How do you solve the problem of wanting to make an origin story for a villain whose only trait is a homicidal urge to murder animals and wear their skins? Well, if you're Disney, it's rather simple: cast Emma Stone, give her a tragic backstory, and then (and here's the important part) completely abandon any intention of having her turn into a puppy-strangling maniac. This CRUELLA may not be destined to become the iconic villain from the original animated classic, but there's still plenty to unpack in this movie.
Bob and Margaret is an adult animated television series created by David Fine and Alison Snowden. The show revolved around a married English couple named Bob and Margaret Fish, a middle class 40-ish working couple with no children and two dogs. Bob is a dentist and Margaret is a chiropodist. Bob and Margaret struggle with everyday issues and mid-life crises. Stories often revolve around the mundane, but in a way which is eminently relatable. From the trials of shopping to dealing with friends who annoy them, but owe them a dinner. Anyway, here's our episode on Disney's SNOW DOGS.
In the pantheon of Disney Channel Original Movie icons, Galleria, Chanel, Aqua and Do may just be their own Mount Rushmore. And it's easy to see why; THE CHEETAH GIRLS is an earnest story of friendship, self-acceptance and conflict resolution that stands up with even the best episodes of Degrassi: The Next Generation. It also has some wild examples of teen slang, awful early 2000s fashion and we're not entirely convinced Raven-Symoné didn't throw a bichon frise down a sinkhole for attention.
When you think about it, Disney has a pretty decent track record with adventure movies. So THE ISLAND AT THE TOP OF THE WORLD could have been a welcome reprieve from the usual 70s fare of films about dogs and old people. Could have been, but wasn't. Instead, it's a surprisingly dull affair, thanks to an uninteresting plot, and even more uninteresting characters.
Much like the miracle substance itself, FLUBBER is a Disney movie that seems to defy understanding. In most ways, it's a surprisingly faithful remake (to its own detriment) of the 1961 Fred MacMurray vehicle it's based on. But it's in the small changes where the insanity happens. A flying robot in love with her creator, henchmen played by serial killer Buffalo Bill and the hardest screw to ever walk a turn in Shawshank prison, and Christopher McDonald - Shooter McGavin himself - delivering what may be his archest villain performance. All that before even mentioning they got Robin Williams to play the professor.