Encanto

This morning, I had finished watching the 60^th Disney Animated Film, “Encanto,” which came out in November. Now I feel it is right to let you know what I thought of this latest animated flick from Disney.

It’s quite a number for animated films, especially when you look at how long they’ve been in the business of making movies. From 1937’s “Snow White and the Seven Dwarves” until now, Disney has been making animated classics.

Allen Adams noted in his review, “It’s literally generational – for over eight decades, families have been coming together to experience the magic of Disney animation.” Kids who grew up with these movies have shared the experience with their kids, who will grow up to share the films with their kids.

That’s why it’s appropriate that the latest film would focus so carefully on that fact. Magic and family and the magic of family. That’s “Encanto.”

Adams is right when he said, “The film – directed by Jared Bush and Byron Howard from a screenplay co-written by Bush and Charise Castro Smith, with original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda – is a captivating exploration of what it means to be a family and the importance of maintaining those connections no matter what obstacles might arise, all refracted through a lens of magical realism.”

It is charming and sweet. Warm, feel-good family fun of the type that we’ve come to expect from Disney. Despite this might be on the lighter side, there’s no denying that audiences young and old will get lost in this magical land – there will be a lot of laughs and obviously a few tears, but maybe a little.

In the mountains of Colombia lives the Madigral family. Long ago, while escaping her home from some villains, a woman and her three infant children are rescued from certain death by a miraculous object, a candle that has magical powers (the titular Encanto). That candle creates a sensitive house – called Casita – where they all may live.

A village grows around the house, a village served and protected by the continuously growing Madrigal family, led by Abuela, played by Maria Cecilia Botero. With the magic, each member of the family is given a gift, a superhuman talent that makes them special. Abuela’s three children are the first to receive those gifts – Julieta (Angie Cepeda) can heal with cooking, Pepa (Carolina Gaitan) can control the weather, and Bruno (John Leguizamo) can see the future. As the Madrigal children grow up, marry and have children of their own, the next generation receives their own gifts.

All but Mirabel, voiced by Stephanie Beatriz.

Mirabel’s gift never came, leaving her the only member of her family without a unique power. Her older sisters both got them – the perfect Isabela (Diane Guerrero), who makes flowers bloom, and the strong Luisa (Jessica Darrow), who has super strength – as did her cousins, the shape-shifting Camilo (Rhenzy Feliz) and the super-hearing Dolores (Adassa). However, Mirabel stays ordinary, an outcast exactly like her Uncle Bruno, but for very different reasons.

However, the night her young cousin Antonio, voiced by Ravi-Cabot Conyers, gets his gift – he can speak to animals – Madrigal sees something that scares her. She sees cracks appear in Casita, visions of their home coming down as the magical candle flickers and is about to be extinguished. Her warnings are ignored by her family, which makes her want to try and find a solution on her own.

This attempt leads her to her Uncle Bruno’s room – long abandoned – hoping to discover what his final vision, the one that made him run from the family, might have said. When her fears come to pass – when the magic starts to fade – it is up to the ordinary Mirabel to attempt the difficult task, saving her family and reigniting the magic.

Adams noted, ““Encanto” is a sweet and culturally thoughtful animated adventure, a film that illustrates Disney’s recent commitment to exploring the experiences of other global communities. Its focus on family dynamics – positive and not-so-positive alike – give it a sense of universality to which most audiences will relate.”

Adams continued, “There’s an underlying goofiness to much of the action that carries broad appeal. For instance, the fact that the house is an honest-to-goodness character, one that is as distinct and engaging as any, lends itself to some entertaining set pieces. The film is packed with bits that embrace the lighter side of these talents – sight gags and throwaway lines and other jokes that will elicit laughs from viewers of any age.”

Obviously, the story wanders a little – Mirabel is a wonderful protagonist, but her quest feels a little incomplete. You might think if the narrative could have been helped from a little more development in certain ways. Adams said, “However, the sheer wattage of charm that emanates from our lead largely makes up for that narrative thinness.”

The songs are solid, but there aren’t really any of the standouts you can sometimes get from Disney and/or Miranda. Still, you’ll be dancing along throughout – they’re all catchy, even if they aren’t really going to be added to your playlists.

The voice cast is excellent. Beatriz is exceptional as Mirabel, finding a balance between courage and self-doubt that is convincing and relatable. On top of that, she can sing. Adams noted, “Every other cast member has their moments, though there are a few that I found to be particular standouts – Guerrero and Darrow as Mirabel’s sisters are both wonderful, as is Botero as the imperious Abuela. Honestly, though, they’re all great. And yes, Disney mainstay Alan Tudyk turns up – he’s a toucan, because of course he is.”

“Encanto” may not be the greatest of Disney’s 60 animated films, but it is more than good enough. Hands down, the heartfelt nature, the deep investment on what it means to be part of a family. Adams ended his review by saying, “You’ll definitely laugh, and if you’re like me, you’ll cry a little too. All in all, I found it to be a truly magical experience.”

I didn’t see this in theaters, probably because I wasn’t really wanting to see it in theaters at the time it was released. I was playing it safe and waiting for it to come out on Disney+, which it did on Christmas. If you haven’t seen this, see it on Disney+ because this is great. Even though Pixar did an animated film on the Day of the Dead, this is a different type of Spanish film. You should check it out because the animation, voice cast, story, songs, and everything about this was enjoyable. You will be glad that you saw this after you finish watching it.

Thank you for joining in on my review today. Tomorrow I will be wrapping up “Space Month.”

Secret Society of Second-Born Royals

Disney continues its romance with royalty in the tiringly titled “Secret Society of Second-Born Royals,” released in 2020. It’s a typical origin story movie, this time combining a nonstop craze with princesses, princes, queens, and castles with the idea of superhero teams. A little of teen boredom is included in here. Alci Rengifo said in his review, “More of a throwaway distraction than a fully-realized epic, it harkens back to the kind of material you would see more often on the Disney Channel.”

The movie is set in Illyria, an imaginary country that is the smallest nation in Europe, but its residents apparently all sound like Americans. It’s ruled by royalty led by Queen Catherine (Elodie Yung), who has two daughters, Eleanor (Ashley Liao), who is next in line to take the throne, and Sam (Peyton Elizabeth Lee), who finds the whole idea of being a princess boring and pointless (as predicted, some of the commoners do too). Rengifo said, “Sam spends her days with friend Mike (Noah Lomax) trying to find gigs for their two-person band, while also grappling with heightened senses that let her hear and perceive almost everything around her. They even perform anti-monarchist jams in public.” However, with Eleanor’s coronation approaching, Sam is sent to a special class that appears to be detention. Turns out, this is to be a special team led by Professor James Morrow, played by Skylar Astin, who trains “second-born royals” who have superpowers. Joining Sam are Tuma (Niles Fitch), who has the ability to talk people into doing anything, January (Isabella Blake-Thomas), who can absorb others powers with a simple touch, Roxana (Olivia Deeble), born with the power to become invisible, and Matteo (Faly Rakotohavana), who has the ability to control insects. As their training begins, a threat comes (unavoidably). Inmate 34, played by Greg Bryk, has escaped from an Illyrian prison and is determined to ruin the coronation.

