Top Ten (10) Favorite DISNEY Animated Films

Below is a list of my top ten (10) favorite Disney animated films of all time . . . so far:


TOP TEN (10) FAVORITE DISNEY ANIMATED FILMS


1. "The Incredibles" (2004) - It still surprises me that a story produced by Brad Bird and Pixar and released by Disney about a family of superheroes would end up being my favorite animated film of all time. It is also one of the best action films and best comic book hero films I have ever seen, hands down. Filled with memorable characters - including the unforgettable designer of superhero costumes, Edna E. Mode - and a fantastic plot about family obligations and the revenge of a superhero wannabe (voiced by the always talented Jason Lee), the movie earned a much deserved Academy Award Best Animated Feature.




2. "101 Dalmations" (1961) - Based upon Dodie Smith's children's book, this 1961 film has one of the best written plots I have ever come across in a Disney film. The plot centered on the fate of the kidnapped puppies of Pongo and Perdita, a pair of Dalmations in 1960 London. Not only is the movie a first-class adventure, it humorously spoofed the public's growing fascination with television and has one of the best villainesses - Cruella DeVille - in the studio's history.




3. "Aladdin" (1992) - This movie caused a bit of controversy with its Middle Eastern setting. But I must admit that this tale of an Arabian street hustler named has also been a big favorite of mine, which featured beautiful animation; a strong story co-written by Ron Clements, John Muser, and the "PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN" franchise duo Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio; and memorable songs by Alan Menken, Howard Ashman and Tim Rice. But it was Robin Williams' memorable performance as the Genie in the Lamp that stole the show.




4. "Peter Pan" (1953) - Frankly, I think that this animated version of J.M. Barrie's play is one of the best written Disney animated films ever made. I also feel that it has been vastly underrated by many critics, who seemed to harbor very little thought about it. This is a beautiful film that featured great animation, a solid story and entertaining songs by Oliver Wallace.




5. "The Lion King" (1994) - Loosely based upon William Shakespeare's "Hamlet", yet set in Pride Lands of the Serengeti, this tale about a lion cub who loses his father and kingdom via the machination of his evil uncle has been a favorite of mine for over a decade. It boasts an excellent story; great drama; great humor thanks to the voice work of Nathan Lane, Ernie Sabella, Cheech Marin and Whoopi Goldberg; a superb score by Hans Zimmer and Oscar worthy songs written by Elton John.




6. "The Little Mermaid" (1989) - Based upon Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale, this excellent film breathed life back into the Disney animated feature film genre after a string of critical and/or commercial failures that dated back to the early 1980s. It also marked the start of the era known as the "Disney Renaissance". The movie included a number of memorable songs written by Alan Menken.





7. "Ratatouille" (2007) - Produced and directed by Brad Bird at Pixar and released through Disney, this charming and hilarious tale is about Remy, a country rat who dreams of becoming a chef and tries to achieve his goal by forming an alliance with a Parisian restaurant's garbage boy. The movie won a much deserved Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.




8. "The Jungle Book" (1967) - Based upon Ruyard Kipling's famous book, this movie would end up as the last one produced by Walt Disney before his death. Although slightly episodic, it was a fun-filled tale about an orphan boy raised by a panther named Bageera and a bear named Baloo in India. The movie also featured some great songs written by Terry Gilkyson and the Sherman Brothers - Robert and Richard.





9. "The Great Mouse Detective" (1986) - Based on the children's book series "Basil of Baker Street" by Eve Titus, this movie drew heavily on the tradition of Sherlock Holmes with a heroic mouse who consciously emulates the detective. His name, Basil, came from the famous actor who portrayed Holmes. And I must say that Basil turned out to be a lot more interesting as a character than Holmes could ever be. I could say the same for the other characters - including the villain Rattigan (deliciously voiced by Vincent Price).




10. "Sleeping Beauty" (1959) - For some reason, I rather like this adaptation of Renault's classic fairy tale. Both the main heroine and hero - Princess Aurora and Prince Philip - are mildly entertaining. And Eyvind Earle, Marc Davis and Ken Anderson's animation were charming. But what made this film for me were the three fairy sisters - Flora, Fauna and Merryweather. They stole the show, along with the elegant villainess, Maleficent.

"Altered Lives" [PG-13] - Chapter Four

"ALTERED LIVES"

CHAPTER FOUR

OUTSKIRTS OF MOS ESPA, TATOOINE

Anakin glided his Jedi fighter over the stark Tatooine desert before he landed at a spot just outside of Mos Espa. The heat from the planet's twin suns seemed to radiate even stronger than he remembered from the last time he had visited, three years ago. He checked his pockets. Thank goodness he had remembered that Republic credits were not valued highly on Tatooine. Back on Melida/Daan, he had the good luck to exchange the Republic credits in his possession for Wupiupi, which Tatooine's merchants did value.

A sigh left his mouth, as he contemplated his situation. Although he possessed Wupiupi, he only had enough to possibly last him a few days. If he failed to find employment with Watto or any other Tatooine merchant in Mos Espa, he might find himself in serious financial trouble.

The former Jedi Knight and Sith apprentice grabbed his robe and climbed out of the cockpit. He then removed his Jedi tunic before donning the robe to protect himself from the suns' heat. For nearly a half hour, he trudged across the planet's flat sandy terrain. Anakin found himself remembering why he had always disliked this planet. He could already feel the sand slip into his boots and torment the bottom of his feet.

The dome-shaped roofs of Mos Espa finally appeared on the horizon. Upon closer looked just as Anakin had remembered from his early childhood and from three years ago - crowded, dusty and crude. However, he knew that Mos Espa was a glittering metropolis in compare to smaller cities and towns like Mos Entha, Anchorhead, Tosche Station and the planet's capital - Bestine. Only Mos Eisley was larger. He weaved his way through the crowds, ignoring the occasional stare from passing pedestrians. He finally came upon the junk shop where he had worked for several years as a slave.

