Walt Disney Animation Studios Part 21: Robin Hood

Series Intro: Series Intro: Here is Part 21 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors. They will mostly be in release date order, save for those that are not available on DVD at Netflix. (Numbers skipped will note missing movies that will be out of order).

Some background information: (compiled from Wikipedia and imdb and my own knowledge of the movie).

Official Title: Robin Hood
Release: November 8, 1973
Running Time: 83 minutes
Estimated Cost: $1.5 million 1973
Estimated Revenue: $9.5 million 1973
Overall Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Plot Summary: (Abridged)
Standard story of Robin Hood: steals from the rich, gives to the poor; plays games and tricks the king’s throned brother; gets into trouble and gets to marry Marian once the true king returns.

Songs:
Whistle-Stop
Oo De Lally
Love
The Phony King of England
Not In Nottingham

I love the Oo De Lally song, it really reminds of minstrels! But I can’t say it’s ever made it on to one of my Disney playlists.

Plot Rating: 3 stars out of 5

So, it’s a pretty high rating. But I think this is because of how much I loved this movie as a child. It’s a classic telling of the Robin Hood story, with some fun characters.

Animation Rating: 2 out of 5

Sadly though characters were poorly drawn and recycled. Take a look at this video to understand how recycled this movie was:



(I agree with most of the video, except comparing Sleeping Beauty’s dance scene to as they are waltzing and these dancing are supposed to look exactly the same.

The animation was much better to look at, and I was able to watch this one, as opposed to Aristocats that I had to advert my eyes half of the time.

The Test of Time:

I’m not sure. This is one of those movies that I loved as a child. Again it’s in the “hero” vain, and I loved the love story but do children still watch it? Is it loved by young people? I can’t seem to recall any presence in the parks or in the merchandizing recently.

Through the Modern Lens

Ok by me.

Next Up:
Winnie the Pooh (I’m really excited, because I don’t think I’ve ever seen this movie from beginning to end!)

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Walt Disney Animation Studios Part 20: Aristocats

Series Intro: Series Intro: Here is Part 20 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors. They will mostly be in release date order, save for those that are not available on DVD at Netflix. (Numbers skipped will note missing movies that will be out of order).

Some background information: (compiled from Wikipedia and imdb and my own knowledge of the movie).

Official Title: Aristocats
Release: December 11, 1970
Running Time: 78 minutes
Estimated Cost: $4 million 1970 ($22,912,360.74 (2010))
Estimated Revenue: nothing reliable about the first release
Overall Rating: 2 stars out of 5

Plot Summary: (Abridged)
Cats are catnapped by their own butler so he will inherit old woman’s fortune. In their search to find their home, these aristocratic cats meet up with a Tom cat who shows them the real Paris. And Tom saved the cats from being sent to Timbukto by sending the butler instead.

Songs:
The Aristocats
Scales and
Thomas O'Malley
Ev'rybody Wants to Be a Cat
She Never Felt Alone

No great song here

Plot Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Ick. I’ve been putting of this review for over a week, because I just didn’t want to dedicate the time to writing it. The movie was bad. I thought the plot was recycled (anyone else feel like they were watching 101 retold with cats? There wasn’t enough to keep my attention. The characters were dry and their voices were too familiar (come on, for three movies we have/had the same actor playing the lead!)

And boy did those dog characters seem a lot like Lady’s friends from Lady and the Tramp and the General from 101! Recycling characters! When this happened last time with Lady and other Lady making cameos 101 it was cute, but when actual talking characters remind you of other characters, this is getting lazy!

Animation Rating: 2 out of 5

The animation wasn’t too bad this time. The only loose lines that really annoyed me were in the old woman’s hair. Although the background are was simple and the colors were more muted than I would have liked, there wasn’t too much wrong this time.

Either I can see how we are getting closer to the second golden age, or I’ve just because more lenient as I search for anything that can work!

The Test of Time:

Has it stood the test of time? I honestly don’t think it has. Yes, it had several releases in the movies, back before home video. But I don’t think any child in my class today knows who the aristocrats are, they probably haven’t even heard the word aristocrats.

Through the Modern Lens

Nothing stood out as a poor representation, although I might have toned down how the jazz musicians seemed a little dazed.

Next Up:
Robin Hood. (Oh boy, more recycled dancing and characters…)

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26

So it’s been a while since I’ve updated this blog not related to Disney, so I’d thought I’d take a moment and talk about some new things going on in my life.

