Disney Movie Marathon Challenge

I haven't actually watched Finding Dory yet. I have it on my DVR. I never quite realized that Dory was mentally deficient. I always thought she was a play on the myth that "a fish only has a 3 second memory" and assumed all of her kind of fish were like that. Anyway, this is one I hope to check out sometime, even though Nemo isn't one of my favorites.

It's just about living with a disability, which impacts aspects of your life and relationships. Reflecting on this more, my feeling is they just could have explored it without her having the grant narrative be her having to find her parents as that's too similar to Finding Nemo.

It is definitely worth a watch though!
 
Zootopia - I love this film! One of my favourite films of the modern age, I love its message of Life can be unpleasant at times but it doesn't mean you should give up on your dream. Judy is such a strong character, kind, compassionate and I think makes a great role model in general to any kid that want to follow their dreams. Nick serves as a great to her and maybe one of my favourite characters from Disney alongside, Buzz Lightyear, Stitch, Genie, Flynn Rider and even Donald Duck. Such a beautiful, beautiful and now I'm solely tempted to listen to Try Everything again.

Finding Dory - It's not as good as the original but it's still a pretty good film. I like that Dory got her a time in the limelight and it's good they fleshed out her character. Yeah it does feel a little too much like the original but it's fresh enough to make it different from its predecessor. And young Dory is so cute. The scenes with her parents were definitely highlights for me. Not gonna be up there with the other films but it's definitely worth seeing.
 
Moana (2016)

I can see why Moana was so popular - it’s easy to watch, is led by a really charismatic pair of characters and has good music. You’re not going to be weeping at the end of Moana (well, I don’t), but you will be happy and thoroughly Disneyfied. Basically, it’s not my favourite, it just doesn’t connect with me for some reason, but I do think it’s really great.

Moana is an awesome character - definitely a lovely role model for young girls. I like that Maui doesn’t get all the best lines, and Moana is able to be a bit of a goofball as well as brave and kind and a wonderful singer and one with the nature and the critters the way a Disney Princess should be. I also like the design of the character - she’s strong and moves like a real person, and I like the way her hair constantly gets in her face.

Maui is a brilliant creation - they introduce him way too late! This is another example of Disney’s genius for casting voice actors - if not played by The Rock Maui could have been quite unlikeable.

I think there are some slight pacing issues in the plot, as it doesn't get going for a long time. You know Moana’s going to set off across the sea at some point, and by about 30 minutes in you’re wondering why she hasn't done it yet. There are three songs before Moana leaves Motonui, all exploring similar themes, meaning that the soundtrack is a bit lopsided, in the same way that it is for Frozen. I also think the bit with the kakamora could have been ditched in favour of more time in the Realm of Monsters. The kakamora don’t add anything, whereas Tamatoa is excellent and feels a bit wasted.

On that subject, my sis thinks the movie suffers a bit by not having a proper villain. This hasn't been a problem in other Disneys and Pixars we’ve watched, and she feels the need for an iconic villain because so much else about Moana feels like the Golden Age of the 90s (where the villain was as important as the good guys), but overall the film feels a bit too nice for her. I don't necessarily agree on this.

It is def one of the strengths of the film that so much time and thought went into making it representative and respectful of Polynesian culture (while at the same time sticking to the Disney formula).

The music is really good It doesn't quite achieve the brilliance of Alan Menken at his best, but Lin Manuel Miranda’s songs are lovely and the way he plays about with the lyrics is fantastic. You’re Welcome is an absolute choon (again, I can see why it’s so popular) and We Know the Way is perfect for the movie.

Overall the movie is really nice and I like watching it, though it’s not my favourite of the recent ‘princess movies’. It feels a bit similar to movies that Disney has made in the past: the heroine is a princess; she wants to be/do more than her society’s current expectations allow, but at the same time needs to know and understand herself through a journey of discovery; she feels connected to a body of water as some kind of representation of her uncontainable spirit and sings about it ('water is the metaphor' ;); she sets out on a journey after the death of a close family member and then saves the world etc. It feels a bit like they chose the setting first, took elements of other Disney films and bolted them together, and then tried to make them fit into the setting they’d chosen. For the most part they’re successful, but they haven’t ended up with such an original film as their last few (Zootopia, Big Hero 6 etc.). Nonetheless, Moana is a fab film and Disney animation seems to be on a roll right now...I hope they don’t get distracted making live action films. Oh no, too late...
 
Moana (2016)

I can see why Moana was so popular - it’s easy to watch, is led by a really charismatic pair of characters and has good music. You’re not going to be weeping at the end of Moana (well, I don’t), but you will be happy and thoroughly Disneyfied. Basically, it’s not my favourite, it just doesn’t connect with me for some reason, but I do think it’s really great.

Moana is an awesome character - definitely a lovely role model for young girls. I like that Maui doesn’t get all the best lines, and Moana is able to be a bit of a goofball as well as brave and kind and a wonderful singer and one with the nature and the critters the way a Disney Princess should be. I also like the design of the character - she’s strong and moves like a real person, and I like the way her hair constantly gets in her face.

Maui is a brilliant creation - they introduce him way too late! This is another example of Disney’s genius for casting voice actors - if not played by The Rock Maui could have been quite unlikeable.

I think there are some slight pacing issues in the plot, as it doesn't get going for a long time. You know Moana’s going to set off across the sea at some point, and by about 30 minutes in you’re wondering why she hasn't done it yet. There are three songs before Moana leaves Motonui, all exploring similar themes, meaning that the soundtrack is a bit lopsided, in the same way that it is for Frozen. I also think the bit with the kakamora could have been ditched in favour of more time in the Realm of Monsters. The kakamora don’t add anything, whereas Tamatoa is excellent and feels a bit wasted.

On that subject, my sis thinks the movie suffers a bit by not having a proper villain. This hasn't been a problem in other Disneys and Pixars we’ve watched, and she feels the need for an iconic villain because so much else about Moana feels like the Golden Age of the 90s (where the villain was as important as the good guys), but overall the film feels a bit too nice for her. I don't necessarily agree on this.

