Mousey Movies - Deadpool & Wolverine

Did you hear about the Disney film that is so profane, so outrageous that it has changed Disney forever? I mean the language! And don’t even get me started about the innuendo! There was a fair amount of exposed female bottom in the film. It was so bad, that Disney had to create Touchstone Pictures to release the vulgar picture, a phrase used throughout reviews, of Tom Hanks’ 1984 romantic comedy Splash!

I’m just saying we’ve been here before and we will be here again. Some movie-goers will not like the new Deadpool & Wolverine, and they should just not go see it! I actually thought of friends that this movie is not for while watching it. With this being the third film in the Deadpool franchise, it’s not like Ryan Reynolds has been hiding what his film is! If you know it’s going to offend you, don’t go. Yes there are going to be elements that you enjoy and look forward to. But…it’s a R-rated movie, it’s the biggest R-rated movie in cinematic history. But if you know you’re not going to like it, don’t go see it. I mean, that’s my strategy for dealing with things that I know are not to my taste. For example, I don’t view horror movies, I don’t like to be scared.

Disclaimer and Warning: If you have kids, while this is a Marvel movie and filled with superheroes before you consider taking them, you need to know your kids. I was shocked when I saw Logan that there were kids way to young in the theater for what I was seeing. I didn’t think these parents knew their kids better than I did based on the reaction. If you’re kids are not ready, you may have to explain some language and adult situations that could be uncomfortable!. SO DON’T JUST GO…be conscious of what’s going to assault your ears, eyes, and heart. Don’t think it’s a clean-cut film just because Deadpool is currently meeting fans at Disney California Adventure (who saw that coming)! Because, this is the third film in a R-rated series and you should know what this series is already.

I can see how some would say, why Marvel Studios, why a R-rated film? I say why not? The great experiment of the MCU has been mixing up genres. The MCU has proven that superheroes can be applied to multiple movie types…and this franchise was already established and well-regarded. Did I mention what movie was beaten for #1? Yeah, it was Deadpool!

I won’t summarize the plot of Deadpool & Wolverine as I don’t want to spoil anything. Did I get shushed for yelling out loud? Yes! Was I unsurprised by some elements due to rumors? Yes! Was I surprised that rumors I thought were ridiculous, came true? Yes! And were there pieces of the story I didn’t see coming? Yes! I went with a big group and the hard thing was walking out without spoiling it for those coming in.

But…is it good Deadpool using only my standards?

• Community: Yes, Wade Wilson as he enters this third movie has his community! If you see the trailers you know his motivation is to save the nine people who matter to him. These are his people, and he will do anything for them, even if he is morally flexible. Additionally, he discusses his past community people with X-Force and what could be next for him in a found community. The community aspect is massive in this movie as it guides decisions, helps him learn his lessons, and defines him as the plot moves forward.

• BetterUp: The movie opens with Wade in a broken place. Okay, he was broken from the first movie. But here he is really really trying to be better. He knows that his relationships and community need more from him. And so professionally and personally he has gone on an improvement quest which may have only made the matter worse. And from the second scene on, he’s working on himself.

• Laugh Away the Pain: Yep, it’s all there. So much of the humor in Deadpool & Wolverine is to hide or confront the pain felt by both Wolverine and Deadpool. We are on a journey my friend, and that nervous laughing is a bandaid. It’s just like when I couldn’t stop laughing on the Tower of Terror as a family member punched me thinking I was mocking them. No, I’m not laughing at you, I’m laughing through this. The absurdity is ramped up as Logan, Wade, and the situation are all things that put everyone on edge.

• Your Pal Wade: Hi Wade, you see me and I see you. Deadpool…and others… break through the wall and chit-chat with us the audience. At one point a look at the camera and two words did nothing but make me squeal. Wade knows we are with him on this quest, maybe even more than Grumpy Logan. And he appreciates us!

