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THE RICHEST CAT IN THE WORLD (Dir: Greg Beeman, 1986).
By 1986 Walt Disney branded feature films had all but died out, the studio finding greater success with movies released through its adult oriented Touchstone Pictures division. Conversely the opposite was true on television where the success of the fledgling Disney Channel (launched in 1983) and the re-invigorated Disney anthology TV series had created a demand for new made-for-television feature content. One such feature was The Richest Cat in the World.
Palmer the cat stars as Leo, a pampered puss left $5 million in the will of his deceased owner Oscar (Ramon Bieri). When Oscar’s nephew learns of this he and his wife set out to kidnap and dispose of Leo, thereby inheriting the cash themselves. Leo confides his ability to speak (!) to an employee’s children who determine to protect the cat and stop the catnappers from stealing his fortune.
The Richest Cat in the World debuted on the newly re-titled The Disney Sunday Movie on the ABC network. In truth, TV is where this modest comedy-thriller belongs. Greg Beeman directs with a smooth efficiency but cannot disguise the movie's TV origins. The teleplay by Marshall Efron and Alfa-Betty Olsen is satisfactory enough, but with marked similarities to Disney's animated The Aristocats (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1970) is not particularly original. To describe the slapstick humour of the movie as broad would be an understatement. To be fair, there are some laughs to be had, not just ironically; there is something inherently funny about a cat using a touchpad telephone to order a pizza!
The Richest Cat in the World is just silly enough to appeal to young audiences and nostalgic enough to appeal to adults who enjoyed it when they were young. It is wholly innocent and appealing in a ramshackle kind of way, especially if you like cute cats. It is the kind of movie where you can predict the ending in the first five minutes but, if you are in the right mood, it should raise the odd chuckle and honestly, I can think of worse ways to waste 90 minutes.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME to read a longer, more in-depth review of The Richest Cat in the World! Link below.
THE LITTLE MERMAID: ARIEL’S BEGINNING (Dir: Peggy Holmes, 2008).
The third and to date final movie of Disney’s animated Little Mermaid franchise. As its title would suggest Ariel’s Beginning is a prequel to the original The Little Mermaid (Ron Clements & John Musker, 1989).
Following the death of his wife Queen Athena, King Triton bans all music from Atlantica. Ariel and pals set about showing him the error of his ways and returning music and happiness to the kingdom. Yes, the plot really is that silly.
The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning was to be the last of Disney's animated made for video sequels, a line of movies that began 14 years earlier with Aladdin follow-up The Return of Jafar (Toby Shelton, Tad Stones & Alan Zaslove, 1994). Yet while these movies brought in the big bucks, their lower quality animation and storytelling had a detrimental effect on the public perception of Disney animation, possibly contributing to the disappointing box office returns of the studio’s product in the early 2000s.
Considering its made for video origins, Ariel’s Beginning is a visually pleasing film. Unfortunately the quality does not to extend to the storytelling which is decidedly puerile and aimed squarely at the youngest of mermaid obsessives. The movie also suffers, as do many prequels, from the fact that we know the story’s outcome before it has begun.
Returning as the voice of Ariel is Jodi Benson. While her performance is undoubtedly the movie’s highlight it is a shame that no-one thought to write her any decent new songs. The movie as a whole suffers from an overall lack of original tunes, ironic considering its subject. Sadly, the few that are included are instantly forgettable.
With its impressive visuals and its abysmal storytelling The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning showcases the best and worst of DisneyToon Studios output simultaneously. I personally found it a chore to watch. The most undemanding of very young mermaid fans may disagree.
A longer version of this review is available to read on my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com
THE LEFTOVERS (Dir: Paul Schneider, 1986).
If there is a more 1980's way to open your movie than with Howard Jones' New Song, than I do not know what it is. I am also unsure as to who this lightweight comedy will resonate with, other than 1980's kids.
The Leftovers stars singer turned actor John Denver as Max Sinclair, director of The Middleburg Orphanage and surrogate father to the ragtag bunch of kids who live there. Cindy Williams is the live in help. Together they fend off plans to redevelop the home by underhanded means, while the kids do all they can to keep from being adopted.
