Saturday, August 23, 2014

Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure - 7 stars out of 10

Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure - 7 stars out of 10
April 26, 1998
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VAcL2xjmDHE

 “Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure” gives a full tour of the park as it was when it first opened in 1998.  This hour-long tv special was hosted by Drew Carey and followed several celebrities of the time, including Tia/Tamara/Taj Mowry and a few cast members from Boy Meets World.  The special really captures the essence of what Animal Kingdom is and, without exaggeration, shows the wildlife experience that you can expect!  While I understand that many of the attractions appeared in the years after the park opened, it was definitely a mistake to take us on the safari ride TWICE.  Though they play it off that the ride with Jane Seymour is educational and the one with Drew is comical, it still reads as filler.  It would have made me question whether there is enough to do in the Animal Kingdom to make it worth a visit, which tends to be a similar dilemma for visitors today!  The shots of the animals throughout the special are spectacular but “opening day Animal Kingdom” did not offer enough to be worth the price of admission.  Still, it is awesome to have the archive footage of the first days and it is interesting that much has been added but the park itself is relatively the same.  In my five years to the park over the past sixteen years, I have never watched the Flights of Wonder show but this sample makes me regret that.  Guess I’ll have to go back soon so that I can see it…  Like the other park broadcasts, I really wish that this was a live newscast of opening day instead of a scripted tv special; however, it is great to have a sneak preview of these rides and to have an opportunity to explore the Animal Kingdom from home.

[Pictured: Giraffe on the Kilimanjaro Safari]
Other Park Opening TV Specials:
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Friday, August 22, 2014

The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening - 8 stars out of 10

The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening - 8 stars out of 10
April 30, 1989
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b-kQ6A2InII

 “The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening” truly captures the essence of this park.  As Michael Eisner says in the opening scene, this place is more of a state of mind than a theme park, “A Hollywood that always was, and will always be.”  The philosophy of this park has changed over the years as thrill rides have taken the place of “Hollywood experiences,” but this moment in time captures the true intent of this park.  Unlike previous park openings, this tv special has a loose plot to connect the various segments.  John Ritter is our host, using a checklist to ensure that everything is ready for the grand opening in two hours.  As he checks each area of the park off of his list, we get a glimpse of what this park has to offer.  It is amazing to see how much has changed in 25 years.  Some things have stayed the same like The Great Movie Ride, The Indiana Jones Stunt Spectacular, Catastrophe Canyon, and the opportunity to watch real Disney artists at work.  But many things are vastly different like the extensive backlot tram route, sound fx studio, and the chance to be in famous tv scenes like I Love Lucy.  It is important to be transported back to these lost attractions because they are an large part of this park’s history.  The exploration of the park and Disney movie magic is laced with famous actors like Jimmy Stewart, Mickey Rooney, and Ronald Reagan reminiscing about the most important movies of their lives.  It also gives a glimpse into the production that takes place here, from the huge Smokey Robinson opening number to the filming of a Mickey Mouse Club segment and three dance numbers from different historical time period on the Streets of America.  It all leads up to the public opening where a parade of stars rides down Hollywood Boulevard in old-fashioned cars.  They end up in front of the Chinese theater where the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Kevin Costner, and Betty White immortalize their handprints in the cement that you can still find in the park today.  Those handprints have become much more special to me now that I have seen them actually create them.  It is awesome to see the red ribbon actually cut by Michael Eisner to officially open the park, and the celebration continues with performances by The Pointer Sisters, Willie Nelson, and George Burns in his prime.  “The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening” is as glamorous and full of stars as Hollywood itself and, if you are going to revisit any of these park openings, this is the one.

