Frank and Ollie (Special Edition)

Starring:Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Sylvia Roemer, John Canemaker, John Culhane, Marie E. Johnston, Jeanette A. Thomas, Glen Keane, Andy Gaskill
Director: Theodore Thomas
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Product Type: DVD

Editorial Review:
Amazon.com
Frank and Ollie is a highly controlled glimpse at a unique friendship. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Walt Disney's famous Nine Old Men original animators, are such naturals on camera, they'll put a smile on any audience member. The two met at the Stanford Art School in 1931. Sixty years later the next-door neighbors are so close they meet when taking out the garbage. They have seldom been farther apart. Director, writer, and coproducer Theodore Thomas (Frank's son) is at his best when his film is at its simplest. When Frank and Ollie are at a desk talking to the unseen narrator, it's magical. The two are so in tune they unselfishly finish each other's sentences.

Amazon.com

Although Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, the third part of George Miller's post-apocalyptic Mad Max trilogy, is certainly the least of the bunch (Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior is the undisputed masterpiece, and maybe the best action movie ever made), it has still got a good share of imaginative industrial-wasteland-pastiche imagery. And casting Tina Turner as Aunty Entity, the queen of Bartertown, was a masterstroke. Mel Gibson's character Max is pitted in a battle to the death against the bizarre Master Blaster in the Thunderdome, flying around on rubbery straps inside a sort of gigantic overturned colander with bloodthirsty spectators clinging to the outside. Miller's producing partner, Byron Kennedy, was killed in a helicopter crash while scouting locations for this film. Miller was devastated, only agreeing to direct the action sequences--and, somehow, you feel his heart wasn't entirely in it. --Jim Emerson

Customer Reviews:

Everthing and everone he knew is gone.......2007-06-06

He had a wife and son, both gone. I like that is set in parts of Austraila.
Tina Tuner, Mel Gibson

The End of Max?.......2006-09-24

The original concept for MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME didn't even include Mad Max. The original idea was about a group of orphaned children living out in the wild alone and a man who finds them. Then someone came up with the idea of Max being their "savior" and the film soon became a "Mad Max" project.

In MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME, Max is left alone to "die" in the desert. He makes his way through and comes to Bartertown, a city of last resort that has been able to maintain some of the technological capabilities of our former civilization. Bartertown might have been influenced by old Western bordertowns, but it reminded me of a poor-persons version of Mos Eisly from STAR WARS. Anyway, Max finds himself in the middle of a power struggle in the town and ends up fighting in a Coliseum like place called the Thunderdome, but people in Bartertown don't fight fair and after the fight Max is banished from the city into the desert. There he is found by a group of orphaned children who believe he is the pilot of their plane that crashed many years ago. Some of the children believe it is time to leave and return to their true home and they follow Max, but before they can return to their place of origin, they have to go through Bartertown.

MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME had the biggest budget of any Mad Max film. It re-united star Mel Gibson with director George Miller and a second director was hired so Miller could focus on the vehicle chases and action sequences. The film also has Tina Turner playing the villain, Aunty Entity. With all that going for it the film should have been something extraordinary.

Instead MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME ended up being the least thrilling of the Mad Max films. There's more action in the film than in the previous films in the series and Aunty Entity is a nemesis with more character than ones we've seen Max face before. And of course there's an awesome chase sequence at the end of the film.

The major problem with MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME is that there is too much going on in the film. ROAD WARRIOR had a very strict plot and even MAD MAX with all the back-story and character build-up had a fairly simple plot, but BEYOND THUNDERDOME is filled with all sorts of convolutions. The movie opens promising enough with a little bit of humor (the opening scene reminds me of an INDIANA JONES humorous moment), but when the action moves to Bartertown things get complicated. First there's the whole idea of how Bartertown is operated. Then there's the power struggle that we have to be acquainted with. There's also the concept of the Thunderdome and the purpose it serves and why it exists. Along the way we also discover that there's a entire class system to Bartertown: the lower classes and untouchables are forced to work in the sties of pig poop that power the city and they are on the verge of revolting. Had the action been confined to Bartertown, things wouldn't have been too bad. But just as one thinks the movie is ending and entire new element is added: the orphaned children living in the wild who think Max is Captain Walker come back from the land beyond to save them. Of course, after the kids are introduced you just know that they are going to end up fighting the evil overlords of Bartertown and they do. The lost kids really screwed with the movie big time. In MAD MAX the bad guys ran over children for pleasure. In BEYOND THUNDERDOME we sense that these baddies are bad, but not bad enough to actually kill the kids. They just want to enslave them or raise them up as heirs. So, instead of enriching the movie, the second act ends up twisting it; think of INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM and how all those stolen children screwed up that film. Of course, there's also the problem of Tina Turner. She's about as convincing as an evil powerful warlord as Paris Hilton is as a spokesperson for being celibate.

