MOVIE: Aladdin (1992)

by benmweilertNo Comments
AladdinYear: 1992Rating: GLength: 90 minutes / 1.50 hours Growing up, I never felt Disney movies were something that appealed to me as a young boy. Most were fairy tales of princesses, and I didn't connect with Snow White (1937), Sleeping Beauty (1959), or The Little Mermaid (1989). Then along came Aladdin (1992). Not only was the main character male, but the movie was full of action, adventure, and a funny performance by Robin Williams as the Genie. It quickly became my favorite Disney film and remains so to this day. Ultimately, Aladdin taught me a few things about life. Being content with our circumstances can keep us out of a lot of trouble; telling the truth is easier earlier on before the lies grow into more complex scenarios; and sometimes the quick magical fix isn't the right way to go about solving a problem. That I could relate much easier to Aladdin and his struggles as he tries to woo the princess...
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MOVIE: Happy Feet (2006)

by benmweilertNo Comments
Happy Feet Year: 2006 Rating: PG Length: 108 minutes / 1.80 hours Very few movies have pivoted so hard on me like Happy Feet (2006). I vaguely remembered the trailers for this film back in the day but wasn't too interested in it because it wasn't from Disney or Pixar (I might have also confused it with Surf's Up (2007)). However, the fact that it won Best Animated Picture for that year should have told me there was something special here. However, my expectations for Happy Feet were much different than the plot twist that I hadn't seen coming. Since I was coming in cold to this film (har har), I had expected it to be the standard "individual is unique, but doesn't fit in with the status quo" type plot. After all, the main character (voiced by Elijah Wood) is the odd-one-out in a community of penguins by being unable to sing. However, this inability to sing is overshadowed by Mumble's extraordinary ability to...
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