Rengifo said, ““Secret Society of Second-Born Royals” functions as an attempt at setting up a small-scale franchise to justify your monthly Disney Plus subscription fee. However, director Anna Mastro and Disney deserve credit for keeping the cast diverse. Even when it’s throwaway entertainment, at least the company is making sure to add progressive touches.” The superhero team of the title has no one dominating ethnicity, and even Professor James Morrow cleverly identifies as gay when he introduces himself. If young Disney audiences are expected to be simply distracted by movies like this, at least they’ll get a bit of inclusivity included.

However, returning to the movie itself, there’s not much to discuss about “Secret Society.” Rengifo is right when he says, “It follows a teen movie beat sheet.” Sam is a rebellious royal with superpowers and most of the movie is spent watching her and the team training, which means dodging lasers in a simulation room, learning archery and messing around with their different powers. Except for poor Matteo, who is already socially awkward and feels left out because his power is him guiding butterflies. Rengifo noted, “One can sense writers Andrew Green and Alex Litvak going down the list of superpowers that haven’t been overkilled yet. Roxana and January are the only ones with abilities that could land them a spot with the X-Men. Sam’s abilities sound like what makes Dr. Dre such a great music producer and Tuma would make a great salesman or politician with his power.”

Illyria also feels like a completely boring kingdom. We never look around the streets or capitol. Sam has a part singing a protest song in public, but there’s barely anyone around. Are Illyrians happy with their monarchy? Rengifo asked, “Does Illyria have a secret police like Iran’s Savak under the Shah?” When Eleanor talks about her future, she claims about wanting to give Illyrians the choice of having a parliament alongside the monarchy, you know, like England or Spain. Do Illyrians even want that? We wouldn’t know because the movie never goes outside of Professor Morrow’s training academy. There’s never a feeling that the Secret Society really helps the people because their only real threat is Inmate 34. Later, they get called to try and stop a jewel theft, so it’s not like they go to the streets to protect the peasants from crime. Kings and Queens are popular right now, especially after the huge success of “Black Panther.” However, that was a large action comic book adaptation with style and intelligence, with a villain challenging Wakanda to live up to its faiths and go on world revolution. The royals in this movie could be any bored teens who get to do something fun. On top of that, why do only second-born royals get powers and how? There could have been humor to this entire idea, we even get a look at it when Same goes around a weapons room with portraits of other warrior royals, and above a big gun is a picture of Prince Henry.

“Secret Society of Second-Born Royals” starts and ends quickly. It’s a fast hour and 36 minutes of good young actors doing an exercise of simple movie business. What we get is just a story with no larger goal than to give a chuckle or two. Rengifo ended his review by saying, “In the end, it’s a game of thrones with few royal payoffs.”

I’m sorry guys, but this film was a giant disappointment. What looked like was going to be an interesting teen superhero royalty film ended up being a huge mess. I would suggest you avoid this movie at all cost because there is nothing worth watching in this. You just want this to end so that you can get on with your life because this one flat out sucked. If you have kids, they can probably get into this just fine, but for adults, they will really hate this one.

Thank you for joining in on “Disney Month 2021.” I hope all of you enjoyed this month and have a blessed end of the year. Like last year, this year ended up being very easy for me since I didn’t do a lot of reviews. As I previously stated, with the current pandemic, it might be that way for a while, but we’ll see what the future holds.

In the meantime, I’m going to take a well-needed week vacation. I’ll see you guys next year when I start back up with my normal Friday reviews.

Artemis Fowl

Amelia Emberwing started her review by admitting, “Going into Disney's Artemis Fowl, I had hoped that not reading the source material would work in the film's favor. Hoped that, perhaps, my proclivity for children's movies and young adult fare might grant it some grace. Thought that, maybe, my love for fantasy and lore intersecting with that of science would help gloss over any haphazard COVID-19 rush-jobs.”

Emberwing admitted, “I was wrong.”

Before going into all of that, the first thing to do is briefly discuss the plot. Young Artemis Fowl, played by Ferdia Shaw, is an extremely smart and gifted boy with an interest in science and respect for no one. Artemis Fowl Sr., played by Colin Farrell, has a mysterious job that keeps him away all the time, but when he’s at home he spends a lot of time teaching his son of the myths and legends of the fairy people.

It’s not that long before Artemis Fowl Sr. goes mission, and his son must solve the mystery of his disappearance. With the help of his bodyguard, Domovoi Butler, played by Nonso Anozie, Artemis quickly finds that the fairy people his father had been telling him about for years is real. Artemis, Domovoi, and Domovoi’s niece Juliet (Tamara Smart) get to work on how to rescue his father from the evil Opal (Hong Chau).

To do so, the three will put themselves against all the fairy clan by kidnapping the eager young fairy cop, Holly Short, played by Lara McDonnell. Despite Artemis and Holly’s differences, the two will eventually have to work together to save their respective homes before everything is done.

Doesn’t sound so bad, right. Emberwing said, “A bit rudimentary, sure, but it is a children's story after all. Before we dive into where Artemis Fowl goes so, so wrong, let's take a look at what works.” There aren’t many set pieces in the film, but the Fowl Manor and the small look we get of the fairy world are nice. Some of the costuming’s also neat. Yes, Josh Gad’s costume might have been stolen off of Hagrid’s, but the rest is alright.

Emberwing said, “One paragraph and eight-five words are literally all the nice things I can muster about this film.”

Emberwing admitted, “Here's the thing. There are plenty of allowances I'm willing to make for a children's film. For example, I don't care that Artemis and Domovoi immediately know how to use fairy tech, or that Holly's fairy … pod (?) plays human music despite the stringent separation laws between the two worlds.” It doesn’t really matter that Artemis starts trusting Holly for completely no reason. Kids’ movies can do that!

What any film aren’t allowed to do is introduce a character like Juliet, a young Black girl, who basically does nothing other than bring people food in the film. We see her fencing at first, but afterwards her main reason in the story is to bring people sandwiches. We know what year it is. We know that this type of stuff isn’t acceptable anymore. Yet, there it is, in front of us, in a major studio release.