A door chime announced his entrance. A young human male with light brown hair and a face slightly red from too much sun rushed from the workroom in the back to greet Anakin. "Good afternoon, sir," he greeted obsequiously. "May I help you?"

Anakin hesitated. Had Watto finally managed to survive hard times and acquire a new slave? If so, his chances for employment looked slim. "Um . . . may I speak to the owner of this shop?"

The man's smile widened. "You're speaking to him. I'm the owner. Bashir Gupa. May I help you?"

Oh no. This really looked bad. "You mean that Watto no longer owns this shop?"

Gupa's smile disappeared. "Uh, no. I'm afraid not. I became the new owner nearly two years ago. Watto had lost it in a bet we had made. Over podracing." He peered warily at Anakin. "Were you . . . an old friend?"

Anakin nearly snorted at the idea. He could hardly describe his relationship with his former Toydarian master as friendly. Then he blinked. Did the man just said . . .? "Were?"

"Why yes." Gupa hesitated. "Watto had been killed by one of the Hutts. He had failed to pay back a loan given to him by one of their moneylenders. You see, he had borrowed money from them to save his business. Instead of using it to save his business, he lost it betting on the podraces. And then we . . . uh, wagered on another race. I put up money. And he bet his shop." Looking slightly embarrassed, Gupa added, "I won, as you can see. And when the time came to pay back the loan . . . I'm sure that you understand."

Shock overwhelmed Anakin's mind. Watto dead at the hands of the Hutts? Yet, recalling his former owner's betting habits, Anakin realized that he should not have been surprised. Poor Watto. The Jedi Knight was surprised to feel a glimmer of grief for the late Toydarian. But more importantly, he saw his initial plans for a new life in danger.

"Is there anything else I can do for you?" Gupa asked politely. A plea for a temporary job entered Anakin's mind. He opened his mouth to speak, when he spotted an R4 astromech droid rolled into the main room. Anakin saw his chances for employment with Gupa turn into dust.

Smiling politely, the former Jedi shook his head. "No, I'm fine. Thank you for the information."

"If you have parts you might want to acquire . . ." Gupa began. But Anakin had left the shop before the other man could finish.

----------

THEED, NABOO

The funeral of Padme Nabierre Amidala proved to be a stately and memorable affair. Reports of her death had not only drew prominent Nabooan figures and many of her fellow senators to the planet's capital, Theed, but also Nabooan citizens from all walks of life.

Jobal Nabierre glanced around the chapel with great interest. Her eyes rested upon the tall senator from Alderaan. Bail Organa stood before a podium, as he delivered what Jobal found to be a very stirring eulogy about her daughter. As she listened to Senator Organa's words, Jobal understood how he had become such a prominent figure in the Galactic Senate. It seemed a shame that he had been unable to use that prominence to prevent the three-year Clone War. Or stop the Chancellor from becoming Emperor.

As for the Emperor, he had not bothered to appear at Padme's funeral. Which Jobal found rather odd, considering that he had once been her daughter's mentor. Instead, Palpatine had sent Mas Amedda, the Senate's Speaker, to represent him. Perhaps it was fortuitous that the Emperor had not bother to appear. Considering her daughter's true fate.

Three days ago, the citizens of Naboo had received word that their respected senator and former was dead. The news shocked the planet's citizens and enveloped the Nabierre household into a state of grief. Then more terrible news followed. The Jedi had killed Padme and a few other senators during an attempt to overthrow the Chancellor and take control of the Senate. According to the HoloNet news, this incident had led to the Jedi Temple massacre and the Order's destruction.

After Padme had first began a career in politics, Jobal feared that her daughter's profession might prove to be troublesome or worse, hazardous. In the following years, her fears proved correct after Padme survived the Trade Federation invasion, the Battle of Genoisis and several assassination attempts. But never did Jobal imagine that the Jedi would cause her daughter's destruction. And never did she felt so happy to be proven wrong when she and Ruwee finally learned the truth.

Bail Organa had arrived in Theed with two Jedi masters, Padme's unconscious body and two infants. When the Alderaanian senator and the Jedi revealed the circumstances behind Padme's present state, Jobal and Ruwee learned that they were the grandparents of twin infants. They had already known of their daughter's secret wedding to the young Jedi, Anakin Skywalker. But Jobal found it slightly disturbing that Padme had never bothered to reveal her pregnancy to her own parents.

Following the memorial service, many gathered around the Nabierre family to pay their respects. Jobal accepted well wishes from prominent Nabooans as Boss Nass and Jar-Jar Binks of the Gungans, Queen Apailana, and Grand Moff Panaka - who used to be Padme's bodyguard, when she was Naboo's queen. Only Padme's immediate successor and Apailana's predecessor, former Queen Jamilla, conspicuously missing. Jobal suspected that Jamilla's sympathies toward the Separatist movement made it impractical for her to make an appearance. Some of Padme's former colleagues also came forth to pay their respects - Senators Garm Bel Iblis, Mon Mothma, Jaren Tagge, Giddean Dann, Solipo Yep and Meena Tills, amongst them. Jobal overheard her husband inhaled sharply, when Senator Mas Amedda approached them.

"The Emperor wishes to convey his sympathy during these trying times for your family," the Chagrian boomed solemnly. "He also wishes to convey his regret for being unable to attend. Due to the present political turmoil, he has been forced to remain on Coruscant."

Juwee bowed politely. "Thank you," he began.

Senator Amedda continued, "And I would also like to convey my sympathy, as well. Senator Amidala had been a bright beacon within the Senate. What had happened to her was a travesty."

Ruwee's jaw twitched slightly, as he replied, "Again, thank you . . . for your kind words." The Chagrian senator bowed slightly and moved on. Husband and wife heaved muted sighs of relief.

