Doc and Bob's Disney Adventures

  Release Date: January 1, 2000 Watch Date: February 27, 2023 "Inspired by Walt Disney's vision of the original Fantasia as a work-in-progress, Fantasia 2000 continues that vision in a creative blend of classical music and the latest animated imagery, featuring 'The Sorcerer's Apprentice' and seven new sequences. See whales soar through the clouds and into space in 'Pines of Rome'; laugh with a flock of flamingos as they try to persuade one of their own to behave in 'The Carnival of the Animals'; urge on Donald Duck, as Noah's assistant, trying to get animals into the ark in 'Pomp and Circumstance'; and root for four 1930s New Yorkers wishing for a better life in 'Rhapsody in Blue.' With technological tools and innovations that blend traditional animation with modern flair, this is a feast for your eyes, ears and heart."     I did not like Fantasia. Bob did not like Fantasia. This is not a secret. We're not fans, and if ...

  Release Date: December 20, 2017 Watch Date: February 26, 2023 "An original musical inspired by the life of P.T. Barnum, starring Hugh Jackman. Barnum was a visionary who rose from nothing to create the 'Greatest Show on Earth', a spectacle and celebration of his larger-than-life imagination that captivated audiences around the globe."      I'm going to be honest with you, I had never before in my life had any desire to watch this film. I'd never heard anything about it, I never knew whether or not it was good or bad. I just knew that Hugh Jackman had been in a movie about P.T. Barnum, who was a complicated man who treated complicated people in a fashion that could be up for some debate.     Now, I don't personally know much about P.T. Barnum to have much of an opinion on the man. I don't know how well he paid the human beings he used as exhibits, if they felt taken advantage of, or if they were. I don't know if he treated them with respect. I don...

  Release Date: September 20, 2019 Watch Date: February 25, 2023 "Astronaut Roy McBride (Brad Pitt) travels to the outer edges of the solar system to find his missing father and unravel a mystery that threatens the survival of our planet. His journey will uncover secrets that challenge the nature of human existence and our place in the cosmos."     I didn't think it was possible to be offended by whether or not a movie was boring, but it is, and Bob was.     This movie was advertised as being about space exploration, discovering alien life. That is not what it is. What it is, is a highly realistic depiction of what life would be like if space exploration was part of our every day. What it is, is an introspective look on the relationship between a father and son, and how that effects how a man determines his self worth. What it is, is about fighting a space baboon.     There's not much to say because I feel like this movie wasted my time trying to be de...

  Release Date: November 24, 1993 Watch Date: February 24, 2023 "After Daniel Hillard, an unemployed actor, loses custody of his three children to his ex-wife, he realizes that seeing his kids once a week just isn't enough. So the crafty thespian dresses as 'Mrs. Doubtfire,' an elderly British nanny with a sharp tongue and an endearing way with children, in order to be close to his kids in this bright, heartwarming comedy."     This movie means so much to Bob.     I don't know if I would be able to accurately convey just how much this means to him. Like 'WALL-E', Bob grew up watching this with his late father. It was something they enjoyed spending time doing together, and they shared a love of Robin Williams, and it all became tied up in the emotions of being with his father and became super important to him. I don't think it's possible for him to not enjoy a movie with Robin Williams in it.     I can't say that I loved this movie as much ...

  Release Date: September 17, 2021 Watch Date: February 21 - February 23, 2023 "'The Eyes of Tammy Faye' is an intimate look at the extraordinary rise, fall and redemption of televangelist Tammy Faye Bakker. In the 1970s and '80s, Tammy Faye and her husband, Jim Bakker, rose from humble beginnings to create the world's largest religious broadcasting network and theme park. At first, they were revered for their messages of love, acceptance and prosperity. All the while, Tammy Faye was legendary for her indelible eyelashes, idiosyncratic singing, and eagerness to embrace people from all walks of life. However, it wasn't long before financial improprieties, scheming rivals, and scandal toppled their carefully constructed empire."     Tammy Faye was a complicated woman.     In many ways, she exhibited a lot of the very good things about religion. She was someone willing to accept people from all walks of life, someone who was able to look past mistakes, someon...

  Release Date: November 23, 2011 Watch Date: February 20, 2023 "While on vacation in Los Angeles, Walter, the world's biggest Muppet fan, his brother Gary and friend Mary uncover the diabolical plot of a greedy oil millionaire to destroy the Muppet Theatre. Now, the Muppet-loving trio must quickly reunite Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie Bear and their friends to stage the greatest Muppet telethon ever and save their beloved theater."     The Muppets are their own beasts, their own brand of humor, and they were designed that way by one of the great comic geniuses of the modern era. And then he passed away, and The Muppets passed into Disney ownership and they performed in a few classic literature pieces turned comedy movies, and then sort of...disappeared from view.     Until Jason Segel managed to bring them roaring back into the spotlight, back into life, with a magic and a passion for the characters that Disney has been mooching off of ever since. They've released...

