Music Fridays # 65: Dr. Horrible AMVs

Now I know what your thinking what does Dr. Horrible have to do with Disney.  The answer, nothing.   Then you may be asking yourself why am I featuring it on a Disney blog. Easy, I want to.  I don't often indulge my other interests on this blog unless you count my two RENT Music Fridays that I loved doing.  Anyways, just for the heck of it, I've decided to have this Music Fridays once again feature AMVs and this time set to the songs of Dr. Horrible.  A film that the fir I saw it, I didn't like it as I thought it was stupid and didn't make much sense but after rewatching it,  it has a good story and I love the character of Billy/Dr. Horrible but why did Joss Whedon have to kill Penny? Ah, well.  That is a discussion for another day.


My Freeze Ray  AMV






This one is just cute and if you have not seen this film it may seem odd but that's partially because you need the context to understand what is trying to be conveyed here.  For those unaware, Franny is Lewis's future wife and knowing that I think it make this video make sense.  This is a fun song and lyrically it fits the character of Lewis as he is very smart and I think it just works because like Billy/Dr. Horrible, Lewis is also something of an outcast that doesn't know to act in the outside world.  It is a very fun video that coneys the tone of the song quite well.


For this one, I'm breaking a promise I made to myself. Despite how much I loathe this movie, this AMV fits the character to a tea.


Brand New Day





Yes, yes.  Shocking that something featuring The Incredibles in on here. Well prepared to be shocked even more as I have a lot of positive things to say. (gasp)   This is the perfect match up,  Syndrome shares so many similarities with Dr. Horrible that this song just makes sense. Yeah,  I could make the cheap joke here and say that I find Syndrome more sympathetic than  any of the Parr family and I wanted him to win.  (What, I found him to be the only likable character)  I think the big thing that works here is that Syndrome came from a place of hatred for Mr. Incredible after he was denied being his sidekick. Don't get me wrong, I understand what Mr. Incredible was trying to do but he came across as tool when doing it.  In many ways that can be compared to the scene in Dr. Horrible, when Captain Hammer tells Dr. Horrible that he is only dating Penny to make him jealous and there we have the seed planted for true hatred.  All it takes is that one seed and a villain is born.




So They Say





This has to be one of the silliest videos I've seen but I'm not surprised that Herc is cast in the role of Captain Hammer.  It's not bad and the song and the clips flow nicely together but Meg is too much of a tough girl to be the sweet and innocent Penny and Hades as Dr. Horrible just feels wrong.   Other than that, it's fun and funny as hell.  I'd actually other than my minor qualms, this is my favorite as it is just so much fun.



Everyone's A Hero






Okay, this one is just perfect.  Honestly Captain Hammer and Gaston are perhaps the most alike as they are both perceived as being the heroes but upon further inspection, they could care less and all they want is the girl and or admiration.  This one is to me perhaps the most logical as the entire time watching Dr. Horrible,  I kept on thinking of Hammer as Gaston. And whoever cast the stage production of Beauty and The Beast should really consider offering the role of Gaston to Nathan Fillion, the role of Gaston as  I think he'd be perfect in it.  Anyways back on topic, this one again is just so much fun and works so well because the song fits the  character.


I hope that you have enjoyed my look at these AMV's. Join me next week as I take a look at songs that got cut from Aladdin

Can We Talk about Skinny Disney

You know what Disney characters need to appeal to today's culture.  Sex appeal, yes that's right they needed sex appeal.  Okay maybe that's not right but there is no other way to put it. Earlier,  I was on Yahoo, when I saw this....

Yes, folks that is supposed to be Minnie Mouse.  I repeat that is supposed to be Minnie Mouse.  She wasn't alone. Oh, no Goofy and Daisy also got a makeover.

These things just make me weep.  And what are they are these abominations to these beloved characters for.   Have you ever heard of the department store, Barneys? Well, these creatures of the night are for their holiday campaign.  Oh, yeah, this really feels me with the holiday spirit.   Look I'm not saying using these characters for store campaigns is wrong. It's been done for ages. For a while,  Macy's was selling a Mickey doll.

