Feast!

When Disney’s superhero animated film, “Big Hero 6,” was released in 2014, it was one of two animated films from Disney’s studio.

As is normal in Disney films, a short animated film called “Feast” was played in theaters before “Big Hero 6,” which was another good short.

“Feast” is about Winston, an adorable animated Boston terrier. The short starts when Winston is a puppy, looking for food in discarded trash of humans he’s surrounded by. Emily Donn said in her review, “Suddenly, a hand lowers a French fry to puppy level, and Winston has found his "furever home," as pet enthusiasts call it.”

No longer looking for cheese in burger wrappers, Winston is treated to a large range of delicious, unhealthy, and highly processed foods his owner eats, with an occasional bowl of kibble in his bowl. However, when his owner meets a woman who is studying to be a chef, and is evidently a healthy food person, Winston’s food diet is drastically changed. Because how can a dog choose between the foods he loves, and the happiness he has with his owner?

Donn noted, “Most films aimed at children throw in a smattering of jokes for the adults who will end up watching as well, be they a dated pop culture reference, or a suggestive innuendo that (hopefully) sales right over the heads of the children.” “Feast” accomplishes the task of a really rare and hard way. The same parts of “Feast” that children will love adults will also love. Seeing how the Internet has really shown continuously that a cute animal video is something that everyone really loves. Winston may be a cartoon dog, but he is as cute and friendly as a real dog. When he tries to gorge everything from pizza to pasta to nachos, it’s adorable and funny. (For those who own/owned a dog, or a sly cat, really relatable.) Despite the short not having any dialogue and everything is seen from the dog’s point of view, there is never a time that is difficult to follow, not even the relationship between the couple.

Donn ended her review by saying, “Feast is a charming lead-in to Big Hero 6, with a strong and simple message about love, family, and those we share our meals with.”

As the final short for “Walt Disney’s Short Film Collection,” I think this is really relatable for those who own a house pet. You will fall in love with this short and you will laugh when you see how Winston behaves with his owner. This is another short that I think everyone should watch because you will fall in love with it and enjoy it from first minute to last.

The other two shorts on this DVD, “Tangled Ever After” and “Frozen Fever,” I have already reviewed a few years back, and I was surprised that they were in this collection. Since those two shorts have already been looked at, I reviewed the other shorts and I think everyone will like all of the shorts here.

Now that we are done with the shorts, look out tomorrow when I review a trilogy of sports films that I am not a fan of in “Disney Month 2020.”

Get a Horse!

Playing before “Frozen” was the 2013 animated short from Disney that was unlike any other short they have done. Especially since director Lauren MacMullan gets the title for being the first female director to direct a film for Walt Disney’s Animated Shorts solo, “Get a Horse!”

Debbie Lynn Elias said in her review, “A perfect hybrid of hand-drawn 2D animation and CG, set to a 3D format, this is the stuff for which 3D (and Disney dreams) was made. Working off original 1928 black & white renderings of Mickey Mouse and company, MacMullan and her artisans treat us to a seamless blend of mediums (more often than not within the same frame) that celebrates the best of the past (all 2D images are here actually drawn on paper) with the technology of the future, set to an uproarious, laugh-out-loud funny tale that is oh-so-Mickey!”

This time, Mickey, Minnie and their friends Horace Horsecollar and Clarabelle Cow are enjoy a musical hayride sing-a-long when their day of enjoyment is sadly interrupted by the evil Peg-Leg Pete who tries to run them off the road. While Horace fights to keep the wagon on the road, Mickey is thrown off the wagon and through the movie screen, landing in 2013, standing on a full color stage (which looks really good for the effect) in amazing color-filled 3D. Can Mickey get back into the 2D frame or is he going to be stuck on that empty stage? Combining the ease of 1928 with hayrides, Milk Duds and popcorn with 2013 innovations like a Smartphone and Captain America shirt, the story is great for today’s time.

As amazing as the visuals are, the grand champion in “Get a Horse” is the voicing. Elias noted, “Thanks to technology, and patience, Mickey Mouse is voiced by Walt Disney himself who, as we all know, was/is the voice behind Mickey.  Combing through thousands of hours of audio, MacMullen and company “cut and pasted” every word together, often requiring the melding of individual letter or syllable pronunciations to get a complete word or sentence of Disney’s voice.” Amongst the cast is Marcellite Garner as the voice of Minnie and Billy Bletcher as Peg-Leg Pete.

