Lets talk some Studio Ghibli specifically their latest film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Studio Ghibli if you are not aware is the Japanese animation team that has produced anime films such as Spirited Away, My Friend Tottoro, Howls Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke. They are most known for the works by Hayao Miyazaki, the amazing artist and director.
There has been some talk of Studio Ghibli taking a break with the retirement of Miyazaki but he has talked of retirement before and then finds a reason to make another film so we will see what happens. In the meantime there is still plenty of talent at Studio Ghibli to draw upon as can be seen by Kaguya which is directed by Isao Takahata. By the strength of this film, I am very excited to see what Takahata has for us in the future! (I guess Takahata directed Grave of the Fireflies which is also dark and beautiful).
This is a very different kind of movie than the Miyazaki films and honestly it is going to be a tough sell for some western audiences. It is very slowly paced. The only thing I can think to compare it to is maybe Bambi. There isn’t a strong plot to Bambi but it is beautiful and it tells the tale of a deer growing up to be a prince. Kagayu is kind of like that.
It has a very different look than other Studio Ghibli films and reminds me more of The Secret of the Kells or Ernest and Celestine the way it uses watercolor and hand drawn animation to tell the story. Some may have issues with the film but, nobody can deny that Kaguya looks stunning.
Take a look at the trailer.
It tells the story of a bamboo farmer who finds a little girl in the bamboo. It looks like a doll but he takes it home to his wife and the baby miraculously grows very quickly as it is taken care of.
Kind of like with Bambi when you see him learning to skate or playing with Thumper, in this story you see the baby called Little Bamboo frolicking with her friends. There are multiple scenes with babies bottoms and women breastfeeding which I guess could bother some people but I think breastfeeding is beautiful so that didn’t bother me. You see Bamboo playing with frogs, eating melon, chasing pigs, scenes like that which are sweet but some may want more story.
Little Bamboo’s father finds gold in the bamboo and great silks and kimonos and he feels this is a sign from the Gods that she is of noble birth and must be trained as such. This leads us to the second half of the movie (it is a very long 2 hours and 17 minutes and it is slow paced so like I said some will find it boring) where Little Bamboo is trained as a lady and renamed by the naming man to be Princess Kaguya.
This part of the movie is so Japanese and may be a tough sell for western audiences. In Western films such as Mulan or Little Mermaid, our heroines Mulan and Ariel rebel against their fathers and cultural customs and find happiness. In this film Kaguya repeatedly agrees to do as her father directs whether it is moving to the city, painting her teeth black, listening to suitors, or plucking her eyebrows .
There is only one moment where she refuses to submit to the Emperor and be his concubine (all the suitors in the movie have multiple wives and concubines so that’s not the reason she refuses). She has a moment of free spirit that is gorgeously drawn but in the end even the God’s force her to submit.
This is such a different character arc than I am used to and it was challenging because it didn’t seem like she was a happy person. She’d have glimpses of happiness but then it would be taken away from her a second later; however, I know that is because I come from a culture that see’s happiness and life very differently, so I try to learn from this culture presented and not be too judgmental of their choices.
To Western eyes the ending feels very bitter-sweet.
Like I said I think The Tale of Princess Kaguya is a tough sell for the average American audience. It is long. It has minimal plot and the characters make choices that go against our modern sensibilities. However, if you can set all that aside you are in for a treat. It is so beautiful. The music by Joe Hisaishi is one of the best scores I’ve ever heard. There are whole sequences when Kaguya is running or when a character is at sea and faces a monster that are stunning.
There is also something to be said for obedience and submitting your will to a higher power’s plan, even if it makes you temporarily unhappy . As a Christian, I certainly believe that is often the case. There are many things I do not do which at least seem to give others pleasure because I want to be obedient. So it does have a valuable lesson to teach. It’s just not the independence and strong will power we value so much in Western and particularly American culture.
I’d be very curious to know what any of you think if you get to see it. The US Dubbing is good with Mary Steenburgen, Chloe Grace Moretz, James Caan, Lucy Liu, Beau Bridges, James Marsden and others. As with all Studio Ghibli films they manage to merge the languages so that it feels like the characters have always been speaking English.
It certainly strengthens my argument of how wonderful 2014 has been for animation because nobody can deny The Tale of Princess Kaguya is one of the most beautifully animated films of this or any other year. It is gorgeous. Some people will definitely have issues with pacing and character’s choices but I was able to move past those barriers and really was blown away by it.
See it in the theater if you can not only to get the most beautiful viewing experience, but to support hand drawn animation when you can because the box office is where it really counts. DVD and blu-ray sales help but when studios are deciding whether to produce movies they look at box office sales, so if you love hand drawn animation it’s time to put your money where your mouth is like I did. If it is not playing at a city near you (25 cities so far) than follow them on facebook and contact your local theaters. Let them know you want to see it.
It is going to be extremely difficult to determine this year’s Best Animated Feature for the Oscars because I don’t know how you don’t include this film. It is awe-inspiring to look at. I think either Boxtrolls or Book of Life is going to lose its spot which is a shame because they are both so inventive and great to look at. I don’t care if I’m the only one who feels this way I just love this year’s films! If Song of the Sea is as great as people say than the Oscars noms are likely to be Song of the Sea, Tale of Princess Kaguya, How to Train Your Dragon 2, Big Hero 6 and The Lego Movie. I would love to see Hisaishi get a nom for best score because it really is outstanding but it’s been a great year in that department too. A great year for movies!
Here are some more clips if you are still trying to decide whether to see it or not.
As far as a recommendation for kids it is tough. Certain kids will be very rambunctious throughout the film and like I said there are breasts, baby butts and talk of wives and concubines if that is a concern for parents. Other than that there isn’t any content that would be offensive. Nothing is scary or violent. There are some kids who really love artistic films and sometimes it’s the adults that get antsy! I’ve seen that happen many times.
My niece who really loves Japanese culture and art I think would love it, so it just depends on the kid. Maybe watch the trailers with them and gauge their interest? But I think it is good for kids to see challenging films on occasion and not the easy to digest but fun films mainstream Hollywood gives them. It’s good for the brain to have to work a little bit harder to appreciate what we view from time-to-time.
Today I decided to go to the movies! In fact, I decided to go to two of them! Book of Life and The Boxtrolls and boy did I have a fantastic time at the movies! Anyone who thinks Hollywood has stopped making original stories hasn’t seen these 2 animated features. I liked them both a lot. Perhaps Boxtrolls a little bit more than A Book of Life but they were both great!
I am going to try and be less detailed in this review than some of my others because I don’t want to spoil it for anyone.
Book of Life is a very complicated story (perhaps too complicated?) but it starts out in America somewhere and a tour guide tells some rebellious children that it is the Day of the Dead and their is a famous myth told from the Book of Life.
This narration is completely unnecessary. Why does Hollywood always make a white person tell an ethnic group’s story? The Rulers should have done the narration.
The rulers are Xibalba that rules The Land of the Forgotten (voiced by Ron Perlman) and Muerte ruler of The Land of the Remembered. Basically as long as your progeny remember their ancestors you are in the Land of the Remembered when you die. Cool concept right?
They make a bet over which of 2 boys, Joaquin and Manolo will marry Maria. The voice casting in this movie is a problem. Why not Penelope Cruise, Javier Bardem, or Salma Hayek? So many great latino actors they could have used but Channing Tatem? It sticks out like a sore thumb. Diego Luna who is Manolo is good but Zoe Saldana is miscast as Maria. Even latino actors like Hector Elizondo sound very American. I wished they’d let their accents flow more freely.
The dialogue is also very modern and distracting and there are a lot of characters to keep track of in each of the lands. If I was a kid I might be pretty confused with the story.
The worlds are amazing.
Land of the RememberedSan Angel the Mexican town of the story
Also the design of the people were neat. The museum guide is telling the story using wooden dolls so everyone looks like they are made of wood. Then when they venture to the other lands they turn into Day of the Dead etched wood.
You can see how the characters are made of wood. Manolo, Joaquin and MariaThis is the Day of the Dead look in the Land of the Remembered
They are consistent with the wood look even to the bulls, pigs and villains look like carvings. It’s very cool.
I also liked the 3 lead characters. Maria is a pretty layered female character. Not just the damsel in distress or the warrior although she has moments of both. She likes both Manolo and Joaquin and that’s probably because the movie makes both very likable. In these kind of movies usually Joaquin would be a total jerk, a pompous Gaston type and he has moments like that but enough softer moments to understand why Maria might pick him. The three remain friends throughout despite being romantic rivals and I thought that was neat.
The story is very complicated and it is a little bit too long, maybe one fight scene with Chakal too many. Also the music is a mixture of original songs and covers of song like s I Will Wait and Da Ya Think I’m Sexy. The original songs are kind of forgettable but not bad. They could have had more of a latin flair to them. The score is very good by Gustavo Santaolalla.
I also really liked the message of remembering those who have gone on before us and honoring all they have given us. Also the idea that if you are remembered you never really die. That’s lovely.
But really the reason to see this movie is the animation. It is stunning and the story is good enough to give it a hearty recommendation. My friend said her kids did Ok following it and enjoyed it. It’s not perfect but I really liked it. I would definitely try to see it in 3D on the big screen if you can. Definitely on HD so you get the full effect of the bright colors.
So what you’ve all been waiting for! My ranking of the Disney Canon!
