Cast: Tom Hanks (Woody), Tim Allen (Buzz Lightyear), Joan Cusack (Jessie), Ned Beatty (Lotso)
For complete info, see IMDb's Toy Story 3 page.
I'm a huge fan of Pixar, so I'll see anything they do as soon as possible on the big screen. Naturally, I had to see Toy Story 3 in IMAX 3D while it was still available, which didn't give us much time before Eclipse opened.
Toy Story is one of my favorite animated movies and I enjoyed Toy Story 2, but Toy Story 3 was the only one of the series that got me to tear up near the end. I liked Toy Story 3 more than the second movie and will definitely be there for Toy Story 4 if they make it.
I know John Lasseter will never allow them to make a Toy Story movie without a great story and Toy Story 3 definitely lived up to my expectations. If you haven't seen it, I definitely recommend checking it out. Pixar knows how to make animated movies adults will enjoy as much as kids and they're keeping that tradition alive with Toy Story 3.
Grade: A
Labels: 2010, adventure, animated, comedy, Disney, family, Joan Cusack, movie, Pixar, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:21 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Anika Noni Rose (Tiana), Bruno Campos (Prince Naveen)
For complete info, see IMDb's The Princess and the Frog page.
This is the best non-computer animated movie Disney has put out since they first partnered with Pixar to make the amazing computer animated films. It's also the first Disney movie I bothered to see in a theatre that was not made by Pixar for ages. I don't have children, but I worked for Disney and I've always loved animation. Bolt was the first non-Pixar movie by Disney I truly enjoyed in years.
The Princess and the Frog has the first African American princess and one of the first hard working Disney princesses in a long time. I guess since Mulan, though she wasn't technically a princess. There have been a few other Disney princesses who didn't wander around looking for a guy to solve all their problems, but none of them has had as much spunk as Tiana. I loved the main character and the story had some cute twists and turns that made it a bit different from the typical story of the princess and the frog where she kisses the frog and he turns into a prince - end of story.
The animation was very well done, the story and music are great, the voice talents are wonderful... If you haven't seen The Princess and the Frog yet, it is still in a few theatres and I recommend catching it. If not, rent or buy it. I'll definitely own it on Blu-ray disc.
Grade: A-
Labels: Anika Noni Rose, animated, comedy, Disney, family, magic, movie, princess, romance
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Dwayne Johnson (Jack Bruno), AnnaSophia Robb (Sara), Alexander Ludwig (Seth)
For complete info, see IMDb's Race to Witch Mountain page.
I'm sure I would have enjoyed this movie more if I'd seen it in a theatre. The special effects were very well done and even on Blu-ray disc, you can't quite recreate the movie theatre feel without a projection screen and I just have a large LCD HDTV.
I wasn't too impressed with what they did for the story. Perhaps it's been too long since I saw the original Disney movie, but I thought the kids in the original were actually kids, not aliens using the bodies of kids. Maybe I should see if I can find the original on the Disney Channel to check out that story line.
In any case, the movie was worth renting, but not as good as I think it could have been. The special effects are very well done and the movie has a good cast.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2009, adventure, Disney, Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson, family, fantasy, movie, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ed Asner (Carl Fredricksen), Christopher Plummer (Charles Muntz), Jordan Nagai (Russell)
Another winner from Pixar. I saw an article somewhere that said with this release Pixar has proven they can do no wrong. I think they had proven it a few movies ago. They haven't had a single movie I haven't enjoyed (okay, so I didn't think Cars was the best movie in the world, but I still own it).
Up is definitely worth seeing in digital 3D if possible. There's really no better way to see a Pixar movie.
The story of Up is surprisingly touching. I didn't expect to get teary in yet another Pixar movie. Since I was very close to crying in WALL-E, that makes two Pixar movies in a row that had me emotionally involved enough to tear up. It's amazing how much they can make me care about animated characters (human and robot, alike).
I don't want to spoil the movie, but it goes without saying that I recommend seeing it in a theatre, preferably before it leaves the digital theatres, so you can see the best possible quality film.
Needless to say, John Ratzenberger appears in this Pixar movie, too. All Pixar fans know they'll hear him at some point in every Pixar movie.
3D movies seem to be the in thing now. I was amazed by all the 3D previews. Of course, I'm already to see the original Toy Story re-released in 3D this October, so it obviously makes sense for them to animate (or re-render) in 3D.
