Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Movie Review: Wish

Movie Review: Wish                                                                                                                                                               11-22-23  

Wish is about a 17-year-old Afro-Latino girl named Asha. Asha lives in the Mediterranean kingdom of Rosas, where wishes can come true. However, King Magnifico has strict rules about which wishes can come true, as he wants to be in control of Rosas. When denied from being Magnifico’s assistant, Asha wishes on a star, which flies down to Earth and gives her goat Valentino the ability to talk. Now, Asha, Valentino, and Star have to journey into Magnifico’s castle to free all the wishes he’s been hogging to himself.

Wish is a movie worthy of Disney’s 100th anniversary with a story that pays tribute and homages to the company’s legacy, animation that shows off its hefty 200-million-dollar budget, a protagonist who sits nicely alongside past heroines, and songs that are perfect for a Broadway adaptation.

Asha meeting Star for the first time.

Wish is also the first Disney movie in over a decade to have a true villain: King Magnifcio. As stated earlier, this guy grants wishes only to those who he thinks needs them. And by that, he doesn’t want to cure people’s illness’s such as lameness. If that wasn’t bad enough, Magnifico is willing to hurt anyone who questions him, including his wife, Queen Amaya. You could say that this king is up there with best animated villains of 2023 alongside Super Fly (Ice Cube’s character in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem), Bowser, and even Spot.

If I were to complain about one thing, however, is that I felt that Wish had way too many Disney references. We get it, it's the company's 100th anniversary, but you don't have to cram in references every minute!

See those mugs? They're all named after the Seven Dwarfs.

In conclusion, please see Wish in theaters when you can, regardless of what critics say. With kids being too young to see the latest Hunger Games movie and some adults getting sick of Trolls, Disney’s Wish will be a breath of fresh air.

Rating: 3.6 stars out of 5

I’m aware that, at the moment, Wish doesn’t have the best ratings on Rotten Tomatoes and iMDb, but for someone who’s been reviewing movies for eight years now, I have advice to give to each and every one of you: Be your own critic! Just because someone says something negative about a movie you have high hopes on seeing doesn’t mean you should avoid it. If there’s a movie you want to see, whether it’s in theaters or on streaming, go see it. There are at least six (soon to be nine) movies in my DVD and Blu-Ray collection that have a rating lower than 60% on Rotten Tomatoes, and does that stop me from enjoying them? No way! That’s why I implore all of you to let out your inner critic and express the movies and shows you love openly, whether it’s online or in person.

Thursday, October 12, 2023

Movie Review: Wonderstruck

Movie Review: Wonderstruck                                                                                                  10-12-23

Ben and Rose are children from two different eras who secretly wish their lives were different. Ben wishes for the father he never knew, while Rose dreams of a mysterious actress whose life she chronicles in a scrapbook. When Ben discovers a puzzling clue in his home and Rose reads an enticing headline in the newspaper, both children are out on quests that unfold with mesmerizing symmetry.

Was I wonder-struck by Wonderstruck? Yes and no: While the movie has outstanding production design, a timeless feel, and a great score from Carter Burwelll, this movie suffers from a confusing plot and an abnormally long running time (nearly two hours in length).

One thing that makes Wonderstruck stand out from other movies is how both Rose and Ben are, in fact, deaf. Rose was born deaf, while Ben lost his hearing after getting hit with lightning. Ben’s new friend Jamie can communicate with him by writing on his notepad.

Rose’s story is set in the 1920s, so there’s no color and, more importantly, no sound. Ben’s story, meanwhile, takes place in the 70s with a post-Beatnik aesthetic. I personally find Ben’s story more engaging because not just because there’s sound and color, but also because it was more interesting. I personally didn’t care for Rose’s story, and I feel that it could’ve been edited out entirely.

In conclusion, Wonderstruck is a serviceable film, but it obviously doesn’t measure up to the Pixar masterpiece Coco, which was released around the same time.

Rating: 3.3 stars out of 5.

Wednesday, September 20, 2023

Movie Review: Nimona

Movie Review: Nimona                                                                                                                  7-10-23

Nimona tells the story of supervillain named Ballister Blackheart, an ex-knight with a bionic arm. One day, he hires a new sidekick named Nimona, a mischievous shapeshifting teenager who yearns to hurt others for pleasure. Ballister and Nimona go on a mission to clear his name and get revenge on the deceitful Director.