  Release Date: May 25, 1955 Watch Date: February 18 - February 20, 2023 "There's never been a folk hero quite like Davy Crockett, and you'll see why when you watch him take on an alligator, clash with an Indian chief in a tomahawk duel and battle for freedom at the Alamo. Davy and his friend George Russell fight in the Creek Indian War, then Davy is elected to Congress and brings his rough-hewn ways to the House of Representatives. Finally, Davy and George journey to Texas and join in the last stand at the Alamo."     Davy Crockett was a real person. He became a legend in his own time, something he actually tried to counter during his life. He stood against the Indian Act, but also killed many of them. He was at the Alamo when it was besieged and died defending a stronghold the Texas military was willing to give it up.     You can enjoy the legend, the myth, the story and I would never take that away from you. But when the subject of a film is a historical pers...

  Release Date: September 14, 1955 Watch Date: February 16, 2023 "Set in the shadow of magnificent Mount Kilimanjaro, acclaimed wildlife experts Elma and Alfred Milotte spend three years on the plans of Africa following a family of lions through the changing seasons. Experience the thrill of the hunt, nature's wrath in a blinding dust storm, the incredible locust invasion and the heartwarming fun of a mother lion caring for her playful cubs."     This is not so much a documentary about lions as it is a documentary about African animals where the lions gives a context and framework to the story, so I just want to get ahead of that. You will not be learning a lot about lions.     To be fair, you won't be learning a lot of new information about any of the animals featured in this film. There's lots of basic facts which, I don't know, were maybe not that well known when this film was first released, but we're all inundated with wild life documentaries by this ...

  Release Date: December 23, 1954 Watch Date: February 14 - February 15, 2023 "Climb aboard the Nautilus and into a strange undersea world of spellbinding adventure! Kirk Douglas, Paul Lukas, and Peter Lorre star as shipwrecked survivors taken captive by the mysterious Captain Nemo, brilliantly portrayed by James Mason. Wavering between genius and madness, Nemo has launched a deadly crusade across the seven seas. But can the captive crew exposes his evil plan before he destroys the world?"     There is a song, early on in this movie, and that is the best part of this movie. It's on my Spotify playlist. I did my best to warn Bob. I think he thought I was exaggerating. I was not.     This movie is so boring. It drags. And at no point does anyone go 20,000 leagues under  the sea. Around the sea, sure, but not under - as in deep. Which is what that title definitely lets you believe. I don't care if going 20,000 leagues deep would put you into space, as Bob woul...

  Release Date: August 17, 1954 Watch Date: February 13 - February 14, 2023 "The American prairie. A wonderous expanse teeming with life and vitality before the march of civilization all but destroyed it. Disney photography use ingenious and innovative techniques to capture the magic of nature, still persevering on the American prairie."     See now, this True-Life Adventure I enjoyed, and Bob found less interesting.     Perhaps some background on my charming Puerto Rican husband is required. Puerto Rican by culture and heritage, he spent his formative years growing up in New York and New Jersey. He would then, inexplicably, move to Kansas as a young teenager, and spend his exciting teenage years in the country. The exciting mid-west.     So it turns out that, apparently, watching a documentary focusing on animals you spent a decade living amongst doesn't make for the most riveting watch. Doesn't matter how cute the prairie dogs are. They're still just...

  Release Date: November 10, 1953 Watch Date: February 12, 2023 "Incredibly desolate...yet beautiful. The eternal paradox known as the desert. And although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, this land is alive. Moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between desert creatures of every shape, size and description, all captured by magical photography and awe-inspiring time-lapse sequences."     Bob, really, really enjoyed this movie. I cannot imagine why, so I'm going to try and see it from his from his viewpoint. Might be a bit difficult, but we'll try to do it justice.     This is a True-Life Adventure; which is to say that it's not really a documentary, but it's not really a movie with a plot either. It's a sort of mishmash of the two. Scorpions will square dance, facts that may or may not be accurate are spouted, but not very frequently.     Bob would, at this point, probably point...

  Release Date: February 5, 1953 Watch Date: February 12, 2023 "Fantastic adventures await Wendy and her brothers when Peter Pan, the hero of their stories, whisks them away to the magical world of Never Land. After following Peter and his feisty sidekick Tinker Bell past the 'second star to the right and straight on 'til morning,' they explore the island and Peter's secret hideout with the rambunctious Lost Boys, and leap into high-flying battles with swashbuckling pirates and the infamous Captain Hook."     Bob hates this movie.     It is so, so racist. Painfully racist. I mean the play was before it. I don't know if it was a book. It's almost ridiculously racist. 'What makes the red man red?' How is 'The Song of the South' a cancelled film but Peter Pan is a classic character who roams around Disney parks without a care in the world? How is that at all possible? Or acceptable, come to think of it?     I find Peter Pan almost as annoy...

