Tag: film review

Cruella

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

This is my review of the new Disney film, Cruella. I love Disney. I enjoy watching all of the live-action remakes or retellings. Villian origin stories are particularly compelling, because I love the idea of hearing the stories we know and love from a different point of view. It is also important to remember, that unlike in the movies, people are not all good or all bad. We all fluctuate on the same continuum.

My absolute favorite recent live action Disney film is Maleficent. Angelina Jolie’s portrayal of a different kind of fairy who’s story is much more complicated than Sleeping Beauty would you have you believe is captivating.

Although I love a good villian origin story, I was a little leery of Cruella. How are they going to make someone who desires to kill puppies sympathetic? I absolutely hate movies with any type of animal cruelty. Thankfully, Cruella focuses very little on the dogs. It’s a much more human story with dogs as the side story. A 101 Dalmatians purist may not like that, but for me it made the story much more palatable. Although, this entire movie takes place prior to the story line we see in 101 Dalmatians, so who knows where it could go if they make a second movie.

The movie was really fun. It was full of drama and fashion and fun characters and revenge. I highly recommend it to all Disney movie fans. I enjoyed it more than I expected to and give it a full 5 stars!

The option to see the movie in a theater or through premier access through Disney Plus is great for large groups. It was much cheaper to purchase the Premier Access and watch it with my whole family. We were staying in a cabin in the mountains near Pigeon Forge. Our cabin had a movie room (with old movie seats, not the fancy recliners of today’s theaters and a projector. The perfect way to feel like we were at the movies, while still being able to pause the movie for bathroom breaks or more popcorn!

Pixar’s Soul

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

We watched the new Pixar movie Soul bright and early this morning after playing with Santa’s gifts for a bit. It is the perfect “looking on the bright side” film for this blog.

Jamie Foxx and Tina Fey star as Joe Gardner and 22 as they journey to find their sparks and soul’s purpose.

It is funny. It is heartwarming. It is jazzy. It is about appreciating the small things in life. It is about staying connected to the important things.

Onward

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

I just got back from the new Pixar movie, Onward, which came out today. Like all Pixar movies, it was adorable. It was both funny and heartfelt. I may have teared up at the end.

I wouldn’t say it’s one of the best Pixar movies, but it was still a fun watch with a great message. I was shocked by the short that played before the movie. It was entertaining, but unexpected. I won’t say more, in case you like to be surprised.

Onward is a story about family and brothers. It’s a story about loss. It’s a story about magic. It’s a story about finding your true self and courage. It’s the perfect story for a “Looking on the Bright Side” kind of life!

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

Tonight, the Maleficent sequel came out and my family was there to see it. The first Maleficent film was the first movie I went to see in theaters after my daughter was born. If you have not seen it, it is amazing! It is probably my favorite live action Disney film.

It is a villain back story that shows good vs. evil is not always black and white. In that way, it is like the Broadway musical, Wicked, which is also excellent if you have not seen it. I am actually surprised that Disney has not put out more villain back story movies, as they seem to be cranking out live action films so regularly.

When I first saw the previews for the sequel, I was a bit put off as the previews all focused on Maleficent as evil. It annoyed me, because that was in direct contrast to the first film’s premise. One can tell in the preview that Michelle Pfeiffer’s character would probably end up being the actual bad guy (which is true), but it only showed Maleficent getting angry.

Of course, the preview does not tell the whole story. This was a film about war vs peace. Acceptance over intolerance. The film is stunningly beautiful. The visuals are enchanting.

The movie may be a bit dark for many young children, although my daughter loves both of them. Angelina Jolie is perfect as Maleficent.

We love Maleficent in my family. My daughter just recently did a Maleficent themed photo shoot. I can’t wait to see all of the pictures. She was gorgeous and is a great model. I also ordered a headpiece so that I can be Maleficent for Halloween this year. My daughter is going as Mal from the Descendants, so my husband and I will be her parents (Maleficent and Hades).

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is a beautiful fantasy film with a great message. I love it!

I’m not a toy!

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

My daughter and I went to the first showing of Toy Story 4 this morning. Like everyone else, I’ve been a fan of Toy Story since the release of the first film 24 years ago. Each of the films has been great, including this one. I think that spacing them out this much really ups the nostalgia factor, but they are each great movies on their own. (The trailer for Frozen’s sequel, however, is looking a bit intense.)

The movie is funny and full of all of our old loveable favorite characters. Several new characters are also introduced, including Duke Kaboom and of course, the loveable Forky! I thought Forky was just going to be a funny side character, but he actually turns out to be a major part of the movie.

Ultimately, this movie is about Woody, Andy’s original favorite toy. If you are emotionally attached to Disney movies (as I am), the ending is bittersweet. You may even cry.

I was the only person in the theater who stayed all the way until the end of the credits for the final post-credit scene. The four teenage movie theater employees stood by and waited for me to leave so that they could start their clean-up of the theater. There are several different scenes during the credits. The one at the very end is cute, but not worth staying for if you’re not really into that sort of a thing. It’s just an extra joke. But I like to get the full experience.

Now to just save my money for a trip to Disney World, so that I can experience Toy Story Land!

Aladdin (2019) Film Review

On By reneemarie31In Disney, Film/TV/TheaterLeave a comment

I went to see the new live action remake of Disney’s Aladdin yesterday, on opening night.  I love Disney movies, and appreciate the new interpretations and added storylines that come with the new live action films.  Aladdin was not my favorite of the recent remakes.  That honor would probably go to Maleficent or Beauty and the Beast.  Aladdin was, however, an enjoyable ride (on a magic carpet).

Will Smith’s Genie was not as funny as the character made famous by Robin Williams, but it was still fun to see his take on the all-powerful master of the lamp.  I love when the remakes give us a literal live-action interpretation of the original, but I also appreciate the added storyline elements and new songs. One of the main additions to Aladdin was a heightened focus on Princess Jasmine’s wish to rule her father’s kingdom after him.  The new original song in the film is entitled Speechless.  It is a feminist anthem about the power of a woman’s voice. It might have been interesting to have the film have an even larger focus on Jasmine and her storyline.


Overall, I quite enjoyed the movie, but not quite as much as the recent Broadway musical production of Disney’s Aladdin.  That performance took my breath away.  It was so beautiful, funny, and entertaining.  If you ever get a chance to check it out, I highly recommend it.  As for the new live action film, I highly recommend it for fans of Disney, musicals, and remakes.  I’m all three, so for me, it was an enjoyable night.