I will add in Big Hero 6 when I finish that review but here are my current rankings. I’ll go least to best
54. Dinosaur– slow, predictable, looks ugly, CGI is awful, attempt to be thoughtful ends up stupid, the writing was maddeningly bad
53. Chicken Little– mean spirited, frenetic, unfunny, none of the episodes connect, animation underwhelming. Feels like they didn’t even try
52. Brother Bear– every choice was wrong. Badly animated characters, strange voicework, predictable and unbelievable story, unlikable characters, underwhelming music, strange singing choices. The humor never works. Huge disappointment.
51. Home on the Range– Trots out tired ‘save the farm’ storyline, terrible puns, strange voice choices, underwhelming songs, jokes and illusions to westerns don’t work, some of the animation is ok and the yodel song was well done. Otherwise skip.
50. Three Cabelleros– 2 ok shorts surrounded by lots of Donald shouting and chasing women around Rio. Watch Saludos Amigos instead.
49. The Rescuers- some nice animation but shrill, mean spirited villain overwhelms the picture. Not enough hope makes film feel depressing and cold. Watch sequel instead
48. The Aristocats– lazy mismash of 101 Dalmatians and Lady and the Tramp but with cats. Duchess feels apathetic and bored. No sense of tension in the plot and chemistry between her and Thomas nonexistent. Designs and backdrops underwhelming and strange voice work. Lame villain who’s actions don’t really make sense. Some alarmingly bad animation where the mouths don’t quite match up with the vocals. Ok songs.
47. Fun and Fancy Free– Bongo is well animated but strange message and oddly paced, Say it with a Slap is one of worst Disney songs, Mickey and Beanstalk is Ok but feels kind of lazy and slow. I like crazy Donald. In between live action segments feel strange and unnecessary.
46. Pocahontas– Savages is the films saving grace. A wonderful number but Pocahontas is kind of an unlikable character. She doesn’t listen and has no chemistry with John Smith. The animation is boxy and too geometric and the villain with all his GOLD is so boring. Plus, it’s a real story, important to a people, which makes it more insulting.
45. Hunchback of Notre Dame– Some good elements but the attempt to combine an adult story with juvenile elements creates a tonal mess. Very frustrating. A man tries to dump a baby down a well after killing his mother, he sings a song about wanting to rape and kill another woman and he lights a house on fire containing a family inside. And we have singing gargoyles! What was Disney thinking…
44. Fantasia 2000– Takes the original concept of concert films and turns it into a cheap celebrity clip show. I hate the CGI. The music choices are strange. Whole thing feels second rate except for Rhapsody and final number
43. Sword in the Stone– The film everyone else likes but I don’t. Arthur does nothing to prove he should be able to pull the sword in the stone. None of his ‘lessons’ actually prepare him to be king. On top of that it looks blue and gray and ugly throughout. Madame Mim isn’t introduced till end and it’s Merlin not Arthur that takes her on. I don’t get why it’s so popular. Sherman Brothers songs are ok and duel is fun but again doesn’t have anything to do with the story and Arthur.
42. Bolt– Forgettable but enjoyable film. Decent vocal performance, fun story but nothing to spectacular.
41 Oliver and Company- A mess of storytelling, terrible villain, but some of the visuals of New York are nice, cool subway scene at the end and 2 dynamite songs.
40. Make Mine Music– one of the strangest entertainment experiences of my life. Kind of ‘so bad it’s good’. Each of the segments in this package films feels so strange especially the story of the Whale Who Sings Opera, who they kill off and send to whale heaven for no reason except to teach kids that miracles don’t exist and people hate goodness and light (strange message). It’s so odd but oddly entertaining.
39. The Black Cauldron- A lot of problems but I liked the villain and Gurghi’s sacrifice. All in all I enjoyed watching it, even with issues. It looks beautiful and score is fantastic. Terrible voicework throughout, and kind of unlikable characters with weak motivation but enough to keep me mildly interested.
38. Saludos Amigos– Disney’s goodwill mission to South America spawned this movie and it is better than Three Cabelleros. First of all, it is shorter (45 min). It has more segments and they are all pretty good. Live action is tough to sit through but again it is short. Generic but entertaining.
37. Meet the Robinsons– Nutty time travel story with a convoluted but entertaining plot. Great and surprising villain. A little cluttered but I enjoyed it. If you have a kid who likes things that are a little bit out there I bet they will love this movie.
36. Treasure Planet- Beautiful steampunk look, but feels slow and story is the same old story from grade school we’ve seen a million times. Unpredictable looks but predictable story. Plus, some of the world doesn’t make sense so it is hard to feel suspense or tension.
35. Wreck-It Ralph– Fun premise of bad guy in video games who gets tired of being bad is fun but they spend too much time in Sugar Rush and some of the voice performances are annoying. Could have been much better but still enjoyed it. A good villain.
34. Fox and the Hound– A sentimental soapy flick if there ever was one but it embraces that soap so I enjoyed it. Bear scene very good but intense for small kids. Friendship and forgiveness nice messages. Music and female characters super bland
33. Princess and the Frog- Looks beautiful and a wonderful lead character, Tiana, who works hard, sets goals and has a unique dream for a princess. Dwells too much on occult, cluttered, shouty and underwhelming lead man and songs. Villain good but not my cup of tea
32. Peter Pan- Probably my biggest disappointment in rewatching the Canon. It’s not bad but slower than I remember it mixed with slapstick that is pretty good. The songs are ok except for Redman and You’re Mother is a snoozefest. People are very mean to Wendy throughout especially the other female characters. Still, it’s charming in it’s own way.
31. Bambi- Beautifully drawn and I love how the score is the sound effects creating rain and fire so effectively. Great voice work but the story is meandering and is basically a year in the life of a baby deer. Not enough to grip me although the death of Bambi’s Mom is traumatic, we haven’t gotten to know her very well and she is quickly replaced by a bland Faline. Still, I own it and enjoy watching it. It’s very good. (Bambi is our first B graded picture so I like all from now on a lot. That’s 30 films with a B or higher!)
30. Lilo and Stitch– LOVE, love, love the Nani and Lilo sections and Ohana themes. Love Hawaii backdrop and the watercolors. I love the Elvis music. I do not love Stitch. I wish they had gone more ET and less cockroach. He’s too mean, takes it too far and looks too gross. But the stuff I like I really love
29. Winnie the Pooh– A worthy entry in the Winie the Pooh series. Lovely, simple story for young children. Not too scary and nice message. Beautifully drawn and enough humor to entertain adults. Voices are a little off but I enjoyed it. Love the music.
28.Hercules– a guilty pleasure of mine. Disney’s first attempt at a super hero movie and I enjoy it. I love the gospel muses and the music. The villain is dry and funny and Megura is sassy and a lot of fun to figure out. Pain and panic are very funny too.
27. Tarzan- Looks gorgeous. The flow and feeling of Tarzan surfing on the trees looks great. Jane is a lot of fun too and not always the damsel in distress we expect. Sidekicks are lame and villain a bore. Songs especially You’ll be in my heart are great.
26. Melody Time– Aside from Ichabod and Mr Toad, my favorite of the package films. Johnny Appleseed and Pecos Bill are lovingly drawn with good music and tightly written scripts.
25. Pinocchio– I know some will be shocked to have this so low on the list but it is so grim and sad with no sense of retribution or punishment for the wrong doers. I guess the kids just stay as donkeys. Some of the story and design choices don’t make a lot of sense but as a morality play on film it works well and Pinocchio and Geppetto are both likable and the music is classic especially When You Wish Upon a Star.
24 Robin Hood– Great dry wit and folksy music save this recycled animation cash grab. It’s very entertaining and has some fun action sequences too. It goes on for one act too many and becomes a little repetitive. Great villain. I love it!
23. Lady and the Tramp– Lovely Norman Rockwell style animation with an appealing dog couple (may be Disney’s best romance ever filmed…hmm). Siamese song is a little insensitive but brief and then we never see them again which is strange. They could have been more important to the story? Great side characters of Trusty, Jox and Trixie. Fun jazz inspired score and songs by Peggy Lee. A little too predictable and syrupy to be in top 20 but close.
22 Atlantis- A fun treasure hunt with eclectic cast of characters who are funny and surprised me from time to time. I enjoyed seeing an original land, language, culture. Looks great. Kind of like a cross between anime and comic books with a bit of steampunk thrown in. In the minority on enjoying this picture, but I thought it was an entertaining adventure. Kida is a weak character but as she isn’t one of the core group it doesn’t matter too much. This is the first A of the list so the rest are all very strong.
21. Emperor’s New Groove- More laughs crammed in than any other Disney movie and they worked. Very funny script and appealing enough characters to support the humor. Great villain, good voice performances. Especially when you know the troubles they had making it, it’s a wonder it produced something so entertaining. Creative story too.
20. Aladdin- One of Disney’s best characters and certainly the funniest single character. The Genie (aka Robin Williams) is hilariously spastic and full of energy. Nice chemistry between Aladdin and Jasmine and she has more spunk than a typical princess. Jafar is an ok villain. Animation is ok. But nice messages throughout, great songs, and a very entertaining picture for both boys and girls (and parents!).
19. Great Mouse Detective- Fun Disney take on Sherlock Holmes. Ratigan is hilarious villain with a over-the-top scheme to take over England. Basil and Dawson are very well done. The kidnapping scene at the beginning is pretty scary for young kids and the bat in the toy shop is a scary sequence. The saloon song I could do without but all in all a very fun movie. First extended use of CGI is very effective.
18. Rescuers Down Under- One of the rare sequels that is infinitely better than the original. Much less of the villain. Much more hope for Cody. Bernard and Bianca are back and a lot o f fun. John Candy is hilarious. Flying sequences gorgeous. Some of the CGI doesn’t hold up but for the most part a great adventure story. Like Indiana Jones for little kids. Underrated score by Bruce Broughton.
