The Hunchback Of Notre Dame (1996)

Quasimodo, eh. That name rings a bell. *guffaw*

With that lame gag out of the way, it's worth starting this review by mentioning that THAT gag is funnier than most of the lines in this movie. I could also belt out a tune and tell you that my choice of songs would be better than most of the tunes in this movie. Neither of these things made me enjoy the film any less though. I'm just making this clear at the very start.

My lame gag is also a way of clarifying that I'm going to assume people know enough about this story already. Written by Victor Hugo, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame is all about a deformed bell-ringer (Quasimodo, voiced here by Tom Hulce) who lives in the heights of Notre Dame Cathedral. He ends up out in the midst of the public one day, jeered and mocked, and shown some kindness from a beautiful Gypsy woman (Esmeralda, voiced by Demi Moore). The plot then concerns Quasimodo's love for the woman who was kind to him, a "trespassing" suitor (Captain Phoebus, played by Kevin Kline), and the nasty Judge Claude Frollo (voiced by Tony Jay), who is the acting guardian of Quasimodo.

So, bearing in mind it's not too funny and none of the songs are that memorable, what would make The Hunchback Of Notre Dame worth your time? Well, it's just a really good movie, and one that incorporates a number of themes not usually found in cute and colourful animated outings. And the fact that it's not too funny doesn't mean it's completely unfunny, while the songs not being too memorable doesn't mean that they're bad. I found this entertaining throughout, and I enjoyed a few of the main songs, even if I cannot hum any of the tunes right now. Maybe a rewatch will change that.

Written by a whole heap of people, and directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, it's worth celebrating this as a Disneyfied adaptation of quite a dark and twisted classic. All of the voice cast do a great job, it's worth mentioning the presence of Jason Alexander as a gargoyle appropriately named Hugo, and they match their characters perfectly. Kline and Moore are the standouts, but you also have small roles for David Ogden Stiers, playing a kindly head priest, and Paul Kandel as a puppeteer who introduces the main theme of the story.

It's an immersive and rewarding experience, made so by the gorgeous animation and shot choices that bring viewers into the world of late 15th-century Paris, letting them float and fly around the streets and rooftops when free from the confines of Notre Dame itself, and putting viewers alongside some nicely-rounded characters. I'm kicking myself for not getting to this sooner, and I'll look forward to revisiting it. Who knows, maybe one day I'll even check out the sequel, although my expectations will be kept very low down for that.

Highly recommended, unless you're wanting the more standard Disney flick, complete with more hearty chuckles and singalong moments. But you can pick from about fifty of those. So at least give this one your time someday.

8/10

https://ko-fi.com/kevinmatthews

Aladdin (2019)

As Disney continues to remake/repackage their hits to make more money off them, I end up eventually giving in and watching them. All while wondering how bad things can get. Aladdin is arguably the most egregious example yet of the Disney approach of eating their own tail for the sake of the almighty dollar.

Strangely enough, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed The Jungle Book, mainly because it had familiarity to it without slavishly copying every moment from the animated original (which is a firm favourite of mine). I also enjoyed Dumbo more than many others. I didn't LOVE it, but I didn't hate it, as expected. It was never going to equal the original, but it had a good cast and some nice moments. I've not watched most of the others yet, and I won't take up time and space here to once again rant about why The Lion King is not a live-action remake.

And here's Aladdin, a film I had avoided for some time. The original was, as far as I recall, the film that gave Disney a shot in the arm, and also showed a-list stars who good a career move it could be to get involved with something animated (Robin Williams being the scene-stealing genie). So, despite them already remaking some big names, this always felt like a bigger risk.

And it is absolutely terrible. Terrible. It's one of the worst mainstream blockbusters I have seen in the past decade.

The story is exactly the same. You have Aladdin (Mena Massoud), a streetwise lad who survives thanks to his wit and fast hands, and in some of the early scenes he meets an incognito Princess Jasmine (Naomi Scott). Aladdin then ends up in possession of a magical lamp that houses a genie (Will Smith), using it to make him into a prince, much to the suspicion of the cunning Jafar (Marwan Kenzari), the advisor to the Sultan with designs on his own path to ultimate power.

There are a few things that work here. A magic carpet being one, a monkey being the other, and the winning performances of Scott and Nasim Pedrad (playing Dalia, the handmaiden, I guess you could say, to Princess Jasmine). That's about it.

Smith tries hard in the role of the genie, it's just a shame that they kept laying CGI over him, even during some of the smaller moments where it wasn't needed. And, with no offence intended to him, he's just no Robin Williams. Williams brought a manic energy and bottled lunacy to the role that I can't imagine anyone else equalling, and Smith doesn't come close.

He's better than some of the other cast members though. Massoud is about as bland as can be, and Kenzari is terrible in the role of Jafar, not once feeling like a threat until it is required for the last 20 minutes or so.

The direction from Guy Ritchie is probably his worst work to date, which didn't stop this from being a massive financial success, and crediting the script to both him and John August seems to imply enough diversion from the original screenplay that isn't there. You get a different framing device for the main tale, that's about it. The rest is almost exactly as you remember it from the original movie, except not half as good.

If you ever manage to find a magic lamp with a genie in it, just give me one of your wishes, please. And I can wish that I'd never wasted my time on this.

3/10

I also wish for coffee sometimes.

Yule Love It: Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas (2004)

With Disney currently positioning themselves to be our mouse-ear-wearing rulers, and owners of everything that we have emotionally connected to on the silver screen, I felt it was time to dive into one of their many festive selections. Unfortunately, I opted for Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas. Disappointing, especially when you think of how enjoyable Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas was, this is something to point to immediately when people ask why you may prefer traditional animation techniques over computerised imagery.

The main story ideas, as the film is basically an anthology of Disney Christmas tales, aren't that bad. It's a simple case of the animation style being so ugly that it is enough to keep you from purely enjoying any part of the film.

First up we get a tale of Minnie Mouse and Daisy Duck becoming more and more heated in their rivalry at a local ice-skating competition. Then we have a tale showing how Huey, Louie, and Dewey hatch a desperate scheme to get their names on Santa's good list. Third, we have Goofy being his usual embarrassing dad self, this time while his son, Max, brings home a girlfriend for Christmas. Donald Duck is driven mad by the crowds and Christmas carols in the fourth tale. Last, but not least, we get Pluto accidentally ruining Mickey's Christmas plans, which leads to him running away from home and becoming friends with Santa's reindeer.

