Maleficent: Mistress of Evil

The story of Maleficent: Mistress of Evil is dark and intense. Themes of family, betrayal, hope and love make this a wild ride. There are battle sequences that are not for the kiddos. They are very violent and scary. In the midst of it all, the makeup and hair is off the rails. This movie was better than I expected, but not great and very menacing for a Disney story.

Frozen II

Following the phenomenon of Frozen, Frozen II is a worthy sequel. Though it is not enjoying the epic popularity of the original, I liked the adventure we went on with the beloved characters, and a few new ones. The animation is gorgeous. I was happy to see this in a theater with some very enthusiastic, vocal young film lovers. Good movie.

Aladdin (2019)

The live action version of Aladdin was a miss for me. I love the animated version so much, this one just fell flat. Clunky and awkward, but I did enjoy the dance numbers.

Dumbo

The bleak aspect of Dumbo along with the mistreatment of animals in the circus, is the culture of bullying among those who are different. This story is dark, I think too dark for children. The live action is fine, but it is a sad story.

Hocus Pocus

As lists of Halloween films start popping up, I realize that I have never seen Hocus Pocus. This campy, silly horror film about witches, spells and curses is highly entertaining. It is also has a side theme of family. Cute, fun Halloween movie.

Mulan

Mulan is one of the few Disney films I had not seen. After taking a silly online quiz titled "What Disney character are you?" and getting Mulan, I thought I should check it out. Set in ancient China, its a bit tough to get beyond the prejudices against women, which were part of the culture, but the action and story are good. I'm not a huge fan of gender confusion plots (hello Shakespeare) but this story gets beyond it quickly and Mulan is a hero as herself. Glad I saw it.