THE INCREDIBLES

2004, Disney Pixar

Animation

Rating: PG

Approx. 117 mins.

THE STORY:

Bob Parr (Craig T. Nelson) and his wife Helen (Holly Hunter) are living a mundane suburban life with their 3 kids. In actuality they are ex-superheroes in hiding (Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl, respectively) after being sued and banned from heroics. Bob misses the thrill of the action and secretly continues to dabble in small scale acts of heroism. 

So, when presented with a mysterious offer to test his powers, he cannot fail to accept. What he doesn't realize, however, is that he is actually being challenged by his arch-enemy, a young inventor Bob refused to mentor years earlier (Jason Lee). His eagerness to relive his glory days, puts Bob's family in danger when they rush to help him.

In the end, Mr. Incredible faces the greatest challenge of his career and learns that his love for his family exceeds his need for superhero glory.   

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  Stupid
• Oh my god

VIOLENCE:

• Manned spacecraft flies into cliff-side and explodes
• Heroes are shot at with machine guns
• Bad guy dies a fiery death

TEACHING POINTS:

•  Be yourself and embrace what makes you unique

THE UPSHOT:

When this movie came out, I happened to be in Japan. The title there was Mr. Incredible, which I find ironic, since the most positive thing I can say about this film is that it presents women as complete equals. Physically, intellectually, emotionally, on every level the 2 female superheroes are the equals of their male counterparts.  

The 5 year-old in the room was confused and at times scared. It is quite a violent movie with a high body-count considering its status as a family movie. Much of the actual killing is implied, but blatantly implied. The story and situations-- lawsuits, witness protection, being fired, etc.-- are too mature and complex for the very young to understand, and there is next to no humour to compensate. 

Overall, for both the 5 year-old and the adults in the room it was a disappointment. A long, convoluted, seemingly unending disappointment. 

2/5

THE SANTA CLAUSE

1994, Walt Disney Pictures

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 97 mins.

THE STORY:

Divorced father, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen), finds himself having, unbeknownst to himself, entered into a contract to be the next Santa Claus. He tries to fight it and refuses to believe it, but eventually has to submit to the obvious.  

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• hell
• stupid

VIOLENCE:

•  None

TEACHING POINTS:

•  Sometimes you just have to believe

THE UPSHOT:

In fairness to The Santa Clause, I watched this immediately after one of the best kids' movies I have seen to date, so it was primed to be lesser. Nonetheless, knowing that there were 2 sequels led me to expect something pretty worthy. Instead, I spent about 1.5 hours awash in mediocrity.

I like the concept, but the execution is... weak. Much like the acting, the story development, the special effects-- even for 1994, they seem a bit lacking-- and the resolution.

The 5 year-old in the room's attention wandered a couple of times, particularly during the less relatable parts of the story-- the sole custody court order, the psychology references and such. 

 3/5

HORTON HEARS A WHO

2008, Twentieth Century Fox

Animation

Rating: G

Approx. 86 mins.

THE STORY:

Horton the elephant (Jim Carrey) finds a clover with a speck on it, which in turn, he discovers, has an entire microcosmic race of people living on it. Although Horton can't see anything, he can communicate with the mayor of Whoville (Steve Carell). The two realize that a safe, stable home for the speck must be found, and Horton begins his journey to an idyllic spot on a mountain side. 

Unfortunately, no one else's ears are sensitive enough to hear them, and his community soon turns on Horton as a threat to life as they know it. Led by the intransigent Kangaroo (Carol Burnett), they try to stop Horton and destroy the speck. Eventually, Whoville is rescued by the unanimous voices of every Who citizen standing up for themselves, and by one voice in the jungle who stands up to the many who fear what they can't see.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• idiot
• boob
• moron

VIOLENCE:

• nothing significant

TEACHING POINTS:

• Mean what you say and say what you mean
• Every life is equally valuable
• Sometimes, you just have to have faith

THE UPSHOT:

Judging by the smiles and laughter on display, I'm fairly sure the adults in the room enjoyed this far more than the 5 year-old. Nonetheless, a good time was had by all.

At the risk of being gushy, I can't think of a single negative thing to say about this movie. Excellent animation, an amazing cast (Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, Seth Rogen, Jim & Steve, and, yes, the Carol Burnett!), a great script, clever humour, invaluable messaging.

The happiest 86 odd minutes I've spent in a while. Ab fab.
  

5/5

CINDERELLA

1950, Disney

Animation

Rating: G

Approx. 74 mins.

