Friday, April 30, 2010

The ABC's of Disney movies, as told by me (R/S)


Two more letters today!

R –


Ratatouille (2007)


This movie is so adorable! I was drawn to it because 1) it takes place in Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world and 2) it is about cooking which I really like learning about and watching (Food channel anyone? :)) I don’t know how, but they make the food look so delicious and I always want to try it…or maybe I’m just always hungry when I watch it, I don’t know! It’s a funny and heartwarming movie that is sure to please anyone. Definitely one of my top 10 Disney movies :D

Fun Facts:

At the last scene in the film as Ego asks Remy to surprise him for dessert, three pans behind Remy in the kitchen form a hidden Mickey.

John Ratzenberger once again provides a voice in a Pixar film (the only actor do so in every Pixar film). It's also noted that this is the first time Ratzenberger has voiced a human. Before, he has voiced a piggy bank in Toy Story (1995) and Toy Story 2 (1999); a flea in A Bug's Life (1998); The Abominable Snowman in Monsters, Inc. (2001); a school of fish in Finding Nemo (2003); a robotic miner in The Incredibles (2004); and a Mack truck in Cars (2006).

When Remy is climbing out of the sewers for the first time, he is barked at by a dog in one of the homes. You only see the dog's silhouette, but it is actually the dog, Dug, from Pixar's then still-in-production film, Up (2009).

Fun Quotes:

Colette: Horst has done time.
Linguini: What for?
Colette: No one know for sure. He changes the story every time you ask him.
Horst: I defrauded a major corporation.
Horst: I robbed the second-largest bank in France using only a ball-point pen.
Horst: I created a hole in the ozone layer over Avignon.
Horst: I killed a man... with this thumb.

Remy: Hey, I brought you something to...
[sees Emile eating garbage]
Remy: AH! NO, NO, NO, NO! SPIT THAT OUT RIGHT NOW!
[Emile obeys]
Remy: I have got to teach you about food. Close your eyes.
[Emile obeys; Remy hands out piece of cheese]
Remy: Now take a bite of this...
[Emile snarfs the cheese]
Remy: No, no, no! Don't just hork it down!
Emile: Too late.

[Skinner has gotten Linguini drunk in the hopes of getting him to admit that he has a rat under his hat]
Linguini: Hey... Why do they call it that?
Skinner: What?
Linguini: Ratatouille. It's like a stew, right? Why do they call it that? If you're gonna name a food, you should give it a name that sounds delicious. Ratatouille doesn't sound delicious. It sounds like "rat" and "patootie." Rat-patootie, which does not sound delicious.

Runner-up
The Rescuers: Down Under (1990)


I don’t know if anyone remembers this movie, but I liked it. I thought it was actually a pretty good sequel to the original Rescuers (which I almost put in “R” as well!). It takes place in Australia (note the “down under”) and the plot is similar to the original but with all new characters and adventures. I haven’t seen this in quite a while actually…another movie I’m going to add to my “watch” list. :)

Fun Facts:

This was Disney’s first animated sequel.

This was the first 100% digital feature film ever made. The animation and backgrounds were done traditionally but all of the coloring, many effects and the final film printing was all done digitally. This was the first film produced with Disney's Academy Award Winning "CAPS" production system.

Fun Quotes:

Miss Bianca , RAS Mouse: Oh, Captain. Is this a non-stop flight to Australia?
Wilbur: Well, no, no. I can definitely say no. We're gonna have to make connections with a bigger bird. Non-stop? Who do I look like, Charles Lindbergh?

Jake: the Outback Kangaroo-Mouse: So, um, which way are taking', uh, Suicide Trail through Nightmare Canyon, or the shortcut at Satan's Ridge?
Bernard: Su-Suicide Trail?
Jake: the Outback Kangaroo-Mouse: Good choice. More snakes, but less quicksand. Then once you cross Bloodworm Creek, you're scot free, this is until, um... Dead Dingo Pass
Bernard: [sees that the map has nothing but landscapings] Wa-wa-wait a minute, I don't-I don't see any-any of that-that stuff on the map.