Films, regardless of genre or age demographic, are also required to put forward an entire narrative. Artemis Fowl does not accomplish that. After they manage to rescue Artemis Sr. with the Aculos, the story suddenly stops. There’s no final fight with Opal, we never hear from the disloyal Briar Cudgeon, played by Joshua McGuire, again, and the device that was told throughout the entire film as too dangerous to return to the fairy people gets returned to them with no questions asked.

We’ve seen Disney do this before with what they consider to be franchise starters. They use the opening film to build up trickery so they can then launch a trilogy along with this. Sometimes they manage to get away with it. Emberwing said, “Other times it's so egregious that it's hard to believe they'll ever be able to build a sequel on top of the nothing of a story they've put forward.” “Artemis Fowl,” released in 2020, falls into the latter.

Emberwing is right when saying, “It's astounding just how much of this film manages to be bafflingly frustrating.” Josh Gad is clearly being directed to overact, ending with tiring monologues that are instead meant to inspire trickery and excitement. Meanwhile, transitions in certain scenes are so random that they almost make even Dame Judi Dench, playing Commander Root, seem like a bad actress. Some of the lines she’s forced to say are just hilariously bad. “Get the four-leaf clover out of here,” and the terribly ridiculous “top of the morning to ya,” is the first thought.

One thing to note is that “Artemis Fowl” is free to Disney+ subscribers. This is convenient, because that’s about how much you should be paying to watch it.

I know this may come as a surprise, but I have never read any of the Artemis Fowl books before I saw this film. However, with that being said, I still don’t think this movie is in any way good. Even though it looked nice, and it felt like it was starting to get good, it never got good. This just ended up being one giant disappointment for people who read the book, Disney fans, or any regular movie watcher. They did the same thing here like they did with “A Wrinkle in Time.” Just do yourself a favor and avoid this one at all cost because there is nothing good in this.

Look out tomorrow because I will wrap up “Disney Month 2021” with another terrible movie.

Zombies 2

Rachel Wagner started her review by admitting, “I enjoyed the first Zombies as a cute little allegory for tweens and teens with some catchy songs and dancing.” Both Disney Channel and Netflix have done a great job in the last decade of creating material that attracts children from ages 9-14. This is important because those ages don’t get enough attention with a lot of content made for younger and older groups but not much for those in between. What is surprisingly nice about “Zombies” is it tries to do more than entertain by starting a topic about tolerance and acceptance. Wagner said, “It’s still the bubblegum fun of the other musical series like High School Musical and Descendants, but it adds a layer that hopefully will start discussions amongst families and lead to kinder treatment of misfits in middle and high schools around the country.”

Now “Zombies 2,” released in 2020, comes along, and we get to see how Zed (Milo Manheim) and Addison (Meg Donnelly) are down and how the town of Seabrook is doing not only accepting zombies but a new group of outsiders: werewolves.

It is a little sad that the creators of “Zombies 2” have basically retold the first movie again but with a new minority to focus on. Wagner said, “On the other hand, tolerance is a lesson that seems to require continual re-learning by our civilization, so I suppose it makes sense to keep teaching our teens about it.”

Wagner continued, “I also did not think that the choreography and dance sequences were as strong as in the first film.” However, the leads are very well cast, and Manheim and Donnelly work great together and good singing talent. The songs are very catchy especially the climactic Flesh and Bone, which is the highlight of the whole film.

Wagner admitted, “I hope for Zombies 3 that they push themselves and their audience a little harder and don’t just introduce another third group of outcasts. Let’s move on from learning to not exclude people to the next step of doing good and making the world a better place. Young people need to learn those skills as much if not more than simply stopping hate from happening. Let’s get our zombies/werewolves/teens storming Congress in the next film! It could be great!”

Even with its flaws, “Zombies 2” does what it needs to do. It has a positive message with a fascinating cast and energetic musical performances. Wagner ended her review by admitted, “I enjoyed it, and more importantly I think its target demographic will really enjoy it, so job well done Disney Channel!”

I’m not going to be too hard on this film, even though it repeats the same story as the first movie. However, I can’t say the film takes itself seriously, which it doesn’t. These two movies are just mindless entertainment, which to their credit, they do it fine. I think they knew it, went along with it, and enjoyed it. However, I didn’t enjoy this film. Still, it’s hard to get mad just because this wasn’t that good. Like a lot of sequels, the first one is better, and the sequel is not as enjoyable. Check it out if you want and liked the first one, but just be forewarned, you won’t like it as much.

Tomorrow I will be looking at a horrible film adaptation in “Disney Month 2021.”

Spies in Disguise

Hagan Osborne started his review by saying, “For all the bonkers tomfoolery endured by Ethan Hunt, transforming into a fast-talking pigeon with a bow tie imprint emblazoned upon his chest is perhaps too overwhelming of a mission for a spy who has successfully gone knuckle-to-knuckle with Superman [aka Henry Cavill’s August Walker in Mission Impossible – Fallout].”

Paying homage to spy films with a nice combination of regular animation and an excitedly high-energy hip-hop soundtrack, Blue Sky Studios 2019’s action-comedy “Spies in Disguise” goes on a mission to revive with an inspirational message of nonviolence.

When a mysterious bionic villain, played by Ben Mendelsohn giving the danger with an Australian accent like no one else, with an army of killer drones threatens to cause extensive danger, the world’s greatest super spy Lance Sterling (Will Smith) unwillingly seeks the help of Walter Beckett (Tom Holland), a clumsy young scientist whose peaceful solution to fighting over Sterling’s beat them brutally.

Mischiefs happen, with Sterling and Beckett going on a worldwide adventure to capture their villain and prevent global destruction. All of this happens while Sterling, following an accidental experiment, must complete the mission as a blue pigeon with almost 360-degree vision, making Sterling go from James Bond to James Bird.

Osborne notes, “Not even James Bond could match Sterling in the suave department, let alone command the respect he does amongst his fellow spies.” The cast include Rashida Jones, Reba McEntire, Karen Gillan, DJ Khaled, and a funny supporting cast of polychromatic, strange pigeons.

Nick Bruno and Troy Quane, who make their directorial debut, deliver on the crazy story thanks to impressive visuals, high-energy action, humor, and strong performances from the voice cast – Holland being a standout – who are in line with the themes of compassion and understanding at the center of the film. Osborne ended his review by saying, “Like a tailored jet-black tuxedo with an accompanying bow tie to match, the message of non-violent conflict resolution at the centre of Spies in Disguise proves a stylish fit for a new era of animated filmmaking.”

I knew of this film, but I didn’t know what it was about. Recently when I decided to watch this on HBO Max, I thought this to be a crazy plot, but it was funny. I guess when they casted Will Smith, they must have thought of his performance in “Men in Black,” so that’s why he got the role. I say to watch this film because as crazy as it might sound, it’s a very funny movie that you will enjoy.

