Pocahontas (1995)

Genres

Adventure, Animation, Drama, Musical, Romance

Directors

Mike Gabriel, Eric Goldberg

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Irene Bedard, Judy Kuhn, Mel Gibson, David Odgen Stiers, John Kassir, Russell Means, Jim Cummings, Christian Bale, Linda Hunt, Danny Mann, Billy Connolly, Frank Welker, Michelle St. John, James Apaumut Fall, Gordon Tootoosis

Storyline

Pocahontas (Irene Bedard), the daughter of an Algonquin chief, falls in love with Captain John Smith (Mel Gibson), an English soldier who journeyed to the New World to begin a fresh life.

Opinion

I used to watch Disney movies all the time when I was a kid, but I'm not sure I've ever seen "Pocahontas" from start to finish. I'm an adult now and I've still struggled to get to the end. Sure, this is a quite magical film that has a lot to teach, but I found it a bit boring. Kinda like Malick's "The New World".

The reason why this doesn't and won't ever work for me is the story. It's a story we all know, the love story between a Native American princess and an English soldier, and I've probably heard of it too many times. Unlike Disney's other movies, this one is based on a true story, but it's far from being accurate. Also, it isn't very compelling, it proceeds slowly yet at times it is incredibly rushed - just think about Pocahontas not understanding a word of English in one scene and talking with John, in English, in the very next scene. But since it's a kids movie I guess it's not supposed to be logical.

Anyway, in spite of the boring plot and some distracting characters - I usually love the animal sidekick but this time they are all over the place -, "Pocahontas" still manages to be quite charming and the credits go to the animation made of simple yet detailed backgrounds and characters that are so expressive they are able to convey all their feelings. 

The songs also help to enjoy the film a bit more, especially the beautiful "Colors of the Wind", the perfect song to deliver one of the film's themes, the love of nature and the need to reconnect with it and give it more value. I feel like this is a very important teaching for kids, especially nowadays.

Mulan (1998)

Genres

Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Musical | War

Directors

Barry Cook | Tony Bancroft

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Ming-Na Wen, Eddie Murphy, BD Wong, Miguel Ferrer, June Foray, Harvey Fierstein, Gedde Watanabe, Jerry Tondo, James Hong, Soon-Tek Oh, Pat Morita, George Takei, Miriam Margolyes, Freda Foh Shen, James Shigeta

Storyline

To save her father from death in the army, young Chinese maiden Mulan (Ming-Na Wen) decides to disguise herself and join in his place.

Opinion

I'll never get tired of saying that war movies aren't my thing and yet "Mulan" was my favourite Disney movie when I was a kid. And it still is nowadays because it isn't only a fun and very entertaining animated film, but it does feature Disney's greatest princess heroine ever.

Although simple and pretty straightforward, this film has that kind of story that not only keeps you interested from start to finish, but that has meaning. By setting the story in ancient China, what the filmmakers did is show the repression of women, their struggle to be who they want to be in a culture where women are expected to be quiet and basically nothing more than somebody's daughters and wives, which sadly is still relevant today. And they also showed the horrors and sorrows of war (I agree that they might be heavy themes for kids, but I grew up watching this and it didn't damage me. Well, at least that's what I think).

As I mentioned above, the reason why I loved and still love "Mulan" are the characters. Mulan is pretty unique in the Disney universe and she is a very positive role model for young girls. She is not a princess but a strong, smart, resourceful and independent young woman, and she shows that each of us can achieve whatever goal we have with hard work and dedication.

Then there are the supporting characters, simply delightful. Eddie Murphy's Mushu is a hell of a sidekick. Not only that little dragon plays an important role in the story, but he's arguably one of the funniest characters ever. Shang is a tough yet insecure man and that's why he is such an interesting love interested. Yau, Ling and Chien-Po are really fun to watch and so is Mulan's grandma. And finally, Shan Yu, the villain, is quite threatening.

There are also some pretty good and catchy songs like "Be a Man", and the animation is stunning and it is so reminiscent of ancient Chinese art that makes is ever more stunning.

Hercules (1997)

Genres

Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Directors

John Musker | Ron Clements

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Tate Donovan, Josh Keaton, Danny DeVito, James Woods, Susan Egan, Frank Welker, Rip Torn, Lillias White, Bobcat Goldthwait, Matt Frewer, Patrick Pinney, Hal Holbrook, Amanda Plummer, Carole Shelley, Paddi Edwards, Paul Shaffer, Jim Cummings, Charlton Heston

Storyline

Newborn Hercules (Tate Donovan), the son of Zeus (Rip Torn), is turned into a half-god, half-mortal by Hades (James Woods), the God of the Underworld, and he's raised by mortals. Years later, he has become a strong young man who is confused about where he belongs when he finds out he is the son of a God and must become a true hero to reclaim his immortality. 