Grade: A
Labels: 2009, 3D, animals, animated, Christopher Plummer, Disney, Ed Asner, family, John Ratzenberger, movie, Pixar
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: John Travolta (Bolt), Miley Cyrus (Penny), Susie Essman (Mittens), Mark Walton (Rhino)
For complete info, see IMDb's Bolt page.
Bolt is the best non-Pixar animated movie I've seen released in years. This is by far the best Disney animated movie created for a long time. Having seen some of the really horrible animated movies Disney has released in the last few years, I was amazed at how well Bolt was done! It's clear that John Lasseter (head honcho of Pixar, now running all of Disney's animation department) is having a positive effect on Disney's Animation Studios. The only animated movies I've seen in a theatre in recent years are all the Pixar movies (the last one being WALL-E). If this is a sign of things to come from Disney, I may occasionally see a regular Disney animated movie in a movie theatre now. A couple years ago, I would have never thought I could think a Disney movie made without Pixar would be worth putting near the top of my rental queue, let alone seeing it on the big screen.
Bolt is a great story, it's well animated, they have amazing voice talents... It's definitely a must see movie. If you missed Bolt in theatres (and I don't blame you, Disney's animated movies had been horrible lately), rent it and enjoy. Thankfully, Bolt was released on Blu-ray, so the quality of watching it at home is better than many movie theatres would have had.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2008, animated, comedy, Disney, family, fantasy, John Lasseter, John Travolta, Miley Cyrus, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Zac Efron (Troy Bolton), Vanessa Hudgens (Gabriella Montez), Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans), Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans)
For complete info, see IMDb's High School Musical 3: Senior Year page.
This Disney movie was exactly what I expected. The dance numbers were well choreographed for the big screen and (though I initially planned on renting this), I'm glad I went to see High School Musical 3: Senior Year in a theatre with friends on Veteran's Day. If you enjoyed the first two High School Musical movies, you've already seen this, I'm sure. I definitely recommend checking it out, though. They did a good job with their first big screen movie.
Grade: B-
Labels: 2008, comedy, Disney, family, movie, musical, romance, Zac Efron
Reviewed by Kat at the 11:10 AM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ben Burtt (WALL-E & M-O), Elissa Knight (Eve), Jeff Garlin (Captain), Fred Willard (Shelby Forthright, BnL CEO), John Ratzenberger (John), Kathy Najimy (Mary), Sigourney Weaver (Ship's Computer)
For complete info, see IMDb's WALL-E page.
Another wonderful movie from Pixar! I see few movies in theatres these days (thanks to my great new TV and Netflix, I'm not missing much). I try to see those I want to see that are released in IMAX and those with special effects I know will look better on the big screen, but I often don't find the time. I always make time for Pixar movies and (as always) I'm glad I saw WALL-E in a theatre and I'll gladly see it again in a theatre if anyone I know wants someone to go with them to see it. It's possible that this will end up being my favorite Pixar movie, which is saying a lot.
It's amazing that a movie with so little dialogue (nothing is spoken for a LONG time and once there is speaking, there is very little until near the end) can be so captivating and engaging. If you would have told me that the relationship between two robots (one which reminds me a lot of the robots in Star Tours at Disneyland and Short Circuit) could involve me enough to where I'd get a bit teary at one point, I would have thought you were nuts. WALL-E is such a great story that I was completely involved in the outcome throughout the movie.
Everyone coming out of the movie (young and old) seemed to love it. I can't remember seeing such a wide range of people who loved an animated movie (even one by Pixar) - ever. WALL-E is wonderful and I can't recommend it enough!
Grade: A+
Labels: 2008, animated, comedy, Disney, drama, family, John Ratzenberger, movie, Pixar, romance, sci-fi
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ben Barnes (Prince Caspiam), Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie), William Moseley (Peter Pevensie), Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie), Tilda Swinton (White Witch)
For complete cast information, see IMDb's The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian page.
I've enjoyed the way Disney has done The Chronicles of Narnia so much that it's too bad they won't make all 7 movies. I will definitely own all the movies they make on Blu-ray DVD someday (just need that Blu-ray DVD player... and I'll probably wait until they put the deluxe edition out after all movies have made it to Blu-ray).
Not surprisingly, I'm glad I saw The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian the first weekend it came out. I wanted to see it on a big screen and before the film decomposed at all. Unfortunately, there were still a few issues at the end/beginning of reels.
