We Want The D

It's very apt that our 360th episode is for a Disney sequel that is basically a full-circle repeat of the original film. Because SON OF FLUBBER is essentially a beat-for-beat recreation of the original Absent-Minded Professor, with some cosmetic changes (eg, football instead of basketball). So forgive our hosts if they wind up talking about anything else, including fond farewells to four big names from Disney's history - Tommy Kirk, Fred MacMurray, Keenan Wynn and director Robert Stevenson.

Things sure have come a long way in the Disney "animals trying to get home" subgenre of films. From silent animals being narrated over, to standard voice-over work, to BEVERLY HILLS CHIHUAHUA where CGI has advanced enough to make their mouths move. But through all the technilogical advancements, the song remains the same - beloved pet needs to get home, embarks on an incredible journey, and maybe learns something along the way. It's a tried-and-true formula, and this version is no different - the dogs are just smaller and the voice acting more impressive.

Don't get confused by the title of this week's film, D-Lovers, we aren't watching the Elton John biopic from a few years ago. And if you look at a plot synopsis, don't get turned around and think we're watching a movie inspired by a certain billionaire who's a bit fixated on traveling to Mars. No, Disney's ROCKETMAN is...let's say a lot more lowbrow than that.

This week's film follows a grizzly bear who starts out small and gets progressively bigger, while pushing down trees and terrorizing a cattle ranch. Does that sound like enough to earn this animal the title of KING OF THE GRIZZLIES? Not according to the bracket our hosts do at the end of this episode to determine the best Disney bear.

The word 'odd' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the title of Disney's THE ODD LIFE OF TIMOTHY GREEN. Because while the title character may have some odd quirks about him, he exists within one of the most bizarre movies our hosts have seen so far. Or maybe it's that there's probably no three people less qualified to watch a film that is largely about a couple's desperate desire to have a child....Actually no, it's definitely the movie that is strange beyond belief.

Not gonna lie, D-Lovers. After the last couple years, the idea of hitting an emergency eject button on your life, winding up on a deserted tropical paradise, and finding a chimp friend to hang out with doesn't sound all that bad. Then again, if a young woman with a heck of a spear-throwing arm and some serious daddy issues were to show up, it might put a damper on things - so maybe not the best idea. Not unlike Disney's LT. ROBIN CRUSOE, U.S.N., even if the idea came from Daddy Walt himself.

We've seen animals get put through all kinds of distressing scenarios in the name of Disney entertainment over the years, but forcing a tiger to run through a field of explosives to simulate mortar fire wasn't what any of our hosts ever expected to see. Still, A TIGER WALKS is an intriguing viewing experience, given it plays very much like a horror movie and/or Jaws for about half its runtime, before the children start singing at least.

In 1913, twenty year-old amateur golfer Francis Ouimet upset all expectations by defeating a number of professional players and champions at the U.S. Open. Was it, as Disney claims in this film, THE GREATEST GAME EVER PLAYED? Or is this the most blatant case of false advertising since The Neverending Story? It may depend on which of our hosts you ask as some have respect and admiration for the game of golf and others....not so much.

Put on your detective hats and your Sunday finest/funeral attire to wear to court, because we have a mystery to solve and justice to render. Disney's RIDE A WILD PONY begs the question - is it possible that a pony could have been in the possession of two different children at two different times? And, more importantly, should the pony go to the poor child with behavioural issues who can't get to school without it, or the willful but wheelchair-bound rich girl whose family already owns a lot of other ponies? It's a complex question (no, really) but luckily our hosts are here to crack it.

And, as always for Disney movies set there, our apologies to the people of Australia for what we do to your accent.