All of these tales work well with the main characters, and many of them have some nods to other things you have loved from Disney (there are more than a couple of references to Fantasia, for example, and any excuse to get Scrooge McDuck making an appearance is alright by me). The tone and humour are pitched perfectly at the main audience, and every Christmas morning is shown to be that picture-perfect Christmas morning we enjoy seeing in movies (huge tree, snow all around, nice decorations everywhere, carol singers, gifts sitting there for loved ones, etc, etc).

The voice cast are also all as well as you'd expect. Wayne Allwine, Tony Anselmo, and Bill Farmer have been voicing Mickey, Donald, and Goofy, respectively, for many years, and they're excellent. Tress MacNeille and Russi Taylor likewise, the former as Daisy Duck, while the latter does both Minnie Mouse and the troublesome trio of Huey, Louie, and Dewey. And there are small roles for Edie McClurg, Chuck McCann, and Alan Young (who voices Scrooge McDuck).

You wouldn't even notice that three directors and at least a dozen writers were involved here. Everything feels fairly consistent throughout each sketch, culminating in a sequence that has everyone coming together, of course, for some Christmas cheer by a warm fire.

No, the only major sticking point here is the animation. But, DAMN, it's enough to spoil the whole experience. It's not just that it looks cheap and cold, although it really does, but it's also the fact that some of these characters just don't look right when computers smooth off the edges and try to make things sharper, and those characters are usually ducks.

It's not terrible, aside from the horrible animation, but if you have to choose between this and Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas then always go for the latter.

4/10

This is the best way to buy it.
Americans can pick it up here.

Ani-MAY-tion: Basil The Great Mouse Detective (1986)

Despite my love of both Sherlock Holmes and my love of Disney movies, I am neither an expert nor anywhere near a completist in both fields. But I am still surprised that it took me this long to finally watch Basil The Great Mouse Detective, a film that is, for all intents and purposes, a Sherlock Holmes tale that has the main parts played by a variety of animals. I am also surprised that, according to a few articles I browsed before writing this review, this film was quite a success, so much so that it renewed confidence at Disney in their animation department and helped to start them on their road back to grand success (The Little Mermaid, a few years after this, would see them end the decade in a much stronger position than their starting point, and the '90s had some huge animated hits, such as Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, etc). And I missed that. Even as a prime potential viewer, I suspect I was already trying to sneakily watch more adult fare and dismissed this film as something too childish for me. I don't even recall a big marketing push for it, although I assume that it would have been given the usual litany of ads, featurettes on TV shows, and tie-ins.

Basically, this is a film I kept putting lower down on my list of prioritised viewings because I wrongly assumed it had been a failure. It wasn't then, and it isn't now.

Little Olivia Flaversham (Susanne Pollatschek) seeks the services of the greatest mouse detective in London (Basil, voiced by Barrie Ingham) when her toymaker father is snatched away by a large bat. Bumping into Dr. David Q. Dawson (Val Bettin, portraying the Watson to the mouse version of Holmes), Olivia is guided to Basil and makes her case for help. The detective is initially unmoved by her tale, until he realises that it must be part of a scheme cooked up by the nefarious Professor Ratigan (Vincent Price). What dastardly plan is he hatching that requires a toymaker, stolen clockwork mechanisms, and many toy soldier uniforms? The game is afoot.

Despite not being quite up there with their very best work, and that is a high standard to reach, Basil The Great Mouse Detective is definitely high up in the overall Disney canon. The animation is quite lovely, with some delightful little details in most of the scenes, the script (worked on by many people who were transferring the characters from the pages of "Basil Of Baker Street", written by Eve Titus and illustrated by Paul Galdone) is a lot of fun for all ages, and the voice cast is excellent all round, with Ingham and Bettin a wonderful central duo, Pollatschek a sweet little girl in peril, and Price as ear-pleasing as ever with that immediately recognisable voice, used to great effect in yet another villainous turn.

Like other great Disney movies, this also has some moments that will scare younger viewers before carrying them back into safer territory. It's a perfect mix of thrills, chuckles, and spectacle (including a fantastic finale that takes place around Big Ben).

If you're a fan of fine animated films, a fan of Sherlock, or a fan of both, then you should make time in your schedule for this one. There's even a wonderful audio snippet of Basil Rathbone used.

8/10

You can buy the movie here.
Americans can get it here.

Hocus Pocus (1993)

It’s certainly worth remembering how much nostalgia can colour your view of things when you revisit a film like Hocus Pocus, a film that I was probably a bit too old to enjoy when it was initially released and most certainly too old to enjoy it nowadays, at the ripe old age of “I spent a lot of my teenage years wondering which of my mates could help me win a quest on Knightmare” years old.

This is a tale of three witches, the Sanderson sisters (played by Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker). They are your standard, evil witches. In an attempt to stay young forever, they need to drain life force from children. And that gets them in trouble. It gets them a death by hanging. Except death isn’t always the full stop for witches that it is for us mere mortals. Many years later, a young lad who is new in town (Max, played by Omri Katz) decides that it would be good to see what happens when a virgin lights the black flame candle. And what happens is exactly what is said to happen – the witches come back. And they have one night to gain immortality or be turned to dust by sunrise. It’s up to Max and Allison (played by Vinessa Shaw) to stop them, helped along the way by Dani (Thora Birch, playing the little sister to Max) and a talking cat (voiced by Jason Marsden).

There's fun to be had here, especially in any scene that has Midler front and centre, relishing every line that she delivers in her amusingly over the top portrayal, and Hocus Pocus is still one of those movies that I believe serves as a nice introductory "horror" for kids who like some spookiness in their viewing selections. If you can overlook the dated CGI, there's the talking cat to enjoy, an inept zombie, a lively spellbook, lots of fun confusion as the witches encounter the modern world, and a fun rendition of "I Put A Spell On You".

As well as all that, however, you also get the levels of annoying overacting that serve to remind you that this is a typical Disney movie. Not all live action Disney movies suffer from this, but most do. Katz, Shaw, and Birch are all okay in their roles, with Birch easier to excuse as the youngest of the three, but all have their moments. Midler and co. are easier to tolerate because of the characters they're playing. The worst of the offenders are Sean Murray, who plays a young man named Thackery, and Marsden as the voice to the cat (Thackery was transformed as part of a curse, both actors portray the same character), but Tobias Jelinek and Larry Bagby give pretty poor performances as a pair of local bullies, and Doug Jones is stuck with having to overplay things as he pursues the kids in zombie form.

The direction by Kenny Ortega is acceptable, I guess, but there are one or two great moments that show how much better this could have been, with just a little more thought and care for the style of the whole thing, and the script, by Mick Garris and Neil Cuthbert, ranks about the same. There are some very good lines, but also so many scenes that you know could have been filled with a lot more of them. This was a premise full of potential, and only some of it is realised.