That's how you do it. Not those.   Oh, and here's something from the article that should explain these creepy designs.

 Barneys collaborated with Disney to take their characters into a realistic fashion world 

No, No, No.  You...


FAIL 


These characters do not and I repeat NOT need to look like this.  I'm saddened by the fact that Disney even agreed to this and these aren't the only ones they have in line folks.  No, they are planning it to other characters such as Mickey,  Tiana,  and Snow White.  WHY?!?!     I agree completely with this article when they say that we don't want to see these Disney characters be sexy. That is just sick and wrong.  Do your hear me,  Sick and Wrong.   Disney, do you not understand why people love these characters. It's because they're timeless and wholesome.   With these inane designs, you are taking that away.  Your stripping these characters of what we. the fans love about them.  This is insulting to your fans on every level. Especially your female fans.   Minnie and Daisy are strong minded women who do not need to be part of the fashion circle to be in . Yes, they like clothes and yes I read about the Paris fashion show that your making to go along with this  anger inducing things.    What kind of message do you think young girls may take away from seeing characters they love look like this?   By agreeing to allow your characters to look like,  your aiding to the belief that girls need to anorexic stick- thin.

This cartoon basically sums up all of my issues with what you did.  These characters never should've looked like this. Tell me what's wrong with the way they've looked for so long.

This is how these characters should look.  Like cartoon characters.   I'm not saying that you can't dress them up but whose hair brained idea was it to make them realistic.   That's CREEPY!








Look on the one hand, I'm happy your making a new Minnie short but really with these things.   No,  please rethink that.  Look I'm fan of you guys and I hate using this but this occasion calls for it.

You made me use the Face Palm.  Really, what were you thinking. If you seriously wanted to use one of your characters for a fashion show that has sex appeal.  Why not, Jessica Rabbit?  That would've made more sense.

See  she was drawn to be put into sexy clothes  but also be a strong woman.   With Minnie and Daisy, it just feels wrong and no way am I referring to those things as Minnie, Daisy or, Goofy.   So instead, Mildred,  Gary,  and  Bella.  (I couldn't think of any good D names)   Mildred probably looks the worst out of the three.   And please don't try  and use artistic vision as an excuse.  That does not work for me.  Look, I'm not against using Disney characters for advertising but these aren't Disney characters.  As I said previously, those are Mildred, Gary and Bella.  These things are up there with Davis in how much  I despise them. Whoever drew these should not be allowed to work at Disney ever again.  Clearly, they don't get why people love these characters and  their looks are iconic.   Messing with their looks should be a No-No.   I never want to see these things again.  What are thoughts on Mildred, Gary and Bella?  Tell me in the comments.

Can We Talk about The Possibility of Cars Land Coming to Hollywood Studios

Recently,  my favorite Disney World reported that  Hollywood Studios reported that Hollywood Studios may soon be getting an expansion.  I do think this park does need it as while it is a good park, it is changing and also out of the 4 Orlando parks, it seems to have the the least Disney themed rides and attractions.  According to this article,  we may see Cars Land come to Hollywood Studios.  Now on the one hand,  I can get this as cloning is nothing new for Disney parks.  To elaborate ,cloning refers to when a park copies something from a sister park.   Here's my take, as you know in my article about Cars Land .   I'm really excited about Cars Land as it's one of my favorite Pixar movies but here's the issue, I see with bringing Cars Land to Hollywood Studios.   Studios already has a land themed to Pixar called Pixar Place. 

Now right now,  they only have one ride, Toy Story: Midway Mania.  Which I'll go on when I go to Disney World but back to the issue on hand, if Studios already has a Pixar land,  what is the point of bringing over a land based around one Pixar movie.  Again, I love Cars and I think instead just bring over one ride from Cars Land and build some other Pixar rides.  Now my first choice for a ride to bring over from Cars Land would've been Radiator Springs Racers.  The more I thought about it though,  all that would be is just putting another Test Track in at an Orlando park.

