Hey everyone! Welcome to yet another movie review! Today, we are going to be talking about one final Disney Channel Original Movie for likely a while. I guess we’ll see. Anyway, this Disney Channel Original Movie was one of the rare to few Disney TV films that I watched multiple times as a teenager. More on that shortly! Presenting to you all, the Disney Channel Original Movie, from back in 2001, Hounded.

Plot: A thirteen-year-old boy named Jay Martin (Tahj Mowry) tries to win a scholarship to an academy called the Peterson Academy by trying to compete in an event, where the winner wins that scholarship. However, circumstances occur, where Jay’s presentation falls into the hands of Headmaster Van Deusen (Ed Begly, Jr.), and his son, Ronnie (Shia LaBeouf), causing Ronnie to cheat by using Jay’s presentation to win the scholarship. While Jay tries to get his presentation back to show proof of the Van Deusen’s crime, Jay accidentally dog naps the Van Deusen’s prize show dog, a Pomeranian named Camille. With the help of Jay’s older brother, Mike Martin (Craig Kirkwood), can these two bring the dog back without being caught, as well as bring to light what the Van Deusens have done?

Okay, I don’t recall ever seeing advertisements for this film on TV. However, the story about how I heard about Hounded in the end may be an interesting one. Back in the springtime of 2001, I was getting ready for bed around maybe 8, or 9 at night, sometime like that. While doing that, the rest of my family was watching TV downstairs. At one point, I could overhear them cracking up about something all the way from upstairs. I then decided that I wanted to stop what I was currently doing, and go downstairs to see what was funny. Interestingly enough, my folks, and my sister Nikki, were all laughing their heads off about Camille becoming a psychopath, and wreaking havoc at the Martin’s home (apparently she would go crazy, if she went too long without her medication). We then nicknamed the movie, and the dog, “devil dog,” or “demon dog.” So, I sat down, and watched most, if not the rest of it. From then on, I would look at the TV guide, to see when it would come on next, and would plan to rewatch it whenever it would come onto Disney Channel. However, during those times, I ended up only watching either the first half, or second half of the film. That is, unless it would come on as late as 11:00 P.M., at which point, I would not plan to watch Hounded at that point in time. Really, it wasn’t until maybe a year later that I finally watched Hounded from beginning to end. In all honesty, that’s how much I loved the movie. In fact, this was another one of those times where I ended up creating quite a few memories over the course of a couple years in regards to this film. These memories would include say me drawing a scene from the movie. Not only that, but I remember this one time, my folks, my Aunt Cammie, my cousins Shannon and Breanne, and I went to breakfast one morning, and we played hangman. At one point, when it was my turn, I played “Demon Dog” for the word. Go figure! One other memory that I would like to mention is that there was this point in time, I want to say around spring or summertime 2002, where my family and I hung out with our friends Scott and Jeannie Lawrence, and there was a Pomeranian at that house, and I turned to my Mom, and said, “Look, Mom, that looks like “Demon Dog.””

After being absent from this movie for so many years, is it as good as I remembered it to be? Miraculously, Hounded is. In fact, maybe a little better than I remember it being. Okay, granted, because of the picture quality, and this film being made for TV, there’s no doubt that there will more than likely be more corny and cheesy moments like with other movies of this type. However, because of the story being really good, and the comedy that appears throughout this film, people are probably going on overlook the cheesiness factor, and enjoy the more good quality moments in it. Sure, it may not be quite as funny in the beginning. However, when Camille enters the picture, that’s when not only the dog, but nearly every other character shines when it comes to bringing in all the comedic moments that you see in Hounded. Also, this movie gets really imaginative, and possibly even more original (pun intended) with it’s comedy. Additionally, the characters are excellent, and well-written up too. So much so that, unlike with 1999’s Johnny Tsunami, where there were one or two characters that were stereotypical, each one of these characters in this film seem to stand out, and be more likable, and possibly even memorable. Even when it comes to the bratty teenager Ronnie, it’s almost like you love to hate this person with a passion. Does that mean that we classify him, and his Dad to be official villains, or just plain jerks? For a movie like this, jerks might be the better way to go, but still. What’s more is that the characters are genuine, and can be relatable to many people on an emotional level. The reason being is because we feel for them. Due to this, we as the audience have a very good idea of what their going through. As a result, these characters truly remind us of the saying that “You never know what a person is going through, unless you walk two moons in their shoes.” In addition to this, Hounded, will most likely help people to learn to think more critically of situations in terms of the whole deal of “think before you act.” Wow, and speaking of acting, the acting performances are phenomenal, most notably when it comes to the performances from Tahj Mowry, Craig Kirkwood, Ed Begly, Jr., and Shia LaBeouf. One other thing to mention is that the script for Hounded is excellent. I mean you guys will be surprised by some of the really good lines that the characters deliver in this film. It wouldn’t be surprising if someone were to have a favorite quote from this movie as a result. Finally, the movie delivers a good message about not letting your foes triumph over you. Sure, there will be times in life where you have to lose a battle. However, of course there are those times where you have to fight to the very end, you know?

And that’s my review for the 2001 Disney Channel Original Movie, Hounded. After rewatching it again after being absent from it for so many years, I do remember why I enjoyed this film so much many years ago. However, after seeing it again recently, I’ve discovered that there are other reasons to love it as well. Hounded is a fun film with excellent characters, a well-structured plot, despite the occasional cheesiness, a great deal of creative comedy, and some really good messages. Much like with Johnny Tsunami, I highly recommend that you find a way to watch this film as well. Even if you don’t have Disney+, definitely try to check this movie out from a library (if your local library is open again), or whatever else it takes. Hounded is a must-see. Please don’t miss it, if at all possible.