There will be people who read this review and hate me, despite the fact that I don't hate the film. A lot of people still absolutely love it. I cannot bring myself to dislike it, despite it not holding up for me so much nowadays, but it's one I would only recommend to anyone wanting to introduce younger viewers to it. You'll still be able to enjoy it for yourself, but watching them enjoy it is an added bonus.

6/10

You can buy the movie on this shiny disc here.
Americans can buy it here.

Shudder Saturday: Escape From Tomorrow (2013)

Escape From Tomorrow begins with a man (Jim, played by Roy Abramsohn) receiving a phone call that is giving him bad news. He's lost his job. And he still has to finish off a family holiday in Disneyland and Walt Disney World. What follows is a steady breakdown, much to the dismay of his wife (Emily, played by Elena Schuber) and children.

You've probably already heard about this movie. It's the one that's most famous for being secretly shot in those aforementioned Disney parks. The font of the opening credits even emulates the Disney flourish. It's a gimmick, one that seemed to work in favour of the film, but I was curious to find out if there was any more to it than that.

Surprisingly, and the film is certainly a divisive one, I found that there IS more to this movie. Although, and I'll state this now before I forget, I was less impressed with it being sold as some bizarre horror film. Whether intentional or not, writer-director Randy Moore has given viewers a pitch-black, subversive riff on the popular Vacation movie series. The father hiding bad news, the incidents that occur with the children (he takes his son on a ride that leads to a lot of vomit), the fake cheer throughout, the scenes in which he starts to follow two attractive young women, the moments of fantasy, this would definitely have featured Chevy Chase in the lead role if it had been made a couple of decades ago, and had more official backing from Disney.

Unfortunately, that's not enough to make this a film deserving of the attention it got. No, that attention was all down to the gimmick. Which is a great shame, because the gimmick actually adds very little to the film. If anything, it makes things worse. If Moore had been able to fake things on his budget, we could have been spared some of the uglier visual moments, including some shots that look like they recycled some rear-projection from the 1950s. Being set in the House Of Mouse allows for a lot of sly references and gags, admittedly, but being shot there does the film no favours whatsoever.

It's obvious that Moore had a great idea he wanted to develop into a feature. It's equally obvious that he didn't have enough to quite get to 90 minutes (which is the approximate runtime here). The script is woefully uneven throughout, devolving into a horrible mess during the "clever" final act. At least the direction is competent enough, I guess, despite the ugly visuals, and Moore at least does a good job of dropping some enjoyable crumbs along the trail that leads viewers from the start to the finish.

Abramsohn is fine in his role, Schuber is better, but given less to work with, and the children - played by Katelynn Rodriguez and Jack Dalton - do what is asked of them. A few other supporting players do fine, and make a memorable impression thanks to the quirkiness of their characters, but the focus is always Jim, with or without his family around him.

It's hard not to at least slightly admire Escape From Tomorrow, even if you end up hating it. It creates an interesting and disturbing world within a familiar, comforting, environment, and Moore can be given credit for doing that. I enjoyed enough here to recommend it to others, tentatively. I just wish that there had been a better way to work on the end result, because the guerilla film-making required takes away from what could have been something unforgettable and brilliant.

6/10

Some mouse problems can be bought here.
Americans can get small world problems here.

Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas (1999)

A delightful animated anthology from The House Of Mouse, Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas uses some of your favourite characters to provide younger viewers with a nice selection of stories that ultimately highlight the true meaning of Christmas.

The first tale has Huey, Louie, and Dewey wishing that Christmas could be every day, much like the hit seasonal song. But, when that actually happens, it doesn't take them long to tire of the idea. As they keep themselves occupied with toys, food, avoiding affectionate relatives, and some pranks, they start to realise that there's possibly something more to Christmas that they hadn't considered while being a bit selfish and materialistic. The second tale focuses on Goofy and his son, with both taking turns at playing Santa Claus at one point, trying to provide others with Christmas cheer. Third, and last, we have Mickey Mouse and Minnie struggling to get each other the perfect gift.

Disney are, of course, no stranger to the animated anthology. It helped them piece together features many years ago, before they didn't have to worry about money and production costs (I know there are still people who monitor such things, but it can't be as worrisome now that Disney owns half the entertainment world). No matter what you think of the brand, they are very good at what they do, mixing entertaining antics with a healthy serving of good morals. The animation is nice enough, but this is really all about the characters being placed in these Christmas tales, so anyone who likes anthropomorphic ducks, Goofy, and Mickey and co. should be kept easily entertained.

The framing device, as slight as it is, shows three main toys under a tree (a boat, a teddy bear, and a sleigh) and has some narration from Kelsey Grammer. There's not a moment of this that doesn't feel as if it's doing the best job possible to make you hear bells ringing and smell the animated pine needles.

Followed by Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas, which I have yet to see, this could easily make itself a small viewing tradition in any family household. And, at just over an hour in length, it's one that can easily be slotted in between other activities of the season. I'd even suggest that it's possible for children to enjoy this one without them getting themselves too hyped up just before bedtime (especially handy for those needing a temporary distraction as they prepare gifts at the last minute while playing Santa Claus).

8/10

Here's a boxset for UK people to pick up and enjoy.
And here is that same set available for dollars.

The Haunted Mansion (2003)

Based on the popular Disneyland attraction (Disneyland? Walt Disney World? Pardon me if I've picked the wrong park, I've not been to either and I bitterly regret the loss to my childhood), The Haunted Mansion is a fun family horror movie that will entertain children for the duration. Unfortunately, it's not enough fun for anyone older.

Eddie Murphy and Marsha Thomason play Jim and Sara Evers, a married couple who are also successful realtors. Work has been getting in the way of their married life lately, but they plan to make amends for that with a nice weekend away. Just the two of them, plus their two children (Marc John Jefferies and Aree Davis). The start of their weekend away is interrupted, however, when Sara is invited along to a mansion that the owner wishes to put up for sale. Determined to just make a quick stop en route to their weekend destination, the family soon find out that they may be stuck in the mansion for longer than planned. A LOT longer.

With plenty of little touches that will be recognisable to those who have experienced the real-life attraction (which doesn't include me . . . . hmmph . . . . sorry, I'll try to leave my bitterness here) and lots of spooky spectacles in every scene that occurs after the mansion reveals its true colours, this is an easy film to sit back and enjoy, from an aesthetic point of view. The quality of the production design here can't really be faulted, even if some viewers may be as disappointed as I was by the lack of actual kid-friendly scares. There are a few, especially during the initial sequence in which most of the Evers family discover that the mansion is haunted, but those are soon abandoned in favour of standard escapades that could take place in any Disney movie.