Look out tomorrow when I review the “Zombies” sequel in “Disney Month 2021.”

Zombies

In recent years, Disney Channel created an image for itself by releasing teen-friendly musicals with positive messages and energetic songs. The latest flick, “Zombies,” is one of the better flicks with a sweet message, fascinating performances, and some catchy songs. It was released in 2018, and was worth seeing on Disney+, especially if you have teenage children.

The set-up for “Zombies” is easy. In a town called Seabrook, a zombie outbreak was unleashed which scared the life out of the citizens. To manage, the town built a wall to keep the zombies out. Fortunately, they also developed a cure for the zombies’ brain-eating habits which allowed them to behave like anybody else. Like he villain’s children in “Descendants,” the decision is made to welcome the zombies into the human schools, and this met with harassment and scorn at first. Rachel Wagner said in her review, “Animation fans should enjoy the introduction to Zombies, which shows the creative flair the film has.”

The protagonist, Zed, is played by Milo Manhein, and his dream is to play on the school football team. Meanwhile, human girl Addison, played by Meg Donnelly, dreams of making the cheer team at school. The leader of the cheer team, Bucky, played by Trevor Tordjman, hates the zombies and is the main antagonist in the film. There is also a zombie named Eliza, played by Kylee Russell, that becomes friends with Zed and has a bit of a rebellious side in her.

Wagner said, “There’s nothing all that groundbreaking in Zombies and it could easily be accused of being maudlin and predictable; however, it clearly has its heart in the right place with a positive message that elevates it above typical Disney Channel fare.” The songs are also a lot of fun and well-choreographed by Christopher Scott and director Jeffrey Hornaday. It is impressive how they use glow in the dark effects in the song BAMM.

Donnelly and Manheim are charming in the protagonists and overall, it’s a nice, entertaining film the whole family can enjoy watching together.

If you are a fan of the recent Disney Channel musicals, then you will love “Zombies.” It is one of the better films lately with a sweet message, likable cast and energetic musical numbers. You can see this on Disney+ no problem.

I know it may come as a surprise that this film I found myself enjoying when I have never been a fan of Disney Channel Original Films. However, I don’t think this is great, maybe because it hits the necessary check marks that every one of these films hit. Still, it doesn’t focus on that too much and moves along nicely. The songs are surprisingly energized, and I found myself moving in my seat when they were playing. If you have kids, they can enjoy this no problem, but I don’t think a lot of adults will. If you want to watch it, it wouldn’t hurt, but if you don’t think you’ll watch it after one time, I get it.

Tomorrow I will look at an animated movie that sounds like it would have been a lame plot, but surprisingly turned out to be a fun, entertaining flick in “Disney Month 2021.”

Pete's Dragon (2016)

Between the time of Walt Disney’s passing in 1966 and the supposed renaissance started by “The Little Mermaid,” the Walt Disney film studio released so many decent children’s films. “Pete’s Dragon,” the 1977 live-action-with-animation musical fantasy co-starring the pop singer Helen Reddy, was one of those flicks – a movie that shows love and nice nostalgia from those who it as children, but barely the wonder of those viewers’ parents remembered “Bambi.”

Glenn Kenny said in his review, “It is slightly unfair to say that this reboot of “Pete’s Dragon” is middling on a larger scale, but it’s not entirely inaccurate either.” The movie tells its basic story at a nice look: A boy, Pete (Oakes Fegley), after a car accident that kills his parents (Esmée Myers and Gareth Reeves), is saved from a completely savage future by a dragon he names Elliott (John Kassir). Kenny said, “Pete and Elliott, a computer-animated dragon with green fur, pleasingly leonine facial features, and an emotive noise vocabulary that borrows from both Scooby-Doo and Chewbacca, enjoy a hunky-dory forest life until the pair are discovered by nearby townspeople.” The one plays by a wise Robert Redford, naturally, has seen the dragon himself, in the past. A family team led by Bryce Dallas Howard, as Redford’s daughter, comes to believe in the dragon.

Kenny noted, “The director David Lowery’s independent film pedigree (his previous feature was the accomplished, although self-serious, outlaw romance “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints”) suggests that he would apply a singular perspective to this material.” However, Pete’s Dragon is largely as objective as it is swift. (Lowery also wrote the film’s screenplay with Toby Halbrooks.) Only one shot, a close low-angle view of Pete and Elliott near the end of the film, succeeds as typical. At one point, Redford’s character, Meacham, insists that people need to be open to “magic.” Kenny ended his review by saying, “This sentimental, nearly genteel movie demonstrates there’s a world of difference between invoking magic and conjuring it.”

As a remake, I think this film is quite good. If you have seen the original and liked it, see the remake. As remakes goes, it’s not that bad and is one that you can see and enjoy. Check it out and see for yourself. I promise you will love it.

Tomorrow I will look at a film that I found myself laughably enjoying in “Disney Month 2021.”

Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas

Since everything has been transitioning towards computer-animation, Disney’s famous characters come to 3D-style in “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas.” Released during the 2004 holiday season, the DVD gives five short vignettes put together by a narrator (Clive Revill) reading from a pop-up book.

In the first story, peace on earth turns into a fight when Daisy (Tress MacNeille) and Minnie (Russi Taylor) face off in a competition for the title of hometown darling. Donna Gustafson said in her review, “Sporting a chorus line of hippos in tutus and gator skaters (borrowed from Fantasia), and with animation inspired by Olympic star Michelle Kwan, the Belles on Ice learn the rink isn’t big enough for the two of them- unless they become a team.”

Next, Huey, Dewey, and Louie (Russi Taylor) go off on a “Christmas Impossible” mission to make sure their names are on Santa’s nice list – knowing confidently they’ve been too naughty to get on the nice list normally. During their visit to the North Pole, the three’s selfish mission soon ruins every preparation effort of the selfless elves and ruins the holiday season for everyone. Can these ducks put up enough thought for everyone else to help save Christmas – even if they won’t receive any presents from Santa (Chuck McCann) themselves?

Christmas Maximus starts with Max (Jason Marsden) calling home to ask his father (Bill Farmer) not to do anything Goofy when he brings his girlfriend (Kellie Martin) home for the holidays. Gustafson said, “Of course that’s a tall order for the floppy-eared, bucked-toothed, well-intentioned father to fill.” During the visit, the true question becomes, “Who really lacks the ability to look beyond the outward clumsiness?”

In the fourth story, Donald’s Gift, all Donald, voiced by Tony Anselmo, wants for Christmas is peace, quiet, and a cup of hot chocolate. However, Daisey and his nephews think he should be spending time at the mall with his friends and family, enjoying all the sights and sounds of the season. Gustafson asks, “When the hustle and bustle cause the hot head to quack up, is there any way Donald Duck can bring harmony back to the holiday celebration?”

