After my blog post about just how traumatised ‘Up’ left me and let’s not even talk about Toy Story 3, I am thrilled to report that I did not cry whilst watching this Disney film!

‘The Princess and the Frog’ felt very much a return to traditional animation, with a similar feel to the classics ‘Jungle Book’, ‘The Little Mermaid’ and ‘Aladdin’. The story offers a twist on the classic fairytale by setting in 1920s New Orleans. Tiana is the first African-American Disney heroine, a strong young woman striving to achieve her father’s dream of opening a restaurant to serve food that will bring together people from all walks of life. Her belief is that if you work hard, then you’ll achieve your dreams. This takes Disney away from (but still in part focusing on) the “wishing upon a star” mentality, moving the storytelling into a more realistic stance. It’s good to dream, it’s good to wish, but you’ve got to back this up with some hard work, focus and balance (and this very message delivery is why I love Disney storytelling so much!).

A very modern day take on a fairytale! Throw in a Prince, yes a real and very lazy Prince Naveen, throw in a voodoo spell cast by Dr. Facilier, a jazz-playing alligator, a utterly gorgeous lovesick Cajun firefly and the 197-year-old voodoo priestess Mama Odie  and the story twists and turns, with a few songs along the way.

There are funny moments, there are parts that made me slightly shocked (in a “how did they get away with doing that?” kind of way), and Littlest thoroughly enjoyed it. We’d seen it in the cinema, where she’d been slightly scared (at some of the psychedelic voodoo sequences) and had cried (there is a death, but a kind one), so this time she really enjoyed the story knowing it’d all work out and there would be a happily ever after (Is that a spoiler? This is Disney, after all!).

‘The Princess and the Frog’ is a family movie, but alas my boys didn’t finish watching it. I really do think this falls into the ‘Disney Princess’ category (although Tiana is more of a Belle than a Sleeping Beauty) and it is such a welcomed return to traditional storytelling. This film makes you think about what is truly important in life, about how it is good to dream, good to work hard, but also about not losing touch with the basics – with friends, love and family. In our very modern work-obsessed society, it’s rather good to step back and think about what is truly important to you. 

I’m also very thrilled to see so many Blu-ray special features included, such as Deleted Scenes,The Making Of A Princess, Conjuring The Villain, The Return To Hand – Drawn Animation, Princess Portraits Game, Audio Commentary By Filmmaker and more! They really enhance the viewing and add background depth that interested all the family (even my boys!)

We were sent ‘The Princess and the Frog’ Double Play Blu-ray and DVD Combi Pack which fits perfectly with our growing collection of Blu-ray. I’ve harped on sufficiently for people to know that I think the Blu-ray results in stunningly vivid colour and that the sound is simply sharper. Perhaps I’m oversimplifying and repeating myself, but HD is the way forward.

‘The Princess and the Frog’ is the 49th animated classic to be made by Disney. I love that Littlest and I have discovered it together. I wonder if she’ll remember when she’s older? I wonder if my love of storytelling will guide her choices in life? I sometimes wonder when she’ll rebel? As a parent we give our children a “once upon a time” and cross our fingers that the plot makes sense.

(You can see the full ‘The Princess and the Frog’  trailer here)

After my blog post about just how traumatised ‘Up’ left me (DEVASTATED, utterly devastated!), I did wonder if I could ever cope with another Disney film. But clearly the wonderful Kerry was wise in her choice of sending me ‘Alice in Wonderland’ to review. I mean Johnny Depp in a ginger wig, what more could any girl ask for…

The story goes that you’re invited to tumble down the rabbit hole with Alice, but unlike the original Disney animated version, Tim Burton is offering an imaginative new twist. Alice (Mia Wasikowska), in this version, is now 19 years old (and a bit of a feminist) and returning to the world she first entered as a child. It’s all about destiny and self-discovery and it is utterly Tim Burton. We all LOVED it.

