When it comes to characters in entertainment media I’m not really asking for something deep and complex. As long as they are likeable, entertaining and provide a good role model that’s all I honestly care about. Sure I love me some philosophy and no doubt they’re characters I like with that trait but it’s not something I hold top priority when it comes to fictional characters. And needless to say, these characters I’m about to discuss provided the right inspiration and entertainment for me. So keep in mind, these are not what I consider the best but rather my personal favourite. If your favourite male and/or female character isn’t included here it’s either because I’ve never heard of them or they aren’t what I consider to be the most entertaining or who I would look up to. I won’t be discussing villains since I’ve kinda already did that with my Top 6 Animated Animal Villains And I am only choosing 5 for both lists because I can only talk about so much and these are not Top lists because it’s hard to choose a favourite. I’m starting with the female list because ladies first. lol
Zookstar written reviews
Well after revealing my Top 12 favourite games ever, I wondered what to do next. Then I thought I’d could get back into reviewing in the animation department. So doing a countdown on my favourite animated films of all time sprung to my mind. Like the last list, I wanted to wait a while to decide on what my favourite animated films are and it was definitely even harder than my video games list. Since I was a wee lad, I always loved watching animation and cartoons. Even when entering secondary school and coming a teenager, my love for animation didn’t die one bit. Now personally, I’m more of a writer than an animator, but I cannot deny that I have a lot of favourites in the animated film genre. So for this list, I am doing my favourite 15 animated films of all time. Why 15? Because that’s the…
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Well, well, well. It’s about time I did something like this huh? Well I’ve had a good 2 and a half years to think about it, and my opinions on most of the games I’ve been known for reviewing have changed ever since. I know I’m almost a year late since last year, Gexup announced his retirement by showcasing his 12 favourite games of all time, but better late than never right? Now keep in mind guys, I’m not as much of a gamer as I use to be so my list will be VERY different from others on the site. And after all, this is my FAVOURITE games of all time. Not games that I think are the greatest. I am fully aware not everyone considers these games to be the best (hell, some of these games aren’t always considered the best in their respective franchises). But again, it’s all based on MY OPINION. MY OPINION. We good? We’re gud. Now before we start, here’s a list of things I want to address.
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Like I said, nowadays I don’t game as much as I use to so don’t expect big name games like Zelda, Okami, Portal, the Donkey Kong Country trilogy (not that I dislike these games, I just haven’t played them in a while) or anything else the other reviewers on the site have added to appear on this list. Although I really wish I could try Tokyo Jungle if it wasn’t such a huge game to download.
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Tie breakers are allowed. Cuz is mah leest.
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Expect to see ALOT of platformers on this list. What? I’m one obsessed little fox. hehe
- No popular opinions will be supported.
- Did I forget to mention it’s MY OPINION? lol Alright, alright I’ll stop.
So with all that said and done, you guys can now experience Zookstar1000’s Top 12 Favourite Video Games of ALL TIME!
Well it’s been a while since I actually did something on this site. I am continuing my Animated Animal Movie reviews but right now, I’m trying to get a life and be more productive in real life, so it may take time. In the meantime, I had some ideas of a Top 10 to do and this is the one I picked first. I’ve always been a fan of villains, especially in animation. In fact, animated movies have given us the most memorable villains out there, mostly from Disney. And because I’m such a furfag, I decided to showcase my Top 6 Animated Animal Villains. Why 6 exactly? Because the 6 I picked are not only the best animated animal villains I consider in my opinion, but also some of my most favourite villains in general. So let’s check out these furry fiends!
Time to continue this marathon once again and boy am I excited for this one. So, whilist the previous films I reviewed were adaptions on novels, the film I’m about to talk about is known as the first every Disney movie that has it’s own original story (HA! Told you!). It is also what was known as Disney’s best love story before Beauty and the Beast existed. You may have guessed it right about now but that film is:
Aye. Lady and the Tramp indeed. Now technically the idea for this film comes from Disney story man, Joe Grant, who owned a English Springer Spaniel named Lady who got shoved aside when Joe and his wife had a baby. So pretty much, this is also the first Disney film to be based on a true story. So how well does Lady and the Tramp keep it’s title as a romantic classic? Let’s find out.
Story
The film is set in 1909 and we are greeted to a heart-warming beginning at Christmas time. We are then introduced to a married couple, both named Jim Dear and Darling (we don’t know they’re actual names but I assume they are called that based on the dogs’ perspective). Jim gives his wife a female Cocker Spaniel puppy as a present (fun fact: this scene is based on how Walt gave his wife a puppy for Christmas) who they name Lady. As Lady grows up, she starts out living a happy, satisfied life with her owners until Darling becomes pregnant with a baby. It’s then we meet our main man of the film, Tramp, who is a stray mutt who lives surviving on the streets. He warns Lady that the baby will replace her or as he puts it: “when the baby moves in, the dog moves out” However, when the baby is born, Lady realises it’s not a threat and she decides to become it’s protector.
