Long Break for 'Inside Outside Blog'

It's not a good-bye, think of it as a long break. My heart breaks that I won't be writing for a long time but the circumstances are that I have to go to the military and serve my country for 21 months. All men in Korea are required to do so.

So Long...(Toy Story 3, 2010)

See you later folks! (P.S. And someone please update me on animation stuff when I come back, that would really be helpful, cheers!)

Watch the First Trailer for Big Hero 6

With the greatest animation of the city San Fransokyo, this animated treat seems like an another for Walt Disney Animation Studios. Watch the new trailer:

With great characters and beautiful animation, Big Hero 6 just made my expectation rate even more higher than before. I hope Disney is not putting all the treasure in just one trailer.

Big Hero 6, Assemble!

USA Today brings us an article about the six main characters from the upcoming movie Big Hero 6. Lets take a look at them.

Hiro Hamada (Big Hero 6, 2014)

First is Hiro Hamada voice by Ryan Potter, the main character of this movie. He is 18 years old who is a genius and transforms his nurse robot into a fighting robot.

Baymax (Big Hero 6, 2014)

Baymax is voiced by Scott Adsit and is robot that looks totally different with his suit on.

Fred (Big Hero 6, 2014)

Fred (T.J. Miller)  is a sci-fi and comic book geek, really into monsters and stuff. Fred has this "Fredzilla" suit which quite shows that he is a monster lover.

Go Go Tomago (Big Hero 6, 2014)

Go Go (Jamie Chung) is all about speed and her suit will help her exceed her limits. She is also a quiet gal who can take care of herself.

Honey Lemon (Big Hero 6, 2014)

Honey (Genesis Rodriguez)  is a chemistry student is a core character of the team because of her sweet personality.

Wasabi (Big Hero 6, 2014)

Lastly we have Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.) and he is all about perfection, but we can assume that all that is going to change.

While we now know about the six heroes of this movie, but who is the villain? I guess only time will tell. Get excited as more footage comes out! Big Hero 6 opens in November 6, 2014 in the U.S.

First Look At Animated "Lava"

Los Angeles Times brings us a first look on the new animated short from Pixar, Lava. Take a look at the character Uku, the lava.

Lava, 2015

I don't know, to me it looks like a cartoon, but then again, it is a cartoon! I'm gauging it will be following the same stream as 2009's Partly Cloudy short.

Review #57 | The Pirates! Band of Misfits

I wish Aardman would make more films but with better story. This unique style of animation struggles to find the fitting story that will make the film soar.

The Pirates! Band of Misfits, 2012

In The Pirates! Band of Misfits, Hugh Grant stars in his first animated role as the luxuriantly bearded Pirate Captain - a boundlessly enthusiastic, if somewhat less-than-successful, terror of the High Seas. With a rag-tag crew at his side (Martin Freeman, Brendan Gleeson, Russell Tovey, and Ashley Jensen), and seemingly blind to the impossible odds stacked against him, the Captain has one dream: to beat his bitter rivals Black Bellamy (Jeremy Piven) and Cutlass Liz (Salma Hayek) to the much coveted Pirate Of The Year Award. It's a quest that takes our heroes from the shores of exotic Blood Island to the foggy streets of Victorian London. Along the way they battle a diabolical queen (Imelda Staunton) and team up with a haplessly smitten young scientist (David Tennant), but never lose sight of what a pirate loves best: adventure!

The stop motion picture that Aardman team has done in this film is amazing and makes you wonder how they do it. It gets better and much cleaner than their previous attempts. In contrast, I think their losing their touch in great story telling because the jokes and plots are exaggerated beyond repair.

It gives enough humor to entertain little kids but never does entertain those who want to see some real heart. It may not have a great story, but it does have its strong points. The characters are not strong or unique.

If there is one thing I would want to compliment, it would be the magical animated beauty. Those clay-made characters seem to have found life through the hands of great creators. If only they could find a great story that fits this medium, Aardman will have found the way to go into the big leagues.

Inside Outside Rating: 66%

"Heroes" Featurette from Planes: Fire & Rescue

DisneyToon Studios has really tried hard and I think is improving in their work. This new featurette from Planes: Fire & Rescue will give you a glimpse of how to movie is shaping out to be.

I think it will be an improvement from the first movie, and I do want to see DisneyToon Studios do their films the right way.

Review #56 | Corpse Bride

This spooky tale will take you  to a place you will never have imagined it existed. The place where dead people go.

Corpse Bride, 2005

Tim Burton returns to the dark but fanciful animated style of The Nightmare Before Christmas with this stop-motion black comedy. Victor (voice of Johnny Depp) lives in a small European village in the 19th century, where he is pledged to marry Victoria (voice of Emily Watson), a partnership arranged by their parents. The two only meet the day before their scheduled nuptials, and Victor performs disastrously in the wedding rehearsal. Later that evening, while he is walking through the woods and hopelessly practicing his vows, he puts Victoria's wedding band on what looks like a branch. Victor quickly discovers this was a big mistake; as it happens, he has put the ring on the skeletal finger of the enchanted Corpse Bride (voice of Helena Bonham Carter), who then whisks him off to a dark and mysterious netherworld where they are now married. Victor is frightened in the land of the dead, and even realizes that he has fallen in love with his true fiancée, Victoria, so he searches for a way back to his own world. Directed by Tim Burton in collaboration with animator Mike Johnson, Corpse Bride features a stellar voice cast, including Albert Finney, Christopher Lee, Richard E. Grant, Joanna Lumley, and Danny Elfman (who also composed the film's musical score).

