Classic Shorts Showcase: Hansel and Gretel

Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase.  We once again return to the tale of Hansel and Gretel as we take a look at a short starring Mickey and Minnie that was used this tale as it's basis.  Also this short is considered at least by the people who worked on it to be a Silly Symphony. Which would make it the first new Silly Symphony short in 63 years seeing as this short came out in 2002 and The Ugly Duckling, the second one was released in 1939.  However every list I've seen for Silly Symphony do not include this one. So I wonder if even though Disney considered it a Silly Symphony, do the fans?  Maybe because it has Mickey and Minnie in it, they don't. True, the mainstay characters rarely appeared in these shorts but Pluto starred in one Silly Symphony and Donald got his start.  I guess another factor to take into account on does it count as a Silly Symphony is to ask does it feel like one?  Which is a hard question to answer as I've reviewed many Silly Symphonies as time went on, they changed but the basis for these shorts was that music had to play a role in telling the story and on that front, I'd say yes, this was a Silly Symphony. Okay, I should clarify, using music was the original intent for these shorts but overtime, they changed as most things do. So in a way, this has more in common with the earlier Silly Symphonies as the music is the biggest factor in driving the story as Mickey and Minnie do not talk at all in this short.  With that out of the way, let's begin.


The Plot


The plot for this short is basically Hansel and Gretel and I'll say that it's probably more in line with how I remember it.  Our two characters Hansel and Gretel or in this Mickey and Minnie come upon a house made out of candy while out in the woods and the Witch stuffs them up on sweets. She later takes them to a room to rest, now I don't know if this is new to the story but it works for this short.  Mickey and Minnie fall asleep and when Mickey wakes up later and then we see Mickey and Minnie try to escape and that's when we see the scene of the Witch throwing Mickey and Minnie into the oven. Well, okay this is after she puts them in a birdcage.  She then takes Mickey out and has him open the oven and he tries to push the witch but it doesn't work as he goes in with her and Minnie goes in and this is one deep oven as I swear, it looks like it leads to Hell. Thankfully, Mickey & Minnie are able to escape the oven of Hell whereas the Witch dies.  All in all, this was a great short with a lot of dark moments.



Characters


Mickey & Minnie

Okay, let me make one thing clear here, even though this short is called Hansel and Gretel and tells that story, I will not be referring to Mickey and Minnie by those names for two reasons. First, this is a silent short with only the background music moving the story, so those names are never said and secondly, act more like a loving couple as they should then brother/sister. Mickey & Minnie in this short were a lot of fun as always and this moment right here of them being stuffed.  Besides having comedic moments, they also get to be adventurous such as when they're trying to escape and also inside the Hell oven. Y'know at first, I thought Mickey and Minnie to be odd choice for this tale but then I remembered my D23 calendar from last year talking about a scrapped segment from Fun and Fancy Free that was supposed to be Hansel and Gretel using Mickey and Minnie but would've been more traditional then what we got here.  I guess it does make sense for these two as they are perhaps the two most endearing characters out of the big ones. Also I have to say that this short felt very Fantasia esque in the way it used music to convey the character's emotions.




Music


Dance Macabre






Okay, here we are the Dance Macabre was our piece of music for this short and it worked rather well for this short. Just the way, it was able to tie in with this story was amazing and again, this makes me think of Fantasia and I almost have to wonder if the people who came up with this short listened to this music and then got the idea of telling Hansel and Gretel with it or was it the other way around? I really want to know as this piece surprisingly tied well with the rest of the short.



Villain


The Witch

Okay, I have to say that I really like the look of The Witch as she has a cross of looking sweet yet also being creepy at the same time.  This Witch reminded a lot more of the one I was familiar with seeing as she stuffed Mickey and Minnie up and then tried to put them in the oven or as I'm calling it the Hell oven.  I think in terms of threat level, she was somewhere in the middle as she went through a lot to just cook Mickey and Minnie as Roasted Mice was on the menu at her house that night.