17. Adventures of Ichabod and Mr Toad- Don’t really think of it as a package film but definitely the best of that era. 2 American stories Wind and the Willows and Sleepy Hollow are done very well. Both dark in different ways. Toad more of a morality tale and Ichabod a classic ghost story. Basil Rathborne and Bing Crosby great as narrators. Beautifully drawn with scares and humor balanced out perfectly.
16. Snow White and the 7 Dwarves– Still holds up amazingly well. Animation is beautiful especially in scenes like the transformation of the queen and the haunted forest. Some humor and emotional scenes too. Not a huge fan of the voice work and especially the high pitched singing. Great villain who isn’t satisfied unless she is the best at everything. 2 leads are pretty bland but ok.
15. Big Hero 6– Maybe recency bias but I loved Disney’s first Marvel super hero movie. It’s got heart, action and a script that surprised me. Plus, it looks gorgeous and has a unique world with very likable characters. I just loved it!
14. Mulan– Love the character of Mulan who joins the army to save her father. Li Shaang and rest of army appealing and fun. Eddie Murphy very good as Mushu. Completely forgettable villain given no nuance or subtlety. A few minutes after couldn’t remember his name. It also could be a hair shorter but I love it.
13. Lion King- A lot of pop music in both the songs and pacing. Draws you in. Very entertaining. Terrific villain and villain songs. Mufasa’s death is heart breaking. I love the message and story. The humor can be a little annoying but I still love it. Amazing Hans Zimmer score. Animation is stunning.
12. Dumbo- Such a sweet movie about accepting differences and how they make us special. A wonderful friendship between an unlikely pair of Timothy Q. Mouse and Dumbo. Pink Elephants on Parade is brilliant. Love the watercolors and simple backgrounds and feel of the circus. I don’t think the crows are all that racist and it’s just a lovely little movie with huge heart.
11. Alice in Wonderland- Not for everyone but if you can handle non0linear storytelling you will enjoy it. It’s basically Alice meeting a bunch of eclectic characters in Wonderland. It’s bright and colorful and clips along nicely. Only part that didn’t work for me was the Walrus segment. It stalls the story and I kept wanting to get back to Alice. So much better than Tim Burton versoin. Mary Blair drawings are stunning, bright and geometric. It’s nutty and weird and you will love it.
10.Sleeping Beauty- Gorgeous literary style animation. It feels like paper dolls in segments. One of most dynamic Prince in Disney. Amazing villain who should have been invited to the party! The fairies are fun. The alcoholic fathers I could do without and Aurora is too perfect and bland but the Tchaikovsky’s ballet as the score is neat, the battle between Phillip and Maleficent is awesome. A great movie!
9. The Jungle Book- All comes down to the music and villains. I hate the ending but Shere Kaun and Kaaa are very good villains. All the voice cast is fantastic and it is edited so well. Hardly a minute goes by without some action or a song. It clips a long so well and is consistently entertaining. Sherman Brother’s best music aside from Mary Poppins.
8. Frozen- A movie that showed a different kind of love- love of friendship and of sister. The voicecast features the best singers of any Disney movie. The songs are great. The message of not being who you are raised to be is moving and powerful. The animation is gorgeous. Just enough humor. I love it.
7. 101 Dalmatians- Best of the sketch films by far. Terrific and tense adventure. Fabulous villain with Cruella Deville. Lots of great characters and puppies are so cute. The scene where they get to the truck disguised is a nail biter. All the side characters on the journey and the twilight bark are a lot of fun. Roger and Anita are one of my all time favorite Disney couples. I love it6. Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh– 4 lovely stories of our friends at the Hundred Acre Woods that are just about perfect. Full of humor, great songs, and a little bit of zany scares with the Heffalumps and Woozles. The ending is perfect and really moved me. Winnie the Pooh symbolizes childhood and this movie is like a big hug.
5. Fantasia- A stunning concert experience. It’s like combining the best symphony and gallery you’ve ever been to into one experience. The music is gorgeous. The inspiration they get from the music inspires me to be more creative. It’s not a movie in a traditional sense but an experience like Tree of Life. I like all the segments but probably enjoy Sorcerers Apprentice, Nutcracker Suite and On Bald Mountain the most. If it feels long divide it up and watch it over a week. Nothing wrong with that. . Those who hate this film probably aren’t the biggest classical music fans and wouldn’t find going to a symphony or art gallery very enjoyable. I loved it.
4. Tangled- Proof that Disney brilliance isn’t only in the Golden Age and Renaissance. I LOVE the villain an villain song. The idea of a mother manipulating her daughter for her own selfish desires is so evil. The side characters including Maximus are great. Rapunzel is so kind and likable. We all know someone like her who is indecisive and naïve but charming. Flynn is a wonderful narrator and a complex, funny character. The animation is stunning especially the lantern scene in 3D. It’s Disney’s first attempt at a romantic comedy and they totally pulled it off.
3. Cinderella- Just about a perfect movie. Cinderella has warmth and kindness. She works hard and tries to be optimistic. Lady Tremaine is a fantastic villain who’s soul purpose seems to be to control Cinderella. The scene tearing the dress is devastating because we saw how tenderly it was given to her by her friends. The mice are cute and loyal friends. Small characters like Lucifer, Bruno, Archduke, and the King all have fun personalities. The Fairy Godmother is perfect and the music sublime. A Dream is a Wish is a favorite of mine and Bibbity Bobbity Boo a classic. The Prince is bland and they fall in love at first sight but at least we have gotten to know him a little bit through the King. It’s a great movie!
2. Little Mermaid– Truly my co-#1. I love Ariel’s journey to find out who she is and where she belongs. I love her curiosity and determination. I love Ursula and her drag queen crossed with a truck driver persona. I love the music especially Part of Your World and Under the Sea. I love the look of it and all the bubbles and colors. It’s so well paced and the characters, even the Prince, have real heart. They are all trying to do the right thing in their own minds. It is also very funny with Les Poissons a hilarious slapstick number. It was the most magical experience I had at the movies as a little girl and I just love it.
1. Beauty and the Beast– and co #1 goes to Beauty and the Beast. A perfect movie. The music is stunning. Belle is a fabulous heroine who we would all want to be friends with if given the chance. Gaston is hilarious and his journey to madness very interesting. The Beast is such a monster and yet he does change and grow until you are almost sad to see him turn into a human. I could listen to Angela Lansbury sing the title song all day. She is great in it. Jerry Orbach as Lumiere is perfect. I loved the broadway play and the movie is so entertaining. The animation looks amazing. The computer graphics hold up and still look fantastic. It’s a stunning picture that will entertain the whole family no matter the age or sex.
Here is a video version if you prefer that. If you are on youtube I would love a few likes.
So I recently finished reviewing the Disney Renaissance and I know how everyone loves lists, so I will do my best at ranking these films (and I will try to not have everything be Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid.
Best Villain-
Gold- Ursula
Silver- Scar
Bronze- Gaston
Best Artistry-
Gold- Tarzan
Silver- Beauty and the Beast
Bronze- Hunchback of Notre Dame
Favorite Lead Character/Hero-
Gold- Belle
Silver- Mulan
Bronze- Ariel
Favorite Side Character-
Gold- Genie
Silver- Sebastian
Bronze- Lumiere
Even More Minor Characters-
Gold- Wilbur, Rescuers Down Under
Silver- Mushu
Bronze- Zazu
Best Vocal Performance-
Gold- Robin Williams, Aladdin
Silver- Samuel Wright, Little Mermaid
Bronze- Pat Carroll, Little Mermaid
Honorable Mention- John Candy, Rescuers Down Under
Best Original Score-
Gold- Lion King, Hans Zimmer
Silver- Rescuers Down Under, Bruce Broughton
Bronze- Little Mermaid, Alan Menken
Best Song- (this is tough)
Gold-Part of Your World- Menken and Ashman
Silver- Be Our Guest- Menken and Ashman
Bronze-Friend Like Me- Menken and Ashman
Honorable Mentions- Out There (Menken and Schwartz), Under the Sea (Menken and Ashman), A Star is Born (Menken and Zippel), You’ll Be in My Heart (Phil Collins), Reflection (Wilder and Zippel)
Best Villain Song-
Gold- Poor Unfortunate Souls, Menken and Ashman
Silver- Be Prepared, Elton John and Tim Rice
Bronze- Savages, Menken and Schwartz
Honorable Mentions- Gaston (Menken and Ashman),
Worst Villain-
Gold- Radcliffe
Silver- Clayton
Bronze- Shan-yu
Saddest Moment-
Gold- Mufasa’s death
Silver- Quasimodo getting mocked and tied up by gypsies
Bronze- Beast dies
Best Comedy-
Gold- Aladdin
Silver- Hercules
Bronze- Rescuers Down Under (not a comedy but the funny moments were so funny)
Scariest Moment-
Gold- Mcleach and the knife throwing, Rescuers Down Under
Silver- Mob Song, Beauty and the Beast
Couldn’t think of anything else scary in Renaissance. That’s strange.
Cringe-worthy Moment
Gold- Burning down house with family in it, Hunchback
Silver- Hellfire, rape and murder song, Hunchback
Bronze- Pocahontas teaching John Smith about how gold is stupid, Pocahontas
Honorable Mention- Basically all of Pocahontas except Savages number
Underrated
Gold- Rescuers Down Under
Silver- Mulan
Bronze- Hercules
Most Romantic Moment-
Gold- Belle and Beast dancing
Silver- Kiss the Girl
Bronze- Jasmine and Aladdin kiss
Grand Champions-
Worst- Pocahontas
Best- Beauty and the Beast
Co-Best- Little Mermaid (I love both so much!)
