Disney+ Talk With Megan Williams: Trail Mix-Up (Roger Rabbit Short)
After stills from the Warner Bros. sequel ‘Space Jam: New Legacy’ were released, I wanted to dedicate this week’s article to the Disney/Warner Bros. collab classic ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit?’. However, after searching for it on Disney Plus, I discovered that there was a short film that was made, that revolves around Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman that is separate from the live action/animated film.
Released in 1993, five years after ‘Who Framed Roger Rabbit’ and produced by Steven Spielberg, ‘Trail Mix-Up’ is a 9-minute short that sees the famous rabbit go on a camping trip that results in hilarious disaster.
From the start, the ‘Looney Tunes’/’Animaniacs’ influence is present, and I wouldn’t be surprised if this short was a concept test for ‘Animanics’, which came out later that same year. The slapstick humour and structure of the short is extremely reminiscent of the Buttons and Mindy skits that feature in that cartoon. The idea of an animal looking after a baby, and then a worst-case scenario is played out that puts that baby in danger is something this short and the Buttons and Mindy skits have in common and was an aspect that was recognizable immediately.
However, it also has some references to ‘Tom & Jerry’, another slapstick cartoon. An example of this was the way Roger’s owner was portrayed: the viewers never see her face; just her legs and hear her voice. This was something that ‘Tom & Jerry’ was known for. And, for this short, it works: the focus should be on the misadventures of Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman, so it doesn’t waste its short running time trying to introduce the owner. Even the introduction and title card are similar to the ‘Tom & Jerry’ cartoons, with the circular logo and similar image layouts. This does beg the question to as whether the short, then, is more of a Warner Bros. property than a Disney one, despite the fact that this short is on Disney Plus.
While Roger’s owner isn’t shown, it does happily give viewers a short cameo from Jessica Rabbit, who plays the Park Ranger. Roger’s reaction to her also lends itself to ‘Animaniacs’; it’s reminiscent of Wakko and Yakko’s reaction to the nurse.
And, if the viewer didn’t think the short could get more surreal, it does at the end, where it’s revealed that Roger Rabbit and Baby Herman were just filming another movie, and Roger had ejected them out of the set and into live-action Hollywood. It then ends with Roger accidently deflating the Earth. It’s not only surreal and strange, but it reminds me of the ending to Mel Brooks’ ‘Blazing Saddles’. This was an aspect of Roger Rabbit that I enjoyed the most: the 4th wall breaking. And, while it’s odd to suddenly see the real world at the end, it never feels out of place because the feature film was a live action/animated hybrid 5 years earlier. So, in a sense, it’s expected, and it’s delightful.
Overall, ‘Roger Rabbit: Trail Mix-Up’ was hilarious, surreal and a crazy short that deserves to be seen by Roger Rabbit fans. The slapstick comedy and comedic timing are fantastic, and even fans of ‘Animaniacs’ and ‘Tom & Jerry’ will love this, due to the similar humour and tropes. However, while I enjoyed it, I have noticed the number of times I’ve referenced Warner Bros. properties and not Disney ones. And that’s because there isn’t anything Disney-like about this short; it feels like it should belong to Warner Bros. instead. However, it could also be argued that the feature film would carry a similar debate. Either way, ‘Trail Mix-Up’ is a fantastic short that is enjoyable and completely crazy.
It seems like a long time ago since I started discussing ‘Wandavision’ but we have come to the conclusion of the series.
Episode 9, titled ‘The Series Finale’, sees Wanda, Vision, Billy and Tommy go up against S.W.O.R.D and their secret weapon in order to protect their beloved and bewitched town.
If I were to say anymore in the episode description, I would be spoiling the episode!
Overall, this is an episode that was bound to happen: a battle between Agatha Harkness and Wanda Maximoff, and a faceoff between Vision and White Vision. And, while this does happen, the show is happy to give us more answers, one that was personally unexpected.