They did a great job bringing the story of Prince Caspian to life. The actors playing the Pevensie children did a great job again (and they're even more attractive now - Disney lucked out as much as the Harry Potter people did. The kids are really cute and you just never know how kids are going to look as they grow up... Since I loved the C. S. Lewis books (and have enjoyed them as an adult when I re-read them before The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe was released in 2005), I can't judge the movies as someone who isn't already in love with the stories. However, I think if you enjoy fantasy movies that this is a great series to explore. If you missed the first movie, rent that first, then go see Prince Caspian.
The quality of this movie has proven that they're going to take the time and spend the money to make sure that each installment of the series is wonderful. I'd guess they'll only do 4 or 5 of the 7 books, but I will be there in theatres to see each movie (hopefully the week they come out), which is saying a lot - I don't see many movies in theatres any more. With my new HD LCD TV, why mess with theatres and the annoying other people with cell phones that go off, etc.? I'm sure this will be even more true once I switch to Blu-ray. Already, the quality is very good.
Heck, if I knew someone who really wanted to see this movie, I'd go to a theatre to see it again. That's saying something for someone who doesn't bother with movie theatres much any more. I highly recommend catching The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian before it leaves theatres. I'm sure it'll be there for a while, so you have time. If you liked the first one, you have to see this one in a theatre!
Grade: A
Labels: 2008, action, adventure, Anna Popplewell, Ben Barnes, Disney, drama, family, fantasy, Georgie Henley, movie, Narnia, Skandar Keynes, William Moseley
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Julie Andrews (Narrator - voice), Amy Adams (Giselle), Patrick Dempsey (Robert Philip), James Marsden (Prince Edward), Susan Sarandon (Queen Narissa), Timothy Spall (Nathaniel), Idina Menzel (Nancy Tremaine), Rachel Covey (Morgan Philip)
For complete info, see IMDb's Enchanted page.
I wasn't sure what to expect from Enchanted. It looked really cute, but I didn't want to get my hopes up too much, even though Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz did the music and the cast was wonderful. Enchanted far exceeded my expectations of a cute Disney movie that I'd want to see once. The music is wonderful. The characters are completely lovable. Although they used aspects of almost every main Disney princess story (the apple and hag from Snow White, story book intro & ending used in many, the carriage and shoe from Cinderella, etc.), I thought the overall feel was very much like Sleeping Beauty, my favorite Disney movie. Perhaps that's why I enjoyed Enchanted so much.
I highly recommend renting Enchanted if you missed it while it was in theatres. It's on my list of movies I need to own on Blu-ray DVD (when I get a Blu-ray player) and it's one of the few movies I watched twice before returning it to Netflix.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2007, adventure, Amy Adams, animated, comedy, Disney, family, fantasy, Idina Menzel, James Marsden, Julie Andrews, movie, Patrick Dempsey, romance, Stephen Schwartz, Susan Sarandon
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Gavin Lee (Bert), Delaney Moro (Jane Banks), Matthew Gumley (Michael Banks), Daniel Jenkins (George Banks), Rebecca Luker (Winifred Banks)
For complete information on this incredibly talented cast, see the official Mary Poppins website for the Broadway musical.
The cast of the Mary Poppins musical is truly amazing and I'm so glad that I got to see the rest of the show with the OBC. I was surprised that it was at TKTS, since Disney seems to avoid that no matter how badly shows are doing and the Original Broadway Cast is still in the show.
Naturally, they made a lot of changes from screen to stage, since there are some things that can't be done well in the theatre. We were all pretty happy with what they did to move Mary Poppins from the big screen to the stage. They did add one character that I didn't think was worth the time or trouble and a whole scene with giant toys that was pretty pointless, but there were some things that couldn't be done and I guess that's how they made up for what was missing.
If you go to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, beware of Cliff (who was working in the right center aisle in orchestra when we were there the first time and left center aisle this time. He has a huge attitude problem and yells at guest after guest. He toned it down once the show started, but we were all pretty blown away by how confrontational and rude he was for working at a Disney show with lots of children in the audience. Definitely a sign of how Disney has been in the last decade or so and that's sad.
The set and the cast are really wonderful and the Mary Poppins musical is well worth the trip. The closing scene definitely is wonderful, as are some of the other scenes in the second act. It was well worth going back to see the end of the musical. If you get a chance to see this, I'm sure it'll be on Broadway for AGES (Beauty and the Beast just finally closed this year to make way for The Little Mermaid). It's worth the trip, but beware that they allow kids to eat candy and cookies during the show, which can make for some annoying noises you don't typically hear in a Broadway theatre.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2007, Ashley Brown, Broadway, Disney, family, Gavin Lee, musical, original
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Patton Oswalt (Remy), Ian Holm (Skinner), Lou Romano (Linguini), Brian Dennehy (Django), Brad Garrett (Gusteau), John Ratzenberger (Mustafa)
For complete info on the talented voices and creative team, see IMDb's Ratatouille page.
