These were the best and worst movies of summer 2019
September 3, 2019
Now ends the summer movie season of our discontent — and the quality of the content was the problem. We won’t know how the 2019 summer box office fared until after Labor Day, generally considered the season’s end. There have been some major hits, including Sony-Marvel’s crowd-pleasing “Spider-...
With new versions of ‘Aladdin’ and ‘The Lion King,’ Disney straddles nostalgia and novelty
April 30, 2019
Los Angeles Times (TNS) It’s Hollywood’s version of the circle of life: Take an old movie that’s hardwired into one generation’s childhood memory banks, give it a fresh coat of cinematic paint and send a new iteration into theaters for the next generation to hopefully fall in love with just as ...
Movie review: Stretched thin, live-action ‘Dumbo’ doesn’t achieve liftoff
March 26, 2019
(TNS) Disney’s 1941 animated feature “Dumbo,” about the little circus elephant who could fly, left some deep emotional wounds. It’s one of Disney’s most devastating films. But it was also aesthetically daring, almost avant-garde, and ahead of its time, rich with intense pathos and visual in...
After 14 long years, ‘Incredibles 2’ picks up with its family of suburban superheroes
July 20, 2018
LOS ANGELES — Brad Bird stood in front of a full orchestra on the Barbra Streisand Scoring Stage on the Sony Pictures lot, his leg bouncing to the beat, a big grin on his face. At a recent scoring session for Pixar Animation Studios’ superhero sequel “Incredibles 2,” the film’s writer-director watche...
John Lasseter’s six-month leave of absence is almost up — but return to Pixar not likely
June 10, 2018
Pixar and Disney animation head John Lasseter’s six-month leave of absence is coming to end as more allegations about inappropriate behavior — including his treatment of women and credit-hogging — have come to light. Longtime colleagues claim in a piece published by The Hollywood Reporter Wedne...
‘Avengers: Infinity War’ to kick off summer season with a bang
May 9, 2018
The summer movie season will kick off early this weekend with “Avengers: Infinity War,” the third installment in Disney and Marvel Studios’ sprawling “Avengers” saga that may push the Marvel cinematic universe to new heights. The superhero release is expected to easily conquer the weekend...
Musical ‘Coco’ a welcome direction for Pixar
November 28, 2017
Having recently given us three “Cars” films of diminishing interest and the well-intentioned but lackluster “Good Dinosaur,” Pixar has turned its Luxo lamp to illuminate novel new material in “Coco.” It’s the animation factory’s first musical and its initial exploration of multicultural m...
‘Penguins of Madagascar’ Creates Fun For The Entire Family
December 2, 2014
By Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee (TNS) From their first appearance in “Madagascar,” Skipper, Kowalski, Private and Rico have been committing grand theft scene stealing. The four lovable, military-minded penguins became an instant fan favorite with their can-do attitudes. Finally, the Penguins ...
Disney TV Animation 30 And Going Strong
November 26, 2014
By Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee (TNS) LOS ANGELES — The Disney Television Animation wing has become a force in the cartoon world with the creation of shows such as “Sophia the First,” “Jake and the Never Land Pirates” and “Phineas and Ferb.” It’s been an impressive rise over the pa...
Disney’s ‘Big Hero 6’ Wins Weekend Over ‘Interstellar’
November 10, 2014
By Saba Hamedy Los Angeles Times (MCT) LOS ANGELES — Disney’s “Big Hero 6” soared past Christopher Nolan’s “Interstellar” at the box office this weekend, as both big-budget films had strong launches. According to studio estimates, Disney’s animated action comedy grossed $56.2 million in the...
Theme parks’ Halloween scare tactics becoming frightfully high-tech
October 1, 2014
By Hugo Martín Los Angeles Times (MCT) To re-create a bloody scene from the 1981 horror flick “American Werewolf in London,” crews at Universal Studios Hollywood installed computer-controlled strobe lights behind the walls of a dark maze to simulate the flash of bullets. An actor wearing a rubber ...
Disney empire strikes back with ‘Star Wars Rebels’
September 30, 2014
By Rick Bentley The Fresno Bee (MCT) LOS ANGELES — December 2015 seems light years away, especially to “Star Wars” fans eagerly awaiting the seventh feature film in the popular sci-fi series. Disney will fill a little of that dark void with the new animated series “Star Wars Rebels.” T...
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Now ends the summer movie season of our discontent — and the quality of the content was the problem. We won’t know how the 2019 summer box office fared until after Labor Day, generally considered the...