Less than an hour later, the funeral procession commenced. Padme's drugged body was placed in an open carriage. Three teams of white horses pulled the carriage along a route that stretched from the chapel, through the streets of Theed and to the Nabierre's house. Candles carried by Theed's grieving citizens illuminated the procession. Jobal could not help but feel touched by the Nabooans' response to her daughter's memory. She wondered how many would feel if they knew that Padme was alive.

The procession finally ended at the Nabierres' townhouse. There, the family held a wake. Jobal felt an overwhelming sense of relief when the wake finally ended after three hours. While her older daughter, Sola, bid the guests good-bye, Jobal and Ruwee made their way to a private room in the far west wing of the house. There, they found Padme's two droids attending their now conscious younger daughter. In one corner of the room, the twins slept in matching basquinetts.

"Mother, Father," Padme muttered, as she struggled to sit up.

Jobal rushed forward to help her daughter. "Padme," she exclaimed, "you shouldn't get up. You need more rest."

A sigh left the younger woman's mouth. "I've had enough rest for the past day or two. What I need is to get up. Please help me."

Reluctantly, Jobal and Ruwee helped escort their daughter from her bed to a nearby chair. "Do you want to hold the children?" Ruwee asked.

Padme shook her head. "No, let them sleep." She turned to her protocol droid. "Threepio, could you please pour a glass of juice for me?"

"Yes, Miss Padme." The protocol droid made its way toward the sideboard.

"Where are Master Yoda and Master Kenobi?" Padme asked, after the droid handed her a glass of juice. "And where is Bail?"

Ruwee replied, "The Jedi are in another room. They would like to speak to you before they leave. To say good-bye."

A grimace appeared on Padme's face before it quickly disappeared. "Now that I'm awake, you might as well send them in."

After Ruwee left the room, Jobal sat down in a nearby empty chair. "Well, this has certainly been an interesting week. By the way, Padme, when were you planning to tell us about your pregnancy?"

Padme sighed heavily. "Ani . . . Anakin and I had plans to move here to Naboo. We wanted to go to the Lake District for the twins' births. Only . . ." Another sigh left her mouth. "Only, we never had a chance to go ahead with our plans."

"Like Anakin joining the Emperor?" Jobal asked. Padme glanced sharply at her. "Yes, Senator Organa and Master Kenobi told us what happened on Mustafar and Polis Massa."

Padme's mouth twisted into another grimace. "I wanted to tell you and Father, myself."

"Would you have told us the truth?"

The younger woman took another sip of juice. "What happened is a long story, Mother. It's not as simple as you think."

At that moment, Ruwee returned with the two Jedi masters in tow. Both Master Yoda and Master Kenobi bowed at Padme. "Have recovered, I am happy to see," the green, dimunitive Jedi Master commented. "You are well, we hope?"

Padme's mouth barely stretched into a smile. "Yes. Thank you, Master Yoda. And thank you for your help. Both of you." She paused, as hope gleamed in her dark eyes. "About . . . um, what happened to Anakin on Mustafar? You never told me."

Master Yoda and Master Kenobi exchanged uneasy looks. Jobal felt a small, sense of forbodance. Master Kenboi inhaled sharply, as he glanced at her daughter with mournful eyes. "I'm so sorry, Padme. I really am. But you must understand. I had to . . . face him."

Jobal saw the hope dim from her daughter's eyes. Her mouth twitched momentarily. "I see," Padme murmured. She glanced away. "So much for that."

"Again, I am so sor . . ."

Padme held up one hand, interrupting Master Kenobi. "No. It's fine. I . . ." She took a deep breath. "I suppose it's time for you two to leave."

Master Yoda murmured, "Yes, of course." He took hold of her hand and bowed over it. "Farewell, Senator Amidala. May the Force be with you." He hobbled out of the room.

Slowly, Master Kenobi approached Padme with sorrowful eyes. He leaned forward and planted a light kiss on Padme's cheek. She flinched slightly. "Take care, Padme. And may the Force be with you." He then bowed and immediately left. Ruwee followed.

A heavy silence permeated the room. Jobal glanced at her daughter's mournful expression. Pity welled within her chest. She tried to lift Padme's mood by suggesting that the latter eat a meal. "You probably haven't eaten a bite in days. I'll have one of your droids bring you a tray . . ."

"I'm not hungry, Mother," Padme murmured. "Not now. Frankly, I would rather rest."

Jobal protested. "But you said that you had enough rest for the past few days."

Padme sighed. "Apparently, I was wrong. So, if you don't mind?"

Keeping her thoughts to herself, Jobal helped lead her daughter back to the bed. As she covered Padme with a blanket, a dark wish came to her that Padme had never given up on Kun Largo's son, Ian, those many years ago.

--------

MOS ESPA, TATOOINE


The tavern's barkeep walked along the bar's length before he dumped a plate of food before Anakin. "Anything else, sir?"

Anakin stared at the food and murmured, "No. This will be fine. Thanks." The bartender nodded and moved away.

Ignoring the conversation that buzzed around the tavern's main dining room and the Holonet monitor situated above the bar, Anakin heaved a sigh. Now that his plans for being temporarily employed by Watto no longer existed, he realized that he might have to consider another option - the Lars' moisture farm. He did not look forward to facing the painful memories of his mother's death. But it was either that or face gradual homelessness and starvation, here in Mos Espa.

After learning of Watto's death, Anakin had sought employment at some of the other local businesses. But slavery had maintained a firm grip upon Tatooine's economy. Most merchants were willing to accept Anakin's labor - but only if he volunteered his services as an indentured servant. Being a slaveowner was considered to be part of the planet's status quo. And if one could not afford to purchase slaves, one used droids instead. Free labor seemed a long way from becoming popular on Tatooine. Anakin wondered if it ever will.

He took a bit of the Lamta. Not bad, he thought. Although Shmi Skywalker could have done a lot better. While he continued to eat his Lamta and Jerked Dewback Meat, a dusty stranger sat down on the stool next to him. "Bartender!" the man cried. "I'll have a Tatooine Sunburn." The bartender nodded and proceeded to prepare the beverage.