It is def one of the strengths of the film that so much time and thought went into making it representative and respectful of Polynesian culture (while at the same time sticking to the Disney formula).

The music is really good It doesn't quite achieve the brilliance of Alan Menken at his best, but Lin Manuel Miranda’s songs are lovely and the way he plays about with the lyrics is fantastic. You’re Welcome is an absolute choon (again, I can see why it’s so popular) and We Know the Way is perfect for the movie.

Overall the movie is really nice and I like watching it, though it’s not my favourite of the recent ‘princess movies’. It feels a bit similar to movies that Disney has made in the past: the heroine is a princess; she wants to be/do more than her society’s current expectations allow, but at the same time needs to know and understand herself through a journey of discovery; she feels connected to a body of water as some kind of representation of her uncontainable spirit and sings about it ('water is the metaphor' ;); she sets out on a journey after the death of a close family member and then saves the world etc. It feels a bit like they chose the setting first, took elements of other Disney films and bolted them together, and then tried to make them fit into the setting they’d chosen. For the most part they’re successful, but they haven’t ended up with such an original film as their last few (Zootopia, Big Hero 6 etc.). Nonetheless, Moana is a fab film and Disney animation seems to be on a roll right now...I hope they don’t get distracted making live action films. Oh no, too late...

I also really like Moana, though I do feel it didn't quite match it's potential. It sure is beautiful though. You know I am into the animation technology, and wow-oh-wow is this one pretty! They are putting on an animation clinic and solidifying the studio at the very top of the animation game. Even Pixar was lagging behind at this point. Water. Hair. Need I say more? Oh yeah, I do need to mention Maui's tattoos as they were done with traditional hand-drawn animation! They just nailed the look of this movie in all aspects. Nobody can touch it!

On the story front, I am always a sucker for sea-faring stories, so I really love what's going on here. "We Know the Way" is such a great song and I just love the boats. I actually also loved the Kakamora and their big floating fortress and wish they had been used more instead of being insignificant. They should have cropped back up near the end to harass the heroes as they make their final push. The pacing is a bit lopsided, but nothing that ruins the movie, it just could have been smoother. Still, Moana and Maui have a great dynamic, they both have a hero's journey and learn lessons, and they are both just so likable and fun. It works and I think Moana will be well regarded in years to come.
 


Moana - One of my favourite movies of the modern era, beautiful animation, Your Welcome is probably my favourite from the movie, The Rock is very good as Maui you wouldn't think an action star like him would be able to act in a Disney movie but he does and he conveys Maui's sadness when he talks about his past to Moana and even when he gets mad at her. It is the mark of good acting right there. Moana herself is a strong character and takes no nonsense when Maui is bragging about himself, kind of wish that Tamatoa because we only see him for one scene and then we never see him for the rest of the film apart from the stinger. The songs that Lin Miranda Manuel wrote are just stunning, probably the best we've heard from a Disney movie in a while and it's definitely worth a watch.

Also on a side note I have updated my Trip report for DLP.
 
Apologies for the delay! Preparing for brief Shanghai Disney and Tokyo and its all got so busy!

Cars 3 (2017)

Cars 3 really isn't bad. It’s certainly a marked improvement on Cars 2 and is possibly the best of the Cars movies. There’s less of a perfunctory, ‘we had to do a sequel’, straight-to-dvd feel, and more of a connection to the themes of the first movie. This having been said, Cars is a weird one to get ‘a franchise’ - it’s not like it’s Toy Story. These movies must have been more successful than I thought.

The movie is pretty slow to start. There’s a very long build up at the beginning as we watch McQueen’s career fall apart. It’s also a bit depressing. The demolition derby bit is a bit long and ultimately goes nowhere. That bit feels a bit like an attempt to shove in some of the ‘folksy charm’ that we mercifully get a bit less of this time with the much-reduced presence of Mater. I think the plot isn’t the strong point of this movie basically.

The strong point of the movie is probably its characters. Cars 3 strips out a lot of the over-reliance on ‘quirky characters’ that make the first movie feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie and go instead for focusing on two characters and developing them. McQueen and Cruz Ramirez are both very well-realised characters and the movie really comes alive when Cruz shows up. She’s an interesting and quite an unusual character. She’s not perfect, and actually is quite insensitive in her handling of other people, but is still very likeable. There’s maybe a slightly underdeveloped story to be told here about minorities and the difficulties faced in realising their dreams. They touch on it, but perhaps they think going into it in too much detail would pull focus from McQueen’s story. I think it could have been interesting to contrast the upbringing and route into racing of McQueen and Cruz, but that’s not the story Pixar chose to tell.

Although there’s not such a strong sense of place and time as Cars 1, the animation is still stellar. It’s maybe not as flashy as in the first two movies, but it’s still very pretty.

Overall the film maintains the slightly mournful, nostalgic tone of the first movie (and pretends the second one never happened, thank goodness). It doesn’t have the big emotional moments you get in some Pixars, but does have a thoughtful, bittersweet tone which it sticks to throughout. It could perhaps be accused of being a bit less fun that some of the other Pixar movies. The ‘wacky hijinks’ bits (like the demolition derby) definitely take a backseat to a sober examination of legacy and growing old. This isn't a bad thing for me, as an adult, but maybe would make the film a bit of a slog for young children.

Overall, a surprisingly good film. Certainly not up there with the greats, but if you need to watch one Cars movie, I’d make it this one.

P.S. A small and picky point, but I think the way Cruz wins the big race is actually a bit of a cheat. If you can just switch out cars at any point for a team, why not just bring a whole team of them, so none of them get tired?

P.P.S As with the Planes movies, I continued to torture myself throughout this movie with questions about the world in which it takes place. Like, the brand name Dinoco refers to petrol coming from dinosaur fossils, right? So they did have dinosaurs in this reality? And those two guys Rusty and Dusty - are they really brothers? And if so, why aren't they the same type of car? What makes them brothers? Everyone goes on about McQueen being old now, but what does that mean? Doc Hudson seems to be dead (although no one uses that word), but how does a car die? Etc. etc. :)
 


Coco (2017)

It’s hard for me to believe but this was actually only the second time we’d watched Coco. We saw it at the cinema when it came out, but then started this marathon shortly before it came out on dvd; so we weren’t ‘allowed’ to watch it until now. Needless to say it was totally worth the wait and as good as I had remembered - it’s a glorious visual and emotional feast and it may be one of Pixar’s best.

