A Look at Disney Opens The Toy Box: Top 6 Saddest Toy Story Moments

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney. And it's the time of year, where for one whole month, we have one entire theme. And this year, we are going back to childhood. Back to a simpler time. Come with me as all month, we celebrate all things Toy Story.  Though today, you might want to grab a box of tissues as we count down the Top 6 Saddest Toy Story Moments from the trilogy.  With that out of the way, let's begin

6. Andy's Toys Not Willing To help Woody

Now, this may seem like a small moment but it is one that I think is key.  While one can not overlook Woody's jealously, one must also take into account that Andy's other toys is our the instigators in making Woody feel this way, when Buzz first arrives and this comes to a blow, when you see them not willing to help Woody escape. Things really come to a blow in the scene, when Woody tosses Christmas lights to Andy's toys from Sid's room to escape and the other toys, namely Potato Head let them drop.  It is understandable that they would still be mad at Woody but we as the audience have seen the growth that he has gone through and we want him to escape but we know that won't happen.  I find myself looking at this scene from two perspectives, one understanding of why the other toys are still mad at Woody but from Woody's perspective, this scene is a tad heartbreaking because your friends that you've known for years have decided that you are now the enemy because of one mistake.

5.   Woody Having His Boot Painted Over

    

Again, another small moment but this one scene is so effective because it feels as though Woody is losing such a vital part of him.  Andy is more  than just his owner. Andy is important to him and it feels like with just one brush, Andy is gone from Woody's life.  It's a small moment but I remember watching this scene as a kid, I was heartbroken because I had Buzz And Woody dolls that my mom and dad got me for Christmas, the year the first movie came out and I wrote my name on them and I would've been heartbroken if anyone painted over my my Woody's boot.

Not Mine but these were the toys I had.

So yeah, this scene hit home and took me back to my childhood.   And I think that's what made me so sad here.       

4. I Will Go Sailing No More

This  moment  is so heartbreaking because even though Buzz had his whole world collapse and he  received the harshest  wake up call in learning that he is not who he thought he was.   He has a hard time accepting this truth as we see and it doesn't come to him until his unsuccessful attempt at flying and his arm falls off.  You just see here in Buzz that he feels as though there is nothing left to live for. Can a toy commit suicide?   Think about it here, while it is never directly stated that is what is going on, we know from the Mrs. Nesbitt scenes that Buzz has all but given up on life and it is almost as though in those scenes,  he is in a drunk stupor washing away his woes.

Buzz has lost his way and doesn't know which direction, his life will go now because of the crude wake up call that he needed but as we see it wasn't easy to handle.  

3.  One Last Playtime

I've said some things about the third installment in the past but I've softened on it over time as you will see with my # 1 pick but I had to include this moment because it's bittersweet.   Because we knew that Andy had to say goodbye to the toys but kids like me that grew up with this franchise were dreading this moment because it was like we were saying goodbye.  I still get misty-eyed thinking about this moment because even though we knew it was time to say goodbye, we didn't want to. But what a way, to go out.   Just one last playtime as they are given a new owner and that has done a good job of taking care of the toys.   

2. When She Loved Me 

I'm sure you were waiting for this moment to show up as it's one of the most famous moments from this trilogy. And it's not hard to see why, this song made your heartbreak for a toy cowgirl.  And whenever I listen to it, I want to give my stuffed Mickey, the biggest hug and let him know that I'll never do to him, what Emily did to Jessie.  Because that is just cruel.  I think it helps that Sarah McLachlan sang this number because that woman can make a man cry about anything with her voice.  And this proves that to be true because here I was bawling my eyes out for Jessie and feeling so sorry for her.   You just want to give her a big old hug after this number.

1. The Incinerator 

After everything the toys have been through, this looks to be their end. And they know that there is nothing that they can do.  So, they just hold onto each other and embrace the love they have from this family because they think this is their dying day.  Not a word needed to be spoken, yo could feel the fear  and acceptance in them as they reached out for one another's hands.  If they were to go out, they would go out together.  I remember seeing this with my mom and I grabbed for her hand because I was scared that the toys were actually going to die.  Granted, we know that didn't happen and thank goodness but at the time, I didn't know that. This scene speaks to how much these characters  care about each other.  They're a family and they would rather go down together than turn on on of their own. (The first film withstanding)  This scene is just so intense in that regard because again, if you grew up with these characters, you feared for them and were worried that they were going to die.  This is an example of why the third movie was for the audience that grew up watching Toy Story and Toy Story 2. They knew, we loved these characters and that we would be scared, if anything bad happened to them and this is a prime example of that.

