Tag Archives: Disney

#55: Mary Poppins (1964)

29 Saturday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious”)
 
Since nannies are commodities that rarely stick around,
George Banks decides to advertise, and ugly ones abound,
But then comes Mary Poppins, floating gently to the ground,
Poppins proves prodigiously the proper one’s been found.
 
She shows the kids to make a game
From every daily chore,
To jump into a chalky frame
For holidays galore,
 
To laugh their way into the air
With jubilant come-uppance
And note the woman in the square
Who sells bird seed for tuppance.
 
A visit to their father’s bank creates a sudden run,
And Mr. Banks’s temper scares his daughter and his son.
They flee to Bert the chimney sweep for roof-cavorting fun.
He suggests their father needs some help like everyone.
 
Mr. Banks is overwhelmed by miseries of late,
As if dear Mary Poppins came his life to desecrate,
But then he sees the comedy and joy most underrate,
And Mary Poppins leaves them in a more-than-happy state.
__________________
 

The height of Disney-esque whimsy, Mary Poppins is one of the most beloved family musicals of all time and lies within my VC’s top 20 films. Though she loves it a tad more than I, there’s no denying the fanciful joy of this adaptation of P. L. Travers’ literary nanny.

Julie Andrews won a Best Actress Oscar for her no-nonsense charm as Mary Poppins herself, and Dick Van Dyke matches her with his usual vigorous charisma, despite his affected British accent. The entire cast is wonderful, though if I had to find fault, I’d say that Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber as Jane and Michael Banks don’t have much character aside from generic cuteness, though I suppose that allows for ease in audiences placing themselves in their shoes. (Trivia note: Most of those nannies gathered at the Banks home before Mary Poppins arrives were actually male stuntmen. No wonder they were ugly.)

The film’s greatest strength is its music, provided by the unrivalled Sherman Brothers, whose jolly tunes and clever lyrics are instant classics. Not every one is hummable, but “A Spoonful of Sugar,” “Let’s Go Fly a Kite,” and the Oscar-winning “Chim Chim Cheree” continue to reside in the mind of countless viewers. “I Love to Laugh” and Poppins’ bipolar Uncle Albert always earn a smile from my family, though my favorites would have to be “Jolly Holiday” and “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious,” thanks to the expertly composited animation sequences that Travers herself so despised. “Step in Time” is one of the film’s many high points too, though more due to the rigorous choreography than the comparatively simple lyrics. Despite the film’s overall joyous appeal, “Feed the Birds” (with or without the words) somehow brings tears to my VC’s eyes every time.

After having seen Saving Mr. Banks, there were certain scenes on this latest viewing that I couldn’t help but recall that making-of drama, such as Mr. Banks’s lament over Mary Poppins’ frustrating influence, which supposedly mirrored the annoyance caused by Travers and her nitpicking. The 2013 film also deepened the sorrows of Mr. Banks, which I never fully understood as a kid. While Saving Mr. Banks surpasses Mary Poppins as far as dramatic narrative, there’s no replacing the sheer fun and inventiveness of the original.

Mary Poppins is not only Uncle Walt’s best live action film, but arguably his best during his lifetime. Possessing a childish delightfulness that nullifies criticism, it’s a film of true magic (and not just the cleverly creative effects), a magic every child should experience.

Best line: (Mary Poppins, reading her self-descriptive tape measure) “As I expected. ‘Mary Poppins, practically perfect in every way.’”

VC’s best line: (Bert) “Speakin’ o’ names, I know a man with a wooden leg named Smith.”  (Uncle Albert) “What’s the name of his other leg?”

 
Rank: 57 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

260 Followers and Counting

#65: Fantasia (1940)

19 Wednesday Nov 2014

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The power of classical music is known,
And here now Walt Disney has made it his own
With images striking in color and tone.
 
The instruments hum to Bach’s ominous beat,
And fishes and flowers and fairies petite
All dance to Tchaikovsky’s own Nutcracker Suite.
 
Poor Mickey, apprentice to wizard Yen Sid,
Enlivens a broom that he cannot forbid,
And only his mage can undo what he did.
 
Stravinsky is next, as the earth is beginning,
And life conceives dinosaurs, fighting and grinning,
But even T. Rexes do not end up winning.
 
Then Beethoven yields us a pastoral spy
At amorous centaurs and cute pegasi
And thunderous parties that never run dry.
 
The animals prance through a fanciful day
Of hippos and elephants, who soon fall prey
To covetous gators, who love their buffet.
 
At last, evil Chernabog reigns o’er the night
And every last hellion, phantom, and fright,
Until they are banished by heavenly light.
__________________
 

If any animated film deserves a 10 for artistry, it’s Walt Disney’s masterpiece Fantasia. Possibly the most well-known experimental film of all time, Disney’s efforts to immortalize classical treasures in an animated framework were not particularly successful with audiences in 1940, but the intervening decades have proven its unique combination of potent music and images.

I’ll be honest: it’s an excellent film to fall asleep to, but also equally excellent to scrutinize. Touching on a wide range of subjects, it presents a compendious view of mythology, popular “science,” and the struggle of good versus evil. Even at its cutest and most child-centered, Fantasia oozes imaginative virtuosity, such as the giddy symbolism of Ponchielli’s Dance of the Hours.

