Disney- Or Not? Trivia Quiz

Answer: Yes

"Mulan" is based on an old Chinese folktale. It was released on the 19th of June 1998 in the USA, and was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation.

Mulan, the only daughter of the Fa family, can't seem to do anything right. She learns that her father has received a conscription notice to go and fight against the invading Huns. Risking her own life, she disguises herself as a boy, and enters the army. Revealing any more might spoil the plot, but this was a wonderful movie about a young woman who dared to speak out at a time and place were women were seen, but not heard.

Eddie Murphy provides the comic relief in this film, as the mischievous, guardian dragon, Mushu. I would highly recommend this film for kids of all ages!

Answer: The Prince of Egypt

All three movies listed above, except for "The Prince of Egypt", had Walt Disney Pictures involved in the production of the film.

"The Prince of Egypt" was produced by DreamWorks SKG, and distributed by DreamWorks Distribution. It is very loosely based on the biblical story of Moses, and how he brought the Hebrews out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. "When You Believe", one of the songs on the soundtrack that was written by Steven Schwartz, was awarded the Oscar for Best Song in 1998. I love this movie, as it features brilliant music, and a very uplifting message. A must see!

"The Black Cauldron" was released in the USA in 1985, and is based on the novel series "The Chronicles of Prydain" by Lloyd Alexander. It was produced by Silver Screen Partners II and Walt Disney Pictures. It is about a young boy named Taran, who must set out to destroy a cauldron, along with his magical pig. This is not an easy task, however, as the evil Horned King will stop at nothing to prevent Taran from getting to the cauldron, which has the power to destroy the Horned King and put and end to his evil.

"Tarzan" was released in 1999, and was produced by Edgar Rice Burroughs Inc., Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation. It is loosely based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' book, which tells the story of a boy who grew up with the gorillas of Africa, and suffers a bit of an identity crisis when he discovers that there are others who look exactly like him. This movie involves action, romance, and great music by the wonderful Phil Collins. It is a must for anyone who likes or is interested in the legend of Tarzan, the Ape Man!

"Brother Bear" was released in 2003 in the USA, after being produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Feature Animation. Starring Joaquin Phoenix as the voice of Kenai, a young Inuit boy, is transformed into a bear, and is given the task of looking after a young bear cub, Koda, as he desperately tries to change back into his human form. Along the way, as the tagline says, he "sees through another's eyes, feels through another's heart, and discovers the true meaning of brotherhood." An absolutely brilliant film, with a really true and heartfelt message at its core.

Answer: Antz

"Antz" was released in the USA in 1998, along with the tag line "Every ant has his day." It was directed by Eric Darnell and Tim Johnson, and written by Todd Alcott, and Chris and Paul Weitz. Stars such as Woody Allen, Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman and Jennifer Lopez, amongst many others, lend their voices to this star-studded, voice talent cast. The storyline is absolutely hilarious, with the main character being Z, a worker ant with a serious inferiority complex. He poses as a soldier ant to try and win the affections of Princess Bala. This leads to him eventually kidnapping the Princess, and foiling the plot of the evil General Mandible, and bags him the Princess along the way, too.

Released in the USA in 1998, "A Bug's Life" stars the voice talents of stars such as Dave Foley, Kevin Spacey, Bonnie Hunt, and a very young Hayden Panettiere. It was produced by Pixar Animation Studios, and released by Walt Disney Pictures and the Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group (which is owned by the Walt Disney Company, anyway). Flik (rather like Z) is another social misfit, who accidentally destroys his colony's offering to mob-like grasshoppers who come once a year. To make up for his stupidity, Flik sets off to find "bigger bugs" who will come and help fight. It is somewhat similar to the 1986 Western Comedy "Three Amigos," with the circus performing bugs helping defend the colony, while they think they're actually giving a performance.

Both of these "buggy" movies are beautifully animated, with uplifting story lines. They are an absolute must for kids who love nature!

Answer: Ice Age

In my opinion, "Ice Age" is one of the better CGI animated films to have been released. It was released in the USA in 2002, and was produced by 20th Century Fox Animation and Blue Sky Studios. Starring the voice talents of Ray Romano and Jack Black, amongst others, "Ice Age" tells the story of three misfits; Manny, the lonely and sullen mammoth; Sid, the fast-talking and slow witted sloth; and Diego, the tough sabre-toothed tiger with a good heart, who must try and get a baby back to his father before the mountain pass closes due to... well, the ice age, of course! It's a beautifully animated and heartwarming story of love and friendship, and to this day, I still enjoy watching it.

"Monsters Inc." was released in 2001. It was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. It tells the story of the main power company in Monstropolis, "Monsters Inc." which generates power from children's screams. Unfortunately, children are "poisonous" and any monster would become instantly infected if touched by one. So, of course, trouble breaks loose when a child manages to find her way into the monster world, and also into the heart of the big and blue James P. Sullivan (aka Sulley), and his pal, Mike Wazowski. This is a wonderful film, with great humour and brilliant animation.