I don't know and there have also been rumors of a Monsters Inc. rollercoaster coming to Hollywood Studios and personally as much as I want to go to Cars Land, I'd rather just see Disney put more Pixar rides in at Pixar Place because if you already have a Pixar themed land, why not try to put more Pixar based rides in there.  Yeah Toy Story is great but that's only one ride and let's take a look at their other parks, Epcot has a Nemo ride,  Animal Kingdom have It's Tough to be A Bug, which is an Bug's Life 3D show and Finding Nemo: The Musical and Magic Kingdom has a Buzz Lightyear ride which I love.  Seriously,  though if you have a Pixar land maybe move one of those rides there. I don't know I think adding more Pixar to Pixar Place would make more sense if just bringing over Cars Land.  Going over this maybe they've spread Pixar too much over the parks to the point where they don't know what they could put in at Pixar Place and it feels like they think they have to bring over Cars Land to compensate for the lack of Pixar at Pixar Place.  Tell me, what  are your thoughts.  Peace!

Can We Talk about Entertainment Weekly's Best/Worst Animated Disney Film List

Recently, Entertainment Weekly posted a list of films that they consider the best and worst animated Disney films of all time.  Here's the link. Now for the most part their best list is okay,  let's take a meander at it.  The films on their best include Bambi, good choice.  As it is a good film and as stated it has perhaps one of the most memorable death scenes but also in a way, it's a lesson about growing up.  Beauty and The Beast,  this one is to be expected but not without reason as it's a classic.  The Jungle Book, again a fun little film.  Not sure I'd put it on the list of Best Disney films personally but that's just me. Peter Pan, another fun movie and plus who doesn't love Captain Hook and Tic Tock.  Snow White,  it would feel wrong if this film wasn't mentioned.  The Lion King just like Beauty and The Beast, I saw this one coming.  101 Datamations, happy to see this film get the love it deserves as it seems to be overlooked these days. Aladdin,  again obvious choice.  The Artistocats,  odd choice as while I don't hate the film,  I know many people that consider this film to be weaker then some of the other Disney films.  Pinocchio, again not a bad film and it does deserve to be here.  And Dumbo was on there as well, yay.  Lady and The Tramp, good enjoyable romantic story.   Hunchback,  again happy to see this one get the love it deserves as even with the gargoyles (who I don't mind) it is a bloody good film.   Fantasia, Walt's magum opus, so yes it does deserve this spot.   Cinderella,  another wonderful film that admittedly I feel is a bit dated but nevertheless, very good.  The Little Mermaid,   happy to see this one on the best but it's not a big surprise.   Mulan,  this one does surprise a little as while it isn't a bad film, I don't know that I'd put in the same league as films such as Aladdin or Mermaid.  Alice In Wonderland,  okay movie,  I was never a big fan growing up as this movie freaked the hell out of me.  Tangled,  yay one of my new favorites is getting the love it deserves. Now we've gone over the best list and for the most part, I can agree with it as I feel most of these films are enjoyable.  The only one  I don't understand is The Artistocats.   But I more want to focus on the worst side of this list.   Just wanted to give you a rundown of what they considered best but now let's focus on the worst and for this one, I'll also make sure to include their reasoning.   The first film on the worst list is one that I know a lot of you are going to disagree with....


The Great Mouse Detective

And what did our fine friends that Entertainment Weekly have to say about this film to warrant it a place on the Worst list.  Let's find out.