Nimona is clearly an Academy Award nominee for Best Animated Feature with a story that stays true to the source material, animation that you won’t believe was done by the same people who worked on Ice Age, engaging three-dimensional characters, and a positive message about treating others as you want to be treated.

In a similar fashion Zootopia and The Bad Guys, both Ballister and Nimona don’t like how people seem them. Nimona doesn’t want to be viewed as a girl or a monster: They’re Nimona.

Is it me, or does Nimona here look like an extra from Zootopia?

There’s also a lot of LGBTQ representation in the movie, almost as much as Steven Universe and The Owl House. For example, Ballister has both a grudge and a crush on the kingdom’s hero, the gold-covered Ambrosius Goldenloin.

If there’s one thing I have to nitpick, however, it would be how Nimona themselves looks in the movie. The graphic novels depict Nimona as a plus-size character, but in the movie, they’re a lot skinnier. Here's Nimona in the movie...

And here's Nimona from the original strips! Why does she look different?

In conclusion, Nimona is still one of the best animated movies of the year so far, and I’m happy Netflix revived the project. It would be a miracle upon miracles if someone were to revive the cancelled DreamWorks film BOO: Bureau of Otherworldly Observations.

However, I do have a warning to those parents reading this: This movie is not meant for single-digit kids, as there’s a good amount of violence.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Tuesday, July 18, 2023

Top 100 Disney Toons

Hi, everybody! As promised, here are the 100 Disney Toons that got nominated for the Disney100 FanCon celebration!

  1. Oswald the Lucky Rabbit

  2. Mickey Mouse

  3. Pluto

  4. Goofy

  5. Three Little Pigs (The Three Little Pigs)

  6. Donald Duck

  7. Snow White (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

  8. The Seven Dwarfs (Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs)

  9. Pinocchio (Pinocchio)

  10. Jiminy Cricket (Pinocchio)

  11. Dumbo (Dumbo)

  12. Bambi (Bambi)

  13. Thumper (Bambi)

  14. Cinderella (Cinderella)

  15. Alice (Alice in Wonderland)

  16. Tinkerbell (Peter Pan)

  17. Lady (Lady and the Tramp)

  18. Tramp (Lady and the Tramp)

  19. Flora, Fauna, and Merryweather (Sleeping Beauty)

  20. Cruella De Vil (101 Dalmatians)

  21. Ludwig Von Drake

  22. Winnie the Pooh (Winnie the Pooh)

  23. Mowgli (The Jungle Book)

  24. Baloo (The Jungle Book)

  25. Bagheera (The Jungle Book)

  26. Piglet (Winnie the Pooh)

  27. Tigger (Winnie the Pooh)

  28. Bernard and Bianca (The Rescuers)

  29. Scrooge McDuck (DuckTales)

  30. Huey, Dewey, and Louie (DuckTales)

  31. Chip n Dale (Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers)

  32. Ariel (The Little Mermaid)

  33. Sebastian (The Little Mermaid)

  34. Homer Simpson (The Simpsons)

  35. Darkwing Duck (Darkwing Duck)

  36. Belle (Beauty and the Beast)

  37. Adam (Beauty and the Beast)

  38. Lumiere (Beauty and the Beast)

  39. Cogsworth (Beauty and the Beast)

  40. Max Goof (Goof Troop)

  41. Aladdin (Aladdin)

  42. Jasmine (Aladdin)

  43. Genie (Aladdin)

  44. Jack Skellington (The Nightmare Before Christmas)

  45. Simba (The Lion King)

  46. Timon and Pumbaa (The Lion King)

  47. Rafiki (The Lion King)

  48. Goliath (Gargoyles)

  49. Pocahontas (Pocahontas)

  50. Woody (Toy Story)

  51. Buzz Lightyear (Toy Story)

  52. Hercules (Hercules)

  53. Fa Mulan (Mulan)

  54. Mushu (Mulan)

  55. Tarzan (Tarzan)

  56. Jessie (Toy Stories 2-4)

  57. Kuzco (The Emperor’s New Groove)

  58. Mike Wazowski (Monsters Inc)

  59. Sully (Monsters Inc)

  60. Lilo Pelekai (Lilo & Stitch)

  61. Stitch (Lilo & Stitch)

  62. Kim Possible (Kim Possible)

  63. Nemo (Finding Nemo)

  64. Marlin (Finding Nemo)

  65. Dory (Finding Nemo)

  66. Bob Parr (The Incredibles)

  67. Helen Parr (The Incredibles)

  68. Remy (Ratatouille)

  69. Phineas and Ferb (Phineas and Ferb)

  70. Giselle (Enchanted)

  71. WALL-E (WALL-E)

  72. EVE (WALL-E)

  73. Carl Frederickson (Up)

  74. Dug (Up)

  75. Tiana (The Princess and the Frog)

  76. Ray (The Princess and the Frog)

  77. Rapunzel (Tangled)

  78. Eugene (Tangled)

  79. Maximus (Tangled)

  80. Pascal (Tangled)

  81. Merida (Brave)

  82. Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls)

