When Microsoft made Forza Horizon official earlier this year, all we got was a trailer of people and cars — not in game cars mind you. But now hey — look an in game screen shot — and there’s a car!

We’re expecting to hear more about Forza Horizon at this year’s E3 convention in L.A., which is less than three weeks away.

Also, I’d just like to point out, the screen looks awfully familiar to a certain automobile themed Disney movie…I’m just going to leave this right here…

Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is all about teamwork. The game takes Mickey back to the Wasteland where he discovers that things are not as peaceful as he left them. The game will include new co-op features that will enable two players to venture forth in the Wasteland together. While one player controls Mickey and his magic paintbrush, the other can take on the role of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and use his remote controller to electrocute enemies.

In a new behind the scenes video, Warren Spector and his team discuss the making of The Power of Two and the important role of working together. The video below also showcases the game’s lush updated graphics coming to Xbox360, PlayStation 3, and Wii later this year.

Geppetto (Tony Amendola) cradles his son, Pinocchio, after he's transformed from a puppet into a real boy.

Emma is the only thing standing in the way of happily ever after. All she has to do is believe in love, in magic, and in herself, and all that was lost will be returned. So August should be able to provide that faith, right? I mean, he’s clearly a charmer with a rad bike and a way with words. Why wouldn’t she become inspired to take on the Evil Queen, save her son, and by breaking the curse, reassemble a once thriving land? Well, it’s a little more complicated than that. And while some fans are surely screaming at their screens in frustration, this hitch in the plan is the best twist Kitsis/Horowitz have provided so far.

I know I’ve sounded like a broken record, or the boy who cried “LOST,” but the resemblance is uncanny after last night’s episode. Faith vs. Reason was the central conflict that guided the contentious relationship between LOST’s main two protagonists, Jack and Locke. That same dichotomy has been tapped into here. Except the battle between philosophies is an internal struggle for Emma. What if like LOST, this show isn’t about the answers. Maybe it’s less about the happily ever after and more about the question, what is happiness? Emma denies her destiny as August pleads for her to see what’s right in front of her. He’s proven to her that her whole life has led to this moment where she can save everyone from misery. And admirably, the writers stick to their character’s guns and say, “Well that’s too much of a burden, I don’t want that.”

So the question then becomes, how will they be saved if not by the savior? God damn, it’s got the same religious overtones LOST did too! LOST SPOILER ALERT! Lost ends with all of the Flight 815ers exiting a church into a blinding light that represents the after life. Could the trajectory of OUAT lead to the resurrection of the chosen one? I don’t think the parallels are arbitrary, either. The connection goes deeper than just shared writers. There’s LOST references and allusions in nearly every episode, and this was no exception. When August mentions the day the clocks start moving again, the day he started having shooting pains in his leg, what time was it? 8:15 A.M. Flight 815, people? And when August (a.k.a Pinocchio, which I’ll get back to) falls out of the tree into a new world without magic, a plane flies overhead. Coincidence? Even if the writers are screwing with us or just paying homage, the legacy of that show looms large here as the emphasis seems to be steering towards questions and not answers.

But it wasn’t only my empty wishes for a LOST reincarnation that made this easily one of the top three episodes of the series, but a fairyback that reminded me why this technique can be so effective. When the writers use the familiarity with the tales to their advantage it often allows them some creative space to beef up these characters. August and Geppetto owned this episode with their emotionally resonant reunion as well as the ways in which their selfishness altered the future irrevocably.

We’re transported to the tail-end of Pinocchio’s legend where he and Geppetto are evading the monstrous whale. Pinocchio pleads with Geppetto to use their life saver to save himself. He’ll be fine since he’s wooden and can float. The scene incorporates the best CGI I’ve seen on this show, and I can only speculate that the viewership has something to do with that. The quality was cinematic and it’s timed with the recent declaration of the Nielsen ratings—OUAT is the most watched new drama.Washed up on shore, Geppetto sees an unconscious Pinocchio and cries for his revival. The Blue Fairy descends upon them and grants his wish by turning Pinocchio into a real boy. The only condition of his boyhood is to always be brave, truthful and unselfish. These terms create a underlying tension in the real world since this must be involved in August’s sickness.

In the real world, Emma’s on a mission for Henry. She decides she’ll hire Gold as her attorney and assures Mary Margaret that she’s ready for motherly responsibilities. August, after installing a medieval lock on their door to keep out Regina, implores Emma to see the bigger picture, to have faith that he can help her get her kid back. Her response: “My kid needs me, I don’t have time for faith,” is a preview of her breakdown at episode’s end. Realizing his influence on her is weak, August meets with Gold, asking him to deny her counsel so that she’ll run to him. When Gold laughs at the idea he can be trusted, we’re reminded of Pinocchio’s propensity to bend the truth. For me, this was an instance where OUAT proved it can do subtle with its parallel worlds.

Fast forward to the end of the FTL, when the Blue Fairy requests Geppetto build a wardrobe out of the last enchanted tree to house a pregnant Snow White and her husband, Charming. The child, as the prophecy goes, will restore the magical realm. But Geppetto afraid for his boy’s safety, bargains to have Pinocchio take the second spot in the tree. Jiminy tries to talk him out of this foolishness, the child should not be without its parents. Geppetto nastily refers to the cricket’s horrid beginnings by saying he will help him like he helped his parents—a callback to “That Still Small Voice” where we learn that Jiminy’s parents killed Geppetto’s parents for their belongings. The Blue Fairy grants his wish anyway, and allows Pinocchio to take Charming’s place.

August whisks Emma away on his hog out of Storybrooke to tell his story. Is the reason they aren’t hurt because they were protected by the enchanted tree? Anyway, he brings her to a diner that causes Emma anxiety. The reason why is that’s where she was found as a baby. August then drops the bomb that the seven year-old boy who discovered her was him! Unconvinced, he uses details that weren’t reported by the papers like the blanket she had with her name monogrammed on it. Then he tells her how they arrived in this world through their tree portal and that her fate’s to save them all. Thinking he’s got some screws loose, Emma starts to walk away when August falls to the ground in searing pain. He explains that his sickness is actually him returning to his old wooden form. It’s punishment for not being there when Emma first settled in Storybrooke. August had lost his way and was tempted by Phuket—the real world equivalent of Pleasure Island (and the place where Jack ran away to in “Lost.” Seriously, I can keep going). Now he’s paying the steep price for not being the guardian she needed.

Pinocchio ends up being appointed Emma’s guardian because Snow does not go with her newborn in the tree. Due to a premature birth, Pinocchio and Geppetto are told he must give up his spot so that mother and child will be together. Geppetto obviously, disobeys. He instead makes Pinocchio promise to be the child’s protector. Jiminy warns of the temptations he’ll face (Thai prostitutes, it’s gotta be) in this new world without magic, but as long as he’s brave, truthful, and unselfish he’ll be fine. But as we know, August eventually abandons his charge when his overbearing and unloving foster parents give him reason to ditch. It’s a cheap excuse, but no matter the cause it wasn’t smart to entrust a seven year-old with a baby’s care, so it was inevitable.

Emma’s reluctance persists when August shows Emma his wooden leg and her ignorance is so powerful that it distorts what she sees, a real human leg. She doesn’t want to save everyone, she doesn’t want that responsibility, and Jennifer Morrison sells me on her psychology here that she’s looked out for herself for so long that she isn’t ready to be a savior. The only person she is willing to rescue is her boy right now. Therefore after her confrontation with August, she makes the rash decision to walkie-talkie Henry and ask if he wants to escape Regina. The boy says “More than anything” and she peels off, ready to run from all the madness of this town and to deny her destiny. On some level, I wonder if she does believe, but is too afraid to fail.

This complexity has eluded Emma in the past because we thought she had no backbone. Turns out she has the capacity to be the hero they’ve been waiting for (but didn’t know it) and she’s just too insecure and dependent on reason for her survival. This direction for Emma and the series is excellent. I’m not sure how long it can sustain itself, however knowing the once inevitable return to glory may be thwarted not by evil but by good standing by is a refreshing take on what I was beginning to suspect was a stale, but fun series. Now it has the legs to become something thrilling, yet layered with sophistication to contemplate. Can happiness be found in Storybrooke if the savior never comes to take them to FTL/Heaven?

I even appreciated the sidebar this week as Regina is killed with kindness. When she comes to school to sour Mary Margaret’s return, her wickedness is rejected by Mary Margaret’s forgiveness. Ginnifer Goodwin delivers these chilly lines like only she could, sweetly yet viciously: “Your life must be so incredibly sad that you only experience joy from ruining others’ happiness.” Damn Mary Margaert, that’s way too cold. You can tell that the words follow Regina, hitting hard enough that she seeks the affection of Mary Margaret’s former lover, David.

Her engine won’t start so David offers her a lift and she insists he stay for dinner. After David devours his lasagna he delivers his second groaner line in two weeks, “You really know how to work some magic.” That much cheese is just unhealthy. Regina then recounts the day she found David. I noticed the parallels between how both August and Regina failed to make strong connections with “how I found you” stories. I’m not sure they relate, but maybe it has to with the fact that both Emma and David need to find themselves, their true idenities, and on some level they reject others thinking they know them? Well, Regina misreads David’s graciousness as a green light and he denies her advance when she leans in for a kiss. My impression is it wasn’t just a way to get back at Mary Margaret and that she is devastatingly lonely. When she throws the wine glass at the mirror it’s a tip off. It must remind her that the one person who adored her (her “mirror” Sidney Glass) is behind bars, and nobody else out there loves her. She needs David, even if it’s just his pity, but she may have squandered that by asking for too much.

“The Stranger” ends on a hopeful note when my thesis that the series may take the route of “finding happiness without happily ever after” gets an affirmation. August stumbles upon his dad’s clock shop and lends him some pointers. Geppetto says August’s father must be proud and August wonders if that’s true with all the mistakes he’s made along the way. Geppetto delivers the icing on the cake, “You realize your mistake and try to fix it. If I had a son that would be enough for me.” Brimming with pride and overwhelmed by his father’s indirect forgiveness, August volunteers to be Marco’s (Geppetto’s alter ego) assistant. He accepts and its such a moving moment. August has for all intents and purposes failed his father, but the man accepts him without knowing him, unconditionally. That’s not fake or manufactured, that’s real, and a byproduct of a wonderful fairyback that didn’t need to justify itself with forced parallels. It belonged by being what this show is at its core, a romanticizing of human relationships and the magic comes from them.

It was imperfect, but it accomplished everything you would hope an episode of OUAT would. It was innocent, fun, mesmerizing, inspiring, while still making us fearful that good may not win this time. Henry has faith, Emma has reason not to, and in the final two episodes OUAT asks us, what about you?

There really is no greater sign of Hollywood being out of ideas than this recent trend of remaking classic fairytales. Have we run out of sequels, prequels and trilogies already? Aren’t there a few more obscure graphic novel heroes that we can attempt to make into summer blockbusters?

Following in the footsteps of 2011’s “Red Riding Hood,” “Mirror Mirror” attempts to bring a fresh, modern take to the familiar children’s story of “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”. However, a few jarring differences from Disney’s adaptation cannot transform this classically boring tale into anything more than a predictable, laugh-less snooze-fest.

The story behind “Mirror Mirror” is just about as boring and cliché as a kid’s story can get. The tale begins with a happy and bountiful kingdom ruled by a beloved king. But one day the king disappears into the woods never to be seen again, and his Evil Queen takes over his rule. She taxes the people into poverty and uses magic to bring a state of constant winter to the land. She keeps the king’s daughter, Snow White, locked up in the castle, forbidding her to leave her room under any circumstance. Will a hero come along to stop the Queen from taxing the commoners to death?

The creators of “Mirror Mirror” try to disguise an unimaginative story by introducing stark variations to some aspects of the old animated film. The Seven Dwarfs are now grubby, thieving bandits who walk on stilts and steal from rich people who pass through their section of the woods. The “mirror mirror on the wall” is actually a magic portal that transports the Evil Queen to her own evil hideout, where she can communicate with her magical reflection. And some kind of dreadful beast roams the forests, causing the villagers to live in fear. All of these updates are superfluous and in no way help save the film.

Armie Hammer as Prince Alcott

The only redeeming part of “Mirror Mirror” is Armie Hammer (“The Social Network”) as Prince Alcott. Hammer successfully transitions from his previous serious roles in “Network” and “J. Edgar” to this silly role as a handsome fairytale prince. Legitimately amusing parts are very few and far between in this movie, but when they do occur they almost always concern Prince Alcott. The Seven Dwarves are meant to be a major source of hilarity but instead are mostly annoying. Julia Roberts as the Queen is equally irritating, and Nathan Lane as her bumbling servant is a lame re-hashing of Lefou from “Beauty and the Beast”.

As retched a film as “Mirror Mirror” is, it does deserve praise for one thing in particular. Actor Sean Bean, known for his roles in “The Lord of the Rings” and “Game of Thrones”, makes it to the end of the movie without being decapitated, shot full of arrows, blown up, or meeting his demise in any other hapless ways. That has to be why Bean agreed to appear in “Mirror Mirror”, because I can’t think of any other reasons.

With “Mirror Mirror”, Director Tarsem Singh has given us another disappointing flop after the bomb that was “Immortals”, which ended up with a 37% on RottenTomatoes. It’s a shame too, because if you’ve seen “The Fall”, you know that Singh is capable of making films that are not only visually stunning but also contain captivating narratives. Here’s to hoping he will soon right the ship and give us another great movie that will help us forget the bitter taste of the likes of “Mirror Mirror”.

As we previously reported, Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two is an upcoming musical game featuring drop-in, drop-out co-op play for up to two players, with one controlling Mickey Mouse and the other playing as Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. The game will focus heavily on music and will include a fully voiced cast of Disney characters. Like in the original game, your actions will directly affect your environment and the world’s inhabitants.

Aside from standard controller support, the PlayStation 3 version includes Move functionality letting players aim Mickey’s paintbrush by simply pointing at the screen. This control scheme is actually reminiscent to that of the original game that relied on the Wii remote’s motion controls.

The Xbox 360 version. however, will not feature Kinect support and instead will have players using their right analog stick to aim their brush.

Look for Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two sometime later this year.

A recent AP post confirms that Warren Spector’s latest trip into the Disney universe will be Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two. The game will be released on Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii and will feature drop-in, drop-out co-op starring both Mickey Mouse and Oswald the Rabbit.

