it means... This is Movie Night!

Hello and welcome to Movie Night, YouTube's #1 movie review show, I'm your host, Jonathan

Paula. Tonight's theme is Disney Animation. To date, there have been 52 feature-length

films from, but we'll begin tonight with "Beauty And The Beast".

LEFT -- Loosely adapted on the 16th century French fairytale, this family musical fantasy

was released to critical and commercial success in November of 1991, eventually grossing $400

million in profit. Holding the impressive distinction of being the first animated feature

to be nominated for "Best Picture", this 84-minute G-rated adventure was arguably the high-water

mark for the so-called Disney Renaissance, receiving six Oscar nods in total. Paige O'Hara

lends her voice-talents to the lead heroine, Belle, a bookworm in a small French village

who becomes forcibly involved with a cursed Beast living in a rundown Castle played by

Robby Benson. Littered with a half-dozen memorable, catchy, and expertly animated musical numbers

- this picture is briskly paced as it bounces from scene to scene, introducing an array

of goofy, and enjoyable characters: from Jerry Orbach as Lumiere, the charming Frenchman

transformed into a candelabra, to Richard White as Gaston, your stereotypical Disney

villain, an egotistical hunter determined to marry Belle as a point of personal conquest.

Containing fewer celebrity voices than the usual Disney film, the talent here is still

impeccable and engaging: bringing to life their lines with excitement and honesty...

even if several of them unfortunately use singing-doubles. Although the genesis for

the entire story hinges on what amounts to a petty, and incredibly unjust punishment...

the "only true love will break the curse" plot is effective, even though it is as old

as time. A wonderfully simple, and enchanting story for children, that I myself loved as

kid - the story is the weak-point, as it only provides for a cursory glimpse at the romance

between Belle and the Beast. Understandably, it is short so kids won't get bored, I can't

help but feel like another 10 minutes during the second act could have really helped. Curiously,

the "Special Edition" added brand new content, but instead of character development, it focuses

on a whimsical new song. A climatic ballroom dancing sequence, set to the Academy Award-winning

original title-track is produced with at-the-time revolutionary computer technology resulting

in a breathtakingly beautiful and moving sequence that is the true centerpiece of the entire

film. From the upbeat dances to the intense fight sequences, the overall atmosphere is

perhaps a bit jumbled, but director Gary Trousdale does a fine job of transitioning them well

enough. This is a feel-good, well-animated story that the entire family can enjoy, even

if it never quite astonishes. "Beauty And The Beast", a "Beautiful, heartwarming story

that delights". Now let's see what you had to say about this picture in the YouTube comments.

The rate-o-matic now... a NINE and a NINE for "Beauty And The Beast". You applauded

the animation and the music... but held off from the top score for the exact same reasons

I did: Gaston is a one-note villain, and the story is perhaps too simply. You thought it

was AWESOME. A true Walt Disney classic I enjoyed as much today as I did 20 years ago,

I thought it was AWESOME as well. Next up, "The Lion King" -- RIGHT

RIGHT -- Released in June of 1994, this musical dramedy remains the highest grossing traditionally

animated film of all time, with close to one billion in proceeds. The all star cast of

familiar voice-talent includes Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Matthew Broderick, James Earl Jones,

Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin, and Rowan "Mr. Bean" Atkinson.

But let's not forget Frank Welker... Hollywood's go-to-guy for animal sound effects, this underappreciated

voice-actor has literally 700 film credits on his IMDB page. The G-rated story follows

the life of Simba the anthropomorphic lion cub, who is forced to abandon his home and

family after a tragic event, eventually forced to face his responsibilities, remembering

his father's sage advice, "I'm only brave when I have to be". During the up-tempo second-act,

when Simba ages from kid to adult during a super fun montage, he becomes friends with

care-free Sahara drifters Timon and Pumba: a lovable and hilarious duo who went on to

star in their own video game, and cartoon show: one that I just happened to watch every

morning before school as a kid. The villains are creepy and dastardly, and do a great job

of setting the consequences for the final battle. Although the exposition is ridiculous

overt, with many of the characters rather bluntly declaring their motivation and intentions

in lieu of actual dialog: the characters and writing here are largely fun, enjoyable, and

layered. With three of its incredible songs nominated for Academy Awards, the musical

numbers that drive the plot are all exciting, festive, and difficult not to sing along to.

While "Hakuta Mutata" is a personal favorite, Elton John's Oscar-winning "Can You Feel The

Love Tonight" is emotionally moving, and beautifully animated... ramping this picture into a tense

and exciting final act, that is unfortunately a bit rushed. And honestly the curious pacing

in this otherwise splendid 89-minute picture is the only flaw: particularly a prolonged

and drawn-out setup that takes nearly 40 minutes before arriving at the first major plot-turn.