Pixar did a great job, as always! I highly recommend Ratatouille. This great story about a rat who dreams of being a chef has amazing animation, great voice talents, and a wonderful story. Everything looked so real that at one point, my friend I went to see the movie with got creeped out due to all the rats running around. That's a huge compliment for an animated movie about rats.
Although the title is hard for people to pronounce, I'm glad to see audiences are going to see Ratatouille. It's another fun Pixar movie that's well worth the time and money to see it in a theatre.
I've liked Pixar since long before they hooked up with Disney and made the first full-length computer animated film (Toy Story) and I have yet to be disappointed with anything they've done. I love that they still show the latest short before their full-length features. It's always fun to see what they've been doing. Lifted, the Pixar short before Ratatouille, was also very well done. It's a cute little story about a teenage alien trying to learn how to abduct humans.
Grade: A
Labels: 2007, animated, Brad Garrett, comedy, Disney, family, John Ratzenberger, movie, Pixar
Reviewed by Kat at the 6:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Ashley Brown (Mary Poppins), Gavin Lee (Bert), Delaney Moro (Jane Banks), Matthew Gumley (Michael Banks), Daniel Jenkins (George Banks), Rebecca Luker (Winifred Banks)
For complete information on this incredibly talented cast, see the official Mary Poppins website for the Broadway musical.
The cast of the Mary Poppins musical is truly amazing and I'm so glad that I got to see the first act (and a little of the second act). That's right, thanks to my friend Craig (yes, I still blame him) who talked about all the horrible things that can happen in previews (when his friend was talking about going to see Mary Poppins in previews), the first time I ever had a problem with a show in previews, though I've seen many was when we went to see Mary Poppins. Craig's friend enjoyed it so much that we moved it up on our list. We got great seats and enjoyed the first act.
Naturally, they made a lot of changes from screen to stage, since there are some things that can't be done well in the theatre. We were all pretty happy with what they did to move Mary Poppins from the big screen to the stage.
Apparently, the closing number is really amazing. I doubt I'll get to see it with the current cast, but I do hope to see the rest of the Mary Poppins musical someday. If you liked the movie, I recommend checking out the musical. The original Broadway cast is amazing! See it while they're still there. (From what I've heard, they're better than the London cast, so I'm waiting for the Broadway CD to come out before I buy it.)
It's pretty amusing that the musical had been running for years in London and had to shut down the same night the Broadway preview audience was sent home early. Unfortunately, Disney handled things so poorly that it was clear they had no idea what to do in that situation. If I'd had young children with me, I would have been very upset with how they left the show (since they changed it so much, I won't explain that part in detail). I think that at the very least they should have brought out the Banks family, Bert, and Mary Poppins and sung the finale. The audience really wanted a nice ending to the evening.
If you go to see Mary Poppins on Broadway, beware of Cliff (who was working in the right center aisle in orchestra when we were there. He has a huge attitude problem and yells at guest after guest. He toned it down once the show started, but we were all pretty blown away by how confrontational and rude he was for working at a Disney show with lots of children in the audience. Definitely a sign of how Disney has been in the last decade or so and that's sad.
The set and the cast are really wonderful and the Mary Poppins musical is well worth the trip (from what we saw). Hopefully, they're done working out the kinks in the system, but I'd still recommend waiting till after previews at this point.
Grade: B+
Labels: 2006, Ashley Brown, Broadway, Disney, family, Gavin Lee, musical, original
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Johnny Depp (Jack Sparrow), Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swann), Jack Davenport (Norrington), Bill Nighy (Davy Jones), Jonathan Pryce (Governor Weatherby Swann)
For complete info, see IMDb's Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest page.
As soon as I saw the first ad for the original Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl movie, I was sold on the franchise. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest proved that the series of movies will continue to impress. I was so happy that they had beat out the opening day and opening weekend records right away, even though I couldn't be a part of that (I was away that weekend). I'm thrilled that Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is still the number one movie in the box office. I wonder if it can stay there three weeks in a row...
I think they did a great job with the story and some of the action scenes were amazing. The whole sequence with the wheel really blew me away. I missed the pirates that would change from flesh to skeleton in the moonlight, but I have a feeling they might be back for the third movie. I guess we'll find out about that next year.