Spector wanted to tap into more of what makes Disney so iconic, so Epic Mickey 2 will not only include a full voiced cast of characters, but it will also be a musical with “original tunes.” Epic Mickey 2 will take Mickey back into Wasteland, revisiting past locations that have changed over time and discovering unseen areas of the Disneyland-inspired world.

The game sounds like it will combine the true musical magic of the Disney films with the gameplay aspects of the first game while fixing critical (camera) issues. Spector comments that “1,000 specific changes [were] made to the camera.”

While this confirms a multi-console release of Epic Mickey 2, we still have to wait until next week’s announced presentation of Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion to learn more about its rumored 3DS version.

We’ve all the heard rumors that Warren Spector’s Epic Mickey 2 would be coming later this year with a slew of improvements, but a recent tweet from France’s Official Nintendo Magazine confirms that “a 3DS version” of the game titled Epic Mickey 2: Power of Illusion will be “presented” next week.

La présentation d’Epic Mickey 2 aura lieu la semaine prochaine. Une version 3DS, Power of Illusion, plus “classique” en 2D est aussi prévue.

There’s an Epic Mickey 2 presentation next week. A 3DS version called Power of Illusion, and a “classic” 2D game are expected to be shown.

Whether this means the sequel to the Wii-exclusive game will be headed to the 3DS or whether this is just one additional version aside from its console counterpart is still unknown. We’ll keep you posted as more information comes to light.

Snow White (Ginnifer Goodwin) and Red Riding Hood (Meghan Ory) hunt down the BIg Bad Wolf.

Can a 44-minute drama be salvaged by a final 15-ish minutes of badassery when the first 30-ish of shlock made me want to be anywhere else but in front of my television?

I was preparing my most epic of rants near the halfway mark. I was ready to bash the show’s inability to brand itself: who are you OUAT? Are you the cornball cheesefest parade of Disney characters masquerading as a mystery drama? Or are you the genre-bending brain child of LOST creators that uses parallel worlds and fairy tales to challenge our conceptions of good and evil and “happily ever after?”

But then my mind was blown a bit, and I jumped off the pulpit. OUAT isn’t ambitious, no matter how much I want it to be. There will still be overarching themes, subtext, and symbolism; but this should not be mistaken for an attempt to televise high-end children’s literature. The success of this show hinges on how fun and inventive the fairy tale allusions are, week-to-week. Let’s face it, not much headway has been made in “Operation Cobra” a.k.a Tell Storybrooke residents they used to be fairy tale characters. To be frank, most of the real world happenings that have earned their keep had to do with relationships and next to nothing with mythology. The last time I can recall a significant development in understanding the connection between FTL (Fairy Tale Land) and present day Storybrooke was Regina’s collection o’ hearts that she stows underground.

Therefore, with so much “riding” on the subversion of  familiar legends, Red needed to blow the house down (see what I did there?). At first I was underwhelmed and even perturbed. She whined about Granny’s overprotectiveness—she hatched down all the doors and sat by the fire with a freaking crossbow—because she was separated from the handsome meathead, Peter. Granny justifies her tyranny claiming she had a run-in with The Wolf as a child. It slaughtered all the men in her clan and left her scarred, emotionally and physically (bite marks on her arm).

When Red finds Snow White in her chicken coop, her reclusive lifestyle is shaken up. When Snow hears that the wolf’s terrorism is keeping her from true love, Snow’s romantic tendencies arise and she’s adamant that Red must overcome. With puppy love blinding her, Red decides they’ll scour the woods for the wolf during the day, since he’ll probably be taking his savage beast nap. As Red follows the tracks (by scent, the first clue) their fear heightens as they discover the remnants of a massacre, several blooded bodies strewn over a white snow blanket. Part of my annoyance was how they hyped up this wolf so damn much. They kept panning back and forth to both their awestricken faces, and saying things like, “What kind of monster are we dealing with!” and none of the horror felt earned.

The tracks lead them back to the cottage and it becomes clear that Red’s puppy love is actually werewolf love as he was the last person other than them (other big hint I missed) that would have come footprints leading there. Then more over-dramatization: “This is so bad.” “So do something!” “You’re right, I have to.” I mean, come on, that’s just awful, and uninspired, and just a waste of script. Then overwrought dialogue just becomes ridiculous when Red informs Peter of his supposed alter ego and her plan to spend every night with him helping him cope with his ferocious ailment. “All we have to do is tie you up during the wolf’s time. I know where to find rope!” Oh, how resourceful you are Red Riding Hood. It’s a plan that ensures disaster.

Across the dimensional planes, or however they eventually explain it, Emma is conducting her static investigation of Kathryn’s disappearance. After David’s extravagant and public arrest, Emma simply releases him because she’s the human lie detector and she can’t charge him with anything. Red’s Storybrooke self, Ruby, quits her job at Granny’s diner because she totally like, oppressive: giving her more work and junk. Emma takes her under her wing and Mary offers their place while she figures out her future. She tries her hand at policework (despite Henry’s repeated suggestions that she try a messenger job, because he’s the prince of irony and thinks he’s clever, but he’s just a precocious little twerp) and helps Emma track David, who since his release from police custody has been spotted in the woods in a catatonic state or “dreamwalk” state by Mary Margaret.

When Ruby happens upon David he’s passed out. They jolt him awake, and he has no recollection of the past day. Emma gets a hunch that he might have wandered to the toll bridge like he did last time he “dreamwalked.” Aiming to boost Ruby’s self-esteem, she sends her on the erran and what Ruby finds nearly paralyzes her with fear. Remember those tiny treasure chests of hearts I mentioned before? Well, it’s one of those, with Kathryn’s heart inside! Duh duh DUH!

Snow, under the alias of Mary (because OUAT’s goal this week was to make me groan as many times as possible), covers for Red as she tends to Peter the wolf (ugh, seriously). But when Granny pulls back the red hood and doesn’t find Red, she panics. The reason for her captivity wasn’t to keep her from love at all. Are your ready? RED IS THE WOLF! THE RED CAPE WAS MADE BY A WIZARD TO STOP HER TRANSFORMATION! Yeah, they fooled me on that one. I knew it wasn’t Peter, but I suspected Granny since she described with such precision how the wolf decimated her family. Turns out my instinct was right, and Granny passed on the werewolf gene and withheld the secret so she wouldn’t have to shoulder that burden. Crossbow-yielding Granny does subdue her, but not before she’s ripped her boyfriend to shreds with her teeth (a man’s worst nightmare). Obviously, this traumatizes Red, but we leave her in agony and I fully approve of this. As I’ve mentioned, I LOVE when FTL goes dark. I’m the eternal optimist and it would be awesome if the show ended up going the route of championing the real world, where fairy tales are possible without the aid of sorcery and just the magic of love. Yeah, it’s shameful how sappy I am.

Turns out the awesome 180s don’t end in FTL. Emma reveals that the box was marked up with not David, but Mary  Margaret’s fingerprints! I’m not at all convinced that my sweetheart Ginnifer Goodwin is capable of murder, and we already know those boxes belong to Regina. I’ll admit I’m digging the ruthlessness the Evil Queen has displayed with this act, as opposed to her usual nails-on-a-blackboard fits of wrath. There isn’t as much suspense here as they’d like to think, all we need to know is how she planted the prints and what motivation she has to frame Mary Margaret for this crime.

Ruby ends her rebellious phase and returns to Granny, resolved to never encounter a human heart buried in the ground ever again. Nothing like gore to make you run back to Grandma. She evens cleans up her appearance ditching her booty shorts, belly-baring tops and red streaks in her hair for flannel, jeans and a more professionally styled hairdo. Granny takes her back, admitting she only wanted to assign her more duties so she could prepare her to take over the diner when she’s gone. I have to at least commend the writers for one of their more subtle, less wink-wink, parallels. Ruby, like Red, discovers a side of her she didn’t know she had, but chooses to suppress her sleuthing skills in exchange for a humble existence with those she loves. Granted Red’s dark side is more tragic, but I believe extrapolating and exaggerating the woes of their real-world counterparts should be the objective of the fairybacks, therefore I condone its usage this week.

It’s hard to ignore the utter irrelevance and lack of bite (I’m so darn pun-ny!) of the majority of this episode though. A twist done right, can be masterful, but I had no desire to invest in where Red’s story was going until her genetic monstrosity was uncovered. Perhaps if her adoration for Peter felt less fleeting, or if her defiance of Granny were less juvenile and rooted in a purer ambition I might have cared, but when you’re focusing on a fringe character whom you’re hardly invested in, motivation becomes key. And it was clear to me they glossed over it and were banking on their audience sticking around, feeling their viewership would be vindicated in the final revelations. Though they certainly altered my perception of the episode, my memory of time wasted was not erased. My main issue was illustrated perfectly in one particular scene, where Henry explains to Emma that Ruby has a lot to offer because she’s goddamn Red Riding Hood (my words). Emma replies, “Yeah, she’s pretty badass.” And by that point, I had not seen that in the slightest. At that point, in both worlds,  she was a timid girl on a defiant kick, with little ambition other than to stick it to Granny and have people affirm that’s special. If I don’t believe that she has any fight in her, why would I take it on good faith that she would prove herself to be vicious?

Much of last night was spent confirming what is needless and infuriating about the Once Upon A Time premise: obvious allusions, character of the week structure, and unfounded causes for alarm in the seemingly low-stakes secluded village of Storybrooke. For a thrilling conclusion with legitimate surprises, and a glimpse of how both worlds can conjure up their own immediacy, I will jack up the grade on an otherwise boring detour from the primary question: when will they find out the truth? Truth is, I guarantee its dragged out past the season finale, but if the fairybacks can offer a more palpable, less tangential interest in their backstories, and they ramp up the tension in the real world it might not matter. But with little to hang on to besides a missing persons investigation, my mind continues to wander. Red’s possession by demon doggy carries a mediocre episode into B- territory.

You have to give Disney a certain amount of credit for taking on this unwieldy beast: an incredibly expensive epic based on a 100-year-old sci-fi pulp series with Western and sword-and-sandals elements and an untested star whose primary acting style is being taciturn and effectless.

And if you ignore anything regarding, you know, science, or reason or good acting, this movie succeeds in being what it set out to be- a rollicking adventure with fancy swordplay and women in sexy Princess Leia bikini costumes and fabulous steampunk flying machines. And even though it’s about 30 minutes too long and the 3-D cinematography is terrible and everyone in it appears to have learned how to deliver dialogue from Jean-Claude Van Damme, you start to have fun in spite of yourself.

So here we go:Based on the pulp fiction series by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the eponymous John Carter (Taylor Kitsch, of “Friday Night Lights”) plays an ex-Confederate soldier who talks in Christian Bale’s spooky Batman voice and lives in Arizona looking for gold. He passes out in a cave and wakes up on Mars (called Barsoom by its inhabitants). He’s discovered there by huge green aliens with extra arms, who take him in when they see how the reduced gravitational pull of the planet makes him super strong and fast and able to jump comically impossible distances. There’s also vaguely ethnic red aliens who are engaged in a Civil War, and they live in a city called Helium. There’s a sexy princess (Lynn Collins) who’s supposed to be a genius but spends most of her time striding around the Mars desert in a series of increasingly skimpy outfits. The villain is McNulty from “The Wire” (Dominic West) who wears the most fashionable military uniform in creation and is guided by a mysterious sect of bald men, who maybe want to rule Barsoom, or feed off of its destruction or something?

Insane? Of course. Unintentionally hilarious? Yup. But somehow, through the sheer will of director Andrew Stanton, it sometimes manages to walk right up to the edge of the ridiculous without completely diving over. Stanton is making his live-action debut after helming several Pixar films, but there’s still a cartoonish quality to the production that works pretty effectively. Mars is demonstrated in extremity of color, burnt reds and oranges mixed with icy blues, and the machines and tools that populate the world are a marvelous concoction of industrial gears and switches.

But for all of this beauty and clever design, goodness the acting is just terrible. The Hollywood powers-that-be are attempting to make Kitsch into a big new star, but besides a ludicrously sculpted core the poor guy has no charisma or magnetism. He’s lost in a movie like this, wading through an insane plot, forced to try to deliver lines that weren’t that great to begin with and coming out of his mouth are cringeworthy. The movie just is too big, it surrounds him and swallows him whole. Ciaran Hinds does slightly better as the alien beauty Dejah’s father, and Willem Dafoe demonstrates lithe voicework as the leader of the green multi-limbed aliens. But even they can’t tame the story and give it a center. As a result you never feel entirely comfortable on John Carter’s Mars, and can’t quite get your arms around it.

“John Carter” will probably bomb. It’s source material is too obscure with little brand recognition, the star is a relative unknown, and even the trailer makes the movie look confusing and weird. And even though I have zero desire to ever see the movie again, I wish that more production companies took that kind of risk instead of just continually putting their money on the safe bet. It’s a bad movie. You shouldn’t pay your hard-earned dollars to go see it. But if you do, appreciate that this is an underdog in a tent-post project’s wrapping. And that’s a very rare beast indeed.

At the village tavern, Dreamy (Lee Arenberg) is advised by Belle (Emile De Ravin) on the pain inherent in love.

“Once Upon A Time” just might be too damn cheesy for some. Let’s face it, blue and pink fairies floating above the clouds, dropping fairy dust on a giant egg, from which a dwarf is hatched—that’s an acquired taste. That sort of cornball, nonsensical mythology is not necessarily new to “genre” television, but with such a Disney-fied sheen, it might alienate many viewers. But judging by the ratings and the resulting raise in the VFX budget (much more respectable CGI), this concoction seems to be working it’s (brace yourselves) magic.

Tonight’s formula didn’t quite work for me, mostly due to the absurd love story at the center of the episode. The actors were troopers (genre vet Amy Acker as Nova the fairy, and Lee Arenberg as Dreamy/Grumpy) who didn’t mock the material and tried to inject genuine, and not overblown, feeling into a largely forgettable story. It’s upsetting too, because as I’ve begrudgingly foretold, I love me a good true-love-conquers-all tale. But since Snow White met up with the dwarves in “7:15 AM” (one of the best episodes so far by the way) we’ve known that Grumpy was once “blinded by love.” We knew that somehow the relationship would be doomed and his “Dreamy-ness” would be shattered. I’m bumming myself out with how cynical that sounds, but it’s true. I found it hard to root for a relationship that I knew wasn’t exactly “Too Big To Fail.”

