“Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives” Drops Today on Disney+

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 19, 2021

 

For those of you who enjoyed such original programming as The Imagineering Story and Prop Culture on Disney+ over the last few years, you may want to tune in to a new documentary called Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives.

 

Arriving today on Disney+, the new program will let viewers explore some of the rich history that surrounds the Disney company.  D23 Gold members were fortunate enough to have early access to the program in June 2020, and the documentary is now available to all Disney+ subscribers. (D23 is the official Disney Fan Club.)

 

According to D23, “The film looks at beloved Disney icons, including its theme parks and Studio lot, through an engaging, historical lens.”  Disney’s many warehouses and file cabinets were opened up to cull some of the very best treasures from 50 years of collecting the Disney company’s memorabilia for fans’ enjoyment.

 

Becky Cline, Walt Disney Archives director, is front and center for this film, and those of you who have seen Becky in past documentaries know that she is a wealth of information on all things Disney.  She was also the executive producer for the program.  The show is hosted by legendary producer Don Hahn, who himself has quite the Disney pedigree (The Lion King; Beauty and the Beast; and The Hunchback of Notre Dame, among many). 

 

The film is directed by John Gleim, and features interviews with Disney Executive Chairman Bob Iger; Marvel Studios’ Kevin Feige; Pixar’s Pete Docter; film historian Leonard Maltin; Disney animators and artists; actors including Mark Hamill; additional members of the Disney Archives team; and lots of others.  

 

The documentary offers viewers an in-depth look at some of the historical artifacts that brought many of the beloved Disney films and features to life.  Before you groan and mutter, “Documentary… must be boring!”,  you’ll want to tune in to see such iconic items as the piano on which the Sherman brothers composed music for Disney films. Can you picture Walt himself leaning on the corner of the piano while the Sherman boys presented “Feed the Birds” or other tunes from Mary Poppins for the first time?  Or maybe you’d like to take a peek at the carousel horses or original carpetbag from Mary Poppins.

 

Among the other treasures viewers will be treated to during the program are a series of the original Mickey Mouse dolls; an Alice Davis and Mary Blair hand-dressed doll for the it’s a small world ride at the World’s Fair; Beauty and the Beast props from the live-action movie; and even the contract that was signed on October 16, 1923, officially bringing the Walt Disney Company into existence.  Sports fans will get a glimpse of a World Series ring from 2002 when Disney owned the Anaheim Angels.  Bet you weren’t expecting to see that in the Archives!

 

Don Hahn also takes viewers on a tour of the various moving parts that make the Archives work (and is an entertaining tour guide along the way!). A stop in the digitization lab shows the hard work that goes into preserving the props and artifacts; another drop-in at the costume department lets viewers see some of the newest acquisitions arriving at the Archives. Last, but certainly not the least, is a visit to Walt Disney’s restored personal office.

 

The Disney World park in Florida isn’t the only place celebrating its 50^th anniversary this year. Like Disney World itself, the Archives started by Dave Smith 50 years ago are always growing, always changing, as they acquire new objects and documents. They aren’t just a dusty old storage building, but a breathing entity that reaches out with their exhibits so that fans can enjoy the treasures as well.  The “Archives” isn’t simply a museum of artifacts, but a place for future animators and magic creators to learn from the rich legacy of the extensive body of the Disney company’s work.  This Disney+ special is a small way to peek behind the walls of the Archives. 

 

The short, 59-minute runtime of Adventure Thru The Walt Disney Archives flies by. Hopefully, there will be more to come for Disney geeks everywhere to enjoy.

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For You and a Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

How About a Cool “Star Wars” Hat?

 by Ray Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 19, 2021

 

At Disney Springs last night, and low and behold, I found one of the most fun Star Wars hats ever! Here’s my quick take…

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13^th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.