  83. Mabel Pines (Gravity Falls)

  84. Wreck-it Ralph (Wreck-it Ralph)

  85. Vanellope Von Schweetz (Wreck-it Ralph)

  86. Anna (Frozen)

  87. Elsa (Frozen)

  88. Olaf (Frozen)

  89. Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6)

  90. Baymax (Big Hero 6)

  91. Joy (Inside Out)

  92. Sadness (Inside Out)

  93. Judy Hopps (Zootopia)

  94. Nick Wilde (Zootopia)

  95. Moana (Moana)

  96. Maui (Moana)

  97. Miguel Rivera (Coco)

  98. Luz Noceda (The Owl House)

  99. Joe Gardner (Soul)

  100. Mirabel Madrigal (Encanto)

I am so sorry that I didn’t include Aurora, Raya, or Eeyore, as I just wasn't able to include every Disney character in the countdown. Aurora’s film is too similar to Snow White and Cinderella, Raya’s film is too political and controversial among Southeast Asians, and Eeyore is too similar to Sadness. I also didn't include Roger Rabbit because, in this world, Roger was created at not Disney, but Maroon Cartoons.

Well, that wraps up Chip n Dale 2: Wrath of Pickles! I won't post anything new until September 1st, but remember to check my Facebook once a week whenever I upload mini-reviews of Disney movies!

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Chip n Dale 2: Wrath of Pickles Chapter 12

It has been a month since Chip and Dale defeated Angelica Pickles and her lackeys. The Eds spoke to the mayor of Los Angeles, and he was more than willing to give the Eds a home, as they were a favorite of his nephew’s. When the Eds arrived at their new house, they were awed at how the Three Little Pigs, who built the house, managed to replicate each of the Eds’ bedrooms.

“I’ve been told they had to watch every episode at least twice.” Said Double D.

“Look at my bedroom!” Said Eddy. “It’s just like how it was on the show! A disco ball, a lava lamp, a cushy bed. Everything! But no magazines.”

“It’s probably for the better, Eddy.” Said Double D.

“There’s no gravy in my bathtub.” Said Ed. “But I do see my comic books, my sponge collection, and a special box. Maybe this contains the magazines, or even jawbreakers!” Double D and Eddy ran over to Ed’s bedroom and saw a box. Eddy opened it as if he were a kid on Christmas, but there were no magazines or jawbreakers inside.

“What are these things?” Eddy asked. “Bookmarks?”

“Actually, I believe those are tags, Eddy.” Said Double D, walking over to the box to grab a note from inside. “And here’s a note. It says ‘Dear Ed, Edd n Eddy. Since you helped us give advice about the kidnapped CGI Toons, we decided to make you honorary members of FanCon. Your booth will take the place of Ugly Sonic, who unfortunately can’t be with us anymore, since he got depixelated.’” The Eds stood silently for a few seconds. “‘Anyway, this is our thanks for helping us. Yours truly, Chip and Dale.’ You know what this means, guys?”

“Buttered toast?” Asked Ed.

“No, Ed.” Said Double D. “This means we’ll be able to find work again!” Ed and Eddy cheered upon hearing that.

—----------------------------------------

It was now October 2023. The Walt Disney Company gave FanCon a huge makeover to celebrate the occasion. However, other Non-Disney Toons, such as He-Man, Pinky Pie, and now the Eds, were still allowed to work at their booths. Anyway, Disney invited their top 100 or so Toons for the anniversary party to be rewarded with special prizes. Chip and Dale were behind the curtains with other Toons such as Mickey, Donald, Goofy, the Disney Princesses (but not Aurora or Raya), Simba, Woody and Buzz Lightyear, Dipper and Mabel Pines, and many more. Dale took out his new cellphone (his old one was destroyed by Alexandrite) to live-stream an episode of ‘Dale’s Tales’.