The first hand-drawn Disney movie to significantly incorporate computer animation is a slight, stuffy affair. Coming at the end of Disney's two-decade artistic doldrums, this Sherlock Holmes tribute about the investigative rodents leaving beneath 221b Baker Street is marked by bizarre tonal shifts: the terrifying sight of a mouse being fed alive to a cat is followed up shortly by... a mouse striptease. Um, who exactly was the audience for this film? —Christian Blauvelt

Yes, there are some tonal shifts but they don't actually elaborate on that and I think that would help and really calling this movie for having a striptease to me almost sounds desperate.  Because other sutdios have been sneaky in stuff worse than that and personally, I find that scene to a bit funny. As to their question of who this film is for.   I'd argue that this is a Disney film for a older more mature audience and yes it has dark elements but that does not make it bad. Quite the opposite, in my opinion it enhances the story because as they state this is Disney's take on Sherlock and Mr.  Holmes faced some pretty nasty stuff in his time.  So why shouldn't a Disney film that uses Sherlock Holmes as it's basis have some dark elements to it.  Next up...



Tarzan

I take a lot of personal issue with this one Especially for their so called reasoning as to why they placed it on their worst list.

The last of Disney's animated musicals in the '90s is its weakest. And the reason for that is two words: Phil Collins. Actually, that's being a bit harsh. His songs are lackluster, but so is the animation. Instead of visualizing the famous jungle-dweller swinging from vines, Disney's artists imagined him surfing along branches, an effect that's silly and disorienting. Worst of all for the studio, the fact that Tarzan scored $171 million at the U.S. box office may have influenced their decision to adapt another Edgar Rice Burroughs character for the big screen: John Carter. —Christian Blauvelt

Okay,  first I have to ask what is all the Phil Collins hate?  Since when, did we as a society decide to mock him? When he is actually a good musician and delivered wonderful songs for this film that are not lackluster.  Are they as memorable as Can You Feel The Love Tonight?  or  One Jump Ahead. Yes, they are.   They may not be as good as those songs but are just as memorable and also I highly disagree that the animation is lackluster and maybe it's just me but I thin the tree surfing added to it.   Also, it feels like a stretch to assume that Disney made John Carter because of how well, this film (by the way, that's on their worst live action Disney film list) This is one that I'm sorry but  I can't wrap my head around.



Oh, boy  I fear mentioning the next one as well, I'm not a big fan of it myself.



Sleeping Beauty

On paper, this should be a Disney Princess movie par excellence: a classic fairytale intended for 70 mm projection with a score that samples Tchaikovsky. But the result is as soporific as the spell cast over the title character. —Christian Blauvelt

Okay, even though I know this film is not a favorite of mine, I still recognize the place it holds in Disney's legacy and I think one of my biggest issues here is that while I can see the person does not like the film, they don't go into enough detail about why they dislike the film.  Now my two biggest issues with the film have always been Auroa and Maleficent *ducks*.    If you'll recall what Darkfan21 said about her on DisneyOtoko's villains list.  I have an actual confession to make, those are my true thoughts on the character.  I've personally never understood her popularity as to me she is kind of a boring character who the most exciting thing she does is turn into a dragon and that's it. As for Auroa,  I can't really say that I remember much of her personality and that's an issue with me because with the most of the princess characters, they have something that makes them stick out but I don't feel that is the case for Auroa.  Then again how much personality can you have when your asleep.  So, yeah I'm probably going to get skewered for this one but I don't like Sleeping Beauty.  

Hercules 

Yeah,  another I like but I know it hasn't aged well.  Let's see what they had to say about this film.

The fact that this update of the exiled Olympian's life features bloody violence, gross-out humor, and possibly James Woods' most disturbing performance to date — which isreally saying something — is bad enough. The fact that this Grecian dud ended the six-film winning streak kicked off by The Little Mermaid eight years earlier is a tragedy worthy of Sophocles. Zero to hero? No. Just zero.—Christian Blauvelt

Okay, here's my biggest issue with this one, they are trying to call it out for be too violent.  Let's go back to their best list a sec and look at one of the films they put on there, which is much more violent then this film.  The Hunchback of Notre Dame.  Now  I know what you may be thinking that you can't compare the two but which do you think has more violence.  Me, Hunchback and along the same line with the violence, this could and in my opinion should be looked as part action film and with an action,  violence is part of the territory.   Is it one of the stronger film, no but I don't think violence is a good thing to use against it when as I said this film could be viewed an action film.


