Disney Movie News & Reviews

Marvel Studios Releases New SHANG-CHI Featurette

30 July 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

After the recent release of Black Widow, the train to the next inclusion in the Marvel Cinematic Universe is truly rolling. Today, Marvel Studios gifted us a new featurette of the film, SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS.

In the featurette, we join producer Kevin Feige, stars Simu Liu and Awkwafina, and director Destin Daniel Cretton as they provide some of the backstory to Shang-Chi as a character.

Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization

Marvel Studios’ SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS opens in U.S. theaters on September 3.

Be sure to check out our other updates on the film here.

Teaser Trailer Released for Disney and Pixar’s TURNING RED

13 July 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Pixar fans who can’t get enough after last month’s Luca are in for a treat this morning as Disney and Pixar release the first teaser for their next project.

Slated for 2022, TURNING RED is the all new original feature film from Pixar Animation Studios’ director Domee Shi, who won an Academy Award for her 2018 short film, “Bao.” Young actress Rosalie Chiang lends her voice to Mei Lee, a 13-year-old who suddenly “poofs” into a giant red panda when she gets too excited. Sandra Oh (“The Chair,” “Killing Eve”) voices Mei Lee’s protective, if not slightly overbearing mother, Ming, who is never far from her daughter—an unfortunate reality for the teenager.

Check out the teaser below.

Fans of Bao, which released alongside Incredibles 2 in 2018 will recognize the director’s style immediately. And those excited for Turning Red after this teaser can expect the film in 2022. We’ll have more updates on the film as they are released!

Check out some of our other Pixar updates here.

Trailer and Posters for Disney’s Encanto

8 July 2021 by Suzannah Otis Leave a Comment

I just watched the trailer for Encanto, and wow, what a feast for the eyes! I hadn’t really heard much about this movie since its first announcement but the visuals are completely amazing! The new Encanto posters and trailer are a must-see!

If you haven’t heard about it either, here is the official info from Disney: Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto,” the tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The all-new original film features the voice of Stephanie Beatriz as Mirabel, an ordinary 15-year-old who’s struggling to find her place in her family. “Mirabel is a really funny, loving character who also deeply yearns for something more,” says Beatriz. “She’s also not afraid to stand up for what she knows is right—something I love and relate to very much.

“I’m Colombian on my father’s side, and playing this role fills me with immense pride,” continues Beatriz. “As a Disney kid, I’d burn through my VHS tapes and adored every single magical story that the world of Disney introduced me to. I learned in those that stories that anything is possible, especially if you believe in magic and the goodness rooted deep inside us all.”

In the film, the magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family with a unique gift from super strength to the power to heal—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family’s last hope. The voice cast also includes María Cecilia Botero, Wilmer Valderrama, Adassa, Diane Guerrero, Mauro Castillo, Angie Cepeda, Jessica Darrow, Rhenzy Feliz and Carolina Gaitan.

“COLOMBIA, MI ENCANTO”

The new Encanto trailer includes an original song from the film, “Colombia, Mi Encanto,” performed by 17-time GRAMMY® and Latin GRAMMY winner, singer, songwriter and actor Carlos Vives, who’s a native of Santa Marta, Colombia. “This song is a celebration of the magical diversity of Colombia,” says Vives. “I can’t wait to see how the music will blend with the images and the characters inspired by the ‘encanto’ of Colombians.”

The film features all-new songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda (“Hamilton,” “Moana”) and is directed by Byron Howard (“Zootopia,” “Tangled”) and Jared Bush (co-director “Zootopia”), co-directed by Charise Castro Smith (writer “The Death of Eva Sofia Valdez”) and produced by Clark Spencer and Yvett Merino. Bush and Castro Smith are screenwriters on the film. The filmmakers were deeply inspired by their research trip to Colombia during early development of “Encanto,” as well as their continuous work with a group of expert consultants assembled through the course of the film’s production. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Encanto” opens in theaters November 24, 2021.

Follow along here, and of course stay tuned to Zannaland for more info and a review when it comes out! Are you excited to see this new Disney animated film? Let us know in the comments!