Originally aired on television as part of ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie weekly series in November 1986. It's not hard to imagine that a decade earlier The Leftovers would have been released to cinemas, with Dean Jones and Sandy Duncan as possible leads. It is old fashioned, inoffensive but not without charm.
It may be a generational thing, but I did enjoy this movie. It is nothing spectacular but the leads are likeable and while the plot has a few too many contrivances and conveniences for its own good, most of its laughs are genuine.
However, it is low-key in the extreme and although I had seen this movie at around the age of 12 or 13, only one scene stuck in my head and that was the opening, probably because my tweenage self was a big fan of Howard Jones!
I am sure I enjoyed The Leftovers as a kid because I lapped up anything Disney. Revisiting it as an adult I am aware that it is no classic, even by 80's Disney TV movie standards. But it is an entertaining 90 odd minutes; if you are in the mood for some gentle 1980's nostalgia you might find it hits the spot. Just don't expect to remember much about it afterwards!
Visit my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for more reviews of vintage Disney movies!
THE JOURNEY OF NATTY GANN (Dir: Jeremy Kagan, 1985).
Dating from an era when Walt Disney Pictures were pursuing edgier family entertainment, The Journey of Natty Gann is a road movie drama set during the Great Depression of the 1930s.
In her movie debut Meredith Salenger stars as the titular Natty. Separated from her father (Ray Wise), she travels the length of Chicago to Washington to find him, accompanied by an unusual travelling companion in the shape of a wolf. She also strikes up a friendship cum chaste romance with a young drifter (John Cusack).
Director Jeremy Kagan delivers a thoughtful, intelligent movie that’s pulls no punches in its believable and affecting account of the hardships caused by poverty and mass unemployment. It also touches, albeit lightly, on subjects such as union activism and police brutality.
The movie treats it subject matter seriously, yet the tone is never too sombre and its uplifting moments offset the gentle melancholic mood which runs through it. Certainly, it is sentimental but it is never sticky and the sentimentality never seems false, while its female lead gives it a feminist slant not usually found in family films of the era.
While the performances are uniformly excellent, the standout is undoubtedly Salenger. Age just 14 during filming, her performance is both moving and charismatic. How she did not become a massive star is anybody’s guess. John Cusack also impresses in an early role as Natty's drifter friend Harry. It is beautifully photographed by cinematographer Dick Bush, capturing the crisp Canadian wilderness (standing in for the US) and the grimy back alleys with a cinematic grace rare in 80s Hollywood.
Although The Journey of Natty Gann won admiration from critics it was not, initially, a hit with audiences. It would eventually find a more appreciative audience on the burgeoning home video market. Still, the movie seems vastly underrated today. It is among the Disney Studios’ best live action releases and one of the most artful major Hollywood releases of the 1980s.
Check out my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for a longer, more in-depth version of this review.
FREAKY FRIDAY (Dir: Gary Nelson, 1976).
Walt Disney Productions' Freaky Friday is an early example of the 'body swap' comedy.
It tells the story of frustrated housewife Ellen Andrews (Barbara Harris) and her daughter Annabel (Jodie Foster). Following an argument on the morning of Friday the 13th the pair wish to change places, both believing the other has the more desirable life. Magically their wish is granted. Mom has to try to make it through a school day, while daughter deals with the pressures of housework. Comedy high jinks ensue.
While its concept no longer seems original, Freaky Friday is still a fairly fresh and funny movie, largely due to the excellent performances from its leads. Jodie Foster is terrific as the 35 year old mind in the body of a 13 year old, but the real revelation is Barbara Harris. Playing baseball with a team of 8 year olds, flirting with a teenage neighbour, having a meltdown over household chores; Harris perfectly captures the manic mind of 13 year old let loose in the body of a grown woman, proving herself an adept comedy actress in a fairly demanding physical role. Solid support from John Astin as bemused husband/father Bill Andrews, Sparky Marcus as Annabel’s brother ‘Ape Face’, Marc McClure as neighbourhood crush Boris and Patsy Kelly as the Andrew’s boozy housekeeper round out an appealing principle cast.
