Animusings

Not to be confused with The Many Adventures Of we previously covered, this 2011 return to the Hundred-Acre Wood attempts to capture the same spirit of Pooh’s first feature while telling a new story. Lavecki bounces back to help as we discuss the pacing of Pooh, Christopher Robin’s weird eyes, keeping humor timeless and a surprising post-credit cameo that some PBS viewers could appreciate.

Disney reaches the big 50 in 2010 and brings Rapunzel into the canon of princess stories. David and Kaela are happy to have returning guest Randy Guerra swing by to join them for a discussion, with such talking points as the mechanics of hair magic, the insidious manipulations of Mother Gothel, Rapunzel’s secret swolness and the welcome return of silent-yet-expressive animal companions.

Dreams do come true in New Orleans, or at least they do for Kaela, David and Seid in this beloved 2009 return to traditional 2D animation. Topics include Clements and Musker’s trip to the Crescent City, small moments that acknowledge systemic racism, a rare character arc for a prince and villain showboating at its finest.

Another dog-centric feature, this time from 2008, arrives on scene to present an adventurous road trip with animal high jinks. With our special returning guest Andrew Linde, we break down the film and discuss the film that could have been, the logic of a Truman Show for dogs, exhausting misunderstanding cliches and the saving grace of Rhino the hamster.

We keep moving forward to 2007, and are once again joined by Seid to break down this tale of very eccentric family from the future - a film that, up to this review, Kaela and David had never seen before! Major talking points include hand-waving time travel conundrums, making jokes land effectively, positive messages about failure and great big beautiful tomorrows.

Fairy tales and reality collide in this meta-driven feature from 2007, with its combination of animation and live action. Kaela, David and Papreeka go from Andalasia to the Big Apple and have quite a bit to say about this picture, with discussions including the balance of loving tribute to gently poking fun, the tricky path from princess to realized woman, spectacular musical numbers and the possible beginning of the Disney deconstruction commentary within the company’s own movies.

It’s 2005 and Disney has left traditional animation behind with its first fully CGI film. Kaela and David call on past guests Beth Morton and ClericofMadness to help them try and make sense of this unusual feature. Topics include the nonsense of corporate meddling, unearned redemption arcs, dated humor and the tremendous injustice done to Foxy Loxy.

Disney’s “last” 2d-animated feature (until Princess and the Frog) is anything but a little patch of heaven for David, Kaela and returning guests Allen Chaney and Benjamin Spiegel. This weird Western gets put to some not-so-serious scrutiny as the gang discuss the flawgic of making something “funny for kids,” when jokes aren’t given room to breathe, pacing mishaps and when the villain is the most likeable character.

We near the end of an era, but a bright spot remains with this aurora-lit film from 2003. Kylie and Eli of Animal Fact Files and Cinema Nippon return as our animal experts and all-around cool guests as we travel back in time to a post-Ice Age Alaska. Discussions include aspect ratio changes for artistic effect, misunderstandings done right, when films don’t need a villain and how not to do a montage.

A cosmic voyage of adventure and discovery awaits in this imaginative 2002 swashbuckler that takes Treasure Island well out of this world. Special guest Jackson Lanzing (writer, Star Trek: Year Five; Brandon Sanderson’s DARK ONE) climbs aboard with David and Kaela to talk about exquisite aesthetics, teenage angst, whether spinning into space counts as a Plummet and the sequel we never got.