It's a Small World With a Big Story

1964 is typically remembered by Disney fans as the year of Mary Poppins (released in August of that year). It was also the year of many other movies: The Misadventures of Merlin Jones, The Moon-Spinners, The Sword in the Stone, The Three Lives of Thomasina, to name a few. 1964 was also the debut of a beloved Disney Park attraction. It’s a Small World premiered at the 1964 New York World’s Fair on April 22nd, 1964, then opened next month at the Park. To celebrate its 60th anniversary, let’s examine the production that went into the making of this beloved attraction.

Beginning with its artists: Mary Blair created the ride’s overall design and color styling. Blair had previously been an art director on Cinderella (1950), Alice in Wonderland (1951), Peter Pan (1953). Walt Disney was very fortunate to have Mary Blair’s talents in both his movie studio and his theme park designing as she was one of the very few women working in the animation industry. The characters in each scene were sketched by Disney “Nine Old Men” member, Marc Davis, and built by WED (Walter Elias Disney) Enterprises Designer, Rolly Crump, who also designed toys and additional figures in each scene. Davis’s wife, Alice, supplied the costumes for each character.

When Walt Disney first began developing the idea for “Small World,” the working title for the attraction was “Children of the World,” and his original plan was to have each of the characters sing their country’s national anthems simultaneously. When Walt discovered that resulted in a cacophony, he summoned his composer/lyricist team Richard M. and Robert B. Sherman and told them “I need one song that can easily be translated into many languages and be played as a round.” They immediately got to work, balancing writing this song with the songs they were writing for “Poppins,” (including “Chim-Chim Cher-ee,” which won the Best Original Song Oscar). As soon as they had written the song “It’s A Small World,” Walt changed the name of the attraction.

The boats in the ride were built by an amusement park design and manufacturing company called Arrow Development, which was founded in 1945 and went defunct in 1981. Besides “Small World,” Arrow Development built Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride, King Arthur Carousel, Snow White’s Scary Adventures, and a wide variety of other beloved Disney Park attractions. It is unfortunate that they are no longer in business, but their talents certainly did add to the magic of Disneyland.

“Small World,” opened at the ’64 World’s Fair alongside three other Disney-produced attractions: Great Moments With Mr. Lincoln, The Magic Skyway, and The Carousel of Progress. All four transitioned to Disneyland, though only the primary two are still in operation at Disneyland today. 

Review: "Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire"

“When there’s something strange in you’re neighborhood, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS! When there’s something weird and it don’t look good, who ya gonna call? GHOSTBUSTERS!” 

For the past four decades, movie buffs have been spellbound by the “Ghostbusters” franchise, beginning with the release of the first Ghostbusters (1984), which will turn 40 on June 8th of this year, and featuring an Oscar-nominated with the aforementioned lyrics by Ray Parker, Jr. Since the release of “Ghostbusters 1,” additions to the franchise have included animated television series: The Real Ghostbusters (1986-1991) and Extreme Ghostbusters (1997) a female reboot Ghostbusters (2016) and three sequels to the original film Ghostbusters II (1989), Ghostbusters: Afterlife (2021), and Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire (2024) released on March 22nd, 2024. Here are my thoughts:

Callie Spengler has relocated from Summerville, Oklahoma with her children, Trevor and Phoebe, and boyfriend, Gary Grooberson, to the beloved “Ghostbusters” firehouse in New York City. There they learn more secrets of Callie’s deceased father, Egon Spengler, including how and he his teammates: Raymond Stantz, Peter Venkman, and Winston Zeddermore started their old business and how they’ve managed to keep it going today. As they work together to trap new ghosts, they ultimately get in trouble with the law, headed by the mayor of New York City, who happens to be a former “Ghostbusters” enemy, Walter Peck. 

Ivan Reitman, who directed “Ghostbusters 1 and 2,” and co-produced “Afterlife,” directed by his son, Jason Reitman, passed away in 2022. “Frozen Empire,” was made as a tribute to the senior Reitman. Ivan was an actor’s director, besides directing the first two “Ghostbusters,” he directed cast members in other projects including: Stripes (1981) which starred Bill Murray and Harold Ramis (“Egon Spengler” and co-writer of first two “Ghostbusters”), Meatballs (1979) which also starred Murray, and Dave (1993) which starred Sigourney Weaver. (“Meatballs,” can be credited for igniting Ivan’ Reitman’s career as a director as well as Murray’s career as a leading man in movies.) 