For the most part director Gary Nelson avoids the formulaic, cookie-cutter approach associated with Disney comedy movies of the era, thanks to Mary Rodger's superior script which stays close to spirit of her book. The movie occasionally veers a little too far into slapstick but most of it works and there are more big laughs than not. The mother/daughter relationship at the movies core is completely believable, through the misunderstandings to the inevitable reconciliation. The denouncement is nicely handled, not too sentimental and quite touching.
Freaky Friday is a good natured romp, with plenty of big laughs and let's be honest, who among us hasn't wondered what it would be like to switch places with Jodie Foster?
Read a longer, more in-depth version of this review on my blog: jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com
THE BLACK CAULDRON (Dir: Ted Berman & Richard Rich, 1985).
Walt Disney Pictures' The Black Cauldron is an ambitious animated fantasy based upon Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain, an acclaimed series of novels with a medieval setting.
With dreams of becoming a great warrior, assistant pig keeper Taran embarks on a quest to rescue his missing porcine ward, Hen Wen. The evil Horned King kidnaps the pig to use her oracular powers to secure a magical black cauldron in order to resurrect a skeletal army. Joining him are Eilonwy (Disney's forgotten princess), minstrel Fflewddur Fflam and the eternally hungry Gurgi, a furry creature of undisclosed origin. The gang must locate the cauldron and destroy it before it falls into the Horned King's hands.
The Black Cauldron had a famously troubled production and was subject to editing by a new studio regime who found it too dark for family audiences.
As might be expected from a film based on a five volume series of books, the movie suffers from an episodic, rambling narrative. The detrimental effect of editing is felt most in the sequence in which the Horned King unleashes his army of skeletal deathless warriors; it is all too brief and feels anti-climatic. The overall pacing of The Black Cauldron feels slightly off, languid at time.
However, those lucky enough to see this on original release in all its 70mm glory were treated to the most visually stunning of all Disney movies in years. The looser, sketchier art which chracterised Disney features of the 1960s and 70s is replaced by a fuller, bolder animation style, recalling the Disney product of earlier decades. The extensive use of the multi-plane camera and effects animation, particularly effective use of light and shadow, giving the film a rich texture and lavish quality.
The Black Cauldron is fresh, experimental and edgy while retaining an old-school Disney feel. Its arresting visuals alone make it worthy of far more recognition than it receives; an underrated movie from an overlooked period in Disney history and one that I believe is long overdue for reassessment.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Black Cauldron! Link below.
WHITE FANG 2: MYTH OF THE WHITE WOLF (Dir: Ken Olin, 1994).
Walt Disney Pictures’ action/adventure sequel to their 1991 hit White Fang (Randall Kleiser).
White Fang told the story of Jack Conroy (Ethan Hawke) and his adventures during the Klondike Gold Rush with the wolfdog of the title. White Fang 2 picks up with Jack now in San Fransisco having left White Fang in the care of his friend Henry Casey (Scott Bairstow). Nearly drowning in a boating accident, Henry is rescued by Lily Joseph (Charmaine Craig) of the native Haida village. Lily Joseph believes Henry to be the human form of a mythical white wolf sent to help her starving tribe. Henry decides to help the Haida locate the caribou while also dealing with a corrupt mining organisation who are exploiting the Haida.
Published in 1906 Jack London's White Fang was a partly autobiographical novel inspired by his experiences in the Klondike. A sequel to a film based on an iconic literary work is unusual. It also seems a little unnecessary, especially one that largely deals with a different set of characters.
His uncredited appearance, limited to the prologue, suggests that Ethan Hawke declined a larger role in the film. As his replacement Scott Bairstow is a somewhat bland leading man and looks like he would be more comfortable in a 90s boy band than in the Klondike. In fairness, the role demands little of him, other than looking pretty while carrying out some mild heroics. Meatier roles are given to Alfred Molina and Geoffrey Lewis as the bad guys, but in general the movie suffers from too much focus on the humans and not enough of the magnificent White Fang; the beautiful half dog/half wolf reduced to supporting player in his own movie.
White Fang 2 is not without entertainment value. Its old fashioned adventure story is pleasant but unspectacular. Those young enough to forgive its simplistic storytelling will enjoy it but older audiences will be wishing this canine caper had a little more bite. Worth a look, especially if you enjoyed the original but, ultimately a bit of a disappointment.