When Jim Dear and Darling go on a trip, they bring over their Aunt Sarah to babysit and because this person despises dogs, she would not let Lady walk an inch near the baby. After getting in trouble with Aunt Sarah’s pet Siamese cats, she is taken to the pet shop to get a muzzle. She then escapes and meets up with Tramp again. And it’s from that point on where our two protagonists develop a relationship between one and other and fall in love. On top of that, Lady also has to worry about a rat sneaking around the couple’s house.
I have to say, before Beauty and the Beast came along, Disney had finally nailed a romance story that’s much more realistic and doesn’t have the two characters immediately fall in love on first sight. Not only that, this movie also deals with a lot more mature themes than a lot of other Disney films. In fact, you could argue that while the film is about talking dogs, it was much more adults than kids. The characters act more adult like and deal with issues that adult face like depression and such and they are no characters that bring in goofy, comic relief to cater to the kids. But the good stuff doesn’t just end there.
Characters
As much as I really like the story, it is nothing without a wonderful cast of characters.
Lady – As the main heroine of the film, I find her much more interesting than most of the Disney princesses that they like to market (with some exceptions). Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against them but when you think about it, Lady sticks out as her own. Her motivation comes from the instinct that she’s a dog and wants to be there for her owners in every step of the way and not just wanting Prince Charming. That being said, I love her personality as she is cute, shy, fun-loving and just lovable.
Tramp – Man, I love this guy! He is one smooth playa! 😉 But yeah, despite his cool attitude, he’s still a caring figure with a lot of experience to help those out on streets. Think of him as Disney’s original “street-rat” before Aladdin. He helps out dogs getting caught by the pound and always finds a way to outsmart his foes in the end. You go Tramp! 😉 One thing though is that I would at least like a bit more backstory on Tramp’s life on the streets. Perhaps the animators couldn’t think of anything but I personally would’ve liked to know (although I think this is more explained in the direct-to-video sequel).
Jock and Trusty – Two of Lady’s neighbourhood friends. You’d think they are the ones who provide some silly comic relief but nope. They behave just as adult like as the main protagonists. Jock is a Scottish Terrier who has a thing for collecting bones and act as a protective friend for Lady. It may be bias that I like this character just because of the fact I’m Scottish as well lol. Trusty on the other hand comes off as a sympathetic figure due to the fact that he as a bloodhound, he lost his sense of smell. And being unaware of that makes it more depressing for him.
Jim Dear and Darling – A pretty typical husband and wife relationship. But they do serve as Lady’s beloved owners and they do provide some of the mature themes of the movie like how they are stressed out about the new baby coming and so forth. But apart from that, they really just serve as the owners which certainly isn’t a bad point.
Aunt Sarah – Although not really a villain, she really is an annoying bitch. I mean, I know she is just trying to keep the baby from harm but Lady did absolutely nothing threatening towards it. And considering her hatred towards dogs, she pretty much blames any mess on them, like how her Siamese cats, Si and Am caused chaos in the house and Lady was blamed for it. Kinda reminds you of Lady Tremaine from Cinderella in a way.
The Rat – The actual villain of the movie. And let me say now. You guys can say what you want on Chernabog. You can say what you want about Monstro. Hell, you can go on about how Maleficent is scary. But this rat freaking horrified me as a child. Why? The way it sneaks around near the climax of the film. It’s dark look and creepy image and how it sneaks into the room of the baby, it leaves you with scary thoughts on what it could do to it. I know rats in real life aren’t really evil but the way it’s portrayed here makes it all the more frightening. Granted, it doesn’t have the much of a personality but I think this is the case with a villain where actions speak louder than words.
There are other characters like the dogs from the pound who are the English Bulldog, Toughy, Boris, Pedro and the Peggy Lee modelled dog, Peg. Though they don’t get as much screentime as the main characters, they all have unique personalities which makes them just as memorable. Especially Peg, who has a classy and stylish attitude. Overall, I LOVE the characters in this movie. They are memorable, lovable and unique altogether.
Animation
The animation has been given pretty mixed views by many. Some people will say they love the art style of the film (hell, even Pixar animator and director John Lasseter say it’s Disney’s pinnacle) and others will say it’s pretty underwhelming compared to Walt’s previous films. I’m sort of in between but mostly towards the former. While I can definetly agree it’s sort of a step backwards from Bambi and especially Alice in Wonderland, I believe the film has it’s own unique art style to make up for it. Personally I do prefer the beauty of Nature feel that Bambi had, but the urban environment here really is appealing, especially the Bella Notte scene. Plus, when it comes to city/urban environments, I’m a pretty big sucker for classy and cultured themes (which is why I love the art style in the Sly Cooper franchise) so this is definetly a plus for me here. Once again, they brought in dogs to study their movements for the animation of the dog characters and they never cease to impress. And let’s not forget the iconic spaghetti scene that has now been referenced to death in many other movies. Some environments can be bland, I will admit but overall I think the animation was greatly done, even if it doesn’t level up to the other Disney films.