The visuals might be the strongest in any Pixar movie. I know, that’s saying a lot, but I love the way they mix the macabre and the beautiful and the weird together. Moments like seeing the marigold bridge and the land of the dead quite literally take your breath away. What a wonderful way for children to possibly visualise the idea of the afterlife for the first time; a gorgeous early exposure to the idea of death and losing loved ones for children.

This is the closest thing Pixar has to a musical, and it’s a fantastic one. Remember Me is a perfect song for this movie - you hear it over and over in lots of different ways throughout the film and it never gets old, and always manages to fit perfectly into the situation. It’s not the only great song in the movie though. They’re all wonderful, but I have a soft spot for Un Poco Loco because it’s sung with such utter joy. All the singing is totally brilliant; especially the little chap who plays Miguel - what star!

Coco is also a perfectly balanced film, with no aspect that’s less than perfect. In fact it reaches the heights of Inside Out and Up in terms of being a visually gorgeous, wonderfully acted, completely original and perfectly told story. It’s also another film where the themes are built into every aspect from the characters, to the setting, to the visuals, to the magic, to the music. I really appreciate this as someone who loves good writing, because it means that not a second ends up being wasted.

In terms of cultural representation, this is probably the best achievement so far in any Disney movie. It does what Moana was trying to do by taking local myths and traditions and adding a creative spin, but in my opinion does it so much better. It pays tribute to Mexican culture and manages to tell a Disneyfied story about family and love without straying into cliche.

Overall it’s a wonderful treatment of the theme of death and remembrance - another challenging subject for Pixar to address. As usual with Pixar I think this film is probably for slightly older children - not that it’s frightening or anything, there’s just some quite complex and dark ideas in it. Of course it’s not the first Disney movie to deal with this theme; it would take longer than it perhaps should to reel off the number of characters who have lost one or both of their parents in a Disney movie. But the way Disney deals with death ranges from ‘something that happens offscreen which we don’t really talk about, a la Cinderella’, ‘a convenient plot point perhaps with a song or a sad reprise to make sure it registers, a la Frozen’ to ‘a significant main character dies and thereby shapes the rest of the story and the way the characters around them develop, a la The Lion King’.

Coco might be the best and most thoughtful treatment of the theme of death in the whole Disney canon, however, and is a surprisingly positive one. It reminds us that people die, but we should remember them and ‘keep them alive’ by talking and telling stories about them. It’s a message you hear quite a lot, but not one that always registers, especially if you’re a lucky kid like me, who didn't lose too many significant loved ones during my formative years. Like Inside Out, this movie gives kids a language and a frame of reference for something big and difficult and important. It achieves the difficult task of making kids feel less afraid of death while at the same time helping them to understand the significance of grief and remembrance, essentially giving the control back to the viewer - which I love.

Who am I kidding? I loved everything about this movie. I laughed, I cried, I gasped in wonder over and over again - A perfect perfect movie.
 
Apologies for the delay! Preparing for brief Shanghai Disney and Tokyo and its all got so busy!

Cars 3 (2017)

Cars 3 really isn't bad. It’s certainly a marked improvement on Cars 2 and is possibly the best of the Cars movies. There’s less of a perfunctory, ‘we had to do a sequel’, straight-to-dvd feel, and more of a connection to the themes of the first movie. This having been said, Cars is a weird one to get ‘a franchise’ - it’s not like it’s Toy Story. These movies must have been more successful than I thought.

The movie is pretty slow to start. There’s a very long build up at the beginning as we watch McQueen’s career fall apart. It’s also a bit depressing. The demolition derby bit is a bit long and ultimately goes nowhere. That bit feels a bit like an attempt to shove in some of the ‘folksy charm’ that we mercifully get a bit less of this time with the much-reduced presence of Mater. I think the plot isn’t the strong point of this movie basically.

The strong point of the movie is probably its characters. Cars 3 strips out a lot of the over-reliance on ‘quirky characters’ that make the first movie feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie and go instead for focusing on two characters and developing them. McQueen and Cruz Ramirez are both very well-realised characters and the movie really comes alive when Cruz shows up. She’s an interesting and quite an unusual character. She’s not perfect, and actually is quite insensitive in her handling of other people, but is still very likeable. There’s maybe a slightly underdeveloped story to be told here about minorities and the difficulties faced in realising their dreams. They touch on it, but perhaps they think going into it in too much detail would pull focus from McQueen’s story. I think it could have been interesting to contrast the upbringing and route into racing of McQueen and Cruz, but that’s not the story Pixar chose to tell.

Although there’s not such a strong sense of place and time as Cars 1, the animation is still stellar. It’s maybe not as flashy as in the first two movies, but it’s still very pretty.

Overall the film maintains the slightly mournful, nostalgic tone of the first movie (and pretends the second one never happened, thank goodness). It doesn’t have the big emotional moments you get in some Pixars, but does have a thoughtful, bittersweet tone which it sticks to throughout. It could perhaps be accused of being a bit less fun that some of the other Pixar movies. The ‘wacky hijinks’ bits (like the demolition derby) definitely take a backseat to a sober examination of legacy and growing old. This isn't a bad thing for me, as an adult, but maybe would make the film a bit of a slog for young children.

Overall, a surprisingly good film. Certainly not up there with the greats, but if you need to watch one Cars movie, I’d make it this one.

P.S. A small and picky point, but I think the way Cruz wins the big race is actually a bit of a cheat. If you can just switch out cars at any point for a team, why not just bring a whole team of them, so none of them get tired?