Anyone who new me a year ago might be incredibly surprised at who I am today. In fact, I’m surprised at who I’ve become. I’m way more outgoing and more willing to try new thing. I drink and have causal sex.

I just turned 26 this past weekend, and celebrated with an evening of debauchery.

At 5pm I began my evening at Nellies. I had received a $10 off coupon from them, and when I informed Eric, he told me of their crazy happy hour deals. So I said, the evening would start there! With $1.00 drinks for the first hour ($2 at 6 and $3 at 7), I never even got to the $10 point.

While there I was joined by Eric and two other friends. We drank for a couple hours and headed to the party. Café Japone for Karaoke. Here I was joined by friends from work, friends from school and friends of friends. Totaling 18 people! We drank and sang lots of songs.

As always, I took Karaoke way to serious. I sang Defying Gravity from Wicked, Walking in Memphis and Like a Prayer. I totally rocked out during Defying Gravity, even got a round of applause from the other group that was at the bar.

Person number 19 joined us just for a drink. #19 was a guy that I had met the week before at Cobalt. We hooked up on the dance floor and found out way back to my apartment. So when #19 joined me at my birthday party, I was excited.

The guests waned a bit and about eight of us trekked over to Cobalt for more drinking and dancing. Drinks were free until midnight, so we were all double fisting until the end of free drinking. Then dancing!

Again he guests began leaving, I saw lots of coupling happening and one surprise couple (between the two straight, single people!) One of my favorite parts of the night was trying to break up one of my friends from "coupling" with someone I knew from undergrad. It was like a stealth mission, and really had fun plotting ways to separate them! As the night wore on, I coupled with #19 as we were left on the dance floor, for the rest of the guests left.

By about 1:30 (after drinking for about 7 hours) I was exhausted, so I went home (early enough to hit the metro). #19 and I almost missed the stop as we had both fallen asleep!

#19 is a cool guy (I saw him three times last week, and hopefully will see him a bunch more soon).

Well that’s it for now, that was my night of dancing, drinking and sexing.

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Walt Disney Animation Studios Part 18: Sword In The Stone

Series Intro: Series Intro: Here is Part 18 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors. They will mostly be in release date order, save for those that are not available on DVD at Netflix. (Numbers skipped will note missing movies that will be out of order).

Some background information: (compiled from Wikipedia and imdb and my own knowledge of the movie).

Official Title: The Sword In The Stone
Release: December 25, 1963
Running Time: 79 minutes
Estimated Cost: Couldn’t find anything reliable.
Estimated Revenue: $12 million 1966 ($85,243,026.32 (2010))
Overall Rating: 1 star out of 5

Plot Summary:

Wart (the soon to be King Arthur) finds himself under to tutelage of the great Merlin (who’s greatness isn’t well known at the time). Together, they embark on some misadventures as Wart learns about magic, by being turned into fish, a squirrel and a sparrow.

After a random “battle” between Merlin and sorceress Mim, Merlin finds himself frustrated with how Wart is treated. Leaves Wart under the care of his owl, Archimedes, and heads off to Bermuda.

While Merlin’s gone, Wart truly becomes his foster brother’s squire but messes up by leaving the jousting sword at the hotel. Wart sees the legendary Excalibur, and not knowing of the prophecy, pulls it out of the stone.

The men of the town insist he perform this task again to truly claim the throne. Once on the throne Wart misses Merlin, who returns to continue to guide Wart to make sure he will become the man that Merlin knows we will be (as Merlin can travel through time).

Songs:
The Sword in the Stone
Higitus Figitus
That's What Makes the World Go Round
A Most Befuddling Thing
Mad Madame Mim
Blue Oak Tree

Any of these mean anything to you? Even after watching the film, I’m only a little sure what each song is.

Plot Rating: 2 stars out of 5

The plot was more philosophical that previous WDAS movies and I’m not sure their core audience would understand what most of the movie was trying to get across.

I think there were a lot of frivolous subplots, and that we’ve lost a lot of that one story narrative that we saw with Sleeping Beauty and 101 Dalmatians.


Animation Rating: 1 out of 5

Back when I was younger, I really enjoyed the art in this film. I always associated it with the fact that it took place during Arthur’s time and this would have been a true way that animation would have been done then.

Well, now that I’m older and no that animation didn’t exist in the Middle Ages, I can only say that the use of Xerox really have this time period of movies a bad taste to the animation palate. (All the recycling of ideas and animation doesn’t help either).

