Day 1421: Cars 3

I still remember the first time I saw Cars in theaters, when my family loved it so much that we just had to see it again...and then one more time before it even left cinemas. I don't particularly remember seeing Cars 2, but I know that we did at some point, and I have more than a few memories of watching both films in my own home. If you've been reading Everyday Disney for a while, you'll also know just how much I love and adore Carsland out at Disney California Adventure. If I could live anywhere in the world, aside from inside Spaceship Earth, it'd be Carsland. Actually, I think I ate at Flo's three times in the five days we were in the parks. Or was it four times? 

Either way, Cars quickly rose to, and has stayed at, the top of my favorite Disney-Pixar movies list. I can't quite pinpoint why, but there's just something about this story that hit me and has stuck with me unlike any of the others. Maybe it's the fact that I love driving, and I really loved my road trip this past summer, which, for a while, took us on Route 66. Perhaps it's that dream I have of driving the Route all together, or it might be the beautiful animation and story that should have won it an Oscar. I'm still a bit salty about that one. 

I think, ultimately, the thing I loved most about Cars was that it's a movie without a central villain. Yes, Chick Hicks is there throughout the film, but he's not really...evil, at least not in the same way as Captain Hook or Cruella de Vil terrorize their own films. Cars was, and is, a personal journey for Lightning, and he becomes his own villain. I think that was a really important lesson for me back in the day - that sometimes we want to blame others when the fault really lies with us. We want to blame Doc and Mater and Sally and Mac and yes, even good old Bessie, for our problems, but we can be the villains of our own story too. Lightning is so focused on his racing career and coming out on top that he neglects those around him, getting caught up in his own ambitions without ever realizing the toll they'll take on others. And when he gets stuck in Radiator Springs, it wasn't truly the fault of Mac - it was Lightning, and as he begins to slow down and truly open his eyes, he realizes that there's more to life than ambition. 

As someone who regularly gets caught up in her own ambition and needs to consciously remind herself to slow down and enjoy life a bit more, Cars made all the difference for me. I know I felt that Cars 2 was lacking that same theme, and a physical villain appeared, so while it's still a spectacular movie, I think it lost some of the same charm for me. Which is why I'm actually thrilled by this first teaser trailer for Cars 3. Like with Toy Story, it seems that we'll be coming full circle with Lightning's story. He was, at one point, the young hotshot who had so much to learn, and it was Doc that taught him new tricks. Now, Lightning's a permanent fixture in the racing world, but as we learned in the original film, fame and good luck doesn't last forever. Lightning was once his own villain, and I'm really hoping that we'll see that again in a new way! 

Let me know what your thoughts on the new trailer are in the comments below! 

Have a magical day!

Day 1265: Finding Dory

I don't know how old I was when I saw Finding Nemo for the first time, but in the years since then, I do know that it's made an impact on my life. From the Disney Parks, where Nemo and Friends took over the Living Seas and brought a lost attraction back to life and swam their way on stage in their own musical, to several of my best friends loving the film, to watching it on every single band trip I've ever been on, Nemo is one of those films that seems to be universally loved. That's why, as usual, I headed to theaters as soon as possible to see the sequel, Finding Dory, and this time I made sure to bring my extended family with me.

I don't know entirely what to say about this film aside from the fact that I think we all really enjoyed it (and loved it, if we're being honest here). I heard before seeing it that some were comparing it to Toy Story 3, and saying that it's the best Pixar sequel since then, and I completely agree. For those of us that experienced Finding Nemo when we were young, and then crowded the movie theaters to see Finding Dory, it was extremely fulfilling.

And on top of it all, this film had a great message, as many of the Pixar films do, which left us really wondering what Dory would do. It shed a light on some of the disabilities we may not be able to see, and how they can make a person just as valuable in their own unique way. Finding Dory included a variety of characters, from a Beluga Whale with broken sonar, to Dory with her memory loss, Nemo with his lucky fin, a blind whale, and even a bird named Becky that quickly became one of my favorite characters. It showed us that everyone is worthwhile, no matter what we struggle with, and that if we celebrate our differences, strengths, and yes, even our weaknesses, we really can swim across an entire ocean to find those we love.

If you haven't seen Finding Dory yet, I encourage you to do so! I must say that it's one of the funniest films I've seen in a while, as it had me laughing pretty much the entire time through some really cleverly created jokes and funny moments that could have only been created by Pixar, and I'm excited to see it again at some point in the future!

Have a magical day!

Day 1059: The Good Dinosaur

I've been on a roll this year with seeing Disney films on opening day. Earlier I saw Tomorrowland and Inside Out on opening day, and when I had a chance to see The Good Dinosaur, it felt like the right option!

Overall, I thought The Good Dinosaur was a pretty good (haha) movie, although it's certainly not my favorite of the Pixar films. In fact, without giving away any spoilers, I kind of felt like it was the same movie as Inside Out, just for a different group of people. After all, so many of the same themes were present and it just felt like Inside Out...with Dinosaurs.

Either way, I thought the animation was brilliant, and the characters were definitely unique. That's actually one of the things I love most about Pixar - their ability to take characters we think we know and flip them on their heads. That certainly happens multiple times in this film, whether it be with Spot or a T Rex.

Honestly, I don't want to give too much of the film away if you haven't seen it yet, so let's just finish with the trailer for the movie!

I'm also in love with the music in this trailer, which is pretty usual for me haha! Disney does a spectacular job with soundtracks, especially in their trailers! 

If you haven't had a chance to see The Good Dinosaur yet, go as soon as you can and see the magic for yourself! 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 26).

Day 1044: Finding Dory

That's right, the moment we've all been waiting for is finally here: the trailer for Finding Dory!

Oh come on, you can't tell me that you haven't been anticipating this movie at least a little bit. We all want to know why we have to find Dory, and where she went! Plus, more Ellen and more Nemo? Sounds like the greatest thing ever.

It seems like we're not necessarily looking for Dory, but that Dory is looking for something else. Regardless, with this bunch of fish it's sure to be an interesting adventure! 

So...can we go see the movie now? 

Have a magical day! 

(Note: This blog post was written on December 30).