P.P.S As with the Planes movies, I continued to torture myself throughout this movie with questions about the world in which it takes place. Like, the brand name Dinoco refers to petrol coming from dinosaur fossils, right? So they did have dinosaurs in this reality? And those two guys Rusty and Dusty - are they really brothers? And if so, why aren't they the same type of car? What makes them brothers? Everyone goes on about McQueen being old now, but what does that mean? Doc Hudson seems to be dead (although no one uses that word), but how does a car die? Etc. etc. :)

The trailer for Cars 3 was the first time I became interested in the franchise. I had never even seen the first two, but I made it a point to watch them so I could check out 3. Something about Lightning in that big crash...it got to me. Anyway, it is definitely much better than Cars 2 (though I still say Cars 2 wasn't bad, just unnecessary - it does have that straight-to-video feel), and 3 is more of a follow-up to the first one. I missed Doc for sure, as he was my favorite character. I love how he was honored at the end, and I even have a little care of Lightning in his "Hudson Hornet" paint job (and a Doc to sit by his side). That was wonderful, and overall I really enjoyed Cars 3!

Don't worry too much about their world. As Milhouse once said, "if gasoline is their food, why do they have teeth?" It's just a cartoon. Also, yes, the movies were incredibly successful and sell merchandise by the boat load!
 
Coco (2017)

It’s hard for me to believe but this was actually only the second time we’d watched Coco. We saw it at the cinema when it came out, but then started this marathon shortly before it came out on dvd; so we weren’t ‘allowed’ to watch it until now. Needless to say it was totally worth the wait and as good as I had remembered - it’s a glorious visual and emotional feast and it may be one of Pixar’s best.

The visuals might be the strongest in any Pixar movie. I know, that’s saying a lot, but I love the way they mix the macabre and the beautiful and the weird together. Moments like seeing the marigold bridge and the land of the dead quite literally take your breath away. What a wonderful way for children to possibly visualise the idea of the afterlife for the first time; a gorgeous early exposure to the idea of death and losing loved ones for children.

This is the closest thing Pixar has to a musical, and it’s a fantastic one. Remember Me is a perfect song for this movie - you hear it over and over in lots of different ways throughout the film and it never gets old, and always manages to fit perfectly into the situation. It’s not the only great song in the movie though. They’re all wonderful, but I have a soft spot for Un Poco Loco because it’s sung with such utter joy. All the singing is totally brilliant; especially the little chap who plays Miguel - what star!

Coco is also a perfectly balanced film, with no aspect that’s less than perfect. In fact it reaches the heights of Inside Out and Up in terms of being a visually gorgeous, wonderfully acted, completely original and perfectly told story. It’s also another film where the themes are built into every aspect from the characters, to the setting, to the visuals, to the magic, to the music. I really appreciate this as someone who loves good writing, because it means that not a second ends up being wasted.

In terms of cultural representation, this is probably the best achievement so far in any Disney movie. It does what Moana was trying to do by taking local myths and traditions and adding a creative spin, but in my opinion does it so much better. It pays tribute to Mexican culture and manages to tell a Disneyfied story about family and love without straying into cliche.

Overall it’s a wonderful treatment of the theme of death and remembrance - another challenging subject for Pixar to address. As usual with Pixar I think this film is probably for slightly older children - not that it’s frightening or anything, there’s just some quite complex and dark ideas in it. Of course it’s not the first Disney movie to deal with this theme; it would take longer than it perhaps should to reel off the number of characters who have lost one or both of their parents in a Disney movie. But the way Disney deals with death ranges from ‘something that happens offscreen which we don’t really talk about, a la Cinderella’, ‘a convenient plot point perhaps with a song or a sad reprise to make sure it registers, a la Frozen’ to ‘a significant main character dies and thereby shapes the rest of the story and the way the characters around them develop, a la The Lion King’.

Coco might be the best and most thoughtful treatment of the theme of death in the whole Disney canon, however, and is a surprisingly positive one. It reminds us that people die, but we should remember them and ‘keep them alive’ by talking and telling stories about them. It’s a message you hear quite a lot, but not one that always registers, especially if you’re a lucky kid like me, who didn't lose too many significant loved ones during my formative years. Like Inside Out, this movie gives kids a language and a frame of reference for something big and difficult and important. It achieves the difficult task of making kids feel less afraid of death while at the same time helping them to understand the significance of grief and remembrance, essentially giving the control back to the viewer - which I love.

Who am I kidding? I loved everything about this movie. I laughed, I cried, I gasped in wonder over and over again - A perfect perfect movie.

Man, Coco - what a great one! First of all, you are right, it is beautiful, especially in the land of the dead! This one brings all of the usual Pixar feels, especially toward the end with Ernesto. "My Coco." Whaaaa....:sad1: That'll do it! At the same time it manages to be a super-fun movie with lots of great characters. I particularly love the spirit animals, who are so wonderfully designed. I am a fan of the macabre, and this movie hits those notes. It's up there with Pixar's best.
 
Cars is a weird one to get ‘a franchise’ - it’s not like it’s Toy Story. These movies must have been more successful than I thought.
Cars was (is) a merchandising bonanza, pretty sure that explains the sequels.:)
the brand name Dinoco refers to petrol coming from dinosaur fossils, right?
Yes but there might also be some further nuance. In the heyday of Route 66, two of the major service stations were Sinclair and Texaco. Sinclair's logo was a simple dinosaur graphic. I think the writers did a clever take combining the two to create a gas station brand for the movies.

Coco is brilliant! Need to see it again soon:)
 
Apologies for the delay! Preparing for brief Shanghai Disney and Tokyo and its all got so busy!

Cars 3 (2017)

Cars 3 really isn't bad. It’s certainly a marked improvement on Cars 2 and is possibly the best of the Cars movies. There’s less of a perfunctory, ‘we had to do a sequel’, straight-to-dvd feel, and more of a connection to the themes of the first movie. This having been said, Cars is a weird one to get ‘a franchise’ - it’s not like it’s Toy Story. These movies must have been more successful than I thought.

The movie is pretty slow to start. There’s a very long build up at the beginning as we watch McQueen’s career fall apart. It’s also a bit depressing. The demolition derby bit is a bit long and ultimately goes nowhere. That bit feels a bit like an attempt to shove in some of the ‘folksy charm’ that we mercifully get a bit less of this time with the much-reduced presence of Mater. I think the plot isn’t the strong point of this movie basically.

