Movie Review: Freakier Friday

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Laughs and heart with strong performances from the four leads

Cons: While fun, definitely not as good as the original

The Bottom Line:

Switching characters

Not nearly as good as first

But entertaining

Flawed But Ultimately Entertaining Sequel

As much as I might roll my eyes at the number of reboots and sequels we are getting at the movies these days, it worked on me. I’ve been in the theater three times this summer for sequels. The third of those was Freakier Friday. I must say, this one made me really nervous since I love the 2003 version so much. While it has its flaws, I found myself enjoying it by the end.

Before we go further, I want to call out the inaccuracy I’ll be making in the rest of the review. Yes, I know the 2003 Freaky Friday movie is actually the third time Disney has adapted that novel by Mary Rodgers for the screen. However, since this movie is a sequel to that version, which starred Lindsay Lohan and Jamie Lee Curtis, I’ll be referring to that one as the original and this as the sequel from here on out. It’s just easier that way. 

This movie picks up 22 years after the original.  Anna (Lindsay Lohan) is now a single mother (by choice) raising her teenage daughter Harper (Julia Butters).  Anna’s mother, Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) is living nearby and happy to help Anna raise Harper, whether Anna wants it or not.

Harper is annoyed by her new lab partner, Lily (Sophia Hammons).  When the two of them cause an accident in the lab, Anna is called to the principal’s office, as is Lily’s dad, Eric (Manny Jacinto).  The sparks between the two adults are immediate, and they leave the meeting with plans for a date.

Fast forward six months, and the two are getting married, much to their daughters’ dismay.  Nope, they haven’t found a way to get along, and now the daughters are worrying about where the new family will live, since Eric and Lily were only supposed to be in LA for a year before moving back to London.

But on the night of Anna’s bachelorette party, something happens.  The next morning, Friday, Lily and Tess and Harper and Anna have switched bodies.  The girls think this is their chance to break up their parents.  But what might they learn along the way?

I rewatched the original last week, and I’d forgotten just how good it really is.  Every time I watch it, I am impressed again with how it balances quite a few plot lines and creates such great laughs and tender moment.  But that’s a review for a different movie (which I posted here).  This movie isn’t as good.  It tries.  It really does.

One area where this movie falls short is that it just doesn’t have enough for Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons to do after the switch takes place.  The original had several things that Tess and Anna needed to learn while they lived in each other’s lives.  This one focused on Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan as the kids and the antics they get up to.

And, this movie was pretty much solely focused on the wedding and how everyone was feeling about it.  Yes, it was an important part of the original, but it wasn’t all that was going on.  I wish there had been some other storylines as well.

Now, I’m going to contradict myself.  One thing that I’ve felt a lot of recent movies have done is try to cram too much into the run time, leaving what we do get feeling rushed and underdeveloped.  I didn’t feel that way with this movie at all.  Yes, introducing anything else might have led to just this problem, so it was nice they didn’t fall into that trap.  I enjoyed watching a film that didn’t try to take on too much and felt like it was allowed time to fully explore what it did set out to talk about.

While I’ve been reading about this movie, I was impressed seeing that they were going to bring back almost all of the original cast.  Granted, most of them are just there for cameos.  But it felt good to see them again, and I felt their presence did add something to this film.  I wasn’t a fan of what they did with Jake, Chad Michael Murray’s character, but I get the jokes they were going for (and one of those jokes definitely worked for me).

As a comedy, this movie is pretty good.  Some scenes went on too long, but there were lots of places where I was laughing right along with the rest of the theater.

And as we reached the climax, I found myself tearing up, just like with the first one.  Those moments were very much earned.  Maybe these moments were a little too easy, but I’m being picky here. 

I also appreciated the message about the importance of family.  It didn’t feel forced.  It also wasn’t that surprising given the first one or the premise of this movie to begin with.  But it was still very well handled.  I also appreciated that Eric and Ryan, Tess's husband played again by Mark Harmon, are both good men.

I’ve got to give all the actors credit for their work.  All four of the leads were great.  It’s one reason why I wish Julia Butters and Sophia Hammons had more to do since they were fantastic when they were on screen.  And you can tell that Jamie Lee Curtis and Lindsay Lohan are having fun.  Everyone else is just as good.

As expected, Freakier Friday is a step down from the original.  But that’s the case with most sequels.  Still, this one was entertaining.  I’m glad I saw it, and I would watch it again.  As long as you go into this one not expecting the brilliance of the original, you’ll enjoy this one, too.

Ornament Review: Syndrome - 2024 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great representation of Syndrome

Cons: Only if you wanted to display him without putting him on your tree.

The Bottom Line:

Another villain

Piece for anniversary

Will look good on tree

A Villainous Anniversary Ornament

Hallmark released a couple of ornaments to celebrate the 20th anniversary of The Incredibles. One of those was a limited edition piece of Syndrome, the villain of the film. While I was tempted to get him earlier, I didn’t break down and buy him until the after Christmas sales. 

Any fan of the movies will recognize him right away. He’s dressed in his super villain outfit from the end of the movie. His outfit is mostly black with silver gloves and boots and a giant silver “S” on the front. His red hair is shooting off the top of his head like flames. And his blue cape is behind him. 

My hesitation to buy the ornament had nothing to do with whether I liked him or not. I’m not the biggest Disney/Pixar villain collector, but I do have a nice collection of the villains ornaments going. No, it was only a space issue. I really need to clean out my condo of some of my collections. But on sale, I couldn’t resist. 

Any fans of the movie that didn’t get this ornament will want to give it a second look as well. He looks just like you’d expect him to look, and it’s a great piece to have if you are a fan of the movie. 

Since Syndrome is standing on his feet, you might be tempted to set him out to be displayed.  But his feet are so small my guess is he will tip over just about any time anyone walks by him, so I don’t recommend it.

If your plan is to hang him on your tree, you’ll be delighted to learn that he hangs straight. 