I loved Deadpool & Wolverine. Is it a cinematic masterpiece that will be the next Godfather? No, but how often do you watch that masterpiece? I was thinking about a rewatch in the theater while walking out as I know there is so much I missed. I never thought I would see a Deadpool movie…now I have three. I never thought I would see Wade and Logan together again and properly on the screen…now I have. For me this is what Deadpool & Wolverine is…a comic book event where the creators pull in visual and story references that make me squeal and have fun, showing the things I knew and sometimes didn’t know I wanted to see on the screen. Every comic reader loves it when heroes from other books meet in unexpected ways. It’s not overwhelmed with cameos, and I think they are used well. It’s also a tribute to a franchise of comic-book movies that have been eclipsed by the MCU, and may have actually made me miss it. 

It’s smart, it’s crass, and I will be watching it again.

Mousey Movies - Haunted Mansion

As Disney parks fans we have waited for years for a new Haunted Mansion movie. Many fans have mixed thoughts on 2003’s The Haunted Mansion with Eddie Murphy. Personally, I don’t like scary things so a more comical version was more than fine with me. We need to remember this is an attraction that creators debated scary versus funny. That debate led to a story that was a mix of both and we loved it. But it has seemed to me that the movie reboot debate has been let’s get something really different from Murphy’s take and make it scary, and that’s a no-thank you situation for me. Much like the first time I entered the Haunted Mansion, I was afraid to attend the 2023 movie on opening day…because I don’t do scary! And I heard this was scary,

For comic book fans, my summary is; Night Nurse shares a house with Mobius and the Joker won’t let them sleep!

Gabbie, a doctor, and her son Travis relocate near New Orleans to a dark and dusty Mansion. The two discover quickly that the house is haunted by ghosts they cannot escape. In trying to escape their fate, Gabbie gathers ups a rag-tag crew of a priest, an astrophysicist, a historian, and a medium who all get pulled into Gabbie and Travis’ fate. The group discovers that one spirit has more devious plans than haunting a family, and they must avoid becoming the last ghostly inhabitant of the mansion so he cannot gain his full dark power. Along with the horror comedy of the mansion, the group, such as astrophysicist Ben, struggle with their own grief and what the existence of ghosts could mean.

We came for the movie but stayed for the ride. Haunted Mansion attraction fans won’t be disappointed. The big bad is the Hatbox Ghost. And we mean bad, real bad. He’s not fun at all. There are stretching paintings, busts, and ghosts that all bring us into the ride. They pulled some much of the attraction in that I’m pretty sure I didn’t see it all and will still miss things when I rewatch on Disney+.

Is it scary? We have gotten a lot of questions from friends about can my ten-year-old, and my twelve-year-old watch the movie? You likely know your child’s horror tolerance. The Hatbox Ghost is scary and dark. The ghosts are definitely not always nice. There are a few jump scares. I hate scary, but this movie is well within my scare tolerance. It’s dark and forbidding, but no over-the-top gore and images that kept me from sleeping at night. If anything the Eddie Murphy crypt scene may be scarier than anything seen here in 2023.

Speaking of The Haunted Mansion. Personally, I enjoyed it. I still enjoy it. And I currently just see it as a separate thing in a different universe. There has been so much added over the decades to the attraction, I really don’t see any story as canon. To me, neither The Haunted Mansion or Haunted Mansion are the true and only story of the mansion. And I enjoy them both for what they are without either taking from the other.

We have to give a special call out to Danny Devito as Professor Bruce Davis. The man is a national treasure and must be protected at all costs. He delivers the best one-liners in the film. And while he doesn’t get to play a beloved classic character like Jamie Lee Curtis’ Madame Leota, he is a new fresh, and fun one that gave a lot to the film, especially when a laugh was needed. A member of my group did not enjoy the film as much as the rest but made sure to let us know that Devito was the actor she kept following throughout the film.

Sigh, did I mention Disney+? The box office for this release under performed, by so so much. There are clearly two reasons for this. First, Barbie and her friend Oppenheimer are dominating the box office at release. Having seen Barbie, it definitely felt more fresh and new and it also has a lot of nostalgia. While there are a lot of Haunted Mansion fans, Barbie definitely has more. Second, do you want to see a Halloween-themed movie in July? Disney originally was going to release The Marvels in this slot but switched movies. The July release seems questionable. But, it also allows Disney to add it to Disney+ before the fall holiday. Maybe Disney is playing chess here, accepting that the movie release window would mean less at the theater but maybe have more of an impact when it hits streaming! I enjoyed watching the movie in a theater, mine was actually packed on opening day with that energy, but I would have liked it better in the fall.