  Release Date: June 26, 1952 Watch Date: February 11, 2023 "The noble King Richard the Lionheart has left England to lead a crusade to the Holy Land, leaving the poorest of his subjects at the mercy of his treacherous brother, Prince John. After his father is killed by Prince John's henchman, Robin Hood gathers a band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest to defend against his villainous reign."     This is probably my favorite retelling of Robin Hood...possibly ever. It's classic, it's charming, it adds to the lore without taking away from the original purpose of the myth, and it doesn't make my relative look too bad.     Let me say a word for my extremely distant ancestor Prince John, okay? Was he as good as Richard the Lionheart? Well, he didn't abandon his country men to go on crusades. So I would argue he wasn't terrible. Better to have a present monarch. Did he fuck up so badly that the nobility forced him to sign the magna carta, the first document to ...

  Release Date: September 14, 1951 Watch Date: February 10 - February 11, 2023 "Join Alice as she chases the White Rabbit into a topsy-turby world that gets 'curiouser and curiouser' as her fantastical adventures unfold. Meet the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Tweedledee & Tweedledum, the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts and more unforgettable characters, all set against a backdrop of awe-inspiring splendor."     I'm going to address the elephant in the room, or my husband would be extremely annoyed with me. Was Lewis Carroll a pedophile? I don't know. There's certainly enough evidence to suggest that he was, at the very least, a creep. I don't feel confident in adjudicating on an author from two-hundred years ago. But it made Bob uncomfortable knowing that there was the possibility of it, and I think it tainted the experience of the film.     This movie, this story, is utter nonsense. There's not meant to be a message. There's not meant to be a ...

  Release Date: March 4, 1950 Watch Date: February 9, 2023 "Now part of the Walt Disney Signature Collection and the prestigious National Film Registry, Disney's animated classic Cinderella is beloved by generations of fans for its timeless story, unforgettable characters and iconic artistry. Share the magic as kind and hardworking Cinderella is rewarded with an enchanted evening at the Royal Ball. It just takes the help of her loyal animal friends Jaq and Gus, a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand and some 'Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo.' Celebrate the legacy of Disney's classic animation in Cinderella, where dreams really do come true!"     What Snow White started, Cinderella came on to the scene to perfect.     We've got another evil step mother, but good magic instead of bad. Our tiny animal friends can now talk, and sew. Cinderella is the most beautiful girl in the land, and the best singer, but she's still treated like a servant. Our villain now has hen...

  Release Date: July 29, 1950 Watch Date: February 7 - February 8, 2023 "In his first all-live-action feature, Walt Disney vividly brings to life Robert Louis Stevenson's timeless tale of buccaneers and buried gold. Authentic locales, rich color photography and musket-roaring action set the stage for the stouthearted heroics of young Jim Hawkins (Bobby Driscoll) - and the skullduggery of that wily, one-legged pirate of all pirates, Long John Silver."     If the original Treasure Island novel is the prototype for nearly all other pirate novels and myths, does that make Treasure Island the movie the prototype for nearly all other pirate movies?     Without Treasure Island, the novel and the film, would we have Pirates of the Caribbean? For that alone we need to be appreciative of this film.     I like Treasure Island, and I'll admit that without any embarrassment. Long John Silver is a fantastic character. He's not a hero, and not a villain. He just is ....

  Release Date: May 27, 1948 Watch Date: February 4, 2023 "In the grand tradition of Disney's great musical classics, Melody Time features seven timeless stories, each enhanced with high-spirited music and unforgettable characters. Disney favorite Donald Duck puts on a display of jazzy antics at the star of 'Blame It On The Samba.' Music becomes a real adventure for a busy bumble bee in 'Bumble Boogie.' Cheer on the mischievous young tugboat in 'Little Toot' and root for the heroes of legend and myth in 'Johnny Appleseed' and 'Pecos Bill.' You'll tap your toes and clap your hands in this witty feast for the eyes and ears."     I have said to plenty of people, plenty of times, I am not a fan of anthologies. I did not like Fantasia.     This movie is an anthology. This movie is basically Fantasia, only some of the songs have lyrics and there's no back and forth to an orchestra.     I really enjoy this movie.     Now is this po...