Futhermore, Reitman directed Twins (1988), Kindergarten Cop (1990), and Junior (1994), each of which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Six Days, Seven Nights (1998) starring Harrison Ford and Anne Heche. The very last film he directed was Draft Day (2014), which starred Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner. He was given posthumous credit for co-producing 

“Frozen Empire” does an exceptional job of continuing to include “Easter Eggs” to the original “Ghostbusters.” While it doesn’t outdo the emotion of “Afterlife,” which was made as a tribute to Ramis, who passed away in 2016, it’s still a very fitting tribute film, continuing the best of the franchise’s legacy.

“Frozen Empire’s” all-star cast reunites Carrie Coon as Callie Spengler, McKenna Grace and Finn Wolfhard as Trevor and Phoebe, Paul Rudd as Gary Grooberson, and once again we see Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Ernie Hudson, and Annie Potts as Pete Venkman, Ray Stantz, Winston Zeddermore, and Janine Melnitz. The film also brings back original “Ghostbusters” cast member William Atherton as Mayor Walter Peck. The film was co-produced by Ivan and Jason Reitman and Jason Blumenfeld, was co-written by Jason Reitman and Gil Kenan and directed by Kenan, who is no stranger to apparitions, having received an Oscar nod for directing the motion-capture animated film, Monster House (2006). The film features a Score by Oscar-Winning Composer Dario Marianelli that continues to pay homage to Elmer Bernstein’s score from the original. The film includes a cameo by John Rothman who played the Library Administrator who summoned the Ghostbusters to catch their first ghost at the very beginning of the original.

“Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire,” will likely be entertaining for all fans of the franchise. It’s thanks to the reunion of the original cast, plus Jason Reitman’s skills as a producer/director that “Frozen Empire,” and “Afterlife,” continue the groundbreaking legacy of the original.

Review: "Kung Fu Panda 4"

 

DreamWorks Animation’s “Kung Fu Panda,” franchise began when they released the first Kung Fu Panda movie in 2008. It earned them a Best Animated Feature Oscar. Two feature sequels followed, Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011) (which also earned a Best Animated Feature Oscar) and Kung Fu Panda (2016), along with four short films, three television series and a holiday themed special, Kung Fu Panda Holiday (2010). Throughout the franchise, Jack Black voiced the clumsy but brave, Po, in the feature films, and on the short-lived series Kung Fu Panda: The Dragon Knight (2022-2023). After a brief hiatus, Black returned to voicing Po on the big screen in Kung Fu Panda 4 released on March 8th, 2024. Here are my thoughts: 

In “version 4,” Po has now officially become a Kung Fu Master and was elected by his friends and family as the Spiritual Leader of the Valley of Peace. He discovers, however, that each of the villains he defeated in the previous “Kung Fu Panda” movies have mysteriously resurrected from the “Spiritual Realm,” and he must figure out how to defeat them all—again…and this time simultaneously. In doing so, he becomes a mentor to a new “Dragon Warrior,” the title that he earned in the first film.

When the first “Kung Fu Panda,” film was released the story of an anthropomorphized Panda Bear who learns Kung Fu was a unique mash-up of a soft and cute Panda Bear as a Martial Arts Champion. Throughout this series, Po has matured in his Kung Fu skills, but he has never lost his sense of humor, making him an endearing character to fans. This time around, seeing Po become a mentor for the first time in his life adds to the entertainment very well.

Along with Black, “Kung Fu Panda 4,” reunites the voice cast of Oscar-Winner Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Ian McShane, and Oscar-Nominee Bryan Cranston along with the additions of Awkwafina, Oscar-Winner Viola Davis and Oscar-Winner Ke Huy Quan. The film is co-directed by Stephanie Stine, who makes her feature film directorial debut, and Mike Mitchell, who previously directed Shrek Forever After (2010) at DreamWorks. (Mitchell also executive produced the movie.) The film was co-scored by Steve Mazzaro and Oscar-Winner Hans Zimmer, who also scored DreamWorks’s The Prince of Egypt (1998) with Stephen Schwartz. 