Tune In to the Daily Dose of Disney with Ray Keating Podcast - More than 200 Episodes and Counting

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Holiday Oreo Bon Bons Are Back!

 by Beth Keating

Review

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 18, 2021

 

Cue the singing Christmas angels!  The Holiday Oreo Bon Bons are back at The Beach Club Marketplace at Disney World’s Beach Club Resort, and The Market at Ale & Compass at the neighboring Yacht Club.

While you may feel like Disney skipped right over Thanksgiving this year, and jumped straight into the reds and greens of the December holidays, we are certainly glad to see these yummy little morsels return.

 

We first tried these sponge cake and cookie creations a number of years ago on the dessert display at the Cape May Café at The Beach Club, off in the far corner of the restaurant, alongside a tray of mini desserts topping off the seafood buffet.  Of course, back then, they were made with a chocolate cake enrobing the outside.  The holiday version has these little gems decked out in red and green cake.

 

If you’ve never tried the Oreo Bon Bons, you might be surprised at the textures.  The Oreo cookie base is softened rather than crunchy, having absorbed some of the moisture of the inside filling, as well as from being chilled.  The filling is a cookies and cream style mousse, along the same flavor profile as “the Grey Stuff” at Be Our Guest, but the Bon Bons are a much lighter and fluffier consistency than the slightly firmer “Grey Stuff.”  

 

Surprisingly, the mousse isn’t as sweet as you would anticipate, but it is much more airy. The outer sponge cake has just a touch of stiffness to it, in order to hold all that delicate goodness in place.  Topping the round red and green cakes is a tiny, fudgy swirl of chocolate frosting, with a few decorative holiday colored sprinkles.

 

The cakes are sold in sets of four ($6.49, plus tax) in the refrigerated cases of the marketplaces, and will be available through the end of the year.  So, if you want to try them, you’d better make it quick. Maybe pick up a box to nibble on while you are visiting the gingerbread carousel at The Beach Club, or the soon to set-up holiday village and miniature train at The Yacht Club. It will make it feel even more festive!

 

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For You and a Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

“Foodie Guide to the 2021 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays” Released

 by Beth Keating

News

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 16, 2021

 

As the final week of the EPCOT International Food & Wine Festival winds down, Disney Parks Blog has released the “Foodie Guide to the 2021 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays.” Many of the holiday traditions from your childhood will be returning to this year’s Holiday Kitchens, along with a few new twists from the Disney chefs.

 

The 2021 EPCOT International Festival of the Holidays runs November 26 through December 30, celebrating cherished holiday traditions from around the globe at 14 Holiday Kitchens,  scattered throughout World Showcase. The Holiday Cookie Stroll will also be returning, giving guests the chance to sample cookies at five different locations before receiving a 50^th anniversary celebration cookie for collecting their stamps at the various kitchens.  (Fortunately, you don’t have to eat all the cookies in one sitting. You can bring your stamped Passport booklet back at any time during the festival.)

 

This year’s Holiday Kitchen offerings include:

 

Mele Kalikimaka (Near Port of Entry)

Food Items:

• Kālua Pork with Okinawa Purple Sweet Potatoes and Mango Salad

• Lomi Lomi Salmon with Tomatoes, Onions, Salmon Roe, Yuzu-Mayonnaise, and Yucca Chips (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Haupia: Hawaiian Coconut Pudding with Candied Macadamia Nuts and Coconut

Beverages:

• Hawaiian Pale Wheat Ale (New Item)

• Sparkling Pineapple Wine, St. Petersburg, FL

• Melon Breeze with Spiced Rum

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Chestnuts & Good Cheer Holiday Kitchen (Near Disney Traders)

Food Items:

• Cinnamon-glazed Almonds (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; (New Item)

• Cinnamon-glazed Cashews (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; New Item)

• Cinnamon-glazed Pecans (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; New Item)

• Fire-roasted Chestnuts (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; New Item)

Beverages:

• AMERICAN HERITAGE Gourmet Hot Cocoa (Non-alcoholic; New Item)

• T.G. Lee Eggnog (nonalcoholic)

• Sweet Nutty Stout, Orlando (New Item)