I really enjoyed Haunted Mansion. But the question I am getting is do I need to see it in the theater? If you are a Disney Parks fan, Haunted Mansion fan, or even a Halloween holiday fan, I think you really should see it big. But I think of my friend who is a genre fan but not really a Disney fan at all. He likely can wait for it to arrive on Disney+ mainly because the material likely means a little less to him than to me, the guy who showed up in the Hitchhiking Ghost baseball jersey to see the movie. He’s really going to be entertained and enjoy Haunted Mansion, but he’s likely to enjoy his living room seat just as much as a theater seat.

 

Mousey Movies - Journey 2 The Mysterious Island

Recently one of my friends has been arguing way to hard that Dwayne “the Rock” Johnson is the most important actor in Hollywood. Now I have to say that off the top of my head I think that both Johnny Depp and Robert Downey Jr. have more prestige with both insiders and audiences. But he responds back with box office figures. He has a good point, but I still don’t believe that the Rock could negotiate the type of deals that Captain Jack Sparrow and Tony Stark can pull down. With this debate in the back of my head I recently caught Journey 2: The Mysterious Island.

Josh Hutcherson returns to the Jules Verne stories in this sequel to Journey to the Center of the Earth. He plays Sean Anderson, teenage adventurer. Sean now lives with his mother and stepfather Hank, played by the Rock. Hank struggles to connect with Sean. And in an attempt to disprove the existence of Verne’s Mysterious Island, where Sean believes his grandfather is marooned, and bond with the young man Hank takes the teenager on a trip to the island Palau. One does have to admit there is a flaw in Hank’s plans since Sean has been to the center of the Earth! The two along with their helicopter guide Gabato and his daughter Kailani, find the island, a lost city, Sean’s grandfather and danger in this Mousey Movie:

• Good Books: Movies from Walden Media in general fit the same mold of movies that Walt Disney himself produced. Walden Media films tend to be family focused and have a moral message. They also generally are based on works of literature instead of original concepts. Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media together have released Ghosts of the Abyss, Holes, Around the World in 80 Days, Aliens of the Deep, The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe, and Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian. With it being nearly five years since a Walden/Disney collaboration, perhaps Disney shied away from this studio after the disappointing $419 million for the second Narnia movie. Yeah, I said disappointing despite being Disney’s second grossing movie of 2008.

• The Rock: Disney and the Rock have been a great combination. My buddy who has tried to convince me that the Rock is Hollywood’s biggest star bases his argument solely on box office. So let us break down the Disney-Rock box office history. 2007’s very likable The Game Plan, in which the Rock plays a football player who discovers he has an 8 year old daughter, had a budget of $22 million for a $150 million performance. Win the Rock! In 2009, he starred in a movie that I like but do not love, Race to Witch Mountain. The budget expanded to $50 million so the $106 million box office is less impressive. But still Disney made a profit, so win the Rock! So is it the Rock/Disney combination that works. Well 2009 also saw the Rock providing a voice in the forgettable Planet 51. The movie cost $70 million to make but only brought back $105 from the theaters. So Race to Witch Mountain’s win for Disney bringing in slightly more than TriStar Pictures for a smaller budget is a little more impressive now. The Game Plan is probably most comparable to 20th Century Fox’s 2010 Tooth Fairy. I know you thought it was Disney since it stars Disney legend Julie Andrews (what was she thinking) and Billy Crystal. The movie had a budget of $48 million for $112 million in return. So clearly Disney got the better of the Rock three years earlier spending less to make more. Seriously you make a movie with the Rock, you make a profit! How did Journey 2: The Mysterious Island do? With a budget of $79 million it banked over $325 million! Victory the Rock! Honestly, I do not believe that box office is the only indicator of an actor’s true status as an icon. I think reputation and accolades do matter. But I have to admit, the Rock is bankable. Disney, you need to cast him in something now and plan to watch the bucks roll in. I know that he has been lobbying for a role in The Avengers Initiative, let us make this happen.