Visit my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for a longer, more in-depth review of White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf!
BLACK ARROW (Dir: John Hough, 1985).
Made for The Disney Channel, Black Arrow is a swashbuckling adventure based upon the novel by Robert Louis Stevenson.
Set during the War of the Roses, corrupt Yorkist landowner Sir Daniel (Oliver Reed) is robbed by black clad vigilante Black Arrow (Stephan Chase). Seeking revenge, he sends his young nephew Richard (Benedict Taylor) on his trail. Sir Daniel is set to acquire more land with his marriage to the reluctant Lancastrian Lady Joanna (Georgia Slowe). Joanna does a runner, forms an alliance with Richard and together they determine to avenge Sir Daniel's wrongdoings.
Disney's third adaptation of a Stevenson novel, following Treasure Island (Byron Haskin, 1950) and Kidnapped (Robert Stevenson, 1960), Black Arrow was what would now be labelled a Disney Channel Original Movie. Back in 1985, The Disney Channel had a remit to provide family entertainment, not just sitcoms for tweenagers. Its new content, like that of the Disney Studio’s past was designed to appeal to a broader demographic than that of the Channel today. While Black Arrow would seem out of place on today’s Disney Channel, it is exactly the kind of movie of which company founder Walt Disney would have approved.
Having previously worked for Disney on the excellent Escape to Witch Mountain (1975), the talented John Hough was engaged to direct. To Black Arrow, Hough brings a somewhat more cinematic vision than one would usually expect from a TV Movie. The quality production only belying its TV origins through the prevalent use of close ups and mid shots.
The impressive cast of acting heavyweights Oliver Reed, Fernando Rey and Donald Pleasence also lend the film an air of prestige.
The film is not entirely flawless. Admittedly, there are a few unlikely plot contrivances and one of two moments which stretch credibility. While Benedict Taylor cuts far too modern a figure; strolling around the 15th Century like the 5th member of EuroVision popsters Bucks Fizz!
Overall though, Black Arrow is pretty solid entertainment. Old fashioned it may be but it does make me yearn for a time when The Disney Channel catered to more than just tweenage audiences.
Check out my blog jinglebonesmovietime.blogspot.com for more reviews of vintage Disney classics!
STUDENT EXCHANGE (Dir: Mollie Miller, 1987).
A lightweight teen comedy from Walt Disney Television. Originally screened in two parts on ABC's The Disney Sunday Movie series.
Greeley High School students Carole and Neil are top of the class academically but bottom of the heap socially. Passing themselves of as foreign exchange students in a bid to be noticed, they are a hit with fellow pupils, less so with the school principal. Predictably, things get a little out of hand and the pair are soon wishing they were their old selves again.
Inexplicably, identity switch movies were something of a Disney Sunday Movie staple in the 1980s. The previous season had presented Young Again (Steven Hilliard Stern, 1986), Double Switch (David Greenwalt, 1987) and Double Agent (Michael Vejar, 1987) while the current series also offered Rock 'n' Roll Mom (Michael Schultz, 1988) and 14 Going on 30 (Paul Schneider, 1988). Meanwhile The Disney Channel was churning out a seemingly endless series of sequels to Disney's original switheroo comedy The Parent Trap (David Swift, 1961).
There is little in Student Exchange that is particularly original and nothing that really makes it stand out among the plethora of teenage wish fulfillment movies. Mollie Miller's direction is solid and the performances are fine, although the production cannot quite shake the feeling of an extended TV episode.
It also suffers from a message that is slightly muddled. While it is undoubtedly important to be yourself, Student Exchange makes it seem a lot more fun to be the popular kid and get the girl/boy of your dreams.
Viveka Davis and Todd Field are likeable leads, but perhaps of more interest to modern audiences is the supporting cast. A post-Bionic Woman Lindsay Wagner, pre-fame Heather Graham and pre-infamy O J Simpson all put in appearances.
Student Exchange is a pleasant enough nostalgia trip. Teens and tweens of the late 80s may get more out of it than anybody else. But i don't see why younger audiences wouldn't enjoy it too; essentially it is a modern day Disney Channel movie in 1980s clothing. It is predictable and formulaic but also good-natured fun.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Student Exchange!
