Rotoscopers Roundup 8

It's time for my biannual Rotoscopers update! Here is everything I worked on from July to December of 2018!

Infinity Train - Trailer Announcement

Steven Universe: The Movie - Announcement

Ant-Man and the Wasp - MCU Countdown #20

Adventure Time - Finale Air Date & DVD Announcement

Star Wars Rebels - Season 4 Blu-ray Review

Teen Titans Go! To the Movies - Soundtrack Review

Muppet Babies - DVD Review

Alex Hirsch - Gravity Falls Creator Signs with Netflix

My Little Pony - Original 1986 Film - Blu-ray Announcement

Adventure Time - DVD Review

Incredibles 2 - Blu-ray/DVD Announcement

Hilda - Trailer Announcement

Indie-Mation Club Review - Chirin's Bell

Solo: A Star Wars Story - Blu-ray Review

Hotel Transylvania 3 - Blu-ray Review

Hey Arnold! The Ultimate Collection - DVD Review

My Little Pony: The Movie - 35th Anniversary Edition - Blu-ray/DVD Review

Batman: The Animated Series - Blu-ray Review

Rocko's Modern Life: The Complete Series - DVD Review

Disney+Hollens

Awhile back I did a post of only Disney covers by YouTubers, but lets narrow that down even further, with Disney covers by YouTubers named Hollens. Peter and his wife Evynne of course. :) They have been releasing a LOT of Disney music recently, so I decided to compile a bunch of it all into one big post.

Disney's Tarzan has been one of my favorite soundtracks to listen to independently from the movie since it was released, Leave it to Peter Hollens to do such an amazing cover to one of the best songs.

The movie Brave didn't really have much by way of music with lyrics, at least, not when compared to most other Disney movies, but of course Evynne, in her quest to be every Disney Princess, was all over what it did have. :)



And speaking of that quest: Here she is as Pocahontas. :)



Peter is not to be outdone of course. :)



Here's Evynne as Mulan, as Peter mentioned in that last video.



I liked this song before Peter and Evynne did it, but once they did it, I loved it. They seem to have had that effect on me with other songs before...



Evynne doesn't just do the well known princesses, she also does the obscure ones. :p



Peter doesn't always get into the cosplay for his Disney videos like Evynne does, but they are still amazing.



This is all for now. It's not all that they have done, but it'll be enough for one post. I'll have a (not exactly) regular post up soon. :)

Monsters University

Pixar has done it again. This movie is every bit as good as I'd hoped. Yes, critics still dumped on it for being another sequel (prequel) but they're just stuffy film critics who wouldn't know a good film if it fell out of the sky and landed on their head, splattering all over their clothes. I'm writing this review in the middle of the night. I'm probably going to be a little weirder than normal.

Yeah, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm writing this now, Monsters University came out last month, it's old news. Yeah, I am late, but I still wanted to write something, because this was a really good movie. Though I am still on the fence as to whether or not it was better than The Croods, but I've decided not to pick a favorite.

Maybe.

I don't know. The Croods was SO good! Maybe it WAS better than a Pixar film? Can that happen two years in a row? A non-Pixar film being better than the Pixar film? I KNOW it won't happen next year. The movie is called "The Good Dinosaur." There is NO WAY any other movie is gonna beat that.

Anyway, this sounds too much like I'm ragging on MU for not being good enough, but I'm really not! It was so good! It's just that I really loved The Croods.

Monsters University was a great movie. It was unusual in that it kind of had the opposite message of most feel-good family films. Most films seem to tell you "Follow your dreams, believe in yourself, and eventually all your dreams will come true!" This film's message was "Follow your dreams, but be prepared, because they may not come true at all, and that's ok." That's a rather wordy message, and I'm sure that I could probably try to come up with a more concise way of saying that, but as I said before, it's the middle of the night, and my thinking parts aren't cogitating rightly.

