Wreck-It Ralph Review

Disney’s done it again with “Wreck-It Ralph.” This is a movie anyone can love, and it’s definitely another one to which it would be great to bring your kids along. The central protagonist, Ralph, is actually a villain, not a hero. He’s the guy in an arcade game who wrecks a building, for the hero (and titular character in his game), Fix-It Felix, to repair. Ralph has spent 30 years as the villain, and that wouldn’t be so bad if at night, when the lights in the arcade go off and the denizens of the games go off the clock, … Continue reading

“Planes” Flying to Theaters in August

We can’t escape “Cars.”  The film, my least favorite of Pixar’s (well, technically “Cars 2” would win that dubious honor), continues to be so popular, mostly through merchandising, that Disney keeps putting it front and center.  The latest way in which the company is doing so is with a new movie, due out this August. The new film isn’t really a sequel or prequel to “Cars.”  It’s more of a related film in the same general universe.  The primary difference in “Planes” is evident in the title.  “Planes” will be about the world that goes on above that of the … Continue reading

Disney Movies on Home Release This Spring

Disney fans take note: the company has released the list of movies due out on home release this spring.  It’s a combination of films out of the vault, first time home releases, and TV on DVD.  First up, coming out last week, is “Peter Pan.”  In honor of the film’s 60th anniversary, this is Disney’s first Diamond Edition and Blu-Ray release of the classic.  Another famous Peter also hit the shelves this week: Peter Parker, in “Ultimate Spider-Man: Avenging Spider-Man.”  It’s one of the Marvel cartoons Disney’s currently producing. This week, in anticipation of its prequel’s June release, “Monster’s Inc.” … Continue reading

First Details from Disney’s “Frozen” Released

While there might not be a lot of new Christmas-related Disney stories to report, there is one wintry seasonal piece of news: the first concept image and story details from next year’s “Frozen.”  “Frozen” is Disney’s adaptation of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Snow Queen,” a story that’s been in the works for years. Production on “Frozen” has been off and on for almost ten years, with the film looking like it’s getting made, and then being shelved.  It’s back on for real this time, and it even has a release date: November 27, 2013.  Just in time for most of … Continue reading

A Year in Disney Fandom: D23 Events for 2013

Any D23 members wondering what will be on the official Disney Fan Club’s schedule for 2013 don’t need to wait any longer.  The official D23 website and the official Disney Parks blog have both posted announcements of the fan club’s 2013 events. The most exciting news to come out of D23 for 2013 is the announcement of a second year of Fanniversary.  The event, which is open to the public (but D23 members get first registration), is a must-attend celebration for any Disney fans.  It’s hours spent reveling in the best of Disney movies, history, park attractions, and more.  Special … Continue reading

What Are Disney Alliances?

Note the outside corporate sponsorship listed on the sign Browsing through my Facebook one day I saw an advertisement on the side, for the official Disney Alliance Facebook page. I’ll let the Facebook page speak for itself, pulling its description from under the “About” heading: “Welcome to the official Facebook Page of Disney Corporate Alliances! Learn about the latest news, promotions, and experiences our Alliance Partners help create across Disney Parks and The Walt Disney Company.” Basically, Disney Alliances, and all of its related websites (though so far that just seems to be Facebook and Twitter), are just there to … Continue reading

Visit Monsters University Online

Are you interested in applying to Monsters University? Would you like to learn more about receiving a higher education in professional scaring techniques? Then head over to the newly-launched Monsters University website, for details on the country’s top scaring university. Some of the clever folks at Pixar have created a website to promote next summer’s sequel to “Monster’s Inc.,” “Monsters University.” But the website isn’t about the movie, at least not directly. It’s a viral site designed to replicate university websites, and I’ve got to tell you, it looks like it could be real. There’s so much more to it … Continue reading

Exploring the New Official Disney Website

I promised a preview of the new official Disney site, and today I’m delivering. The new Disney site isn’t that different from the old one, it’s just got a sleek new redesign. The front page is less cluttered than before, and is on a bright white background rather than the previous black. I’m actually a little surprised at how plain the front page is; there are plenty of thumbnail pictures and links, but there’s nothing going on around the edges. The official Disney site is a good place to go if you’re a general Disney fan, but aren’t really sure … Continue reading

Disney Interactive Teases Big Game Releases for 2013

“Cars 2: The Game” made even less of an impression than the film As much as I’m a big Disney fan and a big video game fan, I’m not into Disney Interactive. That’s the company’s video game arm. So when a Business Insider article reveals that CFO Jay Rasulo hints that 2013 is going to see two big titles come out in the first half of the year, my response is a resounding “meh.” The first title is “Epic Mickey 2,” due out at the beginning of 2013. I enjoyed “Epic Mickey” and the details I’ve seen for its sequel … Continue reading

Exploring The Secret World of Arrietty

Studio Ghibli’s latest animated feature, “The Secret World of Arrietty,” was released in American theaters by Disney earlier this year and on DVD/Blu-Ray on May 22. Now that I’ve bought and seen it, I can review this latest Japanese masterpiece brought to us by Disney. Well, no matter how much I love Ghibli’s work I think masterpiece might be pushing it a little far. However, “Arrietty” is a fun movie for all ages and definitely deserves a view by any fans of Miyazaki’s work. The renowned animator didn’t direct the film but he did write the screenplay, based on the … Continue reading