Sound
There aren’t many songs in this film, but for what they did, they actually did a decent job.
Peace on Earth – Sort of a “Silent Night” song that opens the movie since it starts out at Christmas. Not really memorable but it is a heart-warming piece.
What is a Baby? and La La Lu – The reason I put these songs together is because they are both played in the same scene. Although, I don’t know if I can call What is a Baby? a song since it’s just Lady talking about what a baby is in song-talking (if that’s even a word). La La Lu on the other hand, is just like Baby Mine from Dumbo which is a song between a mother and a child. Although it isn’t a sad song this time it still just brings me to tears ALL THE FREAKING TIME!!! D’X
The Siamese Cat Song – A song sung by the two mischievous Siamese Cats, Si and Am. A pretty catchy tune and one remembered by many, but *sigh* once again, it got criticised for being somewhat racist. Again, it is completely opinionated on whether you think it’s racist or not, I can’t stress that enough.
Bella Notte – What is perhaps the most memorable song in the entire movie and probably one of the most romantic songs Disney has ever produced. Granted, when you hear the song, you can tell it is material from the 1950s, but I feel it’s a beautiful to play while you are with your loved one.
He’s A Tramp – The most catchiest piece. Peggy Lee is a pretty wonderful singer and she did a splendid job with this piece. You could call this “the 1900s song of the playa”. 😉
The songs are perhaps the least memorable of the movie (except for the two I mentioned) but they are pretty decent to listen to. That is, if you’re not sensitive enough to songs like La La Lu. 😥 But then there’s also the Dog Pound scene, with shows all the caged dogs suffering with fear of their fate. I can honestly say it breaks me down as fast as Mufasa’s death from The Lion King.
Voice-acting is spot on. They do well to capture the emotions and personalities of each character. And I might as well bring it up right now. The Hyena laugh from the zoo scene was actually used for Ripper Roo’s laugh in Crash Bandicoot voiced by the late Dallas McKennon.
Conclusion
I can honestly say that, despite some hiccups, I adore this movie. It is one of Disney’s most developed love stories with lovable and memorable characters, an appealing art style, some catchy songs and a mature storyline. Part of that may be bias since like I said, I’m quite a sucker for the style that was taken for this movie but that’s how I feel. But I feel that, as a romance film by Disney, more development went into the relationship between the characters more than the Disney princess films (though again, I don’t have anything against them). Though many people still praise the living hell out of Beauty and the Beast and never cut Lady and the Tramp some slack for also having a long developed relationship. However, I do know that there are some people out there who don’t think Lady and the Tramp aged as well and that’s fine. But for me, it’s recently now become a part of my Top 10 Favourite Disney Movies. Though just like The Lion King, there are some parts I’m extremely sensitive too like the La La Lu song and the Dog Pound scene. :”( But overall, I feel Lady and the Tramp to be one of Disney’s best films when he was still alive. It’s a charming, heart-warming, sweet film for everyone (even if some themes may be more for adults). I’ve always been more a cat lover myself, but this movie shows how dogs definitely are man’s best friend. Whenever I go to my sister’s house to look after her dog for the night, I always pick this film out and watch it with him. I’d give it a 4/5. As much as I would love to give it a higher score, I still feel there were some things needed like Tramp’s backstory. But that’s really all I have to say in terms of negatives.
Now, when I get to the direct-to-video sequels, I will also talk about the sequel to the film Lady and the Tramp 2: Scamp’s Adventure since I have some interesting things to say about that one. But for now, let’s move on to the next movie which is another dog movie by the Mouse House:
Well, now that we have the two most popular Disney animal flicks, we can now move on to talk about the ones that are in the middle in terms of popularity. This one was made to make up for the financial flop, Fantasia had made. Since that movie’s budget was the price of two cruise ships, it did not make up for it due to low audiences seeing the film because of World War 2 starting. So Walt had to make a film with a much smaller budget. The result:
Yep, Dumbo. Disney’s first ever animal flick based on a storyline by Helen Aberson. This is a movie I remembering watching when I was sick with chicken pox in the hospital at a very young age. It came on the television there so I was lucky enough to see it. Because of the movie’s smaller budget, this is known to be one of Disney’s shortest animated features. Unlike Snow White, Pinocchio and Fantasia, which were all ground-breaking achievements for Disney, Dumbo never blew anyone’s minds and was considered a standard flick for children. How well does the movie fare in today’s standards? Let’s see.