Opinion

Growing up I was one of those kids really into mythology, not any mythology, but Greek mythology, and rewatching "Hercules" made me realise it is the reason for that. I mean, this film is so fun and enjoyable it's impossible not to fall in love with mythology after watching it.

The story is pretty much like any other Disney film - therefore it's predictable - with its main character looking for his place in life and stuff like that, but the dysfunctional Olympian family makes it work. Of course it is not mythologically accurate, but it's definitely a different, and fun way to arouse children's interest towards this subject.

Just like any other Disney movie, this film's strength lays in its characters. Maybe scholars were offended by it - and frankly I don't care -, but this naive and parodic version of Hercules integrates seamlessly with the humour and immediately inspires sympathy. But he is not by far the most interesting character, that role goes to Phil who is simply hilarious, Hades who makes for a great villain, and Megara, a sassy, cynical and sexy woman who provides the film with an independent heroine.

The other important aspect of the film is obviously the music. It is mainly Gospel. Now, I know it doesn't exactly fit into this film, but it's still amazing and catchy, and those five Muses singing and dancing were actually my favourite thing about this movie when I was a kid. And they still kinda are.

On the other hand there's the colourful animation that fits the film beautifully because it's done like Greek art.

Moana (2016)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy | Fantasy | Musical

Directors

Ron Clements | John Musker

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Auli'i Cravalho, Dwayne Johnson, Rachel House, Temuera Morrison, Nicole Scherzinger, Jemaine Clement, Alan Tudyk, Oscar Kightley, Troy Polamalu, Louise Bush, Christopher Jackson

Storyline

When a terrible curse incurred by the Demigod Maui (Dwayne Johnson) reaches a Polynesian island, Moana Waialiki (Auli'i Cravalho), the daughter of the chief (Temuera Morrison) of the island, sets off on a journey across the Pacific to set things right.

Opinion

After the disappointing "Frozen", Disney comes with a summer-ish princess film for which I had pretty good expectations. I finally saw it the other night, and unfortunately it killed my vibes. Why? Well, all those positive reviews made me think Disney did great, but they just basically did the same film with different settings.

"Moana" is indeed a very typical, clichéd Disney princess movie. However, somehow - I frankly don't know how that was possible - the film managed to be entertaining. Still, not quite the movie one would expect to win awards.

Leaving the title aside - it sounds like moaning. Also, there's a porno actress with that name so I don't know how appropriate that is for a kids movie, but nevermind -, the biggest flaw of the film is the story. I knew it would be predictable, but what bother me the most is that it seems like the filmmakers didn't care much for it. It lacks ideas and proper development. And I wasn't really expecting that since earlier this year Disney delivered a way stronger story with "Zootopia".

The characters are pretty much the same we are used to see in every Disney princess film. There's the optimistic heroine, the self-absorbed douche, the funny character - the granma in this case -, and the animal sidekick. But they are very likable, especially the heroine, Moana, and the voice cast did a good job, with Dwayne Johnson providing the necessary humour to support Auli'i Cravalho in her debut.

On the good side there's also the catchy songs, the animation, and the breathtaking scenery. But most important, finally the filmmakers didn't feel the need to throw in a romance. It was about time.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Genre

Animation | Drama | Musical

Directors

Gary Trousdale | Kirk Wise

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Tom Hulce, Demi Moore, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, Paul Kandel, Charles Kimbrough, Jason Alexander, Mary Wickes, David Ogden Stiers, Frank Welker

Storyline

In order to help his friend, a gypsy dancer named Esmeralda (Demi Moore), deformed bell-ringer Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) has to assert his independence from the evil Frollo (Tony Jay).

Opinion

When I was a kid, "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" was one of my favourite films. I would watch it over and over again, so I don't really understand people saying it is not a kid-pleaser film like, for example, "The Little Mermaid", which by the way was the only typical Disney flick I loved - you know, boy meets girl, they fall in love, eventually end together at the end and live happily ever after.

And maybe it's because of its dramatic tone, or because of the themes it deals with, but "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" still is a great, magical animated film.

Adapted from Victor Hugo's novel of the same name, the story is what makes this film so special. Just like mentioned before, this is not your typical Disney plot, and while many may argue that Hugo's dark tones are not meant for kids, I have to say that the filmmakers did a great job at making it family friendly. The outcome is a charming, touching and heartwarming story that will probably bring a few tears to your eyes, but that will also cheer you up with some comedy.

The reason why today's kids should watch this film are the themes. Hugo's themes, ranging from understanding others to racism and bigotry, are very well handled - but it basically feels like the film delivers a don't judge a book by its cover message.

The characters are also fascinating. From the beautiful gypsy girl, Esmeralda - is it okay to have a crush on a cartoon? - to the unusual hero to the story, the disfigured man, Quasimodo, which is in my opinion one of the best Disney heroes ever. His condition is so tragic, and while it's easy to relate to him, chances are one will feel sorry for him. There's also a sinister villain.