The strong point of the movie is probably its characters. Cars 3 strips out a lot of the over-reliance on ‘quirky characters’ that make the first movie feel like a Hallmark Christmas movie and go instead for focusing on two characters and developing them. McQueen and Cruz Ramirez are both very well-realised characters and the movie really comes alive when Cruz shows up. She’s an interesting and quite an unusual character. She’s not perfect, and actually is quite insensitive in her handling of other people, but is still very likeable. There’s maybe a slightly underdeveloped story to be told here about minorities and the difficulties faced in realising their dreams. They touch on it, but perhaps they think going into it in too much detail would pull focus from McQueen’s story. I think it could have been interesting to contrast the upbringing and route into racing of McQueen and Cruz, but that’s not the story Pixar chose to tell.

Although there’s not such a strong sense of place and time as Cars 1, the animation is still stellar. It’s maybe not as flashy as in the first two movies, but it’s still very pretty.

Overall the film maintains the slightly mournful, nostalgic tone of the first movie (and pretends the second one never happened, thank goodness). It doesn’t have the big emotional moments you get in some Pixars, but does have a thoughtful, bittersweet tone which it sticks to throughout. It could perhaps be accused of being a bit less fun that some of the other Pixar movies. The ‘wacky hijinks’ bits (like the demolition derby) definitely take a backseat to a sober examination of legacy and growing old. This isn't a bad thing for me, as an adult, but maybe would make the film a bit of a slog for young children.

Overall, a surprisingly good film. Certainly not up there with the greats, but if you need to watch one Cars movie, I’d make it this one.

P.S. A small and picky point, but I think the way Cruz wins the big race is actually a bit of a cheat. If you can just switch out cars at any point for a team, why not just bring a whole team of them, so none of them get tired?

P.P.S As with the Planes movies, I continued to torture myself throughout this movie with questions about the world in which it takes place. Like, the brand name Dinoco refers to petrol coming from dinosaur fossils, right? So they did have dinosaurs in this reality? And those two guys Rusty and Dusty - are they really brothers? And if so, why aren't they the same type of car? What makes them brothers? Everyone goes on about McQueen being old now, but what does that mean? Doc Hudson seems to be dead (although no one uses that word), but how does a car die? Etc. etc. :)
The entire Cars franchise is targeted toward the folksy charm and rural, redneck racing fans of NASCAR racing here in the US. In the American south, Midwest, and other rural, country places, NASCAR is life, and it throws back to their childhood. Plus many of these fans are gear heads and really into that culture. My in-laws and their community greatly appreciate these films and although it is not my personal background, it seems that these folks feel appreciated by it.
 
Don't really anything to say about Cars 3 so next.

Coco
Oh my god is this one amazing. Its such a gorgeous film to look at, it has a lot of memorable characters and songs and it's one of the inspirations for me to learn Spanish. No really, I'm not kidding with that last one, it's that good. I honestly didn't know what they were going to do with the Day of the Dead concept seeing as The Book of Life already did this sort thing before but as a film it doesn't feel clichéd or done before, it feels so original. Hector is probably one of my new fave Pixar characters as of writing. And I agree, Un Poco Loco is such a joyous song and I find myself singing it.

One of the better films from Pixar and certainly one of the best for me.
 
Incredibles 2 (2018)

So we’re on to our penultimate movie (can you believe that?). It’s the sequel to a fantastic Pixar, it’s got lots of great characters and truly hilarious moments, it’s got Edna Mode...and yet I still can’t quite work out how I feel about it. So let’s dig into that a bit shall we?

Incredibles 2 is definitely good. It’s extremely funny, and though it perhaps doesn’t go as deep as many of the other Pixars, it’s still got a lot of heart. Ratatouille is a fairly fluffy film and still manages to be extremely high quality - a movie doesn't need to be Inside Out to be excellent.

So...the good things first.

The OG Characters are amazing.They were amazing in The Incredibles and they continue to be amazing - we are lucky just to be able to spend more time in their fantastic presence. Especially Elastigirl. And Edna. Edna is so fun and I love her relationship with Jack-Jack. Jack-Jack is sort of a new character because he comes into his own in this movie (and boy does he!) and is the source of some of the most hilarious bits in the film. It’s also great that Frozone gets a bit of an expanded part in this movie - he’s such a cool character and played to perfection by Samuel L Jackson.

The voice acting is also wonderful from the core characters, of course. The returning family members are all hilarious and great, and Holly Hunter especially is wonderful at providing the heart as well as the humour. Edna of course is a standout. Have you noticed I love Edna?

As in the first movie I love the retro-future tech. The Incredibile and the Elasticycle are great inventions and the floating monorail is also pretty awesome. There’s just so much creativity on show here, and despite it being fantastical, it still feels believable.

One of my favourite things about Incredibles 2 has got to be the score. It was already one of my favourite things from the first movie (it just fits so perfectly with the plot and tone of the piece) and with the added treats of the theme tunes for Mr Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone...well, Michael Giaccino is nothing short of a genius. It also feels like him and Brad Bird must have had a bit of a mind-meld on these two movies, for him to create a score that so perfectly captures the spirit of what Brad Bird is trying to do.

The plot is a bit of a mixture. I don't dislike it, though it does have some problems. It’s fun and whips along at a pace, and includes some great set pieces, including the monorail chase and Jack-Jack and the raccoon. But there are some puzzling bits and some things I would go so far as to call missteps.

So, on to the less good things.

I think the new characters let the movie down a bit. The new supers are a bit lacklustre and don’t make much of an impression, but the real letdown is the villain. Evelyn’s motivations are weird and unconvincing and she has so little personality. She doesn’t like supers, so she brings them out of hiding just when they were about to be gone for good...in order to make sure they’re gone for good. Huh? This evil plan is less developed than the Horned King’s. I also don't know why they gave her a brother. He does nothing and contributes nothing either to the plot or the themes.

The movie tries to help us understand Evelyn’s motivations a bit better through her conversations with Elastigirl. Unfortunately these are stiff and weird and go on for ages. We should get ample insight into her as a character, but we don’t. Syndrome was part of what made The Incredibles the brilliant bit of campy, escapist fun that it was, and, unfortunately, Evelyn is no comparison.

