Spirited News, Observations & Thoughts Tres

[englanddg]

I actually agree with that statement. As great as Pixar is, really don't have the same musical behind the film. Sure "You have a friend in me" is catchy. But Pixar music doesn't stick like "'Circle of Life", ''Whole new World" or even Phil Collins hits. These songs hit the top billboard charts and kept the move fresh in you mind. Even won Grammies.

Evidence of that, and that Disney knows it, is how often they keep referencing them. I left out Princess and the Frog, which was an ok try, but is overall a boring movie (though VERY well done)...

It's missing that magic that only a few good musical numbers bring.

What makes Beauty and the Beast superior to Mulan? Music. The animation is comparable, the gags, comparable. What is it?

Menken and Rice, I think. Of course, my opine.

 

[WDW1974]

I also enjoyed the first Despicable Me -- much more so than I would have thought going into it. The story of Gru taking to the three girls had a lot of heart, and the Minions added just the right amount of humor.

The general complaint I've heard about DM2 is the fact that the Minions kind of take over the movie. Considering they have their own movie coming out next year, I would have preferred the actual DM sequel to focus on Gru and the girls.

DM2 has also seen some mediocre (Monsters U) type reviews. I still will be seeing it. Happily.

Besides, I like minions. I have many. My own Fanboi Army of Disney Destruction!!! BWAHHHAHHAHAHHA!!!
(but they aren't yellow ... except Armando ... and we found out it was Hep C and he is no longer with us! ... No, he didn't die. He was sent back to Bolivia ... made it there before hie Prez too!)

 

[englanddg]

I also wanted to add, initial earning of films are NOT how a parks fan should judge a movie. LOTS of films do very well in the box office, but offer no long term cultural impact.

Also, some films don't do so well in the box office, but offer huge cultural impacts (take Winnie the Pooh)...which only did 26 million gross...and 33 million worldwide...and cost ~30 mil to produce, yet you don't see Disney rushing to yank Winnie and the gang out of their parks...why? By all respects it was a flop...

Why?

Because there is a larger cultural impact that dollars alone can't measure.

 

[WDW1974]

I have not met Mrs. Lee but I would assume that she is a goddess.

One would assume. Or inagine. Probably a bit like Merida & a bit like Scarlett Johansen from the Avengers in a skintight leather outfit that just makes you want [REDACTED FOR SENSATIVE VIEWERS]

Oh, you do know Mrs. Lee ...

 

[Kuhio]

What Disney really is searching for is a "Mermaid - Lion King" run...

...

Rapunzel was probably the closest they've been to this dynamic in a very long time.

I thought Tangled was excellent. It was just the right balance of humor, heart, and action... the animation was technically top-notch, the characters and writing were strong, and the songs were quite good (and memorable). My only nit is I wish Disney would have had the guts to call it "Rapunzel" and risk the "princess backlash," rather than going with the more generic (and supposedly boy-friendly) "Tangled."

Tangled did quite well -- ending up just shy of $600 million worldwide -- but I'm not sure whether that's enough to call it a true blockbuster in this day and age... that doesn't even get it into the top 75 movies based on worldwide gross.

I think Tangled's real, enduring value is the fact that its characters (Rapunzel especially) really seem to have found a place in the hearts of Disney fans, more so than some characters from other, better grossing movies, both from Disney and other companies. That translates to greater merch sales, for one thing...

(As an aside, I thought the facial expressions of the moose in the latest Frozen trailer are eerily reminiscent of Maximus's from Tangled...)

 

[WDW1974]

Ralph maybe?

Ralph and Brave were both NOT profittable when their domestic runs ended. They should have been. But they cost a fortune to make.

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Speaking of Five Guys...
[media]

 

[PhotoDave219]

Owl on Main Street: http://instagram.com/p/bX11oRslkj/

 

[El Grupo]

Pirates 4 is interesting in that it did significantly worse in the U.S. than Pirates 3 (which in turn did worse than Pirates 2), but significantly better outside the U.S. than Pirates 3. It was Pirates 4's huge overseas take that helped it gross over $1 billion worldwide. I'm curious to see whether Johnny Depp's star power outside the U.S. can help salvage Lone Ranger's overall box office.

Ice Age is another franchise that has seen diminishing returns in the U.S., but growing popularity abroad. The last Ice Age couldn't muster $200 million in the U.S., but exceeded $700 million outside the U.S. Kind of hard to predict these things, sometimes...

The roll-out of 3D in foreign theaters certainly appears to have helped films like Ice Age. That movie also just played surprisingly well in, from my perspective, some unexpected markets. The last Ice Age generated over $380 million from the combination of Russia, China, Brazil, Mexico, France, Germany and UK. It actually beat Iron Man 3 in a few of the countries (which is now over $1.2 billion worldwide).

Though Westerns don't typically play as well in foreign markets, I also hope Depp's name, as well as the action sequences, will help the movie do better than expected overseas and pull it into the black.

 

[englanddg]

I thought Tangled was excellent.

I think Tangled's real, enduring value is the fact that its characters (Rapunzel especially) really seem to have found a place in the hearts of Disney fans, more so than some characters from other, better grossing movies, both from Disney and other companies. That translates to greater merch sales, for one thing...

First, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, but after a decade of Disney Disappointments (starting with Pocahontas, and really shoved into the ground with Hunchback, yeah, go ahead and flame me, but in NO WAY were those movies or any since it as good and more importantly universally memorable when compared to the revival films...

But, name one song from it (without googling)...better yet, find yourself subconsciously singing it, even if you've only heard it a few times.

THIS is what a great music can do. A song so catchy you know it by heart after only one or two viewings.

