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Monkey Boy looks at Disney's DINOSAUR, TOY STORY 2, WINNIE THE POOH AND THE FAMILY TREE and FANTASIA 2000!!!
Hey folks, Monkey Boy here seems to have filed one hell of a report on some of Disney's upcoming projects including the first bits I've heard on this here Winnie the Pooh thingee. Ya know... Winnie the Pooh is cool, but Tigger and Eeyore are cooler! (well that is my opinion) Anyway... here's the report...
Harry,
Bit of Disney news for you today. As far as I know most of this is new but
forgive me if I'm running over some old ground.
Dinosaur:
The title (singular) is still a working one, as is a round logo showing a
dinosaur in silhouette with a red meteor streaming through the sky. The film
opens close-up on a rock and as the camera pulls back we can see that it is
a meteor hurtling in the direction of the sun. Then begins an opening
sequence that is nothing short of gob-smacking. It shows an amazing array of
dinosaur life interacting with each other. All the while the action centres
around an egg wbhich is stolen by a dinosaur after its mother is scared away
and lost, dropped in a river and picked up by a flying dinosur before it is
dropped on an island. Anyway, an Iguanadon hatches from the egg and is
brought up by a pack of lemurs on the island. Then the metor hits and the
Iguanadon heads with the lemurs to mainland and when he gets there (he has
never seen other dinosaurs before) the film is a journey to escape the
devastation of the meteor. Although the dinosaurs are voiced, this in NOT a
musical comedy and they don't break into song. It is actually quite a
thrilling drama. Disney was careful not to make it a film of extinction, but
of hope. The CGI is beyond description. You will know what I mean when it
opens around Christmas-time. Everyone who has seen its progress has been
astounded. The dinosaurs make Jurassic Park look like crude claymation. And
the opening scenes and the music and awe-inspiring. This has definitely set
new boundaries for animation.
Fantasia 2000:
The film will be premiered at Carnegie Hall on December 17 with the
soundtrack being played live by the London Symphony Orchestra. The whole
production will then move around the world for similar live performances to
London, Paris and Tokyo before heading back to the US for a New Year's Eve
performance to see in the Millennium (let's not get into arguments about
when that is, as far as Disney is concerned it is December 31, 1999). Early
in the new year it will start its exclusive season at Imax theatres around
the world before going into general release in Spring. Various new talents
are being taken on board to provide the links between the different
segments, including Angela Lansbury, James Earl Jones and Oprah Winfrey.
Winnie the Pooh and the Family Tree:
Disney is kickstarting this franchise again with this cute little film. It
centres around Tigger and his search for his family tree, which is prompted
when no-one wants to play with him so he decides to seek out other Tiggers.
He can't find any and Pooh and the rest of his friends dress up as Tiggers
to make him happy. Tigger is elated at first but soon realises that they are
his friends and thinks they are making fun of him. He runs away into a
snowstorm. His friends go searching for him, naturally finding him. Then
Tigger realses that his real family was back where he was all along. Pretty
cute stuff. This will come out about the same time as Dinosaur.
Toy Story 2:
If you do not want to know the plot of TOY STORY 2.... DO NOT READ, this report is filled with SPOILERS... TONS OF SPOILERS...
Is looking great and Disney believes it will outdo the first. Kelsey Grammar
is on board as the voice of Smelly Pete, a collectible toy held by Big Al
(the toy collector who steals Woody and is voice by Wayne Knight, of
Seinfeld fame) and is what you would probably call the film's villain. He is
the one who convinces Woody that he is a collectible and shouldn't demean
himself by being a kid's toy. As expected, Woody comes around. By the way,
Barbie makes a cameo in the film as a tour guide who shows the toys (who are
trying to find the kidnapped Woody) around Big Al's Toy Barn. (After not
allowing Disney to use Barbie in the first film, Mattel finally came
through). In the toy barn we also see the new, updated Buzz who is suffering
delusions of grandeur as Buzz did in the first film. We also meet the evil
Zirk, Buzz's archenemy in his universe. He is like a Darth Vader figure who
has an unusual relationship with Buzz... I'll say no more about that.
Suffice to say that the film looks great and there are some very funny
scenes, particularly one where Buzz and the other toys set off on the three
mile journey to Al's Toy Barn and have to cross a road. They end up hiding
under orange traffic cones as they move across the road, causing chaos and a
a multi-car pile-up.
