, not-really-for-children movies that our generation grew up on.
I was particularly struck by Augustus Gloop. I think I might have a touch of claustrophobia sometimes. Sometimes I (still) have nightmares about being stuck in a small hole or trying to crawl out of a tight space. And I blame that chocolate tube.
But the other day it struck me for the first time. That would be the worst experience to go through as a parent. And these parents are relatively casual about their kids’ disappearances. Why wouldn’t Mrs. Gloop have jumped into the chocolate river to save her son? I guess Mr. Salt jumped down the bad egg chute after Veruca, and Mrs. Tee Vee fainted when her son had become a tiny television version of himself. But these are really horrible things happening to these kids, and it seems like that would be almost more of a punishment for the parents than for their offspring.
I guess that could be the point. The kids are growing into unlikable and flawed human beings, but they’re still just children. It’s really their parents’ fault for letting these things happen.
I’m not saying every person’s problem is invariably their parents’ fault. But in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, we are shown four different cases of bad parenting that ultimately result in the family being punished. It’s an allegory to warn parents (and those who may become parents) to keep on their toes and raise good, well-behaved, considerate children.
(Conversely, Charlie Bucket is frequently called a “good kid,” and he’s parented hard-core by a mother and four grandparents. He makes the “right” choice, and is rewarded handsomely for it. Parents, take heed.)
This movie came out 43 years ago. I wonder whether it’s working. It’s definitely given me something to think about.
My reaction: I don’t think of this as being one of my standard Disney favorite movies, but I really like it. Maybe partly because I love Sherlock Holmes, so I enjoy all the little references. But this is just a great movie.
It does have some of the scariest moments of all the later Disney movies – Fidget is responsible for most of them, from being illuminated by a flash of lightning in the window, to bursting out of a doll’s cradle, to dressing up as Olivia. He’s terrifying. BUT, he’s also goofy.
So is Ratigan, the villain, played by Vincent Price. I mean, he’s scary, and he has a giant pet cat to whom he feeds everyone who irritates him. But he also has plenty of little moments where he’s flawed, fickle, and funny. If The Black Cauldron felt like Disney starting to figure out what the next couple decades was going to look like, then The Great Mouse Detective is Disney feeling confidently along that path.
Drew theorizes that the reason that this movie didn’t become a huge hit is that it came out the same year as An American Tail. Which EVERYONE saw. Right? Can you sing me at least three songs from An American Tail? I bet you can. Can you name a single song from The Great Mouse Detective? Oh well.
The awesome thing about today is that it’s June 30 – halfway through 2014. And with The Great Mouse Detective, we have officially watched half of the Disney movie list!
The Cameraphone Diaries 