Well, all of Disney's 2004 theatrical releases have come to theaters, and most have come to DVD too. It was a quite sluggish year for the studio at the box office for the first half, but some modest successes late in the summer and strong performances by <i>National Treasure</i> and <i>The Incredibles</i> have led to a pretty strong rebound.
So, which did you see? Which did you like? Which did you not like?
<b><u>Disney's 2004 Films List</b></u>
<i>Teacher's Pet</i>
<i>Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen</i>
<i>Miracle</i>
<i>Home on the Range</i>
<i>Around the World in 80 Days</i>
<i>America's Heart & Soul</i>
<i>The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement</i>
<i>The Incredibles</i>
<i>National Treasure</i>
<b><u>Disney's 2004 Direct-to-Video Films</b></u>
<i>The Lion King 1 ½</i>
<i>Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo</i>
<i>Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers</i>
<i>Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas</i>
Oh, and what the heck...
<b><u>Disney's 2004 Made-for-TV Movies</b></u>
<i>A Wrinkle in Time</i>
<i>Growing Pains: Return of the Seavers</i>
<i>Pixel Perfect</i>
<i>Going to the Mat</i>
<i>Zenon: Z3</i>
<i>Stuck in the Suburbs</i>
<i>Tiger Cruise</i>
<i>Halloweentown High</i>
If there's a decent amount of response to this thread, maybe we can start one on Disney's 2004 DVD releases, to tie in with the Year of Review feature that I'll be putting together for the site.
Disney's 2004 Films - Discussion Thread
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MickeyMousePal
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I have seen all the 2004 Disney's Films except America's Heart & Soul. I haven't seen any Disney's 2004 Made-for-TV Movies but seen all of the Disney's 2004 Direct-to-Video Films.
My favorites would be Miracles, The Incredibles, National Treasure and Lion King 1 1/2.
I dislike Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo and Around the World in 80 Days.
My favorites would be Miracles, The Incredibles, National Treasure and Lion King 1 1/2.
I dislike Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen, Winnie the Pooh: Springtime with Roo and Around the World in 80 Days.
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9:30 American Dad
Living in the 1980's:
Fox Sunday lineup:
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8:30 King of the Hill
9:00 Family Guy
9:30 American Dad
Living in the 1980's:
i've only seen 2 out of all of these 
Miracle: awsome, great performance by Kurt Russell. I knew they were going to win by I was still on the edge of my seat during all the games. Some mesmerizing hockey scenes.
The Incredibles: simply put, INCREDIBLE!! Fun, funny, full of heart, never lets go. MAy be my favorite Pixar.
Miracle: awsome, great performance by Kurt Russell. I knew they were going to win by I was still on the edge of my seat during all the games. Some mesmerizing hockey scenes.
The Incredibles: simply put, INCREDIBLE!! Fun, funny, full of heart, never lets go. MAy be my favorite Pixar.
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deathie mouse
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Loomis
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Out of the theatrical releases, I've only seen:
- Home on the Range
- National Treasure
As for the DTVs, I've seen all four listed.
While I agree with some of 2099net's comments elsewhere, in which he says that while the character design is great on Home on the Range, the story doesn't feel as "complete" or "motion picture" like as some of the other classics, I kind of felt that this was part of its charm. Plus, the film is populated with cows (which I am fond of) and one of the best animated goats in the history of animated goats. Not one of Disney's best, but a significant picture at the end of an era, and still a lot of fun.
With National Treasure, I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. It was very much a Bruckheimer film, but with the exception of Pearl Harbor, I have enjoyed them all. As long as you don't go in expecting high art, I think you'd have fun with NT, although I found a few of the 'Americanisms' a little cringe-worthy, and the responses to Iraq were as obvious as an elephant in your lounge-room (especially the line quoting: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it"). Even so, fun stuff. Make a good companion film to Team America.
As for the DTVs...
I must confess to liking them all, although Three Musketeers outstrips the lot of them. I liked the simple dynamic of the Old School characters, and Pete - as always - makes a terrific villain. I think the humour works brilliantly, with those winks to the camera, breaking down the fourth wall. Both in the spirit of vintage shorts and House of Mouse, 3Ms simultaneously salutes Disney's roots and shows where it is at now. It also featured Clarabelle Cow quite heavily, so that pleased me as well...
Most of my comments on Twice Upon a Christmas can be found here , which I was quite fond of, although it was a little twee, too long in some parts, and too short in others. Still, Xmas with Disney is always time well spent.
I could have lived without LK 1.5, but that is not to say I didn't like it. More like an extended episode of Timon and Pumbaa than a proper DTV feature, it did maintain the spirit of that series, although was probably not really needed.
Springtime with Roo disappointed me. Although I love Pooh, these are feeling like they are going through the motions lately. The Heffalump Movie promises something different though.