Tim Burton presents a spooky stop motion animated film that will blow your mind. In this world, dead people are not actually dead; they just go “downstairs”, which seems more joyful than the world of living.

Tim Burton cleverly depicts the reality of the living dullness. The people upstairs live like they have no soul and the people downstairs sing and dance are pretty passionate in everything they do. The plot of this story goes around Victor in trouble because of the unwanted vow he made to a corpse bride.

It is interesting to see how Victor chooses his ways and how things turned out to be. Corpse Bride delivers a great message of showing compassion and keeping promises. There were some great puns in this movie with some unique character designs. Just watching some character designs you can see how much further you can go with squashing and stretching human characters. Those characters don’t look like humans but they do resemble real ones.

Inside Outside Rating: 78%

Review #55 | Tarzan

It has come time to review the one and only, Tarzan. With music from Phil Collins and animation from Disney, what more do you want?

Tarzan, 1999

Walt Disney Pictures' animated adventure Tarzan is an innovative and entertaining exploration of the classic tale by Edgar Rice Burroughs. With music by Grammy Award-winning singer/songwriter Phil Collins, Tarzan is an adventure that traces the story of a human baby who is orphaned in the African jungle and lovingly raised by a family of apes. Tarzan's peaceful and sheltered world is turned upside down by the arrival of a human expedition and the revelation that he is one of them. As he struggles to decide which "family" he belongs with, his dilemma is further complicated by his feelings for a beautiful young woman named Jane and the discovery that a trusted member of his new human "family" is plotting to harm the apes. With an inspired cast of vocal talents and new technological breakthroughs that bring added depth and dimensionality to the jungle settings, Disney's animated version of Tarzan captures the fantasy, excitement, and imagination of this literary favorite as never before.

Music, animation, character design, story, and the movie itself are stunning and spectacular! This movie made me cry. With touching moments and great action sequences Tarzan is never fails to entertain. So, let’s talk about Tarzan.

The first thing I want to say is the music. Phil Collins has done a great job, and without his performance it would not made the film great as it is. It breathes life to this animated feature. This is a movie where music has much influence in the movies mood and feel.

The animation is stunning and spectacular. From the authentic moves of Tarzan to clumsy but graceful moves of Jane, the animators have done A+ grade job! The jungle is beautiful and wild. The expressions with perfect music make it more emotional.

The story of Tarzan is relatable and it makes you want Tarzan to be happy just like his ape mother wants him to be happy. You want the best for him. After all, he lost his parents and lost everything that comes out of it. Love.

Inside Outside Rating: 90%

Spencer Lee's "Still I Fly"

Spencer Lee's performance on 'Still I Fly' is outstanding. I love his voice and what a great song. Planes: Fire & Rescue might not be one of the mainstream animated feature films but it certainly has its song done right.

Will you grab a chance and watch Planes: Fire & Rescue in theaters this July?

Review #54 | Monsters vs. Aliens

What a joy it is to sit back in relief and watch a movie that has great comedy and style. And Monsters vs. Aliens delivers that.

Monsters vs. Aliens, 2009

When California girl Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches tall. The military jumps into action and Susan is captured and secreted away to a covert government compound. There, she is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters: the brilliant but insect-headed Dr. Cockroach, Ph.D.; the macho half-ape, half-fish The Missing Link; the gelatinous and indestructible B.O.B.; and the 350-foot grub called Insectosaurus. Their confinement is cut short, however, when a mysterious alien robot lands on Earth and begins storming the country. In a moment of desperation, the President is persuaded to enlist the motley crew of Monsters to combat the Alien Robot and save the world from imminent destruction.

Monsters vs. Aliens is a comedic relief that really works but by doing that the creators sacrifice a sane story. I couldn't believe the rapid decision Susan made to suddenly give up her human life and go for the ‘monster’ life just because her crush turned away from her. I don't buy that.

It fails to explain itself and it becomes lazy in being able to make us believe in this world. The bright side is the comedy. It is one of the funniest animated movies out there. They make up over the shallow script.

If you love animation or not, this will make you laugh a lot, but if you are looking for a good decent movie, this movie might not be a good choice.

Inside Outside Rating: 72%

Review #53 | Princess Mononoke

It has come time to review the epic Ghibli film, Princess Mononoke. With exotic location and mythical creatures, Princess Mononoke is indeed something unique for the animation world.

Princess Mononoke, 1997

This $20 million animated adventure/fantasy quickly became the highest grossing Japanese film in Japanese film history (making $150 million in Japan during its first seven months). Set in the 14th century, the ecology-themed epic was directed by Hayao Miyazaki whose previous films were acquired by Disney for U.S. distribution plus other territories. Princess Mononoke depicts a mystical battle between Animal Gods of the forest and humans during Japan's Muromachi Period. Young Ashitaka receives a fatal infection after a demonic wild boar attacks his northern village. Seeking a cure, he sets out to locate the deer-like god Shishigami. Along the way, he sees the rape of the Earth by a mining village. The constant plundering by the village has brought the wrath of the Wolf God, Moro, who attacks the village along with San, a human who was raised by the wolf god. She communicates with the nature spirits -- which is why she is called Princess Mononoke ("spirits of things"). Ashitaka wants these opposing forces to co-exist, and he hopes to bring peace between San and the ironworks owner, Lady Eboshi. However, he is thwarted as higher powers, intent on killing the Shishigama, intrude, and a battle erupts over the future of all nature.

