Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018)

I avoided Wreck-It Ralph for years because I thought it would be a dumb movie for kids. When I finally watched it, I was amazed by how entertaining and enjoyable it was. That said, I still didn't care much for Ralph Breaks the Internet, and I checked it out just now because of the Oscar nomination. 

Set six years after the events of the first film, the story follows Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (voiced by Sarah Silverman) as they travel to the internet to search for a replacement part for Vanellope's arcade game, Sugar Rush, which was broken because of Ralph and left the game's characters homeless. 

The Return of Jafar (1994)

When I was a kid, I hated my mother because she never let me watch the sequels to Disney classic movies. She always said that sequels are usually terrible and it's not worth wasting money on them. Now that I've seen The Return of Jafar, I totally get her. 

After the events of the first film, Aladdin (voiced by Scott Weinger) and Abu (voiced by Frank Welker) have settled in the palace with Princess Jasmine (voiced by Linda Larkin) and her father, the Sultan (Val Bettin). But he still goes around stealing, his victim this time being a thief named Abis Mal (voiced by Jason Alexander) who eventually retreats to the desert and accidentally releases genie Jafar (voiced by Jonathan Freeman), who seeks revenge on Aladdin and, with the help of the thief, plots his revenge. 

The Princess and the Frog (2009)

I remember watching The Princess and the Frog many, many years ago and really enjoying it. It was so lovely, it had charming characters and a nice romance. That last bit is the reason I decided to rewatch it, doing this crusade of mine of watching all these movies with romances. Unfortunately, it wasn't as good as the first time. 

1920s New Orleans. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a young, hardworking waitress who dreams of owning her own restaurant. Naveen (Bruno Campos) is an arrogant, carefree prince who's been cut off by his parents. Their paths cross when Naveen is turned into a frog by the Shadow Man (Keith David), a voodoo magician, and kisses Tiana who he believed was a princess so to become human again. But she's no princess and she too is transformed into a frog, and they must find a way to turn back into humans before it's too late.

Wreck-It Ralph (2012)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy

Director

Rich Moore

Country

USA

Voice Cast

John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Alan Tudyk, Mindy Kaling, Joe Lo Truglio, Ed O'Neill, Dennis Haysbert, Adam Carolla, Horatio Sanz, Rich Moore

Storyline

Tired of being the guy everyone hates, video game villain Wreck-It Ralph (John C. Reilly) sets out to fulfil his dream to become a hero. But it's not that simple and his quest brings havoc to the whole arcade world. 

Opinion

A dumb movie. That's what I thought Wreck-It Ralph was going to be and that's why I never bothered watching it. But then I read the storyline, which I never do, and it did intrigue me a bit so I gave it a chance. And it was a pretty good surprise.

Although pretty simple and quite predictable, the story is engaging and very enjoyable from start to finish and it does have a few surprising twists and turns that makes it a little bit more interesting. What's really interesting about the film though it's the lesson it teaches. Unlike I thought, it does not show how a villain can become a good guy, but it shows that's the most important thing is being yourself and starting to appreciate you for who you are. Then, and only then, people will respect you. 

It also delivers a beautiful message of friendship with the beautiful relationship between Ralph and Vanellope, a cute and adorable character who is an outcast, just like Ralph. And it did really surprise me how mature she sounded at times. And how developed the characters were overall. And the video game fans will love spotting the characters and references. And the voice cast is also quite impressive.

At last but not least, Wreck-It Ralph is also beautifully animated which does not come as a surprise since it's from the Walt Disney Studios. The animation is indeed amazing, filled with cute and colourful characters and very detailed background. 

Tangled (2010)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Romance

Directors

Nathan Greno, Byron Howard

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Mandy Moore, Zachary Levi, Donna Murphy, Brad Garrett, Ron Perlman, Jeffrey Tambor, Richard Kiel, M. C. Gainey, Paul F. Thompkins, Delaney Rose Stein

Storyline

Kidnapped as a child by Mother Gother (Donna Murphy), Rapunzel (Mandy Moore) has spent her entire life in a tower, but now that a thief (Zachary Levi) has stumbled upon her, she is about to discover the world.

Opinion

I've been avoiding Tangled for years for a very simple reason, I was pretty sure it was just another Disney princess movie. And also because when I was a kid I loved the Rapunzel fairy tale and I was afraid this film was going to ruin it for me. But I was twice wrong.