Final Grade: A+

Good afternoon everyone, and welcome to yet another movie review. Today, we are once again diving into yet another review from the Wonderful World of Disney, which will last for at least a couple more reviews, as my time with Disney+ will come to a close as of next week. With that said, we are going to be talking about an old, underrated live-action Disney film that was evidently released back in the summer of 1991, just a few months before Beauty & The Beast became a hit with audiences. Wow, first, I review Iron Will, which was released a few months before The Lion King, and now I’m talking about a live-action Disney film that was released only a few months before Beauty & The Beast. How interesting! Anyway, let’s blast off, with a lesser known character by the name of Cliff Secord, as well as his friends, and enemies in the 1991 Disney movie, The Rocketeer.

Plot: Set in Los Angeles, California, in the year 1938, two engineers, Cliff Secord (Billy Campbell), and his boss, A. Peabody (Alan Arkin) stumble across a jet pack after an incident with some criminals. After discovering the jet pack’s extraordinary powers, can they keep it safe by preventing it from falling into the wrong hands?

Now, I have to confess that I had never seen this film before. In fact, I don’t recall ever even hearing about The Rocketeer until after I rewatched Iron Will about a week and a half to couple weeks ago, and The Rocketeer being one of the films that was recommended to me after my friends and I finished watching Iron Will. After seeing it for the very first time last night, I’m very disappointed in myself for not coming across this film as a kid, or even teenager. The Rocketeer, while not quite perfect (more on that fairly soon), is still a really fun, and engaging story from beginning to end. It is smart, funny, and an overall inventive film. Honestly, it would be no surprise if it was inspiration for those kids who saw this film to be engineers, or even want to do some really extraordinary work in general. What also makes The Rocketeer stand out from many other films of the Disney library, including some of the live-action ones, is that even if some kids will get a great amount of enjoyment out of it, it’s quite possible that teenagers, and adults might love this film even more. Part of this is because The Rocketeer almost has the feel of a more adult film, with the magic of Disney thrown in the mix. Heck, we’re talking about this film more than likely having the feel of any of the Mission Impossible movies, Indiana Jones, or even any of the James Bond films. The only difference is that there isn’t quite as much violence, and this film has a more family friendliness to the point that a more wider audience can generally enjoy it. Because of this, I wouldn’t be surprised if very few teenage boys, or grown men had taken their girlfriends on a date to see this film. Okay, perhaps that wasn’t generally the case all that much, considering that the movie apparently didn’t do all too well at the box-office. But if it had performed outstandingly well in theaters, then I can honestly say that could have been the case otherwise. Anyhow, there’s the villain. I won’t give much away in that regard, except to say that if you liked even Disney animated villains like Clayton (from 1999’s Tarzan), or Rourke (from 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire), chances are you’ll like the villain in this live-action Rocketeer as well. He is smart, cunning, and downright devious. No doubt that he would serve as a great example of Satan masquerading as an angel of light. Sure, you’ll probably like the villain here more than the the one in Tarzan, or Atlantis, especially the latter, but still. Next, there are our main characters, Cliff Secord, and A. Peabody. First off, they have a great friendship. Also, they help make this film almost like a buddy comedy. In fact, this buddy comedy element almost makes this film have the feel of even future films, at the time, like 2008’s Get Smart in terms of this film being both a comedy, and an action-packed film. Then, there’s the romantic chemistry between Cliff, and the love interest, Jenny Blake (Jennifer Connelly). This is an example of a relationship done right, as this couple exchanges flirtatious love, and witty banter throughout the course of this film. Not only that, but Cliff and Jenny’s relationship can teach people that couples don’t have to be 100% alike. I mean let’s face it, every romantic couple is going to have differences to one degree, or another, are they not? Well, all the more reason to appreciate the romantic side of this film. What’s more is that Jenny even has personality to her character in terms of being strong-willed, and learning to stand up for herself when she needs to. Additionally, James Horner provides a really good musical score. I mean from movies like An American Tail, Hook, or Jumanji, for example, this is yet another excellent composer, who knows how to draw people into even this story with his music. With Horner, I don’t recall a time when I disliked scores that he wrote thus far. So that’s a plus. Finally, the movie is filled with spectacular symbolism, and great poetic moments as well. If that doesn’t serve as a factor of great writing, then I’m not sure how one can make such a great story.

The one downside to this film were that there were one, or two, characters who seemed to serve very little purpose to the story, and seemed to act more like stereotypes. Also, and this isn’t so much a downgrade for the film as it is a warning particularly to older people, there are one, or two moments that could potentially feel a little intense for children. Oh no, it’s not like the situation with, say, the 1994 live-action Jungle Book, where that one might have been a little too violent for kids, to the point that maybe that one should have maybe been rated PG-13, or something like that. No, The Rocketeer doesn’t come anywhere close to that. Nevertheless, kids should prepare to either be brave in those one or two moments, or just look away until those scenes are over.

Well folks, that’s my review for the 1991 film, The Rocketeer. It is a greatly underrated movie that deserves much more recognition. I mean if you liked movies like 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea, E.T., or even Atlantis: The Lost Empire, I can guarantee that you’ll love The Rocketeer as well. It has really well-written characters, excellent relationships, a fantastic villain, and nearly everything one could ask for in a good story. I would say that if you haven’t seen this movie, definitely do! You’ll most likely be blown away by the amount of fun that you’ll have with this film.

