The latest Pixar short, Bao, is adorable, entertaining, and shocking. Yes, shocking. Once you see it, you will know what I mean. I refuse to give spoilers but I promise you, this is a must watch short. It quickly became my favorite Pixar short, which is saying a lot. I was lucky enough to chat with the Director, Domee Shi, at Pixar Studios in April in order to learn all about Bao. She is actually the first female director for a Pixar short – talk about impressive.
BAO filmmaker: Domee Shi (Director) at Incredibles 2 Long Lead Press day, as seen on April 3, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Marc Flores)
The Story Behind Bao
Bao took almost four years to create and is loosely based on Domee’s childhood. She grew up with Chinese parents and has always had a love of food. “Bao” has two meanings – little steam bun (such as a dumpling) and treasure, something precious. Once you see this short you will know that Bao is the perfect name for it. Domee calls Bao a Chinese version of the gingerbread man, and I that is a perfect way to describe it.
While working on Toy Story 4, Domee drew almost all of Bao herself. When there was an open call for the next Pixar short, she pitched Bao and to her surprise, it was chosen. As she was growing up, her mom was always watching over her, and she used that when creating this short. Bao truly is about a mother’s love, and a mother dealing with their child growing up and moving on in life. Her mother always used to tell her “I wish I could put you back in my stomach”. In watching Bao, you can see where this line really inspired the story.
Short film “BAO” Director Domee Shi with her mother Ningsha Zhong shows the production team how to make dumplings, as seen on September 7, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Perfecting Dumpling
The star of Bao is an adorable little dumpling named Dumpling. He is the cutest thing ever and I really hope they make many different plushes of him – maybe even a tsumtsum! Domee talked about how it was important to make sure he was created perfectly. In order for all the animators to understand how dumplings were made, she brought her mom in to give a cooking class. They all made, and watched Domee’s mom make, dumplings. This way they could really see them, touch them, hold them – learn how they move and how they act. Dumpling is squishy and stretchy – and perfection – thanks to this exercise.
After watching Bao, we also got to speak with Rona Liu, the Production Designer. Bao was her first time in this role and she was very excited to take it on. She knew it was important to make this story look and feel cute, so she was heavily influenced by Chinese folk art. The simple design, characters who are rounder and cuter, were the inspiration in drawing the characters of Bao. Rona knew Mom needed to make bold fashion choices. She was very much based on the actual Grannies of Chinatown. However, in scenes where she was feeling low, the colors of her clothing became muted.
As I mentioned in my Incredibles 2 animation article, the set plays a supporting role in movies. The Bao team wanted to make sure there were not straight lines in the short. Chinese art is not concerned with perfection, so this was very important. The house was balanced between East and West – American and Chinese culture both playing a part in the decor. The kitchen was very much based on Rona’s mother’s kitchen. And of course, the lighting always supported Mom’s emotional journey.
Becky Neiman is photographed on December 2, 2014 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
The Music
While talking with the Producer, Becky Neiman, she stressed to us just how important the score of Pixar shorts are. They carry such a heavy load because there is no dialogue – and I must say, the music throughout Bao was perfection. Becky also said something that really stuck with me. “Food is the physical demonstration of a mom’s love.” This is so true, and plays a very important role throughout Boa.
Every Pixar short has a moral – it wouldn’t truly be Pixar if it didn’t. Bao has a lesson that all parents need to learn. This one was tough on me, but that is partly why I loved it. I will say no more, just be sure to go see Bao playing in theaters with Incredibles 2 – opening this weekend!
Want to make the perfect dumplings? Domee’s mom has shared her delicious recipe with us, so enjoy!
About Incredibles 2
In Incredibles 2, Helen is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.