I just finished reviewing Dinosaur (oh my…) and here’s how we currently stand rating-wise
A+ we have 6
B+ we have 4
C+ we have 2
D we have 3
A we have 9
B we have 1
C we have 3
D- we have 3
A- we have 2
B- we have 1
C- we have 3
F we have 1
What are your favorites from the Renaissance? Please share.
Thank you to everyone for your comments. We might not always agree but I enjoying conversing with all of you!
I guess if there is such a thing as a guilty pleasure Disney movie, Hercules is mine. I know it’s got lots of problems and is probably drawn for Saturday morning airing more than a feature film but I love the music and it makes me laugh. What’s it to you?’ 😉
Production-
It should be obvious to any Disney fan that Hercules was trying to copy off of Aladdin- male lead, pop culture references, lack of regard for traditional story or setting, and bright colors. They even have the same directors with Ron Clements and John Musker at the helm.
Interestingly enough they made a deal with Jeffrey Katzenberg to make Hercules so they could get their dream project Treasure Planet greenlit (didn’t know that!).
Their goal was to put Disney’s stamp on a superhero movie- kind of a Disney comic book movie. That’s why everything is so bright and vivid like the comic books and comic book movies of the 90s (for better or worse! Batman and Robin- yikes!.
They also brought in Gerald Scarfe who had done Pink Floyd’s The Wall to help them get a new take on the characters, and I think they are unlike any in Disney history. Very angular and comic book-like.
Scarfe’s influence also helped them see outside the box and give a Greece by way of Las Vegas vibe with a little bit of gospel thrown in and I just find it fun and original. I can see why it might turn others off, but it worked for me.
The music is where I am completely sold. Who knew Alan Menken had gospel inside him? If you look at the differences between his music it is pretty remarkable. He can do reggae in Under the Sea, Broadway in Beauty and the Beast, pop in Aladdin, choral in Hunchback and now gospel. The man is amazing!
The singers are also excellent with the muses played perfectly by gospel singers Lillias White, LaChanze, Roz Ryan, Cheryl Freeman and Vaneese Y. Thomas.
I also love Susan Egan as Megura who Disney debuted as Belle in the broadway version of Beauty and the Beast in 1994. She’s a richer, fuller sounding woman than Disney had ever used and I love it.
Everyone sounds like they are from Brooklyn but again it’s part of the humor. For me Hercules did what the Shrek films couldn’t. It is funny without getting obscene or crass.
The Story-
The story is where the film is admittedly weak, so I won’t dwell on this. If you don’t love the music and think the writing is funny nothing in the story will convince you to stick around I can guarantee you that.
It starts with Charlton Heston narrating our Greek tragedy:
We quickly are introduced to our cast of characters. We’ve got Haedes, God of the Underworld who is voiced by James Woods in a hilarious homage to all the villains he’s played before. Everyone in this movie is very sarcastic so you have to like that kind of humor:
In one funny scene Hades gives his plan 2 thumbs up and Siskel and Ebert only gave it 1
Hades has 2 goons and they are Pain and Panic personified. Literally that’s their names and what they are.
I thought they were very funny. They find ways of switching into sweet cuddly Disney creatures throughout, which I loved. (Disney takes a lot of cracks at its own image in this movie)
There are also 3 fates who work with Hades and they have a string and when it is cut a person dies.
Hades stumbles in on Zeus and Hera’s party welcoming their baby Hercules into immortality. I like that Zeus is friendly with Hades. He wants him to lighten up!
Instead Hades sends Pain and Panic to abduct Hercules and turn him into a mortal but he doesn’t drink the last drop of the hero potion so he stays strong like an immortal.
Just like with Superman a nice couple find Hercules and try to raise him but he can’t control his strength and literally topples the entire town columns and all.
Hercules goes to meet his real father Zeus and he talks to him as a statue. He finds out he must be a true hero to be a God like his father
Zeus tells Hercules to find Philoctetes or ‘Phil’ and he will teach him to be a ‘true hero’. We get our ‘Oscar-bait’ song Go the Distance which is ok. I wish it was the muses singing it instead!
The two meet but he is retired and not interested. He is too heartbroken by Achilles and his darn heel! Ha.
I can see if you don’t find Danny Devito’s performance funny than you will have issues. I liked it.
When he is about to finish his training Hercules meets Megura, who, again, I just love. She is sassy, smart, funny and pretty. Something new and unusual in a Disney female lead. Love it!
I also love that Hercules has the instant love but Megura totally doesn’t. She thinks he’s the ‘wonder boy’ for a long time and it takes a while to wear her down. Love that!
We find out why because she is working begrudgingly with Hades because she sold her soul to him to save her ex-boyfriend who left her afterwards! (Again, kind of a clever take on the Disney woman)
Finally his training finished, Hercules arrives in Thebes which is basically Greek Las Vegas with traffic and even guys trying to sell you cheap sundials.
At first the people reject Hercules as an amateur hero, and then he gets a chance to save 2 boys who are really Pain and Panic in disguise. This gives Hades the opportunity to corner Hercules with his Hydra monster. This scene does not hold up graphic-wise (whenever they relied on CGI in the 90s it doesn’t look great now. Makes me wonder how things like Avatar will look in 20 years)
Hercules becomes a hero, Disney style. There is even a theme park and merchandise. Pain and Panic are even shown sporting his gear.
For a stoic company like Disney to make so many jokes it is refreshing. There are quick moments you might not even notice like a scene where Hercules is wearing Scar from Lion King
Figuring being so well known, Hercules asks his Dad if he is a true hero and he is told no “being famous is not a true hero”.
Meanwhile Hades forces Meg to flirt with Hercules to try and discover his weak-spot. Trouble is she is falling for him. He’s so innocent and sweet that it is making her nuts. We get one of the best girl songs in all of Disney
Hades discovers watching the flirting that Meg is Hercules weakness and he says she must obey him as part of their deal. Phil overhears this conversation and he tries to warn Hercules Meg is up to no good. He becomes angry with Phil and the two part ways.
Hercules confronts Hades and agrees to give up his immortality for 24 hours as long as Meg isn’t hurt. Meg tries to stop him but does it anyway and then he finds out Meg and Hades have been working together.
With Hercules nullified Hades unleashes the Titans which are admittedly weak and their destruction goes on too long. He also imprisons all the Gods and takes over ruling the heavens.
The cyclops tries to kill Hercules and at first he is letting himself get beaten. Meg see’s this and gets Phil in hopes he can inspire Hercules to fight back. It works and Hercules fights and defeats the cyclops as a normal man but Meg is crushed by a pillar.
This breaks Hades promise of not hurting Meg so Hercules can defeat the Titans and release the Gods.
Unfortunately Meg dies before Hercules can get back to her so he goes to the Underworld to confront Hades. Hercules makes Hades an offer to swap places with Meg. I love the design of the Underworld . My guess is Scarfe had a big influence in this scene:
Hercules can’t be killed because he has proven himself a true hero who loves more than himself.
He puts the spirit back into Meg and reunites with his parents.
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Of course, he realizes he wouldn’t be happy in immortal world without his love Meg and he agrees to live with her on earth instead.
And we get a very good Disney kiss!
And we get a closing out with a great song from the muses! It may be my favorite of the movie
Movie Review/Conclusion-
As I was typing up that analysis it made me realize there is a lot more going on in Hercules than I initially gave it credit for. Maybe the story isn’t so bad after all?
But I don’t think many people are going to like Hercules because of the story. It’s kind of like Robin Hood. If you find the one liners funny you will like this movie. If you don’t it will be rough going.
Same goes for gospel music. If you aren’t a fan than the movie won’t do much for you. It is kind of like Fantasia is to classical music. If it isn’t your favorite you probably won’t like the movie which relies so much on it.
I guess it’s something different from Disney which felt refreshing and it made me laugh. I know it isn’t the prettiest to look at and the story is Superman all over again but what can I say we all have our guilty pleasures and on that level it has a lot going for it.
So if it sounds like your cup of tea give it another watching. You might be surprised!
Overall Grade- B
ps, I can do without Go the Distance especially the Michael Bolton version…The 90’s and ballads were rough!
Do you find yourself deciding whether to watch the Lion King? Ask yourself this- how much do you like pop music?
In pop music there is a device called ‘the hook’. This is a line, melody, riff or performance, usually in the chorus that hooks the audience in to the rest of the song. Sometimes there are more than one hook like the huge hit Blurred Lines there are hooks in melody and even the hey, hey, hey’s at the beginning. How many of the fans even know what the words are to that song? There are a million examples of hooks.
The reason I mention hooks is it can certainly be used in movies as a way to draw people into the characters or story. Pixar loves hooks in all of their movies. They almost all start with a bold intro that draws you in and hooks you emotionally into the story. Think beginning of Up, Wall-e, Incredibles, Cars etc.
The Lion King is the best Disney use of hooks I can think of (although Tarzan and Tangled both use them very effectively and have a pop music feel). I don’t know if it is pop singer (yes, he’s pop not rock star) Elton John’s melodies but nearly every song, every scene in fact, has a strong hook. You have the one idea you are supposed to be getting from the scene or song and the rest is kind of non-essential.