‘Wandavision’, overall, has been a delightful addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The decision to make this a mystery show was a fantastic idea. It meant that this entry was unique to the usual action-packed format that is so often seen in the films. As well as this, it focused on Wanda Maximoff and Vision, two characters that were previously poorly written. The introduction of this show meant that they were given a second chance in terms of writing and character development. And, while Wanda Maximoff was one of my favourite characters even before ‘Wandavision’, my love for her has increased after this.
Paul Bettany and Elizabeth Olsen are fantastic as Vision and Wanda, and this show gives them more of a spotlight to shine in, which they do effortlessly. Their onscreen chemistry is beautiful and it’s clear why these characters love each other. Wandavision does a better job at displaying their relationship than the Marvel Cinematic Universe ever did! Elizabeth Olsen is also fantastic as Wanda, a character struck with so much immense grief that it literally held a town captive. Despite her actions, she’s a sympathetic character; she just wants to be happy with Vision, something that was taken away from her suddenly and horribly. Grief is something that everyone can relate to. Even Monica says at the end that, if she had Wanda’s powers, she would immediately bring her mother back. Even if she was perceived as the villain in some episodes, Wanda’s motivation is a sympathetic, relatable and tragic one.
I love that Vision was essentially playing the detective and was trying to figure out what was going on in Westview. In a sense, he was the viewer; he didn’t know what was going on after being suddenly placed in this town and wanted answers. He was also a sympathetic character; he just suddenly existed, without any prior memories and was expected to go along with Wanda’s everchanging storylines. I also understood his perspective because he was confused and scared as he didn’t know what was going on. Like Olsen, Paul Bettany was also given a chance to shine here, with a couple of episodes dedicated to him discovering more information about the new town of Westview. I not only applaud Marvel for creating a fantastic and unique show, but I also appreciate them giving the two characters a second chance.
As someone who was never interested in the previous Marvel shows, ‘Wandavision’ was a breath of fresh air. I really hope this changes the way Marvel approach their show structures in the future. They don’t need just action-packed shows and films to make them exciting and intriguing.
While there isn’t too much information in terms of spoilers for this episode, I’m still going to be including a spoiler section. So, the rest of this article will now contain spoilers!
So, I want to start this section off by saying that one of my theories was technically correct. In a previous Disney+ Talk article, I suspected that Tommy and Billy weren’t real; that they were an illusion. And, technically, I am right: they’re integrated with the Hex. This is discovered when Wanda decides to try and undo the Hex and free the town. However, by doing so, she’d also destroy Tommy and Billy and the Vision that she’s created. It’s an unfair decision to give her: will she set the town free, thus killing her children and husband, or will she keep the town captive forever just so she can be happy? It’s a cruel moral dilemma to give her, but one that had to be given at some point. Furthermore, something that was unexpected was that the townspeople feel her pain and grief when under her spell. Not only did Wanda not realize this, but we also didn’t know this. She doesn’t know how to control her powers under immense stress and grief and this scene was a clear indication of that. A line that struck to me specifically was when ‘Dotty’ asks Wanda if she can see her child as she’s been locked away in the house for all this time, indicating that Wanda’s powers could only reach so far and to a specific amount of people. This idea was introduced in a previous episode when Vision visited the outskirts of Westview. However, it still doesn’t make it less disturbing. The line also implies that Wanda’s unintentionally kept all the children of Westview locked away, until the Halloween themed episode. While Wanda may seem villainous, she is no villain; just someone who can’t control their powers while grieving.
Another character that appears in this episode is White Vision. This is Vision that S.W.O.R.D kept from Wanda and turned into a weapon for their own use: to destroy Wanda Maximoff. And, while he may seem like a robot under straight orders at first (and even battles the illusion Vision), he is ultimately defeated by logic and memories. Like the rest of this show, this was a unique route that Marvel chose to take when it came to this battle. And, while we did get some fight scenes from the two replicas, it was heart-warming to see White Vision and Vision use logic to end the fight. Heart-warming, but not surprising since they are the same character. S.W.O.R.D may get rid of Vision’s memories, but they can’t get rid of his true core self; he’s still the same Vision on the inside. This is beautifully symbolized using the story of the Ship of Theseus: if everything on the ship is replaced with new and better equipment and technology, is it still the same ship? While they discussed that question, which ended with Vision giving White Vision his memories, my question is where is White Vision? The episode seems to leave this unanswered, leaving room for him to reappear.