My Final Thoughts


All in all, this is a very fun short that I highly suggest and I think it's truer to the tale of Hansel and Gretel than Babes In The Woods was but they are both very good.  I'd say check both out as this one is a great Mickey and Minnie short while the other is a good short where it just falls short because of the characters.   On a sidenote, I realized that my actual introduction to the tale of Hansel and Gretel was through a Flintstones book that retold fairy tale using the Flintstones characters.   In their version, Pebble and Bam Bam were Hansel and Gretel while Barney was the Witch. That was just weird, even back then. Anyways, it was The Flintstones Bedtime Storybook

Classic Shorts Showcase: Babes In The Woods

Hello & welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase.  Today's short, Babes In The Woods is a take on the classic tale of Hansel and Gretel.  It's a good little short that certainly has some creepy moments to it.



The Plot


As I said, it's the basic tale of Hansel and Gretel with a few changes made to it. For instance, the character of their father is cut out of the short thus making them orphans and also I can't recall but I do believe that in the version I read, the children stumbled upon the Witch's house whereas in this one, the Witch attacks a village of dwarfs/elves who take Hansel and Gretel in.  Also Hansel and Gretel willingly go with The Witch to her house where we see she has taken other children and turned them into animals. Hansel and Gretel free them at the end while the dwarfs/elves fight off the Witch.   This moment reminds me of the Donkey Scene from Pinocchio. Really, all of the Witch's house reminded me of that sequence.

That was a bit creepy but it worked well for this short but I think that stories such as these benefit from having creepy moments like these but even though it was creepy, it thankfully didn't drag on.




The Witch's House

An important aspect of this in my opinion, one of the most important aspects to this story as it is meant to lure Hansel and Gretel and be deceiving but it doesn't seem to have as a big role in this short as it should. Because instead of seeing the children eat the house and have the witch stuff them up, she just takes them to her house and then turns Hansel into a spider. Which is perhaps the only downside to this short.


Plot Device


The Witch Rock

This ugly old rock is important to the short as you see that's actually the Witch as this is what she became and the short opens up on this ugly old rock basically saying that it'll tell us the story of The Witch Rock.



Characters


Hansel & Gretel

Okay,  I have to say that I think the faces on the trees are really creepy with butterflies being eyes.  As for Hansel and Gretel themselves, well.  They're forgettable.  Really the characters aren't all that strong in this short. The strongest things in this short has to be the ideas and how they are executed but not the characters. At best, Hansel and Gretel just feel like props for the story.


Elves/Dwarfs

The Elves/Dwarfs characters are jolly happy go lucky people that the only thing that scares them is the Witch.  Again, they don't do all that much within the short until the climax where they save the day. As they fight off the Witch and use arrows and her house against her. It was a really fun watch and it worked wonderfully.  Perhaps one of the biggest highlights of this short.



Villain


The Witch

The Witch while looking like a standard witch was creepy in how she would willingly turn children into animals. Sure, it's a departure from the norm but it worked for this short.  I also really love that the sweeping end of her broom acts as a propeller. That is such a cool touch, I almost wish that The Witch had some more time as she was so much fun in this short. Although I have to say Hansel & Gretel are really dumb for going with her and even though this short was made long before anyone thought of those "Very Important Messages".  It felt like Stranger Danger but I assume I thought of that only because of how stranger danger specials I watched as a little kid.



My Final Thoughts


All in all, this is not a bad short but the characters are not as strong as the story presented sadly. It's enjoyable for the spin, it puts on this tale and for that reason, I suggest it.  Join me next time as we take at how a new generation of Disney animators took on the same tale but with Mickey & Minnie as I look at...


Hansel and Gretel

Music Fridays # 68: The World

The word world has appeared in a few songs and they can use it different fashions. Disney is known for using this world in some of their songs. Sometimes, it can be a song about rebelling or protesting, a song of dreaming to join a new place. A song about opening your eyes to something you didn't see before or.. it could be a song that you have a love/hate relationship with. Y'know which I'm talking about. So on today's Music Fridays, I'll be taking a look at 4 Disney songs that took advantage of this word and if you were paying attention to my description, you'd know what they are. First up from Newsies...