I was absolutely amazed at this short. The way it combined the classic animation with modern animation looked like a lot of work went into it, and it was laborious. I wouldn’t be surprised if this short ended being nominated or won Oscar awards. You should see this short because you will be amazed at how great they put this together.

Tomorrow will be the final short that I will look at for “Disney Month 2020.”

Paperman

The next short will be the 2012 short that played before “Wreck-It Ralph,” “Paperman.” Felix Vasquez started his review out by saying, “I think anyone could connect with the characters in “Paperman.” Particularly the mal protagonist of the short animated film who may very well have met the girl of his dreams at a train stop, and can do nothing but hope they will meet again. When he sees her in an office parallel to his work high rise, he does everything he can to garner her attention.”

Desperately, he makes so many paper airplanes to throw at her window and get her attention, but it looks like lady luck isn’t on his side, or his strict boss. Director John Kahrs produces a perfect and beautiful piece of romantic fantasy where fate plays a big hand in the love lives of two normal people. Even though the film attempts to shock realism, it also plays to the music of Disney fantasy where some higher power comes from a man’s desperation to find a family spirit in an isolate world. Vasquez noted, “Filled with top notch two dimensional and subtle computer animation, “Paperman” is a downbeat and beautiful little love tale that lends a sense of wonder to simplicity.”

Vasquez continued, ““Paperman” evokes the classic silent films of the bygone era with a hint of modern themes on isolation and the belief in love at first sight. The animation is meticulous and expressive, but never gaudy, while the writing team allows us to connect with both characters without a single word of dialogue between them. “Paperman” has a great premise with an incredible take on love, and I look forward to watching it again.” With excellent animation, wonderful writing, and a great finale, “Paperman” is a nice and lovable look at the search for love, and the desperate tries to stick with it when it’s found.

This is a nice little short that I think everyone will love. Seeing how it’s a typical tale of man trying to get to the woman of his dreams, it’s told in a nice way that you will enjoy. Check it out and have a good time.

See what the next short will be tomorrow in “Disney Month 2020.”

The Ballad of Nessie

The next short film I will review is the 2011 short, “The Ballad of Nessie,” which was shown before the “Winnie the Pooh” movie, which I don’t think I saw when I took my niece and nephews to see it. Maybe because we came in late, but that’s ok.

Suzannah Otis started her review by saying, “In discussing the short with friends after the show, we all seemed to have different opinions of it, but I loved it. It reminded me in style and design of the classic Disney shorts from the Tall Tales – Paul Bunyan, Johnny Appleseed, even Pecos Bill and Slue-foot Sue from Melody Time.” Narrated by Billy Connolly, Nessie does not speak throughout the short. Otis admitted, “The theme of the short also reminded me of the Pixar short Boundin’, my favorite of the Pixar shorts.”

Nessie’s happy home is stolen when a greedy golfer decides to turn it into a course for her his own personal use. However, the antagonist is not the real one. Actually, it’s Nessie’s endless trouble to find a home and her being told every time to keep her chin up and not to cry, which is difficult for Nessie as she deals with no one wanting her near them. After days of fighting not to cry, Nessie finally just lets out all of her emotions and continues to cry until she creates the entire Loch Ness – her new home. The lesson the narrator tells everyone is that it’s ok to cry and sometimes tears lets the best of us come out. Otis ended her review by saying, “And yes, I *did* tear up at that!”

Personally, I enjoyed this short and really think that everyone should check this one out too. If you can find this short online somewhere, then check it out. Otherwise, if you have a Disney+ account, find the Disney Short Film Collection and enjoy watching every short that is included on there.

Check in tomorrow for more exciting shorts in “Disney Month 2020.”

Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa

The next short I will be looking at is “Prep & Landing: Operation: Secret Santa,” released in 2010.

