The Latecomers

Show Notes A wholesome movie about the friendship between a grown man and a child - no, really. We watched the video game adventure Wreck-It Ralph. Ralph and Vanellope share multiple things - a desire to be appreciated and drive to show what they can do as well as the sense of humor of a six-year-old boy. For a movie full of fart jokes and swearing retro video game characters, there is a ton of he...

Show Notes This week we roam the Scottish Highlands with the spunkiest redhead you’ve ever met - and her mom - it’s Merida and bearida in Pixar’s Brave. Will-o'-the-wisps, witches, and feminism mix in medieval times and bring us a beautiful tale of the natural friction between mother and daughter, new generations and tradition, and  toddlers and self control. And there are magical bears! The beaut...

Show Notes A movie no one knew existed that wraps us in the warm hug of nostalgia - we watched the 2011 Winnie the Pooh. A honey hunt, a honey prize, and a honey trap (not that kind) all come together in the pages of a book, which is of course a character in itself. A short and lovely entry which exists out of time, sandwiched by Pixar films in chronology, this movie gives a sweet child-centric ex...

Show Notes The second in the Cars trilogy makes its appearance this week and we have a few questions - chief among them is - WHY? Don’t fall into the trap I did and think the opener is a movie within the movie - it is in fact just the movie because why wouldn’t the sequel to Cars be a Bond film? Don’t listen to Lassiter when he says this is about friendship since Lightning McQueen is in this movie...

Show Notes Back to Disney’s fairy tale roots this week with Repunzel - I mean Tangled - wherein all that hair never tangles. We’ve got a childlike princess who manages to avoid being childish and a boy who is clearly a diamond in the rough leading us through a legitimately fun hike. What makes these characters special is the character not the accoutrement and yes, the hair counts as accoutrement....

Show Notes This week - the ultimate end to a trilogy that will still not be left alone - Toy Story 3. It’s the end of an era with Andy, so what is next for our beloved toys? If our villain - who looks cuddly and smells like strawberries but has hate and hurt in his heart - gets his way, they will be sacrificed to toddlers. And if that doesn’t work they will literally be incinerated. A children’s m...

Show Notes This week we join Tiana in New Orleans to build a business and fall in love, not in that order. We may go ahead and overlook any possible overt racism in service of a froggy love story but there will be Zydeco and beignets. The music and the look of this movie really does feel respectful of a time and place and people and it’s a fun place to spend a couple of hours. Next up: Toy Story 3...

Show Notes It’s time to cry - we watched Up this week and we cried. Then we talked about Up, and we cried. So if you need a catharsis, join us to watch this absolute masterpiece and then listen to us break down during the breakdown. This movie has so much heart that it could carry you all the way to Paradise Falls. And bonus - there is a realistic and non-stereotypical Asian character, finally! Re...

Show Notes We’re headed to the final frontier with the embodiment of a PC in search of his Mac lady love in WALL-E. Turns out you can make a largely silent film about a non-organic character and kids will love it! Let’s talk about loneliness, the need, or lack thereof, of robot romance, and what makes a being sentient. Recommendations: Monarch (Apple+); Agent Carter (Disney+) Next up: Up (2009) Em...

Show Notes The Truman Show meets Homeward Bound this week with Bolt from 2008. Back to Disney Animation this week with an adventure about a couple of tortured animals trying to get to people who will hopefully not torture them anymore. We discuss why Hollywood would allow such a crazy expensive show to exist and how bad ass a fat hamster can really be. Also why people do terrible things to animals...

Show Notes If you can’t get into The French Laundry, we have a close runner up this week with Ratatouille. Pixar is trying to get all of us to be cool with rodents in the kitchen and darned if they don’t get us on their side. If you find yourself named after food, be careful that you don’t also find out that you are part marionette. Remy takes his place in rat history next to the legend - Templeto...

Show Notes This week we gain a family with Meet the Robinsons from 2007. Science and jokes make up this bright boisterous offering - the second fully CGI Disney animation, but it looks significantly better than the last - it also makes more sense, is funnier, and has compelling characters and real motivations. So all in all is better in every way - but it’s not just a Chicken Little hate fest that...

Show Notes Let’s talk about boys vs girls and the societal downfall delivered by car culture this week with Cars from 2006. Yes, Lightning McQueen is a big jerk and Mater is an offensive stereotype played by an offensive stereotype but mostly we talk about boy movies vs. girl movies for some reason. This merchandise powerhouse mostly held our attention and was enjoyable - but would have been even...