Syndrome was a fun villain in The Incredibles, so it was nice to see Hallmark add him to their ornament line. If you are a fan, you’ll be glad to have him in your collection. 

TV Show Review: The Right Stuff - Season 1

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Period details, acting, fun nostalgia

Cons: None of the men are likable by the end; sudden stop

The Bottom Line:

History, drama

An eight-episode mixed bag

Wanted to like more

“Every School Kid is Going to Know the Name of the First American in Space.  That’s Not Glory.  That’s History.”

Another series that captured my interest right away when I first got Disney+ several years ago was The Right Stuff.  Since I already knew two of the leads from their work on other shows and love American history, I figured I’d enjoy it.  Sadly, it’s wasn’t nearly as good as I expected it to be.

The show looks at the early days of the US space program, specifically the 7 fighter pilots chosen to be the first astronauts as part of the Mercery program.  Even among those characters, the show really focuses on three of them, John Glenn (played by Patrick J. Adams), Alan Shepard (Jake McDorman), and Gordon Cooper (Colin O’Donoghue).  The show follows the almost two-year period in which the men trained and the scientists worked on the rockets that would successfully and safely get them into space and back.  Who will get the historic first flight into space?

The show works in some ways.  The period detail is fantastic.  The acting from the entire cast is wonderful.  I got sucked into the story and enjoyed the episodes.  Considering there are only eight episodes in the first season, they cover a lot of ground, and focusing on the three astronauts makes sense, although I do wonder why they chose to focus on Gordon Cooper.

Maybe that is because the show is also part soap opera.  This is especially true for Gordon, who is trying to revive his shaky marriage while all this is going on.  The men in general don’t come across as heroes, which may be historically accurate, but is a bit of a disappointment.  Even John Glenn winds up coming across as sanctimonious by the time the season is over.  It’s frustrating because I found I didn’t like any of the men when I was done watching, and I wanted to like all of them.

And then the show just stops.  When I was watching it, I thought it was supposed to be an eight-episode mini-series.  I wasn’t aware they were planning on more seasons of the show.  But the show has now been cancelled, so that’s irrelevant.  My point is, none of the story arcs are wrapped up satisfactorily.  I get that real life doesn’t wrap itself up neatly at the end of a certain period of time, but I felt like almost everything, was left open.

This isn’t to say I didn’t enjoy the show.  I was caught up in the late 50’s and early 60’s.  The show does a good job of tapping into nostalgia and an important part of American history.  And maybe that’s what made my disappointment so much greater – I wanted to like this show more than I did.

If you are interested in a dramatization of this time period, you will want to check out The Right Stuff for yourself.  But unfortunately, this isn’t must watch television.

Book Review: The Final Draw by Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers Inheritance #3)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Magical adventures in the Kingdom Keepers universe

Cons: Characters thin as always

The Bottom Line:

A final battle?

If so, fans will enjoy it

Lots of adventure

The Kingdom Kids Face Their Final Battle

It’s come down to this.  After countless adventures as the Kingdom Keepers, and now their kids, face off against the Overtakers, there will be one final batter for control of the Disney parks.  Fans will want to pick up and see where things go in The Final Draw.

If that last paragraph made no sense to you, then this book isn’t for you…yet.  This is the final adventure in a saga that has spanned three series and over a dozen books.  There is lots of backstory and mythology that you are not going to follow if you jump in here.

But, so you’ll have some context here, the series has followed five ordinary kids who were the model for interactive holographic hosts in the Disney parks.  They discovered that it came with an unexpected ability, to cross over to the parks as their holograms in their sleep.  Sounds sweet, right?  It might be except for their other discovery.  All the characters in the movies we love?  They are real, and the villains have formed a group called the Overtakers who are trying to take over the magic in the parks and use it for evil.  And these teens, known as the Kingdom Keepers, are the only defense against this happening.

This is the third book in the Inheritance spin off series that focuses on the kids of the original Keepers as they find themselves fighting the villains 20 years in the future.

This book opens with Eli Finn and his friends, who have dubbed themselves the Kingdom Kids, are in Disney World’s Magic Kingdom for the fireworks on Friday night.  But the fireworks all go off at once.  And then the kids make another discovery – all the villains and henchmen have vanished from the various rides in the parks.  Can they figure out the riddle they got from Tiana in time to save the magic?  Or will it be lost for good?

As I said earlier, if you’ve read the series this far, you’ll definitely want to pick up this book to see how things turn out for our characters.  While the original Kingdom Keepers have much smaller roles in this book than they had in the first two books in this trilogy, I really liked the scenes that Eli got with his parents.  In fact, I found a couple scenes with them to be better than much of what we get in a typical middle grade book.  They are very well done.

As is always the case with these books, I find the characters to be fairly thin.  But I wouldn’t have minded as a kid, and I’m sure today’s kids won’t mind either.

The plot allows for plenty of tense scenes in deserted Disney theme parks, which is always a highlight.  We get some time in various attractions as well.  As a Disnerd, these are the reasons I pick up and enjoy the books.

The story itself holds up fairly well.  Honestly, with these books, it is easier to go along for the ride than try to keep track of all the logic and plot twists.  Internally, the stories are consistent, but it’s the logic when you try to incorporate this into the rest of the world that doesn’t quite work for me.  As a kid, I wouldn’t have tried to be that logical about things, so just sit back and enjoy.

Author Ridley Pearson has stated that this will be his last story in the Kingdom Keepers universe.  But I feel like he said that several years ago before he started this trilogy.  So we’ll see if that stays true or not.

Whether this turns out to be our last adventure or not, The Final Draw is a fun one.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Kingdom Keepers saga.

Ornament Review: Timon's Dancing Diversion

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Captures a funny moment from The Lion King

Cons: Sound would have made this great ornament even better

The Bottom Line:

Timon starts hula

A funny movie moment

Captured for your tree

Timon Dances onto Your Tree

In honor of The Lion King’s 30th anniversary in 2024, Hallmark released a couple of ornaments. While I didn’t get the regular line ornament, I did wind up getting the limited-edition ornament, Timon’s Dancing Diversion, after Christmas. 