"How do you do?" the stranger greeted Anakin. "Nice little meal you got there."

Anakin suppressed an annoyed sigh. He felt no urge to engage in light conversation. "It's not bad," he politely replied.

The bartender returned with the man's drink. He took a sip. "Ah! That hits the spot! Nothing like a Tatooine Sunburn to relieve you after hours in this damn, dusty town."

So much for a private meal. Anakin spared the man a cool smile and said, "Yeah. Mos Espa can be rather congested."

"No kidding! I much prefer the wide, open spaces of my moisture farm, near Anchorhead." The man paused. "Are you a farmer? Though to be honest, you don't look like one."

Anakin took a sip of his blue milk. "I'm a pilot. A spacer."

"Oh."

A thought came to the younger man. "You say that you're a moisture farmer?" he asked. "Do you, by any chance, know one named Cliegg Lars?"

The man nodded. "Sure, I knew him."

"Knew?" A bad feeling formed in the pit of Anakin's stomach.

"Well . . . yeah." The man paused. "I'm Gorn Meese, by the way."

Anakin replied, "I'm . . . Ric Olie. Did you say that you knew Cliegg Lars?"

Meese nodded. "That's right. Lars had passed away over two years ago. Poor fellow. He had lost a leg after his wife was kidnapped and killed by Tusken Raiders. He didn't live very long after that. His son, Owen, now owns the farm. Good solid lad, but a bit too solemn for my taste, if you ask me."

Dead? Anakin's mind reeled at Meese's news. Cliegg Lars had died . . . along with his last hope. Anakin realized that he could still seek refuge at the Lars' homestead. But the idea of spending most of his time with Owen Lars did not appeal to him. The two step-brothers had not exactly warm to each other when they met, three years ago. Anakin harbored a slight suspicion that Owen either disliked him - or merely disapproved of him. And he had no desire to spend time at a place where he was barely tolerated. Thirteen years with the Jedi Order had been bad enough.

"Hey fella! Mr. Olie. Are you okay?" Meese asked with a slight frown. "You look a bit pale."

Anakin shook his head. "No, I'm . . . I'm fine. I . . . I had known Mr. Lars. A few years ago, I had sold him a utility droid in exchange for parts. He and his . . . wife . . . had offered me a meal and a bed for the night." Anakin swallowed hard, as he spoke his next words. "I haven't forgotten their kindness."

Again, Meese nodded. "I know what you mean. Quite a pair they were - Cliegg and Shmi Lars." He drained the last of his Tatooine Sunburn. "Well, nice meeting you, Mr. Olie. Hope you have good luck in your future ventures."

"Same to you, Mr. Meese. Good day." Anakin managed to give the farmer a brief smile, before the latter left the bar.

Once alone, the former Jedi Knight sighed long and hard. Since he could not find refuge with Watto and refused to do so with Owen Lars, he no longer had a place to go. Well, that not might be true. He could return to Coruscant and continue to serve Palpatine. But Anakin could no longer accept the idea of becoming a Sith Lord again. Of course, there was Naboo . . .

While Anakin continued to finish his meal, the bartender turned up the Holonet monitor's volume. ". . . yesterday, mourned the loss of one of the Senate's most prominent members. During the Jedi Order's attempted takeover of the Galactic Senate, Senator Padme Amidala of Naboo had been killed during the ensuing struggle. Her body was returned to Theed, Naboo's capital, where fellow citizens bid her a final farewell."

A horrified Anakin glanced up at the monitor and listened while the journalist described details of the funeral at Theed and Padme's personal and political background. The journalist concluded, "Senator Padme Nabierre Amidala, Princess of Theed, Queen of Naboo and Senator of the Galactic Senate . . . dead at the age of 27. This is Narella Shibab of the HoloNet News Service, reporting."

"Damn Jedi!" the bartender muttered. "Can you beat that? Killing a good woman for their own thirst for power." He faced Anakin. "Say mister, would you like a refill? Mister?"

Anakin could not hear the bartender over the anguished cries that filled his mind.

---------

It took all of Anakin's self-control to keep his grief in check. Anger, sorrow and disbelief raged within him as he quickly paid the bartender for his meal. Then he rushed out of the tavern and made his way toward the edge of town. By the time he reached his the spot where had left his starfighter, Anakin allowed his emotions to overwhelm him.

Padme dead? It could not have been possible! He had felt her. Sensed her, after he had . . . With a cry, Anakin shut off the unpleasant memory of his attack upon his wife. No! No, it was impossible. She could not be dead. Not his Padme. She . . .

At that moment, Anakin completely surrendered to his grief. He plopped down on the sand and began to cry. She could not be dead. Not Padme. Not . . . The sobs tore from his mouth, while his shoulders heaved up and down in grief. After several minutes had passed, he sniffled for a few seconds and wiped away his tears. He decided that he would go to Naboo and discover the truth. There must be some mistake. Perhaps she was in hiding from the Emperor. Or perhaps she . . . Memories of the HoloNet News Service airing Padme's funeral procession flashed in Anakin's mind. Along with a memory of his wife's body - her pregnant body - being carried throughout the streets of Theed in an open carriage.

Utter despair finally settled within him. There seemed to be no doubt that Padme was dead. By his hand. He was evil. An evil monster. Not only had he helped destroy the Jedi Order, he had killed the one person who meant more to him than anyone in this galaxy, aside from his mother. At first, Anakin had an urge to return to Mos Espa and inflict his grief upon the city's population. Someone had to experience the pain he now felt. But then he remembered Shmi's death and how he had reacted. A sigh left his mouth. He simply could not do it. Not again. Becoming a monster had done nothing but ruined his life. And indulging in his darker impulses would only sink his life further into the abyss. But Anakin could not remain here on Tatooine. Once again, the desert planet had reared its ugly head and inflicted great pain upon him. He had to leave. Find a place where he could escape from his painful memories.