Think of the difference between our intro to Lion King, Circle of Life, and the song Belle in Beauty and the Beast. In Belle there really isn’t a chorus. It’s just her singing about the poor provincial town and through the song we learn a ton about several characters and get the beginnings of the story laid out for us. In contrast, I couldn’t even tell you the rest of the words to Circle of Life besides ‘it’s the circle of life’. All we need to take away from the song is there are animals and a baby has been christened.
Does that mean it isn’t a good movie? No, I was actually quite blown away by it but I can also see how, just like some don’t like pop music for being contrived, people could feel manipulated and annoyed with The Lion King. And just like pop music can get a little grating after the 30th listen through The Lion King may not be a good choice for repeated viewings.
But I loved it! But I love pop music so go figure.
The Production-
What’s interesting is after Aladdin the studio split into projects. Instead of all the top talent working on the next film together as had been done for a few years people could choose between Pocahontas or The Lion King, and surprisingly most picked Pocahontas feeling it was ‘more important’ of the two films.
Even Alan Menken moved over to Pocahontas, leaving The Lion King with kind of the Bad News Bears of Disney animation. Tim Rice had taken over for Howard Ashman on Aladdin and won the Oscar for Whole New World. Rob Minkoff and Roger Allers were first time directors, Thomas Disch had written the strange The Brave Little Toaster, Hans Zimmer had never done a score for animated film etc.
Elton John was recruited by Tim Rice and he had this pop music mentality from the start:
“Let’s do it for kids, because it’s just a great story” but most of Disney animated movies have a kind of Broadway score, and I said “Let’s not go for that, let’s go for a completely different feel and just write ultra-pop songs kids would like; then adults can go and see those movies and get just as much pleasure out of them” I mean, adults buy a lot of pop records” (Billboard, Oct 4, 1997)
You see! That’s why there are all those hooks!
They certainly spared no expense in their voice cast which also feels like pop celebrity type thing to do. We’ve got James Earl Jones, Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, teen king Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Moira Kelly (ala Cutting Edge fame), Nathan Lane, Rowan Atkinson, Cheech Marin and of course Whoopi Goldberg. It is definitely the most ‘famous’ Disney cast ever assembled and they do a terrific job with the material.
The Lion King was also the first original story (takes inspiration from the Bible and Hamlet but not straight adaptation) and first movie to use no humans (Bambi had the hunters).
Unlike Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast which took 2 years to execute, The Lion King took 6 years from initial concept to release date. It went through scores of animators and writers and from what I’ve read nobody was expecting it to be a big hit.
However, Disney marketing was brilliant, releasing the first 4 minutes instead of a trailer in November 1993 when only 1/3rd of the movie had been completed. The intro is such a great hook it did it’s job and producer Don Hahn was actually “afraid of not living up to the expectations raised by the preview”. They weren’t! Lion King is the highest grossing hand drawn film in history so it did pretty well for itself!
The Story-
As I already mentioned we start off with a bang. A huge hook of The Circle of Life. It is a background song with African chanting and huge pan shots of baby Simba being presented (it’s basically a lion christening).
I can totally see why people saw this in 1993 and were counting down the days to see it in 1994 (1993 was a rare year with no annual Disney offering).
We then right away get another hook with the introduction to our villain, Scar.
The conversation between Mufasa and Scar kind of reminds me of the beginning of Sleeping Beauty. First of all both Scar and Maleficent have obvious villain names and they are dripping with disdain for all around them. It is very effective in drawing you into both characters and the story.
If anything the scene could have been longer. We also get the first Moses/Ramseys biblical reference. It probably goes without saying the voice work by James Earl Jones and Jeremy Irons in the movie is perfect.
Then we lighten things up in our next section introduces us to the baby lions Simba and Nala and the hornbill bird Zazu. Zazu is voiced by Rowan Atkinson and it is a very funny performance and character. He’s a big nag but most of the time he is right to nag so it is funny.
Zazu’s nagging makes a nice comedic foil for ‘Can’t Wait to be King’ a song right out of a boy band pop album but I like it. I think it is fun.
Simba and Nala sneak away to see an elephant graveyard Scar had told Simba about earlier (practically every scene in the movie is prophetic of future scenes to come). The hyenas almost take out the cubs but Mufasa comes to the rescue and defeats them.
Afterwards he has some very biblical sounding advice for his son:
The whole stars thing is kind of corny but those kinds of father son moments are usually like that and they do a good job establishing plot and a bond with little time spent together on screen.
Next we are back to our villain in the strongest song of the movie (and the only one actually sung by the voice talent). With the Nazi hyenas (who would have thought of that!) and the green boiler room atmosphere Be Prepared is one of the best villain songs. It is also nice to have another movie with a male villain because usually in Disney it is female.
The Hans Zimmer score is perfect. It brings emotional intensity into even rather trite scenes. I have it on my ipod and it is one of my favorites to listen to when I’m working. I love the choral and tribal elements. It reminds me a little of On Bald Mountain in Fantasia. Beautiful.
So Scar puts his dastardly plan into action tricking Simba into being in the path of a stampede. I remember seeing this scene and being blown away and it totally holds up. The computer graphics, music and sound effects are stunning.
Mufasa has died and Scar becomes the master manipulator. Some people don’t like that Simba runs away but if you listen Scar doesn’t actually say anything which isn’t true. Mufasa would be alive if Simba wasn’t in that gorge. The King is gone and it wasn’t supposed to happen. And remember Simba is little, the lion equivalent of a toddler who would be easy to manipulate. So it is no wonder he is scared and runs away.
I like the heart in these segments. Yes is it pulling at our heart strings pretty heavily but it’s all been so epic it works. Plus, his Dad has just died. If there was ever time for an over the top cry that is it.
So Simba runs away and that’s where we get to the charming but admittedly weaker section of the movie. In a lush jungle Simba meets Timon and Pumba who agree to teach him a new way to live. (It’s actually an interesting thought study for kids. It’s a softer version of what is presented with Pleasure Island in Pinocchio. Timon and Pumba believe in being happy and only living for yourself, for what pleases you, just like the boys at the island were only concerned with having fun and sinning.
And it is here we get probably the most famous song from the movie (so the kid pop thing totally worked out). I am not a big fan of potty humor so it was never my favorite but it is catchy no doubt about it.
Simba grows up in the song and we can assume has completely bought into the lifestyle of Timon and Pumba, basically forgetting his other life.
Then he meets Nala, his cub girlfriend, and she tells him how much they need him. He refuses and to me it makes sense. Most of his life has been spent living a hakuna matata lifestyle so why would he want to go back to all that hurt?
We then get a forgettable musical number Can You Feel the Love (won the Oscar. They loved those syrupy romance ballads in the 90s). It’s also a background vocal and the scene could be cut out no problem. Some people hate the comedic intro they decided to use but as I’m not a big fan of the song I don’t really care about that.
Then he meets Rafiki, the wise but silly monkey, and this scene is just masterful storytelling. It is epic and subtle and anyone who has grieved can relate to all of the emotions involved.
The past hurts but we can learn from it. That is a great lesson for all of us. How tempting is it to take the path of least resistance but sometimes in so doing we are denying who we are what makes us special.
So Simba arrives at Pride Rock to find it like the elephant graveyard of earlier. No food, everything gray and wasted away. Simba confronts Scar and again he is very good at saying the truth but not being truthful. He tells all of the lions that Simba is the reason why Mufasa is gone which Simba cannot deny.
The other lions do not support Simba at first but can you blame them? He’s been gone all this time, abandoning them. They are under the rule of a dictator who will use any such assertions against them and Simba has just said he is responsible for Mufasa’s death. Why should they think otherwise? In fact, they have every right to be upset and unforgiving of him.
It is only when Scar admits he was the one who is responsible for Mufasa’s murder that they come to Simba’s defense. Again, to me this makes total sense and is probably the way I would behave if confronted with similar betrayals, accusations and knowledge. Yes, you learn from the past and move on but people need a decent enough time to absorb new information. Even Simba wasn’t ready to accept the change in one conversation with Nala.
As we close we get a new king of pride rock and the kingdom is restored. (I wonder if Simba keeps being a vegetarian lion?)
Movie Review/Conclusion-
I was 13 when The Lion King came out so I was just starting to get into the ‘cartoons are for kids’ phase and so I liked Lion King but it wasn’t the transcendent experience Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast were. But, I can totally see how if you were 8-10 when it came out it would be huge.
Unlike Aladdin which really made the entire film for adults and kids, The Lion King has segments like Hakuna Matata and Just Can’t Wait which are geared to literally hook kids into them. I find them cheerful and fun but what moves me is the dramatic sections that probably bore kids (but I don’t think so much so they won’t enjoy the movie).
The score makes the movie. It is perfect. The songs are mostly good pop songs and I like them.
The animation is beautiful with segments reverting from the lush 2D animation to geographic tribal motifs. The stampede is still impressive from all angles and Scar is a great villain with a great villain song. All in all it is a very satisfying movie to watch. I really found myself moved and excited by it. (I probably hadn’t seen it in 15 years before yesterday despite owning the score. That’s how much I love the score!).
If I was going to be a little critical it would be the middle section lags a little bit and when push comes to shove I do like Broadway music better than pop music. It’s kind of amazing it was made into such a great Broadway musical given it was trying to not be Broadway but that wouldn’t have happened without the creative vision of Julie Taymor. When I saw Lion King in New York I said it was like watching a living painting. The music wasn’t the standout although it was fine.
So maybe The Lion King isn’t perfect but it has tons to like and a message I’m still pondering after all these years. Plus, some catchy songs and visuals that draw you in. I loved it!