This short was written and directed by Stevie Wermers-Skelton & Kevin Deters, produced by Dorothy McKim, and executive produced by John Lasseter. Empress Eve mentioned in their review, “This “Prep & Landing” “stocking stuffer” short film follows the comic adventures of Santa’s stealthiest elves, Lanny and Wayne.” With Christmas only a few days away, Mrs. Claus (Betty White) and Magee (Sarah Chalke) assign Wayne (Dave Foley) and Lanny (Derek Richardson) on a secret mission to get a mysterious item hidden inside Santa Claus’ office. You will have to watch and see if they will get the item in time, or if they will be discovered by the Big Guy, voiced by Morgan Sheppard, and be placed on the Naughty List.

Another short that I think really fits with the holiday season. You should check it out because I think that every single one of the shorts that I have looked at have all been good. However, this one is a blessed one that is perfectly fits for this time of the year.

Sorry that this review is so short, but tomorrow we will be looking at a really good short in “Disney Month 2020.”

The Croods

Tonight I got to see the new “The Croods” movie, which was released on Premium Video On Demand today. But first, I think I should let everyone know what I thought of the first “The Croods” movie released in 2013.

Nell Minow started her review by saying, “At least in some respects all children are Neanderthals.” It is a real challenge in parenthood to discipline the sometimes difficult children by teaching them language, manners and safety. Some of the most difficult decisions parents must make come when they try to encourage children to be strong, courageous, independent and carefree when it comes to realizing goals in school, sports and chores while protecting them from mistakes that can hurt or even destroy them.

That’s the concept with “The Croods,” the nice, animated film about a primitive cave family. Minow said, “Familiar family dynamics are amusingly exaggerated in the Paleolithic setting, where the most basic necessities require everyone's full-time attention. The heavy-boned characters designed by the brilliantly witty Carter Goodrich ("Despicable Me," "Hotel Transylvania") may argue, but they demonstrate the strength of their bond on their hunting/gathering expeditions.”

When this family leaves and gets breakfast, they really leave to get breakfast. Minow noted, “In a joyously choreographed race to get food, parents Grug (Nicolas Cage) and Ugga (Catherine Keener), Ugga's mother, Gran (Cloris Leachman), and their three children work seamlessly together somewhere between extreme dodgeball, an obstacle course and a rugby game. Even the happily feral baby joins in for a crucial maneuver.”

Other than that, they stay inside a cold, dark cave. None of the other families of their tribe have survived, and Grug is scared of anything that he cannot control. He mentions to his family that “curiosity is bad and anything that is new is bad.” Keeping everyone alive is his duty. “Never not be afraid,” he warns them. “Fear keeps us alive.”

“I will never do anything new or different,” promises son Thunk, voiced by Clark Duke. However, rebellious teenagers go back as far as protective fathers, and Eep, voiced by Emma Stone, wants to see the world outside the cave. Minow noted, “What Grug sees as safe and under control, Eep sees as boring and old-fashioned.”

That bigger world includes a stranger, a man named Guy, voiced by Ryan Reynolds. He has a lot of new ideas like tools, shoes, a “belt” (Minnow mentioned, “a monkey with a theatrical flair for flourish”) and “baby suns” – fire. Eep wants to learn more. Minow said, “And soon Grug has to make changes because the tectonic plates start to shift beneath him.” Staying the same is no longer safe. The family must leave to find a new place to live. Grug has to learn that sometimes new is not bad and Eep has to learn to appreciate what she already has.

Minow said, “Kids will enjoy outsmarting the Neanderthals, whose experience of the world is so limited that they think fire can be extinguished by dry grass. They will get a kick out of Guy as a proto-MacGyver who shows his traveling companions how to use rocks, vines, leaves — and strategy — to trap food and protect themselves from predators. As Grug and his family leave their rocky home, they find new environments that are increasingly dazzling, with spectacularly imagined vistas and gorgeous vegetation. Those images nicely parallel the opening minds and spirits of Grug and his family.”

Even though there are a little too many mother-in-law jokes, “The Croods” perfectly makes it evident that even before they had fire, families understood how important it was to appreciate and protect each other. Minow ended her review by saying, “Eep reminds us that what may feel like teenage obstinacy and foolhardiness may just be the next step in our evolution.”