• AMERICAN HERITAGE Gourmet Hot Cocoa with Peanut Butter Whiskey, Whipped Cream, and Candied Nuts (New Item)

• T.G. Lee Eggnog with Peanut Butter Whiskey (New Item)

 

Holiday Sweets & Treats (Near Port of Entry):

Food Items:

• Peppermint Sundae: Chocolate ice cream, whipped cream, and peppermint candy (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Exclusive Redemption Cookie (Holiday Cookie Stroll)

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa (nonalcoholic)

• Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea (nonalcoholic)

• Eggnog White Porter

• Coquito Beer (New Item)

• S’mores Black Lager (New Item)

• Hot Cocoa with assorted alcoholic cordials

• Chocolate Peppermint Shake featuring Twinings Peppermint Cheer Tea and Whipped Cream Vodka

• Beer Flight

 

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Holiday Hearth Desserts (Near Port of Entry)

Food Items:

• Red Velvet Mini Bundt Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

• Salted Caramel Spaceship Earth Cookie

• Snowball Cookies 

• Peppermint Bark(Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Mouse Crunch 

• Gingerbread Cookie (Holiday Cookie Stroll)

Beverages:

• Hot Cocoa (nonalcoholic)

• Cinnamon Apple Cider (Non-alcoholic; New Item)

• Cocoa Candy Cane: Hot cocoa with peppermint schnapps

 

Refreshment Port (Near Canada)

Food Items:

• Coquito Soft-Serve Waffle Cone (New Item)

• Turkey Poutine – French fries with turkey gravy, cranberry relish, and crispy onions

Beverages:

• Cranberry Hard Cider (New Item)

• Pumpkin Spice Ginger Cocktail (New Item)

• Coquito Soft-serve with Spiced Rum (New Item)

 

Yukon Holiday Kitchen (Canada)

Food Items:

• Seared Scallops with Parsnip Silk, Apple Chutney, and Hazelnut Croquant

• Beef Bourguignon with Crushed Potatoes

• Maple Bûche de Noël: Maple mousse and cranberry rolled in gingerbread chiffon cake

• SNICKERS-Doodle Cookie made with SNICKERS bar pieces (Holiday Cookie Stroll; New Item)

Beverages:

• Frozen Coffee (nonalcoholic)

• Maple Cinnamon Coffee Beer

• Maple Cookie Blonde Ale (New Item)

• Peanut Butter & Banana Porter (New Item)

• Icewine, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

• Red Wine, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

• Frozen Coffee with Whisky

• Beer Flight

 

L’Chaim! Holiday Kitchen (Between France and Morocco)

Food Items:

• Pastrami on Rye with House-made Pickles and Deli Mustard

• Smoked Salmon Potato Latke (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Potato Latkes (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; Plant-based)  

• Sufganiyot: Mini jelly-filled donuts

• Black and White Cookie (Plant-based; Holiday Cookie Stroll)  

Beverages:

• Hanukkah Beer

• Blue Cosmo Cocktail

 

Tangierine Café: Flavors of the Medina

Food Items:

• Grilled Kebabs with Carrot-Chickpea Salad and Garlic Aïoli (New Item)

• Lamb Kefta (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Harissa Chicken (Gluten/Wheat Friendly)

• Stone-baked Moroccan Bread with Hummus, Fig Tapenade, and Zhoug Dip

• Almond-spiced Cake with Ginger Mousse, Orange Ganache, and Sesame Tuile (New Item)

Beverages:

• Lavender Apple Hard Cider (New Item)

• Ginger Tumeric Hard Cider

• Spicy Nutmeg Hard Cider

• Fig Cocktail with Sparkling Wine, Fig Vodka, and Cranberry Juice (New Item)

• Cider Flight

 

American Holiday Table

Food Items:

• Slow-roasted Turkey with BEN’S ORIGINAL Stuffing, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, and Cranberry Sauce

