Beauty and the Beast (1991).

Review #891: Beauty and the Beast.

Cast:
Paige O'Hara (Belle), Robby Benson (The Prince/Beast), Richard White (Gaston), Jerry Orbach (Lumière), David Ogden Stiers (Cogsworth), Angela Lansbury (Mrs. Potts), Bradley Pierce (Chip), Rex Everhart (Maurice), Jesse Corti (LeFou), Hal Smith (Philippe), and Jo Anne Worley (the Wardrobe) Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise.

Review:
What is there to say about Beauty and the Beast that countless others haven't said over the past 25 years since it was released? Especially from someone who had never seen it before? I'll try to keep my words around the usual level of babbling for a movie like this. In any case, it's easy to like Beauty and the Beast. It's also easy to love it. Why is it so easy? Maybe it's the gorgeous animation, or maybe it's the wonderful songs, or maybe it's the characters that give the movie its depth. There is a certain kind of grace the film has, from the opening scene narrating the tale of the Prince's turn into the Beast, to a climax that is executed neatly. The ballroom dance sequence is a particular scene that stands out, from the waltz to the animation (with the background animated in CGI mixing with the traditional animated characters) to just how delicate everything is handled, which makes for a fantastic scene. There is never a dull moment in the movie, and it certainly looks like great care was taken in terms of how everything flows from scene to scene. The characters are enjoyable as well, exuding their own fair kinds of charm and depth. O'Hara does a fine job at portraying this main character with a good deal of wit and grace, and her scenes with Benson are as entertaining as one would expect, with the latter giving the character the right amount of conflict and presence. White is a fun villain (with his look certainly helping), conveying the right amount of arrogance and some form of charm within an enemy as delightfully evil as this. Orbach and Stiers certainly go well together, and they (along with Lansbury) contribute to making these songs so catchy and so enjoyable, especially "Be Our Guest", with the rest of the cast also doing a fine job. On the whole, this is a great film, complete with everything anyone of any age could enjoy, from animation to characters. At 84 minutes, it's an easy film to recommend to anyone, especially if you're in the Disney mood.

Countdown to 900 Reviews: 10, 9...

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Big Hero 6.

Review #811: Big Hero 6.

Cast
Scott Adsit (Baymax), Ryan Potter (Hiro Hamada), Daniel Henney (Tadashi Hamada), T.J. Miller (Fred), Jamie Chung (GoGo), Damon Wayans, Jr. (Wasabi), Génesis Rodríguez (Honey Lemon), James Cromwell (Professor Robert Callaghan), Alan Tudyk (Alistair Krei), and Maya Rudolph (Aunt Cass) Directed by Don Hall and Chris Williams.

Review
Big Hero 6 is a welcome addition to the Disney films, while also being a highly entertaining movie due to its cast, animation, and its charm. Based off the comic book series of the same name, Big Hero 6 sets up its world and characters with near relative ease, from the wonderful visuals of San Fransokyo to the chemistry of the characters, there certainly is a great deal of care towards making this a fun ride, which works. Baymax (an inflatable robot made out of vinyl) is a wonderful character, even being charming when wearing armor, and Adsit makes the character fun to watch. Potter makes for a good lead as a full-fledged character, never coming off as unrealistic or offbeat (a 14 year old prodigy? I'll roll with it, because it is handled well, and there have been far weirder things to buy in films prior to and after this). The scenes with him and Henney that begin the movie help the movie gain footing, with fine character development...and Baymax as well. The movie has a nice enough story, not devolving into too typical territory, sticking out well. The animation is wonderful, having a great deal of flair and sharp colors, with the six heroes standing out nicely. Speaking of which, the rest of the cast is also enjoyable, from the comic relief of T. J. Miller (who does it quite well) to the rest of the group (such as Wayans Jr, the most normal and fittingly the most neurotic of the group - doing a fun job), with Cromwell being a decent enough villain. The movie flows nicely enough, complete with enough fun and funny moments to be easy to recommend for anyone.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

The Emperor's New Groove.

Review #790: The Emperor's New Groove.

Cast
David Spade (Emperor Kuzco), John Goodman (Pacha), Eartha Kitt (Yzma), Patrick Warburton (Kronk), Wendie Malick (Chicha), Kellyann Kelso (Chaca), and Eli Russell Linnetz (Tipo) Directed by Mark Dindal.

Review
The movie actually has a deep production history, with development of what at first was called Kingdom of the Sun beginning in 1994. However, the movie soon spiraled from being a romantic comedy musical in the style of The Prince and the Pauper to a buddy film. A documentary of the process (and its retooling) was even made, and while I do appreciate the movie that was ultimately made, it is slightly bittersweet, with regards to the movie that was never made. Anyway...