On the one hand, most of the vignettes tell a core story that sticks in one’s mind, particularly those who viewed it as a child: the romance and storm of The Pastoral Symphony, the traumatic dinosaur fight of The Rite of Spring, and especially Mickey’s most memorable escapade in The Sorcerer’s Apprentice. On the other hand, some more than others indulge in dancing colors and beautiful shenanigans that don’t really follow a linear narrative. (The occasionally psychedelic images led to the film’s newfound popularity in the drugged-up ‘60s.) I’m not always fond of “art for art’s sake,” but the ways in which Disney complemented the music with his fluid and captivating animation are nothing short of genius.

Though some early music critics objected to Disney’s additions to their favorite opuses, most of the pieces of music used owe much of their iconic status to the images Disney so expertly provided. Disney had wanted to continue Fantasia in subsequent years with further sequences set to various other works, and it’s a shame that the film’s initial unprofitability left that plan unfeasible (though several reissues over the years have propelled it to both considerable fame and revenue). I would have liked to have seen his take on Sibelius’s Finlandia, Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, Holst’s The Planets, or Strauss’s Also sprach Zarathustra (before Stanley Kubrick got his hands on it for 2001: A Space Odyssey).

There are a few images some parents might balk at, such as the Stegosaurus death, the centaur women’s nudity, and the frighteningly demonic Night on Bald Mountain, but nothing detracts from the overall majesty of Disney’s work. The final piece is probably the most effective, particularly the contrast between Bald Mountain and Ave Maria and the quiet but implacable dominance of the latter over the former. It may not be his most entertaining, but Fantasia is Disney at his most poetic.

 
Rank: 56 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

251 Followers and Counting

#69: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

15 Saturday Nov 2014

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(Can be sung to “Topsy Turvy”)
 
Here it is—a classic turned to cartoon gem!
Gypsies are the group Parisians most condemn;
Frollo has ambitions to extinguish them,
But one night he finds a baby boy.
Guilted into caring for this malformed thing,
Frollo calls him Quasimodo, who must ring
Notre Dame’s colossal bells, diminishing his joy.
 
Quasimodo dreams of being free to leave
Out among the people on a feast day’s eve.
Though he knows such impudence would surely grieve
Frollo, he still dares to go outside.
Esmeralda, quite the beauty, leaves all wowed
Until Quasimodo is with fame endowed.
Jubilation turns to torture as the crowds deride.
 
Esmeralda’s act of grace makes Frollo rage.
Notre Dame becomes her grand, imposing cage,
Until Quasimodo helps her disengage,
Much to Frollo’s fatuous chagrin.
As his own obsession sees all Paris burn,
Frollo writes off Captain Phoebus’ clear concern.
Quasi warns the Gypsies but lets Frollo learn and win.
 
Frollo passes doom upon the girl with lust,
But the hunchback rescues her ere she combusts.
He announces sanctuary, as he must,
And defends the church from those outside.
Frollo gets his just desserts when he strikes first;
Quasimodo, even though his face is cursed,
Finds acceptance as the insults are reversed with pride.
_______________
 

Sometimes cited as a sign of the waning of the Disney Renaissance, The Hunchback of Notre Dame was actually an astounding reminder of the skill and power of Disney animation. Considering how different the source material was from Disney’s usual fare, it’s a wonder that Hunchback even got off the ground, and its uncharacteristically dark themes set it apart from most of their canon. Though some detractors accused the film of watering down Victor Hugo’s original novel, Disney’s Hunchback succeeds in capturing the power of his immortal story in a compelling package that both kids and adults can enjoy on different levels.

I’ve always loved animation that can entertain a mature audience without dwelling on mature content. Hunchback’s themes include prejudice, compassion, genocide, obsession, damnation, eternal damnation, and unrequited love, and as a kid, hardly any of that registered in my mind. I could recognize the presence of more sophisticated topics and emotions, but I simply enjoyed the music, the humor, and the more facile lessons. More recent viewings have revealed layers I never noticed before. For instance, Disney has a long history of comic relief sidekicks, yet here they feature the humorous gargoyles as Quasimodo’s straightforward allies, as well as imaginary friends that reflect his long solitude and inner psyche. Thus, though they are the most kid-focused aspect of the film, they serve a purpose that is not entirely out of step with the serious narrative.

The film’s most outstanding aspect is Alan Menken’s music, possibly his greatest Disney score ever. While other films’ songs may be catchier or more charming, Menken has crafted an illustrious, flowing score that can join those few other musicals that deserve to be christened “glorious.” The singers are also well-cast, particularly Paul Kandel as narrator Clopin, whose high note on “The Bells of Notre Dame” instantly provokes goosebumps. Tom Hulce’s soft voice lends sincerity to Quasimodo’s “Out There” and “Heaven’s Light,” while Tony Jay’s inimitably low tones endow Frollo with austerity and menace such that I’m surprised I haven’t recognized his baritone more often. Frollo is arguably the most villainous of Disney baddies; rather than fratricide or megalomania, he is willing to damn an entire city and his immortal soul for his own lustful pursuits, hauntingly presented in the song “Hellfire.” The non-singing roles are also memorable, including Demi Moore as Esmeralda (different singing voice) and Kevin Kline as the instantly likable Phoebus (yet another positive change from the novel).

In addition to the music, the hand-drawn animation is stunning, with a crispness absent from most other Disney features. The attention to shadows contributes to the animation’s realism, and the crowd scenes are remarkably detailed and impressive, especially Quasimodo’s rescue of Esmeralda.

