LoT Meet for Carsland Craziness: June 15th

[LSPoorEeyorick]

I love (and collect memorabilia from) Peter Pan, not because it's Disney's best movie, but because the ride is so wonderful that it makes me appreciate the movie more.

My reaction to the Cars movies was a generally positive one, but without much attachment to them. They were definitely my least favorite Pixar films (though we liked the second one more than others did, if they saw it at all.) But like Peter Pan, Cars Land has made me appreciate the movie so very, very much more.

Also, I'd just like to quote myself for the record, from a discussion here on 4/28 where people were complaining about it being a slot-car Test Track copycat with nothing new to offer...

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

Yeah, I know it has similar functionality to Test Track. But I really wouldn't call it a copycat.

Here's where some things differ from person to person. I couldn't give a blind rat's sweet bippy about state-of-the-art. I care about detail, theme and storytelling. I'd be a happy woman if some talented imagineer could come up with another Pirates or Mansion ride - even if it was the exact same chassis - if it had compelling storytelling.

I don't have crazy high expectations, and I don't have a company bias (having seen Potter in Orlando, I know it's probably better than anything Disney is doing.)

But I'm to understand that this ride has dark ride elements. And I'm a dark ride girl. This ride has characters and story -- it's not just about, you know, taking a test car for a spin. THAT is what makes a ride for me - when there's a story (however vague or broken, in the case of Mansion/Pirates) that compels me.

Called it! Though, fascinatingly, I'd say that Cars Land AND Buena Vista Street have the same kind of elaborate detailing and thoughtful execution as Potter does.

[innerSpaceman]

Originally Posted by LSPoorEeyorick

Cars Land has made me appreciate the movie so very, very much more.

I liked the movie Cars, but it's really - imo - one of the lesser Pixar efforts and notably one of only two Pixar films I don't have in my personal library. That's too bad, because I'm sure Cars Land will make me want to see it again.

But I don't believe it will make me think it's a better film. Some films turn out to be better in other forms.

My prime example, and imho only, is The Lion King. I never knew what the fuss was all about with that movie. Yawn. I loved the art direction, it had a few enjoyable characters. Some of the songs were good, but the story was a boring re-tread, and I never though the movie was nearly as special as obviously most humans on earth thought it was.

But then I noticed something interesting. I found the Elton John versions of the songs better than the movie versions. The songs were better than I thought. Then the Broadway show came out, and I found that superior in every way to the movie. More oddly still, I found Disneyland's Lion King Parade to be the best of all. So it was a movie that didn't much move me, but had the kernels of great entertainment that I found better suited to other formats.


I'm sure Cars Land will strike me the same way. I'll find it Better than the very cute movie, and I'll be satisfied with that - - happy in fact that one of the Pixar movies I liked least got itself a second lease on life with a new and different inCARnation.




Meanwhile, Wednesday, Wednesday, Wednesday cannot get here soon enough!