For me, this film was so good because it is visually perfect and the characters were all truly extraordinary. I mean, look at the cast – there’s the Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp), the White Queen (Anne Hathaway), the Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter), the White Rabbit (Michael Sheen), Tweedledum and Tweedledee (Matt Lucas), the Dormouse (Barbara Windsor), the Blue Caterpillar (Alan Rickman), the Cheshire Cat (the delicious Stephen Fry), and so many more!

We were sent the Alice in Wonderland Combi Blu-ray Pack, which is perfect as Littlest can watch the Blu-ray version at home and keep the DVD version at nanny’s house (for ‘emergencies’, whatever they might be!). Personally I prefer the Blu-ray version. The colours are stunning, vivid, dramatic and really breathtaking in parts. The sound is simply sharper.  I have heard that the 3D version was stunning too, but I don’t think that has transferred to Blu-ray yet. The Blu-ray special features are less than on previous Blu-ray discs, but still top class in quality. The Mad Hatter, Finding Alice and  Effecting Wonderland are all welcomed bonus treats.

This is a deliciously dark adaptation that had my whole family engaged. I very much LOVED it. Oh, and, I also love this brief clip about finding a recipe for the ‘Eat Me’ cake (and clearly I would very much like to be the actress who got to bite into that ‘Eat Me’ cake 30 times!).

But, it has to be said that the Mad Hatter will always be my favourite. Johnny Depp is freakishly delicious in this adaptation, a true and absolute genius.Watch it, you won’t be disappointed, unless you’re a bit strange, of course…

(Oh, and, if you happen have a Google alert on your name and happen to be reading this post, Mr Johnny Depp, please can you play Jesus in the film adaptation of Like Bees to Honey?)

After my blog post about ‘Up’ last October (aptly entitled: About Watching a Film and Sobbing like a Loon), I did wonder if the (lovely) Katie who sent me a copy of the ‘Up’ Blu-ray Combi pack was playing a cruel cruel joke. I mean that film, that ‘Up’ is DEVASTATING!

But of course the children don’t see it like I do, not with those adult eyes of mine. They don’t see the film through my ‘gonna do’ eyes and they don’t realise just how much a Disney film can make my insides go squiggly. So yes, we watched ‘Up’ again. And yes, again the children LOVED it and yes, again I am left thinking about my ‘gonna do’ world and wondering what I need to change before it’s too late, before it’s impossible, before I DIE (said in a dramatic voice).

The film storyline can be found on my other post, but I would say that what makes Blu-ray so perfect is the bonus features on the disc. There’s an animated ‘making-of’ that’s exclusive to Blu-ray, an all-new Short called ‘The Misadventures Of Dug’ (which had Littlest laughing out loud, because Dug is her favourite), there’s Director Commentary which I loved because it took me out of the magic and into thinking about the visual and the story, there’s ‘Adventure Is Out There’ which is a fascinating documentary chronicling the filmmakers’ journey to South America, there is the funny ‘The Many Endings Of Muntz’ which shows the demise of Charles Muntz (with an unseen alternative take) and much much more (including a geography game which the kiddies liked). And all this because Blu-ray has so much extra space (some say technology, I say magic!).

You can buy the ‘Up’ Combi Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) HERE (and don’t say I didn’t warn you).

And then there’s ‘Dumbo’, which was also sent to us in the Special Edition Blu-ray Combi pack. I don’t know how, but I’d never seen ‘Dumbo’.

So I watched the film and, yet again, I am asking you my dear friends, why hadn’t anyone ever told me how cruel everyone is to Dumbo and his mummy? Oh my goodness, those other elephants are EVIL. I mean I’m emotionally drained, again.

I love that ‘Dumbo’ is so wonky and that the characters are so well defined. It’s a cruel and sad film. But Disney is spot on. I mean it’s social realism from decades ago, but still relevant today. Poor Dumbo is ostracised from the circus pack because of his big ears and when his mother tries to stick up for him, well they only go and lock her up and say she’s mad… oh, it’s all just too moving. Poor Dumbo, oh the loneliness, oh the despair, oh the need and desire to fit in. I mean they’re all nasty to Dumbo BUT then just because he has a talent and is famous, then they all love him. Doesn’t Dumbo realise that they’re all superficial meanies?