The next one,  I can understand both sides of  the coin as I've seen rabid arguments against it and for it being a cult film.  Personally, I don't hate it but it's one of my favorites either...


The Black Cauldron

.






As I said up above,  I have no actual feelings towards or against this film because to be honest,  I haven't seen it in ages.

Disney had long wanted to purchase the rights to The Hobbit and The Lord of the Ringsfor animated film adaptations. Needless to say, the Tolkien estate refused. So the studio decided instead to adapt another sword-and-sorcery fantasy, Lloyd Alexander's The Chronicles of Prydain. Newly-appointed animation chief Jeffrey Katzenberg was so horrified by the results that he decided to delay The Black Cauldron's original 1983 release by six months and reedit the film himself. That still didn't help.

I have no actual opinion here but I will say that if your interested in the back story behind this film and the Disney Renaissance  in general, I suggest the fantastic documentary Waking Sleeping Beauty.  The next one coming up is another that I greatly enjoy.


Brother Bear

This is one that I can understand why it would be placed on a worst list as compared to some of the others, it is a tad forgettable.   Now let's see what they had to say about this film.

The $88.5 million box office haul of Brother Bear in 2003 would, in any other year, have seemed respectable. But the $339.7 million raked in by its Pixar rival, Finding Nemo, all but drowned it. The bigger problem, though, was that Brother Bear, the story of an Inuit boy turned into a grizzly after seeking revenge on the bear that killed his brother, couldn't compete artistically with Nemo either.

Here's the big issue I take with this one.  To me, it seems as though the reasoning to place it on the worst is just because of the box office and perhaps that I haven't been paying much attention to the list but this seems to be the biggest factor in them choosing to place this film on the worst list. Now if this was a list of the Disney films about Disney box office, maybe that would've made sense and also they say that the film couldn't compete with Nemo on an artistic level.  I would've liked it if they had expanded upon this to explain what they actually meant.


The next two choices are perhaps the most obvious choices for the worst list and there isn't really much to say.  I give you Chicken Little and Home on The Range

Here's what they had to say about Chicken Little.

The sky is falling, the sky is falling! And so was Disney's ambition.

I'll admit that is a bit humorous.    And as for Home on The Range.

 There's a lot to like about Home on the Range: the fact that Roseanne Barr, Judi Dench, and Jennifer Tilly voice its bovine leads, Bonnie Raitt's terrific song ''Will the Sun Ever Shine Again,'' and... that's about it. A lazy effort that would have seemed more at home on TV as a Saturday morning cartoon than a big-screen feature.

I think they actually got this one right and pretty much sums everything that doesn't work with it as it does feel more like a Saturday Morning Cartoon then a Disney film released in theaters. Makes me wonder if this had been done as TV show during One Saturday Morning, if it would have been better.   Probably not but just speculation on my part.  For the last two on here, I'm changing things up as the very last film that I want to talk about I have a lot to say about.    The second to last film on their Worst is Robin Hood.

And what did they have to say about this film.  Let's see.

Ooh-de-lally, ooh-de-lally, golly what a lousy movie. Don't think twice, watch 1938's The Adventures of Robin Hood with Errol Flynn instead.

Uh, Entertainment Weekly.  I know this is your list and all and it's fine if you choose to place films that not everyone will agree with on your Worst list but you should, oh I don't know.   The words coming to me, it's on the tip of my tongue. What is it again? Oh, right, you should...

 

















That's it,  you didn't actually explain why you placed this on your Worst list. See the problem here. I can't take this seriously because how you tell me to do is watch a different Robin Hood film without actually stating what you find wrong with this one other than calling it a lousy film.   This really isn't helping you.  Now we've gone over most of the Worst list and for the most part, I really didn't agree but none of them really got me steaming until I saw a certain film they decided to put on their Worst list.  I'll give you all a hint,  Uncle Remus.  Yes, that's right they put Song of The South on their Worst list.  I repeat they put Song of The South on their Worst list. Let's see how they try to justify this.