A BILLION FOR BORIS (Dir: Alex Grasshoff, 1984).
A Billion for Boris is the film adaptation of Mary Rodgers' sequel to her novel Freaky Friday.
Repairing an old TV set, Ben ‘Apeface’ Andrews (Seth Green) fixes it to show the next day’s programmes. He duly shares this information with his sister Annabel (Mary Tanner) and friend Boris (Scott Tiler). Seeing the money making potential, Boris heads off to bookies, but his winning streak attracts the unwanted attention of gangsters.
A movie version of Freaky Friday (Gary Nelson) was released by Walt Disney Productions in 1976. Although popular, Disney chose not to film either of Rodgers’ published sequels. A Billion for Boris was brought to the screen almost a decade later courtesy of independent Comworld Pictures.
As such, it is an adaptation of the sequel to the novel, rather than a sequel to the Disney feature. The setting, as in Rodgers’ books, is a New York apartment block, not the suburban Los Angeles of Disney’s Freaky Friday. The events of the earlier movie are not referenced, with the exception of the firing of the Andrews’ housekeeper for stealing liquor.
As a low budget production, A Billion for Boris lacks the polish of Freaky Friday. Also missing is Rodgers’ prose; as screenwriter of the original movie she captured much of the spirit of her book, even though significant changes were made to the plot.
Its largely unrecognisable cast doesn’t have the appeal of the previous movie. Of the adults, Lee Grant does a neat turn as Boris’ quirky mom. Future star Seth Green is standout among the kids as ‘Ape Face’.
In spite of this, it is still an entertaining movie. Some might question the theme of underage gambling and while it would raise a few eyebrows today, I doubt it did in 1984. Use it as opportunity to discuss with your kids the morality of betting if you will, but I wouldn’t let it put you off.
While A Billion for Boris doesn’t raise big laughs it does provides some chuckles. I am fairly certain I won’t revisit it as often as Freaky Friday, a childhood favourite that holds up as an adult. However, it does hold curiosity value to fans of that movie and is undemanding, lightweight fun.
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for more movie reviews!
CANDLESHOE (Dir: Norman Tokar, 1977).
Walt Disney Poductions' Candleshoe is a comedy crime caper based upon Michael Innes' novel Christmas at Candleshoe.
Leaving the mean streets of Los Angeles, Casey Brown (Jodie Foster) heads to England to hustle the elderly Lady St Edmund (Helen Hayes) out of her dilapidated stately home Candleshoe. Within Candleshoe lays the hidden treasure of pirate Captain St Edmund to which Casey holds the first clue. In cahoots are disgraced former Candleshoe employee Clara (Vivien Pickles) and her brother Bundage (Leo Mckern) who masterminds the misdemeanour. Welcomed into the Candleshoe family, Casey turns the tables on Bundage and sets about the treasure hunt with intent to save the debt racked estate from foreclosure.
A first rate cast was assembled for this production. 15 year old Jodie Foster was fresh from her Oscar nominated turn in Taxi Driver (Martin Scorsese, 1976). She does excellent work here too and it is to her credit that she is not overshadowed by the acting heavyweights in support. Most notably David Niven, donning multiple disguises as butler, gardener, chauffeur and a visiting Colonel, in what is perhaps his best late career role.
A neat premise also lifts the movie above the usual formulaic fluff the Disney Studios were producing in the late 70s. Rosemary Anne Sisson's and David Swift's screenplay mixes humour and excitement as the race is on to recover the spoils before the bad guys. Norman Tokar directs at a surprisingly steady pace, but one that allows the mystery to unfold and for characters to develop so that Casey's change of heart is completely believable.
Candleshoe’s view of a genteel England of stately homes and steam trains must have seemed downright archaic in 1977. However, in 2019 it feels innocent and charming; nostalgic for an idealised period in British history which never really existed.
With a superior story and a distinguished cast Candleshoe is easily a highlight of the Disney Studios' live-action catalogue. Equally entertaining for children and adults, this treasure hunt movie is a gem.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of Candleshoe!
THE SHAGGY DOG (Dir: Charles Barton, 1959).
