Making live action movie versions of classic television cartoons may be all the rage now, but in 1999, there weren't too many examples. Maybe that's why Disney's attempt at bringing INSPECTOR GADGET to life feels like a total miss. Sure, Matthew Broderick channels the bumbling detective well enough for the most part, but Dr. Claw was never this hammy and showed much much less face that Rupert Everett. And Penny was certainly never as sidelined as she is in this movie. And we may be wrong here, D-Lovers, but we're pretty certain that no episode of the cartoon involved making a sex robot clone of Joely Fisher. Vicky, Nolan and Jill do their best to separate this adaptation from the beloved original, but even then this movie leaves us with more questions than answers.
It's time for another classic We Want The D double-header, where Vicky, Nolan and Jill take a Disney original and it's later remake and pit them head-to-head. This time we're pitting FREAKY FRIDAY from 1976 against what we have dubbed STREAKY FRIDAY from 2003. It's a hell of a match-up in all categories. Jodie Foster vs. Lindsay Lohan. Barbara Harris vs. Jamie Lee Curtis. Gomez Addams vs. Leroy Gibbs. Soul Patch vs. Jewfro. There's some battles for the ages in these two wacky hijinks-based romps, as well as some unexpected surprises. You wouldn't believe which of these movies fetishized the father/daughter relationship more, or which one was more racially insensitive. It's these kinds of surprises that make trying to talk about two movies in one episode worth it.
As podcast listeners, we can assume that you, our beloved D-Sciples, are pretty technologically savvy. But imagine trying to explain to your grandparents what a podcast is, or how to listen to one. Can you imagine their confusion and disinterest? If you're having trouble, might we suggest a viewing of Disney's TRON? A movie made in the early days of home computing about the inner drama of programs, their enslavement by an all-powerful, chess playing Master Controller, and their steadfast belief in all-powerful users who will come to save them. Tron is a confusing movie with a confusing story and a confusing visual aesthetic. But, if you need anymore convincing to watch this movie or at the very least listen to this episode of We Want The D, a sweaty Jeff Bridges does take his shirt off at one point, and wears a skin-tight leotard costume that reveals a lot by what it needs to cover up...
It's been awhile since we checked in with one of our favourite Disney performers, so this week on We Want The D our hosts are reconnecting with our beloved Hayley Brando Mills as she goes on a fantastic adventure with famous French lech Maurice Chevalier, the smarmiest teenage boy you've ever seen, the most British Lord you can imagine, and a little boy who is also present. IN SEARCH OF THE CASTAWAYS is a ton of fun with pretty impressive action sequences, charming Sherman Brothers songs, and lots of that good family-friendly fun that Disney has been known to pull off like no other company...but it's also capital 'P' Problematic in its depiction of Māori people and native tribes of the Andes - in the sense that they are depicted by tanned Italians and in little to no way reflect these actual cultures. The result is a movie that is at once hard to recommend, but hard to hate. A feeling that pretty much defines 1960s Disney.