Toon Talk
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(c) Disney
The soundtrack is also pumped full of boomer-friendly tunes, including "Dancing in the Streets" and "Let the Sunshine In", as well as the over-used "Born to Be Wild"; if I have to hear that song used to illustrate the next time a character decides to hit the road and be rebellious, I will go wild.
Most television animated productions mask their lower budgets and need for mass production with an obviously forced stylization. (One notable exception: The Simpsons.) Thus we have Rugrats' squigglely goofiness, Beavis & Butthead's scratchy minimalism and, with Recess, we get what can best be called lumpy blandness. (Take one look at schoolmarm harridan Ms. Finster and you'll see what I mean.)
This is easily expectable within the confines of television, but as the full-length versions of all these programs can attest, it visually suffers when forced into expanded feature film format.
Toon Talk Grade: C
Running Time: 82 minutes
In theaters now
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Toon Talk Trivia
In addition to James Woods, Disney fans will recognize the voices of the following in Recess:
School's Out:
- Charles Kimbrough as a TV newscaster. Kimbrough, best know for playing the role of stiff newscaster Jim Dial on the long-running sitcom Murphy Brown, provided the voice of Victor in The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
- R. Lee Ermey as an army colonel. The folks at Disney must like Ermey's militaristic voice: He voiced Sarge, the leader of the Green Army Men, in the Toy Story films.
- Tony Jay as a scientist. Another Hunchback alumnus, Jay was the evil Frollo in that film, as well as Monsieur D'Arque in Beauty & the Beast.
Related Links
- Purchase Soundtrack from Amazon.com
- Official site from Disney.com
- Recess:
School's Out on IMDB
Includes full cast and other film details - Other Recess reviews from Movies.com
-- Kirby C. Holt
Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.
The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.
-- Posted March 5, 2001