The Incredibles is coming out here soon, and I'm sure I will have good things to say about it.
2004 was fun, but 2005 looks to be huge. Can't wait.
- Home on the Range
- National Treasure
As for the DTVs, I've seen all four listed.
While I agree with some of 2099net's comments elsewhere, in which he says that while the character design is great on Home on the Range, the story doesn't feel as "complete" or "motion picture" like as some of the other classics, I kind of felt that this was part of its charm. Plus, the film is populated with cows (which I am fond of) and one of the best animated goats in the history of animated goats. Not one of Disney's best, but a significant picture at the end of an era, and still a lot of fun.
With National Treasure, I wasn't expecting much but was pleasantly surprised. It was very much a Bruckheimer film, but with the exception of Pearl Harbor, I have enjoyed them all. As long as you don't go in expecting high art, I think you'd have fun with NT, although I found a few of the 'Americanisms' a little cringe-worthy, and the responses to Iraq were as obvious as an elephant in your lounge-room (especially the line quoting: "That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it"). Even so, fun stuff. Make a good companion film to Team America.
As for the DTVs...
I must confess to liking them all, although Three Musketeers outstrips the lot of them. I liked the simple dynamic of the Old School characters, and Pete - as always - makes a terrific villain. I think the humour works brilliantly, with those winks to the camera, breaking down the fourth wall. Both in the spirit of vintage shorts and House of Mouse, 3Ms simultaneously salutes Disney's roots and shows where it is at now. It also featured Clarabelle Cow quite heavily, so that pleased me as well...
Most of my comments on Twice Upon a Christmas can be found here , which I was quite fond of, although it was a little twee, too long in some parts, and too short in others. Still, Xmas with Disney is always time well spent.
I could have lived without LK 1.5, but that is not to say I didn't like it. More like an extended episode of Timon and Pumbaa than a proper DTV feature, it did maintain the spirit of that series, although was probably not really needed.
Springtime with Roo disappointed me. Although I love Pooh, these are feeling like they are going through the motions lately. The Heffalump Movie promises something different though.
The Incredibles is coming out here soon, and I'm sure I will have good things to say about it.
2004 was fun, but 2005 looks to be huge. Can't wait.
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Wonderlicious
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Don't all kill me here but I've only seen The Incredibles. I really wanted to see Home on the Range, yet tragicly, I missed it as it was in cinemas for about two weeks in England, which means I'm never going to see a 2D animated film in cinemas ever again. I wish I'd gone out of my way to see Brother Bear all big now...
On a slightly happier note, however, I started to upgrade my Disney movies to DVD, which I'm very happy with!
On a slightly happier note, however, I started to upgrade my Disney movies to DVD, which I'm very happy with!
Teacher's Pet
I was really looking forward to this, based on the wonderful reviews by the critics, including Elvis Mitchell. And I was not to be disappointed.
Above all, Teacher's Pet had a bold and imagnative script to match the assured visuals. Sure, the animaion may not have been the best, and the designs are certainly stylish. But who cares! That's the point of animation. It doesn't have to be realistic. I hope all those bemoaning the decline of 2D animation can appreciate just what Teacher's Pet managed to achieve - its design and attitude were perfect for traditional handdrawn animation.
As for the script, well, people keep banging on about how it's story and characters that make an animated film a success, and not technique. Well, I would say the Teacher's Pet script matched Pixar's scripts. It was clever, slightly subversive, and had just as many knowing winks and references and the Shrek films do - a lot more subtle too.
Sadly, perhaps Teacher's Pet was too good, and too adult for it's budget and expectations.
4/5 Stars
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Home on the Range
I couldn't help being disappointed by Home on the Range. It just didn't seem like a 'proper' Disney film. It was short, and a bit to light and comic to make much impact. I also found I didn't like most of the characters, with Buck being the only stand out character for me.
However, I did enjoy the animation. It was done with simple designs and minimal linework, but some of the sequences were stunning. I especially liked how expressive the faces could be, especially considering that the majority were made from simple shapes. There is no doubt the animators were on top form when making this. (Again, why would anybody want the "realism" of more complex character designs in animation?)
However, look at the production cost of Home on the Range and compare it to Teacher's Pet. It's quite clear which was the better film, and which deserved to do better.
3/5 Stars
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Around the World in 80 Days
Well, to me this did promise a lot, but I was let down. Mainly because I was expecting more from Steve Coogan. However, I don't think the film was a total disaster and it deserved to do much better than it actually did, but in retrospect it was always going to be a hard sell.
Lots of post-modern references, especially in Britain, France and America, made it enjoyable, as did the (admittedly toned down for the family audience) Jackie Chan fights.
I don't know, I just feel is should have been better. Perhaps it needed one or two more drafts?
