Friday Family Fun: 2012 Disney & Pixar Movie Releases

January 13, 2012 in All Posts, movies by Babes in Disneyland

Spending time at the movies with my family has always been a favorite past (and present) time of mine — especially when the movies are Disney! Now I know that having young children can be a bit challenging at times, but I also know that being able to spend time together as a family is equally rewarding. Because Disney aims to provide entertainment that the whole family can enjoy, taking the kids to see any of the following movies is sure to delight everyone!

The Secret World of Arrietty

When I was in elementary school, I loved reading Mary Norton’s The Borrowers, a story about small people that live under the floorboards. On February 17, Disney and Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) will take us under these floorboards for an animated adventure story about the little people who quietly reside there in a secret world (that is ultimately discovered) where the smallest may stand tallest of all. Bridgit Mendler provides the voice of Arrietty (prounounced AIR-ee–ett-ee), a tiny but tenacious 14-year-old who lives with her parents (voiced by Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home. Because Arrietty and her family stay hidden from view — except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from their human hosts — their presence is unknown by the garden home’s owner and her housekeeper (voiced by Carol Burnett). When 12-year-old Shawn (voiced by David Henrie), a human boy who comes home, discovers his mysterious housemate Arrietty, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger.

Brave (also in Disney Digital 3D)

I love when people speak with accents. Aside from Australian and English accents, I really enjoy hearing Scottish accents, which is one of the reasons I am really looking forward to the release of Disney and Pixar’s upcoming movie. Brave, hitting theaters on June 22, joins the ancient Scottish lore of stories of epic battles and mystical legends that have been passed though the generations across the rugged and mysterious Highlands of Scotland. Courageous Merida (voiced by Kelly MacDonald), a skilled archer and headstrong daughter of King Fergus (voiced by Billy Connolly) and Queen Elinor (voiced by Emma Thompson), is determined to carve her own fate by confronting tradition and challenging destiny. During the course of this, Merida defies an age old custom sacred to the unruly and uproarious lords of the land: massive Lord MacGuffin (voiced by Kevin McKidd), surly Lord Macintosh (voiced by Craig Ferguson), and cantankerous Lord Dingwall (voiced by Robbie Coltrane). Her actions inadvertently unleash chaos and fury into the kingdom, and when she turns to an eccentric witch for help, she is granted an ill-fated wish. The ensuing peril forces Merida to harness all of her skills and resources — including her clever and mischievous triplet brothers — to undue a beastly curse before it’s too late, discovering the meaning of true bravery.

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

This magical tale about a happily married couple, Cindy and Jim Green (played by Joel Edgerton and Jennifer Garner), who can’t wait to start a family but can only dream about what their child would be like, will be budding into theaters on August 15. When young Timothy (played by CJ Adams) shows up on their doorstep one stormy night, Cindy and Jim — and their small town of Stanleyville — learn that sometimes the unexpected can bring some of life’s greatest gifts.

Finding Nemo 3D

Return to the ocean on September 14 to swim with worrisome Marlon and forgetful Dory (and their eccentric aquatic friends) on their journey to find and save Nemo and his lucky fin from P. Sherman, 42 Wallaby Way, Sydney. This time, though, see the movie that the American Film Institute named as one of the top 10 greatest animated movies ever made closer than before with the rendering of Disney Digital 3D!

Wreck-It Ralph (also in Disney Digital 3D)

Give your kids a reason to put down the video game controller and embark on what should be a hilarious, arcade-game-hopping journey of Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly), who is tired of being overshadowed by Fix-It Felix (voiced by Jack McBrayer), the “good guy” star of their game who always gets to save the day. But after decades doing the same thing and seeing all the glory go to Felix, Ralph decides he’s tired of playing the role of a bad guy. He takes matters into his own massive hands and sets off on a game-hopping journey across the arcade through every generation of video games to prove he’s got what it takes to be a hero. On his quest, he meets the tough-as-nails Sergeant Calhoun (voiced by Jane Lynch) from the first-person action game Hero’s Duty. But it’s the feisty misfit Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman) from the candy-coated cart racing game, Sugar Rush, whose world is threatened when Ralph accidentally unleashes a deadly enemy that threatens the entire arcade. Find out if Ralph realizes his dream and saves the day before it’s too late when Wreck-It Ralph crashes into theaters on November 2.

This post was written as a personal opinion piece and without pay. Neither the text nor the pictures were provided as proprietary information and does not represent the views or opinions of The Walt Disney Company. Information for this post was provided by the Disneyland Resort for media use.

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