New Trailer: Disney's Moana

Disney's newest magical adventure Moana introduces us to its first Polynesian heroine. This Thanksgiving, Moana (voice of newcomer Auli'i Cravalho) chances upon the legendary demigod Maui (voice of Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson) on her way to journey across the seas and fulfil her destiny once and for all.

Already I'm reminded of the wonderfully charming and uplifting Whale Rider (2002) in which Keisha Castle-Hughes first burst onto screens. In this teaser trailer, we don't get much out of Moana, but Maui sure seems like a real go-getter. The film is directed by Ron Clements and John Musker with music composed by recent Tony winner Lin-Manuel Miranda, Mark Mancina and Opetaia Foa'i. Moana releases in theatres on 23 June, 2016.

New Finding Dory Trailer!

Everyone's favorite forgetful fish Dory is back this summer in an all-new animated feature. It's no surprise that Andrew Stanton's Finding Nemo is one of Pixar's most beloved hits. For many years, the studio resisted going back for a sequel and this summer, the time is just right to return to the ocean gang. With returning characters Marlin, Nemo, and Mr. Ray, Dory sets out to find her real family, her mom and dad. Along the way, she meets new characters Bailey, a white beluga whale; Destiny, a whale shark; and Hank the octopus at the Monterey Marine Life Institute. Finding Dory's latest trailer kicks off the campaign #HaveYouSeenHer leading up to the film's release on June 17, 2016.  So have you seen Dory yet?

New Photos: Disney's Zootopia

These are a little late going up but we've got new characters stills from Disney's Zootopia featuring the voice talents of Ginnifer Godwin and Jason Bateman. Directors Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph) and Byron Howard (Tangled) announced their cast of characters that will inhabit the world of Zootopia releasing in theatres next March.

(Photos: Disney)

Up first is Mayor Leodore Lionheart who believes anyone can be anything in Zootopia. Voiced by the formidable J.K. Simmons (Whiplash), let's already agree not to get on his bad side.

 Next up, we have Assistant Mayor Bellwether, the overburdened and overstressed assistant of Mayor Lionhart. This simple sheep is voiced by comedian and actress Jenny Slate (Obvious Child).

 
The Zootopia Police Department is led by Chief Bogo who has to uphold the law in the metropolis and as well as deal with the department's first bunny Judy Hopps. Idris Elba, who's got enough experience with these tough guy roles, voices his first animated character with Zootopia. He's also voicing a character in Disney's Finding Nemo sequel, Finding Dory.

Also part of the Zootopia PD is Officer Benjamin Clawhauser, the receptionist and a cheerful cheetah who enjoys doughnuts a little too much. Clawhauser is voiced by actor Nate Torrence.

 
The aforementioned first bunny on the police force is Judy Hopps who is determined to prove herself (despite her shady partner) on a missing mammal case. Judy is voiced by actress Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon A Time).

Judy's proud parents, Stu, a carrot farmer, and Bonnie Hopps, are delighted to see their daughter join the Zootopia Police Department. Stu and Bonnie are voiced by good friends Don Lake and Bonnie Hunt, who has been a Disney/Pixar favorite.

The story moves forward in Zootopia when Mrs. Otterton shows up at the police station looking for her missing husband. Academy Award-winner Octavia Spencer (The Help) voices the part of Mrs. Otterton.

When the Zootopia PD only have 48 hours to crack the case of Mr. Otterton, wily fox Nick Wilde is paired with Judy to solve it. Jason Bateman voices Nick, whose loyalties are always known.

The very untrustworthy Duke Weaselton, a smaller level crook, may sound familiar to many of you. The Disney regular (Wreck-It Ralph, Frozen) Alan Tudyk previously played the Duke of Weaselton in the monster hit, Frozen.

The fastest sloth working at the DMV? Surely you're kidding me. Nope, Flash the sloth is the speediest at the Department of Mammal Vehicles. A story artist at Disney, Raymond Persi, voices the character.

Anytime the citizens of Zootopia should need any advice, they should head to the local Zen retreat for some knowledge. Comedian and actor Tommy Chong voices the very enlightened Yak, Yax.

One of the smallest animals in Zootopia, Finnick the fennec fox, is most suspicious of everyone. Actor Tommy Lister who is 6'5" in real life voices the character.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing in the movie?