The last story is Mickey’s Dog Gone Christmas. After Pluto, voiced by Bill Farmer, becomes all paws while excitingly putting the star on the top of the tree, he finds himself in the doghouse. As Mickey, voiced by Wayne Allwine, tries to save what’s left of his decorations, the heartbroken dog decides to run away. As luck would have it, he ends up in the barn of some famous flying reindeer that happily adopt him as their own. Even though he should be elated, Pluto starts feeling homesick and would rather be back home.

Gustafson notes, “This direct-to-home release also provides some deleted scenes, a short segment featuring Michelle Kwan skating for the animation artist, and a couple of games. What is Donald Singing? proves the rest of the world has just as much trouble understanding that sibilant duck as I have. Another activity called Santa’s Workshop Challenge features some sugar coated condescending questions like, “On Christmas eve when your parents tell you to go to bed should you: a) beg and plead to stay up until Santa comes, or b) obey them.” (Perhaps such tactics will only offend viewers too old to be watching this title anyway.)”

Despite lacking any religious content, “Mickey’s Twice Upon a Christmas” does give messages of love, friendship, and caring for others. Apart from some silly pranks, slapstick humor, and ill-mannered belching, parents can feel confident putting this on for their children with this film from Disney.

I know that this isn’t as good as the first one, but I still think it is one that wouldn’t hurt to be seen by families. Check it out on Disney+ and judge for yourself. I know the animation isn’t good and looks like one of those early PC games, but I still think that the message in the end is still good for everyone to enjoy and the segments are nice.

Happy Holidays everyone. I hope all of you have a blessed holiday and enjoying time with family and having great gifts. See you tomorrow with remake of “Pete’s Dragon” in “Disney Month 2021.”

Mickey's Once Upon a Christmas

The spirit of Christmas looks like it lives on more in the movies than in real life, when we see how a person’s idea of holiday cheer is maxing out the credit card for gifts that you’d never buy for yourself. David Keyes said in his review, “As "shop-till-you-drop" people are crowding their ways into malls filled with midnight madness sales, the busy little animators of Disney are churning out holiday cheer in some of the most memorable ways--the recent "Winnie The Pooh: Seasons Of Giving" video package, for example, takes all of those familiar hundred-acre wood characters and places them into a time when family values and the gift of life should be the most important things on a person's mind.” With those themes, the true spirit of Christmas finds representation even with characters that only are alive in our imagination. “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas,” released in 1999, another of the Holiday video releases from Disney, is that example.

The film tells three familiar stories using the famous characters from Disney – Mickey, the first Disney character (Wayne Allwine), Minnie, his charming and often silly girlfriend (Russi Taylor), Pluto, his dog and friend (Bill Farmer), Donald, his crazy friend (Tony Anselmo), Daisy, Donald’s girlfriend (Diane Michelle and Tress MacNeille), Huey, Duey, and Luey, the duck’s nephews (Taylor), Goofy, the only Disney dog to wear a hat and drive a car (Farmer), and Max, Goofy’s son (Shaun Fleming). These types of characters are hard to take seriously during the season of giving, but the film gives us exactly what the season needs. A visual and charming lesson in some of the more important lessons that Christmas time has to offer.

The first story is about that nostalgic wish that Christmas lovers made every year as children – no matter how tiring it may get, they wished Christmas was here every day. Huey, Duey, and Luey, Donald’s three nephews, wake up Christmas morning to three special gifts. They enjoy them so much that, even after their uncle yells at them for not having table manners at dinner, they wish Christmas was there every day. The next morning, their dream comes true (following the same thread as “Groundhog Dog.”)

Without giving too much away, the part is really pointing out what a card from Donald to his nephews says on the inside. Christmas isn’t about snow, presents, or even the tree. It’s about the love and warmth you should be sharing with family. At least the film world doesn’t dwell on that great Christmas present.

The second story is with Goofy and his son, Max, which should set aside any disbelief children have about Santa Clause. The story asks about his existence. Max finds it hard to believe that a man in a red suit with a white beard can go around the globe to deliver presents in one night (Keyes notes, “he even strategically points out how many visits the old guy would have to make per second in order to succeed). But Goofy, being the childlike entity the animators have always interpreted him as, believes down to the last second. When hope seems to be lost for both, the real Santa Clause pays an unexpected visit, rekindling their faith as well as ours.”

The third story doesn’t need much detail, since it is basically adapted from The Gift of the Magi. What can be said here is that the story, starring Mickey, Minnie, and Pluto, makes its point the same way the original story does.

Keyes says, “Disney's strategic release of Christmas cartoons on video help to enliven the spirits of the Scrooges of the holiday season.” “Mickey’s Once Upon A Christmas” succeeds like every other because it has something decent to say, and something to say with a clear, typical likability. Obviously, the film isn’t the best Christmas film to be released by Disney (might leave that to “Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas”), but it tries with serious morals and holiday fun. What could you ask for at a time when people are fighting one another at grabbing presents off store shelves instead of decking the halls?

I remember seeing the last part of the movie a long time ago and I thought the entire short was just that. Little did I know that it was an entire movie with a collection of shorts. Check this out and have an enjoyable time because this is a likable special from Disney. It does have that holiday spirit that everyone can get into around this time of year and is great for the whole family.

Look out tomorrow when I review the sequel to this during Christmas day in “Disney Month 2021.”

Mickey's Christmas Carol

Thankfully, time has been nice to “Mickey’s Christmas Carol,” released in 1983, mainly because the short abbreviates the Charles Dickens classic, but still keeps many of its themes and heart. Felix Vasquez said in his review, “In the end, it never sugarcoats the potential fate of Scrooge McDuck, nor does it deny that Tiny Tim will die eventually because he couldn’t afford to eat and purchase the medicine needed for him. That said, “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is a classic animated special with your usual Disney Easter Eggs, while also telling the classic story of the Christmas spirit.”

Set in 1843, Scrooge McDuck is a man angry at the idea of Christmas arriving and refuses to let his bookkeeper employee Bob have a raise including extra coal to keep warm during the snowy winter ahead. Bob is played by Mickey Mouse who struggles for his money and really wants to make it home for Christmas to celebrate with his family. When Scrooge fires Bob and goes home, he is told that he’ll be haunted by three ghosts that him to separate parts of his life.

Not only do we get insight as to why he loathes the holiday, but also what people in his life think of him, and how he will inevitably end up when he dies. “Mickey’s Christmas Carol” is really nothing but the retelling of the Dickens’ classic story but with Disney characters instead of human characters, but it still manages to be a cute and heartfelt film with some excellent production qualities. Vasquez ended his review by saying, “I really cared about what happened to these characters, and say what you want about Disney, but using their characters to convey classic literature ultimately exposed me, and likely many others, to actual literary classics.”

