What's in a Name?

So here's a list of names that Disney was considering for the dwarfs in Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Some of them are hopelessly dated; Dippy, Neurtsy, Sappy, and Jaunty are a few that would never fly nowadays. Daffy never would have worked (although I love that name, and the word is fun), but Dizzy and Hungry would have made funny characters.

Interestingly enough, neither of the additional dwarf names from ABC's Once Upon a Time - Stealthy and Dreamy - are on the list. (For the record, I think Dreamy is a really stupid name. Particularly for a dwarf.)

In Relation To National Treasure: Book of Secrets

It's been awhile since Ben Gates (Nicolas Cage) and his friends and family discovered the famous Knights Templar treasure. Things aren't going so well anymore. Riley Poole (Justin Bartha) has the IRS hounding him, and Ben is living with his father after getting kicked out by his now-ex-girlfriend Abigail Chase (Diane Kruger). Then suddenly, a man named Mitch Wilkinson (Ed Harris) comes forward with a piece of paper he claims proves that Ben's great-great-grandfather was a traitor who plotted to kill president Abraham Lincoln. Ben, his father, and their friends know that isn't true. The great-great-grandfather was killed by men plotting to assassinate Lincoln and discover a fabulous city of gold in order to help the Confederate cause. The only way the Gateses can prove their ancestor's innocence is by finding the city themselves using the clues left behind on that damning piece of paper.

This is a light-hearted, lightweight movie that's enjoyable enough with a big bowl of popcorn and a cozy blanket on a winter's night. It's better still with some friends who don't mind talking and laughing about a movie through the whole thing. As far as serious movie-watching goes, National Treasure: Book of Secrets can't stand on its own two feet.

There are significant holes in the plot line, including the idea that Ben and his father can clear their ancestor's name by proving the existence of a city of gold. I see almost no correlation between the two things. That's plot hole number one. There are a whole lot more secondary plot line holes throughout the movie, coupled with completely unbelievable things like Abigail and Ben breaking into Buckingham Palace and stealing something out of a hidden compartment in Queen Elizabeth II's desk. Even if the queen wasn't at Buckingham Palace at the time, the idea that someone could break into the palace that easily is absurd.

But if one can overlook the improbability (and occasional impossibility) of a lot of things, National Treasure: Book of Secrets can be very enjoyable. Ben's estranged mother Emily (Helen Mirren) was a welcome addition to the group, and the humor was simultaneously ramped up and cleaned up from the first movie's standards. Nicolas Cage is not a very good actor, but he's a good comedian, and the best two lines in the movie belong to him. Riley's character isn't quite as weird as he was in the first movie, getting a little smarter and even more likable.

Finally, even though most of the characters were enjoyable, Wilkinson was extremely dull and uninteresting compared to Ian Howe (Sean Bean) from the previous movie. Of course, Sean Bean is an exceptional actor, but I think he enjoyed far more interesting lines than Ed Harris did. Wilkinson simply had virtually no character. He was shallow, with the lamest motivation I have ever heard. Most men who want their names to go down in history are nuts and end up shooting someone or blowing up a building. Though I must say I like Wilkinson's end far more than Howe's.

My Rating: OK (some crude humor, mild violence)

Picture from impawards.com

In Relation To The Lion King

Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas/Matthew Broderick) is a spoilt little lion cub whose daddy happens to be king of the African plain. When Simba's uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) tries to kill Simba so he can be next in line to the throne, his plans go awry. He decides to go a step further and kill both Simba and his father. Simba escapes, but, unable to face his mother, he runs away. It will be years before he finds the strength to return and free his kingdom from Scar's tyranny.

Pros: I absolutely love the music in this movie! The singing songs are good (written by Elton John), but the score is incredible. I'm not a big fan of Hans Zimmer, the composer, in general, because I think his music pretty much all sounds the same (John Williams's music is the same way), but I believe this might be his best work. The animation is pretty good, too. The faces were surprisingly expressive. And there's something about the king's death and the next-to-last scene that is so powerful. Don't ask me why; I don't know! Rafiki the baboon (Robert Guillaume) is awesome!

Cons: There's more "guy humor" than I like in this movie, but then, I'm not a guy.

Note: For those of you who haven't seen the trailer for the Broadway play, here it is, courtesy of a blog called A Rose in Bloom.

My Rating: AGC (but I know kids who are terrified by the hyenas)

In Relation To Pooh's Grand Adventure: The Search for Christopher Robin

Life is perfect in the Hundred Acre Wood. Pooh is with his best friend, Christopher Robin, and the pair of buddies spend the entire day playing. But when morning comes, Pooh finds Christopher Robin is gone - and the only clue to his whereabouts is in a very honey-smeared note on a honeypot that Pooh found outside his door. Pooh and his friends are horrified when Owl deciphers the contents of the note and discovers that Christopher Robin has gone to a terrible place called "Skull." Pooh instantly sets out on an adventure to find and rescue his friend.