It's amazing that a series of movies based on a Disney ride could manage to be so impressive, while still having occasional nods to the original ride. And, of course, now the ride has characters from the movie in it. It's one of the things I'm looking forward to most the next time I go to Disneyland.
If you haven't seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest, I highly recommend that you catch it while it's still in theatres. The special effects are still wonderful, the cast is still great, and the story is very well done! This is definitely a must see on the big screen! The original movie was a bit more impressive, but I think it's just because we expected this movie to be amazing and I'm sure I wasn't the only one who had doubts about the first one.
All those people who were wondering if Disney made a stupid move making the second and third Pirates of the Caribbean movies together must be realizing that it was brilliant, which those of us who are fans of the movies knew all along. Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest is going to do better than the first movie and who knows how well the third movie will do. The potential is definitely amazing.
Grade: A-
Labels: 2006, action, adventure, comedy, Disney, fantasy, Jack Davenport, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, movie, Orlando Bloom
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:45 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Shia LaBeouf (Francis Ouimet), Stephen Dillane (Harry Vardon), Elias Koteas (Arthur Ouimet), Peyton List (Sarah Wallis), Josh Flitter (Eddie Lowery)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Greatest Game Ever Played page.
Still can't see any golf game as the greatest game ever played, but The Greatest Game Ever Played is still a very good movie. It's a movie about a working class boy who dares to dream and the friendship he finds while trying to achieve it. His father can't understand a boy who dreams, and as a man in the working class of the early 1900's in America?
The Greatest Game Ever Played is based on the true story of Francis Ouimet who dared to dream and defeated reigning champion Harry Vardon in the 1913 US Open. Whether you believe it's the greatest game or not, the movie is well worth renting. The acting is all very good, but Josh Flitter does stand out as the pint-sized caddy and ultimately best friend of Francis Ouimet. He impressed me in "Stephen's Life" (one of the two sit-coms worked on in the show "Situation Comedy" - which was surprisingly entertaining for a "reality" show) and he's wonderful in this movie.
I definitely recommend renting this movie.
Grade: B
Reviewed by Kat at the 7:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Paul Walker (Jerry Shepherd), Bruce Greenwood (Doctor Davis McClaren), Moon Bloodgood (Katie), Jason Biggs (Charlie Cooper)
For complete info, see IMDb's Eight Below page.
I rented this only because I didn't think I could convince my husband to see it in a theatre with me. With no kids to take, it would have looked a bit odd for us to see it in a theatre anyway, but it's a shame we missed it on the big screen. The scenery is amazing!
I've always been more likely to cry over an animal suffering or dying in a movie than a human. I think it's because they're so innocent and have no way to protect themselves. Eight Below made me tear up, but I managed to keep from crying. This wonderful story about an Antarctic tour guide who is forced to leave his sled team behind is heartwarming and great! The guilt Jerry goes through is clear because of Paul Walker's excellent portrayal. The cast is great! The scenery is breathtaking! The dogs are adorable! What more could you ask for?
Don't allow the name Disney and it's horrible reputation for recent live-action movies keep you away from seeing this great film. Since Eight Below is based on a true story, it's an even more powerful tale of friendship and survival than it would have been if it had been written by the best author. See this movie now if you missed in theatres!
Grade: A-
Labels: 2006, adventure, Bruce Greenwood, Disney, drama, family, movie, Paul Walker
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:00 PM show | 1 screams
Cast: Roseanne Barr, G. W. Bailey, Judi Dench
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Home on the Range page.
Well, not being a Roseanne Barr fan, I should have known this Disney movie would be even worse than most of theirs in the last few years. If it wasn't for Pixar, Disney's animated movie department would have died out...
This was a great example of why Disney movies haven't been doing as well as Pixar's in movie theaters or reviews. Simply a horrible movie. The old Disney movies are classics. The Pixar movies are amazing. Since Pixar came into the picture, Disney has stopped producing great animated movies for some reason. I'm not sure why, but if you want to see a Disney movie, rent one of the classics. Stay away from Home on the Range!
Grade: D
Labels: 2004, animated, comedy, Disney, family, Judi Dench, movie, musical
Reviewed by Kat at the 10:30 AM show | 0 screams
Cast:Zac Efron (Troy Bolton), Vanessa Anne Hudgens (Gabriella Montez), Ashley Tisdale (Sharpay Evans), Lucas Grabeel (Ryan Evans)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's High School Musical page.