Final Grade: A

Good afternoon everyone! Hope you all have had a really fun Sunday this far. Anyway, today, we are talking about yet another Disney+ exclusive film that was released back in December of this past year. It takes place in Alaska, in the year 1925. Presenting the one and only Disney+ exclusive film, Togo.

Plot: The film takes place in the year 1925, in Nome, Alaska, when the children of that town were plagued with a pandemic by the name of diphtheria. Led by a musher named Leonhard Seppala (Willem Dafoe), he, and a group of sled dogs, led by the head honcho dog, Togo, must race across the Alaskan wilderness, and face furious blizzards in order to bring the medicine back that will supposedly help save the children from the diphtheria.

Okay, how on Earth did this film just end up being a Disney+ exclusive film, and not also getting a theatrical release as well? Is it because another huge Disney property film by the name of Star Wars 9: The Rise Of Skywalker would be released around the same time as this film? Was it perhaps the fact that Disney+ was rather new to the general public at the time that Disney just decided to release some of their original films to that particular streaming service? One can only speculate those particular reasons. However, what pie must say is that this should have gotten a theatrical release sometime before March 2020, when of course theaters closed down, and will remain that way until either mid to late August for sure, or shortly after if they’re not forced to close their doors for good. But I digress! This film is apparently based on a true story, just like the 1995 Universal Pictures animated film, Balto, was. Part of what makes this film great is that even though this film revolves mostly around Togo, and the sled dogs, we also briefly get to see the REAL Balto, his team of sled dogs as well. What’s more is that Balto’s life is depicted in a much more accurate way than the 1995 animated film. Okay. Not to say that 1995’s Balto wasn’t good. It just seemed to add more things than it likely should have, you know? But hey, at least that Balto film still had a really good story. Anyway, the film Togo accurately depicts how difficult life was for Seppala, his wife, Constance, and for his sled dog team. It also does well with showing dogs, and their movements, in a much more realistic way. Considering that the 20th Century Fox film The Call Of The Wild, which was just released in theaters a couple months after this film, had the dogs look much more CGI, and had things happen that normally wouldn’t have happened in real life, that’s saying a lot. Okay, sure the difference between Togo, and Call Of The Wild, was that Togo was actually based on a true story, but still. Anyhow, the movie is fantastic at showing the emotions of humans, and some of the dogs to a lesser degree. Speaking of the dogs, Togo is really well-developed dog. For a dog, the filmmakers put so much personality into this animal character. Well done with that, filmmakers at Disney! For the humans, there’s the relationship between Leonhard, and his wife, Constance. There is such a great dynamic, and chemistry between these characters. They also serve as a great example of how realistic marriage is with couples. This is especially true with the fact that these couples had differing opinions, and had to agree to disagree when necessary. Yeah, we all know that marriage works very well like that. Now yes, some of the side characters are fleshed out fairly well too. However, the film really shines in this aspect by making the film focus mainly on both Mr. and Mrs. Seppala,, and their team of dogs, especially Togo himself. As for the story overall, it does a great job of showing just how difficult life was back then. It is amazing how much one can learn from this movie as to not only how difficult life was, but also how to think quickly on your feet when in dangerous situations. Willem Dafoe also makes an outstanding performance with Leonhard Seppala. Considering that he spent time playing villain roles in most of the films that he was in back in the 2000s, it’s definitely great to see him change up his game for movies like this, and the 2018 Warner Bros. film, Aquaman. In addition to this, I was surprised to discover that because of the diphtheria pandemic that occurred back in 1925, that area went through similar situations to what the US is facing in terms of businesses closing either temporarily, or permanently, and things like that. As for the fact that at least a few liberties were taken with Togo, if they were okay with animated film like, for example, the 1998 Dreamworks film, The Prince Of Egypt taking a few liberties with that film, people shouldn’t be as likely to be bothered by those changes here either. Sure, you may be somewhat disappointed that people like Leonhard and Constance’s daughter weren’t included in this film. Still, that’s why we have the Internet to look up real facts like that, you know? As for the ending, while it will probably make even grown men teary-eyed, people will be glad by the end that people get to hear some rather interesting facts about Togo, and Balto.

And that’s my review for 2019’s Disney+ film, Togo. It is a great story, with really great depth to it’s story, and characters, and a well-structured plot. The film also does well with making as accurate if a story as possible. I would say that if you at least want to do a free trial for Disney+, definitely one so to watch really great films like this. If there’s any way that people can get access to this film, they need to. You will enjoy this film from beginning to end, and find yourself wishing that this got a theatrical release, or even a more wide release by another company as well. There’s no doubt that even if some liberties are taken, or even if some things are left out, people will be glad about how closely accurate this film follows the actual account of Togo.

Final Grade: A+

Good evening everyone, and welcome to likely the last film review until maybe this weekend, or early next week, sometime like that. Tonight, we will be tapping into a type of live-action Disney films, well known as the Disney Channel Original Movies. These exclusive films from Disney were movies that were made for TV, that aired on Disney Channel from around the mid to late 1990s through the 2000s, if not sometime after that. Included in this bunch of films were movies like Brink, Motocrossed, Hounded, the High School Musical trilogy (although the third one, for some reason, got the lucky opportunity of getting a theatrical release first), and the very movie that we will be looking into tonight, 1999’s Johnny Tsunami.

