Unless you’ve lived under a rock or have lived a very sheltered life, you probably know that Walt Disney became the king of animated films when he first released Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs in 1937. A hit, the film led to more classic fairy tales and children’s stories being brought to life through the wonders of animation.

In 1950, Walt Disney Productions brought Cinderella to the big screen and the film has charmed audiences ever since. Now Disney has gotten into the business of remaking its classic animated films, past and present, as live action extravaganzas. Last year’s Maleficent, based on Sleeping Beauty‘s grand villainess, was a monster success and more remakes — Beauty and the Beast, The Jungle Book — are in the works (and let’s not forget Disney did remake 101 Dalmations several years ago). For now, we have Disney’s Cinderella brought to magical life.

You probably know the story: young orphan is treated badly by her stepmother and stepsisters, basically treated like the help instead of family, she meets a prince in the forest, he is smitten and holds a ball to which everyone is invited, she arrives with the help of her Fairy Godmother, clock strikes midnight, she must run, loses a shoe and he takes the shoe (a glass slipper) throughout the kingdom to find its owner. And, of course, they live happily ever after. Spoiler alert?

The 1950 version followed that plot and the 2015 version is extremely and thankfully faithful to its source material. There’s been no attempt to modernize the story, although you’d be hard-pressed to pinpoint an exact time period (but there are no cars) which helps make the film and the story timeless.

Lily James, better known as Lady Rose MacClare on Downton Abbey, is simply wonderful as Ella (the Cinder part is attached to her after she is forced to work in the kitchen). She radiates innocence and purity and love and happiness, she’s pretty but not beautiful, she gives Ella a nice down-to-earth charm that should be a good role model for young girls. Even in her darkest moments of being emotionally bullied by her step-family, she remains true to herself and never wallows in her own self pity. Once she’s transformed and knows the prince wants to marry her, she still retains that charm that had been instilled in her from childhood. James makes Cinderella someone to really root for.

On the other hand, you have the deliciously evil Stepmother played with aplomb by Cate Blanchett. The character certainly could have given Blanchett reason enough for some juicy scenery chewing, but she manages to keep Stepmother just this side of a caricature. And as with Maleficent, the script gives us a little bit of an insight into why she’s so mean so as to humanize her, but you’re still happy that she and her daughters get what’s coming to them in the end.

Richard Madden, Game of Thrones‘ Robb Stark, is a prince any girl would want to marry and any boy might aspire to be. Even with his regal bearings, he’s just as down-to-earth as Ella and refuses to be married off to another kingdom’s royalty just because his father and the royal court says that’s the way it’s done. He goes to the end of his land to find the mysterious girl from the ball, and you can’t help but fall in love with them as they fall in love.

Helena Bonham Carter shows up for one scene as the comic relief Fairy Godmother (she also sings “Bibbity Bobbity Boo” over the end credits), Derek Jacobi is the King and Stellan Skarsgård is the Grand Duke. Director Kenneth Brannagh firmly grounds the film in its own special world, opting to use mostly physical sets over the routine CGI creations which really helps the fairy tale fantasy feel more realistic. The scene where the clock strikes midnight and Cinderella must flee the ball before everything returns to their normal states, from lizard footmen to the goose carriage drive, is a breathtakingly shot and edited chase scene that will keep you on the edge of your seat even though you know how it ends. And kudos to the CGI department who really give life to a bunch of digital mice. If you didn’t know better, you’d swear they were real, trained performers.

Cinderella is certainly geared towards a female audience, young and old alike, but the action, special effects and palace intrigue should be appealing to everyone. The film is enjoyably pleasant (and also features some gorgeous costumes) and you won’t feel like you just wasted two hours of your life after you exit the theater.

As a bonus, audiences are treated to the new animated short Frozen Fever featuring the cast of the original film. The story follows Elsa as she tries to plan a birthday party for Anna, but a cold could prevent her from getting Anna to her party. It’s wonderfully animated and tells a cute story with one big laugh, but it’s ultimately not quite as memorable as Frozen. Luckily, Disney announced there will be a Frozen 2, so this should hold fans over until then.

This year ABC is doubling down on the winter mini-season, launching two high concept niche shows over what is normally, for most networks, a break from new content. Both Galavant and Marvel’s Agent Carter are period pieces consisting of 8 episodes each. However, for some reason, ABC decided to air Agent Carter over eight weeks while doubling up on Galavant’s shorter thirty-minute episodes over four. In this age of fewer summer reruns and little chance of syndication for a shorter run leads us to believe that the original plan was to air the show over eight weeks as well — otherwise why not just produce four-hour long installments? Maybe they thought stretching it out over eight weeks would lose too many audience members.

