Top 20 Most Anticipated Movies of 2016

20. The Legend of Tarzan

Synopsis: Tarzan, having acclimated to life in London, is called back to his former home in the jungle to investigate the activities at a mining encampment.
Starring: Alexander Skarsgard, Margot Robbie, Christoph Waltz, Samuel L. Jackson
Director: David Yates
Release: July 1

Every generation of filmmakers wants to put its own unique spin on the timeless story of Tarzan the Ape Man. Ever since the early days of Hollywood, Tarzan has been a staple in American cinema. In the summer of 2016, this new generation will take a crack at reinventing the legend once more with The Legend of Tarzan. David Yates, the director of the final four Harry Potter films, certainly is more than capable of breathing new life into this storied franchise thanks to his ability to combine genuine human emotion with great spectacle. The cast he has assembled is also top-notch. Judging by the trailer, Skarsgard looks perfect playing the titular character and with Robbie, Waltz, and Jackson supporting, odds are this movie will be one of the most buzzed about throughout the entire year. Watching a Tarzan adaption is a right of passage for any movie lover, and on July 1, seize this new chance to witness the tale unfold.

19. The Girl on the Train

Synopsis: Follows the story of a woman named Rachel, who goes on a train to London. She witnesses the "perfect" couple, Scott and Megan. But one day, havoc ensues this couple, and Rachel becomes involved in their drama/ murder mystery of Megan Hipwell.
Starring: Emily Blunt, Rebecca Ferguson, Edgar Ramirez, Justin Theroux
Director: Tate Taylor
Release: October 7

By simply looking at the synopsis for this film, I was actually fairly surprised that this movie made it on this list because it just doesn't sound like something I would be exciting for on the surface. However, upon further investigation, by looking at the cast list, the director, and the acclaim of thousands worldwide who have read the novel, I cannot wait for October 7. The combination of Emily Blunt and Rebecca Ferguson is something to excite any movie fanatic like myself. Blunt is one of the most overlooked actresses of our day, blossoming into one of this generation's best actresses, and Ferguson is coming off the giant success of Mission: Impossible- Rogue Nation, a film in which she was the highlight. To see them in the same film will be something to behold. Plus, director Tate Taylor has proven himself to be a dynamite filmmaker with such films as The Help and Get on Up, and this story looks to be one that is right up his ally. The talent on display here alone is something I cannot wait for.

18. Alice Through the Looking Glass

Synopsis: Alice returns to the whimsical world of Wonderland and travels back in time to save the Mad Hatter.
Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Anne Hathaway, Helena Bonham Carter
Director: James Bobin
Release: May 27

In 2010, Disney's live action Alice in Wonderland outperformed even the most lofty expectations from a box office standpoint. While critically it was met with a mixed response, one thing was certain: we would go back to Wonderland once again. Admittedly, I was a fan of the first installment mainly because of my adoration for the 1951 animated classic, but also because these fantastic actors are simply having a blast bringing these outrageous characters to life, none more so than Johnny Depp as the Mad Hatter. The actors are why I cannot wait for this sequel. Additionally, though, director James Bobin successfully brought The Muppets back to prominence due to his spectacular directing job on their 2011 musical, so who's to say he can't bring Alice and company to brand new heights? I say he can, and that's why I am really pumped for this one.

17. La La Land

Synopsis: A jazz pianist falls for an aspiring actress in Los Angeles.
Starring: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, JK Simmons, Finn Wittrock
Director: Damien Chazelle
Release: July 15

Not much is known about this film, but what is known is something to be excited about. First of all, it's a musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone. I have always had a bit of an obsession with musicals, and to be able to see Gosling and Stone not only act phenomenally as we're accustomed to them doing, but serenade us as well is something I am truly pumped for. Secondly, we have the reunion of JK Simmons and Damien Chazelle, the dynamic duo who brought us one of my personal favorite films of the modern era, Whiplash, which earned Simmons an Academy Award. Chazelle is heralded as the next big thing in Hollywood among directors, and this summer, we'll get to see how he follows his masterful debut. Finally, did I mention that it was a musical starring Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone? That alone should get just about anyone excited.

16. Star Trek Beyond

Synopsis: Unknown at the time of this writing.
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Simon Pegg, Zoe Saldana
Director: Justin Lin
Release: July 22

The unbelievable JJ Abrams crafted two superb films chronicling the adventures of the crew of the Enterprise, and now, Justin Lin gets a crack at continuing the legacy. He is more than capable of taking the torch from Abrams from an action point of view as Lin is best known for directing three Fast and Furious installments. Hopefully, that ability will bring a great dynamic to the Star Trek franchise. Other than the cast and crew, we don't really know a whole lot about this new installment, but based off the first trailer, we will be in for quite a ride. I am anxious to see what Lin brings to the table in following Abrams and his films. Maybe we may even boldly go where no man has gone before with Star Trek Beyond.

15. Zootopia

Synopsis: In the animal city of Zootopia, a fast-talking fox who's trying to make it big goes on the run when he's framed for a crime he didn't commit. Zootopia's top cop, a self-righteous rabbit, is hot on his tail, but when both become targets of a conspiracy, they're forced to team up and discover even natural enemies can become best friends.
Starring: Jason Bateman, Ginnifer Goodwin, Idris Elba, Alan Tudyk
Director: Byron Howard, Rich Moore, Jared Bush
Release: March 4

Given the title of this blog page, it shouldn't be that complicated to figure out why I am exciting for the next animated feature from Walt Disney Studios. The animation icon took 2015 off to focus on pushing two Pixar films, but in 2016, Disney is back with not one, but two original animated features, the first of which being Zootopia. The first glimpses we have seen of this fictional animal world have been filled with hilarity and colorful characters, and if the recent success of Disney animated films is any indication, we are in for a real treat on March 4. Plus, Byron Howard and Rich Moore have already proved themselves to be more than capable of creating a classic Disney film since they are best known for giving us Tangled, a modern day Disney masterpiece. Throw in an excellent voice cast and we might be anticipating yet another instant hit for Disney.

14. Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Synopsis: The adventures of writer Newt Scamander in New York's secret community of witches and wizards seventy years before Harry Potter reads his book in school.
Starring: Eddie Redmayne, Ezra Miller, Colin Farrell, Katherine Waterston
Director: David Yates
Release: November 18

The Harry Potter franchise is a landmark for cinema for a variety of reasons. From the cast literally growing up before our very eyes to the progression of visual effects throughout the series, there will never be another series quite like JK Rowling's tales. In 2016, we will get to once again return to a world full of wizards and witches with this highly anticipated prequel to the worldwide phenomenon. Academy Award-winning actor Eddie Redmayne should hit this role out of the park, and as I mentioned when discussing The Legend of Tarzan, director David Yates knows how to make a great Harry Potter film. However, what makes this film even more intriguing is that fact that Harry Potter author JK Rowling is penning the screenplay herself. Clearly, without her, we wouldn't even have this world, yet alone this movie, so for her to be so behind this one is all that I need to be excited for November 18 to come.

13. Untitled Matt Damon/Bourne Sequel

Synopsis: Unknown at the time of this writing.
Starring: Matt Damon, Alicia Vikander, Tommy Lee Jones, Julia Stiles
Director: Paul Greengrass
Release: July 29

It is rather rare for me to put a film that is yet to have a title, plot description, official still, or a trailer so high on a list like this, but I simply cannot wait for Matt Damon to be Jason Bourne again. Who knows if this one will even be released in 2016 or not, but I'm hoping we get it sooner rather than later because the prospect of Damon reteaming with Bourne specialist Paul Greengrass is something to get excited about. Additionally, Alicia Vikander was the unquestioned star of 2015, so to see her take on a high profile franchise role is extremely thrilling. On top of that, Tommy Lee Jones is in this movie, so it's just destined to be great, right? Matt Damon is coming off what was perhaps a career best performance in 2015 with The Martian, and in 2016, he's (hopefully) returning to his career best character. For me, that's all I needed to know for me to be anxiously awaiting July 29 to come around.

12. The Jungle Book

Synopsis: An orphan boy is raised in the jungle with the help of a pack of wolves, a bear, and a black panther.
Starring: Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Christopher Walken, Scarlett Johannson
Director: Jon Favreau
Release: April 15

This one was actually on my most anticipated for 2015 as well, but due to some rescheduling, The Jungle Book was pushed back to 2016. Even though Disney has made me wait even longer for this live action twist on the classic tale, that has never dimmed my excitement to see Mowgli and company on the big screen. The talent behind this film is truly first class, led obviously by the extraordinary cast but also by Jon Favreau (best known for directing Iron Man). Favreau's passion for this movie is evident and that alone gets me pumped and ready to go for April 15, but beyond that, the first trailer was superb, showcasing the films diverse characters and stunning visuals while also ensuring the spirit of the Disney animated classic lives on. Plus, who doesn't want to hear Bill Murray sing "The Bare Necessities"?

