Frozen 2
Director: Chris Buck, Jennifer Lee
Writer: Jennifer Lee
Cast: Idina Menzel, Kristen Bell, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Sterling K. Brown, Evan Rachel Wood, Alfred Molina, Martha Plimpton, Jason Ritter, Rachel Matthews, Jeremy Sisto, Santino Fontana, Ciarán Hinds, Alan Tudyk
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | Minutes: 103
Release Date: November 22, 2019

Even six years after its release, Walt Disney Animation Studios’ Frozen never stopped being a magical phenomenon as it continued on to thrive with its animated short Frozen Fever and its made-for-TV special Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. While both were fun expansions on the franchise, they weren’t really the deep dives into the original film’s characters or mythology that we would expect to see. Though Frozen 2 is not as narratively strong as the first, it is a rare Disney-animated musical sequel that is still a force to be reckoned with because of its emphasis on character development and continuing to echo the themes of female empowerment, while pushing the boundaries in its music and visuals. My full review of Frozen 2 here below.

Aladdin (2019)
4K Ultra HD | Blu-ray | DVD | Digital
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writer: Guy Ritchie, John August
Cast: Will Smith, Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Alan Tudyk, Billy Magnussen
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | Runtime: 128 Minutes
Release Date: September 10, 2019

Walt Disney Studios continues to go through its vault to turn their animated classics into live-action films. Their latest is Aladdin. Based on the 1992 animated film of the same name, this live-action take is directed by Guy Ritchie, who brings his penchant for fun and stylized action sequences and a cast of wonderful characters to his first family-friendly film. The updated film dazzles thanks in part to its cast, consisting of Mena Massoud, Naomi Scott, and Will Smith, and its new take on some favorite songs.

Now, Disney’s hit film has its own release, along with some of the bonus features that detail the making of this live-action remake.

Aladdin
Director: Guy Ritchie
Writer: Guy Ritchie, John August
Cast: Will Smith, Naomi Scott, Marwan Kenzari, Navid Negahban, Nasim Pedrad, Alan Tudyk, Billy Magnussen
Distributor: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | Runtime: 128 Minutes
Release Date: May 24, 2019

There is absolutely no room for error when it comes to adapting a Disney animated classic into a live-action film. The studio has recently found some modest critical and commercial success with some of their titles. But the one common thread that each of them shares is that all of them are a part of a legacy and each has a large existing fanbase. So the bar of expectation for a live-action take on Aladdin is pretty high. Especially when it comes to capturing the same spirit of the story, themes, and music. But most of all, the characters, like Aladdin, Jasmine, and the unforgettable Genie.

Luckily, Guy Ritchie‘s take on the film is something that stays true to the spirit of the animated original while still maintaining his style of filmmaking. A huge surprise at best, the film captures everything that we love about the animated original through its cast, especially with Will Smith‘s Genie and Naomi Scott‘s scene-stealing performance as Princess Jasmine. With some slight updates to the story and songs, along with a brand new song from Alan Menken, this version of Aladdin is an upbeat and fun contemporary take on the 1992 original.

Disney continued to show off their impressive line up of titles that will be available exclusively on their subscription-based streaming service, Disney+. Investors got to see a small glimpse and learn some details about some of the upcoming Star Wars titles that will appear on the service later this November. More on all of this here below.

Ralph Breaks The Internet
4K Ultra HD | Blu-ray | DVD
Directors: Rich Moore, Phil Johnston
Writers: Phil Johnston, Pamela Ribon
Cast: John C. Reilly, Sarah Silverman, Taraji P. Henson, Gal Gadot, Jack McBrayer, Jane Lynch, Ed O’Neill, Alfred Molina, Alan Tudyk
Studio: Walt Disney Studios
Rated PG | 112 Minutes
Release Date: February 26, 2019

The Academy Award-nominated Ralph Breaks the Internet is now available for you to own. Disney’s latest sequel brings back those lovable digital misfits for an all-new adventure that takes Ralph (John C. Reilly) and Vanellope (Sarah Silverman) on an all-new adventure across the digital space. Their search for a valuable replacement part to help fix Vanellope’s game Sugar Rush takes the two to the Internet, where they run to all sorts of new characters like the tough street racing queen Shank (Gal Gadot) and trend-setting algorithm Yesss (Taraji P. Henson).

This very fun sequel comes with a number of equally fun, but very standard, bonus features. However, they may be of interest to those who love a deep dive into the animation and story process. These features take a look at all of those layers and how each team must work in tandem to make sure everything fits together nicely. Check out a mini film review plus a review of all the bonus features below.