Regardless of whether ABC had faith in Galavant or not, the end result is a delightfully cheesy show, a dash of Disney, a pinch of Monty Python, with a side of The Princess Bride. Composer and Disney golden boy Alan Menken, along with the team behind Tangled, have created a fun world in which characters can turn from wholesome to risqué on a dime. With a relatively unknown cast save for former Psych cast member Timothy Omundson and go-to baddie Vinnie Jones, along with a few funny cameos, Menken and Co. have managed to make something that feels original yet familiar at the same time. The lead actors have wonderful chemistry and even Vinnie Jones, who has become almost a parody of himself at this point, works wonderfully as a gruff thug in contrast with Omundson’s prissy king.

The biggest complaint you could make about Galavant is it could have used a one or two more memorable songs. While the majority of the songs were fantastic and almost too catchy for their own good (the title song alone will be bouncing around your head for hours after), several songs throughout the season were less than stellar, there more to drive the plot or serve exposition. Admittedly, these only stick out because we’ve been so spoiled by some of the standout numbers: the pirates’ “Lords of the Sea” along with “Hey Hey We’re the Monks” being two prime examples. Some people will be turned off by the musical aspect of the show but frankly anyone who doesn’t like musicals should stay clear. Galavant doesn’t shy away from the cheesy, flamboyant nature of an old-fashioned musical. If anything they turn hard into the skid. Many of the musical numbers demand repeat viewings and you can’t help but laugh at some of the ridiculous antics that take place.

Plot and writing-wise there were weak points scattered throughout the season. A few parts of our heroes’ journey felt a bit glossed over while others felt like they went on longer than necessary. The pirates we meet in episode four are so funny and offbeat you could easily see multiple episodes dedicated to the adventures they had together on their way to Valencia. It’s a shame they weren’t kept in the mix.  The finale also had some awkward moments that didn’t seem to fit the rest of the season: Princess Isabella went from a strong independent woman to a more traditional damsel waiting to be rescued, and Galavant’s plan to get King Richard drunk to go after his brother seemed unnecessary — though it did lead to one of the best musical numbers, “We’re Off on a Secret Mission.” The biggest surprise that came out of Galavant‘s season finale is that it wasn’t a series finale, we’re left with all our characters in precarious situations and our story draws to a close on a cliffhanger. It seemed like this was a one season and done situation so the fact that we now have to hope for a second season to get any kind of resolution was a real shocker. Though after seeing how fun King Richard and Galavant are together, the promise of more of their growing bromance is exciting. With the way everyone is left at the show’s close, there’s a lot of potential for new settings, situations, and some dynamic pairings of characters. Hopefully these will lead to some great songs as well.

Whether or not we get another season, Galavant was different from the rest of the pack, it did something unique and will no doubt have fans and detractors both in abundance. But for those of us who love musicals and can appreciate the show for the funny, cheesy, self-aware approach it takes, Galavant is a welcome addition to the television landscape and here’s hoping we can have at least one more season of humming that damn catchy titular song over and over again.

Class? We’re now in session so please settle down.

You’re going to want to pay attention because what I’m about to discuss will account for 50% of your grade.

Are you ready? Good … let’s begin.

We’re going to take a look at two different words today. Both are adjectives:

MOST [mohst]
adjective, superlative of much or many with more as comparison
1. in the greatest quantity, amount, measure, degree, or number: to win the most votes.
2. in the majority of instances: Most operations are successful.
3. greatest, as in size or extent: the most talent.

 

POP·U·LAR [pop-yuh-ler]
adjective
1. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people in general: a popular preacher.
2. regarded with favor, approval, or affection by an acquaintance or acquaintances: He’s not very popular with me just now.
3. of, pertaining to, or representing the people, especially the common people: popular discontent.
4. of the people as a whole, especially of all citizens of a nation or state qualified to participate in an election: popular suffrage; the popular vote; popular representation.
5. prevailing among the people generally: a popular superstition.

Now … let’s put the two words together and look at them:

MOST POPULAR

For comparison’s sake and for the sake of this example, we’ll use the second definition of “most” (in the majority of instances) and the first definition of “popular” (regarded with favor, approval, or affection by people in general) to illustrate and launch further discussion.

In this context of their conjoinment, something noted as “most popular” could be surmised as “regarded with favor in the majority of instances.” That makes perfect sense …

That is, except in the case of the piece Disney’s Marvel and Netflix Join Forces to Develop Historic Four Series Epic plus a Mini-Series Event in which the characters Daredevil, Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are mentioned.