Seriously, Disney is a lot fabulous. I can’t help but wonder if Disney stories are told by people who have suffered in childhood. I would have loved Dumbo to be my friend (and yes, I know he’s a made-up elephant).

I haven’t seen the standard DVD, but the Blu-ray features are stunning. The sound and the picture quality in high definition is amazing and the additional features of Blu-ray, such as the deleted scenes and song and the backstage Disney (‘Taking Flight: The Making of Dumbo’ and ‘Magic of Dumbo: Ride of Passage’) are seriously engaging and simply lovely to watch. Littlest loved the bonus Shorts and the game, ‘What Do You See?’ She cried during the film, because Dumbo and his mummy couldn’t be together (sob) and we had to get G to reassure us of a happily ever after.

Disney Blu-ray is an experience and, I’ve said this a zillion times before, but for anyone building their Disney collection then Blu-ray is the way forward.

You can buy Dumbo Special Edition Combi Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) HERE.

And, a special thank you to my fabulous twitter friends, who have told to avoid watching ‘Bambi and ‘The Fox and the Hound’…

I was super chuffed to be sent Blu-ray Combi pack review discs for ‘Toy Story’ and ‘Toy Story 2’ (squeal!).

I first watched ‘Toy Story’ in the Odeon in Liverpool. I was single, a student and loved Disney. I was going through my ‘I don’t need a man stage’. I left the cinema and bought myself a toy Rex the dinosaur (I had a thing about dinosaurs when I was a student, which is a whole different blog post). I met G a couple of months later. Then, probably over a year later, I was standing at a bus stop after just having had my pregnancy confirmed and there was a little boy running around shouting, ‘To infinity and beyond!’ I can still remember starring at him and feeling utterly terrified that I’d have one of those screaming-boy-things. I did, of course.

Maybe that was why ‘Toy Story’ became such a part of my boys’ childhoods. Middlest still really loves the aliens and Eldest loved Buzz Lightyear when he was younger, he had all the merchandise (in the world) and went through a stage of refusing to take off his Buzz Lightyear pjs.

Of course, the DVDs we had were scratched, so I was absolutely thrilled to be sent the new special editions (released for the first time ever on Blu-ray and featuring a sneak peek at ‘Toy Story 3′). I think that the Blu-ray Combi packs are such good value for money, for any collector of Disney, but also the additional features on both discs lift the viewing experience into interactive fun. And I love that the films don’t seem to have dated, in fact they get better with every viewing and with every little bit of new animation that is spotted.

I’m assuming that you’ve all seen both Toy Story films (if not, why not?)

‘Toy Story’ was the first full-length computer animated film, all about an old fashioned pull-string doll (Woody) being replaced as the favourite toy by an ultra modern action figure (Buzz Lightyear). Woody is jealous of Buzz and Buzz thinks he’s real and not a toy, leading to jealousy from Woody and a depressive episode from Buzz, all sorts of calamities and a psychotic child called Sid. The film is ace, my most favourite Disney film. It makes us think about what toys do when you (I) leave the room (and possibly makes us (me) want to set up surveillance) and, this time, it made me feel sad about all those ‘must have’ toys that are now feeling rather unloved and stored in boxes in the attic. The high definition made the colours and the detail truly vivid, adding texture to the scenes and to the viewing experience.

‘Toy Story 2′ is, in my opinion, possibly one of the best sequels ever to be made. The high-tech creators at Pixar are the gods of making entertainment for all ages and ‘Toy Story 2′ is the perfect sequel.

Woody is stolen from a yard sale and his friends have to rescue him. The plot shift (from films 1 to 2) is off toys being left behind and into thinking about value and worth. ‘Toy Story 2′ is about friendship and wanting to have a purpose in life. Jess, Buzz and Bullseye show us what being a toy and being a friend is all about. It’s funny and moving (or maybe that’s just because I’m a sentimental old woman). On Blu-ray there is enhanced high definition picture and sound, this makes the human faces (that shift in technology from the making of 1 to 2) absolutely exquisite.