• Holiday Pot Pie with Jackfruit, Mushrooms, Carrots, Peas, Onions, and Puff Pastry (Plant-based)

• Pumpkin Gingerbread Cheesecake with Cranberry Whipped Cream and Candied Pumpkin Seeds   

• Chocolate Crinkle Cookie made with DOVE Dark Chocolate (Holiday Cookie Stroll)

Beverages:

• Bright White Ale

• Eggnog White Porter

• Peppermint Chocolate Stout

• Regional White Wine

• Regional Red Wine

• Beer Flight

 

Bavaria Holiday Kitchen (Germany)

Food Items:

• Pork Schnitzel with Mushroom Sauce, Spätzle, and Braised Red Cabbage

• Cheese Fondue in a Bread Bowl with Steamed Baby Vegetables and Marble Potatoes

• Linzer Cookie (Holiday Cookie Stroll)

Beverages:

• Hard Apple Cider

• German-style Gold Lager (New Item)

• Doppelbock Beer

• Regional Riesling

• Glühwein: House-made hot spiced wine

• Beer Flight

Source: Disney Parks Blog

Refreshment Outpost:

Food Items:

• Coconut-Pineapple Cake with DOLE Whip (New Item)

Beverages:

• Midnight Lager (New Item)

• Nairobi Coffee Dark Beer (New Item)

 

The Donut Box (Near Test Track presented by Chevrolet)

Food Items:

• Pumpkin Cake Donut with Pumpkin Spice Icing (New Item)

• Holiday Donut with Coconut and Crisp Pearls (New Item)

• Chocolate Peppermint Donut (New Item)

• Eggnog-Cream-filled Donut with Cinnamon Icing and Crumbled Gingersnap Cookies (New Item)

Beverages:

• Gingerbread Milkshake (nonalcoholic)

• Gingerbread Stout (New Item)

• Gingerbread Milkshake with Whipped Cream Vodka

 

Le Marché de Noël Holiday Kitchen (France)

Food Items:

• Napoleon de Saumon Fumé en Brioche: Smoked salmon napoleon with layers of smoked salmon, dill mousse, and crème fraîche mousse served in brioche (New Item)

• Dinde Forestière, Patates Douces Rôties: Turkey with bacon, mushrooms, and onions in a mustard cream sauce served with roasted sweet potatoes (New Item)

• Bûche de Noël Chocolat Blanc, Framboise: Chocolate Christmas log with chocolate biscuit, white chocolate mousse, raspberry cream, and chocolate fudge coating (New Item)

Beverages:

• Frozen Hot Chocolate Martini: Vanilla vodka, vodka, chocolate milk, and whipped cream

Cabernet Sauvignon

• Rosé Sparkling Wine

• Cranberry Mimosa: Sparkling wine with orange juice and cranberry syrup

 

Tuscany Holiday Kitchen (Italy)

Food Items:

• Mezzelune Croccanti: Crispy half-moon breaded mozzarella-filled ravioli with pomodoro sauce  (New Item)

• Ravioli: Shrimp ravioli in scampi sauce with white wine, garlic, lemon zest, and parsley (New Item)

• Bomboloni alla Cioccolato-Nocciola: Chocolate-filled Italian doughnut with chocolate-hazelnut spread and powdered sugar (New Item)

Beverages:

• Pinot Grigio

• Chianti

• Prosecco

• Sparkling Red Wine

• Moscato

• Italian White Sangria with Prosecco

• Italian Red Sangria with Cabernet Sauvignon

• Italian Margarita with Tequila and Limoncello

• Pilsner

 

Lotus Blossom Café (China) 

Food Items:

• House-made Cheesy Crab Wontons

Beverages:

• Fireworks: Tequila gold, vodka, orange juice, and mango syrup

 

Shi Wasu Holiday Kitchen (Japan)

Food Items:

• Chirashi Sushi Tree: Sashimi-grade tuna, salmon, ikura, and yellowtail with vegetables decorated on an artistic bed of rice to celebrate the holidays