The film also doesn’t completely sugarcoat its subject matter; an entirely crowd-pleasing ending would have paired Quasimodo with Esmeralda, but though she doesn’t die as in the book, the filmmakers leave the film serious enough to not allow Quasi’s every dream to come true. It’s a surprising move for a company that rarely leaves its leads without companionship, though they left the unrealistic romance to a lesser sequel. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a singular achievement in book-to-musical adaptation, and I’d like to see if such a feat could be pulled off with some other grim classic. Since The Phantom of the Opera, Oliver Twist, and Les Miserables have already been taken, perhaps The Count of Monte Cristo or A Tale of Two Cities? You never know.

Best line: (Laverne, the gargoyle) “Quasi, take it from an old spectator. Life’s not a spectator sport. If watchin’ is all you’re gonna do, then you’re gonna watch your life go by without ya.”

 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

245 Followers and Counting

#79: High School Musical Trilogy (2006, 2007, 2008)

05 Wednesday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “We’re All in This Together”)
 
On New Year’s Eve, a game of karaoke
Begins a chance romance,
Yet Troy just wants to keep his singing low-key
Lest his friends look askance.
 
Gabriella is new to Bolton’s high school
And all its separate cliques.
A musical, despised as being not cool,
Throws off the stable mix.
 
When Troy and Gabriella
Both try out
For lead roles,
All their goals
Are put in doubt.
Their friends just want them focused;
Don’t rebel
From the sports
On the courts
In which they excel.
 
One Sharpay, the bad girl of the big stage,
Can’t stand her challengers.
As Troy’s friends try forcing him to disengage,
More sabotage occurs.
The lovebirds and school get past their own rage
And give their full support.
 
So Troy and Gabriella,
With the aid
Of their friends,
Changing trends,
Sing unafraid.
They win the big audition
With each friend
And proceed
To succeed
With a happy end.
__________________
 
(Best sung to “Work This Out”)
 
Summer arrives for the passionate class
That breakdances through East High.
Sharpay, with neverending sass,
Is eager for goodbye.
She heads out to her country club,
Where servants must comply.
 
But all the Wildcats are hired
And worked until they’re tired,
And only Troy’s desired.
 
As everyone tries to do their best,
It’s clear that Troy is favored here.
He gets used to the way he’s blessed
And estranges his best friends, who are second tier.
 
A talent show is beckoning
The brightest and the best,
And Sharpay’s bullying
Her brother is progressed.
He helps the Wildcats
Prepare for talent night,
Even as divided Troy
Deliberates his plight.
 
Gabriella departs,
A breaking of hearts,
And at last Troy decides the right thing.
He sings with his friends,
And Sharpay’s control ends.
Friends and family unite
For a future that’s bright.
 
Sharpay is shown up but not put down
And sings with them all in a common song.
Her brother Ryan wins the trophy’s crown,
And they all sing together as they get along.
__________________
 
(Best sung to “Scream”)
 
It’s time for senior year.
As all spectators cheer,
The Wildcats persevere
To one more win.
The musical this spring
Will cover everything,
And Troy and friends will sing
Through thick and thin.
 
With college closing fast,
Troy’s feeling harassed
By all the questions asked
Of choosing, weighing the future.
Both sports and theater
Just leave him unsure.
He wants to be closer
To Gabriella’s future.
 
There’s tension still
With Sharpay’s bluster,
And Ryan is persuaded to trust her.
 
Practice, prom,
Staying calm,
Troy is told that
He only holds back
His girlfriend’s bright track.
To abstain
From the pain,
Gabriella
Decides she must leave,
Which just makes Troy grieve.
 
He thinks about it more
And chooses her door.
Love he must restore
With singing, dancing, and choosing.
At last, he makes his choice,
Picks sports and his voice,
And they both rejoice.
It’s showtime; start the music!
 
Sharpay and Ryan
Each find their courses,
One which Juilliard endorses.
 
One last time,
In their prime,
They earn applause,
Announcing from stage
Their story’s next page.
Soon they all,
Standing tall,
Graduate and
Know, as their lives dawn,
That high school lives on.
_________________
  

Since its heyday, High School Musical has nearly gained the infamy of the Star Wars prequels for supposedly being such awful, overrated fluff. Yet I love it. Disney Channel original movies are hardly masterpieces and, except for The Color of Friendship and The Thirteenth Year, are not usually worth re-watching. However, High School Musical indeed became a phenomenon, one that I followed intently. I was surprised by the first film in 2006, convinced my parents and VC to view it as well (they love it too), watched the sequel’s even more successful debut the next year, and then paid to see High School Musical 3: Senior Year at the theater. One could call them guilty pleasures, but I’m not ashamed in the least. I grew up with these characters and, regardless of flaws, enjoy the films to this day.

The first High School Musical has the worst reputation, with karaoke, high school clichés (distinct cliques, evil blond diva, etc.), and other rather cheesy elements onto which haters latch. (On thetoptens.com, a website of public-voted top ten lists, it ranks as the #2 worst film, behind Justin Bieber: Never Say Never.) Yet I never watched High School Musical expecting Oscar-worthy performances or a deep, original plot; I love it for the music. It’s hip, catchy, progresses the story (usually), and made drama and musicals cool for a new generation.