This ornament captures the moment that Timon distracts the hyenas so Simba and Nala can sneak in and rally the lionesses. Yes, Pumba was part of the distraction as well, but this ornament focuses on Timon. 

And it’s such a funny moment. Timon is dressed up in a grass skit and a lei. He's even got a flower in his hair. Where he got them in the desert the pride lands have turned into I have no idea. But let’s not let logic get in the way of the laugh. His arms are out, and he’s ready to start dancing and singing to get everyone’s attention. 

No, this is not one of Hallmarks magic ornaments. There’s no sound or light or anything like that. It’s the only thing that would make this ornament better for me. 

It’s a very specific moment and any fan of the movie will recognize it immediately. And they will love this ornament. I’m a little surprised my store still had it after Christmas, in fact. I was very tempted to get it earlier, but I keep telling myself I’m cutting back on ornaments. That’s the only reason I didn’t pick it up before Christmas. 

Timon is standing on a circle of ground, so you can use this ornament as year-round decoration if you so desire. 

When you go to hang him on your tree, you’ll find that he hangs straight. 

Yes, I’m glad I added Timon’s Dancing Diversion to my collection. If you are a fan of the movie and didn’t snag this ornament, you’ll be glad you gave it a second chance. 

Ornament Review: Clear for Launch - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Mickey riding Space Mountain

Cons: Size and slight tip

The Bottom Line:

Mickey takes to space

Riding favorite attractions

Ornament fans love

Mickey is Ready for Takeoff

I’ve been loving Hallmark’s unofficial series featuring Mickey riding various Disney Parks attractions.  We headed to space for 2024’s addition to the series, Clear for Launch.

This year, Mickey’s in a rocket ready to ride Space Mountain.  He’s sitting in a representation of the classic rocket roller coaster vehicle.  Since Mickey is taking up the entire thing himself, it’s not completely accurate, but it’s real enough that DisNerds will immediately know what it is.  Of course, it does help that Mickey is extra ready for the ride.  You see, he’s wearing a space suit and a helmet.

I’ve loved that, for all these ornaments, he’s wearing a costume appropriate for the ride if not the costume the cast members wear for that ride.  It’s a fun touch.

And, another fun touch, is the 24 on the front of the rocket to tie in to the ornament’s original release year.

The only thing I don’t really like about the ornament is the size.  It’s the slightly larger size that Hallmark is using for some of their ornaments these days.  To me, it just feels a little too big.  But the others in this series have been the same, so it’s not a surprise.  Still, I wish they’d shrink it just a little bit.

The rocket presents a nice base for this ornament, so you can certainly put it out to enjoy all year long if you want.

When you go to hang the ornament, you’ll notice it tips forward a little bit.  While that’s not ideal, it’s not the end of the world.  It just looks like the ornament is flying down like it does on the roller coaster track.  And a few tree branches will help disguise it if you don’t want to see that.

My complaints with this ornament are minor.  Overall, DisNerds will be happy to have Clear for Launch in their collection.

Ornament Review: Santa Mickey - All About Mickey #3 - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Mickey looks good as Santa

Cons: We’ve gotten similar ornaments in the past

The Bottom Line:

Mickey plays Santa

Familiar ornament theme

Now part of series

Mickey’s Looking Merry This Year

I almost didn’t add the third All About Mickey ornament to my collection.  It’s not that I didn’t like the ornament, but I was sure I already had an ornament with Mickey dressed up as Santa in my collection.  But when I realized I didn’t, I was happy to get Santa Mickey.

Just as it sounds, Mickey is dressed up like Santa.  While he doesn’t have a fake beard over his face (it’s under his chin like he’s just pulled it down), he is decked out in Santa’s red outfit and hat.  He’s got a green bag of presents over one shoulder, and he’s got a present in his other hand.  In a nod to classic Mickey, his ears are sticking out of the hat, and he’s still wearing his white gloves and yellow shoes.

My initial hesitation in buying the ornament had nothing to do with whether I liked it or not.  It’s cute, and Mickey makes a great Santa.  I can just imagine him working hard to make Santa proud with his portrayal.

Because of how his feet are positioned, Mickey doesn’t stand on his own.  Or maybe it’s the bag throwing off the balance.  Either way, you’ll have to hang this ornament.  However, when you do hang it, you’ll find that Mickey hangs straight.

And you’ll find the series marker on his foot.

If you don’t already have Mickey dressed as Santa on your tree, you’ll enjoy adding Santa Mickey to your collection.  However, if you’ve got a similar ornament, this might be one to skip.

DisNerd?  You’ll want to check out more ornaments in the All About Mickey series.

Ornament Review: Merida and Snow White - 2024 Hallmark Release

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good mini ornaments of two princesses, especially Snow White

Cons: Merida’s face missing details; weird characters for set

The Bottom Line:

Merida, Snow White

Combined for this mini set

That’s good overall 

A Mismatched Pair of Miniature Ornaments

Over the last couple of years, Hallmark has been releasing miniature ornaments of the Disney princesses – two a year. This year, they decided to release the two ornaments for the year as a set. It makes for a different pairing since they released Merida and Snow White.

Fans of either Princess will be happy with how they look. Merida is wearing her green dress. She has her arms crossed and she is looking out at us. Her mouth is a thin line, so I will say I find her mouth a little hard to see. Given her size, I get it.

Snow White, on the other hand, looks fantastic. She’s wearing her classic dress. She’s got a slight smile on her face, and she has her dress in one hand to strike a classic pose. It looks like she is dancing a little.

I’ll admit, if Hallmark hadn’t bundled these two together, I probably would have only gotten Snow White. I know I’m in the minority, but I’m not a huge fan of Brave. But I couldn’t pass up Snow White. And neither ornament is bad, so I’m glad I didn’t pass up this set. 