Another character that has the potential to reappear is Agatha Harkness. After being defeated by Wanda, where Wanda transforms into her amazing modern Scarlett Witch costume, Agatha is imprisoned in the Hex. Here, she is to forever be trapped in the role that she chose for herself: the friendly but nosey neighbour. It’s a cruel fate for her, but one that is arguably deserved. Like previously mentioned, it also means that Marvel could bring Agatha Harkness back into the MCU if they wanted to.
One character that I was not happy about was Pietro. Said to be a huge cameo and change to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Pietro turned out to be just another resident that had been brainwashed too. This is discovered by Monica Rambeau halfway through the episode. However, some things are still unexplained with him: if he is just another resident, how did he get Quiksilver’s powers? My theory is that he is still Quiksilver but is just under a secret identity. He just happened to arrive to Westview at the wrong time!
And, speaking of Monica Rambeau, the finale rewards viewers with two end credit scenes. The first one revolves around Monica after she’s helped fight S.W.O.R.D (and stop three speeding bullets!). She is asked to meet an official who turns out to be a Skrull and is told that the Skrull would like to meet Monica. Considering that the Skrull were introduced in ‘Captain Marvel’, I think this is Marvel introducing Monica as a potential second Captain Marvel. If that’s the case, then I’m onboard with that. Monica has been one of my favourite characters in ‘Wandavision’ and I hope the film universe handles her better than they did with Wanda and Vision.
The second end credit scene revolves around Wanda, who has now left Westview and is living, alone, in a cabin. The scene starts off calmly as she sits on the porch then goes inside as the kettle boils. However, the camera keeps moving forward to the back room, and reveals that the Scarlett Witch is in the back room studying the Darkhold spell book, seemingly in a trance. Then the voices of Tommy and Billy are heard, calling out for help. It’s a striking scene, that has a lot of indications. Firstly, the children are alive, but can’t leave whatever remains of the Hex. So, if the children are alive then does that mean that the illusion Vision is still alive? And, secondly, if they’re stuck in a different world, could this open up the possibility of the multiverse? Considering that Doctor Strange 2 will feature multiverses, I think this scene serves as an introduction to that concept, an aspect that I am really looking forward to.
For as long as there’s been social media, there’s also been cyberbullying. This is the negative side of having billions of people, each with their own thoughts and opinions, all placed onto one, or more, platforms. It’s also an aspect that has, unfortunately, been socially accepted which it should never be. However, writer Femke Boot takes the resolution to her cyberbullying a little too far!
‘The Columnist’ (UK title) is a Dutch horror film starring Katja Herbers as Femke Boot, a writer who hosts weekly opinion columns in a local newspaper. She is also constantly plagued by trolls, nasty comments and even death threats and, after the police do nothing, she decides to take things into her own murderous hands.
This is one of the best horror films of this year. The film is not only a fun slasher but also a social commentary on cyberbullying and Cancel Culture (where a group of people will stop following/harass someone over something they said/did a very long time ago). Unfortunately, this is something that is extremely common on social media, especially Twitter, and a side of the platform that makes the website toxic and unwelcoming to be on. A scene where Femke goes to the police highlights why people don’t tend to report cyberbullying to the authorities: it’s not taken seriously when it should be. As a writer who’s experienced awful comments on social media due to their early articles, I could understand Femke’s frustration towards the police and towards the people who hide behind their devices and say disgusting things about her, even though I would not take the same actions as her!