Pros: I'm a sucker for Pooh Bear. He's so adorable, and Tigger is so funny. I like the rest of the characters, too, even down to Eeyore. And Rabbit, whom I couldn't stand when I was younger. There are some great songs in this movie, including Owl's spine-chilling song about adventure, and Rabbit's know-it-all song about maps.

Cons: When I was little I had the hardest time figuring out the main point of this movie. Even though Christopher Robin isn't always with Pooh, they're still together? Huh? I thought that only applied to God and sweethearts! But I think I've figured it out. If Pooh has a great friend like Christopher Robin, even though they're not always together, Pooh is never alone. He always has Christopher Robin to back him, even though they're apart.

My Rating: AGC

On The Story of Robin Hood

Richard the Lionheart (Patrick Barr) rides off to war in the Holy Land, taking most of the best men in England along with him - including the Sherrif of Nottingham. The new sherrif (Peter Finch) immediately raises taxes and bolsters the number of foresters at his command. When his father is killed for speaking out against the sherrif's policies, Robin Hood (Richard Todd) is branded an outlaw and takes to Sherwood Forest to rob the rich to feed the poor.

Pros: I really like the minstrel's character, and Robin isn't bad, either. There are a few things about this movie that are different from other Robin Hood stories I've seen. 1) Robin starts out as a peasant. Usually he's already the Earl of Locksley or something like that. 2) Prince John never tries to usurp the throne from his brother - a welcome change!

Cons: I like the idea of this movie; I really do. However, the decent story, writing, and (occasionally) acting somehow get swallowed up in the bad costumes and sets, as well as the painful slapstick humor.

My Rating: AGC

Regarding The Rescuers

Little Penny (Michelle Stacy) is in terrible trouble. Held captive on a riverboat by an evil woman, Penny tosses messages in bottles into the water, hoping against hope that one of her bottles will end up in the right hands. Or paws. As it turns out, the Rescue Aid Society, a group of mice from all over the world, finds one of her messages and sends two of its members out to save her. Or one of its members and its janitor. Miss Bianca (Eva Gabor), the agent who is chosen for the mission, chooses Bernard (Bob Newhart), the superstitious and timid janitor, as her companion. Together they have to find Penny and rescue her before it's too late.

Pros: I think this movie is so funny! Miss Bianca is so sweet, and Bernard is hilarious - though my favorite characters are Orville (Jim Jordan) and Evinrude (James MacDonald). Oh, and Penny is an adorable little girl!

Cons: I think Bernard's superstitions are funny, but I'm not sure they're entirely appropriate for a kids' movie.

My Rating: AGC

Picture from impawards.com

Pertaining To Swiss Family Robinson

The Robinson family is on its way to New Guinea to start a new life. Then a storm hits their ship and runs it straight into a reef. When the storm subsides, the family discovers that the captain, crew, and other passengers have all abandoned the ship and left the Robinsons to fend for themselves. Determined to make the best of things, they escape from the ship to a nearby island. After settling on the island, the two older boys, Fritz (James MacArthur) and Ernst (Tommy Kirk), go to explore - and discover a band of pirates.

Pros: I grew up watching this movie, which ranked third on my all-time favorites list until I was nine. I love Fritz, Ernst is funny, and the whole treehouse thing is really, really cool. Now that I'm older, I like the parents and Roberta (Janet Munro) much more.

Cons: It is an old movie, so the pirates are somewhat dramatized, as well as the fight with the snake.

My Rating: AGC

Note: I have a question. Why isn't Ernst on the cover?

Picture from coverbrowser.com

On That Darn Cat!

Patti Randall (Hayley Mills) is always stirring up the police department with her "hallucinations about people in trouble." So when her cat, D.C., comes home wearing a wristwatch around his neck with "HEL" scratched on the casing, Patti immediately jumps to the conclusion that someone was trying to write "HELP." It naturally follows, in her brain, that the watch belongs to a woman who was kidnapped during a bank robbery. She immediately goes to the FBI and gets Agent Zeke Kelso (Dean Jones) involved, much to the chagrin of her older sister, Ingrid (Dorothy Provine).

Pros: I think this movie is very funny, in a '60s, Disney kind of way. The next-door neighbor, Mrs. MacDougall (Elsa Lanchester) is hilarious. The other side characters, including Patti's friend Canoe (Tom Lowell) and Ingrid's boyfriend Gregory Benson (Roddy McDowall) are also very funny. The story is whacky, which is a good thing.

Cons: Some parts are, admittedly, overdone. The bad guys are a bit much. D.C. is a shade too smart for an animal, but just a shade.

My Rating: OK (teenager smoking a pipe, frightening situations)