Dinosaur

I was not familiar with this movie.  The only thing I knew before watching it was that the animation was unique because the backgrounds were filmed in real life, and then the CGI was done on top of them.  It sounds pretty cool, but didn't actually come off as all that impressive.  Though the animation was probably the best part - the story line really fell pretty flat.

If you're not familiar with it, it's after the meteor hits and a group of dinosaurs are trying to find a place to live - specifically, water.  Who knew a film about dinosaurs could be so boring?  The majority of the movie is them just walking around.  There wasn't much action.  I was literally falling asleep.  It was the type of movie where I kept checking my watch, waiting for it to be over.

The basic structure of the plot could have had some potential.  The problem was that most of the story was just about them "journeying"... nothing really happened until the end.  But the idea of someone who is a bit of an outsider coming in and rallying a group to believe something they wouldn't have seen before - that idea has worked in the past.   Just doesn't really work here.

Jason:  "It was slow and boring.  And the animation is dated.  It was not worth my time."

The Music
Not really a musical, just a forgettable soundtrack here.

The Villain
Kron is the main dinosaur leading the group on, and he has no mercy.  He's completely set in his ways and doesn't care about the old and weak dinosaurs, preferring to allow them to die rather than slow the rest of them down.  At first he just seems rather hotheaded and like a jerk rather than really evil, but toward the end his attitude really starts causing him to do evil things.  He can't do what's best for the group because he refuses to admit that he might be wrong and Aladar might be right.  Still, as a villain he's rather forgettable and cliche - nothing that we haven't seen before.

The WDW Connection
In Disney's Animal Kingdom, there is a ride called DINOSAUR.  It's not directly related to the film, but the name of the attraction was changed to have the same title of the film when the film came out.  Also, they've added in some references to the movie, such as a few scenes in the preshow.

Becky's rating:  4.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:   3.5 out of 10

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh

This is a classic.  I was a huge Winnie-the-Pooh lover as a kid, so this really brings back the memories.  I remember absolutely adoring this movie and all of the other movies, games, and whatever else existed in the franchise.  The first video game I ever remember playing was a Winnie-the-Pooh game on our Macintosh computer.

While in some ways I do think that Winnie-the-Pooh is timeless and something that can be loved by everyone, I think it definitely has more of an appeal for kids.  Unlike some of the other animated Disney movies, which might deal with serious topics and hardships, The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh is just a rather go-lucky series of stories that has very little real strife.

My favorite out of these mini stories is the one where Pooh eats too much honey and gets stuck in the door of Rabbit's house.  I remember loving the part where Rabbit decides to make Pooh's butt part of the decor and starts painting it.  When I was younger my favorite characters were Pooh and Piglet, but now that I'm older I can kind of sympathize with Rabbit somewhat.  Of course, they're all great characters - Tigger, Eeyore, Kanga, Roo, and Owl.  Owl was much funnier now than when I watched him as a kid, because there were a lot of things I didn't get then.

There are many more Pooh stories than the ones contained here, and some of them have been made into shorts and other movies by Disney.  In addition, there is a new Pooh movie coming out this summer.

Jason's thoughts:  "It was good, but it's more for kids."

The Music
Lots of songs in this one, and they fit the style of the movie well.  They aren't show stopping numbers, but fun songs that really appeal to kids, such as "The Wonderful Thing about Tiggers," "Winnie the Pooh" and "Heffalumps and Woozles."

The Villain
The characters are all so sweet and lovable in this one that there really isn't a villain.  Sometimes they get on each others' nerves, but in the end they are all just friends.  If anything the unknown Heffalumps and Woozles are the villains, but we don't really see them in this film other than a dream.

The WDW Connection
Pooh and his friends are quite popular in Disney World.  There is a ride in the Magic Kingdom named after this movie, called The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh.  There is also a restaurant there called the Crystal Palace, which is a character meal.  When you eat there you can meet Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger.  The characters can also be found many places throughout the parks - I've run into Pooh in the UK pavilion in Epcot a few times.

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  7 out of 10

Monsters, Inc.

For some reason, I had never seen this Pixar movie when it came out.  The first time I watched it was a few years ago, when Jason and I first started dating.  Now I have to say that I think it is one of my favorite Pixar movies - and Pixar does some good stuff!  The only ones that might top it for me would probably be Toy Story and Finding Nemo.  Maybe Up.  Yeah, it's really hard to pick a best Pixar movie!

I love the unique concept behind this movie.  It's all about monsters just trying to make a living by scaring children.  Of course, most of these "monsters" turn out to be pretty nice guys, and we're rooting for them.  And it's hilarious.  I laughed so much at this movie.  Especially the part where someone walks in and asks what they're doing, and Mike makes up the excuse that they're rehearsing for a musical - and then at the end they actually show you the play performed!  Not only is it funny, there's lots of excitement and adventure.

The characters are great.  I love Mike Wazowski.  He's so funny, and there's just something so likable about him.  And how could you not love Sulley?  Though he's the "scariest" monster, he's clearly got a huge heart, as he basically adopts Boo and cares for her, even though she is a human child.  They are an awesome pair of characters.  I'm excited to hear that they are going to create a prequel called "Monsters University," which discusses how Mike and Sulley first met while at school, and initially didn't like each other.

I also really like the ending of this movie.  I won't spoil it if you haven't seen it, but I thought the discovery of how to fix the energy crisis was clever and original.

The Music
It wasn't all that memorable to me, but then again soundtracks usually are not.  On the other hand, I won't soon forget the "musical" played during the ending credits and performed by Mike!

The Villain
Randall is a jerk, but doesn't really come off as the most evil of villains.  A bad guy, definitely, but basically just a slime ball.  Though that machine that he builds seems pretty evil, especially when he's willing to use it on a little child.  I also don't like all the advantages he gets by being the type of monster that he is.  He can move around really easily since he can climb walls and stuff, but the worst part is that he can turn invisible.  It's hard to deal with a monster like that!

The WDW Connection
There is an attraction in the Magic Kingdom called the Monsters Inc. Laugh Floor, which is basically a comedy show that includes interaction with the audience.  The last time I was in Disney the show was in beta mode, and they were testing it out.  We got to go and watch it, and found it hilarious!  At that point in my life I had never even seen the movie, and I still loved it.  The person I was with filled me in on some of the background so I would understand the characters and all.

Becky's rating:  9.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  9 out of 10

Lilo and Stitch

So I started out watching this movie already having a bit of a prejudice against Stitch.  Here's why: there's a ride in Disney called Stitch's Great Escape.  It used to be Alien Encounter, and was super scary.  I would never have gone on it in a million years.  But everyone said with Stitch it wasn't scary at all, in fact it was kind of lame, so I reluctantly gave it a try.  Well let me tell you, I'm just a big old wuss because that ride scared the heck out of me.  I don't like being in a pitch black room feeling things running over my head and burping in my face, and whatever else went on during that ride.  Yeah, I may have been in tears a little bit cause that freaked me out.  So needless to say, I haven't been a huge Stitch fan since then.

As it turns out, though, the movie is pretty cute.  I mean, I do have a few issues with it.  Lilo does not come off as a likable character in the beginning for me - but that may be because I'm sick of dealing with annoying young children after spending a year subbing in elementary schools.  And even though Stitch comes around in the end, I never would have let that monster terrorize my house!  No matter how cute he turned out to be!