There you have it, my Top 6 Saddest Toy Story Moments.  What are some sad moments from the trilogy that I missed? Let me know in the comments. And come back tomorrow as we leave the toy box open and explore the nastiness that is....

Sid Phillips

Can We Talk about The Descendants Trailer

Hello & welcome back to  A Look at Disney.  Well, I've been dreading this thing for some time now.  Let's get this outta the way.

Okay, after watching that. It's not as bad as I had feared but this movie still seems really dumb.  For one thing the costumes of the villains look like bad cosplay. 

 And the the plot seems so generic here, the kids of the villains are sent to the school the children of the heroes go to but since their parents are the villains, that makes them outcasts and I'm assuming that kids of the heroes are going to acceptance and to not judge the kids of the villains on their parent's past deeds.  And hold on, Belle here looks familiar.   Hold on, that's Blue Fairy from Once Upon A Time

 





What is she doing here?  And also this just looks bad. As in the designs look so generic.  All this looks like is another generic Disney Channel movie that just happens to be about the children of Disney villains.  I suppose that's a new hook  but it just looks so bland.  And I'm sorry even as a Once Upon A Time fan, I'm having a hard time accepting how this movie would work. Odd considering that the main crutch of the second half of season 4 has been about Maleficent reuniting with her daughter.  But at least there, they explain that.  My biggest issue that is this movie looks so tacky.  The only thing that seems remotely funny is that Carlos, Cruella's son is afraid of dogs. That's a little funny but other then that,  this just feels like any other generic high school movie.


You guys had an interesting premise here with what would happen if the Disney villains had kids.  But instead you turn it into a high school movie.  This is giving me Equestira Girls flashbacks in how that movie took the ponies out o Equestira, made them human and set them in a high school.  Granted, I still liked that movie but I do think that a movie set in Equestira would have been more interesting and the location they show at the beginning of this trailer, The Isle of The Lost looks like it could be more interesting than the Prep School setting, which will most likely be the main location for this movie.  I know my feelings have been negative towards this movie since the first announcement but well look at this....

That just looks ridiculous. And look being a fan of Once Upon A Time, I will not say that setting these characters in a modern setting is a bad idea because I think it could work and OUAT has shown that it can but this is taking it in the wrong direction. And honestly other than the colors of the clothes, would you even be able to figure out these characters are related to classic Disney villains?   Take Jafar's son, Jay.   Other than the trailer showing him with afar, I see no resemblance whatsoever.

Look I have nothing against Disney Channel Original Movies.  I think most of them are pretty bad (Yes I like the High School Musical films)   but this is different.  This film is using classic Disney characters in the hopes of launching a brand.  They've already released a prequel book to the film and dolls based on the characters.   It feels a little cheap here and going back to Once, I know that it boils down to keeping characters relevant to but at least on Once, they put their own spin on things. Here, yeah not so much.

I can already tell you that this will not be the last time I talk about this... thing. Because when it airs, there will be a full review. And I am not not looking forward to that. Peace!     

Music Fridays # 153: Disney Playlist Sessions

Hello and welcome back to A Look at Disney and back to Music Fridays.  And today, we are turning our attention to Disney Playlist Sessions.  This is an online series, where artists get to preform their songs whether it be a mash up, a stripped down version or a brand new song.  With that out of the way, let's begin.  And we starting with a performance of  the Lion Sleeps Tonight from  The Lion King.



The Lion Sleeps Tonight - The Lion King Cast






This is one of those songs that I've heard a million times over from listening to the OBC of The Lion King but  this take has a peaceful and calm take on it.  Almost putting me in a lullaby like state. And it is cool to see so many members of The Lion King cast take part in this and you just see how they are having so much while singing this.


They Live In You








And here we have King Mufasa singing They Live In You himself but as he says this is a new take from his CD of Disney covers, Disney:  My Way.  That may be a future topic for a Music Fridays.  It's interesting because while in the musical, it's more prideful,  Fitzgerald here sounds more somber and quiet.  Making this song more of a moment and making it feel more intimate.  And I really like that.  If he's this good with this song, I may have to check out his other Disney covers.



Seize The Day







WOW, JUST WOW!!!  I've always loved this song.  It's one of my favorite Disney songs but who knew putting a soulful spin on this song would make it so powerful.  This version just sends chills up my spine. I always get caught up in the moment of this song but oh,  this version is just breathtaking.