Now what can be said about the sequel, “The Croods: A New Age,” released in theaters last month and on Premium Video on Demand today? How do you make an animated sequel to a film that’s been mostly forgotten in the seven years since it was released? The sequel, directed by Joel Crawford, and filled with celebrity voices, may not feel really needed or expected, but is sure enough fun to look at and smart enough in the runtime. Dan Mecca said in his review, “It’s a slightly back-handed compliment to be sure, but maybe that’s okay. Where the perfectly-cute original film worked in a lot of muted tones to match the Stone Age aesthetic, Crawford’s follow-up introduces a new world of colors that pop.” This film is worth watching, mainly for families looking for some entertainment this holiday season.

Like the first one, Cage is doing very funny voice work as Grug, the father of the Crood family. Eep, his daughter, fell in love with Guy in the first film and now he’s a part of the tribe, something that Grug still struggles with. Trying to keep everyone happy, Grug finds an exciting new place with food and shelter. The Croods soon see that this place is ran by the Bettermans, voiced by Peter Dinklage and Leslie Mann, a modern-thinking family who were once best friends with Guy’s long-deceased parents. Mecca noted, “The conceptualization and presentation of all of the forward-thinking gadgets available in the Betterman fort is one of the highlights of the picture, specifically a sequence with a toilet that earns a hearty chuckle.”

As Eep makes the youngest Betterman, named Dawn, voiced by Kelly Marie Tran, rebel her parents, Guy differs his past with his present, complicating his feelings for Eep. There’s a funny sequence with Thunk love the “window” and what lives inside the square it was shaped by. Mecca said, “Bits like this are quick-witted and not overused, considering the format.” Audiences will love how Eep and Dawn are not put against each other in a love triangle of two female characters fighting for the love of the same man.

Mecca said, “Without question, the animation and the kinetic sequences it allows are the highlight above all else. This picture feels designed for quarantined parents who need a 90-minute respite from their children. Along with a wider diversity of its color scheme, the plot moves much faster than it did in the first film, speaking to the increasing pace of everything we’ve all come to expect from our entertainment.”

Along with the over-acting Cage performance, Tran really stands out as a newcomer to the franchise. Her great voice work really gives some positive prediction for next year’s “Raya and the Last Dragon,” where she will voice the protagonist. Mecca ended his review by saying, “This is a light, engaging adventure that never reaches the lowest common denominator bar that so much of mass-audience Hollywood animation falls preys to. Call the bar low if you like, but The Croods: A New Age delivers where it counts.”

For those who are not going to the theaters to see the sequel should see it on Premium Video on Demand. However, you should first see the first one if you haven’t seen the first movie, which is available for free streaming on Netflix. Then you can watch the sequel. I believe they are both really good movies and both are just as good. Check them out and have some good laughs, even though they are not the best movies about cavemen.

Thank you for joining in on tonight’s review, stay tuned tomorrow for the continuation of “Disney Month 2020.”

Tick Tock Tale

The next short, “Tick Tock Tale,” released in 2010, is another really good one. This one is about a clock that has an annoying chime in a clock shop. Every other clock doesn’t like him and the clock feels isolated. He tries to destroy the little man who does the irritating chime that has every clock bullying him and hating him but he can’t.

When he has really sunk, a burglar enters the clock shop to steal some clocks. Annlyel James mentioned in her review, “The ugly-duckling clock sees the thievery and has to do something about it.” He runs after the burglar, makes so much noise to get the attention of a close policeman, but as the burglar sees him he smashes him, basically murdering the clock.

The clock shop owner returns the rescued clocks back to their spaces but throws the smashed clock in the trash. The other clocks write a note to the owner, betting the owner to repair the clock.

As the repaired clock goes back on the shelf between the two clocks that once picked on him he prepares for the ridicule again. Instead, every clock in the shop praises him and are really happy to hear his previously annoying chime. That’s the ending.

James ended her review by admitting, “It was so sweet it made me cry. Dang it, Disney.”

This is another short that I think people should find and watch. A lot of people, if not everyone, can relate to being badly bullied and ridiculed as kids and know what it’s like to feel like a loner and outsider amongst a group of people. You might have had trouble fitting in, but something happens that you gain acceptance. Check it out and see for yourself.

Tomorrow I will look at another really good short in “Disney Month 2020.”