I’ve mentioned these are miniature ornaments. I want to emphasize that again since it is important. The ornaments are each roughly an inch and a quarter tall. That’s it. So keep that in mind when you purchase the set. But given that size, the detail is pretty impressive. 

While the princesses are supposedly standing on their feet, they really aren’t big enough to hold them up if you set them out to be displayed. But when you go to hang them, you’ll be happy to see they hang straight. 

It’s fun to have more Disney characters to put on my miniature trees. I’m happy overall I added the Merida and Snow White mini ornament set to my collection. 

Movie Review: The Jungle Book (2016)

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Mostly enjoyable; amazing visuals

Cons: Christopher Walken, darker tone

The Bottom Line:

New take on classic

Adds some interesting parts

Darker overall

Disney’s Newest Jungle Book Remake Offers a Slightly Different Take on the Tale

Near the beginning of Disney’s recent live action remake craze came The Jungle Book.  No, I’m not talking about the ones they released in the 1990’s (which I never have seen); I’m talking about the one from 2016.  Unlike the some of the other early ones, this one stuck close to the animated original, but made a few tweaks to the story.

The set up is definitely familiar.  Mowgli (Neel Sethi) is a man cub raised by wolves.  Despite his best efforts, he has never been able to quite fit into his pack because, well, he’s human.  However, when Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba) shows up planning to kill the boy, Mowgli gets off with Bagheera the panther (voiced by Ben Kingsley).  What will happen to them along the way?

As I said, if you think you know the story, be prepared for a few surprises along the way.  I appreciated many of them as they helped flesh out Mowgli and especially his relationship with the wolves a bit more.  Shere Khan is a much more fearsome and present villain in this take on the story, another change I appreciated.

Of course, there was the time I spent expecting certain events or characters from the animated film to pop up.  I kept having to remind myself that this was a different take on things and it was okay that it was different.  It’s not like Disney didn’t really change things around when they made the original animated movie based on some unconnected short stories.

I’ve fallen into Disney’s trap so far by referring to this as a live action movie.  It really isn’t.  Mowgli is real, but everything he is interacting with, including the sets, is computer generated.  They do a marvelous job.  It’s easy to turn off your brain and believe that everything you are seeing is real.  The animals do have just a hint of animation to them, making their speaking seem more natural than in the computer animated The Lion King remake.

And I have to give praise to Neel Sethi.  He was interacting with nothing as his part of the film was made, but I believed his performance completely.  It’s real and helps ground the movie for us.

The voice cast is good.  I enjoyed Bill Murray as Baloo.  Scarlett Johansson was fun as Kaa.  I’m realizing I’m not really a fan of Christopher Walken, and that didn’t help me enjoy his take on King Louie.

The movie does incorporate some of the songs from the original, but not all.  They aren’t a big feature of this film, and maybe that’s why a couple of them seemed out of place.  (See once again, King Louie.)  But it’s hard to go wrong with “The Bare Necessities,” and I certainly enjoyed that scene.

Parents of young kids should know that there are some intense scenes.  This movie is rated PG for a reason.  Most kids will probably be okay, but sensitive kids should still with the animated version from the 1960’s until they are ready for something more intense.  I’m sure parents will be able to judge that for their own kids.

I think that darker tone was what bothered me the most about this film.  It felt like they went needlessly dark, keeping some of the humor and fun from the original out.  That doesn’t make this film bad, but I think I prefer the animated original over this one.

I enjoyed most of what the new material added to the story, but overall, I found the newest version of The Jungle Book a little dark for my tastes.  I’m not sorry I finally watched it, but if you want a fun story, it’s best to stick with the original.

Book Review: Villains’ Realm by Ridley Pearson (Kingdom Keepers Inheritance #2)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: The magic of the premise is always fun

Cons: Weak entry in the saga overall

The Bottom Line:

Trilogy middle

Weaker entry in saga

Still has some magic

Enchantment Creating New Lands

Last year, Ridley Pearson revisited his Kingdom Keepers fantasy world, and this middle-aged guy jumped in.  Yes, these are technically middle grade fantasy, but I love Disney, and the premise of these books has always intrigued me.  Villains’ Realm is the middle part of this new Inheritance trilogy.  Sadly, it needed a little work.

If you are new to these stories, you really shouldn’t jump in here.  There is a lot of backstory you will have missed.  But a brief primer.  The Kingdom Keepers are a group of middle school kids who fought Disney villains in the parks at night in an effort to keep them from taking over and destroying the Disney magic.  There is so much to it than that, obviously; this is book twelve in the overall saga, after all.  The Inheritance trilogy picks up twenty years in the future as a new threat to the Disney legacy emerges and the kids of the original Keepers must now pick up the fight.

Which brings us to Eli, the focus of these new books.  The action here starts when Eli learns that Disney’s CEO has completely changed his mind about opening a Villains’ Realm in each park.  The man was opposing it because it was a clear threat, giving the villains a foothold.  But now, he’s greenlit them, and constructions has started immediately.  In order to stop them from being completed, Eli and his friend Blair are going to have to team up with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother.  Can they stop it in time?

When this series is on, there are a lot of fun and imagination in them that makes the magic come alive.  Sadly, this is the middle book in a trilogy, and it knows it.  The story moves along well, but we don’t have the epic battles against the villains and their henchmen that the series is best known for.  Instead, we get Eli and Blair moving from one area to another on their quest.  There are a few standoffs, but that’s really all they are.  And the ending is pretty abrupt, even if you are reading it as a cliffhanger for the next book in the series.

Of course, my complaint about the characters comes into play here as well.  They’ve always been thin, and that’s the case again.  I have a hard time connecting the kids to their parents, which doesn’t help.  Eli, as the main character, is a little better.

And the book needed a bit of an edit since I got confused a couple of times about what park the action was supposed to be taking place in.  I feel like some of the locations were changed, but not all of the edits were caught.

Not that I’m sorry I read the book.  There are some developments fans will need to know to follow what comes next.  And the fun of imaging all that is happening inside the parks is always great.  The idea of these characters interacting with classic Disney character still makes me smile.  The fact that much of the action takes place at the California parks added to the fun.

