Disneyland Picture of the Day: Vistas of Carsland

Disney/Pixar Animated Short Reviews: #34 How to Play Baseball 1942 9 out of 10

How to Play Baseball 1942   9 out of 10

This entry in the "Goofy How to Series" is a classic.  It starts out by explaining the sport of baseball and shows a variety of different types pitches in a funny way.  The cartoon then goes into the ultimate baseball game scenario in which it is the ninth inning of the world series. Through a series of entertaining moments the  bases get and the game (and the cartoon)  comes to an exciting conclusion as it all boils down to a close call at the plate.

The sports direction was a perfect way to go with Goofy as his tall lanky and often clumsy form lent itself perfectly for this parodies of modern sport.  The baseball cartoon was a blueprint for the many great Goofy cartoons that followed.

This cartoon can be found on the Walt Disney Treasures  The Complete Goofy DVD Set.

Many more cartoons to come

Disney Animated Movie Review: #6 Tangled 2010 9 out of 10

Tangled  2010  9 out of 10

The movie was magical. I didn't catch it in the theaters , but I have now seen it several times at home and each time I like it a little bit more. (Oh and by the way kids don't think the character's name is Rapunzel they want to go and meet Tangled so I will refer to her as "Tangled" for the rest of this review). The film is beautifully animated. The first glimpse of Tangled's tower is inspiring.  I've always looked on animated movies as a work of art greater than some of the world's most famous painting. The film paints a colorful picture. The characters are great. Flynn Rider is dashing (I joked with my wife one night asking if I was dashing, her response "Your no Flynn Rider"). The horse is awesome and has a wonderful action scene with Flynn that made me think of a great scene from Emperor's New Groove. 

The movie has a little bit of everything. Humor is the "I have a dream" song. Action in Tangled and Flynn's daring escape from those trying to capture Flynn via a Star Wars Luke and Leia escape using Tangled's hair. And romance in a truly beautiful scene right up their with "Kiss the Girl" from Little Mermaid where they set afire the lanterns setting them aloft into the air to light up the sky in a magical dance. I think with time this film will go down as a Disney classic. The music was good but not great like the early 1990's Disney films.

Disneyland Picture of the Day: Five & Dime

Disney Animated Movie Review: #5 Planes 7 out 10

Planes  2013  7 out of 10

Planes never really takes flight.   The  movie from above the world of Cars has the right look,  but not necessarily the right stuff.  It fails at being in the same league as either of the Pixar Cars movies and despite its look feels more like a direct to DVD film.  Like the main character Dusty Crophopper  the whole movie flies low to the ground and never really soars.  It was just too derivative of the Cars movies with an older plane as Dusty's mentor that was just too familiar of Doc Hudson (Paul Newman) in Cars.  There are some good action scenes in the movie and it was enjoyable, it just felt like it covered too much of the same ground  (or air in this case) that the Cars films had already covered.  

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Disney/Pixar Animated Short Reviews: #33 Sleep Walkin 2013 9 out of 10

Sleep Walkin 2013  9 out of 10

The latest of the series of new Mickey Mouse cartoons features Mickey Mouse trying to help out his friend Goofy who is having trouble sleep walking at night.  Well it turns out Goofy is sleep running which leads Mickey on a series of crazy adventures all over town trying to keep him safe.  This cartoon is action packed and fun adventure in the spirit of the great Roger Rabbit short cartoons like Tummy Trouble which did this type of cartoon the best. I love that they keep coming out with new Mickey Mouse content.  It is a joy to see that a new episode has popped up on my DVR and it is great that a younger generation is being reintroduced to these classic characters.

The cartoon can currently be found airing on the Disney Channel and Disney Online

Disneyland Picture of the day: Red Trolley Christmas

Disneyland Picture of the Day: Village Haus

Disneyland Picture of the Day: Viva Navidad! with Donald Duck

Disneyland Picture of the Day: X-mas Castle