Story
The story takes place on a train full of circus animals that are being transported. One day, a mother elephant named Mrs. Jumbo receives her new baby from a stork (which led many kids to believe that’s how babies are born, jeez). It turns out that the baby elephant is born with very large ears, causing other elephants to poke fun at him and call him “Dumbo” and later when the circus starts, other people, including young boys start to tease him as well. This causes Mrs. Jumbo to go beserk and start attacking the boys. She is then locked up by the circus performers. With no mother to care for him, Dumbo is left on his own until he meets a circus mouse named Timothy Q. Mouse who becomes his friend and helps him try and become a star in the circus. along with a group of crows who try and help him fly with his wings.
So pretty much, the story is an ugly-duckling story with the story arc of the protagonist standing out from the crowd in the end. It is probably one of Disney’s most simplistic stories with little to no changes in the plot. To be quite honest, I find the storyline a bit underwhelming. It isn’t bad by all means, but there’s something lacking in it that aged better in Bambi and The Lion King. Now I know this movie came first before those but this one doesn’t age as well as those two in terms of plot as it doesn’t break the new ground. However, like I said, it’s not a bad story, it’s cute, charming and still has some emotional aspects.
Characters
To be honest, there’s a lot more to say on the characters than the story itself.
Dumbo – Probably the first Disney has ever used a silent character for their protagonist. Anyway, Dumbo shares a similar personality to Bambi. He is shy, confused and innocent in his own way. It’s interesting to see Disney manage a character like this without giving him any sort of dialogue. Then again, they managed that ok with Fantasia so it’s no surprise they were able to pull this off.
Timothy Q. Mouse – Dumbo’s best friend and mentor throughout the movie. He is without a doubt the most likeable character in the movie as he is the first one to care for Dumbo’s feelings after he is seperated from his mother and helps him rise to fame. It’s also funny since his relationship with Dumbo parodies the bitter relationships between mice and elephants (it’s a rumour that elephants are afraid of mice).
Mrs. Jumbo – Dumbo’s mother and THANK GOD, this parent doesn’t get killed in the most heartbreaking way possible. However, it was still pretty tearjerking to see her get locked up so she couldn’t tend to Dumbo’s care. The scene were she rocks Dumbo with trunk has made many people run tears down their faces. She does have that protective nature of a mother, especially when she rages when other poke fun at her son. At least we see her happily reunited her son when he becomes the star.
The Crows – Ooooooooh god. Now I can’t talk about these characters without mentioning the major controversy they sparked at this movie’s release. Since these characters were voiced by black people and act like stereotypical black people, it was accused of negative stereotyping and racism. Whether these characters are racist or not is all down to your perspective. If you can look past that however, they are pretty likeable characters that provide some good comic relief and that they help getting Dumbo to fly with his massive ears.
Other characters in the film are either background circus animals or characters that tease Dumbo for having large ears. I find the characters memorable and likeable, even if the story hasn’t aged as much.
Animation
Dumbo’s animation, as a whole, is pretty average. It does have a good art style to it and the characters are designed really well. However, after the groundbreaking animations from Pinocchio and Fantasia you’d expect a lot more. I know this film couldn’t level up to those standards because of again, smaller budget, but it still feels a bit underwhelming. However, there are a few scenes where the animation gets more creative like some of the circus act scenes and this particular scene:
Yep, best animation in the entire movie is when you get drunk and hallucinate about pink elephants. Freaking win right there. But apart from that, there really isn’t much to Dumbo’s animation, other than it’s pretty much standard Disney animation.
Music
This pretty much falls into the same trap as Bambi. I find the soundtrack in this movie pretty forgettable, apart from three songs.
Casey Junior – The opening song and without a doubt the most forgettable Disney has ever produced. Seriously, does anybody actually remember this as much as Circle of Life? That’s what I thought. It’s just a tune about the circus train. Nothing more. Yeah, that’s definetly a hit single there.
Look Out for Mr. Stork – Another forgettable one, but this one is a lot catchier than Casey Junior. And even it’s not that memorable, it’s still a pretty good song. But again kiddies, this ain’t where babies come from. Trust me.
Song of the Roustabouts – This is another part of the movie that nowadays seems to have gotten controversy. I’ve seen people nowadays say this is more racist than the crows. Why? Because it shows black men doing labour to set up the circus with the animals. Again, whether it’s racist or not is all up to you. This is also not a very memorable one but it’s a nice tune I guess. And it does have some nice animations with the thunderstorm.
Baby Mine – Sweet Jesus Disney, STOP the freaking sad songs already!! DX Yeah, you know the drill with this one. It’s like a lullaby song between a mother and her child. And boy, does it break me down everytime. 😥
Pink Elephants on Parade – The most EFFED up thing in the entire movie. And yet, everybody loves it. It’s a really catchy tune with weird but creative visuals. This is what makes this one of the only memorable songs in the entire movie.