But I did have to laugh when the characters were dealing with the humidity when visiting California.  We rarely have humidity here.  Again, a minor thing that should have been caught in the edits.

Am I sorry I picked up Villain’s Realm?  No.  I’m looking forward to seeing how this is all going to play out in the final book.  But this could have been a much stronger entry in the series.

Enjoy the magic of the rest of the Kingdom Keepers saga.

Ornament Review: Off to Never Land!

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great ornament of a Disney attraction vehicle

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Mickey goes on ride

We’re going to Never Land

A fun ornament

“Come On, Everybody.  Here’s We Goooo!”

Even as an adult, one of my favorite rides at Disneyland is Peter Pan’s Flight.  Yes, I’m one of the reason you have to wait in such a long line.  I’ve always loved the story, and there is something about flying over and through the scenes of the ride that thrills me.  So I was glad to see Off to Never Land! be the 2023 entry in Hallmark’s unofficial Disney ride vehicles series.

Like the rest of these ornaments, Mickey is getting ready to enjoy the ride.  He’s sitting in the ride vehicle about to pull the lap bar down.  He’s looking out at us and smiling.  And he is wearing blue jeans and a white shirt instead of his more traditional outfit.

And the ride vehicle?  It’s a pirate ship.  This particular ship is teal, but the sails and seat are red.  There’s a skull and crossbones on the sail at the front of the ship.  And we’ve got white ropes/rigging in front.

And looking at it immediately brings back great memories of being on that ride over the years.  You can help but smile when you look at it.  The detail on the ship is great and it really does look like one of the ride vehicles.

In keeping with the ride vehicle look, the ship sticks out a little more at the bottom so it can slide into the groove for loading and unloading.  If you’ve been to the park, you know exactly what I’m talking about.  The fact that a ship might look like that anyway is beside the point.  As a result, the ornament won’t stand up on its own, but that’s okay.  I still like that detail.

Besides, this ride vehicle especially should be hung.  When you go to hang it, you’ll find that it hangs slightly forward.  Again, I like it because the ship does tip forward like that on the ride.  And it is so slight that you probably won’t notice when it is on your tree.

Off to Never Land! will immediately bring up warm memories and smiles for Disney fans.  It’s why I’m happy to have it in my collection.

Ornament Review: Jasmine - 2023 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great miniature ornament of Jasmine

Cons: None for me

The Bottom Line:

Jasmine goes mini

Character is captured well

Fans will enjoy it

Princess Jasmine Joins the Ranks of the Mini Princesses

The second princess that Hallmark released as a miniature ornament in 2023 was Jasmine.  As a fan of the movie Aladdin, I had to get it.

Unlike the other princesses who have gotten the miniature treatment, Jasmine is not wearing her ball gown.  Instead, she’s wearing the turquois pants she wears for most of the movie.  Her arms are crossed, and she has just a hint of a smile on her face.

Okay, so the smile is a bit hard to see because this is a mini ornament, but if you look closely, you can see it.  As always, I’m impressed since the entire ornament is just over an inch in size.  You can easily tell who she is and the detail on her face makes it that much better.

As is often the case for the miniature ornaments, you can’t set Jasmine out to be displayed because she doesn’t stand on her feet.  They are too small to balance the entire ornament.

However, that isn’t really an issue because the ornament hangs perfect straight.

While I don’t normally collect Princess ornaments, I do enjoy having these miniature ornaments.  If you are a fan of the movie or Jasmine in general, you’ll be glad you picked up this miniature ornament.

TV Show Review: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Season 1

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Good adaptation of a novel

Cons: Some pacing issues; book nerd complaints

The Bottom Line:

Fantasy series

Is much closer to the book

Fans will mostly like

“Can I Ask a Stupid Question?” “It’s Like You Need Me to Make Fun of You.”

The two Percy Jackson movies from last decade have been pretty much panned by fans.  And, while I have a soft spot in my heart for them since they got me reading the books, I can certainly see the issues with them.  So as soon as Disney+ announced that they were going to create a Percy Jackson and the Olympians series and Rick Riordan, the author of the books, was going to be heavily involves, fans were excited.  While I certainly enjoyed what we got, it still didn’t quite capture the first book.

In the first episode, we meet Percy Jackson (Walker Scobell) a pre-teen who struggles in school.  He’s also not very popular, with Grover (Aryan Simhadri) being his only real friend.

Things change one day when he is attacked by a monster the rest of the students don’t see.  That’s when he learns that the ancient Greek gods are real and his father was one of them.  Which one?  He doesn’t know quite yet.  Oh, and Grover is really a satyr sent to help protect him.

He is quickly sent to Camp Half-Blood, a place where demigods live and train during the summer.  And occasionally leave from to go on quests.  Percy hasn’t been there long before he is sent out on a quest to retrieve Zeus’s Lightning Bolt, which someone has stolen.  If he doesn’t return it by the summer solstice, it could mean a war of the gods.  With only Grover and his new friend Annabeth Chase (Leah Jeffries) to help him, can he do it?

That’s a lot of backstory and set up, I realize.  But, given the premise of this franchise, you kind of need it.  Just imagine trying to fit all of that into a movie plus telling the rest of the story.  You can see why the original movie didn’t do well with fans.  And this book is pretty much designed for a modern day TV show anyway.  Why do I say that?  While Percy and his friends are on a quest, they have many battles they face along the way.  You could consider them side-quests if you want.  Either way, they make for perfect episodes, with the characters getting a little closer to their ultimate destination and the ultimate answer of who the thief is while dealing with the complication of the week.

The season itself was eight episodes, mostly in the 35-40 minute range.  That was enough time to give us a monster battle or two, a little character development, and some advancement on who took the lightning bolt and why.

But here’s the thing.  Even with that, I feel like there were some things left out.  Maybe I’m confusing the book and the movies, which made some big changes.  After all, it’s been at least 10 years since I read the book or watch the movies, so I am very fuzzy on the details.