New Trailer: Pixar's The Good Dinosaur

We waited through having no Pixar films for two years, but this year we're rewarded with two in the same year! Inside Out has already proved to be a bittersweet delight, will The Good Dinosaur finish off the year of the dinosaur with a flair?

This new full trailer shows in detail the mysterious yet awe-inspiring world that was the planet Earth millions of years ago. Of course, The Good Dinosaur would also like you to imagine a world where the dinosaurs weren't wiped out by a massive asteroid. The trailer gives us the first proper introduction to Arlo, the young Apatosaurus whose loses his way only to make a new friend who happens to be human on his way to an adventure.

The Good Dinosaur which had a major upheaval in production also recently revealed that the voice cast underwent a change. Pixar must have obviously had massive character changes as child actor Raymond Ochoa will be voicing Arlo, Jeffrey Wright voices Arlo's father Poppa, while Frances McDormand is the only cast member who remains and will voice Arlo's mother Momma. Marcus Scribner voices Arlo's brother Buck while Steve Zahn voices Thunderclap, a pterodactyl.  AJ Buckley is T-Rex called Nash, Anna Paquin voices another T-Rex Ramsey and Sam Elliott voices the third T-Rex Butch. Finally, Arlo’s new friend, Spot, is voiced by another child actor Jack Bright.

The Good Dinosaur, directed by Peter Sohn, releases this Thanksgiving November 25, 2015. What did you think of the first full trailer of the animated film? Yay or nay?

Movie Review: Inside Out (2015)

 

After a self-imposed hiatus, Pixar is back with its 15th feature film with a high-concept story that has managed to touch both adults and children. Director Peter Docter, the mastermind behind Monsters Inc. and Up, brings us another emotional tale with Inside Out.

The majority of the film is set inside the mind of an eleven-year-old Riley (voice of Kaitlyn Dias) a regular young girl who life is uprooted when her family moves from Minnesota to the big city San Francisco. A avid ice-hockey player, moving to the warmer California and being away from her friends and all she know is initially worrisome for Riley but she puts on a brave face for her parents. How do we know this? That's because we have insider access to the inner voices in her head - namely Joy (voice of Amy Poehler), Sadness (voice of Phyllis Smith), Anger (voice of Lewis Black), Disgust (voice of Mindy Kaling) and Fear (voice of Bill Hader).

It turns out Riley's mind is the control room (aka headquarters) where these five differing emotions reside taking decisions that impact her daily life. They are deeply concerned for the well-being of Riley and hilariously help her out of little jams dealing with the fact her new bedroom has no furniture as the moving truck is delayed. Joy is the leader in making sure Riley is always happy and has to constantly manage the rest of the emotions especially Sadness from taking over.

One such day, when Riley is introducing herself at school, Sadness touches a core memory making it turn yellow (joyful) to blue (sadness). It causes Riley to break down in tears and the resulting madness to make the memory happy again causes Joy and Sadness to be sucked down into the long term memory archives. From there on, Riley's core memories as well her personality islands (family, friends, hockey, goofball, etc) are on in danger as Anger, Disgust and Fear are in charge at headquarters and Joy and Sadness have to figure a way back.

Their journey is what makes up the core of Inside Out and they come across Riley's former imaginary friend Bing Bong (voice of Richard Kind) and some hilarious escapades as they try to catch the train of thought back to headquarters. Joy and Sadness both have differing views on how to approach any situation and by spending more time with each other, they both get to understand each other's worth.

Pixar is the king of story in animation and Inside Out is no exception. With the tears (an unexceptionally touching moment with Bing Bong could touch the coldest of hearts) comes loads of laughs and self-awareness as well. The end credits has a particularly fun look inside the minds of several characters we've run into during the film. They've even managed to sneak a Chinatown reference in the film as Sadness and Joy make their way back home.

Kudos to Pixar on the casting of the voice talents. Each actor absolutely shines in their roles. But I've got to admit a little fondness for Sadness. Joy is easily the emotion to like instantly, how could you not? But Sadness slowly grew on me throughout the film as she came into her own personality and became more confident.

The morale of the story Pixar is trying to tell is deeply moving. While we might lose a little joy now and then as we get older, it's quite alright to embrace a little sadness. Is it okay to be sad sometimes? Yes, and that's going to be a profound lesson for youngsters to learn. This will definitely lead to some interesting conversations at the dinner table for parents and children alike. Welcome back, Pixar! We've really missed you.