I can’t wait for ‘Toy Story 3′. I’ll be taking all the kiddies or, who knows, I may very well sneak into the cinema on my own… for old time’s sake.

(‘Toy Story’ Combi pack can be bought here and ‘Toy Story 2′ Combi pack can be bought here)

And because of ‘Toy Story’ and because of writing this post, I’ve got to thinking about how I ‘had to have’ all the Strawberry Shortcake dolls when I was little. Now they are in the attic, in a box, crying. So, dear blog friend, let me ask you… what toy did you ‘have to have’ as a child and do you still have it (or is it in an attic, in a box, crying)?

Continuing on from my Blu-ray love-fest and collection building, Think Parents very kindly sent us 3 new Disney Blu-ray Combi Packs to look at. (Seriously, we are utterly lucky!)

First up ‘G-Force’ Combi Pack (this means that there’s a Blu-ray disc and a DVD in the pack, so it’s ideal for building a Blu-ray collection alongside DVDs).

A film about guinea pigs! (only in the world of Disney could it be quite so believable). ‘G-Force’ is honest, family fun, all about an elite team of highly trained guinea pigs on their mission to prevent an evil billionaire from taking over the world (via household appliances!). Middlest and Litttlest were itching to see this film and loved it lots (and no we won’t be getting a guinea pig, no matter how many times Littlest asks (and asks again)). ‘G-Force’ is funny, cute and the special effects are impressive on Blu-ray (we’re talking theatre-quality picture and sound). The Disney Blu-ray disc contains extras, such as the deleted scenes, bloopers, inside the animation lab and music videos. This (simply) is a must-see for any child.

Next the ‘Santa Buddies’ Combi Pack (again, a DVD and Blu-ray disc inside).

Littlest LOVES the Buddies DVDs so much and this was top of her Christmas list. ‘Santa Buddies’ is the latest instalment of Disney’s much-loved Buddies franchise. Those puppy rascals B-Dawg, RoseBud, Buddha, MudBud, and Budderball are off to the North Pole to the magical world of Santa’s Workshop.  The spirit of Christmas is ebbing away, with all of us lot no longer believing and remembering the true meaning of Christmas (‘it’s not about what you get’ is the message that these lovely pups give). It’s left up to the pups and their new friend, Puppy Paws, to save Christmas. ‘Santa Buddies’ is a slice of festive family fun, with extremely cute dogs (some of them sing) and is ideal Christmas viewing. As always, and probably me repeating myself a little bit too much, but the colours, sound and high definition are outstanding on the Blu-ray disc (seeing is believing!)

And finally, ‘Tinker Bell and The Lost Treasure’ Combi Pack. We went to see an exclusive screening of this a couple of months ago and Littlest absolutely loved it.

This really is a magical film and Tink is such a loveable character (with faults, hooray!). In ‘The Lost Treasure’ Tinker Bell has to band together with her fairy friends to create the famous Fall Sceptre – a magical and important task, that will restore the world’s supply of fairy dust and set things right for another year in the fairies’ Never Land home, Pixie Hollow. Of course, Tink’s stubborn ways guide her into trouble and this wonderful film is all about friendship. The Blu-ray disc has an abundance of additional features (a Magical Guide to Pixie Hollow, deleted scenes, the goofs that never made the film) and all in high definition with shimmering colours and sounds. A must-have for any Disney fairy fan.

(And a huge thank you to Katie at Think Parents who is a very lovely Christmas Elf)

A couple of weeks ago I watched The Paul O’Grady Show with Littlest (we love love love him). Paul was interviewing Adriana Caselotti who was the original voice of and, therefore, the original Snow White. She was stunning in so many ways. She talked about her original audition for the role and the joy of being Snow White. She was 19 then, back in 1937. Watching her being interviewed made me think about legacy and purpose and defining moments. Within ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ they captured a young Adriana, using her movements and shape to form the outlines for the Snow White drawings, yet so few of us will even know her name.