Respectfully treating the animals like true characters, rather than a means to a joke

- you won't find any goofy props or Flintstone-style gags, where the African landscape is treated

as a weird American society analogy. Instead, we're left with an inspiring, moving, charming,

hilarious, and wonderfully animated classic that is immensely enjoyable no matter how

many times you watch it. Dealing with complicated themes of betrayal and redemption with ease,

"The Lion King", has "Exciting action, music, and characters." Now let's see what you had

to say in the YouTube comments.

Our scores for "The Lion King" a DOUBLE NINE. Unanimous praise was given to the songs and

music, but overall scores were mixed, resulting in an AWESOME. If I had to choose, this is

probably my favorite Disney animated picture... its strong characters, and vibrant animation

make it a timeless classic. But as I'm no longer eight-year-old, I'll have to score

it an AWESOME as well. Now, a quick word from our sponsor. -- LEFT

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save $10 off your first month, you'll also help support Movie Night too! Our final Disney

Animated film tonight is, "Wreck-It Ralph"

LEFT -- Preceded in theaters by the incredible, Academy-Award winning 7-minute short "Paperman"...

this computer-animated family comedy grossed over 400-million after it was released worldwide

in November of 2012. Opting to forgo the musical fanfare, this PG adventure revolves around

a tumultuous crisis moment for John C. Reilly, who plays the title character - a villain

in a arcade game (a sort of hybrid of Crazy Climber, Rampage, and Donkey Kong) who decides

he doesn't want to be the bad guy anymore, longing for a more fulfilling existence. Combining

the "toys are alive" element of Toy Story and Night At The Museum, this 108-minute movie

is a fantastic tribute to many of gaming's greatest arcade heroes and villains. Opening

with an engaging opening narration from Reilly, we're introduced to a fun and inventive world

- that expertly blends multiple styles of animation, color pallets, and even frame rates

for each of the individual games that are featured. The transformative visuals are downright

stunning. Unfortunately, too much time is spent inside the cutesy food-themed "Sugar

Rush" game, leaving loads of untapped opportunities - falling back on far too many food-related

jokes and constructs. Segments involving Ralph's game, "Fix It Felix Jr.", a large power-strip

modeled after Grand Central Station, or a racing sequence similar to Mario Kart are

truly inspired and enjoyable however. The zany characters we meet along the way are

each as adorable, and entertaining as the last, from Jack McBrayer as the eagerly polite

Felix, who ironically bemoans, "I fix everything I touch!" to painfully type-cast Jane Lynch

as the gruff-talking Army sergeant from a first-person shooter game called "Hero's Duty".

The standout performance is Sarah Silverman as an outcast racer... who's unlikely, and

unwilling relationship with Ralph is truly enjoyable to watch unfold through a series

of quickly edited, and brilliantly animated montages. Although perky and hostile, Silverman

is never annoying, instead contributing one of the funniest moments in the movie when

she riffs on the aforementioned "Hero's Duty" - forcing Ralph to listen to a string of crude

poop jokes in succession. The voice-acting from the entire recognizable cast, that also

includes Ed O'Neill, Dennis Haysbert, and Alan Tudyk are peppy and believable. Perfectly

capturing the essence and nostalgia of arcade gaming, this decently paced film balances

just the right about of charm, wit, and sophistication, without taking itself too seriously - resulting

in a truly rewarding experience for all gamers. We can only hope this marks the start of another

Disney Renaissance. "Wreck-It Ralph", "Lovable characters in fantastic environments." - Now

lets read some of your reviews for this movie in the YouTube comments.

"Wreck-It Ralph"... gets a NINE and a NINE from us. Well, after last week's Oscar special,

where we disagreed on everything, it seems this week we're completely in-tune. You loved

the animation, and dozens of video game references, you thought this film was AWESOME. This was

a modern-day adventure for the 21st-century, presented with Disney's familiar trademark

style... I thought it was AWESOME as well. Finally tonight, a look at what's currently

playing in theaters with some of your Tweet critiques.

If you see a new movie in theaters, Tweet your review with the #JPMN hashtag to have

it featured on the show. Next week, we won't be in Kansas anymore, as we review the iconic

"The Wizard Of Oz" from 1939, and the brand new, "The Great And Powerful Oz" which opens

nationwide on March 8th. Let me know what you think about these movies by voting in

the polls below, or by leaving a comment review. And please subscribe to the Movie Night Archive

channel for my exclusive trailer commentaries, and an organized library of all our past reviews.

Once again, my name is Jonathan Paula - thank you for watching Movie Night, I hope to see

you, right back here for the next Friday!