Hank Shares Some Manly Advice

• Hungry: The Rock is not the only star with a Disney pedigree. Josh Hutcherson thanks to The Hunger Games is clearly a star. But the first time I saw this young man in a film was Disney’s Bridge to Terabithia which I had thought was going to be in the vein of The Neverending Story. I just knew it was going to be a tale about how imagination wins out while being cute and perhaps silly. I never read the book as a kid! What I did not realize was it was a tearjerker. Hutcherson has also lent his voice to Disney’s U.S. release of Howl’s Moving Castle from Studio Ghibli.

• Wildcat: Hutcherson is not the only young Disneyfied face. Vanessa Hudgens plays Sean’s love interest and independent minded Kailani. Hudgens broke her career on the Disney Channel with High School Musical and High School Musical 2 (for which we had a mini-party for the Between Tween at the time). And Disney moved her to the big screen with High School Musical 3: Senior Year. The Between Tween has moved onto Marvel movies, which for this dad makes me very very happy.

• Alfred: Michael Caine plays Sean’s grandfather and Hank’s nemesis, Alexander Anderson. Caine works a lot, I mean a lot. But for the life of me I could not place him in a Disney role. Sure I loved him in ranging from A Bridge Too Far (you really should check out this World War II film) and most recently as Alfred in movies like Dark Knight Rises. Then I felt ashamed, because I was slapped across the face that he voiced English spy Finn McMissile in Cars 2. Shame!

• Nemo: When I think of Captain Nemo, I think of Disney and the classic 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. In Journey 2, Captain Nemo’s legacy is prevalent with appearances of his tomb and the Nautilus. I personally really enjoyed the Nautilus look which to me seems inspired by Disney Legend Harper Goff’s classic design. One can also visit a Disney version of Verne’s island at Tokyo DisneySea where guests can discover Nemo’s lair at the Imagineered Mysterious Island.

Personally I think Walt Disney would have given a thumbs up to Journey 2: The Mysterious Island. It is a family based adventure, where families have real struggles that they work through in front of our eyes. And when I say struggle, I do not mean those against giant bees but those within the battlefield of interpersonal relationships. And Disney clearly found Jules Verne’s writing a good source for mining material for his own movie. Yes I think Walt Disney would have approved, and wondered perhaps why his studio did not distribute this film.

And I do have to admit my WWE inspired friend, the Rock did a nice job!

Mousey Movies - Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days

If you have a tween aged child, you are likely familiar with the Diary of a Wimpy Kid book series. I am pretty sure we have every volume in our home library. Yeah, the oldest loves the series, but what I did not realize was how much my youngest would love the original Dairy of a Wimpy Kid movie. I would constantly hear shouts from the Between Kid yelling, Zoo-Wee-Mama! In the Between House these three movies are hits, and I have to admit I really enjoy Roderick. As we watched the most recent installment Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days, which follows the misadventures of young Greg Heffley, I was thrilled I could declare this film Diary of a Mousey Kid:

• Runt: In 1996, Steve Zahn who plays father Frank Heffley, caught my attention in Tom Hanks’ That Thing You Do as Lenny Haise. The somewhat creepy yet fun Lenny had me in stitches. He delivers quick lines throughout the film that just crack me up every time. And in 2005’s Sahara, directed by Michael Eisner’s son Brock, I loved and wanted to see more of him as sidekick Al Giordino. Basically, if Steve Zahn is in a movie’s cast I am more likely to watch it. Sadly that rule honestly has led me to sit through some stinkers. One of my complaints with the first Diary of a Wimpy Kid was there was not enough Steve Zahn. Of you bring in Zahn to play the dad, we need more dad! Okay the story may not have supported that choice, but I was thrilled this third installment really is a father/ son story that requires a lot of Zahn on screen time. For Disney, Zahn voiced Runt of the Litter in Chicken Little, also in 2005. For me the most memorable line of the movie is Zahn delivering, “Just leave me some ammo, a little water, some chips if you have 'em.” Yes, Zahn you do know how to give classic lines that make you chuckle. Seriously, can we get The Santa Clause 4 with Zahn entering a quip war with Tim Allen?