Still, with all that time, some things felt rushed, especially in the final episode.  I get why they broke the episodes down how they did.  They really did pick natural breaks.  But it made for a very rushed finale with lots of twists.  I guess book nerds are never quite satisfied, are we?

Overall, I liked the acting in the show.  We had some fun famous faces pop up for an episode or two playing some of the people that Percy must deal with.  And the three leads carry the show well.  They just didn’t quite act the way I picture the characters acting when I read the books.  Yes, again, my memory is probably faulty, and I am sure the actors from the movie influenced my view on that when I was reading them.  So, it’s still probably me.

I certainly can’t fault the look of the show.  There are lots of special effects and stunts, and they always looked amazing.

And yes, I’m being a book nerd here.  Which means I’m being overly critical of a visual version of a story I’ve enjoyed because it doesn’t match MY vision.

I say this because, my complaints really are more nitpicky in nature than anything else.  I was always looking forward to the next new episode and enjoyed all eight episodes.  And I’m hoping the show gets picked up for the next season soon.

Fans of the book will feel much like I do.  While it may not be a perfect adaptation, season one of Percy Jackson and the Olympians will keep them happily entertained with a version of the story that is much closer to the book.

Ornament Review: Radiator Springs Pals - 2023 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Three more miniature Cars characters

Cons: Nothing major

The Bottom Line:

Three Cars characters

Shrunk to miniature size

Pixar fans will like

Three More Cars Characters for Your Mini Tree

Last year, Hallmark released several themed mini tree sets that included some ornaments, a specialty topper, and a tree skirt.  While I only bought the two mini ornaments from the Cars collection, I was happy to add more ornaments this year with the Radiator Springs Pals set.

 Yes, this is a three miniature ornament set featuring some of the supporting characters from the Cars movies.  Up first is Doc Hudson.  He’s decked out in dark blue with his racing decals on him.  Next comes Sally, who is light blue.  Finally, we get Ramon, who is a metallic purplish pink color with flames on the side.  They look like the characters do in the movies, including eyes in the windshields.

While these are miniature ornaments, they are still scaled correctly.  That means that Sally is the smallest, with Doc Hudson being almost as big as Ramon.  Sally’s about an inch long, Ramon isn’t quite two inches long.  As long as you know the sizes, you’ll be fine.

Since these are cars, they rest of their wheels.  No, the wheels don’t turn.  I think that would be just a little too much for something of this size.  You could leave them out to be displayed if you wanted to without fear of them rolling away, but it does seem like it would be easy to lose them even so.

These ornaments hang essentially flat.  There’s a little tip to Doc and Sally, but you have to be watching for it to notice it.

I like my ornament mix of memories, traditional winter themes, and pop culture characters.  That made this set a no brainer for me.  It’s nice to get some of the other Pixar characters, and not the ones we usually get.

So I’m enjoying having Radiator Springs Pals on my miniature trees this year.  If you like the Cars movies, you’ll want to pick them up as well.

TV Show Review: The Santa Clauses - Season 2

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Lots of laughs and plenty of story

Cons: Too much story, in fact, so climaxes are rushed

The Bottom Line:

Can Cal be Santa?

Meanwhile, old Santa returns

Funny Christmas show

“We Caught You Red and Green Handed.”

While I struggled a bit to enjoy the first season of The Santa Clauses, that had faded in my mind and I was looking forward to watched season two this year.  I’m happy to say that it was a stronger season for me.

As this season opens, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) is still trying to find a replacement as Santa so he can retire.  He’s decided that his son, Cal (Austin Kane) is the perfect replacement and sets about starting his training.  While Cal goes along with it, he’s not completely sold because of such minor things as his fear of heights.  Meanwhile, Scott’s daughter Sandra (Elizabeth Allen-Dick) is finding her ability to hear animals is growing, so she gets interested in developing her magic.  And Carol, aka Mrs. Claus (Elizabeth Mitchell), has decided to help out the elf security team.

What no one at the North Pole realizes is that Magnus Antas (Eric Stonestreet) is back, having been freed from his prison – a nutcracker.  His head gnome, Olga (Marta Kessler) is back as well.  They are currently at a Christmas themed amusement park run by a man who goes by Kris Kringle (Gabriel Iglesias), but they are plotting to return to the North Pole so Magnus can retake his rightful place as Santa.  Will he find a way?  Will Santa and the elves be able to stop him if he does?

Obviously, there’s a lot going on this season.  The first season suffered from a plot that was too thin, but this season seems to have almost too much going on.  Still, it was nice to feel like each 30 to 40 minute episode deserved to be there.

I think it also helped that we already know the elf characters.  They brought them back, and they felt familiar instead of feeling foreign like they did in the first season.  In the first season, it just felt weird that there were these elves everyone seemed to know but us.  This time, we knew them, too, so we looked forward to spending more time with them as well.  This wasn’t a reflection on the young actors playing them, just how I felt about the characters.  These actors were just as good this season as they were last season.

The same holds true for the entire cast.  I feel like some of the actors felt a little more comfortable in their parts, or I just felt more comfortable with them.  Either way, there weren’t any poor performances.

I also laughed at so many lines this season.  Granted, the humor died down as the plot heated up in later episodes, but there were so many wonderful Santa related jokes and twists on familiar lines.

Remember earlier when I said there was almost too much going on this season?  That was driven home to me with the season finale.  There were so many things that needed to be resolved that most of them felt rushed.  Part of me does acknowledge that in this franchise, a big fight wouldn’t really work, but that is what they seemed to be building toward only for a few conversations to be enough to resolve things.  It did bother me since it felt anti-climatic, but overall, I still enjoyed the season.

There are a couple of fun nods to the movies as well.  They didn’t include any new guest stars from the film, sadly, but those moments still made me grin when they happened.

All told, there are six episodes, and the time of each episode just flies by.

