Reaction — The Mouse & The Desklamp

The first Official Trailer for Disney's upcoming live-action Mulan is here, & it's awesome. I am not a fan of the original animated film. I felt it was a story of a girl turned warrior with no real evidence of which contained in the film. I’m not talkin' Kill Bill, but at least a little Ninja Turtle martial arts action could've worked. That why when I heard they were going the martial arts epic route with the remake I was totally intrigued. This trailer was everything I wanted from this adaptation. I absolutely loved it. They're really talong this seriously, & first & foremost it's a martial arts epic. I can’t wait for this film. It's got giant names in martial arts for years with Jet Li & Donnie Yen, two of my favorites, & according to the synopsis even, is staying closer to the original content: “When the Emperor of China issues a decree that one man per family must serve in the Imperial Army to defend the country from Northern invaders, Hua Mulan, the eldest daughter of an honored warrior, steps in to take the place of her ailing father. Masquerading as a man, Hua Jun, she is tested every step of the way and must harness her inner-strength and embrace her true potential. It is an epic journey that will transform her into an honored warrior and earn her the respect of a grateful nation…and a proud father. “Mulan” features a celebrated international cast that includes: Yifei Liu as Mulan; Donnie Yen as Commander Tung; Jason Scott Lee as Böri Khan; Yoson An as Cheng Honghui; with Gong Li as Xianniang and Jet Li as the Emperor. The film is directed by Niki Caro from a screenplay by Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver and Elizabeth Martin & Lauren Hynek based on the narrative poem “The Ballad of Mulan.”” I’m super pumped for this. Crazy considering it's essentially a remake of a film I don’t really care for. How bout y’all? In or no? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

"Set in a suburban fantasy world, Disney and Pixar’s Onward introduces two teenage elf brothers who embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there. Pixar Animation Studios’ all-new original feature film is directed by Dan Scanlon and produced by Kori Rae—the team behind Monsters University.” That's the synopsis for the first official trailer for Onward, releasing in theaters on March 6, 2020, & honestly I'm not really feeling this one. Great cast attached, but this doesn't really even feel like a Pixar film to me. It could be great. Judging by just the synopsis & trailer though, it's nothing I'm really excited for. While it looks cute, not only was I not intrigued, it failed in its many attempts to make me laugh. The only thing that really got me was the unicorn gag. I loved that. I just couldn't help but keep thinking this felt like it came out of another studio, like DreamWorks. Hopefully before this comes out I'll see something that gets me excited. What about y'all? I'm curious to see if this did anything for anyone else. Put it in the comments, like, & share.

Jun 18, 2019

Michelle Rejwan Now Senior VP Live Action Development And Production For Lucasfilm

Hollywood Reporter reports Michelle Rejwan is now the Senior VP of Live Action Development & Production. She will oversee new feature films as well Disney+ series while still producing with president Kathleen Kennedy. That seems like a hefty responsibility to drop on someone who's previous credits at Lucasfilm are producing The Force Awakens & The Rise of Skywalker. Kennedy really sees something in her though, having “seen first-hand her skills collaborating with writers and directors, and I've been incredibly impressed with her creative skills and her ability to manage the complexity surrounding these massive projects.” Can she be the Feige of Star Wars? Time will tell. After the hate Kennedy got from the last installment, which I loved by the way, one could think this is just to give her a scapegoat if things don't go as well over the next few projects. Curious to see how much influence this winds up having as a whole. What do y'all think? Trust in Kennedy? Or do you think maybe a more vetted choice would have been better? Put it in the comments, like, & share.

May 21, 2019

Disney Reveals Name of Tokyo DisneySea's 8th Port

After breaking ground in what is to become Tokyo DisneySea's 8th port, we now have its official name. Fantasy Springs will be the title, but that's not all Dismey released on the subject. They also released some beautiful day & night concept art depicting the look of the new lands. Oriental land is investing 250 Billion Yen on this project that will feature lands themed to Frozen, Tangled, & Peter Pan. Frozen's land of post film Arendelle will feature an attraction that tells the story of Elsa and her beloved sister, Anna. Sounding like the familiar Epcot ride, suests will board boats and experience the sisters’ heartfelt journey, enjoying songs from the film, and encountering surprising thrills. There will also be a restaurant set inside the beautiful Arendelle Castle. Tangled's land will naturally feature Rapunzel’s tower rising above the forest. It will also include an boat attraction where guests will board gondolas for a romantic boat tour of Rapunzel’s “Best Day Ever” as she journeys with Flynn to the lantern festival. Flickering lanterns illuminate the attraction’s climactic scene while Rapunzel and Flynn sing an iconic song from the film. The pand will also feature a restaurant, inspired by the hideout of the band of thugs who appeared in the film in the "I've Got A Dream" sequence. Neverland will also be home to two attractions and a restaurant. Featuring landmarks including verdant mountains, Captain Hook’s pirate ship and Skull Rock. One attraction will fly over the jungles of Neverland into a battle with Captain Hook and his crew of pirates to rescue Wendy’s younger brother, John, who has been kidnapped by Captain Hook and his pirates. You'll board boats and follow the Lost Boys down a river until Tinker Bell sprinkles the boats with pixie dust, & you take off flying through Neverland on an adventure that featuring iconic music and dynamic 3D imagery of the characters from the film. The second attraction immerses us in the oversized world of Pixie Hollow, while the restaurant is inspired by the Lost Boys and their hideout. There will also be a new Disney Hllyel in the park. Themed to Disney fantasy, it will rise above and around the magical springs that serve as the core of the new themed port’s story. Offering 475 deluxe-type and luxury-type guest rooms, this park facing hotel will also feature a merchandise shop that helps share the story of the magical springs. One day I'll make it out here to see all the amazingly beautiful things TokyoSea has to offer. Luckily, I have one more reason to postpone that adventure until this amazing new addition is done.