The “Kung Fu Panda,” franchise can now be compared to the “Shrek,” and “Toy Story,” franchise in the sense that each franchise consists of four feature films. (The “Despicable Me” franchise will join those ranks later this year with Despicable Me 4 scheduled to be released July 5, 2024.) Whether or not it will tie with “Ice Age,” franchise, which consists of six feature films, remains to be seen. “Kung Fu Panda 4” could potentially be considered a standalone/spin-off movie, rather than a sequel, with the additions of all the new characters. And while Po’s friends from the original trilogy, “The Furious Five,” make cameos instead of appearing all throughout the movie, it still manages to be another humorous, adventurous, and heartfelt story that all fans can appreciate.

Tony Anselmo: Disney's Next Lucky Duck

Disney cast Clarence “Ducky” Nash as the voice of Donald Duck when he first developed the character, making his screen debut in the short The Wise Little Hen (1934). Disney became intrigued with Nash’s “peculiarly funny” voice as he listened to him on the radio recite the poem “Mary Had a Little Lamb.” Nash claimed that he read the poem with the voice of a baby goat. Disney, however, believed it sounded more like a duck, and Donald was soon born.

Nash voiced the irascible, but humorous and lovable duck for 51 years, until his death on February 20th, 1985. When it finally came time for the Disney Studios to find a successor to voice the duck, they cast Tony Anselmo as Donald Duck. Anselmo’s birthday is February 18, so in tribute to the fact that that’s today date, I thought we could explore Anselmo’s career.

Tony Anselmo saw Disney’s Mary Poppins (1964) in theaters when he was four years old, and it was that film that inspired him to become an artist. Although he studied art all throughout his childhood, around the time of his high school career, he also discovered that he could imitate voices and that he liked to imitate his art teachers as well as celebrities. While beginning to take nighttime art classes at local colleges in Sunnyvale, California, he joined the local theatre, and he even began corresponding with a few of Walt Disney’s Nine Old Men, including Ollie Johnston, who advised Anselmo to learn quick sketch, life drawing, acting and design.

Anselmo later learned all that and more when he was invited to attend CalArts, the arts school founded by Walt Disney in 1961. The head of the Character Animation Department at the school was Jack Hannah, the director of the Donald Duck unit under Walt Disney. After just two years at CalArts, Anselmo was invited to transfer to the Walt Disney Studios.

It wasn’t long after his transfer to the studio that Anselmo met and befriended Clarence “Ducky” Nash. Anselmo began learning from Nash how to create Donald Duck’s voice because that was one he didn’t know how to do. Nash had sadly been diagnosed with leukemia at the time and was looking for a successor, which Anselmo initially did not know. He later said “I think, in hindsight one of the reasons why Clarence spent so much time working with me on Donald’s voice and personality before mentioning his plans for succession is that he wanted to make absolutely sure I would do that legacy justice with loyalty before telling me.” It look him a long time perfect Donald’s voice, but ultimately he perfected it just in time to make his “Donald” debut in the television program DTV Valentine which aired on Valentine’s Day 1986.

That same year, Anslemo also worked as both a Key Assistant Animator and a Voice Actor in The Great Mouse Detective (1986), voicing one of Professor Ratigan’s thugs. Just the year prior, he made his animation debut as an Assistant Animator on The Black Cauldron (1985). Anselmo continues to voice Donald Duck today in all of his appearances for the Disney Studios, most recently in the Disney Junior series Mickey Mouse (2021-present) and in the short film Once Upon a Studio (2023). He briefly voiced Donald’s nephews, Huey, Dewey, and Louie in the Disney series House of Mouse (2001-2003), and Donald’s sweetheart Daisy in the television special Down and Out with Donald Duck in 1987.

Besides his acting talents, Anselmo is also credited for doing character animation on many beloved characters including: Princess Jasmine in Aladdin (1992), Young Simba in The Lion King (1994), and Flit the Hummingbird in Pocahontas (1995). He received a well-deserved Disney Legend Award in 2009. Looking at his remarkable career, it’s clear that Tony Anselmo has made Walt Disney (the man and the company) proud.