The movie follows Mike (The green eyeball from Monsters Inc.) as he attends Monsters University to become a scarer. As we all know from watching Monsters Inc, Mike never became a scarer. The movie is all about Mike getting his dreams crushed. Sort of. It's about Mike's journey of self discovery, as he realizes that his life-long dream is unattainable, and how he comes to grips with that. But this movie is a lot more fun and funny than I am making it sound.

I won't give away any of the movie for those who still haven't seen it, but I do want to just highlight a few of my favorite things about the movie.

#1 The pigeon. If you have seen the movie you know exactly what I'm talking about. SQURAAAAAAAWWW!!!!

#2 Dean Hardscrabble. Best monster design ever. I hate centipedes, but dragon/centipede hybrids? Awesome! 

#3 Squishy's dance. It rivals Napoleon Dynamite's dance scene, as the best dance scene in cinematic history. Also, the music from that scene? I bought the song, and I've lost count of how many times I've played it. Here, listen for yourself. :)

#4 Squishy's mother. Listening to her tunes, and dancing while doing the laundry. Too funny.

#5 "I can't go back to jail!" Funniest line ever.

So there you have it. My better-late-than-never review of Pixar's latest masterpiece. If you haven't seen it yet, your need to. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wish for a mutant pigeon of your very own.

Best Movie of the Year

Monday night my friends and I all met for supper, then walked to the theater to see Wreck-It Ralph. We've been planning to see this movie for a long time now, and I am happy to say that none of us were disappointed. There was something for everyone in the movie.

I can't believe I'm going to say this about a non-Pixar movie, but Wreck It Ralph is the best movie I have seen all year. I loved Brave, but Wreck It Ralph was better.

When I first saw the trailer for this movie, I had high expectations. It looked very funny, and it was a Disney movie. Disney has been making a lot of great movies lately, so anything they put out I automatically expect more from than your average movie.

When when the first critics started seeing it and giving it good reviews, my expectations were raised even more. Then the animation blogs I follow started giving their reviews, and they were all reporting that it was so much better then they had expected it to be. By the time I got to the movie I was just hoping I wouldn't be let down because I was expecting an awesome movie.

It FAR surpassed my expectations. I was so surprised by how great this movie was! I don't usually see movies in the theater twice, but if I was given the opportunity, and I had time around my school/work schedule, I would not even hesitate to see it again.

From watching the trailer, the story seems pretty simple and straightforward. A "Bad Guy" video game character, Wreck-It Ralph, decides that he doesn't like being the bad guy any more, so he abandons his game to find a new one in which he can become a hero. Not too long after the movie gets going, it becomes pretty clear that there is a lot more happening in this movie than just Ralph's story.

The entire movie takes place inside an arcade. All the video games are connected to a central station, and the characters are able to travel into other games to visit, so long as the arcade is closed, and no one is watching. Sort of like a digital version of Toy Story.

Eventually Ralph ends up inside a racing game where he befriends a "Glitch" a character that was apparently not even supposed to exist. The glitch wants to be a part of her game but is being mercilessly tormented by all the legitimate characters. Ralph steps in and helps the glitch, but soon realizes that there is more going on behind the scenes than anyone in this game realizes.

I can't give away any more in case you decide to watch it for yourself, and you really, really should, but suffice it to say that this movie's story is so much richer than your average animated movie. It came as no surprise that during the end credits, the animators thanked the team at Pixar for helping them work on the story. No wonder it was so good! Pixar always puts story first, so having them work on this movie, even though it was not a Pixar film, was an extremely good idea.

As I've said before, I love redemption stories. I love it when a "Bad Guy" becomes a "Good Guy," and at its core, that is what this movie is. The fact that the story is so much deeper than that is just the icing on the cake. There are so many twists, turns, and surprises, that I can't see how anyone could go into this movie and leave, NOT loving it.

There is so much more I want to say about the movie, but to do so would spoil way too much plot information. The only thing left that I CAN say is go see it!

