D52–Home On The Range

Originally slated to be released in 2003, ahead of Brother Bear, numerous story problems led to their release dates being switched, with Home on the Range arriving in theatres in 2004. Unfortunately, the extra time was not enough to salvage the film, and the result was yet another box office failure, failing to recoup more than half of its budget. The film also put the final nail in the coffin of Disney’s 2D animation division. Upon its release, the studio shut down its 2D unit, sold the remaining artists drawing tables, and moved other divisions into the animation building.

Home on the Range was heavily reworked at least twice during its production, and the seams definitely show in the final product. The plot is a hodgepodge of western tropes, with characters, such as they are, rapidly switching views and motivations, all for the sake of trying to get the film to limp onto the next scene. Overall, the film feels like a poor attempt at making a Tex Avery film from the height of Warner Bros animation history, but it is devoid of the humour and kineticism those shorts were filled with. The art direction is clearly taking its cues from those cartoons, but without the humour and character to back the minimal, slightly abstract design, the whole thing just looks flat.

I did not have good memories of this film, and I was not looking forward to revisiting it. Though I was hoping I  had exaggerated its deficiencies in my head over the years, I was disappointed to find that this was not the case. Though young viewers may find some distraction in the colors and flaccid attempts at humour, this is a difficult film for anyone over ten to get through. The only bright side is that in recent years Disney has resumed limited production on 2D films, since this would have been a truly tragic way to a (at that point) 65 year legacy of 2D animation from the Disney company.

Original theatrical trailer

Up next: Chicken Little (2005)

D52–Brother Bear

2003’s Brother Bear was another in the string of financial and critical disappointments from the Disney animation division in the early years of the 21st century. Audiences were favouring the CG animated fare, and without the backing of strong reviews, Brother Bear was unable to lure them into theatres.

Closest in tone to the serious Pocahontas, but with the talking animals of the Disney films of the ‘70s and ‘80s, the film can be a bit of a hard sell. It’s structurally solid, delivering a good take on the tried and true “walk in someone else’s shoes” plot. The animation is very good, as had become the norm for this period. The direction does lead to some pacing problems, particularly the opening segment which somehow feels both overly long and rushed at the same time, but the use of color and aspect ratio is fantastic. When main character Kenai is human, the world is presented in muted colors at a 1.66:1 aspect ratio. When he is transformed into a bear and begins to see the world as it really is, the pallet brightens and becomes far more lively and the image expands to the massive 2.35:1 ratio.

It is clear watching Brother Bear that the creators were reaching for something great. They wanted to make a sweeping film that dealt with some more mature themes. Unfortunately, they were not quite able to reach the heights they were grasping at. The result is a film that falls firmly in the “decent” range. It will likely be most enjoyed by adult audiences who will have the patience to make it through the initial stages and will be able to focus more on what was attempted, rather than the finished product. That’s not to say there isn’t enough here for younger viewers to get something out of it, but it is unlikely to become a favourite.

Original theatrical trailer

Up next: Home on the Range (2004)

D52–Treasure Planet

Despite the failure of Atlantis to capture the young boy audience that they was fervently seeking, Disney took a second stab at the market by adapting Robert Lewis Stevenson’s Treasure Island and setting it in space. The result is 2002’s Treasure Planet. Like the company’s two previous adaptations of the material (a straight telling in the 1950 film and a comical take with the Muppets in 1996) this one doesn’t stray too far from the source material. Like Atlantis, however, Treasure Planet severely underperformed at the box office, opening to just $12 million with a $140 million budget.

Like most Disney work since the early ‘90s, the animation here is strong, but that’s not to say it is without problems. There is an unfortunate overreliance on computer animation, which never quite meshes properly with the 2D animation surrounding it. It does allow for some impressive effects, but it always feels slightly out of place. The most egregious offender is the point of view shot in the ship’s galley, which looks like it was lifted straight out of the videogame adaptation. The voice cast is quite good, with varied performances that each suit their character. The script, too, does an admirable job of transposing Stevenson’s work into the future and trimming it to fit in the runtime, all while retaining its essence.

Though I’ve never read the book, I’ve seen at least four different film interpretations of the material, as well as various TV shows and plays and even a read-a-long children’s book, and Treasure Planet is easily my favorite version. That being said, I’ve never been much of a fan of the story of Treasure Island. I can’t explain quite why, but I’ve never been able to relate to any of the characters or become invested in the plot. It is likely only the futuristic elements here that raise this film over the others for me. It is an entertaining enough film, and fans of the source material will likely enjoy seeing a unique take on it.  A couple scenes will be too intense for the youngest viewers, but everyone else should find this to be an enjoyable, if somewhat unremarkable, film.

Original theatrical trailer

Up next: Brother Bear (2003)

D52–Lilo & Stitch

After a brilliant trailer campaign (which you can see here, here, here, and culminating in the full trailer below) Lilo & Stitch was released in 2002. Though expectations were modest, the film quickly went on to become a hit, earning good reviews and strong box office numbers. Tonally, it definitely stands out among its Disney peers. Despite the soft, round shapes on display in the animation style the dialogue has a pointed, real world edge. The sisters fight, yell and scream, and basically act like real sisters. While some were put off by this, it serves as a refreshing change of pace for the company and the general public seemed to agree.

On the technical side of things, Lilo & Stitch is most notable for its backgrounds. It marked the first (and, to date, only) use of watercolour backgrounds in a Disney feature since Bambi, and they are stunning, perfectly capturing the look and feel of Hawaii. Placed on these backgrounds are fully realized characters, thanks to an intelligent script which treats them as real people. The plot, too, deserves praise, for managing to be at once completely unfamiliar and thoroughly relatable. Finally, special mention must me made of Chris Sanders’ excellent work on the character animation for Stitch himself. By imbuing him with dozens of subtle characteristics of household dogs, Sanders manages to make what starts as an ugly, evil character cute and lovable.

When the film was first released a decade ago, I certainly enjoyed it. It was different in both look and tone, and was uniformly well made, but it didn’t really stick with me long after viewing it. As such I always regarded it as a fairly middle of the road Disney film. Revisiting it now, I think that assessment undersells it. In addition to strong characters and an abundance of action, it has a surprising amount of heart. It is this heart which likely earned it its initial success, and it is the heart which still makes it a great film for both young and old.

Original theatrical trailer

Up next: Treasure Planet (2002)