The storyline is a bit different from the Grimms fairy tale, but that didn't bother me at all, neither did the fact that is pretty simple, clichéed and recalling a lot of Disney classics simply because the filmmakers were able to make that story compelling and engaging, and capable of entertaining an adult audience as well. Or at least he did for me.

Tangled's biggest strenght is easily the characters. They are very likable and well developed - although Rapunzel is the typical Disney princess - and each of them serve the purpose, especially the lovable chameleon Pascal and horse Maximus who both provide laughs throghout the entire film.

The characters aren't just lovable but they are also wonderfully animated. It's incredible all the details they all have, from the main characters to the minor ones. The settings and scenery are beautiful as well. 

And the voice cast also does a great job. With some great musical numbers/songs, they bring the story to life and they make the film more enjoybale.

Pocahontas II: Journey to a New World (1998)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Drama, Musical, Romance

Directors

Tom Ellery, Bradley Raymond

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Irene Bedard, Judy Kuhn, Billy Zane, Donald Gibson, David Odgen Stiers, John Kassir, Russell Means, Frank Welker, Linda Hunt, Danny Mann, Jim Cummings, Finola Hudges, Jean Stapleton, Brad Garrett

Storyline

After hearing of John Smith's death, Pocahontas (Irene Bedard) sets off to London with John Rolfe (Billy Zane) to prevent war and battles between the two lands. 

Opinion

The fact that Disney decided to go straight-to-video with this film was a pretty good warning, but of course I didn't listen to it. And it made me regret the boringness of Pocahontas because Journey to a New World is like a journey to hell. I really struggle to find any good in this one.

Easily the worst aspect of the film, the plot is terrible, pretty pointless and uninteresting on so many levels it's hard to explain. And for some reason I'm yet to understand the filmmakers felt the need to make it historically accurate. As if someone said, I know the story is a mess but if we make it accurate on a historical level, well, in that case, people won't be able to complain as much.

Although the worst part, the plot sure isn't the only problem here. It's the writing in general that is terrible. The dialogue is unbearable, so silly that makes you wish to be deaf, and the characters are so one-dimensional it hurts. Not to mention that they didn't even bother fully brining back Pocahontas's personality. And her new romance with John Rolfe, terrible.

And everything else is just as bad. The animation is so much poorer and the characters look so bad it's hard to recognise them. The songs are equally dreadful and they do nothing but make the film longer. And possibly even more tedious than when they talk.

A Christmas Carol (2009)

Genre

Animation | Drama | Fantasy

Director

Robert Zemeckis

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Jim Carrey, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Bob Hoskins, Robin Wright, Cary Elwes, Steve Valentine, Julene Renee-Preciado, Fionnula Flanagan, Kerry Hoyt, Molly C. Quinn, Ryan Ochoa, Daryl Sabara, Sammi Hanratty, Lesley Manville, Fay Masterson, Ron Bottita, Jacquie Barnbrook, Paul Blackthorne, Julian Holloway, Michael Hyland, Leslie Zemeckis

Storyline

Ebenezer Scrooge (Jim Carrey) is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.

Opinion

Over the past decades, many have made their own version of Charles Dickens's famous tale, A Christmas Carol. Disney tried before, and succeeded with 1983 'Mickey's Christmas Carol'. They tried again, this time with 3D animation, but bah humbug.

A Christmas Carol is yet another adaptation of Dickens's classic tale that has no real reason to exist.

After the awful 'Polar Express' and the decent 'Beowulf', Zemeckis's interest and love for fully motion captured CGI films got the better of him, and offers a new take on the novel. But, frankly, it doesn't add much to the tale, besides the rich in details, still creepy and horrible animation that would have been hundred times better with with regular CGI animation.

The director, who also wrote the script, captured the moral behind Dickens's tale, but, since he did not soften it a bit, the film doesn't feel very suitable for children: they are more likely to be frightened to death than entertained. 

Despite his efforts, Jim Carrey never captures the spirit of the character of Scrooge as Michael Caine in 'The Muppet Christmas Carol', or Bill Murray in 'Scrooged'. Overall Carrey's performance is fine, but his youthful voice just doesn't match with the age of his character. The supporting voices, especially Gary Oldman and Bob Hoskins, are fine.