[MOVIEHOUSE MADNESS]: It's CGI weekend with Maleficent and the Mutant peeps!

"MOVIEHOUSE MADNESS" is when I review movies currently shown in theaters. Also, I rarely go to movie houses, but when I do, there are always face-palming incidences that make me regret going. So read on before you waste your ticket money while refreshing your memory of the ABCs of movie house etiquette!

NOW SHOWING: 

Here are my spoiler-free reviews of Maleficent & X-Men: Days of Future Past and why you should (or shouldn't?) watch them. Oh and for one second I thought I saw Michael Jackson transform into a human ball of fire, but no, it's just Sunspot. O_O 

Belle, Beast, being different, and a lot of ranting

Beauty and the Beast has always been my favorite Disney movie. Why I fell in love with it as a kid, I'm not too sure now, but it's probably because of the fascinating characters, the music, the mysterious "enchanted castle" & its master, Belle, and of course - the library. That sense of amazement & slight envy that I've felt is something that was etched in my mind and my heart for a very long time.

Until now, one of my biggest dreams is to have my very own library. Sigh.

Now, fifteen or twenty years later I finally re-watch this and wow what a trip! The first thing I notice is how beautiful Beauty and the Beast is. That opening sequence is amazing. The animation, the colors, the imagery - it looks really sophisticated, something that you don't always see in this age of modern animation.


Then Belle started singing on her way to the town. And memories came crashing down on me like a tidal wave. It felt so good that I turned on the subtitles and sang along. I rarely do that. Only when I'm watching The Sound of Music. It gave me chills listening to that song as an adult and understand the words.

Frozen (2013): Oh how times are changing!

Finally, a progressive princess movie that has caught up with the times. 

I grew up watching Disney cartoons and while I love my 90s princesses, I have never thought about emulating them (except Belle, I mean who wouldn't want to be her after Beast gave her that library??? *chills*). My point is, even as a kid I already knew how lame these girls were. Weak damsels-in-distress, submissive little fools who only sang about finding their Prince Charming (Mulan's reflection might scowl in disapproval.. Pocahontas somberly nodding her head while painting with all the colors of the wind). Times have changed. Disney really needed a revamp. And with the increased rate in divorce, teenage elopement, and unplanned pregnancies, don't you think it's about time this generation sees a 21st-century princess? Seriously. 

And that's why I love Frozen. (Sorry, I haven't watched Brave yet. *EDIT:  I've watched Brave, and yes, it's also something about an independent female who refuses to bow down to society's expectations. And I love it. But it focuses more on the mother-daughter angle, while Frozen also has its own storyline.)