One of my favorite movies growing up was Dumbo. I must have watched it a thousand times. In fact, my young daughters have even seen it a few times (and they love it too). I just adore the moral and story behind it. So when I heard Disney was doing a reimagining I was thrilled. Then I heard one of my favorite directors, Tim Burton, was at the helm and I could barely contain my excitement. Well, this morning the official teaser trailer dropped and it is everything. I could not have asked for more (but really, give me more!!). And the new poster?! My heart is fluttering and my eyes are tearing up. WOW. Just wow.
As you probably know, I have been doing trailer reaction videos a lot over on my YouTube channel. So of course when I saw the teaser was out this morning, I had to do one. This is pre-shower guys so please, no judgement. I had literally just woken up. Enjoy!
About Dumbo
From Disney and visionary director Tim Burton, the all-new grand live-action adventure “Dumbo” expands on the beloved classic story where differences are celebrated, family is cherished and dreams take flight. Circus owner Max Medici (Danny DeVito) enlists former star Holt Farrier (Colin Farrell) and his children Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins) to care for a newborn elephant whose oversized ears make him a laughingstock in an already struggling circus. But when they discover that Dumbo can fly, the circus makes an incredible comeback, attracting persuasive entrepreneur V.A. Vandevere (Michael Keaton), who recruits the peculiar pachyderm for his newest, larger-than-life entertainment venture, Dreamland. Dumbo soars to new heights alongside a charming and spectacular aerial artist, Colette Marchant (Eva Green), until Holt learns that beneath its shiny veneer, Dreamland is full of dark secrets.
Tim Burton’s all-new live-action Dumbo coming to theatres March 2019.
Hands down one of my favorite parts of going to a comic convention is checking out all of the cosplay. I just love putting on my Sharingan contacts and being around like-minded costume fanatics! I love looking at all the details and recognizing the time that people put in to their outfits. Cosplay has always intrigued me and if I was more talented and crafty, I would cosplay pretty much everywhere I go. Instead I stick to bounding and wearing themed dresses. Niagara Falls Comic Con this year was filled with great cosplay. Everywhere I looked, there was another great outfit to check out.
At this year’s Niagara Falls Comic Con, my daughters wanted to get in on the cosplay action. They wore their Star Butterfly and Ludo cosplay from our Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween last year. We decided last minute to let them enter to cosplay contest and they were so excited about it! They actually helped make a lot of their costumes so they loved answering the questions from the judges about how they were made. This contest was hosted by Cosplay for a Cure and my daughters got honorable mention! They were thrilled and haven’t stopped planning for next year’s con!
Favorite Cosplays
There were many cosplays that caught my attention, but here are a few of my favorites from my weekend at Niagara Falls Comic Con! From the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles to the Teen Titans – there were so many amazing outfits! And of course, we were all excited to see some more Star Vs. The Forces of Evil cosplayers at NFCC 2018!
Leo TMNTMikey TMNTRaph TMNTStar Vs. The Forces of EvilRaven Teen TitansStarFire Teen TitansSquirtleOogie Boogie
If you are attending a convention please remember that cosplay is not consent. Always ask a cosplayer if you can take their photo before you do!
My kids live for summer – as I am sure most do. Especially at their young age – they are 5 and 7. My whole family looks forward to grilling dinners, playing games in the yard, and just having fun together in the warm weather. Something else my girls are passionate about? Well that would be PJ Masks. Like their Mama, they are big superhero fans. I have started them young with stories about Iron Man and Spider-Man, and so when they first saw PJ Masks on Disney Junior, they fell in love! This summer I am combining two of their loves, outside fun and PJ Masks!
Super Summer Fun
PJ Masks sent us our very own Time to Be a Summer Hero box that was PACKED with items we needed to have the best summer ever! My daughters’ favorite was the awesome golf set. As soon as the rain stopped, I couldn’t keep them inside. They played with this for hours! Of course, we were thrilled to get two frisbees (a hard and a soft one) because ours had just broke. The dogs were pretty happy about this too as they played frisbee with us. This kit also included a water bottle, which was great because keeping hydrated in the summer is super important. There was also bubbles and a Gecko sunglasses mask.