3/5 stars
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Mickey, Donald & Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Well, despite all the fuss and bother, there is no way that this could have had a theatrical release. I'm sorry, it has nothing to do with the quality of the animation, or the appeal of Mickey Mouse. It's just clear that this wasn't a theatrical film. It wasn't attempting to be one, and it shouldn't have been forced into being one.
But it was highly enjoyable. Lots of jokes for all ages, and it combined the appeal of classic shorts with the more edgey and aware tone of House of Mouse. More than anything, I think this did show Mickey has just as much appeal today as he did in the 30s, 40s, 50s & 60s. All he needs is a strong villain to fight, and his mixture of innocence and determination makes him instantly attractive. The problem is Mickey is Disney seems to shy away from making him confront anything truely villainous most of the time.
Oh, and I liked the singing turtle.
4/5 stars
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Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas
Now this is interesting. Very interesting. Going back to the whole style over realism debate, Mickey's first CGI 3D feature was a bold experiment, but one I think that ultimately failed.
The problem is, Mickey is a simple shape, that's part of his appeal. Anyone can draw a reasonable Mickey. As a result the CGI character needed to be simple too, and thus so did his environment. But people aren't used to seeing CGI be used for simple designs. They associate it with complex characters or photorealistic renders.
I don't think the animation in TUAC was a disaster. In fact, some of it was spot on and would be how I would imagine the characters to look and move in 3 dimensions. But I feel that there is no good reason why this couldn't be 2D, and if it was, I can't help thinking 80% of it would look better. If Disney decides to do more 3D Mickey and friends, they will have to walk the line between realism (and risk loosing most of Mickey's appeal) and simplicity (and risk looking too much like a computer game).
As for the shorts, I hated Christmas: Impossible. Loved Mickey's Dog-Gone Christmas and liked the Goofy sequence (but it should have been longer). Belle's on Ice I have mixed feelings about - the story was simple and not that appealing, but at times the animation did look stunning. Donald's Gift was traditional Disney Christmas fare, and thus was neither that good or that bad.
Overall 3/5 stars, 4/5 for the Mickey segment alone
I was really looking forward to this, based on the wonderful reviews by the critics, including Elvis Mitchell. And I was not to be disappointed.
Above all, Teacher's Pet had a bold and imagnative script to match the assured visuals. Sure, the animaion may not have been the best, and the designs are certainly stylish. But who cares! That's the point of animation. It doesn't have to be realistic. I hope all those bemoaning the decline of 2D animation can appreciate just what Teacher's Pet managed to achieve - its design and attitude were perfect for traditional handdrawn animation.
As for the script, well, people keep banging on about how it's story and characters that make an animated film a success, and not technique. Well, I would say the Teacher's Pet script matched Pixar's scripts. It was clever, slightly subversive, and had just as many knowing winks and references and the Shrek films do - a lot more subtle too.
Sadly, perhaps Teacher's Pet was too good, and too adult for it's budget and expectations.
4/5 Stars
-----
Home on the Range
I couldn't help being disappointed by Home on the Range. It just didn't seem like a 'proper' Disney film. It was short, and a bit to light and comic to make much impact. I also found I didn't like most of the characters, with Buck being the only stand out character for me.
However, I did enjoy the animation. It was done with simple designs and minimal linework, but some of the sequences were stunning. I especially liked how expressive the faces could be, especially considering that the majority were made from simple shapes. There is no doubt the animators were on top form when making this. (Again, why would anybody want the "realism" of more complex character designs in animation?)
However, look at the production cost of Home on the Range and compare it to Teacher's Pet. It's quite clear which was the better film, and which deserved to do better.
3/5 Stars
-----
Around the World in 80 Days
Well, to me this did promise a lot, but I was let down. Mainly because I was expecting more from Steve Coogan. However, I don't think the film was a total disaster and it deserved to do much better than it actually did, but in retrospect it was always going to be a hard sell.
Lots of post-modern references, especially in Britain, France and America, made it enjoyable, as did the (admittedly toned down for the family audience) Jackie Chan fights.
I don't know, I just feel is should have been better. Perhaps it needed one or two more drafts?
3/5 stars
-----
Mickey, Donald & Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Well, despite all the fuss and bother, there is no way that this could have had a theatrical release. I'm sorry, it has nothing to do with the quality of the animation, or the appeal of Mickey Mouse. It's just clear that this wasn't a theatrical film. It wasn't attempting to be one, and it shouldn't have been forced into being one.
But it was highly enjoyable. Lots of jokes for all ages, and it combined the appeal of classic shorts with the more edgey and aware tone of House of Mouse. More than anything, I think this did show Mickey has just as much appeal today as he did in the 30s, 40s, 50s & 60s. All he needs is a strong villain to fight, and his mixture of innocence and determination makes him instantly attractive. The problem is Mickey is Disney seems to shy away from making him confront anything truely villainous most of the time.