Katja Herbers is wonderful as Femke Boot, the writer who can’t help but look at all the comments targeted at her despite her partner telling her not to. Despite her wicked actions, she’s sympathetic; all she wants is to make the world a nicer place and even says ‘Why can’t people have different opinions and be nice about it?’. She just wants the bullying to stop and will make it stop by any means possible, a thought that is relatable. She also seems to hold a dislike towards people and is quick to judge them based only on their bad actions, no matter how big or small that is. However, if someone was constantly plagued with horrific comments no matter what they wrote or published, then that person’s mindset would probably alter a little too.
The quote that Femke says at the beginning of the film is also a theme that flows through the entire runtime. The side plot revolves around Femke’s daughter, Anna, who is trying to host a Freedom of Speech event at her school. However, her Principal keeps trying to stop her from hosting this, even removing her from the school’s newspaper team. They both share the same frustration and, in the end, want the same thing: people to have different opinions and be nice about it. But authoritative figures or bullies constantly try to break down that desire. Again, this is a want, or need, that is relatable.
But, when people aren’t nice about other people’s opinions, specifically Femke’s, she takes things into her own hands…and things get messy! The sound design as she reads the comments and tweets is a fantastic choice: white noise starts to appear before gradually getting louder as she reads more and more and gets more and more frustrated. Or it does this as she finds out more about her next victim via social media. It’s an interesting and striking decision that perfectly conveys her feelings without the use of dialogue. If this were a cartoon, her ears would’ve started smoking, but the white noise is used as the audio equivalent and it was one of my favourite aspects of the film. It was a small detail, but it said so much.
Another aspect of the film that I loved were the kill scenes. This is something that is rarely brought up when I review horror films, however it needs to be mentioned here. Each kill scene was unique to the last, and used a different weapon and location each time, showing us what the smaller scale Dexter could do given each scenario. It makes a difference to the slasher that would exclusively use a knife. The way in which these scenes were structured was different too.
The first kill is very anticlimactic and quiet, but that made it more disturbing: it was easy for her to carry this action out and no one noticed, ultimately kickstarting her killing spree. And, while it does give viewers a montage halfway through the film, ‘The Columnist’ lets us hear the bully’s side of the story first, most of which is laughter at what they wrote, or saying that they thought what they wrote was a joke that should just be taken as one. This furthermore cements the audience into taking Femke’s side, even if we don’t agree with what she’s doing.
‘The Columnist’ is one of the best horror films of this year. And, while this word has been thrown around a lot in this article, it can’t be denied that Femke Boot was a relatable character, even though her murderous actions are disapproving. It was a fun and, at times, frustrating watch as we witness Femke’s horrific treatment online and her struggles with this. It also highlighted a lot of things wrong with social media and that people’s attitudes should change, and people should be nicer to each other. And, at the end of the day, isn’t that something that we should all want?
Previously On: WandaVision – Disney+ Talk (Spoilers)
It’s hard to think that next week will mark the end of Season 1(?) of Marvel’s ‘Wandavision’. And yet, here we are: Episode 8 was released on Friday!
Episode 8, titled ‘Previously On’, sees Wanda and Agatha Harkness relive Wanda’s past and present to discover how Wanda was able to cast a spell over Westview.
This episode was unique to the show for two reasons: Firstly, we weren’t treated to another era of a TV show layout, due to Westview now being up to date with the modern world. And, secondly, we don’t get a perspective from outside The Hex until the mid-credits scene. While these aspects make this episode unique to the show, it also made sense: the show is nearing to a close, so the rest of the loose ends that the show planted need to be tied up.
This episode is one of my favourites and was unexpectedly emotional as Agatha leads Wanda through her childhood and the events of ‘Age of Ultron’ to understand how she became as powerful as she is now. The episode almost acts out as a messed-up therapy session as Wanda revisits painful memories to someone who is clueless about these events. However, this episode also gives non-Marvel fans, who wanted to watch the show, a rundown of the key events that led to Wanda being who she is now.
