In what might be the network’s best deal yet, Stan has signed an exclusive content deal with Disney. The fruits of that labour went live today; here’s some of the best things to enjoy again.
WALL-E
The opening act of WALL-E is still, for my money, one of the smartest bits of animation ever produced. It showed you could talk to kids in the environment of a film without the constant barrage of exposition, jokes or visual gags. The second act of the movie is well below Pixar’s best, like the Toy Story movies or Monsters Inc., but the artistry of those first 45 minutes are still well worth it.
Ratatouille
I agree with Luke that Ratatouille isn’t the best Pixar movie by any stretch, but it’s more consistently enjoyable than WALL-E or Up for my liking. If you’re a fan of all things cooking, that automatically bumps Ratatouille up in the list, although there’s better recipes to remake from the movie than the final signature dish.
(Not saying that it’s bad, there’s just better – and easier – things to make. Especially if you don’t have a gas stovetop.)
Star Wars: Rebels
The best Star Wars thing Disney has touched since the LucasArts buyout, hands down. Similar to how Avatar started as a very kids-first show before becoming darker and more complex, Rebels matures into what is one of the best uses of the Star Wars IP since the Jedi Knight games and Knights of the Old Republic. The only downside is that Stan only has the first season, although hopefully that gets expanded soon. 15 episodes is plenty to get started with, however.
Black Panther
Easily one of the best superhero movies this year, and one of the best in Stan’s Disney offering with Avengers: Infinity War not on the table.
Toy Story 3
The pinnacle of the trilogy, with an outstanding ending and a level of wit that still holds up 8 years later. A very high bar for Toy Story 4 to beat (which is due out next year).
Coco
A movie about a boy who tries to become a musician by travelling to the Land of the Dead, Coco is ultimately a tale about never letting go and holding onto family. A worthy Oscar winner with some lovely music throughout, although prepare for some tears if you missed it when it hit theatres.
Monsters Inc.
One of the best Pixar movies ever made, full stop, although I would hesitate to say it’s the best thing Pixar’s ever made. But it’s eminently rewatchable. The hair is still a true visual delight as well, especially coming from video games where turning on Hairworks grinds most PCs to a halt.
Ducktales
Still one of the best intro songs, and a fantastic reimagining of the original series in its own right.
[referenced url=”https://www.kotaku.com.au/2017/08/the-new-ducktales-is-a-perfect-example-of-how-todays-cartoons-are-the-best-they-have-ever-been/” thumb=”https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/t_ku-large/rfnhjcgxw5jbxaof33wa.jpg” title=”The New DuckTales Is A Perfect Example Of How Today’s Cartoons Are The Best They Have Ever Been” excerpt=”Disney XD’s revitalised and rebooted DuckTales is a testament to the staying power of Scrooge McDuck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie. It’s also a grand showing of how far animation in general has come since 1987.”]
Mulan
Requisite watching, with the live-action remake set to drop some time next year. I’ve a sneaking suspicion that might turn out real well. Either way, the original Disney movie was one of the studio’s best musicals from the ’90s.
The Chinese legend was heavily Westernised, much to the distaste of the Chinese audience, but if you can put the discrepancies with the real Hua Mulan tales aside, the film still holds up well today. It’s worth noting that Sony Pictures are doing their own live-action adaptation of the Hua Mulan legend, as opposed to Disney who are remaking their own film, which is due out in 2020 some time.
To view the full list of Stan’s Disney content, head here. What would you like to see on the platform?
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