Oh, and I liked the singing turtle.
4/5 stars
-----
Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas
Now this is interesting. Very interesting. Going back to the whole style over realism debate, Mickey's first CGI 3D feature was a bold experiment, but one I think that ultimately failed.
The problem is, Mickey is a simple shape, that's part of his appeal. Anyone can draw a reasonable Mickey. As a result the CGI character needed to be simple too, and thus so did his environment. But people aren't used to seeing CGI be used for simple designs. They associate it with complex characters or photorealistic renders.
I don't think the animation in TUAC was a disaster. In fact, some of it was spot on and would be how I would imagine the characters to look and move in 3 dimensions. But I feel that there is no good reason why this couldn't be 2D, and if it was, I can't help thinking 80% of it would look better. If Disney decides to do more 3D Mickey and friends, they will have to walk the line between realism (and risk loosing most of Mickey's appeal) and simplicity (and risk looking too much like a computer game).
As for the shorts, I hated Christmas: Impossible. Loved Mickey's Dog-Gone Christmas and liked the Goofy sequence (but it should have been longer). Belle's on Ice I have mixed feelings about - the story was simple and not that appealing, but at times the animation did look stunning. Donald's Gift was traditional Disney Christmas fare, and thus was neither that good or that bad.
Overall 3/5 stars, 4/5 for the Mickey segment alone
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ichabod
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2 weeks, I think that is a slight exaggeration! My local odeon is still showing it!Wonderlicious wrote:Don't all kill me here but I've only seen The Incredibles. I really wanted to see Home on the Range, yet tragicly, I missed it as it was in cinemas for about two weeks in England, which means I'm never going to see a 2D animated film in cinemas ever again. I wish I'd gone out of my way to see Brother Bear all big now...
On a slightly happier note, however, I started to upgrade my Disney movies to DVD, which I'm very happy with!
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Wonderlicious
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Really!? Where's this "local odeon"?ichabod wrote:2 weeks, I think that is a slight exaggeration! My local odeon is still showing it!Wonderlicious wrote:Don't all kill me here but I've only seen The Incredibles. I really wanted to see Home on the Range, yet tragicly, I missed it as it was in cinemas for about two weeks in England, which means I'm never going to see a 2D animated film in cinemas ever again. I wish I'd gone out of my way to see Brother Bear all big now...
On a slightly happier note, however, I started to upgrade my Disney movies to DVD, which I'm very happy with!
I still haven't seen most of these, though I'd like to view all of them some time soon.
Theatrical Films: I saw Home on the Range first day it came out in theaters and liked it quite a bit. While rewatching it on DVD, I've found it wasn't as good as I first thought it was. It's still enjoyable, but pretty run-of-the-mill.
This past month, I caught both The Incredibles and National Treasure. The former blew me away and surpassed my expectations quite a bit, even though I was expecting much from Pixar. TI is definately their greatest achievment since the original Toy Story. Expectedly, I wasn't as blown away by NT, though it also surpassed my expectations. I honestly expected it to be crap, but it turned out to be a pretty engaging little adventure flick that probably has a rewatchability to it.
Direct-to-Video: Without question, 2004 has to be the best year for DTVs yet. Both The Lion King 1/2 and The Three Musketeers were quite high in quality, I thought, the second being my favorite. Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas was more in the vein of the usual DTV stuff, but managed to be pretty enjoyable as well.
TV Movies: Haven't seen any!
Overall, I think 2004 is a step down from 2003 for Disney in general. The few movies I've seen ranged from being good to excellent (that being TI), but it seems most of the ones I haven't seen aren't too hot. 2005 looks to be a better year, though.
Theatrical Films: I saw Home on the Range first day it came out in theaters and liked it quite a bit. While rewatching it on DVD, I've found it wasn't as good as I first thought it was. It's still enjoyable, but pretty run-of-the-mill.
This past month, I caught both The Incredibles and National Treasure. The former blew me away and surpassed my expectations quite a bit, even though I was expecting much from Pixar. TI is definately their greatest achievment since the original Toy Story. Expectedly, I wasn't as blown away by NT, though it also surpassed my expectations. I honestly expected it to be crap, but it turned out to be a pretty engaging little adventure flick that probably has a rewatchability to it.
Direct-to-Video: Without question, 2004 has to be the best year for DTVs yet. Both The Lion King 1/2 and The Three Musketeers were quite high in quality, I thought, the second being my favorite. Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas was more in the vein of the usual DTV stuff, but managed to be pretty enjoyable as well.
TV Movies: Haven't seen any!
Overall, I think 2004 is a step down from 2003 for Disney in general. The few movies I've seen ranged from being good to excellent (that being TI), but it seems most of the ones I haven't seen aren't too hot. 2005 looks to be a better year, though.
