Day 26: Aladdin

 You ain't never seen a movie like me: Our 26th Movie!

Marc Anthony, J-Lo, and Whoopi Goldberg in a Disney Dream Portrait

1. What movie did you watch?
Aladdin. The film is based off the tale Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from One Thousand and One Nights. The movie went through three screenplays before it was approved for production. It was directed by Jon Musker and Ron Clements with music by Alan Menken, all of whom had worked on The Little Mermaid a few years earlier. Fun fact: Aladdin was originally designed to look like Michael J. Fox, but the design was eventually changed to make him look more like Tom Cruise. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: I last watched it when Robin Williams passed away :(
Alexis: Sadly I also watched it last August about a week after Robin Williams died.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: You forget how truly great all of the music in this movie is. Whole New World was my favorite as a kid and I remember running around the house singing to it. But now looking back that is just the song that gets the most attention: Friend Like Me is my current favorite.

Alexis: It totally brought back memories of watching it as a kid, it was a common occurrence in our household! Specifically, the Prince Ali number always brings back memories of the Disney sing along VHS we used to have. That song was on it along with I Just Can't Wait to Be King and Part of Your World, amongst others. I don't know if anyone else remembers those sing along song tapes, but they were great! The opening to the video was this little owl guy, how adorable.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I loved it!! It also made me very sad about Robin Williams, this movie is probably in my top five of his performance- he's just so amazing as the genie. My section of this could essentially be a genie appreciation post.

Alexis: Loved it! All the songs are wonderful, and it's an overall awesome story. Jasmine is a great female character who fights for her own rights, and Aladdin is more than just the suave prince, in the end he wins thanks to his wit instead of pure strength. All of the characters are entertaining, and it's impossible to get through this movie without laughing.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: As much as we all know I love Genie by now, I think for nostalgia sake my favorite part is still Whole New World

Alexis: My favorite part is definitely Friend Like Me. The visuals, the music, the lyrics: everything about it is perfect. It gets stuck in my head constantly. 

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Just...what a movie! So glad I got to rewatch it!

Alexis: I saw the musical version of Aladdin on Broadway, and it was fantastic. I think they did a great job transitioning the movie to the stage, and the added songs were really good. They included Proud of Your Boy, which was a song that was cut from the film, so it was cool to see that played out. We got to see James Monroe Iglehart, who won a Tony for his performance as the Genie, and Jonathan Freeman as Jafar, who voiced the villain in the movie as well as the musical. It was a great show, especially when it comes to Disney adaptations (I've seen almost all of the Disney musicals and I would rank this one very highly). Also, we saw it on Broadway just two days after Robin Williams passed away and they did a short tribute to him at the end, and it was very emotional and nice.

Day 25: Beauty and The Beast

The Grey Stuff IS Delicious: We watch Beauty and The Beast!

1. What movie did you watch?
Beauty and The Beast. The film is based on the traditional French fairytale by Jeanne- Marie Leprince de Beaumont. There were attempts by Disney to adapt the fairy tale in the 1930s and later in the 50s but it didn't happen. During the film's creation, the animation was done using a mix of traditional animation, CAPS technology, and CGI, which allowed animators to place the characters and backgrounds on different planes. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman produced the the motion picture soundtrack, which won the Academy Award, but sadly Ashman passed away from AIDS complications eight months before the movie's release and it's dedicated to him. The movie was released in 1991 to critical acclaim and it was the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture. Fun fact: In 1994, Beauty and the Beast became the first Disney film to be adapted into a stage musical on Broadway. 

2. Have you seen it before/ how long has it been since you last saw it?
Maddie: Again, this is a classic, so of course I've seen it before, but not in about a year or so probably. The last I vividly remember seeing it was about there or four years ago when Disney re-released it in 3D and I went to see it.
Alexis: It's probably been a little over a year since I've seen it, which is shocking for me.

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: Probably really recently when I went to Walt Disney World over Spring Break and got to eat in the Beast's Castle at the Be Our Guest restaurant. It was so cool and fun! also, Belle's village was amazing and seeing Gaston was hilarious!