Directed by Pete Docter and Ronnie Del Carmen; Screenplay by Pete Docter, Meg LeFauve and Josh Cooley; Editing by Kevin Nolting; Music by Michael Giacchino

Running Time: 94 minutes

Rating:

 

First Teaser Trailer: Disney's Zootopia

Two days ago, the first look of Zootopia's lead characters, Nick Wilde and Judy Hopps, were introduced and today the first teaser narrated by the wily fox Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman) has been released. The teaser basically sets up the modern world that these anthropomorphic animals inhabit. The look of this teaser is wry yet funny and hits all the right notes.

Lots of characters of all shapes and sizes in the animal world traverse by. But we're really interested in Nick and Judy and their antagonistic first meet cute. Let's see how these two end up saving the day when Zootopia releases in theatres on March 4, 2016.  

First Look: Disney's Zootopia

(Photo: Disney)

USA Today unveiled the first look of Disney Animation’s upcoming Zootopia, a buddy comedy with a twist. Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), a fox and Judy Hopps (voice of Ginny Godwin), a rabbit team up to solve a big case. Co-directed by Byron Howard (Tangled) and Rich Moore (Wreck-It Ralph), Zootopia is based a modern world inhabited with animals.

First reaction… this looks wonderful, it echoes its own Robin Hood in the look and feel of the characters and I’m glad Disney is creating different and original content in animation as the rejuvenated production house has given us some amazing stories and characters in the past year. Zootopia, Disney’s 55th animated film, releases in theaters on March 4, 2016.

New Photos: Vanity Fair Covers Star Wars: The Force Awakens

In some parts of the world it is still May the Fourth and with a new Star Wars film landing in theaters this Christmas, Vanity Fair displayed the first look of several new characters in the upcoming Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Photographed by the legendary Annie Leibovitz, Star Wars next-gen features Oscar Isaac, Adam Driver, Lupita Nyong'o in their upcoming June issue.

 Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) leads snowtroopers to their secret base. (Photo: Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair)

Lupita Ngong'o plays a CGI character, pirate Maz Katana. (Photo: Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair)

 Resistance pilot Poe Dameron (Oscar Isaac) and his X-wing fighter. (Photo: Annie Leibovitz/Vanity Fair)

Director JJ Abrams with Rey (Daisy Ridley) on the desert planet Jakku.

Also featured on the cover along with Daisy Ridley and John Boyega are old friends Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew).

Head on over to Vanity Fair to find out more production details and behind the scenes photos from the set of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Happy Star Wars Day!

Movie Review: Avengers: Age of Ultron

Avengers: Age of Ultron begins without much preamble, dropping us right into the action. There are no individual superhero entrances this time around. The Avengers are a team or so the world thinks, and they are there to protect the Earth against all evil forces, alien or human. But the challenge in this thrilling sequel to The Avengers is neither alien or human. Instead they are faced with an A.I. out to ruin them all.

The key to enjoying Marvel's Cinematic Universe films is to remember that they're all connected. The movies and TV shows all borrow heavily from the comic books in which all the characters are created. So if you saw last year's Captain America: Winter Soldier and Guardians of the Galaxy and followed Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D and Agent Carter, you'd know that the evil group Hydra had infiltrated S.H.I.E.L.D. breaking it down to its core. Only a few remain dedicated to the real purpose of keeping the world safe. The Avengers are part of the few and dedicated, only in this film their methods of getting that done comes into question.

After recovering Loki's staff from Hydra and running into new Enhanced entrants to the films (the Wonder Twins,  Pietro and Wanda Maximoff), the Avengers return back to Stark Tower thinking that the battle has been won. Wrong, the water has gotten murky.  The science brothers Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) and Bruce Banner (Mark Ruffalo) decide, on Stark's urging, that the Ultron program must be put to the test now that the staff is in their hands. Loki's staff, in case you've forgotten from the first film, contains one part of the famed Infinity stones given to him by Thanos. Control them all and you control the universe. Remember this, it will come in handy during future films.