  Release Date: September 27, 1947 Watch Date: February 2 - February 4, 2023 "This delightful gem not only sparkles with charm, but is rich in history-making Disney moments. It was the last animated feature starring Walt Disney as the voice of Mickey Mouse, and the only film featuring four of Walt's most famous characters: Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, Goofy and Jiminy Cricket. In Disney's classic tradition of great storytelling, unforgettable characters, music and adventure, Jiminy Cricket hosts two lively tales: Bongo, the whimsical story of a little circus bear who proves that the size of his heart and brain is bigger than the most bearish bully; and Mickey and the Beanstalk, where Mickey, Donald and Goofy confront Willie the Giant in Disney's animated adaptation of 'Jack and the Beanstalk'."     It's becoming increasingly clear to me that if Jiminy Cricket is in a movie, regardless of whether or not he's less horny, I will probably not enjoy it. M...

  Release Date: February 3, 1945 Watch Date: February 1 - February 2, 2023 "The ever-popular and excitable Donald Duck stars in one of his greatest adventures - a dazzling blend of live action and classic Disney animation bursting with sights and sounds. When Donald receives a magical collection of gifts from his friends, they become his passport to a fantastic musical journey with Jose Carioca and Panchito. With these experts to guide him, Donald hops, skips and jumps his way through an adventure, with each stop full of surprises and sensational songs.     I'm not quite sure at what point it was decided that Donald Duck would be the ambassador from Disney to the Latin community, but man did they run with it once the decision was made.     I've been watching this movie since I was in daycare. It was the only movie they let me watch when people were sick and the weather was bad. So maybe that's where my generally bad feelings about this movie come from - being st...

Release Date: February 19, 1943 Watch Date: February 1, 2023 "A whimsical blend of live-action and animation, Saludos Amigos is a colorful kaleidoscope of art, adventure and music set to a toe-tapping samba beat. Your international traveling companions are none other than famous funny friends, Donald Duck and Goofy. They keep things lively as Donald encounters a stubborn llama and 'El Gaucho' Goofy tries on the cowboy way of life...South American-style. From high Andes peaks to Argentina's pampas to the sights and sounds of Rio de Janeiro, SALUDOS AMIGOS is a hilarious visual feast that will entertain and delight the whole family."     I would recommend not watching this with a Latino. That's my advice.     This is one of the 'war time' movies. A period in which budgets were smaller, and therefore so was Disney's ability to create magic. Talent had gone overseas and there was bigger problems in the world than trying not to eat a poison apple.     S...

  Release Date: August 21, 1942 Watch Date: February 1, 2023 "With its awe-inspiring animation, this timeless classic has been loved for generations. In a life-changing adventure, Bambi sets off with his best friends Thumper and Flower to explore the wonders and challenges of the woods...and fulfill his destiny as prince of the forest. Full of humor and heart, Bambi remains a family favorite."     Bambi isn't so much a 'story' as it is a documentary with a story. As the True Life Adventures will show very soon, that's not necessarily a bad thing, and in the case of Bambi, I don't think it is either.     What Bambi is , is a creative way to show a year in the life of a group of animals in what appears to be a North American wood. The animals don't break out into song, there is no epic quest. It's just animals doing animal things. Finding food in winter. Surviving after hunters enter the woods. Finding a mate. Typical animal stuff.     I find this fi...

  Release Date: October 31, 1941 Watch Date: February 1, 2023 "Experience the daring adventures of the world's only flying elephant. The inspirational tale of Dumbo, the courageous baby elephant who uses his sensational ears to soar to fame with the help of his clever best friend Timothy Q. Mouse, will thrill and delight audiences of all ages. And now, the award-winning music and empowering messages about friendship and belief in yourself reach new heights in this must-have presentation of Walt Disney's animated classic Dumbo!"     This is a hard movie to watch if you have kids, since it's mostly about a baby being bullied for what you could draw parallels to being a birth defect but is pretty obviously just large ears that he will absolutely grow into. If people bullied my kids like that, well I can relate to the actions taken by Mrs. Jumbo.     There's also a surprising amount of racism in this movie about an adorable baby elephant. From the scene of the Afr...

  Release Date: June 13, 1997 Watch Date: January 31, 2023 "Taken from the gods as a newborn and adopted on Earth, Hercules becomes an awkward teenage pillar of strength. While trying to fit in, he discovers that his dad is Zeus and he could love on Mount Olympus-if he can move from 'zero' to true hero. Hercules teams with babyhood pal Pegasus, the flying stallion, and Phil, a feisty personal trainer, for the mission. But it's not easy task, as he must match wits with Grecian beauty Meg and a sinister hothead named Hades. With the help of comical sidekicks Pain and Panic, Hades plans to rule the Universe...with only Hercules standing in his way."     Hercules doesn't get a lot of credit now-a-days. People didn't understand the gospel choir, which was a reference to the Greek chorus. People didn't like how much they changed the myth, which seems like a big complaint when the dude literally went around killing animals and wearing their skins to atone for...