"Dinosaur" was released in 2000, after being produced by Walt Disney Studios and Walt Disney Feature Animation. It tells the story of an orphaned dinosaur named Aladar, who is raised by a family of lemurs. When there is a meteorite shower, he and his "family" escape and, under the tyrannical leadership of Kron and Bruton, must try and make his way to the nesting grounds. This is the only place that they'll be safe. When I say that the animation and the imagery is absolutely breath-taking, I'm not joking. The animators really seem to capture the beauty of the Jurassic period, and it is a wonderful film, featuring the voice talents of D.B. Sweeney, Alfre Woodard and Hayden Panettiere.

In 2005, the old children's tale of "The Sky Is Falling" or "Chicken Licken" or "Chicken Little" was brought to life in a modern and fun way in the form of a film titled "Chicken Little". The movie was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Walt Disney Animation. It tells the story of Chicken Little who, after ruining his and his father's reputation after crying wolf by saying that the sky was falling, has to try and keep it secret when he discovers that aliens are invading his town. No one believes him, of course, and it is eventually up to him and his friends, Ugly Duckling, Fish out of Water and Runt of the Litter, to save the day.

Answer: Shark Tale

All of the above mentioned films were produced by a Walt Disney production company, except for "Shark Tale".

"Shark Tale" was released in 2005, after being produced by DreamWorks Animation, DreamWorks SKG and Pacific Data Images. The movie is about Oscar, a small fish in a very VERY big pond, who dreams of making it big and living it up. Luck seems to head his way when a shark drops dead in front of him, and he claims that he was the one who killed it. Unfortunately, the dead shark's father happens to be the Godfather of the ocean, and is soon after poor Oscar, who happens to be buddies with his other son, Lenny, a vegetarian. So, as you can imagine, things get interesting...
"Shark Tale" features an absolutely wonderful cast, with celebrities such as Will Smith, Renee Zellweger, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Jack Black, and Martin Scorsese lending their voices to the underwater wonderland creatures. The animators of this film really outdid themselves, as they made sure that each fish had a few characteristics of the actor who was playing that role.
"Shark Tale" is a spectacularly animated film, that really brings to life an underwater New York, and has great music to top it off!

"The Incredibles" was produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. It was released in the USA in 2004. It tells the tale of Mr Incredible, a superhero, who happens to get married to Elastagirl. When superheroes start being shunned, he and his wife stop their heroic deeds, and start living like normal people. In the fifteen years that they lead normal lives, they have three children; Violet, Dash and Jack-Jack. Mr Incredible (aka Bob Parr) works as an insurance salesman, until he gets a very tempting and mysterious offer from an anonymous boss. His "boss", as it turns out, was a kid Mr Incredible ignored some time back, and who has now turned into an evil villain (Syndrome). And what kind of superhero would Mr Incredible be if he didn't save the world? "The Incredibles" is a brilliant movie, with fantastic animation and a far fetched, but fairly good storyline to go with it.

"Finding Nemo" is one of those truly spectacular movies that only comes along every once in a while, and was the recipient of the Best Animated Feature Oscar Award in 2004. It was produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Pixar Animation Studios, and Disney Enterprises Inc. It tells the story of Marlin, a clown fish who, after losing his wife and all but one of the eggs to a bigger fish, is very protective of his only son, Nemo. When Nemo is captured by a dentist, Marlin stops at nothing to get him back. Along the way, Marlin teams up with Dory, a blue fish with no short term memory. It's an absolute masterpiece that people of all ages will enjoy, and that was absolutely breathtakingly animated. A must for all ages!

"Toy Story" was released in 1995, after being produced by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios. With Tom Hanks and Tim Allen taking on the lead voice roles, "Toy Story" tells the story of a toy cowboy named Woody, who happens to be his owner (Andy's) favourite toy. Favourite toy, that is, until Buzz Lightyear comes along. Of course, this annoys Woody completely, until he accidentally knocks Buzz out of the window, and a whirlwind adventure for both of them starts. Despite being one of the earlier CGI animated films, "Toy Story" has fantastic animation, and a really good message at its core. It's a film I still enjoy over and over again.

Answer: 20th Century Fox Animation Studios

"Anastasia" was released in 1997 in the USA, and was directed by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman.

It is loosely based on the myth of the youngest daughter of Nicholas II, of the Romanov dynasty, who was believed by some to have survived the Russian Revolution. In the movie, a girl named Anya unknowingly accompanies two con-men, Dimitri and Vladimir to Paris, where they wish to trick the Dowager Empress Marie, Anastasia's grandmother, into giving them the reward money. Of course, Anya turns out to really be Anastasia, and the evil Rasputin, determined to vanquish all the Romanovs, makes many attempts to kill her along the way.

With stars such as Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammmer and Angela Lansbury lending their voices to this movie, it's a treat for anyone interested in history, modern myths, and good music!

Answer: Yes

"The Sword in the Stone" was released in 1963 in the USA, and was produced by Walt Disney Productions.

"The Sword in the Stone" is a sort of background filler to the legend of King Arthur, and how he came to possess Excalibur and be crowned King of England. The film is basically about a young boy named "Wart" (although his real name is Arthur), who's greatest ambition in life is to be a Squire, and who befriends an eccentric old wizard named Merlin and his pet owl, Archimedes.