Epic Bravery

 Last night I finally saw Brave. After hours of getting lost in Omaha, we finally came to a theater with a late showing, and got there just as the previews were starting. It was worth the wait. :)

Brave was epic. I would have loved it even if it was just the music and the scenes of Scotland. It was so incredibly detailed, that it didn't even need the story to be a work of art all on its own. But it had the story, and it had the humor. Pixar has done it again, and it was amazing.

After Cars 2 came out, Pixar got a lot of flack. They were accused of hitting their high point with Toy Story 3, and that they were pretty much through. Some just flat out called it an awful movie. Where all that hate came from I don't know, I loved Cars 2. It was hilarious and exciting. I found it to be even better than the first Cars. Not every movie has to be a huge roller coaster of emotions to be a good movie. It wasn't supposed to be that kind of a movie. It was just plain fun, so to all those critics: Go soak your heads.

Hopefully with Brave, those critics will be appeased. It had the emotion, it had the drama, it had the humor. It had pretty much everything, and it was great. There are plenty of plot twists if you haven't over-analyzed the trailers and figured them out like I did, but even though I was pretty sure I knew what was going to happen, there was still plenty of suspense, because it's impossible to figure everything out from a few two minute clips. My friends were very surprised by a few of the twists that I had already suspected were coming, so if you haven't been "Spoiled" you'll be pretty surprised by more than one turn of events.

Most people who know what I like in a sci-fi or fantasy movie, know that it's the creatures, and in this case the creatures were of the real variety, rather than the fantasy variety. Horses and bears being the two main animals featured. Merida's horse is a Clydesdale, Angus, and he is just gorgeous. I love horses to begin with, but I really love giant horses like that. :) The other creatures were the bears, and the design on the "Demon" bear was pretty horrific. I expected it to be ugly, but man did its face look hideous. All the better for it to be the "Bad Guy" of the film.
One last thing on creatures, I love a good creature brawl, and the bear fight near the end was just epic. :)

The character of the witch turned out to be an unexpected gem for me. Her role in the film was so small, probably 5 minutes max, but aside from Merida's 3 brothers, she was one of the funniest characters of all. When the witch put on her welding mask, I about died laughing, and her "Answering Machine" cauldron was a hilarious bit of genius. :D

I also loved how they crafted the tension between Merida and her mother. Too often a story will be geared towards one audience, and the stupid adult is proved to be wrong in the end, and the headstrong child is the hero for defying them. Or the disobedient child is completely in the wrong, and if they'd listened to their wise, all-knowing parents in the first place, nothing bad would have happened, proving that parents know everything and you should never question them. Neither one is a realistic scenario, and neither one was the case here.

Instead of making a film to empower rebellious children, or a film to preach to kids to always listen to their parents, the film told a much more realistic story, geared toward both kids and adults, where the parents try their best, but aren't perfect, and the child's disobedience is not praised, but causes multiple terrible things to happen. The trailer seemed to glorify how "Headstrong" Merida is, but by the end of the film, she realized that she had been in the wrong and her tearful apology was heart-wrenching, especially when you consider that it seemed that her actions had cost her her mother's life.

One of the key "Morals" to the story was the importance of communication. You can shout at each other all you want, but that is not communication. It takes listening on the count of BOTH parties involved, with BOTH parties willing to concede that they don't know everything. "Because I said so," arguments are pretty much the height of arrogance, and that never gets anyone anywhere. A response like that only fuels the flames of rebellion. In my opinion that's one reason our country is in such a mess. It's not just a problem with parents acting like they know everything and children are expected to unquestioningly obey, but it's also the government. Politicians act like they know everything and the people are supposed to unquestioningly obey. Neither situation ever ends very well.

