The Ebert & Roeper website, (www.atthemoviestv.com), now offers the option to search the archives of reviews by title, actor, and director. You can look back all the way to the early Siskel & Ebert days, and see what they had to say about the movies when they were being released. It is a lot of fun, and I spent some time looking up Disney movies from the last twenty years. It is neat to see them talk about how The Little Mermaid is like the classic Disney films and how it restored their belief in animation. I also looked up, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, where they marveled at the technology and attention to detail. When I searched for their review of Toy Story, I got to hear them talk about how impressed they were with the animation, especially the people. I find that funny, because I think the people is one part of Toy Story that does not stand the test of time. They say the story is week, but the visuals make up for it. Siskel even says that he feels going forward that their will be two forms of animation, and that CGI will not replace traditional animation but will become popular as well. With The Princess and the Frog being produced, we will get to find out if Siskel was right tweleve years ago, and that both forms of animation will flourish for a long time to come. Visit the site and look up some films, it is fun. Did you know Ebert actually gave Rocketman a thumbs up?
P.S. If you want to see a Siskel and Ebert disagreement at its best, check out Apocalypse Now. I know it is not Disney, but the review does feature some fireworks.
Quick Takes:
Parks and Resorts: Adventures by Disney has announced their 2008 itineraries. I want to go on one. Here is the rundown:
New 2008 trips
Backstage Magic – California: Hollywood and the Disneyland Resort
Coasting the Golden State – California: San Francisco, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles
Discovery Down Under – Australia: N. Queensland, Great Barrier Reef, Ayers Rock, Sydney
Enchanted China: Beijing, Chengdu, Guilin, Shanghai, Hong Kong
Flavors of France: Aix-en-Provence, Luberon Valley, Gordes, Rousillion, Paris
Grande España Spain: Madrid, Seville, Barcelona
Once Upon a Fairytale – Germany: Heidelberg, Trendelburg, Rothenburg, Munich
Sacred Valleys and Incan Cities – Peru: Lima, Machu Picchu, Cusco
Returning trips
Southwest Splendors: Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley, Moab, Arches
Spirit of America: Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., Williamsburg
Quest for the West: Jackson Hole, Grand Teton & Yellowstone National Parks
Path to Pura Vida: San Jose, Arenal, Manuel Antonio National Park
The Emerald Isle: Dublin, Killarney, Shannon
Cities of Knights & Lights: London, Paris
Roma and La Costa Bella: Rome, Pompeii, Sorrento, Positano, Amalfi, Capri
Taste of Tuscany: Rome, Orvieto, Siena, San Gimignano, Florence
Viva Italia: Rome, Florence, Venice
Imperial Cities: Vienna, Salzburg, Prague
Media Networks: The X Games have begun at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. I should probably take this time to admit my biggest folley. I thought the X Games Xperience was going to be a huge hit at Disney's California Adventure. I couldn't have been more wrong. But don't hold the failure of that promotion against the X Games. They are still fun to watch.
Disney Consumer Products: Disney announced that 2.5 million fairies at DisneyFairies.com. Both Disneyland and the World of Disney store in New York City are having events for the premiere of the new book, "Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Wand". When looking at why Disney Fairies is getting a lot of attention right now, don't forget that the Tinker Bell Movie was supposed to be release at about this time. Since that got pushed back, probably for the best, Disney had to keep the franchise alive. The Tinker Bell Movie was supposed to be the true launching pad of the franchise with the book and website gestating demand. With the delay, Disney needs to do what it can to keep the gestation going just a little bit longer.