11. Moana

Synopsis: A young woman uses her navigational talents to set sail for a fabled island. Joining her on the adventure is her hero, the legendary demi-god Maui.
Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Auli'i Cravalho, Alan Tudyk
Director: Ron Clements and John Musker
Release: November 23

Directors Ron Clements and John Musker are legends in the world of Disney animation, having directed The Little Mermaid, Aladdin, Hercules, and The Princess and the Frog in their illustrious careers. In 2016, Disney wisely brings them back to helm their next princess musical, Moana. That truly is enough for me to be excited, but then, The Rock joined the cast. Johnson playing a demi-god is just about as perfect of a casting choice as one can make. He seems genuinely thrilled to be in this film, which therefore makes me genuinely thrilled to see it. Disney has always had a knack for finding diamonds in the rough, and newcomer Cravalho should be yet another welcomed addition to the legacy of Disney voice talent. Of course, we also remember the last time Disney released a film in late November. We actually still can't let it go.

10. The Circle

Synopsis: A woman lands a job at a powerful tech company called the Circle, where she becomes involved with a mysterious man.
Starring: Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, John Boyega, Karen Gillan
Director: James Ponsoldt
Release: Unknown at the time of this writing

Oftentimes, I am attracted to movies solely based on the star power involved, and with The Circle, three of my favorite actors working today are all in one film ready to bring a very intriguing plot to life. Tom Hanks remains my favorite actor of all-time after turning in classic performance after classic performance year in and year out. Emma Watson is a talent to behold as evidenced by her tremendous work in the Harry Potter franchise, and John Boyega is coming off the immense success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, where he (along with the incomparable Daisy Ridley) steal the show from start to finish. Director James Ponsoldt is best known for his ability to infuse solid drama with excellent dialogue in such films as The Spectacular Now and The End of the Tour. He should have no problem directing these fine actors in what should be a great film.

9. Finding Dory

Synopsis: The friendly-but-forgetful blue tang fish reunites with her loved ones, and everyone learns a few things about the true meaning of family along the way.
Starring: Ellen DeGeneres, Albert Brooks, Ty Burrell, Idris Elba
Director: Andrew Stanton and Angus MacLane
Release: June 17

As evidenced by some of my previous posts on this blog, I am a humongous fan of Pixar, so anytime a Pixar release is scheduled on the calendar, I don't care what it is, I'm excited. In 2003, Pixar crafted one of their best films to date with the infinitely hilarious and heartfelt Finding Nemo, a film in which Ellen DeGeneres's Dory stole the show. Twelve years later, Pixar is giving the world a sequel to a film that actually deserves a sequel. Dory's family is something I think everyone is intrigued to learn about, and the voice talent on board to bring this deep sea adventure to life is special. In addition to the names listed above, Diane Keaton, Ed O'Neill, Dominic West, and Willem Dafoe lend their talents to Pixar's latest. The first trailer displayed Pixar's signature hilarity while also previewing the films potential emotion payoff as well. I am beyond excited to see what they do next.

8. Suicide Squad

Synopsis: A secret government agency recruits imprisoned supervillains to execute dangerous black ops missions in exchange for clemency.
Starring: Margot Robbie, Will Smith, Jared Leto, Viola Davis
Director: David Ayer
Release: August 5

Ever since Marvel teamed their greatest heroes together in 2012's The Avengers, DC Comics has been preparing their own cinematic universe featuring their greatest heroes. However, while we will certainly see Superman and company in 2016 and beyond, Suicide Squad provides an interesting and unique perspective to the superhero genre by focusing exclusively on a band of villains. Throughout comic book movie history, villains have always been what makes certain installments stand out (i.e. Heath Ledger's Joker in The Dark Knight and Ben Kingsley's Mandarin in Iron Man 3). However, can DC really expect us to cheer to this band of villains? It's a tall task, but they have the cast and crew to pull it off. Margot Robbie is Hollywood's next big superstar, and to see her bring Harley Quinn to life will be something to behold. Will Smith does great in everything, which means he'll be great as Deadshot. Jared Leto has some big shoes to fill as the Joker following Ledger's iconic performance, but he's more than capable of doing this role justice. David Ayer has the chops to direct a film like this too, and if you don't believe me, go check out End of Watch or Fury. This one should be tremendously different as it pertains to superhero movies, and anytime something fresh and bold like this comes along, I'm all in.

7. Passengers

Synopsis: A spacecraft traveling to a distant colony planet and transporting thousands of people has a malfunction in one of its sleep chambers. As a result, a single passenger is awakened 60 years early. Faced with the prospect of growing old and dying alone, he eventually decides to wake up a second passenger.
Starring: Chris Pratt, Jennifer Lawrence, Michael Sheen, Laurence Fishburne
Director: Morten Tyldum
Release: December 21

As I discussed before, movies sometimes make a list like this based solely on the star power involved. Over the past few years, Chris Pratt has quickly become one of my favorite actors in the business today thanks to his hilarious turn in the television hit Parks and Recreation as well as blockbuster turns in Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World. Jennifer Lawrence is a gem through and through. She may just be the best living actress in Hollywood today. Her work in such films as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle, and The Hunger Games franchise is flawless. Therefore, the combination of Pratt and Lawrence alone allows Passengers to skyrocket up this list. The plot is an extremely interesting one as well and director Morten Tyldum is following up his excellent work in The Imitation Game. Science fiction is one of my favorite genres, and to see this talented beyond belief cast and crew bring such a unique and original story to the big screen is something I cannot wait to see.

6. The Magnificent Seven

Synopsis: Seven gun men in the old west gradually come together to help a poor village against savage thieves.
Starring: Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Matt Bomer
Director: Antoine Fuqua
Release: September 23

As I stated rather recently, Chris Pratt is one of my favorite guys on the planet. If there is a possible way to dislike this guy, I'm fairly certain no one has discovered that way yet. Now in The Magnificent Seven, the remake of the classic Western, Pratt is teamed up with another one of my favorite actors, Denzel Washington, a combination that should produce great results on the big screen. Plus, director Antoine Fuqua can surely make a stellar film, helming such projects as Southpaw and Training Day, the latter of which won Denzel Washington an Academy Award. His visceral style of directing should be just what this gritty Western needs. I have always been a fan of Westerns, but in today's Hollywood, it's rare to see one released in the first place, yet alone with such a high profile cast. This is one I am dying to see.

5. X-Men: Apocalypse

Synopsis: With the emergence of the world's first mutant, Apocalypse, the X-Men must unite to defeat his extinction level plan.
Starring: James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender, Jennifer Lawrence, Oscar Isaac
Director: Bryan Singer
Release: May 27

I can't say enough about the newest cast of the X-Men films. The original cast featuring Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellan, Hugh Jackman, and many others were stellar, but this new group portraying the world famous mutants are stunning. X-Men: First Class and X-Men: Days of Future Past are two spectacular films, which means that my anticipation for Apocalypse is the highest I've ever been for an X-Men movie. One of the primary reasons is the fact that Oscar Isaac is bringing Apocalypse to life. Isaac is a name that if you're not already familiar with him, you should get to know his work because he is absolutely phenomenal in everything he does. To see him portray such an integral villain in one of my favorite franchises is something I cannot wait for whatsoever. Throw in the fact that McAvoy, Fassbender, and Lawrence are back in action alongside him and May 27 can't get here soon enough.

4. Doctor Strange

Synopsis: After his career is destroyed, a brilliant but arrogant surgeon gets a new lease on life when a sorcerer takes him under his wing and trains him to defend the world against evil.
Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel McAdams, Tilda Swinton, Chiwetel Ejiofor
Director: Scott Derrickson
Release: November 4

Anything Marvel Studios churns out, I am on board immediately no questions asked, but anytime they promise to bring something fresh and unique to the big screen (i.e.- Guardians of the Galaxy), my already sky high expectations reach astronomical heights. There is nothing about Doctor Strange that is typical Marvel, and for that reason alone, I beg November 4 to come quickly. In what may be the most perfect casting choice Marvel has ever made, Benedict Cumberbatch looks to have been born to play Doctor Strange. However, in addition to Cumberbatch, Marvel has also rounded out their cast with what very well may be their most talented cast from top to bottom in their history. In addition to the names listed above, Mads Mikkelsen and Michael Stuhlbarg help in bringing this exceptional comic book to life. The passion for this film is remarkable and palpable, from the cast all the way down. Marvel promises something different, but I'm hoping for the same result: greatness.

3. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice

Synopsis: Fearing the actions of Superman left unchecked, Gotham City's own formidable, forceful vigilante Batman takes on Metropolis' most revered, modern-day savior, while the world wrestles with what sort of hero it really needs. And with Batman and Superman at war with one another, a new threat Doomsday quickly arises, putting mankind in greater danger than it's ever known before.
Starring: Henry Cavill, Ben Affleck, Jesse Eisenburg, Amy Adams
Director: Zack Snyder
Release: March 25

Talk about an immense amount of pressure being placed on just one film. Operating in the opposite way that its rival Marvel built their cinematic universe, DC looks to build its own universe by introducing everyone at once and then giving each character their own film. The majority of my anticipation comes from the fact that I cannot wait to see if they can actually pull it off. If they can, this one will be wondrous for nerds all over the world just like me. To see arguably the two greatest characters in comic book history on the big screen together for the first time is exciting beyond belief. The first trailers we received have given me chills and have only grown my anticipation. Marvel was able to pull it off with The Avengers, and now, it's DC's turn, and as a self-proclaimed comic book movie nerd, I'll be there with my cape on ready to go.