High School Musical 2 is my favorite of the three, possessing some of the most memorable songs and the funniest script. With the return of the same young actors, it also succeeded in establishing them all as lovable characters of my childhood. Perhaps it was simply from seeing them repeatedly, but I came to care for Troy and Gabriella (Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens), Chad and Taylor (Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman), Ryan and Kelsi (Lucas Grabeel and Olesya Rulin), and even sneaky Sharpay (Phineas and Ferb’s Ashley Tisdale). By the time the third film came out, I was nearing the same fears of the future they were and could actively sympathize with Troy’s uncertainty. Senior Year added some needed depth, even to minor characters, and ended with long shots of the six main characters simply smiling at the camera. I thought this unnecessary at the time, but as they’ve all moved on and “grown up” in different ways, I see now that those scenes (and the entire movies) act as snapshots of these actors at this early time in their lives, like a graduation photo, if you will. The bittersweet end has touched my inner teenager on subsequent viewings.

As for the music, all three films have some commonalities in their songs. Each has at least one romantic duet with Troy and Gabriella:

-the first film’s “Start of Something New,”
-the second film’s “You Are the Music in Me” (the best), and
-the third film’s “Right Here, Right Now” and “Can I Have This Dance;”
 

a well-choreographed, rap-inflected number:

-the first film’s “Get’cha Head in the Game” (the best),
-the second’s “I Don’t Dance,” and
-the third’s “The Boys Are Back;”
 

a slow, emotional solo for Vanessa Hudgens:

-the first film’s “When There Was Me and You,”
-the second’s “Gotta Go My Own Way” (tie), and
-the third’s “Walk Away” (tie);
 

a show-stopping hit midway through:

-the first film’s “Stick to the Status Quo” (tie),
-the second’s “Work This Out” (tie), and
-the third’s “A Night to Remember;”
 

a catchy, over-the-top number for Sharpay, which I actually enjoy more than Troy and Gabriella’s:

-the first film’s “Bop to the Top,”
-the second’s “Fabulous,” and
-the third’s “I Want It All” (the best);
 

and a rousing finale that wraps everything up with a smile-worthy bow:

-the first film’s “We’re All in This Together” (three-way tie; all too good to choose),
-the second’s “All for One” (bursting with summer’s joie de vivre and my VC’s favorite), and
-the third’s “High School Musical” (three-way tie).
 

Critics can decry the unsophisticated dialogue and hackneyed plot elements, but High School Musical is something that everyone involved can be proud of. Director and choreographer Kenny Ortega did an outstanding job across the board. The choreography is excellent throughout (with the laughable exception of the second film’s “Bet On It”), and it’s obvious that much work and practice went into creating the elaborate dance scenes. Unfortunately, Disney Channel has yet to reclaim the spirit of these musicals, though they’ve tried with the unmemorable Camp Rock and Teen Beach Movie.

Another reason I love these films is for their ingenuous purity. Though I like some of the music in it, Grease did not make my list; High School Musical may borrow elements from that film, but it exceeds it in good, clean entertainment value. The world of East High is indeed squeaky clean and idealized, but that’s simply the kind of world I prefer, a world in which a boy can sneak up to his girlfriend’s bedroom without a hint of impropriety, in contrast to the “realistic” world of sex and drugs that other high school films depict. It’s always easier to criticize than to create, and for all its imperfections, I will continue to assert that the High School Musical films are a credit to their genre.

Best lines: Refer to best songs above

 
Rank: 55 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

240 Followers and Counting

 

#82: Aladdin (1992)

02 Sunday Nov 2014

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(Best sung to “Arabian Nights”)
 
In a kingdom long past, in the great Agrabah,
The vizier has a villainous plan.
In the rarest of caves,
There’s a lamp that he craves,
But Jafar first requires a young man.
 
This Aladdin is poor, but he meets the princess;
Jasmine’s drawn to his freedom and charm.
He is tricked by Jafar
To dare where wonders are,
And one slip nearly brings him to harm.
 
Though trapped in the cave,
The agreeable tramp
Obtains wishes three
From a joking Genie
When he brushes his lamp.
 
Becoming a prince,
Al deceives everyone.
He wins Jasmine’s heart
And reveals Jafar’s art
Of deception he’s spun.
 
When Jafar gets the lamp
And indulges his greed,
He is tricked into jail,
Al and Jasmine prevail,
And the Genie is freed.
_______________
 

Created during the upswing of Disney’s animation Renaissance, Aladdin continued the high quality of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast. For a while, I considered it rather overrated, but recent viewings have proven that it is indeed a diamond in Disney’s collection. Much of the film’s success goes to the late, great Robin Williams as the frenetic Genie. For my generation, Aladdin was the first introduction to Williams’s delirious brand of humor, so fast-paced and jammed with impressions, puns, and comedic asides that re-watches are a must. The animation complements his frenzied personality, allowing the character to transform and dart around with abandon. His “all-powerful” status also allows for countless anachronisms, including Middle Eastern cliché revisions (“Wake up and smell the hummus”) and references to The Little Mermaid and Pinocchio. (Interestingly, some locations that Aladdin and Jasmine visit during “A Whole New World” foreshadowed upcoming Disney releases, like Hercules and Mulan.)