The result of this unnecessary human meddling is the birth of Ultron (voiced by James Spader) who doesn't want to do the bidding of Avengers and wants to get rid of them altogether. As expected, this puts the Avengers at a crossroads. Steve aka Captain America (Chris Evans) and Tony have differing viewpoints on how to handle this. And after taking a beating going up against Ultron, Pietro (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) and Wanda (Elizabeth Olsen), the Avengers regroup at a safe house.

There are loads of revelations in this film. Each of the Avengers has hidden secrets and pasts they're not ready to confront. When up against evil forces, they are united but we've been given a sense that it won't last long. There are new recruits to the Avengers team and it looks like they might last. The Avengers, eventually, are just a unit of superheroes. It's not supposed to matter who's in it as long as they're together and can vanquish evil.

The newest recruit (literally, he was born yesterday!) is The Vision (Paul Bettany) who's a fascinating addition to the team. His introduction is the standout scene of the film. The film has way too many characters and each one is given a moment. It would be wonderful to linger on the Hulk (who really does need his own proper movie - the first two don't count!) and even Natasha (Scarlett Johansson) to figure out where they're coming from. But this movie is the link to what happens in the next upcoming Marvel films. Stay tuned to Captain America: Civil War where all will be revealed, it seems to hint.

This film is also the last time where Joss Whedon will be directing a Marvel film. The success of the first Avengers allowed directors like James Gunn and the Russo brothers to be signed onto the Marvel universe. His unique voice will definitely be missed in future films. The actors playing the Avengers seem to be at it for so long that playing their alter ego comes naturally to them, especially Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark. However, the real star of this film is CGI effects. Over 3000 of them!

The battle sequences are insane and take place all over the world. Thank you for sparing New York, Joss, I bet it's still recovering from the last one. Ultron and his army of lookalikes, the Hulk, the Hulk Buster, the Vision and Wonder Twins' abilities all loom larger with the amazing effects. The Avengers was extra-special because it was the first time you saw a superhero movie with such a grand scale all together on the same screen. Since then, many have tried to duplicate that, even this film, but nothing can really come close. I'm sure most of you out there will be watching but Avengers: Age of Ultron is really for the fans for the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe, stay tuned for the next chapter!

Written and Directed by Joss Whedon; Based on the characters created by Jack Kirby and Stan Lee; Cinematography by Ben Davis; Editing by Jeffrey Ford and Lisa Lassek; Music by Brian Tyler and Danny Elfman

Additional cast: Chris Hemsworth, Jeremy Renner, Don Cheadle, Samuel L. Jackson, Cobie Smulders, Linda Cardellini, Anthony Mackie, Hayley Atwell, Idris Elba, Stellan Skarsgard, Claudia Kim, Thomas Kretschmann, Andy Serkis, Julie Delpy

Rating: 

New Trailer: Star Wars: The Force Awakens

This Christmas... just seeing those words onscreen made it actually real that by the end of this year, we'll have a brand new Star Wars film featuring some beloved characters and some which we have privately and publicly speculated quite a bit.

The newest trailer for Star Wars: The Force Awakens was released with much fanfare. The event was hyped online at the Star Wars Celebration panel where producer Kathleen Kennedy, director JJ Abrams and most of the cast (Oscar Isaac, John Boyega, Daisy Ridley, Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Anthony Daniels and minus ailing cast member Harrison Ford) assembled to introduce to the world, the next chapter in the Star Wars saga.

The new trailer really feels like the next generation is taking over and as Abrams himself clarified at the trailer launch, this latest film will be the story of the three leads, Poe Dameron, Rey and Finn having new adventures.  Then Luke Skywalker himself talks about the Force being strong in his family and possibly referring to his offspring having it too! And the last shot where old buds Chewbacca and Han Solo make an appearance, declaring that 'they're home'. I think I would have pretty much lost it if I had been at that panel. Talk about having all the feels! The countdown to Christmas starts now. May the Force be with you!

First Cast Photo: Beauty and the Beast

Can't wait for you to be our guest.

A photo posted by Josh Gad (@joshgad) on Apr 14, 2015 at 11:37am PDT

Now here's an unlikely group getting together for some fun. Disney's next live action remake, Beauty and the Beast, features actors from different fandoms coming together.  Harry Potter's Emma Watson is Belle, Downton Abbey's Dan Stevens is the Beast, Fast & Furious' Luke Evans is Gaston while Frozen's Josh Gad is Le Fou, Gaston's sidekick.  Kevin Kline, who's also in the picture, plays Belle's father Maurice. The picture was taken by Josh Gad and is featured on his Instagram. Directed by Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) and co-written by Stephen Chbosky (The Perks of Being a Wallflower), Beauty and the Beast will release March 2017.  