Also, to be even more of a killjoy, Dreamy never really loved her. When Nova clumsily spilled her fairy dust on him, she accidentally made him fated to fall for her. Now, we could get into a lengthy discussion of which came first, the dust or the egg (rimshot). Sorry, I had to. But no, seriously, I would gladly hear an argument that maybe the fate of Dreamy and Nova’s love pre-destined her dropping the fairy dust and it randomly falling on his egg, but this felt less Romeo and Juliet (us and our destined love against the world) and more like mythical negligence. And even if you disagree, and feel like nothing can tear at the fabric of this dwarf-fairy union, fine. But in terms of storytelling, this dramatic irony didn’t work for me.

Using Romeo and Juliet again, yes it’s stated blankly in the prologue that they will die, but that’s a play with layers of tragedy to unravel. It doesn’t become less enjoyable once the end is spoiled, it becomes all the more intriguing. There’s the fighting families, there’s the flawed nature of both lovers, and I don’t think Shakespeare makes the argument that these were two people who belonged together. They were two kids who fell head over heels and let their conceptions of love overwhelm them and cloud their reason. Dreamy and Nova can’t be together because…dwarves are culturally denied the right to love? Because Dreamy feels Nova should put her career first? Actually, now that I think of it, that was less of a tragedy and more of a commentary about the shift in our modern conceptions of love, wasn’t it? NAH.

Regardless, the show would be hard pressed to trump their own use of dramatic irony in the instance of Snow White/ Prince Charming. Here the construction is the opposite. There is less of a tragic element because we know they WILL end up together. But where the engagement happens is the multi-episode arc in which they get together against all odds. Since we’re clueless as to how they get together, the writers are free to orchestrate a intricate, obstacle-riddled path to their happily ever after. Where my investment starts is when Snow and Charming start to experience the painful longing, and they question whether the fight is worth it. You want to convince me that true love exists? Integrate it’s spell into parts of our world. Use emotional anguish, use hopelessness, and use that resilience that keeps you from quitting on someone because losing them would kill you, even though you’re already dying, just to see that someone again. Even in the age that equates optimism with weakness, happy endings work. They just need to be earned. And so do the sappy ones, you won’t gain my appreciation just by denying Dreamy his dream.

Dreamy’s Storybrooke doppellanger is Leroy, the town drunk (because in the real world, if you’re a grouch it’s because you drink too damn much). Generally, a grump (surprise, surprise), Leroy is bitten by the love bug. Of course, he can’t have her because she is the real world equivalent of an untouchable fairy—a nun. As Mary Margaret berates, “Could you possibly pick anyone less available?” Not gonna lie, I lolled. Anywho, he’s smitten with her prudish and naive charm and offers to help sell candles to raise money for the nuns’ rent, which slightly sketched me out. He joins Mary Margaret in the effort, but they sell zero candles because they’re social pariahs. It’s all very biblical actually. Afraid to disappoint Astrid (the nun that has seduced him into paying his rent…still sketchy) Leroy lies and says he sold all of them, $5,000 worth. So how will the town drunk and town harlot sell all the candles before it’s too late? Tune in next week…or paragraph. Either way.

Well after searching for the answer at the bottom of a glass, our kooky friend, Leroy decides to take an ax (ah, subtle link between the worlds) to the transformer, putting out all the lights for blocks. So, basically, they threatened them into buying candles. Huh. This show is dark. Astrid is impressed though, but nothing really becomes of it because, well she is a nun. So they live happily, but celibately ever after.

Relegated to not nearly enough screen time is the matter of Kathryn’s disappearance. Emma investigates the scene, and even calls the law school, and determines that she was definitely abducted somehow. When she interrogates David, she feels he is honest when he says that he hasn’t talked to her at all since the accident. But when Regina pulls the phone records, it tells a different story. Emma must then go against her instincts and her allegiances and take David away in her squad car as a suspect. The episode ends on this “cliffhanger,” but it felt extremely anti-climactic. He isn’t being arrested. She has evidence that he might have lied (he could have pocket dialed), but nothing linking him to the crime yet. Why Mary Margaret was looking on as if her world had come crashing down seemed like forcing emotion out of the preliminary stages of this investigation.

In addition, there was a detail that bothered me. I understand that Emma operates alone, in a small town, but when you have a case where a wife goes missing, wouldn’t the side chick be the first one you question? I understand Mary Margaret is her mother-friend, but you have to hold up the integrity of the law. At least go through the formality of asking her questions even if you are going to ignore the answers. Jot some stuff on a notepad, help her come up with an alibi, SOMETHING! When Sidney Glass mentioned this explicitly, I was irate. They just completely dismissed it, like “No, I know her, she’s a good person.” SO?!

Implausibility was a huge issue for me here. I’m willing to suspend disbelief so that I can enjoy an artful mythology or relatable characters, but disregard for logic? I can forgive dwarves hatching out of eggs (which in hindsight was kinda awesome, and a clever way to explain their work-dedicated life without some half-assed slavery allegory). What I can’t forgive is manufactured feeling. Is destroying a transformer supposed to be a romantic gesture? It’s not only illegal, but irresponsible. Candles don’t solve the problems of food going bad in the refrigerator. And what if the hospital was within that radius? I hope he sells some extra candles to pay for the generator! And as I mentioned already, I was impressed with the actors who played Nova and Dreamy-turned-Grumpy, but as written there wasn’t nearly enough payoff for me to get my “Awwwws” from the him brandishing a new ax that dubs him Grumpy. Plus, I saw it coming a mile away once I saw that he was originally dubbed Dreamy in the same manner.

It’s not impossible to make me care about a dwarf and a fairy falling madly in love, but when you explicitly discount their feelings by saying it was conjured by fairy dust, how am I supposed to feel the magic? For falling short of the expectations they had raised in recent weeks, of delicately rendered love stories and dynamic flashbacks with sophisticated spins on the childhood standards, I must regretfully whistle as I work to forgive the dull stone they mined this week. But knowing what Kitsis/Horowitz are capable of, and looking ahead at a sexy, Red Riding Hood fairyback next week, I’m sure the gleam will be restored. Until then, C+

Emma (Jennifer Morrison) hesitates, but eventually hops on the stranger's (Elon Bailey) bike as Granny watches.

Despite shifting social opinions on love, commitment, monogamy and sexual liberation, one commandment has stood the test of time and atheism: thou shalt not covet thy neighbor’s wife.

In recent weeks, I’ve expressed my allegiance to the Mary Margaret/David pairing. Shall we call them Mavid? Yes, let’s. Well, Mavid has honed in on the thread of my fabric that is a hopeless romantic and they’ve yanked at it with all their might. However, the consequences of their love have a mighty wide ripple effect in both Storybrooke and in Fairy Tale Land (FTL) as Snow White and Charming.

In Storybrooke, their romance gets the stigmatized label of an affair. David is married to Kathryn, whom he doesn’t love, but more importantly he doesn’t care for enough to tell her that. This is where my ties to Mavid become tenuous. Forbidden love carries with it an air of thrill and the danger can really ramp up the sexual tension, but it loses its luster when eventually the unsuspecting “others” find out, and that infatuation is quickly converted into a burdensome shame. Having been wrapped up in a doomed relationship myself, I felt for Mary Margaret. It’s tough to let go when you feel like loosening your grip on someone means losing hold of who you are. But in her case, she’s not just lying to herself she’s lying to his wife. You’re aiding and abetting a broken promise. This dishonesty seems totally contradictory to the kind-hearted, thoughtful Mary we have come to know over thirteen episodes, but it could all be forgiven if when the heat of the moment reaches its boiling point, Mary can make the right decision instead of the easy one.

Tonight’s episode was about this self-destructive inner turmoil we call love, and the havoc it wreaks upon the emotions of every one involved. FTL serves not as the painfully obvious parallel this week, but as an alternative (and we aren’t browbeaten about ‘the point’ through ‘wink wink’ dialogue). What if both Kathryn and David decided to stop dancing around each others’ feelings, and followed their hearts? Often times, I have said FTL appears to be grimmer than reality, and redemption is sought in Storybrooke, but tonight the karmic tale plays out in small town Maine, while more typically, beasts are conquered in the alternate universe.

Kathryn drops a bit of a bomb on David when she reveals that she had applied to law school while he was still taking his really long nap. That’s what a coma is, right? She has received her acceptance letter and was accepted to an unnamed school in Boston. Well which is it? New England Law? Harvard? I’m way too close to the situation being a resident, I apologize. His reaction is dismay since this means no more sneaking around with cutie-patootie. When he goes to “clear his head” with Mary, I’m vindicated when my girl tells him to face facts. She insists he tell Kathryn the truth or he has made his choice, there is no “them” anymore.

David’s alter ego James (awful alternative to Charming) is running from marriage too. As explained in “7:15 A.M,”  he and King Midas’ daughter Abigail (Kathryn’s FTL identity) are betrothed per an agreement to unify the two kingdoms. Charming says screw political alliances and holds steadfast to his principle that he can’t marry someone he doesn’t love. Abigail’s henchmen intercept him and they bury the hatchet. See, in this universe Kathryn’s alter ego has a true love as well that isn’t him: a fellow named Frederick, who was paralyzed in gold after throwing himself on the cursed Midas when their caravan was ambushed. It discomforted me at first, the implication being made through the juxtaposition of stories that David and Kathryn’s marriage was always loveless, but Kathryn admits as much to Regina later. It troubled me still, because I found this to be inconsistent. When we first met David, fresh after his super long nap time, his personality was split. Half of him still loved Kathryn and the other was engrossed with Mary Margaret. At the time I assumed it was an internal conflict between his present self and the memories of his FTL past, but now the whole idea that he ever truly loved Kathryn pre-coma has been abandoned. Kathryn disavows that idea when she says, “He never looked at me like he looks at her.” I’m not sure which I would prefer, but I wish OUAT had simply stuck with one so that I didn’t end my sense of loyalty wasn’t so scatterbrained.

When David confronts Kathryn he acts much less honorably than his royal self. In a doubly deceptive ploy, he tells Kathryn that he can’t go to Boston because he can’t make a connection with her (stinky load of horses**t, huh?). Not only does he neglect to mention he loves someone else, but he promised Mary Margaret he’d tell the truth. What a scumbag. I loved it. I’m all for making these fairy tale conceits of good and evil less stark by employing duplicitous characters. As much as the romance between Mary and David sent my heart aflutter, it was the most I’d ever enjoyed David oddly, when I stopped liking him. Not only does he incite a rage within Kathryn when she finds out from Regina instead, but he brings shame upon the woman he professes to love. His wife not only slaps her in front of her students, but the reverberations of it spreads hateful murmurs all over town and TRAMP is tagged on her station wagon. The humiliation gives rise to courage, and Mary Margaret asserts that the relationship has become too destructive, a refreshing concept considering how in FTL men and women risk their lives for an elevated ideal of true love. Even if the relationship is predestined, this wrench in the plan felt like the most convincing way to veer off course (foreshadowing, lol).

A legend of the mystical properties of water elicits the more direct collision of worlds this week. A magical lake called Something-Lame with the power to bring back something you’ve lost serves as the answer to reviving Princess Abigail’s true love, Frederick. The guardian of the lake is predictably a siren, the obvious metaphor for temptation. The seductress takes the form of Snow White, and at first he is entrapped by her kiss. But when she says she loves him he senses the inauthenticity and wriggles away from her seaweed grasp and stabs her. Abigail then pours the lake water over statue Frederick and he’s restored to lively Frederick again. I could care less about Freddy though. He served as an adequate motivation/plot device for Charming to confront his hopelessness towards reuniting with Snow, but he came off as kind of a wuss, despite slaying the beast. He entered into a knowingly risky situation figuring that he had nothing else to live for, so he would fight for someone else’s true love since he can’t secure his own? Kind of a suicidal mess, no? Ultimately, he realized that true love is not something you give up on, but initially his misplaced sense of sacrifice came off as less than valiantly. Otherwise, the fairyback felt inconsequential, taking us back to where we left off with “7:15 A.M,” extending the scene only slightly to show him and Red Riding Hood galloping away from his “father’s” hot, arrow-firing pursuit. It actually confused me about the timeline of these fairybacks and made me wonder how long Snow has been with the dwarves to this point.

The water-induced recovery in Storybrooke was that of The Book. Yes, Henry’s book that contains all the tales of its inhabitants’ former lives. We as an audience are privy to the truth, which is that Mysterious Biker/Writer Dude, who finally gives up his name (August W. Booth, ew), had it at the end of “Fruit of the Poisonous Tree.” It was unclear, to me anyway, whether he was simply repairing the book or if he added new pages, but nonetheless he strategically places the book in a gutter underneath Emma’s car after making her drink some well water that, according to legend, comes from a magical lake. Does this mean that FTL lies underneath the town as was alluded to in “That Still Small Voice? (the 5th episode way back in November)” The writers sure seem to be suggesting it. I also thought when August started with his didactic monologue about ancient cultures worshipping water it was terribly misplaced, but Kitsis/Horowitz were part of many such preachings on “LOST” so that type of speech was bound to seep in at some time. But where “LOST” was tonally very spiritual, “Once Upon A Time” should stick to its lighter, mythic tone.

Kathryn’s mature realization that she never loved David as deeply as Mary Margaret, and only pretended to, set in motion some shady events. First, Regina steals a letter Kathryn left for David giving her blessing of Mavid (think it will catch on? I’s okay I know it’s lame) and subsequently burns it. Then, when Kathryn leaves town to study law in Boston and find her real true love, her car is found by a passerby swerved into the woods, but with no body inside! The cut to Regina’s sinister stare implies she had something to do with it, but how? Too much slight of hand is taking place in those last moments for me to enjoy the ride (pun intended). The strings are visible and the manipulation, like the show itself in its lower points, is far from subtle. For me, the sweet and somber note of Emma lying beside Mary Margaret in bed as Mary cries over her rough decision to end it with David, was the preferable ending. Not only do I buy into the acting styles of Morrison and Goodwin more than Lana Parilla as Regina/Evil Queen, but their struggles gel more with the core of the episode’s thematic ambition. Ending on Regina’s Machiavellian mischief was just a calculated network cliffhanger, and I should have expected that by now.