2. Rogue One: A Star Wars Story

Synopsis: Rebels set out on a mission to steal the plans for the Death Star.
Starring: Felicity Jones, Mads Mikkelsen, Ben Mendelsohn, Forest Whitaker
Director: Gareth Edwards
Release: December 16

Coming fresh off the tremendous success of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, it would've been quite easy for Disney to rest on its laurels and just wait for episode eight to come out in 2017, but instead, in 2016, we will all be treated to something never before seen within the Star Wars universe: a spinoff. We all love Star Wars as evidenced by the daily growing box office numbers, but in almost forty years, we've never seen a spinoff, and to me, that's something to be greatly excited about. Rogue One will take place in the time between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, and if you're a fellow nerd like myself, you know that a lot takes place in that time period that we never see, so to be able to see how all of  that transpired should be a thrilling experience. Plus, the cast is sublime, led by Jones who is one of the best up and coming actresses in the business today. Here's hoping that Disney gives us something just as amazing as The Force Awakens.

1. Captain America: Civil War

Synopsis: Political interference in the Avenger's activities causes a rift between former allies Captain America and Iron Man.
Starring: Chris Evans, Robert Downey Jr., Anthony Mackie, Scarlett Johansson
Director: Anthony and Joe Russo
Release: May 6

After my praise of Marvel throughout this post and my overall love for comic book movies, did you expect anything else to occupy this spot? Up until this point, the entire Avengers squad has been firmly united against a common enemy. With Civil War, not only are they all divided, but nobody really knows who the enemy actually is. Is it Cap? What about Iron Man? Is it the government attempting to interfere in the heroes's lives? These along with so many other questions are some of the reasons why May 6 is marked on my calendar. Beyond the storyline itself, to witness all of these fantastic heroes we already know and love on the big screen again will undoubtedly be a most thrilling experience, but then you tell me that we will get our first look at the Black Panther and the new Spiderman and my anticipation spikes to a new all-time high. Anytime a new high profile Marvel movie is on the schedule, you can bet that it will always be one of my most anticipated films of the year, and Civil War is absolutely no different.

Here's to a great 2016!

-Cody Fleenor

(Note: Source for all movie information- IMDB)

The New Cast Awakens

For as long as I can remember, I have been an avid Star Wars fanatic. I could watch the original trilogy every week if I had unlimited time on my hands, and the prequels, while extremely flawed, are still films that I watch on occasion. So for the past two years or so, I have been beyond anxious to see what director JJ Abrams would bring to the galaxy far, far away with episode seven, The Force Awakens.

I am writing this on December 23. The movie came out on December 18. I've already seen The Force Awakens twice and I will see it again at least six more times (and probably more than that).

Abrams and company pulled off the impossible in making an installment for the legendary franchise that is worthy to be mentioned in the same breath as the original Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. It's simply that great. I got chills on at least twenty eight different occasions during both viewings and I fully anticipate getting even more chills as I go back to see it over and over again.

I was fortunate enough to see the first showing my local theater showed on the Thursday before opening day. I was surrounded by a sold-out theater full of Star Wars fanatics just like me and it was a night that I will truly never forget. Witnessing legions of fans from age six to sixty pile into a movie theater was a sight to behold. Every single one of us was anxiously awaiting the arrival of our beloved trio: Han Solo, Leia Organa, and Luke Skywalker. We also couldn't wait to see Chewbacca, C3PO, and R2-D2 once more. For the night, we wanted to be transported back to the late seventies/early eighties and live in the glory days of George Lucas's fascinating universe. From the moment that John Williams's legendary theme began coming through the speakers, we could get a sense that we were in for a truly special evening.

*WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! PROCEED WITH CAUTION IF YOU HAVE NOT SEEN STAR WARS: THE FORCE AWAKENS!*

Throughout the film, we lovingly welcomed back Harrison Ford's classic Han Solo along with his trusty sidekick, Chewbacca. We saw Carrie Fisher continue to literally be Leia. The droids were there and they were still awesome. It took him a while, but we finally got to see the last Jedi standing from the old Republic, Luke Skywalker himself. As each familiar face donned the screen, they were greeted by boisterous applause, adding to the truly incredible showing, and here's the phenomenal part about seeing these characters back in The Force Awakens: they all had their moment to shine. Ford, as evidenced by the trailers, was on screen the most along with Chewie each step of the way, and they both crushed every scene. It was so amazing to see Ford having a blast once again as everybody's favorite smuggler, and his rifts with his best Wookie will never cease to put a smile on any Star Wars fan's face. Fisher has some really nice moments towards the back end of the film and her presence should only increase in the coming movies. C3PO may have had the funniest scene in the entire movie for a diehard Star Wars fan like myself, and of course, Luke Skywalker wasn't on the screen as much as we thought he might have been, but he surely make his presence felt and will undoubtedly be very present in the coming films as well.

While it was an unforgettable experience seeing those characters I consider family in a sense, upon leaving the theater, I offered my praises to the original cast, but during the drive home with my sister and my dad, the topic of conversation wasn't about Han Solo or Luke Skywalker; rather, it was about the newcomers who absolutely stole the show. Daisy Ridley's Rey, John Boyega's Finn, Adam Driver's Kylo Ren, and Osacr Isaac's Poe Dameron quickly and seamlessly take the torch from the original cast and begin forging their own legend. This fact became even more apparent when I saw the film the second time. During my first viewing, I was just excited to see the old characters, but the reason I had to go see it again was because I wanted to know more and more about these fresh faces.

Years from now, we will not be remembering The Force Awakens exclusively because of Han Solo or Luke Skywalker. We will be coming back to JJ Abrams's masterpiece for Rey, Finn, Poe, and Kylo Ren.

First of all, if you haven't seen Oscar Isaac before Star Wars, I strongly encourage you to check out his filmography and seek out his movies. He is the next big thing in Hollywood as far as I am concerned, and as Poe Dameron, he has never been better. Admittedly, I wanted to see more of Poe than we actually did, but I have no doubt that the upcoming films will feature him more prominently. He is a phenomenal talent, and the Star Wars universe is extremely fortunate to have him.

It was never going to be easy to create a worthwhile villainous successor to perhaps the greatest villain in the history of cinema, Darth Vader, but what Adam Driver did with Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens was something special. We get a sense of heartache and genuine pain during every line of Driver's dialogue. In maybe the most iconic scene of the new film featuring Ren and Han Solo, Driver is flawless in building hope within the audience that Ren may actually not be lost for good to the Dark Side before ultimately crushing that hope and fully embracing the Dark Side like never before by killing his father, Han Solo himself. His presence is dominating and his lightsaber is mind-blowing. I cannot wait to see what Driver does in future installments.

With Finn, John Boyega was able to give the audience a fresh and new vantage point never before seen in the history of Star Wars by giving us the character arc of a former Stormtrooper. Throughout the franchise, droids/clones/Stormtroopers have been glorified props on some occasions and simple minions to the Sith/Empire/First Order on their best day, but in The Force Awakens, we come to find out that the new generation of Stormtroopers are actual human beings with a soul, none with a more tender soul than Boyega's Finn. Boyega portrays Finn with hilarious tenacity, never truly revealing his motives while also remaining completely faithful to Rey and company. His character is something like we've never seen before, so it's appropriate that Boyega is something like we've never seen before. Finn is an instant legend, and so is Boyega.

Finally, we come to the star of a generation, Rey. Newcomer Daisy Ridley has taken the world by storm with her portrayal of one of the greatest characters in science fiction history. In fact, I would go as far to say that Rey is already one of the greatest characters in movie history period. While that is due in large part to Abrams and his writing team, Ridley ultimately deserves the lion's share of the credit. She's daring, fearless, and every single other adjective that relates to 'awesome.' In just one film, she has become one of my new favorite actresses. With Rey, Star Wars has an exciting future ahead as we will hopefully delve more and more into the legend of Rey. Personally, I am thrilled beyond belief to see Ridley do battle with a lightsaber again. She's already so well equipped with the powers of the Force. Imagine what training with Luke Skywalker will do for her potentially.

As the viewings continue to mount and the years go by, the allure and excitement of seeing the characters from the original trilogy will slowly fade. Isaac, Driver, Boyega, and Ridley will continue to bring fans back for more. Sure, we'll come back for Ford and Fisher too just like when we watch the original films, but when I watch The Force Awakens twenty years from now with my family, I know I'll be watching for this incredible new cast. Abrams created this masterpiece thanks in large part to some of the best casting in a film in movie history. My heart will forever belong to Star Wars, and after The Force Awakens, that looks to never change.

-Cody Fleenor

The Jurassic Pixar Predicament

The year 2015 was fortunate enough to see the release of not one, but two original films from the masterminds at Pixar: Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur. In the summer, Inside Out was met with rapturous praise and adoration as it was quickly hailed as a crowning achievement for the studio (currently 98% on Rotten Tomatoes). Not only did the emotions inside Riley's head captivate the critics; it also took the box office by storm, going up against the recording shattering Jurassic World while holding its own on its way to bringing in $850 million worldwide. By all accounts, Inside Out is a massive success.