Plot: A kid from Hawaii named Johnny Kapahala (Brandon Baker) enjoys life in Hawaii surfing with his Grandfather, who is also named Johnny Kapahala, who’s portrayed by Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa (last name being nicknamed Tsumami in the film after saving some lives in a storm a while back). But news comes up that his Father (Yuji Okumoto) has gotten a job transfer to Vermont, causing younger Johnny, and his family to move from Hawaii to Vermont. Things don’t go well, as Johnny is roped into this situation at his new school, where he technically has to either ski with those of his new private school, or go to a public school, and snowboard with those who snowboard there. Will he have to choose, or can he defy traditions with these two new rival schools in the end?

Now, I must confess that when I first watched a little bit of this movie on Disney Channel years ago, I didn’t like the little bit that I saw when watching it. The reason being is because what I watched of this film made the movie feel like a downer at least for me. Because of this, I basically avoided this film, along with most other Disney Channel Original Movies for a long while. The only exception was a Disney Channel Original Movie by the name of Hounded (which aired two years later), likely because what I watched of that one was extremely funny, and I at least watched that one plenty of times on Disney Channel because of that. Thankfully, I started to give some of these films more of a chance years later. Well, long story short, I finally came across this film on, you likely guessed it, Disney+, and watched it ALL THE WAY THROUGH.

Now that I’ve seen all of this film, I have to confess that I am very disappointed in myself, as I should have watched all of Johnny Tsunami years ago like most other people around my age likely did. This film is very good. First off, some of the moments that I mentioned that I didn’t like about this film beforehand, they’re mostly minor moments that help build the characters, and the story up overall. Also, the film Johnny Tsunami helps show what life can be like for some families, as well as the difficulties of life that may come along the way. Additionally, people can probably learn some very important social skills from watching a movie like this one, especially if someone’s a kid who has yet to enter middle school, high school, or maybe even elementary school. Most, if not all of the acting is very good. Oh, and speaking of which, a lot of you have heard of an actor named Gregory Itzin, have you not? He was in this film too, as Pritchard, the Headmaster of the private school that Johnny attends. Wow, can you believe that he would go from family films like this, and the 1995 WB film Born To Be Wild, to playing a notorious fictional character by the name of President Charles Logan in around a third to half of the 24 TV series around five to ten years later after this movie’s premiere? Go figure! Additionally, as people watch this film, Johnny Tsunami can open the doors to people asking some very important questions in life. Questions included would be ones like “Can changes in life be for the better, or the worst?” “Or both?” “Will hardships bring out the best, or the worst in certain people?” Finally, “Do difficulties in life basically mean the end of the world for an individual, or will specific hardships be blessings in disguise in the long run?” Due to all of these questions mentioned, the film is bound to teach people to learn to embrace changes in life, even when it may not be easy to do so. Considering hardships such as what nations like the US are facing today, how could a message like that not ring more true even today? Finally, of course we can learn from this film that we can find some good friends that will be friends either for the short, or long term. The only downside to Johnny Tsunami was that there were at least one or two characters, if not more, who could have stood out in order to be more likable, and/or memorable. Oh yes, those one or two characters are still likable, but could have maybe been developed a little more than they were in the final product.

And that’s my review for the 1999 Disney Channel Original Movie, Johnny Tsunami. For a movie that was made mainly for the TV screen, this movie is a very fun film to watch. It includes fun sports such as surfing and snowboarding, as well as skiing, has a lot of great heart to it’s story, mostly well thought out characters, besides the couple that could have been written up a little better, and a very good story overall. Honestly, if this film had a better picture quality, this film could have maybe been put in theaters, and possibly been somewhat of a hit amongst audiences. I would say that if you haven’t seen Johnny Tsunami yet, definitely do so. You’ll probably be surprised by how much you’ll gain by watching a film with really good messages, and an overall well-thought out story

Final Grade: A

Ladies & gentlemen, I have a surprise for all of you. For those of you who read my review for Iron Will this past Saturday evening, you know how I mentioned that I had access to Disney+ for a limited amount of time? Well, today, we are going to review yet another Disney film that I watched on Disney+ just last night. Did I also forget to mention that this is not just any Disney film? Today, we are talking about a film that is Disney+ exclusive (most likely meaning a film that one can only watch on Disney+). Presenting to you the one and only, 2019 remake of the beloved 1955 animated film of the same name, Lady & The Tramp.

Plot: A Cocker Spaniel named Lady (voiced by Tessa Thompson) grows up enjoying life with her owners Jim Dear (Thomas Mann) and Darling (Kiersey Clemons), and hanging out with other dog neighbors near her such as Jock (Ashley Jensen), and Trusty (Sam Elliott). But one day, circumstances occur, where Lady stumbles upon a Schnauzer-mutt hybrid from the wrong side of the tracks named Tramp. As they share adventures together, can these two bring out the best in each other, and get the best out of life?

Okay, when I first heard about this film, I was very interested in seeing it. However, I couldn’t, since I had no Disney+ account. So, because of being able to have Disney+ for a short amount of time now, I figured, why not take advantage of the opportunity? Now, it is time for me to talk about the newer Lady & The Tramp. Friends, while not exactly one of Disney’s best remakes, there are some elements to enjoy in this film. First of all, the new Lady & The Tramp film goes more of a route like last year’s remakes, most notably The Lion King and Aladdin in terms of following very closely to it’s original source material. Of course, as with nearly every other remake, 2019’s Lady & The Tramp does add some newer elements to it. Still, Disney does very well with incorporating the special moments that made the original 1955 animated film memorable in the first place. They also change some things up when it comes to certain moments in the film. Honestly, that may cause some people to enjoy this film just as much, maybe even a tiny bit more than the original film. In addition to all of this, 2019’s Lady & The Tramp does a spectacular job of portraying what life was like in New England back in the days of the 1950s, or whatever time period either film took place, whether it be the style of music, the clothing, the types of vehicles that were around, and things like that. Some of the characters also get fleshed out fairly well this time around as well, especially Tramp. That is at least one thing to like at least a little better about this version of the story is that we get to have a better understanding of Tramp’s outlook on life. The landscape of New England is also very beautiful, whether it be daytime, or nighttime in this film. There are also some good messages about not letting difficulties in life change you for the worst, and things along those lines as well. One other thing to mention, as far as the good things go, is that this Lady & The Tramp seems to lighten up more on the dark, and depressing moments.