Of course, the soundtrack was also very well-received, earning Aladdin two Oscars for Best Score and Best Song for ”A Whole New World,” one of Disney’s best romantic duets. The Genie’s frenzied appeal highlights “A Friend Like Me” and “Prince Ali,” and “Arabian Nights” lived on as the theme song of the Aladdin TV series. While not my favorite of the Disney soundtracks, it is nevertheless fun and engaging.

Though none of the characters are as colorful as Genie, most are well-drawn and complex. As a male protagonist, Aladdin himself changes up Disney’s usual princess model, and Jasmine is a worthy addition to the roster of strong princesses. Sounding not unlike Vincent Price, Jonathan Freeman’s Jafar is also a formidable villain, able to make the word “boo boo” into something sinister. Aladdin also boasts one of the greatest number of individual sidekicks that I’ve counted: besides Genie, there’s Abu and the magic carpet for Aladdin, Raja the tiger for Jasmine, and Iago (a priceless Gilbert Gottfried) for Jafar.

Between the music, character dynamics, and brisk comedy, Aladdin deserves its reputation as one of Disney’s great successes; even this year, it spawned a Broadway musical. Oh, that Disney could return to these glory days!

Best line: (Genie, when first awakened) “Oy! Ten thousand years will give you such a crick in the neck!”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

237 Followers and Counting

 

#92: Saving Mr. Banks (2013)

22 Wednesday Oct 2014

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Before Mary Poppins
Met cinema screens,
The gruff P. L. Travers
Kept her by all means.
 
The magical nanny
Was family to her,
And Disney would never
Take her, she was sure.
 
But life’s money troubles
Convinced her at last
To see what the mouse king
Was planning so fast.
 
Disappointments built up,
And her fears were confirmed:
The script and song writers
Explained as she squirmed.
 
Their Poppins too frivolous,
Songs too carefree,
They just could not please her,
Nor could Walt Disney.
 
Their cruel Mr. Banks
Brought back pained memories
Of her drunken father
Who tried so to please.
 
Despite a stern aunt
Whipping all into shape,
The cares of this world
Travers could not escape.
 
It took some script changes
For her to begin
To see the film project
As more than a sin.
 
But when animation,
Which she could not stand,
Was still to be present,
She left for England.
 
When Disney himself
Made a sudden house call,
He calmly assured her
He would not appall;
 
He’d bring Mr. Banks
To life, a road paved
By all of her stories,
And he would be saved.
 
Her father was dead,
But there on the screen,
Both perfect and flawed,
His salvation was seen.
_______________
 

The most recent of my top 100 films, Saving Mr. Banks is not even a year old at the time of this post, yet its acting and insightful peek at a laborious creative process marked it as an instant classic. More and more films are resorting to the depiction of creating other films (think Hugo, The Artist, Hitchcock), yet such films continue to offer compelling stories and fascinating details that haven’t gotten old yet, and Saving Mr. Banks is no exception.

The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences is known for infamous snubs, yet the fact that Saving Mr. Banks did not receive one acting nomination is unforgivable (Thomas Newman’s score was nominated—that’s it). Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson contribute astounding performances to their already distinguished careers; Walt Disney and P. L. Travers come to life in a powerful, character-driven way that spans every emotion, from joy to disgust to sorrow to utter frustration. Yet despite some weighty backstories for both, the entire film has the light, optimistic ambience of Disney World (the Disney World that kids see, minus all the lines and headaches). Thompson’s pomposity and rudeness don’t fit in this land where cartoons and songs are the norm, but every minute of her gradual easing into something like fulfillment (and I do mean gradual) is a pleasure to watch. Likewise, Hanks’s Disney is con man, big cheese, and lovable uncle all rolled into one familiar package, yet with astute glimpses into previously unseen aspects of the master entertainer.

I applaud films that bring little-known players to the fore, such as Mary Poppins co-scriptwriter Don DaGradi (Bradley Whitford) and the talented Sherman Brothers musical team (B. J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman), not to mention Paul Giamatti’s genial turn as Travers’s fictionalized chauffeur. Lovers of the Mary Poppins film are sure to enjoy the details that seem to be directly inspired by Travers and the development of a childhood classic. Like in Holes, flashbacks are woven through the narrative, revealing additional inspirations for the Mary Poppins characters and providing Colin Farrell a heart-breaking role as the author’s good-natured but alcoholic father.

Considering that Saving Mr. Banks was released at the height of the Christmas season, it was obvious Oscar fodder, and it deserved so many more accolades than it received. Was it because it was too clean? Was it because Tom Hanks’s performance, coupled with the one in Captain Phillips that year, was somehow overlooked in favor of non-Oscar winners? I don’t know, but Saving Mr. Banks is a worthy behind-the-scenes look at the beloved Mary Poppins, even if it Disney-fies proceedings that were even more problematic than the film depicts. Regardless of how much was fictionalized, it was one of the best films of 2013.

Best line: (Walt Disney, reassuring Travers toward the end) “George Banks and all he stands for will be saved. Maybe not in life, but in imagination. Because that’s what we storytellers do. We restore order with imagination. We instill hope again and again and again.”

 
Rank: 54 out of 60
 

© 2014 S. G. Liput

231 Followers and Counting

 

Brother Bear (2003)

10 Friday Oct 2014

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(Best sung to Phil Collins’s “On My Way”)
 
When Kenai’s totem is named as love,
The thing that will make him a man.
He thinks that the spirits who shine above
Are messing up his life’s future plan.
 