Fast forward to November and audiences beheld the second film from the studio in 2015, The Good Dinosaur. While Arlo and company certainly garnered its fair share of supporters, the acclaim was much more subdued. Currently boasting a still strong 77% on Rotten Tomatoes, the general consensus from critics and audiences alike was that The Good Dinosaur was a middle of the pack effort by Pixar at best. The box office supports this claim as it is now being reported that Pixar may bring in its smallest receipt since A Bug's Life in 1998.

Personally, in regard to Inside Out, I consider it to be not only one of Pixar's finest films, but also one of the finest films in modern history period, animated or live action. Its brilliance is unrivaled and the story is refreshingly original from beginning to end. With The Good Dinosaur, while I did agree to an extent with the consensus that it ranks somewhere in the middle between the Pixar classics like Toy Story and Wall-E and the disaster known as Cars 2, I also left the theater wondering if The Good Dinosaur truly deserves that ranking or was it just a case of terrible timing for Pixar and the film. Could Pixar have benefited from waiting a few more months to release this film? What did the original idea for the film that was supposed to have been released in 2014 look like? Or was this Pixar meteor just doomed to miss the mark entirely? Essentially, what went wrong with The Good Dinosaur?

In order to fully get a grasp on this predicament, we must first trace the roots of The Good Dinosaur. Pixar had been working on this film for quite some time, and they had originally slated it to be released in 2014, ensuring that it would be released alone in 2014 and Inside Out would have 2015 all to itself. However, due to a directing change halfway through production due to creative differences between the studio and the director, Pixar decided they needed more time and pushed the release back to fall 2015 while the story received a complete remake. This was an unprecedented move for Pixar as they had never released two films in the same calendar year. They also left 2014 vacant, marking only the third year since 2001 that came and went without a Pixar release.

When the summer rolled in, Inside Out received the aforementioned praise. Anytime the words  "masterpiece" or "instant classic" start being widely proclaimed and then accepted, you know you have something special on your hands. So when it was time for The Good Dinosaur, an unfortunate inevitability occurred within critic circles and audiences alike:

We wrongfully compared The Good Dinosaur exclusively to Inside Out without even knowing it.

We do this all the time throughout a year, which is why you see so many "Top 10 Movies of ____" lists every year (side note: I'll be releasing one of those in about a month or so). We compare movies like Ant-Man to Spotlight or The Martian to Brooklyn. Unfair as it may be, that's the nature of the beast when it comes to ranking movies. Unfortunately, Pixar cannot escape this fact either. It seems like every time a new Pixar film comes out, everyone feels the need to share with the world their rankings on where all the Pixar movies stands. I am not at all pointing fingers here, though, considering I released a list like that of my own just about a month ago from the time of this writing. Therefore, whether we consciously knew it or not, walking into the theater to see The Good Dinosaur, we were comparing it to Pixar's most recent effort prevalent on our minds, Inside Out.

Think about it this way. As I write this post, we are currently one week away from the highly anticipated release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. As I gather with my fellow nerds at the Thursday night showing, it will be natural for all of us to compare episode seven to the original trilogy featuring Luke, Han, and Leia. They are all four totally different films, but we like to rank our movies, so we will all eventually conclude that episode seven was superior or inferior to one of the original three. That's what went down in theaters across the country as people began witnessing the journey of Arlo and Spot. Due to the fact that Inside Out was so well-received, The Good Dinosaur had to live up to those standards or it would have been deemed a failure by being simply mediocre. That'll also be the case with The Force Awakens. If comparisons to the prequel trilogy start showing up, failure has occurred for Lucasfilm because the lofty standard is the original trilogy.

To me, when looking at the overall reception and box office figures for The Good Dinosaur, it seems as if people are punishing Pixar for making a film that is just really good as opposed to being classical. Pixar has and will always continue to raise the bar in the animation business, a feat they accomplished mightily with Inside Out. However, with The Good Dinosaur, because the film did meet that bar, a disappointing narrative was written. In my opinion, I believe that The Good Dinosaur is an extremely well done piece of film-making by Pixar. In fact, I would even wager that if any other studio in the animation industry not named Pixar had made it, the reception would be quite different because it would have been hailed as a phenomenal film.

Now, I am not calling on everyone to change their opinion of The Good Dinosaur and take it easy on Pixar. That's what makes movies so awesome in that civil conversations can be had even when expressing an opinion. What I am advocating for is a repeat viewing whenever The Good Dinosaur is released on Blu-Ray. Allow for time to pass between Inside Out and The Good Dinosaur first and foremost. Then, when you insert the disk into your Blu-Ray player, don't compare this unique film to an entirely different unique film. Basically, let Inside Out be Inside Out and let The Good Dinosaur be The Good Dinosaur. I know that people will still feel as if Pixar created just a good film instead of a great one, but I've also got a feeling that people might just warm up to Arlo and Spot withtime. Nothing could have followed Inside Out, so rather than comparing The Good Dinosaur to it, let's allow each story to inspire and entertain us at their own level. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion; all I'm asking is for you to not allow for your opinion to be set in stone after just one viewing. Let your opinion evolve. Who knows, you may just have a new favorite Pixar movie one day.

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Disney's Animal Kingdom Attractions

Like Disney's Hollywood Studios, Disney's Animal Kingdom is currently a park in transition with Pandora- The World of Avatar coming soon, but that doesn't diminish the fact that it is still a must-do during any Walt Disney World vacation. From the exciting sights to the truly unforgettable experiences, Animal Kingdom is always a highlight for me when I travel to Central Florida. For this week's edition of Five Friday Favorites, I count down my top five attractions at DAK!

Only one honorable mention for this list and it's Finding Nemo- The Musical. This thrilling stage show is an excellent staple of Animal Kingdom that is not to be missed. If you enjoy Finding Nemo (and let's be honest, everybody does, right?), you will love this show featuring superb puppetry on display and some catchy songs to compliment the already fantastic story. Disney always boasts the best of the best when it comes to live entertainment, and this musical is no exception.

Now, onward and upward to the top five!

5. Kali River Rapids

Everyone has probably experienced an attraction like Kali River Rapids in theme parks outside of Disney World, but what makes Kali River Rapids special is the message behind the attraction. Animal Kingdom is all about celebrating life and the beauty of nature, and those two themes are never more prevalent than when riding this ride that will leave everyone soaking wet from head to toe. To challenge every guest to take great care of the habitats around us while also entertaining the masses is something that Kali River Rapids achieves to perfection. Plus, if you just like to get drenched, you will be hard-pressed to find a water ride anywhere in the world featuring more water than on this attraction at Animal Kingdom.

4. Dinosaur

If you are like me, you want to experience something one-of-a-kind on every attraction at Animal Kingdom, and you cannot get a more unique experience than with Dinosaur. Based on the underrated and often forgotten Disney film of the same title, Dinosaur is an attraction that will stimulate every single one of the senses now matter how many times you experience it. I've been on Dinosaur quite a lot, and I still discover new hidden treasures upon every experience. Also, dinosaurs are just cool, and what better way to celebrate that coolness than by travelling back in time to roam where they roamed for a few minutes?

3. The Festival of the Lion King

Of all the stage shows at Disney World, The Festival of the Lion King is probably my absolute favorite. First of all, The Lion King is one of my favorites movies of all-time, so being able to sing those songs again with an extremely talented cast and the memorable characters is such a special experience. Additionally, the building and stage where you will find this show at DAK is so unique and so perfect for the show itself. Made in a theater in the round style, guests surround the stage on four sides, allowing the action to take place literally right before your eyes while also allowing for some cool cast/audience interaction. This show never fails to give me chills, and I anticipate that streak staying alive upon my next visit to Animal Kingdom.

2. Expedition: Everest

I will never forget my first time riding Expedition: Everest. My family and I were lucky enough to be vacationing at Disney World the same week that the forbidden mountain opened to the public back in 2006 when I was just eleven years old. Of course, as an eleven year old first experimenting with the idea of thrill rides and roller coasters, this attraction was the best of the best, and Expedition: Everest has maintained that status for me even to this day. Climbing to picturesque heights, this is one of the best thrill rides on the entire Disney property. The section of the coaster where guests are catapulted backwards to escape the legendary Yeti is exhilarating and one of the many highlights of a trip to Animal Kingdom.

1. Kilimanjaro Safaris

I can confidently make the argument that if you could only do one thing at the Walt Disney World Resort, that one thing needs to be Kilimanjaro Safaris. It's as if Disney has quite literally brought a piece of the African savanna along with its diverse wildlife to Central Florida, and I can't tell you how cool it is to see elephants, giraffes, zebras, and so many more incredible animals living life just steps away from your safari vehicle. The amazing aspect of this attraction is that every experience is different. These animals are unpredictable, so you never know what you're going to see from time to time. That, to me, is beyond exciting and something I thoroughly look forward to during every vacation!

As you can clearly see, Disney's Animal Kingdom is so much more than a zoo. While it certainly is home to an abundance of animal life, there is much more to experience at DAK. I implore you to make time to visit this truly unique park. I can almost guarantee that you won't regret it.