As I’ve admitted ad nauseum, I’m a sucker for a good ole fashioned faith-in-true-love hour, so this episode reeled me in easily, but by messing with the formula gave me reason to stick around. The VFX were FAR better than in episodes past; between the siren sequence and the horseback chases I was moderately impressed. All the same, this fairyback didn’t captivate me like those with Rumpelstiltskin ruining people’s lives have (I’m a bitter, bitter man) and the butchering of the mood at the end soured me from being more forgiving. For further developing already likable characters into flawed and relatable characters, and providing a noteworthy tale of tough choices—when is love worth the fight and when is it just killing you—I can’t ignore the progress my relationship with this series is making. I won’t pretend it was the real thing, so a not-quite-true love deserves a B.

Rumpelstiltskin (Robert Carlyle) whisks his new housekeeper Belle (Emile de Ravin) away from her father.

My viewing experience of “Once Upon A Time” is tainted, by expectation. I want it to be LOST. It’s creators want it to be LOST, and it never will be.

Last week I gladly declared that OUAT had found its identity and had squandered many of its pretensions and simply tried to be a damn good time. But this week, Kitsis/Horowitz seemed like a needy child tugging at its mother’s pant leg. I thought they were beyond seeking approval. All the Easter eggs and insider jokes like the Apollo Bars and the McCutcheon whiskey were just tributes to the landmark series they took part in. However with Emile de Ravin’s appearance as Belle (yes, of Beauty and the Beast fame) I wonder if Eddy Kitsis and Adam Horowitz, harbor a repressed need to catch lightning in a bottle again.

Surely, De Ravin’s guest appearance is simply an isolated homage, and lofty aspirations haven’t bogged down this creative team. Except, LOST is not the only acclaimed drama to catch OUAT’s wandering eye. They’ve snatched talent like Jennifer Morrison from “House,” Giancarlo Esposito from “Breaking Bad,” and tonight they made a “Game of Thrones” pun by naming a flower shop, “Game of Thorns.” I can’t decide whether it is endearing or desperate.

Much like some classic LOST episodes, tonight’s OUAT was a reveal episode. There was still a fairyback, one brought to life thanks to all those Disney rights! Ah, ABC, you treat them well. And there was “progress” in Storybrooke. But the real meat of the plot came during a two minute interaction between Mr. Gold and Regina where it was finally acknowledged that they both know of their former lives and evil power struggle. She goes all Destiny’s Child, “Say your name!” And he admits to awareness of “other worlds.” This wasn’t presented as a huge deal, it wasn’t even the final reveal of the episode, but it is a revelation with implications for the series at large. It is out in the open now, and if he knows the questions become, will he be a roadblock for Emma and Henry’s plans to enlighten the townsfolk (for my Losties, “Desmond-style”) or could he prove a formidable ally?

I was predisposed to be enthralled with tonight’s fairyback. Beauty and the Beast is almost certainly in my top three Disney flicks of all time (excluding Pixar) and Claire was one of my many beloved Oceanic 815ers so Emile de Ravin had me hooked with little effort. We’re introduced to the heroine as she stews by her father’s side, worried their village will be sacked as the Ogre Wars rage on (Am I the only one who would be fascinated by a detailed history of the events leading up to these wars?). I was mildly disappointed her dad was a rich, lordly fellow instead of an eccentric inventor. Anyway, Rumpelstiltskin appears as the solution to their suffering, promising to save their town in exchange for Belle’s services as his permanent housekeeper. Her betrothed, Gaston, insists she stay, but Belle is intent on breaking away from the social constraints of womanhood, seizing the opportunity to be heroic. She elects to go with Rumpy, much to his delight.

In the real world, there was much less interesting fare. Mr. Gold is robbed by a florist, Mr. French, after Gold nabs his van as collateral. Gold seems awfully upset over one particular item that Sheriff Swan hadn’t yet recovered and threatens that if she doesn’t detain Mr. French, he will get to him first. When he does, he beats the florist with his cane for information on the whereabouts of this item. He starts screaming about “her” and how it’s his fault that, “she is gone.” When he refuses to divulge the entire truth to Emma, he is cuffed.

In a Storybrooke subplot, Ashley returns. Who? Oh, that pregnant girl who is Cinderella in Fairy Tale Land (FTL). She’s overtired from taking care of the baby because her baby daddy Shawn is always at work being the breadwinner. Ruby (FTL identity: Red Riding Hood) suggest that she and Mary Margaret join her for a ladies night on the town. Both agree, especially Mary Margaret who’s once again unsatisfied by only being a part-time lover to David, who is still carrying on with his wife, Kathryn. I normally care about those two lovebirds, but the developments felt so wedged in, that I became detached. Next week their affair will come to a head when Kathryn finds out.

At Rumpy’s castle, Belles settles in after feeling initially weary about handing over her life to a “monster.” But as the “tale as old as time” foretold, Rumpy begins to treat her nicely, even pardoning her when she chips a cup. This is of course an allusion to “Chip” from Disney’s incarnation of the tale. You might say this reference made me groan, but I shall not complain as I promised last week. Rumpy begins to fall for her first, turning Gaston into a rose for his sweetheart when he comes to her rescue. Then, Belle’s opinion of her master (kinky) shifts when she falls from a ladder into his arms (the editing and VFX in this scene are ATROCIOUS). She begins to probe him for information about his past, when he was a man. She yearns to know the man she will serve forever better. In a move to test her affection for him, Rumpy asks Belle to go into town for more straw. If she comes back, he will tell her the story of the son he lost. He expressed that he expects her to never come back.

On her journey she runs into the Evil Queen. EQ informs her that her master’s curse will be broken, and his humanity restored if he receives true love’s kiss. Knowing that his beastly features and evil within can be eroded she returns to him. But when she shares true love’s kiss with Rumpy, he resists the change. He suspects her to be an agent of the EQ, trying to remove his powers, to weaken him. For her treason, Belle is thrown in the dungeon. After a tantrum in which the only glassware spared is the chipped cup, he releases her, never wanting to see her again. She calls him a coward as his son had when he killed to protect him, a genuine callback and reference that felt the most organic and essential of any they’ve attempted.

Shakeups in Storybrooke abound when Ashley accepts Shawn’s marriage proposal and Mary Margaret bumps into David. He hands her a V-day card, but accidentally hands her one addressed to Kathryn. This tips the scales for MM and she observes that they will find a way to be together, but this isn’t it. Back at SBPD, Regina bribes Emma with a half hour visit with Henry (this wouldn’t strike her as odd…awful sheriff….and where’s mystery writer/biker dude?) in order to converse with Mr. Gold. She confesses to encouraging Mr. French to rob him, asking that he bring her back…his chipped cup. She held this as leverage so that Gold would speak his FTL name. It’s a fun scene that recalls the legend that surrounds his name. As I mentioned before, this revelation that they both know could add a layer of mixed allegiances or simply heighten the risks involved in Emma and Henry’s pursuit of the truth.

While Rumpy slumps at his spindle over his reluctance to allow love in his heart, for fear of rejection, EQ visits hoping they can strike another deal. When he is not in the mood he accuses her outright of ruining their relationship. She cryptically answers that she had nothing to do with “that tragedy.” Puzzled, Rumps asks of what she speaks. EQ shares that upon returning home, her father had shunned her. He learned of her love for “The Beast” and has banished to a tower where clerics will cleanse her soul. Distraught, she threw herself out of the tower, falling to her death. This explains the sentimental value surrounding the cup in the real world, it’s all he had left of her. Or so he thinks. The very last scene of the episode shows Regina entering a secret wing of the hospital where “Belle” is locked up. What repercussions could this have for their eternal power struggle? I’m unsure, but again it opens up the dimensions for the real world adding a darker tinge to the episodes to follow. Gold, like EQ may not want to go back to FTL, but they want to vanquish each other. The more moral ambiguity that can be infused in these classics, the better. And with the sporadic investment in real world proceedings before this, another reason to care wouldn’t hurt.

Nearly all the real world happenings felt inconsequential. This irrelevant quality took a sharp 180 toward the end, but I can’t discount my utter boredom beforehand. Ashley had been gone for so long, her engagement felt like a formality. And when I start feeling blase about any plot point that involves Mary Margaret you know it hasn’t been well rendered. Despite these clear narrative shortcomings, it was pleasant to step into the world of “Beauty and the Beast” again, and it’s always a pleasure to watch Emile de Ravin smile sheepishly at me (ok, in my general direction). For it’s sheer entertainment value, and for effectively (and finally) incorporating the gritty, tragic elements of the FTL futility into the thrust of the Storybrooke setting, OUAT regresses but swings its pendulum in a positive direction with a B-.

Regular readers here are no stranger to my strange obsession with Disney. Of course, we’re not talking the High School Musical Shake it Up version of Disney, but the old school, classic animation, Walt variety. I’m also a huge fan of Media Molecule’s Little Big Planet series of games, so when I first saw Disney Universe, which looked like a cross between the two properties, I was instantly excited – turns out I should have reigned that in a bit.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not that Disney Universe is a bad game, it’s mix of platforming and collecting is great for its intended audience, but the game’s biggest problem is that it’s just simply too much; the game often feels like it’s too many ideas going on at once, and as a result, it feels overly hectic and poorly guided. Disney Universe is good for young gamers, but older fans will get frustrated quickly.

Disney Universe casts players in an admittedly unique story. Disney’s most famous worlds have been recreated in a virtual setting so people can experience them in real time, but as it seems happens with every “virtual world,” someone has hacked they’re way in and filled the worlds with dangerous creatures and hazards. Enter you – a weird looking non descript Sackboy-esque looking thing with a penchant for Disney cosplay. It’s your job to go in, eliminate the dangers and turn everything back to the way it was.

Disney Universe is broken up into worlds inspired by some of the company’s most well known movies and cartoons, like Pirate’s of the Caribbean, Finding Nemo and Monsters Inc. The majority of these worlds require little thought and are of the, run around, break stuff and collect stuff variety, but there are a few interesting twists, like the Lion King stage which has you running from left to right escaping a fire. Regardless, pretty much all of the worlds are impressive in their design, as they don’t borrow directly from the properties but are inspired by them. For instance,  I had a lot of fun in the Monstropulous section of the Monsters Inc level, which featured a somewhat new take on the classic “door hopping” scene.

Perhaps Disney Universe’s most glaring issue then is how misguided it is. More often than not your goal isn’t easily laid out in front of you, and what’s going on in the game at any given moment is so hectic that you’re bound to give up and just start smashing things until it becomes more clear. This becomes even more of a problem when using four players – though that can also be the game’s most endearing quality, playing with three other friends can lead to some hectic and fun gameplay moments.

The most endearing lasting piece of Disney Universe is unquestionably the costumes and suits of classic characters found in the game. Similar to Sackboy from the Little Big Planet series, your character can don suits from a literal who’s-who in Disney history. Everyone from the fab-5, Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy and Pluto to lesser known characters like the Sushi chef from Monsters Inc (no, really) are here and are a blast to collect. My only gripe was that there’s far more costumes from newer properties than the classics, which is understandable given the target audience, but do we really need characters like Angelica from the latest Pirates of the Caribbean movie? Throw me some Roger Rabbit or Chernobog instead. This an issue that can easily be fixed via DLC, and I’m hoping Disney Interactive offers it.

The Blast Factor: It’s easy to see the appeal for a game like Disney Universe, it’s platforming and collecting that everyone can easily jump in on. Unfortunately though, it’s ideas never really feel feely thought out, and as a result, Disney Universe often feels like a mix of a lot of good but unfinished ideas. Still, you can’t knock it’s easily accessible gameplay, especially for the little ones.

I don’t care how cool you thought you were, you played and loved Castle of Illusion, the Sega Genesis classic staring Disney’s famous mouse, it was just that good. Now it looks like Disney may be bringing it back for a whole new audience.

Siliconera reports that Disney filed a brand new trademark for Castle of Illusion for use with video game cartridges, discs, and software.No word on exactly what this means, but perhaps it means the game could be on its way to a the virtual console. Sign me up.

Another possibility is that Disney could be using the Castle of Illusion name for the proposed Epic Mickey sequel that’s been rumored over the last few months.

Following the success of “The Lion King” in 3-D, Disney is planning to theatrically release four other movies in 3-D over the next two years—“Beauty and the Beast,” “Finding Nemo,” “Monsters Inc.” and “The Little Mermaid.”

“Beauty and the Beast” is  the first to be released in 3-D in January followed by “Finding Nemo” in September. January 2013 will begin with “Monsters, Inc.” and its prequel, “Monsters University,” will be released six months later in June. “The Little Mermaid” will come last in September.

“The Lion King 3D” has made over $80 million in the last three  and a half weeks. It surpassed new releases and was the No. 1 movie for two weeks in a row.  

Source: Los Angeles Times

wireimage.com

Pixar is getting scientific with its upcoming films; they are set to explore the land of dinosaurs and delve into the human mind.

Filmmakers announced the projects at the D23 Expo 2011 on  Saturday while executives promoted all of the Disney/Pixar work.

The dinosaur film, still untitled, will be released during the holidays of 2013.   Bob Peterson, who co-directed and did a voiceover for the Pixar hit Up, will direct the film.

The dino flick was inspired by Peterson’s trip to the World’s Fair in New York when he was a kid.  There, he saw animatronic dinosaurs created by Walt Disney and they “made a big impression on [him],” he said.

The film explores what may have happened if the asteroid missed Earth and the dinosaurs continued to live.

The other half of Up‘s direction, Pete Docter will take on the other Pixar film about the brain.

The film will attempt to explain in humorous terms how the brain works in various ways.

“Most of us have had the experience of being around someone and thinking what is going on in their head,” said Docter. “This film will attempt to answer that question.”

This flick is expected to be in theaters by 2014.

Walt Disney Studios has show down the movie adaptation of “The Lone Ranger” due to budget problems, the Associated Press reported.

The long-awaited film, starring Johnny Depp and Armie Hammer is now in jeopardy, the AP reported, citing an anonymous source close to the production.

Deadline Hollywood first reported on the film’s production halt.

According to the reports, the film had trouble reducing its $250 million budget down to $200 million.

The film had a ton of revenue potential, with its well-known storyline, cast, Gore Verbinski direction and Jerry Bruckheimer production.

Hammer was set to play the ranger, with Depp playing Tonto, the title character’s partner.

LOS ANGELES — Disney Interactive Studios released some video, character images, and screenshots to go with the game’s E3 debut.