Studio Ghibli introduces us the new kind of animation that has some seriousness into it. Princess Mononoke is an epic film that deals with war and conflict between nature and humans and because it deals with big themes it might lack some human love and affection.

I've enjoyed the film but I thought it took so much time for an animated film. It is long. The movie is so creative and imaginative. This is the movies strong side. Some of the effects animation is stunning.

What I didn't find satisfying was the ending. It ended somewhat warm. It did not have a strong ending or a satisfying one. It is an epic film but I doubt I’ll watch it again at my own will.

Inside Outside Rating: 70%

First Official Trailer for 'The BoxTrolls'

We had seen three teaser trailers for The BoxTrolls but never really seen the official trailer until a few weeks ago. Check out the funny trailer for The BoxTrolls.

I'd loved to see how it will turn out to be, are you?

Inside Sony Pictures Animation - Character Designer Patrick Mate

Patrick Mate shares his story of how he came to work for Sony Pictures Animation.

It was really informative while watching this video, keep posting them! We love to hear about it.

Pixar Announces New Short 'LAVA'

Lava is to be the first musical love story short that is to take place over millions of years. It will be attached to Inside Out next year.

Lava, 2015

Are you excited for a Pixar take on a musical?

Teaser Trailer for 'Penguins of Madagascar'

Our beloved side characters from Madagascar are having their own movie. Check them out on the teaser trailer for Penguins of Madagascar.

Penguins of Madagascar comes out this November. While I am still in doubt how this movie will appeal to young adults, I'm sure kids are all in for the penguins.

Review #52 | How to Train Your Dragon

Since everyone in the U.S. have been enjoying watching How to Train Your Dragon 2, I thought it would be nice to watch How to Train Your Dragon again and write my thoughts about this film.

How to Train Your Dragon, 2010

Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town's fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can't bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.

From the title ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ to its wonderful storytelling through visuals, this movie is something special and worth talking about. This movie stands on its own. It has its good points and bad points. First let me talk about the good.

The animation used here is beautiful. From the flying scenes to the organic feel of the atmosphere, it feels like a real world of Vikings. The next good thing was the telling of a relationship with boy and a dragon visually was stunning. Even though Hiccup and Toothless don’t say much we can see how deep their relationship becomes to be.

There are more things to praise about this movie but I’ll leave that to you. One or two things that bothered me were the opening/closing narrative and the lack of good humor. It could have been more entertaining in some ways but I don’t complain how the movie turned out to be. It really has something special.

Inside Outside Rating: 88%

Annecy Provide Details for 'Inside Out'

Last week Annecy Film Festival took place in France and has revealed some more details on the upcoming film Inside Out. Variety wrote a nice article about it. Here are some of the highlights.

Inside Out New Logo, Annecy, 2014

“It’s based on a strong emotional experience I had watching my daughter grow up,” says the “Up” director, who noticed that when his daughter Elie turned 12, much of her childhood joy disappeared, and she became more moody and withdrawn. “There is something that is lost when you grow up” — and the film became a way to explore that change on an emotional level.

The film centers on a young girl named Riley Anderson, “one of those kids who seems like she was born happy,” Docter says. “In truth, Riley is not our main character; she is our setting.” To demonstrate what he meant, Docter screened the first five minutes of the movie, a good segment of which was still in a pencil-drawn storyboard state. (The finished film will open June 19, 2015.) Sure enough, “Inside Out” takes place in Riley’s subconscious, where a crew of anthropomorphized emotions manage how the girl feels at any given moment from a control panel that looks something like the flight deck of the Starship Enterprise.

In the team’s research, they found many different scientific theories on how the mind works, including one from expert Robert Plutchik that defined eight primary human emotions, which Docter narrowed down to five: Fear (Bill Hader), Sadness (Phyllis Smith), Joy (Amy Poehler), Disgust (Mindy Kaling) and Anger (Lewis Black) — “like our version of Walt Disney’s Seven Dwarfs,” he jokes.

These distinct color-coded characters help Riley to process new experiences and to make memories, which are constantly being recorded within brightly colored orbs that look something like those translucent bath-bubble balls (filed away nightly and then erased in long-term storage by “Forgetters” with a vaguely Minions-like vibe). The inventive opening scene extends from the moment of Riley’ birth and the creation of her first memory to the introduction of its five main characters, ending with an encounter between Joy and Sadness where the former can’t seem to figure out Sadness’ role in the operation. Once the clip ended, Docter explained that Riley and her parents relocate from a quiet rural home to San Francisco at a particularly impressionable age, resulting in a new-school trauma that forces Joy and Sadness out of the control panel and into the far, unfamiliar reaches of her mind.

While Fear, Disgust and Anger awkwardly try to keep things under control — as illustrated in a second clip set around the family dinner table which Pixar unveiled at CinemaCon in March — Joy and Sadness put aside their differences and take audiences through a tour of Riley’s thinking process. This epic road trip entails crossing such areas as Imagination Land (“a giant amusement park full of everything Riley has ever daydreamed about”), a movie studio where nightmares are made, the Train of Thought (a free-ranging locomotive that can go zooming off in any direction) and Abstract Thought — the zone Docter had the most fun translating to the screen.

“I was pretty certain someone must have done an idea like this before,” Docter told Variety after the presentation. And yet, “we’re approaching it from a poetic viewpoint. It’s not even trying to be scientific at all.”

The system depicted in “Inside Out” is both intuitive and slightly retro, recalling such educational filmstrips as “Our Mister Sun,” whose “Gateways to the Mind” installment depicts a little man asleep at the controls. And yet, Docter and his team pushed to find a fresh metaphor that would be totally understandable to all audiences.  “One of the big things in this film has been simplifying and making things ‘gettable,’” he says.