• Wilderness Explorer: As Frank attempts to spend more time with Greg and get him away from video games, he signs Greg up for the Wilderness Explorers! Wait, is this Up? I had looked at the organization Wilderness Explorers as being a fictional Boy Scouts like group that only existed in the minds of Pixar. Here the Wilderness Explorers are used again as a fictional Boy Scouts like organization. I kept waiting for someone to yell, “The wilderness must be explorered!” But alas it never happened, and no one earned a badge for aiding the elderly.

• Oh Jesse: You just cannot escape the cast of Disney Channel’s Jesse in this film. Peyton List plays Holy Hills, Greg’s young love interest and generally nice young lady, especially when compared to her older sister. Karan Brar returns as Chirag Gupta, one of Greg’s classmates and friends. Sadly Brar’s performance is somewhat lost as roles for Zahn and others are expanded. But honestly the storyline within Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Roderick Rules where Greg leads his classmates to completely ignore Gupta is unforgettable. When those kids ignore someone they do it right! On Jesse, List plays the oldest Ross sibling Emma a young lady who is all about fashion. And Brar plays Ravi Ross, a very intelligent young boy much like Gupta, who is the third oldest of the Ross kids.

• It’s Nice to Be Nice: Zahn is not the only parent to get into the Disney film game. Rachel Harris who plays Little Women loving Susan Heffley is featured in one of my favorite movies of 2012 Wreck-It Ralph. She voices the Nicelander Deanna.

• I’m a Real Boy: About an hour into Dairy of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days it hit me. Greg is Pinocchio! Greg lies constantly. He does it to stay out of trouble. He lies to make situations more convenient for him. And Greg really is a horrible friend as his best friend Rowley should have learned in the original Dairy of a Wimpy Kid. His lies have legal, financial and physical consequences for others. Greg lies, lies, lies. Much like Pinocchio, Greg has to learn to tell the truth and take responsibility of his actions to receive the approval of his father. Yes kids, as Walt Disney taught us in 1940, lying does not make parents happy!

I have to admit. Greg cannot seem to learn. He is a really bad friend and he lies constantly, and has done so since the first movie. I wonder if a Pinocchio trilogy would still have him lying so much in the third film. The good news is the movie does provide a great opportunity to discuss the consequences of lying as we watch the wooden boy lie on screen, I mean Greg in this Mousey Movie.

Mousey Movies - Argo

Argo directed and starring Ben Affleck may be an odd pick for a Mousey Movie, but it is Mousey through and through despite being released by Warner Brothers. Sure, there are no cartoon animals, no plots full of gags, and I would not show it to the Between Tween because I think she would miss the historical contexts. But Argo has numerous ties to the House of Mouse and they cannot be ignored. In fact Sully (John Goodman) and Father in Law Christmas (Alan Arkin) both have significant roles and tie into some of my favorite Disney franchises.

Argo recounts the story of Central Intelligence Agency agent Tony Menedez, played by Affleck, and his efforts to lead six United States Embassy employees out of Tehran, Iran during the Iranian Hostage Crisis in 1979. The six had fled the embassy and were in hiding at the Canadian Embassy. Menedez works with contacts in Hollywood to stage the production of a fake movie, Argo, so Mendez can spirit them out of the country as Canadian production staff. The movie is full of tension as the audience worries if Mendez and the six passengers will make it out of the country safely.

You know as I think about it, this movie is really in the mold of Disney movies. There is some violence, but Menedez’s strained relationship with his family is highlighted along with his desire to be closer to them. He easily could be the dad in a PG movie fighting the balance of work and family. And the action and escape plot kind of reminds me of Touchstone’s (which means Disney’s) 1988 film The Rescue, a film in which teenagers save their Navy SEAL fathers from North Korean captivity, a film that was introduced to by Uncle Mike on The Wonderful World of Disney (or whatever version existed at the time).