Review: "Disney/Pixar's Soul"

On December 25th, 2020, Disney/Pixar’s Soul was released to Disney+. Originally slated to be released to theaters, it was moved to Disney+ due to the pandemic. The film won the Oscar for Best Animated Feature and Best Original Score, as well as Golden Globe Awards in the same two categories. Three years later, the film was finally released to theaters on January 12th, 2024. Here’s my review: 

Synopsis: Joe Gardner is a part-time middle school band director who possesses an exceptional piano-playing talent. While grateful for the opportunity to be employed at the school, his real life’s ambition is a professional performing gig, preferably in Dorthea Williams’s New York City nightclub. When he finally auditions, he lands the gig, but his excitement causes him to accidentally fall into a sewer, where he finds himself disembodied. As he struggles to “reembody” himself, he begins to examine his life which is a poignant challenge to how he views himself.

Pixar’s current head of animation, Pete Docter, co-wrote and co-directed “Soul.” In addition to “Soul,” Docter is also known as the screenwriter/director of Monsters, Inc. (2001), Up (2009), and Inside Out (2015), the latter two of which also won the Best Animated Feature Oscars. Taking that body of work into consideration, there’s no denying that Pete Docter knows how to make animated movies that inspire audiences to feel soul-based emotions. “Soul” is no exception and is distinguished from the others in the sense that “Soul,” rather than a story about children being looked after by the main protagonists, it’s a story about an adult struggling inside himself.

“Soul’s” all-star voice cast includes Oscar-Winner Jamie Foxx as Joe Gardner, Oscar-Nominee Angela Bassett, Emmy-Winner Tina Fey, Tony-Winner Daveed Diggs, Graham Norton, and Emmy-Nominee Phylicia Rashad. Pete Docter shares writing and directing credits with Kemp Powers, who received a Best Adapted Screenplay Nomination for 2020’s One Night in Miami and who also directed 2023’s Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse. Mike Jones also co-wrote the film and the following year Jones co-wrote Luca (2021) for Pixar which also received a Best Animated Feature Oscar Nomination. (Like “Soul,” “Luca,” and Turning Red (2022) also were released as Disney+ exclusives, but both will be released to theaters this year, “Turning Red,” on February 9th and “Luca,” on March 22nd.)

Overall, “Soul,” is a wonderful and beautiful film. It inspires us to consider doing what we love or what we’re passionate about in our lives, but also to recognize that life on Earth entails all kinds of “purposes,” and it’s meant to be lived to the fullest. Being open to new things is important, but we need to also see that many “seemingly boring” or mundane parts of our lives can also carry great meaning. It’s a more unconventional message for an animated film and continues to show how Disney/Pixar poses our thinking on important topics.

Review: "Wonka"

In 1964, Roald Dahl published the beloved children’s novel, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. A smashing success, Dahl published a sequel: Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator in 1972. “Chocolate Factory,” had two film adaptations: the movie-musical Willy Wonka the Chocolate Factory in 1971 and the non-musical Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in 2005, as well as a stage musical adaptation which premiered in London’s West End in 2013, and on Broadway in 2017. Warner Bros. Studios, who previously distributed the 2005 film adaptation, have just released Wonka (2023), a movie-musical prequel describing how Willy Wonka came to be a chocolatier. This is my review:

Arriving in England, Willy Wonka is a naive, but ambitious young adult who is determined to make his living as chocolate seller. Despite being illiterate and of little means, his determination and optimism are unrelenting, as he aspires to sell chocolate to please his diseased mother. While most of England thinks that his obsession with selling chocolate puts his sanity in question, Wonka manages to befriend five people, each of whom had their dreams cast aside, including a young orphaned girl named Noodle. His friends agree to help him pursue his dream of selling chocolate illustriously in exchange for his help pursuing their dreams. Noodle also helps him learn to read and write and the process.