Pete Docter finally adds that, “I thought I was making a film about my daughter, but the truth is, I’m more making a film about myself in relation to my daughter and understanding that. The film is told from a parent’s point of view, and being a parent, I just sort of slipped into that, I guess. It’s definitely made me think again about the way I grew up, my adolescence, and even on a day-to-day basis what I’m doing and why.”

Source: Variety

The Book of Life Trailer

It has been out for weeks but I just wanted to share it anyway. The Book of Life trailer looks gorgeous, beautiful and captivating. Lets just hope that the story lives up to its animation.

How well did you like the trailer? Share your thoughts.

Perfect Poster for 'The Book of Life'

It has been about three weeks since I posted my last post here in this blog. I had to write something when I turned on my computer so I decided to do some catching up. My comeback post will be about the new poster from The Book of Life. Check it out!

The Book of Life, 2014

The poster looks beautiful and I hope the movie is too. For more information check out The Book of Life website.

Inside News - Air Trip

Dear folks, I have some 'inside' announcements to make. I am going on a trip across country. So I won't be posting for a few weeks. So sad. I won't even be able to follow some incredible animation news!

Cars 2, 2011

This will be the last post for a couple of weeks. I am going out May 29 to June 11. I loved writing in this blog. It is awesome. Also after July 22, I won't be posting frequently because I will be busy but I do hope to come back couple of months later (but don't expect a fast return!). This is sad but life. I still love this blog and will be forever in my heart.

P.S. I will be posting whenever I have free time so.... Cheers!

The Book of Life Sneak Peak

Let me just say, amazing. It was long since we've got news from The Book of Life. Back then we've go to look at some concept art. USA Today brings us an another look on story and a great look on characters.

The Book of Life, 2014

The wild, 3-D animated tale features a love triangle among three childhood friends, Manolo (voice by Diego Luna), Maria (Zoe Saldana) and Tatum's Joaquin, who are stirred up after the unpredictable gods wager on which man will win Maria's heart.

The story focuses on the romantic, strong-jawed Manolo, who has big problems besides the growing competition with his best friend. Manolo dreams of breaking away from his family's rich history of bullfighting to play the guitar, much to the dismay of his father, the world's greatest matador (Hector Elizondo) and super-macho grandfather (Danny Trejo).

This journey takes him from the Land of the Living to the Land of the Remembered, where people who have lived complete lives, and are remembered among the living, go after they die. A final, daunting destination is The Land of the Forgotten, where those who have died with unfulfilled lives dwell.

Along the way Manolo meets his bullfighter great-grandfather, who always wanted to be an opera singer (Placido Domingo) but never followed his dream. There are also wild characters including Candle Maker (rapper Ice Cube), an ancient god with a body of wax and a beard made of clouds. (via USA Today)

Sounds complicated? Read the full article on The Book of Life to find out more. Along with this article, the first trailer is expected to shown along with Disney's Maleficent on May 29. 

Review #51 | Robin Hood

That time you watch a classic movie from your childhood. Robin Hood is just that movie I watched all the time in my early years.

Robin Hood, 1973

Robin Hood is one of the first animated films produced by the Walt Disney Company after Walt Disney's death in 1967. For the film, the studio's animators took the Disney tradition of adding human-like animal sidekicks to established tales (Cinderella, Pinnochio) a step further by making Robin Hood's legendary characters creatures themselves. Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) is a wily fox; Maid Marian (Monica Evans) is a beautiful vixen; Little John (Phil Harris) is a burly bear; Friar Tuck (Andy Devine) is a soft-spoken badger; the Sheriff of Nottingham (Pat Buttram) is a greedy wolf; and the scheming Prince John (Peter Ustinov) is a sniveling, groveling, thumb-sucking undersized lion with a serpent sidekick named Sir Hiss (Terry Thomas). The film begins after Prince John and Sir Hiss have tricked the true King into leaving the country on a phony crusade. With the help of the Sheriff of Nottingham, they tax the life out of Nottingham's peasants, leaving them all penniless but with the courageous Robin Hood as their only hope.

Robin Hood is fun and entertaining, and as for me, this was one of the movies I watched as a kid over and over again. Seeing it again as a young adult, it still had the fun and the comedy all the way. I love how this movie has a special place in my life.

So, first the appeal, the characters are definitely one of the standing points of this movie. Each character is well designed. One of my favorite characters is Robin Hood and Maid Marian. The other standing point is the music in it. It is classic in my opinion.

I took the story somewhat differently as other people say. I really enjoyed the story. It actually has a well written story. It didn't feel forced but felt natural and flowed like in real life. This film makes the audience just feel sympathy for the characters and makes us cheer for Robin Hood.

Inside Outside Rating: 80%

Review #50 | The Rescuers Down Under

It has its own charms but it will always be compared with the previous film and therefore loved less.

The Rescuers Down Under, 1990

Bernard (voice of Bob Newhart) and Miss Bianca (voice of Eva Gabor), the intrepid mouse squad from the International Rescue Society of The Rescuers, return to help a little boy from the Australian outback named Cody (voice of Adam Ryen), who has been kidnapped by an evil poacher named McLeach (voice of George C. Scott). Enlisting the air services of Wilbur the Albatross (voice of John Candy), the two mice travel to the wasteland of Australia. McLeach is a dark complexioned exploiter who scours the Outback in a giant hovercraft, intent on capturing endangered species and selling them for a hefty profit. Bernard and Miss Bianca befriend a Paul Hogan-type mouse named Jake (Tristan Rogers), but to battle against the evil McLeach, Bernard's wisdom is required in order to save the day. Disney got its feet wet in computer animation with several impressive flight sequences, which bracket the film.