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Thursday, August 21, 2014

EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration - 6 stars out of 10

EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration - 6 stars out of 10
October 23, 1982
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSchZRcE_eg

 EPCOT Center’s Opening Celebration truly reflects the park.  While it advertises the various rides and pavilions, it is also educational and informative.  Unlike its predecessor parks, this is the first Disney park that Walt did not directly help to plan.  This tv special explains Walt’s dream for an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow and shows how the Imagineers have brought his vision to fruition.  While there were still too many musical sequences and not enough park exploration for my taste, I like how host Danny Kaye’s songs are a commentary to help us better understand what EPCOT Center is.  It is a little disappointing that the special is not an opening ceremony like the opening of Disneyland.  I’m sure that the world needed an explanation of what EPCOT Center is when this aired, but it is unfortunate that we do not get to see “opening day.”  Most of this special was staged during the first 22 days that EPCOT Center was open to the public and then broadcast with very little live footage.  It basically feels like a Disney Vacation Planning Guide.  One of the highlights of this special is a very young Drew Barrymore, fresh off of her performance in E.T.  She helps Danny Kaye to navigate Future World, which is the main focus of the special.  While a lot of Epcot focused on progress (Horizons, World of Motion, Spaceship Earth), the future technology is in the spotlight.  I’ll bet that the audience was blown away by the robots SMRT-1 and Cinco but it’s pretty funny that most of the things originally contained in the Communicore pavilion are now accomplished with a basic computer.  The special is entertaining but things like Roy Clark singing “This Land Is Your Land” on the Living with the Land ride seem overly tacky.  Even though I’m a bit critical of this tv special, they really hit the nail on the head with the World Showcase.  They capture the essence of this permanent World’s Fair and show how we can experience the food, architecture, and cultures of many nations in a single afternoon.  You even get to see a lost piece of Epcot as Alex Haley describes the Equatorial Africa pavilion that was planned but never built.   The Opening Celebration of EPCOT Center is not quite what I had hoped for, but it gives a nostalgic look at the parks while reinforcing the dreams of Walt Disney.


[Pictured: Mickey on Spaceship Earth in an old EPCOT Center promo]
Other Park Opening TV Specials:
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Wednesday, August 20, 2014

The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World - 6 stars out of 10

The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World - 6 stars out of 10
October 29, 1971
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sdfEbP9vz6Y

 The Grand Opening of Disney World is completely different from the opening day of Disneyland.  While the Disneyland opening explored the park and had that hectic feeling of breaking news, this special is very calculated and produced with elaborate dance numbers and various skits to show off the Disney resorts.  While I craved a look into Disney World similar to the live broadcast of Disneyland, it makes sense that it had to be different.  First, twenty of the twenty-three attractions were replicas of Disneyland attractions, so much of the world had already experienced them (this also explains the featuring of Country Bear Jamboree, Hall of the Presidents, and the Mickey Mouse Revue.  Second, a live evening special would have limited the audience to nighttime views of the park since the park is in Orlando, whereas the opening of Disneyland occurred in the afternoon on the West Coast.  Plus, how else could you transition into 140 members of various symphony orchestras performing in front of the Castle?  Even though Walt wasn’t here for this opening, there is still something magical about Julie Andrews singing When You Wish Upon a Star on Main Street USA.  I was just craving some sort of dedication or speech, though Bob Hopes tribute to Walt Disney was very nice.  It is so weird to see Disney World without Space Mountain, Big Thunder Mountain, and other rides that have become iconic pieces of the park; at the same time.  It also brings back great memories of the Skyway and makes me wish that the Mickey Mouse Revue was still there in some form.  Mickey’s Philharmagic is one of my favorite rides, but it must’ve been so cool in 1971 to watch your favorite movies come to life in such an awesome musical presentation.  While the Walt Disney World Grand Opening was more of a musical special that took place in the park instead of an exploration of the park, it is all worth it for the marching band finale that you won’t believe.  I won’t spoil it for you, you just have to see it for yourself at 1:08:00.  If nothing else, skip ahead to the final 15 minutes of this special if you are in the mood for some Disney magic!
[Pictured: Balloons on Main Street U.S.A.  You really should watch this part!]


