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Disney, Pixar to go separate ways (1 Viewer)

Edwin-S

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^ Well, it is not much of a shock. Mickey has been used as a shill for quite some time now.
 

Ernest Rister

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Anyone remember that terrible CGI Mickey that trotted onstage at last year's Academy Awards?

"Hi! I'm CGI-Mickey! I have no weight and no personality! But I'm CGI! That means you like me, right? Right!?!"

(crickets)
 

Edwin-S

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This line says it all. You can almost feel the emphasis on the word brand; instead of what that brand should stand for: namely quality.
 

Seth Paxton

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Yeah, but the logic isn't totally flawed. I think the problem is that its different when you start competiting with history and natural resources vs competiting with other theme parks.

It's one thing to go to FLA and decide to skip Universal or Sea World to stay at Disney, quite another to come to Cali and not see things much more unique to Cali and its image.

Then there is the idea of who is coming to Disneyland vs Disneyworld. I think (not knowing stats) that World attracts a lot more families running south to the beach than Land capture families running to LA. That would mean that Land gets a lot more "local" families (relatively speaking) than World, and those locals would have better access to the Cali themed stuff and would see it as superfluous to being in Land.

I could be wrong about such stats, but I would be surprised to learn that anyone east of Kansas goes to Land instead of World.

So for Land the non-locals that do choose LA might be expected to also want to see LA as a tourist site itself, whereas people flocking to Orlando are basically coming for Disney, themeparks in general and the beach. So its easier for World to take on those other two roles successfully and keep people on the property.

Just like you wouldn't expect people to stay at Disney Grand Canyon (if one were built near GC state park) or Disney Paris (doh). :)



As for Eisner, Jobs, Roy - no matter what the outcome we are witnessing major film history, the kind of stuff people will be studying 25 years from now I would think. That makes its extremely fascinating and dramatic to me.
 

Edwin Pereyra

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I didn’t know I’ve been unclear about it so let me set the record straight. As a long time shareholder of Disney until July of last year, I am also one of the many who has been disappointed with the Company in the last few years. Disney has focused mainly on the bottom line rather than on content and creativity to increase shareholder value. Lion King 1½? What the hell is that? Sorry, but I’ll pass.

Eisner has been part of the problem but what worries me the most is the lack of succession planning in the Company. At the lowest point in the Company’s 5-year earnings history, Eisner is seen introducing films in The Wonderful World of Disney and getting his face out there instead of focusing more on turning the company around. Its film division may have had a very good year in 2003 but, hopefully, this is not just an anomaly. Having been to California Adventure, it is a big disappointment. They had to bring back the Electrical Parade to boost attendance into the park. A major overhaul is needed to turn that park around.

Disney, on the other hand, is not the evil studio that Steve Jobs and others paint it to be and I will defend it against those accusations.

~Edwin
 

Chris

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I don't know if you can say Disney is an evil studio. I think as a shareholder, though, Disney has done a poor job in the last few years of making decisions in the best long-term interests of it's stockholders.

Disney has (IMHO) degraded the value of original product through unnecessary sequels. And yes, those "sequels" bring in money, but I would argue those short-term gains come at longterm expenses, in that the same talent could be better used to forge new brand entities. None of these films will ever be "The Lion King"

More importantly, though, Disney has failed to really maximize any of it's products. Only ESPN manages to hold it's own as a market segment. Other properties turned into outright disasters (Anaheim Angels.. no longer; The Mighty Ducks (NHL) and so on?) Disney made decisions to inherit ill, not positive will, amongst it's consumer base.

More then that, Eisner himself did great disservice to ABC and The Disney Channel and ABC Family by giving up advertising dollars and premium channel services on Disney Channel.. which was in large part due to the lack of original/spotlight product on Disney Channel which was forced over to ABC to keep it new and fresh.

And let's also point out ABC's contracts with departments have salvaged it. While NBC forged alliances with Microsoft (MSNBC, CNBC and so on) and CBS made Viacom ready crossover partners (MTV, VH1, etc.) Disney failed to maximize it's crossover potential and ABC is floundering.. the mismanagement of the ABC news division has been an absolute debacle, and their Sunday morning program, in an attempt to revive, is now getting crushed to the point some affiliates have chosen not to air.