I will start of by saying that they have named the title right, instead of just saying ‘2’ in the title, I am glad they did something different. This is an experimental feature that used computers for animation.

The animation in my point lacked the rich colors the first movie used. What bugged me was that the character didn't look the same as before. The Rescuers Down Under kind of lost its magic. The characters seem more lightly handled and weak in their purposes.

The villain McLeach for instance is a weak character although he gives the impression of scariness. Other characters like Miss Bianca and the ‘new’ mouse, Jake. The background animation was descent and beautiful at times.

A few good moments does not justify the overall story being a flop. The thing about sequel is that it will always be compared with the previous films, so that is ways it has be handled with care. What disappointed me was that it did not feel as authentic as the previous one. I believe it could have been handled better with people who loved the first movie.

Inside Outside Rating: 55%

Review #49 | All Dogs Go to Heaven

If only they have done some major changes, including a change in title, it would've be impressive.

All Dogs Go to Heaven, 1989

One of the most expensive of Don Bluth's animated cartoon features, All Dogs Go to Heaven was also among the most successful. Set in late-'30s New Orleans, the story centers upon a roguish German shepherd named Charlie B. Barkin (voice of Burt Reynolds), who is killed early in the proceedings by his business partner, Carface (voice of Vic Tayback). Charlie travels to Heaven, and is promptly warned that if he heads back to Earth, he can never return; he does decide to go back to Earth, however, to exact revenge on Carface, who has kidnapped Anne-Marie, a little orphan girl who can talk to Animals. The film also includes the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly, Vic Tayback, Melba Moore, Loni Anderson, and a host of others. All Dogs Go to Heaven was the first production of the Dublin-based Sullivan Bluth Studios.

Very unstable animated feature film which lacks appeal and entertainment. The animation is not the best out there and the story that is based on a weak and unstable theme. It fails to have a great story with side stories being unhelpful.

The music is not really helping the story move forward. The story is pretty dark and does not serve its purpose. All Dogs Go to Heaven lacks something special that is crucial to an animated film.

Inside Outside Rating: 32%

Review #48 | Tangled

Yeah...It is so satisfactory when you watch a fine animated film. Tangled is one those films.

Tangled, 2010

When the kingdom's most wanted-and most charming-bandit Flynn Rider hides out in a mysterious tower, he's taken hostage by Rapunzel, a beautiful and feisty tower-bound teen with 70 feet of magical, golden hair. Flynn's curious captor, who's looking for her ticket out of the tower where she's been locked away for years, strikes a deal with the handsome thief and the unlikely duo sets off on an action-packed escapade, complete with a super-cop horse, an over-protective chameleon and a gruff gang of pub thugs.

This is how you make an animated film. Or at least this is how the Disney makes an animated film when they put their heart and soul into their work. I cannot say that it is has everything it needs to be perfect but it is truly delightful.

Tangled has some of the best animated scenes. ‘Kingdom Dance’ scene is very authentic and beautiful. The tear healing scene is one of the best climaxes Disney has ever done. It made me cry.

It is a best animated musical I have ever seen. What makes Tangled shine beautifully is the free character of Rapunzel. She finds the true enemy and she is not afraid to fight for freedom. When she finds out that Flynn dying, she decides even to give up her freedom to save him.

My only complaint would be the too human like animal characters, and in comparison too lighthearted human characters.

Good Quote: (Rapunzel) I will keep fighting you, but if you just let me heal him…

Inside Outside Rating: 87%

Disney's Big Hero 6 Official Teaser Trailer

It's finally out! Check out this teaser trailer for Big Hero 6.

Big Hero 6 opens in theaters on November 7, 2014. Will see how Disney deals with super heroes.

Big Hero 6 Teaser Poster Revealed

Another news from Big Hero 6 is that now it has a poster of it. Check it out below:

Big Hero 6, 2014

It looks nice.

Check Out This 'Big Hero 6' Teaser Trailer Sneak Peek

Now this took me as a surprise. This is a sneak peek of the teaser of Big Hero 6.

Big Hero 6 opens in theaters this November.

First Look on 'Big Hero 6'

Looks like everyone is excited about  the next Disney animated feature Big Hero 6. Take a look at the first still probably from the upcoming teaser trailer.

Big Hero 6, 2014 

Big Hero 6, 2014

Big Hero 6, 2014

Hiro is the one the main characters of Big Hero 6 and his bot Baymax are about to save the world on November 7, 2014. Anyone find any resemblance with Astro Boy?

Find out more about Big Hero 6 here.

DreamWorks Animation's 'Home' Moves Back

DreamWorks Animation has announced a change in date. Home which was originally expected to be release November 26, is now replaced to the Penguins of Madagascar. Home is moved back to March 27, 2015.

Penguins of Madagascar, 2014

Dawn Taubin, Chief Marketing Officer at DreamWorks Animation says:

“We will continue to be as flexible as necessary when it comes to our release dates.  We see a unique opportunity for our next two films by having the Penguins of Madagascar move onto November 26 of this year and Home move onto March 27, 2015.  We’re confident that this date switch gives both of our upcoming releases the largest opportunity for success.”

When I first read about this news, I was curious. Why? I think DreamWorks Animation has more confidence in Penguins of Madagascar and thought Home needed more time.