My final gripe is with the messages that the movie is trying to deliver; they feel just a little bit clunky and confused to me. Mr Incredible’s lack of support for Elastigirl feels oddly out of character. The movie feels a bit like it’s trying to jump on the #metoo bandwagon by punishing Mr Incredible for not wholeheartedly supporting his wife, just because she’s a woman. This doesn't seem to me like something the Mr Incredible from the first movie would have done though. Yes, I could see him being resentful that Elastigirl is the one who gets to go out and do the heroics, but more because he’s keen to reclaim his glory days that because she’s a woman and he’s a man. Also, isn’t this message a bit dated and overdone at this point?

I’m also not sure what this movie is trying to tell me about ordinary people’s role in society. The philosophy of it seems ill-formed. The movie (through Evelyn) seems to be trying to tell us we’re all lazy buggers and should get up off our butts and do something about the world; but at the same time it punishes Evelyn for doing just that (trying to make herself and her family independent from supers); as it also punished Syndrome in the first movie for trying to be like a super. So, ‘Stop being lazy and do something, but also, don't because you should leave it to the special people or you’ll end up looking like an idiot like Syndrome, or end up evil and resentful like Evelyn?’ I’m a tad confused.

Overall Incredibles 2 is perhaps not the sequel I would have hoped for for one of my favourite Pixar movies, but it is still a really good one. It’s very funny and creative and allows me to spend more time with the coolest family in the world, which is pretty incredible.
 
Incredibles 2 (2018)

So we’re on to our penultimate movie (can you believe that?). It’s the sequel to a fantastic Pixar, it’s got lots of great characters and truly hilarious moments, it’s got Edna Mode...and yet I still can’t quite work out how I feel about it. So let’s dig into that a bit shall we?

Incredibles 2 is definitely good. It’s extremely funny, and though it perhaps doesn’t go as deep as many of the other Pixars, it’s still got a lot of heart. Ratatouille is a fairly fluffy film and still manages to be extremely high quality - a movie doesn't need to be Inside Out to be excellent.

So...the good things first.

The OG Characters are amazing.They were amazing in The Incredibles and they continue to be amazing - we are lucky just to be able to spend more time in their fantastic presence. Especially Elastigirl. And Edna. Edna is so fun and I love her relationship with Jack-Jack. Jack-Jack is sort of a new character because he comes into his own in this movie (and boy does he!) and is the source of some of the most hilarious bits in the film. It’s also great that Frozone gets a bit of an expanded part in this movie - he’s such a cool character and played to perfection by Samuel L Jackson.

The voice acting is also wonderful from the core characters, of course. The returning family members are all hilarious and great, and Holly Hunter especially is wonderful at providing the heart as well as the humour. Edna of course is a standout. Have you noticed I love Edna?

As in the first movie I love the retro-future tech. The Incredibile and the Elasticycle are great inventions and the floating monorail is also pretty awesome. There’s just so much creativity on show here, and despite it being fantastical, it still feels believable.

One of my favourite things about Incredibles 2 has got to be the score. It was already one of my favourite things from the first movie (it just fits so perfectly with the plot and tone of the piece) and with the added treats of the theme tunes for Mr Incredible, Elastigirl and Frozone...well, Michael Giaccino is nothing short of a genius. It also feels like him and Brad Bird must have had a bit of a mind-meld on these two movies, for him to create a score that so perfectly captures the spirit of what Brad Bird is trying to do.

The plot is a bit of a mixture. I don't dislike it, though it does have some problems. It’s fun and whips along at a pace, and includes some great set pieces, including the monorail chase and Jack-Jack and the raccoon. But there are some puzzling bits and some things I would go so far as to call missteps.

So, on to the less good things.

I think the new characters let the movie down a bit. The new supers are a bit lacklustre and don’t make much of an impression, but the real letdown is the villain. Evelyn’s motivations are weird and unconvincing and she has so little personality. She doesn’t like supers, so she brings them out of hiding just when they were about to be gone for good...in order to make sure they’re gone for good. Huh? This evil plan is less developed than the Horned King’s. I also don't know why they gave her a brother. He does nothing and contributes nothing either to the plot or the themes.

The movie tries to help us understand Evelyn’s motivations a bit better through her conversations with Elastigirl. Unfortunately these are stiff and weird and go on for ages. We should get ample insight into her as a character, but we don’t. Syndrome was part of what made The Incredibles the brilliant bit of campy, escapist fun that it was, and, unfortunately, Evelyn is no comparison.

My final gripe is with the messages that the movie is trying to deliver; they feel just a little bit clunky and confused to me. Mr Incredible’s lack of support for Elastigirl feels oddly out of character. The movie feels a bit like it’s trying to jump on the #metoo bandwagon by punishing Mr Incredible for not wholeheartedly supporting his wife, just because she’s a woman. This doesn't seem to me like something the Mr Incredible from the first movie would have done though. Yes, I could see him being resentful that Elastigirl is the one who gets to go out and do the heroics, but more because he’s keen to reclaim his glory days that because she’s a woman and he’s a man. Also, isn’t this message a bit dated and overdone at this point?

I’m also not sure what this movie is trying to tell me about ordinary people’s role in society. The philosophy of it seems ill-formed. The movie (through Evelyn) seems to be trying to tell us we’re all lazy buggers and should get up off our butts and do something about the world; but at the same time it punishes Evelyn for doing just that (trying to make herself and her family independent from supers); as it also punished Syndrome in the first movie for trying to be like a super. So, ‘Stop being lazy and do something, but also, don't because you should leave it to the special people or you’ll end up looking like an idiot like Syndrome, or end up evil and resentful like Evelyn?’ I’m a tad confused.

Overall Incredibles 2 is perhaps not the sequel I would have hoped for for one of my favourite Pixar movies, but it is still a really good one. It’s very funny and creative and allows me to spend more time with the coolest family in the world, which is pretty incredible.

Incredibles 2 certainly is great! It plays more like a superhero blockbuster than an animated movie, which is reflected in it's run-time and the way the movie is put together. It's interesting to watch both back to back just to see how far computer animation has increased since the original. It's striking!