The game looks pretty adorable, so all you Disney superfans will want to check these out. The screenshots include scenes from “Alice in Wonderland” and “Monsters Inc.”

Company line: “Disney Universe mixes up, for the first time, characters and worlds inspired by both animated and live action films from Disney’s Walt Disney Animation Studios, Pixar Animation Studios, and Walt Disney Pictures. Players will enjoy this fast-paced, multiplayer action-adventure game, available Fall 2011 for Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii and Windows PC/MAC.”

The Walt Disney Company’s research division plans to open a lab in Cambridge next month to investigate social sciences for the Disney theme parks.

The lab will open in the American Twine building next month, coming 11 years after Disney shut down a low profile lab in East Cambridge.

“While labs tend to grow organically according to who ends up joining, my initial plan is to have the lab focus on social sciences, broadly defined, and also on commercialization of some existing research,” said Joe Marks, head of Disney’s research division.

The new lab is looking to hire researchers in social and behavioral sciences, data analytics and mining, media and transportation. On a more technological level, they are also looking for software engineers with Web and mobile background.

The previous lab, run by Bran Ferren and Danny Hillis, mainly kept their business a secret. An anonymous source told the Boston Globe that they mainly worked on “high performance electric robots,” which could roam the theme parks freely and talk to guests.

The old lab also designed a toy called “Pal Mickey,” that provides guests with information about the parks and parade times and dates when they pass certain infrared transmitters located around the parks. The toys are sold for $50 in the theme parks.

The new lab promises to be less secretive than the last.

“We’re committed to engaging fully with the global research community through collaboration with academe, publication of our results, participation in professional service activities, etc.,” Marks said. “In that regard we’re following more in the tradition of Pixar Research.”

E! Online reports that “High School Musical” couple Vanessa Hudgens and Zac Efron have split up.

They got to know each other through the Disney television show and started dating in 2006.

During the interview with DETAILS in September, Efron made some interesting comments about that his friends recommended him to use his fame to attract some women, “I think a lot of guys would enjoy that. But I’m not really like that. Believe me, I rack my brain thinking, ‘Why am I not out there playing the field?’… But it’s not in my heart.”

So, what was in his heart, then?

Hello, my name is Joe Sinicki and I’m a Disney-a-holic. It’s okay, I can admit it. Now please understand, though – I’m not talking the everyone break into dance in a cafeteria, oh no they know my secret pop star identity tween version of Disney, I’m talking about the classic years. The Alice Comedies, the  Silly symphonies; the golden age of animation, age and wonder. Perhaps that’s what drew me to Epic Mickey from the start, the game’s lead designer and producer, Warren Spector, most famous for games like Thief and Wing Commander is just as big of a fan of the godfather of animation as I am, and I trusted him to craft an intriguing tale that also serves as a love letter to the Disney legacy.

He did. Disney Epic Mickey is a tightly wound, and even touching story that will even the most hardcore Disney fans won’t be able to resist; filled with nods and cameos by even the most random Disney characters, and theme park attractions, this isn’t your average Disney title. Yet, as a result of a number of almost broken mechanics, and one of this year’s worst camera systems,  the game feels almost unplayable at some points.  Still though, if you have any interest in the world of Walt Disney, Epic Mickey is not to be missed.

The game opens with a flashback to a few years ago in Yen Sid the sorcerer’s laboratory. On the sorcerer’s desk lies an intricate model, which really serves as a world for the forgotten characters in the Disney universe, or “things that have been forgotten” as they’re called here. Becoming interested in the model, Mickey sneaks in while Yen Sid is away and begins to play with it. After fiddling with it for a while, Mickey accidentally creates the Shadow Blot (a mischievous, smart and some say insane thief as seen in classic Disney cartoons) who, despite the best efforts of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and the other residents of the forgotten land, eventually takes over. To make matters worse, Mickey panics and tries to clean up the mess with a sponge, and a bottle of paint thinner, which in turn makes the forgotten world a desolate wasteland. Years pass, and Mickey’s transgression is forgotten until one day the Phantom Blot enters Mickey’s house through a mirror and drags him in. Sensing an opportunity, Oswald devises a plan to capture Mickey (who he’s become jealous of) and steal his heart.

This is perhaps the game’s most interesting aspect, how it treats its protagonist. In the world of Disney, especially lately, Disney plays it safe with Mickey, he does no wrong, but here – it’s his transgression that causes the game’s events to unfold. That mechanic plays out throughout Mickey’s journey through the wasteland as you’re able to decide just how you play through the game. Do you play the good side, using your paint brush to restore order to the wasteland, or do you take the easy way out and dissolve any of your obstacles with the bottle of thinner. Your actions and decisions will have a lasting effect on just how the world in Epic Mickey takes shape, and you’re going to want to play through multiple times to see just what could have happened.

Throughout Epic Mickey, you're going to meet many interesting forgotten characters.

There’s no doubt about it, those who know and are familiar with Disney lore will appreciate the work Spector and Junction Point have put into crafting Epic Mickey. There are references here to everything from them park lands, to old cartoons and even a tongue-in-cheek look at the mass commercialization of Mickey himself. The real treat though for folks like me are the small touches and nods to things that prove Spector cares about the brand, and the properties that inhabit it. That’s not to say that casual fans won’t  be able to jump in, as the game is instantly accessible despite its depth.

At its heart, Epic Mickey is a pretty straight forward platformer, and there lies a good portion of its problems. Theworld of Epic Mickey is so creative and fun to explore that using basic and seemingly uninspired platform mechanics can take you out of the game incredibly fast.  Oh, and then there’s the camera — Let me see how to put this most simple – you’re going to hate the camera in Epic Mickey, it could very well be the worst camera I’ve seen in a platformer this year. Using a dynamic system, the camera follows you around automatically, or  at least, that’s how it’s supposed to work.  The camera seems to be intent on placing itself in the worst possible places. Going down a series of ledges? You won’t be able to see your next jump. Fighting a series of enemies? You’ll have to take them on without seeing them.

Another issue is with the game’s targeting system. Your main attacks are either a paint stream or a thinner stream, which works great from a far, but up close it’s a mess. You’re going to have a tough time hitting any enemy that’s close, and you don’t have a dodge maneuver, which means Mickey’s going to be taking a ton of damage. Luckily the game’s auto save feature is pretty generous and you won’t have to start over too far.

The Blast Factor: With Disney Epic Mickey, Warren Spector professes his life-long love for the works of Walt Disney with a gripping and even touching tale. It’s a love letter to not only the legacy of Disney, but to a golden age long forgotten – it’s just too bad the game’s mechanics aren’t up to par. Still though, it’s an interesting enough tale that differs from anything available on the Wii.

SAN DIEGO — When the name Sean Astin comes up, most people associate the actor with his roles in "Lord of the Rings" and "The Goonies" where he plays both leader and loyal friend. What may come as a surprise is Astin’s current project in Disney’s "Special Agent Oso."

Not well-known for his voice-over work, the veteran actor leads the children’s series as Special Agent Oso. The series celebrates the classic spy genre, centering on an adorable stuffed panda bear that works for U.N.I.Q.U.E (United Network for Investigating Quite Usual Events). Special Agent Oso helps children problem solve matters from raising awareness about the environment to personal safety.

This series has since become a success and ranked No. 1 in its timeslot after its debut in April 2009, beating its competition by 12 percent among kids 2-5.

Blast Magazine talked with Astin about "Special Agent Oso," and its upcoming second season, which premieres Saturday July 10 at 8 a.m.

BLAST MAGAZINE: Special Agent Oso is a wonderful children’s show, how did you come across this project?

SEAN ASTIN: They offered it to me. I was doing a show in London and I got this package. Before I even read the cover letter there was this big fat color illustration of Oso (laughs). I was like "Oh yeah, that is me." In fact, the first show I did was over the phone from this studio in London and I was patched through. So I did the pilot episode before ever meeting the creator. It was pretty cool. I think they just knew from my other movies that I was Oso.

BLAST: Most people are not familiar with your voice-over work as much as your live action films. What’s the process been like for you? And how is it different than working on a live set?

SA: We’re into the second season and we’ve all developed the sort of friendships you would on a live-action show. We pretty much all work it out together, and the guys Ford (Riley), and Jamie (Mitchell), who I like to affectionately refer to as "the other side of the glass," are there so it’s like a radio play you put together.

BLAST: What does your family, especially your kids, think of the show? And hearing your voice as such an adorable character?

SA: They were incredibly excited when the first season premiered. They saw that Dad, the guy who hangs around the house all the time, does something. They got comfortable with it, you know? Their friends all knew that their dad was the voice, and that was cool for them. I would come in once and a while and read for them. Everybody wanted me to do the Oso voice and that kind of stuff, so that was really cool. Recently they just got to meet the Oso walk around — which is this life size cuddly Oso that walks around (and meets people). Something happened I don’t know, but they came home and were glued to the television. They were like, "we met this guy, and he’s awesome. We’re on the inside track now. We love Oso." I think my four year old who will be five in the coming weeks is the perfect target and demographic for us. She latched on to it the most. Recently the title song was nominated for an Emmy in Best Original Song, which we’re very proud of, and my oldest (daughter) knows all the lyrics.

BLAST: The visuals and design for the show is done wonderfully. It easily gains a child’s attention. There are a lot of fun elements to "Special Agent Oso."

SA: ("Special Agent Oso") is bright and colorful. The voices are up-toned, it’s very pleasing. The gadgets are all fun and the kids seem to know the spy universe pretty well. The way they do the discoveries and (set up) the organizational skills themselves are fun. (For example) Oso will come down from his helicopter to help solve a problem, but then he’ll make a mistake. So you’ll have these little kids teaching him, and showing him how to do it correctly.

BLAST: This doesn’t just make it engaging for the kids but for the adults as well.

SA: I think that’s because when you’re teaching a kid how to do something, like a puzzle, repetition is important. I think most parents are like me, you want to be deliberate and explain everything to them. You can tell when you’re losing them. They’re not really focused anymore; they’re bored with what you’re saying. Oso breaks things down with his "paw pilot" this little PDA he’s got (on the show) into these basic steps. You’re going to do this, then that, and (so forth). Then you’re going to know how to do it. As a parent watching my kid connect with that is pretty cool.

BLAST: And that’s the thing that’s great with this show, it also takes on subjects which generally are harder to perhaps conceptualize for a younger crowd.

SA: They really do this year. They push the envelope with that as far as I’m concerned. I saw the scripts come through and thought, "Wow we’re going to tackle this?" And one is about the importance of telling the truth. A little girl breaks a vase, her grandma’s vase, and their dog is around. She has to decide what to do: Is it important to tell grandma the truth? Or blame it on the dog? And when she learns it is important to tell the truth, she has to learn how to apologize about it. Modeling the importance of apologizing is so critical. And another one that’s big this season is about what to do if you get lost; cutting right to the core of issues for little kids. In terms of themes, there’s this big push within the administration and around the country about physical fitness. So (the show) made a concerted effort this year to put an element of physical fitness in there: playing catch, miniature golf, how to ride your scooter, and how to play football. I like that element in being part of this animated show, you’re contributing to people’s health and not just entertaining.

BLAST: You’re going to have some special guest appearances this season like Mel Brooks. How does it feel having them involved?

SA: It’s validation. You do an animated show for the Disney Channel, and you look at your peers like Jenna Elfman or Rita Morena and you sort of go, "So they probably have kids or nieces and nephews who watch the show. " These are people who like the Disney Channel and are cool enough to go out of their way to be in an episode or two. So it’s a validation to what we’ve been doing these past years.

BLAST: Your films, especially earlier the works, has been a big part of some people’s childhoods. How does it feel knowing the work you’re doing now is a part of your own children’s childhood?

SA: I’ll tell you how, they’re making toys! I brought home from work the other day the new Oso car set, and you would have thought I brought the Hope Diamond. Everyone in the house just gravitated to it!
I know there is "The Goonies" toy, and "The Lord of the Rings" toys. So you talk about going into the popular culture and finding a place in people’s hearts. But when it comes right down to it, I’m another toy (laughs).
___

Toy or not, Sean Astin certainly has an aptitude for embodying memorable characters for generations of kids, and "Special Agent Oso" is no exception.

"Special Agent Oso" premieres Saturday July 10th (8:00-8:30 A.M. ET/PT), and continues with new episodes at the same time every Saturday from July to August.

CELEBRATION, Fla. — I tell people I’m from Orlando. All of us do.

The second the word "Celebration" escapes your lips, you start to raise some serious questions. Yes, Celebration, Florida is a real place. Yes, I grew up on Disney property. No, I am not an animatronic Disney robot. If I am, they did a great job of making me lifelike because I am freezing my little robotic ass off right now in Boston.

I moved to Celebration when I was 11, right as the school was being built and Walt Disney’s picture was still up on the wall. Celebration was designed to be the real EPCOT — an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow — where residents could work, eat, sleep and die all in the same place without ever leaving. Sometimes I feel like I grew up in either the 1950s or on “The Truman Show.”

And then I moved from "Pleasantville" to Somerville.

I’d always wanted to come to Boston. Mainly, I blame Celebration’s Town Tavern, which was the only place in town to hang out once you turned 21. The Tavern was like a home away from home, with Celtics and Red Sox gear on the walls and the "Boston Garden" patio. It seemed so great, but I forgot to take two factors into account. First, I was always drunk when I was there. Second, we had the heat lamps on once it reached 60 degrees. So did I know what I was in for? No. Not really.

Definitely, no.

But during the holidays, there are always parts of my new place up north that will remind me of home.

Like… snow.

Yes. This rumor is true. They pump out fake snow in the streets of Celebration during the winter. We needed something to keep us feeling festive in between the holiday decorating contest and the Radio Disney Holiday Concert in the middle of town.

Sure, you could bide your time watching that house that has their Christmas lights synchronized to holiday music. Or you could ride in the little toy train around the lake in search of Santa Claus and alligators.

But nothing beats fake snow.

Last winter was the first time I’d ever been freaked out by going home. As I sat drinking a glass of wine with a friend on Market Street, a loudspeaker made an announcement to the throngs of tourists gathering on the street.

“Once … In a magical land called Celebration … a little girl made a wish that she could see snow…”

The voice in the loudspeaker proceeded to get the entire street of people to wish as hard as they could for world peace and for dreams to come true. And then it happened. It snowed.

