Day 23: The Little Mermaid

 Life is the Bubbles! When we watch The Little Mermaid!

Disney Dream Portrait: Julianne Moore as Ariel and Michael Phelps as Merman (2008)

1. What movie did you watch?
The Little Mermaid. The film was released in 1989 and is based on the Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Anderson. It is well known for being the first movie of the Disney Renaissance, named because it was the era when Disney experienced a "creative resurgence in producing successful animated films based on well-known stories, which restored public and critical interest in The Walt Disney Company as a whole". The movie was written and directed by Ron Clements and John Musker, with music produced by Alan Menken, the team who worked on many of the movies of the next decade. It became the first animated hit for Disney since The Rescuers and received high critical praise. The movie's success allowed for the expansion of the Disney Animation department. Fun fact: The fun, flowing effect of Ariel's hair underwater was based on footage of astronaut Sally Ride in weightless conditions. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: This is a classic, so of course I've seen it before, but not since the summer- July or August, so it had been a while.
Alexis: It's actually been a little while for me, probably a year or two since I've seen it.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It made me think of all the times I've been to Disney's California Adventure and gone on the Little Mermaid ride when I was tired and bored because it never has a line. And Ariel's hair is the actual worst on the animatronic, they tried to change it and fix it and still couldn't.

Also, Ursula's killer chins on that animatronic:

Lastly, it makes me think about Ursula on Once Upon a Time and her horrible horrible tentacles (also how they love to screw with these stories).

Alexis: Obviously it brought back memories of watching it as a kid. Seeing it also brought back memories of the original commercial for the movie on VHS. They had the preview on all of the other Disney Renaissance movies, so I used to see it every single time I watched one of those movies (which was a lot). It's just funny to me that I know certain lines so well because of that preview. 

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I loved it! Unsurprisingly it brought me right back to my childhood and it was just so much fun. Howard Ashman's work on this movie made it what it was and it is so impressive. Without him Sebastian would have been English, and "Part of your World" and "Under the Sea" wouldn't exist.

Alexis: Amazing, fun, classic. This movie is great, and it set the tone for so many other amazing Disney films that came after. The story is great, and all of the characters are so heartwarming and lovable! Then of course there's the songs, which are spectacular. Overall, it's a great film that really inspired the animation industry at the time, and I love it. 

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: Glen Keane's animation work on Ariel always amazes me. He was a big, goofy, guy and he drew her so delicately and so clearly understood her emotions. (Note: he also created and animated Rapunzel in Tangled and is still working with and without Disney.)

An Illustration of Keane and the Characters he Created

He recently made this and IT IS SO BEAUTIFUL:

Alexis: I think my favorite moment(s) are the musical numbers. The colorful animation paired with the amazing songs make them the most memorable part for me. I can't help but sing along to them all! 

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: I'm so happy we are officially in the Disney Renaissance.

Source: http://thelast-thingido.tumblr.com/post/113192033153/ouat-recap-unforgiven-4x14

Alexis: Oh Once Upon A Time and your weird adaptations! But anyways, yes I'm very excited to finally be in my favorite period of Disney movies.

Day 22: Oliver & Company

Why Should We Worry? We watch Oliver & Company!

1. What movie did you watch?
Oliver & Company. The film is inspired by Charles Dickens's Oliver Twist, and takes the story and puts it in the context of 1980s New York City with animals instead of street kids. The movie was a commercial success and it lead Disney's senior vice president at the time to announce the company's plan to release animated features annually. It was the first Disney animated film to be musical since The Fox and the Hound, and it convinced the company to return to a musical format for its movies (which it did for the next decade, the Disney Renaissance). Fun fact: Oliver and Company was the first Disney movie to use real-world advertised products, such as Coca Cola and USA Today. They were seen in the Times Square scene in the second half of the movie, and they were not paid product placement ads, but were put there by the animators to make the location look realistic. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I haven't seen it since I was very young, probably elementary school age.
Alexis: I've only seen this movie once all the way through, and it was a very long time ago. This was one of the few Disney movies we didn't own on VHS so I really didn't watch it at all.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: For some reason, there were certain scenes I very vividly remembered, specifically when Jenny is cooking for Oliver and the butler watching wrestling at the very end. I also remembered when Dodger gets beat up by Syke's dobermans and got so upset by dogs fighting and hurting other dogs.
Alexis: The only part I really remembered was the song Jenny sings to Oliver. So I guess I have memories of watching that sequence and liking the song, but that's really it!

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: It was boring to me! It was never my favorite as a kid, probably because I don't like the source material, Oliver Twist, that much, so why would I love an adaptation? Plus, the animation that isn't the animals is very stylized, almost like a New Yorker cartoon...very odd.
Alexis: It's okay, but it definitely doesn't compare to other Disney animal features. The songs were catchy and I think Oliver is adorable, but most of the story is pretty forgettable. Also, the opening sequence of this movie is the saddest thing I've ever seen. It totally beats out the shooting of Bambi's mother for saddest Disney moment in my opinion. Seeing the poor kitten left alone breaks my heart!

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: I do really love Dodger, what a sweet, if misguided, puppy!

Specifically, Why Should I Worry, was the only song I remembered, probably because it featured Dodger:

Alexis: I agree with Maddie, I think Why Should I Worry and its reprise are my favorite moments, the song is just so catchy!