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castleinthesky
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Mirace-2/10
The Incredibles-9/10
I Hope to see The National Treasure soon. I hope to get Home on the Range for Christmas!
These next ratings are for DTV rankings:
Lion King 1 1/2-6/10
The Three Musketeers-7/10
Hopefully I can get Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas.
The Incredibles-9/10
I Hope to see The National Treasure soon. I hope to get Home on the Range for Christmas!
These next ratings are for DTV rankings:
Lion King 1 1/2-6/10
The Three Musketeers-7/10
Hopefully I can get Mickey's Twice Upon A Christmas.
Best Movies of 2009:
1. Moon
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Coraline
5. Ponyo
1. Moon
2. Inglorious Basterds
3. The Hurt Locker
4. Coraline
5. Ponyo
Having now seen all but one of Disney's 2004 live action films, I must say I am pretty disappointed with the output. <i>Miracle</i> was a good real life sports story adaptation that was just lacking something to be great. <i>Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen</i> was pretty vacuous. <i>Around the World in 80 Days</i> a butchering of a text to fit an unsatisfactory Jackie Chan action film mold. <i>The Princess Diaries 2</i> wasn't awful, but just a whole lot less identifiable and appealing than the first one. Then the documentary <i>America's Heart & Soul</i> was one of the most unsavory film experiences I have had in a while.
<i>Miracle</i> was the first I saw of the batch, and I would mildly recommend it. Now, seeing how much more successfully it was than others, I can maybe overlook its flaws and formulas a bit more easily.
I'll still have to see <i>National Treasure</i>, which I have somewhat high hopes for due to its appeal with audiences.
With at least 10 live action films slated to come to theaters in 2005, I'm hoping Disney's offerings have a bit more to them last year. Generally, I'm not very cynical, especially when it comes to live action Disney films - often a target for critics. But for the most part, 2004's productions left me flat. I found more to like in recent made-for-TV films like <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> and the <i>Eloise</i> movies.
<i>Miracle</i> was the first I saw of the batch, and I would mildly recommend it. Now, seeing how much more successfully it was than others, I can maybe overlook its flaws and formulas a bit more easily.
I'll still have to see <i>National Treasure</i>, which I have somewhat high hopes for due to its appeal with audiences.
With at least 10 live action films slated to come to theaters in 2005, I'm hoping Disney's offerings have a bit more to them last year. Generally, I'm not very cynical, especially when it comes to live action Disney films - often a target for critics. But for the most part, 2004's productions left me flat. I found more to like in recent made-for-TV films like <i>A Wrinkle in Time</i> and the <i>Eloise</i> movies.
Incredibles was simply fantastic, one of the best films of the year. Along with Hero, guess that doesn't count here.
National Treasure was also excellent, but I'm a sucker for caper / puzzle films. My only complaint was that there wasn't quite the sense of being able to solve the puzzles yourself that I was hoping for. Although, I did know her password well before Mr. Coppola managed it.
National Treasure was also excellent, but I'm a sucker for caper / puzzle films. My only complaint was that there wasn't quite the sense of being able to solve the puzzles yourself that I was hoping for. Although, I did know her password well before Mr. Coppola managed it.
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<hr>
<b>Luke</b> on Disney's Animated Films of 2004:
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/june-review-1.jpg">
As far as animated films go, <i>Teacher's Pet</i> was a bright spot. Heralded by critics but ignored by audiences, the film is easy to appreciate as a sharply-written, quick and bouncy comedy. It wears its TV roots on its sleeve and yet it's more fun than the most recent "Disney classic" <i>Home on the Range</i>.
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/q-s/sep-review.jpg">
While one of the studio's weaker efforts as far as Feature Animation go, <i>Home on the Range</i> is far from all bad. It's got some interesting characters, nice visuals, and a pretty decent plot. To pinpoint why it's not all that impressive then, it'd be easy for me to simply say "the usual Disney magic isn't there." But that's a bit of a cop-out and none too enlightening. <i>Home on the Range</i> is a mild film; mildly entertaining, mildly amusing, but never funny or clever enough to label as great, memorable, or particularly Disney. The tongue-in-cheek, self-knowing comedy has worked in the passed, and very well with something like the slapsticky <i>Emperor's New Groove</i>. There's just not enough here.
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h- ... review.jpg">
Everything that's "wrong" with <i>Home on the Range</i> is done "right" in <i>The Incredibles</i>, Pixar's latest masterpiece. There's nothing really to compare Pixar to at this point, but that shouldn't surprise us, as they've been setting trends since before they completed the first animated feature film. Though I don't think they've topped <i>Toy Story</i> yet, every Pixar production since it has raised the bar for animation and managed to wow us in new ways. It's tough to compare the studio's works -- their six films have been so universally satisfying -- nonetheless, I'd say <i>The Incredibles</i> is one of their best. With Brad Bird's intelligent and electrifying adventure, we can throw any claims of "Pixar formula" out the window; the film is a tour-de-force that takes a variety of new directions (human characters, a nearly 2-hour running time, family dynamics) with stunning results. This may not only be the best film I've seen this year, but the best I've seen this half-complete decade.