Next up we have one of the most popular Disney animated films ever made- their 31st film, Aladdin. While it is not as artistically special or as epic as the movies it is sandwiched between (Beauty and the Beast and Lion King), it is one of Disney’s best comedies and I think that is why it is remembered so fondly. We all love what makes us laugh!
I have now watched Aladdin 4 times in recent weeks. When Robin Williams died I felt so sad so I hunted down Aladdin and watched it. I kind of forgot about it and even said in my Disney Tag video I thought it was a little overrated. I don’t know if it was just the passing,but I left that viewing completely charmed. Now I watched it again and then with 2 commentaries and am still charmed.
Do I like all the choices they made? No, but I think it is a ton of fun.
The Production-
Aladdin was released on Thanksgiving in 1992 (I remember going to see it as our Thanksgiving movie!). It was suggested as a concept by Howard Ashman in 1988 when the ‘Gong Show’ had occurred and ideas like Oliver and Company and the Little Mermaid had been approved.
It was a return to the Disney tradition of making movies for boys but it starred a grown man (or teen) which had never been done before. Every other male figure had either been an eccentric, a bore or a little child. I had heard on a number of audio commentaries that male adults were harder to draw and I finally heard an explanation on the director’s commentary with Ron Clements and John Musker. One of them said:
“Male leading men are harder to do in animation than the women because you can slightly caricature the female figure and look and a slight exaggeration makes it more appealing but when you do that with the male figure that slight exaggeration is a little off-putting”
So there you have it! Originally Michael J. Fox was used to create Aladdin but then when they decided to make the character older they went with Tom Cruise as their inspiration!
I wonder if the exaggerated style needed for a man, made them go with the even more exaggerated inspiration of Al Hirschfeld drawings from the New Yorker? His comics had ‘swooping lines and elongated faces.
Here is a Hirschfeld drawing of Bob Hope
It is also interesting that Disney made no attempt to tie the movie back to its original source material or the Arabic culture. It kind of makes me laugh that people were offended by a line by the peddler/narrator ,’where they cut off your ear if they don’t like your face’ when a million other things are done that directly fly in the face of Arabic customs and culture.
How about the fact that none of the characters actually look Arabic? I would think that is more potentially bothersome than a funny line in a song. Seriously it’s the most white Arabs ever put on-screen.
As much as I like the film I kind of wish they had been a little braver with their skin colorings and not only been tan on Jafar’s face (but oddly enough never his neck?). It is such a cliché to have the people of darker complexion be the bad guy. Sigh…
But Aladdin is not the movie for such discussion. It is a comedy!!! It has one job and that is to make you laugh and it does that job very well. And pretty much all the laughs come from one man- Robin Williams. He owns this movie. There was talk after it was released that he should be the first person to be nominated for best supporting actor for an animated movie and I agree. (I really wish they would have an award for voice work because it is such an art).
Clements and Musker said they wrote the part of the Genie for Robin Williams and it was quite the labor of love for him to participate at all. At the time he was filming Toys and Hook and would spend hours on set for those films and then come at night to record for Aladdin.
At one point in the commentary Clements says ‘people often ask me how much of the material was ad-libbed vs scripted? And I say none of it. It was all written’. This caught me off guard but then Musker says ‘he’s lying!’.
Evidently they would give Robin Williams boxes of props, costumes and concepts and he would go from there. For one of the songs he came up with 59 different characters! Just the one’s included in the film are amazing. with everything from Ed Sullivan to John Wayne to Ethel Merman- all people most kids don’t know but they didn’t need to. We knew it was a funny voice, which made us laugh. The adults, for instance, could laugh at the Groucho Marx imitation, while kids thought it was a silly looking character.
They also said on the commentary Williams was nervous about his singing, which I guess he had never done before, and considering he does 2 of the 4 songs he’s great!
There was some ugliness between Disney and Williams because he had taken the SAG minimum to be in Aladdin on the agreement they would not use his likeness or make the genie more than 20% of the marketing in respect for Toys which opened the same month. Disney did not live up to their side of this bargain (on one hand can you blame them but still a deal is a deal) and it angered Williams, which is why he is not in the 2nd Aladdin film but things were made up for the 3rd.
Unlike Beauty and the Beast or Little Mermaid there are only 6 songs in Aladdin, 2 of which are reprises. 3 of the songs are written by Howard Ashman and Alan Menken and a Whole New World is by Tim Rice and Menken. I wonder if this song scarcity was partly to appease boys who would be less interested typically in musical numbers? However, the songs we get are well written and once again very funny. There is not a villain song except for the Prince Ali reprise by Jafar but this works very well so no issue from me.
Artistically it is simple with mostly color blocking as backgrounds. Evidently blue is used to convey good in the film and red evil. In fact, in the final scenes everything is red even the characters and their clothing.
Some of the CGI in the film does not hold up very well. Things like the cave of wonders looks pretty corny to a modern audience but the film is so over-the-top I don’t really care.
Let’s actually talk about the story-
The Story-
We start out with our narrator setting the tone with the song ‘Arabian Nights’. It is a very effective number. Robin Williams does not sing this song but he does do the other voice work for the narrator:
It does a very good job setting mood and tone. We get the gravitas of the music with the silliness of the peddler selling us tupperware (Evidently they brought a box of junk for Robin Williams from the $1 store and he ad-libbed all of it).
The narrator was actually supposed to be revealed to be the Genie at the end but it had to be cut because the ending with Genie leaving felt complete.
After the narrator we see Jafar and a thief. They have found the cave of wonders but it takes a ‘diamond in the rough’ to enter.
Next we meet Aladdin. What a great way to be introduced to a character. We know from the beginning he is special, “our diamond in the rough”.
How rough is he? Well, he is a thief and the next song shows us that. It is one of the most ‘Broadway’ Disney songs, so of course I love it.
So, 2 out of 4 songs done in the first few minutes. Again, that feels very ‘please the boys’ to me but I’m ok with it. It does take too long to get to the Genie (almost 40 minutes!) but it’s not terrible.
A lot of the scenes in Aladdin feel like a good sitcom. Think of a show like The Office. There would be a tender hearteded scene with Michael Scott immediately followed by ‘that’s what she said’ or other silly punchline. It’ never gets too sentimental but it also doesn’t leave the viewers cold.
These tender moments start early in Aladdin with a Prince riding into the castle repulsed by Aladdin. He says he is a ‘street rat’ and nobody will remember him.
Then we meet Jasmine . She is portrayed as a modern woman who wants to get out of the castle and live for herself. Much to her father’s chagrin she rejects suitor after suitor (including the Prince who insulted Aladdin). A lot of the time she is shown holding a bird symbolizing feeling caged in and lonely. Jasmine is a little bland but I liked her. Again, it does not matter that she is completely implausible for an Arabic woman (even today in some cultures) because they’ve already established the movie is its own enchanted world, with its own rules and customs.
Jasmine decides to run away and Aladdin saves her from getting her hand chopped off by a merchant. They have some nice moments together and there is genuine chemistry. (Like The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast the couple in Aladdin have significant screen time together and form a realistic bond).
Our next scene is with Jafar and his hilarious pet parrot Iago voiced by Gilbert Gottfried. Some find him shrill and annoying but he was funny to me (but I love Fran Drescher so I guess I don’t mind shrill). I don’t think he is in the movie too much. Just enough to provide some good comic relief especially when the Genie is nowhere to be found.
If parents have issues with words like ‘shut up’ or ‘moron’ they probably will not care for Iago as he uses them a lot.
Eventually Aladdin is captured and Jasmine is returned to the castle. To her dismay, Jafar tells her Aladdin has been beheaded for hurting the Princess. In truth, he has actually been taken to the dungeon and tricked into entering the Cave of Wonders with his monkey Abu (who is super cute).
In the cave they find the lamp but Abu triggers the alarm and the cave starts turning into lava and they have to use a magic carpet (which has tons of personality for a rectangle) to get out of the cave.
Jafar thinking he has the lamp leaves Aladdin and Abu inside the cave but Abu steals the lamp. That’s when we finally get our Genie!!! I can’t imagine anyone not liking the Genie or Friend Like Me. It’s perfect. Evidently it was the first number they animated so certain features are different (longer ears, Aladdin looks younger) but none of that matters. It is so funny. You forget most of the time it is just the Genie with blue background. It’s so manic that’s all we need.
Eventually Aladdin wishes to be made a prince so he can woo Jasmine and we get the next musical number, Prince Ali. Robin Williams is hilarious as if he is commenting on a Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade.
In a surprise to Aladdin, Jasmine is not impressed with Prince Ali (neither is Jafar of course!). She won’t even meet with him, but he convinces her to try a magic carpet ride. I know A Whole New World won the Oscar for best song but I think it is just okay but the animation is lovely and it provides one of the movies only softer extended moments.
After the ride Jasmine is smitten with Aladdin and has basically figured out he is the street rat from earlier despite him continuing to lie about it. He tells her he dresses as a commoner for fun, but I don’t think she really believes him.
She is smitten enough to get one of the best Disney kisses ever!
After the date Jafar traps Aladdin and tries to drown him in the ocean. The Genie is unleashed and uses one of Aladdin’s 3 wishes to save him.. This is a pretty intense moment for a Disney lead and probably the closest any actually come to dying.
Aladdin comes back to the palace and exposes Jafar as the crook he is but he is unwilling to come clean to Jasmine about who he is. He also tells Genie he can’t give him his freedom because they want him to be Sultan and he needs to remain a Prince with his wishes.