“Hi, everyone!” He started. “Today, Disney, the company that helped launch the careers of me, Chip, Monty, Gadget, Zipper, and hundreds of other Toons, is turning 100 this year! To celebrate, Disney selected the top 100 Disney Toons to appear at the party right here at FanCon! And the best part is, we’re all going to be given cool awards! And just look at who’s with me.” He moved the phone over to showcase other Toons, such as Lumiere, Tigger, Luz Noceda, and even Jack Skellington.

“Bonjour, Dale!” Lumiere greeted. “It seems that you’re gonna be our guests with us tonight.”

“If that Ellie girl is there,” The skeleton started. “Tell her that from the bottom of my bones that I’m thankful for her helping me earlier this year.”

“Wow, is that BongoLive?” Asked Luz, pushing Jack out of the way. “Hi, everyone! This is Luz Noceda, star of The Owl House! My show may have ended, but Amity and I managed to get roles for a movie adaptation of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child! Ooh, look at this!” Luz turned her upper eyelids inside out, making the other Toons back away.

“That’s freaky on so many levels.” Ferb Fletcher, another nominated Toon, pointed out. A CGI elf appeared from behind the curtain, and she was holding a clipboard almost as big as her.

“Listen, people!” She began. “The Disney Corporation has spent eight months preparing this special party, and everything needs to go as planned! Donald Duck, try not to lose your temper. Remember what happened at the 90th anniversary party?”

“Alright, Magee.” Said Donald. “I just can’t help it. I’m a ticking time bomb.”

“We know, Donald.” Said Magee, the elf. “Lumiere, wear a cap at all times!” She then handed Lumiere a cap that would prevent his head flame from spreading.

“I will protect this with my life, mon capitan!” Lumiere declared.

“Homer Simpson!” Said Magee. “You’re new to these anniversary parties. Whatever you do, don’t eat any of the food-themed Toons!”

“Even if they’re doughnuts?” Asked Homer.

“Even if they’re doughnuts.” Replied Magee, checking her watch. “Thirty seconds until the curtain rises. Everyone, be on your best behavior, and remember to have fun!” Magee went off the stage, and soon, the curtain rose to reveal hundreds of cheering fans, humans and Toons alike.

“That’s it for an episode of Dale’s Tales.” Declared Dale. “See you next time!”

“Ladies and gentlemen!” Said an announcer's voice. “The moment you’ve been waiting for: Disney’s 100 Year Anniversary!” Everyone cheered upon hearing that.

“And now,” The announcer continued. “The host of the ceremony, president of Walt Disney Animation Studios, put your hands, wings, claws, hooves, flippers, fins, and wheels together for Jennifer Lee!” Jennifer Lee, dressed up as Dolores from Encanto, walked onto the stage.

“Greetings, everyone!” She greeted. “A hundred years ago today, Walter Elias Disney teamed up with his brother Roy to form the first-ever animation studio in Hollywood. From then on, they started a legacy of the most beloved movies, shorts, and franchises of all time! For this decade’s anniversary at FanCon, we picked the top 100 Disney Toons that will receive special rewards, plus a guest appearance of someone from our next film, Wish! We couldn’t find it possible to rank everyone, so we’ll reward everyone in chronological order, starting with Oswald the Lucky Rabbit! We will spend about three minutes with each Toon, so we’ll be over in about five hours!”

“Five hours?” Asked Homer. “But I want it now!” Luckily, the audience members were all given chairs.

—-------------------------------------

After an hour and a half of waiting, Chip and Dale were called over by Jennifer Lee.

“Chip and Dale?” She called. “Chip and Dale? It’s your turn to receive your rewards.”

“Finally!” Said Dale. “I was starting to fall asleep.” He and Chip started walking over to the human to receive their prizes.

“I’ve heard all about the CGI kidnappings.” She said. “After the de-pixelation video Dale filmed went viral, I was mortified beyond belief! I would hate to see a Disney Toon get either dipped or de-pixelated. With Angelica and her minions arrested for good and Toons of all mediums congregating together, we’ll both give you special awards for saving the animation industry from hostile takeover. For Chip, we give you this pog-sized medal for your recent adventure.” Jennifer bent down to give Chip the medal.

“For Dale,” She continued. “We reward you with this Blu-Ray set of Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers! We’ve been told that you have every episode of the show on tape, but since VHS tapes wear out over time, it only makes sense to upgrade to either DVD or Blu-Ray!” Jennifer bent down to give Dale the ‘Rescue Rangers’ Blu-Ray box set.