Director Rob Minkoff does an okay job, it's certainly all pitched perfectly towards younger viewers, and David Berenbaum's script draws everything together nicely in a way that gives everyone a decent part in the unfolding mystery (yes, of course there's a mystery). Yet, it's strange that the leading man isn't allowed to get more laughs, and it's even stranger that so many moments don't feel as if they make the most of the setting.

Murphy is fun in his role, and Thomason makes for a lovely leading lady, but the supporting cast provides the most enjoyment. Terence Stamp is a delight as a creepy butler, Dina Waters and Wallace Shawn are both wonderful as some deceased servants, and Jennifer Tilly has some fun in a small role, playing a character who simply appears as a head in a crystal ball. Nathaniel Parker has a bit of a thankless role, he's the master of the mansion (and mourning a lost love), but he does fine with it, I guess, and young Jefferies and Davies are both likable enough as young Michael and Megan, respectively, with both adapting surprisingly well to the ghostly activity.

Not really worth your time if you're an adult, but it's a perfectly fine choice if you want to introduce young kids to the pleasures of ghosts 'n' ghouls and things that can go bump in the night. Because it's not always advisable to sit them down in front of The Exorcist. Baby steps are required, baby steps.

4/10

http://www.amazon.com/Haunted-Mansion-Full-Screen-Edition/dp/B0001A79EO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1413713646&sr=8-1&keywords=the+haunted+mansion

For another, more adult, movie choice for today (and most days in October) do get yourself over to this great blog written by Christianne Benedict. I am often bad at sharing the love for other writers, but Christianne is often very good at it, and it's about damn time I returned the favour. Even if she's a much better writer than I am.

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Princess And The Frog (2009)

Loosely based on a story by E.D. Baker, The Princess And The Frog is, for me, one of the most unjustly dismissed Disney movies from the past few decades. I think that's all to do with the soundtrack. I enjoy the songs when they're on, but I must admit that I can't recall a single one as soon as the last note is played.

The story, set in New Orleans, concerns Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), who has been turned into a frog by the deceptive Dr. Facilier (Keith David). He needs to be kissed, of course, in order to turn back into his human self. Unfortunately, when he convinces a young woman named Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) to kiss him the end result isn't what either envisaged. Tiana also becomes a frog, Which means that the two have to hop off together in search of a remedy. On their travels they are joined by Louis (Michael-Leon Wooley), a trumpet-playing alligator, and a firefly named Ray (Jim Cummings).

Written by Ron Clements and John Musker, with help from Rob Edwards and quite a few others, The Princess And The Frog is a very traditional Disney movie in terms of the overall style and feeling throughout. There aren't really any/too many sly gags for adults, the focus is on the characters and flavour of the setting. That's no problem, however, when New Orleans provides such a wonderful backdrop to the events, and when the characters are such enjoyable company.

Keith David stands out as Dr. Facilier, but that may be a little unfair - the villain is, after all, often the most fun part to play. Campos and Rose are both absolutely fine in the lead roles, with the former going through the usual Disney journey of self-discovery while the latter helps to point him in the right direction. Peter Bartlett is also very good as the conniving Lawrence, the valet to the prince who works with Dr. Facilier to keep his former master in froggy form. Wooley and Cummings are both a lot of fun, and the supporting cast includes fine work from John Goodman (always so good in voice roles, I find), Oprah Winfrey, Jenifer Lewis, Jennifer Cody, and Terrence Howard.

With its beautiful animation, memorable characters, and the usual selection of moral lessons this has almost everything required from a Disney movie. It's just a shame about those songs. But I hope that anyone who has seen the movie, and subsequently forgotten how good it was, revisits (and possibly reappraises) it, and I hope that anyone previously dismissing it as lesser fare ends up giving it a chance. There may well be some people who end up enjoying it as much as I do.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Frog-Two-Disc-Blu-ray-Combo/dp/B0049GYXDQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1400896131&sr=1-1&keywords=the+princess+and+the+frog

Ani-MAY-tion Month: Meet The Robinsons (2007)

Based on the book "A Day With Wilbur Robinson", Meet The Robinsons is a film full of fun moments and some time-travel shenanigans, but it never feels like a completely satisfying movie. Seven people worked on the screenplay, including director Stephen J. Anderson, and it's a shame that not one of them could do enough to lift the thing from good to great.

Wilbur is a young orphan, seemingly destined to remain at the orphanage forever. None of the prospective parents who come to see him end up taking him home. He doesn't always help himself in that regard, thanks to a penchant for creating inventions that don't always work as they should, but he's a sweet kid desperate to feel wanted. Which is why he puts all of his energies into inventing a machine that will show any memories hidden away deep inside the human mind. He wants to see the face of his mother, who dropped him off at the orphanage years ago. Unfortunately, his invention gets the attention of the evil Bowler Hat Guy, which leads to a young lad named Lewis trying to help Wilbur out by taking him away for a while in his time machine. But time travel is only a good thing when people stick to the rules. It also helps if people don't crash the time machine. While Wilbur and Lewis try to put things right, the Bowler Hat Guy senses victory coming his way.

Mixing kid-friendly science fiction with some quirky humour and a nice retro style, there are lots of elements here to enjoy. The third act, that brings about a few revelations and ties everything together nicely, it very good. The sweeter moments of the opening scenes are also very good. But this is a film that spends its middle section just wandering aimlessly around between pointless scenes and too many redundant characters. Okay, they're not redundant in the grand scheme of things, but the Robinsons are a large family with only one or two individuals who really stand out.

The vocal cast isn't a big help. Although everyone does a good enough job, it's a shame to have Angela Bassett, Laurie Metcalf and Harland Williams wasted in supporting roles. The latter has the most fun, and there are also small roles for Adam West and Tom Selleck, but there's never enough good voice work to shake the feeling that the whole enterprise is quite bland and anonymous.

Danny Elfman provides a decent score, which is as Elfman-esque as his usual work, and there's one great gag spoken by a dinosaur (well, he makes noises and it's translated - but you have to turn on the DVD subtitle option to read it), but that's about all I have left to say. I've run out of praise to sprinkle throughout this review.