Finally, turning it into a musical was definitely a smart choice. The music is beautiful and the celebrity cast does a good job. And against most people's opinion, I adore the singing and dancing gargoyles. They don't ruin the film, rather they make it more entertaining for kids.

Zootopia (2016)

Genre

Action | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Byron Howard | Rich Moore

Country

USA

Voice Cast

Ginnifer Goodwin, Jason Bateman, Idris Elba, Jenny Slate, Nate Torrence, Bonnie Hunt, Don Lake, Tommy Chong, J. K. Simmons, Octavia Spencer, Alan Tudyk, Shakira, Raymond S. Persi, Maurice LaMarche, Tom Lister Jr., John DiMaggio, Della Saba, Kath Soucie

Storyline

In Zootopia, a mammal metropolis, Judy (Ginnifer Goodwin), a rookie bunny cop, must work with Nick (Jason Bateman), a cynical con artist fox, to solve a mysterious case.

Opinion

I love animals, and I knew I would enjoy the film since I saw the trailer, but I wasn't expecting to like it this much. I haven't seen many animated flicks of this year but I don't think it's an exaggeration to say that this is going to be one of the best of the year. Disney's latest film "Zootopia" has indeed everything to make a great film.

The plot isn't really all that unique. I mean, after all, it is just a buddy story blended with a crime story, but it does feature several plot twists, action, suspense, and just like a true Disney movie it does deliver a powerful message that is very time-appropriate.

In fact, the film makes a commentary on inclusion, prejudices and racial issues and states that everyone should have a chance to change themselves or to change what other people think of them. It indeed touches a current and sensible thematic that is the (non)existence of a biological predisposition to crime for some races and ethnicities.

But it does not stop there. It also analyzes the concepts of civilization, not only biological but also moral evolution and the use of fear as a mean to govern.

Pretty heavy, right? But don't worry, while the adults can think about the film's multiple messages, the kids will sure love the film because of the cute and funny characters and the funny scenes, like the one with the sloths. Adults will have fun too thank to references to "The Godfather" and "Breaking Bad".

Needless to say, the animation is astonishing. Every character is beautifully animated, and they also did an excellent job in capturing the realistic movements of the animals.

At last, the voice cast does a good job as well. Ginnifer Goodwin and Jason Bateman have a great chemistry as the leading duo, Judy the bunny and Nick the fox. Everyone else is good as well, from Idris Elba to Jenny Slate, to J. K. Simmons. Finally, there is Shakira who delights the audience with a beautiful, catchy song.

Bolt (2008)

Genre

Adventure | Animation | Comedy

Directors

Chris Williams | Byron Howard

Country

USA

Voice Cast

John Travolta, Susie Essman, Mark Walton, Miley Cyrus, Malcolm McDowell, Nick Swardson, Diedrich Bader, Chloë Grace Moretz, Greg Germann, James Lipton, Randy Savage, Kari Wahlgren, Grey DeLisle, J. P. Manoux, Brian Stepanek, John DiMaggio, Jenny Lewis

Storyline

Bolt (John Travolta), the canine star of a sci-fi/action TV show that believes his powers are real, embarks on a cross country trek to save his co-star (Miley Cyrus) from a threat he believes is real.

Opinion

Standing out in the crowd is not always easy for an animated film, especially if that same year sees released "WALL E" and "Kung Fu Panda". "Bolt" doesn't manage to stand out as it is cute but isn't really much more than just a kids film.

The story lacks originality as it almost seems "The Truman Show" starring a dog instead of Jim Carrey, and it's very simplistic. It does start quite good, but then it slows down dramatically. 

Forget about the wit and depth of "WALL E" and the humour, and fun of "Kung Fu Panda", because this film lacks in both. It does have some jokes, and provides enough entertainment for kids, but there isn't much stimulation for adults. 

The characters, which are visually very beautiful - the animation is great overall-, are quite flat and stereotyped. There isn't a lot of character development and each animal has a character that reflects what we think about the attitude of that particular race or species. If they were humans instead of animals, I believe many would have said the film was racist. I hope I didn't went too far with that.

However, the film manages to deliver to kids its message: be true to yourself and find your inner hero.

I wasn't sure about the voice cast at first, but after watching I was quite satisfied. John Travolta does a good job as the leading character, Bolt the dog, and Miley Cyrus, too, does a fine job, and the song they sing together is good.

In a nutshell, it's a go for kids, it's a no if you're an adult without kids.

