Dynergy; or, Death of a Mouse?

Forgive a bad pun, but... The Walt Disney Company is one hell of a family. Note, The Walt Disney Company is. Not necessarily "Disney"... Is Disney dead? Well, that is certainly a loaded question if there ever was one. To even begin to unpack such a question, first of all... It all depends on what …

The Disney Renaissance’s Missing Link?

Popular opinion and maybe Disney themselves determine that the esteemed Disney Renaissance progressed a certain way: The Little Mermaid happened in late 1989, and then Beauty and the Beast happened in late 1991, rest is history, right? But what was going on in 1990? Thirty years ago? It's easy to name one significant event, and that …

MULAN, and The Ongoing Complications of ’90s Disney Animated Films

The arrival of Disney's new live-action Mulan has opened a few cans of worms, some that definitely relate to Disney's animated adaptation of the Chinese ballad that was released back in 1998... You may know that I've had a history of being very harsh on some of the features released during the esteemed Disney Renaissance period. …

The Life of the Animated Short

Last year seemed like just another year in family-friendly animated tentpole movies. A year with a near-alarming amount of sequels, even from the big houses... You had a single Pixar movie and a single Walt Disney Animation Studios film last year, and both were sequels, entries in popular, massively successful franchises. Other stalwarts, like DreamWorks, …

Ralph Mirrors My Past

You know, I'll be brutally honest here... There are days where I question my love for Disney. Now don't be alarmed, I'll always love Walt Disney's work - from the majority of his animated features to his television show to his best live-action movies to Disneyland itself - and it'll always be a pivotal part …

Follow-Up: ‘The Lion King’ and The Future of Animation

Back in September 2016, I wrote about how Walt Disney Pictures' redo of The Jungle Book raised a lot of questions for animation's future. Then I updated said article after Disney officially announced that they were going to remake The Lion King, but now that its teaser is here and there's a plethora of other information out there... …

‘The Nightmare Before Christmas’ – An Animation Thesis

Quite timely... My fifth pick for my "Animation Thesis" review series is a film that's unique in that it can be both a Halloween movie and a Christmas movie... The motion picture is none other than The Nightmare Before Christmas. Released in the autumn of 1993 from Walt Disney Pictures through their "adult" Touchstone Pictures label, The …

I Can’t Get Angry About Live-Action Remakes Anymore…

Recently, a particular quote from an incredibly divisive entry in a massive franchise has been on my mind... "Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love..." A film released by Walt Disney Pictures no less, the same studio specializing in live-action/CG remakes of their animated features. Those who know me well will know that …

‘Infinity War’ Appreciation

I love Avengers: Infinity War... Even though I consider Black Panther to be the best of this year's Marvel Cinematic Universe crop, I've really taken a liking to Avengers: Infinity War. It's just such a big, jam-packed, layered entry in the MCU that effortlessly manages to explore over twenty characters, many of which previously established through other films, …

Make Up Your Own Mind

Another year, another live-action Disney film that tried to do something a little different has possibly failed at the box office... Walt Disney Pictures' adaptation of Madeleine D'Engle's arguably-unfilmmable A Wrinkle in Time hit screens this weekend. Backed by vague and unconvincing trailers, the film seemed to get by on its director's pedigree and its refreshingly …