Response to "Disney's 'Little Mermaid Second Screen Live'"

         This year Disney has decided to expand its movie viewing experience to include iPads. The Little Mermaid is set to be screened in select theaters alongside a new app for the iPad. The app includes games to play along with other audience members and sing-a-longs.
          To be honest, I’m torn about this new idea. The film production student in me is entirely against it, but the revolutionary millennial inside me is for it. I am a theatre-going purist and I am the type of person that most definitely WILL yell at you if you're texting at a movie. To me, it is the biggest insult to the movie-goers and on top of it all, the filmmakers. Tons of people have spent countless hours pouring their heart and soul into this piece of art but instead of watching it, you'd rather text your BFF Jill about how totes cute Johnny is. Not on my watch. I believe in an America with darkly light, silent movie theaters filled with attentive audiences and popcorn. But I would be ignorant to not realize that this art form is dying. Millennials are not easily entertained and they need to constantly be multitasking. Their short attention span could change film as we know it. However, do not fret because this happens every few generations in the film world. Every generation watches different kinds of movies and the later generations tend to see the earlier generations as boring. You can see this specifically in black and white movies and silent movies. Is this the new move for film everywhere?
          I personally will not be jumping on the Second Screen Live bandwagon, but I won't condemn it either. It's change or die in the entertainment business, so if this expansion of the theater experience gets more people to enjoy The Little Mermaid, then job well done Disney.

Frozen: Disney's Latest Hit

          As a busy college student, I don't really have as much time as I'd like to see movies so whenever I'm home for break, I try to see as many as I can. This time, I decided to see Disney latest smash-hit: Frozen.  
          Frozen's advertising seemed to follow the same path as Brave's in that it really is nothing like the commercials. (SPOILERS AHOY!) The story follows two princesses in Scandinavia who were very close as children, but then grow apart when Elsa, the older sister, thinks her magical powers are too dangerous. Elsa pushes away her younger sister, Anna, which makes her very lonely. In Elsa's coronation, her magical powers are revealed and she runs away. In the process, she accidentally freezes the entire town, so Anna now must try and talk some sense in to Elsa and the rest of the town. That explanation makes it sound not very exciting but it is surprisingly suspenseful.
          I have to say the best part of this film for me was Olaf. When I realized Olaf was voiced by Josh Gad (aka Elder Cunningham from Book of Mormon), I flipped out. Josh Gad is one of my favorite comedians and he made Olaf the star of the film. I genuinely laughed at so many points in this movie that it surprised me. The one thing I worry is that the kids in theatre with me weren't really laughing. I think this film appeals more towards the subtle humor of teenagers and maybe young adults. While its still a fine movie for children thematically, I think a lot of the humor goes over their heads.
          I don't want to give away the ending of the movie, but it has a surprise ending that really made the movie for me. With this ending, Disney throws away its true-love-at-first-sight/kiss-with-a-man-you-hardly-know idea for a sisterly love. Although Disney takes a step forward with this idea of love between sisters, it entirely sacrifices the parents to achieve that. Once again, Disney takes baby steps.

Atlantis: The Lost Disney Classic?

         Yesterday, as I lay procrastinating my real homework, I decided I wanted to watch Disney's Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001). What can I say, Netflix just makes not doing calc homework so easy. I always had really fond memories of this movie when I was a kid and for some reason, it just wasn't a movie I ever revisited.

          First off, I really couldn't get past the sloppy animation. There are some sequences that are really captivating with beautiful landscape, but then others just look a little bit too much like a cartoon. Also, they tried to do sort of meta-3D shots with the submarines that look really outdated. They lacked any sort of shadows, which sort of took me out of the film entirely. However, I may be looking at it from a fairly spoiled eye, so I'm sure this animation was more advanced than I'm giving it credit for.

C'mon guys, are you even trying with this lobster?

          What this movie lacks in animation, it makes up for with captivating characters. Milo is a refreshing take on a male lead. He is very awkward and nerdy, but incredibly lovable. He in unlike any other Disney male lead (except for perhaps Quasimodo) in that he lacks the stereotypical Prince Charming look. The entire crew was so funny and dynamic that I'm surprised this movie isn't more well-liked. Vinny, the demolitions expert, genuinely makes me laugh more than I think any other Disney character (props to whoever wrote him in). I just wish the cast had gotten a little bit more screen time. 