• New Year Celebration Soba: Buckwheat soba noodle in a hot dashi soup with shrimp tempura, fish cake, shiitake mushrooms, and chopped green onion

• Mont Blanc Tart: Matcha mousse tart with a sweet red bean center sprinkled with konpeito sugar candy

Beverages:

• Chocolate Banana Boba: Cocoa, Japanese milky drink, banana syrup, and strawberry popping boba pearls (nonalcoholic; New Item)

• Sparkling Plum Wine (New Item)

• Chocolate Tokyo Banana: Cocoa, Japanese milky drink, banana syrup, and vodka (New Item)

• Pomegranate Draft Lager: Rice lager with hints of pomegranate and lemon (New Item)

 

Las Posadas Holiday Kitchen (Mexico)

Food Items:

• Giant Tostada de Chorizo: Chorizo served on a giant tostada with chipotle black bean purée, salsa verde, queso cotija, crema mexicana, and pickled onion

• Tamal de Barbacoa: Shredded barbacoa beef in a corn masa topped with ranchera salsa, queso cotija, and crema Mexicana (Gluten/Wheat Friendly; New Item)

• Dulce de Leche Churros sprinkled with cinnamon-sugar

Beverages:

• Cranberry-Cinnamon Margarita: Apple-cinnamon infused mezcal, cranberry juice, orange liqueur, and lime juice with a cinnamon-sugar rim (New Item)

• Horchata Margarita: Tequila blanco, corn whiskey, horchata, and cinnamon horchata rum

• Mistletoe Cerveza: Lager with blackcurrant liqueur (New Item)

 

Funnel Cake

Food Item:

• Mini Pumpkin Pie Funnel Cake:  Pumpkin funnel cake topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and graham cracker crumbles (New Item)

 

Joffrey’s Coffee & Tea Company

Beverage:

• Carolers’ Cold Brew – Joffrey’s French Roast Cold Brew with brown butter toffee, swiss chocolate syrup, and sweet cream topped with whipped cream and TWIX bar pieces (New Item)

 

__________

 

Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.

 

Please support the efforts of DisneyBizJournal.com to bring news, analysis and commentary on Disney to readers such as yourself. Make a contribution right here via PayPal. Thanks!

 

For You and a Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

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“Dune” Lightyears Better than “Eternals”

 by Ray Keating

Review and Commentary

DisneyBizJournal.com

November 13, 2021

 

My expectations ran high for both Eternals and Dune when heading into the movie theater. Those expectations actually were exceeded with Dune. Unfortunately, Eternals turned out to be a gross disappointment, and as a result, the movie added fuel to a troubling trend emerging with recent Marvel projects.

Of course, both films have faced box office challenges with the ongoing struggle to emerge from the pandemic, as well as Dune being offered immediately via online streaming on HBO Max and Eternals expected to move rather quickly to Disney+ (perhaps just before Christmas). Dune opened domestically on October 22, and as of November 11 on BoxOfficeMojo.com, it had still taken in $332.6 million globally. After opening on November 5, Eternals registered $170.9 million worldwide. It is worth noting that the Eternals’ opening weekend domestic take came in behind the other pandemic-era MCU releases, that is, Black Widow at $80 million (along with an announced $60 million on Disney+), Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings at $75 million, and Venom: Let There Be Carnage at an inexplicable $90 million.

 

As for critics and audiences, on RottenTomatoes.com, Eternals has earned a woeful 47 percent critics score, with audiences coming in at 80 percent. Meanwhile, Dune has scored well with both critics (83 percent) and audiences (90 percent).

 

In general, I think that the critics got both right.

 

Dune ranks as sci-fi/fantasy done right. It’s a visually rich, immersive story, with interesting characters. The film offers hints of Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, Game of Thrones and Lawrence of Arabia. The cast is spot on, and the director, Denis Villeneuve, gets fine performances out of each actor, including some who have not showed such abilities before, like Jason Momoa and Dave Bautista.

