Frying pans...who knew, right??

Mixing it up!! Let's talk an animated feature.

If you all haven't seen Tangled yet...well, then I'm disappointed in you. (J/K! But really, go see it)

It is an AMAZING movie and really gives me faith in Disney again. Now, don't get me wrong...I'm a Disney Princess/Loyalist through-and-through, but things had only been kind of "eh" for me for the past couple years. I did love Princess and the Frog (totally own it too), but nothing compares to how I love this movie! And it's not a -typical- Disney movie either. Let's review why.

A) The heroine is kind of a dork. And I love it. She's naive and a little goofy, but she's endearing, a dreamer, and oh, so lovable.

B) We have not yet seen a chameleon as a heroine/princess's trusting sidekick! I guess Disney's liking the reptiles/amphibians these days ;)

C) Now, while 3D/digital animation has been Disney's bread and butter as of late (Toy Story, The Incredibles, etc.), and this is the same kind of deal, I feel like the animation style is a better combination of the drawn and computer generated. I don't know how to explain it. But I have to say, a lot of the expressions, gestures, and movements look very realistic sometimes.

D) The music is more broadway/theatrical than typical Disney movies. I didn't even know it was a musical! And while it is, I don't think that distracts from the story or would make it less enjoyable for say, I dunno, a guy.

E) For ONCE in a Disney movie...THE MOTHER IS NOT DEAD!!!! (Think about it. Belle's mom, Ariel's mom, Cinderella's real mom, Snow White's real mom, Jasmine's mom, Tink's mom, Giselle's mom, Kida's mom.....Aurora's an exception. Simba too.)

F) The narrator is, in fact, our hero. And gosh, he's funny. And flawed. He's not your typical hero.

He IS, however, all mine. Sorry, Rapunzel:

BAHAHAHA! I'm so serious. This was sent to me from DisneyWorld for my birthday. Joy of JOYS.

Anyway.

It also comes with some really marvelous and beautiful concept art. I love looking at sketches and concept paintings like this one!

You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder how they'll get out of this scrape, that scrape. You'll marvel at the scenery (whoever was on the production team for the background art...bravo), sit there and consider (seriously) what it would be like to have 75 feet of hair, and afterwards, I think you'll just feel really good. It's a feel-good movie (though it has it's drama!). So, go see it.

NOW. :)

Rapunzel: "I have made the decision to trust you."

Flynn: "A horrible decision really."

"Fine, like moving the castle isn't hard enough!"

Today, we're going in a completely new direction! Remember how I briefly explained anime in my post on Sailor Moon :)? Today's topic is the great Hayao Miyazaki and his animated movies.

Hayao Miyazaki - Japanese manga artist, animator, and film director

If you've never seen a Miyazaki movie, I must profess, my dears, you must be living under a rock. His 2001 film Spirited Away (trailer below) was the first anime ever awarded the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Howl's Moving Castle (based on the book by Diana Wynne Jones) was nominated for the same category in 2005. His 1997 film Princess Mononoke (the first Miyazaki film to make it big in the West - Thanks, Miramax) was the highest-grossing film in Japan, until it was topped by James Cameron's Titanic. Later, Spirited Away would top Titanic.

Miyazaki co-founded Studio Ghibli, the studio under which these classics were produced, in June of 1985. The logo features the lovable Totoro (pictured above) from Miyazaki's film My Neighbor Totoro. I remember watching that movie in the After School Program in elementary school and I have quite a little collection of Totoro plushies. But that's a mere side note. :)

6 Reasons why we love Miyazaki's films (of 12983083459834058 other reasons)

1. While the style of his characters may look a little simple, Miyazaki is a master animator. The effects, the backgrounds, the action will surprise you.

2. He always gets Joe Hisaishi to do his music. *_* This guy is so good. (And yes, you can purchase the soundtracks :))

3. His movies have a message. They delight and entertain all ages, but you leave having learned something. Whether it's about love, humanity, industry vs. nature, good vs. evil...

4. They have something for everyone, so they're perfect for watching with friends and family.

5. The man created Totoro. And Catbus. He deserves our patronage and support.

RIGHT HERE! <-- Here's a great article in-depth article on Miyazaki's works and themes.

Three of his films you need to see right now (this is no surprise): Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle. GO NOW! I'll go with you.

3 Fun Facts!

1. Miyazaki's father, Katsuji, was the Director of family-owned Miyazaki airplane. This family fascination with aviation is apparent in Miyazaki's works even today...Check Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, Castle in the Sky and Howl's Moving Castle.

2. Reoccurring themes in Miyazaki's work include human impact on the environment, feminism, anti-military sentiments, magic, and morally ambiguous characters.

3. Miyazaki believes that "hand drawing on paper is the fundamental of animation." The majority of his art is done in watercolor. While some of his films have employed computer animation for polish, his most recent film Ponyo (2008) returned to hand drawing for everything.

“I am an animator. I feel like I'm the manager of a animation cinema factory. I am not an executive. I'm rather like a foreman, like the boss of a team of craftsmen. That is the spirit of how I work.” - Hayao Miyazaki