One small mistake gets his brother killed,
And he’s quick to blame a hostile bear.
His thirsting for vengeance is soon fulfilled,
And the spirits lift him in the air.
 
He is given a chance to discover anew
The life that he took through its eyes.
As a bear now, Kenai must
Team with a cub,
Who is vocal for his size.
 
As they are headed for the spirits’ mount,
His other brother hunts the pair.
As they journey, he and Koda make the miles count,
And they bond on the trip that they share.
 
Kenai’s soon shocked to learn the bear he slew
Was Koda’s missing mother, long gone.
Though the heartache they’re both feeling splits them up,
They need each other;
They’re now brothers worth relying on.
 
Upon the mountain, his human bro
Attacks to have revenge as well.
As Kenai is nearing a mortal blow,
The spirits abolish their spell.
 
They reunite as the changes fade,
Assisted by their brother above.
Kenai stays as a bear yet a man is made,
Through the totem that he’s now proud of,
A brother’s love.
______________
 

Whereas my opinions of WALL-E agreed with the critical consensus, Brother Bear performed poorly among critics and audiences, but I consider it one of Disney’s most underrated successes. From the mountainous vistas in a painterly art style to “all that cuddly bear stuff” which is both heckled and embraced, Brother Bear is a beautiful film that stands as Disney’s last great use of traditional animation.

Phil Collins may have declined in popularity since then, but his music for Brother Bear added so much to an already great film. As with Tarzan, his songs play over various montages, such as the opening scenes of brotherhood with Tina Turner singing the lovely and catchy “Great Spirits.” “On My Way” during the cross-country journey and “Welcome” during the salmon run are also unsung masterpieces, so to speak.

The pagan spirituality is taken more seriously than, say, the comedic ghostly ancestors of Mulan, but unlike the New Age crystals of Atlantis: The Lost Empire, the spirits of Brother Bear have some cultural basis in real Native American tradition. I found their incorporation in the story to be a respectful nod to a unique people, as Disney had previously done with Lilo and Stitch.

The animation is among Disney’s best, and I love the character designs, particularly Kenai’s bear form, which matches Joaquin Phoenix’s voice better than his human form. Young Jeremy Suarez as Koda has the same garrulous, road-tripping insistence as Shrek’s Donkey while embodying all that is cute about a teddy bear. As for comic relief, Disney couldn’t have done better for this Arctic film than Rick Moranis and Dave Thomas as a moose version of their McKenzie Brothers comedy act (gotta love their game of “I Spy”).

In addition to the animation, comedy, and music, Brother Bear packs a powerful emotional punch that left me crying in the theater the first time I saw it. The entire message of the film is to see life from a different perspective, through another’s eyes, literally. Kenai misses this point throughout most of the film, only caring about his own loss, but when he realizes the far-reaching consequences of his actions, the sorrow is palpable, punctuated by Collins’s song “No Way Out.” While this tune is utterly depressing, sitting through the end credits is rewarded with an uplifting rewording of the song, which deserves a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame, along with the single “Look Through My Eyes.”

In addition to the much worse Home on the Range the next year, it’s a shame that Brother Bear’s poor reception spelled the end of Disney’s traditionally animated excellence. It’s exciting, moving, amusing, and able to bring my VC to tears every time. It’s an underprized gem about the value of love and brotherhood which deserved much better, eh.

Best line: (Koda, drowsily, when Kenai is waking him up) “Two more months, Mom….”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 7
Watchability: 10
 
TOTAL: 52 out of 60
 

Next: #102 – On Golden Pond

© 2014 S. G. Liput

221 Followers and Counting

 

The Little Mermaid (1989)

17 Sunday Aug 2014

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(Best sung to “Under the Sea”)
 
When King Triton’s youngest daughter,
The curious Ariel,
Is sick of her life in water
And dreams of where humans dwell,
She angers and worries Father,
Who thinks humans all are bad.
Her interests are such a bother
That she always gets him mad.
 
She misbehaves
Above the waves;
Flouting the norm, during a storm,
A human she saves.
Prince Eric hears her lovely voice,
And she would surely be his first choice,
But Triton hears,
And, fueled by his fears,
Her stuff he destroys.
 
A sea witch provides assistance,
And Ariel makes a deal.
She threatens her whole existence
For legs and three days to feel.
She sells off her voice as payment
And hooks Eric on the beach,
Although she is lacking raiment
And can’t seem to manage speech.
 
Two days of bliss
He can’t dismiss.
Ursula’s fear makes her interfere
To stop true love’s kiss.
She enthralls Eric with a spell,
Deeply upsetting Ariel.
Soon it’s too late,
And Ariel’s fate
Is gloomy as well.
 
The king won’t oppose,
And Ursula grows,
Threatening all with one giant squall
And malice that shows.
Eric then skewers with a mast,
And Triton’s prejudices fade fast,
He lets his daughter
Walk from the water,
Happy at last.
_________________
 

Here we have the film that kicked off the Renaissance and revived Disney to its former glory. Compared with prior efforts in The Black Cauldron and Oliver & Company, The Little Mermaid was a bolt from the blue, a musical triumph that “brought Broadway into cartoons.” The detailed underwater world also blew away previous films in the animation department and was the last Disney film to use hand-painted cel animation. The digital animation of later films allowed for smoother lines and motion, but The Little Mermaid is still stunning, especially during the musical numbers.