Upcoming Episodes
As I mentioned already, we watch PJ Masks pretty much non-stop in our house. So we were all thrilled to hear about a few new episodes that will be airing starting this week. These fun-filled episodes are part of Disney Junior the Channel’s Fantastic FRIYAYS.
“May the Best Power Win”
The PJ Masks are excited about their new powers, but Romeo creates an “All-in-One” belt for his Robot which can defeat all of their superhero abilities. Catboy, Owlette and Gekko will have to work together as a team and unify their powers to stop Romeo.
“Moonbreaker”: Romeo’s Robot is digging on the moon to grab a giant Lunar Crystal. In order to stop him, the PJ Masks must trust Luna Girl and give her back her Lunar Magnet to heal the moon while they stop Romeo.
Premiering Friday, June 15 at 10:00a.m.
“The Race Up Mystery Mountain”
Catboy realizes being the best isn’t always the solution when he and the other PJ Masks must prevent Night Ninja from stealing a magical ring hidden atop the Mystery Mountain.
“The Mountain Prisoner”: Catboy, Gekko and Owlette have to get into the Mystery Mountain and find a magical ring to stop Night Ninja after he captures PJ Robot.
Last week we got the first official poster for How To Train Your Dragon 3 and the title: The Hidden World. We learned so much from it like Toothless meets a girl! What! I am so excited about that part of this movie. I am also excited to see how Hiccup and Astrid’s relationship is coming along. Not only did we get a new poster, we were told that a trailer would be released this week and it is finally here! The first two movies in the series are two of our favorite movies to watch as a family. We have seen them many, many times and have been looking forward to this third one since we found out about it.
About How To Train Your Dragon 3
What began as an unlikely friendship between an adolescent Viking and a fearsome Night Fury dragon has become an epic trilogy spanning their lives. In this next chapter, Hiccup and Toothless will finally discover their true destinies: the village chief as ruler of Berk alongside Astrid, and the dragon as leader of his own kind. As both ascend, the darkest threat they’ve yet faced—as well as the appearance of a female Night Fury—will test the bonds of their relationship like never before.
Trailer Reaction
This trailer literally gave me chills! I mean, I think you can see it in my reaction video. I cannot wait to see how this final How To Train Your Dragon movie plays out. Between Toothless and the girl Night Fury and the Vikings and Dragons having to leave their home, the plot seems great. I am sad that this is conclusion of the series – I totally wish it could keep going and going and going! But from what I have seen so far, this really seems like it will tie everything up nicely.
Today Sony Pictures Animation launched the first full trailer for Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse and it is EVERYTHING! WOW! I admit, I am not a huge Ultimate Universe fan but this trailer had me hookline and sinker right from the start. There is humor, the animation is stunning, and this made me very excited to see more. The cameos throughout this trailer have me counting the days down to December 14th.
New Poster
Credit: Sony Pictures Animation
The poster that was released today is pretty amazing as well. Seeing Spidey above (or below) the city of New York gave me chills. Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse is sure to be a hit with Marvel fans, and even those who don’t know much about Marvel. I know that my daughters are looking forward to seeing this movie and I can’t wait to take them to see it.
The Cast
Today Sony also confirmed the vocal cast and I am SO over the moon about every single person!
Shameik Moore as Miles Morales
Jake Johnson as Peter Parker
Liev Schreiber as Kingpin
Hailee Steinfeld as Spider-Gwen
Mahershala Ali as Mile’s uncle Aaron
Brian Tyree Henry as Miles’ father Jefferson
Luna Lauren Velez as Miles’ mother Rio
Lily Tomlin as Aunt May
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
hits theaters December 14th!
