Movie review: ‘Frozen II’ doesn’t make waves, but keeps the franchise on track

MCT Campus

November 19, 2019

Disney’s 2013 animated “Frozen,” inspired by Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen,” wasn’t just a hit. It was a cultural tidal wave, a ubiquitous phenomenon thanks to Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez’s soaring songs, particularly the inescapable, Oscar-winning “Let It Go,” b...

Disney+ faces glitches on launch day. You’ve probably already guessed why

MCT Campus

November 12, 2019

Streaming service Disney+ launched Tuesday morning to massive anticipation — and technical glitches. Many users who tried to access the $6.99-a-month Disney app to watch heavily promoted shows like “The Mandalorian” experienced problems logging in and service failures. Some users who had issu...

‘The Little Mermaid Live!’ bringing beloved tale to new heights

MCT Campus

October 29, 2019

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. — Imagine a Disney cartoon that melts into a live musical. That’s just what ABC is planning for Nov. 5. And if it sounds a little bit remarkable, it is. The hybrid will commemorate the 30th anniversary of Disney’s evergreen animated movie “The Little Mermaid.” The special will accompli...

These were the best and worst movies of summer 2019

MCT Campus

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

Josh Rottenberg

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

Katie Walsh

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...