Frozen Review: A Home Run for Disney Animation

Full of surprises, intense emotions, dazzling art and terrific music, Frozen is Disney's best non-Pixar animated film in ages. The studio publicists have been advertising it as their best movie since The Lion King, and I agree; Disney hasn't produced such a powerful, crowd-pleasing and memorable film since that 1994 hit.

Netflix Invaded by Pirates of the Caribbean

Rejoice, all ye fans of swashbuckling, dark comedy and undead scallawags. Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (the one truly great Pirates of the Caribbean movie) has landed on the shores of Netflix for instant streaming.

If I'm not mistaken, this actually marks a return of the film to Netflix, following a lengthy absence that began when the Netflix/Stars agreement ended. This new appearance falls under the terms of the more recent Netflix/Disney arrangement.

One way or the other, it's great to see this film available once again. Even if you feel a bit burned out by all the sequels, over-exposure and classic ride makeovers, Black Pearl remains a fresh, imaginative and (thanks to outstanding performances by all four leads) tremendously likable film.

New Disney Collection Arrives With Great Park Tracks

That enormous 4-album Disney Music set we previewed earlier is now available for purchase and download on iTunes. The best news for park fans is the happy confirmation that all but one of Disneyland/Walt Disney World Tracks on disc 4 are available for individual purchase (Disneyland's Splash Mountain is the only album-only park track). Collectors can now pick out any tracks they need without having to pay $39.99 for a massive set of tunes they probably already own.

I'm very happy to finally have a great recording of "The Best Time of Your Life." Happy music browsing!

At Long Last, The Muppet Movie Soundtrack Hits iTunes

It's been a long, long wait for Muppet fans, but the wonderful, original 1979 soundtrack album that introduced "The Rainbow Connection" to the world has finally been released on iTunes and Amazon MP3.

Listening to this little masterpiece is like welcoming an old friend back home. The sound quality is terrific, the performances are incredible, and the Paul Williams tunes have gotten even better with time.

Of course, this album's been released to coincide with the film's debut on Blu-ray, Be sure to read Estelle's review of the movie at This Happy Place Blog and Melissa Sue's spotlight on the disc's bonus features at Mouse on the Mind.

The Muppet Movie is a charmer, and the music has always been one of its greatest strengths. The album stands on its own as a smoothly-flowing musical romp through Jim Henson's timeless world of optimism and wonder. If you've never heard this album, don't miss it--if for no other reason than to hear Miss Piggy try for that high note and fail so spectacularly--so jaw dropping-ly, mind-blowing-ly, glass-shattering-ly spectacularly. "Never Before" has a soundtrack been so funny and so touching at the same time.

The Avengers Storm Netflix

A quiet little art-house movie Disney distributed last year has become available for instant digital streaming on Netflix. You might have heard of it; It's about two British spies named John Steed and Emma Peel who -- oh, wait. Sorry. No, this is the one where superheroes bicker, things explode, Loki gets beat up real good and the Walt Disney Company dances all the way to the bank.

It's not perfect, but The Avengers is certainly a spectacular flick with an outstanding cast and some amazing action set-pieces. If you haven't yet seen this one, get some popcorn and settle back for a fun ride.

For more films, see our full guide to Disney on Netflix.

Geeking Out Over the Saving Mr. Banks Trailer

I didn't expect to shift into Disney Geek Overload mode at the debut of the trailer for the upcoming film Saving Mr. Banks, but...wow. Let's run down the checklist of fun, here...

1: First and foremost, we've got two great performances by Tom Hanks and Emma Thompson as Walt Disney and Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers.

2. We've got Disneyland portraying itself as a young park. With attraction posters front and center.

3. We've got scenes portraying the songwriting Sherman Brothers caught in a cultural crossfire with very funny results. "Responstable is not a word!"

4. We've got a re-creation of one of Walt Disney's most playful appearances on television, when Tinkerbell sprinkled him with pixie dust in his office, levitating him off the floor--much to his annoyance.

The Matterhorn's a Movie Star

The Award for Best Performance by a Theme Park Attraction in a 90's Tom Hanks Movie goes to....Matterhorn Bobsleds in That Thing You Do!

