Planes...Planes...and MORE PLANES!!

Look, up in the sky...it's a bird...it's a plane...it's a...no, it IS a PLANE! Dusty Crophopper to be exact! 

Well, let me tell you, WAY back in 2011 when we went to the Disney D23 Expo, we saw some (very) preliminary footage of an upcoming Disney/Pixar movie that was part of the Cars world, called Planes. At that time, what we saw was pretty much the storyboard ideas, but we were pretty excited about it. To think: expanding on the universe created by Pixar in Cars! Awesome! Then, the movie came out...and yep...it was AWESOME! There was that newness of a...well, new world, yet, the familiarity of a world that we all know and loved. The best of both worlds here! 

Dusty Crophopper

So, without (of course) spoiling too much, Planes is the story of a little crop dusting plane by the name of Dusty Crophopper (perfectly voiced by Dane Cook), who just knows, deep down in his cockpit that he was meant for something more. He has this dream of being a famous and winning racer...only problem is, well, he's afraid of heights! Making the tough decision to set aside his life of crop-dusting, Dusty asks Propwash Junctions legendary citizen Skipper (a Navy Corsair Skipper World War II veteran - voiced by veteran actor Stacy Keach) to train him on how to fly....FAST!

Skipper

Supporting Dusty in his flighty goal are his good friend Dottie the mechanic (a very familiar forklift vehicle - voiced by Teri Hatcher) and his fuel tanker best bud Chug (voiced by Brad Garrett).

Chug and Dottie

Against all odds, Dusty finds himself qualified for the big annual air-race, Wings Around The World - and pitted against some of the worlds very best (and some very underhanded) race planes ever seen. Dusty makes some new friends during the first leg of the race, like  a Mexican plane called El Chupacabra (voiced by Carlos Alazraqui), Rochelle (voiced by Julia Louis-Dreyfus) the French-Canadian beauty who El Chupacabra instantly falls for, the Indian beauty Ishani (voiced by Priyanka Chopra) who DUSTY instantly falls for, and Bulldog, the British champion (voiced by John Cleese) who at first, is dead set against a 'common plane' like Dusty joining the elite racers.

Ishani, Dusty's Love Interest 

 Of course, not everyone admires Dusty for his heart and skill - three time champion Ripslinger (voiced by Roger Craig Smith) refuses to allow a nobody-hick-farm plane like Dusty win...and will do anything, ANYTHING to make sure of it! With the help of his dim-witted henchplanes Ned and Zed (voiced by Gabriel Inglesias), Ripslinger does his very best (or is that worst) to steer Dusty off course. 

Dusty Meets Ripslinger, his nemesis 

Of course, there is a lot more to the story than that, but I'm not going to do ALL the work for you! You need to watch Planes for yourself to find out! 

As is the case with all Disney animated movies, Planes does have a point. Dusty is a plane who has a gift - he can fly fast and has heart - and, he is an underdog in every sense of the word. He has a dream, and wants nothing more than to achieve that dream, even when everyone around him tries to talk him out of it, and, even his own fear of heights is seemingly a hurdle that is insurmountable.  But, he stays true to himself and pushes through. Although it may be hard to see in an animated movie, this is a message that everyone needs to hear, from the smallest child to the most 'mature' adult. Don't. Give. Up. In the hustle and bustle of our everyday lives, it's all too easy to forget about our dreams, and blame them drifting away on our fears, or perceived obstacles. But, as Disney usually does very well, that message is here. Dusty is faced with some pretty insane obstacles, including himself, but he does not give up. He perseveres no matter the cost. Yes, I know...'it's only a cartoon'. Well, not really. It's a message. And a fun one at that! 

Dusty and his new Friends

There are a lot of good laughs in Planes as well. Some geared toward the little ones, and some geared toward the adults. The great thing about it is that the kids gags aren't too silly and the adult gags are somewhat subtle. So, the adults won't mind the kid stuff and the kids won't even recognize the adult stuff! Win/Win for everyone! The animation has grown leaps and bounds since Cars. Planes showcases some of the most impressive animation I've ever seen, and like Monsters University, at times takes you out of the fact that it IS animation. I found myself a few times thinking how beautiful these locations were...then I realized they were animation! 

Now, at the time of this writing, the sequel to Disney's Planes has already been announced. Planes: Fire and Rescue which features a quirky crew of elite firefighting aircraft devoted to protecting historic Piston Peak National Park from a raging wildfire. When world famous air racer Dusty learns that his engine is damaged and he may never race again, he must shift gears and is launched into the world of wildfire air attack. Dusty joins forces with veteran fire and rescue helicopter Blade Ranger and his courageous air attack team, including spirited super scooper Lil Dipper, heavy-lift helicopter Windlifter, ex-military transport Cabbie and a lively bunch of brave all-terrain vehicles known as The Smokejumpers. Together, the fearless team battles a massive wildfire, and Dusty learns what it takes to become a true hero. Planes: Fire and Rescue is set to open in theaters July 18, 2014. 