When I See An Elephant Fly – Another song in the movie I remember remotely. It pretty much sets Dumbo’s character as he learns to fly with the crows. Once again, if you can get past the whole racism thing, you’ll like the singing the crows did with this one.
Conclusion
To be honest, whilist a good film on it’s own, Dumbo doesn’t live up to the standards as other Disney films and doesn’t age as well as Bambi or The Lion King. Granted, it didn’t have to and it’s all due to the small budget this movie was given after the failure of Fantasia but I can’t see myself going back to this one a lot. However, with some good (though average) animation, two memorable songs and memorable characters, it makes up for it. I know a good couple of people who never really like this one and I can see where there coming from. I myself find it cute and heart-warming but average at it’s best. It still has it’s positives and it will leave a satisfying feeling at the end. So with that said, I’d say I give a Dumbo a below average: 3/5 Thanks for reading this review and next time, we’ll take a look at Disney’s dog romance:
Well so far, the marathon is off to a good start. And after taking a lookback at Disney’s most popular animal flick The Lion King, we shall go back in time much further. Back when Walt himself was alive and making his first films. After the releases of fairytale classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Pinocchio, Walt decided to take a new turn in his films. Realism. Sounds like a tricky job there doesn’t it? So, his attempt to do that was making a film based on the 1923 Austrian novel, Bambi, a Life in the Woods by Felix Salten, in which his version is simply entitled:
Eeyup. What The Lion King had expanded, Bambi had started. It is also worth mentioning that out of all the films Walt had made, this was his favourite movie that he had done. So how well does this film do and age without all the fantasy/fairytale elements? Well, let’s begin.
Story
The film has a similar opening to The Lion King. A female doe gives birth to a fawn soon to become the new prince of the forest as all the other woodland creatures gather round to celebrate. As the fawn grows up through youth, he is taught how to walk and speak as he befriends a young rabbit named Thumper (his name because he likes to thump a lot with his foot, how creative) and later a skunk named Flower (although it can’t be his original name because Bambi had called him that when looking at flowers and the skunk liked it, but I guess he wasn’t named yet before that happened). Bambi spends most of his time with his mother who teaches him the way of life in the forest and the dangers of the hunter known as “Man”. And throughout the rest of the film is pretty much the life of Bambi from youth to adulthood.
Soooooo yeah, there really isn’t much to the story other than the life of Bambi. There’s no goal, no motivational skills from the characters, no story arcs. It’s just Bambi living his whole life as a deer in the forest. Unlike The Lion King which had a more complex and detailed story. Does that mean that the story as a whole falls flat?
Well, how I can describe how this story works is basicly the same way I would describe the segments in Fantasia. The movie lets the animation and visuals carry the story more than character dialogue. It is also like Snow White where emotion is used more than logic. Films like that are pretty impressive, and you don’t see them very often in today’s generation. How they can a whole story with the animation and the emotions of the story to pace it. You can see how it is done in this film where as the story progesses, the seasons change from spring, to summer, to autumn, to winter and to spring again. But I’ll get to the animation later.
And I might as well get it out of the way, this was the first Disney movie to have a character (Bambi’s mother) to actually die realistically (technically Snow White was the first to have a character die but only through a poisoned apple) and even to this day, it has left scars on thousands of people (god damn it Disney, stop killing off the parents goddammit!)
Characters
It’s hard to describe the characters of this movie but I’ll do my best.
Bambi – Much like Simba, Bambi doesn’t have that much of a personality to him. For the most part, he acts as a confused, quirky figure who is rather shy at times and doesn’t often speak. Basicly, he’s the male version of Fluttershy (god damn, I can’t believe I had to reference MLP). Unlike Simba however, he doesn’t have that much of the male hero archetype, up until near the end of the movie that is. Over the years, I do kinda like the sort of shy personality they gave him as it makes him a bit more interesting.
Thumper – Bambi’s best rabbit friend. His personality is that he is a fun loving rabbit with a quirky attitude to him who has a habit of thumping things on the ground with his foot (hence the name obviously). Plus, he has some of the most memorable quotes:
Flower – I’m still wondering if this was even his real name or he just picked from Bambi. Oh well, too much thought. Anyway, not much of a personality with this character other than the fact that he is VERY bashful. He provides some of the cutest scenes in the entire movie, the cute scale pretty much rockets to the top. We don’t even see him as much as Thumper to get really get to know him completely well but eh.
Bambi’s mother – Not sure why they didn’t give this character her own name but whatever. Just like Mufasa, Bambi’s mum serves as Bambi’s mentor throughout the movie to teach about the circle of life, and she and Bambi quickly grow a strong relationship. And of course, that leads to the heartbreaking moment where she is shot and killed. Why is it the most beloved and interesting of characters get killed off so soon??!!