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Disney Movie Moments

In order to create a masterpiece, each Disney movie is defined by certain showstopping scenes. Every single one of us has our favorite scenes from Disney movies, and I am no different. You know how much I love Disney movies by now, and on this week's edition of Five Friday Favorites, I am going to reveal my top five Disney scenes.

It is virtually impossible to narrow down a list like this to just five, so I must start off with some honorable mentions. I would be remiss to make such a list and leave out the Sorcerer's Apprentice segment from Fantasia. Not only does it feature the Mouse himself, but it's just an excellently animated entertaining sequence. The music, obviously, is the best of the best and how could you possibly beat seeing Mickey on the big screen commanding the scene? It's iconic Disney through and through, and one of the best scenes Walt himself ever created.

The second honorable mention, I'm going to go back to 1950 with Disney's classic Cinderella and the ballroom dance with Prince Charming and Cinderella herself accompanied by "So This is Love." This is a quintessential Disney movie moment as audiences swoon every time these two legends dance with each other in their classic attire. Plus, talk about a perfect song for the occasion! Not only does it define Cinderella; it defines an entire generation of Disney film-making.

Next up, the entire animation sequence from Mary Poppins never ceases to give me chills. Highlighted by such classic Disney songs as "Jolly Holiday" and "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious," this scene is entertainment to the extreme. Dick Van Dyke and Julie Andrews are their typical classy selves, but when the magic of Disney animation gets involved, the film gives a whole new meaning to the term 'classic.' This scene, in my opinion, is one of Walt Disney's crowning achievements.

 I have on numerous occasions in posts past expressed my love for Aladdin, and one of the reasons I love this movie so dearly is because of the "A Whole New World" scene.Yet again, a scene is bolstered by the presence of one of the best songs Disney has ever recorded, but the animation isn't too shabby whatsoever. Actually, it's some of the best animation from Disney in the 1990s, and that's some high praise, if I do say so myself.

Another honorable mention goes to the first ten minutes of the Pixar classic, Up. This film does in ten minutes what a whole bunch of films fail to do in two hours plus: make us care. The entire opening sequence with the love story of Carl and Ellie being told is simply Pixar doing what they do best, and that is taking excellent animation and making us care for that animation. By the end of just ten minutes, the audience has already experienced a roller coaster of emotion, setting up what would eventually become known as a modern day animated classic.

The final honorable mention belongs to the "I See the Light" sequence from Tangled. One of the finest pieces of animation in Disney history, Rapunzel and Flynn shine while singing this modern Alan Menken classic with thousands of the kingdom lanterns floating around their romantic cruise. It is by far the best scene in the movie, and it is also one of the finest scenes of the modern Disney era.

I could go on and on with these iconic scenes, but without further ado, onward and upward to the top five!

5. The Spaghetti Dinner- Lady and the Tramp


Perhaps the most iconic scene in animation history, the romantic meal served by Tony to Lady and the Tramp will undoubtedly put a smile on just about anybody's face. With the beautiful "Bella Notte" playing in the background, who would have thought that we as humans could care so much about two dogs in love? The scene is iconic because of its simplicity: two dogs on a date enjoying a bowl of spaghetti. However, the buildup to the scene paves the way for this scene to stand as not only a shining moment in animation, but a legendary moment in film history period.

4. The Ballroom Scene- Beauty and the Beast

Never has an animated sequence been so elegantly created than when Belle and the Beast dance under the chandelier of the castle for the first time in their classic attire. With Angela Lansbury's angelic voice singing one of the greatest Disney songs ever, the scene could really not get more perfect. It is by far the highlight of a perfect film through and through, and what makes it so iconic is that it truly defines an entire generation of Disney film-making. From the swooping cinematography to the gorgeous animation, this is Disney at the top of its game, one of the crowning jewels of animation.

3. The Finale- Toy Story 3

The finale from Toy Story 3 marks the end of childhood for quite a bit of people from my generation, As kids growing up in the late nineties, you simply couldn't beat Buzz and Woody. We grew up with these classic characters from Toy Story and Toy Story. We played with our own Rex and Slinky every day as children and loved every minute of it. Then, when Toy Story 3 was released, Pixar effectively ended our childhood, and in the best way possible. The ending to Toy Story 3 is one the best endings to a movie ever because of the significance of the moment. These characters weren't just drawings on a screen; they were real, and people ranging from five to sixty five cared so deeply for these characters. When Andy has to move on to college by giving up his toys to Bonnie, an entire audience felt the pain of separation and the loss of innocence alongside Andy, but we also celebrated the brightness of the future just as I am sure Andy did. That's iconic to infinity and beyond.

2. Snow White's Funeral- Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Every other scene on this list owes everything to this scene from the first animated classic. With the funeral of Snow White, Walt Disney achieved the impossible. He made actual human beings care for drawings. As the seven dwarfs, the forest animals, and the faithful Prince make their way to pay their respects to the recently poisoned Snow White, we felt and understood their loss while grieving alongside them. As far as animation goes, without this scene, animation would look radically different today. Thanks to this powerful moment, animation becomes just as powerful as live action entertainment, if not more so. The subtle music playing in the background as well as the emotion height of this scene will melt the hardest of hearts, something unimaginable prior to 1937.

1. The Opening- The Lion King

Throughout the history of animation, no other film has accomplished in its first five minutes what The Lion King accomplishes with its opening. Before we are ever even situated comfortably in our seats, the "Circle of Life" introduction propels us to give the film a standing ovation, and the characters haven't even said a word! Think back to the first time you saw that sun coming over the horizon with the entire Pridelands coming to see the coronation of the future king, Simba. Aren't you getting chills just thinking about it? When Rafiki majestically raises up Simba to present him to the kingdom, a new standard for animation is set yet again. No longer do you need a backstory to open a film. You actually don't even need your characters to talk at all. You just need a song brilliantly written by Elton John and some of the most beautiful animation sequences ever produced and you'll instantly have your audience right where you want them. The Lion King is a genuine classic, and the highlight of this classic is without question this opening.

There are an abundance of more great Disney movie moments. One simple list could not contain all of the iconic scenes in the history of Disney, but I hope that this list will allow for us to continue to foster our appreciation for animation. Animation is not just for kids as many people might think; in fact, a majority of the time, an animated film is just as important to the adult as it is the child. That's what a list like this is designed for: to get the word out about the amazing art of animation. So spread the word and let animation live!

-Cody Fleenor

From the Inside Out

In the summer of 2015, Pixar released what was arguably their greatest film to date, Inside Out. A film brimming with emotion while also providing countless laughs for all ages, Inside Out is a genuine animated classic. The characters are so richly developed and the story line is superb. On top of that, the animation itself is gorgeous, rivaling anything Pixar has ever created. As Pixar seems to always do, they once again set the bar extremely high for any subsequent animated films in the coming years.

I say all of that to say this: Inside Out along with Joy, Sadness, and all the emotions from the film need a home at Epcot at Disney World.

Recently, it was announced that the Epcot cult-classic 3D attraction Captain EO would be closing in December of 2015 to make room for a Disney and Pixar Short Film Festival. While I am thoroughly looking forward to seeing what Disney can conjure up next, I must also admit that I believe that this theater and in particular this area coupled alongside the building currently inhabited by Journey Into Imagination with Figment would be a perfect way for Inside Out to make its presence felt in the Disney Parks.

Today, I give you four reasons why I am advocating for Epcot to get an emotional update.

First of all, this area we are discussing is currently labeled the Imagination Pavilion. Can you see the obviousness of this scenario? Primarily, Captain EO is a film for the senses and Journey Into Imagination is literally all about how we think and sense things. The area is already designed for attractions and/or shows centered around our brains and imaginations. If you've ever seen Inside Out, or for that matter, if you've ever seen a preview for the film, you know that the entire movie is set inside the mind of Riley. Throughout the movie, we catch a glimpse at how Riley's mind works as we see her dreams, memories, and, of course, how she imagines different things. Joy and her group of emotions could take over the Imagination Pavilion at Epcot and they would not only fit seamlessly, I think that area would be an instant must-see at Disney World. Why not have a popular movie based in the brain take over a pavilion designed to celebrate the brain? I can see character greeting spots being added here, drawing even more families to Epcot and maybe even alleviating some pressure off the new Frozen area coming in 2016. Plus, Captain EO and Figment can be easily replaced by, for instance, an attraction powered by Joy and a show hosted by Anger. Be honest, who wouldn't want to watch a show hosted by Anger? To me, this makes almost too much sense.

Secondly, as I mentioned above, Epcot is in need of some family friendly attractions. Take away The Seas with Nemo and Friends, I would argue that Epcot doesn't have another attraction area (excluding the new Frozen area as mentioned before, which will also help with this problem in the future) that is specifically designated for families to enjoy together. Adding an entire area focused on one of the most beloved films of recent memory would greatly attract families to Epcot like never before. Currently, in my opinion, the perception of Epcot is that it's a park for adults traveling alone or for families with older children. Coupling the new Frozen area with an Inside Out area would be a formidable duo too great for families to ignore as they would then see Epcot as a park that requires a full day of attendance during their vacation, and that's something Epcot and Disney World at large could desperately use.