Just then Iago steals Aladdin’s lamp and brings it to Jafar who makes himself Sultan on high. The red coloring on these scenes is great at establishing mood (and contrast from the all blue of Aladdin’s scenes when he is master of the lamp). We also get the reprise of Prince Ali which is Jafar’s villain song.
Aladdin get’s sent to the ‘ends of the earth’ and we know it is somewhere with snow. Again the CGI in some of these scenes doesn’t age particularly well but it is a nice emotional segment for Aladdin who feels terrible about Abu and The Carpet.
Getting free we get to Jafar imprisoning Jasmine and her father. Her outfit is very slinky in these scenes which may be a problem for some Christian viewers.
Aladdin returns and he and Jafar have a wonderfully executed final battle that feels like Aladdin may have met his match. The Genie is also helpless because Jafar is his master.
For the finale we get one of the best moments of friendship in all of Disney and a great message about being yourself and loving others more than self. Especially with Robin Williams passing it is a very tender scene.
Movie Review/Conclusion-
My thoughts on Aladdin are very simple. What I look for in a comedy is ‘did it make me laugh?’ and this did. It did as a child and it did now. The schtick by Robin Williams still holds up and is full of energy and happiness, which is hard to resist. The genie is one of the best Disney characters ever and it is one of the best examples of a side character stealing the show in a movie- live action or animated.
It also has some nice action segments that will entertain boys and girls.
I think the villain is fine but not one of Disney’s best (although it is nice to have a male villain for once). I like Iago and think he is used just enough to not be wearing.
Jasmine is a little bland but charming. The music is a lot of fun if sparingly used. The artistry is fine, does the job it needs to do.
I wish we got to the Genie sooner and the Whole New World sequence is a little forgettable, but not bad.
Like all the great Disney there is genuine heart mixed in with the humor and some nice messages about friendship and honesty.
So all in all, I really enjoy Aladdin. Is it in my top 10? I don’t think so but it is probably my favorite Disney comedy, so maybe…not sure . Ask me in a couple years when Robin Williams passing isn’t so fresh.
For now I give it an
Overall Grade- A-
I made donation to St Jude in Robin William’s memory after his passing (I just felt like doing something, not simply talking) and I’d like to make another contribution. $1 for every view this post gets up to $150. I feel very sad at his loss.
Out of all the pictures I would be rewatching for this project The Rescuers is probably the one I was looking forward to the least. When the sequel came out in 1990 they re-released the original into theaters and my mother took me. I didn’t go to many movies as a kid and I saw even fewer scary movies. That is why The Rescuers and Return to Oz stick out as the most unpleasant movie-going experiences of my young life.
Why you ask? Because I was 9 and it is about a little girl who is abducted by a ghastly lady, beaten, shot at several times and forced to go down a small cave and told she won’t be rescued if the water comes up. I mean that is terrifying stuff for a little girl!
I know this movie has its fans but I don’t get it. If you like it please put in the comments below. I will mention a few things I like but on a whole I think it is just mean spirited.
I honestly do not know what Disney was thinking with this one….
Production-
The Rescuers was released in 1977 just months after Winnie the Pooh (what a contrast! We even get a brief Pooh cameo in the movie). It was based off of a series of books by Margery Sharp about a mouse named Miss Bianca who solves crimes. Disney changed it around and made it about a pair of mice who are part of a UN-like organization, the Rescue Aid Society.
The 70s trend of celebrity voices continued with Eva Gabor returning to Disney animation after the Aristocats and Bob Newhart as Bernard, the high/low society couple who is sent on the case. They are fine as the voices and Eva’s accent is toned down from the Aristocats. and i didn’t have any trouble understanding her. She is still kind of a bland socialite but has more spunk and personality than in Aristocats.
It was a landmark movie in many ways for Disney staff. It was the first movie that Don Bluth (future Disney traitor and competitor) animated, Also first for Glen Keane, Ron Clements and Andy Gaskill who would all be very influential in the upcoming Disney renaissance.
It was also the last film with the legendary 9 old men and Wolfgang Reitherman of Jungle Book fame as director.
However, the most exciting change The Rescuers brought with it is the beginning of the end of the sketchy xerox phase, which although I like some of the movies it is typically in spite of the animation, not because of it. They had worked on the xerox technology and now outlines could be made in softer tones and not the hard blacks of the sketch movies.
Unfortunately they were clearly working on the technology because sometimes the animation shows it’s weaknesses. In a lot of the scenes you can see a little halo effect on the characters. A white streak that separates them from the background. I did a screen shot below and put arrows so you can see the white lines in many shots. It seems like a little thing but for a studio like Disney I expect better than Saturday morning animation.
There are also moments where it is clear the backdrop is stationary and the subject is being moved over the background. It makes it look very cheap and doesn’t have the rich feeling driving a car or a swamp machine should have. It kind of looks like a driving scene from a sitcom in the 50s where you can tell they are in front of a screen in a stationary vehicle.
In the scene this vehicle moves around while the background stays the same. It looks so hokey. And a lot of halos around the drawings in this shot. Looks cheap.
For Medusa it is obvious they started with Cruella De vil, even down to her crazy driving. In my research they even discussed doing a 101 sequel but they decided they didn’t want to do sequels (which is interesting because The Rescuers gets a sequel in 1990). The thing about Cruella is it was about puppies, and as much as we all love puppies there is a difference between dognapping and kidnapping, at least to me. What was funny or cooky in Cruella was shocking with Medusa.
In the world of Elizabeth Smart and Jaycee Duggard I don’t think you could get away with a character like Medusa. I know some people love her antics but I think it crosses a line into mean spirited and terrifying.
Disney had done scary in the past but it had always been in a far away time like with Headless Horseman or with a fantasy world like with the Devil or Pink Elephants on Parade. Pinocchio would be the next scariest as it is about a little boy but it is still a fantasy world where foxes walk around with cats and people live in whales. I know what I thought when I was 9 and I know what I think now- Medusa is too much. Kids need to feel secure and safe and they do not need to worry about being abducted and abused in their trip to the Disney theater.
Badly done Disney!
Story-
That said there are some things I like in the film. The introduction is different for Disney. Instead of a book or a narrator it has still paintings that tell the story of Penny sending bottles out to get help (another traumatic thought for a little girl sending bottles for help!).
The music was written by Sammy Fain, Carol Connors and Ayn Robbins and sung by Shelby Fint. It is the first background songs since Bambi and the songs are nice but I’m afraid the singer does not age well. The voice screams ‘Karen Carpenter wantabee’ and I just don’t care for it. But, I own that is my personal preference and there is nothing outright wrong with it. The lyrics and melody are quite good.
Eventually Penny’s bottle ends up in the United Nations mouse division called The Rescue Aid Society. It is a cute scene.
Bernard and Bianca are put on the case and they have a lovely repertoire together and they are very clever with following the case to Penny’s orphanage where they meet a cat named Rufus who piles on the heartbreaking tale. The poor girl has lost all hope. Feels unloved. It’s pretty intense stuff (this is no Little Orphan Annie plot line here…)
Off they go to find Medusa and her Pawn Shop. I don’t know if I was thinking of Annie but I thought for years Medusa was voiced by Carol Burnett who is Miss Hanigan in Annie but it is actually Geraldine Page . It is a very grating and shrieking performance without enough humor like a Cruella had.
I think what makes Medusa terrifying in an unpleasant way is it feels like a woman like her could and does exist. Nothing that happens in the Rescuers except for the mice is that outlandish like skinning 101 puppies or turning children in to donkeys (terrifying as that scene is Medusa could actually happen)
Bernard and Bianca end up at the airport but instead of a plane they take an albatross to the Bayou. These scenes are very funny with the albatross named Orville voiced by Jim Jordan. The comic relief is sorely needed in this film.
As they are flying there is some nice animation.
After some fireworks they arrive at the Bayou and meet some of the local redneck rodents (more comic relief) including a cute firefly named Evinrude
We see several scenes of Penny running away, getting caught and getting sent down the cave. It’s all played for alarmingly little comic affect and is cold and shrill. I mean look at the fear in Penny’s face. That will terrify little girls of strangers for years…
There is also a brutal scene where Medusa tells Penny ‘why would anyone want to adopt a homely little girl like you’. This has to be one of the most heartbreaking images in all of Disney:
We already know she is insecure from the scenes with Rufus so it just is so sad. Then we get this song, which is devastating:
Even though I hate the singer it is a pretty song but it is just too much. I was bawling by the end of it and not in the cathartic way a good tragedy invests you. More in the Nicholas Sparks manipulate the viewer kind of way. Again a girl is kidnapped, abused, told she is worthless and is crying, which is enough to get me crying and definitely not what I want out of my Disney film.
We do get one of the only instances I can think of where a Disney character prays and it is quite heartfelt and lovely:
We also get our Winnie the Pooh cameo red shirt and all in this scene.
It is after the prayer she meets Bernard and Bianca, and they start scheming to get her out of there. Unfortunately they are unable to put their plan in the works before another trip down the cave. This time Medusa threatens to leave her if she doesn’t find the diamond.
After struggles with water and getting diamond out of a pirates skull they, Bernard, Bianca and Penny, find the diamond, and Medusa has her prize:
Of course Medusa immediately turns on them and her henchman Mr Snoops and threatens to kill them all. (Again…nice in our Disney film). She even takes away Penny’s beloved teddy bear.
Luckily Evintrude and the Redneck clan come help and there is a fun chase sequence that even involves some alligator water skiing.
Eventually Medusa is chased up a pole and Penny gets the diamond. I actually felt with how bad she is we needed to see an arrest at the end of this movie. Just this shot wasn’t enough for me:
We do get a nice scene at the end where we learn the diamond is at the Smithsonian, Bernard and Bianca are a couple and continuing on cases, and Penny has a family and is adopted.