Okay, well, that took a very strange political detour that I really didn't intend to make, but I guess it just goes to show that you can get a lot of things out of a good story, even if that wasn't what the author intended. :)

In conclusion, go see Brave. It hilarious, it's exciting, it's gorgeous. In short, it's Pixar. :)

A Monstrous Movie

Friday night will finally be the night I've been waiting years for! Well, it's not really all that dramatic, it's just going to see Brave, but I have been waiting for this movie for literally years. I first heard about it when I was still going to ITT Tech, which was at least 5 years ago now. Back then it was called "The Bear and the Bow" and they announced it with another film called Newt, about the last two Blue footed Newts in the world. Sadly Dreamworks decided that that plot was too good so they stole it and made it about Macaws, Called it Rio, and released it before Pixar could finish Newt. Newt was then cancelled. I'm still quite sore about that one...

ANYway, as with the release of any new Pixar movie, there will also be the release of the newest short film, La Luna. So far I don't know too much about it except that it has critics raving about how good it is. Pixar has yet to disappoint me, so I am excited to see it.

Also debuting alongside Brave, is the teaser for the next Pixar movie, "Monsters University." It is Pixar's first prequel, telling the story of Mike and Sully from Monsters Inc. during their college years.

Today on Facebook, they are giving a sneak peek at 4 versions of the trailer, giving fans a chance to vote on the best one. The trailers are all hosted by different sites, and at least one I won't be able to embed here, so I'll just post the YouTube version, and tell you the differences. The versions are all exactly the same except for one line.

The line from this trailer was "My pony made the Dean's list."



The alternate versions from the other trailers are:

"Class president?! Hee, hee, hee!"

"I can't go to class. I'm not wearing any clothes."

And my favorite

"My homework ate my dog!"

This looks like it's going to be a laugh riot! :D Monsters Inc. was one of the very first movies my family ever went to see in the theater, so I am quite excited for this follow up film. :)

Countdown to Brave

Brave debuts in just a few more weeks, and Pixar is promoting it in a whole bunch of ways. They've been releasing clips, pictures, and even a featurette that explains the story in a bit more detail without giving anything important away. I've collected a few of my favorites here, but there are more if you care to go looking for them.

I love this horse. Seriously. If they release some kind of a good quality replica, there is a very good chance I will get one, and I don't buy movie memorabilia.

 These three kids crack me up. I know they are going to be a riot. :)

Have I mentioned how much I love Merida's hair? Because I LOVE Merida's hair!
And that crow looks like a great character too. :)

This first clip gives a glimpse into the characters of the three Lords and their sons. They are all hilarious. :D



This next clip is a look at the parents. I love the King's impression of his daughter. :D



This last video is a featurette about the story and a look at the people behind the voices in the film. They've got some great talent doing the voices.



I can not wait for this film! As of right now I am planning to go see it on opening night with some friends. I almost never do that, since there seem to be so few movies that I deem worthy of seeing in the theater, so you know that I am excited! :D

Final Brave Trailer

The final Brave trailer was released today. I think perhaps I may have to go hyperventilate. :D




I watched it twice in a row, and I may have to watch it a third time. The king's impersonation of his daughter was hilarious! :D I can not wait for this movie! :D

Brave Scene

As most of you know I don't get too excited about very many movies. There are a few that I want to see, but I only go to the theater if it works out. Rarely do I MAKE time to go to see a film. However anything by Pixar automatically is a "Make Time" film, and this summer they are releasing what people are calling their first "Princess" film. Brave is no ordinary "Princess film" however, as it is set in ancient Scotland. From what I've seen, the film looks amazing. The thing that strikes me every time is Merida's hair. It has got to be the most amazing hair in any film ever.

Pixar just released their latest trailer for Brave, and it's not so much a trailer as it is an entire scene from the movie. Watching this makes me want to see it even more.

 I've gotten so excited for this film that I did something I haven't done since Tim Burton released his version of Alice In Wonderland - Used a promotional image as my desktop background!

Second only to her hair, I LOVE her horse!

June 22 can't get here soon enough!

One Week Left!