Season 2 of The Santa Clauses features more Christmas laughs to keep you entertained.  If you are looking for something new to enjoy this holiday season, I suggest you give it a try.

Ornament Review: Baker Mickey - All About Mickey #2 - 2023 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Mickey as a baker is cute

Cons: Doesn’t stand well on his own

The Bottom Line:

Mickey has some treats

In cute second ornament

Disney fan series

Mickey Has Baked Us Some Delicious Looking Cookies

As much as I love Mickey, I’m still on the fence about collecting the All About Mickey ornament series from Hallmark.  I have so many ornaments I don’t put on my trees every year, so it’s just a matter of not needing any more ornaments, not how much I love Mickey.  But when I saw the theme for the second, I knew I had to buy Baker Mickey.

As a reminder, this series is about Mickey as a regular person, and it shows him enjoying life and hobbies much like the rest of us would.  And one thing that Mickey enjoys is baking.  He’s got a chef’s hat on his head and a white apron on over a light green shirt and blue pants.  He’s also wearing red oven gloves and holding a tray of delicious looking cookies on them.  Chocolate chip cookies, so you know they must be good.

As much as I love culinary cozy mysteries, I’m not much of a baker in real life.  Too many books to read.  But with a last name of Baker, I had to get this ornament.

Even if I didn’t have that connection, this would have been a hard ornament to not purchase.  I do love my sweets after all, and it’s a cute ornament.  Mickey might not be wearing his signature colors, but he still looks great.  And the cookies, while small, look delicious.  Plus, baked goods at Christmas are a great match.

This is the second ornament in the series, so you’ll find the series marker on Mickey’s foot.

Mickey almost stands on his own.  His feet are at such an angle that he really only stands on his right foot.  And he needs his tail to fully balance.  That always worries me since his tail is thin plastic that could easily break if you aren’t super careful.  And any little bump will make him fall over.

But Christmas ornaments are supposed to be hung, right?  There’s no issue there since Mickey is perfectly straight when you slip a hook through the loop on his head.

The cuteness factor makes me happy that I added Baker Mickey to my collection.  Any Disney fan will also like having it in their collection.

Be sure to check out the rest of the All About Mickey ornaments.

TV Show Review: Loki - Season 2

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Satisfying resolution to a fun show

Cons: Still some pacing issues, but much less than season 1

The Bottom Line:

Continue story

A satisfying ending

Glad I watched season

“I Have No Memory of Having My Memory Wiped.”

I was less than impressed with the first season of Loki, mainly because of where the show left us.  Since this was the first (and so far only) of the MCU shows to earn a second season, I didn’t know to expect that they would be coming back to tell more of the story.  That’s why I decided to give the second season a try, and I’m glad I did, since I enjoyed it much more than the first.

This season picks up where the first season left off.  He Who Remains (Jonathan Majors) has been killed.  While Sylvie (Sophia Di Martino) is happy with the results, it’s Loki (Tom Hiddleston) who faces the consequences as he keeps popping in and out of various timelines.  Once he is able to stabilize himself, thanks to help from Mobius (Owen Wilson), they both learn that their problems are just beginning.  By allowing other timelines to grow, the machine at the heart of the TVA is now unstable.  Somehow, Loki has to convince Sylvie to join him in a hunt of a variant of He Who Remains to stop what they’ve started.  Will they save the universe as we know it?

If half of what I just posted makes no sense to you, that means you aren’t ready for season 2.  As much as I struggled with season 1, there is no way to enjoy season 2 without that part of the story.  Very little of what happens here has been brought up in the MCU elsewhere (at least so far), so you can’t possibly understand what is going on.

The good news is that, once you struggle through season 1, you’ll be rewarded here.  Yes, the show still has the pacing issues it did in season 1, although it’s not nearly as bad as it was then.  I can really only think of one episode that needed some editing, in my mind.  The rest keep the story moving forward.

Now, this isn’t to say that I always saw how the story was moving forward.  I was scratching my head with some of what they were doing, especially early in the season.  But it does all build somewhere if you are patient.

And what does it build to?  I’m not going to spoil anything, but I will say that I was very satisfied with how this season ended.  If the show ends here (and I kind of feel like it will), this is a great end to things.

The acting is always on point.  I especially enjoyed the interactions between Owen Wilson and Tom Hiddleston, and they shared a lot more screen time this season than the first season, which was a bonus.  Ke Huy Quan joined the cast this season (he’s everywhere now, isn’t he?), and I enjoyed his character, too.

The show looked great visually as well.  The special effects worked, and the practical sets were great to look at.  The sets are not usually something that stands out to me, but it did here, in a good way.

If, like me, you struggled with the first season of Loki, you’ll be much happier with season 2.  If you enjoyed the first, you’ll be very happy to see what happens next in this season.

Disney Short Review: Once Upon a Studio

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great celebration of 100 years of Disney

Cons: So much going on hard to catch it all

The Bottom Line:

Celebrate Disney

Short honors one hundred years

Magical for fans

Magical Short for a Magical Anniversary

Being the Disney fan that I am, I was excited when I started hearing about the short Once Upon a Studio.  It sounded like it would be a great tribute to the 100^th anniversary of the Disney studio.  I made sure to watch it when it premiered on the TV, and I’ve watched it again on Disney+.  Needless to say, I love it.

The premise is really simple.  In honor of the 100^th anniversary of the studio, all the Disney characters are getting together for a group picture.  Yes, heroes and villains.  And sidekicks.  And characters from the shorts and movies – after all, Mickey and Minnie are organizing it.

That’s it.  That’s the plot.  I mean, it’s less than ten minutes long.  Most of the short is watching the characters assemble and what complications they face along the way.  And, for Disney fans, it is a pure delight.  They’ve got characters interacting who have never interacted together before (at least to my knowledge).  They’ve got some great jokes.  And they’ve got tender moments, as well.  No, I didn’t cry like some did, but I was definitely moved at the tribute to Walt and hearing “When You Wish Upon a Star.”