Short Film Review: Frozen Fever

A day before the short film, Frozen Fever, accompanied Cinderella in theatres, Disney announced the inevitable news, the hugely popular 2013 film was getting a sequel. Cue the jokes of not letting it go!

While there's no release date set as yet, fans will have to make do with original film and this new short for the time being.  Speaking of Frozen Fever, it was utterly delightful. For those of you who may been wondering what Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) have been up to, they took a slight detour to Once Upon a Time and are now living happily ever after in Arendelle.

Frozen Fever brings back the whole gang from the first film. Kristoff (Jonathan Groff), Sven and yes, Olaf (voice of Josh Gad) return as everyone plans a big celebration for Anna's birthday. Even Hans (Santino Fontana) makes a memorable appearance. Even the crew (the directors, producers and musical composers) is the same.

Elsa leaves no stone unturned to make the day as memorable as possible for her, but it turns out that she's got a cold and when she sneezes, adorable snowmen pop out.  This whole time, we thought the cold didn't bother her. What else has the first film been lying to us about? Will we find out why in the sequel about this?

But we won't worry about that here. Enjoy the brand new song by Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez, Making Today a Perfect Day, Elsa's new green dress and Olaf's antics (he doesn't know how to spell!). It's a long time until Frozen 2: We Will Never Let It Go and you'll need Elsa, Anna, Kristoff, Sven and Olaf to keep you company.

Rating: 

Movie Review: Cinderella

Directed by Kenneth Branagh, Disney's Cinderella is no reboot like most of Hollywood's current releases, but instead an old-fashioned, faithful retelling of the 1950 animated film by the same studio rather than the classic French story. This leads, Cinderella (Lily James) and Prince Charming (Richard Madden) have been selected via two popular television series, Downton Abbey and Game of Thrones. Television has become the 'new film', as we now find film stars heading to television and television leads striking it out on the big screen. It helps that both James and Madden were part of huge ensemble casts of their respective shows and get a chance to stand in the spotlight with Cinderella.

This 2015 version has been sprinkled with lots and lots of magic and goodness. Young Ella (Eloise Webb) has grown up in the most idyllic way possible in the countryside of what seems to be an European kingdom, with two loving parents (Ben Chaplin and Hayley Atwell). This being a Disney film, it means something bad is going to befell them. Ella's mother dies too soon leaving her daughter with one clear message to get her through life, "Have courage. Be kind." Looking around at the state of affairs worldwide, it's a great message to put out to the younger generation because these days, this world doesn't seem to be operating on kindness anymore.

Getting back to the film, Ella (Lily James) grows up to be the model daughter. She's been following her mother's advice all these years. Her father, on the other hand, is still out of sorts after his wife's death. He decides to remarry, thinking he's doing the right thing for Ella and himself. We all know how wrong that is. Ella's new stepmother Lady Tremaine (Cate Blanchett, in an outstanding entrance) and her two harebrained daughters Drizella (Sophie McShera) and Anastasia (Holliday Grainger) walk into her home and her life is never the same.

Her beloved father passes away on a trading journey and Cinderella is left all alone with her new family. Slowly, we see how she goes from being the lady of the house to sleeping by the cinders in the kitchen as a servant girl. One day, while riding her horse, Ella meets the prince of the kingdom out on a hunt. Neither of them reveal who they really are as both of them circle each other on the horse, clearly interested in one another. The prince aka Kit is intrigued by the young woman he meets in the forest and later throws up an invitation to every eligible maiden in the kingdom at the ball where he will choose his bride.

You know what's coming, don't you? This section of the film is vivid, fantastical and quite funny. After her stepmother and stepsisters cruelly keep Ella from going to the ball, she comes across an old woman (Helena Bonham Carter) in her garden. Even in her troubled state, she helps her out offering the weary traveler some milk on her journey. Turns out, that little nothing (an act of kindness) was really something. The old woman was none other than her fairy godmother who wanted to make sure that Ella goes to the ball. She's been watching out for Ella this whole time.