If you follow me on social media then you already know I went to Hawaii a couple of weeks ago. When I was first planning this getaway with my husband, I turned to Google. I was quickly overwhelmed by all of the activity options and trying to track down reliable reviews. We only had a few days to spend there and I wanted them to be perfect. Then I was told to check TripAdvisor and I was blown away! Using TripAdvisor, we could plan our entire vacation – from hotel, to flights, to all of our activities. We can even check out what restaurants we might want to eat out while away (and we found some great ones!). This site has changed the way I will be booking travel from now on.
Choose From Many Activities
There were so many activity options to choose from just by searching the location we were traveling to. We were so thankful to have it all in one place where we could filter by price, length of the activity, and activity type. I am a planner by nature so I like to have pretty much every moment of my vacation booked before we get there. On my most recent Hawaii trip we booked a helicopter ride, day time snorkel trip, and a night time manta ray snorkel. All of these things were brand new to me and so much fun! The employees and guides were extremely nice and knowledgeable about their island. I must say, I am totally hooked on snorkeling now and cannot wait to plan many more adventures!
Those who enjoy to vacation in their RV will also benefit from searching for activities that interest them as it can help them formulate a roadtrip route. RV owners should ensure that they have the right equipment for substantial journeys; quality rv batteries are a must.
Read Reliable Reviews
My husband and I always look up reviews of an item before we purchase it, and booking our trips is no different. It is not that we take the word of others, but we like to see the different experiences others have had. The reviews at TripAdvisor really helped us in deciding which companies to book with and which activities to choose. We were only there for 4 days, so of course we had to opt out of a few things we wanted to do, but we were very pleased with what we did choose. All thanks to TripAdvisor reviewers! Because of this, we were sure to review all of our experiences on the site as well, so others in the future can have more experiences to read about.
Easy Booking All In One Place
Once you decide which adventures you want to book, you can do it through the site with ease! I planned our entire vacation – adding different activities to my cart – and then checked out all at once. Once you pay, you are sent a voucher to your email for each individual event. I printed them all out and brought them with us, but not one activity required we have it. We just needed a photo ID. I never knew booking a vacation full of fun could be so easy!
If you are planning a trip to, well, just about anywhere, I highly recommend checking out TripAdvisor! You can book from start to finish in just a few minutes. It is the world’s largest provider of tours, activities and attractions, with more than 56,000 bookable experiences in 2,500 destinations worldwide. They even have 24/7 customer service and a low price guarantee. You really can’t beat that, can you? I love that I can sit down and plan my entire vacation with a couple clicks of a button – and check out and pay all at once. Plan your next vacation with TripAdvisor and see how easy it is for yourself!
Incredibles 2 Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker as seen on April 3, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
One of my favorite meetings from my visit to Pixar Animation Studios, was chatting with Incredibles 2 Director Brad Bird as well as Producers Nicole Grindle and John Walker. I always enjoy hearing about the making of and behind the scenes information when it comes to movies, which made this trip was so special to me. In this interview we talked a lot about the time gap between The Incredibles and Incredibles 2 and what it meant for the film. Not only in regards to the plot, but in regards to constantly evolving technology and so much more.
Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker during a press conference at Incredibles 2 Long Lead Press day, as seen on April 4, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
The Long Wait
There is such a large gap between The Incredibles and Incredibles 2, so this is a film I have been waiting a long time for. Someone asked Brad why it took so long for this movie to come about and he let us know that it was totally intentional to make us wait.
“For me it was not intentional. I don’t think it’s the greatest idea creatively to follow-up a successful film with its sequel. I think that you wanna take time. You wanna think about it. You wanna enjoy the process. I was always thinking about it in the back of my mind, but I had other things that were more at the forefront. The more I chewed on it, the more I thought, yeah, oh, yeah, that’ll be cool. Then suddenly it was 15 years later or something and I went, holy crap, I better get goin’ on somethin’. It probably would’ve been smarter if it were a cash grab to do it a lot sooner. I just was mulling on it and it finally seemed like the right thing to do.“
An Incredibles 2 story review as seen on June 21, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Getting Back to These Characters
Brad hinted that he had been thinking about what the Incredibles 2 story line would be basically since the first one came out. We asked him if it was easy for him to get back in to the mind frame of these characters. His response? Easy as pie.