S –

The Sword in the Stone (1963)

This is another one of those Disney classics. I think it was a part of Disney’s Masterpiece collection as well, but I’m not entirely sure. Anyway, this movie tells the story of how Arthur came to be King of England with the help of Merlin the wizard. It has fun songs and a lot of fantasy tied in with it (extreme magic duel between Merlin and Madam Mim anyone?). I was going to watch this last weekend but didn’t get enough time :( perhaps sometime in the upcoming week I’ll fit it in somewhere!

Fun Facts:


Character designer Bill Peet gave Merlin Walt Disney's nose.


Arthur was voiced by three different boys - Rickie Sorensen, Richard Reitherman and Robert Reitherman. The changes in voice are very noticeable in the film because of the way Arthur's voice keeps going from broken to unbroken, sometimes in the same scene. One of the easiest noticed is in the last scene in the throne room when Arthur asks in his "changed voice", "Oh, Archimedes, I wish Merlin was here!" Then, the camera cuts farther back and Arthur shouts in his "unchanged voice," "Merlin! Merlin!"

The climactic battle between Merlin and Mad Madam Mim is often cited by animation experts as some of the best character animation to that date. The characters go through numerous physical transformations during battle, yet retain their identifying features; Merlin's guises are blue and include his glasses and facial hair, while Mim's are pink and purple and have her messy hair.

Fun Quotes:

Arthur: I'm in an awful pickle. I'm king!
Archimedes the Owl: He pulled the sword from the stone.
Merlin: Ha ha! Of course, of course. King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table.
Arthur: Round table?
Merlin: Oh, would you rather have a square one?
Arthur: Oh, no. Round will be fine.

Arthur: Oh, Merlin! You're back from Ber... Ber...
Merlin: Bermuda? Yes, back from Bermuda and the 20th century. And believe me, you can have it. One big modern mess!

Merlin: Why, they might even make a motion picture about you.
Arthur: Motion picture?
Merlin: Oh. Well, that's something like television... without commercials.

Runner-up
The Santa Clause (1994)


This movie has definitely become a tradition to watch every time the holidays come around. We’ve been watching it every year as long as I can remember. Tim Allen is so funny in his role, which adds to the captivating nature of the film. This is a classic all on its own to me, and I’m sure many people agree.

Fun Facts:

When Scott and Charlie are leaving the North Pole in the sleigh and pass by the moon; the moon has a distinct Mickey Mouse logo on it.

Elves are scattered throughout the movie in Scott and Charlie's world. The little blonde girl walking away from the window at the opening of the movie; the little boy putting his jacket on and wearing a red scarf as Scott and Charlie are led to their seat in Denny's; the girl walking behind the bench when Scott has kids lined up at Charlie's soccer game; the girl in the purple coat who walks by Scott and Charlie in the park when Scott wants Charlie to stop talking about the Santa Claus; and the attentive little boy in the blue turtleneck behind Charlie's desk during show and tell are all elves. They show up as a group at the end of the movie when Scott flies away from the Miller house, they are the kids who run and skip off.

When Charlie and the new Santa return to the North Pole for the new Christmas, Bernard introduces the techno-savvy elf Quentin, who proceeds to tell Santa about the gadgets the sleigh now has. This is a nod to the James Bond series character "Q", who is the technology master for James Bond’s vehicles.

Fun Quotes:

Dr. Neil Miller: [in a light-hearted phychiatry tone] Scott, what was the last thing you and Charlie did, before you went to bed Christmas Eve?
Scott Calvin: [sarcastically] We shared a bowl of sugar, did some shots of brown liqour, played with my shot guns, field-dressed a cat, looked for women...
[honestly]
Scott Calvin: I read him a book!
Dr. Neil Miller: What book?
Scott Calvin: [sarcastically] Uh, "Hollywood Wives."
[Laura puts her hand into her face, giving off a resentful gesture]
Scott Calvin: [honestly] "The Night Before Christmas", folks, come on!


Scott Calvin: Where is he?
Laura: Well, he could be listening to records jumping up and down on his bed wearing a red hat and galloshes.
Scott Calvin: I don't care what Neil's doing. Where's Charlie?

Scott Calvin: Hey, Barabbas!
Bernard: Ber-nard!
Scott Calvin: Bernard, can we take a direct flight back to reality, or do we have to stop and change planes in Denver?

Until next time,


HAVE A MAGICAL DAY!

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