But on to the good stuff.  The plot was fun, and the movie was never slow.  They definitely kept it interesting. And the characters were unique, especially compared to other Disney movies.  It wasn't the same type of predictable story line (for the most part) that we see with children's movies.  There were also some good characters, especially the government social worker, who seems so scary at first but then turns out to be hilarious.

One other fun thing with this movie: the trailers were awesome.  There were a few of them, and they started with a typical scene from a Disney movie, such as Beauty and the Beast or Aladdin.  But then Stitch comes crashing in to wreak havoc.  It's really cute.  You can see them on the DVD or watch them on youtube.

Jason says:  "I like the dynamic of the characters.  I was intrigued by who the bad guys were in that movie, and how it wasn't always clear."

The Music
The soundtrack for this movie fits it very well.  There is a good amount of Hawaiian music, which makes sense.  Elvis also has a very large presence, and it works.  I don't normally pay too much attention to soundtracks when the songs aren't sung by the characters and really incorporated into the movie, but this one was really good.

The Villain
Jason hinted at this above, but the movie kind of tricks you in terms of determining who the villain is.  At first it would seem to be Jumba or Stitch, because they have endangered their race due to Stitch's destructive existence.  In Hawaii, Cobra Bubbles, the social worker, at first seems to be the bad guy.  But once we realize that Stitch is actually quite lovable, it's Gantu and the intergalactic federation that are the bad guys by trying to take him away!  BUT - when the federation realizes that he's harmless, they allow him to remain there!  So really, everyone seems like a bad guy but then turns out to be pretty okay in the end.  Except for Gantu, so I guess he would be the "real" villain in all of this.  A very interesting way of treating the "evil" in the film, and more realistic than the typical wicked witch.

The WDW Connection
People must like Stitch a lot, because he's certainly got a presence in WDW.  For one, there is that ride I mentioned earlier, Stitch's Great Escape.  At the Polynesian resort there is a restaurant called Ohana, which serves Hawaiian food family style, themed around the idea of Ohana and family in Lilo and Stitch.  In addition, if you do breakfast there you can meet Lilo and Stitch.

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

Mary Poppins

So first of all, this isn't an animated Disney movie (as you probably realized).  However, we decided to review it because, like Song of the South, it has some animation in it, and it also has a fairly large presence in Disney World.

Overall, Mary Poppins was crazier than I remembered!  I am not quite sure why, but I guess I forgot that she was really so... magical.  I wish I could clean my room the way those kids did.  As for her character, she is actually somewhat vain and a little bit of a kill-joy sometimes, not exactly the lovable nanny that you expect.  But she's still good at heart and it's clear that she really loves the kids.

The movie is basically just a series of mini-adventures.  Some of these are fun and interesting, but a few times they just seemed a little boring or out of place.  The film was pretty long and it did drag in certain spots.  However, there are some fun highlights, like when they go into the chalk painting and dance with penguins, and of course the chimney sweep scene.

The ending was a little bit ridiculous, but then I suppose the movie overall was pretty ridiculous.  Like everyone would really immediately withdraw their money just because of something a little boy said at the bank... I mean come on, this is 1910!  These people didn't have twitter in order to be able to spread news that quickly!  I did like the scenes with the old man, and am glad the father finally gave them what they deserved.

Jason says: "Some of the songs are a little boring, but for the most part it's a good movie.  Like the bird woman - why is she even in it?"

The Music
There's a ton of songs in this movie, and a seemingly endless amount of good ones.  Classic after classic is in this movie.  There are so many: "Spoonful of Sugar," "Chim-Chim-Cheree," "Let's Go Fly a Kite," and of course, "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious."  Another song, "Feed the Birds," is also lovely in its own way, though a bit slow and boring at times.  And then there are a few tunes that are kind of duds such as "I Love to Laugh" and "Sister Sufferagette", but it's excusable given how many other great songs are here.

The Villain
There is no real "evil" villain here, but a few characters that play somewhat villainous roles.  The dad is kind of the antagonist in some cases, because he's the one that's laying down the law and making life hard for the children.  But the old man at the bank is probably even more of a villain, because we don't have any sort of relationship to him and don't see any redeeming qualities.  So the idea of a villain isn't really very prevalent in this movie.

The WDW Connection
Some of the characters in Mary Poppins, such as Mary and Burt, can be found around the parks.  I've come across Mary Poppins in the UK in Epcot.  Also, the Grand Floridian resort has a restaurant called 1900 Park Fare, where I think she makes appearances at some of the character meals (at least, she did the last time I was there).  I wouldn't be surprised if she popped up more often now due to the fact that they have a Broadway musical out now based on the movie.  Mary's most common, but Burt and the peguins make appearances as well.

Becky's rating:  8.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8 out of 10

The Aristocats

The Aristocats was an extremely sweet movie.  It's fun, it's cute, and it's got a decent plot line.  It's lasted fairly well throughout the years, and while it's not necessarily one of the biggest smash hits that Disney has ever created, it's certainly still appreciated by many people.

I think one of the reasons for this is that the movie is just so likable.  Take Duchess, our main character.  She is extremely easy going and always happy.  She doesn't really get super upset about things, and finds amusement in other characters that you might think would annoy her.  Although she's clearly spent her whole life being rich and spoiled, she's not stuck up about it at all.  And the kittens.  They are soooo cute, how could you not love them?  They really do make the movie.  Tom O'Malley is fun as well, and while he might be a little rough around the edges it's definitely clear that he has a good heart.

Another thing that was interesting about this movie, and could be seen as either good or bad, was that aside from the ending, they never really seemed to be in any real danger.  Sure, they're left in the rain, but they're quickly found by Tom.  And then they really just head on home.  They encounter some adventures, such as the geese and the alley cats, but none of them are particularly dangerous in any way.  The worst that they face is probably when they come home and Edgar puts them in the oven - I thought for a moment he was going to cook them!  But of course it's clear they're going to get rescued.

  

The one thing that was a bit odd was the plot line with the two dogs.  It seemed to be a little bit out of place.  It almost seemed like it was more of a time killer in order to add something a bit more to the movie, but we didn't really feel like it did much for the film.

The Music

There are definitely a few good songs in this one.  In particular, there is one outstanding tune, which is, of course, "Everybody Wants To Be a Cat."  It's jazzy, fun, everyone knows it, and the animation that goes along with it is great.  The only other song that was memorable for me was the cute "Scales and Arpeggios."  There were a few other songs, such as Tom's song and the intro song of "The Aristocats," but nothing too noteworthy.

The Villain

In this movie, Edgar is a really surprising villain.  We first see him as the faithful butler, and he seems like a decent guy.  He laughs a little at the kittens and from what they say about him it's clear that he's doted on them in the past.  However, once he hears that the will leaves everything to the cats, he just snaps.  Anyone who would try to get rid of cute, adorable kittens like that is clearly a bad person.  It's awful the things that money can do to people.  While Edgar is clearly a villain, he's not very good at it.  At least he gets shipped off to Timbuktu.

The WDW Connection

It seems that occasionally you might be able to see Marie around Disney, most likely in France in Epcot.  There used to be a restaurant at the Port Orleans resort named after a character in this movie, but it's no longer open.

Becky's rating:  8 out of 10

Jason's rating:  7.5 out of 10

The Emperor's New Groove

I don't remember being particularly fond of this one, thinking it a little silly back when I first saw it.  However, Jason said it was one that he really liked, so I added it to the "must watch" list, even though it doesn't have much of a presence in Disney World.  I am glad we decided to watch it again.  I did like it better this time around, though I still wouldn't say it's one of my favorites.