Ultimately a bit of a disappointment, Meet The Robinsons is still passable entertainment. But it should have been much better.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Meet-Robinsons-Blu-ray-Angela-Bassett/dp/B0049GYXGS/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1400367439&sr=1-3&keywords=meet+the+robinsons

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Little Mermaid (1989)

For anyone who doesn't know, The Little Mermaid is all about Ariel (Jodi Benson), a mermaid daughter of Triton (Kenneth Mars). Ariel may live under the sea, but she spends most of her time scavenging for items that have been lost to the deep waters by the humans above. When she sees, and falls in love with, a handsome man named Eric (Christopher Daniel Barnes) she wants to be able to go on land and spend some time with him. The tricky Ursula (Pat Carroll) can make that happen. She transforms Ariel's tail into legs in exchange for one thing - her voice. Ariel then has three days to get Eric to kiss her, or she'll be stuck in a very bad situation indeed.

A fantastic outing from Disney, based on a tale by Hans Christian Andersen, The Little Mermaid is the studio doing what it does best. The animation is delightful, the characters are pretty great (with a crab named Sebastian - voiced by Samuel E. Wright - stealing a couple of scenes), the songs are all quite enjoyable, and it teaches younger viewers not to . . . . . . give up their own voices for the sake of love, or something like that. I may be joking, or I may not.

The voice cast all do well, with other noteworthy performances coming from Buddy Hackett and Jason Marin as, respectively, a seagull named Scuttle and a little fish named Flounder, and it helps that Ariel is one of the best female Disney leads in decades, although older viewers may be a bit miffed by just how quickly she falls head over heels in love and is willing to do whatever it takes to be with the dashing Eric.

Ron Clements and John Musker are the men who get to take most of the credit, as the directors and main writers of the thing, but this is really a team effort. Alan Menken and Howard Ashman handle the music and lyrics, a veritable smorgasbord of animators handle the visuals, and there's every other department to consider. That is, of course, the case with every movie, but The Little Mermaid gets so much right in every way that it's really worth trying to give everyone equal praise.

Despite my love for the movie, it's not perfect. There's at least one song that I thought fell a bit flat, and the final act is strangely anticlimactic. In fact, it all feels quite rushed and ill-conceived, which is a great shame. Its not enough to drag the movie down too far, but it is enough to stop it from being in the very top tier of Disney movies. It does, however, still come close.

8/10

http://www.amazon.com/Little-Mermaid-Diamond-Jodi-Benson/dp/B00C7607FS/ref=sr_1_3?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid=1399734188&sr=1-3&keywords=the+little+mermaid

Ani-MAY-tion Month: The Black Cauldron (1985)

Often cited as a low point for Disney, I am not going to beat about the bush with this review. I absolutely agree with the majority. This is a big disappointment. More than that, it's just a bit too bizarre to have come from the house of mouse (and, don't get me wrong, I LIKED some of the bizarre elements).

The black cauldron is an evil receptacle that would allow someone to raise an army of the dead. Someone like, ohhhhh, The Horned King (John Hurt). But, thankfully, The Horned King doesn't know where the cauldron is. Nobody really does. Apart from a cute little pig that can be put into a trance, allowing it to display a talent for second sight not often seen in porcine individuals. That little pig is to be looked after by Taran (Grant Bardsley), a young man who dreams of one day being a hero and of seeing more excitement than anything he has experienced in his life so far. So, being a bit of a moron, Taran loses the pig within minutes, ends up almost hand-delivering the creature to The Horned King and soon has to seek out the black cauldron before it falls into the wrong hands.

Based on work by Lloyd Alexander, it's hard to know whether the fault for the poor material onscreen lies with the source material or the people who had a hand in adapting it for the screen. Well, anyone who has read the any of the books will know, but I am sadly unfamiliar with them. I do, however, trust more in one author taking care with their creation than the dozen or so people that it took to put this script together. Considering the final result, it certainly seems as if too many cooks well and truly spoiled the broth this time around. And then poured the broth all over the animated cells. And then urinated on them.

Directors Ted Berman and Richard Rich don't seem to have done anything to improve the situation. The sub-par animation drags viewers along from one disparate scene to another, with the whole movie lacking any kind of fluidity whatsoever. It doesn't help that a little creature called Gurgi puts itself forward for consideration as the most irritating Disney "sidekick" of all time. He may not be in it for the whole runtime, which is a small mercy, but he's in it enough to make you hate him. Which makes any moment when you're supposed to care about him completely ineffective.

The cast providing the voices are perfectly fine. As well as Hurt and Bardsley, we get Susan Sheridan as Eilonwy, Freddie Jones as Dallben, and Nigel Hawthorne as Fflewddur Fflam. Yes, even the names of the characters are quite irritating, especially when you have to spell them correctly while writing out a review. I would explain who these characters are, but it doesn't seem worth it. Nothing about The Black Cauldron really feels like an actual film. It's more like a selection of deleted scenes that have been stitched together to create the semblance of a feature.

Having listed numerous complaints here, I must just finish by saying that this isn't an unwatchable movie, as surprising as that may seem. No, it's just a very poor one. There are some nice animated moments here and there, and a scene in which Taran and his companions meet three witches is amusing enough, mainly due to one witch blurting out a couple of innuendos and comments that seem out of place in an animated Disney movie from this time.

As with any Disney movie, this one has its fans. I'm just not one of them.

4/10

http://www.amazon.com/The-Black-Cauldron-Anniversary-Special/dp/B003RACGZM/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1398912670&sr=8-1&keywords=the+black+cauldron

Ani-MAY-tion Month: Tangled (2010)

For their 50th animated feature, Disney decided to turn to the classic tale of Rapunzel, shaking it up a bit to create a beautiful, funny adventure that ranks up there with some of their best work.

Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore) is resigned to her life in the tower. Whenever she pleads to go out and see the big, wide world her "mother" (Donna Murphy) manages to convince her that it's no good. But opportunity comes her way when a charming rogue named Flynn (Zachary Levi) seeks temporary safety in the tower. Flynn is forced into agreeing to take Rapunzel out into the world, letting her see the lights that fly in the sky, every year on her birthday. Little does she know that the floating lanterns, for that is what they are, get released every year by her real mother and father, who are royalty, as well as the subjects that they rule over.

Perfectly mixing the traditional with the modern, in terms of both animation and also the characters, Tangled is yet another in a recent run of near-perfect Disney hits. All of the expected elements are in place - the anthropomorphic animal (a scene-stealing horse named Maximus, in this instance, but there's also a very cute chameleon raising smiles), the beautiful princess, the wicked crone, the moral lessons - but they somehow manage to avoid feeling stale. I think that's due, in some small part, to the way in which everything is portrayed in a fairytale age gone by, while also being injected with some modern sensibilities. Disney isn't reinventing the wheel here, but in recent years they've managed to embrace a sense of fun again, a real exuberance that has been elevating their work.