Anakin took a deep breath and stood up. His eyes fell upon a few small cogs half-buried in the desert sand near his left foot. He also noticed tracks made from a Jawa sandcrawler. What were they . . .? Then Anakin glanced around his surroundings. Sure enough, this seemed to be the very spot where he had landed on Tatooine. Only . . . aside from a few cogs, his Jedi starfighter seemed to be missing.


END OF CHAPTER FOUR

Another "SPEED RACER" (2008) Photo Gallery

Below is another gallery featuring photos from one of my favorite movies of 2008. I am speaking of "SPEED RACER", which featured Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox:


Another "SPEED RACER" (2008) Photo Gallery

"AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" (1989) Review

Below is my review of the 1989 miniseries, "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS":


”AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS” (1989) Review

I have seen at least three full versions of Jules Verne’s 1873 novel, ”AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS”. And if I must be frank, I have yet to see a version that I would consider to be flawless or near flawless. But if I had to choose which version would rank as my favorite, it would be the three-part miniseries that aired on NBC in 1989.

Directed by the late Buzz Kulik, this version of Jules Verne’s novel starred Pierce Brosnan as the globe-trotting Phineas Fogg. ”MONTY PYTHON” alumni Eric Idle co-starred as Fogg’s French manservant, Passepartout; Julia Nickson portrayed the India-born Princess Aouda; and the late Peter Ustinov was the English detective who was convinced that Fogg had robbed the Bank of England, Detective Fix. The story started with a conversation between Fogg (Brosnan) and three fellow members of the Reform Club (Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee and Simon Ward) in 19th century London about the technological advances in transportation in the past thirty to forty years. This leads Fogg to make a wager for twenty-thousand pounds (£20,000) that he could travel around the world in eighty (80) days or less. During the same day, a thief robs the Bank of England and all suspicions point to Fogg, who is identified by a bank employee as the robber.

Wentworth (Robert Morely), an official from the Bank of England and his assistant McBaines (Roddy MacDowell) dispatch private detectives to various ports throughout Europe to find Fogg and have him extradicted back to England. One of the detectives include Fix (Ustinov), who is sent to Brindisi, Italy. Unfortunately, Fix spots Fogg and Passepartout boarding a steamer bound for Suez and Bombay a minute too late and is forced to follow them on their trek around the world. Upon Fogg's arrival in India, one last member joins his traveling party when he and Passepartout (actually, Passepartout) rescue a recently widowed Indian princess from a suttee funeral pyre.

Like its 1956 predecessor, this version of "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" turned out to be longer than necessary. The miniseries could have easily been a two-part miniseries or a 135-minute television movie. Unfortunately, John Gay filled his screenplay with unecessary scenes and dialogue that merely served as fillers to justify a three-part miniseries. In Part I, Fogg and Passepartout's adventures in France lasted longer than necessary - especially after they met a balloonist named Gravier and his mistress, Lucette. Even worse, viewers have to endure Fogg and Passepartout's balloon journey from France to Italy - which included a period that the heroes found themselves stranded in the Italian Alps. Part II included scenes that featured Fogg, Passepartout and Aouda's adventures with a Burmese prince and the bandits that kidnapped all of them; and Fogg, Aouda and Fix's encounter with the Empress of China and her son, the Emperor. I realize Gay also added these scenes to make Fogg's journey around the world more interesting. Unfortunately, they failed to interest or impress me.

Another problem I had with Gay's script turned out to be a major blooper that involved Fogg's encounters with the famous bandit, Jesse James (Stephen Nicols). Following Fogg's first encounter with James in San Francisco; he, Aouda, Passepartout and Fix boarded an eastbound train for Omaha. By some miracle, Jesse James and his brother Frank managed to catch up with this train somewhere on the Great Plains (probably in Nebraska), where Jesse boarded said train before the second encounter with Fogg. How was this possible? Fogg's train should have traveling eastbound for at least a day or two before James boarded it. There is NO WAY that the bandit could have caught up with that train. Gay should have allowed the James brothers or Jesse board the train in Oakland, along with Fogg and his party. Sloppy writing. And some of the dialogue featured in the miniseries seemed ladened with pedantic and half-finished sentences and unecessarily long pauses that seemed to serve no other function than to act as fillers to stretch the story.

One might wonder how I can view this version of "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" as my favorite, considering the above criticism. But despite the flaws, I must admit there were many aspects about the miniseries I found enjoyable. John Gay's screenplay did not turn out to be a total loss. In fact, the number of gems in the story seemed to outweigh the flaws. I especially enjoyed the following:

*Fogg and Passepartout's charming encounter with actress Sarah Bernhardt (portrayed by a still sexy 54 year-old Lee Remick) at Dover
*Fogg and Passepartout's hilarious adventure at a Parisian bar
*The steamship journey from Brindisi to Suez that featured Fogg's encounter with Egyptian stonecutters and Fix's hilarious encounter with a Turkish prisoner willing to offer himself to help the detective pass the time
*Princess Aouda's rescue
*Fogg, Aouda and Fix find themselves shipwrecked on the China coast
*Fogg's first encounter with Jesse James at a San Francisco ball
*Fogg and James' duel on the Omaha-bound train

One particular scene I truly found enjoyable was Fogg and Aouda's hilarious and unsuccessful attempt to stowaway aboard Cornelius Vanderbilt's (Rick Jason) Europe-bound yacht. It was never featured in the novel or the 1956 movie. Too bad. I thought it was one of the best written scenes in the miniseries.

And it was Pierce Brosnan's performance as Phileas Fogg that really made that last scene a comic gem for me. Which is not surprising, considering he has turned out to be my favorite Fogg. Sorry Mr. Niven and Mr. Coogan, but I feel that Brosnan's portrayal has the other two beat. He managed to combined the best of the other two actors' performances to create the most emotionally rounded Phileas Fogg. He managed to perfectly convey the angst of Fogg's tendencies to suppress his emotions with some great comic timing.