This also includes her first encounter with Vision, a scene that was the most emotional knowing where his fate may ultimately lead. This scene also highlights what makes Wanda and Vision perfect for each other: at this point in time, Wanda was so tortured that she was mostly emotionless. However, because Vision doesn’t understand complex human emotions, her interactions with him encouraged her to be more openly emotional. Even Agatha shed a tear from this interaction!
Overall, episode 8 has given viewers much needed answers. However, with only one episode left, how will ‘Wandavision’ be resolved?
Once again, the remainder of this article will now be spoilers for Episode 8 of ‘Wandavision’.
I previously mentioned that this episode partly focuses on Wanda’s childhood. And, through this sequence, we get our first answer. The reason that each episode had a different sitcom layout was because they were reflective of the sitcom VHS tapes that her parents had. They would then use a ‘movie night’ event as a special treat for their children, in order to distract them from the war that was going on around them. This was another emotional scene as the family sit down to watch ‘The Dick van Dyke Show’ and then a bomb suddenly hits their home, killing both of the parents instantly. It was a sudden shock, but an impactful moment.
The other memory that we’re shown revolves around what actually happened when Tyler Hayward revealed that Wanda had stolen Vision’s body from S.W.O.R.D in Episode 4. And, if viewers weren’t convinced that Hayward is untrustworthy then the following sequence will definitely convince them now!
What actually happened was Hayward let Wanda through (she didn’t storm in) and let her see Vision’s body for herself. And she’s shown S.W.O.R.D dismantling Vision and collecting wiring and parts of him. According to Hayward, Vision’s body is worth billions, and he can’t allow Wanda to bury billions of dollars in Vibranium. However, aside from smashing the glass window to the room below, Wanda doesn’t act out violently to this news and to seeing Vision; she’s actually hurt and upset. This means Hayward tampered with the security footage that was shown in Episode 4. Furthermore, the strike on Westview (which was introduced in the last episode) still hasn’t occurred yet. Hayward deliberately tampered with the security footage, so he would have an excuse to launch an attack on Wanda, so that she’d never be able to take Vision’s body to bury. Once again, this scene is emotional; if I saw a dead loved one getting torn apart for parts, in the sake of money, I’d be angry too!
However, it’s revealed that she never took his body. Instead, the world she created and trapped Westview under was created by her own ultimate sadness and grief, something that I predicted near the beginning of ‘Wandavision’. And, overall, I can’t feel angry at her: she was tortured, betrayed and had a loved one kept away from her. I can’t blame Wanda for her actions, even if they are also nightmarish; she just wants to be happy with Vision and her children. However, while the way she created this world was predicted, the way Vision enters this world was completely unexpected. Vision in ‘Wandavision’ is an illusion, manifested by her powers and energy. And, if he’s an illusion then what does that mean for Tommy and Billy? My prediction is that they’re not real; they’re also an illusion. While this may seem farfetched, she did create a house and a sentient lifeform from her powers, as well as trap a whole town in a fantasy world, so my theory may not be so absurd.
Breaking The Fourth Wall: WandaVision – Disney+ Talk
We are now nearing the end of Marvel’s fantastic show ‘Wandavision’ and, in this episode, the viewers are rewarded with more answers, more specifically the answer of who’s behind all of this.
In Episode 7 of ‘Wandavision’, titled ‘Breaking The Fourth Wall’, Wanda decides that she’s going to have a day to herself after the events of Halloween. Meanwhile, on the edge of town, Vision and Dr Darcy Lewis team up and Monica Rambeau finds a way to get back inside The Hex.
This episode takes on the narrative structure and layout of ‘Modern Family’, allowing the lead characters to talk directly to us and telling us their thoughts on the situations they’re in. The intro segment also only includes Wanda until the very end, when the title of the show is revealed. This is the first episode where Vision is not seen for the majority of the introduction. This could symbolize that, because Vision is on the edge of town, near The Hex, that Wanda can’t reach him, so just hasn’t included him this time.