I remember seeing this short a long time ago, but only a little bit of it. It’s still a classic that holds up to this day. If you’re a fan of Disney shorts, this one is not to be skipped. Check it out on Disney+ for the holidays and have an enjoyable time.

Tomorrow I will be reviewing another classic Disney holiday special in “Disney Month 2021.”

Lemonade Mouth

Felix Vasquez started his review by saying, “One of my misapprehensions going in “Lemonade Mouth” was that ultimately the film would serve as a function to promote the lovely Ms. Bridgit Mendler. And while yes that is true, “Lemonade Mouth” holds true to the characters’ ideals that this is a group story about a group of people who come together to make some darn fine pop music and as such while Mendler is the spotlight player (being Disney’s now go to gal for a franchise), she’s not the highlight. Why did I watch this? Admittedly for Hayley Kiyoko who above all is one groovy mama jama whose own life is like a rock fantasy. Thankfully, she’s also not the sole highlight of the film.”

Deep down the story of the film is about five kids who make a band, and the writers stay true to that promise that is about five characters and five characters only. While everyone else is front and center at one point or another (Lemonade Mouth has a rival band, who hates them), the movie is about the coming of age of five kids who find out they want to be different. Lemonade Mouth refers to the mouth shape that is made whenever it gathers at the taste of Lemonade and this becomes the idea for the band mainly because it’s what they do before they perform. There is a crowd of talent among the ensemble cast here with actresses like Mendler giving an emotional performance as the group’s lead singer Olivia, while the others never really reach her level of tragedy.

She’s is raised by her grandmother, played by Judith Rane, whose mom is absent, and dad is in jail. The rest of the band members (Adam Hicks, Hayley Kiyoko, Naomi Scott, and Blake Michael) problems sound really minor after hearing their difficulty, but nevertheless they have something to prove to over approving, disapproving, obsessive parents who expect something out of everyone in the band. Vasquez mentioned, “Of course they come under the assault of the school’s principal (Christopher MacDonald) who is so over the top he’s practically an eighties villain, who hates their anti-establishment speech.”

Vasquez continued, “He hates their rebelliousness so much he tells them what to wear and forbids them to play at school, with nary a peep from the parents of school administration.” The highlight besides the cast members strong performances is obviously the music and Lemonade Mouth makes some good listenable music at the request of their music teacher, played with her normal harshness by Tisha Campbell. “Lemonade Mouth,” released in 2011, is what Disney dreams about in their sleep. It has potential for the soundtrack and sequel, a cast of nice straight actors, and a story that can be further developed with spin offs. Vasquez ended his review by admitting, “I enjoyed it and if only to see the baddie Kiyoko stomp on to Disney once again. Adam Hicks continues to grow on me.”

Overall, I think this is another decent Disney Channel Original Movie. I don’t think it was in any way bad, but just being very lame. I know this is another one where kids stand up to authority, which I don’t mind seeing. If something like that can be done in real life, I would like to see that happen. Maybe people can see this and think it is fine, but if you don’t want to, then you don’t have to. No bad messages were said, and the actors were trying to pull off something real, but I never really felt that. Check it out and see for yourself.

Tomorrow I’m going to start a series of holiday Disney movies that are famous to see what will bring the holiday cheer to the family in “Disney Month 2021.”

Hannah Montana: The Movie

The best of both worlds is the promise of the “Hannah Montana” show. You can be a teen pop star and a normal kid: just lead a double life. With a blonde wig, you’re Hannah Montana, famous singing star and idol of young teen girls everywhere: without it, you’re simply Miley Cyrus.

This is a flick that worked its magic for the Disney Channel, and for young Miley Cyrus, the protagonist of the show. Philippa Hawker noted in her review, “There were hiccups, last year, when Cyrus — at 16, now twice the age of her core fan base — was photographed by Annie Leibowitz for Vanity Fair, wrapped in a sheet and looking a bit too Caravaggio for comfort.” There was strong debate about the promiscuousness of childhood, and there was a call for fans (or their parents) to boycott the show and the merch, to switch off the TV and throw away the CDs, reject the purple jersey two-piece pajama sets and toss the Memorable Moments Hannah dolls.

However, Disney and Miley Inc had gotten out of the storm. “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” released in 2009, is their confirmation that the character knows her place. If you think about it, a weird place. Hawker said, “A perpetual Disney identity crisis that involves a blonde wig, a prepubescent Vertigo-meets Jekyll and Hyde-meets High School Musical.”

It has all the familiar traits. Songs and slapstick. Hannah’s powerful song The Climb. “People falling over” for comic relief. The movie introduces a faithful romantic interest, cowboy Travis, played by Lucas Till. It has a couple of villains: an evil developer (Barry Bostwick) and a tabloid journalist (Peter Gunn). On top of that, there’s a hip-hop hoedown song. However, it’s hard to escape the feeling that it’s also something of a warning story for Miley, the actress and the character, that goes beyond the notion that kids love stories about growth and secret identities.

The story involves Miley Stewart’s dad, played obviously by Cyrus’s real-life father, Billy Ray Cyrus, decides on a time-out for his daughter. She’s getting a little too involved in the celebrity life: she must return to her Tennessee family and learn to be herself again. However, you can’t escape the wanting for Hannah.

At the end (spoilers) Miley has a little disaster. She doesn’t want to keep the travesty going. Hawker said, “She outs herself on stage.” However, her fans, her family, and her friends won’t let her decide. Put that wig back on, the cheers start, and she does. This is a strangely emotional moment, even it it’s not meant to be that way.

I had a younger cousin who used to love Hannah Montana. Apparently, she was a good role model for little girls since she didn’t portray herself as any other teen star. However, I never bothered to check her out, but I did know of Miley Cyrus through a couple of her songs. Still, this movie is just decent. It takes its time, there’s slower moments, which are nice, the focus on relationships and family is essential, instead of focusing on being a celebrity. This is a nice change of pace for teen Disney movies. I would say if you have children who are fans of Hannah Montana, they’ll get into this no problem. However, after some crazy antics that Miley Cyrus has gotten into recently, I don’t see myself becoming her fan at all.

Tomorrow I will be looking at another Disney Channel movie that is another musical about a band forming in “Disney Month 2021.”

Princess Protection Program

I know I have mentioned this before in a couple of my reviews where I am not a fan of Selena Gomez. I’m sure she is a good person in real life, but I’m just not fond of her music. However, I do love Demi Lovato. The few songs I have heard of hers has been upbeat and catchy that you just want to get up and dance to. At the height of both of these young star’s popularity with their shows on Disney Channel (Wizards of Waverly Place and Sonny with a Chance, respectively) they both starred in the 2009 bore fest, “Princess Protection Program.