Like the Disney animated version, this Cinderella has the ability to talk to animals. Her mice friends, lizards and even a goose get roped into the scheme to get Ella to the ball. A pumpkin is turned into a grand golden carriage and Ella herself gets transformed wearing the most beautiful blue dress you've ever seen. Elsa's blue Frozen dress has got competition. I was reminded of Scarlett Johannsson as Cinderella in Annie Leibovitz's Disney Dream Portraits in 2008.  

(Photo: Disney)
Do you see the resemblance?

Ella goes to the ball making a grand entrance and the rest, they say, is history. There is minimal drama as the prince and Ella lose and find each other again. Stellan Skarsgard plays the Grand Duke, the prince's advisor, who wants to make sure Kit never meets Ella again. But the machinations of the duke and Lady Tremaine can't keep these two apart. Good always prevails and Ella and her prince are made for each other.

There's plenty of technological wizardry going on the film and is the reason why it took over a year to get made. Everything is grand in scope, the kingdom and its enormous castle, the sets and costumes. In fact, costume designer Sandy Powell's creations just about pop on the screen especially if Cate Blanchett is in the scene. She looks exactly like the Hollywood stars of the studio era. Blanchett's evil stepmother brings a steeliness to her role, she's a woman used to getting what she wants always.

James in her first big studio film is well cast as Cinderella, having all the qualities a proper young lady in a fairy tale should. However, I was hoping to see some more feistiness in her Cinderella. I kept thinking back to Drew Barrymore in Ever After (1998) which stayed true to the period while updating the story and the character. In that version, Danielle was no damsel in distress. Fortunately, Richard Madden's Prince has more character than the 1950s animated version's Prince Charming. We get to see grow into his own as the monarch of kingdom wanting to do right for his people. 

Nevertheless, this remake has a lot going for it, with a likeable cast and gorgeous visuals. This is Branagh's second big studio film, the other one being Thor, and he's quite outdone himself when it comes to the visuals. I wish he was backed by screenwriter Chris Weitz's script which is quite functional and as mentioned before, seems quaint and old-fashioned in today's world. But therein lies its appeal for many. Superheroes, remakes and storybook tales are back in a big way and Cinderella kicks of the first of the big blockbusters for 2015 aimed directly at families. 

Directed by Kenneth Branagh; Screenplay by Chris Weitz; Music by Patrick Doyle; Cinematography by Haris Zambarloukos; Film Editing by Martin Walsh

Rating: 

New Trailer: Cinderella

Downton Abbey's Lily James experiences life downstairs as she takes on the lead in Disney's Cinderella. With an evil stepmother (the amazing Cate Blanchett) watching her every move, Ella dreams of escaping her life. The new trailer shows a chance encounter with the handsome prince (Richard Madden) in the forest leads to a series a fortuitous events we've all grown up hearing about: fairy godmother, the ball and oh yes, that glass slipper. Co-starring Helena Bonham Carter, Stellan Skarsgard and Sophie McShera and directed by Kenneth Branagh, Cinderella bows in theatres March 15. Don't be late because you'll miss the new Disney short Frozen Fever playing before the film.  

New stills from Disney's 'Frozen Fever'

One year, two months, eight days after Disney's Frozen first released in theaters, the 'fever' still has not abated. New stills are out today from the upcoming short Frozen Fever revisiting the beloved characters from the 2013 film.

The unusual Frozen family

Anna's not a morning person!

Elsa gets the kingdom ready for Anna's big day.

And Olaf's already started on the cake!

Looks like Elsa's got a new dress.

Fresh from their stint from ABC's Once Upon a Time, Elsa (voice of Idina Menzel), Anna (voice of Kristen Bell), Kristoff (voice of Jonathan Groff) and Sven return, along with that irascible snowman Olaf (voice of Josh Gad), to celebrate Anna's summer solstice birthday.  Olaf in summer! It's what he's always wanted.  The short also promises, according to co-directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, Elsa's magical cold and a new song from Oscar winners Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez! It's what we've always wanted. With more Frozen-inspired goodness, we're going to have a hard time letting it go. Frozen Fever will be shown before Cinderella on March 13, 2015.

New Images from Disney's Tomorrowland

My favorite place in Disney's Epcot Center is Tomorrowland. Always has been. As a child, I thought it was the coolest 'lands', mainly because of the future it promised.  Oh, think of the flying cars!! It's one of life's greatest disappointments that there are no flying cars.  Disney's big summer tentpole for 2015, Tomorrowland, hopefully has some flying cars.  The mysterious project, directed by Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol), has long been under production without much information... until now!