The World Will Know

Now if you noticed I talked about rebelling and protesting, this is the song I was referring to this song and the way, I see this song.  World has two meanings, the first one is well, the paper or papes, if you want to be a Newsie,  is the name of the paper that the boys are singing about but that's just the obvious really. I think going past that, the Newsies are singing about the protest will get the attention of the world or at least the world they know and then it can't be ignored any longer.  I look at this song as an idea of, the boys know there's trouble and nobody is doing anything about it but their strike will grab the attention of the world and then something will be done.  The way I view this song is the Newsies know the world around them won't do  anything so they have to take matters into their own hands and while world does refer to the paper, it also reflects that their situation will be known.  For our next song, will be going Under The Sea.

Part of Your World

Now yes, this is an "I Want" song but I actually like those type of songs and the role, world plays in this song is that Ariel is well dreaming of our world. It's actually really obvious and easier to pinpoint it's role than it was with Newsies. Ariel  is just singing of how she yearns to join people like us to explore our world. In a way, it is like a teen to has built something in their head so much that they just need to see it to fulfill something their dream.  And for Ariel, her dream was to see  human world, so this song uses it in a more literal sense. For our next song, we will be going on magic carpet ride.

A Whole New World

Now here in a way, I guess you could say world is also being used in a literal sense but I also look at this song as Aladdin and Jasmine realizing there are things in their lives they have not seen and now they are getting the chance to experience this new world that they feel is better for the both of them together.  They don't want lose the feeling of this new world as they enjoy it being in it and in this new world, they get to be together. I really think that this is a nice way of incorporating into a song.  Now for our last song, it's one you all should know.

It's A Small World

Yeah, there was no avoiding this song.   Okay, I'll be honest, I don't hate the song itself.  I just hate the way it is sung.   I find that annoying but seeing as this is not a covers Music Fridays, I've decided to use the original.  With this song, that gave birth to the saying "It's A Small World" (obviously),  I feel that here the song is joyous and shows that we should look out for our fellow man and that we are not the only ones on earth and there are more people then we know on this planet and we should take time to learn about other people and other cultures around us. Again,  it's not a bad song and I do like the ride and I think I get the message but even for me it is overly sweet in how it's sung. Now if a really cool version of this song,  I suggest this one.

I hope that you've enjoyed this Music Fridays. Join me next time for some good ole Pirate fun, me maties as we take a look at some Pirate songs. Argh

. 

Note: There will not be a Music Fridays next week as A Look at Disney will be going on a month hiatus starting Monday as I fly out to Disney World and then to California for three weeks. Now I'll still check in and check out everyone else's articles when I have the time but when I'm at Disney World, my mind will be on the parks. You guys can expect some Disney World blogs when I get back home though. So until we meet again, Peace!  Because  like I said starting Monday, I'm on

Mater Mondays: Moon Mater

Hello & welcome back.  Well, folks we are closing in on the home stretch here.  As you see this is the last new review for a Mater short in this event. Oh, don't worry we still have 3 shorts left.  However I've already reviewed those 3 on their own. Nevertheless I'll still post them as a part of Mater Mondays with some slight revisions and there will also be a Mater Mondays Top 6 along with one final article where I give my thoughts on this entire series overall and touch upon some things that I may have neglected in the actual reviews. There, I'll also touch upon the canceled Mater shorts.  I should mention that this short and the next two coming up unlike other shorts in this series didn't premiere on TV but rather on DVD.  Moon Mater and Mater Private Eye made their debut on the DVD release of Mater's Tall Tales  and Air Mater debuted on the DVD/Blu-Ray release of Cars 2. 

The Plot

The plot here is one that I  enjoyed.  Also this is one of the few times in the series where the short does not open at Flo's.  Instead McQueen and Mater are driving around and see the moon. Then Mater goes on to tell McQueen about his time up there.   I loved this because it was too funny and Mater saw a car that needed towing and took him to Florida.   There we see him reach what I assume is Cape Canaveral and we see that one of the astronauts err autonauts as they are called in this short is stuck on the moon and this world's NASA known as NASCA  needs a tow to bring the car back down.   Mater goes through some training and then hops aboard Roger, the space shuttle that takes him to the moon and he tells Mater that he's going to love it there. There we meet our autonaut, Impala XIII, who gives Mater some  instructions on how to get him out of there but Mater doesn't understand the big words and says about I just give you a tow.     Afterwards, we see Mater and McQueen have become heroes.  Oh, sorry  forgot to mention McQueen's appearance as he came in after Mater saved Impala and they were rocketing back to earth.   At one point, Mater even makes an appearance on a talk show and if you know late night legends  you should be able to pick up on who the host is supposed to be.  