Whilst the ‘interview’ segments of this episode provide the humour for most of this episode, viewers also get a perspective from Vision that hasn’t been allowed until now. This is due to the various structures of the shows each episode has focused on. It also allowed Vision to talk freely about his wife without her seeing or manipulating him, and here, we can see that he really does care for her, despite everything that’s been happening. Like Dr Darcy Lewis says, ‘the one thing I do know is that the love you both have for each other is real’.
The plotline revolving around Dr Darcy Lewis and Vision was one of my favourites in this episode, next to Monica’s story arc. Not only is their onscreen chemistry fantastic but, because Vision can’t remember anything before this show, Darcy has to update him on how he came to be and every event that occurred afterwards. While this would usually be a serious moment, the episode’s structure doesn’t allow it to be.
Therefore, instead, viewers get a scene revolving around a very confused Vision repeating his origins to Darcy to make sure he has the information correct. To a lesser extent, this reminds me of a scene in ‘Avengers: Endgame’ where Thor is drunkenly rambling to the Avengers, but he’s actually describing the plot to ‘Thor: The Dark World’. Without context, it sounds ridiculous and funny, like when Vision is repeating his origin; it sounds insane!
In this episode, Wanda decides that she’s going to have a day to herself, leaving Tommy and Billy with Agnes. However, Wanda finds that she can’t relax, and her powers are going out of control, causing the house layout, and some items, to change every now and again. This could either be the result of her abusing her powers after the last episode, or she’s starting to lose control of the illusion that’s been set up. Agnes babysitting the kids means that she’s given her own scenes without Wanda supposedly looking in. And, during her interview segment, it looked as if she’d been crying, as if she was still wanting a way out. Her expression could also be the result of the events from the night before…
Breaking The Fourth Wall: WandaVision – Disney+ Talk – But I can’t talk about anymore of this episode without spoiling it. Therefore, the rest of this article will now be filled with spoilers!
So, two major events occurred in this week’s episode: the first one revolves around Monica Rambeau. On the other side of The Hex, Monica decides to go into the Hex again. However, the most armoured vehicle ever can’t get through, so she goes through herself. In doing so, she doesn’t change; her memory stays the same. However, as she enters The Hex, her eye colour changes to a bright blue. And, in the show’s only mid credits scene, she develops purple eyes when she discovers Agatha’s coven. I think part of the Hex is now in her DNA and, furthermore, some of Agatha’s magic. I also don’t think The Hex will affect her anymore.
And, finally, let’s address the elephant in the room: Agnes was behind it all!…or should I say Agatha Harkness!
I was never on board with the theory that Agnes was in control. I never felt like it would’ve worked, and I felt more sympathetic towards her, thinking she was a victim. However, I have been proved wrong before. I started to realize something was wrong with Agnes when she interrupts an interaction between Wanda and Monica. And then, when Wanda is brought into her house and the kids are nowhere to be seen, she investigates and finds a witches coven, something that wouldn’t be out of place at Chessington World of Adventures. It’s then revealed that Agatha Harkness was behind everything, including bringing Quiksilver into the show. This explains why Agnes was fine with every strange thing that happened.
The song that plays when the show reveals everything is fantastic, and reminiscent of ‘The Addams Family’ or ‘The Munsters Show’. It’s goofy but teasing: It’s not mocking the viewers (mainly because the viewers had theorized this since episode 2), but Wanda, and her inability to figure out who had strengthened her powers. As well as this, I have a couple of theories regarding Tommy and Billy: I either don’t think the kids are real or, if they are, then they’ve already been given to Mephisto, or is about to be. Despite being a demon, Mephisto first appears as a fly in the comics; something that is seen by Wanda in Agatha’s house. The appearance of this character has been a strong theory ever since the start of the show.
But now that everything has been revealed, and the episode ended with Wanda in trouble, how will the show be resolved? Will Monica Rambeau be the one who will put a stop to all of this?
Breaking The Fourth Wall: WandaVision – Disney+ Talk