Still, MAD MAX BEYOND THUNDERDOME does have its moments. George Miller knows how to film chase scenes and the final chase that makes up the last act of the movie is an extraordinary bit of filmmaking involving a flying machine, a train, and lots and lots and lots of other cars and motorized vehicles. Of course, there's also Mel Gibson as Max. ROAD WARRIOR was a superior movie, but the Max in BEYOND THUNDERDOME is the most likeable; he has all the wisdom and experience from the first two films, but regains the compassion and joy he had during most of the first movie. Maybe Max isn't so mad anymore.

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.......2006-08-10

so far so good . Have not watched it yet. Ocean7739

Lush continuation of 'The Road Warrior'. Buy It........2006-08-05

`Mad Max, Beyond Thunderdome', directed by Kennedy - Miller, and starring Mel Gibson and Tina Turner, is an obvious and explicit sequel to the iconic sleeper, `The Road Warrior'. In many ways, `...Beyond Thunderdome' is a better movie, but when all is said and done, `...Beyond Thunderdome' does just a bit too much copying of its precursor to stand on it's own two feet, like `Aliens', as an independent movie.

Some of the many things which are better are the acting, the believability of the heavies and their back story, the sound track, including two terrific performances by Tina Turner, and the subplot involving the gang of `lost boys' in the second half of the movie.

And yet, the story seems just a little contrived. Both the master-blaster character pair and the `lost boys' story seem just a bit too contrived. On the other side of the coin, the development of what may be called `The Lord of the Flies' premise, where children are left to their own devices, is masterfully done, enhanced so well by morphing the language from modern Australian slang to something bordering on a new dialect makes one want to check that the script wasn't written by Anthony Burgess (see his `Clockwork Orange', as realized by Stanley Kubrick).

My primary objective in writing this review is to celebrate my adoration for this movie, which affected me almost as much as `2001' and `Lord of the Rings', even though these are far superior movies overall. A fairer comparison is to `Silent Running', the ecodisaster story featuring Bruce Dern and a soundtrack of Joan Baez songs. Both movies simply struck a chord with their very effective warnings about how mankind may shoot itself in the food.

Unfortunately, both movies are also not strong enough to sustain an effective suspension of disbelief to last beyond the walk to the theatre doors after seeing them for the third or fourth time. Where `Alien' and `Blade Runner' work, these work just a bit less well.

But they are still important films.

One of those universal epics.......2006-07-10

Although the earlier 'Mad Max' films have achieved more renown, this is my favourite of the three, as it shows the hero redeemed by humanity. Max in this film becomes a saviour and regains some of his faith in the human race and the future. Although much of the music and imagery may be 'borrowed' from classics like 'Lawrence of Arabia', it nonetheless is very effective and the film possesses a lyrical quality that is unique, especially in the 'culture'developed by the children abandoned in the wilderness.

Average customer rating:

Frank and Ollie
animation gold
Frank and Ollie (Special Edition)
A wonderful look into the lives of Frank and Ollie
For animation buffs, it doesn't get any better than this!

Frank and Ollie (Special Edition)
Starring: Frank Thomas , Ollie Johnston , Sylvia Roemer , John Canemaker , and John Culhane
Director: Theodore Thomas
Manufacturer: Walt Disney Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Animation | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Kids & Family | Genres | DVD | Video

Biography | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

General | Documentary | Genres | DVD | Video

Feature Films | Animation | Genres | DVD | Video

All Disney Titles | Disney Home Entertainment | Stores | DVD | Video

( F ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video

Special Editions | Fully Loaded DVDs | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

Chuck Jones - Extremes and In-Betweens, a Life in Animation
Walt - The Man Behind the Myth
The Illusion of Life: Disney Animation
Dream On Silly Dreamer
Walt Disney's Nine Old Men and the Art of Animation

ASIN: B0000TAYSO
Release Date: 2003-11-18

Amazon.com

Frank and Ollie is a highly controlled glimpse at a unique friendship. Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, two of Walt Disney's famous Nine Old Men original animators, are such naturals on camera, they'll put a smile on any audience member. The two met at the Stanford Art School in 1931. Sixty years later the next-door neighbors are so close they meet when taking out the garbage. They have seldom been farther apart. Director, writer, and coproducer Theodore Thomas (Frank's son) is at his best when his film is at its simplest. When Frank and Ollie are at a desk talking to the unseen narrator, it's magical. The two are so in tune they unselfishly finish each other's sentences.

