Tag Archives: sequels

“Toy Story 3” Both A Relief and A Letdown

In my very first blog for families.com I bemoaned Pixar’s current penchant for making sequels, a trend I blamed on Walt Disney Corp. CEO Bob Iger. I’ve expanded, or at least reiterated, my opinions on the matter since then. Some might say, however, that I should stop criticizing the making of all of Pixar’s recent sequels if I never bother to see them, something I just haven’t felt motivated to do. Nearly a year after it came out on in theaters, I finally decided to see “Toy Story 3.” Before I get into how I felt about the movie, however, … Continue reading →

Pushing “Up” into New Territory

On Tuesday, November 10th, Disney released “Up” on DVD, and I eagerly rushed to the store to add Pixar’s latest triumph to my collection. Each year I find myself blown away by the studio’s offerings, especially their original storytelling, sharp writing, and gorgeous graphics. “Up” holds a special place in my heart and mind, however, for its groundbreaking take on an important issue. One of the struggles facing modern families today is how to raise tolerant, discerning children. It can be difficult teaching children to overcome stereotypes. If all the heroes and leading characters they see on screen are young, … Continue reading →

5 Terrible Disney Movies

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I’ve talked about the great animated Disney films and the great non-animated Disney films. That list wouldn’t complete if I didn’t discuss some of the great stinkers presented by Disney over the years. While there are several out there, I’ve narrowed this list down to the 5 worst offenders. If you haven’t seen them, count yourself lucky. The Haunted Mansion The success of Pirates of the Caribbean notwithstanding, making a movie that is simply based on the premise of an attraction in the parks is not a safe bet. The movie was a success commercially, but the plot was flimsy, … Continue reading →

Fantastic Four: Rise of the Silver Surfer (2007)

You don’t have to be a fan of the Marvel Comics characters to enjoy this sequel to 2005’s Fantastic Four. The sequel features the return of Ioan Gruffudd as Reed Richards (Mr. Fantastic), Jessica Alba as Sue Storm (Invisible Girl), Chris Evans as Johnny Storm (The Human Torch) and Michael Chiklis as Ben Grimm (The Thing). The Rise of the Silver Surfer also sees the return of Julian McMahon as Victor Von Doom, the villain from the first film that was last seen being loaded onto a cargo ship and sent back to his home country. This film benefits greatly … Continue reading →

They’re Here – The Pirates Have Landed!

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Unless you were living under a box this weekend, you could hardly miss the thud of the third Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End landing on multiplex screens all over the country. Fair warning parents, I don’t know that this movie is just the right thing for the really little ones. According to my husband who saw it with his co-workers on Friday, there’s a scene at the beginning where pirates are being hunted down and killed, including kids who were working with the pirates. He wasn’t expecting that opening and I have to admit, I was a bit … Continue reading →

The Return of Jafar (1994)

When last we saw the young street rat Aladdin, he had just won the heart and hand of the fair Princess Jasmine, bid adieu (rather sadly) to his good friend the Genie, and entered a whole new world. The wicked Jafar and his feathery sidekick Iago had been confined in a lamp of their own, tossed into the Cave of Wonders, and everyone thought their problems were over. Ah, they were so naïve. With “The Return of Jafar,” the straight-to-video release of 1994, Disney hoped to recapture some of the magic contained in the original “Aladdin.” It was not to … Continue reading →

Toy Story 3 – Cancelled

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Earlier in 2004, Disney had announced that it would be producing another Toy Story sequel, Toy Story 3, which was rumored to be about the character of Buzz Lightyear being recalled to Taiwan to repair a defect. As one can imagine, writers at Disney were struggling with the script. The decision to make Toy Story 3 came about after Disney’s initial split with Pixar Animation. Though Pixar wasn’t directly involved, Disney had the rights to produce sequels to any Pixar generated films, which was a source of consternation for the animators at Pixar. Now, as John Lasseter takes over as … Continue reading →