The Walt Disney Company claimed a number of momentous milestones and achievements in 2012, such as boasting the highest-grossing film of the year (Marvel’s The Avengers). But as Disney reached some considerable points, they also faced and developed a handful of issues. This special edition of Disney In Depth looks back at the world of Disney in 2012, with my top 10 best in this edition, and “bottom” 10 worst (with some suggestions on how to remedy those problems) in next week’s edition.

Continue reading for the best of list. [...]

Right now, Amazon is selling Batman Beyond: The Complete Series DVD box set for only $42.99 (that’s 57% off the list price of $99.98).

This 9-disc DVD set comes with all 52 episodes of the Batman Beyond animated series and includes bonus features and a 24-page collectible booklet. See full details of set here below and grab this box set now before the deal ends! [...]

Up
5-Disc 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital l 4-Disc Blu-ray l 3-Disc Blu-ray
Directed by Pete Docter
Starring Edward Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, Bob Peterson
Disney-Pixar
Release Date: December 4, 2012

Get ready to soar into Pixar’s tenth film, the studio’s first Oscar-nominated feature for Best Picture and quite possibly its most sentimental. Though Up already claims a place in our hearts – and on store shelves – now it has arrived on Blu-ray 3D. Is this new five-disc package worth the price? Let us hover toward a review of this emotional roller coaster.

Whether you caught Up in theaters or in its earlier home video release – or perhaps this may be your first screening – every viewing promotes laughs, tears, and much self-reflection. The most epically simple romance between balloon salesman Carl Fredricksen and his adoring wife Ellie is a testament to Pixar’s genius, in eliciting every emotion in the book in the span of ten minutes. Their darling story, which pervades past their marriage, transcends the medium of film. [...]

Batman Year One
Netflix Streaming
DVD | Blu-ray
Directed by Sam Liu and Lauren Montgomery
Starring Bryan Cranston, Benjamin McKenzie, Eliza Dushku, Katee Sackhoff, Alex Rocco
Warner Home Video
Originally Released: October 18, 2011

Speaking nostalgically, the Batman Year One comic series by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli instigates many happy memories for me. I, along with many other geeks, hold the earlier Miller Batman work in high esteem, and the Year One arc released back in 1987 is often regarded with much reverence. It, accompanied by titles like The Killing Joke and others, is often pointed to as being must-read material for new Batman readers.

Thus, when it was announced that Warner Brothers Animation and DC were going forward with an animated adaptation of the classic and timeless Batman Year One, it was a bittersweet moment. Would they stand true to the original material? Or make sweeping adaptations for the release? [...]

Originally planned as a direct-to-video release, Walt Disney has decided to lock in a theatrical release date for their movie Planes, which is inspired by the world of Pixar’s Cars, and follows…you guessed it, airplanes.

Disney has reserved the August 9, 2013 spot for the movie, which will be made by DisneyToon Studios, not Pixar. Pixar legend and Cars director John Lasseter, however, will oversee the project, as he does for all DisneyToon and Walt Disney Animation titles. [...]

A snail that dreams of being as fast as a NASCAR race car is perhaps the most clique thing ever. Obviously it can work as some sort of inspiration/motivational story for a younger audience, and thankfully DreamWorks Animation saw the potential in that and created Turbo.

The film centers on a snail (voiced by Ryan Reynolds) who dreams of racing in the big leagues. And the trailer leads you to believe he can do it up until the end that is. Of course this being a teaser, there isn’t a whole lot to get into. Check out the first trailer and synopsis for Turbo below. [...]

Finding Nemo
3-Disc Blu-ray/DVD l 5-Disc 3D/Blu-ray/DVD/Digital
Directed by Andrew Stanton, Lee Unkrich
Written by Andrew Stanton, Bob Peterson, David Reynolds
Starring Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Geoffrey Rush, Vicki Lewis, Austin Pendleton, Joe Ranft
Disney-Pixar
Release Date: December 4, 2012

Ready to return to the Great Barrier Reef? Nearly one decade after its initial theatrical release, Finding Nemo 3D swam onto film screens, and now film fans can possess this in their Blu-ray libraries. Mine!

For my thoughts on the brilliant fifth feature from Pixar, read my original review of the movie here. This review is dedicated to all of the special features to be found on the latest version. [...]

A couple of new images from the upcoming Pixar movie, Monsters University, the prequel to 2001′s Monsters, Inc., have made their way to the ‘net.