Walt Disney's first live-action comedy movie, suggested by 'Bambi' author Felix Salten's novel 'The Hound of Florence'.
Wilby Daniels (Tommy Kirk) discovers an ancient Borgian ring which magically transforms him into a shaggy Bratislavian sheepdog. Unfortunately for Wilby he has no control over when or where he will change. Also unfortunate is Wilby's father (Fred MacMurray) is a dog hating postman! As if this wasn't problem enough, Wilby is soon mixed up with Russian spies in what is undoubtedly one of the oddest concepts for a movie of all time!
Two years before the release of The Shaggy Dog, the Disney Studios scored a massive hit with Old Yeller (Robert Stevenson, 1957). This set the standard for a series of boy and dog movies such as Big Red (Norman Tokar, 1962) and The Biscuit Eater (Vincent McEveety, 1972). On the surface The Shaggy Dog might appear to be another boy and dog movie but the twist here is that the boy IS the dog. This weird set up was a welcome riposte to horror movie I Was a Teenage Werewolf (Gene Fowler Jr, 1957) and set the template for the seemingly endless steam of kooky comedies released by Disney for the next two decades.
Fresh from Old Yeller, Tommy Kirk was one of Disney's most appealing juvenile stars and here shows a knack for quirky comedy. MacMurray too, though a highly capable dramatic actor, had a flair for light comedy.
The plot is ludicrous, certainly, but it is very funny. Much of the humour comes from sight gags such as the dog putting on pyjamas and cleaning his teeth. Honestly, there is little I find funnier that a sheepdog driving a hot rod! The pre CGI effects that allow Wilby to turn canine are neat, low tech but effective.
The Shaggy Dog would eventually make over $12 million at the US box office, a massive return on an investment of around $1 million and 60 years after its original release has lost little of its peculiar charm. Disney comedies were notorious for their reliance on formula. Here the formula still feels fresh. It may not be high art but it is highly entertaining.
On a side note, the movie was computer colorized in 1986. While I highly recommend this enjoyable shaggy dog story I would implore you to watch it in its original beautiful black and white.
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for more reviews of vintage Disney classics! Link below.
THE COMPUTER WORE TENNIS SHOES (Dir: Robert Butler, 1969).
Kurt Russell stars in the first of Walt Disney Productions' Dexter Riley trilogy.
Ordinary Medfield College student Dexter Riley (Russell) acquires extraordinary knowledge after an electric shock from the science lab computer. Now able to learn facts and figures at lightning speeds, he finds himself mingling with the world's top intellectuals and winning TV game shows. However, he also finds himself dealing with bent bookie A J Arno; details of his illegal gambling ring having also been stored on the machine.
A decade after their first foray into live action fantasy comedy with The Shaggy Dog (Charles Barton, 1959) one might expect the formula to be wearing a little thin. But actually The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes finds it in pretty robust form. It's all innocent, inoffensive fun, with the attractive youths, inept crooks and car chases that fans of 60s/70s era Disney comedies had come to expect.
Much of the movies appeal comes from the game playing of its appealing cast. 18 year old Kurt Russell was always one of Disney's most likeable leading men and here proves himself adept at light comedy. He is supported by an accomplished cast, notably Joe Flynn as the long-suffering Dean Higgins and TV Batman's The Joker Cesar Romero as shady businessman A J Arno. Disney regular Richard Bakalyan played one of his many small-time hood characters; a role in which he seemed eternally typecast.
The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes was a significant hit for Disney and spawned a valuable franchise. Two sequels followed Now You See Him, Now You Don't (Robert Butler, 1972) and The Strongest Man in the World (Vincent McEveety, 1975), while a remake would appear on US TV in 1995.
Nobody would argue that The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes is a masterpiece. Yet, at the same time it would be churlish to be over critical of it. It is lightweight fun that sets out to entertain and in this it succeeds. Perhaps best enjoyed for nostalgia value today; a whimsical period piece but with enough easygoing charm to coast through its 90 odd minutes.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes. Link below.
THE SIGN OF ZORRO (Dir: Norman Foster & Lewis R Foster, 1958)
Guy Williams stars as the vigilante hero who "makes the sign of a Z" in Walt Disney's feature film version of the hit Zorro TV series, broadcast on the ABC network from 1957-59.