I heard some great things about High School Musical on Playbill.com and had to Tivo it. I didn't get around to watching it for a while, but it really is a cute movie. As someone who loves musical theatre, I think it's great that Disney is working (again) to get today's kids more interested in musicals (be it in the theatre or in movie form). The DVD and soundtrack have both been selling like crazy, which I think is amazing, since the movie is still on the Disney Channel from time to time. I'm glad that kids are enjoying it so much.
After watching it, I recommended that Renee (my sister-in-law) record it on their DVR so that the girls (adorable nieces Alexis & Jennifer) can watch it.
High School Musical has great messages about being who you want to be (not who everyone else thinks you have to be), treating others well, and other good moral messages. Everything you would expect from a Disney Channel movie wrapped up with some really good music and great performances by some actors I hadn't seen much before (if at all).
If you have kids, this is a must see movie. If not, you still might want to check it out, it's very cute!
Grade: B
Reviewed by Kat at the 8:15 PM show | 1 screams
Cast: Georgie Henley (Lucy Pevensie), Skandar Keynes (Edmund Pevensie), William Moseley (Peter Pevensie), Anna Popplewell (Susan Pevensie), James McAvoy (Mr. Tumnus, the Faun), Tilda Swinton (White Witch)
For complete cast information, see IMDb's The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe page.
Like many lovers of the C. S. Lewis novel, I was very worried about another version of his series being done. I also had hope that it could be amazing if Disney bothered to spend the money to do it right. Believe it or not, that's exactly what Disney did - they did an amazing job with this movie! I re-read the entire 7-book series before the movie came out, so I would have it fresh in my mind when I saw the movie and I was still very happy with the movie.
At the end of the movie, all I could think was, "I hope this makes enough money for Disney to be happy so that they'll make the other movies." They clearly left the story open just as the book did and since The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe has made over $271.5 million (as of 1/22/06), placing it 28th on the all time box office list when it's still playing, I feel pretty confident that Disney will make the other movies and I'm thrilled about that.
The cast of mostly unknowns did a great job as the Pevensie children & all the other characters. I'm sure we'll see everyone in this movie again soon.
This movie is much better than any C. S. Lewis fan could have hoped. Go see this movie if you loved The Chronicles of Narnia and even if *gasp* you hadn't heard of these books before, go see the movie and then read the books. The hardest thing will be to wait for the other movies to come out on DVD before I buy the DVD, since there will probably be a gorgeous box set. I'll just rent the DVD's from Netflix to see the extras before then and try to make that good enough.
Grade: A
Labels: 2005, action, adventure, Anna Popplewell, Disney, drama, family, fantasy, Georgie Henley, James McAvoy, movie, Narnia, Skandar Keynes, Tilda Swinton, William Moseley
Reviewed by Kat at the 12:25 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Johnny Depp (Jack Sparrow), Orlando Bloom (Will Turner), Keira Knightley (Elizabeth Swan)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl page.
A movie based on a Disney ride... My first thought was, "Man, Disney is desperate now." I laughed it off and said I'd ignore it and maybe rent it to fast-forward through it and see parts of it, but then I found out who was going to be in the cast and knew I had to see the movie on the big screen. Once I saw the first preview, I was convinced that Disney had somehow managed to make a good movie based on an attraction. I was shocked.
The special effects alone in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl are worth the price of the ticket. When you add the decent story and great cast to the mix, it's a must see.
I hope they make more Pirates of the Caribbean movies. If they do, I'll be there!
Grade: A
Labels: 2003, action, adventure, comedy, Disney, fantasy, Jack Davenport, Johnny Depp, Keira Knightley, movie, Orlando Bloom
Reviewed by Kat at the 4:30 PM show | 0 screams
Cast: Julie Andrews (Queen Clarisse Renaldi), Anne Hathaway (Mia Thermopolis), Hector Elizondo (Joe)
For complete cast info, see IMDb's The Princess Diaries page.
I have to admit that I was surprised how much I enjoyed this movie. Expecting a teenage flick that wouldn't be very interesting, since the plot seemed so thin, I saw this movie mostly for Julie Andrews. I was happy to find that this was really an endearing and very entertaining.
This movie isn't the same old teenage romantic comedy. It's clever and very funny. Plus, it has that good message for kids you normally find in a Disney movie. This one is that being true to yourself and living up to your potential (be all that you can be...) is very important. I think this is a lesson that everyone needs to learn and some people could use the reminder. Adults with and without kids can enjoy this movie.
Grade: B
Labels: 2001, Anne Hathaway, comedy, Disney, family, Julie Andrews, movie
Reviewed by Kat at the 2:45 PM show | 0 screams