The Emperor's New Groove (2000)

Genre

Animation | Adventure | Comedy

Director

Mark Dindal

Country

USA

Voice Cast

David Spade, John Goodman, Eartha Kitt, Patrick Warburton, Wendie Malick, Kellyann Kelso, Bob Bergen, Tom Jones, Patti Deutsch, John Fiedler, Joe Whyte

Storyline

Vain and cocky Emperor Kuzco (David Spade) is turned into a llama by his ex-administrator Yzma (Eartha Kitt), and must now regain his throne with the help of Pacha (John Goodman), a gentle llama herder.

Opinion

Yesterday it was my birthday, and I treated myself to the film I was obsessed with when I was a kid. I was just curious to see how my old self would have reacted to this film, and I can't believe how much I've enjoyed it.

Nothing fancy if compared to Disney Classics, yet "The Emperor's New Groove" is a hilarious buddy film that just happens to be animated and suitable for all ages.

The story isn't particularly original - the ruler who has to change externally before he can change internally, the good-hearted sidekick of the villain who can't bring himself to kill the "hero" - and sometimes doesn't make sense, but it's well-paced, entertaining, easy to follow, and somewhat different.

What's different, you ask? Well, the story is told from the perspective of the ruler: the llama Emperor tells the story as if he was the innocent one being hurt by everyone, when it actually is quite the opposite. 

The characters are great. Kuzco is some selfish llama, the main character that we are NOT supposed to like, but how can you not? He's hilarious and David Spade does a wonderful voice work, he just makes the llama so much more likable. Pacha is a generous, thoughtful and intelligent peasant that makes a good team with Kuzco - and he is the only one having a romance -, and John Goodman pulls off a good performance. As for the bad guys, Yzma is a memorable, over-the-top villain, scary beyond all reason, hilariously performed by Eartha Kitt, and Kronk is a the funny and likable sidekick, perfectly voiced by Patrick Warburton.

Like all Disney movies, "The Emperor's New Groove" has a moral that has to do with true values of life and friendship. It still is visually appealing, even 16 years later, and it also features a very catchy opening song performed by Tom Jones.

If you haven't seen it yet, I really don't know what you're waiting for!

Big Hero 6 (2014)

Genre

Animation | Action | Adventure

Directors

Don Hall | Chris Williams

Country

United States

Cast

Ryan Potter, Scott Adsit, Daniel Henney, T.J. Miller, Jamie Chung, Damon Wayans Jr., Génesis Rodríguez, Maya Rudolph, James Cromwell, Alan Tudyk, Stan Lee, Katie Lowes, Daniel Gerson, Billy Bush

Plot

When a devastating event befalls the city of San Fransokyo and catapults Hiro (Ryan Potter) into the midst of danger, he turns to Baymax (Scott Adsit) and his close friends adrenaline junkie Go Go Tomago (Jamie Chung), neatnik Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), chemistry whiz Honey Lemon (Génesis Rodríguez) and fanboy Fred (T.J. Miller). Determined to uncover the mystery, Hiro transforms his friends into a band of high-tech heroes called "Big Hero 6."

Opinion

Inspired by the Marvel superhero team of the same name, Big Hero 6 is a beautiful film - one of the best animated films I've seen in a while - and it has the whole package: action, adventure, comedy and emotions. It teaches you revenge is useless, and that you don't need to be related to someone to consider them part of the family.

The city of San Fransokyo, which combines the east and west coast, is spectacular. The characters are great, and the female characters finally don't have any need to find a man - one of the things about Frozen that annoyed me. The animation is great, so the colours. Moved by revenge, which is pretty recurrent in Marvel's comic books, the villain is great, not granted and definitely one of the best in Disney's history.

I suggest you to watch the ending credit: something cool is coming after that.

Quotes

Baymax: It is okay to cry. Crying is a natural response to pain.

Rating

9.0/10

Frozen (2013)

Genre

Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Musical

Directors

Chris Buck | Jennifer Lee

Country

United States

Cast

Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana, Livvy Stubenrauch, Katie Lopez, Agatha Lee Monn, Eva Bella, Spencer Lacey Ganus, Alan Tudyk, Ciarán Hinds, Chris Williams, Maia Wilson, Paul Briggs, Maurice LaMarche, Jennifer Lee

Plot

When a princess, Elsa (Idina Menzel), with the power to turn things into ice curses her home in infinite winter, her sister, Anna (Kristen Bell), teams up with a mountain man, Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), his reindeer, Sven, and a snowman, Olaf (Josh Gad), to change the weather condition.

Opinion

There are many thing I didn't like about Frozen, I'd rather say first what I liked: Olaf, the snowman.
Let's talk about the plot, shall we? The research for a man is the main plot in this film, and since this movie is geared to small children, I don't think they should be focusing on that. Furthermore there's no villain; the end, when the Prince turns out to be a villain, is the exception.
The characters were drawn pretty ugly, with a special mention for the female's having enormous eyes - this is not an anime, right? - and basically no nose.

Quotes

Anna: It's not nice to throw people!

Rating

6.0/10