What do you think?

Review #47 | The Iron Giant

"I am now the coolest kid in America". I am glad the kid found the iron giant.

The Iron Giant, 1999

A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film.

The Iron Giant is a movie that really captures the good humor with some great character animation satisfies the general audience. I really loved those funny moments the movie captures. Although the animation is not very smooth at times, wow, what a great job creating facial expressions on Hogarth’s mother.

As for the story, it was good and it didn't seem absurd. They really made it believable and understandable. At the end it is fun and great!

Inside Outside Rating: 86%

Big Hero 6 Teaser Trailer in for May 22

Walt Disney Animation Studios announced a teaser trailer to debut online on May 22, 2014.

Big Hero 6, 2014

We can finally take a glimpse on the feel of the movie. Big Hero 6 is set to be released on November 7, 2014.

Toy Story of TERROR! Blu-Ray Announced!

I haven't seen Toy Story of TERROR! on TV so this is very exciting news for me to finally see it. Toy Story of TERROR! arrives on Blu-Ray along with previous Toy Story Toons on August 19, 2014.

Toy Story of TERROR!, 2013

Are you excited about this?

The LEGO Movie is Available on Digital HD Sooner!

Looks like we are going to be able to watch The LEGO Movie sooner than latter on Digital HD. On Easter Warner Bros. announced it to come on June 17 but it looks like we can download it on May 20 on Digital HD!

The LEGO Movie, 2014

Now, who's excited? You can pre-order it on iTunes!

HTTYD2 is Getting Positive Early Reviews!

The upcoming ambitious animated feature from DreamWorks Animation is turning out to be something special.

How to Train Your Dragon 2, 2014

The critics are praising the movie for it's amazing story. Drew McWeeny, from HITFIX said: 

With this second film in the series, Dean DeBlois (who both wrote and directed the movie) has turned this into the most exciting overall property that DreamWorks has, live-action or animated. The film has an immediate confidence, and they don't spend much time trying to explain the first film. This is a sequel that has its own story to tell and that gets right down to it, and it expands on the ideas from the first film, but in a way that tells a thematically satisfying and complete story. In other words, this is how franchises are supposed to work.

I was worried how DreamWorks Animation would carry out the success of the first movie, but so fortunately it turns out be a great sequel that will serve as a model for other studios to look up to.

Review #46 | Up

This is an another level of Pixar's masterpiece that has everything you.., Squirrel!

UP, 2009

A feisty septuagenarian teams with a fearless wilderness ranger to do battle with a vicious band of beasts and villains in this computer-animated adventure scripted by Pixar veteran Bob Peterson and co-directed by Peterson and Monsters, Inc. director Peter Docter. Carl Fredricksen is a 78-year-old balloon salesman. His entire life, Carl has longed to wander the wilds of South America. Then, one day, the irascible senior citizen shocks his neighbors by tying thousands of balloons to his home and finally taking flight. But Carl isn't alone on his once-in-a-lifetime journey, because stowed away on his front porch is an excitable eight-year-old wilderness explorer named Russell. Later, as the house touches down on the world's second largest continent, Carl and his unlikely traveling companion step outside to discover that not only is their new front lawn considerably larger, but that the predators therein are much more ferocious than anything they ever faced back home.

This is why Pixar has a high up standard expectations. You can’t think about Pixar the same way after this movie. One of the most comedic and heartfelt movies Pixar has ever done. Pixar has proved that heartfelt movies can be funny and sweet at the same time.

This is one of the best works of Pixar so far. Along with Toy Story 3, UP has something really special that teaches us to let go of the past because it does not matter now. It really draws us to the characters and makes us care for what happens to them.

Although the designs for the characters are simple the emotions each character has is something deep.  The animation is beautiful from beginning to end. The music is also top notched. Really works well with the emotions and the feel of the movie. It wouldn't be the same without the music.

From a small grandfather to Paradise Falls, this movie has everything you want to see in a movie.

Inside Outside Rating: 96%

Review #45 | Mary and Max

Mary and Max was not great experience for my case but it does have its own colors. This will be a short review of the movie. (I'm so lazy!)

Mary and Max, 2009

Academy Award-winning Harvie Krumpet director Adam Elliot returns to the world of clay animation with this simple tale of the innocent correspondence between a portly eight year old girl from the suburbs of Melbourne and a morbidly obese, middle-aged Jewish New Yorker suffering from Asperger's Syndrome. On the surface it would seem that Mary (Toni Collette) and Max (Philip Seymour Hoffman) would have little in common, but over the course of twenty years, the unlikely pen pals exchange letters discussing everything from taxidermy, trust, pets, religion, obesity, autism, agoraphobia, alcoholism, and just about any other topic that comes to mind as they sit down and put pen to paper. Barry Humphries and Eric Bana provide additional voices.

It is a very mature artistic film but has no place for kids. It had lots of comedy and humor and at one point it goes too far. Mary and Max is a well-crafted film that has a wonderful screenplay and does great to picture the films color.

I wouldn't recommend it to kids for they won’t find this fun.

Inside Outside Rating: 74% 

Review #44 | Castle in the Sky

There are something special to the Studio Ghibli films, and that can be found in the studio's first imaginative film, Castle in the Sky.

Castle in the Sky, 1986

A young boy and a girl with a magic crystal must race against pirates and foreign agents in a search for a legendary floating castle.

Castle in the Sky is an imaginative compelling animated treat but the running time gets too long and like most sci-fi films go… it does not reach to a satisfying ending. The first act is filled with action and makes us curious about what is going on and then it kind of lags behind.