Directors Nathan Greno and Byron Howard have a great script, by Dan Fogelman, to work from, and they keep a nice balance between the sweet, more Disney-esque, moments and the sequences that embrace an enjoyable irreverence. The musical moments, by Alan Menken, also help a lot in this regard, with "Mother Knows Best" and "I've Got A Dream" being the two highlights.

While the vocal cast isn't exactly full of people who are immediately identifiable from their speech, everyone does well in their respective role. Moore, Murphy and Levi are all a pretty perfect match for their characters, while Ron Perlman, M. C. Gainey, Jeffrey Tambor, Brad Garrett and Richard "Jaws" Kiel also lend their talents to the mix.

It's maybe not quite as good as absolute classic Disney fare (although keep an eye out for both Pinocchio and Pumbaa in sneaky, fleeting cameos), but it's pretty great nonetheless. Let your hair down and give it a go. Yes, I just ended with that pun.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tangled-Blu-ray-DVD-Mandy-Moore/dp/B004E10JD4/ref=sr_1_4?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1397497711&sr=1-4&keywords=tangled

The Lion King

Nope, not the movie. As many Edinburgh residents can't have failed to notice by now, Disney's The Lion King stage musical has rocked up to The Playhouse. Are tickets still available for this show, running until 18th January 2014? Probably, but you may end up spending a bit more because this has been playing to packed houses since it started here on 11th October.

The story is the same as it was in the movie, unsurprisingly, as Simba the lion cub is put in a horrible situation by his uncle Scar and blames himself for the loss of his father, Mufasa (the king). This is all a big power play by Scar, who wants to rule the land and also use some subordinate hyenas to keep everyone in place, and it may pan out brilliantly for him. However, Simba has time to grow older and wiser, with the help of two new friends, Timon and Pumbaa.

So, where do I begin to show my ignorance when it comes to reviewing something of this quality?

Here's the touring cast list, and I apologise for not being able to specifically name-check any of the great actors involved in the show I watched last night. I always miss those opening announcements, either due to bad hearing in my old age or some last-minute excited murmuring from the audience, before the lights dim and a respectful hush descends.

Everyone was good, with the likes of Timon and Pumbaa easily getting most of the laughs, of course. The hyenas were also fun, and Scar was as smooth and menacing as he is in the movie. Other highlights were the characters of Zazu and Rafiki. Simba, Nala, Mufasa et al are all fine, but, as is often the way with Disney tales, it's the comedic supporting cast and the villain getting to steal the show.

Mind you, they have an abundance of visual gorgeousness to compete against, and it's actually the style, colours and sheer creativity that will be seared upon your memory as you leave the theatre. Director Julie Taymor (who gave us the visionary film version of Titus, among others) is the main person to have influenced the adaptation of the movie to the stage, and it shows.

From the opening number - "Circle Of Life" - to the grand finale, this is a veritable feast for the eyes at every turn. And, when sitting in your seats, DO turn. Animals make their way down the aisles and onto the stage as the story begins, while the second half of the show starts off with a variety of birds "flying" to the stage after spending some time over the heads of the audience. There are elephants, giraffes, zebras, and much, much more. It's a veritable menagerie of musical mammals.

As for the sets and scenery, while the show does remains very faithful to the film it flows and makes use of the theatrical trappings beautifully. Two sets, in particular, stand out, those being Pride Rock and the Elephant Graveyard. In line with every other aspect of the production, they give a great sense of grand scale, while also moving smoothly into place wherever and whenever needed.

Perhaps it's not quite as magical and entertaining as Beauty & The Beast, which I was lucky enough to see almost a decade or so ago, but it's yet another triumph for Disney. And, yes, I am very pleased with myself for getting all the way to the end of this review without calling the show "a roaring success."

*****

http://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-lion-king/edinburgh-playhouse/

High School Musical (2006)

As I'm often after ways to give my movie watching a sense of purpose, eagle-eyed blog readers may notice certain patterns. For example, I try to include a Hammer movie every week (until I have made my way through most of the ones available to me). There was the Steven Seagal quest that almost broke me. I keep trying to get back to that 1001 Movies To See Before You Die list. And I am currently wrapping up my cinematic journey alongside the great Mr. Kurt Russell. So I asked some Facebook friends what I should line up next. "Get your wife to pick your viewings," someone piped up. Others agreed that this was a GREAT idea. The one person who didn't really like the idea was, funnily enough, my wife. She just couldn't recall what I had and hadn't seen already and had no inclination to pick twenty films, the number I decided to go with. But I kept on and on at her so I guess this is my fault. Yes, I now have to watch all THREE High School Musical movies, but at least have The Mighty Ducks trilogy to look forward to after those.

The film opens during school holidays. A young man named Troy (Zac Efron) and a young girl named Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens) end up on stage together, made to sing thanks to the supportive influence of peer pressure. The two work well together in their duet, they chat afterwards and exchange numbers and then go their separate ways, unlikely to see each other again. When school starts back up, Troy is amazed to see that Gabriella is now enrolled in his high school. This is both good and bad news. He likes Gabriella a lot, but none of his high school friends know about his singing ability. In fact, his basketball team-mates would probably frown upon anything that didn't help him to keep his head in the game. The whole situation could get slightly awkward, even more so when auditions begin for the new high school musical and Troy finds himself tempted to go along. If cast in the musical, Troy and Gabriella risk incurring the wrath of Ryan (Lucas Grabeel) Sharpay Evans (Ashley Tisdale), a brother and sister act who always go all out for these things, as well as upsetting all of their friends and classmates. And Troy's father, the basketball team coach, probably won't look too favourably upon it either.

Viewing High School Musical and then writing up a review for it required me to seriously recalibrate my mindset for a while. It's obvious that this isn't aimed at an adult horror movie fan like myself. It's a Disney movie full of teens with perfect smiles and musical numbers with choreography that mixes skill with some attempts to be cool (such as the basketball number, "Getcha Head In The Game"). Recalibrating my mindset is nothing new. Most of us do it all the time. You go into a horror expecting something different from when you go into a sci-fi comedy, for example. It's just that some recalibration requires more effort. I can never seem to recalibrate enough to make watching recent Katherine Heigl movies any less painful to watch.

The biggest surprise for me while watching High School Musical was that I ended up enjoying it. I'm not going to say that I tried to sing along to one or two of the songs or that I tapped my feet along to the rhythms. But I did. My wife pointed out when I was smiling and tried to mock me until I just shrugged and admitted that I was quite enjoying the movie.

It's sugary sweet in places, it's completely predictable and it's full of people that you'd never want to spend time with in real life, but it all works as it's supposed to. The script by Peter Barsocchini does what is required to move the characters between musical numbers, and the direction by Kenny Ortega keeps the energy levels up throughout. Basically, it's aimed at about 8-12 year olds and it delivers for 8-12 year olds (just a guesstimate, apologies to any 7-year-olds who love the movie).

