New Disney Streaming Service: Disney+

[EricJ]

(And I'll assume everyone's heard by now why the movie didn't even remotely understand Seuss's point in the original book...)

[Ben]

Oh, I think it did, but chose both to not make a big thing, or central point, about what is arguably a very ambiguous book that can be taken in several ways, on multiple levels, and also focus on the one thing that could be expanded in a commercial animated family flick that would play (as well as for the ones who thought it was just for them) to the conformed masses...

As a film, though, it still totally succeeds in what it is.

[gaastra]

Once again due to rights issues with fox films (disney can't catch a break with fox films rights!) fox films cheaper by the dozen 2 and fault in our stars are getting removed till rights can be cleared.

Wolverines was fixed in a few weeks so we will see. Then again garfield has been yanked off for how long now?

[gaastra]

This week---

Marvel studios: legends
Disney fan jam
Ferdinand fox movie
Toy story that time forgot (now were getting the christmas special after christmas)
plus one new episode of beyond the clouds

Has been added.

Light update. Would have been nice to add some classic disney shorts, classic live action films, disney land episodes or hercules season 2 with the aladdin crossover along with it disney.

[Ben]

Still so much to be mined over at D+...

If you’ve never seen it, check out Ferdinand. I found it charming and have run it a couple of times in our theatre for a few friends and it always goes down well. A solid family movie.

[Daniel]

And one that stayed true to the spirit of the source material. Has a lot of heart.

[Ben]

[EricJ]

[Daniel]

Beautiful song, too:

[gaastra]

A disney jr folder has been added. Not going to lie i'm surprised disney plus does not have a main disney jr tab on top like pixar and star wars as big as that brand is!

[gaastra]

Today--

New episodes of elena of avalor (sofia the first was better), disney insider, and beyod the clouds.
Wandavision first two episodes
Mary poppins returns from netflix
Isle of dogs
Dr doolittle 3

Have been added in north america.

[Daniel]

Mary Poppins Returns is delightful. Very touching. Shame it was so overlooked.

[Ben]

My fave of 2018, hands down. The music is sublime.

My second trip to the cinema was squeezed in just before the new year, when curiosity got the better of me and we ventured out to see Mary Poppins Returns, which I’d hoped would be as good as the soundtrack was promising. Naturally, the original movie is a touchstone that this sequel doesn’t so much replicate as it does essentially repeat: this is the Force Awakens or Jurassic World of Poppins pictures. In the music, one can pick out not so much the themes from Walt’s 1964 classic but actual notes and phrases, so practically perfectly are they woven into the score, which also hints at those other glorious 60s musicals such as Oliver!, Half A Sixpence, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang (even using the same Pinewood Studios garden bridge as that film for a further connection!) and My Fair Lady, also referenced for the stunningly throwback poster artwork, however ironically given the Julie Andrews connection, with composer Marc Shaiman and his orchestrators even managing to pinpoint that specific Irwin Kostal sound.

What it really felt like to me, given director Rob Marshall’s reverent approach, was that Walt had put a sequel into production right after the first one was such a smash, but then passed away in 1966 and it kind of sat on the shelf, either unfinished or unreleased out of tribute to him for a couple of years, and then someone proposed cleaning up the print and finally releasing it for its 50th birthday. While it’s still playing, I do suggest seeing it on a big big-screen with full sound to get to the closest you’ll ever be to feeling what the original was like, so wonderfully brave as it is in being absolutely old fashioned, without any modern touches at all. Yes, it’s slightly overlong (but so, in honesty, was the original and every other big 60s musical of its time) and Meryl Streep struggles to fill Ed Wynn’s boots, but Emily Blunt makes Mary her own, and loses herself in the role so as to occasionally match Julie, especially in the Cover Is Not A Book animated sequence.

A returning Dick Van Dyke (twinkly, awesome, legend) and Angela Lansbury (who with her Disney history just feels so right here) got applause for their bits from our appreciative audience, the only slight disappointment I felt being how Mary actually leaves right at the end, after being offered what would have been a perhaps more satisfying mode of transport…and I’ll say no more. With tons of nods to the original, including such delicate touches as the title font and Peter Ellenshaw-inspired backgrounds, this is the first film in ages with an overture — an actual overture! — that plays for its opening titles. No film has that anymore! You’ll either love it or not get it at all, but Mary Poppins Returns is just such a sweet and innocent throwback to how films used to be, and it’s all the better for it. Dare I say it’s super.........

[Daniel]

Nice write-up. One of favorite segments was with the china bowl. So magical and inspiring. It was fascinating to see how hand-drawn was used. Such a fun movie!

[EricJ]

Me, I'm of the impression that the only reason we all loved a fan-fiction doppelgänger of EVERY EQUIVALENT SCENE from a beloved 1964 movie was that even a shadow of an old studio-era 1964 movie reminded our "Franchise logo" generation just how bright the sun used to be.

Not that it actually is a reflection of the original, Dick Van Dyke callbacks notwithstanding--
In the original Obligatory Animated Sequence, the characters learn that there's a word for when you don't know what to say, even if it might not be a real one--A bit of free-spiritedness that saves Mr. Banks in the climax.
What is the takeaway message of "Returns"' Obligatory Animated Sequence?: "Don't trust the bad guy!"