Now, while these are all very good benefits for the film, there are a few down points to this particular remake as well. First of all, there are some of the songs. Unlike with say Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, or The Lion King, where most of the songs worked just as much, if not more, than their animated counterparts, the music here seems to be okay. I mean, “Bella Notte” still seemed to work okay, but songs like “He’s A Tramp” we’re not the best this time around. To make matters worse, you know how the original film had the “Siamese Cat” song a little after the beginning of the original film? Well, this time around, we have a musical number that replaces the “Siamese Cat” song that, let’s just say happens to be very forgettable at best. Okay, I understand that the “Siamese Cat” song was apparently deemed very controversial, and racist. However, if that truly was the case, why not just try going with a somewhat epic musical score, or something like that this time around, you know? Oh, and what was with Jock being a female, and being voiced by a female actress because of that? We’re we trying to add more females for Lady & The Tramp, or what? Finally, some of the dialogue was a little corny at certain points as well.

And that’s my review for Lady & The Tramp. Yeah, while it is at least a GOOD remake, it’s probably not one of the best. Seeing as this one doesn’t seem to be as good as other Disney remakes such as Beauty & The Beast, Christopher Robin, Aladdin, or The Lion King, it’s likely understandable as to why 2019’s Lady & The Tramp went straight to Disney+, as opposed to theaters first, followed by video, and/or Disney+, like nearly all of the other remakes before it. It may have a good plenty of good things in it. Still, the film is probably slightly weaker than some of the other remakes that have been released. I would say that if you have access to Disney+, still see it to see what you think. Just know that if you liked, or loved remakes such as Beauty & The Beast, Aladdin, or The Lion King, don’t go into this one, expecting it to be in the same league as those. Still, if you’re okay with a remake that’s still very fun and entertaining, you’re bound to enjoy it.

Final Grade: B+

Good evening everyone, and welcome to yet another session of movie reviewing. Now, before I go into this particular review, I have some good news, and bad news. The bad news is that my 007 James Bond marathon has been put on hold at least for the next couple weeks. The reason being is because certain circumstances have occurred, which I WILL NOT go into detail on, where I have been unable to continue on with that marathon until around mid to late August, sometime like that. However, once I can get back on the wagon in that regards, my hope is that you guys see the remaining James Bond films reviewed, say maybe six a month, before No Time To Die is released in November. That is unless that new installment gets postponed to sometime next year, at which point, I may extend my marathon out a little further. That will be played by ear. Anyway, the good news is that I have access to Disney+ for a limited amount of time. So you guys may likely see reviews of some of those to fill the gap for the time being. Included in this little bunch is a movie that I rewatched for the first time in a long while with a couple friends of mine last night. It was a live-action Disney film that was apparently released back in early 1994, just a few months before the highest grossed hand-drawn Disney animated film, well-known as The Lion King, graced the theater screens in June 1994. Released in January 1994, the movie is Iron Will.

Plot: Set in the year 1917, towards the end of WWI, a sled dog racer named Will Stoneman (Mackenzie Astin) signs himself, and his team of sled dogs up for a sledding competition that begins in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada after hearing that he could win so much money that he can save his family’s indebted farm, the family, and the dogs. Can Will, and his sled dogs pull off the strength and courage to get the task done in the end?

Now, I remember first watching Iron Will once or twice back around the early 2000s. However, I’m not sure if I had quite as much an appreciation for the film then as I surprisingly do now. Yeah, after rewatching this film again so many years later, I was surprised by how enjoyable the film turned out to be. First of all, this movie is excellent at portraying the difficulties of navigating through dog-racing. Whether it be blizzards, cold nights, or even competitors who don’t play fair as much as they should, this movie is great at showing how realistic these types of situations can be, while also managing to keep some of the family friendliness involved. Besides say maybe Disney films such as 2001’s Atlantis: The Lost Empire, how often has something like that happened, you know? There’s also the characters. When you take a look at any one of them at first glance, it’s possible that you might find some of them to be stereotypical. However, as the movie progresses you’ll discover that that’s not the case at all. In fact, most of these characters have personality to each of their characters, and have some fantastic character arcs as the story progresses. Heck, even some of the dogs get some really good development, especially the leader of the team himself, Gus. There’s also a really good score by Joel McNeely. Like many other good score composers, this guy is superb at using his music to draw the audience in, be it the loud and quick-paced moments, or even the more quiet and subtle moments. Additionally, there are the performances in this film. From actors such as Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey, and David Ogden Stiers to actresses such as Penelope Windust, these people give their all, and basically breathe life into their respective roles. In addition to all of this, Iron Will can teach people some very good lessons. First of all, people can be reminded of how they need to be careful about who to trust, or not trust, as they go through life. There’s also the message about never giving up, even when it may feel convenient to do so. Sure, this message has been used plenty of times in movies over the decades. However, the way that it is used here can be very unique, and appreciated in it’s own way.