Till “The Muppets” comes out in Theaters! :D

The Muppets have been making the rounds promoting the film, and they were on Good Morning America. The interview with Kermit and Miss Piggy was SO funny! :D

Aside from the film itself, I am also excited about the soundtrack. I love this song. I’ve watched this brief clip of it a whole bunch of times. :)

In closing, I will leave you with this TV spot that just hit YouTube. It am so pumped for this movie! :D

The fact that there is a new Toy Story Toon from Pixar premiering with the film is just the icing on an already amazing cake! :D

Cars 2 and a “Brave” Debut

Last night I went to see Cars 2. I can say for certain that it was 10 times better than the first one, and I really liked the first one. The movie focused mainly on Mater and two new characters, Finn McMissile, and Holly Shiftwell. Mater is caught up in an espionage plot that eventually threatens the life of his best friend Lightning McQueen. It was like a James Bond film if James Bond were a car. All the other characters from the first film were there as well, but Mater was the star.

It was hilarious and exciting. I highly recommend this movie, and if my cousin is able to go with me, I will be seeing it a second time. I almost never see a movie twice in the theater, so you know it was good. :)

Also, now that it has debuted in theaters, the teaser trailer for Pixar’s next film, “Brave” is now out. It is very short, but it looks like it will be a beautiful movie. It appears that it will be Pixar’s most mature film to date. Pixar has always made mature films, they just do them in such a way that the entire family will be engaged. What I mean by most mature, is that it appears that this will be more of a drama than a comedy, as Pixar’s other films were more comedy than drama. Either way, I can’t wait! It looks amazing!

As an aside, the new short, Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation was a laugh riot! All the Characters from Toy Story 3 were back. The plot focus was on Ken and Barbie, who wanted to go to Hawaii with Bonnie. When they are left behind, the other Toys do their best to bring Hawaii to them. Make sure that if you go to see Cars 2, you get there early enough to See the Brave Trailer, and Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation!

A “Brave” New World

As anyone who knows me knows, I am a HUGE Pixar fan. Pixar is hands down the best film company in the world, and there is no way that anyone will ever be able to convince me otherwise. The last original movie that Pixar released was “Up”, and that was over two years ago. Last year they released Toy Story 3 and this year they release Cars 2. As great as Toy Story 3 was and Cars 2 is sure to be, I am really anxious for an original story and I can’t help but be wildly excited for their next film, the first original story since Up.

The film is called “Brave”, and it is set in ancient Scotland. It is a first for Pixar in many areas. It is the first Pixar film to feature a female character in a lead role, It is Pixar’s first attempt at a “Princess” film, and it is Pixar’s first Fairy Tale. In the last few days, There have been a few glimpses as to the nature of the film
The biggest one was the release of the very first poster for the film.

This makes me want to see it so bad! :D

Today they released the very first official image from the film, A picture of the heroine, Princess Merida.

I love her hair!
They have also released concept art for four of the main characters.

Princess Merida

Queen Elinor

Lord Macintosh

The Wise Woman

If you ask me, the wise woman looks like she could be related to Carl Fredrickson from Up. Maybe a very distant Ancestor? :)

The very first teaser trailer for the film is set to debut tomorrow with the release of Cars 2. As if I needed another reason to go see Cars 2! :D I won’t be able to see it on opening day, but I hope to be able to see it within the week, and you can bet I will be blogging about the film as soon as I see it! I will also let you know my thoughts about the Brave teaser, and the new Pixar short film, and the first in a series of Toy Story Toons, “Toy Story: Hawaiian Vacation”. It looks great as well! :)

Cars 2

My most anticipated movie this year is Cars 2, though, as you might guess from previous blog posts, The Muppets is a very close second.
As any serious Pixar fan will recall, Cars was Pixar’s least liked film. It didn’t get many bad reviews, but it received lukewarm reviews compared to Pixar’s other films. That’s why this quote makes me extremely happy. :)
Speaking of Cars 2, Justin Chang, a writer for Variety said:
"Unexpectedly delightful... The rare sequel that not only improves on but retroactively justifies its predecessor."
Here is a trailer for the film. It looks so amazing and hilarious!

Do I want to see it? Is the Pope-mobile Catholic?! :D

Here is a preview clip from the film as well. I know the results of this will be hilarious. :D