As far as the plot goes, the film starts with Woody and his owner preparing
to go to Cowboy Camp. Woody is excited because it means he'll be all alone
with his owner and be the centre of attention with no other toys around to
compete with. He organises the other toys with a checklist of what to do if
anything goes wrong while he's away, including warning all the infant toys
about the baby, who is now teething (the film is set six months after the
first). However, Woody gets damaged and some of the stuffing comes out of
his arm. His owner's mother says she doesn't have time to fix him so Woody
can't go on the camp. Instead, he gets put on the top of a dusty shelf where
he meets a little penguin toy who was broken some time ago and has been
forgotten about.
Anyway, the mum starts organising a garage sale and walks around the room
with a box (marked "25 cents") and puts things in it. She grabs the penguin
and Woody realises that his new friend is going to be sold off. HE rushes to
help in and ends up in the middle of the sale. Bif Al (Wayne Knight) arrives
and asks how much for Woody. The mume is surprised to see Woody is there but
says he is not for sale. Big Al offers $50 but she refuses. He distracts
her, steals Woody and drives off. Buzz sees this, takes down the number
plate and works out that Big Al is the Big Al from Al's toy barn, fanous for
his ads on the tv. They set about to find Big Al's Toy Barn.
Meanwhile, Woody has actually been taken to Al's penthouse, not the toy
barn, because Al is a toy collector and it turns out Woody is a prized
collectible. He is shown a videotape of an old 1950's style kid's show
called "Woody's Roundup" and realises he is part of a merchandising blitz
from that old show. He also meets his horse (who doesn't speak but is
devoted to Woody), a female toy from the show and Smelly Pete (Kelsey
Grammar) who is still in his wrapping in mint condition and has never been
played with by a child. When he talks he is moved around in his wrapping by
the other toys. Smelly Pete realises that without Woody, the rest of the
toys from Woody's Roundup are worthless so he convinces Woody that it is
better beig a colectible and gets him to stay. The valuable toys are all
about to be send to Tokyo to be part of a museum on popular culture.
Anyway, that leads us to the dramatic rescue by the other toys but Woody
doesn't want to go. Everything has gone to his head again.
The other toys are devastated and leave to go back to the house. Woody sits
down to watch another episode of Woody's Roundup. In the middle lof it is an
advertisment for toy Woodys. It shows a kid playing with one to the tune of
(you guessed it) You've Got a Friend in Me. He utters the immortal line "I'm
a toy... a children's plaything" and tries to leave. But Smelly Pete jumps
out of his casing and traps Woody so they are both headed off to the airport.
Buzz and the other toys see this and there is another hilarious and
grandiose road chase on the way to the airport and through the baggage
collection areas.
Later,
Monkey Boy
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Ben, why don't you told him ? !!!
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Surprised that there was no mention of Disney's "Atlantis" film, that follows "Kingdom of the Sun". Supposedly, it's planned for Summer 2002, and the main character will be voiced by Michael J. Fox.
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An Iguanodon raised by lemurs??? That sounds like it has great potential for some memorable slapstick. Kind of like a prehistoric "The Jerk." And the meteor crashing into earth. Oooh, sounds like Disney is keeping up on all the "latest" theories... Can't wait to see it. Wasn't there a Winnie the Pooh episode where Eyeore dressed up as a Tigger so he'd be more popular? Sounds like a quick rewrite to me... I agree with you, Harry. Tigger & Eyeore are the best. When I was younger, I was a lot more like Tigger, but when my parents took me to Disneyworld, they bought me a stuffed Eyore and that little thing slowly dragged me down into despair...
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Does anybody know whats going on with Rainbow Studio's Blue planet?
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NO songs, NO cute characters, some gun play, and people die. And if you're a fan of Mike Mignola's Hellboy style, you'll be happy.
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Winnie the Pooh to get a feature. I thougth Winnie's only appearances were on t shirts at the local Wal Mart, and tattooed on the huge honey pots of white trash America.