A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes (As Preformed by the cast of Newsies)




Yeah,  not a fan of this take on A Dream Is A Wish Your Heart Makes. It's not that it's bad but I think I'll just stick with the original. I just found the background music to be annoying.



Shut Up And Dance (As Preformed by the cast of Newsies)






Hey, this is more like it. And I think  I prefer this over the original.  Perhaps because I'm tried of the original version and and a new take breathes some new life into this version and y'know what,  I can behind this version.   Because it's just a lot of fun.


Letter From The Refugee






This song was just uploaded to the Newsies Facebook page yesterday.  And  Crutchie is one of my favorite characters in Newsies, so I'm happy that he finally got a song.  This song is pretty good and it hits on the important message that the Newsies are the only family one another have and when they're torn apart, you are breaking up a family.  And here you just hear how beaten down and heartbroken, Crutchie is, because of being torn apart from his family.




I hope you enjoyed this Music Fridays and I do apologize for leaning towards Newsies and The Lion King so much but I don't listen to the other artists they feature on these videos like R5 or Sabrina Carpenter. Sorry about that and again, I hope that you enjoyed this. Peace!

Classic Shorts Showcase: Reason and Emotion

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney. And today we are heading back to World War II to look at the short,  Reason and Emotion.  I was prompted to look at this short but the trailer for Pixar's Inside Out, which is a bit similar to the concept of this short.

The Plot

The premise of this short is pretty simple.  We go inside the mind of a man to see how reason and emotion need to work together. We start with him as a child but we then see him as an adult and see what can happen when emotion takes over.

And as the young child grows up, we see that Reason has taken the driver's seat as the narration put it.

But we see that Emotion has his urges as they pass by a young lady and Emotion takes the driver's seat and that doesn't end well. As we observe the female counterparts of Reason and Emotion and Reason wasn't too keen on  what  the male Emotion said to them.

It's a short sequence that shows how the opposite sex's reason and emotion work.   It's important but the next sequence is quite haunting as we see can only be described as media sensationalism.  As we see a man listening to the radio and there are visuals of what he is listening to and you see how it's getting to him.

This'll probably end up on my creepy non-villains list because it is just so eerie and this is where the short turns and shows us in Germany  how  Hitler had fed off emotion of the people to get them to listen to him.

 




And what's  interesting here is that  the more Hitler talks, the bigger Emotion gets. And at one point,  you even see Reason put in a concentration camp with Emotion guarding it.  This when the narration steps in and says that both Reason and Emotion need to work together with Reason being allowed to take the driver's seat.

And that's how the short ends.

Characters

Reason and Emotion

I found the depiction of Reason and Emotion to be interesting.   Reason is shown as a proper gentlemen that thinks things. through.  He is nicely dressed and wants to make sure that things go as they should.  Now compare that to Emotion, who is shown as big brute caveman. And as you can assume by his name, he prefers to act on emotion.  And the short  emphasizes how dangerous it is to only act on emotion.  You need reason but  from where I stand, you need to both to properly function.  

My Final Thoughts 

Overall I liked this short.  I thought it was a neat take on how one's mind works and why it is important to use both reason and emotion.  If your'e interested, I say check it out. Peace!

Why Does Anna Want To Build A Snowman?

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney.  Last week on my Princess Songs Music Fridays, The Second Opinion left a comment regarding the song, "Do You Want To Build A Snowman?" that made me think.

And on the other hand, I suppose Do You Want to Build a Snowman wasn't the greatest montage either. (It starts out fine, but it runs its tagline into the ground. Who asks their sister if she wants to build a snowman to mourn their dead parents?)

The part  that really stood out to me here was his last question.

 Who asks their sister if she wants to build a snowman to mourn their dead parents?

I answered this a little bit in my response to his comment but I want to take it further and for the sake of this article, I am only going to focus on Anna  and I am going to break this down by age just as the song did.   With that out of the way, let's begin.  We start the song with five year old Anna.

5-Year-Old Anna: (giggles) Elsa? (knocks)
Do you want to build a snowman?
Come on, let's go and play!
I never see you anymore
Come out the door
It's like you've gone away!
We used to be best buddies
And now we're not
I wish you would tell me why!

Even at a young age, you get the sense from Anna that something is wrong and she just wants to spend time with her big sister but she doesn't know why Elsa is freezing her out.  Take these two lines for example.

We used to be best buddies
And now we're not

Anna can already see that something is changing and the idea that Anna wants more with Elsa  is  reinforced by the dolls, she is playing with as they are dolls of her and Elsa.