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: I CAN'T WAIT FOR LITTLE MERMAID NEXT. Also, this was so meh...
Alexis: I don't want to watch this movie again any time soon because I'm still crying over the opening 5 minutes.

Day 21: The Great Mouse Detective

And you thought you liked Sherlock Holmes: We watch The Great Mouse Detective

1. What movie did you watch?
The Great Mouse Detective. The movie is based off of the book Basil of Baker Street, which itself is inspired by the classic Sherlock Holmes stories. The movie is filled with lines and references to Holmes and his adventures, including his methods of deduction and love of violin. After a string of successful live action movies and the disastrous release of the animated Black Cauldron, the successful release of this film convinced Disney management that the animation department was still viable and eventually led it into the Disney Renaissance of the 90s. Fun fact: there is a brief scene towards the beginning of the movie where we see the silhouettes of the actual Holmes and Watson and hear them having a conversation. The voice used for Sherlock is an earlier recording of Basil Rathbone, famous for portraying Holmes in film, sampled from a reading of The Adventure of the Red-Headed League. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I have seen it before, it was one of my favorites as a child- and I think I last saw it about two years ago.
Alexis: I remember watching it a lot as a kid because we owned it on VHS, but I haven't seen it since childhood.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: Honestly, it made me think a lot about Sherlock Holmes and how similar they truly are.

Alexis: It recalled memories of watching this movie on car trips. For some reason, my sister and I would usually choose to watch this one while we were on a road trip. Now, this was back in the days before iPads or even before cars had DVD players in them. My parents would strap a small, thick portable television between their front seats, and we would be able to watch VHS's during the long drives. Looking back this seems extremely unsafe, but it kept us completely entertained.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: This used to be one of my favorites, and I still love it but definitely not as much as I used to. I think once you're an adult and are watching it, the movie becomes more of a game to find Easter eggs than to solve the (fairly simple) mystery. Although, the movie does leave a lot of logistical questions regarding Ratigan. Mainly, I need to know why Ratigan wants to be a mouse- are rats second class citizens or something????

 Plus, there are plenty of mildly inappropriate moments in such a short (only an hour 15 minutes) movie.

Alexis: I sincerely enjoyed it. Now, let it be known that I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan. I've read most of the novels and short stories, I love the Guy Ritchie films, and BBC Sherlock is one of my favorite television shows. Having not seen this movie since I was young, it was very fun to watch it as the Sherlock fan I am now. I loved catching the lines and references to Holmes canon, it was like a game! The movie is very cute overall, and although it is not seen as one of Disney's best, I think it provides 70 minutes of good fun.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: I just love Toby and Olivia! They are so cute and great!

Alexis: I don't think I have a specific favorite part of this one. My favorite character is Basil, and I just love most things he does. I think he's a great and adorable tribute to Sherlock Holmes.

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Clearly Buzzfeed disagrees with me, http://www.buzzfeed.com/arianelange/27-reasons-why-the-great-mouse-detective-is-the-greatest-dis#.wt4eX23JnM   

Alexis: We must leave you for now... the game is afoot!

Day 20: The Black Cauldron

Feel Bad for Us, We Watched The Black Cauldron

1. What movie did you watch?
The Black Cauldron. The film is based on the first two books of the Chronicles of Prydain series by Lloyd Alexander. The movie came about during a period of turmoil for the company. In 1979, star animator Don Bluth quit and took thirteen of his colleagues with him. During this period, the Disney company had appointed a new chairman, Jeffery Katzenberg, and due to his and Michael Eisner's new leadership the process of creating the animated feature films changed. Tighter schedules and lowered budgets are to blame for the difference in animation compared to earlier Disney films. The movie was a box office bomb, and only received positive reviews for its soundtrack, composed by Elmer Bernstein. In terms of animation, it was the first Disney animated feature to include the use of computer generated imagery, used to create the cauldron, and on certain scenes including magic. In 1985, the year of its release, it was the most expensive animated movie ever made. Fun fact: Tim Burton worked on this movie as a concept artist. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I'd only seen it once before and never again- with good reason.
Alexis: I watched it several times as a kid, but I don't know why because I was always terrified of it. I know we owned it on VHS but it was one of our least watched ones.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: I knew it was bad- but I didn't realize it was as horrible as it turned out to be.
Alexis: Memories of being terrified of it... I'm pretty sure I had nightmares.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: In case you couldn't tell, I didn't enjoy it. Besides it being horribly scary for children, the animation was just sup-par comparatively and I didn't care about any of the characters. All the way around it was disappointing and just didn't feel like Disney!
Alexis: This movie is a literal piece of crap. The animation and the storytelling itself are just awful. The characters aren't developed, the story makes little sense, and even the voice acting sounds off. The whole movie feels like it drags on longer than it should. Also, was I watching a mangled, terrible, children's version of Lord of the Rings because that's kind of what it felt like. Except instead of a ring it's a cauldron and instead of a wizard we have a stupid magic pig. Also, Gurgi is clearly our Gollum character, except somehow more annoying. Overall what did I think of it? Awful.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: The one thing I did appreciate is the moment when Gollum, I MEAN Gurgi, redeems himself by sacrificing himself and jumping into the cauldron.  And then the moment when they get him back and realize he is alive is kinda touching. ONLY KIND OF THOUGH, cause the animation through all of that is horrible.

Alexis: When the credits rolled.

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Disney, why would betray me by making me watch this movie?????
Alexis: I will accept this movie as Disney canon only because its failure helped push the company into the Disney Renaissance.