The plot was very interesting.  In some ways it was typical and predictable (at least the basic plot), but I kind of like that about a Disney film.  And not all of it is predictable.  There were a few times where you really thought Kuzco was going to turn around and change, and then he didn't.  There are also a lot of other good characters in this film - Pacha, who is amazingly good, Chicha, his fun and feisty wife, and Kronk, who is hilariously stupid.

One thing that this film does really well is how it uses its main character.  Kuzco is extremely unlikeable from the beginning, and when that's true of your main character it can be difficult to get people to like the movie.  However, the movie itself is still entertaining, and it actually gets you to like and appreciate Kuzco by the end.  They portrayed his change as a person pretty well, in a fairly believable way.

One of the only negatives I would really have about this film is that the character of Pacha is maybe a little too good to be true.  He really sees the good in everyone, to the point of being so selfless it is almost unbelievable.  On the other hand, it's hopeful to think that maybe there really are people like that in the world! It's also not amazingly new or novel in any way, so it's not like it's doing something amazing.  But it's a good, entertaining movie.

Jason says:  this is a silly movie.  Watch it when you're in a silly mood.

The Music
Oh, this made me think that it was going to be a musical when it started things off with a guy singing.  But that was really the only song.  It seemed like a film that really could have lent itself well to the musical style, but it chose not to.  Again, perhaps that's why it isn't as loved as some of the other Disney films have been.

The Villain
Yzma is a pretty interesting villain.  She is certainly frightening looking, and has that evil villain vibe to her.  She's got magical powers, and she devises a plan to kill Kuzco.  Of course, it backfires and turns him into a llama instead, but the malicious intent was still there.  However, she often comes off as more comical than scary or evil.  She doesn't quite meet a deserving end, as all that happens to her is that she gets turned into a cat.  Given the life of my cat, I'm not so sure that's really a bad fate!

The WDW Connection
Again, really nothing that I know of here.

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  7.5 out of 10

Oliver and Company

So many reasons why I enjoy this Disney movie.  It's based (very loosely) on one of my favorite Charles Dickens novels, and I also have a love for the musical Oliver!, which obviously involves similar characters and plot lines.  It came out in 1988, the year of my birth.  It's got Billy Joel.  And there's an adorable kitten in it.  What's not to love?

Okay, well, I'll admit that there were a few things that bring this movie down a little - after all, it never quite reached the popularity of some of the films that came right after it.  The first thing that is just a bit odd is that the animation just doesn't look like it's "Disney."  I don't really know how to describe it other than that.  For the longest time I didn't even think this was a Disney movie!  Also, there are a lot of different characters with a lot of personalities, but we don't really get to know any of them all that well.

The whole Georgette and Tito relationship is pretty funny.  The ending of this movie was pretty ridiculous, but in a good way.  Totally not believable, but fun and entertaining. I was actually surprised that none of the good characters got killed or extremely injured.  I was expecting Dodger to save everyone at the last minute but in doing so fall to his death or something, but then have it turn out that he actually lived.  But I guess that most of the earlier movies avoided death in the actual movie, at least until The Lion King.

The Music
There is one really excellent song in this movie, and it's Billy Joel singing "Why Should I Worry?"  The only other one that stands out is the simple and sweet "Good Company," sung by Jenny as she is practicing piano.  Georgette has a song as well, though that one is pretty over the top.  Overall there is one really good song from this movie, and a few others that are okay.

The Villain
Sykes is the main bad guy here, and he's a pretty stereotypical villain.  He's dark and shady, conducting some sort of evil business in a creepy place.  He doesn't have much of a unique personality though, making him less interesting than some other Disney villains.  We also don't see too much of him throughout the movie until the end, which means that although evil is a presence throughout the film, it's not neccesarily related back to him all that well.

The WDW Connection
There are really no connections to Oliver and Company in Disney World that I know of.  Let me know if you find any!

Becky's rating:  8 out of 10
Jason's rating:  7.5 out of 10

Tarzan

I actually think that I had never seen this movie before.  Ever.  It came out in 1999, towards the end of Disney's "renaissance" period.  It followed Hercules and Mulan, and since I wasn't a huge fan of those at the time I guess I passed on Tarzan.  I was also at an age where watching Disney movies was probably seen as childish.  As a kid you can love them, and as a teenager and up you can embrace Disney as a form of nostalgia, but I was 11 at the time, so maybe it wasn't "cool."  I don't know.  But from watching it for the first time now, I did enjoy the movie.

The story is sweet, and the characters are pretty good.  It's rather funny when Jane and her father show up, and there's no shortage of action.  I found the ending sequence, with Clayton coming back to try and capture/kill the gorillas, to be particularly exciting and thrilling.  They did a good job putting it together.  Other highlights and things that we enjoyed about the film were the pacing, some of the voice acting, and of course the soundtrack.

However, I was not in love with the way that the movie ended.  This is my personal opinion, and Jason thought it was fine.  It's obvious that you're either going to bring Tarzan back to England so he can be with Jane, or Jane will stay with Tarzan in the jungle.  The way the movie ended was having Jane and her father stay in the jungle.  If you ask me, that's a little ridiculous.  I mean, I know they liked nature and studying it and all, but they were both clearly completely incompetent at surviving, partly because neither of them have any common sense.  They only lived through the movie because Tarzan kept saving them.  Plus, well... humans don't really belong in the jungle.  And Tarzan is a human, after all.  He belongs in the world of humans.  Very similar to Mowgli and The Jungle Book... except that one ended in a way that made sense.

I'm one of those people that always wants to know the differences between the movie and the original source (in this case, the book), so I went onto the wikipedia page to read about the Tarzan novels.  The first one is somewhat similar to the movie, and the influences are clear.  However, if you're bored and looking for something entertaining, read about the sequels.  Apparently the Tarzan franchise went a little crazy, and Tarzan ends up fighting in both WWI and WWII, traveling to the lost city of Atlantis, discovers a Jurassic park and fights dinosaurs, and travels to the earth's core, among other things.  Forget about being raised by monkeys - this guy had a crazy life after that!

The Music
The soundtrack is really good.  Phil Collins does some very nice songs for this one.  They aren't really integrated into the movies with the characters singing, like so many other Disney films, but provide background music.  Two of the songs were pretty big hits: "Strangers Like Me" and "You'll Be in My Heart."

The Villain
Clayton was a pretty evil villain.  It's obvious from the beginning that he's the bad guy, but he really takes things to the extreme.  He not only wants to kill/capture the gorillas to sell their pelts, he's also willing to kill any of the humans that get in his way.  And this is after Tarzan has show him kindness, led him to the gorillas, and attempted to save his life.  However, Clayton gets what he deserves in a big way, as he not only dies, but in a pretty gruesome way.  Accidentally hanging himself as a result of his own actions is a pretty fitting death for an awful Disney villain.

The WDW Connection
Tarzan got some attractions/attention when the movie first came out, and again when the Broadway musical opened, but most of those attractions have since been replaced by other, more popular films.  There was a show called Tarzan Rocks in the Animal Kingdom, but it was replaced by Finding Nemo: The Musical.  To my knowledge, there isn't much left of Tarzan in Disney World.