<hr><b>DisneyGuru</b> wrote:
How can I say this.
I have seen none of the 2004 Disney Releases.
*DG, shrugs off with embarassment*
<hr><b>Marielle</b> wrote:
From the film list, I've seen:
Miracle
Home on the Range
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Incredibles
National Treasure
My favorites of those were: National Treasure, The Incredibles and Miracle. Those three were amazing! Home on the Range was my least favorite. In fact, it hardly seemed like Disney to me.
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From the video list, I've seen:
The Lion King 1 ½
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
I thought they were all enjoyable. The animation in Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas was fascinating!
<hr><b>Disneykid</b> wrote:
<b>The Lion King 1 ½</b> (***)
The miracle of the decent DTV sequel surfaced. The animation is gorgeous and blends almost seamlessly with the portions taken from the original. Despite the overabundance of gas jokes (which is to be expected from a from a film starring Timon and Pumbaa), at times the film was quite clever in its alternate viewpoint. This is by far one of the better DTV's Disney's come out with (though my favorite is still Pooh's Grand Adventure).
<b>Home on the Range</b> (***)
This was a cute, unasuming movie, but it didn't rise up above that. I thought the music was great, but the characters and story all felt rather cookie-cutterish. Out of the "new age" Disney movies from 2000 onward, I rank this above Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet but below Brother Bear, Fantasia 2000, The Emperor's New Groove, and Lilo and Stitch. Although it's a nice feel-good movie, it's not the note I want Disney 2-D to leave on (I wished Disney hadn't switched the release dates of Brother Bear and this, since BB is a much better note to leave on).
<b>The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement</b> (***1/2)
This is a major guilty pleasure.. It has a predictable plot, it's less quirky than the superior original, and it takes itself too seriously which the original never did. I guess it's because I love the characters so much, and the movie does have its share of charming moments. I think Garry Marshall and the cast did a good job with what they have. Any flaws with the film I place solely on the screenwriter (why didn't they use the first one's?) who didn't fully comprehend the tongue-in-cheek tone of the original.
<b>The Incredibles</b> (****)
Wow! Although the trailers impressed me, I had a feeling that this would be one of the weakest Pixar efforts - and I was sorely wrong. This has become my 2nd favorite Pixar film after Finding Nemo (which I like more mainly due its amazing one liners which Incredibles didn't have so much of). I loved how much edgier it was than the studio's other films and how original it was (Pixar's always original, but this one really felt unique and unpredictable). Definitely one of the year's best films.
<b>Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas</b> (***)
This was rather cute, though not much more. I liked the CGI animation, even if textures were weird (Pluto looks like he's made of cloth and everyone else looks plastic). I prefer the original 2-D film, though, not because of the animation, but because the stories were allowed to develop more. Beause there was so many short segments in this one, the film ended up feeling rather slight and shallow (heck, it's only an hour long if you deduct the 9 minutes of credits!). It's still worth a viewing, though.
<hr><b>orestes</b> wrote:
I've only seen three...
Mickey. Donald & Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Home on the Range
Lion King 1 1/2
All were enjoyable but none were spectacular.
<hr><b>That1GuyPictures</b> wrote:
I thought the Incredibles was Incredible, Home on the Range wasn't all that great, Teacher's Pet was...interesting, The Three Mousketeers brought the name of Mickey Mouse to an all-new low point, The Lion King 1 1/2 wasn't all that impressive, and the rest all looked so pathetic I didn't want to see them. (Except for National Treasure, which to me was surprisingly good.) So I really enjoyed Treasure and Incredibles. But so far, other than those two, the only films that have impressed me this year were not released by Disney. (Seeing The Polar Express in 3-D at an IMAX theatre was AWESOME!) I have yet to see Miracle, Mickey's X-Mas, or Around the World in 80 days yet, but I want to see them...Oh well...maybe next year, when I have time.
<hr><b>Jake Lipson</b> wrote:
Okay, my turn! It's been pretty slim pickings this year for Disney movies, and I've avoided most of them; I've seen four, and have two more that I want to see (Miracle & National Treasure), but definately hope they can do better next year.
<i>Home on the Range</i> -- I loved this movie. It's a rapid-fire comedy that you can basically watch and laugh your butt off for 76 minutes. It's also beautifully animated with a great style, especially in the backgrounds, and has the usual amazing Alan Menken score to boot. Yes, it's not perticurarly deep, but it wasn't trying to be. No, if I had chosen, I would not have had Disney's traditional animation go out on something like this, but it gets a bad rap because it IS last. If there were a lot more in the pipeline, I think this one would be appriciated more.