Written and directed by Hanks, the joyous, light-on-its-feet 1996 musical comedy follows the stunningly brief career of The Wonders, a fictional small town pop group who form, rise to stardom, and dissolve all in the course of a single amazing summer in 1964. The film stars Hanks (as the manager), Tom Everett Scott, Liv Tyler, and the world's first tubular steel roller coaster.

Okay, the Matterhorn only gets one scene--But it's a great one! It involves the band's unnamed (even in the credits!) Bass Player who enlisted in the Marines right before the group's record became a hit and who wants to see Disneyland more than anything. Toward the end of the film, he fails to show up for a live television broadcast in Los Angeles. Hanks and the rest of the band are frantic. "Where IS he ???"

The camera CUTS TO the answer:

Now, of course, Disney geeks know the Matterhorn had a different style of bobsled (and single sleds, not tandem) running on the ride in the 60's. But Hanks & crew went to the trouble of repainting the on-camera bobsleds to match a recognizable color scheme from that era of the ride's history. It's a great nod toward accuracy.

If you haven't seen the film, give it a go if you're in the mood for a great, breezy, fun flick full of enjoyable songs and one of Liv Tyler's most powerful scenes ever. If you actually grew up in the 60's, it'll make your jaw drop open at some of the period touches it gets just right: I do remember buying phonograph needles at the local mom n' pop appliance store!

Keep an eye out for the next Tom Hanks/60's Disneyland movie pairing as Hanks plays Walt Disney in the upcoming Saving Mr. Banks!

Attraction-Based Movies We'd Like To See (or Not)

With varying degrees of success or failure, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Haunted Mansion and The Country Bears have all had their turn as motion pictures. There's a Jungle Cruise film brewing, a much-anticipated Mansion reboot in the works, and a Big Thunder TV pilot heading our way.

Is there any ride, show or parade that can't be translated into a movie or TV production?

We think not! Here, for your consideration, Mouse Troop present four pitches for motion pictures based on four park attractions that are crying out for the big screen treatment! Let's start with a sure-fire comedy blockbuster based on a beloved classic that's traveled from Disneyland to Walt Disney World's Magic Kingdom...

CAROUSEL OF PROGRESS

In the 1890's, an average American family visits the Chicago World's Fair. After an accidental gift bag swap on the way toward the exit, "Father" brings home what he believes to be a box of "Hoochie Coochie" stereo slides, but it turns out to be an experimental contraption called the Tech-Evolver, which causes the family's household appliances and tools to become more and more advanced with each passing day. At first, the family's delighted at the conveniences bestowed upon them, but--while the household parrot sarcastically squawks, "Progress!"--things soon get out of hand. The appliances become sentient and attempt to enslave the town's citizens. In the end, Rover and Uncle Orville save the day and everyone agrees that--with proper foresight--there's still a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow.

Oz the Pretty Good (with Fish Heads & Crumbs)

I saw Oz the Great and Powerful yesterday, and enjoyed it a lot, particularly the first and final acts. I wish its structure wasn't so incredibly similar to Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland, which was incredibly similar to Narnia (The prophesy's come true--free us from tyranny! But I don't wanna! But you must! Oh, okay...), but for a prequel tale that sets up the Wizard of Oz, the film works very well.

James Franco does a fine job as Oscar "Oz" Diggs. It's a tough role, since Oscar's a shallow, opportunistic jerk until the last act, but Franco manages to make his eventual change of heart believable. I love all the ties and nods to the 1939 film, starting with Oscar breaking up with Dorothy's future mom! Finley the Flying Monkey and the China Girl are two of the most likable CGI film characters I've ever seen, and the brilliant opening credits are worth the price of admission.

Overall, Oz The Great and Powerful is a spectacular and tremendously entertaining film. Seems I'm not the only one at Mouse Troop who saw it this week....