Becky's rating:  7 out of 10
Jason' rating:  7 out of 10

Dumbo

This movie is just a classic that has lots of charm.  It's got the precious relationship between a mother and her child, some funny bits, some weird parts, and it is ultimately the story of the underdog triumphing.  It also takes place in the circus, so if you're one of those people that hates clowns, some parts might be a little creepy - even if they are animated!  I do not like Dumbo forced into clown make-up. :(

The strangest part is definitely when Dumbo accidentally drinks alcohol - which seems to have the effect of a hallucinogenic drug.  The whole pink elephants scene is really trippy - both for Dumbo and for those of us watching!  I'm not sure what purpose it serves in the film and I probably could have done without it, but it's certainly become one of the most iconic scenes in Disney animation history.

I love that it's a happy ending, and it works nicely.  Even though Dumbo and his mother go through a lot, everything turns out all right in the end.  They are reunited, and Dumbo is famous for being able to fly.  Speaking of which, I bet this movie is a lot more suspenseful and exciting if you didn't know that Dumbo learns how to fly. However, I feel like that's the big tagline of this movie and even if you hadn't seen it before you probably already knew that piece of information.  And if you didn't, well... sorry I just ruined it for you!

The Music
There are a few classics in terms of music, and a few more forgettable pieces.  The big ones that everyone remembers are "Pink Elephants on Parade" and "When I See an Elephant Fly."  In my personal opinion, the best number is definitely "When I See an Elephant Fly."  There are a few others, such as "Look out for Mr. Stork," which fit in well with the time period but don't have too much lasting value.

The Villain
There's no main villain here, but a few smaller characters that contribute to the problem.  The other elephants are just mean, making fun of Dumbo because he's different.  They are probably the worst, though the clowns and the circus owner are a bit cruel in their own ways.  And the crows also make fun of Dumbo, but no one is particularly villainous.

The WDW Connection
The Dumbo ride is one of the most popular and well known children's rides in all of Disney World.  In addition, it's recently got a makeover as part of the new Fantasyland expansion.  They added a second set of flying elephants, as well as a Big Top and an interactive queue area.  The Casey Jr. train gets some love as well with a splash area created for children.

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8 out of 10

The Rescuers

When we started watching, I couldn't really remember this movie very much at all.  However, as it went on, I started recalling all sorts of small details and realized that I actually did remember a lot of it.  Overall I would say that it was all right, certainly not one of my favorites. Jason, however, didn't really like it, and said it was his least favorite out of all the Disney movies we've watched so far.

Probably my favorite thing about it was the adorable little romance between Bernard and Bianca.  They have fun personalities, though it's not obvious why she would ever be so attracted to a mouse like him.  I personally found the story line to be interesting and it kept my attention, which I appreciate.  Maybe not a stellar film, but it was all right.

Jason, however, did not like it.  He felt the plot was disorganized, the transitions were lacking, and there were things that didn't make sense.  He also didn't like or identify with any of the characters, which he found static and uninteresting.  He called the whole thing "way too absurd."

Here's a fun fact about this film: apparently in the film's original release, as well as all released editions until 1999, there's an extremely brief shot of a naked woman.  It's during the scene where Bernard and Bianca are riding on the bird's back, and it takes place in one of the windows behind them.  No one really knows how it got there, but it's pretty obvious that it's a result of someone that worked there tampering with the film.  It's been removed in subsequent editions.  However, my copy is pretty old, so maybe it's still there!

The Music

There are a few songs in this one, such as the opening song and a song sung by Penny.  However, the music in this film sounded, to me, very dated.  And not in a good, classic way either.  It was just old and somewhat boring.

The Villain

The one thing this movie does have going for it is a decent villain.  Her name is Medusa, and she just looks hideous.  Ew, if you have that sort of a body, you should not be wearing a little red dress like that.  She was awfully lumpy.  Looks aside, she's also obviously deranged, and cruel to this little girl.  She is clearly motivated by greed.  However, it's her sheer stupidity and probably pride that end up being her downfall.  She could have gotten away with the diamond, if only she didn't insist on keeping it in that teddy bear.  If she had just given teddy her bear back, she would have gotten everything that she wanted.  Pretty dumb.

The WDW Connection

None really that I know of.  Let me know if you find any!

Becky's rating:  7 out of 10

Jason's rating:  5 out of 10

The Great Mouse Detective

This turned out to be a surprisingly good movie!  I'm not sure why it didn't turn out to be a bigger hit.  I know I watched it when I was little, but it was never one of the major Disney movies.  I think when it came out it was better than what had previously been around, but it got shown up by the later films of The Little Mermaid and Beauty and the Beast.  We both really enjoyed it this time around, though.

This movie is really a Sherlock Holmes story, but with mice instead of people.  The characters are very clearly based on the Sherlock Holmes characters, and there are even images and shots of people that we are supposed to believe are probably the real Sherlock Holmes and Watson.  There are a lot of cute, references to it throughout the film - some subtle, some obvious.

The Great Mouse Detective really had a lot of action.  There was always something happening, which was fun. I thought it was also pretty clever in terms of plot.  Sure, there's some stuff that unbelievable, but that's because it's a movie!  And a cartoon, at that!  The craziest part was when they actually escaped from the mouse trap that they were in... but in many ways that's what Sherlock Holmes was all about.  Figuring out things down to a T at just the right moment.

The Music
I felt like this movie had such great potential to really be a wonderful Disney musical!  It had a great, show stopping song that was perfect for the villain... and that was it.  If it had more songs in it I think this movie would really be a top contender.

The Villain
It feels like it's been a long time since we've watched a movie with a truly evil, horrible villain... but now we've got one!  Ratigan is absolutely awful, and certainly ranks high on the list of villains.  He has absolutely no problem killing off his henchmen for insignificant reasons.  He tries to take over the country and kill the queen. And he's absolutely insane, as evidenced by the way he goes from "animal that acts like a human" to "just plain animal" by the end.

The WDW Connection
Again, this film's been neglected in the world.  There's no connections that I can think of - let me know if you know of any!

My rating:  8.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

The Fox and the Hound

"Copper, you're my best friend."
"And you're mine too, Tod."
"And we'll always be friends, forever, won't we?"
"Yeah, forever."

For me, these lines from this movie really capture a lot of what I think of when I think of classic Disney films and movies I watched a lot when I was a kid.  That scene is just so endearing, and full of childhood innocence, and just so sweet.  I remembered the beginning of the movie a lot better than the second half of it, though.

First of all, I think the old woman that took Tod in made a big mistake.  Who has a fox as a pet?  It's just not right.  And then the hunter, I think his name was Amos, he was completely insane.  I don't know why she didn't call the cops on him.  He tries to kill her pet, break down her door, and shoot all over the place.  And then he goes hunting in a game preserve, where it's not allowed.  What a jerk.

Overall I feel like Tod is the much better "person" throughout all of this.  He really doesn't do anything wrong at any point.  Copper kind of turns his back on him though.  Even though he lets Tod go once, he gets so upset about what happened to Chief that he takes it out on Tod.  If the hunters hadn't been all crazy to get Tod in the first place, it never would have happened.  Then Copper goes again to help kill Tod in the game preserve.  Despite all that, Tod still chooses to fight a BEAR to save Copper's life.  He could have easily walked away, knowing he was keeping his own life and the dog getting attacked by a bear was trying to kill him anyway.  Sure, Copper finally defends Tod at the end, but he had better, after what Tod did for him.

The Music
The Fox and the Hound makes a half hearted attempt at providing music within its movie, kind of like in The Sword and the Stone or 101 Dalmatians.  It has two songs, both sung by Big Momma.  One of them, "Lack of Education," is pretty forgettable.  The other, "Best of Friends," is more memorable and easily associated with the movie.  Not an instant classic, but a good tune.