Speaking of comic timing, Eric Idle's timing was effectively on display in some of my favorite scenes. Granted, I found his French accent rather questionable. But Idle more than made up for it in some very hilarious scenes. One featured his reaction to being attacked by a French thug at the Parisian bar and another a drunken moment shared with Fix at a Hong Kong tavern. But my favorite Idle moment centered around his reaction to a questionable meat pie purchased by Fogg on the Omaha-bound train in probably the funniest line in the entire miniseries.

Julia Nickson was both charming and amusing as the very brave Princess Aouda. Her Indian princess provided the miniseries with some deliciously angst-filled moments that allowed Aouda to question Fogg about his habit of suppressing his feelings from others. Nickson's Aouda also provided the miniseries with some political correct moments that were not only amusing, but well handled without being overbearing. And I simply enjoyed Peter Ustinov's performance as Detective Fix. Like Brosnan's Fogg, his Fix came off as more rounded and complex as Robert Newton or Ewan Bremmer's Fix. Without a doubt, Ustinov had some hilarious moments - especially in scenes that featured Fix's encounter with the Turkish prisoner on the voyage to Suez; and his reaction to another game of whist with Fogg. Not only did Ustinov managed to be funny, but also give Fix's character with a great deal of depth not found in other versions of the story.

I do have to say something about the supporting characters. One, I really enjoyed Robert Morely and Roddy McDowall as the Bank of England official and his assistant. Morely was a lot more amusing and fun in this miniseries than he was as the more stoic bank official in the 1956 version. And McDowall supported him beautifully. I also enjoyed the performances of Christopher Lee, Patrick Macnee and Simon Ward as the three Reform Club members who made the bet with Fogg. I especially enjoyed Lee's performance as the one member who especially found Fogg's precision and rigid habits rather annoying.

This version of "AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS" lacked Victor Young's memorable score and Lionel Lindon's cinematography. But it does possess a pleasant and catchy score written by Billy Goldenberg. And I must admit that I found myself impressed by Emma Porteus' costume design, which captured the styles of the early 1870s more effectively than the 1956 movie.

In a nutshell, the three-part miniseries is simply too long. It has scenes and some clunky dialogue that could have easily been edited. But screenwriter John Gay also provided some wonderful and effective moments in the script. Frankly, I thought the cast was top-notch - especially the four main characters led by Pierce Brosnan. And although he is not well known, I thought that director Buzz Kulik did a solid job bringing it all together. The 1956 version may have won the awards, but in my book, this 1989 miniseries remains my favorite version of Jules Verne's novel.

"Return With a Vengeance" [PG-13] - 12/18

"RETURN WITH VENGEANCE"

CHAPTER 12

Cole disconnected his cordless telephone and sighed. Another call from Suzanne Maxwell. Or should he say . . . Crozat? Earlier this morning, he had called his old friend and Cecile's boyfriend to check the so-called "widow's" background. As for Mrs. Maxwell, she had just invited him for a late night supper at her home in Palo Alto. Cole wondered what she had in store for him.

A quick glance at his watch read six forty-five. He was due at Suzanne's house in a little over two hours. Quickly stripping off his clothes, Cole dumped them on the sofa and headed for the bathroom, for a quick shower.

Hot water poured down his body, providing Cole a welcome relief from the stress of the past two days. Poor Paige. He still found it hard to believe that his former sister-in-law had been attacked by a bokor possessing Darryl Morris' body. And as for the good inspector, if it is true that Dako now possessed him, he must be in a state of hell right now. Cole only hoped that Darryl's experiences might proved to be less of a disaster than his own possession by the Source, last spring.

The past seven months flashed through Cole's mind. Had his life really turned out that disastrous? At least during the past month? It still pained him that the Halliwells, especially Phoebe, viewed him with such dislike. Despite Olivia's words that Phoebe might still be in love with him, Cole doubted that the middle Halliwell would be willing to give him a second chance. And to be honest, Cole did not really feel that upset by the possibility. Perhaps he was finally learning to live his life without Phoebe's love. Or perhaps it was the friendship of a certain red-haired witch that now made his life bearable.

Or was it friendship? Cole decided that friendship seemed the perfect word to describe his relationship with Olivia McNeill. By the way she always spoke of her late fiancé, she was obviously still in love with Richard Bannen. And for some reason, it bothered Cole. Why? Did he fear that Olivia's feelings for Bannen might ruin any chance for future love? Did her mourning over another man - dead or alive - filled Cole with jealousy?

Cole nearly laughed at the idea of him being jealous over some woman other than Phoebe. It was ridiculous! Well, almost. He still recalled his reaction the last time Olivia had mentioned Bannen's name. And his irritation at that low life, Gunther Weiss, who tried to proposition Olivia. Instead of laughing, Cole shook his head in disbelief. Life can certainly be . . .

'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

The voice hit Cole's psyche with such force that he nearly slipped in the shower stall. The voice. It sounded as if it belonged to . . . Harry McNeill. Cole shook his head. Maybe he was imagining things. Grabbing his sponge, he began to . . .

'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!'

Cole definitely recognized Harry's voice. Since Olivia's younger brother happened to be a telepath, it could only mean one thing . . . the youngest McNeill was in serious trouble.

* * * *

The voice took Phoebe by surprise. She gasped out loud. Oddly enough, so did Piper and Leo. The two witches and the whitelighter stood inside the Halliwell kitchen, staring at each other.

"Did you hear that?" Phoebe asked. "I don't think that was a premonition." She stared at her sister and brother-in-law. "I know you two heard that voice. Right?"

Piper replied, "Yeah, I heard it, too." She returned the ladle in her hand, on the table and turned off the stove. "For a moment, I thought it was the baby, or . . ."

A frowning Leo shook his head. "Not the baby. Harry. I think he's trouble. And that Darryl is part of it. We have to help."