They also did this with a mix of animation styles, so characters look like they originally did.  That means we’ve got hand drawn and computer animation side by side.  They two mix seamlessly, and I love the look.

This is just a Disney project.  If you are looking for Pixar characters (or Star Wars or Marvel), you’ll be disappointed.  (The one exception is BayMax from Big Hero 6, which was a Disney animation film with Marvel characters.)

There are so many characters it’s hard to take it all in.  Some of them only have blink and you miss them cameos.  Even watching it a couple of times, I know I’ve missed stuff.

As much as possible, they used the original voice actors.  Sometimes, that means they used archival recordings.  Yes, I can usually tell (because I recognize a line), but I don’t care.  Naturally, there are times they’ve used the newer voice actors as well.  I wouldn’t know any better.  (And yes, that is Robin Williams voicing the Genie with approval from his estate.)

The other things this does is make me want to watch the classic Disney movies all over again.  They really have released some magical stories, haven’t they?

Once Upon a Studio is at once a celebration of Disney’s history and a thank you to the fans.  And it works as both.  If you love Disney, you need to make a point of watching this short.

Movie Review: Haunted Mansion (2023)

Stars: 3 out of 5

Pros: Good characters and nods to the attraction

Cons: Familiar story and mixed special effects

The Bottom Line:

A new ghost story

Based on classic attraction

It is just okay

“I’m Going to Light a Vanilla Candle and It Will be a Game Changer.”  “Will It, Though?”

I realize I’m the minority, but I actually enjoy Disney’s first stab at a Haunted Mansion movie.  I feel it hits just the right notes of comedy with spooky suspense and is perfect viewing for families for this season.  However, I know lots of people were hoping for a Haunted Mansion remake, and the rumors have been swirling pretty much since the first one came out that we’d see a new one.  Now the new one has come out, and I found it less fun than the original.

This movie takes us to Louisiana where single mother Gabbie (Rosario Dawson) has just moved into a mansion she’s bought for her and her son Travis (Chase W. Dillon).  However, something is wrong in the house.  In an effort to figure it out, she brings in a priest (Owen Wilson), a tour guide specializing in ghost walks (LaKeith Stanfield), a psychic (Tiffany Haddish), and a local historian (Danny DeVito).  Can they help her?

I’ve got to admit, part of my issue with the movie was the set up.  My teaser was what I was expecting to see when I sat down to watch the movie.  Instead, we spend a lot of time with LaKeith Stanfield’s Ben before the story really gets going.  That makes sense later on since this is really his story, but I was trying to figure out exactly how he was related to the mother and son I was expecting to see.

As you’d expect, there are plenty of nods to the popular attractions.  I also love the fact that, while the majority of the action takes place around a mansion that looks like the attraction at Disneyland, they do get a mansion that looks like the one at Walt Disney World incorporated at one point.  Those kind of details are fun.  However, I will say that the original did a better job of working in those details.  I feel like there were more cameos and nods than we got here.

I also appreciated the characters.  It really does take all the characters I mentioned to save the day here.  Some play a bigger part than others, but it was nice not to see one character dominated things.  And the growth that a few characters got was nice as well.  The actors all did a great job bringing those characters to life, too.

Having said that, I wasn’t that drawn into the story.  It felt like it was checking boxes.  Maybe that’s because, while it did offer a bit of a twist on the Haunted Mansion mythology we’ve gotten over the years, it wasn’t anything terribly original.

While the original is a fun movie that could be appropriate for kids (it can get intense a few times), this one is much spookier.  I know that’s one thing that adult fans of the attraction have been rooting for, but this isn’t a movie for kids.  Parents will want to take the PG-13 rating seriously.

And the special effects were a mixed bag.  Some of them, especially when there are only one or two on screen, look good.  But in the big group scenes, like the climax, they look cheap and obvious.  It amazes me in this day when that happens.

I was curious enough that I’m glad I watched the new Haunted Mansion.  But, from now on, I’ll be sticking with the original for my Halloween viewing.

Ornament Review: Oliver and Dodger - 2023 Hallmark Release

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Great sculpt of these two characters

Cons: A couple of seams could be better

The Bottom Line:

Oliver, Dodger

Annivers’ry ornament

Fans will snap them up

Why Should I Worry?  I’ve Got Oliver and Dodger as an Ornament

While there are some Disney movies and characters I like more than others, I am happy to collect something from each movie.  When I was looking at Hallmark’s line for 2023, I realized I don’t have any ornaments for Oliver and Company yet.  Since this year marks the 35^th anniversary of the movie, now seems like a good time to fix that.

Hallmark’s offering this year is Oliver and Dodger.  If you aren’t familiar with the movie, it is a retelling (of sorts) of Charles Dickens’s Oliver Twist, only if Oliver were a kitten on the streets of New York City taken in by a pack of dogs.  (As I said, sort of).

Oliver is a cute orange kitten, and he’s captured here in wide eyed wonder as he looks at the world around him.  He’s next to Dodger, a Jack Russell Terrier.  He’s got his signature red scarf tied around his neck.  He’s looking at Dodger and smiling.

I can also picture him singing “Why Should I Worry,” my favorite song from the movie, as he shows Oliver around the city.  The look of wonder on Oliver’s face helps me think that.  And I can kind of picture Dodger’s look meaning, “I know, it’s so cool.”  Since it makes me think of this scene, I wanted to get it that much more.  The sculpt does a wonderful job of capturing the characters, although I wish the seams weren’t so noticeable on Dodger’s rear legs and tail.

Since we’ve got two animals side by side, the ornament has a nice, flat base, so you could easily set this ornament out in a display or to be enjoyed year-round.  After all, there is nothing specifically Christmassy about it.

The loop for hanging the ornament is on the back of Dodger’s head.  Slip a hook through it, and you’ll find that the ornament hangs perfectly straight.

Oliver and Company is a mostly forgotten Disney movie.  However, fans will be delighted to add Oliver and Dodger to their Christmas tree.