The Reluctant Dragon Hits Netflix

I have to admit I didn't see this one coming: Netflix just added The Reluctant Dragon to its growing Disney lineup. This isn't merely the short film that's appeared on home video; this is the entire, unedited (and extremely unusual) 1941 feature film starring comedian Robert Benchley with appearances by Walt Disney, Ward Kimball, Norm Ferguson, Fred Moore and Clarence Nash as themselves.

A combination of live action and animation, the film is a wild hodgepodge of fact and fantasy as it presents a very Willy Wonka-like tour of various departments of the Walt Disney Studios, climaxing with the debut of the offbeat and very funny title story. Along the road to Walt's screening room, you'll laugh, groan, and say "What the --" a lot. And --a warning here -- you'll wince at a couple of unfortunate culturally insensitive moments. Speaking for myself, there are two specific seconds of film I wouldn't mind seeing removed.

Most of the movie, however, is a fascinating trip back through time to see how Walt Disney publicly presented his studio to the American public in June of 1941. It's not one of Disney's greatest films, but it contains many terrific moments, and the Dragon short is a mini-classic.

Reviewing the Netflix Disney Films: Alice in Wonderland

With several great Disney classics readily available to stream on Netflix, there's no better time to take another look at these amazing films. Today Mouse Troop turns its attention to one of the most problematic and interesting films ever to come out of Walt Disney Studios. It has a castle, but no princess, no love story, no battles, no time, no way (except the Queen's way), no mustard in the watch, no oysters for the Carpenter and no tea (ever) for Alice.

Few would deny that Disney’s animated Alice in Wonderland fails on a few levels. It lacks emotion, it’s episodic, the story has no goal…

And yet…

It’s my favorite Disney film. I first saw it on Wonderful World of Color way back during my 1960's childhood (when a chance to see Disney animation was a rare treat), and it haunted my dreams. I think small children can relate to Alice’s fear of being lost, and if you experience this film at a young age, the movie retains a deep-rooted sense of peril that’s lost on those who initially view it as an adult.

The Netflix Disney Streaming Has Begun

Attention Netflix subscribers: check out the "Recently Added" section for a very welcome sight.

As mentioned earlier, Netflix and Disney have made a deal, and the result has begun just in time for the weekend. The first wave of selections contains enough gems to make any Disney (and Muppet!) fans happy. I hope this is just the beginning of a huge online library!

Reviewing Disney's Competition: Dreamworks' Rise of the Guardians

Dreamworks has produced two films that make me wish Disney would buy the company just so their amazing fantasy worlds could take form in the parks. The first was the outstanding How to Train Your Dragon. The second, just released, is Rise of the Guardians.

Directed by Peter Ramsey and based on a series of children's novels by William Joyce, the film offers a daring and playful twist on holiday legends. It also continues a welcome trend started by Dragon: another Dreamworks film mercifully free of pop culture jokes and bathroom humor.

The plot in a nutshell: Pitch Black (the Boogeyman) is tired of being ignored while childhood's assigned guardians North (Santa), Bunnymund (Easter Bunny), Tooth (Tooth Fairy) and Sandy (the Sandman) get all the love and attention. Having discovered how to corrupt Sandman's creations into nightmare creatures, Pitch sets out to destroy the Guardians by sabotaging their hard work. If children stop believing, the Guardians lose all their magic and the ability to interact with the human world. The threat is so severe that the Man in the Moon (never seen, but a respected sage to all the legendary characters) selects -- for the first time in centuries -- a new candidate to join the ranks of the Guardians: Jack Frost. But the freewheeling, responsibility-shirking Frost doesn't want to join.

It plays out like a cross between The Avengers and every Rankin/Bass holiday special you ever watched as a child -- and that's exactly why I love this movie. I always enjoy seeing different interpretations of holiday legends, and this one's a lulu.

Disney, of course, has a legacy of creating interesting takes on holiday settings, from the Silly Symphony Santa's Workshop to the Tim Allen Santa Clause trilogy to the terrific Prep & Landing specials. This Dreamworks extravaganza presents an entirely new universe where the Easter Bunny is a six-foot tall boomerang-hurling Australian and the Tooth Fairy commands an army  of hummingbird-like fairies to do her "field work."