THE STORY:

After the death of her father, a beautiful young woman becomes the veritable servant of her evil stepmother and jealous stepsisters. Although her situation is miserable and seemingly hopeless, she remains positive and kind to the mice and birds who are her only friends.
One day an invitation comes to a ball at the palace, where the king hopes to find a suitable mate for his single and childless son. Although her step-mother assures her she can go, Cinderella is consistently thwarted. In the end, a fairy godmother appears to rescue her with the temporary trappings of a princess. 
These allow her to attend the ball, where she captures the eye and heart of the prince. The 2 dance all night until she has to flee before the last strike of 12 when her glamourous clothes and carriage all disappear. In her haste, she leaves behind a glass slipper, which is then used to try to find the mysterious beauty the prince wants as his bride.
Again, her step family tries to prevent Cinderella from being united with the prince, but justice prevails and the 2 live happily ever after.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  none

VIOLENCE:

• a cat appears to fall to its death

TEACHING POINTS:

• Karma's going to get you
• What happens is not up to you; how you approach it is

THE UPSHOT:

As is obvious from previous posts, I am not a huge fan of Disney princess films nor do I appreciate the insidious marketing/ brainwashing that forces me to supply related crap to my 5 year-old at the risk of being a meanie. I have the usual issues with Cinderella: the completely unrealistic and idealized representation of the female form, the fact that her worth lies entirely in her physical appearance, the utterly misguided depiction of relationships and love, the concept that people are absolutely good or absolutely bad, etc. It is therefore hard for me to watch without ire-coloured glasses filtering my perspective. 
I liked the music and the nostalgia aspect-- I still have the LP I got for my 5th birthday. Also, I prefer these straight-up, no holds barred princess flicks to the fake independent-minded female protagonists of later movies (Jasmine et al). And, ultimately, the 5 year-old in the room loved every moment of it. 

4/5

UNDERDOG

2007, Disney

Live action

Rating: PG

Approx. 84 mins.

THE STORY:

A beagle (Jason Lee) experimented on by a mad scientist (Peter Dinklage) and his henchman (Patrick Warburton) is transformed into a dog with superhero qualities and the ability to speak. He escapes from the lab and is taken in by a retired police officer (Jim Belushi) who hopes the dog, whom he calls Shoeshine, will help him bond with his teenage son, Alex. 

Alex soon discovers Shoeshine's special qualities and together they give him a superhero identity: Underdog. He rescues those in danger, finally confronting the evil scientist who originally gave him his powers. 

In the end, righteousness triumphs, love blossoms, and father and son bond. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

• Imbecile
• Stupid
• Idiot

VIOLENCE:

• Some threatening scenes, but nothing significant
• The scientist spends most of the movie looking decidedly creepy after an accident  

TEACHING POINTS:

•  You have to tell people how you feel if you want them to know how you feel

THE UPSHOT:

Monotonous and about 50 minutes too long. I've seen worse, but I've also seen far far better. 

The film makers are resorting to the tried and tested goofy-remake-of-old-cartoon formula to appeal to parents as much as kids, but they have failed completely. Underdog lacks the profile of, say, the Muppets or Yogi Bear to start with. Then they take away the essential character traits that made him interesting in the original-- they included a vintage Underdog cartoon in the extras presumably to allow everyone to come to the same conclusion-- and just make him bland. Even the 5 year-old in the room didn't buy him as a superhero... and she buys a lot.

The acting is phoned-in, the dialogue is cliched, the story is that rare mix of predictable and unconvincing.

2/5

CHIMPANZEE

2012, Disney

Live action

Rating: G

Approx. 78 mins.

THE STORY:

Narrated by Tim Allen, this documentary chronicles the early life of a young chimp named Oscar. Although his life starts out fairly idyllically, nurtured by a loving mother and protected by a community of chimps, he soon suffers tragedy when-- SPOILER ALERT!-- his mother is killed in a fight with rival chimps. Oscar struggles to find his way alone until, remarkably, he finds support in the form of his tribe's alpha male. 

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  idiot
• death, dead, killed

VIOLENCE:

• Some fighting between chimps and the death of one chimp
• No gore

TEACHING POINTS:

• A remarkable peak into the everyday lives of wild animals
• Life can be brutal, but life goes on 

THE UPSHOT:

Absolutely amazing cinematography-- watch the credits for some clues as to how they got the incredible shots. It is great to be able to get a view on how animals really act and interact, particularly from the same studio that gives The Lion King, etc.  

I was given a heads up about Oscar's mother dying and was able to take pre-emptive action by talking about it with the 5 year-old in the room and then skipping through that scene. Tragic, inconsolable tear-addled experience (et tu Charlotte's Web...) has taught me that she would not have been able to handle that. It is handled tactfully, however, and less sensitive little ones will have no problem.  

