Kids Movie

Toy Story (1995)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Toy Story (1995)

Director:

John Lasseter

Writers:

John Lasseter

Pete Doctor

Andrew Stanton

Starring:

Tom Hanks

Tim Allen

Don Rickles

Jim Varney

Wallace Shawn

John Ratzenberger

Annie Potts

Blurb:

A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman figure supplants him as top toy in a boy’s room.

Thoughts:

I did not watch Toy Story. I’m fourteen years older than my younger brother and he went through a phase where we watched this and Toy Story 2 every single day. Then both of my kids went through a similar phase. I have this god damn movie memorized. I have watched it more than any other movie. Still, I don’t hate it, but I’m not going to watch it when I can close my eyes and watch it from start to finish.

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Jumanji (1995)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

Jumanji (1995)

Director:

Joe Johnston

Writers:

Jonathan Hensleigh

Greg Taylor

Jim Strain

Starring:

Robin Williams

Bonnie Hunt

Kirsten Dunst

Bradley Pierce

David Alan Grier

Blurb:

When two kids find and play a magical board game, they release a man trapped in it for decades – and a host of dangers that can only be stopped by finishing the game.

Thoughts:

A lot of people remember where they were when they found out that Robin Williams died. I don’t. However, I feel a deep sense of sadness when I see him in a movie. He was such an incredible man. Even with that sadness, he can still make me laugh.

Having read the Jumanji book the writers of this movie took a lot of creative liberties and it worked out wonderfully. I love the concept of getting stuck playing a scary game. Something that the newer version doesn’t have is the effect that these things have on the real world. Seeing how others who had no idea what was going on reacted was great, but even better was seeing how the world was changed by the disappearance of Alan. I loved that and wish there was more of that in the remakes.

Jumanji is another movie that I watched a fair amount when I was growing up. I still can’t watch when the spiders are on the screen, but it’s still one of my favorites.

Alan is such a whiny ass that getting sucked into the game was probably good for him. As much as that sucked for him.

The special effects still look good and I think that’s because so much of it wasn’t CGI. I wish there was less CGI in films nowadays. I’m getting old lol

Coraline (2009)

Coraline (2009)

Director:

Henry Selick

Writers:

Henry Selick

Starring:

Dakota Fanning

Teri Hatcher

John Hodgman

Blurb:

An adventurous 11-year-old girl finds another world that is a strangely idealized version of her frustrating home, but it has sinister secrets.

Review:

Coraline reminded me of Into the Spiderverse in that it was visually stunning. I was struck several times by how amazing this movie looked. In the opening scene, it looked real until you saw the dude climbing on the roof. It was beautiful and I loved that aspect of it.

I realize Coraline isn’t technically a Halloween movie but it’s definitely scarier than your average kid’s movie. I was freaked out more than once and while I’d love to watch this with my kids I’m not sure how they’d react. There were people with button eyes. They wanted her to gouge her own eyes out and sew buttons in their place. It was a trip in places.

Poison oak is a vine, not a tree.

Dowsing is a pseudoscience.

I was an annoying little shit while I watched this movie with a friend. Yet, I’m pretty sure she’ll still watch movies with me. Friends are awesome.

I enjoy Neil Gaiman’s works, Good Omens is one of my favorite books and the TV show was amazing. However, I have not read Coraline. After watching this I’m not sure if I will. It could be one of those rare instances where the movie is better than the book. I’ll let you know when I finally get around to it.

4/5

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Great Movie Re-Watch

Beauty and the Beast (1991)

Directors:

Gary Trousale

Kirk Wise

Writers:

Linda Woolverton

Brenda Chapman

Chris Sanders

Burny Mattison

Kevin Harkey

Brian Pimental

Bruce Woodside

Joe Ranft

Tom Ellery

Kelly Asbury

Robert Lence

Starring:

Robby Benson

Jesse Corti

Rex Everhart

Angela Lansbury

Paige O’Hara

Jerry Orbach

Bradley Pierce

David Ogden Stiers

Richard White

Blurb:

A prince cursed to spend his days as a hideous monster sets out to regain his humanity by earning a young woman’s love.

Thoughts:

Beauty and the Beast is the best Disney 2D animated movie. Fight me.

It was always my favorite, but the remaster done to it is phenomenal. The colors pop, especially in the opening story. It’s visually beautiful and has some of the best songs Disney has ever produced.

Yes, Belle is a bit of a bitch. She’s all I’m better than these country folk. I want adventure. Then complains during her entire adventure and in a massive castle only wants to go to the one place she’s not supposed to. The Beast basically buys her love with the library that I judge all libraries against. I’m not aware of many women who wouldn’t love him after that gift.

Gaston and the blond triplets are a bit of a yikes too. Gaston makes an excellent villain because he wants to control Belle completely and has no concept of people having their own wants and desires. The triplets are, well, let’s be honest, they’re heaving bosoms in a kid’s movie. Personally, I enjoy looking at them, but it doesn’t teach our children anything good about women.

The ending where the Beast turns back into a human is a bit of a letdown since the man isn’t as attractive as the Beast. Why is he so smooth?? Gaston has chest hair. Why can’t the Beast???? Come on, please, he was a beast, surely in human form he’d be closer to a lumberjack than a pretty boy.

There’s lots to love about Beauty and the Beast. It’s one of my favorite movies and currently sits in the top ten of my favorite movies in the list I’ve been making through my re-watch. I should probably share that list at some point…

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

The Great Movie Re-Watch

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

Directors:

Hendel Butoy

Mike Gabriel

Writers:

Jim Cox

Karey Kirkpatrick

Byron Simpson

Joe Ranft

Starring:

Bob Newhart

Eva Gabor

John Candy

Tristan Rogers

Blurb:

The R.A.S. agents, Miss Bianca and Bernard, race to Australia to save a little boy and a rare golden eagle from a murderous poacher.

Thoughts:

I like Rescuers Down Under better than the previous movie. The story is mostly the same, a child is in danger, and they save it, but I like the art style better. The Rescuers still had that dirty-looking art style that I’m not a fan of, and Down Under doesn’t. It’s got a nice anti-poaching message too.

My kids actually watched this one with me, my husband too. This was his movie and one that he’s watched enough time that he can apparently quote. It was adorable.

I have no nostalgia attached to this film, no memories other than the one I just made, and so I don’t have any thoughts about it. Well, thoughts that aren’t just questions about the entire idea of mice saving kids on the other side of the world.

They can’t all be long posts.