Disney doesn't have any person clearly defined as a "second" in command, and god forbid Eisner dies, there is no one to take over for him.

Disney has lacked product level vision and has no growth strategy for any of it's product lines. It is easy to say you have a "blockbuster" box office year, and proclaim all is well. But it doesn't mean longterm you are going to make it. Hell, Mike Tyson made $236M in his career.. and where is he now? (Bankrupt, baby) Disney's management decisions with their products is in some bad hands at the moment. Shareholders are not idiots; Roy Disney can make a pretty effective case at this point that "hey, where is ABC going?" and "where is theme park strategy?" "who's next in line?" and so on..
 

JonZ

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AICN preview on The Incredibles. Some spoilers fo the first 1/2 of the movie below!!!!!!!!

"After showing us some new Winnie the Pooh-shit that would make A.A. Milne spin in his grave, Disney-lady finally showed us something I was dying to see (and considering the fact I'm allready dead, that's saying something). Yes, I'm talking about Brad Bird's computer-animated feature THE INCREDIBLES, a film that will kick our collective asses come november. Now I know there will be a lot of clever reviewers who are going to say this, but just because it feels so right, I'll say it now: this movie is going to do its title justice. From what I saw today I can tell you, this film is just incredible.

Unfortunately, Disney-lady didn't surprise us with the entire film (that probably would be impossible anyway), but she did show us a lot of exhilarating clips. Some spoilers ahead, so beware... The movie opens with a sequence that will OWN all us fanboys; the superhero marriage of Mr. Incredible (voiced by Craig T. Nelson) and Elastigirl (voiced by Holly Hunter). Every superhero in the world has come down to join the party and all seems to be going well, except for the fact that the reign of superheroes is about to come to an end. How? Well, with lawsuits of course. Hundreds of them. Superheroes all over the world are forced into hiding... changing their identity and trying to lead a normal life. So are Mr. Incredible and Elastigirl - now known as Bob and Helen Parr, living a quiet life in suburbia with their kids Violet, Dash and baby Jack Jack.

Needless to say, Bob isn't content with his new life. His job at an insurance company bores him to death, his lovehandles are growing by the day and his kids often times drive him insane. The 'family-scenes' I saw were hilarious - trademark Simpsons-humor from the guy who was responsible for some of the finest Simpsons-episodes ever. Just imagine young Dash (who has superhuman speed) irritating his sister by running circles around the dinner-table, sister herself (capable of becoming invisible and creating forcefields) using her powers to stop her brother and mother Helen stretching her arms around the living room, trying to keep her children from fighting.

Everything changes when Bob finds a secret message hidden in his suitcase. It seems superheroes are still needed and after accepting a 'job' and successfully completing it, Bob rediscovers the joys of his old, world-saving life. Only this time, he has to keep it a secret from Helen and the kids.

Strangely enough, saving the earth once again has made Bob a much better father. He feels happy again, spending more time with his kids, giving Helen the attention she so deserves and even getting rid of those love handles.

Bob even goes so far as to acquire a new superhero-outfit (his old one has holes in it). In a hilarious scene, which Disney-lady was kind enough to show us, Bob pays a visit to 'superhero couturier' Edna (E), voiced by Brad Bird himself! Bob discusses his new outfit with E, who - after reminding Bob that many superheroes have died in cape-related accidents - tells Mr. Incredible that the new suit should have "NO CAPE!"

The final sequence Disney-lady showed us was a rescue mission on a mysterious island, where Mr. Incredible was last seen. It goes without saying that his family discovers Bob's superhero-activities and decides to help him. One scene in particular, where Elastigirl takes out several guards in different rooms, is truly amazing.

After seeing what I saw today, there is not an iota of doubt in my mind that THE INCREDIBLES will rule the friggin' earth when it comes out in november. The humor will have you laughing your ass off, the action will have you hyperventilating and the quality of animation will have you going nuts. The sequences I saw had a sixties atmosphere that was just... well, it was nothing short of breathtaking."
 

Ernest Rister

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Is it a pre-requisite of submitting "reviews" to AICN that your work be riddled with profanity and pitched to the mental level of 8th graders?
 

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