4.5/5

DUMBO

1941, Walt Disney Pictures

Animation

Rating: G

Approx. 64 mins.

THE STORY:

Mrs. Jumbo waits and waits for the stork to bring her bundle of joy, and when he does she is shocked to find that her baby has huge ears. Although she loves her new son unconditionally, the other elephants in the circus troupe are cruel in their comments. They shun Dumbo when his mother is quarantined for trying to defend him from an intrusive public. Only Timothy Q. Mouse befriends the baby elephant, helping him find a special skill that will make him valuable to the circus. This turns out to be flying.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  None

VIOLENCE:

•  The scene where Dumbo's mother is subdued is a bit scary for younger viewers

TEACHING POINTS:

•   Celebrate difference in others and yourself
•   Believe in yourself and you can achieve amazing things

THE UPSHOT:

Those so inclined can find plenty of subtext to read into this movie, particularly related to issues of racism and segregation. The adult circus elephants dislike Dumbo because he is different-- he doesn't look like them, so they cast nothing but negative aspersions on his character and intelligence. The circus clowns are equally dismissive, stating that elephants don't have feelings. The black crows are initially quick to point out that Dumbo and the mouse do not belong in their neck of the woods. The circus animals are treated fairly cruelly, being whipped and forced to do heavy labour alongside what appear to be black labourers.

On the plus side, the movie has a strong anti-bullying message. Also, it is short and has little dialogue, which makes it good for youngsters with short attention spans. The exception to this would be the "Pink Elephants on Parade" musical sequence which requires kids to understand the concept of drunkenness and to have the fortitude to sit through about 5 minutes of very surreal animation. It reminded the adult in the room of the Dali dream sequence from Spellbound. The 5 year-old in the room just wanted to know when it would be over.

I would recommend it for socio-historical reasons as much as any other. 

3/5

THE PRINCESS & THE FROG

2009, Disney Animation

Animated

Rating: G

Approx. 97 mins.

THE STORY:

Raised in New Orleans, the daughter of a maid and a father who worked himself to an early death, Tiana has a mission: to open her own fabulous restaurant/ cabaret. Not only does she love to cook, but she has seen the opulence that money can bring first-hand through the life of her best friend, Charlotte, the spoiled daughter of her mother's employer. Tiana has been single-minded in pursuit of her dream, sacrificing all social life in order to save up the money she needs to buy her place.

One day, fun-loving playboy Prince Naveen rolls into town. He too is on a mission: to marry an heiress to support him now that his parents have cut him off. He runs into Dr. Facilier, a local practitioner of the dark arts, and is tricked into falling under a spell. The prince is turned into a frog, while his man-servant is transformed into the prince. The frog-prince meets Tiana at a costume ball and, mistaking her for a princess, gets her to kiss him. Instead of changing him back into a human, the kiss turns Tiana into a frog as well.

The two travel through the bayou to find Mama Odie, a voodoo magician who can hopefully restore them to human form. Along the way, they pick up some new friends: a firefly named Ray, and a jazz trumpet playing alligator named Louis. They learn that Prince Naveen (the frog) must be kissed by a princess by midnight for the spell to be broken, and the race begins.

Along their journey, Tiana and Naveen learn that they each have a different side than they usually show, and that they somehow complement each other. In the end, their love and their willingness to sacrifice what they want for what they have allows them to achieve all that they want.

QUESTIONABLE LANGUAGE:

•  none

VIOLENCE:

• Ray, the firefly, dies the squashing he receives is implied but the death scene is on screen
• Lots of menace rather than violence from the shadow spirits

TEACHING POINTS: 

• You get what you give
• You don't have to have what you want as long as you have what you need

THE UPSHOT:

The movie touches on a lot of interesting themes including race, class, and the feminist dream of having it all. What I find frustrating is that it doesn't actually make any statements on these issues. There is far too much ambiguity for me. A white man tries to discourage Tiana from her entrepreneurial plans by saying it isn't a suitable project for "a woman of your background." What "background" is that exactly: a fatherless daughter? the daughter of a domestic? a waitress? a black woman? Prince Naveen is racially nebulous, being apparently dark skinned, mysteriously accented and explicitly from a fictional country. Whatever his origins, however, visually their relationship is not mixed-race.

The other negative for me-- aside from the usual Disneyfication of relationships-- is the menace and threat dominating the voodoo scenes. It could be seriously scary for younger kids, just as the death of Ray could upset sensitive young viewers. That said and to my chagrin, the 5 year-old in the room enjoyed it. 

3.5/5