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Disney Releases New JUNGLE CRUISE Featurette

7 July 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Set sail for adventure in this new featurette of the upcoming JUNGLE CRUISE film. Stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt give an inside glimpse at the film, which releases simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30.

Below is the Big Adventure featurette for Disney’s JUNGLE CRUISE.

Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff (Dwayne Johnson) and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt).

The film premieres later this month, and those looking to watch it on Disney+ with Premier Access can pre-purchase the film here starting July 14.

Check out our other updates on Jungle Cruise here, and stay tuned for more as the film is released.

REVIEW: F9 – The ‘Olive Garden’ of Movies

22 June 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Before we begin, there are no spoilers in this review. I typically don’t watch trailers before I see a movie, but I have since gone back and watched the trailers for F9 so this review will only explicitly mention scenes that are already publicly available.

I didn’t think we’d be at the point where I would be writing a review for a Fast and Furious movie, but here we are. Up until about five days ago, I hadn’t seen any of the films, so I binged them all before watching this one. I’m now fully caught up on the Fast Saga, and ready to discuss where F9 sits in this massive franchise.

F1: THE FAMILY

(from left) Dom (Vin Diesel) and Jakob (John Cena) in F9

The family is back together on another crazy mission, provided by Kurt Russel’s Mr. Nobody – one of the best recent additions to the cast. Dwayne Johnson is absent, as is Jason Statham, presumably due to some events that transpired in Hobbs and Shaw – the one film I didn’t see before F9. Luke Hobbs has been one of the strongest characters for me personally, so that lack of presence is pretty noticeable.

Conversely, there are some great reprisals here as well: Jordana Brewster returns, as do Bow Wow and Lucas Black (my favorite character, which I’ve heard is an unpopular opinion). But this film also brings back Sung Kang as Han, a character who already died in Tokyo Drift, came back, and died again.

According to my research, this is because Tokyo Drift actually takes place after Fast & Furious 6, and he only really “died” once – though F9 reveals that even that was just another ruse. I did not gather this at all via just watching the films, but apparently Tokyo was stuck in 2006 until about five years ago.

But that’s not the only surprising character update here. Dom Toretto, the family man himself, once turned his back on his own brother (John Cena), who has now come back with a vengeance. I like to think he was actually in every previous film, we just couldn’t see him.

F2: BACK FOR FUN

(from left) Tej (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges) and Roman (Tyrese Gibson) in F9

As a whole, F9 is a bit of a return to form for the series in my eyes. Not that I’m necessarily a long time fan, but this is definitely not one of the Fast Saga’s worst entries. 2017’s Fate of the Furious notably ditched some of the over-the-top stunts for a more reserved (if you could call Dwayne Johnson grabbing a torpedo ‘reserved’) spy romp. In a more devastating blow to fans, Fate also threw away one of the biggest aspects of the series: family. That is thankfully not the case with F9.

While Fate saw Dom turn against his new ‘family,’ in F9, we learn that once he did the same thing to his brother Jakob. I usually dislike the addition of family members late into a series who go completely unmentioned prior to their new introduction, but I wasn’t incredibly hung up on it here.

Story-wise, the Fast Saga has never been anything to write home about, at least not after the franchise reboot in 2009. I obviously wasn’t expecting anything grand here either, but I’ve seen worse. After the disaster of Fate’s story, the only place F9 could go was up. Fast and the Furious is the Olive Garden of film franchises – when you’re here you’re family. And this was perhaps the ‘family-est’ of them all.

The movie even has a few moments with Roman and Tej (who are both great here) that poke fun at the insanity of the series as a whole. Roman asks “Are we invincible?” to which the movie essentially answers, “lol.” It’s just a carefree action flick that is cool for the sake of cool and doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it’s way better because of that.

F3: FAMILIAR FOE

(from left) Jakob (John Cena) and Cipher (Charlize Theron) in F9

For me, the biggest hurdle for these films is the portrayal of their villains. I think to-date, Luke Hobbs was the only one enjoyable to watch, every other villain character has felt boring and dry, lacking an emotion that isn’t ‘Kill those people before they destroy my new tech-MacGuffin-weapon.’ Even Deckard Shaw, the villain that can’t seem to die, falls into this category for me, only really assisted by his evil British accent.