In the film, Lovato is Princess Rosalinda, next in line to the throne of Costa Luna. When her country is overthrown by an evil dictator, played by Johnny Ray Rodríguez, she is put into the Princess Protection Program, a secret organization funded by royal families to protect their daughters. She is saved by Joe Mason, played by Tom Verica, an agent for the PPP, who takes her into hiding in his own home. His home is in countryside Louisiana where he’s raising his teenage daughter, Carter, played by Gomez, by himself. You guessed it; the Masons is another one of those Disney families that don’t have a mother. This makes Carter a tomboy and an outcast in her school. However, she has one boy who has a crush on her, Ed (Nicholas Braun), but Carter fails to see how much Ed, her best friend, likes her because she has a crush for Donny (Robert Adamson), a rich snob.

Rosalinda stays at the Mason home and goes under disguise as Rosie, hoping to be seen as a normal teenager. Scott Malchus said in his review, “But, since she is royalty, she has been written as a stiff lipped, proper speaking aristocrat.” This is supposed to prepare jokes about the differences in classes, but you’ll be thinking how many times you have seen this before and done better. As the film continues, Rosie and Carter become close friends and go to the school dance together. Eventually Carter sees how great Ed is and how much of a jerk Donny is and Rosie is able to turn the tomboy Carter into a princess herself (which is done through a series of shopping montage).

Malchus admitted, “Honestly, I didn’t expect much. I’m no fan of Miss Gomez; I find her acting abilities limited. And Miss Lovato, while charming on her own sitcom, grates my nerves whenever she opens her mouth to sing. Still, I’m not who this movie is intended for, which is why I sat down with my daughter. As with any film or TV show I review for Dadnabbit, I do my best to get a reaction from the people these shows are aimed at. For the first time in as long as I can remember, my daughter and I agreed on how bad a movie was. It wasn’t just the acting, or the writing that left plot holes as large as Demi Lovato’s smile. Not, it was that the whole package felt like it was thrown together for the sole purpose of capitalizing on the growing fame of these two young stars and their real-life friendship. Worse, the movie was boring, the worst crime you can commit with a 10-year-old girl. When your daughter starts asking questions about the logic of a movie or catching continuity errors, people, you screwed up.”

Is there any reason to rush out and buy this DVD for children? No. Disney will constantly be playing this movie for years and the bonus music video has already been playing on the Disney Channel. Malchus ended his review by suggesting, “if you really want a decent DVD is to buy the Hatching Pete/ Dadnapped release that came out earlier this year.”

Like I have already stated, this movie is not good. I guess you can say it’s because I’m not in the age group, which I have noticed for a lot of Disney Channel Original Movies, but this one was one of the lower ones on my list. I just didn’t see the point in making this instead of cashing in on the princess craze that Disney has started at the beginning. If you have little kids who enjoy princess movies and are a fan of these two lead singers, then they can see it, but for everyone else, stay “far” away from it.

Tomorrow I will review another movie based on a popular Disney Channel show that I have mentioned before a few times in “Disney Month 2021.”

Bedtime Stories

Has Adam Sandler finally grown up? The continually childish actor has silently got a family in his forties. Daniel Getahun said in his review, “Presumably because his experiments with drama have gone largely unnoticed (most recently in "Reign Over Me") and audiences have tiptoed around his conscientious comedies such as last summer's "You Don't Mess With the Zohan," Sandler has moved in an entirely different direction with "Bedtime Stories."” This is a pleasantly nice movie that the actor can really show his two daughters without being embarrassed.

The story behind “Bedtime Stories,” released in 2008, is as silly as any Sandler movie, but its quirky skill nonetheless makes it unique. As Skeet Bronson, Sandler plays a simple handyman working at a hotel previously owned by his father. Everything comes together for Skeet in getting back the property if he can come up with a better theme for the hotel’s planned renovation than its current Manager, Kendall, played by Guy Pearce, a flattering unmanly and the best-dressed villain of 2008.

During a week spent babysitting with his cute niece and nephew (Jonathan Morgan Heit and Laura Ann Kesling), Skeeter finds out that the symbolic bedtime story he tells the kids – with their excited participation in adding strange twists, of course – foreshadows what happens in his real life the next day.

Trying to take advantage of this ability (who wouldn’t?), he predictably learns that money, women and a red Ferrari aren’t going to be in his story’s happy ending. Getahun said, “It's a muddled and altogether generic lesson that's occasionally interrupted by a limp romantic subplot, but the kids in the audience won't mind: They'll get a kick out of the quotable punch lines and the impressively imaginative visuals.”

For a children’s movie, “Bedtime Stories” claims a surprising amount of talent actors – Keri Russell especially is great as Skeeter’s muse – along with loyal Sandler co-stars (Rob Schneider) and promising comic talents in British entertainer Russel Brand and Minneapolis resident Nick Swardson.

The film’s PG rating (Sandler’s first) is never threatened, so concerns about basic humor can be lessened – unless other’s definition of basic humor includes a farting guinea pig.

Getahun ended his review by saying, “The absence of dirty jokes may be the reason some adults won't find "Bedtime Stories" rip-roaringly funny, but longtime Sandler fans may be surprised to find themselves surrendering to the movie's playful spirit -- the kind of feeling you get when playing with your kids in the back yard or, depending on your tradition, attacking the presents under the tree on Christmas morning.”

In all honesty, this is a good Sandler movie. I know people may not like a lot of Sandler movies, but I have liked every single one that I have seen. Check this one out because it is a good Sandler movie that kids can watch. Have no fear because there is nothing in here that is inappropriate, like a lot of Sandler movies may have. See it and judge for yourself.

Look out tomorrow when I look at another Disney Channel movie that I wasn’t a fan of at all in “Disney Month 2021.”

Freaky Friday (2003)

Actors must love to make body-switch movies. Look at how much enjoyment Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan have in “Freaky Friday,” released in 2003.” Roger Ebert said in his review, “Each one gets to imitate the body language and inner nature of the other, while firing salvos across the generation gap.” Body-switch stories are an excuse for adults to act like kids. I don’t think anyone had more fun at it than Tom Hanks did in “Big,” but Curtis comes close.

The movie is a remake of the 1977 film starring Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster, and also connects with the mid-1980s remake, when three or four switches happened almost simultaneously. Curtis plays Tess Coleman, a widowed psychiatrist who is going to remarry, and Lohan is Anna, her 15-year-old daughter, who might be the most clean-cut band guitarist in history. There is a kid brother named Harry, played by Ryan Malgarini, who, like all little brothers, thinks his older sister is bullying him.

