Posts tagged kids
Alice in Wonderland – Movie Trailer
Mar 5th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Movie Trailers
Director Tim Burton and screenwriter Linda Woolverton (Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King) team up to deliver this visually dazzling take on the classic Lewis Carroll tale. Nineteen-year-old Alice (Mia Wasikowska) is attending party at a lavish country estate when she sees a white rabbit with a pocket watch dart into the bushes. Curious, she follows the rabbit to an enormous tree, and tumbles down a hole that takes her to Underland, a strange world inhabited by anthropomorphic creatures in search of someone to save them from the dreaded Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), who has assumed control of the kingdom by decapitating anyone who dares disagree with her. According to a scroll detailing a historical timeline of Underland — including events that have not yet taken place — it is Alice who will set the kingdom free by defeating the Jabberwocky, a powerful dragon-like creature under the control of the Red Queen. But is this Alice the same Alice who appears in the scroll? While some of the creatures of Underland have their doubts, the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and his friends are certain she’s the same girl who previously visited them years ago. When the Red Queen kidnaps the Mad Hatter, Alice attempts to free her friend and locate the one weapon with the power to slay the Jabberwocky, thereby restoring the White Queen (Anne Hathaway) to the throne, and bringing peace back to Underland.
“The Princess and the Frog” Too Sophisticated for Its Own Good
Jan 13th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Hotshots Movie Reviews
Too Sophisticated for Its Own Good
“Hotshots” looks at a movie!
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is the latest animated film from the Walt Disney Studios, and it received a lot of publicity for having the appearance of the first Disney African-American princess.
Well, not exactly.
That may be true at the end of the movie, but what is probably more noteworthy is that at the beginning of the movie there is the appearance of one of the main characters who is an African-American prince.
And although the story is inspired by a fairy tale and contains many bits of fantasy, it is not a fairy tale, but takes place in the reality-based early 1900s down in New Orleans.
The story contains stereotypes right and left, and it panders to children up and down, and then you realize that the stereotypes were all mostly created by old Disney movies to begin with. In fact, this movie even steals from old movies.
When it opens, we see two young children, Tiana and Charlotte, who love to be told the story of “The Frog Prince.” Tiana is black, Charlotte is white, and through the magic of movie editing they become grown up, and the story becomes nothing more than “Cinderella” turned upside down, inside out, and inverted.
In addition, it contains messages that adults might consider suspect to be taught to children, such as you can get what you want just by wishing for it.
One character says to another, “The real power in this world ain’t magic.
It’s money.”
And then you realize that this movie isn’t for kids. It is for adults under the guise of being for kids. That fact is made obvious by all the drinking that is shown, and I don’t mean milk and juice.
To its credit, however, the movie redeems itself about the money bit and even the bit about wishing for what you want.
However, forget about any moral of “Love conquers all.” The moral of this movie that makes you wonder if Disney even tries anymore is “Magic conquers all.”
And as further proof that this movie isn’t really for kids, the children in the theater at the showing that I attended all got bored during it and started running all around the auditorium.
THE PRINCESS AND THE FROG is too sophisticated for its own good, which makes it perfect for adults.
I’m Dan Culberson and this is “Hotshots.”
The Princess and the Frog – Movie Trailer
Jan 10th
Posted by Channel 1 Networks in Movie Trailers
Set in New Orleans at the beginning of the 20th century, The Princess and the Frog concerns a poor African-American girl named Tiana who has a knack for cooking, and dreams of opening her own restaurant. Her best friend since childhood is a privileged white girl whose wealthy father employs Tiana’s mother as a dressmaker. When the friend’s family hosts a party for Prince Naveen of Maldonia, Dr. Facilier, an expert in black magic, turns the visiting royal into a frog. The now amphibious Naveen convinces Tiana that a kiss will reverse the spell, and if she obliges him he’ll provide the money she needs to open her dream eatery. However, their smooch not only fails to turn him back into a human, but transforms Tiana into a frog as well. The duo then sets out to find a voodoo priestess who can set everything right.