All through Anna's youth, you get the sense that she is lonely and that doesn't change as she's get older.   Because as we go to 9 year old Anna.

Do you want to build a snowman?
Or ride our bike around the halls?
I think some company is overdue,
I've started talking to the pictures on the walls!
(Hang in there, Joan.)
It gets a little lonely,
All these empty rooms,
Just watching the hours tick by...

The idea of Anna feeling secluded and on her own is again reinforced here.  

It gets a little lonely,
All these empty rooms,

This shot  is showing  that Anna feels alone and as though, there is no one there for her.  She's had to fend for herself and find ways to entertain herself because of her parents keeping Elsa away from her. Speaking of which, this all brings us back to where we started.

 Who asks their sister if she wants to build a snowman to mourn their dead parents?

The answer lies in that Anna didn't care if they built a snowman.   She just needed support from her big sister after her parents passed away.

15-Year-Old Anna: (knocks) Elsa?
Please, I know you're in there
People are asking where you've been
They say, "have courage" and I'm trying to
I'm right out here for you,
Just let me in
We only have each other,
It's just you and me
What are we gonna do?
Do you want to build a snowman? (sighs)

Anna was just trying to use something from their childhood to get Elsa to open up and to be there for her.  She was scared and didn't know what to do after their parents died.  Which is reflected in this line.

They say, "have courage" and I'm trying to

Anna is trying to be strong but she doesn't know how to be strong.  Just as she says that she's there for Elsa,  she needed Elsa to be there for her. This reminds me of a piece of fan art that I saw around the time, the movie came out.

Honestly,  I wouldn't be surprised if that is too far off from how Anna felt.   Some of you may be thinking that picture is too hard on Elsa and yeah, maybe a bit.  And  I am not trying to discredit Elsa's feelings because of everything that she went through and I do understand that she didn't know how to be there for Anna.  But that doesn't change the fact that while Anna was there for Elsa, Anna had no moral support in her time of grieving. Both of the girls dealt with pain but in different ways.

 



And so, when asks  Elsa one last if she wanted to build a snowman.  It had nothing to do with actually building a snowman but rather, Anna asking Elsa to be there for her.   Anna needed someone and the only person she had was Elsa.

We only have each other,
It's just you and me

She needed support from Elsa, which wasn't getting. And that is why Anna asked Elsa, if she wanted to build a snowman to mourn their dead parents.   She was latching onto something from their childhood in the hopes that Elsa would be there for her.  



What are your thoughts on this? Let me know in the comments!  And do you want to build a snowman?

Can We Talk about The International Trailer for Tomorrowland

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney.   Tomorrowland, the new Brad Bird film based on the land found at Disneyland and The Magic Kingdom comes out next month. And at most, I've been indifferent to it but then my best friend directed me to the international trailer and this is just odd.

We start off  at the World's Fair with a young boy riding "It's A Small World".  But then things get a little weird. 

It feels like we've gone from Small World to Tron, here.  Let's  see where this take us.  After that, you get the shot of Britt Robertson that has been seen in every other trailer getting the pin that takes her to Tomorrowland.

But this trailer informs us that a young girl from Tomorrowland, who I assume knew Goegore Clooney's character, Frank Walker gave Britt Robertson's character, Casey the Tomorrowland pin.

And yes, this does  lead into The Chosen One trope and they even outright say that Britt Robertson's character is The Chosen One.  Urgh, can we please move past that trope?   All of this is minor compared to two big things that really stood out to me in this trailer. Over another shot of the World's Fair, we learn that in this film's universe, the Disney parks do exist and they were just a cover for the real Tomorrowland.

Yeah, I don't like this.   This is different to be sure but saying that the Disney parks are a cover up for a secret place just sounds so dumb. To be honest.  I really don't think you needed to bring the parks into this movie to tell a story of what looks to be another dimension that is futuristic. I don't know, it just seems wrong to have those included in there.  But that is not all of it. One of the characters asks what would happen if all the geniuses in the world decided to change the world and we get shots of Einstein, Edison and.... Walt.

Again,  like integrating the Disney parks into this movie feels wrong.  It feels really wrong to me to use Walt in this way.   Let me clarify here,  it appears that this movie is taking the approach of what if Walt's vision for EPCOT came true and it was a city that people could live in that would help them. And it would make the world, a better place but that is just a hunch as this movie is called Tomorrowland and not EPCOT but by bringing in Walt and from glimpses of Tomorrowland in this trailer,  I get more from Walt's vision for EPCOT.   Which was originally meant to be the Experimental Prototype City of Tomorrow.