The Villain
Amos Slade.  He's kind of a scary villain because he's just so crazy.  He is so intent on killing Tod, no matter what.  The thing is, Tod didn't even do all that much.  He appeared to be attacking his chickens one time, but I guess that's enough to get Amos on the warpath.  His dedication is frightening.

The WDW Connection
Try as I might, I really can't come up with anything.  They may make an appearance somewhere... maybe in some art work in the parks or the resorts, but I don't know of anything off hand.  It seems this film has been pretty neglected by the theme parks. If anyone has a reference let me know!

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

Cars

Cars is a cute Pixar movie that is getting a lot of attention right now since it has a sequel coming out this summer. I think the original does some really nice things.  Our main character, Lightning McQueen, is a race car that's a bit full of himself.  Despite being so cocky he's actually funny and pretty endearing.  It's definitely fun to watch his transformation when he lands in Radiator Springs, a small hick town.

A strong point of this movie is the cast of friendly and unique characters.  We have the ridiculous and lovable Tow Mater, Doc Hudson, a grumpy old car who it turns out used to be an old race car, and Sally, the love interest, as well as some fun other townfolk.  Though this story is obviously fictional, the ideas behind it aren't.  Radiator Springs is a run down old town that relied on tourism and visitors traveling on Route 66.  Once a new, more direct road was built, they stopped getting traffic.  This was true of many towns along Route 66.  The people that lived there made a living off of travelers and visitors, and once they stopped coming the towns suffered greatly.

I also like the ending and what happens in the final race.  It's somewhat predicable, and shows that Lightning learned his lesson, but it's a nice way to end things.

Overall I think this is a really good movie, but somehow it just doesn't stand out to me as stellar, like some of the other Pixar movies do.  I like some of the voice choices - I think Owen Wilson does a really good job as Lightning McQueen.  The funniest part is actually during the credits.  The cars go to a drive in movie theater, where they watch a series of other Pixar movies - only they all star Cars (A Toy Car Story, A Bug's Life (as in VW bug), Monster Trucks, Inc.).  Make sure you don't turn off the movie before the credits, because you don't want to miss this little extra!

The Music
The characters don't sing, but there are some good song choices here for the soundtrack.  It of course includes the song "Route 66," as well as a cover of "Life is a Highway" by Rascal Flatts.  Brad Paisley also has a few songs on the soundtrack, including one used for the end credits.  As a country music fan, I'm a big fan of this soundtrack.

The Villain
The biggest obstacle Lightning McQueen faces is overcoming his own limitations - namely, believing he is the best at everything.  In terms of characters, a rival race car named Chick Hicks is pretty obnoxious.  He's not only a jerk, he violently rams the lead car during the ending race, causing a good amount of destruction.  However, since Lightning spends most of his time in Radiator Springs, Chick isn't really featured that prominently as a villain, putting him pretty low on the list of powerful and evil Disney Villains.

The WDW Connection
I'm willing to bet that Disney will see a lot of little Cars touches in the next year, in terms of merchandising and small, changable items due to the fact that the sequel is coming out.  However, there aren't any permanent rides or attractions themed around Cars.  You can actually meet the characters from Cars in Hollywood Studios, though they are animatronics rather than actual people in costume.  Also, the new Art of Animation resort, which is due to open in summer 2012, will have a whole Cars themed building.

Becky's rating:  8.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  9 out of 10

Finding Nemo

Even though it wasn't the first Pixar movie, it stood out to me as being one of the most important to come out.  It came out when I was a teenager, and it was the movie that really showed me that children's movies didn't have to be just for kids.  It was super popular with everyone in my age group.  Plus, it came out during a time when classic Disney animation was really at a low point (this was the time of Brother Bear, Home on the Range, and Chicken Little), so Pixar was getting a lot of attention for actually being... well, good.

I have to admit that I'm usually much more into the story and the characters than the details like the animation and the music, but the graphics and the art in this movie are just amazingly gorgeous.  I notice every time I watch it how bright and amazing the colors are, and they have a great backdrop for it - all of the coral reef, brightly colored fish, and sea life.

The beginning of the movie is pretty heartbreaking, and I always cry when Coral dies.  In that sense it's kind of in the style of some of the traditional Disney films, with a parent being dead early on in the film.  It's a rough way to start, but it gets you emotional right from the beginning.

I think the thing that makes this such a great movie is the characters.  There are so many fun, lively characters with great personalities.  You have the cute, innocent, and hardheaded Nemo, Marlin, who's totally paranoid, and of course Dory, unbelievably forgetful and hilarious.  Throw in an amazing bunch of secondary characters, such as Crush, Bruce, and the tank fish in the dentist's office, and you just have a great bunch of characters that keep you laughing and pull at your heart strings.

I'm going to get a little bit personal here and say that when I watched the film this time around, I realized that I'm a lot like Marlin, and it made me sort of sad.  I'm pretty much scared of everything, and always worrying. The part that really got me is when they're in the whale's mouth, and Marlin is sure they're going to die.  Dory is telling him that he just needs to let go, and he says something like, "How do you know we're not going to die?"  And she just says, "I don't."  And I know that for me personally, that's something that's so hard for me to accept, so that really resonated with me - and yes, that part made me cry too!

The Music
Again, with Pixar we don't really have musicals, so it's just about the soundtrack.  Nothing from this movie really stood out for me, so I don't have much to comment on.

The Villain
They meet lots of different "bad guys" on the adventures that occur in this film - there's the humans that catch Nemo, the sharks that turn on them and try to eat them, and of course, Darla.  While she's very creepy, I think the most evil villain in this film is the fish right in the beginning that kills Coral.  It causes the most damage and is portrayed as just an evil figure, rather than a character with any substance.

The WDW Connection
Because it's so popular, Finding Nemo is all over the parks.  It has its own ride in Epcot called The Seas with Nemo and Friends.  In addition, after that ride you can experience "Turtle Talk with Crush," a really neat interactive "show" where you can talk to Crush - and he talks back!  There's also a show at the Animal Kingdom called "Finding Nemo - The Musical."  Finally, it's not completed yet, but Disney is working on a new resort called The Art of Animation.  One building at this resort will be themed after Finding Nemo.

Becky's rating:  9 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

Ratatouille

For some reason or another, I've really liked Ratatouille since the first time that I saw it.  It has a lot of charm.  I've also recently become a bit of a foodie, what with watching the Food Network all the time and sampling some of the delicious cuisine on the cruise.  Plus, who doesn't like a film about someone (or a somerat) who pursues their dreams despite the obstacles?

It's a bit silly, but that's why it's an animated children's movie.  Completely unrealistic, of course - I mean, if you can accept the talking rats and one with cooking talent, that's fine, but the craziest thing is that Remy can control Linguini by pulling his hair.  Of course, this makes the film quite funny as well.  The short little chef, Skinner, while a jerk, is fun to watch.  This is especially true because Linguini succeeds in tricking everyone else but Skinner actually figures out the truth, though the way things play out it seems like he's crazy for thinking it.

I really like the twist, about how Linguini turns out to be a Gusteau's son.  The best part about that is that it's not the typical situation - Linguini himself, despite being descended from a great chef, is actually an awful cook himself!  There's also a romantic plot line between Linguini and Colette, which is okay.  I'm not really sure what she sees in him, but it's pretty cute anyway.

The Music
Like most of the Pixar movies, this one isn't a musical.  It does have a nice score though, with a lot of French tunes.  There is one song in particular that stands out in my memory as being very catchy, as I can still hear it playing in my head, but I'm not sure which one it is.  I think it's the one that plays toward the end though.