The Great Prince of the Forest – Bambi’s father. Again, not much personality with this character other than the fact that he serves as the protective leader of all the woodland creatures. As far as I know, he has much more development in the direct-to-video sequel to his film.
Man – The first and so far only Disney villain that is not shown on-screen. I think this is to build up the atmosphere of the fact that the movie is primarily focused on the animals and since Man is considered the biggest threat then having him off-screen makes the atmosphere all the more intense. You can sense all the fear these animals have to go through when this guy’s around. It is unclear, however, if he was killed off near the end of the film. There’s a small scene where a camp is on fire, and presumably Man must have stayed there and when the forest went on fire, he died. Still made unclear though.
Overall, I think the characters have a bit more creativity to them than The Lion King had, but that’s just me.
Animation
Man, this is the best part once again. Now I know I said how fantastic The Lion King’s animation was, but it is totally impressive here as well. I love how the film captures the beauty side of Nature, and this could definitely be considered art. It’s all very pleasing to look at even if some of the environments can be quite dark. And just like with The Lion King the team had hired wildlife experts to bring in animals like deer to study their movements for the animation and needless to say, all that hard work paid off greatly. And keep in mind, this was in 1942. When animation in feature length films was still relatively new. I always say that if the visuals and animation play a huge role in the story telling, then by God, you better have some breathtaking animation to do that, and Bambi does that job no problem. Granted, it may not be as colourful as say, Fantasia as it is trying for a more darker tone, but there is still a lot to look in this one.
Sound
Well there really isn’t much to the soundtrack of this film. None of the characters sing any sing-a-long songs (and no, background characters don’t count) unlike Walt’s past films. But I’ll do my best to explain some of them:
Love is a Song – A sweet, soothing song that really knows how to capture the soul. I wouldn’t say it’s the most memorable opening song, but it’s sweet nonetheless.
Little April Shower – A really random song that comes right out of nowhere. I mean, it’s a catchy little tune I guess, but it’s mostly just singing about rain in April. Whu?
Let’s Sing a Gay Little Spring Song – Ok guys, don’t expect me to make a joke about this. It’s too painfully obvious (after all back then, gay did have a different meaning). Anyway, this is a pretty forgettable song. It’s just birds singing about the spring. I guess it goes well with the return of spring setting but overall, it’s a weak song.
Looking for Romance – A heartwarming romantic song. One thing I like about songs like this from the 40s is that they have such heavenly voices to sing the romance song. It’s pretty beautiful and deep in my opinion.
To be honest, aside from the two songs I liked, I find the soundtrack overall to be underwhelming. Now granted, it was a nice change of pace not to have the main characters just break into a musical number, but the quality just isn’t there.
The voice acting is pretty decent. It’s pretty impressive how well the kid actors did playing the roles of the young characters and so forth. However, I don’t think there was thousands of voice acting in the movie as it wasn’t needed as much, so overall it’s decent.
Conclusion
It is hard to describe how well Bambi holds up. On one hand, the visuals and animation of the film are stunning and artistic. On another, the story may not hold up as well in today’s standards since there is little to no development of the story as it is just simply telling the life of our main protagonist. I can see not everybody liking this movie as some people may be looking for a more detailed and complex story, or the high level of cuteness may turn them off slightly. But for me, I still think it’s a good flick to go back to every one and a while. Even though I prefer The Lion King, I find the characters in this film to be more creative and the fact that without this film, I doubt The Lion King would even exist. Sadly, where I feel the film falls flat is the music (despite the two songs I liked).
Even though the film is considered a classic today, it did not do well at all on it’s original release. This was developed around the same time World War II was around so people had a lot more to worried about than watching films and after this film was made, the army took over the Walt Disney studios and had to make package films with War references (up until 1950). So overall, the film was a financial flop. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it gained some major controversy with critics and audiences alike. Criticisms went to the film’s realism and lack of fantasy elements that Snow White had. Not to mention, many hunters criticised it for being an offense to “American sportsmen”. Though as the years went by, Bambi became the reason for many people to become animal rights activists and vegetarians, including former Beatle member, Paul McCartney.