“It seems like outwardly it’s a really commercial movie, but it’s actually strangely personal to me. It has a lot of the things that I loved at the age of ten, which a lot of them I still love – I hate to admit – and combined with the family that I grew up with and the family that I have with my wife and sons. So, it’s all the stuff I love combined with both families that I’ve had in my life. For me, even though it seems brightly colored and pop confection, it’s actually really personal to me. I like those characters and they’re comfortable to me, and I have fun hearing them talk. And what’s fun after you’ve made the first one is that you have your ideal voice cast. And when you write, you’re actually imagining Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter, Sam Jackson, and Sarah Vowell’s voices. So it’s even easier to write, in terms of dialogue. In terms of story, it’s not easy at all. It’s really hard. The character part is fun. The plot part is painful.“
Personally, I am really excited to see what Brad and the whole Pixar team came up with. The Incredibles is one of my favorite movies and from what I have seen of Incredibles 2 already, this might top it!
Director Brad Bird and Story Supervisor Ted Mathot during Incredibles 2 film production, as seen on February 28, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Changing Technology
Something we heard over and over throughout our time at Pixar was that there were more things they could do with Incredibles 2 than The Incredibles because of evolving technology. In fact, several times we heard Brad wanted to do XYZ in the original but we couldn’t because the technology wasn’t there, but it is now. We asked Brad about this and he had a lot to say on the subject.
“Pixar kinda invented the feature computer animation thing and, for a while, with every film there was this giant, easy-to-talk-about breakthrough. First, it was just doing it. And then it became more complex shapes or blue fur or underwater – and with us on [The Incredibles], it was the first film that featured all humans. Now the medium has passed its infancy and you can talk about the stuff, but it tends to be smaller stuff. It means a lot to us when we make it, but it’s not as easy to talk about in terms of something different that they see. I can tell you that the characters look more like our original designs in the first film than they did in the first film. We got close, but we didn’t get them bang on. And on this film, they’re bang on. The medium has improved so much that you can do good fire now. You can do good water. You can do good hair.“
Incredibles 2 Producer John Walker is photographed on April 3, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Pixar’s Talented Artists
John Walker had his own thoughts on the constantly changing technology, and something else that made a big difference in the second film.
“People talk about technology, and the technology’s definitely improved and that makes a big difference, but the level of artistry and competence of the people that work here is just off the charts. It’s stunning to watch. It’s completely different from when we were here before. Everybody was great before, but they’ve worked together for 15, 20, 30 years. New talent as well. It used to be that an animator would bring something in – or any kind of artist would bring something in. Brad would have notes. They’d go back and attempt to address those notes and they’d come back. If it wasn’t quite there, they’d go off again and come back and go off and come back. It was this circular process. And this time the stuff comes in the first time and it’s like, oh, my God, that’s great. Whatever notes he has, they hit right away.”
Producer Nicole Grindle is photographed on April 3, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
The Cutting Edge
Nicole also weighed in on the changes that we have seen in this industry from the first Incredibles film to the second.
“My first feature here was A Bug’s Life. I actually started working on some story CD-ROMS when I first came in ’95. So, I’ve had the benefit of watching this evolution. I should say our Supervising Technical Director, Rick Sayre, is one of the founding technical people at the company and has continued to stay on the cutting edge. So, it’s a combination of the technology has developed. We’ve had new talent come in, and some of the original genius talent has remained and continued to push us further and further.“
Incredibles 2 Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker during film production, as seen on February 28, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Getting the Cast Back Together
There was such a long gap in between the first Incredibles movie and this sequel that we were all curious how the cast reacted getting the news that Incredibles 2 would be made.