The cast all do a decent job, despite all looking as if they have been taken directly from some Good Guy assembly line in an alternate universe. Zac Efron is sickeningly talented and when I can see past the mist of jealousy that descends before my eyes I end up really enjoying his work onscreen (having already seen him in 17 Again and Me & Orson Welles). This was the big break for him and Vanessa Hudgens, and both show why they managed to build up such a big fanbase and move on to other work. Ashley Tisdale and Lucas Grabeel have a lot of fun as the privileged Evans siblings, and Corbin Bleu and Monique Coleman are both fine as friends of the two leads. The adults are sidelined, for the most part, but Bart Johnson is okay as coach/Troy's father while Alyson Reed is fairly amusing as the teacher in charge of the music-al.

You will already know if you're unable to stand this movie at all. If you think that you'll hate it then you'll probably hate it. But if you're looking after kids on a rainy afternoon and one of them wants to stick on the DVD . . . . . . . . . . . you could do a lot worse.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/High-School-Musical-1-3-DVD/dp/B002IAIBY2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1368042376&sr=8-1&keywords=high+school+musical

I'll Be Home For Christmas (1998)

Getting home for the holidays, it's been a plot device for many, many years and can prove very successful with the right script, cast and director. Planes, Trains & Automobiles remains one of my favourite movies and is, arguably, one of the best of this particular type of movie. I'll Be Home For Christmas is one of the worst. Well, one of the worst that I've seen.

Jonathan Taylor Thomas plays a fast-talking college student named Jake who plans to spend Christmas with his girlfriend, Allie (Jessica Biel), somewhere nice and warm and away from family. Allie has other plans, however, and wants to go home for Christmas. When Jake is given an incentive by his dad (Gary Cole) - get home by the time the family sit down to dinner and he can have the Porsche - he decides that spending time with his family might not be so bad after all. Unfortunately, his journey gets off to a bad start when a few disgruntled fellow students throw a Santa suit on him, complete with glued-on hat and beard, and leave him stranded in the middle of nowhere. Jake wants to catch up with Allie, who accepts a ride from the irritating Eddie (Adam LaVorgna) after thinking that Jake has just let her down, and wants to get home in time to accept that fine car and he's prepared to do whatever it takes.

Director Arlene Sanford hits every expected beat in this "by-the-numbers" Disney movie. The script by Tom Nursall and Harris Goldberg is so bland that I imagine it being printed on beige paper. Of course, I wasn't expecting anything stellar but there are many live action Disney movies better than this one, especially when it comes to holidays (go for the wonderful The Santa Clause at Christmas and keep a copy of Hocus Pocus on standy for Halloween).

The soundtrack features a number of the usual seasonal hits and is one of the few plus points. The rest of the movie is just far too predictable and bland, from the way that Jake tries to get himself out of trouble with a police officer to the life lesson being learned en route from A to B.

This would all be more bearable, enjoyable even, if there was a decent star in the lead role but, good grief, Jonathan Taylor Thomas is just annoying for every moment that he's onscreen. I mean proper "just punch him in the face to make him go away" annoying. He's supposed to be charming and cool but that just never comes across, in my opinion. The character is just a douche, plain and simple. Adam LaVorgna's character is also a douche but he's SUPPOSED to be a douche so that's okay. Jessica Biel is as appealing as ever though it's hard to understand why she's attracted to the main character. Gary Cole isn't onscreen for long but I always like to see him in any movie so that was another bonus. The other person worth mentioning is Andrew Lauer, who provides a lot of fun with his small role as an easily distracted driver who helps Jake out and then pretends to be a helper elf in order to avoid the long arm of the law.

So the movie gets a point each for Biel, Cole, Lauer and the Christmas songs. A total of four. Yeah, that sounds about right to me.

4/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ill-Home-For-Christmas-DVD/dp/B0001KZNNI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354262847&sr=8-1

The Fox And The Hound (1981)

The Fox And The Hound is a great Disney movie that just falls short of being a real classic because it all feels a bit "been there, seen that". Yet it's still a very sweet movie with wonderful animation and some moments of heartache and fear that will still affect young children.

With three directors involved and lots of writers, the film follows the standard Disney formula almost to the letter but you can't really blame those involved for being set in their ways when it proves a winner time and time again. This particular tale is apparently based on the book by Daniel P. Mannix but, as is so often the way with Disney adaptations, there are very few similiarities between the book and the end result onscreen.

A small fox is hidden away by a parent who is being hunted and ends up in the home of Widow Tweed (voiced by Jeanette Nolan). This allows him to have a fairly happy and safe life. The fox, named Tod, even befriends, and plays with, a hound, named Copper, belonging to a neighbour. That all has to change at some point and Copper is taken away by his owner to learn how to track and hunt. Tod grows up while awaiting the return of his friend but is still naive enough to believe that nothing else will affect their friendship. Sadly, Copper knows better and when he returns he tries to explain to his friend that they can no longer hang around together. Tod doesn't want to believe this but is soon shown just how things have changed.

With Kurt Russell as the voice of Copper and Mickey Rooney as the voice of Tod, The Fox And The Hound almost feels like a bridge between two ages of Disney. The animation is as lovely as ever and the story is the stuff of classic Disney but the studio had a pretty tough time in the 1980s, not helped by the departure of Don Bluth and a number of other animators who helped birth and develop Sullivan Bluth Studios. In fact, production of this movie was delayed by a year because of the staff departures. Perhaps I'm simply projecting onto the film based on the little I know about the ups and downs of Disney but this certainly feels like one of the last old-fashioned outings that they got right just before faultlines began to run through the House Of Mouse.

However, none of that can detract from the fact that this is an endearing, amusing story with moments of great excitement and a cracking vocal cast that includes Paul Winchell (best known as the voice of Tigger), Richard Bakalyan, Pearl Bailey and Sandy Duncan as well as the stars already mentioned. I recommend it as one of the many great Disney films worth including in any collection of family entertainment.

8/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Fox-And-Hound-DVD/dp/B000M2E7KA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1353432551&sr=8-1

Charley And The Angel (1973)

Fred MacMurray takes the lead role in this fairly amusing Disney movie that sees him playing Charley Appleby, a man who is visited by an angel (Harry Morgan) and told that his number is up. This, of course, comes as a surprise to Charley and he immediately starts to worry about getting things in order for his family and trying to make up for lost time. His two young boys treat the father of their neighbouring friend more like their own father, his daughter (Kathleen Cody) is at the age when most of her thoughts revolve around boys (one in the shape of Ed Begley Jr. and one in the shape of Kurt Russell) and his wife (Cloris Leachman) is just used to getting on with things on her own while Charlie works hard and spends his spare time fretting and not being all that much fun. Thankfully, before Charlie has to shuffle off the mortal coil he gets a bit of breathing space, literally, as the angel designated to collect him figures out just why he hasn't died YET and when the exact moment will occur.