So I do like the film for it’s characters and beautiful art style, even if some things like the music haven’t aged very well. I’d give it a: 3.5/5. I haven’t seen the sequel for this film, but I am really keen to give it a watch soon. But for next, we’ll move on to Disney’s flick on the flying elephant:
Well, the time has come for me to begin my Animated Animal Movie Reviews. As I stated before, as a kid, I always grew fond to the animal movies of animation. That partially due to me being an animal lover, but I always found the characters more likeable, cute, interesting and I find there is more creativity to be done when doing this subject in animation and still to this day at the age of 18, that novelty has never worn off. Not one bit. Granted I know some people might have an opposite view since it would be hard to relate to characters that aren’t human, but for me, as long as the characters are interesting and memorable, I see no big deal. Anyway, the first movie I have chosen to review is none other than:
Ah yes. Seriously people, what kind of person hasn’t known this movie already? Just name me one person and I will show that they are lying out of their ass. To put it short, The Lion King has pretty much become the staple in Disney animated films. You can’t talk about Disney without mentioning this movie. It is most people’s favourite film of the Disney lineup, and why is that exactly? It could be because of the characters, story, music, animation, pretty much all the above. It also could be because it is part of the Disney Renaissance, also known as Disney’s Second Gold Age, which had other memorable classics like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, etc etc. So now that we know what we’re getting into, let’s take a lookback on why this movie left a big mark in animation. (not to mention this movie was released the same year I was born. YAY lol)
Story
Now before we begin, I like to add that for some reason people thought this was the first Disney movie to have it’s own original story, which is false. For one that honour goes to Lady and the Tramp, and two, the story is loosely based on William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I’ve never read the whole story of Hamlet so I don’t know if there are any differences besides the animals. Oh well, moving on:
Set in the beautiful landscapes of Africa, ruled by the lion king Mufasa (voiced by James Earl Jones), the animals celebrate the birth of the prince and future king, Simba. During Simba’s youth, Mufasa teaches him all about the Circle of Life and the responsibilities of being king. However, Mufasa’s brother, Scar (voiced by Jeremy Irons) grows envy of the lion cub’s place and builds a plan to have him and Mufasa eliminated so he can take the throne for himself, in which successfully manages to kill Mufasa in a wildebeest stampede. Believing to be the cause of his father’s death, Simba runs away from the Pride Lands to avoid punishment. Simba is then found in the desert by the comic relief of the film, the famous meerkat-and-warthog duo, Timon and Pumbaa (both who are voiced by Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella). They teach him the life of freedom from responsibility and work in which they call Hakuna Matata. Through his youth to adulthood, Simba leaves all of the responsibilities behind and lives a life of nothing but relaxing in the savannah with his buddies. That is, until his childhood friend, Nala comes along and they both fall in love (ahhh, lion romance lol). He then learns from her on how Scar has turned the Pride Lands into nothing but badlands. Simba, however, refuses to go back as it would mean revealing his cause of Mufasa’s death. But upon meeting the crazy, wild baboon Rafiki (voiced by Robert Guillaume), he summons Mufasa’s ghost in which tells Simba he needs to take his true place as the King of the Pride Lands. So now, Simba has to get back to the Pride Lands, battle his uncle Scar and take back the kingdom.
Phew, long summary lol. Anyway, so yeah, the moral of the story is taking responsibilities for your actions. Now, this would completely work if it weren’t for one thing. Simba was never the cause of Mufasa’s death and Scar tricked him into thinking it was, which brings confusion into how the moral is executed. I can see why this can be a bit of a plot hole and I know a lot of people have pointed this out by now, but I needed to bring it up as well. The movie also has a theme of putting the past behind you and moving on, which I personally think is a homage to a quote by Walt Disney himself: “Keep moving forward”
That’s pretty much the only major flaw within the storyline. Other than that, the pacing is done right, the story is set up well and even with that plot hole, it still delivers what has to be the most mature moral Disney has ever done. I mean, Disney has always gave “keep wishing” morals in their movies, and this is one of their movies where the moral is more realistic with it’s audience and it’s what every kid nowadays should learn.
Characters
This is another thing on what everybody remembers this film for. The characters.
Simba – Our main protagonist. Now I certainly can’t say Simba is the most interesting character, but not the most boring either. He has that archetype of “wisecracking male hero” which is a pretty common trait in most male heroes. However, before this film, Disney had always been more known for their princess heroines, which certainly wasn’t a bad thing, but it was interesting to see what they could pull off for a male protagonist. Personally, I found Simba more of a exciting character when he was young. He was energised, fun and quirky. When he is an adult, he becomes more bland and less of a fun character, which is strange I mean, he hung out with Timon and Pumbaa all those years so you’d think he’d be a little more exciting. Nevertheless, you couldn’t ask for a better protagonist to fit the theme of this story.
Nala – The leading lady and love interest of the film. There really isn’t much to this character. She pretty much serves as Simba’s mate and mentor when she meets him in adult years. Much like Simba, I found her more interesting in her youth. As for her relationship with Simba, it doesn’t really seem all that developed. Granted they had been friends since childhood, but Simba had been gone from the Pride Lands up until adult years, so how could they have developed a full romantic relationship as soon as they reunite? Maybe I’m just digging too deep but that’s just my perspective.
