Pete’s Dragon (1977)

One of the most proud members of the Disney Gold Collection is “Pete’s Dragon,” the beloved animated/live action movie starring Mickey Rooney and Helen Reddy. When an orphaned Pete (Sean Marshall) runs away from his abusive adoptive home, he stumbles upon the town of Passamaquoddy, a fishing town in Maine. What the residents of this little town don’t know is that Pete has his very own dragon! Not an imaginary friend, although that’s what they think. He’s an actual, real dragon, goes by the name of Elliot, and he’s stinkin’ cute, besides. Lampy (Mickey Rooney) the lighthouse keeper has a … Continue reading →

Tarzan II (2005)

“Tarzan II” was released after “Tarzan and Jane,” which was the sequel to “Tarzan.” Therefore, “Tarzan II” could be called a “midquel.” Yeah, I know, I’d never heard of that word before either. But it’s the best way to describe the placement of the movie. In this film, we see Tarzan as a little boy, struggling to fit in with his surroundings. He’s concerned that he’s not as fast as the other apes, and his good friend Terk humors him by chasing him around the jungle so he can get more practice. There’s a legend floating around about a scary … Continue reading →

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)

Several years have passed since John Smith returned to England, but Governor Ratcliffe hasn’t forgotten his grudge. Determined to blame John for all his own evil doings, the Governor then sees to it that John is killed. He presents his case to the King, who agrees to send an armada to the New World to wipe out the savages and obtain the gold for the crown. Meanwhile, Pocahontas is trying to forget John and the time she spent with him. She knows there is no gold, and John knew it too, but word has reached her that John is dead. … Continue reading →

Fantasia (1940)

One of the very first films ever produced by Walt Disney, “Fantasia” explores the idea of making classical music more entertaining. To this end, the animators listened to several pieces of music and drew what they saw in their minds as they listened. Some of the segments were a little dull. The conductor of the orchestra speaks between each piece, explaining what we’re about to see, and that did drag on a bit. Some of the musical numbers also failed to entertain. But we also saw some very clever interpretations. I’m sure you’ve seen “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice,” with Mickey enchanting … Continue reading →

Pooh’s Grand Adventure: the Search for Christopher Robin (1997)

Everyone has to grow up sometime, even Christopher Robin. He’s had an innocent and happy childhood, playing with all his friends in the Hundred Acre Wood, but now something else is going to be taking up his time. Yes, it’s time for Christopher Robin to go to school. He spends one last day gallivanting around with Winnie the Pooh, and he tries to tell his bear buddy that he won’t be as available any more, but it’s hard to break the news. When Pooh wakes up the next morning, he finds a honey pot with his name on it, and … Continue reading →

Kronk’s New Groove (2005)

One of our favorite movies is “The Emperor’s New Groove,” and we adore Kronk. We were so excited to see a movie made specially to feature our giant buddy. While we got all of the comedy and wild, hare-brained entertainment we were hoping for, we also found the movie unexpectedly introspective and touching. Kronk (Patrick Warburton) has lived his whole life hoping to get a thumbs-up from his father. If he had a pretty wife and a big house in the hill, he’s sure Papi would be pleased with him, but no matter what he does, he just can’t seem … Continue reading →

Pinocchio (1940)

The second ever made of Walt Disney’s famous films, “Pinocchio” is based on the book by Carlo Collodi. Having read the book, I find the movie to be much more child-friendly. The original was never meant to be a child’s story and dealt with some harsh themes, such as starvation and Pinocchio’s eventual hanging. It’s been changed quite a bit since it first appeared. Pinocchio is a wooden marionette carved by Geppetto, an elderly woodcarver who has always longed for a son. He carefully crafts the puppet, and then says that he wished Pinocchio could be a real boy. The … Continue reading →

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Flick the ant is an inventor. Always looking for a way to make the lives of the ants easier, he spends his free time coming up with things like a harvester so they won’t have to work so hard to get the precious grain they need. The problem, however, is that Flick is also a little bit accident prone, and his inventions tend to flop. His greatest wish in life is to impress Princess Atta, but it seems that all he can do is make a bigger fool of himself. Each year, the ants must gather an offering to the … Continue reading →

Return to Neverland (2002)

In “Return to Neverland,” Wendy Darling is all grown up and married with two children of her own, Jane and Daniel. She tells them stories about Peter Pan every night, never forgetting the magical time she spent with him when she was a girl. But the world is becoming a scary place. World War II has just broken out and her husband has gone off to fight. Trying to keep her children entertained, she continues the stories, but her daughter struggles to believe. Jane is a very practical girl, and the war has made her even more so. She doesn’t … Continue reading →

The Incredibles (2004)

Imagine a world where superheros are the norm, where it’s quite common to see three or four in the course of your day. In “The Incredibles,” that’s just how things are, or rather, how they were. Once upon a time, there was a superhero for every occasion, and evildoers had no chance. But one day, Mr. Incredible saved the life of a man who was trying to commit suicide, and that man decided to sue. Things went downhill from there, and soon all the supers had to go into hiding. Mr. Incredible and his wife, Elastigirl, became Robert and Helen … Continue reading →