Disney

Other Side of Heaven, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on April 3rd, 2003

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Synopsis

Christopher Gorham plays a 19-year-old Mormon who is sent on a three-year mission toconvert the islanders of the Tonga. After some initial stumbles, he learns the local languagethanks to a four-day Bible reading marathon (that’s what it looks like, anyway), and is soon goinggreat guns, despite such hardships as a vicious rival minister and a hurricane. This is anunbelievably retrograde film. Setting aside whatever doubts one might have regarding the entiremissionary project…
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Beauty And The Beast – Belle’s Magical World

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 8th, 2003

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This is a collection of short stories set in the world of Beauty and the Beast featuring Belle, Beast, Cogsworth, Lumiere and a continuing cast of characters as they explore the castle. With all new songs and all of your favorite characters from the original film this is sure to delight any of the kids in your family.

Video

The film features very good quality cell type animation with an image just short of the quality you would see in one of Disney’s feature animation films. Colors are vibr…
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101 Dalmatians 2 – Patch’s London Adventure

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 3rd, 2003

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The lovable animated puppies from 1961 are back in their all new direct to video release just for the kids. The TV obsessed Patch heads of to London to find the star of his favorite TV show Thunderbolt. The star of Thunderbolt is about to be fired and he decides that the only way to save his job is to become a real life hero, so with Patches in tow he sets of for the streets on London. Creulla De Vil returns on probation for her previous bad deeds, still determined to steal the puppies and brings new henchman Lars with her after springing Horace and Jasper from jail.
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Inspector Gadget 2

Posted in Disc Reviews by Archive Authors on March 3rd, 2003

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Inspector Gadget returns to take on the nefarious Dr. Claw who has just escaped from prison in small town Riverton. Throw into the mix an all new and improved G2…all-robot, all-tech and all-female gadget and we have the potential for a ton of fun. Inspector Gadget (this time around played by French Stewart and G2 (Elaine Hendrix) are set to save the world with help from Penny, her dog Brain and the tricked-out Gadgetmobile.

Video

Full bright and colorful scenes and characters the quality o…
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Tuck Everlasting

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on February 14th, 2003

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Synopsis

In the early years of the 20th Century, Winnie Foster (Alexis Bledel) is in the full throes ofadolescence and feeling extremely repressed by her domineering mother. Wandering off into thewoods next to her home, she stumbles upon the Tucks, a family of immortals. She falls in lovewith Jesse (Jonathan Jackson), who is 17, going on 104. Meanwhile, a supremely sinister BenKingsley is tracking the Tucks, hoping to make a mint with their fountain of youth. Kingsley isso dark, his…
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Beauty & the Beast

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 22nd, 2002

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Synopsis

Likely the best version of the tale of a beautiful young woman and the beast who loves hersince Jean Cocteau’s 1945 film, this one has all the strengths of Disney’s best features: top-notchanimation, lively songs, humorous characters but some solidly gothic scares as well.

Audio

Fabulous on all counts. The reproduction is flawless and distortion free. The effects arestrong in both rear speaker presence and left-right separation. The music dominates, h…
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Country Bears, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on December 17th, 2002

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Synopsis

Beary Barrington (voice of Haley Joel Osment) runs away from his (human) adoptive familyto seek out Country Bear Hall. When it turns out that the evil Christopher Walken hasdevelopment plans that include the Hall’s demolition, Beary is determined to re-unite theCountry Bears for a benefit concert that will save the Hall.

Audio

The big star of the soundtrack is the music — arena-style country rock that will either haveyou stomping your feet or slitt…
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Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 24th, 2002

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Synopsis

Despite the title, this holidays covered in this story run all the way from Christmas to theNew Year. Rabbit gets so touchy that, in order to placate him, the Hundred Acre Wood friendsmake resolutions to change, which involves exchanging roles. This is a gentle cartoon aimed atthe very, very young. The Carly Simon songs are pretty hard to take, though.

Audio

The precise nature of the soundtrack isn’t specified, which usually means 2.0. the music isg…
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Rookie, The

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on November 3rd, 2002

Synopsis

Based on the life of Jim Morris, The Rookie stars Dennis Quaid as a high school coach inrural Texas who has had to give up his dream to play in the major leagues. When he sees his highschool team giving up on themselves, he challenges them with a deal. If they turn themselvesaround, he’ll try out for the Major Leagues. Guess what happens. That’s right, once againbaseball is a metaphor for the American Dream. (Deep sigh from cynical reviewer.) It’s all puttogether very nicel…
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Monsters, Inc

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on September 25th, 2002

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Pixar, with the smashing success of the Toy Story films, works its enchanting magic yet again with the wonderful Monsters, Inc. It’s fitting that Disney acquired the creative team that more than any other filmmakers embody what Disney had been for half a century. Monsters, Inc. is the new standard for computer animation. Sully’s generated hair is nothing short of amazing. What makes this movie worth buying is its incredible rewatchability. The attention to details means there’s always something new to see with each v…
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Mickey’s House of Villains

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 15th, 2002

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Synopsis

Disney’s villains converge on Mickey’s House of Mouse (his variety theatre). They plan totake it over, but along the way we get to see a bunch of Halloween themed cartoons. The superbanimation in the classics does tend to show up the more limited stuff in the new segments(though this is still better than the Saturday morning variety).

