Lightyear

An intergalactic journey just isn’t the same without your best friend.

What is supposed to be the film that made Andy from the world of Toy Story fall in love with Buzz Lightyear doesn’t quite meet expectation as this lack lustre Disney film leaves a lot to be desired.

Now, I’m as big of a fan of Chris Evans as the next person, but there is something quite frankly just odd about not hearing the voice of Tim Allen come out of Buzz Lightyear, and even Chris Evans, with his docile tones, can’t convince me otherwise.

With a film that is supposed to be the basis for one of Pixar’s biggest franchises, Lightyear is a flimsy attempt at the Disney joy that is sparked in the ever-so-loved Toy Story series.

Probably the most frustrating thing about this whole attempt at film making is the fact that every plot hole seems to resolve itself by implementing the use of mechanical emotional support cat. Need a screwdriver? Use the cat. Need a say-the-day solution? Use the cat. Need a laser beam? Use the cat. Whilst this starts off as amusing, it soon becomes annoying and a little lazy in terms of storytelling.

The only thing that can be said for this film is the animation is at least passable and the cast are somewhat trying to make the best of a bad situation.

But if I’m completely honest, I would not waste your money seeing this at the cinema and instead wait until it inevitably gets released on Disney+ in the upcoming weeks.

A Wrinkle in Time

A glitch in the universe causes a family rift that is far from beyond repair.

The galaxy has chosen the Murry family as their warriors in fighting the darkness that threatens to flood the earth, however, when one fails to return from an expedition, the universe must step in and restore unity before a calamity arises.

This films drips with Disney magic from every scene and ignites the whimsical curiosity in characters and audiences alike.

With such young acting talent present as the stars of this film, expectations were kept low, but all three newcomers delight with their irresistible charm and on point comic precision.

Though the plot is out of the realm of reality, it will be sure to inspire creativity and imagination within all who see it, due to its immense scale of profoundly unique cinematic techniques.

Want to find out more? Check out the trailer here.

Coco

Death is but the next great adventure; in a world full of life, the perils of death never seem too far away.

Music is a bit of sore subject in Miguel’s family, which wouldn’t be a problem if he didn’t want to be a musician, but he does, and so it is.

In an act of rebellion, Miguel strikes at the core of his family’s morals and runs away in an attempt to enter a music competition on the day of the dead; unfortunately all does not go to plan and Miguel finds himself in the land of the dead amongst his ancestors with a lot of explaining to do.

Death is not a subject that many animators could tackle, but this Disney Pixar collaboration does so with so beautifully crafted precision that one almost forgets that death is at the heart of this majestically orchestrated animation.

From endearing characters to unapologetic honesty, the film breaches the gap between fantasy and reality with such effortless ease, you don’t even remember it happening.

This film is as important to the younger generation, as it is to the old, with the act of remembrance striking at the core of one’s very being.

No one wants to be forgotten, and this animated wonderland reinforces the importance of why.

Cars 3

Despite his age seemingly getting the better of him, Lightning McQueen refuses to let his racing career end in defeat.

With newer and more technologically savvy cars to race against, McQueen, along with the help of his trainer, Cruz, must learn how to outwit the competition with good old fashioned hard-work and commitment.

Though this is now the third film of the Cars series, Disney have managed to keep this film just as entertaining and engaging as the first, through a combination of new characters and an aging story that continues to intrigue.

Lightning McQueen may have had a digital makeover in the Pixar animation studios, but his character has stayed just as loveable as ever, making boys and girls fall in love with his eccentric antics all over again.

 

Beauty and the Beast

Full of beauty, but not at all beastly.

A classic Disney tale gets a revamp in this live action extravaganza, which excels all expectations.

To even attempt to explain the magical sense of belonging this film has encompassed is simply an impossibility. 

From the phenomenal casting that brings some of the greatest actors of our time to the screen, to special effects that are beyond beautiful, this film truly brings an aesthetic and musical appeal that is hard to find in today’s modern cinematic exploits. 

Dan Stevens as the beast and Emma Watson as Belle couldn’t be a more perfect fit; not to mention they both surprise in their singing ability. Both, however, are just two of the stars in an outlandishly gifted cast.

What is so pleasantly unexpected about this retelling is the subtle changes to a tale as old as time.

Disney has always been at the forefront of change, with daringly bold choices and regardless of the consequences that may unfold, they have never wavered their morals, and this film is no exception. 

The introduction of LeFou, Gaston’s faithful accomplish, as a gay character, was a powerful reminder of political remission and a wonderfully warming encouragement for the LGBT community. 

Beauty and Beast is the perfect accompaniment to any family cinema excursion, showing audiences both young and old the importance of love through adversity.

Moana

Moana; a nautical journey that hits every musical bone in the body. 

Young Moana has only one job; find Maui, the demigod responsible for her islands demise,  and make him restore it to its prime. 

Almost predictively, as is the case with most Disney productions, this quest soon turns out to be a lot harder than first imagined. 

Though this is a film of gargantuan adventure, it is still rammed full of shameless comedic scenes throughout, mainly starring debatably the best character, hei hei the rooster, who, through no fault of his own, is probably the dumbest chicken you ever shall set your eyes upon. 