“[Craig T. Nelson and Holly Hunter] were happy [to get the call]. I think there’s a certain amount of trust on the film. They didn’t really ever see the whole script. They only saw the parts that they did, so they were taking a wild bet. And now they know what it is. They know who their character is, what the characters look like, how the animators respond to what they did vocally. They were all like the band’s back together. It was really fun. Sarah [Vowell] was really funny, because she said, I think I have three more years before I can’t play a teenager anymore. And Sam [Jackson] was talking about us like we were in production before we’d even attempted to make the film. He was like, oh, sure, there’s gonna be an Incredibles 2. Of course. Then it’s like if Sam says we’re making a movie, I guess we better start making a movie.“
Dean Kelly presents a sequence to Director Brad Bird during an Incredibles 2 story review as seen on June 21, 2017 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Recasting Rick Dicker & Dash
As you probably know, the voice of Dash had to be recast because of his aging, but you might not know that Rick Dicker was also recast.
“There were health problems with the guy who did the original Rick Dicker. He wasn’t in a position to match what he’d done before. And since then he’s no longer with us. We tried to find people that sounded like that guy, and no one sounded like that guy. Then we took the approach of saying if that guy didn’t exist and we were casting this character from scratch, who would be the actor that we would approach. And we found Jonathan Banks. Avlot of us are Breaking Bad fans and Better Call Saul fans. And he’s a wonderful actor. He dropped in beautifully. And his Rick Dicker is not exactly the same as Bud’s, but it’s every bit as cool. And maybe a little tougher edged.”
Incredibles 2 Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker during film production, as seen on February 28, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
“In the case of Huck Milner, who does Dash, we always knew that in any sequel we were not gonna be able to have Dash, because you just don’t retain that voice. It’s a ten-year-old voice and that voice is really only there for a couple of years. We always knew that we would have to recast Dash, and we got extraordinarily lucky. We went back to New York where we found the first Dash, whose name was Spencer Fox. Dash doesn’t have a New York accent or anything. It’s just that there’s something about the city – something that makes him move fast. We got lucky with Huck. He sounded right, but his personality was muted. I just had a feeling that he would be right. Once he got the part, he let it out, and it happened to be totally right. He was the same kind of energy that Spencer had. It was like fasten your seatbelts, we’re gonna record Dash today. He was so into it. We didn’t say what it was for, and when he found out it was Dash he came in one day actually wearing a Dash outfit. [He] was like zipping about the studio. I think he did a magnificent job.“
Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker during a press conference at Incredibles 2 Long Lead Press day, as seen on April 4, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
Favorite Characters
We asked all three of the filmmakers who their favorite characters were in Incredibles 2. Of course, that is a really hard question to answer, because usually they are attached to more than one of them, if not all of them. I loved Nicole Grindle’s answer because I learned a bit about a new character that I am looking forward to seeing.
“I haven’t thought about it, but the first thing that comes to mind is Voyd. She’s a new character played by Sophia Bush. And I love her as somebody who sees Helen as a mentor. She’s got this really great, fresh energy. I love her superpowers. So, that’s what comes to my mind.“
John Walker also let us know about his favorite.
“I’m a new grandfather. I have a one-year-old granddaughter, and my daughter came to me and said why didn’t you tell me it was so hard. I said, well, because then you never would’ve done it. So, I love all the Jack-Jack scenes and how Bob has to try to deal with this crazy baby, which is just a great metaphor for what my daughter and son-in-law have been going through the last year. My favorite part are the Jack-Jack scenes – especially the raccoon fight.“
Nicole then added to that.
“I’ve always felt that this was a representation of what we all feels as parents. You all go into it like, oh, it’s a little baby. How cute. How hard could that be? And then at every turn, they’re more and more difficult.”
When Brad answered, as can be expected he had a reason to love each and every character. I cannot say that I blame him, because I do too!