After experiencing real snow for a full winter, it was strange to sit on Market Street and watch perfect flurries fall from the sky while I was wearing a tank top.

Sidebar: For those of you back home who have never seen snow, it’s a lot like cold sand from hell. But in a good way.

Celebration snow is not actually snow. It’s what residents refer to as “snope,” a flurry of soap bubbles designed to look like snow that conveniently melt into the sidewalk after 10 minutes. No windshield scraper needed.

It might not seem so magical once you’ve moved north and have had to shovel off the top of your car, only to find a dozen orange parking tickets frozen to your windshield.

But all in all, it’s pretty much the same thing.

Keep wishing for snow, Little Girl. But snope is so much better.

The speculation ended today. That secret Mickey Mouse project has finally been confirmed in the form of a video game promising gamers “Mickey as you’ve never seen him.”

The next issue of Game Informer has all the goods packed inside its pages, but for today, all we have is this gorgeous, epic, and mysterious front page to look at.

The game is a Wii-exclusive and Game Informer promises “we have some amazing things in store, including screenshots, animations, and tons of concept art and music.”

Based on the front-page art alone I’m all kinds of excited for whatever the game turns out to be. What about you?

It’s Christmas in September here in Boston as the “A Christmas Carol” train, a promotional event for the film coming out on November 6, rolls into South Station. Boston is the 31st city on the train’s 40-city journey across the US. Blast got to walk through six train cars filled with interactive games, contests, period costumes and carol singers that will entertain children and adults alike.

There’s been no lack of coverage of Charles Dickens’ beloved book, “A Christmas Carol.” The film industry has been making interpretations of the classic holiday story since 1938. But Director Robert Zemeckis claims to bring something new to the tale this Christmas by using motion-capture.

“It’s not the Christmas carol you’ve seen in the past,” said Bob Gault, Vice President of Disney Special Events. “It gives Zemeckis the chance to literally take Charles Dickens’ words right out of the book and put them on film.”

Visitors of the train will get a chance to look into the world of motion capture, which records the actors’ movements and translates them to a digital model. Each car contains a different preview of the film, as well as explanations to how the film was created.

Watch below as Blast and Bob Gault take you on a tour of the train.

After touring the train, visitors are able to watch an exclusive clip of the film as well behind-the-scenes interviews with the director and the actors.

Many children are attending the event, but there are also adults in attendance who are excited to see the preview.

“It was awesome!” said a parent . “It was great. Yes, I can’t wait to see it.” When comparing it to previous “Christmas Carol” films, she said “Oh, I think this will be the best because nobody’s ever seen it like this.”

“It’s just fabulous,” said visitor Ryan Potter about the preview. “I’ve seen probably every ‘Carol’ that’s come out. I’m a 12-year old in a 50-year old body.”

But not all “Christmas Carol” fans are sure Zemeckis’ version will be the best.

“I don’t know,” said visitor Fred Fournier, when asked if he thought the film would trump other “Christmas Carol” attempts. “That’s hard to say. I think I would go see it.”

The train will be in Boston through Sunday at 2pm. Attendance of the event is free.

Watch below for a slideshow of the event and a trailer for the film.

Disney announced the official title for the fourth movie in the wildly popular “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, MTV.com reported today.

At the D23 fan convention in Anaheim, Cal., Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook looked into a crystal ball to reveal the next title: “Pirates of the Caribbean 4: On Stranger Tides.” Johnny Depp was there in character as Captain Jack Sparrow – “sailing” in on a pirate ship and asking for rum.

Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow.

Depp returns to the “Pirates” franchise as part of a deal with Disney ensuring he would also be able to pursue a passion project: “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson.” Whether or not Kiera Nightley and Orlando Bloom, however, still remains to be seen. Both have suggested in the past that they will not be back for a fourth movie.

“Stranger Tides” aren’t the only thing in Disney’s crystal ball.

After an updated performance of “The Rainbow Connection” by the Muppets, Cook announced a new Muppet movie: “The Cheapest Muppet Movie Ever Made.”

Nicholas Cage made an appearance for two reasons:

1. He introduced a trailer for “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice.”
2. He announced that he would “absolutely” be on-board for a third “National Treasure” movie.

John Travolta arrived, along with wife Kelly Preston and daughter Ella Blue Travolta, to enormous applause. It was their first public appearance since Jett Travolta’s untimely death. Cook then announced that Travolta, Tim Allen and Martin Lawrence would all be involved in “Wild Hogs 2: Bachelor Ride.”

Riding the fresh wave of Beatlemania that followed the release The Beatles: Rock Band, Disney is also planning a “Yellow Submarine” movie. “You’re going to see Pepperland and the Blue Meanies as you never have before,” he said. “And the greatest soundtrack of all time.”

Guillermo del Toro is working with Disney to help them get a little scary in a project called “Disney Double Dare You.” The first of the movies will be called “The Troll Hunters.”

Cook talked about Andrew Stanton’s upcoming, potential trilogy “John Carter of Mars” and called it “a new Disney franchise for years and years to come.”

Other appearences included Robert Zemeckis, Jerry Bruckheimer, Tim Burton and Miley Cyrus, and never-before-seen footage was shown for “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Prince of Persia,” “Tron: Legacy” and a sequel to “Earth” called “Oceans.”

Disney, still seemingly high off the fumes of last week’s monumental Marvel purchase, today bought Wideload Games with Bungie Founder Alex Seropian signing on as Vice President of creative endeavors for the studio.

Seropian’s exact role? He’ll be pegged with overseeing creative development across Disney Interactive Studios’ portfolio of video games. So, the man who founded Bungie, made “Myth,” “Marathon,” and most notably the premier Xbox launch title “Halo,” will now lead Disney Interactive projects moving forward.

“Wideload Games is among the premier small creative game development studios in the world. Wideload Games will be a great fit for our portfolio of internal studios, and Alex joining the global product development team provides the entire Disney game portfolio with a strong creative influence” said Graham Hopper, executive vice president and general manager, Disney Interactive Studios. “Alex has built his reputation around the power of original thinking. In leading the studio that created Halo, he helped turn great storytelling, exceptional design and polished gameplay into the “Ëœkiller app’ for Xbox. Alex’s leadership of our creative community will enhance our ability to be a magnet for the best talent in the industry and enable the company to take an even more significant role in developing industry leading products.”

Disney promises that Wideload’s main focus will remain centered upon creating original video game properties, though we don’t know what any of them are at this time.

What will Disney buy next?

In the wake of breaking business news yesterday about Disney’s decision to buy Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, we’re already seeing a headline that runs contrary to our 10 possible Disney/Marvel crossovers.

20th Century Fox, not Disney, has announced plans for another Fantastic Four film with a new flick produced by Akiva Goldsman and written by Michael Green.

Goldsman is currently producing movies based on DC properties “Jonah Hex” and “The Losers,” while Green is co-writing “Green Lantern” starring Ryan Reynolds and is the co-executive producer of “Heroes.”

Neither of the previous two Tim Story-directed Fantastic Four fims have been particularly good, nor have they received particularly good reviews.

There is no word on whether or not Ioan Gruffudd, Jessica Alba, Chris Evans and Michael Chiklis will return for a third go around.

With Disney forking over $4 billion for some Marvel and its 5,000+ characters, we here at Blast thought we’d help the two companies think up ways to combine their portfolios.

Here’s what we came up with:

10. X-men meet the Seven Dwarfs

The X-men have always lacked just a little something, but by adding Dopey, Sleepy Grumpy and the gang they pick up seven little somethings in one fell swoop. And if you don’t think the dwarfs are mutants, you haven’t seen Grumpy eat soup.

9. Sub-Mariner meets The Little Mermaid

A couple of nights with Namor and Ariel would never pine for the surface world again.

Do you get the metaphor?

8. Donald Duck meets Howard the Duck

Oh, the (in)humanity!

You have heard of Howard the Duck, right?

7. Bambi meets The Incredible Hulk

Each an orphan in his own way, the purple panted one and the world’s most beloved deer would get along famously — at least, a helluva lot better than Bambi and Godzilla did!

6. Beauty & the Beast meet Wolverine

The two beastie boys battling over Belle? Put some protective covering on the furniture and an extra coat of scratch-resistant polish on the floors!

5. Deadpool meets Dumbo

Teleportation is so overdone. What better way to strike terror in the hearts of your enemies than to come swooping in on a flying baby elephant who cries if you criticize his ears?

4. Spider-man meets Aladdin

You gotta believe smart-alec Spidey and the jovial blue Genie would get along famously. Although with skyscrapers hard to find in the ancient middle east, the magic carpet could get a bit crowded!

3. Iron Man meets Wall-E

I’m sure each has a few spare parts the other would love to accessorize, and imagine the epic quests across the galaxy looking for a 220-volt outlet!

2. Daredevil meets Goofy

The blind leading the congenitally idiotic! At least Goofy could lighten the mood during some of those tense courtroom battles..

1. Captain America meets Toy Story

Could there be two more pompous crimefighters than Cap and Buzz Lightyear? By the time the two of them decide on a rallying cry/motto, all the super villains will have retired.

The Walt Disney Company announced Monday it has agreed to buy Marvel Entertainment, the comics powerhouse behind Iron Man, X-Men, Spider-Man and thousands more, for about $4 billion in cash and stock purchases.

“This transaction combines Marvel’s strong global brand and … unparalleled global portfolio of entertainment properties, and a business structure that maximizes the value of creative properties across multiple platforms and territories,” said Robert A. Iger, president and chief executive officer of The Walt Disney Company, in a statement. “We are pleased to bring this talent and these great assets to Disney.”

Under the deal, Marvel shareholders will receive a total of $30 per share in cash plus approximately 0.745 Disney shares for each Marvel share they own.

The gives Disney more than 5,000 new characters to work with.

It also gives Marvel a cash influx.

“This is an unparalleled opportunity for Marvel to build upon its vibrant brand and character properties by accessing Disney’s tremendous global organization and infrastructure around the world,” said Ike Perlmutter, Marvel’s chief executive officer.

In 2006, Disney bought Pixar Animation Studios, the creator of “Toy Story” and “Cars,” for $7.4-billion.

Both companies’ boards of directors approved the deal, which is pending governmental antitrust review.

Anyone who knows anything about the work of Japanese anime master Hayao Miyazaki knows “My Neighbor Totoro,” his magical early piece about imagination, hope and resourcefulness in times of struggle. “Totoro” still remains my favorite of Miyazaki’s films. The animation may not be as sophisticated as “Howl’s Moving Castle” or “Spirited Away,” but it’s knowledge about the inner lives of children, and it’s simple elegant story arc make it a masterpiece of children’s film.

How lovely, then, to see “Ponyo,” Miyazaki’s latest film that works in the same vein as “Totoro.” Drawn with shades of Hans Christian Anderson’s “The Little Mermaid,” the title character is a goldfish/mermaid kept hostage in a bubble on the ocean floor by her misanthropic father (voiced by Liam Neesan), whose job is to keep the ocean’s life in balance. She makes her escape and rides a jellyfish to the ocean’s surface where she meets and falls in love with a small boy, Sosuke. Her escape, however, causes a massive shift in the moon’s pull on the ocean tides.

That’s a little bit of the plot at least. But there’s so much more to this gentle, elegantly-drawn little fable. Miyazaki used several different forms of drawn animation, from commercial anime style (cue giant sparkling eyes during heartfelt moments) to more classic storybook drawings. He treats the scenes on land with as much care and gravitas as his dramatic ocean scenes; never have I wanted ramen more than when Sosuke’s mother (voiced by the always terrific Tina Fey) made it for the two young heroes on a cold rainy night. And there are very few animated scenes in recent history that can match the sheer force of the scene in which Ponyo dances across tidal waves made of giant fish, her stubby feet and arms akimbo, and a look of fierce and simple joy on her face.

Miyazaki also wisely downplays the environmental “message” of the film. Neesan’s character occasionally rants about the mess humans make in the oceans, but the implication is that the world is far stronger than us and still, in the end, has the upper hand. Far more important is the relationship between the two young characters, a friendship based on mutual loneliness and simple love of the world around them. Miyazaki understands children more than any other director I’m aware of. The intelligence of his imagination is truly something to behold.

BURLINGTON — What could possibly bring girls from age 5-15 together in a huge crowd speckled with a few reluctant brothers and hormone engorged high school boys speckled in on a Saturday afternoon? The answer is Vanessa Hudgens.

The High School Musical star stopped by Burlington Mall on August 1 to promote her new movie “Bandslam.” A mob assembled around the center court to watch Hudgens and co-star Gaelan Connell judge the Boston Bandslam competition and sign autographs.

Hudgens and Connell listened to two finalists before picking Mike Ryan, a Lowell native who performed his own original song, as the winner.

“Bandslam” revolves around Connell’s character Will, who moves to a new town where the end of the year battle of the bands is the biggest event on the social calendar “" “Texas high school football big”. When Charlotte, the most popular girl in school played by Aly Michalka of (Aly and AJ and Disney’s “Phil of The Future” fame) asks Will to manage her new band to win the competition all hell breaks loose. Will recruits his crush “" outsider and loner, Sa5m (the 5 is silent), played by Hudgens, only to find out (shocker) that she is incredible on guitar and has “a voice to die for”. The band realizes they have a unique sound of their own but then disaster strikes, and they have to find out if they have what it takes to stand up for what they believe in.

“I think there is a little bit of everything. The music is great – the parents will appreciate the David Bowie” Hudgens told Blast after the brief autograph signing in the mall’s FYE store. “For kids it is really relatable. There are a lot of awkward scenarios that are fun to live through with this movie.”

“It’s like School of Rock meets Juno and Breakfast Club all in one movie. It has a lot of moments that are really relatable and are not like typical high school movies” added Connell.

Connell also hinted that the film’s actors got a lot of musical inspiration from their filming location, Austin, Texas.

“We were filming in Austin which is a music town and totally awesome, especially while SXSW is going on” Connell said.

“Bandslam” is Hudgens’s first major film role outside of High School Musical, but she has a few projects lined up to help her break out of the “Gabriella” Disney mold. She’ll be in “Beastly” opposite Neil Patrick Harris as well as “Sucker Punch” directed by Zack Snyder “" the man behind “Watchmen”, “300″ and “Dawn of the Dead”. She was able to give Blast a little insight into the Snyder project.