Song of The South

It's a great irony of Disney's filmmaking history that one of its most technologically progressive efforts should also be among its most socially regressive. Based on Joel Chandler Harris' Uncle Remus stories, Song of the South is a disturbingly idyllic presentation of Reconstruction Era southern plantation life, glutted with racial stereotypes — as such, it's never received any home video release. But it's also one of the earliest, and most ambitions, attempts at mixing live-action photography with animation, an enduring technique also explored in 1949's So Dear to My Heart, 1964'sMary Poppins, 1987's Who Framed Roger Rabbit, and 2007's Enchanted. Despite the film itself being kept under lock and key in the Disney Vault, Song of the South's characters and setting inspired the Disney theme parks' wildly popular Splash Mountain rides. And of course, this was the movie to give the world ''Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah.''

I will say I appreciate that they do give this film, the credit it deserves but at the same time, it almost seems as though they are only placing this one on the Worst list because of the racist stigma surrounding it and if that's the logic, they used shouldn't Dumbo also be on the list because of the Crows. Look,  I'm not saying that's the case but that honestly seems to be the case and I also have to ask, where they saw the film.  Perhaps, they viewed it on YouTube as it's available to view there but I would like to think that Entertainment Weekly,  a magazine that is distributed nationally would use a more credible source and to me, this one feels as though they just chose it to be controversial.  This one is the biggest gripe I have with the Worst list.  I actually had to comment on this one because I felt that their placing on Worst was because of the racist stigma this film had attached to it.


At the end of the day, I know this is just someone's opinion but I sometimes feel as though with this list that they didn't explain why the films they chose made their Worst list and also interesting to note from The Black Cauldron on here, the author stopped listing their name. Makes me wonder if they knew that people liked these films or if it was a different article writer.  I can't say that I agree with this list and perhaps my biggest issue aside from Song of The South which are most noticeable with Robin Hood and Sleeping Beauty is that they don't actually explain. Let me know if you'd like to see me go in further detail with the best side of this list like I did with the Worst, let me know in the comments. Peace!

Classic Shorts Showcase: The Cold Blooded Penguin

Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase. Today, I'll be taking a look at The Cold Blooded Penguin. The Cold Blooded Penguin is a short that was found in The Three Caballeros. It was the first shown and just like a lot of other films from this period, it was part of a package film.  With that out of the way, let's begin.


The Plot


The plot is a bit simple but it's cute. We open the short in the South Pole and there we meet penguins who are happy living in the South Pole save for one, Pablo who just wishes to be warm and spends most of his day at the stove, Smokey Joe.

Pablo decides to head out and leave.  He tries multiple times in different ways until he just cuts his piece of ice and uses it as a boat.  Some methods include walking or bringing Smokey Joe with him.  At one point, he fell into the ice and he became frozen.

 




For most of the short after Pablo leaves, he is just riding on his ice boat and at one point, he even comes across Neptune.  This is afterwards when Pablo enter the hotter side of his voyage and poor Pablo didn't realize ice would melt.  Probably because he'd never been to a hot area and this led to one of my favorite jokes where Pablo's new ship being his bathtub was filling up with water and to fix this, he used his shower head as a motor.

And then we finally get to see Pablo at his destination of the Galapagos Island and recreate the same sequence of the beginning as in the beginning Pablo was looking at postcards of warm destinations and it ends with him on a hammock with a tan looking at pictures of home.

That was such a nice touch and all in all, I love the plot to this short and this short itself is that was a childhood favorite of mine.  Honestly, out of everything The Three Caballeros has to offer, this is my favorite segment and I could just pop in the VHS copy I own of this film for this short alone.