Is there anything negative, or disappointing to say about Iron Will? Well, the one thing that seems to keep this film from getting an A+ is that the film could have maybe extended it’s ending by at least a few minutes. Yeah, after what I said about the 2019 Universal Pictures film, Cats likely needing to be extended an extra 30-45 minutes, that’s probably saying a lot. Anyway, there were at least one, or two characters who could have most likely had a little more screen time than they ended up getting in the end. Well, thankfully, this flaw gets overshadowed by all the other fantastic high points that make this film really, really good.

And that’s my review for 1994’s Iron Will. It is a really good Disney film that does well with portraying the difficulties of life around the time of 1917. Not just that, but the majority of characters are great, and the film is overall enjoyable to watch. Honestly, if you have never seen this film yet, I highly recommend that you do see it, however way that you can, ASAP. There are aspects that kids will enjoy, no doubt. However, in other ways, teens and adults will most likely feel really drawn to the film, and immersed in it, maybe even more so than kids. See it on Disney+, regular On Demand, or wherever else, and see what you think!

Final Grade: A

Good morning everyone! Hope you all are having a wonderful Sunday morning either going to a cool church service, bike riding in the sun, or whatever else you might be doing on this fine Sunday morning! Today, we review the sixth installment of 007 films at least in the Eon film series (8th if you count the two non-eon films, which I may get to later). This time around, Sean Connery is not the actor who is playing the role of James Bond. Instead, we have someone who was said to be a newcomer to the Hollywood business at the time that this film was released by the name of George Lazenby. I’m guessing this must have been because Connery either got tired of playing Bond, or had other prior commitments? You got me! Anyway, without further ado, let’s review 1969’s 007: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Plot: The story takes the famous fictional hero to the Swiss Alps. Here, Bond (George Lazenby), with the help of new friends such as Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), and his daughter Tracy di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg), he must stop a SPECTRE agent named Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) from releasing some kind of biological warfare throughout the world.

Wow, okay, if some of you have felt rather annoyed by some of the previous 007 James Bond movies possibly being filled with certain cliches, and things like that, then fear not this time around. This 1969 007 movie really steps up it’s game this time around. In fact, besides many of the later 007 films being much more darker and violent than the other films, 007: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service seems to act as one of the mature, and more adult films than the other 007 films that came before it. Why is that, so e of us may wonder? Could it be because some people in the audience didn’t like how some of the previous ones ended, and the next installments beginning differently, and leaving some of us confused to a degree? Is it because of the fact that Lazenby would become the new Bond, and people wanted to step it up as a result? One can only speculate the reasons why MGM seemed to make it as great, and/or even better than the other films in the franchise before it. All one can say is that there is plenty of heart, and depth to this story that can make this movie even more recommended to the audience, most notably people who like these types of films. First of all, as mentioned before, the movie breaks away from certain cliches that the other films seemed to have. So much so that it almost may inspire some to maybe watch this one more than once. Okay, that’s not to say that the prior 007 films aren’t worth being rewatched as well. Still, because of there seeming to be so much fiber and substance for this particular film, it’s almost like a lot of people may yet find themselves watching this one the most. That is at least as far as the older films in this series go. In addition to this, people will be glad about the fact that certain relationships seem to act much better than the ones before. Not only that, but the writing seems to be much smarter, and more clever this time around as well. Honestly, you might find yourselves surprised by the outcome of most, of nearly every aspect of how things were written up for this 007 story. It’s also really cool how the line of “sparing the rod, and spoiling the child” (which is brought up in Proverbs 13:24) is brought up briefly in this film as well. It seems to beg the question, “Did even Hollywood have good Christian morals with their films back in these days?” Well, considering that God, or anything having to do with God got banned from public schools, and films like that come out somewhat shortly after that, it’s safe to say that Hollywood most likely did. I mean you can probably see that with not only something like the Scripture line in this film, but like with The Jungle Book (the 1967 animated version, that is) with the whole “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friend), and and probably other films of this time period that I’m unaware of. It’s just too bad that Hollywood, and people in other companies in this nation have seemed to lose many of their moral values since then, you know? Anyway, an additional thing to note is that 007: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service will teach people that there will be times, probably more than one would like, where things will not go the way that they expect. When things are going well, don’t take those good moments for granted, since you never when things could take a turn for the worst. That’s also a really great lessons to learn from this film. Finally, be aware that the ending, let’s just say that it will be different than what you expect. That’s as far as I’ll go with that, as I’m sure that some of you might be curious to know how so if you haven’t seen this film yet.

And that’s my review for 007: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It is a very clever film with excellent writing, and the main character being much more mature and manly than before. You can really tell that the makers of this film were trying to be much more different than they were before. As a result, they did a fantastic job with what they did in the end. Sure, George Lazenby would never be Sean Connery. Still, he does a superb job with putting life in this character, and this movie overall. Thus far, I would say that if you were only to pick one of the older James Bond movies to see, definitely make this one your top priority of all between the older 007 films. I was surprised with the result, and I’m sure you all most likely will be too.

Final Grade: A+

Now friends, based on what I said tonight’s review shall be in the above title, you may be wondering if I still am going through the 007 James Bond series at this point, yes? If you are, then fear not, because I still am. However, tonight, we are taking a short mini break from that, and diving into one of a few films that were released back in 1998 that I’m planning to rewatch (or in the case of 1998’s The Horse Whisperer, finally see for the very first time), and review in addition to continuing the James Bond marathon, and/or any other films that I see over the course of this year. With that said, let’s fly to New Jersey and California with a talking blue-crowned conure named Paulie by reviewing a film made by Dreamworks Picture, appropriately titled Paulie.

