Narrative wise, there isn’t much to “Bambi” and its story that garners a lot of subtext or undertones. Bambi is born, he learns about the world, his mom dies, he becomes a man, falls in love, and the end. For the rest of the world “Bambi” is a bonafide masterpiece, but objectively it’s a very stripped down and basic animated movie that feels so much more like an animation experiment than it does a movie.
Tag Archives: Animation
The Lion King (1994)
Whether Disney did or didn’t plagiarize Osamu Tezuka’s “Kimba the White Lion,” we’ll never truly know. What I do know for certain is that “The Lion King” is still one of the best cinematic experiences I’ve ever had, and my number two animated film of all time. It’s a bold mixture of 2D animation, and amazing CGI that combines to tell a rather adult and complex tale about revenge and destiny.
Paddington Bear: The Complete Classic Series (DVD)
It’s Paddington Bear! Yeah, I don’t remember him either, but he’s now on DVD available from Mill Creek in his complete series where the often befuddled and reluctant sweet Bear finds himself an orphan lost at a train station who is soon taken in by a friendly family who helps him discover life and all sorts of misadventures where he bakes cakes, fishes, and discovers new foods.
The Land Before Time (1988)
I really can’t imagine a film like “The Land Before Time” being released today. As a kids film it teaches about strength, courage, and the willingness to look for hope in darkness. But as a film in general, director Don Bluth offers a story drenched in sadness, terror, and an almost endless amount of sadness. “The Land Before Time,” like much of Bluth’s work, has held up monumentally well over the year with a beautiful eye for detail, painting a massive world on the threshold of evolving in to something new, while also losing much of its own species to death and turmoil.
Grading The Disney Movie TV Spin-Offs
We’re admitted Disney-philes who spent many years watching anything Disney served its fans. Even at our age, we’re still very invested in almost anything Disney creates, and growing up in the nineties, we spent many afternoons watching Disney animated series. Most of what Disney gave fans in the realm of animated series were shows based off of their hit movies and classics, so fans interested in seeing more of their beloved cinematic characters had the chance to see more from them in televised form. While they weren’t always home runs, they were surefire animated shows that could never quite be compared to modern animated series. Here are our thoughts and grades on TV Spin offs that stem from Disney movies.
The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)
What does “Hunchback” teach the audience? Whether you’re gorgeous or ugly, if the hot girl says you’re cool, you’ll become the hero. Also, the nice guy always finishes last. Surely Quasimodo rides off in to the sunset with his crowd of supporters in the end, but who is Esmerelda going home with later that night? “The Hunchback of Notre Dame” is a bastardization from Walt Disney, where they take the tragic and brilliant tale of Quasimodo and water it down so much it’s barely an adaptation when we see it in animated force.
The Continuum – Witch of Deadwood (2013)
“Witch of Deadwood” is an animated short film very much in the tradition of Bakshi and fantasy works from Tolkien, where it’s easily accessible to all ages. “Witch of Deadwood” is a peak in to a very dangerous and complex world that is brought to life with rich animation by Raymond Kosta, along with wonderful direction by Larry Longstreth. Short but sweet, “Witch of Deadwood” is set on a family of dwarves traveling through a harrowing wooded area.