* * * *

"Don't worry, Sheila," Olivia assured her partner's wife over the telephone. "I'll find Darryl. I'm sure that he's okay. Just don't . . . don't tell anyone else at the precinct that he's missing. As far as Captain McPherson is concerned, Darryl has been home . . . sick."

A pause followed. Then Sheila asked, "Has this something to do with the Halliwells?"

The question nearly floored Olivia. She knew that Darryl had kept the Halliwells' and her secret from Sheila, but she had no idea that the latter harbored some suspicions about the three sisters. What should she say? Olivia took a deep breath. "I rather doubt it. Maybe Darryl is still working on the DiMatteo case. He seemed very . . . I don't know, obsessed about it. You know how Darryl can be when he becomes obsessed over a case. However, I'm sure that he's fine. I'm still loo. . ."

'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

The voice rang in Olivia's mind. It sounded like it belonged to Harry. Which meant that her little brother was in trouble. Realizing that she had to cut this telephone call short, Olivia continued, "Uh, Sheila? Don't worry about Darryl. I'll find him. Meanwhile, don't tell anyone else that he's missing. Please."

Sheila Morris murmured a subdued "Okay" and hung up. The moment Olivia hung up her telephone another cry invaded her mind. 'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!' Oh great! She turned to Cecile. "Did you just hear . . .?"

"Harry's voice?" the other woman finished. "Yeah, I did. Where is he?"

A figure materialized in the middle of Olivia's living room. It was Cole, dressed in a dark pullover sweater and trousers. And he seemed to be . . . slightly wet. "I thought I heard Harry's voice," he declared. "Sounded like he was in trouble."

"We heard it too," Olivia replied. "His telepathy must really be growing."

Cecile added, "If Darryl or Dako is attacking him, we better leave. Now."

"Hold on." Cole grabbed the two women's hands and beamed out of the apartment.

* * * *

The attack had come so fast that Harry felt lucky to be alive. One moment, he was examining a list of figures for a new company that McNeill Incorporated had purchased and the next thing he knew, one Inspector Darryl Morris had materialized in the middle of his office.

Harry tossed a file aside and stood up. "Hey Darryl! What . . . how did you get here?" At that moment, the police inspector raised his hand and a bolt of lightning spewed forth. Years of martial arts training kicked in and Harry immediately dropped to the floor. The lightning bolt destroyed his chair, instead.

'What the hell?' Harry thought, as he scrambled away from his desk. Another lightning bolt came his way. This time, Harry jumped away, missing the second bolt by inches. In a fit of panic, he sent a telepathic SOS - something he had never done before. 'Help! Anyone, help me! I'm being attacked!'

Darryl attacked again with a third bolt. It hit its target and pain exploded in Harry's right side. He immediately sent another message - 'Help! Please help! Darryl is attacking me!'

Harry began to crawl toward an empty spot between the liquor cabinet and the bookcase. It was a hopeless gesture. Darryl merely followed him, until he found himself cornered between the two pieces of furniture. A smirk appeared on the inspector's face before he declared, "Say hello to Ghede for me."

Darryl raised his hand. Harry heard a voice cry out, "Darryl, don't!" And then he blacked out.

* * * *

Cole, along with Olivia and Cecile, beamed inside Harry's office. They had arrived just in time to see the Vodoun sorcerer in Darryl's body, fling the Halliwells and Leo across the room, using telekinesis. They also saw Dako/Darryl glaring at his victims.

Piper immediately scrambled to her feet and tried to freeze Dako. She failed. The sorcerer shot a bolt of lightning at her. Without even doing anything, she deflected his attack and the lightning bolt dissipated. The baby, Cole surmised, must have given her the power of deflection. Which meant that Dako was no more powerful than the Halliwell-Wyatt baby. Or, Cole hoped, himself.

Using telekinesis, Dako flung Piper across the room, once more. Then he leveled his hand at Harry for a final strike. This time, Olivia used her telekinesis to budge the sorcerer. And she did . . . for only a few feet. The sorcerer faced her with enraged eyes and seconds later, she found herself joining the Halliwells.

Cole almost cried out, "No!". Instead, he struggled to keep his emotions in check. This was not the time to give in to anger or fear. Especially with Dako now eyeing him. The half-demon attempted to manipulate the bokor's mind, convince the latter to stop the attacks. He failed. Not only did he fail, he also attracted the sorcerer's anger.

"Nice try!" the bokor boomed with Darryl's deep voice. Then Dako sent a bolt of lightning toward Cole's direction. Olivia yelled something, but Cole did not hear. Instead, he deflected the sorcerer's attack and the bolt struck Dako squarely in the chest. Seconds later, some kind of dark spirit rose from Darryl's body. But only for a brief moment. It quickly returned inside the body and Dako/Darryl disappeared.

Cecile stared in horror at the spot that the bokor had previous occupied. "Good Lord!" she exclaimed. "That was Dako? How in the hell are we supposed to defeat someone like that?"

Cole quickly knelt beside Harry to check for injuries. The red-haired young man was unconscious, but alive. Thankfully. Cole called for the whitelighter. "Leo, over here. He needs your help."

The whitelighter scrambled over to the witch. He placed his hand over the young man's side. A white glow indicated that the latter's wound had been healed. "Are you okay, Harry?" Leo finally asked.

The youngest McNeill fluttered his eyes momentarily, before he managed to croak, "Yeah. I'm alive, thank goodness. But I feel a little sore. Jeez! That guy sure packs a punch. And that wasn't even a killing blow." He sat up.

"Hey! Turner!" The cry came from Piper, who along with Olivia and Phoebe, managed to scramble to her feet. She glared at Cole. "Next time, take it easy when you deflect an attack, will you? You could have hurt Darryl!"

Cole sighed. Naturally, he could not spent two minutes in the same room with a Halliwell without receiving a snarky comment. "Sorry about that. I barely deflected his attack and I didn't think it would affect . . ."