Narration

Narrator - Sterling Holloway


Man, it's getting hard to talk about Sterling with how often he has made an appearance as a narrator on Showcase. As usual, he performed wonderfully and while I would say that his delivery aided in my enjoyment. This is one of the few times in a short that he narrated where he didn't need to bring the character to life as really, the character acted out in pantomime.  Going to Sterling, this short reminds me why I love his voice so much as it is very sweet.



Character


Now there's no need to break this down any further than just character. With that out of the way, let's go.


Pablo

Pablo was such a fun character.  Again, he was simple and most of the fun in this short I felt came from watching him try to reach his destination.  Also,  just the idea of a penguin that wants to go to a warm weathered location is funny in concept and I feel that this short pulled it off quite well.   What I said earlier about Pablo talking about the narration, I'm not sure if it's true. Because while we do learn that Pablo like warm weather, I don't feel as though we get to learn much about hi but you don't need to for this short. Because this short is more about watching him reach his destination.


My Final Thoughts

This is a fun short and one of my favorites from childhood.  I'm rewatching it in my head as I type out this review and it is just as funny.  Pablo is one of the funniest characters, I've seen.  Join me next time as I take a look at...

The Flying Gauchito

Mater Mondays: Tokyo Mater

Hello & welcome back.   Today, we once again continue our look at Cars Toon: Mater's Tall Tales as we take a look at Tokyo Mater.   This is the first of these shorts to not premiere on TV, rather this short debuted in front of Bolt and it was also the first piece of animation from Pixar to be presented in Disney Digital 3-D and the first Pixar short shown in front of a non-Pixar film.   If I'm not mistaken the next Pixar short  to be shown in front of a non-Pixar short was Small Fry in front of The Muppets. 

The Plot

Okay,  this can't just be me but this short felt like it lifted it's inspiration from The Fast and The Furious franchise.   This short opens at  Flo's, when we see the drifters from the first film doing just that and Sheriff goes after them and for some reason, I don't know,  McQueen calls them imports and Mater goes on to tell Mater about his time in Japan and how he became King of the Drifters.  This comes after Mater takes  Ito San,  who was stuck in Radiator Springs back to Japan and there Mater accidentally touches Kabuto, the then King of Drifters and they race and the loser is stripped of their modifications.  From there, it is just a race to get to Tokyo Tower.   It's a fun watch and I love that one point, we get a cameo from Mike & Sulley in their Cars form as at one point Mater and Kabuto race through a restaurant and even though the name is Japanese, it  apparently translates to HaryHasuen's.   That was a nice touch in my opinion.   

Also yes, Mia & Tia do once again appear in this short but I have to say that I do not like their look in this short.  I guess they were trying to make them look anime-ish with the big eyes but it is just creepy.   

Yeesh,  that is creepy looking.   I'm so glad that they are not prominent characters in this short as their look is just so distracting. 

Characters

Okay I'll be breaking this down into Main, Supporting, & Rival. With that out of the way, let's begin.  

Main Character

Tokyo Mater voiced by Larry The Cable Guy

Once again, I love the look of Mater in this short and there really isn't much in the way of character to talk about here but that is sort of true for most of these shorts. This short is rather just one large racing spectacle that s a treat for the eyes and I think that comes in part from the fact that this short was made for the big screen and it shows as the scope and depth for the animation feels bigger and wider then the other shorts.    Still, it was a fun watch.  

Supporting Characters

Ito-San voiced by Robert Ito 

Ito-San is the reason that Mater ends  up in Tokyo in the first place and  at first, I was going to describe as being a Mr. Myiagi type character but the more I look at it, he wasn't in the short long enough for that to be apt.  I feel as though that he was supposed to be a mentor type character but at the same time, I don't know if his stuff was trimmed because it seemed like he was supposed to have a larger role in the short.  

Dragon Lighting McQueen voiced by Keith Ferguson 

Going back to this seeming like it was supposed to imitate Japanese animation,  I got that feeling with McQueen as well with him having these absurd powers and I wouldn't be surprised if this was intentional but one of his powers was called Dragon Ball.   Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if there are Dragon Ball fans working at Pixar and that when they found out they were doing a Mater short set in Japan, they knew that they could throw that reference in there.   Also I think McQueen has the better look as I love the lighting streak and that's where his powers seem to come from and he uses them against ninjas that work for the main villain.  It was a fun watch with McQueen and to be honest, I think that he was the best character in this short.