The Villain
The bad guy here is Skinner.  He not only finds out about Linguini's secret and tries to out him the whole time, he is also ruining Gusteau's name by creating a line of frozen food products with his face on them.  He is also manipulative and underhanded, finding any way to keep the restaurant out of Linguini's hands, even though he is the rightful owner, and not telling the boy about his parentage.  However, he is much more of a comic villain than a purely evil one.

The WDW Connection
It's not surprising that the place where Ratatouille shows up is in Epcot, in the French pavilion.  Though not themed after the movie, there are two French restaurants there.  Les Chefs de France has a small "show" in which Remy comes out, and you can sometimes catch Remy around the parks (most likely in France).  Jason and I have reservations at Les Chefs de France, but since we are going for lunch I don't think we'll see Remy.

Becky's rating:  9 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

Lady and the Tramp

On to one that I haven't watched in a super long time, and I had to get it from the library, which means we didn't own it.  So I know that I must not have watched it all that much when I was young, so my memory of it is pretty small.  The older Disney movies have been pretty hit or miss with me - sometimes I love them and they are classics, and sometimes I just don't care for them.  This one was actually really cute, and I enjoyed it a lot.

When it comes down to it, it's another love story.  It has one of the most famous romantic scenes ever... I'd say not just from a Disney movie, but from any movie: the spaghetti scene.  Their relationship is the typical bad boy/good girl relationship.  I guess the main criticism of this movie, at least Jason's main issue with it, was that she fell in love with him almost instantly.  I tried to point out that that happens in almost every movie, but he said he still doesn't like it.  And it's true, their love doesn't necessarily make sense, but maybe that's why it's good :)

The two neighborhood dogs that Lady associates with are pretty funny, too.  I was actually not expecting one of them to get almost killed, and for a moment I definitely thought that he was a goner.  We really only get a glimpse into the lives of these dogs, so there isn't much time for the relationships to really pan out or be explored.  We just take a lot for granted, like the friendship between these three and the relationship between Lady and the Tramp.

The Music
There are actually a few pretty decent songs from this movie, though none have really gone down in Disney legend like some of th major tunes.  "Bella Notte" is probably the most famous one, sung by the Italian restaurant men.  I really enjoy the jazzy feel of "He's a Tramp," a fun song sung by the super talented Peggy Lee.  She does the voice for a number of characters in this film, including Peg.  The other song worth mentioning is "The Siamese Cat" song - while not a fantastic song, for some reason or another it's fairly well known, though I actually didn't remember that it was from this movie.

The Villain
The Siamese cats are definitely the biggest villains in this one.  I'm definitely a cat person, but they made me angry.  They are complete jerks for no reason, and frame Lady and get her into all sorts of trouble.  Apparently in earlier versions of the movie they showed some remorse and helped out at the end, but that didn't happen this time.  Also, even though Aunt Sarah is supposed to just make some mistakes because of circumstances, she actually turned out to really make me mad.  Who watches their sister's house and puts a muzzle on the dog while she's gone?

The WDW Connection
The only real connection here is a restaurant located in the Magic Kingdom.  It's called Tony's Town Square, and it's an Italian restaurant that is supposed to be modeled after the restaurant in the movie.  I've heard that there are several tributes to our favorite dogs inside the restaurant.  Jason and I have reservations there while we're in Disney, so I guess we'll find out!

Becky's rating:  8.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  7.5 out of 10

Fantasia 2000

We had watched Fantasia, and it was okay, even though I fell asleep at "intermission."  However, Jason insisted that I would like Fantasia 2000 better.  As it turned out, he was right.  They did make it more modern, and more friendly to the average person.  It's shorter, more of the music is familiar, the sketches are less abstract and tell more concrete stories, and there are more Disney characters involved.  In addition, there are famous and familiar celebrities introducing each of the pieces.

While I liked Fantasia, my main problem with it was probably just that it was too long.  This one, however, is only about an hour and half, a perfect length.  Apparently the original concept behind Fantasia would be that it would come out every year, with a few new songs added in and some of the old ones taken out.  That never actually happened, but Fantasia 2000 follows the format in a way by having the old Sorcerer's Apprentice appear in this movie as well.

Some of the pieces I really enjoyed.  One was Rhapsody in Blue, a fun jazz number that tells the story of a few different characters living in NYC during the Great Depression.  There was also a number that tells the story of The Steadfast Tin Soldier - but true to being Disney, the ending of the story is changed so that it all ends happily, and I at least like that better.  We also get a fun piece set to the tune of Pomp and Circumstance and telling the story of Noah's Ark, with Donald Duck as the star.  The Pines of Rome, with flying whales, was also a graphically interesting one.

The Music
Again, the music is the main focus here.  We have a lot of similar tunes to the original, with a majority set to classical pieces.  However, we also get some jazz thrown in.

The Villain
Once again, no real villain, since it's really just a bunch of mini stories.  But that Jack in the Box during the Steadfast Tin Soldier is one creepy dude.  He definitely wins worst villain award out of these stories.

The WDW Connection
See the entry for Fantasia.

Becky's rating:  7 out of 10
Jason's rating:  8.5 out of 10

Toy Story 3

Apparently plans for the third Toy Story movie have been in the works since 2004.  The original plot line had to do with Buzz Lightyear toys being recalled, the other toys going on a mission to find him and bring him back.  I'm sure that would have made a cute movie, but the plot line they went with for Toy Story 3 was absolutely perfect for the series and worked so well, so I'm really glad that it ended up as what it did.

And this movie works so well because it has a little bit of everything.  In some ways these toys are timeless - they still have the same personalities and fun adventures, even if Andy is all grown up.  But it's also about moving on to a new stage in life.  And because of that, it appeal to everyone.  Kids love it because it's Toy Story, adults can relate to it if they have or have had kids, and teens and young adults relate to the the growing up part.  In 1995, when Toy Story first came out, I was 7 years old - about the age of Andy and other kids that played with toys all the time.  In 2010, when the third film came out, I was in my last year of college and ready to move on with a new part of my life.  Seeing this time tie all of that together for me was extremely emotional.

It's still got the same old good humor, though, and some fun new characters.  Barbie returns, but this time she is also joined by Ken.  This duo is one of the best aspects of the movie - very hilarious!  There's also Lotso, our new villain, a supposedly lovable bear.  Woody is as tough as ever, determined to stay with Andy and be loyal to him no matter what kind of life it might mean for him.  The others, however, are ready to move on.  Their great escape from Sunnyside at the end shows that they really do all want to work together and be together in the end, though.  Oh, and Buzz's Spanish mode is pretty funny too.

The emotional part is the ending - well, actually, two parts of the ending.  If you haven't seen the movie you should probably stop reading, because I'm going to give some details.  When the toys are in the junkyard and it looks like they're headed for a fiery death, it's full of excitement and suspense, but then it seems like there really is no way out.  I definitely thought the movie was just going to kill them all off, and the toys think so too as they join hands and prepare for death.  Just thinking about it makes me tear up.  Seeing that resolve to just stick together and not struggle any longer is very powerful.  Amazingly, they do get saved.  Then, the ultimate ending is very sad, but happy at the same time.  Andy gives his toys away to a little girl that will love them and play with them.  Seeing Andy part with his toys that he has loved for so long is a very hard thing to deal with.  We've known these toys as Andy's toys for fifteen years.  It's easy to relate our own childhoods to this moment.  But in the end it's right, and it couldn't have ended more perfectly.