Following a lengthy absence, Don Diego (Guy Williams) returns home to the Spanish Californian pueblo of Los Angeles. Finding his hometown under the rule of cruel Captain Monastario (Britt Lomand), he dons a black cape, assumes the new identity of Zorro and determines to overthrow Monastario and restore order to the pueblo. Cue lots of sword fights!
As with Disney's earlier feature Davy Crockett, King of the Wild Frontier (Norman Foster, 1955), The Sign of Zorro was edited together from episodes of a TV series. Screened in black and white but filmed in colour, Davy Crockett was a high quality production that transferred to the cinema with ease. Zorro was a more modestly budgeted production shot in black and white. Its static camera work and proliferation of close-ups did not hold up as well on the big screen. The cobbling together of various episodes results in a somewhat disjointed narrative with multiple climaxes and plot threads which are never properly resolved.
That said, the movie does have it compensations. Guy Williams makes for an appealing, athletic hero and is well supported by Gene Sheldon as mute man servant Bernardo and Henry Calvin as local law enforcer Sergeant Garcia; their deft comic performances nicely complementing the lighthearted heroics.
While the movie did not manage to repeat the success of the superior Davy Crockett, it did well enough to warrant a sequel. However, Zorro the Avenger (Charles Barton, 1959) was marketed solely to international audiences and was not released in the US.
Despite its shortcomings, this is an entertaining movie, thanks to its appealing cast and general good-natured ambience. If, like me, you enjoy a bit of swashbuckling you will find The Sign of Zorro has an easy going charm that is hard to resist. Slightly shabby but a lot of fun!
Check out my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Sign of Zorro. Link below.
THE LION KING (Dir: Roger Allers & Rob Minkoff).
The 1990s Disney Animation renaissance continued with The Lion King, their biggest hit (when adjusted for inflation) to date.
The movie tells the story of young lion and future king Simba (voiced by Jonathan Taylor Thomas as a juvenile and Matthew Broderick as an adult). Simba’s father Mufasa (James Earl Jones) is killed by his brother and Simba’s uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons). Scar leads Simba to be believe he is responsible for Mufasa’s death and goes into hiding. Believing Simba has been killed by Hyenas, Scar takes his place as king of the Pride Lands. However, Simba is rescued by comic relief duo meerkat Timon (Nathan Lane) and warthog Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella). When adult Simba learns of his uncle’s despotic machinations he returns to fight Scar, reclaim his crown and restore order to the Pride Lands.
Majestic seems a fitting word for The Lion King. Recalling earlier classic The Jungle Book (Wolfgang Reitherman, 1967) with its animal cast, particularly in the characterisation of Scar, a upper-crust Disney villain in the Sheer Khan mode. The movie feels both fresh, in its break from the fairytale genre, yet classic Disney with its anthropomorphised animal antics.
It is easily one of the Studio’s most visually appealing features of the 1990s. It’s beautiful backgrounds of African landscapes is the match of the superior character animation. This is highlighted particularly in the opening scene as the African animal populous gathers to welcome the newly born Simba to the Pride Lands. So impressed were the Disney execs by this scene, that it was used wholesale as the movie’s trailer. Happily the rest of the film has no problem in living up to this breathtaking beginning.
With outstanding animation, excellent voice work and a handful of hit songs by Tim Rice and Elton John, The Lion King reigns as one of Disney’s greatest post-Walt animated feature films.
Visit my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME for a longer, more in-depth review of The Lion King. Link in bio.
FREAKY FRIDAY (Dir: Steve Carr, 2018)
Disney have certainly gotten their money’s worth out of Freaky Friday. This Disney Channel Original Movie is the studio’s fourth adaptation of Mary Rodgers’ novel and is itself based upon Disney Theatrical Productions 2016 stage musical, with music and lyrics by Tom Kitt and Brian Yorkey and book by Bridget Carpenter.
The now familiar tale of the mother and daughter at loggerheads who switch bodies for a day is tweaked and refreshed for a new generation of tweens. Here Cozi Zuehlsdorff is a teenager still grieving the death of her father five years earlier and Heidi Blickenstaff her stressed mother on the eve of remarrying. This time a magical hourglass is the catalyst for the swap. A scavenger hunt is shoehorned in, recalling another earlier Disney Production, the cult favourite Midnight Madness (David Wechter & Michael Nankin, 1980).
I have been a fan of the original Freaky Friday (Gary Nelson, 1976) and the 1972 Mary Rodgers novel upon which it is based almost all of my life. This most recent version deviates significantly from both movie and source. While the original is undoubtedly the best, this new Freaky Friday is a lot of fun. Kitt and Yorkey’s High School Musical-style soft rock is easy on the ear, although the vocals suffer from the same apparent ‘tweaking’ effect which Disney Channel musicals always seem to do. Steve Carr's direction doesn’t belie the movies TV roots, while Blickenstaff and Zuehlsdorff step into the legendary shoes of Barbara Harris and Jodie Foster with an appealing enthusiasm which is hard to resist. Come the inevitable climactic big song and dance number this tween movie had worked its warm-hearted magic of this middle age movie critic.
I must confess to having a soft spot for Disney Channel movies. No one would argue that they are cinematic masterpieces, but most offer 90 minutes of lightweight fun. If you are a fan you will know what to expect, if you’re not this won’t be the movie to change your mind. Freaky Friday won’t change the world but it should bring a smile to the faces of those looking for goodnatured, undemanding entertainment.
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‘TWAS THE NIGHT (Dir: Nick Castle, 2001).
The following review and 100+ more reviews are available on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
Made for TV Christmas movies have become inexplicably popular in the last two decades. Seemingly hundreds of them litter the television schedules from September to January every year. This entry in the genre, a Disney Channel Original Movie, has become something of a festival staple on the Disney Channel and can usually be found in their December lineup.
On Christmas Eve, heavily in debt conman Nick Wrigley (Bryan Cranston) escapes his gangland creditors by hiding out in the home of his brother. After mistaking Santa for an intruder he knocks the fat man out cold, ties him up and steals his high-tech sleigh. Taking advantage of his close relationship with nephew Danny (Josh Zuckerman), the pair go on a burglary spree. Unbeknownst to Danny who believes the pair are helping the concussed Santa by delivering Christmas gifts.
There is a certain amount of cynicism mixed in with the inevitable sentiment in ‘Twas the Night, lending the movie a somewhat uneven tone. Its self-centered wise guy characters are a little hard to warm to. Their redemption, when it comes (as is always certain), is neither empathetic or particularly heartwarming, suggesting that the ending is there merely to placate viewers expectations of family Christmas movies.
The visual effects are above the usual TV movie standard, although it never quite overcomes the feel of an extended Disney Channel sitcom. The screenplay by Jim Lincoln, Dan Studley and Jenny Trip has its funny moments, but little in the movie really rings true. It has all the glitz one would expect of a Christmas movie but is oddly lacking in heart.
Bryan Cranston is the standout among the cast. His amiable performance here is the best reason to watch this passably entertaining but unexceptional movie.
While ‘Twas the Night is not exactly unmissable festive fare, it should appeal to tweens and younger teens who feel they are above sentimental Christmas movies. Younger children, meanwhile, may be a little upset seeing Santa hit over the head with a shovel! Not a Christmas classic but you may find its worth a watch if you come across it while flicking through cable.
ZOMBIES (Dir: Paul Hoen, 2018)
Girl meets zombie in this musical romcom for the tween set.
Afraid of the undead? Fret thee not! As a Disney Channel Original Movie, the zombies in Zombies are only likely to induce fear in those terrified by the prospect of perky teens singing and dancing.
Read the full review on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME at the link below.
ZOMBIES 2 (Dir: Paul Hoen, 2020).
The Zombies of Seabrook High return in the imaginatively titled Zombies 2. Now with extra added werewolves.
When werewolves pose a threat to the newly integrated communities of Seabrook and Zombie Town, monster lockdown is back on. Much to the chagrin of Zombie Zed (Milo Manheim) and his human gal pal Addison (Meg Donnelly). In an attempt to force change Zed runs for school president. Meanwhile Addison is courted by a band of werewolves banished from Seabrook since olden times!
Read the full review on my blog JINGLE BONES MOVIE TIME! Link below.