Plot: A blue-crowned conure parrot by the name of Paulie (Jay Mohr) gets adopted by a girl named Marie (Hallie Eisenberg), and her family when he’s just baby. However, when he gets older, circumstances get Paulie separated from his human family. With the help of new friends that he meets along the way, such as an elder woman named Ivy (Gena Rowlands), and a Russian US immigrant named Misha (Tony Shalhoub), can Paulie eventually reunite with his long lost human family once and for all?

Now, for those of you who haven’t seen this film before, you may thinking, “Oh gee, another family film with talking animals!” Well, for those of you who may feel that way, and decide to not to see Paulie because of that, then please reconsider! Why? Well, first off, the only animals to talk in this film is the main bird, Paulie. Granted, some of the other parrot characters talk too, but most of their dialogue consists of repeating what others, mainly humans, say. Second, for a film that has even one or two animals providing dialogue, Paulie seems to surprisingly act very mature. To begin, kids can learn quite a bit in this film, such as illegal immigrants, getting themselves immersed in Hispanic culture while watching this movie, and other things too. In addition to all of this, while you are watching this film, there are some really good lessons to take from this film. One of these is that not everyone that you meet can be trusted. Yes, many adults should learn this lesson by now, but it never hurts to be reassured of this lesson. Next, there’s the message about how we shouldn’t have a habit of putting certain dreams off until later on in life. That is since there may not be a later for some people, or even a tomorrow for some of us. Hence the saying, “Live life to the fullest!” In addition to some of these messages, there’s also the message about not giving up on your dreams even when the future may look gloomy for some people. Yeah, how about possibly drawing certain parallels between this film, and certain aspects of Joseph’s life in the Biblical account of Exodus, eh? Overall, for a family film, this one knows how to pack in some shockingly deep , and very mature themes. Additionally, it may be surprising to find that John Debney, who has done a vast array of musical scores for films, both children’s and adult films, composed the score for this film. Now, more often than not, Debney has known how to let the score such people into movies. Paulie is undoubtably one of those times where he succeeds in that. Next, Paulie really knows how to play with your emotions. When there’s a funny moment, you’re bound to laugh rather hard. Then, whenever there are the sad moments in this film, you’re bound to cry, or even come close to crying when those moments come along. Finally, 1998’s Paulie could possibly have the feel of films such as Disney/Pixar’s 2003’s Finding Nemo, but with a more mature side to it.

Well folks, that’s my review for the 1998 Dreamworks movie, Paulie. After rewatching this film for the first time in a long while last week, there is one question that I found myself asking “WHY ON EARTH DOESN’T DREAMWORKS MAKE MOVIES LIKE THIS ANYMORE?” OKAY, don’t get me, either of the Trolls films, and Boss Baby were decent. Also, Dreamworks has still pumped out a few good films like How To Train Your Dragon, The Croods, and films like those. Still, compared to what kinds of films made back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, to what types of films they’re creating now, or just comes to show that the quality of storytelling hasn’t exactly been at it’s best with Dreamworks movies as of recently. Really, it’s movies like Paulie, The Prince Of Egypt, Spirit: Stallion Of The Cimarron, and movies like those that Dreamworks should make again, not ones like Trolls, and just mediocre films like those. If there’s any way that Dreamworks could go back to when they made really good films like Paulie, they most definitely should. If you’re reading this review, and haven’t seen Paulie yet, make it a point to do so ASAP. You’d be amazed by the lessons that can be learned, and the overall great quality of storytelling when watching this film.

Final Grade: A+

Good afternoon everyone! First off, I hope you all had a fun 4th of July yesterday. Second, today, we continue on the 007 train (or at least what are called the Eon films of the 007 film franchise), with reviewing the 1967 James Bond movie, 007: You Only Live Twice. As far as the Eon films go, it is said that this film was Sean Connery’s last time to play the role of James Bond (Connery apparently starred as Bond again in one or two of the “non-eon” 007 films). Anyway, let’s begin the review now!

Plot: After an unidentified spacecraft hijacks an NASA Spacecraft Jupiter 16, and then lands in the Sea Of Japan, James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent by MI6 to go investigate any strange activities that might be coming from the government of Japan. Can Bond find the source of what’s going on, and bring those people to justice?

Now, there’s no doubt that this 007 film seems to be better at least then Dr. No (which, that one was of course the first one to start the 007 legacy). However, while that may be the case, it’s most likely not quite as good as some of the other films like Thunderball, and films like those. To begin, there’s the whole deal about how the movie version of this story seemed to supposedly diverge from the original plot of the novel. Now, if that was the case, let me just say this! It’s not a bad thing to take liberties when basing a film on a story. In fact, if you can still make the film good, then why not do so? However, in this case, it was almost like this film made some changes that weren’t exactly the best. For one thing, it was almost like some things were crammed into this film just for the sake of being there. Sure, those didn’t make the film bad by any means. In fact, some of the good elements, which we will get to momentarily, helped make up for those disappointments. Still, you might find yourself wondering as whether or not some of those times were even necessary in the end. There also may have been a tiny bit too many characters added in as well. Also, there were some points in time in this film where this 007 movie could have possibly had the potential to make certain moments more than they were in the end. I know it may sound hard to explain now, but I think you might know what I mean if you see the film sometime after reading this review.

Alright, alright! So, thus far, I may be making it sound like this is probably one of the worst in the James Bond franchise, right? Well, like was mentioned earlier, there are still plenty of things that make up for the flaws in this film. First of all, despite the few negative points of this film, 007: You Only Live Twice still does an excellent job of engaging the viewers into the story. This proves especially true when the film takes us to Japan, and we get to learn about how the Japanese culture. Now, I’m not sure how much things such as traditional values, or other things have changed since around the time that this movie was released in 1967, and now. Still, at least it ends up being educational nonetheless. In addition to this, some of the action is phenomenal. In fact, there are times when 007: You Only Live Twice could most likely have a bit of a Star Wars feel mixed with James Bond, Mission Impossible, or action films like that. Which, that may sound interesting, considering the Star Wars films didn’t even get made, and/or released until a decade later, and onward after that. Additionally, how about the fact that when movies like this were released, we didn’t have to worry about inappropriate moments coming up? Okay, as I’m sure many of us know, back when movies like this, and others were made, it can implied that there were nude moments, or other things like that. However, compared to movies nowadays, back then, it wasn’t thrown in your face that say a person was naked, or other things like that. I mean in today’s films, we have movies that are say Rated R for example because of say cuss words like the F-bomb being a frequent word in the script, people’s whole naked bodies being shown, and things like that. Now, compare that to say if it was implied that certain people were naked in this film, IT WAS IMPLIED, AND NOT THROWN IN YOUR FACE CONSTANTLY. Because of that, it’s great to know that due to this film being rated PG, this is an example of an action film that both kids, and adults can probably enjoy equally. Honestly, it just comes to show that in today’s day and age, the quality of films has seemed to decrease as far as morals go. Oh yes, there are still some films that have morals in them. However, it’s not quite as up there as it seemed to be back in the 50s, 60s, and/or maybe even 70s. Finally, how could one not like the song that plays at the beginning of this film? It’s quite possible that some people might have it stuck in their heads.

Well, that concludes my review for 007: You Only Live Twice. Despite some of the flaws that this film had, the story is very engaging, the action is out of this world, and people can learn some very educational things in this film. I would say that if you haven’t seen this, or any of the other James Bond movies, definitely make it a point if you want either decent, or good, if not quite great action movies. There is still plenty to recommend for this film.

Final Grade: B+

Good evening everyone! I hope you all had a fun weekend, and a very fun Father’s Day yesterday. Tonight, we get back into the swing of things, as we dive into yet another installment that involves that spy, who goes by the name of James Bond. This time, this review comes in the form of the fourth installment of the 007 movie series, by the name of Thunderball.

Plot: The story takes James Bond to the Bahamas, where he must stop an agent from SPECTRE named Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi) from using two nuclear, which Largo acquired earlier, as a ransom against NATO. With some new friends that Bond meets along the way, can he prevent Largo’s diabolical plan from taking place?

Friends, let me just be upfront with you all, and say that Thunderball may yet be one of the best, if not the best, of the 007 James Bond movie franchise. First off, the people who worked on this at the MGM studio did a great job of deciding to go a little over a hundred and twenty minutes this time around by making this film have a running time of a hundred and thirty minutes. Considering that the previous three films were around ten, or fifteen minutes under the two hour mark, one can likely consider that something special for a long while, until future James Bond movies made similar moves. Now yes, there were some moments that could have possibly felt a little random, they don’t seem to last long enough to distract the audience members from the actual meat of the story. In fact those random moments might have helped this movie along, as well as helped maybe foreshadow the events to come in this film. Hard to believe, is it not? Anyway, as far as both the good guys, and bad guys go this time around, they both seem to advance very well this time around. I mean picture this! Imagine if a guy were to go out on a date with a girl, and they both agreed that on the first date, they knew instantly that they for sure were right to marry each other in the near future (assuming the guy and girl marry, and STAY married). Okay, this may sound somewhat like a corny metaphor. However, it doesn’t seem to change the fact that that’s how quickly a good majority of these characters are developed well within around the first act, or shortly after. Heck, when you know how much of a good heart any of the good characters have, you can can catch on with that rather quickly. Same goes for the villains, you can really sense how malicious, and evil they are without having to worry about foreshadowing it throughout the film. What’s more is that the character development seemed to be taken to a whole new level in comparison with the other three movies that preceded this one. This goes not just with many of the characters shining to their full potential, but some of the relationships seem to feel much deeper, and can make you want those relationships last longer this time around. There’s also some very good creativity when it comes to certain scenes. Why? The reason for this is because, well, you might find yourself predicting a a lot of moments, only for those times to happen alternately. Trust me when I say you’ll know what I mean, if you don’t now. The Thunderball song that plays at the beginning of this film is also very fun, and catchy. I was surprised to discover that Tom Jones was in this film singing that song. Man, can you believe that he went from singing this song to singing the song, “A Perfect World,” in which he played a character called the Theme Song Guy in the Disney film, The Emperor’s New Groove thirty-five years later? Wow, considering that Disney basically bought out MGM somewhere down the road after this movie was released, it’s safe to say that perhaps Disney seemed to really like singers such as Tom Jones well enough to bringing him back for singing for a second round, or more, eh? Additionally, the action was really taken up a notch this time around too. Honestly, with the action scenes, or the rest of the scenes that were shot for this film, it may make you wonder, how many times did it take to make those scenes work well, you know? Finally, if PG-rated films were still considered okay even for young kids to watch at this point, children should be warned about how violent this film could potentially get at certain points of the film.

And that’s my review for 007: Thunderball. The movie seems to do really well with making almost everything stepping up a notch. It has fun action, and a great plenty of hilarious moments. If you haven’t seen this 007 film yet, please make time to do so. You may yet appreciate a great plenty when it comes to this film. That is probably more so than you might have the previous three films.

Final Grade: A+