I vaguely remember watching bits and pieces of the movie once (or twice) during one of my classes around 8 years ago, and I remember it certainly seemed to do its job to the class (I was a kid, cut me a break for not remembering more about it). Years later, I finally get a chance to watch it again, and it's interesting how short the movie is, running in at only 78 minutes. The movie certainly has a simple structure, with a narcissistic lead that has to redeem himself, with a good-hearted buddy, and so on. But at least it can be said the movie keeps itself contained to only a few batch of important characters, and it never really feels like the movie is padding itself out. The way that it handles itself as a light-hearted buddy film is the main selling point, because it manages to have a good degree of fun with itself, from the main character recapping and narrating over the first half of the movie (complete with barbs) to a chase scene montage, complete with a map marked by dotted lines...which the characters notice. The main four cast members seem to have a good time (particularly Kitt, who wonderfully hams up as the villain), and the movie runs as a good pace with just enough flair and quickness to make for a relatively decent experience. Is it a great movie? No, but it doesn't need to be.

Guess what? It's time for another countdown, this time to Review #800, starting with this review.
10... 

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Zootopia.

Review #782: Zootopia.

Cast
Ginnifer Goodwin (Officer Judy Hopps), Jason Bateman (Nick Wilde), Idris Elba (Chief Bogo), J.K. Simmons (Leodore Lionheart), Tommy Chong (Yax), Octavia Spencer (Mrs. Otterton), Jenny Slate (Dawn Bellwether), Shakira (Gazelle), Nate Torrence (Officer Benjamin Clawhauser), Bonnie Hunt (Bonnie Hopps), Don Lake (Stu Hopps), Alan Tudyk (Duke Weaselton), Mark Smith (Officer McHorn), Raymond S. Persi (Flash), and Maurice LaMarche (Mr. Big) Directed by Byron Howard, Rich Moore (#386 - Wreck it Ralph) and Jared Bush.

Review
Honestly, the movie exceeded my expectations. And it only makes sense that it comes from a movie ultimately all about how we perceive types of people...and the fact that it came at a time like this with regards to prejudice and stereotypes. It's not merely a buddy film, or a movie just with animals in a city, or even just a silly comedy, it's a clever movie on many levels that could appeal to anyone. Of course it helps the cast is enjoyable as well. Goodwin and Bateman have good chemistry together, being enjoyable to watch not just exchanging remarks, but actually in solving the case. The rest of the cast is also pretty enjoyable, making these characters (and animals) stand out. It's also a wonderfully animated movie, especially with shots of the city, but also the look of the animals. It's a movie that also doesn't hesitate to take risks with plot and characters, and it always kept me interested in what would go on next. The way the movie talks about prejudice and stereotyping is also well done, being neither over done nor underplayed, being utilized neatly. More importantly, this is a movie that works for both kids and adults, being a movie full of creativity and enjoyment that anyone can like.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Alice in Wonderland (1951).

Review #683: Alice in Wonderland.

Cast
Kathryn Beaumont (Alice), Ed Wynn (Mad Hatter), Jerry Colonna (March Hare), Richard Haydn (Caterpillar), Sterling Holloway (Cheshire Cat), Verna Felton (Queen of Hearts), Pat O'Malley (Tweedledum and Tweedledee/The Walrus and the Carpenter/Mother Oyster), Bill Thompson (White Rabbit/The Dodo), and Heather Angel (Dinah, Alice's sister) Directed by Clyde Geronimi (#178 - Peter Pan, #373 - Cinderella, #511 - The Three Caballeros, and #660 - Sleeping Beauty), Wilfred Jackson (#178 and #373) and Hamilton Luske (#178 and #373)

Review
It's hard to make much judgement on a movie like this. On the one hand, it's an imaginative movie that also creates a world that makes no sense. The characters are drawn really well but are also insane. The movie is short but it also could've not have its ending be so abrupt. But on the whole, the movie is entertaining. Beaumont does a really good job as Alice due to watching how she responds to the inane world around her, which contrasts well, and she is a likable character. The other characters can be annoying and fun to watch, though remembering that the world they live in is figuratively nonsensical makes the movie more enjoyable. The Walrus and the Carpenter story is pretty funny, and I'm impressed it was one actor who did all the voice work for that short bit, Pat O'Malley, which is well done. If the movie had been a little longer it might've made for a little more story element (and perhaps an ending that isn't just "let's have some tea".), but the movie is fine nonetheless, and it is quickly enjoyable, and I'd recommend it. But of course I'd recommend the original novel by Lewis Carroll as well, either before or after watching this, so there you go.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Rescuers.