Alexis: So this is actually tied for my favorite Disney movie of all time (tied with the original Winnie the Pooh), and it's definitely my favorite Disney princess film. The most prominent childhood memory I have of this movie is arguing with my sister over it. My grandmother only owned two Disney movies, and whenever we went there, we would inevitably watch one before bed. She would always want The Little Mermaid, and I would always fight to watch Beauty and the Beast. In the end we watched them pretty equally but I always felt a surge of victory when we watched my favorite! Also, my dad is very good at imitating Gaston's singing voice, so I always think of him and laugh at those parts.

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I loved it, duh! There are just so many great moments in the movie and the animation is just so beautiful. Also THE MUSIC IS AMAZING. "Belle" is one of my favorite I Want songs (the song at the beginning of the movie or musical where the hero/heroine sing about what they want out of life a la "Part of Your World" from The Little Mermaid).

Alexis: I adored it, I could watch this movie a thousand more times and still love it just as much. I have always felt connected to Belle, and I love her intelligence and passion. All of the songs and characters are amazing, and the animation is wonderful. I remember my dad telling me that he and my mom took his young cousins to see this movie when it first came out in theaters, and everyone who saw it was blown away by the mix of CGI and classic animation, especially in the famous ballroom scene because most people had never seen anything like it before.

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: I guess this is less of a moment but more of a thing or theme, but Belle's love of reading is so amazing. As a little girl to see a princess who values knowledge was so key.

Alexis: I love the entire movie, there's not a single part that I don't like or think is dull. I think if I had to pick a favorite moment, I would say the ballroom scene. I know it's super cliche, but it's famous for a reason! The animation is stunning, and the waltz is so romantic. And then there's the song. The original Beauty and The Beast sung by Angela Lansbury is beautiful, it's one of my favorite Disney songs!

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Can we talk about how much Once Upon a Time has warped this story in the weirdest way? Belle is a great character no matter what world she is in (even with her accent) but Rumpelstiltskin being the Beast is just... either way I ship it.

Alexis: One of my favorite moments that I've experienced at Disney World was when I actually got to try "the grey stuff" and yes, it was delicious! 

Taken at the Be Our Guest Restaurant at Disney World

 

Until next time, here's one of our favorite gifs,

Day 24: The Rescuers Down Under

Taking a trip down under with The Rescuers: Our 24th Movie!

1. What movie did you watch?
The Rescuers Down Under. The film is a sequel to the 1977 movie The Rescuers, which is based on a book series. The movie is notable for being the first animated Disney movie to use the new computerized CAPS process, which is a digital paint and ink tool that replaced the traditional practice of hand- painting cells. The film also has many moments created using CGI technology, such as the opening sequence. [Not so]Fun fact: This movie is the least successful film of the Disney Renaissance. 

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 a little girl. I didn't watch it often because it upset me how mistreated the animals were. I was also never big into the rescuers- I know I saw this movie before I saw the original.
Alexis: It's probably been 10 years since I've seen it. I watched it a lot as a kid but after we got rid of our VHS player I had no way to watch it until now (thank you, Netflix).

3. What memories did it recall?
Maddie: It really reminds of the documentary, Waking Sleeping Beauty, which chronicles the Disney Renaissance. There is a section about this movie and how it was a proving ground for CGI and because the movie flopped Disney didn't want to invest in the technology- if only they had known.
Alexis: It totally brought back memories of my animal-obsessed childhood. I was an avid watcher of The Crocodile Hunter, and I wanted to go to Australia before I even understood how long it takes to get there. I knew the names of all the Australian animals in the movie, and I was already aware of poachers and how awful they are. The animal and conservation focus of this movie made it perfect for little 6 year old Alexis, and I wanted to be Cody so badly! 

4. What did you think of it?
Maddie: I enjoyed it, but it's by no means one of my favorites. I really appreciate the camera work and the conservationist message, though.

Alexis: I really liked it! Like Maddie mentioned, I think it has a very important message and it portrays it well to children. The animation is also great, even if they did use CGI a little too much. All the animals are so cute and nicely drawn, it makes the movie very visually appealing!

5. Favorite moment:
Maddie: My favorite moment is when Marahuté flies with Cody, it's a great bonding moment and she is just amazingly animated.

Alexis: I actually agree with Maddie, those scenes are also my favorite! The first time that Cody flies on Marahuté after rescuing her is the best, and I always wanted to do that when I was little! 

6. Any other comments:
Maddie: Joanna is the actual worst. Not even Mcleach likes her. And I don't blame him.

Alexis: I still want to visit Australia.

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.