Bottom line: definitely the best Pixar movie to date, and one of the best Disney movies as well.

The Music
Kind of a recap of songs heard in the other Toy Story movies, including "You've Got A Friend in Me."  And the Spanish version of that song, making for a cute ending moment.

The Villain
Our bad guy this time is Lotso, a strawberry scented bear that has grown sour and evil after being abandoned by his kid.  He takes it out on the other toys at Sunnyside by pretending to be extremely kind and welcoming, but sending them to basically be tortured instead.  In some ways he's kind of similar to Stinky Pete: he seems nice but turns out to be bad.  Lotso runs everything, and isn't afraid to destroy the toys that want to leave.  The worst part is the end, though.  Woody absolutely saves Lotso's life in the junkyard, and Lotso repays them by basically sending them to their deaths.  It just goes to show you should never pity the bad guys.  Did he get what he deserved?  Eh.  He has to ride around the front of a garbage truck all day.  It could be a lot worse, and there's plenty of potential for him to escape, though let's not think about that.  Something a little bit more might have been fitting though.

The WDW Connection
See Toy Story.

Becky's rating:  10 out of 10
Jason's rating:  10 out of 10

Toy Story 2

After Toy Story was so successful, it wasn't really surprising that they decided to make a sequel.  What is surprising, however, is that the sequel is almost as good as the first movie!  Apparently it was originally supposed to be a straight to DVD sequel, but after they realized it was actually a good quality film, they released it in theatres.

We're back this time with our same old friends, Woody and Buzz, but we get to meet some new characters this time too.  It turns out that Woody is actually an old toy - a collector's item, and he had a television show and a whole series of merchandise.  There's also Jessie, the cowgirl, and Bullseye, his dog. And of course, good old Stinky Pete.

The adventures that our friends have in this one is just about as exciting as what they go through in the first movie.  Poor Woody is stolen from a garage sale by a collector, who wants to ship him off to Japan. The most interesting thing to me is Woody's eventual attitude toward this.  At first he is obviously resistant and wants to go home, but he actually is on the verge of accepting his new life.  I think Jessie's story, about how her owner grew up and didn't want her anymore, really hit him hard.  Still, his attitude is surprising in this one given his absolute loyalty to Andy in the third.

Some other fun bits from this movie include the introduction of Barbie, and Buzz #2.  I'm not sure why Buzz seems to be the only toy that doesn't realize he's actually a toy, but it's hilarious in every movie.  I also like Jessie as a character, and I love that they did the little romance between her and Buzz, rather than her and Woody.

The Music
The one song that really stands out here is the one that's playing while Jessie's story is on the screen.  It's "When She Loved Me," and it's so sad.  I have it on a CD and I actually cry most of the time when it comes on.  Not surprisingly, "You've Got a Friend in Me" makes a return, but other than that there weren't really any stand out songs.

The Villain
We kinda have two villains here - the human, and the toy.  Al, from Al's Toy Barn, is quite dislikable from the beginning because he actually steals Woody.  Who takes a toy away from a child like that?  He's the more visible villain, because we know he's bad from the start.  Stinky Pete is the surprise villain.  He seems nice and normal the whole time, until the very end, when he tries to sabotage their plan to escape.  We could just say that he's a toy that's never been loved and that's why he acts that way, but he certainly turns on them pretty horribly!

The WDW Connection
See Toy Story.

Becky's rating:  9 out of 10
Jason's rating:  9.5 out of 10

Toy Story

This was the very first Pixar movie, and boy did they nail it.  Who would have thought that a movie about toys who could walk and talk would be so popular?  But Toy Story is successful because it's very clever, and it's also quite emotional.  They may be toys, but we can certainly relate to them and the things that they are feeling.

It's funny because I always find myself tearing up at the part where Buzz comes along and Woody suddenly feels so neglected and rejected.  And while those emotions feel so real in this movie, it's hard to remember that they're just toys - and then I feel guilty because I know I did the same thing at some point when I was younger, and we have all done it!  But it feels real because we can relate those feelings to our relationships with people, and growing up and leaving other things or people behind.  This all comes together extremely well in the two follow up movies - to be discussed later!

In terms of plot for this one, it's just so good.  Everything from the birthday party and the toys with their plan to find out what the presents are, to the trip to Pizza Planet, to Sid's house, is extremely entertaining.  The characters are also highly entertaining, as each has his or her own fun personality.  Gotta love Mr. Potato Head!

I think that Jason and I will forever be engaged in the Woody vs. Buzz debate.  You see, he is a Buzz fan, and I'm a Woody fan.  He likes Buzz better because he thinks he is nicer, and a better person (or toy).  I like Woody because I think he's more relatable.  As much as I might not want to admit it, I'm probably more like Woody than Buzz.  I would certainly get jealous if someone took my place, and though I may not do the things that Woody does, I would probably be thinking them.  He may not be perfect, but he's fiercely loyal and determined.  Buzz is annoying and kinda dumb sometimes.  But that's my opinion :)  Honestly, I love them both.

The Music
Pixar movies aren't really musicals, with the characters singing and dancing, but like any movie they do have music in them.  The big song from this one is "You've got a Friend in Me," and it's absolutely perfect for this movie.  It's a great song, works well, and it's so catchy.  Everyone knows it.

The Villain
Though Woody and Buzz get into a few tiffs and are seemingly enemies at first, the real villain here is Sid.  And boy, is he evil!  I mean seriously, that is one messed up kid - I'm sure he'll turn out to be a serial killer.  He takes pleasure in destroying, mutilating, and blowing up toys.  He's just completely maniacal and insane, and he scares me.

The WDW Connection
Toy Story is huge in Disney, and it's one of the only movies to actually have two extremely popular and featured rides.  In Magic Kingdom you can try out Buzz Lightyear's Space Ranger Spin, a fun arcade style shooting game.  Hollywood Studios is home to a brand new ride called Toy Story Mania.  In this ride you play arcade style games, but everything is virtual and you wear 3D glasses (I haven't tried it yet, but it sounds really cool!).  In Disney Quest in Downtown Disney there's a bumper car ride with a Toy Story theme.  They also have one restaurant - Hollywood Studios is home to Pizza Planet.

Becky's rating:  9.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  9.5 out of 10

Bambi

Bambi is a good movie.  It's a bit old fashioned, but in many ways I think it's actually a beautiful work of art.  The animation is extremely good for its time. However,though it's a good movie, I'm not sure I can say it's an extremely entertaining movie.  I liked it, but I probably wouldn't want to watch it again.  On the other hand, I'm sure there are kids out there that can watch it over and over again, so there must be something about it that draws some people in.  If anyone has any experience from their own childhood or others with loving this movie and has a guess as to why, I'd be very curious to know.

I think the reason why it's not as entertaining as other movies is because it's very slow.  There isn't a lot that happens; in fact, there's really no strong plot.  It's really just "a year in the life of Bambi."  You keep watching, waiting for that big moment that starts the story, and after about 25 minutes you realize that this is it.

But it's definitely cute.  I love all the little animals as babies, like Thumper and Flower.  And then when they grow up and start to fall in love, that's a great scene too.  It's also extremely moving, especially when Bambi's mother dies.  And when the entire forest is lit on fire, it really sort of speaks to you.  Basically, this movie made me hate humans.  And that's probably part of the message they were trying to get across - respect for nature and all.  Overall I think they do a decent job.