 

Throughout the film, my mind never wandered to thinking about when this would be over, but rather wanting the movie to go on, and pondering where the characters were headed and the implications of their actions. And given the ending, I found myself thinking that Legendary and Warner Brothers better greenlight a sequel with Villeneuve at the helm, and thankfully, they have. 

 

In contrast, Eternals was a bloated, uninteresting story, with characters that largely were flat, along with most of the performances.

 

And unlike Dune, Eternals was plagued by story points that made little sense, including glaringly contradictory moments for assorted characters (such as Richard Madden’s Ikaris, not to mention that his ending was way too on the nose).

 

Amazingly, there are some out there arguing that Eternals isn’t getting the love it deserves because fans are unwilling to deal with big issues being brought up in a superhero movie. My immediate reaction to such assertions is to laugh – and to be perfectly clear, to laugh mockingly. Big issues? The writers and director, Chloe Zhao, seemed to be striving to present some deep moral quandaries over which the characters and audience were meant to wrestle. Alas, though, these so-called big issues amounted to shallow or meaningless situations seemingly dreamed up by a group of college students believing that they had great insights on matters that in reality they possessed little or no knowledge of in the end. The so-called moral quandaries served up in the Eternals spoke more to the obtuseness of the filmmakers, at best, or to their amorality.

 

It also needs to be pointed out that the more the MCU goes in on CGI effects, the worse the results seem to get. Though not as bad as the end scenes in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings or what was offered in Captain Marvel, several of the scenes in Eternals came across more like crude animation, as opposed to interesting and/or immersive CGI.

 

Interestingly, the character and performance that turned out to be the most interesting in Eternalswas Angelina Jolie as Thena. Here was a troubled character whose challenges and reactions made sense, and there was some life to Jolie’s performance. Don Lee also was pretty good as Gilgamesh, and Kumail Nanjiani had amusing moments as Kingo, though most didn’t fit with where the story was at the time.

 

Regarding how the Eternals fits into the MCU, part of my high expectations going in could be attributed to an assumption or hope that this film would break the recent trend in MCU entries being poor-to-middling. WandaVision and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier had moments on Disney+, but came up miserably short in the end, while Black Widow and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings were middling MCU movies (with Black Widow coming in ahead of Shang-Chi). The LokiDisney+ series has been the lone major MCU standout really since Avengers: Endgame. 

 

Eternals was supposed to get the MCU back to interesting, exciting and compelling storytelling and characters, devoid of plot holes and character inconsistencies. But that disappointingly was not the case.

 

My thoughts at the end of Eternals were pretty much the exact opposite of what I experienced with Dune. I was thankful that Eternals was over, and rather than wondering what would come next for the characters, I was left wondering where the heck the MCU was heading – and not in a good way.

 

__________

 

Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels and assorted nonfiction books. Have Ray Keating speak your group, business, school, church, or organization. Email him at raykeating@keatingreports.com.

 

The views expressed here are his own – after all, no one else should be held responsible for this stuff, right?

 

Great Christmas Gift! The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution is here! It combines a simple, powerful system for getting things done with encouragement and fun for Disney fans, including those who love Mickey, Marvel, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Pixar, princesses and more. Also, “The Disney Planner 2022: The TO DO List Solution” comes with a handy spiral binding for easy use. 

 

Keating has three new books out. Vatican Shadows: A Pastor Stephen Grant Novel is the 13^th thriller/mystery in the Pastor Stephen Grant series. Get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed books at www.raykeatingonline.com. Past Lives: A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story is the 14th book in the series. Again, get the paperback or Kindle edition at Amazon, or signed book at www.raykeatingonline.com. And order the 15th book in the series What’s Lost? A Pastor Stephen Grant Short Story – grab it at Amazon.com or signed editions at www.raykeatingonline.com. 

 

Also, check out Ray’s podcasts – the Daily Dose of Disney, Free Enterprise in Three Minutes, and the PRESS CLUB C Podcast.