Any guesses?     Oh, yeah I should also bring up the Mia &Tia appearance.  Honestly, I think this one makes the least amount of sense as they appear on the loading bay for the rocket at the elevator.    To me, that just seems odd.   

You know,  the more I look at it.  I think the Mia & Tia cameos are something in this series that really bug me as they feel unneeded.  As they don't serve much purpose except for Mater Private Eye but we will get to that next week.    All in all, this wasn't a bad short.  It was a lot of fun and an enjoyable watch.

Characters

Now I'll be breaking this down into Main & Supporting. With that out of the way, let's get going.  

Main Character

Mater voiced by Larry The Cable Guy 

Per usual,  I love the look of Mater in this short and I really have to say that I love the situation that Mater is placed in here as it feels like a fish out of water story.    Honestly, this is one of the only times that I've felt that in any of these shorts.  I think the big thing that I like about this short is that it just feels simple in how Mater is just doing his job. Sure, it may be on the moon but Mater is a tow truck and Impala needed a tow and Mater was the guy for the job. 

Supporting Characters

Roger - Voice Unlisted 

Roger was a cool character.  I kinda wish that he was in the short a bit longer as I liked him.   He came across as a guy who just loved his job and was happy to share the experience with someone new.  I mean look at him, he just looks so happy to be doing this job. 

Impala XIII  - Voice Unlisted 

From the little bit, we saw of Impala XIII,  I  could tell that he was a tough guy who took his job seriously. Okay wow, I'm so slow.  How did I not put together that Impala referred to the Chevrolet vehicle of the same name.  This entire time,  I was trying to figure out why it said Chevrolet on his hood.   Yeah, I'm just going to pretend like that didn't happen.      

McQueen voiced by Keith Ferguson 

  

Again like with Mia & Tia, McQueen didn't have much to do in terms of the story but I've grown accustom to him appearing in random spots throughout the shorts and this one does use the McQueen Gets Hurt gag or so it seems as he's going faster than Mater when they are in space with their rockets but he doesn't actually get hurt. Rather he just falls into the ocean.   Not too bad, really and really he didn't have very many lines here.  Still, it's always nice to see him.  

My Final Thoughts

Overall, this was a fun short.  I would highly suggest this one as it's a blast to watch.   In terms of the story being told here compared to some of the others in this series, it feels simple and sometimes simple works.  As seen here.  It's just a fun ride that I didn't mind taking.  Now there's been a slight change.  I know that I said that I was going to post my older reviews but I've decided to move on and make this the last  Mater Mondays review as this has been delayed and I'm ready to move on to my next project.  So next week, I'll post the final two Mater Mondays back to back. So join me next Monday for My Overall Thoughts on Cars Toons: Mater's Tall Tales and then Tuesday, Top 6 Mater Designs. 

Mater Mondays: Heavy Metal Mater

Hello and welcome back to Mater Mondays.  Now this is more like it.  This short was a lot of  fun, join me as I take a look at Heavy Metal Mater.




The Plot


Again as with most of the shorts in this series,  the plot is rather simple.  As with majority of these shorts it opens at Flo's and it appears to be karaoke night and McQueen suggests that Mater should go up and sing.  Mater says nah, he wouldn't want to embarrass anyone as he used to be in a rock band and he even started in a garage band and we literally see the short transition to a house garage and we see Mater and his band, Mater and The Gas Caps practicing their only song.