Tangled doesn't have that.

Second, I think that Rapunzel is already fading, as is Merida...note neither are at Cindy's Royal Table or Akershus, which means there is not much consumer demand to meet them compared to princesses who are 30 times their age.

I find it odd, my kid knows who Sleeping Beauty is...but she's NEVER seen the movie. Will Merida or Rapunzel carry on with such fame? Or will they be lost like Mulan and Pocahontas?

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Last I heard, it had ... amazing what a film like that has to do to be in the black.

No, every film can't cost $150-275 million just to make, Mr. Weatherman.

With or without home video?
Speaking of films costing too much and having too much riding on them, this interview with Amid Amidi has some great points.

http://www.animationmagazine.eu/ami...opean-animations-have-is-their-lower-budgets/
Nadia: What do you think about European animation, compared to the American industry? What should European animation learn from the success and mistakes of mainstream US animation?

Amid: The big advantage that European animated features have is their lower budgets. Why is that an advantage? The benefit of smaller budgets is that it allows for more risk-taking and experimentation. The major American producers have their hands tied because their films cost between $100-200 million. To ensure a return on their investment, they have to create formulaic and safe tentpoles for the global market and can’t risk offending any segment of the filmgoing audience from three-year-olds to eighty-year-olds. That’s a tough situation to be in creatively because it doesn’t allow for new or creative ideas to emerge. Many European film producers make the mistake of trying to replicate the Pixar/DreamWorks formulas on smaller budgets, and those films always suffer by comparison because they look cheap. The most successful foreign film producers are those who embrace their small budgets and use it to their advantage to create animated films that would be impossible to produce in the United States, like “Persepolis,” “Triplets of Belleville,” “Ernest & Celestine,” “Waltz with Bashir” and the “Kirikou” series.

In short: European animated films have smaller budgets (anywhere from 15 to 20 to 50 million) and that allows them to take more creative risks.

Edit: I would be remiss not to note Despicable Me's FRENCH origins, give a hand to the folks at Illumination MacGuff in Paris, and that the original film's budget was in the ballpark of the 70 millions.

 

[Taylor]

First, I was pleasantly surprised by the movie, but after a decade of Disney Disappointments (starting with Pocahontas, and really shoved into the ground with Hunchback, yeah, go ahead and flame me, but in NO WAY were those movies or any since it as good and more importantly universally memorable when compared to the revival films...

But, name one song from it (without googling)...better yet, find yourself subconsciously singing it, even if you've only heard it a few times.

THIS is what a great music can do. A song so catchy you know it by heart after only one or two viewings.

Tangled doesn't have that.

Second, I think that Rapunzel is already fading, as is Merida...note neither are at Cindy's Royal Table or Akershus, which means there is not much consumer demand to meet them compared to princesses who are 30 times their age.

I find it odd, my kid knows who Sleeping Beauty is...but she's NEVER seen the movie. Will Merida or Rapunzel carry on with such fame? Or will they be lost like Mulan and Pocahontas?

Merida might because she is Pixar's princess. And Rapunzuel will last as long as Disney lets her IMO

 

[englanddg]

Merida might because she is Pixar's princess. And Rapunzuel will last as long as Disney lets her IMO

I know this is technical, but in the general mindset (especially now that they are the same overall company), Pixar IS Disney, and Disney IS Pixar...

The only reason Merida may live longer is due to political hold outs internally...

Note, Merida wasn't inducted as a "pixar princess", but a Disney one...regardless of who actually created the movie. Even they are fine with the blurred lines. Just like Planes will be viewed generally as "pixar" animation, even though Walt Disney animation is doing it.

 

[Computer Magic]

Just like Planes will be viewed generally as "pixar" animation, even though Walt Disney animation is doing it.

Changing subject, sorry but you mentioned Planes. That seems so much like a Pixar film. I say the trailer before MU. The planes look just like the Cars characters. Even a look alike Mater. I'm not understand this? In fact I'm not sure why the Pixar and Disney CGI?

I think CGI is heading for a meltdown because everyone is doing it.

 

[englanddg]

Changing subject, sorry but you mentioned Planes. That seems so much like a Pixar film. I say the trailer before MU. The planes look just like the Cars characters. Even a look alike Mater. I'm not understand this? In fact I'm not sure why the Pixar and Disney CGI?

I think CGI is heading for a meltdown because everyone is doing it.

Case in point to my comment.

And, yeah, but CGI isn't going anywhere. The ultimate goal for movie producers / directors, is that there are no actors.

And it's all CGI.

 

[Californian Elitist]

I know this is technical, but in the general mindset (especially now that they are the same overall company), Pixar IS Disney, and Disney IS Pixar...

Thank you.

 

[englanddg]

Thank you.

Not sure why it warrants a thank you, but you are welcome? <grin>

 

[Kuhio]

But, name one song from it (without googling)...better yet, find yourself subconsciously singing it, even if you've only heard it a few times.

THIS is what a great music can do. A song so catchy you know it by heart after only one or two viewings.

Tangled doesn't have that.

I actually know several of the songs from Tangled after two viewings, and I'm not really a "song person."

I especially like "I've Got A Dream"... but that might be because, like Flynn, my own personal dream also happens to involve being on an island that I own, tanned and rested and alone, surrounded by enormous piles of money...

 

[the.dreamfinder]

Case in point to my comment.

And, yeah, but CGI isn't going anywhere. The ultimate goal for movie producers / directors, is that there are no actors.

And it's all CGI.

There are actors, they're called animators.

 

[Californian Elitist]

Not sure why it warrants a thank you, but you are welcome? <grin>

Go back to my posts from yesterday in this thread and you'll see.