You see … the author’s (whoever s/he is) choice of characters is hardly indicative of the “most popular” in the pantheon of Marvel superheroes. One could successfully argue the only real popular standout of the group is Daredevil who many of you may or may not be acquainted with. Still, if the article caught your eye — and you’re at least a passing fan of the comic arts — you’d probably recognize Daredevil at the very least. Both Luke Cage (also known as Power Man) and Iron Fist might jog your memory; they were products of the 1970s, specifically of the then-popular genres of Blacksploitation film and the Kung Fu craze. And unless you actually read comics, it’s highly doubtful you’d know who Jessica Jones is.

So, with the (still iffy) exception of Daredevil, I submit to you the quartet in question doesn’t come close to being “most popular” in a line-up of superheroes.

There has been a bevy of characters created — and who have had (or continue to have) their own books — tons more popular than most of that quartet. The Fantastic Four. Spider-Man. The Avengers. The Incredible Hulk. Thor. Iron Man. The X-Men. Ghost Rider. Green Lantern. Green Arrow. Conan The Barbarian. Werewolf By Night. Howard The Duck. Dr. Strange. Man-Thing. Captain America. Deathlok. The Sub-Mariner. The Silver Surfer. Ka-Zar, Lord Of The Jungle.

That being said, let’s get something straight: In no way am I trying to diminish the importance or popularity these characters possess. Each and every one of them are cemented in the Marvel Universe, complete with their own histories, their own attractions. With regard to nothing more than the statement made in the article above, I simply state (with the exception of Daredevil) Jessica Jones, Luke Cage and Iron Fist are not, and never were, the “most popular” in Marvel’s history.

So class … I bet you’re wondering what the assignment is … right?

Today’s assignment is to discuss why (or why not) the noted characters are the “most popular.” Or, if you’re daring, why they’re popular at all. They’re obviously popular enough in the eyes of Disney’s Marvel and Netflix “to bring multiple original series of live-action adventures” to the characters. Correct?

You have 30 minutes. Get cracking …

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What do you do when all you have is your job? If it’s fulfilling and meaningful, you’ve got that much to keep yourself pushing on. But what if your job just … stinks?

Wreck-It Ralph begins with almost instant parallels to Toy Story, with its mixture of a real world arcade and how the video game characters interact with it. But soon enough, we see this is only part of the story, and not the important part. Ralph (John C. Reilly) is the villain of a classic 80’s arcade game that’s still somewhat popular in the modern age (similar to Donkey Kong or Pac-Man), the titular wrecker of buildings before the hero Fix-It Felix Jr. (Jack McBrayer of 30 Rock) fixes it all with his magic hammer. But after 30 years of the same old, same old, Ralph longs for something more — acceptance and an end to his loneliness and isolation. Strong stuff already. The previews have already shown the fantastic “Villains Anonymous” scene where Ralph opens up with all the classic video game villains, although I wouldn’t call Street Fighter II’s Russian wrestler Zangief a villain.

The movie starts strong, almost shockingly so, even more if you (like I did) actually played some of those classic games as a kid. Can’t help but smile at it. The rest of the movie, while still a lot of fun, doesn’t quite live up to its initial potential. It wavers a bit quickly, when Ralph gets into his head that he needs to get a medal like Felix gets after each winning game — after that, everyone will love Ralph. From then, it’s an escape into the fabulous Game Central (an analog for a surge protector connecting each arcade game), filled with dozens of video game cameos, some visible for only a second — keep an eye out for Q*Bert! Ralph ends up in a first person shooter amalgam called Hero’s Duty (based on such games as Call of Duty and Halo) where he runs into hard as nails Sgt. Calhoun (a very good Jane Lynch, although … well I’ll get to that). Through a few more plot machinations that I won’t spoil, Ralph ends up in a cutesy Japanese-inspired racing game meeting another outcast, Vannellope (Sarah Silverman). Vannellope desperately wants to race, but isn’t being allowed by King Candy (an utterly spectacular and unrecognizable Alan Tudyk, channeling Ed Wynn).

Without spoiling the plot, it’s hard to get into the specifics of where the movie does and doesn’t work, but essentially it contains three plots. The main one, the story of Ralph and Vannellope, is the strongest and most meaningful, building up a relationship quickly between two different but similar characters. The next plot is about the possible invasion of the cutesy game by the violent one, which could lead to the game being unplugged — it sort of drives the story, especially the third act. But it’s really more of a straightforward action movie, with some clever bits. The other subplot is the romantic one, which I won’t even explain, because it went on too long and I don’t want to give it away. Some people might still like it, after all. But Sgt. Calhoun’s character ends up being the least interesting of the bunch.

The movie is preceded by the interesting animated short Paperman that blends 2D animation with 3D elements in a lovely, wordless love story. It’s a nice way to get started, although the 3D in Wreck-It Ralph is purely serviceable, not required.