I guess my issue with bringing up Walt in this trailer is that while I see what they're going for.   It just doesn't sit well with me.  I do wish that they had kept real world things such as the Disney parks and Walt out of the movie.   The movie looks okay but I really hate the inclusion of the parks and Walt in this movie.   What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments. Peace!

Music Fridays # 152: Princess Songs

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney and if you followed the Power of The Princesses, I did last year.  You would know that I am quite fond of some  of these characters and today, I just want to look at some princess songs. With that out of the way,  let's begin.

More Than Just The Spare

I'm  just going to say I think Anna  is a better character than Elsa.    

Elsa, calm down. I do like you but Anna is the more relatable character. While this song  didn't  make in the final cut of Frozen, you do get hints of Anna in this song with the clumsy metaphors and not being so graceful.  The biggest difference that is noticeable between Anna in this song and the Anna, we got in the film is that there is a tinge of jealously in her voice  over Arendelle fawning over Elsa becoming their queen.  I get that and why this is one of my favorite Frozen songs,   I do prefer the love that Anna has for her sister in the finished film. Which you know what, what takes a look at another cut Frozen song that shows the love, the royal sisters had for each other as little girls.

We Know Better

This song in a word is just adorable.   The entire  time listening to this song,  you feel the love that Anna and Elsa had for each other as kids. And that they were as close as could be. And that  they loved each other  and  just  loved being around one another.  Which makes  this song all the sadder, when you know what is to come.  

A  Change In Me

Now, we come to a song  from the Broadway production of  Beauty and The Beast.  This song was not included in the original run of the show.   It wasn't until Toni Braxton played Belle on Broadway and it has stayed a part of the show ever since.   I remember Miss Braxton mentioning she felt honored that  the song was still a part of the show after she stopped playing Belle on the Disney On Broadway 20th Anniversary special.  And well,  this is  a song that  works so great with Belle as you hear her growing up and becoming a more grown up and mature woman after her time with Beast.   You truly tell how much she has changed in this song.

When Will My Life Begin

And to end this article, we end with Rapunzel!  Oh, you had to see this coming.   This is one of my all time favorite songs from a Disney movie and if the opportunity presents  itself to talk about this song, I will.   This is a great song that  I know  some people including  myself have often wondered the answer to.  People can relate to this song  because while they may appreciate the life they have,  they still feel that something is missing.  Take me for example for the longest time,  I felt as though,   I wasn't contributing enough to society but then last month, I started volunteering at my local library on Tuesdays and I feel as though just like Rapunzel taking her first step to see the lanterns, I have taken the first step to become a productive member of society.  So in a lot of ways,   I love this song even more now because  of where I'm at in my life.




There you have it,  my look at some of my favorite princess songs.  Which one was your favorite? Let me know in the comments, down below. Peace!

My Thoughts On Tangled: The Musical Coming To The Disney Crusie Line

Hello & welcome back to A Look at Disney.  Recently,  Disney announced that their ship, the Disney Magic will be getting a new stage show based on Tangled.

YES!!!!

Sorry, sorry I'm just really excited about this because there had been rumors of a Tangled show being in production for some time and the original rumor was that it was going into Hollywood Studios and it was going to replace Beauty and The Beast: Live Onstage

Though I think that Frozen Fun may have played a part in them not bringing it to the parks because if I remember correctly, they use the same theater that houses Beauty and The Beast: Live Onstage for Frozen Sing-Along Celebration

My thinking here is that Disney doesn't want to give up Frozen as it's popular and Disney  don't want to give up Frozen but with Tangled being one of the most expensive animated movies of all time,   they still want to get something back from it. So, they probably decided to just put it on one of their ships.


Now, this is just some thinking on my part and I may be wrong but who knows?  One other thing that has me excited about this is that Alan Menken and Glenn Slater have written new music for the stage show.

Alan Menken, songwriter to the soundtrack of our Disney lives, has written three new songs created exclusively for the show with lyricist Glenn Slater.

This  has me excited because that's mean new Tangled songs and I always like new Tangled songs. Especially, when they are written  by Alan Menken.  This sounds awesome.    This also gives me hope that like Finding Nemo: The Musical that it'll get an Original Cast album release.

At the end of the day,  even though I may never see this I am super excited because Tangled deserves more love from Disney and this is one way to go about it.  I still do wish that it could be in the parks but I'll take what I can get.  What are your thoughts on Tangled: The Musical?  Let me know in the comments.  Peace!