Tarzan and the Valley of Gold (1966)

Director: Robert Day

Starring: Mike Henry, David Opatoshu, Manuel Padilla Jr.

Tarzan battles a megalomaniac millionaire named Vinero, who kidnaps a young boy whom he believes can lead him to a legendary city of gold. Vinero is accompanied by his own army, including henchman Mr. Train and gorgeous Sophia.

Mike Henry is a delicious specimen. Any Tarzan movie starring this hunk of a man is worth watching, even if just to marvel at that great physique. Together with that soothing voice, he is a gentle giant (similar to Clint Walker). When not dressed in his skimpy jungle attire, Tarzan is a distinguished gentleman. Either way, he is a sight for sore eyes! Mike Henry is also – to my knowledge – the only hairy-chested Tarzan. Oh, and those muscular legs!

But enough of Mike Henry for now. ‘Tarzan and the Valley of Gold’ is an action adventure that revolves around the legendary city of gold. When a young boy who knows the location of the city is kidnapped by the ruthless criminal Vinero, it is up to Tarzan and his animal compadres to save the boy – and the city.

More often than not Tarzan reminded me of James Bond. His antics were reminiscent of the secret agent, and at times Mike Henry even looked like Sean Connery from his 60’s Bond movies. He was not the stereotypical jungle man as we’ve come to know Tarzan, and he had a wide knowledge of…well, almost everything!

‘Tarzan and the Valley of Gold’ is not always believable, but from an action adventure perspective, it was very entertaining. This is a good option for a family friendly movie night. Kids will love the animals and the call to adventure.

Would I watch it again? I doubt it.

Aladdin (1992)

Directors: Ron Clements, John Musker

A kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vie for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.

Ah, the tale of Aladdin and the genie in the lamp. Believe it or not, I saw Disney’s live action adaptation long before this animated classic. And I’m using the term “classic” here simply because it is perceived as one, although not by me.

‘Aladdin’ is a wonderful story and there are many life lessons disguised behind a façade of cute characters a young audience will love. They, off course, won’t understand the deeper meaning of what is presented here. They will laugh, fall in love with the characters, and have a good time.

Our hero, Aladdin, is a young thief with a pet monkey, Abu. Our heroin, Jasmine, is a princess. Interestingly, Aladdin is much happier than Jasmine, even though he owns nothing and doesn’t have a place to stay. He is a free spirit. Jasmine on the other hand has all the wealth she can dream of, but she feels trapped and wants to escape from it all.

When these two characters meet, it opens the door wide for character development, while the viewer starts searching his soul. There’s so much to learn from this bright, colourful, and lively animated movie. The antagonist is Jafar, along with his equally evil parrot Iago. Jafar tricks Aladdin into finding a lamp, which houses a genie that can grant the owner three wishes. Needless to say, Jafar has no good intentions and wants to use the wishes for his personal and selfish gain.

The Genie is wonderfully voiced by Robin Williams and by far my favourite character. I also rather enjoyed the Genie’s story of a ‘man’ wanting to be free. The film takes us on a magical and action-packed adventure in a fight between good and evil – told in a kid’s cartoon style. Good ending.

‘Aladdin’ was a massive success, earning $504 million on a budget of $28 million. (And the producers are laughing all the way to the bank…). The film also received 57 award nominations, winning 35 including Oscars for Best Original Song, and Best Original Score. It also received Oscar nominations for Best Sound, and Best Sound Effects Editing.

Would I watch it again? I doubt it.

Toy Story (1995)

Director: John Lasseter

A cowboy doll is profoundly threatened and jealous when a new spaceman action figure supplants him as top toy in a boy’s bedroom.

What do toys do when kids stop playing with them? Well, ‘Toy Story’ might provide some answers.

As the title indicates – and as you’ll see from the characters – ‘Toy Story’ is definitely more of a kids film. In every sense this is a beautifully animated cartoon kids will love watching over and over again. They will laugh at the antics the toys get up to, they will love the characters that might resemble some of the toys in their own room, and they will enjoy the story. It is a simple, easy to follow premise.

Thanks to adding elements of danger and adventure, and themes adults can relate to, the film also has a mature appeal. Thus, ‘Toy Story’ is perfect for the entire family. But what is this story about? Andy is a young boy who lives in a nice neighbourhood and his favourite toy is a cowboy doll named Woody (who is wonderfully voiced by Tom Hanks). He has several other toys and when Andy is not around, they all come to life and have their own adventures.

Then Andy gets a brand new, modern toy for his birthday: Buzz Lightyear – a space action figure. Buzz Lightyear soon becomes Andy’s favourite toy, and this sparks jealousy in Woody. But when Woody accidentally knocks Buzz Lightyear out the window, it becomes Woody’s mission to save him.

There’s plenty of action and adventure that follows and ‘Toy Story’ is sure to entertain kids (and adults!) from beginning to end. Sit back, relax, and see what the toys are up to when you’re not watching!

‘Toy Story’ became a huge box office hit, raking in $394.4 million on a $30 million budget. It received 52 award nominations, including Oscar nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Original Song, and Best Score. It won awards for Best Music, Best Writing, Best Director, Best Producer, Best Production Design, Best Animation, Best Animated Feature, and Best Voice Acting (for Tom Hanks).

Would I watch it again? Yes.

Migration (2023)

Directors: Benjamin Renner, Guylo Homsy

A family of ducks try to convince their overprotective father to go on the vacation of a lifetime.

I don’t know if Walt Disney Animation is losing their touch, but their films are starting to bore me – especially that annoying singing which is supposed to tell the character back stories, as if they have no other way of telling it.

In contrast to Disney, Illumination animation seems to be getting better. ‘Migration’ is another perfect example. It has a simple story with good characters and excellent animation. I cared about each and every character, and never found any of them annoying.

‘Migration’ is the story of a family of ducks living in a pond. Mac, the head of the family, has no interest in migrating for the winter, or seeing new places for that matter. However, when they meet a flock of migrating ducks, Mac’s family wants to migrate too. When Uncle Dan finally convinces Mac it might do them good to experience new adventures, Mac agrees. Only, Uncle Dan wants to join. Reluctant at first, Mac agrees, and so the family head out on their first adventure to Jamaica.

They meet interesting characters along the way – from seemingly evil herons to a Jamaican parrot! I loved every single character, every adventure, every obstacle, and every moment. The film has a good story and allows for good character development. (Interestingly, the duck farm scenes were so similar to the chicken farm scenes from ‘Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget’, I’d be interested to know who came up with the idea first, since both movies were released in 2023.)

Please, Disney, it’s time to take note what Illumination is doing. I absolutely loved ‘Migration. This is a beautiful film and there’s so much room for a sequel!

‘Migration’ earned $206.1 million on a budget of $72 million.

Would I watch it again? Yes.