Beyond reviewing the movies, I try not to report on too much Marvel news around here. I’m a big comics geek, so I could easily talk for ages about the company. Marvel’s only owned by Disney; the news isn’t directly related to the House of Mouse, even if it is technically a member now. Yet, I just can’t resist this latest piece of news about the Marvel movie franchise. “Avengers” director/co-writer Joss Whedon is back to take up both of the same mantels for the sequel, due in 2015. For the average movie or Disney fan, this might not seem … Continue reading →

Charming is one word that we could apply to just about any Disney animated film, and even though 1953’s “Peter Pan” certainly is that, it’s devoid of charm when compared to the play/novel on which it was based. One of Walt Disney’s greatest strengths was his ability to take an older story and reinvent it for modern audiences. Doing so for “Peter Pan,” however, just replaces what is a wry and sweet sense of humor with silly slapstick, which seems cheap in comparison. A primary reason why Barrie’s book, and presumably his play, is so charming is its witty, very … Continue reading →

When I was young I read all of L. Frank Baum’s Oz books over and over. There are a lot more than one might expect, and I devoured them all. So I can understand why some people are so entranced with the series that they keep returning to it, though it’s interesting to me that most of the subsequent Oz books after the first one are so rarely plumbed for adaptation. Disney’s the latest to jump on the Oz bandwagon; the company is set to release a prequel to the famous story: “Oz: The Great and Powerful.” I’ve heard about … Continue reading →

Merida, the protagonist from “Brave,” fulfills the promise of all the Disney films that came before her. “Brave” isn’t Pixar’s best film, and isn’t even as exciting as some of Disney’s other princess films, but the character of Merida and her relationship with her mother make up for all of that. The story is familiar enough. Merida’s mother, Queen Elinor, wants to train Merida to be the perfect princess. She should act with decorum, keep her dresses clean, recite poetry in a clear voice, and carry herself with grace. Instead Merida wants to ride her horse, let her hair run … Continue reading →

I’ve missed talking about Disney movies. A lot has gone on in the parks lately so I’ve focused on them, but it felt so good earlier this week to ditch all of that and speculate on “Maleficent.” After all, the movies are the true reason why we’re Disney fans, right? I’m waiting until this weekend to see “Brave,” so I can go with my two best friends, but there’s still plenty of other Disney movie news to talk about in the interim. June’s seen the release of two trailers for forthcoming Disney movies, so let’s get watching. The first is … Continue reading →

I’ve reported less on forthcoming Disney movies than I used to, now that I’ve learned how the whole studio machine works. I don’t believe rumors of a film until filming actually starts and we see some production photos. That’s why I’ve said very little about Disney’s live action Maleficent film. I first heard rumblings about Disney wanting to make a live action movie about one of their most popular villains back when Tim Burton made his feature length “Alice in Wonderland.” At the time the rumor was that Burton wanted to direct. After hearing that I assumed that Helena Bonham-Carter … Continue reading →

Studio Ghibli’s latest animated feature, “The Secret World of Arrietty,” was released in American theaters by Disney earlier this year and on DVD/Blu-Ray on May 22. Now that I’ve bought and seen it, I can review this latest Japanese masterpiece brought to us by Disney. Well, no matter how much I love Ghibli’s work I think masterpiece might be pushing it a little far. However, “Arrietty” is a fun movie for all ages and definitely deserves a view by any fans of Miyazaki’s work. The renowned animator didn’t direct the film but he did write the screenplay, based on the … Continue reading →

How have I not heard of this before now? Disney has a new animated movie coming out November 2, called “Wreck It Ralph.” I’d seen that title before in a list of upcoming movies, and I knew it had something to do with an arcade, but I didn’t know that 1) it was coming out so soon and 2) that it sounded so awesome. I have to say I’ve been a little hesitant about any animated film coming out of Disney lately that isn’t either a fairy tale film or from Pixar. I love “Emperor’s New Groove” and “Lilo & … Continue reading →

“The Avengers” blew my mind. How can I ever settle for just one superhero in a movie again, now that I’ve seen what it’s like with six? If you’re a fan of comic book movies, of superheroes, of big-budget action flicks with a whole lot of story and heart, then you don’t need to read any more of my review. Go see “The Avengers.” Now. Go see it multiple times. Tell Hollywood that they need to keep putting director (and script writer and co-story writer) Joss Whedon in charge of movies. If you’re not sure where you stand on superheroes, … Continue reading →

Six months ago I profiled Chernabog in my Halloween list of the most frightening Disney moments. Chernabog is a Slavic deity; not much is known about him, but as Christian traditions took over the pagan ones in Europe he was seen as a black god, even sometimes associated with or as the devil. The Night on Bald Mountain sequence from “Fantasia,” which contains Chernabog, is according to the conductor who introduces the segment set on Walpurgis Night. I’d never heard of Walpurgis Night, or at least it never registered as I watched “Fantasia,” so I thought I would research it. … Continue reading →