Mousey connections to Argo include:

• Action Hero: So Ben Affleck really does not have typical “Disney” credentials. But Disney has other labels they release films through. Touchstone Pictures was established by Disney in 1984 for the release of more mature films. Affleck has appeared in two mega-hits for Touchstone. These hits were 1998’s Armageddon and 2001’s Pearl Harbor. When I rode The Studio Backlot Tour at Disney-MGM Studios (yeah, it’s been that long), it was Pearl Harbor that was plastered throughout the attraction. Both of these films were produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, who now makes movies with the Disney label and makes buckets and buckets of money for the mouse. Disney actually helped Affleck in his big break. Affleck won an Academy Award for Best Writing (Original Screenplay) with Matt Damon for 1997’s Good Will Hunting which was distributed by Miramax Films. Disney owned Miramax from 1993 to 2010, which they purchased as a studio to produce independent minded films with an adult edge. Affleck would later appear in Miramax’s 1998 Shakespeare in Love, which won the Academy Award for best picture, which I am still angry about today since Saving Private Ryan was clearly the better movie.

• Plush: Menedez’s fake movie Argo is targeted due to the success of Star Wars. Basically everyone is trying to copy that success, including the CIA. Of course Disney itself tried to grab the coattails of Lucas’ success by offering up the underrated The Black Hole. The fact that Argo is a Star Wars rip off is clear at a table read which includes a character that can only be described as Purple Chewbacca! The impact of Star Wars goes past Purple Chewy, as Menedez’s son has a collection of Star Wars action figures that I am quite jealous of. Even as a grown adult I would really love his X-Wing, Millennium Falcon and the tall Boba Fett we see out of boxes in his bedroom!

• Crossroads: When you visit Disney’s Hollywood Studios the Imagineers want to put you into Hollywood even though you are in Florida. To set the scene they use a number of Los Angeles’ landmarks to set the scene. One of these is a replica of the Crossroads of the World, which some claim is the world’s first shopping mall. The icon is a tower with a spinning glob on top and is found inside the entrance to the theme park. In Argo the icon can be seen as Mendez and his producing partner Lester Siegel, played by Alan Arkin, attempt to purchase the Argo script. 

Crossroads of the World

• Old Guys: Of course a plan this crazy requires approval. So Menedez and his boss played by Bryan Cranston report to two senior CIA executives to get approval for them to kickoff their Hollywood plan. Cranston notes, “It’s like talking to the old guys on the Muppets.” The pair clearly are grumpy old men.

• Tough Security: Anyone who has flown to Anaheim and Orlando knows that security can be strict. Ironically during the time period that Argo covers, airport security was less strict with friends and family visiting passengers at the gate. If you want to see tough security, you have to check out the multiple checks at the Tehran Airport as Menedez attempts to bring his passengers out of Tehran. Once when a TSA agent at John Wayne grilled my kids I thought it odd, but I appreciated that he was confirming they were who I said they were. But Argo makes it clear that security in today’s America is a lot more convenient than revolutionary Iran.

Argo is a great movie, and I would be more than happy to let Affleck participate in the Marvel or Star Wars universes after this fantastic offering. I look forward to seeing Affleck’s next project, which is not scheduled for Disney but Warner Brothers. But hopefully it will be just as Mousey and as entertaining as Argo.

Mousey Movies - Star Wars The Clone Wars Series

My enthusiasm for the Disney purchase of LucasFilm is still high! Part of my excitement is so much of the Star Wars universe is already part of the Disney experience. R2-D2 and CP30 are already part of the parks with Star Tours The Adventure Continues and its predecessor putting Star Wars environments into the reach of parks’ guests. And of course the merchandise is easily available, I take pride in my Darth Vader Star Tours 2011 re-opening tumbler. I like to take it to meetings to show my allegiance to the Dark Side. But in many ways the most visible presence today for the Star Wars universe, the animated Star Wars: The Clone Wars television program has distinguished voice cast with voices that most Disney fans will likely be familiar with:

• Agent Rex: Voice actor Dee Bradley Baker is brilliant. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars he literally plays an army, voicing every clone. Baker is able to not only voice them but in his performance provide clones with different personalities through his portrayals. Along with the clones, he also provides a number of other voices and at times sound effects. Often at the end of a cartoon, and not only this one, you will find Baker listed as additional voices, as he provides sounds that help the crew create the soundscape they are looking for. He is a vocal genius! For Disney, Baker’s most prominent role is Perry/Agent P on Phineas and Ferb, yes I said voice for a platypus that doesn’t do much. His other credits are literally too long to list but include Turner the Screwdriver on Handy Manny, Boba Fett in Star Tours The Adventure Continues, Boo Boo Chicken on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and so many many more.  Dee Bradley Baker is one of the few celebrities I have had an encounter with. Baker was part of a Phineas and Ferb signing that the Between Family participated in at the 2011 D23 Expo. As I slid my journal in front of Baker to sign I said, “Thank you Captain Rex!” Baker smiled, looked at me and in his clone voice said, “You are welcome sir.” That one small sentence pretty much sealed my fandom for Agent P and the Clones.