In F9, the family faces off against Cipher, the villain introduced in Fate of the Furious, played by Charlize Theron. While I thought her performance in Fate was one of the driest of them all, they really improved her here. She has a ‘smartest in the room’ energy that makes her almost seem like the mastermind villain in a great anime or an HBO series. She even has the same haircut!

The cast was fun to watch, the story was acceptable, and the stunts were once again out of this world. F9 wasn’t my favorite entry into the series, but it was a dang good one. I was anticipating making a reference to the F9 key – a button which these days has little to no default use – somewhere in this review, but F9 the film is worth more than that one joke.

F4: IN REVIEW

Jakob (John Cena, center) and Otto (Thue Ersted Rasmussen, right) in F9

So where does this put the series? That’s a good question. Just about every film since Fast Five ends in a way that could be the end of the series if it needed to. That’s the case with F9 as well, but they’ve already announced a tenth film, so it seems like it won’t be the true end quite yet.

In a series that’s so committed to retcons that they changed a film from 2006 to be set in 2014 to bring back an actor, anything can happen. I would like to see the films end before it just writes itself into the ground, but given how much money they generate, I don’t think that’ll be any time soon.

The past year or so has been rough for big blockbuster films, because they truly benefit from the biggest screen possible. F9 is definitely the great summer blockbuster that theaters have needed. Go see it in person to experience all the magic of a truck with super magnets pulling a car through a building the way it’s meant to be experienced.

Those interested in my ranking of the Fast Saga as a whole can check it out here. Or, check out another review I’ve done for this site.

After this week I can say that these movies have changed me. I am truly a member of la familia. I am secretly Dom Toretto’s first cousin twice removed. I am played by Timothee Chalamet but he’s incredibly ripped now. I drive a Toyota Prius with a V12 engine and helicopter blades on top. I will be introduced in F13: Revenge of the Cars, a movie that was filmed in 1983 but will be released in 2024 with zero context.

BLACK WIDOW Advanced Tickets and Disney+ Pre-Order Now Available

12 June 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

The latest installment in Marvel Studios’ Cinematic Universe is another step closer to release. Starting today, BLACK WIDOW is available for pre-order on Disney+, or for advanced purchase at local theaters.

To celebrate, the studio has released another new featurette of the film and a special message from the cast:

Those wanting to see the BLACK WIDOW on the big screen can purchase tickets online through Fandango or wherever tickets are sold.

If you can’t wait to see BLACK WIDOW on Disney+ next month, be sure to check out our other updates from the film. And be sure to stay tuned for our review of it!

Marvel Studios Celebrates It’s Upcoming MCU Phase 4 Films!

3 May 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Disney’s Marvel Cinematic Universe has taken us into the world of superheroes ever since the 2008 release of HULK. Now, we’ve been everywhere with these characters: from a neighborhood in Queens to the outer reaches of the galaxy. In this new featurette, released today, Marvel Studios celebrates the movies with a special look at the upcoming feature films in Phase 4 of the MCU.

The world may change and evolve, but the one thing that will never change: we’re all part of one big family.

The featurette details the upcoming creations from Marvel Studios, including BLACK WIDOW and SHANG-CHI AND THE LEGEND OF THE TEN RINGS, slated to release this year. The featurette also gives us a quick preview of new films starring our friends Doctor Strange, Thor, and Ant-Man.

If you’re excited about the future of the MCU in Phase 4, be sure to check out BLACK WIDOW when it releases on Disney+ later this year.

Celebrate National Superhero Day with Marvel Studios’ BLACK WIDOW

28 April 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

Celebrating National Superhero Day, Marvel Studios debuted a new featurette that looks back at the illustrious career of Natasha Romanoff. Scarlett Johansson, who reprises her role as Natasha/Black Widow in “Black Widow,” appears in the featurette to assure fans that “it’s time for her story.”

Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger. Joining Johansson in the new feature film are Florence Pugh as Yelena, David Harbour as Alexei/The Red Guardian, and Rachel Weisz as Melina. “Black Widow”—the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe—is directed by Cate Shortland and produced by Kevin Feige.