Review #598: The Rescuers.

Cast
Bob Newhart (Bernard), Eva Gabor (Miss Bianca), Geraldine Page (Madame Medusa), Michelle Stacy (Penny), Joe Flynn (Mr. Snoops), Jim Jordan (Orville), John McIntire (Rufus), Jeanette Nolan (Ellie Mae), Pat Buttram (Luke), James MacDonald (Evinrude), Candy Candido (Brutus and Nero), and Bernard Fox (Mr. Chairman) Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman & John Lounsbery (#250 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), and Art Stevens.

Review
I've done a few Disney films (#073 - The Lion King, #156 - Aladdin, #178 - Peter Pan, #230 - The Great Mouse Detective, #250, #373 - Cinderella, #387 - Lilo & Stitch, #390 - Pocahontas, #511 - The Three Caballeros, #579 - Frozen) on this show, and they usually are entertaining enough (except Pocahontas, but that's another story), and The Rescuers is no different. The animation is good (especially when they show the diamond), but the cast is better. Newhart and Gabor share a good rapport with each other, they are certainly a good duo (you can insert your Newhart joke here), and the rest of the cast is certainly entertaining, even Page and Flynn are a good pair of villains, I like how Medusa has not only a cool swamp-mobile, but two big alligators. Let's not forget she lives on a riverboat, which adds some more style points. The movie is short, but it is entertaining, and while it may have one too many songs, it at least is a cool adventure for everyone. So yeah, what's going to be the 600th Review, you might ask? The next review will give you a hint.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Frozen.

Review #579: Frozen.

Cast
Kristen Bell (Anna), Idina Menzel (Elsa), Jonathan Groff (Kristoff), Josh Gad (Olaf), Santino Fontana (Hans), Alan Tudyk (Duke of Weselton), and Ciarán Hinds (Grand Pabbie the Troll King) Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee.

Review
Frozen is a movie that after watching it, feels like a classic. The songs are the first shining moments as they flow so well with each other and make a powerful feeling of fun. The characters are likable, they are fun to watch interact with one each other, especially Olaf, who is fun and certainly enduring, though Elsa is a brilliantly written character that is given her moment to shine. But most of all, the story is really well crafted, it's a really creative tale. The animation is wonderful, especially all the shots of ice because it looks so beautiful. Is the movie really great? Only time will tell, as movies come and go, but classics never fade from our memories, which is also what I say when trying to get "Let It Go" out of my head.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Three Caballeros.

Review #511: The Three Caballeros.

Cast
Clarence Nash (Donald Duck), José Oliveira (José Carioca), Joaquin Garay (Panchito Pistoles), Aurora Miranda, Carmen Molina, Dora Luz, Sterling Holloway (Narrator - The Cold-Blooded Penguin), Frank Graham (Narrator), and Fred Shields (Narrator) Directed by Norman Ferguson, Clyde Geronimi (#178 - Peter Pan and #373 - Cinderella), Jack Kinney, Bill Roberts and Harold Young.

Review
The first thing I noticed is that Donald the Duck's birthday is on Friday the 13th. No wonder he encounters so much misery. This is the 7th Disney film (And the 2nd package film for Disney in the 1940s, along with Saludos Amigos, Make Mine Music, Fun and Fance Free, Melody Time, The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad), and it is a very colorful film to say the least, flashes of blue, green, red, pink, and so much more, making for a bright showstopper that has a good deal to show and say, with a few short stories and a few songs along the way. It's fun to watch and certainly fun to look at as well, Donald, Jose and Panchito are a very nice trio that do indeed make the best of their pairing. The fact that it runs only 70 minutes either hinder or helps the film, either because you want more adventure, or it keeps the film stay fresh and contained, making it relatively easy to watch and a treat as well.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Pocahontas.

Review #390: Pocahontas.

Cast
Irene Bedard (Pocahontas), Mel Gibson (John Smith), David Ogden Stiers (Governor Ratcliffe), John Kassir (Meeko), Russell Means (Chief Powhatan), Christian Bale (Thomas), and Linda Hunt (Grandmother Willow) Directed by Mike Gabriel and Eric Goldberg.