I get some of your concerns, though I feel that Evelyn's motivations make sense. I don't think she would have pursued her plan at all had the Supers not re-emerged in the first movie. I think that ws a breaking point for her since she blames them for the death of her parents. Alos, one thing to note about Brad Bird is that he does believe in exceptionalism and that the exceptional shouldn't be kept down. It's not necessarily that everyone can't be special, but they they do indeed have to make themselves special and that in doing so must act responsibly, something Syndrome an dScreen Slaver failed at. Watch Tomorrowland for a little more insight into this. It's an interesting philosophy, though it's not necessarily 100% fleshed out in The Incredibles.

Regarding Mr. Incredible, I agreee that his feelings aren't rooted in mysogeny, but more in his own faded glory. Remember thought htat the Incredibles is set in the 1960s when the man was definitely expected to be the bread-winner. That said, he does support his wife, if a bit reluctantly and crankily, but he doesn't try to sabotage her. He does what he has to do, learns how to care for the family, and does a great job as a Dad over all.
 
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Last one! Here we go…

It was our second time watching this after watching it at the cinema. I remember enjoying it when we saw it before, but even then I could immediately see the problems with it.

But let’s start by talking about the great things in Ralph Breaks the Internet. It seems to me that the great things in this movie are really really great. The movie is a visual masterpiece. It’s creative and fun just as the first one was and the depiction of the internet is exciting, funny, clever and satisfying. I say satisfying because the internet has become such a core part of most people’s lives, and to see it portrayed in this way is a complete delight. There are in-jokes and things to enjoy for any user of the internet.

Vanellope’s story is also really good, and she continues to be both adorable and awesome. It’s really nice to see her story continue and develop and for her to go to a more emotional place than she did in Wreck-It Ralph. I also continue to love Fix-It Felix and Calhoun - I wish there was more of them in this movie. I would have loved to see them working out the parenting thing.

I also think this movie’s theme is strong and comes across really well. Although the internet (both in real life and as portrayed so successfully in this movie) is full of exciting things, you don’t have to use it for long before you notice the way everything online is more extreme, enhanced and lacking in nuance, and how the internet can quickly end up making monsters of perfectly reasonable people. This is an interesting angle for a children’s film and I think they pull it off; and it’s also a theme that both adults and children can identify with.

Despite all those good things I don't love this movie. I don't feel that insecurity was really Ralph’s greatest flaw, and in the first movie he certainly wasn't insecure about his relationship with Vanellope. Their friendship becomes a bit weird and one-sided in the second film. Ralph in the first movie wanted to break out of the norm and try new things, but in this movie he just wants to do the same things over and over again and to hold Vanellope back. I could maybe have forgiven all this, but I feel like him going to the dark web to find a virus to destroy the game she loves is just a step too far and was a mistake on the part of the film makers. Even though it all worked out for the best by the end of the film, I still felt like I’d been beaten over the head by the message about ‘supporting your friends’ so thoroughly that I wasn’t really enjoying myself any more. And I also didn't like Ralph, which is quite an achievement by the movie, since he’s one of Disney’s most likeable main characters of the past decade.

My sis likes the movie less then me as she thinks its a tad too self aware. I don't agree I really like the self-referential humour, the bits at Oh My Disney etc. Although, I don't think Disney needed to 'subvert' the trope of the princesses being thought of as needing to be saved is by a man. We haven't had a princess like that since Ariel and she was what only princess number 4 at that point! Sis also reckons that this movie will quickly become dated because of all the references. ‘Breaking the internet’ is already not really a thing anymore.

I cannot give this movie a stella review which is a shame as its the last one! We’re up to date with movie number 99 (how annoying is that? I would have loved a round 100)!

I’m very happy to have got it all finished before our Japan trip, though it did end up taking longer than we thought it would.

I will probably write a bit of a summing up post in a bit, and maybe have a little awards ceremony to celebrate the best and worst of Disney.

For now though let me say thanks so much to everyone who has read along and most especially to the people who have commented and shared their memories and their thoughts on the movies as well!

I reckon when Disney's streaming service goes live everyone will be watching from beginning to end! Its an incredible movie journey!
 
Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

Last one! Here we go…

It was our second time watching this after watching it at the cinema. I remember enjoying it when we saw it before, but even then I could immediately see the problems with it.

But let’s start by talking about the great things in Ralph Breaks the Internet. It seems to me that the great things in this movie are really really great. The movie is a visual masterpiece. It’s creative and fun just as the first one was and the depiction of the internet is exciting, funny, clever and satisfying. I say satisfying because the internet has become such a core part of most people’s lives, and to see it portrayed in this way is a complete delight. There are in-jokes and things to enjoy for any user of the internet.

Vanellope’s story is also really good, and she continues to be both adorable and awesome. It’s really nice to see her story continue and develop and for her to go to a more emotional place than she did in Wreck-It Ralph. I also continue to love Fix-It Felix and Calhoun - I wish there was more of them in this movie. I would have loved to see them working out the parenting thing.

I also think this movie’s theme is strong and comes across really well. Although the internet (both in real life and as portrayed so successfully in this movie) is full of exciting things, you don’t have to use it for long before you notice the way everything online is more extreme, enhanced and lacking in nuance, and how the internet can quickly end up making monsters of perfectly reasonable people. This is an interesting angle for a children’s film and I think they pull it off; and it’s also a theme that both adults and children can identify with.

Despite all those good things I don't love this movie. I don't feel that insecurity was really Ralph’s greatest flaw, and in the first movie he certainly wasn't insecure about his relationship with Vanellope. Their friendship becomes a bit weird and one-sided in the second film. Ralph in the first movie wanted to break out of the norm and try new things, but in this movie he just wants to do the same things over and over again and to hold Vanellope back. I could maybe have forgiven all this, but I feel like him going to the dark web to find a virus to destroy the game she loves is just a step too far and was a mistake on the part of the film makers. Even though it all worked out for the best by the end of the film, I still felt like I’d been beaten over the head by the message about ‘supporting your friends’ so thoroughly that I wasn’t really enjoying myself any more. And I also didn't like Ralph, which is quite an achievement by the movie, since he’s one of Disney’s most likeable main characters of the past decade.