The world of Laputa is well established and we get to journey through this creative experience. The problem with this movie is that it did great to entertain us all through two hours of amazing shots but fails to come up with a satisfying ending.

Inside Outside Rating: 69%

Review #43 | Robots

Blue Sky Studios' Robots is more comedic than appealing and is imaginative and good for a laugh.

Robots, 2005

For this follow-up to their mega-hit Ice Age, directors Carlos Saldanha and Chris Wedge team with the screenwriting duo behind Parenthood and City Slickers, Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel. Robots stars Ewan McGregor as the voice of Rodney Copperbottom, an idealistic robot who wants to convince his electronic brethren to come together and work toward making the world a better place. As the story unfolds, Rodney faces opposition from an evil corporation headed by Big Weld (Mel Brooks) and finds some unlikely allies in the form of a ragtag group of misfit robots called the Rusties and voiced by the likes of Drew Carey and Amanda Bynes. Stanley Tucci and Dianne Wiest provide the voices of Rodney's parents, and Halle Berry portrays his love interest, Cappy.

It won’t measure up to the A list story telling but the visuals and comedic parts make up to the slightly boring story. This movie has heart even though it is a story about robots. It tries to put the comedy and sometimes it seems forced. If it was me I would put all the comedic elements aside for the sake of the story and the moments.

The movie’s strong point was the world of Robot City; it is so vast and complicated. Other than that it does poorly on developing the characters. The character like Madame Gasket is very nice to look at, and the scene of domino falling one after another in Bigweld’s dwelling place was awesome.

It has a moral of following your dreams but does poorly to make the story appealing even though they had some funny moments; it significantly loses points on good story telling.

Inside Outside Rating: 66%

Review #42 | Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is a follow up sequel to Tinker Bell and with the better established characters and the world of Tinker Bell, it has improved in storytelling.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure, 2009

This animated adventure follows the tiny pixie from Peter Pan Tinker Bell as she bands together with her fairy friends to create the famous Fall Scepter - a magical and important task, that will restore the world's supply of fairy dust, and set things right in Pixie Hollow for another year.

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure is a delightful sequel to Tinker Bell and in my opinion better than the first one. In this movie it the team did a great job of forming a relationship between Tinker Bell and the ‘dust-keeper’ Terence.

The movie is for younger kids but it does a great job of telling a good story with unexpected final touches. I should also praise the animators for the comedic impressions they have made with Tinker Bell. Some moment are hilarious and really forms the characters alive.

It has a firm world where the audiences know what’s going on and really take off the journey with Tinker Bell. At the end, you get care and root for the main protagonist. It was a great decision at the end to pull the story to a better conclusion, not making the wish come true magically but to fix what was wrong and to admit that you were wrong and needed to ask for forgiveness.

Favorite Quote: (Terrence) Well, you know, every dust-keeper's gotta study dustology

Inside Outside Rating: 69%

Legends of Oz Opens

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return opened in theaters in the U.S. on May 9. Unfortunately the critics are giving unfavorable reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Here is the consensus:

Faced with the choice between staying in or seeing Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, most filmgoers will be forced to conclude that there's no place like home.

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return, 2014

Despite the negative reviews I think everyone should check it out for it will feature some great songs, and that will be a delight!

'Inside Out' Screening to Take Place at Annecy

The upcoming movie Inside Out, is to be screened at Annecy International Animated Film Festival 2014 on June 10 in France. Annecy is a festival for animated films and shorts worldwide occurring annually in France where various animated cartoons compete in categories such as feature films, short films, films produced for television and advertising, student films and films made for the internet.

Inside Out, 2015

What caught me was that my most anticipated upcoming feature film Inside Out is going be screened there. We don't know what they will show there but we can finally get a sneak peek of what the movie will look like. Pete Docter, the director, who previously worked on Monsters, Inc. and UP,  is an amazing person who makes great films. I do have high hopes for this one. We have said goodbye to Andy but that doesn't mean Pixar should leave the legacy behind and fall back, is it?

I believe Inside Out will bring back the heart out of Pixar that made it famous for. Inside Out is scheduled for the summer of 2015.

Review #41 | Alice in Wonderland

Alice goes through a lot in her dreams and yet finds no problem with that. Now, that's a character!

Alice in Wonderland, 1951

This Disney feature-length cartoon combines the most entertaining elements of Lewis Carroll's Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Chasing after the White Rabbit, who runs into view singing "I'm Late! I'm Late!," Alice falls down the rabbit hole into the topsy-turvy alternate world of Wonderland. She grows and shrinks after following the instructions of a haughty caterpillar, attends a "Very Merry Unbirthday" party in the garden of the Mad Hatter and the March Hare, stands in awe as the Cheshire Cat spouts philosophy, listens in rapt attention as Tweedledum and Tweedledee relate the story of the Walrus and the Carpenter (a sequence usually cut when Alice is shown on TV), and closes out her day with a hectic croquet game at the home of the Red Queen.

It is truly a fascinating wonderland that Alice has gone in. Alice in Wonderland is full of imagination that would never happen in real life. It makes us wonder and laugh. The movie has episodic plot lines but works well as a whole movie. It introduces to many places and characters with distinctive characteristics.

Movies like these don’t ever rust, and that’s why they’re called 'the classics'. It is such a special movie because it feels unique and original that only animation can do and imagine. It might not have that typical story ‘…and she lived happily ever after’ but it does prove to be very entertaining and creative.

This silly, absurd animated feature film works fine with comedy and truly brings smiles and laughs to the audience.