While I personally don't feel that this movie was up to Disney's usual standard, it is still a fairly entertaining movie that will certainly enthrall and enchant kids who love anything that's animated.

Answer: Madagascar

"Madagascar" was produced by DreamWorks SKG, Pacific Data Images and DreamWorks Animation. It was released in the USA in 2005, and featured the voice talents of Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith and David Schwimmer. "Madagascar" tells the story of a bunch of spoiled animals from New York Central Park Zoo; a zebra, a lion, a giraffe and a hippo, who end up landing on the small island of Madagascar, just off the East Coast of Africa. It is a very entertaining film, but even though it's animated, some of the jokes cracked might sail right over the heads of the younger kids who watch it. Great fun!

"The Lion King" is one of my favourite Disney movies. Produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation Walt Disney Pictures, and released in the USA in 1994, "The Lion King" has even been turned into a Broadway production. It won two Oscars in 1995, for Best Original Song ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight" performed by Elton John) and for Best Original Score (composed by Hans Zimmer). It is about a young lion cub named Simba, who is the heir to the "throne" of Pride Rock. When his father, Mufasa, is killed by his evil Uncle Scar, Simba runs away into the jungle, where he teams up with the comical Timon and Pumbaa, taking up the motto of "Hakuna Matata." However, after several years of exile, Simba's past catches up with him, and he must return to Pride Rock to defeat his uncle once and for all. An absolute masterpiece!

"The Jungle Book" was released in 1967, and was based on the novel by Rudyard Kipling. It was produced by Walt Disney Productions. It tells the story of Mowgli, the "man cub" of the jungle, who is raised by wolves, and is eventually put under the care of the wise panther, Bagheera, who desperately tries to help Mowgli reach the man village, as he is being hunted by the tiger, Shere Khan. Along the way, Mowgli meets a great deal of other animals, including Baloo the bear, King Louis, and a group of vultures. "The Jungle Book" is a very enjoyable film, which fans of Rudyard Kipling's work will love.

"The Wild" was produced by C.O.R.E. Feature Animation, Contrafilm, Hoytyboy Pictures, Nigel Productions and Walt Disney Pictures. It was released in the USA in 2006, and at first sight, seems to be very similar to "Masagascar", which was released just a few months before. However, upon watching the film, the two storylines, despite both involving animals escaping from the New York Central Park Zoo, have very different plots. "The Wild" is about a young lion named Ryan, who is accidentally shipped off to Africa. His father, Samson, and some of his zoo buddies set out to rescue him, and thwart an evil wildebeest and an about-to-erupt volcano in the process. The animation is excellent, and features the voices of stars such as Kiefer Sutherland, Eddie Izzard and William Shatner. Animal lovers of any age should enjoy "The Wild!"

Answer: False

Based on the book "Shrek" by William Steig, the "Shrek" films seem to have worked their way into the hearts of children and adults alike. The first one (aptly titled "Shrek") was released in the USA on the 18th of July in 2001, and people have loved these movies ever since. To date, three "Shrek" films have been released; "Shrek," "Shrek 2" and "Shrek the Third".

The "Shrek" movies tell the tale of a loveable green ogre, his talking donkey, and the love of his life, Princess Fiona (who happens to turn into an ogre when the sun goes down). The first movie details Shrek and Fiona's meeting, and their eventual marriage, after thwarting the evil Lord Farquad. The second movie, "Shrek 2" seems to be a parody of "Meet the Parents", in which Shrek, along with Donkey and Fiona, travels to the land of Far Far Away to meet his in-laws. The third movie, "Shrek the Third" shows Shrek desperately trying to find an heir to the throne of Far Far Away.

The Shrek movies are all absolutely wonderful, with brilliant animation, and use the voice talents of people such as Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy, amongst many other talented stars. All three of the "Shrek" movies have been produced by DreamWorks Pictures.

Answer: Dream Works SKG

This film was released in 2000, along with the tag line "They came for the gold... they stayed for the adventure" by Dream Works SKG (also known as Dream Works Pictures). The film was directed by Eric "Bibo" Bergeron and Don Paul.

The story is basically about two Spanish con men who, in a game of dice (theirs are loaded) with some sailors, win a map to the Lost City of Gold. (Then again, what sort of con men would they be if they DIDN'T cheat a little?) After being found as stowaways on the ship of Hernan Cortes, they manage to escape, and eventually find their way to the legendary El Dorado, where they are mistaken for gods. Of course there wouldn't be much of a story line if they weren't found out by the bad guy (in this case, Tzekel-Kan, the malicious High Priest,) after which pure chaos ensues.

"The Road to El Dorado" has a great soundtrack, written by Hans Zimmer, Elton John and Tim Rice, and boasts the voice talents of Kenneth Brannagh, Kevin Cline and Rosie Perez, Armand Assante, and Edward James Olmos. It is probably one of my favourite kids' movies of all time.

Thanks for playing. I hope you enjoyed it!