“It is still the very beginning process for me. It’s called Sucker Punch, set in the 1950′s set in a brothel. There’s a lot of action so I’m excited” Hudgens confessed before being rushed off to the next stop on the “Bandslam” publicity tour.

“Bandslam” hits theaters nationwide on August 14.

SAN DIEGO — “Toy Story” was landmark upon its release, which was already more than 10 years ago. Today, Disney introduced “Toy Story 3″ at Comic-Con.

Disney’s Lee Unkrich revealed little during a panel discussion. While most of the information is still a secret, he did allow audience members to find out about the new character to the franchise, Ken (Barbie’s counterpart) who will be voiced by Michael Keaton.

“We were not interested if it would have been simply an adventure on the road,” Unkrich elaborated on the motivations of this latest volume to the series in a round-table interview with Blast.

Unkrich elaborated that the film was personal to all involved and they wanted to create something worthwhile for audiences to enjoy as well as themselves.

“So much had past since the first film … all of us involved have had children, some of them have graduated,” he said.

And with the real passage of time, a new plot element unfolds.

Andy, the human boy character in the original film, is off to college in “Toy Story 3.”

This tidbit of information may be enough to offer fans an idea of how the film may go. With recent films such as “Up” it is possible Disney may attempt to include more serious themes into its films.

As far as the technology, “Toy Story 3″ is designed for a 3D audience. An exclusive clip of the film entertained audiences with visuals of Rex’s tail whipping around and the memorable little alien toys grasping their cute fingers outside the screen toward the audience. The clip even began with Buzz Lightyear walking into frame as if coming out from the corner of the screen and into the forefront.

Finally, while the third flick is far off, “Toy Story” and “Toy Story 2″ are currently being configured for 3D as well — illustrating Disney’s continued dedication to the format.

Some may not recognize the name Tania Gunadi. However if the role of Emma Lau, on the hit series “Aaron Stone,” is any indication of her career? It won’t be long until she joins the ranks with other veterans in the House of Disney like Selena Gomez or Emily Osment.

The cheerful and down-to-earth actress is just one of several stars on “Aaron Stone,” the first original series for the newly branded channel DisneyXD which began on February.

Surprisingly, Gunadi remains humble even though she’s become more popular since the debut of the show. And despite the bevy of young Hollywood starlets, whose self-entitled attitudes or bad behavior exploits land them tabloid covers, Gunadi doesn’t take herself too seriously when it comes to the fame game. In fact, she has no qualms speaking candidly about her appreciation towards people she’s worked with past or present.

Originally born in Indonesia, Tania Gunadi received her first brush with Lady Luck when she was only about 16 years old. Gunadi had won the lottery “" a green card lottery “" and because of it was able to join her family overseas in southern California.

Blast caught up with the actress, and listened to her tackle subjects about roller coasters, hand to hand combat, bunnies, and boba tea!

BLAST: First of all, thank you for chatting with us! I know you must have a busy schedule.

TANIA GUNADI: Oh, it’s no problem! I have been doing interviews this week. But then I have to prepare to go back to work in a couple of days for the second season of “Aaron Stone” in Toronto.

BLAST: The second season? I noticed the listing for new episodes will air on June 22nd. The most recent episode aired was the future episode about Stan.

TG: Hmm… see, I’m not so sure how the seasons are like broken down. We already shot the first 22 episodes. So for us, when we start shooting soon, it’s like season two.

BLAST: I see, maybe it’s because the channel and the series started during the mid-season. Because most networks begin in the fall shows are more continuous in that way.

TG: Hmmm… You know what? Maybe you’re right.

BLAST: Either way, it sounds exciting!

TG: You know everyone [on the show] is great! We have so much fun.

BLAST: Before we get into more details about your current work on DisneyXD’s “Aaron Stone,” let’s talk more about you. It’s really cool that you can say you won the lottery.

TG: Right? (laughs)

BLAST: You were just around 16 when it happened, so what was the experience like for you, coming here to the States?

TG: When I first arrived to Los Angeles, I was beside myself. I thought, “Oh my gosh, there’s really a place like this!” Like, I couldn’t believe it. I love Indonesia, don’t get me wrong, but it was new for me”¦the people I met here [California], they are so nice, and helpful, and I got to see this thing called, you know, “the freeway”!

But then, you know, I didn’t speak very good English. My brother, who came here before me, he hooked me up with a job, because I brought only $200 in money, I thought that was a lot of money. And then I realized really, really quickly that that was not a lot… and I’m thinking, “What’s going on here?” and he said, “Well, you know, you have to work.”

So, my brother, he hooked me up with a job in Pizza Hut. We couldn’t work in the same place because we’re family, but he recommended me to another one. I worked there for two years. It’s also where I learned my English, and I got complaints from customers like you would never believe, because in Indonesia we don’t really eat pizza like the way they do here. And they’re ordering these things and I’m like, “You… want… what? Meat? Cheese?” (laughs) It was really cute.

Soon, I got from where I was at when they hired me, which was answering phones, and in two weeks, they demoted me to cleaning the bathrooms. I was so sad. But then I made some friends and they helped me out a lot. And I was promoted back up, slowly, I’d say about a month and a half later. I went from being the cook, to the phones again, and finally the cashier.

BLAST: Well you really worked hard to earn your place, and that’s really cool. Now, as far as acting, was it something that always interested you? How did you get involved in it?

TG: For me, I grew up in Indonesia, being able to get here; I won a green card lottery. I didn’t even know or understand acting… I didn’t have a wanting for it because I wasn’t exposed to the art world, you know? Then one day at school, a friend of mine, she said, “You know, you have so much energy, you should audition for this Disneyland commercial.” And I’m like, “Oh I don’t know.” I didn’t understand what the audition would be like; I had never done one before. She said, “it’s really easy, you don’t have to worry about English or stuff. You just have to scream like you’re in a rollercoaster,” and I was like, “Oh… okay.”

So I drove my first Hollywood trip and they loved me and I booked the job. And that day they cast about 12 people. The lead was this couple, but after 17 times being on the rollercoaster they got sick and threw up. Slowly but surely, everyone else got sick except for me. I was so happy because I never rode on a rollercoaster before. I was “Whoa!” and then “Woo!” The director loved it, and wanted me to be the lead in the commercial! And I ended up doing it, and I booked two more jobs after it. It was the first time I earned a substantial amount of money from it! I felt like, “Yes! This is it!”

BLAST: You seem so grounded as a person, where do you feel that comes from? Would you say it’s from family and friends?

TG: I think for me, I just appreciate this [opportunity]. I think a positive trait I have is that I don’t always do what I’m told… there are so many people out there who give you their opinions and advice. They’ll sometimes say you dream too big or maybe you shouldn’t do that… they’re just concerned for you. But sometimes you got to do it. I mean, I love my life. And sure I’ve gotten rejected in auditions many times. I don’t focus on that; I focus on the jobs I got booked.

BLAST: People recognize you for your role on “Aaron Stone” but you’ve done a lot of work before it. There’s a guest role you did on the series, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” where you shared scenes with Danny Devito. What was it like working with him?

TG: Oh my god, that was awesome. First of all, he’s so amazingly nice and professional! You know there was this one scene where I was singing, and I was about to get sprayed with this giant [amount of] water. His character is supposed to come in and save me. Even when it wasn’t his close up, and the director said they didn’t really need him for my close up. He said, “No. No. I want it.” He gave it 100 percent. I mean, he got sprayed with the water so many times, I felt so bad. I was like, “I hope you don’t get sick!” I love that show, “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”

You know, for six months before it, I didn’t book a gig. It was the longest time I had been without work. When I auditioned for the part, and was in the room with the other actors reading for it, they were worried because the assignment sheet asked for someone 18 to play 12. At first I thought it was impossible. Then the other side of me thought, no, everything is possible. Let’s think about it! There’s a reason they want 18 to play 12, and I can play 18 to 16. It’s only a couple years difference. And my acting coach is always teaching me that you have to focus on the things that work for you. So your attention has to be on the good stuff, and then only good stuff will happen for you. And it really works.

BLAST: Now that you’ve gotten further along in your career, what captures your attention when it comes to roles you consider? Do you prefer drama or the light-hearted stuff? What makes you most comfortable?

TG: You know, I don’t have a preference. But usually when my friends have been asked that question they generally know what they like and don’t like. For me, usually when I get a script, I read the whole thing. I check with my feelings, and think about how it makes me feel, happy or sad. Does it make me want to be a better person? Or am I learning more about life? I would like to do work where people can see it, and you know, feel inspired by it.

BLAST: And you’ve come a long way.

TG: You know when I first started, my English wasn’t very good. I spoke well, and understood things, but for me it wasn’t enough. My goal was to start out by doing student films from no lines to a lead role. Then once I got the lead, I would look for an agent. It took me 40 student films later until I got a lead, and even better it was in an independent film. I got an agent later that week.

BLAST: Speaking of inspiration, you worked on the film “The Magic of Ordinary Days,” a romantic-drama that includes the topic of internment camps back in the 40s for Japanese Americans.

TG: That is the first role of mine where I have no accent. The casting director loved me at first but because of my accent it didn’t work with the character that is born and raised here. So I took accent reduction classes, and auditioned until I had it like 100 percent. I researched the most for this film, about five to six weeks every day. I signed up with the Japanese Museum in LA, watched all the movies about the internment camp, the outfits worn [at the time], the way they spoke back then, the relationships within the family -”" father, mother, and kids. I even visited with survivors from the internment camps at convalescent homes.

BLAST: It really must have been a changing moment for you, working so dedicatedly. And not to mention, you got to work with Keri Russell, an amazing actress.

TG: I was so nervous working with her at first because I couldn’t believe it. I had seen her work, you know? She is so professional and great! It’s easy working with her because she’s so talented, and wonderful on the set. I hope we can work together again.

BLAST: Right now, you’re listed as being in the upcoming film “Possession” which stars Trent Ford and Autumn Reeser. There’s not too many details about the character you play, and how often you’re in it.

TG: We shot it about, I think, two years ago. I play a receptionist, and I share two scenes with Trent. Originally it was supposed to be a voice-over role. I can’t take the credit for this, but a friend of mine helped me with the audition to make my performance kind of radical. They liked it, and I found out they wrote it so I could be in the film.

BLAST: Your work is so eclectic, but if you had your choice of a dream cast? Who would be on the list? Which actors would you like to do projects with?

TG: Outside of Disney family and in general… gosh. You know, no one has asked me that question before. This is great! My favorite movie is “Notting Hill,” and I love its story. So, okay, I would love to be in a movie with Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Hugh Grant, Julia Roberts and James McAvoy.

BLAST: That’s a movie cast people would line up to see!

TG: Also, I have always wanted to do a period piece like the eighteen hundreds. It would be fun.

BLAST: Alright, so now that weve gotten an idea about your dream cast, let’s talk about “Aaron Stone.”

TG: Yay!

BLAST: Online gaming is a big part of the show. Did you play games before you landed the role?

TG: I like to play Guitar Hero with my family and friends. And there’s Rock Band where sometimes I’ll sing or play the drums. I can actually — really — play the drums.

BLAST: For those who may know nothing about Emma Lau, how would you describe her?

TG: Basically, my character leads a double life. She’s the girl next door and like any other teenager. But when she comes home she designs and creates the weapons that help Aaron Stone save the world. I’m the one in charge of making new gadgets, and upgrades for him. There’s a one called The Party Crasher that allows you to spy on people. When they create the props, they make it so it actually has my voice come up. It’s so cool. I love all the gadgets except for this thing called The Electro-Depletor which kills all electronic devices around you. But that one isn’t real.

BLAST: And of course, what’s it like working with the cast?

TG: You know, I’ll be honest, they are all so awesome. We all get along and work together so well! We know our lines, and goof around while on set. I work mostly in scenes with Kelly [Blatz] who plays Aaron Stone. But I’ve been getting to work more with JP [Stan], since our characters and Aaron Stone work for the same person. JP is fun, and David Lambert [Jason], David is so funny, and nice. I can’t believe he’s only 14.

BLAST: There are a lot action sequences on the show, and you’ve done quite a lot in recent episodes.

TG: You know, Kelly and I we had to train two weeks before we started filming because we do a lot of staged combat. Stage combat is a lot different than regular kickboxing and all because you want to make every move exaggerated, so when you punch, you want to punch all the way to look good on camera. And Kelly, man, you know I just love him because you know you want to trust the person you’re working with when you do fighting scenes.

BLAST: Of course, because knocking someone out would be an odd way to start a friendship.

TG: Yes, exactly. I mean you don’t want to get hit. I love that we train together because we work with one of the best in martial artists, Koichi [Sakamoto]. I mean he basically trains everyone. I believe one of the perks of Aaron Stone. Now, I feel like I’ve gotten better because before I was scared. He would tell me, “Now, Tania, for this week, we want you to be able to jump that table. Then you’ll get hit, and fall onto the floor. Then you’ll run up to the couch. And then you’re going to jump, and fall into this thing, and then somebody is going to hit you.” And I’m like, “Okay, you mean you want me to jump on that particular table?” But it was really fun in the beginning because we learned how to fall properly.

Also, Kelly was there and we helped each other through it. In the beginning, we had bruises and everything. But later on the set, it’s important to have a good relationship with your cast because you have to trust them. For example, in one scene Aaron and Emma are fighting these ninjas and Kelly has to turn me slightly like upside down so I can do a kick. And I have to trust him fully, 100 percent. I mean he’s so dedicated at work, even though in between takes we goof around, talk, you know, make chit-chat. But then once the camera starts rolling everyone is on top of their game.

BLAST: I always enjoy watching scenes between Emma and Charlie. The first scene I caught of them, she invited him to join her for boba tea. Later in the episode he forgets about it. I mean, who ditches the chance to go grab some boba drink?

TG: Right? (laughs) I’m addicted to it. The entire cast and crew, nobody knew about boba before it. I’m like, it’s boba tea, I drink it all the time. There’s one episode where we were shooting the scene when I got stood up by Aaron Stone [Charlie], after asking him out on a date, not a date date but to go get boba? That was about a block away from my apartment in Toronto, and that’s exactly where we got the boba drink [in that scene], where we shot it.

BLAST: So is there anything more we can expect as far as their relationship since the ‘Boba Incident’? Maybe something romantic? I mean their characters are already close, but now they work for the same cause.

TG: Okay, there are two secrets I can say without giving out too much. There are two short kissing scenes, just one or two seconds. One of them is mine. The other is Kelly. BUT it may not be between them. It may be other people!