• Rumbly Tummy: Just like Baker, actor Jim Cummings’ credits are impossible to list in their entirety here. Cummings’ most prominent role in Star Wars: The Clone Wars is the pirate Hondo. Hondo dreams of profit, and has shown the ability to betray allies and even threaten children to get his delicious profit. Cummings’ most popular Disney role is serving as the current voice of Winnie the Pooh on television and movies such as 2011’s Winnie the Pooh. I think that Pooh is really a much safer character in his craving for honey! Other roles of Cummings include voicing Tigger, Pete on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, the hyena Ed in The Lion King, and pretty much a voice in any direct to video Disney animated movie or Disney television production you can think of since 1985. Good guy, cuddly bear, bad guy, really bad buy, Cummings is everywhere!

• Hook: Cartoons are really popular in the Between House. There are three shows that are in heavy play from the Disney Channel in our house. They are Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, and Jake and the Neverland Pirates. Captain Hook is voiced by another master voice actor Corey Burton. Burton provides numerous voices in Star Wars: The Clone Wars including the head of the Separatists Count Dooku, bounty hunter Cad Bane and gangster Ziro the Hut amongst many others. In a running theme of Star Wars voice actors crossing over to Mickey’s world, Burton also voices Ludwig Von Drake on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. Amongst Burtons other credits you will find the video game Epic Mickey, Mole in Atlantis: The Lost Empire, and numerous voices in Hercules. Along with movies and television, Burton has been able to match the voice of Disney legend Paul Frees. Burton provides narration matching Frees as the Ghost Host for Disneyland’s Haunted Mansion Holiday and some of the Pirates that Frees originally voiced in Pirates of the Caribbean. Burton is both a prolific Disney and Star Wars performer.

• River Guide: The moments that have lead to the most excitement in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars for fans have often been the introduction of original trilogy characters. The Clone Wars debut of the future Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the future commander of the original Death Star, as Captain Tarkin was a key moment and has led to many questions such as does Tarkin know that Anakin Skywalker became Darth Vader? I lean towards yes! Fans have loved the portrayal of Tarkin, voiced by Stephen Stanton, an actor who honestly has been very good to fans. He has appeared several times on The ForceCast reading children’s stories as another one of his characters the criminal Moralo Eval (quick side note: only let the kids listen if you want them to have nightmares). Stanton like Burton is a voice who is already in Disney parks. He voices the Riverboat Captain onboard the Mark Twain at Disneyland and Stinky Pete in Toy Story Mania at Disney California Adventure and Disney Hollywood Studios. For those who attended the 2011 D23 Expo, Stanton narrated the opening film for the Carousel of Projects.

• Happy: If any moment was more anticipated than the introduction of Chewbacca or Tarkin, it was the introduction of Boba Fett’s people the Mandalorians. Many fans were shocked to be told that the Mandalorians were pacifists! But a splinter terrorist organization called Death Watch hopes to bring the Mandalorians back to their warrior past in Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Death Watch is lead by Pre Vizsala voiced by Jon Favreau. Favreau is best known to Disney fans for his directing talents in the Marvel offerings Iron Man, Iron Man 2 and a producing credit on The Avengers. He also portrays Tony Stark’s chauffeur Happy Hogan in the first two Iron Man films and the forthcoming Iron Man 3, which he will not direct. Why won’t he direct? Because he is busy working on the first major movie to use a Disney Park as both a background and plot device, Magic Kingdom.