“But my tapes are my treasures!” Said Dale.

“You know, Dale, me lad.” Said Scrooge McDuck. “You could always hold a yard sale and sell them for twice the price!”

“Or at least half.” Said Jack.

“Alright then!” Said Jennifer. “Our next recipient is Ariel!”

—---------------------------------

Soon enough, the rewards were all given out, with Mirabel receiving an Award for most followers on social media.

“And those are all the rewards!” Declared Jennifer. “Now it’s time for the actual party! For food, we have salad bars for the vegetarians and herbivores, pizza of 50 different varieties, water, milk, and Coo-Coo Cola for beverages, and doughnuts and dole whip for dessert!” Homer started drooling upon that.

“And it isn’t just the food!” Jennifer continued. “There will also be booths selling limited time collectables, a rousing game of Limbo, and as promised, the star of our next film Wish, Princess Asha!” Soon enough, an Afro-Latino teenager with dark brown hair with a little yellow goat by her side walked onto the stage.

“If you’re wondering, yes.” Said the goat with a surprisingly deep voice. “Asha is playing a princess. She has a dress, an animal sidekick, and a passion for singing. The only thing missing is a love interest.”

“My name is Asha.” She said. “And I am the star of Disney’s next big animated movie, Wish. A century in the making, people!”

“More like a minute in the making!” Said Waldorf, who was in the audience with Statler. “Do ho ho ho ho!”

“Hecklers aside,” Asha continued. “I am hoping that all of you will see the movie on November 22nd. Disney needs a hit after three years of box-office flops, and we need a hit other than the recent Little Mermaid reboot. With all that aside, I’ll sing a song from Wish, and DJ Fred will play songs from his customized playlist!” Asha soon started singing, and when the selected Toons walked off the stage, Chip and Dale were crowded by legions of fans.

“You know, Chip.” Said Dale. “I love being a hero! And I got to be one twice!”

“Wait, did Jennifer say vegetables?” Asked Chip. A Penguin Waiter picked up a cover for the vegetables, only to have Monterrey Jack underneath with all the vegetables gone.

“Here we go again.” Said Dale.

“You’re lucky we have extras.” Said Tiana, who helped provide culinary services. “Just keep your mouse friend away.” She picked up Monty and placed him on the floor.

“What can I say?” Said Monty. “Old habits die hard!” The two chipmunks and Monty laughed as they danced the day away. Once again, Los Angeles was safe for Toons.

THE END

Author’s Notes: Apparently on Ed, Edd n Eddy, Ed had his own sponge collection behind his bathroom wall.

I’m sorry that neither Aurora or Raya got nominated for the Top 100 Disney Toons ceremony. Aurora is too similar to Snow White and Cinderella, and Raya’s film is just too divisive among Disney fans, especially those from SouthEast Asia. I do, however, think that they attended the party nonetheless.

In the first episode of The Owl House, Luz turned her upper eyelids inside out, freaking out her classmates.

Frightening, isn’t it?

Magee was an elf who appeared in the 2009 Christmas special Prep & Landing. She was the coordinator in charge of the North Pole Christmas Eve Commander Center, dedicated to helping Santa Claus arrive at people’s homes every Christmas eve.

In the Emmy-nominated Simpsons episode ‘Bart Sells His Soul’, Bart sells his soul to Milhouse for 5 dollars, but after a series of bad luck and a terrifying nightmare, Bart discovers that a soul is really valuable, and he tries everything to get it back. Meanwhile, sleazy bartender Moe Syzslak turns his bar into a Friendly’s-esque family restaurant so he can make more money. He buys a deep fryer from the Navy that can flash fry a buffalo in 40 seconds. Homer responds by saying “40 seconds? But I want it now!”

In the Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers episode ‘The Case of the Cola Cult’, there’s a cult of mice dedicated to Coo-Coo Cola, a soda with a catchy theme song. This drink would later appear on Darkwing Duck.

In Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers (the movie), Dale had a whole garage full of Chip n Dale: Rescue Rangers memorabilia, including episodes on tape, toys, the NES video game from Capcom, a telephone, and even fireworks!

Ellie and the Chipmunks inside Dale’s garage.

Dole whip is a type of desert that can be purchased at the Disney parks.

Well, that concludes Chip n Dale 2: Wrath of Pickles! Tomorrow, I will list all the Toons that got nominated for Disney's 100th anniversary.