Other Park Opening TV Specials:
Disneyland Opening Day (1955 ABC Broadcast) - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/disneyland-opening-day-1955-abc.html
EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/epcot-center-opening-celebration-6.html
The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-disney-mgm-studios-theme-park-grand.html
Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/disneys-animal-kingdom-first-adventure.html
Disneys California Adventure TV Special - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/disneys-california-adventure-tv-special.html
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Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Disneyland Opening Day (1955 ABC Broadcast) - 9 stars out of 10

Disneyland Opening Day (1955 ABC Broadcast) - 9 stars out of 10
July 17, 1955
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuzrZET-3Ew
1100th Review

This is one of the most nostalgic things that you will ever watch!  Disneyland’s Opening Day ceremony has something that no other park’s ceremony had: Walt Disney.  Nothing can compare to hearing Walt read the famous dedication:
“To all who come to this happy place: Welcome. Disneyland is your land. Here age relives fond memories of the past...and here youth may savor the challenge and promise of the future. Disneyland is dedicated to the ideals, the dreams, and the hard facts that have created America...with the hope that it will be a source of joy and inspiration to all the world.”

While many of us have never visited Disneyland, many of the sights and all of the ideals are the same as the ones that we know through the movies and Disney World.  We have become so used to the concept of the theme park because they are such an important part of our society.  As we grew up, a trip to Disney World was a rite of passage for most children but can you imagine what it must have been like to experience Disneyland in 1955?  It was the first of its kind and when people saw this television special, it changed the course of history.  This live broadcast is not flawless, but that’s part of the charm.  The magnitude of Disneyland could not be calculated, and neither could the complexity of filming this spectacle.  Watching this special in modern times is fun as we see what the character costumes used to look like and we even bump into Ronnie Reagan as an actor!  We get to see Tomorrowland, Walt’s vision of the future in the year 1986, 31 years after this broadcast.  While we aren’t wearing spacesuits, it is incredible to see that he accurately predicted the importance of atomic energy and the moon landing.  While many of the rides and characters have changed, this special gives us an insight into Walt’s true intent: that Disneyland would become a place of happiness for children and children-at-heart around the world.  And it has.

 
[Pictured: Opening the gates to Fantasyland]


Other Park Opening TV Specials:
The Grand Opening of Walt Disney World - http://jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-grand-opening-of-walt-disney-world.html
EPCOT Center: The Opening Celebration - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/epcot-center-opening-celebration-6.html
The Disney-MGM Studios Theme Park Grand Opening - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/the-disney-mgm-studios-theme-park-grand.html
Disneys Animal Kingdom: The First Adventure - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/disneys-animal-kingdom-first-adventure.html
Disneys California Adventure TV Special - jonnysdailymoviereview.blogspot.com/2014/08/disneys-california-adventure-tv-special.html
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Monday, August 18, 2014

Dear Mr. Watterson - 7 stars out of 10

Dear Mr. Watterson - 7 stars out of 10

 “Dear Mr. Watterson” tells the story of Calvin and Hobbes, a comic strip that defied industry standards and ended in its prime.  There is a lot more to this strip than a simple cartoon boy with an active imagination.  The strip itself has been lauded as one of the greatest of all time.  The stylized social commentary is genius in its own rite and is then combined with some of the best artistry in the industry.  The stereotypes and social issues of our society are exaggerated in the imagination of this young boy, but always in a comical way.  It appeals to all age groups, from kids who think that the tiger is cute to adults who are amused by Calvin’s view of the adult world.  But this documentary explores even deeper layers by examining the man behind the comic.  Do not expect to see an interview with Bill Watterson in this documentary.  That is part of the mystery.  After completing Calvin and Hobbes, he removed himself from the public eye and lives in privacy with his wife.  He rarely gives an interview, not even for a documentary about his life.  Watterson ended the comic after a mere ten years to avoid a formulaic comic that repeated itself.  He also passed on tens of millions of dollars that could have been made in merchandise because he did not want to cheapen his characters.  Many of his colleagues share their perspectives on Watterson’s choices throughout this documentary and it is amazing to see the level of respect that the community has for Watterson and his Calvin and Hobbes comic.  He did not create this comic to make money.  He created it for his love of comics, and consequently impacted most people who lived between 1985-1995.  I have personally felt this impact of this comic, selecting a panel from a Calvin and Hobbes strip to be recreated as a painting in first grade.  Perhaps the greatest moment of this comic was its final strip.  It is so simple and perfect, and open to many different interpretations.  I believe that Watterson is telling us that our childhood never has to end.  That even when we move on to something new, we should approach it with the open-mindedness and imagination of a child, and that we should never stop exploring.  If you were not a Calvin and Hobbes fan before watching this documentary, you certainly will be afterwards.  Now please excuse me while I borrow one of the Calvin and Hobbes collections to relive my childhood.

