Us Again: Disney+ Talk

8th June 2021

‘Us Again’ is a 6-minute short film set in a city of music and lights where an elderly couple relive memories of their youth and dancing the night away with each other.

Considering that Lin-Manuel Miranda’s new musical film ‘In The Heights’ will finally be arriving in cinemas in two weeks’ time, this would be a perfect short to accompany it. It’s a wonderful piece of work from Disney.

The animation is gorgeous and the characters’ movements, most of which is dancing, are smooth and fluid. Not only that but the bright and vibrant lighting of the city is fantastic to look at. This is a city that has life to it and always has something going on. I especially loved the reflections in the puddles, as it would elevate the lighting of the scene, giving it a magical atmosphere.

The short film is structured like a musical number and succeeds wonderfully at this. The jazz music accompanying the short is catchy and upbeat; like previously mentioned, there’s life and positivity in this city and the soundtrack reflects that beautifully. However, like the short ‘Paperman’, it also acts as a way to emphasise the lead character’s actions and show what their actual feelings are. This made ‘Us Again’ not only delightful to watch but satisfying as the music’s timing would match the actions of the characters. It’s essentially the driving force of the film.

However, ‘Us Again’ is also about reminiscing someone’s youth and ‘the olden days’. The film focuses on a husband and his young-at-heart wife as she tries to remind him of their youthful days. However, he’s not as enthusiastic; he’d rather watch the days go by in the comfort of his home. It was almost like he’d made an acceptance of once you’re old, then that’s it. This is especially evident when he goes outside in the rain and the rain reverts the couple back to when they were young. However, as the rain disappears, it reverts them back to being elderly, so the husband starts to chase the rain, holding onto a time long gone. However, like the wife demonstrates, you don’t have to stop having fun just because you’re elderly. This film was not only about reminiscing but also accepting that you can grow old and still be young at heart. It’s about looking back fondly but also living in the present happily.

‘Us Again’ is a delightful new short film from Disney. The animation and lighting are wonderful, and the soundtrack is upbeat and catchy. It’s the driving force of the film and it’s satisfying to watch the music symbolize the characters actions and movements. However, it’s also a tale about remembering the youthful days fondly while learning to live in the present and being happy with where you are now. It’s essentially a visual representation of the phrase ‘growing old is compulsory but growing up is optional’ and Disney demonstrated this in a fun and touching way.

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