  

Rival

Kabuto voiced by Mach Tony Kobayashi 

Kabuto is not a character that I would call a villain but rather a rival as he doesn't come across as evil but rather more or less like a bully or gang leader.   He is very serious and set on winning and nothing will stop him. Save for the fact that Mater won.  I do wish that he got some more time with Kabuto as I think there was an interesting character in there somewhere but he just wasn't fleshed out enough. Not a bad character mind you but I don't think that he was fully realized either.    Though I do love seeing him stripped at the end as that is a pretty funny humiliation. 

Also Kabuto makes a cameo appearance in Cars 2 and I may be incorrect but I do believe that is one of the few times that a short character from Pixar pops up in one of their films. 

My Final Thoughts

Overall, this is not a bad short but parts of it do feel underdeveloped.  It just comes across as this short is not reaching it's full poetnial with some of the characters and it just feels that the story was trimmed a bit.   Don't get me wrong there is a good story in here but I think that it could've been better than what the final product was.   I still enjoy it but unlike last week's short,   I wouldn't put it near the top of my list of favorite Mater shorts.This one falls somewhere in the middle as it's not bad but I just think that it could be so much better.   It certainly isn't the worst in this series. Oh, no we have a ways to go before we get to that one but at the end of the day, it's just okay.    I'd still say that it's worth a watch though.  Join me next time as I look at...

Can We Talk about The Rocketeer Reboot

Hello & welcome back.  Recently, Spill.com reported that Disney is that looking to reboot The Rocketeer.  Now  this does not surprise me as superhero films are big right now and there is also no doubt in my mind that Disney may have been influenced by the success of The Avengers, that came out earlier this year.  

More specifically, Captain America: The First Avenger.  Which to me shows that period pieces with superheroes can work.  Now this is not my opinion but there it is something I agree with as someone on a podcast I listen to said these films can work because Nazis are safe bad guys as people can enjoy watching Nazis being beat up by heroes.

Now as many of you may know both the original Rocketeer and Captain America: The First Avenger were directed by Joe Johnston.  

Now my first thought when I read of this reboot idea was that Disney should get Joe Johnston back to direct but then  I woke up and realized that more than likely would not happen.  Just a thought but I think part of that came from the fact that The Rocketeer is perhaps my favorite superhero film. Something I pointed out in my review of the film as well.  Now I do want to go into this reboot with an open mind.  Still, it's a bit hard for me to do that.  I don't want to cry foul just yet on this as I don't know enough about this reboot and I do intend to an article  similar to my Oz article, when the first trailer for this reboot is released.  

I guess that I just have to be hopeful for this reboot and I just ask that whoever, Disney chooses to direct this film, please do not copy Christopher Nolan as I do not think that would work for this character.  I don't know who would be a good director for this film but it needs to be someone that can balance both the film being fun and having some serious moments. All the same,  I'll try to put aside bias and love for the old film and try to be as fair as I can to the reboot, which I personally hope is successful as I've felt that if the original film was handled better, it could've been Disney's next Tron.   Sure, the fanbase may not have been big but let's be honest,   Tron is the bigger moneymaker and also when,  Disney released the 20th Annivesary Blu-Ray, there were no special features on it whatsoever.  No, commentary, no making of,  no deleted scenes.  What about something like a featurette on testing the rocket.

   

That's one of the big reasons I've yet to pick it up and maybe if Disney does go through with the reboot, they'll actually release a Blu-Ray that the original deserves.  I think that it could give them the push to realize that "Oh yeah,  people like this movie".   That's just a side thing but all in all, I'm hopeful but weary on the idea doing a reboot. What are your thoughts? Tell me in the comments. Peace!