The movie is a lot of fun, and even a bit meaningful at times (some actual moral ambiguity at first) before it becomes just a decent Disney movie. So you don’t need to be a video game fan to enjoy this movie, but it certainly helps.

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You know how they say you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover? Well, I have to admit that I’ve been guilty of that when it comes to most direct-to-video movies, especially those aimed at the Disney target audience. I’ve enjoyed plenty of Disney’s theatrical films over the years, including many of their animated films, but I’ve never given a thought to taking a look at any of the animated films made directly for the home video market. Especially when it comes to the series of Tinkerbell movies, which like the Disney princesses, I assumed were made specifically for little girls.

So when the new “Tinkerbell Fairy Movie” Secret of the Wings arrived on my doorstep (courtesy of Walt Disney Home Video for reviewing purposes), I was intrigued especially because I was also fortunate enough to receive the 3D version of the film. The cover artwork alone was gorgeous, but I was still not sure how much time and effort actually went into making a feature-length film that’s not going to be seen on a giant screen (for the most part, that is, because Disney has been screening this film theatrically for invited audiences). From the moment the disk booted up, I have to say that my sock were completely blown off.

Secret of the Wings is another in the Tinkerbell franchise of films, and for someone like me who only knows Tink as the mute fairy from Peter Pan, it’s strange to hear her talking … but I guess Disney doesn’t really have a market for films where the main character never speaks. Once I got over that hurdle, I was totally drawn into the story which is simple enough for the child viewer but not simplistic for the adult. Tinkerbell and her friends are “warm” fairies, meaning they live in a world where spring meets winter and they are forbidden to cross over into the cold realm. But Tink wants to know what it’s like over there, so she concocts a plan to get her across the bridge into the snowy world to get a taste of the cold climate. She learns, however, that her wings are not made for the cold and almost damages them beyond repair before returning to the warmth. She figures out how to keep them warm for a second journey and then discovers something wondrous … another fairy named Periwinkle who, it turns out, is Tink’s twin sister separated at birth (or by the wind … I’m still not sure how fairies are born). But with the rules forbidding the two worlds from mingling, how will the sisters bond?

Secret of the Wings is filled with great characters voiced by some wonderful actors including Megan Hilty (Rosetta), Timothy Dalton (Lord Milori), Lucy Hale (Periwinkle), Anjelica Huston (Queen Clarion), Matt Lanter (Sled), Jesse McCartney (Terence), Lucy Liu (Silvermist), Raven-Symoné (Iridessa), and Jane Horrocks (Fairy Mary). Kids may not care about the voices, but sometimes it’s a little distracting for the adults who keep asking themselves, “Who is that speaking?” Either way, it’s a pretty stellar cast. The story really scores on the emotional level as well, especially when Tink and Peri are told they can no longer see each other. It’s a truly emotional moment and I found myself getting a little teary-eyed even though I knew things were going to work out in the end (another plot point regarding the law forbidding warm and cold from crossing over is also easy enough to figure out, for adults, but it still doesn’t detract from the film). The screenwriters put a lot of effort into making the story engaging on many different levels and they skillfully manage to never talk down to viewers of any age (and having a little help from John Lasseter and Pixar probably didn’t hurt).

Aside from the actors and the story, Secret of the Wings is one of the most visually sumptuous animated films I have ever seen, especially one made directly for video. The scenery is gorgeous and colorful on the warm side, and all icy whites and blues on the cold side (and still beautiful, particularly if you enjoy winter scenery). I really was stunned by the level of detail in the scenery, the characters (particularly the hair), and the furry detail on the wintry costumes. The film looks amazing in 2D and, if you’re an adopter of the process, the 3D draws you into both worlds and adds even more depth to the story and the experience of watching it. I’d have to say that the 3D on Secret of the Wings is comparable in effect to Avatar. It was one of the sharpest, clearest 3D Blu-rays I’ve seen so far.

Call me a convert now. I am totally impressed by the work and care that went into the making of Secret of the Wings. Even without the 3D, the story is magically enchanting for children of all ages, with plenty of laughs that come organically out of the situations and a few genuinely heart-tugging moments that aren’t cloying. I have to say that I’ve learned my lesson and won’t dismiss outright any more of these direct-to-video features.  The video is available in several different editions, including Spanish versions (click on the links below for more information about each). Extras on the Blu-ray and DVD include the short, Pixie Hollow Games (the fairies of Pixie Hollow compete in their own version of the Olympics), a Pixie Preview of Fright Light, and two music videos featuring songs from the movie. Whichever edition of the movie you choose, I think children and adults will be extremely satisfied.

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