Furthermore, other Pixar movies already have a strong presence throughout the Disney Parks. Over at Disney's California Adventure, Cars and A Bug's Life already have a specially designed area and both are extremely popular, drawing thousands of guests to Anaheim everyday. Back in Central Florida, it was just recently announced that the Toy Story franchise would be getting its own unique area at Disney's Hollywood Studios in the coming years in addition to the Toy Story presence already found at the Magic Kingdom and in Pixar Place at Studios itself with Toy Story Midway Mania and the popular Buzz and Woody meet and greet. Finding Nemo will probably only continue to expand its presence in the years to come with the release of its sequel, Finding Dory. We can already find the Tank Gang at Epcot at the Living Seas and Disney's Animal Kingdom at Finding Nemo- The Musical. I bring all of this up to prove that bringing a significant Pixar addition to a Disney Park is by no means unprecedented. In fact, I would suggest that it is actually a theme and a focus for Disney to get more Pixar into the parks. I hope that assumption is correct.

Finally, Inside Out fits picture-perfectly into the theme of Epcot. One of the main themes you will find at Epcot, and one of my personal favorites, is the challenge of advancing fearlessly into the future. This is evidenced by such attractions as Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, and the interactive Innovations. Epcot puts a tremendous focus of taking life by the horns and creating a brighter future one day at a time. I say that by allowing people to understand their minds and imaginations more and more, albeit in the form of an animated movie, would be beneficial to Epcot in further supporting the claim that the future is indeed bright. Imagination is crucial for innovation, and the Inside Out gang can help guests learn that in a very Disney way.

All in all, to me, adding Inside Out to Epcot's Imagination Pavilion makes perfect sense. Here's hoping that Disney decides to give these great emotions a place in the parks sooner rather than later. We could use a theme park focus that isn't Frozen after all.

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Pixar Films

At the time of this writing, Pixar has just released the first teaser trailer for their highly anticipated sequel, Finding Dory. As expected, it was an absolute delight, making June 2016 seem like a lifetime away. Also, at this very moment, we are just under two weeks away from the release of Pixar's next film, The Good Dinosaur. Watching the trailers leading up to the release, this one looks to be classic Pixar. The animation looks stunning and the emotion seems to have made it to the final product as well. Needless to say, I will be there opening day!

This week, I thought it would only be appropriate to jump-start the excitement for The Good Dinosaur and Finding Dory by revealing my top five Pixar films. Picking just five Pixar films is like picking which child is your favorite; it's virtually impossible! In fact, if I were to give honorable mentions for this list, I would basically cover the entire Pixar filmography.

With that being said, onward and upward to the top five!

5. Finding Nemo

What makes Pixar so unbeatable is their ability to perfectly blend hilarity with raw emotion, and a perfect example of that being the case is with Finding Nemo. The opening scene is heart-wrenching and will certainly get the hardest of hearts to break, but then that scene is immediately followed by a delightful adventure though Nemo's community on his way to school, a scene full of jokes and beautiful animation. Thus, the Pixar formula is excellently demonstrated. Nemo is one of the few movies that I have watched over twenty or thirty times and I still laugh out loud during scenes with Marlin and Dory or with the Tank Gang. Plus, the emotions have never been higher than in the aforementioned opener and the gut-wrenching finale. Finding Nemo is pure Pixar magic.

4. Up

In a matter of just ten minutes, Up has you in the palm of its hand. By the end of the heartbreaking scene to open the film telling us the story of how Carl and Ellie met, fell in love, and eventually lost one another, Pixar is able to reduce just about anyone watching to a puddle of tears. But then, right on cue, Pixar comes right back with a fantastic scene showing Carl getting down his stairs with the help of mobile chair. Once again, it's a perfect blend of drama and comedy, and that would be a theme throughout this masterpiece. The animation is, predictably, gorgeous, and the characters are so well developed with the story flowing so smoothly from scene to scene. Adventure is indeed out there, and with Up, Pixar reached a brand new height.

3. The Incredibles

If this film was a live action movie, I am fairly positive that it would be widely considered the greatest superhero movie of all-time. Nonetheless, Brad Bird's animated classic is phenomenal film-making. Endlessly quotable ("You sly dog! You've got me monologuing!") with so many fleshed out characters, The Incredibles is delightful whether you're six or sixty. The story is also second to none, and of course, the emotion is there as well. Are you beginning to sense a theme with Pixar here by the wat? The ending left people around the world (myself included) longing for a sequel, and in just a few years, we will finally get one, and for that, I cannot contain my excitement!

2. Inside Out

I know that Inside Out is the newest and freshest Pixar film on our minds, and some of you are probably hesitant to include it on your own personal list. I struggled with that idea too, but the more and more I thought about it, the more and more I started to convince myself that it definitely deserves a spot on my list. Perhaps the greatest concept for a movie Pixar has ever conjured up, Inside Out is hilarious and touching, sometimes at the exact same time. The animation is some of the most stunning artwork Pixar has ever created as well, and the five key Emotions are so well written and developed. Plus, the voice work is some of the best in Pixar history, led by Amy Poehler and Phyllis Smith who turn in career-best work. Of course, the ending provides the patented Pixar punch to the gut, the perfect emotional payoff for the film about emotions.

1. Toy Story 3

Toy Story 3 will always hold an extra special place in my heart because when I was a young boy, I received Buzz Lightyear and Woody dolls for my birthday and to this day, I still proudly own them. When Toy Story 3 came out in 2010, I was getting ready to transition into college life, and after spending a lifetime seeing myself as Andy in a way, watching the events of that film unfold was emotional beyond what I've ever experienced. On top of that, the humor in this film is so Pixar, subdued and sarcastic while also being laugh out loud funny. I will gladly see Toy Story 4 when it is released in the upcoming years, but to me personally, Toy Story 3 will always be the pinnacle of not only Pixar, but to animation as a genre.

Keep an eye out for episode three of The Mouse Knows Best podcast as I had the great pleasure of hosting and talking about Pixar with our great panel of Disney fanatics. Follow me on Twitter (@InsideDisney407) for updates regarding our podcast and Disney in general!

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites- Disney's Hollywood Studios Attractions

I like to think about Disney's Hollywood Studios as the cult favorite among Disney fans: you either love it and would argue with anyone who disagreed or you are on the outside looking in and you just cannot understand the hype. For myself and my entire family, a vacation to the Walt Disney World Resort is simply not complete without a trip to Hollywood Studios. In fact, my sister once worked on Sunset Boulevard at Studios and ever since then, the park has taken on an even extra special meaning to my family. This week, let's countdown the top five attractions at Hollywood Studios.

First of all, the two honorable mentions that just missed the cut are two unique entertainment options. The first one is Beauty and the Beast Live On Stage. As you can tell by some of my previous Friday Favorites, I truly love Beauty and the Beast, so anytime I can watch the show live on stage (albeit in a condensed format), I instantly become a child again. I sing right along with Belle and Lumiere while also scolding when Gaston struts his stuff. This show is a Studios' treasure.

Secondly, the street show The Citizens of Hollywood is easily one of the highlights of any trip to Hollywood Studios. Periodically throughout the day on Sunset Boulevard, some of the most spirited entertainers straight out of 1930s Hollywood align the street to make every guest laugh hysterically and enjoy themselves thoroughly. This show fits perfectly into the Sunset Boulevard theme and into Studios as a whole as guests are seemingly swept back in time to the golden age of cinema, which really is the heart and soul of the entire park.

Onward and upward to the top five!

5. Star Tours

As an avid and obsessive Star Wars, Star Tours is a piece of paradise right here at Hollywood Studios. Being able to be transported to that galaxy far, far away is literally a dream come true. Plus, this ride is downright exhilarating as the motion effects are top-notch and some of the best you'll find at Disney.The latest upgrade to the attraction where a Rebel spy is chosen at random is a brilliant addition to an already fantastic experience. I'm sure as The Force Awakens is released worldwide, Star Tours will only continue to get all the more impressive.

4. Rock n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith

Being the only roller coaster at Disney World that contains any loops, Rock n' Roller Coaster is a thrill seeker's biggest must-do at Studios and the resort as a whole. Jamming to the infectious tunes of the legendary band Aerosmith aboard our super-stretch limousine, guests can experience what it is like to go from 0 to 60 MPH in a mere three seconds. Then, awaiting at the climax of that launch is the first of four inversions. If you enjoy thrill rides, Rock n' Roller Coaster cannot be missed.

3. Fantasmic!

The quintessential show at Disney World, Fantasmic is the perfect way to cap off a visit to Hollywood Studios. Mickey Mouse himself stars in this classic nighttime spectacular as he is dreaming up a dream to end all dreams when suddenly, the Disney Villains begin to have other plans and plot to ruin Mickey and his wild imagination. The water effects along with the set pieces and lighting is some of the most impressive innovations Disney has ever concocted. With a special appearance by a handful of some of the most popular characters in the Disney canon, Fantasmic should be seen by all.

2. The Twilight Zone Tower of Terror

Even as quickly as upon entering the Hollywood Studios' parking lot, guests turn their gaze upon the Hollywood Tower Hotel and wonder what lies beyond the fifth dimension. Its presence is demanding no matter where you may be inside the park, pleading and begging guests to take the plunge into the Twilight Zone. You will quite literally never experience anything like the sensation of weightlessness as this insane elevator randomly takes you up and down rapidly without any mercy. The story and buildup to the main attraction is worth the price of admission itself, and from beginning to end, Tower of Terror is a genuine Disney classic.