Now I won't be going into much detail about the band as they're more or less just background characters. Mater and his band decide to get a gig and they perform at the Top Down Truckstop.  A location that was meant to appear in the first film but only appeared in the form of a deleted scene.  After this Mia & Tia who appear as waitresses ask if they had a record and then we see them go to a recording studio and because of a fly,   flying around the drummer, their sound changes from what sounded to me like Southern Rock to more of a parody of KISS.    Afterwards, we see them hit it big and it culminates at Motor Speedway of the South.  This is the second appearance that this location has made in Cars Toon and the third time that it's appeared in this world.       This is when we see McQueen come in and he looks awesome.  It's odd at first when watching this short, I thought of Meat Loaf but after rewatching this short for review, I kept on thinking of KISS.  Hmm, go figure. Either way,  it's a fun short.  I had a blast watching this and also even though it's hard to catch and it doesn't make much sense to me,  the Stanley statute makes a cameo appearance in this short in the recording studio.  Also Mia and Tia have two different appearances in this short. First as waitresses at the truck stop and then as Heavy Metal Mater fans.

I have to say personally that I prefer their fan designs.   Honestly,  this short was a lot of fun and silly.  And sometimes that's all you need.  Also I love how this short ends as a music video.  That was such a nice touch.




Characters


Heavy Metal Mater voiced by Larry The Cable Guy

As always I love the look of Mater in this short.   Now  with this short it feels as though that any character could've been used.  Normally,  that would be a negative but for some reason, it actually works quite well here.  It was a fun watch and while I wouldn't say that Mater felt extreme,  he did feel like a rock star.  Or at least  what I would think of and it was fun to watch.   I have to say that the best moment of this short involving Mater is when his bat wings pop out and I think that explains why I thought of Meat Loaf (at least for me)

I just thought that was so cool.



McQueen voiced by Keith Ferguson

Again, I love the look of McQueen and his get up makes me laugh.  I just think that the sunglasses are a hilarious touch.   Also the leather jacket is great.   Also McQueen  just has that look of  "I'm awesome and I know it!" and it works for this short quite well.  



My Final Thoughts


This short is so much fun.  I loved every minute of it.  This short is one of the best in my opinion,  it's probably # 4 in terms of favorites regarding these shorts.   I love this one a lot and I really suggest this one as it's a blast.  Join me next time as I take a look at...

Classic Shorts Showcase: The Old Mill (With Jason)

Tim:  Hello and welcome back to Classic Shorts Showcase. Today, I'll be taking a look at one of the most powerful and haunting shorts from Disney.  Today on Showcase, I'll be looking at The Old Mill but  I will not be alone as Jason will be joining me in looking at this short.  Please, help me in welcoming Jason to Classic Shorts Showcase.


Jason on the House: Tim, thanks a lot for allowing me to join you on Classic Shorts Showcase. As The Old Mill, I first came across the short during when I was looking at early Academy-Award-winning Disney's short animared films, and The Old Mill was one of them. The Old Mill is a special film not only because of that, but also it introduced a number techniques and approaches still used in modern animation today.


The Plot


Tim:  Well,  to be honest there really isn't much of a plot here.  Instead this short like Farmyard Symphony is more like a series of vignettes that are only connected through the location. In this case being The Old Mill.  Although I must say unlike Farmyard Symphony, I find that short is more freeing in what it does with the animals featured.  Who are one of the biggest highlights of this entire short.   I'll   talk about one of them in a bit as instead of talking about characters, here I want to focus on one of my favorite moments.   Although if your curious,  this moment was parodied in The Simpsons.   (I only know this because of the site I use for the pictures for these reviews).

Jason On The House: This short reminds me of a peaceful, memorable essay by a French writer Alphonse Daudet, who wrote about his life in a countryside. The essay was about an old, abandoned mill with its sole inhabitants as animals. There were so many amazing scenes in the short, but my favourite moment is the singing of the frogs in the night, where they sing so cheerfully and happily with their friends in a playful rhythm. It was also very interesting that the animals in the mill are looking at us and react as if there is a cameraman filming them.

The first meeting of the Budweiser Frogs







Location

The Old Mill

Tim: While the animals are a highlight of this short, there is no doubt while watching the short who the star is. It's The Old Mill.  There are is just so much life & detail put into The Old Mill.   I think we of course have to attribute the life of The Old Mill to the usage of the new techniques used in the short such as the mutliplane  camera.  Going back to The Mill feeling as though it is alive, I also believe this comes  through in how the short shows the Mill age and the damage that it takes after a big storm as it looks even more wore down and tired than it already was.  It is almost hauntingly beautiful, how this short is able to convey how old this place without have to have characters talking about it.