It’s not perfect: King Triton is a now-familiar cliché of an overbearing authoritarian father, and his turnaround at the end, even though the danger at the end was ultimately Ariel’s fault, is not as well-explained as it could have been. Though it seems odd that Ariel, as a 16-year-old, would get married at the end, the film luckily avoids any suggestive content from her near-nudity and remains enjoyable family entertainment.

Though not his first musical (that was Little Shop of Horrors), this was the first film fully scored by Alan Menken and just the first example of his symphonic genius. “Under the Sea” is a fun, Oscar-winning song if I ever heard one, and “Kiss the Girl” continued the catchy Jamaican flavor of the soundtrack. The golden-voiced Jodi Benson was perfectly cast as Ariel and truly owns her central song “Part of Your World.” Pat Carroll’s scratchy, resonant voice is ideal for Ursula, and her “Poor Unfortunate Souls” is a great example of a Disney villain song, complete with excellent lyrics from Menken and Howard Ashman.

Though I’m a big fan of the Renaissance films, The Little Mermaid is not as high on my list as others simply because I don’t have as much nostalgia for it. I watched it religiously as a young kid, but then didn’t see it for many years. Watching it again, I was thoroughly entertained, but it’s not quite as much of a personal classic as other Disney films of the ‘90s. Nonetheless, Disney reforged its winning princess brand with this marvelous fantasy that is a whole lot happier than the Hans Christian Anderson tale on which it is based.

Best line: (Buddy Hackett as Scuttle the seagull, mistakenly explaining what a pipe is) “You see the snarfblatt dates back to pre-hysterical times when humans would sit around and stare at each other all day. [he demonstrates]  Got very boring.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 9
Entertainment: 9
Visual Effects: 9
Originality: 8
Watchability: 9
Other (I just like other films better): -4
 
TOTAL: 48 out of 60
 

Next: #144 – Gifted Hands: The Ben Carson Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

184 Followers and Counting

 

Cinderella (1950)

11 Monday Aug 2014

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(This one’s best sung to the tune of ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo”)
 
A dad with bad taste
Re-wed and replaced
His dead wife with someone much worse.
When he too died, his own daughter was faced
With a stepmother and curse.
 
This sweet little lass
Endured all the sass
And cruelty from stepsisters too.
Poor Cinderella was now second class
With all the housework to do.
 
The king of the land
Then plotted and planned
To get his son smitten and wed,
So he decided to throw a ball grand
With a desirable spread.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To keep her hands tied
And have Cinderella not go,
Her mousy friends made her fair as a bride,
Ready to leave even so.
 
The stepsisters, sore,
Then ranted and tore
Her beautiful dress and then left,
Sure she would not be ideal anymore,
Crying, depressed, and bereft.
 
A fairy (no price)
Then fixed her up nice,
With beautiful carriage and dress,
Making the horses from regular mice,
Happy to favor and bless.
 
That night at the ball,
When she came to call,
The prince and she danced through the night,
But the spell ended when midnight did fall,
So she abruptly took flight.
 
Almost an impasse,
A slipper of glass
Was all the prince had to find her.
So they just tried it on every young lass,
Only one way to be sure.
 
Though Stepmother tried
To lock up and hide
The fair Cinderella from this,
Hers was the slipper that she could provide,
Hers was the wedding and bliss.
__________________
 

Here we have a Disney fairy tale at its most classic, complete with evil stepmother, fairy godmother, handsome prince, a midnight deadline, cute talking animal sidekicks, and storybook ending. Though Shrek and Enchanted would riff and parody these elements, Cinderella made them defining aspects of the genre, at least in film.

A staple for young audiences everywhere (and one of my VC’s childhood favorites), Cinderella is entirely sincere but doesn’t get overly saccharine. While it remained in the same mold, Cinderella was a huge improvement over Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, particularly in casting a female lead who could sing without breaking glass. The mice, who must have escaped from NIMH, are surprisingly helpful, and much of the film’s visual interest stems from seeing ordinary rooms and objects from a Borrower-like perspective, not to mention the Tom-and-Jerry-style antics with Lucifer. (Seriously, what kind of person would name their cat Lucifer?!) The rodents’ squeaky voices are more endearing than annoying and far less irritating than, say, the Minions from Despicable Me.

The animation never gets quite as impressive as some scenes in Pinocchio, but it’s still a lovely reminder of the beauty of hand-drawn animation. The music perhaps isn’t the type to get stuck in one’s head, but “A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes” recalls the wistfulness of “Someday My Prince Will Come,” as does the waltzing “So This Is Love.” The mice’s song “Cinderelly” and the bouncing ”Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo” are the most memorable and fun, the kind to which kids (such as my VC in former years) love to sing along.

Writing this, I’ve found it difficult to not use “classic” for every other word, but that is the best term for the entire film. It’s more modern and entertaining than Snow White but would still never be made nowadays. (I’m waiting to see how Disney modernizes the live-action version next year.) It’s a snapshot of Disney earnestness, a cute, inspiring, ultimately satisfying fairy tale that adults can wax nostalgic for even as they introduce it to their own children.

Best line: (Cinderella, singing; sometimes we need a little of this to balance out contemporary cynicism) “A dream is a wish your heart makes when you’re fast asleep. In dreams you will lose your heartaches. Whatever you wish for, you keep. Have faith in your dreams, and someday, your rainbow will come smiling through. No matter how your heart is grieving, if you keep on believing, the dream that you wish will come true.”