The action-packed spy thriller will launch simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access in most Disney+ markets on July 9, 2021.

UPDATE (05/10/21) – Marvel Studios has released new character posters for the main cast of the film, including Scarlett Johansson, Florence Pugh (seen right), and David Harbour.

If you’re excited about BLACK WIDOW and this new Superhero Day featurette, be sure to check out our other updates about the film.

Teaser Trailer for Steven Spielberg’s WEST SIDE STORY Released!

26 April 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

During last night’s Academy Awards, Disney released the very first teaser trailer for West Side Story. The movie is a new film adaptation of the musical, from director Steven Spielberg. With the trailer, Disney has also announced the release date – December 10th, 2021. Check out the trailer below!

Directed by Academy Award® winner Steven Spielberg, from a screenplay by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award® winner Tony Kushner, “West Side Story” tells the classic tale of fierce rivalries and young love in 1957 New York City. This reimagining of the beloved musical stars Ansel Elgort (Tony); Rachel Zegler (María); Ariana DeBose (Anita); David Alvarez (Bernardo); Mike Faist (Riff); Josh Andrés Rivera (Chino); Ana Isabelle (Rosalía); Corey Stoll (Lieutenant Schrank); Brian d’Arcy James (Officer Krupke); and Rita Moreno (as Valentina, who owns the corner store in which Tony works). Moreno – one of only three artists to be honored with Academy®, Emmy®, GRAMMY®, Tony® and Peabody Awards – also serves as one of the film’s executive producers.

Bringing together the best of both Broadway and Hollywood, the film’s creative team includes Kushner, who also serves as an executive producer; Tony Award® winner Justin Peck, who choreographed the musical numbers in the film; renowned Los Angeles Philharmonic conductor and GRAMMY Award® winner Gustavo Dudamel, who helmed the recording of the iconic score; Academy Award®-nominated composer and conductor David Newman (“Anastasia”), who arranged the score; Tony Award®-winning composer Jeanine Tesori (“Fun Home,” “Thoroughly Modern Millie”), who supervised the cast on vocals; and Grammy®-nominated music supervisor Matt Sullivan (“Beauty and the Beast,” “Chicago”), who served as executive music producer for the film. The film is produced by Spielberg, Academy Award®-nominated producer Kristie Macosko Krieger and Tony Award®-winning producer Kevin McCollum. “West Side Story” has been adapted for the screen from the original 1957 Broadway show, with book by Arthur Laurents, music by Leonard Bernstein, lyrics by Stephen Sondheim and concept, direction and choreography by Jerome Robbins.

From 20^th Century Studios, The Walt Disney Company will release “West Side Story” in U.S. theaters on December 10, 2021.

If you’re excited for West Side Story, be sure to check out our review for Howard, the documentary about some of Disney’s classic musicals.

The original trailer and release for WEST SIDE STORY located here.

New Poster and Trailer Revealed for ‘Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings’!

19 April 2021 by Chris Ryan Leave a Comment

The next exciting entry in the Marvel Cinematic Universe just got an exciting update! Earlier today, Disney released a new poster and teaser trailer for ‘Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings’. This comes on the birthday of actor Simu Liu. The actor – who plays Shang-Chi in the film – debuted the poster and trailer on his social profiles.

Marvel Studios’ “Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” stars Simu Liu as Shang-Chi, who must confront the past he thought he left behind when he is drawn into the web of the mysterious Ten Rings organization. The film also stars Tony Leung as Wenwu, Awkwafina as Shang-Chi’s friend Katy and Michelle Yeoh as Jiang Nan, as well as Fala Chen, Meng’er Zhang, Florian Munteanu and Ronny Chieng.

“Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings” is directed by Destin Daniel Cretton and produced by Kevin Feige and Jonathan Schwartz, with Louis D’Esposito, Victoria Alonso and Charles Newirth serving as executive producers. David Callaham & Destin Daniel Cretton & Andrew Lanham wrote the screenplay for the film, which opens in theaters on September 3, 2021.

If you’re looking for more MCU content, be sure to check out our reviews of the other Marvel films!