• Winter is Coming: Since the first time that I saw Star Wars: Episode One A New Hope, I was left with an open question. Obi-Wan Kenobi informed Luke Skywalker that his father fought in the Clone Wars. What were the Clone Wars and what was Anakin Skywalker’s role during that conflict. For decades this was an unanswered question until the release of the prequel trilogy. Star Wars: The Clone Wars builds on these prequel answers and Anakin is often at the center of this story. Actor Matt Lanter voices Anakin Skywalker, and being a young man he does not have the credits, yet, of a Baker or Burton. But he has been added steadily to his voice credits and Disney related productions have been one avenue for the building of his resume. In Ultimate Spider-Man he voices young men full of angst, Flash Thompson and Harry Osborn, and villains Venom and Klaw. But the role that caught my attention, and I’m not sure how Star Wars fans will fell about it, is Sled in the Tinker Bell movie Secret of the Wings. Yes the same actor that portrays one of the greatest Jedi generals of all time, a future Lord of the Sith, also voices a tiny winged fairy who aids Tinker Bell! I guess it is probably not really a stretch since both are mystical characters.

Star Wars had a huge impact on my childhood and Star Wars: The Clone Wars is becoming a part of the Between Kids’ memories. Before Disney announced the addition of LucasFilm, this animated cartoon was already a Mousey Movie, I mean television show. The cast is very familiar with Disney projects both in films and in the parks. And I continue to believe Star Wars is a great addition to the Disney catalog, because honestly Disney is very familiar with the franchise already!

 

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Mousey Movies - Lilo & Stitch

Love him or hate him you still have to admit that Stitch is part of the Mouse Family. The lovable/despicable alien’s merchandise is everywhere and sells! In the Between Family, Stitch is beloved. The Between Tween when younger got into fights with PhotoPass photographers looking to add magic to photos. They wanted a terrified reaction to match up with the inclusion of Stitch in the photos. Why would you act scared when your lovable friend Stitch emerges? That is absurd the young Between Tween would announce. Luckily in 2012 we found a photographer that understood the excitement and encouraged an over the top thrilled reaction. The Tween loves the photos of Stitch happily popping into frame.

In this Mousey feature, Lilo & Stitch, alien criminal Stitch flees to Earth. While trying to hide from his captors he meets and bonds with a young girl named Lilo. Lilo has recently lost her parents and her guardian and older sister struggles with growing up more quickly than one might want. Lilo adopts Stitch as her family pet, in a family where family matters.  this Alan Silverstri scored film is here to stay with all it's Mouseyness:

• He’s a Tramp: Lilo meets Stitch in an animal rescue shelter. While Stitch pretends to be a dog there are a number of real dogs in the kennel. They should look familiar to Disney fans as they are stylized after the dogs from the kennel in Lady and the Tramp.

• Stitch: In 2002, Chris Sanders did it all in Lilo & Stitch! Sanders providing the voice, writing the story, designing characters and directing the film. Sanders mark on this franchise is impossible to ignore. Sanders, a CalArts graduate, is linked to several Disney animated classics especially in story in visual development for The Rescuers Down Under, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, The Lion King, Mulan and Fantasia 2000. He followed up Lilo & Stitch with the sequels Stitch! The Movie and Lilo & Stitch: Stitch Has a Glitch. In 2006 Sanders left Disney employment as rumors swirled that John Lasseter and he had disagreements over the story of the movie that would become Bolt. Reports have downplayed the rift since, especially since Sanders returned and voiced Stitch and Leroy in Leroy and Stitch. Also in 2012 he has participated in D23 fan events, so hopefully some reconciliation has occurred. Sanders has had continued success at Dreamworks with films such as How to Train Your Dragon. 

• Postcards from the Edge: At one point Stitch looks through some postcards. One postcard is from Orlando, the location of Stitch’s third home in the Walt Disney World Resort. And another is from San Francisco, home of the Walt Disney Family Museum, which I am desperate to visit!

• A113: It is very standard for animators who are also alumni of CalArts to hide their former classroom in their movies. In Stitch they really hit us over the head with A113 as every license plate, every single one be it car, gas truck or fire truck is A113.

Ohana means family, a message that the Between Family reminds ourselves of a lot. The Between Tween also likes to remind me that meat on sticks is delicious! I like Lilo & Stitch in the final assessment, though honestly if the Between Kids are rewatching it I tend to look for something else to watch. But based on the number of times I have heard the opening theme when cruising the roads of Betweenland behind my head, Lilo & Stitch continues to be a kid hit.