The Music
It's not exactly a big song and dance movie - the music is mostly underscore and subtle.  The most memorable song is "Little April Showers," which is one of the best scenes in the movie.  It's very beautiful just watching the rain falling and the seasons changing.  None of the other songs really stood out to me though.

The Villain
The only villain we really have here is humans - or, more specifically, the man that shoots Bambi's mother.  We know almost nothing about him, but he's a bad guy for killing her.  However, there are tons of people that do hunt for both food and for fun.  Personally, I can't fathom how anyone would find pleasure in shooting innocent animals.  But there are many people that do, people who are often very good people.  So the villain is very ambiguous here, especially if you start to think about it.

The WDW Connection
Bambi is almost non-existent in Disney World.  It's somewhat surprising, considering that it has become a Disney classic.  There are no rides, restaurants, or anything really.  Rumor has it that Thumper has occasionally been seen around the parks, and there's a Bambi topiary at Epcot during the May/June Flower and Garden Festival, but otherwise not much.

Becky's rating:  6.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  6 out of 10

The Princess and the Frog

When The Princess and the Frog came out in 2009, word was that it was going to be very reminiscent of the Disney renaissance period - all of those good movies like Aladdin, The Lion King, and The Little Mermaid.  Considering that (aside from Pixar) the Disney movies that had come out were along the lines of Brother Bear, Home on the Range, and Bolt, I was dying for a good Disney movie.  Going back to Disney's roots in fairy tales was a brilliant idea.

I absolutely fell in love with this movie.  It only came out in late 2009/early 2010, and I've probably watched it five or six times already.  To start with, this movie has an awesome princess who can almost rival Belle.  She's smart, hardworking, dedicated, and won't let anyone stand in her way.  Disney's come a long way since the portrayal of princesses in Snow White or Cinderella.  Tiana doesn't start out as a princess; in fact, she's almost the opposite.  I love the fact that she's a strong character while still being likable.

It also hits all of the right emotions.  There's happiness, comedy, and sadness.  There are lots of really great, funny lines in this movie, and hilarious characters, like Raymond and Louis.  We watched it with Jason's brothers and I was a little worried that they would think it was stupid, but they were laughing a lot, so I think that's a good sign.  Ray's song to Evangeline is both touching and sad at the same time.  And the ending really holds a tragedy in it - I cry every time we watch it.  However, there's still a happy ending.  To me, that's the perfect movie: there's some sad things that happen which make it realistic, but ultimately it ends happily.

The story itself is fun, and I never felt like the pace was lagging or I was checking my watch.  They go through a series of adventures, and Tiana and Prince Naveen start out disliking each other because they are so different.  But it's fun to watch the romance grow between them as they both start to realize the other one actually is caring and a good person.  It was definitely not love at first sight for these two!

The Music
I loved the music from this movie, so much so that I bought the soundtrack (the only other Disney movie I have the entire soundtrack to is The Lion King).  Since the story takes place in New Orleans, it features a lot of jazz music, which I love.  I really don't think there's a bad song in the bunch.  My favorites would be "Almost There," Tiana's big solo song, and "Dig A Little Deeper," the song that Mama Odie sings.  However, "Evangeline" is also beautiful in its own way.  The only thing noticeably missing is a duet between the two lovers.  Even a light-hearted, fun one would have been appropriate, but they don't really sing together.  The closest thing to a love song from the movie is "Evangeline."

The Villain
Dr. Facilier, more commonly known as "the Shadow Man," is a pretty evil villain.  He's a bit reminiscent of Jafar - out for power, and with the ability to control evil magic.  However, the Shadow Man is super creepy because he's actually in cahoots with the devil - his "friends from the other side."

The WDW Connection
Unfortunately, as of right now there aren't really any attractions, shows, or restaurants themed around The Princess and the Frog.  When the movie first came out they did a bit more, such as adding in a show and re-theming the Liberty Belle riverboat, but that's all gone now.  I would love to see more from this movie in the future.  I believe you can still meet Princess Tiana and Prince Naveen around the parks.

Becky's rating:  10 out of 10
Jason's rating:  9.5 out of 10

Song of the South

I was super excited about seeing this movie for two reasons: one, because it has actually never been released in the US on DVD or video, so I'd never seen it, and two, because my favorite ride in all of Disney World is based on this movie.  Since many of you may not be familiar with the movie, here's what happens: a young boy named Johnny goes with his mom to live with his grandmother, though they never explain why exactly the father is leaving them.  Johnny is very upset about dad being gone, and only really finds solace in Uncle Remus's stories about Brer Rabbit.  Unfortunately, due to some misunderstandings, Johnny's mother forbids him to visit Uncle Remus anymore.

*Ending spoiler*  Uncle Remus decides to leave because he can no longer tell stories to Johnny.  When Johnny sees him packing up and leaving, he tries to chase after his wagon.  He can't catch up, so Johnny tries to take a short cut through the meadow where he isn't supposed to go, and ends up basically being gored by a bull.  Okay, not gored because they don't really show anything, but injured enough so that he is between life and death.  Uncle Remus comes back, and when dad hears he comes back, and Johnny lives and everyone is happy and reunited.

First off, here are my thoughts on the fact that this movie is not made available: it's stupid.  There is nothing offensive about it, unless you count that everyone is too darn happy when they're slaves.  I don't think it's a bad thing to make a movie - even a kid's movie - that acknowledges that the Civil War era and slavery once existed. It certainly doesn't go into details, and you can hardly tell that they're slaves.  It's a bit old fashioned, but no different than a movie like, say, Gone with the Wind, where there are slaves involved in the story.  It's just a lot of hype over nothing.

The Brer Rabbit stories are definitely the best part.  The rest of the movie was all right, but nothing really special.  A bit predictable at times (though I did not see him getting gored by a bull) and old fashioned, but I thought it was a really cute movie overall.  There are three Brer Rabbit stories in the whole thing, but they could make a movie just of that and it would be really good.  The stories are about him outsmarting Brer Bear and Brer Fox, who are trying to catch him, and they actually come out of folklore so they're not Disney original and you can look them up and read these three ("The Tar Baby," "Brer Rabbit Runs Away," and "Brer Rabbit's Laughing Place) plus many more.

After all the hype around this movie in the Disney community, it was kind of a let down only because it wasn't amazingly spectacular and it also wasn't really horrible.  It was just a pretty good movie.

The Music
There are some really catchy tunes in this one, including the famous "Zip-a-dee-do-dah."  Another fun one that you'll know if you've been on Splash Mountain is "How Do You Do?"  Be careful, because this one can get stuck in your head for awhile!  Those are the highlights, though there are a few other songs, including "Song of the South" and "Everybody's Got a Laughing Place."

The Villain
Within the Brer Rabbit stories, the "villains" are Brer Bear and Brer Fox.  Brer Bear is your typical dumb sidekick, who instantly calls for all of Brer Rabbit's tricks.  Brer Fox is a bit smarter but not by much, and if often frustrated by what Brer Bear does.  They're much more comical than evil.  Within the frame story there is no real villain per se, just obstacles to overcome.  And that darn bull.

The WDW Connection
My all time favorite ride ever is themed after this movie, and that's Splash Mountain.  You start the ride by going through and seeing various animatronics of the Brer Rabbit stories throughout the movie.  And then, when Brer Rabbit tricks them into throwing him into the Briar Patch, you go down a log flume of 52 feet.  Wee!

Becky's rating:  7.5 out of 10
Jason's rating:  6.5 out of 10