Producer Nicole Grindle, Director Brad Bird and Producer John Walker during a press conference at Incredibles 2 Long Lead Press day, as seen on April 4, 2018 at Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, Calif. (Photo by Deborah Coleman / Pixar)
The Incredibles 2 Plot
As we know, Brad and the Incredibles 2 team had a while to think about the direction they wanted this sequel to go in. We asked him what his thought process was like in coming up with the plot line.
“The central idea, which was a role switch between Bob and Helen, and the fact that the family didn’t know of the baby’s powers and that they would learn about it in this film, that almost dates back to the first film’s release [that] I had those ideas. What changed all the time was the superhero plot. And that changed radically. Because we had a little less time to do our film, if something didn’t pay off immediately, you had to abandon it. The release date was looming and you had to find stuff that works. It was this binary process – that was tough. The superhero plot changed a lot. But the core idea of Helen getting the mission and Bob staying at home and them having to cope with the baby’s powers, that’s my oldest idea for this film.“
I, for one, am really excited about the role switch between Bob and Helen. I think it is hilarious, and also pretty true to life sometimes. In this day and age, we see men staying home with the kids more and more, and the women going out in to the filed working. I love when a movie can touch on true life, and I can’t wait to see what happens.
About Incredibles 2
In Incredibles 2, Helen is called on to lead a campaign to bring Supers back, while Bob navigates the day-to-day heroics of “normal” life at home with Violet, Dash, and baby Jack-Jack—whose super powers are about to be discovered. Their mission is derailed, however, when a new villain emerges with a brilliant and dangerous plot that threatens everything. But the Parrs don’t shy away from a challenge, especially with Frozone by their side. That’s what makes this family so Incredible.
Ant-Man and the Wasp hits theaters everywhere July 6th and I am BEYOND excited! I have always been a fan of Scott Lang in the comic books (in fact, I like him more than Hank Pym but SHHHHH! Don’t tell anyone!). If you are in to comic books (or even if you aren’t), here are some that I think are important to read before seeing this movie. Since there are two Ant-Mans in the comics, these will help you get to know Scott – and in one case Hank and Janet!
Ant-Man: Scott Lang
Meet 2015’s silver screen sensation in waiting -Scott Lang, the astonishing Ant-Man! To save his daughter Cassie’s life, Scott is forced to return to a life of crime, stealing Hank Pym’s original costumed identity. But when his noble intentions win the Avengers’ approval, he takes over as the all-new Ant-Man, full-time! Electronics whiz Scott secures a job with Tony Stark, but the size-changing super hero must save Iron Man after a brutal battle with the Hulk. No shrinking violet, Scott holds his own in astonishing adventures with Spider-Man, the Thing and the Avengers…nd when Ant-Man and Hawkeye join forces, somebody’ gonna get it!
COLLECTING: Marvel Premiere 47-48; Iron Man (1968) 131-133, 151; Ave nger s (1963) 195-196, 223; Marvel Team-Up (1972) 103; Marvel Two -In-One (1974) 87; material from Avengers (1963) 181, Iron Man (1968) 125
One tiny hero – one giant, action-packed book! Scott Lang was a down-on-his-luck divorced ex-con – until he stole Hank Pym’s size-changing suit to save his daughter! Since then, Scott’s life has been a roller coaster. But will he continue to be a hero – or return to his former life of crime? Or perhaps both?! Scott has his hands full with a new business, some questionable employees, and a teenage daughter who was once an Avenger herself! Then there are villains like the Power Broker and Scott’s archenemy Darren Cross, plus the female Beetle – will she be friend, foe, or something else entirely? Whatever happens, there are many trials in store, as Nick Spencer’s entire fast, furious and fun Ant-Man run is collected between two covers!
COLLECTING: ANT-MAN (2015) 1-5, ANNUAL 1; ANT-MAN: LAST DAYS 1; THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN 1-13 [ANT-MAN VOL. 1: SECOND-CHANCE MAN; THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN VOL. 1: EVERYBODY LOVES TEAM-UPS; THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN VOL. 2: SMALL-TIME CRIMINAL; THE ASTONISHING ANT-MAN VOL. 3: THE TRIAL OF ANT-MAN, MINUS GUARDIANS TEAM-UP 7
If this is too much for you, you can pick up Ant-Man: Second-Chance Man, which only collects Ant-Man (2015) 1-5.