Jason On The House: Indeed the star of this short film is the old mill. I once visited the inside of the ancient, still-working windmills when I visited Netherlands several years back, and the inside was very intimidating and imposing, but filled with life. This milll felt as real and alive as those mills, and it was very haunting and ironic that a peaceful shelter for animals turns into a frightening, perilous hell during a storm. The details and how they showed the mechanism of the mill is stunningly beautiful, and an interesting thing in the short film is that we never see the full view of the inside of the mill, and we only see parts of it.




Memorable Moments


Tim:  I've decided that to understand this short, we also need to take a look at what I believe are the short's memorable moments.


Tim:  Now one of the first big ones to talk about is of course the storm

Tim: This again ties into what I was saying about the short showing the mill aging and I highly believe that the storm is the best example of that.  There's a sense of you know it's coming and you think it's going to do a lot of damage but you just don't know how hard it's going to hit until the wind comes.

This is just an indication of how rough the storm'll be.  Okay, now I want to talk about the moment I referenced uptop.

Tim: This sequence right here is my favorite from the short. It's a simple moment but watching the bird trying to avoid the wheel as it kept on turning had me saying "Get out of there".  Luckily the bird survived but with the way, the scene was presented I didn't know if the bird would make it.  I honestly think that says something for this one little sequence.


Jason On The House: Although I know Disney wouldn't let us see a mother bird die with her eggs, I'm always at the edge of my seat in that scene, terrified of the little bird's fate. It was the most memorable moment for me too, but not my favourite, because the scene makes me very scared every time. During the chaos from the storm, however, the passionate pigeon couple made me smile.



This short film was released during the production of Snow White, and many effects make me think of the climax of the film, where we see thunders, rainstorms, and lightening which made the climax much more terrifying. I think this short film was Walt's special experiment for special effects before being used for his first feature length film, and he succeeded. The strom is one of the most frightening one I have ever seen, as it starts from stirring the roots of singing trees and grass and then threatening the fragile mill.



Our Final Thoughts


Tim: This short is quite amazing and very beautiful to look at. Everything works in this short.  This is a short that has a lot of intense moments yet it's also quiet at the same time.  It's amazing how those two things came together to make such an entertaining short.  This is one that I highly suggest and if you know me,  I'm going to use my favorite phrase of beautifully simple but I feel the need to clarify. There are a lot of great and intense moments such as the storm and the mother bird but I believe that overall that this is a simple but enjoyable short and simple in this case is good.


Jason On The House: I couldn't agree more with you that this short is so beautiful, but it was also haunting during the storm scene, because the only place the animals can take refuge in times of danger was threatened, putting the fragile animals in danger. The mommy bird scene still scares me very much; however, it's indeed a simple and a really delightful short overall. Tim, thank you so much for inviting me to my favourite section of A Look at Disney, and it was truly an honor.


Tim: My pleasure and I hope the rest of you enjoyed this special edition of Classic Shorts Showcase. Join me, next week when I look at...

Babes In The Woods

Music Fridays # 67: Heigh Ho Mozart

Hello & welcome back. Today's Music Fridays is a bit unique. While I'll still be looking at Disney music, these are pieces of music that have been rearranged into the style of a famed composer.  Now I don't know much about composers to be honest but this does sound like a neat idea. With this out of the way, let's begin.

Beauty and The Beast -  English Orchestra with Carol Rosenberger (In the style of Sergei Rachnmanioff )

Again as I said, I know very little about composers or classical music but I don't know,  there is something about this one that I find really peaceful and the piano just seems to suit this song.  Now this is a problem I know I'm going to have listening to these versions but it always seems when I listen to an instrumental piece of a song, I know I want to stuff the words back in. Here this one is just so gorgeous.  It's almost a hauntingly beautiful melody.  I will say that this one does a great job of transporting me back to this scene. Okay as much I do like the piano, I do think that at points, it was a little overbearing but still good nonetheless.   An enjoyable start to this Music Fridays. 