1. Toy Story Midway Mania

This may very well be my favorite attraction at the Walt Disney World Resort. I love the Toy Story characters like no other Disney characters, so being able to play some addictive games lead by Buzz, Woody, and the whole gang is something that dreams are made of. Plus, being able to put bragging rights on the line with everyone in your party by keeping track of your points while playing these games is undoubtedly going to be something that you'll remember for years upon years. If you go to Disney World and only have time for one attraction, make it Toy Story Midway Mania.

Disney's Hollywood Studios is certainly a park in transition with the additions of Toy Story Land and Star Wars Land coming in the next few years, but even today, a trip to Studios will satisfy everyone of all ages. In fact, I want to go there right now!

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Disney Villains

It's that time of year when all things evil take center stage: Halloween! Thanks to Disney, some of the most dastardly menaces to be created have been forever ingrained in our nightmares due to their intimidating prowess and cunning ways. The Disney Villains, in most cases, are just as memorable as their counterpart protagonists, which is why for this week's edition, I thought it would be appropriate to countdown my top five Disney Villains.

Unlike the previous posts, I will not be giving out honorable mentions. These top five demand all of the attention.

5. Scar from The Lion King

Scar comes off as so evil mainly because at the same time, he's so relatable. Everyone has, at one point or another, felt jealously driving them mad and would stop at nothing to right the wrong seemingly committed. What makes Scar such a great Disney Villain, though, is how he carries out his master plan with humor and innocence. The sarcasm level whenever Scar is on the screen is off the charts and gets funnier every time I watch it. Then of course, you have the clear Nazi symbolism going on in the "Be Prepared" scene, and if that's not evil, I don't know what is. Scar is an excellent antagonizing force to Mufasa and eventually Simba. His evil drives the entire plot of the movie, and that's why he belongs in the pantheon of villainy.

4. Ursula from The Little Mermaid

Like Scar, Ursula uses her quick sense of humor to accomplish her villainous goals, and jealousy is once again the driving force behind the madness. With a dominating presence from start to finish, Ursula looms large on everything unfolding on screen. One of the finest moments in any Disney movie is undoubtedly the "Poor Unfortunate Soul" scene where Ursula lays it all out on the line to Ariel for her to make a choice. By the film's end, Ursula is a villain everyone loves to hate. Just like Scar, without Ursula, the entire plot of the movie couldn't advance. That's evilness at its most vile.

3. Evil Queen/Witch from Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

How could someone be so evil for such petty reasons? That has always been the question I have whenever I think about Disney's first villain. The Evil Queen is evil simply because Snow White is prettier than her according to a magic mirror. Her methods are also despicable with the poisoned apple being the standard setter for all following villains. Her transformation from Evil Queen to the Witch is one of the best scenes in Disney movie history, and of Hollywood's villains owe a certain amount of gratitude to the Evil Queen.

2. Cruella De Vil from 101 Dalmatians

Like the Evil Queen, Cruella's evilness is quite simple: she's a villain because she wants a new fur coat. That's it. That's wonderful villainy! Plus, her song is just downright despicable and easily the highlight of this classic film. Her demeanor is commanding every minute she graces the screen with her presence, and just like the characters, the audience quickly learns to fear her and her villainous ways. She's everything you could possibly want in a Disney villain.

1. Maleficent from Sleeping Beauty

You don't get the nickname "The Mistress of Evil" by being ordinary. Maleficent is the pinnacle of Disney villainy. Her reasons for being evil, like Cruella's and the Evil Queen's, on really quite petty really. Maleficent is a villain because she didn't get invited to a party. Now, I'm sure no one likes to be left out of a party invitation list, but has anyone except for Maleficent ever turned into a fire-breathing dragon because of it? As is the theme with this list, without Maleficent, I'm not sure you have Sleeping Beauty. She is why I keep going back to this film. I cannot get enough of her evil antics.

In the words of The Nightmare Before Christmas: "Life's no fun without a good scare!" Enjoy the villainy, folks!

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Disney Villain Songs

Halloween is upon us all, and if you're a Disney fan, it's one of the most wonderful times of the year as the Disney Parks are in full celebration of the season while the classic original movies are being played in households across the country. Also, Halloween gives us the chance to revel in the evilness of the Disney villains. For one month out of the year, these villains get to take center stage, and it is so amazing to watch.

Along with Disney creating some of the best movie villains of all-time (stayed tuned to next week's post about that very topic), the Disney villains also have given us some of the greatest songs Disney has ever produced. For this week's list, I'm going to countdown my top five favorite songs sung by the pantheon of Disney villains.

To give some honorable mentions away, I'll start with Tangled and Mother Gothel's twisted "Mother Knows Best." At this point in the movie, audiences aren't quite sure whether or not Rapunzel's psuedo-mother is a villain or just plain mean, but with her shining moment of revelation, it becomes blatantly clear that Rapunzel has a villain to deal with. When Mother Gothel struts down the stairs of the tower with only candles lighting her path, we know right away that Mother does indeed know best when you are a Disney villain.

Next, I would be remiss not to mention "Hellfire" from Hunchback of Notre Dame. As I've discussed in previous posts, this movie has really grown on me significantly as I've aged, and this song is so villainous in every sense of the word. Take away the "Think of the children" argument people have against this song and this film. Strictly based on what makes a great villain song, Frollo professing his struggle with lust and how it effects his motives throughout the film is absolute villainy as its most vile.

Finally, Halloween would not be complete without watching The Nightmare Before Christmas, and this list would be incomplete without mentioning Oogie Boogie's Song. Oogie Boogie is so vile and yet somehow so lovable, which is basically the character description of everybody in Tim Burton's classic stop-motion film. At a brisk 76 minutes, Nightmare doesn't have a whole lot of time for mediocre material if it wants to maintain classic status, but when Oogie rocks out and brags about him being the Boogieman, that status is easily and quickly achieved.

Onward and upward to the top five!

5. "Friends on the Other Side" from The Princess and the Frog

The Princess and the Frog kicked off the third Golden Age of Disney, in my opinion, mainly because Disney returned to its roots by creating likable protagonists while also concocting fantastic bad guys, and Dr. Facilier is Bayou-bad through and through. Using his dark magic and voodoo to accomplish his villainous plan of bringing down Prince Naveen, whenever the time comes for him to reveal his vile plan, the Shadow Man delivers one of the best modern day Disney songs. The animation during this scene is also top-notch, highlighting in great detail the influence of New Orleans culture on the film. Plus, the voice of Dr. Facilier, Keith David, could truly make anything sound evil if he really wanted to.

4. "Gaston" from Beauty and the Beast

Gaston is one of those Disney villains that you just love to hate, and with his moment to take center stage in this raucous number, his villainy and excellency come to the forefront. I mean, for starters, the fact that your song is simply your name is enough to prove how vile you really are. Anyone that eats five dozens eggs every morning to help him get large and uses antlers in all of his decorating is someone that is easy to love, but Gaston takes it step further by also making us loathe him and his arrogance at the same time. All of this is achieved in a tavern while singing this Alan Menken classic, a feat not easily accomplished.

3. "Poor Unfortunate Souls" from The Little Mermaid

Arguably the most vile Disney villain in the canon, Ursula has a commanding presence from start to finish, and we, as the audience, become witnesses to the phenomenal villainy the Sea Witch has to offer. What really separates this song from the rest is how well it advances the plot while also entertaining the audience, truly an Alan Menken staple. Ariel enters a shy and timid potential consumer of whatever Ursula is offering and leaves with no voice and a desperate mission on her hands. That's villainy; that's Ursula.

2. "Cruella De Vil" from 101 Dalmatians

Once again, some Disney villains only need their name to be the song title to prove how evil they really are. Cruella is the ultimate Disney baddie. Think about why she is the way she is: she's evil because she wants a new coat! If that's not true villainy, I don't know what is! Then, when this song hits, no other introduction or elaboration is needed. We know instantly everything we need to know about Cruella: she's truly one of a kind in her evil ways. That's the mark of an excellent villain: someone who is evil just because they can be. In 101 Dalmatians, Cruella doesn't even need to sing a note to prove that.

1. "Be Prepared" from The Lion King

The sassy and hysterical Scar is one of the finest villains Disney has ever created, mainly because his character arc has a fair amount of layers to it. Dare I say that all of us could potentially understand where Scar's frustrations are coming from? With this number, Scar takes center stage like never before and owns it in the best way possible. With the clear Nazi symbolism going on with the hyenas marching in this scene, Disney made it abundantly clear that Scar was not to be messed with in any regard. On top of that, Jeremy Irons and his tremendous vocals could make anything sound vile and evil, truly a perfect casting to the quintessential Disney villain.

Happy Halloween!

