I didn't know this existed until today.

This starts slowly, and to be honest I can't believe this had a theatrical release. I almost turned it off. But then they got to the sound effects room and I couldn't be torn away. Watching them mix paints, and use a zoom camera on multiple layers of transparent animations was mesmerizing. I wish every 10 minutes I didn't get my wonder interrupted by something offensive :sigh:

Notable Grossness

Ethnic slurs, inappropriate flirting in a professional environment, another appearance of the black women centaurs from Fantasia (ugh ugh ugh)

It also has one of my favorite Goofy cartoons, and another old favorite cartoon (which is actually the titular The Reluctant Dragon). Disney Channel used to show these ones in isolation, so I didn't realize they were part of a movie. I honestly consider the cartoons themselves to be sidecar content to the main film, which is mildly interesting when it's not tossing ethnic slurs around. This is why I'm giving it a low grade. Given the content (it's basically a "how animations are made at Disney" feature), I'm not sure it's got a lot of rewatch appeal. Especially if Disney+ has managed to separate out the Goofy cartoon into its own streamable thing.

I especially liked the parts about color mixing, and the multiplane camera, because the technology is interesting. But one of my favorite things is when you get to see voice actors doing the voices for their characters. Donald Duck! But some of these contrived scenes with the animators have a "gee whillikers" sort of tone to them that I doubt is representative of real animation work.

A white man in a green suit with black hair leans over a drawing table facing away from us. At the table is a white man with light brown hair in a white shirt, red patterned tie, and dark suspenders. He is panting like a dog and opening his eyes wide. The caption reads 'srs work'
November 17th, 2020

More Disney Animated Features

A movie release poster shows a group of white people, 4 men, a woman, and a young boy, surrounding a green animated dragon with pink wings and red hair. The poster says "Coming at Christmas, Walt Disney Productions' Pete's Dragon"
Pete's Dragon
Five human actors, a woman, a man, and three children of various ages, sit on a flying brass bed with a floral blanket, with the moon and clouds behind them. Below them, illustrated animals are in various poses: two fish dance together (one in a suit); two fish and an octopus play in a band together with the words "The Briny Boys" on the front of the drum kit; an alligator, a rhino, and a gorilla run around a soccer field in yellow and green athletic outfits; a lion in a crown and red royal robe stands with one foot on the soccer ball; and a secretary bird in a suit with glasses stands watching.
Bedknobs and Broomsticks
Bert, a chimney sweep, Jane, a young blonde child in a red dress and yellow overcoat, Michael, a young strawberry blonde child in short pants and a button coat, and Mary Poppins, a nanny in a red dress with a black hat with white flowers, stand on a rooftop, covered in soot.
Mary Poppins
Bigfoot, a giant humanoid creature with red fur, sits in front of a cardboard box with a downward pointing arrow on the side, wearing a pair of white men's briefs underwear on his head. He holds the crotch hole open with his fingers so he can look out. Goofy, a dog-like humanoid cartoon with black skin and a pale face, and long ears, watches from his yellow car several hundred feet behind Bigfoot, with his son Max in the passenger seat; Max looks similar to Goofy.
A Goofy Movie

Recent Snark

The Lion King

February 22nd, 2022

This is a really epic movie, but it's less of my favorite than I remember. It still has some great moments and songs I like but basically, the half of the movie where Simba's away from Pride Rock is more boring than I remember, and I care a lot less about Simba when he's not a tiny baby.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

July 13th, 2021

Do I honestly even have to review this movie? I have a matching tattoo with my brothers where we each got Lock, Shock, or Barrel. I think it's safe to say I love the hell out of this movie. I've also seen it so many times, and so many times recently, that I ranked it before I even started it. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Aladdin

July 6th, 2021

This is really just such a joyful piece of art, not ONLY because of Robin Williams but definitely a lot because of Robin Williams.

Beauty and the Beast

June 29th, 2021

I love Belle and the animated furniture is charming. I liked this a lot more when I was a kid.

The Rescuers Down Under

June 22nd, 2021

This is legit one of my favorite movies.

DuckTales the Movie: Treasure of the Lost Lamp

June 15th, 2021

What in the actual hell is this movie? Is this the trial run on Aladdin? But like.............a bad one? Also the literal best part of this movie is when they play the DuckTales theme. At the end. :sigh: