Tag: Disney Plus

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Sugar Cane

John Stark

Sugar Cane (Disney Plus)- A Gut Punch Of A Film For Oscar Consideration Quick Take: The funny thing is, I got a screener for Sugar Cane, but it was so close to its drop on Disney Plus, I figured I’d wait for the inevitable audio description on Disney Plus. Then, the movie landed, and no audio description. Wait, what? this is one of the most gut punching documentaries of 2024, and is a virtual lock for an Oscar nomination, so where is the audio description track? On an unrelated note,I had this dream last night. And in that dream, I … Continue reading Sugar Cane

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Cheetah: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Cheetah: 35th Anniversary- Made The Same Year We Shrunk The Kids, Does This Hold Up? Quick Take: One of my favorite film YouTube channels, Breakfast All Day, occasionally revisits older movies, and does “Was it great, or were you 8?” I was not 8. Not yet. But this was definitely not great. Cheetah, which has this odd history of being adapted from another work, and essentially whitewashing it, did not hold up. It doesn’t even feel like it is in the same year as some of the other Disney titles. I already revisited Honey I Shrunk The Kids, also from … Continue reading Cheetah: 35th Anniversary

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Endurance

John Stark

Endurance (Disney Plus)- Restoring The Legacy Of Shackleton, His Ship, And The Original Footage Quick Take: A pretty cool use of film restoration, and it has audio description on Disney Plus. This documentary parallels Shackelton’s ill fated trip to Antarctica with a modern day crew searching for his lost ship, the Endurance, which is entombed in protected waters. Not only do we see the trials and tribulations of both, but Shackelton originally took a cameraman with him on his voyage. While this would have just been footage, it is still restored for a sighted audience, which takes time and consideration. … Continue reading Endurance

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Music By John Williams

John Stark

Music By John Williams (Disney Plus)- The GOAT Of Film Score Composition Quick Take: A movie for film lovers, specifically those who really appreciate a great film score. John Williams is the greatest there has ever been. There are plenty of other composers that knock out work all the time that is perfection, and yet, Williams’s reach seems so unattainable. From Hans Zimmer, Danny Elfman, Michael Giacchino, Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, and even the legendary Ennio Morricone, Williams has created so many iconic themes that how could he not be remembered for the remainder of cinema. This takes a … Continue reading Music By John Williams

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My Favorite Martian: 25th Anniversary

John Stark

My Favorite Martian: 25th Anniversary- Does It Hold Up? Did It Ever? Quick Take: So, I only have passing knowledge of the TV show, and this was my first time watching this. Not every movie stands the test of time, and much like the 90’s adaptation of Leave it To Beaver, I’m pretty sure this has been buried. I’m surprised it had audio description on Disney Plus. The cast is intriguing, ranging from Jeff Daniel’s and Christopher Llloyd to Elizabeth Hurley and Wallace Shawn. Did it stand the test of time? Honestly, if this was the 10th Anniversary, I’d answer … Continue reading My Favorite Martian: 25th Anniversary

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Young Woman And The Sea

John Stark

Up front, I want to be honest with you. Yes, you. David Spade. I know you are reading my site. Actually, I don’t know that, but wouldn’t that be pretty cool? But in all honesty, I’m about to break some sacred rule of film criticism, but it is one I’m being honest about, and I feel like the thing in itself is a valid criticism. I fell asleep. It isn’t that this film is so terrible it put me to sleep, it was just dull. Nyad had just come out a few months prior, and managed to really make it … Continue reading Young Woman And The Sea

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Angels In The Outfield: 30th Anniversary

John Stark

Despite what many believed, Disney Plus did not launch with every Disney movie ever made. Fans of movies like Air Bud and Angels in The Outfield found out they had to wait. Well, i waited. So, where’s the audio description? Disney is usually pretty good about making sure their own films, especially Disney theatrically branded content, has audio description. Some pretty random titles have it, and they can’t claim they didn’t know the debut of a 30 year old movie was coming. So, am i supposed to pray for accessibility? Is this some sort of meta lesson? Will Christopher Lloyd … Continue reading Angels In The Outfield: 30th Anniversary

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The Descendants: The Rise Of Red