Second Star To The Right - Voices of Ascension (In the style of Thomas Tallis)

Okay, I can't say I'm as big a fan of this one as I was of this album's Beauty and The Beast. I think the thing that kills this number for me are voices. It has a church sound to it and while that is what this composer was apparently known for,  I just don't care for it. Yeah, I know that it had a church sound in the film but I liked it there. Here, not so much and I just can't put my finger on it.

Under The Sea - Millar Brass Ensemble (In the style of Scott Joplin)

This one is really cool.  I'm certainly a fan of this one.  It's just so upbeat and fun and Scott Joplin was apparently The King of Ragtime and yeah, I can feel that here. This version almost sounds like something you'd hear in one of those clubs from maybe the '20s or at least how Hollywood portrays that ear or would it be '30s.  No, I'm sticking with the former.  Okay, we are back on  track with this really awesome take on Under The Sea.  So far, I think the Millar Brass Ensemble have delivered my favorite piece from this album.

Colors of The Wind - Arranged by Donald Fraser (In the style of Antonin Dvorak)

Okay, this is another one that I really like. Again just like Beauty and The Beast, this is able to transport me back to this moment from this particular film. In my opinion, this one is also very beautiful and may sound strange to say but it also feels very touching and heartwarming. Man, I almost  want to do a pantomime type sketch to this piece of music as I think that this one would lend itself the best to that.  Going to being touching for a moment, I also think this one feels to be the biggest in scope and it has the most emotion to it.  You know, I don't know if I can choose a favorite between this one and the  Millar Brass Ensemble's take on Under The Sea as in my opinion, they're the best.

All in all, these were some fun take on these classic Disney songs. Well okay, I didn't really care for Second Star to The Right but 3 out of 4 isn't bad. This is one that I had a ton of fun listening to. Join me next time as I take a look at songs that involve the...

World

Top 6 Newsies Characters

Yep, I'm talking about Newsies again.  What can I can say? I've become a fan and today, I've decided to return to Newsies with a countdown of who I consider the Top 6 Newsies Characters.  Now unlike my last three  movie characters Top 6's, I did not put Are Not and that's mainly because I like the main character in this film too much to leave him off this kind of list and also because Newsies isn't as big as those other three films are. Well, okay it does have it's loyal fanbase and it has been the spotlight recently because of the Broadway production, which is a huge hit but still in terms of popularity, it isn't on par with those three and also even though there is a Broadway production unlike my Lion King Top 6, where I looked at both the film and the play, I'll only be looking at the film here and just so you know, this is pretty much going to be an all male list as it was for the most an all male cast. Well, okay there were two female characters but they were useless in the grand scheme of things. So grab a newsboy hat and some papes as I countdown the Top 6 Newsies Characters. Let's Carry This Banner so The World Will Know.  Okay, I'll stop.   

6.  The DeLancey  Brothers 

Our first two characters on this list actually could be considered rivals to the Newsies.  They are almost villainous and I just love the rivalry these two have with the Newsies as they think they are better than the Newsies as they look down upon them and I just really think that having characters that are close in age that feel they are better than the Newsies was a nice touch . The best way to describe these characters is just to say that they are scummy.  I think one of the biggest moments that shows how far they are willing to go to get to the Newsies is when they attack Jack's love interest, Sarah.   They were able to get to Jack because they were messing with someone he cared about and it shook him but he was able to fight through it.  In my opinion, I just think that shows how far they were willing to go.

5. Weasel/Wiesel 

  

Now for # 5, we stick with the villains and Weasel is the perfect nickname for this character as he is just slimy. As stated in my review he is the one that the Newsies buy the papers from.  I also stated that that he is a bit of comedic threat to the Newsies.  I think that is part of what makes him so entertaining is his clear disdain for the Newsies made hims so entertaining. Yeah,  the Newsies made his life Hell but seeing him interact with them was always a highlight of the film for me.

4.  Crutchy 

Ah, now we get to the good guys. Again as I said I think Crutchy is one of the most relatable characters from the film and his very first conversation with Jack is what made me like him so much.