With this being a musically orientated animation, you were probably quite rightly concerned that you would be subject to Dwayne ‘the rock’ Johnson’s singing voice, but worry not; a lot like the removal of a plaster, it is quick and painless.

The same, however, cannot be said for the inappropriately sized diva crab who, despite being given a relatively small part within the film, is awarded a two minute solo that must be endured in its entirety.

From a crazy coconut army to tattoos that come to life, the creators truly have ensured that their audience remains captivated throughout this feature. And once again, Disney have absolutely nailed the animation aspect film-making, and created a production finish that any professional animator would be proud to call their own; which they have, hence the Disney stamp of approval.

Pete’s Dragon

Living in the woods with a fluffy dragon would be any little boy’s dream, but this is no dream, this is Pete’s reality.

After being orphaned following a horrific car accident that killed both his parents, Pete just happened to wonder into the woods and come across a friendly dragon – just keep in mind this is a Disney creation – who adopts him.

But this is not the end of the story, it is simply the beginning. Being a curious boy, Pete cannot help himself when he sets his eyes on another human, leading him to draw unwanted attention to both himself, and his dragon.

As this is a live-action film, Disney have put unquantifiable effort into ensuring the Dragon looks just as fitting as the actors, and it truly would be an understatement to say that they delivered. Not only does the dragon look so unbelievably realistic, the detail put into the CGI is simply unexplainable. The dragons hair alone is enough to please any animator, especially when you think of the sheer amount of hairs such a beast would possess.

It is not, however, not just the technical wizardry that makes this film so incredible, it is the story that really sets this film up for its inevitable success. To see a young boy have so much love for a creature that cannot even indulge him in conversation is a beautiful thing to behold.

Finding Dory

There’s never been a more endearing Disney character then this little blue fish; she’s voiced by Ellen DeGeneres and ready to take on the Ocean.

Now that Nemo is safely back home and reunited with his father, it’s time to begin the next quest; finding Dory’s parents.

But there’s only one problem – she has short term memory lost; not the best ailment to incur when trying to find something.

Luckily for her, Nemo and Marlin are willing to come along to provide much needed moral support.

However, unfortunately for her, it isn’t long until she misplaces them as well.So, just to recap, not only has she lost her parents, but now she’s lost her only friends too. 

But being the lovable fish she is, it’s doesn’t take long until she befriends a somewhat sinister accomplish in the form of a seven tentacled octopus. And so the quest continues.

As always, the cinematography in this film is at its usual outstanding quality, but I would expect nothing less from a Disney Pixar collab.

Finding Dory, did, at first glance, seem like just another excuse for Disney to generate some extra revenue from a preexisting franchise, but it’s heartwarming story and phenomenal animation proved this expectation to be nothing more than a ridiculous rumour.

The BFG

Ever wondered how to make a giant look realistic? Me neither, but Disney seem to have mulled it over, and quite successfully achieved the impossible.

Disney have continued in their quest to convert cartoon classics into live action duplicates, but I’m afraid to say that this is not their finest work.

Sure, everyone loves the BFG, who wouldn’t? But to convert a classic that has warmed the hearts of so many children is a feat that must be approached and produced with careful optimism. And a feat that unfortunately Disney have not achieved.

But fear not, the film isn’t a total disgrace; on the contrary the production side of this family feature has been executed with ease. In fact, the BFG couldn’t look any more realistic and lovable if he tried.

No, it is certainly not the production that has failed; it is the acting, or rather the lack of it. Whilst incredibly endearing, the little girl cast as Sophie doesn’t quite sell the story. That being said, we can’t expect too much from an 11 year old.

If anything, I’m more concerned over Spielberg’s lack of directorial towards his actors, given his reputable history.

But Alas, we cannot always get it right, and as much as it pains me to say it, neither Disney or Spielberg have managed to make this film as magical as Roald Dahl had intended it to be.

Alice Through the Looking Glass

The hatter just got a whole lot madder.

As the Disney live action saga continues Alice finds herself taking on time himself to save her dear old hatter.

No, it’s not a misprint, time really is a person; a man in fact. A very mean man to be perfectly honest, but I suppose someone has to have the job of deciding when your times up, right?

Wrong. Time soon gets a cog thrown in his works when he finds himself at war with Alice as he refuses to let her go through the looking glass to save the hatter.

Rather him then me; she did kill the jabberwocky after all – just saying.

But don’t be disheartened, this film is not all about conquering evil Time people; it also has a classic hilarity lying behind its somewhat serious exterior. I mean with Sacha Baron Cohen as the main character it’d be hard not to have a laugh. Let’s just say if you like puns, then it’s about time you watched this film.

If you, like me, remember the prequel to this film, then you will remember the gothic fantasy that Tim Burton had spewed onto the screen, unfortunately the sequel doesn’t quite hold such etiquette.

Just looking at Johnny Depp as the hatter is enough to make anyone queasy, but the directorial clutz doesn’t stop there; most of the film makes you wonder whether you’ve accidentally been slipped some LSD before entering the auditorium, but alas, it seems as though this was the intention.

Don’t get me wrong; there’s nothing wrong with making the set look like it’s been recycled from an old Willy Wonka film, it just seems to somewhat distract from the overall storyline, but hey, he gets an A+ for effort from me. It is supposed to be a wonderland after all, and if there’s one thing this film will do, it’ll make you wonder.