Scar – Now we have our main villain. Definetly an evil one. Scar is merciless, sinister and willing to do anything to get what he wants, even if it means taking out his own brother. Scar isn’t my favourite Disney villain, but with a voice actor like Jeremy Irons, he definetly brings a good role as the villain of the story. Yeah, he may be not be the most complex Disney villain as say, Frollo, but he definetly has some of the most memorable and hilarious lines in this movie that he still gets a free pass from me.
Timon and Pumbaa – Our comedic duo. As far as I know, these characters were brought into the movie to at least bring some kid-friendly elements in the movie after all the dark themes. And both of them are enjoyable to watch and they didn’t feel so out of place in the more serious story (unlike the Gargoyles from The Hunchback of Notre Dame). Granted, some of the jokes they make can be obnoxious but they serve well as the comic relief.
Rafiki – Now this is something I have to agree with Hannu on. As enjoyable as Timon and Pumbaa are, Rafiki is by far the funniest character in the movie. He serves as the wise elder of the movie, but provides some wacky and hilarious moments in the movie. When me and my friends talk about this movie, we always mention how Rafiki was hilarious rather than Timon and Pumbaa.
Mufasa – By far the best and most interesting character in the entire movie. A responsible, powerful king who does well to ensure the future, while at the same time, can still provide light-hearted moments. This is probably what makes him one of the best Disney parent characters, and because of this, his death has been known as the most tearjerking scene in Disney history. James Earl Jones provides an emotional performance with this character. Who’d thought? Darth Vader’s voice emotional. lol
That’s it from the main characters. Since I am short on time, I’m only discussing the main ones and not the other characters like Sarabi, Zazu or the hyenas as they didn’t play too big a role in the plot.
Animation
By far this is one of Disney’s most beautifully animated movies of all time, if not the most. Since it was important to capture animal movements and the background of Africa correctly, the team at Walt Disney had made a visit to the place to help with their art and needless to say, visiting there has sure paid off. The team also hired various wildlife experts to study the real life movements of lions and other animals (which was also done for the development of Bambi). The film also does offer beautiful landscapes of it’s environment which is just as well done as something like The Rescuers Done Under. The Disney Renaissance defiantly had some of the best looking films in the library and this one is no exception here. That’s pretty all there is to know about the animation.
Sound
Once again, another thing this movie is remembered for. Especially the music, written by Tim Rice and famous English singer, Elton John.
Circle of Life – A well-constructed, memorable piece that provides an epic opening for the movie. Definetly a plus here.
I Just Can’t Wait To Be King – Pretty average song in my eyes. I don’t know, there’s something about this song that doesn’t particular grasp me as much as the other ones. I still think it’s a decent song, but I’d say it’s my least favourite.
Be Prepared – One hell of a villain song. As we all know, Jeremy Irons sung half of this song before he started to lose his voice so well talented voice actor, Jim Cummings came aboard to finish the song and it still sounds great! This is a song I keep finding getting stuck in my head from time to time when I decide to listen to it.
Hakuna Matata – Same kind of thing with I Just Can’t Wait To Be King. It’s average at best, but it is definetly a fun and catchy song to listen to.
Can You Feel Love The Love Tonight – A sweet romantic song. Then again, Disney has never been unknown to romance and because of that, they provide a lot of memorable love songs and this is no different. That is, when Elton John isn’t singing it. lol
The rest of the movie’s musical piece was produced by Hans Zimmer. Man, this guy must have really worked his ass off with this one, because he has made what is one of the most epic soundtracks in cinema which can really capture both the heart and the emotion of a person.
The voice acting is also spot on. No surprise, the weakest actor was Matthew Broderick, who gave a pretty bland performance for Simba but the rest of actors do their job well. Like I mentioned earlier, James Earl Jones, voice for Mufasa is definetly the best voice in the movie as it is deep and powerful.
Conclusion
It’s no surprise that this has become one of the Disney’s deepest treasures in their canon. Ever since it’s release in 1994, it had blown away the minds of both children and adults with it’s memorable characters, epic musical piece and mature message to both kids and adults alike. And still to this day, it gets milked of it’s prime with merchandise and a fanbase. Unfortunetly, it is not without it’s flaws. Like I said, some of the songs were only average in my eyes, the main characters can be considered bland and uninteresting and of course, the plothole in the movie’s theme. I for one can overlook that fine for all the hard work and effort went into making this movie and it’s a shame we will never see an animated movie like this ever again (but we can only hope ;)). I cannot watch the movie that much though, because of scenes like Mufasa’s death and Mufasa’s spirit scenes that I’m extremely sensitive to and can immediately break me down on my emotions.
But with all that aside, I give The Lion King a: 4/5 (yeah, I’m going back to the usual score system as I don’t plan to use that Doritos score anymore haha). I plan at looking at the sequel sometime soon but that’s for another time. Next time in this marathon, I will look into another popular animal film done by the Mouse House:
So until next time lads and lassies, this is Zookstar1000 saying peace out and stay furry!