The movie tells the story of when Mike (Billy Crystal) and Sully (John Goodman) first met in college, where they did not hit it off right away, taking turns pulling elaborate pranks on each other.

The prequel is directed by Dan Scanlon, and also features the voices of Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray, and Peter Sohn. It will be released on June 21, 2013. [...]

Welcome back to Disney In Depth for the “top five” of a special two-part edition that explores the movies that deserve theme park attractions. Just in case you missed the previous edition, you can check it out here.

Before exploring the “most deserving” films, we cannot ignore the movies that would least work as attractions. Among them are great films and some bad ones, too. [...]

Sometimes it takes many years, even decades, for a popular Disney film brand to enter the theme parks in the form of an attraction. For instance, while the Voyage of The Little Mermaid first graced Disney’s Hollywood Studios only two years after the film’s debut, over 20 years passed before a ride shaped up in the parks.

Now the exquisite dark ride exists at both Disney California Adventure Park and Walt Disney World’s Magic Kingdom. In this first section of two-part edition of Disney In Depth I will share five films that deserve to be translated into theme park attractions. [...]

Can you believe it has been 20 years since Aladdin first entered our lives? The film was an absolute sensation, garnering much critical and financial success. After two decades I thought it would be “soaring good fun” to review the influence of this brand in the Disney universe.

This edition of Disney In Depth will highlight 20 fun facts about everything you ever wanted to know about Prince Ali and company. [...]

Brave
Directed by Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman
Starring Kelly Macdonald, Emma Thompson, Billy Connolly, Julie Walters, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Robbie Coltrane
Walt Disney Home Entertainment
5-Disc Blu-ray | 3-Disc Blu-ray | DVD
Release Date: November 13, 2012

The number 13. It is a bad one, often fraught with misfortune. Sadly that misfortune applies to Pixar’s unlucky 13th feature, Brave, a bold, well-intentioned and genuinely good film with many elements that regretfully do not work in its favor. Fortuitously, though, its Blu-ray release is among the best you can find this holiday season. So bear with me and embark on a Blu-ray review of Brave.

Film

After an intense prologue set in medieval Scotland, where it looks like King Fergus (voiced with gusto by Billy Connolly) will be slain by demon bear Mor’du, we think the film will strike a consistently dark tone. In one sense, yes, Brave heads down an intense path with some accomplished guidance. Yet it also wanders around a trail scattered by silliness and irrelevance. That is perhaps the most consistent issue with Brave, in that it holds a conflicting narrative, never knowing if it wants to be a forceful or relaxed picture [...]

Wreck-It Ralph smashed box office records for a Disney animated film in its opening weekend, and won over critics and audiences no less. With its creativity, heart and passionate storytelling, Wreck-It Ralph signals Walt Disney Animation Studios is back in the game, so to speak. This edition of Disney In Depth will explore what has led up to this new hit for the studio, as well as what awaits.

Many individuals say the Disney Renaissance began with 1989’s The Little Mermaid, with following entries Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King reaching even greater heights – everyone seems to leave out the forgotten The Rescuers Down Under. Regardless, this represented a period of unparalleled imagination and inspiration within the studio, continuing for several years to follow. Then came the slump. Audiences were no longer interested in musicals, so it seemed, and Disney animation switched gears into the sci-fi realm with productions like Atlantis: The Lost Empire and Treasure Planet. Computer animation emerged, and with that advent Disney entered the new arena with misses like Chicken Little and the awkward-yet-smart Meet the Robinsons. None of these performed all that wonderfully. It had appeared as though Disney lost its touch. But the studio had some exciting developments up their sleeve [...]

A trailer has been released for the upcoming animated comedy Escape from the Planet Earth, which will hit theaters February 13, 2013.

The movie had some troubles making it to the big screen, with a lawsuit between The Weinstein Company and producer Brian Inerfield and director Tony Leech, who exited the movie in 2010. The movie is now listed as directed by Cal Brunker, who was a storyboard artist on Despicable Me. Voice cast includes Brendan Fraser, Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, Jane Lynch, Paul Reubens, and Rob Corddry.

You can see the trailer for Escape From Planet Earth below now. [...]

Relativity Media and Reel FX have announced that they will be joining forces to co-finance and produce a new animated comedy titled Turkeys.

The movie stars the vocal talents of Owen Wilson (Wedding Crashers, Cars) and Woody Harrelson (Zombieland, The Hunger Games), and is directed by Jimmy Hayward (Horton Hears A Who!). It’s currently scheduled for a release at some point in 2014. [...]