Dog’s Movie House: “Cruella” Uneven But Elevated By Its Two Leading Ladies!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at Disney’s latest “re-imagining” of an animated villain in the form of “Cruella” a revisionist look that casts Emma Stone as Cruella De Vil from “One Hundred And One Dalmatians” and makes her into a misunderstood underdog (no pun intended)! The idea that every single villain needs a damn backstory is a bit trying at times, but that’s a column for another day. I don’t know if anyone was asking for this type of film, but it’s more entertaining than “Maleficent” in that our protagonist owes more to Joaquin Phoenix’s version of The Joker than a Disney villain.
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “Mulan” Beautiful To Look At But Somewhat Cold!”
Howdy folks! It’s The Kendog here with a look at Disney’s live action remake of the 1998 animated film “Mulan.” The original film is a musical about the coming of age of a woman who disguises herself as a boy to fight in the Chinese army in place of her ailing father. In undergoing this deception, Mulan finds out who she really is and becomes a Chinese hero in the process. The new film follows the same general plot with some noticeable differences. The result is a film that, while lovely to look at, keeps the audience at arms length from an emotional standpoint.
Continue readingDog’s Movie House: “The Lion King” Roars With Spectacular Animation!
Howdy Folks! It’s The Kendog with a look at Disney’s reimagining of their 1994 classic “The Lion King”
Of the Disney renaissance that began in the late 1980s with “The Little Mermaid” and continued into the 90s, I always found 1994’s “The Lion King” to be somewhat disappointing. The tonal shift from “Hamlet” to “Hakuna Matata” and back again always through me for a loop as did the miscasting of Matthew Broderick as an adult Simba. Imagine my surprise when Jon Favreau’s “live action” update became one of the more enjoyable experiences I’ve had at the theater this summer!
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