My sis likes the movie less then me as she thinks its a tad too self aware. I don't agree I really like the self-referential humour, the bits at Oh My Disney etc. Although, I don't think Disney needed to 'subvert' the trope of the princesses being thought of as needing to be saved is by a man. We haven't had a princess like that since Ariel and she was what only princess number 4 at that point! Sis also reckons that this movie will quickly become dated because of all the references. ‘Breaking the internet’ is already not really a thing anymore.

I cannot give this movie a stella review which is a shame as its the last one! We’re up to date with movie number 99 (how annoying is that? I would have loved a round 100)!

I’m very happy to have got it all finished before our Japan trip, though it did end up taking longer than we thought it would.

I will probably write a bit of a summing up post in a bit, and maybe have a little awards ceremony to celebrate the best and worst of Disney.

For now though let me say thanks so much to everyone who has read along and most especially to the people who have commented and shared their memories and their thoughts on the movies as well!

I reckon when Disney's streaming service goes live everyone will be watching from beginning to end! Its an incredible movie journey!

Last one? Toy Story 4 is out in like 2 weeks! ::yes::

I pretty much agree 100% with your assessment. Ralph 2 was good, but not great. I appreciated the self-referential stuff and loved the cameos. I didn't love Ralph's arc, though I thought Vanelope was handled better. My biggest complaint is that there was very little of Felix and Calhoun, my favorite characters from the first one. I kept expecting them to show up to help save the day, but they were just relegated to the framing sequence basically. That's a shame. Otherwise, I still enjoyed the movie, but it doesn't hold up to the first one.
 
Funny for us to end the marathon on two sequels no less but here goes:

The Incredibles 2
I think the movie is just as good as the original and there's definitely a lot of great action and comedy to be had and I like how there was a bit focus on Elastigirl as well as the kids so that was good. I do wish that Screenslaver was a bit better as a villain especially who it is. It does feel a bit weird that she wanted heroes to back into the public eye only have them gone again? Yeaaah...Syndrome she ain't. And how in God's name does she end up looking like Roxanne from Megamind, albeit a more scruffier and more frassled version of her? No joke, I kept on expecting her to speak with Tina Fey's voice when I was watching the movie for the first time even though it wasn't the same character I was thinking of. It was just crazy.

Anyways it's not as good as the original but it still pretty good as a film itself.

Ralph Breaks the Internet
While I did like this film I do feel that Ralph was a little bit out of character and felt like they just gave Vanellope and Ralph for the sake of conflict. While we do get some nice character development from the two, it's entertaining a lot of the time but I feel like we should've just focused more on Vanellope if I'm honest. With said, I love what they did for the Internet and having sites like Ebay run like actual bidding auctions or the fact that Knowsmore actually guesses what you want to look for online because of his auto filter are neat things in the film. In some ways it's the movie that the emoj movie SHOULD'VE been but at the same time it could've been so much more. Its a good film that has a some greats but ultimately it just gets bogged down with a conflict that doesn't really fit with the theme of the entire movie and just suffers a bit because of it. Not gonna beat the original but it's gonna be worth a watch at the very least.
 
So after the long marathon of Disney movies-took nearly a year!

Here's what I thought were the best of the best and the lowest of the lows!!!! 4 in each category because I had to limit it somehow!

Best Song
Under the Sea-This choice actually, came as a surprise to me. But I had a think about what song I could not do without for the rest of my life and its this one! It personifies Disney for me!
Circle of Life
Out There
Let it Go

Best Score
The Lion King
Up
Beauty and the Beast
Hunchback of Notre Dame-This choice caused an epic battle with my youngest sis who said I was crazy and it should be The Lion King all the way (which let's be honest could win top billing in almost all categories)-but I think the Hunch Back's score is so epic and ties into the setting and themes. The recurring melodies are amazing.

Best Female Character
Belle
Miss Bianca
Judy Hopps-Up until a few years ago Belle would have been my choice every time-but now there is a new leading lady/bunny for me!
Ariel

Best Male Character
Robin Hood
The Beast
Aladdin
Woody-This was again surprise to me, but he probably is the most iconic of the four and he goes on one heck of a journey.

Best Villain
Ursula
Scar-I have seen this twice on the stage and Scar was awful both times so I think a lot of why he works so well in the film is Jeremy Irons walking the narrow line of slightly camp and genuinely threatening-plus he is animated incredibly well)
Hades
Gaston

Worst Villain
Ratcliffe
Edgar
Goob-Wow I did not like this guy!)
The Horned King

Most Evil
Frollo-(This is close b/c they are all dreadful-but Frollo burns ppl alive so we will go with that. Plus of all these, he is probably terrifyingly the most realistically evil
The Coachman from Pinocchio
McLeach
The Evil Queen

Best 2D Animation
The Lion King- in a word Incredible!
Beauty and the Beast
Sleeping Beauty
Bambi

Best Computer Animation
The Incredibles
Inside Out-I cry all the way through this, but this film depicts what it is to be human and in a wholly imaginative and original way
Coco
Finding Nemo

Best Sidekick(s)
The Genie-Robin Williams-a masterclass in bringing a character to life! (Not watched the new one yet)
Timon and Pumbaa
Lumiere and Cogsworth
Olaf

Worst Sidekick(s)
Pascal
Gurgi
The Gargoyles-Really Gurgi is more annoying-but it has to go to the Gargoyles as they otherwise spoil a film which had the potential to be a true classic
Pua

Best Art Design
Sleeping Beauty-This movie was a surprise. I did not like it as a kid as it terrified me but as an adult I can newly appreciate how stunning it is
Bambi
Up
Hunchback of Notre Dame

Funniest
Zootopia-No other film really comes close for me
Robin Hood
The Incredibles
The Emperor's New Groove

Worst Overall
Meet the Robinsons
The Black Cauldron
The Good Dinosaur
Home on the Range-I will never ever watch this film again!

Best Overall
The Lion King-A masterclass in storytelling and animation!
Zootopia
Inside Out
Beauty and the Beast

What do you guys think???? Favs? Least Favs? :)
 

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