“The Lion King” Remake Tells Its Familiar Tale with Technical Bravado
How you react to the remake of The Lion King will likely depend upon your attitude towards Disney’s “reimagining’” of their classics library. Some will see their latest effort as little more than box office greed, a new way to ring up dollars off an established property. Others will view the studio more generously, tipping […]
Pixar is Four-for-Four with “Toy Story 4”
As if being one of the greatest trilogies in film history wasn’t enough for the Toy Story franchise, along comes a fourth feature that’s just as fun, witty, and incredibly moving as the first three. Hats off to Pixar (and parent company Disney) for being four-for-four with Toy Story 4. This new film is one […]
What Makes for a Successful Live-Action Adaptation of a Disney Cartoon?
The new live-action version of Dumbo made a respectable $45 million its opening weekend, but its 50% fresh score at RottenTomatoes.com helps explain why it didn’t do better. Most critics, like yours truly, praised its production values and the adorable CGI-created title character, but the other elements of director Tim Burton’s reimagining were mostly detrimental. […]
The Live-Action “Dumbo” Forgets to Keep It Simple
The classic Disney animated feature Dumbo from 1941 was a mere 64 minutes long. The new live-action version is one-hour and 52 minutes. This new take on the material pads out the story, adding dozens of human characters into the mix while lessening the focus on the baby elephant character with the ginormous ears. As […]
Five “The LEGO Movie 2” Rules Every Animated Film Should Follow
The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part is a rare sequel that doesn’t feel redundant or like a cynical cash grab. Instead, it’s a clever film, well-made and hilarious, with plenty of heart too. Even more so, it’s an example of how to do animation properly on the big screen. It knows that even if […]