-Cody Fleenor

Disney Just Can't Wait to Be King

Disney has, over the years, experienced its share of fantastic periods of prosperity. Beginning in 1937 with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and going all the way until the mid-1960s, the company saw massive success on multiple fronts from the likes of movies, television, and even theme parks with the opening of Disneyland in 1955. In the 1990s, Disney released classic after classic on the movie front while also expanding its presence on television while also debuting Disney's Animal Kingdom at Disney World and Disney's California Adventure in the early 2000s out in Anaheim. For lengthy stretches, Disney has always found a way to be the king of just about everything in entertainment.

But are we just now entering the greatest time period in Disney history? I think so.

Now, I understand that every hardcore Disney fan will have their own opinions and thoughts on this topic, but here me out on why I think the best is actually yet to come for Disney in the not-so-distant future.

First of all, let's start with Disney's ever-growing presence on television. It's obvious that they own ABC and ESPN, two networks that exponentially grow year in and year out. Beyond those two power networks, though, Disney has quietly made Disney Channel and Disney XD some must watch networks for a wide variety of demographics. Look firstly at Disney XD. At the time of this writing, the network is preparing to fire up its second season of the popular Star Wars Rebels series. They also just kicked off a highly anticipated animated Guardians of the Galaxy series alongside the continued presence of Marvel on the network every day. Over on Disney Channel, the original film Descendants was previously released to high ratings and a cult following. Disney's television workload will inevitably continue to grow over the coming years. ABC and ESPN grows seemingly every day as well with popular shows like Scandal, Modern Family, and Monday Night Football bringing in an enormous audience every week. Disney television has never been better and will only continue to improve in the ratings and in quality of entertainment.

Moving to the movie front, as I wrote about on a previous post, I believe Disney animation is currently in the its third Golden Age with the recent releases of hits like Tangled, Frozen, and Big Hero 6. Additionally, Pixar has never been more popular with the recent phenomenon Inside Out and the highly anticipated The Good Dinosaur on the near horizon. Plus, Pixar has sure fire hits coming up in the next few years as well with the release of Finding Dory, Toy Story 4, and The Incredibles 2. For Disney itself, 2016 will see the release of two new animated movies; Zootopia and Moana. Furthermore, with Disney's recent fascination with live action remakes of some of their animated classics, in the coming years, audiences will be treated to the likes of The Jungle Book (2016), Alice in Wonderland: Through the Looking Glass (2016), and Beauty and the Beast (2017). Some additional live action remakes include Pete's Dragon (2016) and among the announced but not dated remakes are Mulan, Dumbo, and a sequel to Mary Poppins. Disney animation also has Gigantic coming up in 2018 from the songwriters of Frozen. I think it's rather clear that Disney has a few highly anticipated films coming up over just a matter of three or four years, and I didn't even mention the fifth installment in the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise due up in 2017.

Then, there's also this small franchise that Disney recently purchased that may end up making the studio a little pocket change called Star Wars. This December will see the release of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, perhaps the most highly anticipated movie of all-time. After this one is released, though, Disney isn't done; in fact, they're putting the pedal to the medal when it comes to this lucrative franchise. Next year will see the release of Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, a spinoff set in the time period behind episodes three and four, and then the studio will release the second installment in their new trilogy in 2018. They will also see the release of the the third film in the trilogy in probably 2020 as well as some intriguing anthology spinoffs like a Han Solo movie and a Boba Fett movie.

Disney also owns another little studio you may have heard of as well: Marvel. The comic book studio has never been hotter with the recent success of the worldwide phenomenon, Avengers: Age of Ultron. In Marvel's Phase Three (roughly in the time frame of 2016-2020), audiences will see the likes of Captain America: Civil and Doctor Strange in 2016, Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2 and Thor: Ragnarok in 2017, Black Panther, Avengers: Infinity War Part 1, and Ant-Man and the Wasp in 2018, and finally, Avengers: Infinity War Part 2, Captain Marvel, and Inhumans due in 2019. Needless to say, Marvel is going to be making a lot of money for Disney.

In addition to all of that, Disney has also conceived an ambitious plan to enhance its theme parks on both coasts over the next couple of years. At Disneyland and Disney's Hollywood Studios, Star Wars Land is coming to guests that absolutely cannot wait to see this new expansion come to life hopefully in 2019 (breaking ground will probably occur in 2016). Furthermore, at Disney World, Pandora: The World of Avatar will soon be coming to Animal Kingdom in late 2016. The presence of Frozen will be expanded in the summer of 2016 at Epcot's Norway Pavilion in addition to the expansion of New Fantasyland at the Magic Kingdom in the last couple of years.

Financially, I don't think there's ever been a more profitable time period for Disney than the time period they are just now beginning to enter in to. Only time will tell if I am right or not with this prediction, but to me, it just seems like there's never been a better time to be a Disney fan. For now, just sit back and watch the maestros go to work. I am thoroughly looking forward to everything the company has coming up for audiences to enjoy on every front. For Disney, they just can't wait to be king; for the Disney fan, I just can't wait to enjoy.

-Cody Fleenor

Five Friday Favorites: Epcot Attractions

Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow. Who doesn't enjoy a good day at Epcot? Now, admittedly, when I was younger and my family would visit Epcot, I didn't quite get the hype. I mean, I enjoyed seeing all of the cool buildings and especially riding Test Track, but usually, about two or three hours into the day, I was ready to move on from Epcot. However, now that I am older and (I hope) more mature, I wouldn't trade a day at Epcot for anything. It has everything a Disney fanatic could ask for, from Disney history to beautiful sights and even some awesome attractions and excellent dining options.

To begin, I'll start with some honorable mentions that just missed the cut of making my list for my top five favorite Epcot attractions. First of all, I am proudly in the Figment cult following, meaning I love Journey Into Imagination with Figment. Sure, it is rather childish and simple, but that's what makes it work, I think. Imagination isn't suppose to be something that is to be heavily dissected and diagnosed, but rather, it's just meant to be simple just like Figment himself. I would love to see an update for this attraction, but please don't take away my Figment, Disney.

I must make mention also of Mission: Space, but I must specify that this is exclusively for the Green Team. The Orange Team is just too much for me, but the Green Team is quite thrilling for me, and being able to work alongside your family members as you ride is cool too. Plus, Gary Sinise is in charge...how could it be bad??

Finally, just missing the list is The Seas with Nemo and Friends. I love the story of Nemo and gang, and this attraction is a perfect way to retell it in a fresh and cool way. Plus, the breathtaking real life aquarium found after the ride itself is incredible no matter how many times you see it. Did you know that the Epcot ball (you know, that giant icon you see when you enter the park?) can fit comfortably inside the tank? That's phenomenal!

On to the top five!

5. Living With the Land

I think you either really love or really loathe this attraction; I don't think there's a middle ground. I love Living With the Land though! I thoroughly enjoy any opportunity that is afforded to me to go behind the scenes of anything at Disney, and being able to see all the different plants being grown and various fish being raised right in the middle of Epcot is stunning to me every single time. Also, seeing the cast members working in the natural areas on such a neat task is rather interesting as well.

4. Epcot Character Spot

It takes quite a special character greeting spot to break a top five list like this, but trust me, the Epcot Character Spot is special and some. As one of my favorite character greeting spots in the entire Walt Disney World Resort, guests can meet Mickey, Minnie, and Goofy in their classic attire just as everyone has come to know and love them, and that's an experience you literally cannot get anywhere else. It's always great to meet these iconic characters in whatever environment in whatever clothes, but to see them as the classics we all can instantly recognize is truly magical and a true highlight of a trip to Epcot.

3. Spaceship Earth

This attraction is Disney history in its finest form at Epcot. Perfectly summing up the vision and theme of Epcot, Spaceship Earth is something that is not to be missed at all by anyone visiting Epcot. Following the timeline of the history of communication, on paper, doesn't sound stimulating at all, but with the help of Judi Dench's fantastic narration and picturesque sets and audio animatronics, this is educational without ever being boring. Quick tip: come back to Spaceship Earth later in the day as most guests go there near the beginning of the day as it's the first attraction they come to when they enter the park.

2. Test Track

As the fastest attraction at Disney World, Test Track is a thrill ride for everyone that cannot be missed whatsoever. The preliminaries leading up to the figure-8 high-speed finale is worthwhile as well, but let's be honest: everyone who rides Test Track is just wanting to travel at speeds of 65 MPH around G-force producing turns to produce a sensation like you've never experienced before. If you love thrills, and I very much do, Test Track is the thrill of thrills at Epcot.

1. Soarin'

I am absolutely pumped to hear that Soarin' is getting some much needed upgrades to the movie reel, but even if it never received another update, I'm pretty sure it would still occupy the number one spot on this list. As Patrick Warburton exclaims, "Soarin' to tower," you know that you are just seconds from some of the most thrilling minutes of your Disney vacation as you fly high over the beautiful landscapes of California. I can actually smell those orange trees right now as your own personal hang glider finishes your trip at the motherland itself, Disneyland. Thank you, Disney's California Adventure, for the donation! The fine folks visiting Epcot every year really appreciate it!

Walt Disney was always an inspirational man of progress as he was constantly looking forward to the great, big, beautiful tomorrow. That vision and spirit is never more alive than when you walk through the gates of Epcot. From venturing around Future World to travelling the world in World Showcase, this is Disney through and through, and that means magic is abundant.

-Cody Fleenor