Frank and Ollie is basically a handsomely produced home movie. Nary a negative remark is heard, a procedure challenged, a spark of unpredictability captured. The early scene of Ollie and Frank "accidentally" meeting at the garbage cans is embarrassingly contrived. Yet these aged animators win the audience over. Who cares if the documentary is rehearsed? Anyone who grew up with Disney animation (who hasn't?) will revel in the tidbits Frank and Ollie reveal, including Thumper's origin in Bambi and the ending of The Jungle Book (the film's funniest and most spontaneous bit). --Doug Thomas

Description

Before computer graphics, special effects wizardry, and out-of-this world technology, the magic of animation flowed from the pencils of two of the greatest animators The Walt Disney Company ever produced -- Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston. Frank and Ollie, the talent behind BAMBI, PINOCCHIO, LADY AND THE TRAMP, THE JUNGLE BOOK, and others, set the standard for such modern-day hits as THE LION KING. It was their creative genius that helped make Disney synonymous with brilliant animation, magnificent music, and emotional storytelling. Take a journey with these extraordinary artists as they share secrets, insights, and the inspiration behind some of the greatest animated movies the world has ever known!

Customer Reviews:

Frank and Ollie.......2007-01-04

Fascinating, insightful, and uplifting review by Frank and Ollie about their personal stories, their relationship with each other and Disney, and the impact their talents had on Disney legacy.

animation gold.......2006-02-16

I had only seen the vhs version before and I really enjoyed it. Watching the DVD extras...Wow! There are some amazing pencil tests of classic Disney scenes, interviews with animators Glen Keane and Andreas Dejas on Frank and Ollie and some great old home movies of them during the Golden Age of Animation. Fantastic DVD!

Frank and Ollie (Special Edition).......2005-08-12

I found this to be superb. If you love Disney movies and animation, seeing this is a must!

A wonderful look into the lives of Frank and Ollie.......2001-07-20

This is a wonderful tale of 2 of Walt Disney's "nine old men". I had no idea that the two of them were as close as they were. Shot in a documentary-style, so the viewer has a sense of being their houseguest. Lifelong friends, who shared the same career, and very similar, and disimilar life experiences. This film is for anyone who truly appreciates classic animation. By the end of the film, I understood their artistic motivations, as well as their struggles and triumphs. I also got some insight into their relationship with Walt(Disney), and how his death affected them. A truly wonderful film. I own a copy, and highly recommend it.

For animation buffs, it doesn't get any better than this!.......2000-11-04

"Frank and Ollie" is the most fasinating documentary I've ever seen. It takes a look at two of Walt Disney's "Nine Old Men," Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, from their early years at Disney in the 1930s to their everlasting friendship today. I am amazed at how they were able to get the expressions, emotions, and feelings on the characters they animated. They made faces to get the expressions of the characters, acted them out, and asked what the characters were thinking, and why were they feeling that way. This documentary kept a big smile on my face right from the beginning. I love documentaries about movies of all genres, and about the people who make them. This is no exception. It is very informative, affectionate, and heart-warming. This is a real and rare treat for serious animation buffs, or fans of Disney in general.

Average customer rating:

Everthing and everone he knew is gone
The End of Max?
Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome
Lush continuation of 'The Road Warrior'. Buy It.
One of those universal epics

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome [Region 2]
Starring: Mel Gibson , Tina Turner , Bruce Spence , Adam Cockburn , and Frank Thring
Director: George Miller (II) , and George Ogilvie
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Genres | DVD | Video

( M ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
Similar Items:

The Road Warrior
Mad Max (Special Edition)
Escape from New York (Special Edition)
Escape From L.A.
Waterworld

ASIN: B00004CXXA

Amazon.com

Customer Reviews:

Everthing and everone he knew is gone.......2007-06-06

He had a wife and son, both gone. I like that is set in parts of Austraila.
Tina Tuner, Mel Gibson

The End of Max?.......2006-09-24

Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome.......2006-08-10

so far so good . Have not watched it yet. Ocean7739

Lush continuation of 'The Road Warrior'. Buy It........2006-08-05

One of those universal epics.......2006-07-10

Average customer rating:

Great action movie!

Lethal Ninja
Starring: Ross Kettle , Norman Coombes , Kimberleigh Stark , Frank Notaro , and Ken Gampu
Director: Yossi Wein
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Action & Adventure | Genres | DVD | Video

( L ) | Titles | Features | DVD | Video
ASIN: B000085RQ4

Customer Reviews:

Great action movie!.......2002-01-13

One of the best martial arts movies I have ever seen. The action seems more realistic.