Disney’s adaptation of Madeline L’Engle’s classic young adult novel is a mixed bag at best. The story’ ideas aren’t realised on the screen very well, but there is some nice talk about quantum physics, physics, and science as spiritualism throughout the film that I really enjoyed. Director DuVernay, best known for her documentary work, in…
Tag: disney
Marvel Studio’s Thor: Ragnarok Blu-Ray Review
Thor Ragnarok the immensely enjoyable third solo adventure of the Marvel hero comes home on blu-ray and DVD today, and continues to build on the Marvel Cinematic Universe while also bringing in something new to the adventure… A huge sense of humour and fun. Chris Hemsworth as the titular god shows that he can manage…
Disney/Pixar’s Coco Blu-Ray Review
The Golden Globe winning (and Oscar nominated) film from Pixar, the stunningly beautiful Coco is released to blu-ray and DVD today. Over the course of nineteen films Pixar has established itself as the foremost makers of family entertainment. Entrenched in a faithful and gorgeous representation of Mexican beliefs and traditions, the story follows a young…
Disney’s The Lady & The Tramp: The Signature Collection
The Signature Collection from Walt Disney adds another classic title to its pantheon as today, the 1955 animated tale, The Lady and The Tramp is released, and the iconic meatball scene has never looked better. I last watched this film back in 2015 when I was reviewing it for the blog, and watching it then…
Treasure Island (1950) – Byron Haskin
Disney’s tale on Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic tale of pirates and high adventure is the first recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl for the action genre. Disney branched away from animated shorts and films with this,…
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) – Gore Verbinski
Who would have thought that Disney could turn one of their oldest theme park attractions into a tentpole franchise back in 2003? Sure the series has floundered, and perhaps overstayed its welcome since, but that first film, directed ably by Verbinski, with a definitive score by Klaus Badelt, and featuring an A-list cast delighted audiences…
Shrek (2001) – Andrew Adamson, and Vicky Jenson
The final recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Toy Story is Dreamworks’ Shrek. While funny, skewering fairy tales and Disney characters and motiffs with a sly eye, the film hasn’t aged well. Sure the cast is outstanding Mike Myers in the titular role, Eddie Murphy as…
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids (1989) – Joe Johnston
Before Joe Johnston directed one of my favourite comic book movies, The Rocketeer, he directed this Disney film that took the b-movies of the 1950s into the late Disney-fied 80s. There are nods to films he hasn’t made yet (which is really fun) and dialogue lifts from classic films and a playful sense of fun….
The Black Hole (1979) – Alan Dean Foster
I remember having this novel as a child. In fact, the soundtrack, the first recorded digitally, was one of the first albums I ever bought with my own money as a child. The film has been a favourite of mine for some time, flaws and all, so when I came cross the novel at a…
Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) – Robert Zemeckis
Robert Zemeckis’ Oscar winning film noir, coached in cartoon terms, is the next recommendation from the Great Movies – 100 Years of Film book following my screening of Toy Story. Melding the live action and cartoon world, the film follows detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins) as he takes a case he doesn’t even want to…
The Mind Reels 