Movie Review/Conclusion-
So here’s the deal on this movie. If you can stomach the plot and Medusa than you will like this movie. I could not at 9 or 33. It is too much. It is too real. It is too cruel. I don’t like that Penny is abducted to begin with but then told repeatedly she has no value and is unwanted and unloved. She is yelled at, dehumanized and forced down a cave despite her clear fear multiple times.. I think it is a mean spirited movie, and while I like Bernard and Bianca, their warmth is not enough for me to like the picture.
The music is nice even though I don’t care for the singer. Some of the animation is good but other parts show their age with the halos and static backgrounds. At least they were trying to do something different and not just imitating the past like with the Aristocats.
I like there are some messages of faith, prayer, hope and eventual rescue but it is too little too late for me.
So I am going to give this film 2 grades.
If you can tolerate Medusa and the plot C+ but for me personally I give it an D-, and I never want to see it again.
I do have a notoriously low tolerance for scary movies involving murders, abductions, exorcisms and evil spirits. So most scary movies I do not care for. Even some popular comic book villains I am not a fan of. Oh well! Each his or her own.
That’s my story and I’m sticking to it. What do you think? Can you tolerate such a grim plot, such a cruel villain?
(This review ended up being less about the story of the movie but more about the things I learned in my research and how I feel about individual scenes. I hope it works for you guys)
Robin Hood is a movie as soon as I heard it was on blu-ray I went out and bought it. I really do love it. That said, I do have to look at films a little bit objectively or what’s the point in even reviewing them? It can’t be all based on nostalgia even if that is a factor.
So, let’s talk about it.
Production-
There isn’t a ton of production info on a lot of these movies from the 70s. Honestly I poured through the internet trying to find out the thought process behind the writing, art, songs, etc in Robin Hood but found very little. However, I was able to piece some interesting tidbits together, and really enjoyed rewatching it again.
First thing to know is Robin Hood is the first movie to be made without any involvement from Walt Disney. (Walt had signed off on the Aristocats before his passing).
Released in 1973 Disney had moved its focus away from its animated division in the late 60s and all of their capital and energy was going into Walt Disney World in Florida. We are used to it now but at the time Epcot was a herculean task and another example of Walt Disney dreaming big!
But the budgets on the animated films suffered for a long time. We didn’t see Disney invest real money into a picture until 1985 with the Black Cauldron, which was also their biggest flop (kind of excited to see that one!).
Robin Hood didn’t always start out as a comedy. Lead writer and storyboard artist Ken Anderson (who is given writing credit on the feature even though he hated it) was commissioned by Disney to come up with a story based on Reynard the fox, a fearless creature known throughout France. He gave his drawings to Disney animators and I read multiple places he ‘wept when he saw that his “character concepts had been processed into stereotypes for the animation in Robin Hood”
It is the first Disney movie to have all anthropomorphic creatures. The Rooster says at the beginning it is ‘the animal kingdom’s version’ of the story. Not sure why they did it this way but there were shows and stories featuring all anthropomorphic creatures for kids successful at the time. On the anthropomorphic note doing this research I came across a group called the furry fandom which have an unhealthy love for anthropomorphic creatures. Let’s just say I have nightmares! 😉
They also give us a really long intro with the character name, type of animal, and the celebrity voice which is new to Disney. Before Jungle Book Disney had not used celebrity voices, but had relied on talented voice overs actors like Verna Felton and Sterling Holloway. Even now when celebrity voices are very common I still don’t recall them having a character introduction like in Robin Hood.
Recycling Animation-
Something surprising I learned in my research is Disney has admitted to recycling animation (I didn’t know you could do that) from other films to make Robin Hood. I’m not sure I really care but it is kind of disappointing.
This recycling or ‘limited animation’ is defined as- “Limited animation is a process of making animated cartoons that does not redraw entire frames but variably reuses common parts between frames
It is for this reason that Disney as a company kind of hates Robin Hood and many other films from this era, despite them being very popular. I’ve always thought it was interesting how little attention they get in the park and I think this recycled material explains why.. .
Humor in Robin Hood-
The thing I liked as a child and still like today about Robin Hood is its humorous script. There is a ton of funny dialogue like when Prince John tells the guards to ‘seize the fat one’ or when Little John says ‘who’s driving this flying umbrella?’ This scene at the tournament is full of classic physical comedy. We even get a pie in the face. Some may think that is cliche but to kids watching they haven’t seen those bits before and they are put together so well. It still makes me laugh:
There is also humor with Robin Hood and Little John dressing in drag to steal from Prince John. Again the scene uses classic comedy tropes including some sexy music but it works. I repeat it still makes me laugh:
One Disney site I found said Prince John’s humor had been based on The Smother’s Brothers, which makes sense. They were a very funny comedy sketch team that produced popular comedic albums and had The Smother’s Brothers Comedy Hour from 1967-1969 but it was deemed as too edgy and taken off the air.
Listen to this bit and see if it reminds you of Robin Hood.
As I was watching it today I kept thinking about a Muppets sketch from the 70s I had seen a few days ago. It felt very similar in tone and cadence to Robin Hood and it made me wonder if the two were connected in some way? I did some research and found out Sesame Street started in 1969. Real work on Robin didn’t start till well after that date. I could be wrong on the Muppet connection but it just feels like a similar form of comedy. The Muppets are very bawdy in their humor, they have all different animals behaving like humans and they have sincere moments like Rainbow Connection. I think Disney saw the success of Muppets and decided to apply it to Robin Hood.
When I saw this clip my opinion was even more confirmed. From season 1 or 2 of Sesame Street:
I am spending so much time talking about the writing because I think that is what is special about Robin Hood. The animation clearly has problems but even if it is recycled, the humor still works.
The Music-
The music is pretty good. Following the lead of the Aristocats and Jungle Book, they used recognizable singers including Phil Harris and country singer Roger Miller who wrote the songs and serves as narrator. (A folksy feeling soundtrack may also be a nod to the Smothers Brothers who played guitar and sang in their act).
The introductory song is my personal favorite and I pretty much have it memorized. It’s not a song that will change your life but I kind of like it.
The Love song is pretty 70’s corny so it isn’t my favorite. I do like Phony King of England song even if it is recycled animation. (What about you guys? Does knowing that make you like it less or do you not care?)
Characters-
Another thing I like about Robin Hood is you get introduced to a lot of characters. In 83 minutes (long for Disney those days) we have little vignettes with the sheriff, Prince John and Hiss, Clucky and Maid Marian, and the rabbits and friends, etc.
I don’t know if there is a more morose moment in Disney than the ‘Not in Nottingham’ number because it affects so many people. I remember as a child being less interested in the last third of the movie and I still kind of agree with that assessment. The scenes with Nutsy are fun but the jailbreak we don’t really get any action that is better or different from the tournament scenes earlier so it is less engrossing.
That’s a pretty sad song but I like it. The score is nice by frequent Disney collaborator George Bruns. They use music for a lot of the sound effect cues so instead of a bonk on the head noise, it is a noise worked into the score.
There is also no attempt in the movie to give accents to any characters but Prince John and Hiss (who is totally a rip off from Kaa down to the hypnotizing eyes but he has a lot of great lines). Everyone sounds like they are from Chicago but it is less distracting than in the Aristocats because it wasn’t supposed to be London.
I love Hiss’s dialogue like “What cheek! Creepy? Buster? Long one? Who does that dopey duke think he is? or “Sire, you have an absolute skill for encouraging contributions from the poor”
Prince John is also funny with lines like “Yes, my reluctant reptile, and when our elusive hero tries to rescue the corpulent cleric” and “You cowardly cobra! Procrastinating python! Agravating asp! Ooh, you eel in snake’s clothing!” That’s pretty high vocabulary for a kids movie and it totally works. It still makes me laugh.
Clucky is one of my favorite characters. In one scene she fights off a bunch of rhinos football style and it is very funny. There is also a lot of sadness with Robin Hood with taxes, and people going to prison and one particularly cruel scene where the Sheriff steals the last farthing the church mice have given to the poor.
Movie Review/Conclusion-
So what do you do with a movie like this? Is it an artistic masterpiece? No. Do I get why Disney is embarrassed by it? Kind of but not really. It’s not like in recycling they were stealing from other animation studios artwork. I get why it may not be your greatest achievement but if it makes people smile than that’s an accomplishment however crudely it is accomplished.
Maybe part of it is Disney had been the first so they didn’t have to recylcle ideas or formulas from any one else. They were then what Pixar was in the 2000s. Everything at the beginning had been so great, like Pixar, that when they are less ambitious it feels like a failure even if lots of people like the end product.
I guess when it comes down to it making kids laugh isn’t all that easy, and I think Robin Hood does a good job with that. I like the vocal performances. I like the action scenes. I like that the characters use big words and challenge kids a little bit with ideas of social justice and taxation.
So even acknowledging its flaws I still love Robin Hood and think it is one of the most rewatchable Disney movies. The artpiece films are amazing but a good laugh goes a long way!
Overall Grade- B+ (I’d give it an A but I do think that last act drags a little)
Lets talk some Studio Ghibli specifically their latest film The Tale of the Princess Kaguya. Studio Ghibli if you are not aware is the Japanese animation team that has produced anime films such as Spirited Away, My Friend Tottoro, Howls Moving Castle and Princess Mononoke. They are most known for the works by Hayao Miyazaki, the amazing artist and director.