The scientist’s name is Hank Pym. The socialite’s is Janet Van Dyne. Both are haunted by personal tragedy and the burning need to…avenge!? Prepare for some insect love!
Since we know we will be seeing Janet Van Dyne in the MCU, this is a great way to get a backstory on her and Hank. They are truly one of my favorite comic book couples!
Marvel’s size-changing superstars in astonishing adventures! Meet scientist Hank Pym – and find out how he became the man in the anthill! Hank soon harnesses his shrinking prowess to become Ant-Man – joined by his partner-in-crime-fighting, Janet Van Dyne, the high-flying Wasp! And in an all-time classic, Scott Lang – Hank’s successor as Ant-Man – races into action with Hawkeye against the Taskmaster! Plus, it’s Ant-Man and Hulk versus the Mad Thinker, while Wasp must save Captain America from the Wendigo! Tiny foes cause Jan big trouble when invaders from the Microverse attack! And Hawkeye puts Scott Lang through his paces on Monster Island!
COLLECTING: MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS ASSEMBLE SEASON TWO 9; AVENGERS (1963) 223; MATERIAL FROM AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES (2010) 2-3; MARVEL UNIVERSE AVENGERS: EARTH’S MIGHTIEST HEROES 7; TALES TO ASTONISH (1959) 27, 35, 44
Before Scott Lang and Hope Pym take flight in the upcoming Marvel’s Ant-Man and the Wasp, see how the heroes teamed up for the fi rst time! Scott Lang has made some mistakes, but his skills as a thief make him indispensable when Hank Pym needs someone to operate the Ant-Man suit in a daring heist to prevent Darren Cross from using the Pym Particle technology for his own nefarious plans. The adventure doesn’t get any bigger than this!
COLLECTING: MARVEL’S ANT-MAN AND THE WASP PRELUDE 1-2
Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time is finally available to take home. Check out this full list of the bonus features included!
A Wrinkle In Time was one of my favorite books when I was younger. I remember reading it for school and instantly loving it. In fact, I finished reading it before the time I was required to. I knew going in to this movie that it was not going to be exactly like the book – something that I welcome in films. When I sit down to watch a movie for the first time, it is nice to know that some things will surprise me since it will not follow the story I already know to a T. I had heard mixed reviews on Disney’s A Wrinkle In Time, so I went in with lower expectations. Thanks to that, I really enjoyed the movie!
I was a little worried that my young daughters would be a little scared during this movie, but I watched it ahead of time and thought they might be able to handle it. I am glad I let them see this movie because it quickly became a favorite of my (nearly) 7 year old. And good news – my 5 year old was not scared at all, although she did get distracted and bored about half way through. Which honestly, for her is pretty good when it comes to a “real people movie” – she is still in to the cartoons.
About A Wrinkle In Time
From visionary director Ava DuVernay comes Disney’s “A Wrinkle in Time,” an epic adventure based on Madeleine L’Engle’s timeless classic which takes audiences across dimensions of time and space, examining the nature of darkness versus light and, ultimately, the triumph of love. Through one girl’s transformative journey led by three celestial guides, we discover that strength comes from embracing one’s individuality and that the best way to triumph over fear is to travel by one’s own light.
Bonus Features
One of my favorite things about purchasing a movie on blu-ray is checking out all of the bonus features. The deleted scenes always seem to help tell the story, and of course, the bloopers always have me laughing. A Wrinkle In Time is no different – the bonus features all really deliver!
A Journey Through Time – Take an up-close look at the making of this magnificent movie with Director Ava DuVernay, Oprah Winfrey, and the cast and crew.
Deleted Scenes (with optional director audio commentary)
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