Review
A Disney film that tries to use actual history and not so much fantasy in a good way, right? Eh...no. In a way, this is a Disney film muted in approach, noticed especially with the...non talking animals. This in a film where the leaves are like mail to people and where a grandmotherly tree talks to the main characters. The characters are okay at best. I find it odd that this film was told like a romance film, which is awkward given the fact these two in real life had no romance whatsoever.The acting is alright, even if it's a bit over the top, especially with Ogden Stiers. It's odd how Disney can make a film that has great looking animation especially in the design of the environment, yet fail at history. The film's history feels off even without a Google search. Much like the previous review (#389 - The Babe), this has inaccuracies to boot, and while some songs are decent, that doesn't help the film rise up to other, better Disney films. Maybe it's just me, but this is one that could be skipped. You might as well watch The New World, at least that looks like it could be more accurate. At least the Native Americans had a happy ending, what with them having peace with those Englishmen, it's not like they would ever get attacked by them ever again, nope. Disney treats history like a dirty rag, very poorly. Countdown to 400 Reviews: 10....

Overall, I give it 5 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Lilo & Stitch.

Review #387: Lilo & Stitch.

Cast
Chris Sanders (Stitch), Daveigh Chase (Lilo), Tia Carrere (Nani), David Ogden Stiers (Jumba), Kevin McDonald (Pleakley), Ving Rhames (Cobra Bubbles), Kevin Michael Richardson (Captain Gantu), Zoe Caldwell (Grand Councilwoman), and Jason Scott Lee (David Kawena) Directed by Chris Sanders (#294 - How to Train Your Dragon)

Review
Once again I'm reviewing a Disney film, the last time I reviewed one was Wreck-It Ralph, which was...1 review ago, so this is a bit of trend, for once. Disney films have a well enough track record, so I wondered if this would keep that trend going. It did, for the most part. The pairing of Stitch and Lilo work allright, but the one between Lilo and Nani also works well enough because it doesn't feel artificial, it feels real enough to work in a film like this. The action, while not the main part of the story, works well enough. The film, while having a good sense of drama, has some gags to it, and they work allright. The film has lush animation at times, using its environment and setting very well. It has its moments of fun and it can entertain more than just kids, but for everyone, for the most part.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Wreck-It Ralph.

Review #386: Wreck-It Ralph.

Cast
John C. Reilly (Wreck-It Ralph), Sarah Silverman (Vanellope von Schweetz), Jack McBrayer (Fix-It Felix, Jr), Jane Lynch (Jean Calhoun), Alan Tudyk (King Candy), Mindy Kaling (Taffyta Muttonfudge), Joe Lo Truglio (Markowsk), Ed O'Neill (Mr. Litwak), Dennis Haysbert (General Hologram), Adam Carolla (Wynnche), and Horatio Sanz (Duncan) Directed by Rich Moore.

Review
Wreck-It Ralph has an interesting enough premise and it uses it extremely well and has a heck of a time while doing it. The cast works out really well, especially John C. Reilly and Sarah Silverman (two actors I thought I'd never utter in the same sentence), who pair off really well. The same could also go with Jack McBrayer and Jane Lynch, which also meshes well. The animation looks great not just for looking nice but because it manages to keep focus on what it has (either its pixels or the lush animation), and it works well. It sets itself up nicely for a sequel, which I honestly hope happens. Well done...Disney.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Cinderella (1950).

Review #373: Cinderella.

Cast
Ilene Woods (Cinderella), Eleanor Audley (Lady Tremaine), Luis Van Rooten (Grand Duke and the King), Jimmy MacDonald (Jaq, Gus, and Bruno), William Phipps (Prince Charming), Lucille Bliss (Anastasia), Rhoda Williams (Drizella), and Verna Felton (Fairy Godmother) Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske, and Wilfred Jackson (#178 - Peter Pan)

Review
Disney films seem to do relatively well here (#073 - The Lion King, #156 - Aladdin, #178, #230 - The Great Mouse Detective, #250 - The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh), and of course they have some charm and memorable moments that seem to keep popping up in people's minds year after year. Is this any different? Yea, pretty much. The approach is not bad, and it has its charms, with the mice (who apparently don't disgust the lead like some others would be, but oh well.) providing some laughs. Cinderella is an allright character, not bad. The only thing I wonder is why Prince Charming has only about, oh two lines. For a character who is matters most for the film's last act, he has less lines then the Stepsisters, which is kind of odd. I know the film is called Cinderella, but there could have been at least a little focus on the Prince and what about his motivations as a character is and not just told by the King. But the film has good animation style and it manages to keep the viewer entertained at a unusually short rate of about 75 minutes. Take it for what its worth.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Review #250: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.