Sorry not sorry.

As much as I love Milo and Kida, the crew is just simply more entertaining. Kida also has really cheesy lines, but she still is an interesting character. And why isn't Kida considered a Disney princess? ...Maybe it's because she'd be the first Disney princess to punch someone in the face.

          While the characters themselves were entertaining, the plot just wasn't interesting enough for me to want to watch this movie again. It was fairly predictable and got boring after the first half hour. Even though its a bit boring plot-wise, they somehow rush the plot so there is never really any moment where the audience feels a powerful moment. That's not to say that I didn't like this movie though. Atlantis was definitely enjoyable, but I might bury it down into the ocean for a few more years before I watch it again.

It's the little things....

Throwback Monday?

Don't question it. Just let it happen.*

 Left: This picture has been hanging in my bedroom for the longest time. I'm still a little unsure of my expression....happy?....sad?....get this costume off of me? Maybe.
Right: No description needed. Cuteness at its absolute finest.

Left: I don't think that was my swimsuit. ...But then again I don't think all that human stuff wasn't exactly Ariel's, right?
Right: I hadn't even seen The Hunchback of Notre Dame and somehow I decided to be Esmerelda. With a sweater, apparently.

Center: Me as Belle just contemplating life with a crown(?) and wand(?). Alternative Description: 2 sassy 4 u 

* = DISREGARD THE BOWL CUT.

Fall Break in Downtown Disney

                            

OPENING SIDENOTE: This post is long overdue, but I figured in true procrastinating spirit, better late than never!

            For me, fall break roughly translates to Halloween Horror Nights. And if you’ve never heard of Halloween Horror Nights, you are missing out on one of the most thrilling experiences of your life. I kid you not. HHN is a Halloween event hosted by Universal Studios, where guests can scream their way through seven different horrifying haunted houses. It’s exciting, but it, of course, only starts in the nighttime.

            I had planned to spend the entire day in Orlando with a few of my friends that go to the University of Florida. We greatly miscalculated how long we would spend at the Mall at Millenia and were left with a three-hour gap before HHN opened. With so much extra time, I had the brilliant idea to visit the typically overlooked Downtown Disney.

         From Legoland to a hot air balloon ride, Downtown Disney is full of a lot more excitement than you’d expect. We started off in the candy store because why not? If you go to Disney, you’re clearly not going for the healthy food. And let me tell you, this candy store did not disappoint. It was filled with Disney-themed sweets including, but most definitely not limited to, cheshire cat cake pops (delicious), Mickey Mouse candy apples (even more delicious), and Mike Wazowski-shaped cookies (I need more adjectives than delicious). We eventually decided to make a valiant effort to drag ourselves away from these glorious, glorious treats.
        The most interesting part of Downtown Disney to me was, not surprisingly, the art gallery. They had the typical intricately painted Disney landscapes that you would expect, but they also had a surprising amount of contemporary art. These pieces were more centered around the artist’s unique perspective of Disney and its impact on American culture. My absolute favorite was a set of two paintings (pictured below) that depicted only a few aspects of a Disney character, such as their hair or their foot, and given only those visuals, one could easily tell what Disney character it was. This forced me to think about how embedded these characters are into the American mindset.

 

          After visiting the art gallery, we ended up strolling around Downtown Disney, which is actually incredibly large. We passed by Legoland, a hot air balloon ride, the largest Disney store I think I've ever seen, and even a Christmas store. Before long, our three extra hours in Orlando were over and we were on our way to Universal Studios. The trip in total was very fun and I would definitely recommend Downtown Disney to anyone in the greater Orlando area. However, I can only take the bubblegum "magic" of Disney for so long and by the end, I was ready for one thing: ZOMBIES!!!!

New Disney Clothing at Forever 21

I absolutely adore Forever 21 and the fact that they made a new line with Disney makes me beyond excited. Disney is just as prevalent in the lives of young 20-somethings as it is in the hearts of young children and this is just further proof of that. I can't wait to go pick up one of those Mickey Mouse sweaters!