Anna believes Tess is remarrying without hesitation. Ebert said, “She's going through what in a Disney movie passes for a rebellious phase, and in real life would be exemplary teenage behavior.” Mother and daughter join the future husband, Ryan, played by Mark Harmon, for dinner in a Chinese restaurant, where they get into an argument. The restaurant family’s grandmother, played by Lucille Soong, gives them fortune cookies, and the next morning when they wake up, Tess and Anna are in each other’s bodies. (Ebert said, “There was an article not long ago about how angels and God always seem to be played by African Americans in the movies. Another could be written on the usefulness of movie Asian Americans, who can always be counted on to supply magic potions, exotic elixirs, ancient charms and handy supernatural plot points.”) Anna looks in the mirror and is shocked to see her mother’s body: “I look like the crypt keeper!” Tess oversleeps just like her daughter always does. They go through the necessary scene of scared disbelief, however, like all body-switch movie characters, they are not only stuck on amazement and terror, but quickly decide to lead each other’s lives for a while, so the movie can keep going.

The movie, directed by Mark S. Waters and written by Heather Hach and Leslie Dixon, gives scenes we can expect, but with more charm and fun than we think. For example, there is the part of Anna flirting with a slightly older boy named Jake, played by Chad Murray. He rides a motorcycle, so obviously Tess doesn’t like him, but now Tess, in Anna’s body, is suddenly cold to the kid, while Anna, in Tess’ body, is so happy to see him that before long she’s on the back of the motorcycle and Jake is tell her he feels like they really understand each other and maybe the age gap can be overlooked.

Other entertaining scenes: The mother finds out her daughter pierced her navel. The daughter buys her mother’s body new clothes, new haircut, and gets her ears pierced. Tess attends a class Anna has been having trouble with, and realizes the teacher has been bullying her daughter because she (the mother) denied being his prom date. Everything comes down to a difficulty between a rehearsal dinner and the garage band’s big chance at the House of Blues, and when Anna, in Tess’ body, makes her little speech at the dinner, we hear the daughter’s dislikes: “Its great we’re getting married – even though my husband died. How quickly I’ve been able to get over it!” Ebert admitted, “The outlines of body switch movies almost write themselves, although I'd like to see what would happen with an R-rated version.” The smart writing her helps, but the actors help even more, with Lohan and Curtis taking huge physical chances. Curtis, channeling the daughter inside her, has a hilarious scene on a talk show. Ebert noted, “she's supposed to be a serious psychiatrist discussing her new book, but sits cross-legged in her chair and leads the audience in routines that seem vaguely inspired by summer camp.”

Ebert continued, “Lindsay Lohan, who starred in the recycled "Parent Trap"(1998), has that Jodie Foster sort of seriousness and intent focus beneath her teenage persona, and Jamie Lee Curtis has always had an undercurrent of playfulness.” They’re right for these roles not only because of talent, but also because of their necessary abilities. We’re always sure who is in each body, even if sometimes they look like they forget. Ebert ended his review by saying, “Now if only their Chinese enabler doesn't run out of fortune cookies.”

I remember seeing commercials for this when it was being released in theaters, but I never watched it until earlier this year. I will admit, when I saw the “Parent Trap” remake, I only saw the second half of the movie, and I think I remember liking it then, but now, I don’t think I like it. However, this remake I think was better than the original. The body switching here made more sense than in the original Jodie Foster version, but if I end up seeing the other remake, I will have to search really hard for that. Still, if you’re a fan of these two lead actresses, see this remake if you haven’t. You will definitely find, surprisingly, a lot of enjoyment and growth in here.

Look out tomorrow when I review another enjoyable movie in “Disney Month 2021.”

The Even Stevens Movie

In the summer of reality shows, even TV movies are going along with the trend.

Disney Channel’s “The Even Stevens Movie” sends Louis Stevens, played by Shia LaBeouf, and his family on a paid vacation that turns into a complete disaster.

The Stevens family lands on a tropical island called Mandelino, and, without knowing, a horrible reality show called “Family Fakeout.”

After the unbelievable setup, the family argues, starves, struggles in the forest, bullies the natives and deals with an annoying mechanical squirrel. Everything looks like a cheap version of “Survivor,” but some filming was done Hawaii.

The insane movie, released in 2003, takes some sort of shots at the reality trend. The sharpest points are kept for the show’s difficult host, Miles McDermott, played by Tim Meadows, a ratings-wanting jerk. “Isn’t life funny when it’s not happening to you?” he tells viewers.

The movie’s children’s fans won’t care about the spook. They will like the insane comedy and the chance to look in again on the Sevens family of Sacramento, California. Hal Boedeker said in his review, “The series' last new episode aired Monday, after three years and 65 installments. Even Stevens will continue in reruns on the channel.”

In the movie, Louis, who is basically like Dexter from “Dexter’s Laboratory,” creates a decorative mechanical chair and ruins his sister Ren’s junior high graduation with a remote-controlled beach ball.

Ren, played by Christy Carlson Romano, who looks ready for college, is having relationship problems. Boedeker said, “On the island, she meets a native boy -- blond, he has the spacey manner of a New Age dude. He's one tipoff that the family is being hoodwinked; a stone goddess named Oprah is another.”

Dimwitted brother Donnie, played by Nick Spano, who will leave for college in the fall, sizzles through the highly frustrated vacation. Lawyer dad Steve, played by Tom Virtue, is out of work and wants to enjoy a free trip.

The scam angers the balance of mom Eileen, played by Donna Pescow, a state senator. Young neighbor “Beans” Aranguren, played by Steven Anthony Lawrence, adds farting to the trip.

Disney Channel, which enjoyed so much success with Lizzie McGuire, is smart enough to manipulate another franchise. “The Even Stevens Movie,” according to marketing, marks “the first time an original comedy series on Disney Channel has inspired an original movie on the channel.”

Boedeker said, “It is not auspicious. It feels labored and padded, with a music video for "Dream Vacation" tacked on the end.”

What’s surprising is how well the actors do despite the vacuousness. Pescow and Romano are pleasing even in the craziest circumstances.

Boedeker noted, “LaBeouf's zany style recalls the young Jerry Lewis and Bob Denver.” “The Even Stevens Movie” could make you think of “Gilligan’s Island,” it’s not great television, but fans should be pleased.

This movie is insane, as you might have guessed. I give the actors credit for at least trying and enjoying the insanity that they are in, but this is not a film that I would think of seeing again. Just making this movie look like a spoof on “Survivor,” a show that I only saw some of the first season of and never saw after that, I don’t think I would like to watch this film again. I never even heard of the show before I saw the film, but if you have, you might like this. See it if you want, but I think I will stay away from this show.

Tomorrow I will be looking at the “Freaky Friday” remake in “Disney Month 2021.”