[Pictured: The final Calvin and Hobbes comic, December 31, 1995]
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Sunday, August 17, 2014

Tarzan (1999) - 7 stars out of 10

Tarzan (1999) - 7 stars out of 10

 “Tarzan” is a tough movie to rate.  It is that awkward transitional film between the epic musicals of the Disney Renaissance and the “next generation does not want to watch our characters sing” movement of the 2000’s.  If you compare “Tarzan” to the Disney musicals that came before it, it seems incomplete.  If you compare it to animated films where the characters do not spontaneously burst into song, it is pretty good.  I can definitely understand why the writers did not want Tarzan to don a top hat and cane and prance about the forest.  That would slightly ruin his manly image.  But I also believe that the film would be a lot more engaging if the characters expressed their emotions through song.  Picture this:  Kala sings all of You’ll Be In My Heart instead of just the first 30 seconds, young Tarzan sings a song about fitting in (a la I Just Can’t Wait To Be King), Jane sings a song debating whether she could love a man from a different world, Clayton and the hunters sing a Be Prepared-esque song about capturing the apes, and the Strangers Like Me montage would still fit in perfectly!  Why wasn’t I consulted before they made this film?  Don’t get me wrong, I adore these songs by Phil Collins.  Some of my favorite Disney songs of all-time come from this film and there are times when Phil’s music is the perfect background for a montage that tells a part of the story.  I love the imagery in Strangers Like Me during the lyrics “Take my hand, there’s a world I need to know,” and the mirror images of the gorilla and human families in “Two Worlds” really get the point across.  Unfortunately, the film has one montage after another which makes it feels like we are fast-forwarding through significant parts of the story and missing out on important details (though I guess that’s how they justified making “Tarzan II”…)  I was initially upset that the opening of the film jumps right into the boat accident and that we never got to know Tarzan's parents.  But in hindsight, it is a very exciting way to begin a film and helps us to understand how little time Tarzan had with them.  The Trashin’ the Camp sequence is really cool, but seems out of place without meaningful songs sung by the main characters.  That being said, I enjoyed Disney’s adaptation of this story.  The concept of having Tarzan basically surf on the tree branches creates great visual appeal (what kid didn’t want to be able to do that?) and keeps him from having to swing on vines the entire film.  The surfing has a three-dimensional feel to it and is complimented by the Deep Canvas CGI technique invented to bring the backgrounds of this film to life.  “Tarzan’s” visuals are stunning and probably the reason that critics loved this so much.  While the story is interesting, most of the serious moments are interrupted with comedy before we are able to have the proper emotional response.  Examples include when Kala is trying to rescue baby Tarzan from an attacking tiger, and when they first hear gunshots but it is immediately turned into a fart joke for the elephant.  It reminds me of “Mulan” when their location is revealed because of a misfired rocket, and the camera immediately cuts to a guilty-looking Mushu which cheapens the severity of the moment.  All Disney movies have that moment where I wish that would’ve just let us feel something without turning it into a joke, but this movie seemed to be a constant stream of those moments.  I do appreciate that the communication between Tarzan and Jane is believable.  Unlike “Pocahontas” where the characters magically understand each other after two minutes, the film emphasizes the communication barrier through Tarzan’s ability to mimic words without comprehending.  When he does eventually learn to communicate, it is on a basic level that a person could realistically learn in a week.  I also appreciate the film’s cleverness, like dressing the elephant trunk as Jane’s father and the cameo by Chip and Mrs. Potts!  I think that the character of Jane is the best part of the film.  Through her compassion toward Tarzan and conflicted feelings, she achieves a level of depth that the other characters do not.  Minnie Driver captures this depth in her delivery of each line.  I also loved the voice acting of Glenn Close as Kala, Nigel Hawthorne as Jane’s father, and Wayne Knight as the very nervous elephant Tantor.  “Tarzan” has a lot of good and a lot of bad, but I would definitely watch this film again for its stunning visuals and amazing Phil Collins soundtrack (even though the songs should be sung by the characters!)
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