Meet Baby Moana in this New International Trailer

This new Moana trailer comes from Japan, and (full disclosure) is more a short clip than it is a real trailer. It's probably coming from the beginning of the new Disney movie, as we see a very young Moana interacting with the Ocean. Watch the clip after the break.

Review: 'The Boy and the Beast' is the First Great 2016 Animated Feature

Sometimes living in France is a good thing; while the apparently catastrophic Norm of the North was released this weekend in the United States, French cinemas got another family film instead: The Boy and the Beast. The new Mamoru Hosoda movie was a hit last summer in Japan, and it just opened in France this week. It will arrive in the US soon (12th February), yet there is still no official date for the UK, but hopefully it will open in 2016 as well.
So yes, The Boy and the Beast is indeed better than Norm of the North appears to be. Read the review below to find out why.

Adults Dig The Wind Rises... Kids, Not So Much

The Wind Rises is due to officially open in Japan this weekend, and in anticipation of the film, around 10,000 people have been able to snag a pre-showing over the past week. As expected, the viewers have taken to the internet and social media to let everyone know their thoughts on the most recent Studio Ghibli film.

Watch: Epic New Japenese Footage from Frozen

While the first teaser trailer for Walt Disney Animation Studios' winter release focused on the comic side of things, this new Japanese footage from Frozen focuses wholeheartedly on the epic scope and exciting visuals of the film.

While I quite liked the teaser, it felt pretty slight (particularly after such an overlong wait), but there's nothing slight about this. This latest footage is impressive in every possible way, and I think it's safe to say Frozen has officially stopped looking like Tangled. Impressive, immersive, visceral... The Japanese sure know how to make a film look fantastic.

Frozen is directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee, and hits cinemas on 27th November in the US and 6th December in the UK

Via Elsa Chang (Twitter).

Studio Ghibli Releases Trailer for The Wind Rises

Finally! With one month to go until the Japanese premiere of The Wind Rises, Studio Ghibli has finally released a teaser trailer for the film. Unfortunately, because the trailer was released by Japanese TV networks, there are talking heads, and a lot of script around the edges clouding the screen. Below you will find two versions of the trailer, and hopefully one of them works for you.

New Character Images for Studio Ghibli's The Wind Rises

The Wind Rises is due to debut in Japan on July 20th, and all we've had to go on are four beautiful posters, but no trailer, or even stills. Until now. No, we still don't have a trailer but now we have snapshots of the cast of characters... as well as those providing the voices. This last part is very interesting as we now can see where the animators have gotten their inspiration for the character designs.

From Up on Poppy Hill Review: A Grown-Up Twist on a Coming-of-Age Story

*This review is mostly spoiler free, but proceed with caution.*

Studio Ghibli has been known for its amazing imagery and intricate storytelling, incorporating everything from the supernatural (Kiki's Delivery Service), to the futuristically natural (Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind), to the anachronistically wonderful (Castle in the Sky). However, every once in a while they do something a little different. Similar in tone and approach as Only Yesterday, From Up on Poppy Hill is a rarity in the the world of animated films. It attempts to balance a coming-of-age romance story, with the pivotal self discovery of our two protagonists.

Japanese Monsters University Trailer Shows Off Lots of New Footage - And a Lot of the Plot

Japanese trailers are a curious thing. On the one hand, they're always really good, often very emotional, and lend a lot of charm and excitement to the promotion of whatever film they're made for (see last year's awesome Brave one for an example). On the other hand, however, they're always extremely spoiler-heavy, showcasing a sizeable portion of a film's major plot-points. With that in mind, check out this new spoiler heavy Japanese trailer for Pixar's Monsters University!

Epic, Intense Japanese Brave Trailer

Although we've seen a glut of Brave coverage, trailers and clips over the past few weeks, strangely enough the thing that does the best job of hyping Pixar's next feature film and building a paramount sense of anticipation and intensity, is not even in the English language.

Above you'll see the Japanese trailer for Brave (with English subtitles) - there dubbed Merida and the Forest of Fear - which is by far the most intense and epic promotional material we've seen for Pixar's thirteenth feature film so far. A combination of the brilliantly atmospheric voiceover and the focus on character, story and the film's environmental message means that this trailer really leaves you not able to wait for release date.

Although I've read many call it spoiler heavy, there seems to be very little in the trailer that we haven't already heard about in plot synopses - that said, it does show us a lot of previously unseen and, obviously, brilliant footage.

Brave roars into theatres on 22nd June (North America), 21st July (Japan) and 17th August (UK).

Picture of the Day: Japanese Up

Disney/Pixar have really stepped up their Tweets as of late and we got a really good one this past week. Disney/Pixar Tweeted that the title of Up was "tweaked for Japan", this linked to the very cool looking poster above, which we are now informed reads "Grandpa Carl's Flying House". You can't make this stuff up. It's not quite as catchy as Up, but I'd still pay to see it.

Cars 2 Tidbits

This past week has brought a tonne of new Cars 2 stuff; characters and posters galore. Firstly, above we have a huge new Cars 2 Triptych poster courtesy of Apple and it showcases pretty much all of the characters we have previously met and a few new ones (Double Decker buses anyone?).

We've also been introduced to 4 new Japanese Cars 2 characters (below):

Kingpin Nobunaga

Official Description: As a professional Sumo wrestler at an arena in Tokyo, Japan, Kingpin Nobunaga is a gold-painted micro van who fights his fiercest matches when he’s wearing his lucky purple mawashi.

Pinion Tanaka

Official Description: Pinion Tanaka is a gold-painted micro van and a professional Sumo wrestler from Tokyo, Japan, who’s always a menacing sight in the ring in his signature teal mawashi.

Okuni

Official Description: Okuni is a micro car Kabuki dancer who dons the traditional white-painted face and an exquisite colorful kimono for her performances at the Kabuki theater in Tokyo, Japan.

Zen Master

Official Description: A master in the art of sculpting the serene zen rock garden at the Tokyo museum, Zen Master wears his old woven reed hat and uses his antique wood rake to create mesmerizing patterns in the garden’s sand.

Finally, we have 3 new Cars 2 Retro Posters (below):

A Collection of Things - Blogwise

I just thought I'd best compile a list of new features on the blog for you guys to take note of:



Firstly, above you'll see the like button for our brand new Facebook page, please like us on the world's biggest social networking site... it's always nice to be liked!

Secondly, you'll find our new Word of the Week page here, I'll be uploading a new one every week, please feel free to give feedback on the words, we hope they help!

Finally, please remember to vote in our poll to the right as to which blog logo you prefer, not long left to vote now, the winning logo will stay up!

Also, in this time of pain and suffering, I hope you'll all join me in saying a prayer for all those affected by the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and hope that it all gets better for them all very soon!