Although “Wonka,” was written exclusively-for-the-screen, and is not based on any book, it nonetheless features the same iconic character and it manages to entertain surprisingly well. As a musical, it recalls more of the 1971 film than the 2005 film, but it gives the vibe of a book coming to life on film. It is released under the production of David Heyman and the direction of Paul King, both of whom previously collaborated in their same respective roles in Paddington (2014), Paddington 2 (2017), and the upcoming Paddington in Peru (2024). King also co-wrote the screenplay with Simon Barnaby and Heyman is also known for producing the entire Harry Potter film series (2001-2011).    

The film’s all-star cast stars Oscar-Nominee Timothee Chalamet as Willy Wonka and Calah Lane as Noodle. Oscar-Winner Olivia Colman plays Mrs. Scrubbit, the film’s main antagonist who holds Wonka, Noodle, and all their friends hostage at her boardinghouse and does everything she can to keep them from pursuing their dreams. Emmy-Nominee Jim Carter portrays Abacaus Crunch, one of the friends who is determined to get back to the family he was separated from. The film is Edited by Mark Everson who also edited both the “Paddington” movies. Neil Hannon wrote the films songs.

All in all, “Wonka,” is a great film, reminding us of “Teamwork makes the dreamwork.” Whether your family is biological or not, we all hope to find a team that always has your back. It’s a rare thing to see such a strong message like that in a movie-musical.

Review: "Disney's Wish"

Review: “Disney’s Wish”

In commemoration of its 100th Anniversary, the Walt Disney Company released their latest animated movie-musical, Wish, on November 22nd, 2023. Here’s my review:

Asha lives with her mother, Sakina and her grandfather, Sabino, in the fictional kingdom of Rosas, an island in Mediterranean Sea, ruled by King Magnifico. Sabino’s lifelong wish is to be the kingdom’s Official Musician. Asha, with the help of her pet “talking” goat Valentino, is determined to see that wish granted as a present for his 100th birthday. When she discovers, however, that Magnifico has possessed “all the wishes” and the kingdom and refused to grant them, Asha finds herself going on an adventure to save the kingdom and ultimately grant their wishes.

Disney’s Wish (2023) was released posthumously after the passing of the late-great Burny Mattinson, who worked as a storyboard artist on the movie. Mattinson was originally employed by the Walt Disney Company in 1953, making his very first contribution on Lady and the Tramp (1955), as an inbetweener Artist. He remained with Disney for the next seven decades of his life, contributing a wide variety of contributions. (Mattinson directed Mickey’s Christmas Carol, released in 1983, earning a Best Animated Short Film Oscar Nomination.) There is a tribute to him in the film’s end credits.  

 

As a production, “Wish” uses beautiful CGI animations with breathtaking watercolor backdrop paintings. It also includes wonderful songs written by Benjamin Rice and Julia Michaels (who made her movie-musical writing debut writing songs for this movie. And of course it provides the excellent animation and music we expect from Disney. It also features a top notch voice cast. 

Oscar-Winner Ariana Debose is the voice of Asha, Emmy-Nominee Chris Pine is King Magnifico, Four-Time-Tony-Nominee Victor Garber voices Sabino, and Emmy-Nominee Alan Tudyk as Valentino. The film’s screenplay was co-written by Jennifer Lee (Head of Disney Animation and Oscar-Winning Producer of Frozen (2013)) and Allison Moore who makes her Disney-writing debut. Chris Buck (who produced and also directed “Frozen”) and Fawn Veerasunthorn share directing credits in the movie. Veerasunthorn previously worked as a story artist on Disney’s Moana (2016) and Ralph Breaks the Internet (2018), the sequel to Wreck-It Ralph (2012). She also was Head of Story on Raya and the Last Dragon (2021)).

Wish is an inspiring story about finding the courage and the confidence and whatever else it takes to pursue your own life’s wishes and being in control of your own future. In other words you are the person you need to chase your dreams—don’t rely on others to grant your wishes.

“Wish,” is worth of every Disney fans viewing because although it is not quite the game-changer that “Frozen” was, fans can also catch clever “Easter eggs” from other Disney movies within the story. Walt Disney himself was quoted as having said “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them,” and this film is about finding that courage and maintaining it within yourself which no one should ever be afraid to do.