Cast
Sterling Holloway (Winnie-the-Pooh), Bruce Reitherman, Jon Walmsley & Timothy Turner (Christopher Robin), John Fiedler (Piglet), Ralph Wright (Eeyore), Clint Howard & Dori Whitaker (Roo), Barbara Luddy (Kanga), Paul Winchell (Tigger), Junius Matthews (Rabbit), Hal Smith (Owl), Howard Morris (Rabbit), and Sebastian Cabot (Narrator) Directed by Wolfgang Reitherman and John Lounsbery.

Review
This film is a few adventures composed into one film based off the books by A. A. Milne (With the first book Winnie the Pooh, written in 1926 and The House At Pooh Corner written in 1928) The animation is a gem, resembling like the illustrations done in the original books by E. H. Shepard. The acting is good, it makes you feel that the books have literally come to life for this film, with lots of charm, lots of fun, and lots of skill. After 35 years, this film has stood the test of time. It has remained a classic that should be adored, no wait, is adored by almost anyone that loves the tale of a bear and the adventures that surround him. And that's it. 250 Reviews. It figures to review this at the end of the month, a month that had a countdown to a new milestone all in all. I'm glad about this, and there is more to come. Thanks.

Overall, I give it 10 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Great Mouse Detective.

Review #230: The Great Mouse Detective.

Cast
Barrie Ingham (Basil), Val Bettin (David Q. Dawson), Vincent Price (Professor Rattigan), Susanne Pollatschek (Olivia Flaversham), Candy Candido (Fidget), Alan Young (Mr. Flaversham), and Frank Welker (Toby/Felicia) Directed by Burny Mattinson, Dave Michener, Ron Clements and John Musker (Aladdin - #156)

Review
The film is based off the Basil of Baker Street books, which were about a mouse detective similar to Sherlock Holmes. The film has a lot of fun with that premise indeed. To begin with, the acting is decent, with the dynamic between Ingham and Bettin working for the most part. But the main stanout is Vincent Price. He's delightfully wonderful here, threatning in tone and voice. The animation looks allright, it's aged well. All in all, the film is entertaining enough to grant interest for everyone.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Peter Pan (1953)

Review #178: Peter Pan.

Cast
Bobby Driscoll (Peter Pan), Kathryn Beaumont (Wendy), Hans Conried (Captain Hook/George), Paul Collins (John), and Tommy Luske (Michael) Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson, and Hamilton Luske.

Review
Well, well, well, look at he cycle that I have gone through. I constantly refer to Disney in some of my reviews (#153 - The Incredibles, #156 - Aladdin), and I didn't think I would arrive to this point. But, look where we are. Anyway, this film was made in the so called Golden Age of Disney films, with Cinderella, Snow White, and other films that kids love to this day. The film has a reasonable length with a decent story and fine voice acting. I almost forgot to mention the story is from the 1904 play/1911 novel by J.M Barrie. Anyway, the film is magical and having some points that are at least memorable after nearly 60 years.

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: Aladdin.

Review #156: Aladdin.

Cast
Scott Weinger (Aladdin), Robin Williams (The Genie), Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, Linda Larkin (Princess Jasmine), Frank Welker (Abu), Gilbert Gottfried (Iago), and Douglas Seale (The Sultan) Directed by Ron Clements and John Musker.

Review
Aladdin is a film I thought would be an annoying gesture of weird that has Robin Williams, but it instead is actually a magical wonderful flick from the good old days of *shudders* Disney (Wow, 1992 is old? 20 years go fast) The voice acting is good, especially from Robin Williams who is less annoying then usual with characters that might not be as good as usual. The music is alright (Even if I don't care for what is called an "animated musical") The film has some decent jokes, as this film is reasonably entertaining from Disney...

Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.

Movie Night: The Lion King.

Review #073: The Lion King.

Cast
Matthew Broderick (Simba), James Earl Jones (Mufasa), Jeremy Irons (Scar), Moira Kelly (Nala), Nathan Lane (Timon), Ernie Sabella (Pumbaa), Rowan Atkinson (Zazu), with Whoopie Goldberg and Cheech Marin. Directed by Roger Allers and Rob Minkoff.

Review
This film is gem among Disney flicks (ironically the animators thought Pocahontas would be the better flick). It delivers a story with good acting, top notch animation, and a little humor (Not too much thankfully) added in. It's a film that's also useful for any teachers wanting to use it to teach about science (and how the living turn into the grass). Anyway, this is a good film with music in there that helps the story and does not ruin anything, unlike some other "musicals" It's no wonder they made a musical adaptation a few years after the film. It's a recommended film that makes you love animation. Oh and Disney. A little...

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.