Disney's Planes is now available on Blu-Ray, DVD and Select Digital Retailers. 
     Bonus Features Include: 
      *Exclusive Franz's Song - Produced exclusively for Blu-ray  
         and HD Digital, this never-before-seen completely 
         finished animated song features the German mini-car, 
        Franz Fliegenhosen, who encourages Dusty on his flight
      *Klay's Flight Plan - Follow director Klay Hall's journey  
        during the making of Planes and discover why his family 
        connection to aviation made Planes his perfect project. 
      *Deleted Scenes
      *Meet The Racers

Disney's Planes is approximately 91 minutes long and is rated PG in the U.S., and G in Canada. 

All in all, Disney's Planes is a wonderful addition to the world Pixar created in the Cars movies, and a must have for Disney fans of all ages. On my scale of 1 - 5 Corn Dogs, (5 being GREAT), I would give Disney's Planes a solid 4.5! - Al

Take To The Air in PLANES!

Well, for those of you who listen to our podcast, Tales From The Mouse House Disneyland Podcast, you'll remember us chatting about the 2011 Disney D23 Expo and all of the awesome movies Disney would be putting out. One of those movies we reviewed was Disney Planes, by Disney Toon Studios. Although Planes takes place in the same 'world' as Cars, it wasn't produced by Disney/Pixar.

From what we were shown at the 2011 D23 Expo, Planes looked to be just as fun and adventurous as Cars, and we had really wanted to see this one in the theater, but...well, we didn't! But fret not young crop duster! If you, like us, did not get a chance to see this heartwarming comedy in the theaters, you'll have another opportunity to see it on November 19, 2013, when it's released on Blu-Ray, DVD, Digital HD AND...On-Demand! Just in time for the Holiday Season!

After spreading its wings in theaters, “PLANES” soars to glorious new heights on Blu-ray, featuring wondrous high definition picture and sound and never-before-seen bonus features, including musical number “Franz’s Song,” deleted scenes, a behind-the-scenes featurette that follows Director Klay Hall’s personal journey during the making of the film, a look at the ten greatest aviators in history hosted by ESPN’s Colin Cowherd, and more. 

Directed by Klay Hall (“King of the Hill,” “The Simpsons”), produced by Traci Balthazor-Flynn (“Return to Never Land,” “Bambi II,” “The Little Mermaid: Ariel’s Beginning”) and written by Jeffrey M. Howard (“Tinker Bell,” “Tinker Bell and the Great Fairy Rescue”), “PLANES” flew to the top of the U.S. box office this summer, holding altitude as the #1 family movie in America four weekends in a row.

“PLANES” is propelled by a star-studded voice cast that includes Dane Cook (“Louie,” “My Best Friend’s Girl,” “Dan in Real Life”) as Dusty, Stacy Keach (“The Bourne Legacy,” “Nebraska”) as Navy Corsair Skipper, Teri Hatcher (ABC’s “Desperate Housewives,” “Coraline”) as say-it-like-it-is mechanic Dottie, Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Veep,” “The New Adventures of Old Christine,” “Seinfeld”) as Rochelle, Priyanka Chopra (“Barfi!”) as Ishani, John Cleese (Monty Python, “A Fish Called Wanda”) as Bulldog, Carlos Alazraqui (James Garcia on Comedy Central’s “Reno 911”) as El Chupacabra, Roger Craig Smith (Captain America in Disney XD’s “Marvel’s Avengers Assemble,” voice of Sonic The Hedgehog in “Wreck-It Ralph”) as the world champion racer Ripslinger, Val Kilmer (“Batman Forever,” “Top Gun”) as Bravo and Anthony Edwards (TV’s “ER,” “Top Gun”) as Echo.

BONUS FEATURES:

(Blu-ray, DVD and Select Digital Retailers)

• Exclusive Franz’s Song (approx. 1:40) - Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers

Produced exclusively for Blu-ray and HD Digital, this never-before-seen completely finished animated song features the German mini-car, Franz Fliegenhosen, who encourages Dusty on his flight.

• Klay’s Flight Plan (approx. 15:00) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers

Follow Director Klay Hall’s personal journey during the making of “Planes” and discover why his family connection to aviation made “Planes” his perfect project.  Fly along with Klay as he lands on a working aircraft carrier to get first-hand experience on the flight deck.

• Deleted Scenes (approx.. 3:46) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers

Director Klay Hall and Producer Traci Balthazor-Flynn introduce deleted scenes from the movie.

1. Training Montage (approx. 2:38)

2. Taj Mahal (approx. 1:08)

• Meet the Racers (approx.. 5:50) Blu-ray, DVD & Select Digital Retailers

Featurettes introducing racers El Chupacabra (1:15), Ripslinger (1:15), Dusty (:90), and Ishani (:90). 

• Top 10 Flyers (approx. 8:00) Blu-ray & Select Digital Retailers

ESPN’s Colin Cowherd hosts a fun, fast-paced countdown of the greatest aviators in history.