Based on the book "The Golden Evenings Of Summer" by Will Stanton (the screenplay was then written by Roswell Rogers) and directed by Vincent McEveety, Charley And The Angel is reminiscent of many other movies about people getting one last chance to change their priorities and put things right in their life. It's also fairly enjoyable after a bit of a lethargic start. In fact, things quickly pick up as soon as Harry Morgan appears and starts having fun in the role of the angel. There's plenty of standard domestic drama but there's also a fun plot strand that sees the two young Appleby boys unwittingly helping some criminals to move large quantities of alcohol.

The cast all do a grand job. MacMurray has given a number of better performances in his career but he's perfectly fine here as the father and husband who is suddenly faced with the realisation of how much he has unwittingly disappointed his loved ones. Cloris Leachman is excellent as the loving wife who starts to worry about her husband's changed personality. Kathleen Cody is bright and bubbly and Begley Jr. and Russell are good enough as the boys vying for her affection. Then we have Harry Morgan, also known as the great Harry Morgan. He's great. I've never seen him be anything less than great but he has a lot of fun here as the playful angel who takes a liking to Charley.

There are others onscreen and they all do well, especially Vincent Van Patten and Scott Kolden as the two youngest Appleby children. The script isn't crammed full of great lines and it's not that sharp but it does enough to keep you interested in the characters and to keep you watching to the very end. Everyone gets a chance to develop nicely after that faltering opening act and there are enough moments of mild amusement to make this worth at least one watch during a rainy afternoon when you have nothing else to hand. Faint praise, I know, but at least it's praise.

6/10

http://www.amazon.com/Charley-Angel-Fred-MacMurray/dp/B005G82GT4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1347648645&sr=8-1&keywords=charley+and+the+angel

The Strongest Man In The World (1975)

The third, and last, of the Disney "Dexter Riley" movies sees a lot of the same names returning to make another romp that may not be quite as good as the previous two movies but still remains relatively entertaining from start to finish.

Kurt Russell returns as Dexter, Joe Flynn is the Dean once more, Michael McGreevey is Schuyler again and the great Cesar Romero is back to play A. J. Arno. Dexter once again finds himself accidentally benefiting from a happy mistake in the science lab - this time it makes him incredibly strong. So strong that he accidentally breaks his shoe-laces, pulls off door-handles and bends lampposts and such. This amazing discovery leads to one obvious decision being made, the dean approaches a popular breakfast cereal company and agrees to represent them at a televised weight-lifting competition against their main rival.

Vincent McEveety is the director this time around, working from a script by his brother, Joseph L. McEveety, and he keeps things moving along nicely. It's just a shame that the film doesn't have as many enjoyable moments as any of its predecessors. In fact, the group of kids feel as if they're just on the sidelines for most of the time with the focus moving to Joe Flynn having fun as the dean, Phil Silvers as the head of the rival breakfast cereal company and Michael McGreevey being at risk because everyone thinks that he has the details of the formula in his head. Oh, and there is some time spent with A. J. Arno and Cookie (Richard Bakalyan, also returning). But there's very little time actually spent with Dexter, and even less time spent with Dexter AND the gang.

The performances are all well and good, completely in line with the other films featuring these characters, and things never come to a grinding halt but it's not all that exciting either, even when it gets to the big finale of the weight-lifting competition. Perhaps that's due to the knowledge of what happened in the other two movies, perhaps it's due to the knowledge that this is a Disney family movie. Whatever the reason, things wind towards the ending with little sense of excitement and fun. The whole premise feels as if it hasn't been used to its full potential.

Yet don't let the negatives stop you from giving this a watch if it's on the TV and the weather outside is dreadful. There is enough here to make it worth a watch and you almost owe it to yourself to "complete the set" if you've seen any of the other Dexter Riley movies. It's an inoffensive, okay movie. Nothing more and nothing less.

6/10

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Strongest-World-Region-Import-NTSC/dp/B0000DZTN4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1346363021&sr=8-1

Lady And The Tramp (1955)

It's very sweet, it has one absolutely iconic scene and it never outstays its welcome but, for some reason, Lady And The Tramp just never makes it right into the top tier of the Disney classics for me. Maybe because it's just a little bit TOO sweet.

The story is all about, of course, Lady and Tramp, two dogs leading two very different lives. Lady (voiced by Barbara Luddy) is a pampered pooch and definitely a part of the family that she lives with while Tramp (voiced by Larry Roberts) spends most of his time avoiding the dog catcher, getting meals from kindly restaurateurs and enjoying a carefree life. When the two get to spend some time together, after an incident that sees Lady removed from the comfort of her home, they soon start getting along very well despite their differences.

Directed by Clyde Geronimi, Wilfred Jackson and Hamilton Luske, Lady And The Tramp is yet another Disney movie that seemed to have as much drama behind the scenes as it did up front (not that hard this time around anyway, there's not much here to compete with the better dramatic scenes that Disney can come up with).

Joe Grant was a problem, due to the fact that it was his original sketches used to develop the story (which was mainly based on "Happy Dan The Whistling Dog" by Ward Greene) without his permission. CinemaScope was a problem, due to the fact that the movie was being made for that format before Walt Disney realised that not all theatres could show movies in that form, forcing him to also have a version of the movie made in the original aspect ratio.
Peggy Lee (who voices a number of characters and sings the classic "He's A Tramp" song, among others) was a problem when she later sued Disney for breach of contract.

But fans of the movie will be happy that it turned out the way it did despite those problems. It's certainly a charming picture, even if most of the characters are somewhat bland and unmemorable (heck, even Lady and Tramp are hard for me to visualise now that the credits have rolled). One standout moment sees the introduction of Si and Am, two Siamese cats out to cause havoc, but the rest of the film is simply okay. I admit that the moment with that shared plate of spaghetti remains one of the sweetest and most romantic images from the movies, animated or live-action, but it's surrounded by a film that's not really up there with the best of the output from the House Of Mouse.

Having said that, it's adorable in the way that puppies are adorable and while it overdoes the sweetness on more than one occasion there are times when it just gets everything perfect and forces you to give in to the urge to say "awwwwww" out loud before catching sight of your own reflection in the mirror and scowling at yourself for being so easily manipulated.

7/10

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