Entertainment Weekly has some cool new images - showing the concept art and stills from the upcoming film.  

Concept Art from Disney's Tomorrowland (2015)

Britt Robertson as Casey Newton in Tomorrowland (2015)

George Clooney as Frank Walker with Britt Robertson in Tomorrowland (2015)

A quick look on Disney's website brings up this synopsis of the film:

From Disney comes two-time Oscar® winner Brad Bird’s riveting, mystery adventure “Tomorrowland,” starring Academy Award® winner George Clooney. Bound by a shared destiny, former boy-genius Frank (Clooney), jaded by disillusionment, and Casey (Britt Robertson), a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity, embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic place somewhere in time and space known only as “Tomorrowland.” What they must do there changes the world—and them—forever. Featuring a screenplay by “Lost” writer & co-creator Damon Lindelof & Brad Bird, from a story by Damon Lindelof, Brad Bird & Jeff Jensen, “Tomorrowland” promises to take audiences on a thrill ride of nonstop adventures through new dimensions that have only been dreamed of.

Most intriguing is Lost co-creator and writer (who also co-wrote this screenplay) Damon Lindelof's take on the film. He says, “What Hogwarts is to magic, Tomorrowland is to science: They are both easy to find if you are a wizard and very difficult to find if you’re a Muggle."  Curiouser and curiouser.  I'm loving the Potter references and adding this to next year's list of eagerly awaited films.

Tomorrowland also stars Hugh Laurie, Judy Greer and Keegan-Michael Key and releases on May 22, 2015.  Check out the Entertainment Weekly article on Tomorrowland to read more of what the filmmakers have to say about the film.  

Movie Review: Saving Mr. Banks

John Lee Hancock's Saving Mr. Banks is more than just the story of the behind-the-scenes look at the making of Walt Disney Studios' Mary Poppins (1964).  The film also gives a personal glimpse of the woman behind the creation of literature's most famous nanny, P. L. Travers. 

By now, most of us movie buffs are aware of Julie Andrews's performance as Mary Poppins and those instantly hummable songs, 'A Spoonful of Sugar' and 'Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious', but did you know that they were so close to never have been in existence at all if Travers had her way? Walt Disney (played by all-around nice guy Tom Hanks) pursued the author for over 20 years on a promise to his daughter Diane that he would adapt the book for her.  P. L. Travers (a vulnerable Emma Thompson), despite her financial woes, is reluctant to hand over the rights to her books and characters she holds most dear to her heart. 

Through wonderful flashbacks which tell a whole another story altogether, of a young girl and her unshakable admiration of her father, the pieces start to fall into place of why Travers is so opposed to the adaptation of her book. The film is, of course, referring to Travers's own relationship with her father, a man who couldn't properly support his family and lived in his own world at times. But young Ginty (Annie Rose Buckley) views her father (Colin Farrell, in a strong supporting role) with the singular focus of one who can do no wrong. 

The highlight of the film is that one emotional scene between Disney and Travers where Walt finally appeals to Pamela not as the head of a studio but instead as a fellow creator whose ownership of a character is very personal indeed. This along with the scenes set on the lot of Walt Disney Studios especially an impromptu rendition of 'Let's Go Fly a Kite' are the best parts for film fans. 

Thomas Newman's score is a standout as are the trio of B. J. Novak and Jason Schwartzman as brothers Robert and Richard Sherman and Bradley Whitford as Don DaGradi who all worked tirelessly to make the movie.  But the film belongs to Emma Thompson who gives us a look at Travers's fears and regrets.  I didn't really buy Hanks as Disney, he wasn't onscreen too long to connect with.  However, if you have fond memories of Mary Poppins, then do give Saving Mr. Banks a try and stay tuned for the end credits where the actual audio recordings of P. L. Travers play out. She had a opinion on everything.  

Directed by John Lee Hancock; Screenplay by Kelly Marcel and Sue Smith; Cinematography by John Schwartzman; Editing by Mark Rivolsi; Music by Thomas Newman

Additional cast: Paul Giamatti, Ruth Wilson, Kathy Baker, Rachel Griffiths

Rating: