Mousey Movies - Star Trek

When I was growing up I watched my fair share of both Star Wars and Star Trek. Unfortunately, as time passed I met a girl, got a job, went to school, moved around, had some kids, bought a mini-van and watched less TV. When I returned from media silence, two loves ran to the top. One was Disney (of course) and the other was Star Wars. A lot of this had to do with being a father, since I could share these fandoms with my kids. I honestly have only watched one Trek movie in the last decade, and it was not that good.

In 2009 with director J.J. Abrams reboot/restart/continuation of the Trek saga with Star Trek, many of my friends were excited.

Me, not so much!

I did drag myself into a third run discount theater to see the film with a scratchy print and bad sound. The Between Tween who went with me loved it! I then destroyed the movie’s plot in front of the youngster, which may or may not have resulted in crying. I then promised to let the Tween watch something Star Wars to cleanse the mind. And then I thought this journey was over.

With the coming of the blockbuster Star Trek Into Darkness, I have largely felt left out of the excitement again. However, things are different this time around. I decided I wanted the film to do well, purely because it would help build the audience for Star Wars: Episode VII since they share a director. Despite my new found hope in the darkness, I was still not sure when I would personally see it. But when the Between Wife made a comment about wanting to see the 2009 film, which I believe was solely based on those blue blue eyes of Chris Pine, I acted.

2009’s Star Trek tells the story of how the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise were brought together when facing an intergalactic emergency that threatens entire worlds. Federation recruit James T. Kirk is pulled into a battle against a disgruntled Romulan miner from the future named Nero. Our villain blames Ambassador Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy himself, for the death of his world. Nero chases Spock across time where they overlap with the younger version of Spock played by Zachary Quinto. The story shows us relationships growing amongst the core Trek characters while creating a new timeline in the Star Trek universe. And as the Between Tween pointed out in the first scene, Star Trek is Mousey:

• Parental Units: As the movie opened the Between Tween yelled out, “Hey, it’s Thor!” I laughed and said not that can’t be. That guy is too well shaven and has short hair. Then I turned my head askew and said, “Hey, it’s Thor!” Chris Hemsworth does in fact play George Kirk, the first officer of the U.S.S. Kelvin, the father of Captain James T. Kirk, and hero. As the scene progressed George Kirk’s wife Winona was also introduced. And I yelled out, “Hey, it’s Emma!” Yes, Mrs. Kirk was played by Jennifer Morrison from Once Upon a Time. Kirk definitely has some Mousey parents.

• Prince Charming: Speaking of the Kirk family. Chris Pine who plays James T. Kirk got his film debut in a Disney movie. He played villain/love interest Nicholas Devereaux in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement.  

 

• Spock’s Mom: So as long as Winona Ryder’s career has been, clearly she has been in many Disney movies. This must be true since she is in so many Tim Burton movies. So yeah, she must have cashed many checks from the Mouse. But shockingly, no! She did voice Elsa Van Helsing in Frankenweenie. But most of her other Burton films including Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands are not Disney films.   

• Guardian: Zoe Saldana plays Uhura, the language specialist on the Enterprise and Spock’s love interest (I know shocking). Saldana has been cast as Gamora, the most dangerous woman in the galaxy, in 2014’s Guardians of the Galaxy. Honestly, I am holding out opinions on this future Marvel film until I find out who will voice Rocket Raccoon. Saldana played another tough women as Anamaria in Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl in 2003. Anamaria is a pirate through and through as a member of Captain Jack Sparrow’s crew.

• Star Wars, Nothing But Star Wars: Since I was just looking to bash Star Trek originally, I did not notice that director J.J. Abrams crafted images that seem like homages to Disney’s newest franchise. These include the fact that Vulcan and Alderaan are both destroyed and have refugee communities.  Kirk meets old Spock and Mr. Scott on an ice world with ferocious creatures, Luke almost lost his life to a ferocious creature on Hoth.  And on that world when one ferocious creature is chasing Kirk it is stopped by a bigger one, or as Qui-Gon Jinn would remind us there is always a bigger fish.  And seriously is Mr. Scott’s engineering partner is an Ugnaught, they are both short , handy and not so pretty.  Yeah, those are just a few I noticed, but clearly Star Wars influenced this world!

Star Trek is a super mousey movie, even if I did not want to admit it. We did not even include Michael Giacchino who wrote the score; his Space Mountain theme is still my favorite. And I am willing to say it should not carry the horrible title I gave it years ago. But this time I turned off my mind, went with the flow, enjoyed the adventure, laughed with the Between Kids and most of all…..looked forward to Episode VII.

Mousey Movie Preview - 3 Mousey Movies

Over my holiday break I was refreshed and spent a ton of time with the Between Family. One of our outings was to take in Monsters, Inc. in 3D. Honestly we do not take in every Disney 3D release but we really enjoyed seeing this offering again on the big screen and in the 3D format. We hoped, and were right, that the door room scenes would shine.

Part of the enjoyment was seeing three new to us trailers. Some of them had been released earlier.

The first was more of a university advertisement than a trailer, for Monsters University. Oh yes, who doesn’t love good old MU?

This quick commercial made me more excited for this summer release, but it also really made me hope they open up the Monster’s University website up soon for student registrations. The fact that I was wearing my MU baseball cap I got for Christmas helped reinforce my desire for Monster’s University to become more interactive.



The second was a new trailer for The Lone Ranger.

The reaction was a mixed bag in the Between Family. I am convinced that I have a 50/50 chance of seeing it in the theater, but the Between Wife has no interest in this film. We do not watch a lot of Westerns so the only hooks for us are the Disney label and Johnny Depp.


The third was a new trailer for Oz The Great and Powerful.

Honestly, I have mixed feelings about John Franco and his roles. But I believe this trailer only confirmed that we will see this feature in the theater as a family. It really does look beautiful and the visual design alone grabs the viewer’s attention.

Which of these future Mousey Movies are you excited about?

Mousey Movies - The Santa Clause 3

Since its 2006 release I have typically described The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause as a cash grab.  It just seemed like everyone was making one more grab at the good Santa money.  And it was a financial success, though a critical bomb.  The film lacked the charm one finds in the original, charm based on the happy accident of something truly wonderful being discovered.  But this year’s required viewing had made me soften.  There are still funny lines that make me belly laugh like a bowl full of jelly.  And the story has some edge to it in the villain of Jack Frost played by Martin Short.  And loving the franchise, there is some storytelling that I just noticed for the first time this year that pays off for the fan.  For example, it is only this year that I realized that the clothing choice of Neil played by Judge Reinhold in one scene tells us he has lost all his joy.  His choice of a professional and drab sports coat and sweater instead of his trademark colorful sweaters that Tim Allen’s Scott Calvin constantly mocks lets you know that his character has been broken by the problems of life.

Scott Calvin in the third film of the series has problems.  He has to balance the yearly rush of Christmas at the same time that Mrs. Claus nears the due date of their first child.  The demands of the new head elf Curtis pulls him between family and work.  To help provide relief to Mrs. Claus he brings the in-laws to the North Pole played by Alan Arkin and Ann Margret.  Of course they do not approve of the toy man who has taken their daughter away to “Canada.”  The pressure of keeping the Secret of Santa only adds to the pressure that Calvin feels.  Finally, Jack Frost sabotages Santa’s efforts to succeed at home and work.  Eventually Frost’s efforts lead to an It’s a Wonderful Life type sequence where Scott learns what would have happened to the ones he loved and himself if he had never pulled on the red coat.

There are no hidden Mickey’s in The Santa Clause 3 like we find in The Santa Clause 2.  But there are scenes lifted directly from the original The Santa Clause, which really tickles me as we see them from a new perspective.  Overall, this may be the most Mousey of all the movies in this franchise as it attempts to satirize the House of Mouse:

·        The Meanest One of All:  Jack Frost is the face of evil.  No really, he is a really horrible legendary figure.  He makes choices that have mortal consequences to beloved characters and he shows little to no remorse about it!  The Between Kid actually screamed and yelled, “I don’t like him,” as Frost was being almost murderous.  Additionally Frost is all about himself and ruins Christmas in a manner that only glorifies him and makes elves incredibly sad!  Yeah kids, beware Jack Frost.

Martin Short plays this villain and is highly familiar to Epcot fans.  Short originally starred in the 1989 film The Making of Me at the Wonders of Life pavilion.  The film discussed how Short’s parents met, got married, and made a baby!  I am kind of glad that I never had to watch this film with the Between Kids, and field the questions that it might inspire, with the closing of the pavilion in 2007.  In 2008 Short moved to the Canada pavilion to narrate the O’ Canada film where Short shares about his native country.  Short has also been part of a number of Disney releases including Jungle 2 Jungle with Tim Allen, Treasure Planet, 101 Dalmatians II: Patch’s London Adventure, Frankenweenie, and Touchstone Pictures releases Father of the Bride and Father of the Bride II; placing Short in live-action, animated, theatrical and direct to video projects.   

·        Carpet Bagger:  In a scene that has to be a tribute to Mary Poppins, Scott when visiting the Miller family digs around in a carpet bag.  It’s clear as he reaches in with much more arm than he should that the bag’s inside is bigger than the outside.  This effect is helped by the sound of crashing objects and farm animals in the bag!  The object he pulls out as a gift for his son Charlie, much like Mary Poppin’s hat rack, is much bigger than the bag itself. 

·        Theme Parks:  The most Mousey moment in the movie is the North Pole’s transformation from a workshop into a Disneyland style resort.  The North Pole Resort may remind many of visits to Disney parks with crowds, overpriced merchandise to buy everywhere, staff hiding behind forced smiles and crying children wanting more more more.  Yes, it is all the bad things one might expect from a theme park gone bad.  Instead of looking at the North Pole Resort as a satire on the reality of a Disney parks experience, I look at it as all of our bad experiences at once!  It makes sense.  Disneyland and other Disney parks create magic.  The North Pole Resort perverts magic instead, much like the days that heat and tiredness may make families grumpy! 

·        O’ Canada:  Speaking of Canada, the North Pole with the arrival of the in-laws is transformed into Santa’s very own Canada pavilion.  The signage and set design honestly makes me laugh, with signs that make sure you understand you are in Canada, not the North Pole or Epcot.

·        Buddy:  Liliana Mumy returns to her second Santa Clause film as Lucy Miller, or the cute human kid replacement for Charlie.  Lucy has a big warm heart, somewhat different than her character Mertle Edmonds in the animated Lilo & Stitch, Stitch! The Movie, and Lilo & Stitch 2: Stitch Has a Glitch.  Mertle is spoiled and has a cold heart!  I chose team Lilo!  Mumy also voices the puppy Rosebud in the live action Snow Buddies, Space Buddies, and SantaBuddies where she again addresses snow and Santa!  Ironically, the name Buddy is found not just in the non-Disney movie Elf but the ending of this jolly franchise.

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause is my least favorite in the Santa trilogy.  But Tim Allen still continues to satisfy me as a regular guy struggling with being a family man and the spirit of Christmas.  This installment is also darker than the others as Calvin fights not himself or a plastic doppelganger but an external villain who has no problem terrorizing others.  The film’s story with The North Pole Resort was directly inspired by Mickey’s home, where like Santa you can visit the Mouse in his home!  So even if they were trying to subtly attack their Mousey Masters, they made the film very Mousey. 

Mousey Movies - Failure to Launch

Well, I guess I am about to lose some loyal readers! 

Not every movie I watch is a Disney movie.  There is in fact a secret place in my house with a Matthew McConaughey romantic comedy library.  Disney fans may know that he plays Angels outfielder Ben Williams in Angels in the Outfield.  This library is called upon when something sweet, mindless and fun is needed to entertain the Between Adults and the Between Wife is not in a mood to watch things explode. 

But I have a new problem!  I can’t watch any movie without evaluating it for Mousiness.  It’s a gift and a curse! So when recently viewing Paramount Pictures’ 2006 Failure to Launch, I saw it’s total Mousiness  In this romantic comedy, McConaughey stars as an adult still living at home in his 30s. His parents hire Sarah Jessica Parker’s Paula to simulate a relationship with McConaughey’s Tripp so he can gain the self-esteem needed to move out on his own.  Of course, complications occur along with a possible real romance. 

Now, just because a movie is Mousey that does not mean I would recommend it for children.  In fact, the Between Kids were sent to watch the Disney Channel while the adults took in the Mousey Romance.  I present to you my attempt to balance out all of the Mousey superhero Mousey Movies I have posted before.  Betweenlanders I give you Failure to Launch:  

·         Sidekick:  Justin Bartha plays Tripp’s “geeky computer guy” friend Ace.  Bartha would also take on the sidekick role for Disney in Nicolas Cage’s National Treasure and National Treasure: Book of Secrets as computer geek Riley Poole.  Personally I like both Ace and Riley as they seem like guys I would hang out with while I doubt I could keep up with the super cool Tripp.  I almost jumped on another moment as potentially Mousey as Ace’s first date with Zooey Deschanel’s Kit occurs at an Aquarium that reminded me of Epcot’s The Living Seas with Nemo and Friends.    

·         Stuffed with Fluff: Speaking of Kit, Deschanel has her own Disney ties.  She appears in the Disney and Walden adaptation of the literary classic The Bridge to Terabithia, which makes me sad.  So I have never re-watched it.  I am more familiar with her work on the Winnie the Pooh soundtrack which includes her distinctive voice covering the theme song“Winnie the Pooh” with her band She & Him along with two other tracks.  

·         Out of the Lab:  We are introduced to Tripp’s “nephew” Jeffrey playing video games with Tripp’s friends.  As I looked closely at Jeffrey I kept thinking this youngster really looks familiar!  After a few minutes I realized that Jeffrey was the lead character Leo from Disney XD’s Lab Rats played by Tyrel Jackson Williams.  Williams has a small but important role as it helps explain why Tripp still lives at home.       

·         Bear Bottoms:  I have to warn you, there is nudity in Failure to Launch.  National Football League legend and Hall of Famer Terry Bradshaw shows his bare bottom to the world.  Honestly he seems as comfortable with displaying his bottom as the triplets in Brave.  And he would fit in with King Fergus and the clan leaders, swapping some warrior or football tales. 

                 

·         The Rat:  Tripp is not Paula’s only client.  She meets with a young man we assume is a new client on their first simulated date.  He speaks from his heart; the original Star Wars movies are superior because they are all about storytelling.  I am sure many of us would agree!  The client is played by Patton Oswalt, who knows about passion having played Remy in Ratatouille, a rat with a heart for cooking!     

·         The Rifleman: Actor Rob Corddry plays a gun salesman who Kit visits to help with a bird problem.  Corddry would be a strange fit for a Disney movie, having starred in movies like Hot Tub Time Machine.  But we would be wrong!  Corddry appears on the special features of The Muppets in a deleted scene as Sleazy Superman in front of Grauman’s Chinese Theater.   

·         The Grand One: The moment that will make any Disney fan sit up is Tripp’s first date with Paula.  It occurs on a boat named, Grand Imagineer!  Most Disney fans would assume that the Grand Imagineer has to be Walt Disney.  But we would be mistaken this time.  The boat in the film is actually named after Hondo Crouch a humorist, rancher and poet from Texas who died in 1976.  My attention was had, but the moment was not as Mousey as I wanted.       

Alright Betweenlanders we have proved a romantic comedy can be Mousey.  But I believe it is time for us to get back to animated and action packed Mousey Movies.  But remember Between Husbands, if you look close enough you may find the Mouse in those movies we watch, and occasionally enjoy in shame.         

    

Mousey Movies - Iron Man

Before Disney owned Marvel the cinematic saga that will bring us May’s The Avengers began.  After the credits of 2008’s Iron Man, Samuel L. Jackson took the screen for the first time as Nick Fury Director of S.H.I.E.L.D. and let us know that there were other heroes.  And not only were there heroes, but he was working on something called the Avengers Initiative.  Needless to say as a superhero fan I kind of stopped breathing for a few moments in 2008!

Iron Man introduces Marvel superhero Iron Man to the big screen.  It provides the story of how industrialist Tony Stark, played brilliantly by Robert Downey Jr., saved himself from terrorists by creating the Iron Man armor.  A changed man after surviving this attempt on his life, Stark turns away from his trade, weapons, and strikes out to improve the world.  He is challenged professionally and personally by his mentor (or nemesis) Obadiah Stane who wishes to control Stark’s technology for his own benefit.

Now to be honest, before Iron Man I was not a big fan of Tony Stark.  He always lived in the shadows to me of another millionaire superhero, DC’s Bruce Wayne/Batman.  And Stark has a ton of personality flaws that just did not resonate to me.  So as a kid if an X-Men book was laying next to an Iron Man book, X-men always won.  And that is true today with the print version of Iron Man.  But Downey Jr. is brilliant in this film and has crafted my favorite version of Tony Stark.  I have also been one of the rare fans to like Iron Man 2 more than the original.  This has been based on two facts; the sequel is a very Mousey Movie that every Disney fan can enjoy.  And honestly it doesn’t make me have to think as much!  But with The Avengers on its way I am rewatching every movie in the Avengers Initiative, and this pre-Disney influenced flick turns out to have obvious and hidden Mousey Moments:

·        Digital Heroes:  Jeff Bridges plays Obadiah Stane, the film’s villain.  Bridges was already the star of a cult Disney live action flick as Kevin Flynn in 1982’s Tron, and Clu.  He reprised those roles in 2010’s Tron: Legacy playing both hero (Flynn) and villain (Clu 2).  Part of my criticism of the sequel has been Bridges’ portray of Flynn as he seems to be a tech savvy version of The Dude from The Big Lebowski.  So as Stane I feel he is bringing something new to his career resume, a money and power loving evil industrialist, a character I imagine is very different than Bridges’ real personality.  But that is only because I am convinced that Bridges really is The Dude.          

·        Hobby Time:  Walt Disney enjoyed hands on hobbies.  Disney’s love of hobby trains and miniatures helped inspire him to create Disneyland.  He built the Carolwood Pacific Railroad in his background as a 1/8^th scale train on a half mile track.  Much of the Carolwood line was built by Walt Disney himself with the help of Legend Roger E. Broggie.  This love of trains led to Walt’s park being encircled by one.  Additionally, Disney collected miniatures and hand built a number of detailed miniatures himself.  At one point he toyed with the idea of putting his miniatures on the road as a traveling exhibit, a predecessor to his interest in theme park attractions.  Tony Stark likes working with his hands too.  Walt Disney may have had his barn, but Tony Stark has a garage full of tools where he can get his hands dirty being creative working on cars and building super powered suits of armor. 

·        House of the Future:  For a decade starting in 1957, visitors to Disneyland could get a glimpse of future living at the Monsanto House of the Future.  Now, I never visited this attraction but in my mind Tony Stark lives in the House of the Future.  He is super rich and has pretty much any effort saving device you can think of in his mansion.  The dude has robots in his garage for heaven’s sake.  The most impressive living innovation is JARVIS (voiced by Paul Bettany), the computer that manages the Stark household.  JARVIS is so invaluable to Stark that he is connected to the Iron Man armor as an onboard artificial intelligence and advisor.     

·        Double Duty:  Jon Favreau directs both Iron Man and Iron Man 2.  And he also appears as Stark’s chauffer/body guard Happy Hogan.  Favreau passed on directing the future Iron Man 3 selecting instead to helm Magic Kingdom a future release that provides Disney fans a Kingdom Keepers or Night at the Museum style after dark in the park adventure.   Favreau has shown himself to be a big Disney fan boy, making me excited that this film will be led by one of us. 

·        Night on the Town: After returning from his kidnapping, Stark makes his first major public appearance at the Disney Concert Hall!  Okay, I about feel over when I heard it.  Stark is hosting his third annual benefit for firefighters at this Los Angeles’ venue.  And honestly its one of my favorite sites in the film for two reason.  First, look for the Stan Lee cameo at the Disney Concert Hall.  Second, Agent Phil Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D meets Stark for the first time at the fundraiser. 

For me Iron Man was an unexpected Mousey Movie.  I thought I would actually have to force the connections to declare it Mousey.  Instead I found more Disney references and connections that I have even shared here.  And it really makes me happy that the first movie in the Avengers Initiative can stand proudly next to its Mousey sequel.          

Mousey Movies - Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol

Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol is a Mousey Movie…there I said it.   Was it produced by a Disney studio?  Nope!  Is it based on Disney park or story material?  Nope!   Were the other three installments mousey?  Not really!  Not every Mousey Movie gets produced by the House of Mouse my friends.  Regardless of its origins, this Tom Cruise led Paramount Pictures blockbuster has plenty for Disney fans to enjoy: 

·     Brad Bird: It all starts with director Brad Bird.  Bird is a well established animator and director of animated films.  He both wrote and directed Pixar’s The Incredibles and Ratatouille.  And Ghost Protocol has a fast paced action packed feel that would be very familiar to fans of The Incredibles.  He is clearly someone that Disney fans know and appreciate.  Ghost Protocol is his first live action picture and it’s a success.  Bird identifies with his animation and Pixar past as can be seen in his twitter name @BradBirdA113.  A113 is a classroom at CalArts where many Pixar staff were schooled.  A113 can be found in every Pixar movie as an easter egg.  Bird has also used A113 in non-Disney projects including this one.  A113 is used as both a code name and most strikingly on a prop that dominates the movie screen.  With Bird’s fingerprints this movie has a mousey feel.      

·     Jeremy Renner: Marvel is slowly but surely becoming more and more mousey as this relatively new addition gains prominence with Disney fans.  Renner plays William Brandt an analyst that gets added to Ethan Hunt’s (Cruise) Impossible Mission Force (IMF) Team. Renner also plays Hawkeye in the Marvel movies leading up to The Avengers.  And we have already seen Renner as Hawkeye in Thor, giving us two of the best minutes of that superhero film.  And I’m not even a Hawkeye guy. 

·     Michael Giacchino:  Mr. Giacchino is there nothing you can’t score?  Giacchino also scored Mission: Impossible III.  But for us Disney fans he is the current go to musical guy with The Incredibles, Sky High, Ratatouille, Up, Cars 2 and the future John Carter all within his credits.  That impressive list does not even include his ABC television productions.  And we cannot overlook the Disneyland version of Space Mountain’s score which may be my all-time favorite of his work.

·     J.J. Abrams: I have never watched Lost or Alias but these Abrams’ productions have been hits for ABC.  Abrams directed Mission: Impossible III and was a co-producer on this offering.  Between Brad Bird and Abrams, this staff was very familiar with Giacchino who has frequently collaborated with them.  Between these three creative forces Ghost Protocol really is a mousey party.    

·     Laminar Fountains:  What is it with me and jumping water?  In one scene the IMF attends a party at the home of an Indian telecommunications giant.  What does this rich gentleman decorate with….laminar fountains of course!  It just proves, you can bring a piece of Epcot home with you for the right price.  Or at least build a piece of Epcot.  I wonder what the Between family would think if we added this water feature to the living room!    

·     BMW i8: I’m not a car guy, in fact some of you may be laughing thinking about me as a car guy.  I’m not a Tron guy, and now more of you are laughing.  But the BMW i8, a hybrid concept car, needs to be taken out of Ghost Protocol and dropped into the Tron franchise. 

BMW i8

      As Ethan Hunt drives through the streets of Mumbai in this set of wheels I kept looking for it to be trailed by a light wall.  There needs to be a law that you can only drive the i8 driving a glowing jumpsuit. 

It’s true, not every Mousey Movie comes from the House of Mouse.  Out here in Between Disney we have look everywhere to find our connections back to Disney.  And with a movie like Mission Impossible – Ghost Protocol that can be pretty easy to do.