Show Notes Lemuel is MAD as we plumb the depths this week with probably the worst movie Disney has ever made. Visuals: bad. Writing: bad. Story: bad. Characters: bad. Cast: Stellar!!! What on earth happened? Come listen to our rant and see if we can come to a conclusion together. Recommendations: Memento (Peacock) - you’ve probably forgotten it - you should watch it again. I, Madman (MGm+) Next up...

Show Notes A true animated Film this week as we watch The Incredibles from 2004. One of Pixar’s best, this one hits on looks, acting, story, and writing making it completely re-watchable. Fast, strong, invisible and stretchy - the four major super powers - are all represented here. We also get to see the super-villian truth of rich “smart” people - more often a Syndrome than a Batman. Grab some po...

Show Notes Anti-capitalism and anti-toxic masculinity come together in a movie about cows starring Rosanne Barr and Judy Dench - non of this was expected when we put on this week’s film, Home on the Range. Kung-fu horses embodying misogyny, a yodeler pied piping livestock to become a land baron, a foul-mouthed blue ribbon cow, a regal cow in a hat and a tone-deaf heifer - all characters in this ca...

Show Notes 2003 brought us this week’s offering - Brother Bear. We are of two minds on this one but everyone can agree that more movies should have moose doing bits. This precolonial setting keeps capitalism from being the villain but we’d be hard pressed to name a villain at all other than childishness perhaps. This is a strange one, join us in wrapping our heads around it. Recommendations: Outla...

Show Notes The sequel to Finding Dory this week, where we start by Finding Nemo. A fantastic cast brings the beautiful animation to life. From an uber-sympathetic Willem Defoe to an “unfunny” Albert Brooks, the intention of the casting is impeccable. Pixar is really coming into its own with this one. Recommendations: Abbott Elementary; Last Kill (AMC+) Next up: Brother Bear (2003) Email us at late...

Show Notes They don't know me 'cause I'm not here - sometimes a Goo Goo Dolls song is actually the theme song to a movie you didn’t know existed, so we are learning things this week with Treasure Planet from 2002. A story that has been put on film a number of times, this iteration gives us space twist with cyborgs and mantis and morphs, oh my. If you have daddy issues, this one’s for you. Recommen...

Show Notes Travel to Hawaii with us this week and let’s meet a stubborn master of destruction and her pet alien in Lilo & Stitch. There are a lot of things to like in this - the animation, messages, jokes, Elvis - if you are into that. We have some questions and some frustrations - you might hear an evolution in real time in this episode.  Recommendations: Andor (Disney +), The Burbs (Peacock)...

Show Notes Back to Pixar this week as they have a blast with fur texture and character design in Monsters Inc. We learn the power of cuteness and laughter and the dangers of Capitalism - AGAIN. Sully and Mike are inseparable until a little girl with giant eyes appears and tears Sully away. Fortunately Mike is one of Billy Crystal’s more mature characters and they find their way through. This movie...

Show Notes We’re going under the sea - and then back up again to find Atlantis. A city was lost, and now a linguist and his capitalist adventurer buddies are off to find it. And yes, that does mean that the villain in this film is in fact capitalism. Linguist Milo is more powerful than any other language expert as he can speak a language that no one knows just by looking at it, and it’s not even t...

Show Notes This week we travel to the Incan empire with The Emperor’s New Groove. How do we know it’s the Incan Empire? They kinda allude to it a couple of times in order to promptly forget where, when and who they are. A cast of mostly white actors, all fantastic in their characters, all funny, none of which has anything to do with the Inca or Peru other than the existence of a llama. Enjoyable a...

Show Notes Lemuel is in heaven today as we got to watch and get to talk about Dinosaur from 2000. Tippet to Verhoven to Katzenberg it’s almost a miracle this movie exists at all. Highly textured dinos against a real world backdrop gives us a post-apocalypse glimpse at an iguanodon and his lemur friends as they join their first herd in an attempt to survive. He makes friends with the old ladies of...

Show Notes Fantasia 2000 brings the original concept of Fantasia to fruition with six new vignettes and one they couldn’t get rid of. The flow is similar and the mouse is back but there are some notable highs and no real animation lows. Interstitials are interstitials and 90% unnecessary but the animation and music are working at a high level. Now to wait another 40 years for the next one.  Recomm...