<i>The Incredibles</i> -- One of the best movies of the year, this one was exilirating. As usual, Pixar managed to blend a technological breakthrough to marvel at with a rock-solid, very engaging, and deeply moving story. Great characterization, and I loved the dysfuncitonal family aspect since all famalies can find relate to it somehow or other; Syndrome is the best Pixar villian next to Hopper; and the action scenes totally blew me away. The highest compliment I can give it is that it truly does live up to its name.
<i>The Lion King 1 ½</i> -- The best direct-to-video sequel ever, period. Having grown up on the original movie, it was great to spend another 75 minutes in the Pride Lands I know and love so well, and it was interesting and hillarious to see the same story told from another perspective. Animation here is top-notch, blending pretty nicely with the original's clips. I just wish they could've reused the old recordings of the songs, because it irks me every time since they sound out of place and different. Ah well. Great job, Disney!
<i>Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers</i> -- The best direct-to-video original production ever! It was just great seeing the classic characters together again, and their interplay is great; reminded me why they work so well together. Like others have said, I love how it combines the feel and appeal of the classic shorts with a slightly modern sensability (House of Mouse, Mickey's MouseWorks, etc.) The story is well done, the music is great and very funny, and I just wish it was longer. Here's hoping for more of these trio DTVs (and maybe theatrical releases, please?)!
Feel free to copy your own remarks and post them as yourself, if you'd like.
<hr>
<b>Luke</b> on Disney's Animated Films of 2004:
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/june-review-1.jpg">
As far as animated films go, <i>Teacher's Pet</i> was a bright spot. Heralded by critics but ignored by audiences, the film is easy to appreciate as a sharply-written, quick and bouncy comedy. It wears its TV roots on its sleeve and yet it's more fun than the most recent "Disney classic" <i>Home on the Range</i>.
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/q-s/sep-review.jpg">
While one of the studio's weaker efforts as far as Feature Animation go, <i>Home on the Range</i> is far from all bad. It's got some interesting characters, nice visuals, and a pretty decent plot. To pinpoint why it's not all that impressive then, it'd be easy for me to simply say "the usual Disney magic isn't there." But that's a bit of a cop-out and none too enlightening. <i>Home on the Range</i> is a mild film; mildly entertaining, mildly amusing, but never funny or clever enough to label as great, memorable, or particularly Disney. The tongue-in-cheek, self-knowing comedy has worked in the passed, and very well with something like the slapsticky <i>Emperor's New Groove</i>. There's just not enough here.
<img src="http://www.ultimatedisney.com/images/h- ... review.jpg">
Everything that's "wrong" with <i>Home on the Range</i> is done "right" in <i>The Incredibles</i>, Pixar's latest masterpiece. There's nothing really to compare Pixar to at this point, but that shouldn't surprise us, as they've been setting trends since before they completed the first animated feature film. Though I don't think they've topped <i>Toy Story</i> yet, every Pixar production since it has raised the bar for animation and managed to wow us in new ways. It's tough to compare the studio's works -- their six films have been so universally satisfying -- nonetheless, I'd say <i>The Incredibles</i> is one of their best. With Brad Bird's intelligent and electrifying adventure, we can throw any claims of "Pixar formula" out the window; the film is a tour-de-force that takes a variety of new directions (human characters, a nearly 2-hour running time, family dynamics) with stunning results. This may not only be the best film I've seen this year, but the best I've seen this half-complete decade.
<hr><b>DisneyGuru</b> wrote:
How can I say this.
I have seen none of the 2004 Disney Releases.
*DG, shrugs off with embarassment*
<hr><b>Marielle</b> wrote:
From the film list, I've seen:
Miracle
Home on the Range
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
The Incredibles
National Treasure
My favorites of those were: National Treasure, The Incredibles and Miracle. Those three were amazing! Home on the Range was my least favorite. In fact, it hardly seemed like Disney to me.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
From the video list, I've seen:
The Lion King 1 ½
Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas
I thought they were all enjoyable. The animation in Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas was fascinating!
<hr><b>Disneykid</b> wrote:
<b>The Lion King 1 ½</b> (***)
The miracle of the decent DTV sequel surfaced. The animation is gorgeous and blends almost seamlessly with the portions taken from the original. Despite the overabundance of gas jokes (which is to be expected from a from a film starring Timon and Pumbaa), at times the film was quite clever in its alternate viewpoint. This is by far one of the better DTV's Disney's come out with (though my favorite is still Pooh's Grand Adventure).