The Test of Time:

Yes, there is a presence in WDW, with the sword stuck in the stone behind Cinderella’s Castle (I’m not sure if this is in all the parks). But I don’t think many children know what the sword in the stone is, let alone who Wart was.

Through the Modern Lens

Nothing is essentially wrong with this movie, just a complete lack of women (other than the frumpy witch, Mim). But I think this is just a case of what the movie was about. Wart wouldn’t have been around women/girls and even in the Arthurian legends, only one woman comes to mind, Guinevere.

Next Up:
Aristocats.

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Walt Disney Animation Studios Part 19: Jungle Book

Series Intro: Series Intro: Here is Part 19 of a multi-part retrospective of Walt Disney Animation Studios' endeavors. They will mostly be in release date order, save for those that are not available on DVD at Netflix. (Numbers skilled will note missing movies that will be out of order)

Some background information: (compiled from Wikipedia and imdb and my own knowledge of the movie).

Official Title: Jungle Book
Release: October 18, 1967
Running Time: 78 minutes
Estimated Cost: I couldn’t find anything concrete
Estimated Revenue: $73 million 1967 ($479,157,355.62 (2010))
Overall Rating: 1 stars out of 5

Plot Summary:

Mowgli, a boy left in the jungle, is raised by a wolf pack, until Shere Khan – a tiger – decides to hunt the boy – for Khan is anti-human and believes Mowgli will ruin the jungle. So Bagheera, a black panther, takes on the task of removing Mowgli from the jungle.

But Mowgli will have none of the man’s village. He refuses to leave, and misadventure ensues as Mowgli is persued by Kaa, the python, meets a troop of elephants, befriends sloth bear Baloo and is kidnapped by the ape, King Louie.

Baloo and Bagheera go at it, as Baloo insists he’ll take care of Mowgli, that is until Bagheera inform Baloo about Shere Khan. That’s when Baloo agrees that Mowgli needs to go the man’s village.

Shere Khan attacks Mowgli as he is encountering four vultures. Baloo helps save the day and almost dies. But finally they arrive at the man’s village where young Mowgli gives into temptation (his carnal desires that is) and follows a young girl back while Baloo and Bagheera watch on as two parents seeing their child off to college.

Songs:
Colonel Hathi's March
The Bare Necessities
I Wan'na Be Like You
Trust in Me
That's What Friends Are For
My Own Home

Bare Necessities and Be Like You move into the Disney musical cannon as they are songs of hope and desires that can be found throughout many of the movies.

Plot Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Despite the low overall rating, this plot wasn’t too bad. The short vignettes were carried well as Bagheera and Mowgli traveled through the jungle for Mowgli’s own safety. The story was well written. I would have totally scrapped the “Beatles” bit (especially since they weren’t able to provide the voices).


Animation Rating: 1 out of 5

I wish I had decided to rate from zero instead of one. This movie was so poorly drawn.

For example, look at the two stills below. The one on top is from Bambi and below is Jungle Book. Do you notice the lack of depth and design? It’s crazy how poorly drawn this movie is. Bambi's art is more clear and light, has more character and texture. Jungle Book is darker (because they dedicated less time to it). Notice how each scene has a dark tree in the forward left; in Bambi you can see the bark, while in Book it's just shadow.The background art was just one of the many things that made this movie unwatchable.

The use of Xeroxing really took away the cleanliness of previous
films. While endearing in 101 Dalmations it was sloppy and lazy in Jungle Book.

The Test of Time:

Why isn’t this movie more represented in the parks? Adventureland is supposed to take place in a jungle, but no Jungle Book. Although I ran into Baloo and King Louie in Animal Kingdom, there could have been many more references to this movie.

I don’t think this movie has stood the test of time. It was the first of several movies that started recycling characters, voices and plots.

I also couldn’t relate to Mowgli, he was being a spoiled child and I felt frustrated the entire movie as I felt more connected to Bagheera and his desire to keep Mowgli safe.

Through the Modern Lens

Again, I think the Beatles reference really dated this movie, but I don’t think there was anything inherently wrong with it. I am please for Disney to have shown a non-white character as a lead. Although during the “shorts/packaged” films there were several Latino/Latina characters, this was the first time to have a feature length movie with an ethnic character (and one that wasn’t just a stereotype)! Kudos to Walt and WDAS for finally breaking their “white” mode.

Next Up:

In the WDAS timeline would be: Aristocats; because of a Netflix mistake, it’s Sword In The Stone.

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