BLAST: Oh, wow, how scandalous! I’ll have to set my DVR.

TG: Scandalous DisneyXD! I know, when I read the script I was surprised!

BLAST: Well this is going to be a fun season! Alright, so before we let you go, a lot of people may not know you’re an advocate for humane treatment of animals.

TG: Yes, I love all kinds of animals. I have two cats at home [California] named Lucy and Ricky after my favorite TV show, I Love Lucy. It’s always sad for me when I have to leave them and start shooting the show in Canada. Fortunately, there’s a great place in Toronto, Abandoned Cat Rescue, where I foster cats. Cats, they’re so wonderful, they give you unconditional love and when you come home they’re just ready for you.

BLAST: And when you’re in California, what are some of the organizations or groups you support? I understand often shelters and centers sometimes are understaffed. I’m sure people would like know about what they can do or where to go.

TG: Well thank you, there are several places actually. There’s LA Animal Services, where at the humane center I look after the bunnies because they don’t get as much attention from visitors like with the dogs or cats. There’s a Society for Rabbits that I like here in LA, I also, whenever I get a chance, spend time at St. Martin’s Rescue where they save pit bulls and other dogs.

BLAST: So that about wraps it up, and I’m sure people “"- myself included “"- will be excited at the next installment of “Aaron Stone!”

TG: This has been fun! Can’t wait to talk with you guys again!

“Aaron Stone” airs on Monday nights 9/8c with all new episodes scheduled for June 22nd on the cable network DisneyXD.

THQ has published games based on everything from the silly cartoon antics of SpongeBob, to the more serious yet ultimately just as funny Drake and Josh television series. ‚ Joystiq.com calls the publisher the “unparalleled master of licensed gaming adaptations.”‚  THQ’s presence is undeniable, and their target audience is thirsty for more.

THQ aims to quench that longing with “Up,” a game in development for every imaginable gaming platform, based on the hotly anticipated Disney Pixar feature film by the same name.

Up will follow the exotic adventures of main character Carl Fredricksen and his young sidekick Wilderness Explorer Russell as they trek through the undiscovered jungles of South America. Treacherous jungle terrain, dangerous creatures and the slippery slopes of the Amazonian Tepuis await you in this latest film to game title.

Up will feature both single player and co-op game-play with an additional multiplayer component containing four player aerial combat.

Development of Up is being handled by Heavy Iron Studios, creators of the video game renditions of Ratatouille and WALL-E, the former earning a “Best Animated Video Game award” from the International Animated Film Society.

I was lucky enough to view a portion of the film at Comic Con and without giving any spoilers, I really think the varying character personalities coupled with the extravagant locations will for make a great video game if executed properly.

This spring Up will release on PlayStation 3, PlayStation 2, PlayStation Portable, Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS, Games for Windows, and Mac.

If you just cannot wait, a free playable demo is available on Up the video game’s official site here.

More information regarding Up the film can be found here.

This is the first of a new line of articles about old-school comic books.

Published since 1940, this venerable “funny animal” comic book has enjoyed 700 issues over 70 years. WDC&S is an important title for many reasons — including the fact that it had the honor of being the home of hundreds of the first and original stories about Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge, Donald’s nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie and the dreaded Beagle Boys written by Carl Barks.

Barks’ stint with WDC&S began with issue 31 in 1943, (the first 30 issues contained reprints of newspaper comic strips by Al Taliaferro) and he didn’t stop writing and drawing at least one feature story in every issue until #312, in 1966. Along the way, Barks created an entire extended family for Donald, including his girlfriend Daisy, his rich but miserly Uncle Scrooge McDuck, his maddeningly lucky cousin Gladstone Gander, the aforementioned Beagle Boys, Grandma Duck, zany inventor Gyro Gearloose and many other characters.

Barks never received credit in the pages of this or other comics on which he worked, but his zany stories and characters and unparalleled depiction of the duck characters earned him fame of a sort even back in the day. He was known simply as “the good artist” because compared to him, no one could really do Donald and the gang justice visually. (As a lad, my mother, who’d been a fan since childhood, raised me right and I quickly learned to discern Barks’ work from the pretenders’ – if the story wasn’t drawn by “the good artist,” she wouldn’t read it to me.)

WDC&S sold in massive quantities, but the characters and stories were so widely popular that most copies were passed around over the years, so finding copies in grades higher than fine is extremely difficult.

Issue #’s 49, 59, 62, and 87 range in publication date from Oct. 1944 (issue 49) to Dec. 1947. ‚ Values for these Golden Age gems vary considerably, with low-grade copies listing for $25-30 or so and high grade copies commanding $500 to $1,000 if you can find them. Issue 167 is from the mid-’50s and is worth considerably less.

WDC&S sold in massive quantities — as many as several million copies of each issue were printed monthly during its heyday. But the characters and stories were so widely popular that most copies were passed around among dozens (or even hundreds) of young fans over the years, so finding copies of the Golden and early Silver Age issues in grades higher than Fine is extremely difficult.

WOBURN, Mass. — Disney makes a hit with their latest movie Bolt by using the Pixar talent it acquired in 2006 to bring back‚ their‚ successful animated movies. Bolt, a cute white German Sheppard who was raised in a TV set and believes has superpowers, was charming, funny and appreciated by young and old audiences alike.

What made Bolt such a good film to watch was just that; everybody at the theater laughed at the same moments, there were no masked jokes for the kids or boring cheesiness for the children. John Lasseter, the executive producer of the film, put his experience from Toy Story to good use. The CGI animation was fantastically good, as was the plotline and character development.

Bolt (voiced by John Travolta) is an acting dog who stars in a hit action television show and has never been let out from the studio. Because of this he was raised thinking that he truly has heat vision and a super bark. His costar, Penny (voiced by Miley Cirus) is kidnapped in one of the show’s climatic ending scenes, which freaks out the dog. Without understanding what is going on, Bolt decides to go rescue the tween girl and discover he is just another dog once he is in the real world.

Along the way of disheartening realizations about his fake powers Bolt takes a sassy cat, Mittens (by Susie Essman), hostage and meets a hyperactive hamster in a ball, (13-year Disney animation veteran Mark Walton). Together they venture on a cross-country quest to find Penny and the imagery that accompanies them is beautiful. In the first minutes of the film where an action scene from Bolt’s show is taking place this detail to the images is established.

Through the entire film viewers can see and feel the racing cars Bolt escapes from, the change of weather and the wind blowing or the sun shining. It all works in creating authenticity that draws people in. What makes them stay is the dialogue. By far the best one-liners and laughs were provided by the hamster in the ball.

Rhino is one of Bolt’s super fans and just as the dog thinks he has powers that have suddenly disappeared, Rhino believes he will be the sidekick for his hero. Eventually both the dog and the hamster come to the conclusion that the powers are nothing more than special effects but learn (Disney couldn’t miss the morale of the story) that they are special no matter what. Created for all audiences Bolt will be a holiday hit and a Disney video classic.

To make your Bolt experience better folks at Disney graced us with a super prize pack to give to one lucky reader. It includes the movie’s plush toys, movie-themed doggie‚ treats and the film’s Wii game amongst other goodies. Email your contact information to Giveaways@BlastMagazine.com‚ by January 1st to enter! Bolt gifts for your little ones are also available at all Toys “R” Us.

Talk about playing to your base. The 2004 Gameboy Advance title Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories is being remade for PlayStation 2 (note: not updated for PlayStation 3) and will be released December 2.

Kingdom Hearts games were massive successes on PlayStation 2 in 2002 and 2006 when the game and its sequel were originally released. Chain of Memories should build on that, despite the fact that it was a mediocre GBA game and is not coming out with all the bells and whistles of PlayStation 3.

Game summary:

Sora, Donald and Goofy travel down a long road that meanders through endless fields, and come to a crossroads. As Sora stands in the crossroads, he gazes up at the night sky and thinks of his lost friends.

Just then, a mysterious man approaches from down one of the branching paths. “Ahead lies something you need,” he says, “but to claim it, you must lose something dear.” The man vanishes before a single path, leading to a castle that eerily resembles a girl’s drawing…

In the coming journey, what will Sora and his companions gain, and what will they lose?

Game features:

• World-renowned creator and character designer Tetsuya Nomura and his team once again unite the magical world of Disney with the characters of Final Fantasy, inviting fans to an enchanting gaming experience
• An essential piece in the Kingdom Hearts franchise, which has shipped over 12 million units across the globe, comes to North America at long last
• In addition to Sora, players can control Riku in this adventure that bridges the gap between Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II.
• A full 3D remake of the original GBA release, Chain of Memories offers a refreshing rendition of the hit title for the PlayStation 2 system
• The talented voice cast from the North American releases of Kingdom Hearts and Kingdom Hearts II, including David Gallagher and Haley Joel Osment
• The mini-game catalog has been completely renewed, now with four brand new experiences accompanying the main adventure

“Memories” is expected to cost $29.99. It joins‚ Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days that is due out for the Nintendo DS later this year.

LOS ANGELES — This was the year everyone wanted to rock out at E3. With big releases like Rock Band 2 and Wii Music, and smaller debuts like Lips and Ultimate Band, the stage is set for every single class of gamer imaginable.

Harmonix’s Rock Band 2 was by far the most powerful music gaming release of the convention. It will release on all four major consoles this fall.

All old Rock Band songs are compatible with the new installment, said Alex Rigopulos, president of Harmonix, at Microsoft’s press conference. While there are 84 songs on the Rock Band 2 disc, over 500 songs will be available for play.

Almost all the Rock Band CD songs can be imported into Rock Band 2 automatically, which means no disc swapping, said Rigopulos.

Some major additions have been made to the Rock Band library. A brand new track from Guns N’ Roses will be added to the collection courtesy of Axle Rose. For the first time, Bob Dylan has licensed his songs to a music video game; in Rock Band’s case, his hit song Tangled Up In Blue. AC/DC will also be exclusively on Rock Band 2.

Twenty bonus tracks will be downloadable in the fall before the release of Rock Band 2.

While Activision withdrew from E3 before the convention, some new information was also released by Microsoft about Guitar Hero: World Tour.

The Guitar Hero franchise has sold more than 5 million copies on the Xbox 360, said Kai Huang, president and founder of Red Octane.

The new game features a new wireless drum kit complete with cymbals and a touch slide guitar. The game has more than 85 songs on the disc, though there will be many more available at the launch of World Tour and beyond.

In addition to new instruments, the game features new modes like an online band career and 8-player battle of the bands.

“WALL-E,” quite simply, is the animated work of genius we have all been waiting for.

The art is beautiful, the landscapes breathtaking, the characters unquestionably loveable, the breadth of the plot awe-inspiring and the message eerie. The trailers were only a hint at the story that lay behind the binocular eyes of one lonely robot with a developed personality, but the final piece lived up to the expectations.

The first half of the movie takes place on Earth, or what is left of it, as WALL-E continues to do the job that his class of robot, Waste Allocation Load Lifters, Earth-class, and clean up the mess we humans left behind. This monotonous daily routine is broken by the arrival of EVE, an Extra-terrestrial Vegetation Evaluator, and the first company WALL-E has had in a very, very long time.

We see through advertisements and signs as WALL-E traverses his way around the garbage dump Earth has become that seemingly everything is owned by a company called “BnL”, be it the all-you-can-buy superstore or the ocean-liners sitting in the empty basin that was once the sea.

After Earth became uninhabitable for humans to live on, BnL created a gigantic cruise spaceship that was equipped with everything that Earth’s population would need for their five-year sojourn into space while a massive team of WALL-Es cleaned up the Earth. Well, it’s 700 years after the launch of the cruise ship and WALL-E is the last functioning clean-up robot on Earth.

The plot shoots off into space once WALL-E presents EVE with a plant he found as a gift to try to win her affections. As it turns out, this is the first sign of life on Earth that has been detected in the 700 years since the humans left Earth.

The giant BnL spacecraft that had brought EVE to Earth reappears to take her back to the cruise ship, and WALL-E tags along in an attempt to save EVE from her apparent abduction. Enter here gorgeously choreographed animation sequences that involve WALL-E wave-surfing around the rings of Saturn and gazing dog-eyedly into a nebula.

The sight that awaits WALL-E as the spaceship returns to the cruise ship is far more horrifying for the adult viewer than it is comical. Commercials for the cruise back on Earth depicted it being a fun place for the whole family; you can even bring Granny, because no one needs to walk! The hover-chairs shown in the commercial to help Granny have been adopted by every human being in the ship as the only way of transportation. Babies are taught by robots as they sit in bouncer hover-chairs and there is no face-to-face interaction as everyone communicates via a digital screen located in front of their faces that does everything they should have been doing themselves.

Most horrifying of all is what has become of the human figure. Pictures and advertisements show fit men and women standing proudly in their replacement home, but the real humans have degenerated into fat, ungainly creatures that drink their food out of plastic soft-drink cups and use robots to do everything they should. A flow-chart of the progression of the human body (picture from apes to humans) shows that while our bodies kept getting rounder and rounder, we lost more and more of our bone mass due to lack of exercise or even movement at all.

Of course it is WALL-E who unwittingly sheds some light onto this situation. As he zooms around the BnL cruise ship after EVE, he shuts down one woman’s do-it-all screen and asks her if he can get by her so he can stand next to EVE. She politely lets him by; she hadn’t even realized he was there before. Then she looks around her in horror as though it was the first time she had really seen what they had become. Even though she had lived on the ship her entire life, she whispers softly, “I didn’t know we had a pool.”

The story is kid-safe, as far as it goes. They will laugh as WALL-E falls all over himself and as a group of dysfunctional robots wreak havoc around the ship. But WALL-E is far from being just another kid’s movie. It has a cautionary message of where our dependence upon mass culture and technology with no attention paid to the mess we left behind will lead.

In ways it is a modern day “1984″ with a touch of comedy, hidden under the guise of a kiddie movie. Pixar made a daring leap with this movie, and they made a safe landing. WALL-E is a work of art in every way, even as the BnL CEO (Fred Willard) chillingly orders the robotic auto-pilot Auto to “stay the course” after those left on Earth realize there is no chance of recolonization.

If you are looking for mindless comedy, go take the kids to “Kung Fu Panda”. But if you are looking for intelligence, wit, and an important warning about what we are drawing out world closer to each day, take your kids to WALL-E, the greatest movie of the year by far.