<b>Home on the Range</b> (***)
This was a cute, unasuming movie, but it didn't rise up above that. I thought the music was great, but the characters and story all felt rather cookie-cutterish. Out of the "new age" Disney movies from 2000 onward, I rank this above Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet but below Brother Bear, Fantasia 2000, The Emperor's New Groove, and Lilo and Stitch. Although it's a nice feel-good movie, it's not the note I want Disney 2-D to leave on (I wished Disney hadn't switched the release dates of Brother Bear and this, since BB is a much better note to leave on).
<b>The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement</b> (***1/2)
This is a major guilty pleasure.. It has a predictable plot, it's less quirky than the superior original, and it takes itself too seriously which the original never did. I guess it's because I love the characters so much, and the movie does have its share of charming moments. I think Garry Marshall and the cast did a good job with what they have. Any flaws with the film I place solely on the screenwriter (why didn't they use the first one's?) who didn't fully comprehend the tongue-in-cheek tone of the original.
<b>The Incredibles</b> (****)
Wow! Although the trailers impressed me, I had a feeling that this would be one of the weakest Pixar efforts - and I was sorely wrong. This has become my 2nd favorite Pixar film after Finding Nemo (which I like more mainly due its amazing one liners which Incredibles didn't have so much of). I loved how much edgier it was than the studio's other films and how original it was (Pixar's always original, but this one really felt unique and unpredictable). Definitely one of the year's best films.
<b>Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas</b> (***)
This was rather cute, though not much more. I liked the CGI animation, even if textures were weird (Pluto looks like he's made of cloth and everyone else looks plastic). I prefer the original 2-D film, though, not because of the animation, but because the stories were allowed to develop more. Beause there was so many short segments in this one, the film ended up feeling rather slight and shallow (heck, it's only an hour long if you deduct the 9 minutes of credits!). It's still worth a viewing, though.
<hr><b>orestes</b> wrote:
I've only seen three...
Mickey. Donald & Goofy: The Three Musketeers
Home on the Range
Lion King 1 1/2
All were enjoyable but none were spectacular.
<hr><b>That1GuyPictures</b> wrote:
I thought the Incredibles was Incredible, Home on the Range wasn't all that great, Teacher's Pet was...interesting, The Three Mousketeers brought the name of Mickey Mouse to an all-new low point, The Lion King 1 1/2 wasn't all that impressive, and the rest all looked so pathetic I didn't want to see them. (Except for National Treasure, which to me was surprisingly good.) So I really enjoyed Treasure and Incredibles. But so far, other than those two, the only films that have impressed me this year were not released by Disney. (Seeing The Polar Express in 3-D at an IMAX theatre was AWESOME!) I have yet to see Miracle, Mickey's X-Mas, or Around the World in 80 days yet, but I want to see them...Oh well...maybe next year, when I have time.
<hr><b>Jake Lipson</b> wrote:
Okay, my turn! It's been pretty slim pickings this year for Disney movies, and I've avoided most of them; I've seen four, and have two more that I want to see (Miracle & National Treasure), but definately hope they can do better next year.
<i>Home on the Range</i> -- I loved this movie. It's a rapid-fire comedy that you can basically watch and laugh your butt off for 76 minutes. It's also beautifully animated with a great style, especially in the backgrounds, and has the usual amazing Alan Menken score to boot. Yes, it's not perticurarly deep, but it wasn't trying to be. No, if I had chosen, I would not have had Disney's traditional animation go out on something like this, but it gets a bad rap because it IS last. If there were a lot more in the pipeline, I think this one would be appriciated more.
<i>The Incredibles</i> -- One of the best movies of the year, this one was exilirating. As usual, Pixar managed to blend a technological breakthrough to marvel at with a rock-solid, very engaging, and deeply moving story. Great characterization, and I loved the dysfuncitonal family aspect since all famalies can find relate to it somehow or other; Syndrome is the best Pixar villian next to Hopper; and the action scenes totally blew me away. The highest compliment I can give it is that it truly does live up to its name.
<i>The Lion King 1 ½</i> -- The best direct-to-video sequel ever, period. Having grown up on the original movie, it was great to spend another 75 minutes in the Pride Lands I know and love so well, and it was interesting and hillarious to see the same story told from another perspective. Animation here is top-notch, blending pretty nicely with the original's clips. I just wish they could've reused the old recordings of the songs, because it irks me every time since they sound out of place and different. Ah well. Great job, Disney!
<i>Mickey, Donald, Goofy: The Three Musketeers</i> -- The best direct-to-video original production ever! It was just great seeing the classic characters together again, and their interplay is great; reminded me why they work so well together. Like others have said, I love how it combines the feel and appeal of the classic shorts with a slightly modern sensability (House of Mouse, Mickey's MouseWorks, etc.) The story is well done, the music is great and very funny, and I just wish it was longer. Here's hoping for more of these trio DTVs (and maybe theatrical releases, please?)!