"That seems to be a problem with you, doesn't it?" Phoebe strode toward Cole, hands on hips and her eyes brimming with anger. "You never seem to think! Why is it that everything you do or touch ends in death? Darryl could have been killed! But in typical fashion," she continued, throwing her hands in the air with exasperation, "you resort to your true nature and . . ."

Olivia cried out loud, interrupting Phoebe. "Stop it! Both of you! This bitch-and-moan session is getting boring!"

"Cole could have hurt Darryl!" Phoebe retorted.

Olivia shot back, "And Darryl . . . I mean, Dako could have hurt all of us! Just be glad that no one was permanently killed this time! Besides," her voice grew more reflective, "we might have a way to free Darryl from Dako, if a potion or spell doesn't work."

Piper now glared at Olivia. "By hurting Darryl?"

"Perhaps." Olivia glared at the two Halliwells. "I seemed to recall Leo telling me about the time when Prue stabbed you, Piper, in order to free you from some non-corporeal spirit. Is that true?" The two sisters looked away. Cole gave Olivia a grateful smile. She responded with one of her own.

A morose Phoebe murmured, "I don't think we'll have to resort to such drastic measures. Piper and I were working on a potion, before we heard Harry's call."

Cecile offered to help create the potion. "I can help. It might need a touch of Voudon magic," she added.

"Thanks, but we're doing just fine," Phoebe responded uneasily. "We've got the Power of Two and Piper's baby." She grabbed her sister's hand. "Let's get out of here." Leo grabbed hold of the Halliwells' shoulders.

"Wait!" Cecile cried. "It'll probably be better if I . . ." The Halliwells and Leo orbed away before she could finish. The Vodoun priestess snarled with anger. "Dammit! What the hell is wrong with them?" She rounded on Cole. "How in the hell did you put up with them for so long?"

Cole responded with a silent shrug. It was something he had pondered over a lot - especially during the past three months. Phoebe no longer seemed to be a plausible answer. Sighing, he picked up the semi-conscious Harry and slung the latter over his shoulder. "Okay, ladies. It's time to go. Ready?" Both Olivia and Cecile took hold of an arm and Cole beamed the entire party out of the office.


END OF CHAPTER 12

Famous Hollywood Cars

Below are some famous cars from Hollywood films and television:


FAMOUS HOLLYWOOD CARS

BACK TO THE FUTURE


Emmett Brown's DeLorean ("Back to the Future Trilogy" 1985; 1989-1990)



Biff's Ford Convertible ("Back to the Future" 1985; "Back to the Future II" 1989)



THE BLUES BROTHERS


Dodge Monaco ("The Blues Brothers" 1980)



SMOKEY AND THE BANDIT


Pontiac Trans Am ("Smokey and the Bandit" 1977)



THE DUKES OF HAZARD


General Lee ("The Dukes of Hazard" 1979-1985)


General Lee ("The Dukes of Hazard" 2005)


MAGNUM P.I.


Ferrari 308 ("Magnum P.I. 1980-1988)



THE SAINT


Volvo ("The Saint" 1962-1969)



BATMAN


Batmobile ("Batman" 1965-1968)



Batmobile ("Batman Begins" 2005; "The Dark Knight" 2008)



JAMES BOND


Aston-Martin ("Goldfinger" 1964)



Aston-Martin ("Casino Royale" 2006)



Lotus Esprit ("The Spy Who Loved Me" 1977)

"Misunderstanding Willie Scott"

"MISUNDERSTANDING WILLIE SCOTT"

One of the special feature clips for my "LAST CRUSADE" DVD featured a take on the characters featured in the Indiana Jones franchise - love interests, villains and side kicks. When "Indy's Friends and Enemies" focused on Indy's love interests, the subject eventually came upon the leading lady of "TEMPLE OF DOOM" - Willie Scott.

Now, I am aware that poor Willie has never been popular with the majority of Indiana Jones fans. She is probably the least popular of Indy's three love interests in the films. I just want to make it clear that I do not share this opinion of Willie. I have liked her since I first saw "TEMPLE OF DOOM" twenty-four years ago. But while watching this special feature about the franchise's characters, it occurred to me that not only was Willie universally disliked, there was a possibility that she was misunderstood as well.

In "Indy's Friends and Enemies", the franchise's director, Steven Spielberg, made a monumentally stupid and misguided comment about Willie Scott. He had described Willie as a showgirl who also happened to come from a rich and privileged background. In other words, Willie was a showgirl who was originally a rich and spoiled woman who was not used to the great outdoors. Either Spielberg was suffering from senility when he did this interview, or he had never really paid much attention to the character’s background.

During their journey to Pankot Palace, Willie revealed to Indy and Short Round that he grandfather had been a magician who died a poor man. Near the end of the film, she made it clear that she came from Missouri:

"I'm going home to Missouri, where they never ever feed you snake before ripping your heart out and lowering you into hot pits. This is not my idea of a swell time!"

And according to the novelization for ”THE TEMPLE OF DOOM”, Willie Scott had been born on a farm in Missouri. She had ambitions to become a success in Hollywood. Unable to get a break in Depression-era Hollywood, she made her way to Shanghai, where she became a nightclub singer. Considering that she had been born on a farm, one would assume that she was used to the outdoors. However, it seemed apparent to me that a life on a dirt farm was not for her and she wanted the finer things in life – including a successful career as an entertainer of sorts.

I do not think that Willie was not used to being pampered. I suspect that she WANTED a life of privilege. She wanted to be pampered. And Willie was prepared to latch herself to anyone able to give her that life. Which would explain her becoming the mistress of the rich Shanghai gangster, Lao Che . . . or her interest in the Maharajah of Pankot before learning that he was a child.

Willie Scott was not what Steven Spielberg had described her - a spoiled, rich woman used to a life of privilege. She was a woman from a poor background who wanted a better life for herself . . . at almost any cost. Willie was a gold digger, plain and simple. How this managed to escape Spielberg is beyond me.