John Stark

Somewhere way back there, I reviewed Disney’s Descendants, because it became this phenomenon, and I have touched base with a few of their big touchstones. I made sure to check out the first two High School Musical film, I’ve seen Camp Rockk, and of course Descendants. Now, The Rise Of Red is on Disney Plus, both the first and most recent effort are Deluxe by Laura Post. So, rather than go yet another review of the first film, let’s just leapfrog. This version has basically set the original crew free. There’s a nice tribute to the deceased Cameron Boyce, but … Continue reading The Descendants: The Rise Of Red

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Honey I Shrunk The Kids: 35th Anniversary

John Stark

Meet the Salinsky’s. They aren’t your normal suburban family. Their dad, Wayne (Rick Moranis) is an inventor, and he’s working on his latest gadget, much to the ire of their next door neighbors. After a chance accident, four kids find themselves at the mercy of his invention, when they find themselves shrunk down smaller than ants. Now, they have a short period of time to fix their situation before their own backyard becomes their demise. I love this film. when I hear Wayne Salinsky, I automatically think of this franchise. It has a special place in my heart, and the … Continue reading Honey I Shrunk The Kids: 35th Anniversary

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Tarzan (1999): 25th Anniversary (with Tarzan II!)

John Stark

Come stop your crying, it will be an all right. I know you just watched The Acolyte, and you are missing classic Disney, which is a great time to take a look at what Classic Disney looked like. Following my celebration of The Lion King, in all its 30th Anniversary glory, five years later they released Tarzan. It’s one of the divisive movies that not everyone loves, but I do. And if you think just because we hit the sweet spot with TThe Lion King, Inside Out 2, and Tarzan, that I adore everything Disney, this just happens to be … Continue reading Tarzan (1999): 25th Anniversary (with Tarzan II!)

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The Muppet Movie: 45th Anniversary

John Stark

45 years of The Muppets on the big screen. When I noticed that this was an anniversary year, albeit an odd one, I wanted to tackle this because we just had Jim Henson: Idea Man, and even then I felt like I needed to review something Muppet related. This isn’t where it began, but it is the first of the film franchise. I’m also not here to try and tip the scales on what is clearly a time honored classic. No one has been waiting 45 years to hear if I endorse The Muppet Movie. This is not my first … Continue reading The Muppet Movie: 45th Anniversary

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Bit City Greens: Spacecation

John Stark

granted, I’m putting this review up a little late after having seen this when it originally dropped on Disney Plus, but it is important to immediately note that this film doesn’t have audio description on the service. It is such a shame, because even though I have only a teensie bit of knowledge regarding this show, I have to say the movie, or what I could understand of it, reminded me so much of when Disney used to turn their 90’s properties into films, with Ducktales: Treasure Of The Lost Lamp and A goofy Movie. Big City Greens has been … Continue reading Bit City Greens: Spacecation

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Tiger

John Stark

Disney’s requisite DisneyNature release this year is Tiger. Clearly, this is about the diminishing White Rhino population. These titles are always so vague. Like, what is Chimpanzee about? Is Bears an LGBT movie? Kidding aside, if you have the desire to sit down and watch a tiger not know she’s being followed by a camera crew, and given some random name to help us narratively through the feature, then this is your game. For me though, I’ve felt almost exactly the same about every single one of these. Pretty much, they all land at a B, or B-ish. I can’t … Continue reading Tiger

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Wish

John Stark

Wish landed with all the enthusiasm of an audience that did not enjoy the 2022 Disney entry Strange World. There was too much weight on this film being a part of Disney’s 100 years celebration. It was supposed to somehow represent the totality of everything that came after Walt first conceived the mouse that would go on to launch an empire. Somehow, Wish would bring in the audiences who loved early Disney animation like Snow White and The Seven Dwarves, the middle years with 101 Dalmatians, the dark times of The Black Cauldron, the renaissance of The Lion King, the … Continue reading Wish

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Luca

John Stark

As people discuss the downfall of Disney, and the lackluster output by Pixar, I need to point out always that Luca is terrific. This Spring, taking advantage of a release schedule altered by the strikes last year, Disney released Soul, Turning Red, and Luca theatrically, since they did not receive theatrical runs due to the pandemic. I thought Soul was good, but I wasn’t obsessed. I’m not a big Turning Red fan, but Luca is delightful. Taking place off the coast of an Italian fishing village, this is a story of discovery, adventure, family, taking risk, and making the most … Continue reading Luca