Audio

The soundtrack is technically fine, but you should be aware of something regarding the 5.1mix. The new segment…
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Return to Never Land

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on September 3rd, 2002

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Synopsis

It is World War II, and Wendy’s daughter Jane, living in a constantly bombed London, has given up on childhood dreams. Her disillusion ends when she is kidnapped by Captain Hook and brought to Never Land. The animation is in no way up to Disney’s current theatrical standard, but is leaps and bounds beyond other direct-to-video fare. The problem is, this WAS released theatrically. Anyway, the London sequences are nicely atmospheric, but things go rather flat and ordinary once we reach Never L…
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Scream 3

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 27th, 2002

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If you are a fan of the teen slasher movies, popular since John Carpenter’s Halloween began, then the Scream series is a virtual hoot. The first film made fun of the so-called “rules” of the horror film. The second film, of course, covered the obligatory sequel. Scream 3 delves into the horror trilogy. The same cast of characters, led by real-life spouses Courtney Cox and David Arquette, appears in the same goofy roles. Scream is one of the better attempts at satire to appear in cinemas over the last few years.
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The Insider

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on August 16th, 2002

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Anyone who watched all the tobacco CEO’s testify before a congressional committee might have thought they were watching a Hollywood comedy. They all stood there with straight faces and denied their products were addictive. It felt a little bit like watching Ted Bundy saying, “What girls are you talking about?” The Insider is actually a brave film. Hollywood has for years depended upon tobacco for revenue. Product placement was, until recently, a tree of money for many productions. Russell Crowe shows a preview of the talent that would blossom fully in Gladiator.
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Corky Romano

Posted in Disc Reviews by David Annandale on July 16th, 2002

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Synopsis

Peter Falk, patriarch of the Romano crime family, is about to be taken down by the FBI. He needs someone to go undercover in the FBI, and find and destroy the evidence against him. The only available man for the mission is black sheep of the family Corky (Chris Kattan). Corky is an assistant vet, and as incompetent and childish as he is sickeningly sweet. Pretty high concept stuff, in the negative sense of the term, and the result is slapstick so old and worn that Jerry Lewis would take a pa…
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Cinderella II: Dreams Come True

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 21st, 2002

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Intro

If you have small children, this DVD is made for you. The story and animation are not as good as the original (of course), but this disc is a great spin for the kids.

Synopsis

“Discover the magic that comes after “happily ever after” as CINDERELLA II continues the enchanting story of Cinderella. All of the dazzling fantasy and colorful characters from Disney’s original CINDERELLA return, including Cinderella, Prince Charming, the Fairy Godmother, Jaq and Gus, and the evil stepsi…
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Hunchback of Notre Dame II

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 10th, 2002

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Intro

It is the season for animated sequels, and right on the tail of Cinderella 2, Disney has released The Hunchback of Notre Dame II.

Synopsis

“Return to the magnificence of Notre Dame in Disney’s all-new movie, THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME II, a fun, romantic adventure told with vibrant animation and music as soaring as its setting. Still the faithful protector of Notre Dame’s beloved bells, Quasimodo now rings them with the help of Esmeralda’s and Phoebus’s little boy,…
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Peter Pan

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on March 3rd, 2002

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Intro

Another Disney Classic gets a Special Edition Release. Everyone knows the story of Peter Pan, but for those of you who have been living under a rock for the past 100 years, here is a synopsis…

Synopsis

“Now fully restored and remastered in a glorious Special Edition — this timeless tale will live in your heart forever. Let your dreams take flight with this original Disney classic that never grows old! Bursting with fantasy, adventure, and pixie dust, Walt Disney’s 14th animated…
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Adventures of Huck Finn

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 20th, 2002

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Intro

This release has added interest now for the later careers of its director and star: Stephen Sommers is now best known for his Mummy films, and Elijah Wood is currently sporting a British accent as Frodo Baggins.

Synopsis

Based on Mark Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, the original American picaresque, the film follows Huck Finn, fleeing his terrifying father, and Jim, an escaped slave, as they travel down the Mississippi in search of freedom, encountering no end of colo…
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Tron

Posted in Disc Reviews by Gino Sassani on January 15th, 2002

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Intro

I got quite a kick out of this film. It is great to see the creative minds of 20 years ago try to put a spin of the world of computers. I had forgotten the basis for this film, and watching it 20 years after it was released was really fun.

Synopsis

“When Flynn (Jeff Bridges) hacks the mainframe of his ex-employer to prove his work was stolen by another executive, he finds himself on a much bigger adventure. Beamed inside by a power-hungry Master Control Program, he joins comput…
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