 
Artistry: 8
Characters/Actors: 8
Entertainment: 7
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 8
Watchability: 6
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #150 – The Nativity Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

181 Followers and Counting

 

Tangled (2010)

07 Thursday Aug 2014

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(This one is best sung to the tune of the tavern song “I’ve Got a Dream”)
 
A pregnant queen is dying; so as the kingdom’s sighing,
They seek a magic, sun-begotten flower.
They locate it, and it heals,
But one Mother Gothel steals
The newborn babe for her renewing power.
 
She raises fair Rapunzel as her child,
Keeping her locked up for her own good.
For eighteen years and counting,
Claustrophobia’s been mounting;
She dreams of going out, if she just could.
 
But then a crook
Invades her nook
With a highly valued crown that he just took.
With a frying pan he’s tackled,
And Rapunzel keeps him shackled
With tens of feet of hair, like in the book.
 
She just wants to see lights floating, which Mother’s not promoting,
But this Flynn Rider is her guide and ticket.
He agrees to take her out,
And she frolics all about.
Though guilt is there, she manages to kick it.
 
Flynn takes her to a thug-infested tavern,
Only for her charm to earn esteem.
They escape from those pursuing,
And there may be love a-brewing,
As she gets ever closer to her dream.
 
But Mom appears
To give her fears,
But Rapunzel doesn’t like the things she hears.
She is sure that Flynn does love her
As the lanterns float above her
Till Mother (with some bandits) interferes.
 
As she goes back home, her heart is broken,
But then she discerns her Mother’s lie.
Flynn is set to die, until his cohorts save the guy.
He returns to defend, just in time to meet his end;
Gothel will not let her scheming go awry.
 
But as Flynn is lying dying,
He is still not done defying;
He cuts Rapunzel’s hair and all its magic.
Mother Gothel turns to dust;
Happy endings are a must,
So magic tears don’t let things get too tragic.
 
Flynn (or Eugene)
Recovers clean,
And they reunite her with the king and queen.
As the kingdom’s happy, very,
Both Rapunzel and Flynn marry,
And “happy ever after” ends the scene.
__________________
 

With its past-participle title akin to Enchanted and Frozen, Tangled may not have returned to the good ol’ hand-drawn animation of the Disney Renaissance, like the so-so Princess and the Frog did, but it revitalized the princess genre Disney does so well, leading to the even more popular Frozen (and hopefully many more to come). It’s got all the right ingredients: a spunky young heroine, a dashing hero, a selfish villain, funny animal sidekicks, and catchy Alan Menken music. Is it as good as the Renaissance films? Perhaps not quite, but I still love it.

While past Disney films left most of the humor to the animal sidekicks, the humor in Tangled is much more prevalent, with running gags and knowing looks giving it a more modern sensibility than the somewhat more serious stories of Beauty and the Beast, Pocahontas, and The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Most of the humor is indeed funny (I love the frying pans), but it’s as if the filmmakers were trying too hard at times, such as with Flynn’s “smolder.” Still, Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi are undeniably likable as the two leads, though they reportedly weren’t satisfied with their voices.

Despite all the hilarity, there’s also a decent mix of heart. With her inward turmoil over disobeying her “mother,” Rapunzel is one of Disney’s most relatable princesses, and her romance with Flynn/Eugene recalls Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs in its promotion of being yourself over attractive fakery. (There’s also a “bunny attack” joke that seems lifted directly from Ella Enchanted.) The brief scenes with Rapunzel’s parents instantly engender sympathy for their loss, and the final reunion is just plain heartwarming.

Upon first hearing the songs, I considered them rather unmemorable, but as I’ve re-watched the film, I’ve grown to love them just like those of Disney’s golden years. They can’t compare with Menken’s best, but I’ve hummed “When Will My Life Begin?” a time or two. As perhaps you can tell, my favorite is the show-stopping “I’ve Got a Dream,” which is hilarious, excellently rhymed, and (along with “Mother Knows Best”) the main song I can envision on the Broadway stage. The final song, Grace Potter’s “Something That I Want,” is catchy enough to earn a place in my End Credits Song Hall of Fame as well.

I followed Tangled’s progress during its production and had high expectations for its painterly animation, and the animators delivered. Almost everything—the solitary tower, the water in the dam scene, the equine details of Maximus, and especially Rapunzel’s seventy feet of luscious hair—is an astounding achievement in its combination of CGI and traditional animation. The floating marshmallow lantern visuals to “I See the Light” are particularly dazzling.

Exceptional animated films usually leave me immediately wanting to see them again, and Tangled was no exception. Though there are some departures from reality, such as how Rapunzel’s long hair never gets dirty and seems to weigh nothing, it possesses few of the Frozen-esque plot holes that people like me love to point out. With its exquisite animation, great characterization, quality music, and continual comedy, Tangled is a winning return to Disney excellence.

Best line: (Flynn, while sword fighting a horse with a frying pan) “You should know that this is the strangest thing I’ve ever done!”

 
Artistry: 7
Characters/Actors: 7
Entertainment: 8
Visual Effects: 10
Originality: 6
Watchability: 9
 
TOTAL: 47 out of 60
 

Next: #154 – The Homecoming: A Christmas Story

© 2014 S. G. Liput

177 Followers and Counting