Crutchy: Jack, when I walk, does it look like I'm fakin' it?
Jack Kelly: Nah, Crutchy, who says ye'r fakin' it?
Crutchy: I don't know... It's just there's so many fake crips on the streets today, a real crip ain't got a chance. I gotta find me a new sellin'

This conversation right here struck a cord with me because being someone who also is disabled,  I'll always wonder if people think I'm faking my seizures or not but I think out of the two of us, Crutchy had it worse because he was just trying to make a living and he really need to use the crutch but back then and even today, there are people that lie about being disabled to try and use it to boost sales. Now that conversation right there shows that Crutchy is worried about people thinking he's a fraud because I assume a lot of other newsboys or news sellers probably faked being disabled just to increase the sales of their papers and that had to get to a person that was actually disabled. 

3. David "Davey" Jacobs

My opinion on Davey have changed since I watched the film. I first thought he was a forgettable character but that isn't the case at all. He's a very good character and a great second in command to Jack, though he is the thinking man of the duo. He is the more logical one and doesn't want to rush into things. Which is smart and I like him for that.  I will admit that he does get overshadowed by Jack in a lot of the film but the one area where he truly is during Seize The Day as he is the one that rallies the Newsies together in that scene.

It starts out as very quiet and tender moment but that fits for this character as he isn't as outspoken as some of the others and I honestly think this is his shining moment in the entire film. For this moment, he gets to step out of Jack's shadow and be the one that brings the Newsies together.  

2. Bryan Denton

I'll admit that my # 1 & # 2 were flipped flopped a bit as I originally had Denton at # 1 but after seeing how strongly I talked about my  # 1, I was convinced I made the right choice to flip the order. Part of the reason, Denton landed so high on my list is because of how compassionate he is for the Newsies and he is the only one that is willing to stick up for them and right their story because he believes that it needs to be told. He knows what these boys are going through is wrong and doesn't like seeing that.  In a way, he serves as the father figure to the Newsies guiding them and helping them in their cause and it's clear that he's one of the few adults that the Newsies respect and trust. Which is seen wonderfully in King of New York.

  

Just listen to the way, the boys talk about Denton. It's glowing and loving. They admire and respect him and  listening the song, it's mutual as Denton truly does care for these boys and only wants the best for them and  majority the boys don't have a parental figure in their life and Denton in a way serves as the father figure that was missing. The bond he has with the Newsies is a strong one and no one can deny that.   That is part of the reason, he landed so high on the list, he is just an all around good guy that you love seeing him care for the Newsies as it shows to them they are not alone in this world.  Okay, I know I said I wasn't going to talk about the Broadway production but I have to ask, why did they cut Denton out?    He was a key character! No, matter.

1. Jack "Cowboy" Kelly/Francis Sullivan 

 Poor David,  he still can't escape out of the shadow of Jack. Sorry but Jack is an awesome character.  There are so many sides to this character that make him work. He is the tough guy that stands up for what he believes is right and won't anyone get in his way.  He also has his troubled side because of his broken past which just adds more to this character and is explored quite wonderfully in Santa Fe.

 

With this song, we get to go into Jack's mind and see what he wants.  He wants an escape.  He wants out of this life, he's living and he feels that by going to Santa Fe, he'll be able to escape this life that he is currently living that is admittedly crummy.  In a way, it reminds of Flynn Rider in how, Flynn created the persona of Flynn Rider to escape his life as Eugene Fitzherbert, I'd argue that Jack did the same thing. He created Jack Kelly as a way to escape his old life as Francis Sullivan that was worse than the condition, he is in right now. I mean his mom is dead and his dad is in jail.  He wanted out of his old life and in a way, when Jack Kelly was created Francis Sullivan died.  Now the big difference between Jack and Flynn is that Flynn takes steps into being Eugene again that are witnessed throughout Tangled, Jack doesn't and he shouldn't because I believe if he went back to being Francis Sullivan, it would not be good for him.  He's happy as Jack Kelly and I say let him stay that way because it is what's best for the character.

There you have it,  my Top 6 Newsies Characters.  I hope that you've enjoyed this list.   Peace!