Walt Disney Presents: Disneyland 1961 - 9 stars out of 10

Walt Disney Presents: Disneyland 1961 - 9 stars out of 10

“Disneyland 1961” delivers everything that I am always hoping for out of a park grand opening tv special.  This program provides a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the park, an explanation of expansion from Walt Disney, and then an extensive look at the rides and attractions throughout the park.  It truly feels like a visit to Disneyland is like experiencing your favorite Disney movies and tv shows.  It would have been impossible to watch this back in 1961 without getting an immediate and strong desire to pack up and go.  A modern viewing captures a classic perception of the world’s first theme park while still creating an intense desire to visit the park.  I was particularly taken with the detailed looks at the Matterhorn, train, and submarine voyage.  The special is filled with catchy songs about the rides and a fireworks finale!  I would love to have some Disney World specials like this one to share with my children before their first visit.  Whether you are looking for nostalgia or a historic look at the growth of Disneyland, “Walt Disney Presents: Disneyland 1961” is a must watch!

Watch the special here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgug68QQxls

[Pictured: We can all look up a POV of The Matterhorn on YouTube, but it’s just not the same as this tv special’s high-speed compilation]

London Has Fallen - 5 stars out of 10

London Has Fallen - 5 stars out of 10

"London Has Fallen" tells a great counterterrorist, rescue-the-president story in the ilk of "24."  Even though it is an entertaining action film, it is often overshadowed by excessive language (dozens of f-words) and extreme violence.  I actually found the squishing of knives being thrust into the abdomens of bad guys to be significantly less offensive than the onslaught of profanity that detracted from the scenes instead of enhancing them.  The film works independently of "Olympus Has Fallen," requiring very little prerequisite information or connection to the characters of the first film.  The writers actually learned a lesson from Olympus’ oversaturated plot.  They take an interesting concept and allow it to drive the momentum of the film instead of creating cumbersome subplots that are barely related.  The story isn’t going to blow anybody’s mind but it certainly rises above the expectation for your typically summer blockbuster action film.  The thing that draws attention to this film is the stunning shots of London’s destruction.  Even if you have never been to London, landmarks like Big Ben and Parliament are recognizable that everyone can appreciate the shock value of seeing them destroyed.    My favorite part of the film is the tremendous tracking shot through a gunfight in the streets of London that had to have lasted at least two minutes.  But even when you have the intensity of Gerard Butler and the awesomeness of Morgan Freeman, and endless barrage of profanity will leave you feeling like the film was dirtier than necessary.  I would love to see an edit of this film.  The story is interesting and the acting sequences are filmed well, but the crew couldn’t trust their product to please and audience so they resorted to extra gore and vulgar dialogue.  I enjoyed “London Has Fallen” but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if the writers had just trusted their story to be good on its own.

[Pictured: The film is pretty good until the profanity hits its stride]

Destino - 7 stars out of 10

Destino - 7 stars out of 10

What do Walt Disney and Salvador Dali have in common?  The answer to this cryptic question is the surrealist animated short, “Destino.”  While the style of this short is fascinating, its 58-year production history is even more interesting.  In 1945, a collaboration began that would combine Disney’s storytelling with Dali’s artistic style.  It was storyboarded over an 8-month period when the fallout of World War II took its toll on the economy and permanently shelved the project.  With the eventual deaths of Disney and Dali, the project was seemingly lost forever until Roy E. Disney stumbled upon the project in 1999.  The completed short only contains 17 seconds of footage from 1945 but keeps the story intact.  Before you approach “Destino” with an expectation of a traditional Disney short, the animation looks nothing like Disney.  It is more like a combination of cubism and Dali’s signature melting clocks.  Also, the story is used mainly to tie together the interesting imagery.  This film is more like a work of art than a child-friendly cartoon.  There are some fascinating visual moments where a silhouetted shape suddenly becomes something else.  It’s too difficult to describe and worth watching the 6-minute short to see these transformation.  The surrealism is further enhanced by the antiquated musical soundtrack that contrasts the modern computer animation.  Even though I find the film to be trippy and difficult to follow, I was glad to see it receive an Oscar nomination to bring acknowledgement to Disney for resurrecting this abandoned project.  “Destino” probably won’t leave you wanting Disney to make another short in this style, but it is worth seeing if you have an interest in Dali’s artwork. 

Watch “Destino” here: https://youtu.be/1GFkN4deuZU

[Pictured: These faces come together to reveal a ballerina in the middle]