I think that  ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ is the ultimate Disney film. The storytelling is superb. The magic mirror, the evil Queen, the ordering of Snow White’s death and then the wanting proof in the form of the poor girl’s heart. Then the dwarfs, the woodland creatures, the evil witch finding Snow White’s safe place, the poison apple, true love’s kiss. The truly good and the awfully evil are alongside each other. I don’t think that any other Disney film maintains such dynamics and contrasts to the degree that ‘Snow White’ does. I know that the film is different to the original story, but still, I can’t help but find it is utterly terrifying (in a good way!).

Littlest feels the same. She asked for a Queen doll for Christmas last year and Santa delivered, but that doll stayed in the box, in my bedroom, until recently. It was too scary to be played with. I think I’m back to talking about ‘believing’. If you engage with the fabulous goodies and believe in it all, then the engagement with the evil baddies will be there too and that is utterly terrifying. And, as I’ve said before Littlest believes in Disney’s world with all of her heart and her super logical mind.

Last weekend, continuing on from my Blu-ray love-fest and collection building and armed with popcorn, we watched ‘Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs’ (the Diamond Edition Blu-ray Combi Pack) (which Think Parents very kindly sent to us). The bonus features have a fabulous Disney sing-a-long, Dopey’s Wild Mine Ride Game, a fascinating glimpse into how the original film was made, Walt’s original studio and so much more. There’s no contest, as far as I’m concerned. Blu-ray brings this hand-animated 1937 classic bang up-to-date with sharp colours, clear sound and enhanced scariness. We loved it.

This year, Littlest has asked Santa for a singing Snow White doll. I’m going to remind her, on Christmas morning, that Snow White’s real name is Adriana Caselotti.

OK, so it’s no surprise to people that I love Blu-ray, my Blu-ray player and High Definition TV. I’ve already harped on about it on my old blog. But what I wasn’t expecting was to be sent a Blu-ray review disc for ‘Monsters, Inc.’ (squeal!). The kiddies were truly thrilled.

We had this ‘thing’ a few years back, where we’d buy all Disney DVDs. We (honestly) believed that we’d be able to build a little library of films for the kiddies. I’ve (as you already know) loved Disney for years and the films were my escape. But, as is often the way with small children and shiny things, the majority of the Disney discs have been scratched and destroyed. I’m not making excuses, they should have been looked after better, but the result/point is that Littlest still has so many Disney films to watch.

Last weekend, armed with Pick& Mix, we all sat down to ‘Monsters, Inc.’ Littlest giggled when I told her that she was very nearly called Boo. There is something very wonderful about seeing a child discover magical, terrifying or captivating worlds. It makes you open your eyes too. ‘Monsters, Inc.’ is one of my favourite Disney films and seeing Littlest discover the magic made me feel happy. She absolutely loved it, being old enough to capture all of the little nuances.

The Disney Blu-ray disc is known as ‘magic in high definition’. I’ve now seen both a standard DVD of ‘Monsters, Inc.’ and this high definition one. There is no doubt that the picture quality is far superior in Blu-ray (the colours are crisp, the picture quality stunning) and the added interactive features mean that the whole experience is lifted to a new level. I could harp on about it, but the proof is in the watching. Thankfully Blu-ray discs are not as expensive as they used to be and old discs can be played on the machine too, so clearly this is logic behind all purchases. My Blu-ray disc collection is really building. The children are that little bit older (and wiser), the discs are supposedly built to last longer and the collection looks very pretty on the shelf. I know, I know, in this credit-crunching era, I would like to feel guilty about my need to collect, but I don’t and won’t. Collecting films and books is part of who I am.

But, largely and unashamedly, Disney makes me happy.

(Blu-ray ‘Monsters, Inc.’ can be bought here)