Inside Outside Rating: 78%

Review #40 | Superman: Doomsday

Today I set a new milestone in my animated life (?) by watching Superman: Doomsday and guess what? It was pretty cool. I enjoyed the experience. Superman: Doomsday is the first feature film of the 'DC Universe Animated Original Movies'.

Superman: Doomsday, 2007

When Lexcorp accidentally unearths the intergalactic serial killer Doomsday, Superman battles the creature head on in the fight of his life...literally. The world collectively mourns their fallen hero; humanity realizes it will never feel truly safe again. Superman's enemies rejoice - all but, Lex Luthor, who grieves the loss in his own demented manner, setting off a chilling chain of events that even he couldn't have foreseen.

Inspired by the bestselling graphic novel of all time, DC Comics' The Death of Superman, this feature-length animated movie boasts exciting action sequences that rival anything you've ever seen starring the Man of Steel!

I had no idea what to expect with this movie watching it for the first time (in forever) but at the end it was an enjoyable experience. I was never a Superman fan and knew nothing about the Superman origin. It was confusing at first but it all came together in the end.

The movie starts out with big action fighting scene and then Superman dies very early on. I had thought he probably will rise up again and save the day, which was true but I have never thought it would have more complicated plot lines.

If you love big explosions and action movies, then this is an amazing extension of it. You might want to add it to your watch list. Have you seen the movie? Let me know in the comments below what you thought about the film.

Inside Outside Rating: 62%

Review #39 | Hercules

Pop culture of the 90's meets Greek mythology, Hercules. With Meg, Hades, and Hercules, this movie is mighty good.

Hercules, 1997

Disney's animation team dipped into the rich well of ancient mythology for this musical comedy. The son of Greek gods Zeus (voice of Rip Torn) and Hera (Samantha Eggar), Hercules (voice of Josh Keaton) is stolen as a boy by the minions of Hades (voice of James Woods), lord of the underworld. Forced to live among humans, Hercules is turned into a half-god and half-mortal after drinking a forbidden potion brewed by Hades' right hand men, Pain (voice of Bob Goldthwait) and Panic (voice of Matt Frewer). Now Hercules has the remarkable strength of a god, but is trapped in the body of a human, and before he learns how to use his power properly he goes through a typically adolescent awkward period. In order to become a god and return to his home on Mount Olympus, Hercules must prove himself a true hero on Earth. With the assistance of Philotes (voice of Danny De Vito), a plucky satyr known as "Phil," the grown-up Hercules (voice of Tate Donovan) learns to use his strength to his advantage and becomes a famous and benevolent protector of those around him, successfully battling a variety of gods and monsters. However, Hades, wanting to cut Hercules down to size, sends his secret weapon after him -- Megara (voice of Susan Egan), a seductively beautiful woman under Hades' control, who is to win Hercules' heart and render him helpless against the forces of the underworld. Acclaimed British cartoonist Gerald Scarfe served as production designer for this project, while Alan Menken wrote the musical score. Incidentally, for the Spanish language version of the film, Latin pop singer Ricky Martin provided the singing voice of Hercules, two years before he became a chart-topping sensation in America with his hit single "Livin' la Vida Loca."

Hercules is a film that shows the rich pop culture of that time and makes a mythology seem so modern. The story has some silly points but all in all it is an epic film of true hero stuff. With sassy entertaining character like ‘Meg’ the movie seems to outdo itself.

The animation feels fast paced and uses a lot of ‘squash and stretches’ and exaggerations. With a clever screenplay and awesome music and lyrics combined, it overcomes silliness off some meek characters pass away as a joke.

Disney’s main theme, ‘dream coming true’ is translated in a modern Disney style. Also the movie has introduced us to some great characters as well as some silly forgettable characters. The villains, especially Hades, are an iconic villain characters in the Disney universe. Meg is also an original female character that never before seen in an animated feature but to one that can be related too.

This is Disney. If you see Hercules you’ll see what Walt Disney Animation Studios does and how the stories they tell refer to real life.

Inside Outside Rating: 83%

Review #38 | The Rescuers

If filmmakers of The Avengers want to capture big and cool action packed scenes, the animation industries can capture the smallest things and make it important.

The Rescuers, 1977

Two fantasy novels by Margery Sharp were combined for in the Disney animated feature The Rescuers. The title characters are a pair of mice, Bernard and Miss Bianca. A little girl named Penny has been kidnapped by Miss Medusa. When the human law enforcement officials fail to locate the child, Bernard and Miss Bianca take over with the help of several colorful animal companions. In classic Disney tradition, the comedy element is offset by moments of genuine terror. Voices are provided by Bob Newhart (Bernard), Eva Gabor (Miss Bianca), Geraldine Page (Madame Medusa), Jim "Fibber McGee" Jordan, John McIntire, George "Goober" Lindsay, Joe Flynn (who died in 1974, not long into the four-year production), and a host of others.

The Rescuers is a unique Disney film that has suspense and story. I really enjoyed watching this movie. This is the movie that I didn't get to watch when I was a kid, and it was amazing to see that it still had that fun in the movie.

The music sets up the mood of the film and the characters are, like most Disney films, fantastic. Each character explains itself. The story of a small mouse rescue team makes us wonder how they will ever rescue anyone.

The animation used in this movie is not the best Disney has offered. The colors are dark and the characters facial features change. Despite all that, the animation looks appealing and watchable.

The Rescuers might seem old fashioned but sometimes we need to look back to those rich animated qualities of the past.

Inside Outside Rating: 74%