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That wouldn't be the same as Big Gay Al from Big Gay Al's Big Gay Boat Ride on "South Park," would it? Also, to change the subject, I also like Tigger and Eeyore much better than Pooh, though as a kid I was dedicated to Pooh. Plus, when my family went to Disney World a couple of years back, we met all the Pooh characters and it was clear the cast members playing Tigger and Eeyore were MUCH more into it than whoever was playing Pooh.
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Hearing about Disney's Dinosaur movie really really makes me wish they'd make a film out of what I think is one of the more fascinating SF books of the last decade, Dinotopia. Just think of how that would look on the big screen - when the book first appeared there would have been no easy way to do it, but with today's computer animation..... SOMEBODY PLEASE MAKE THIS MOVIE! Thank you.
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oh gee, can i please visit that website for the complete plot synopsis so i can have the greatest movie experience of my life (along with EYES) ruined? i seriously dont get some so-called fanboys who search out all info. i refuse to even watch the trailer. oh well, just me. anywho, is fantasia2000 going to be like a special people only thing in those cities or can anyone go?
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In response to xrae's question about Dinotopia, I recall reading in the trades that Sony Pictures Imageworks under Effects man Ken Ralston was to do the visuals for a live action Dinotopia movie. I can't recall which studio is releasing it however. I agree with xrae that Dinotopia will make a great movie for all ages. This is the one dino movie Disney should have pumped 200 Million into so far. Can't wait to see it whoever is making it.
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The upcoming "Dinosaur" movie sounds similar to the "Countdown to Extinction" ride at Disney's new Animal Kingdom park in Florida. It also stars an Iguanodon, and centers around a meteor shower killing off the dinos. The Iguanodon was featured in the Animal Kingdom promotion that McDonald's had when the park opened last year. I've heard that the ride was based on the movie (the ride opened in April of 1998). The villain of the ride is a carnotaurus (and the dinos don't talk in the ride).
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Toy Story 2 sounds like it'll be very good (and a barbie cameo too?? ooh-wah!!) When this project was first announced, I thought it was gonna be a rehash of Toy Story, but it looks like they are actually doing some research and making things different this type out...
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well, to each his own. Yes, you will know more about the film than I will so maybe you will pick up on things that might go by me unnoticed. But i plan on seeing the film 30 times anyway, so ill catch up. Also, I'd rather be held in suspense by the plot rather than being held in suspense by how they will shoot the next scene which i already know. But thats just how i like it. When i saw PSYCHO for the first time, i wouldnt have sat dumb and speechless for 10 full minutes afterwards if i knew how it ended before watching it. Some people (but very few) saw the "Mrs Bates" thing coming but i sure as hell didnt. Likewise, with A New Hope... i grew up on that movie so i cant remember the first time i saw it (my Beta copy of it must have seen 1000 uses!), but if i were an adult, and i saw it fresh knowing that Han was gonna save Luke's ass in the end, I wouldnt have enjoyed it as much, im sure. But thats just me...you go with your bad self.
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If Star Wars: Episode I doesn't nail Titanic (In terms of box office), "Dinosaur," with its huge budget, looks like the only movie in the horizon to have the chance.
Also, a clarification that "Dinosaur" is debuting on Memorial Day Weekend 2000, not Christmas '99. This puts it about one year after Star Wars.
-Walter- -
AHHHHGGHGHGGGGGGGG!
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
What's next? A segment with commentary by Regis and Kathy Lee?????? -
The worst people at AICN are the ones who read posts like the ones made by Angel of Death and quentin and say nothing, yet they jump on me every chance they get whenever i get slightly off the topic to antagonize. quentin? if you thought Angel of Death's idea of humor was hilarious, youre dumb. not because i found it offensive, it was just not at all original. speaking of originality, at least my screen-name isnt some famous filmmaker's first name--talk about not being able to think for yourself.
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I hafta agree with L'Autuer on this one- why the hell would anyone want to know everything that's going to happen in this flick? It would be great if I got to watch the three prequels in-a-row without knowing the story, the directors- well, George could direct the next two- the actors, the characters, the ships, the enviroments,...the entire SW universe! Man, that would blow my mind! I'll have time for repeat viewings for studying the movie, but the first time should always keep you guessing. Quentin, if you put so much energy into finding out what's going to happen, I bet you'll finger through reviews of the movie in EW, Time, Newsweek, RS, ChicagoSunTimes- anything you can get your hands on- the week it comes out.
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