LONDON: Disney’s new streaming platform is continuing its staggered international rollout, and is now available across North America, Australasia and much of Europe, with many more markets set to be added in the coming months. While it is not currently officially possible to watch the Disney + service in the Middle East due to Disney’s geoblocking, a recently inked deal will see original content screened in the region via OSN. Disney has big plans for the service, with an impressive array of new shows and movies slated for the future. But that’s not to say it was light on content at launch — here are some of the highlights.
‘The Mandalorian’
Perhaps the most talked about show on Disney +, “The Mandalorian” is the first live-action series in the "Star Wars" franchise. More importantly to fans of the universe, it’s also one of the most critically acclaimed new shows in recent years. Pedro Pascal plays the titular hero, a bounty hunter tasked with bringing in the galaxy’s most wanted fugitives. Set during the period between 1983’s “Return of the Jedi” and 2015’s “The Force Awakens,” at its heart “The Mandalorian” is the kind of swashbuckling space Western that George Lucas sought to conjure when he wrote the original movies: Packed with interesting characters, exotic locales and spectacular special effects. Gloomy, atmospheric and engaging, this show alone is justification enough for Disney + membership.
‘The World According to Jeff Goldblum’
Those familiar with the American actor and musician Jeff Goldblum will know that he has a … fascinating take on the world. So, a series in which Goldblum seeks to find out more about such diverse topics as ice cream, sneakers, videogames and RVs is every bit as eccentric — and entertaining — as it sounds. Goldblum takes an idiosyncratic approach to everyday objects as he interviews influencers and experts on, essentially, things he finds interesting. Your enjoyment of the series will depend on your enjoyment of Jeff Goldblum, but Disney certainly has confidence in its quirky host and has already commissioned a second season.
‘SparkShorts’
A handful of Pixar artists were given six months, a limited budget, and tasked with creating short films for the Disney + service and the studio’s YouTube channel. A number of the shorts are noteworthy for exploring more mature themes than Pixar’s usual stable of content, while films such as the excellent “Kitbull” (which focuses on animal abuse) also opt for a different animation style to its feature films. “Purl” uses an anthropomorphic ball of yarn to delve into the problematic ‘bro’ culture of corporate America, while “Smash and Grab” offers a dialog-free take on robot friendship. A fascinating look at some of the creative minds at work inside the famous studio.
‘Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Season 7
It might have started out as a poorly received, feature-length animation experiment by George Lucas, but “The Clone Wars” gradually found its feet over time, morphing into a surprisingly sophisticated anthology series that charts a conflict mentioned only in a throwaway comment during the original “Star Wars” feature films. Having been effectively cancelled in 2013, Disney + sees the show get the finale that fans have been clamoring for. The worldbuilding and animation is spectacular, and the interweaving storylines — while ostensibly written to appeal to kids and young adults — contain some thought-provoking and (occasionally) hard-hitting moments. The show includes many knowing nods to the future plight of characters such as Yoda, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi et al, filling in some of the blanks between Episodes II and III.
‘The Imagineering Story’
The story of the Disney empire might be common knowledge, but this docuseries, directed by Oscar nominee Leslie Iwerks (granddaughter of Walt Disney’s business partner Ub Iwerks), enjoys unprecedented access to the Imagineering department — the design and development team who helped define the concept of Disneyland, and made the now-legendary theme parks into the cultural icons they are today. Unsurprisingly, the series is something of a love letter to Walt, but that doesn’t make it any less fascinating to get a glimpse behind the curtain during the formative years of Disneyland, to see how the company dealt with the death of its creator, and to understand how spectacular ideas are turned into multi-billion-dollar reality.
‘Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made’
A live-action adaptation of Stephan Pastis’ novel, this movie sees 11-year-old Timmy Failure and his imaginary friend (a polar bear called Total) running a detective agency in Portland, Oregon, striving to convince his mother and a well-intentioned counsellor (played by an excellent Craig Robinson) that Russian agents are running amok. It’s the kind of setup that could easily spill over into absurd slapstick, but the film (helmed by “Spotlight” director Tom McCarthy) treads carefully, retaining a slick sense of humor and an uplifting message that makes the predictably sweet ending enjoyable rather than saccharine.
‘Lamp Life’
If you’ve ever wondered what happened to Bo Peep in the period between “Toy Story 2” and “Toy Story 4,” then this short film will fill in the gaps, telling how Bo and her sheep became the infamous Lost Toys who rejoin Woody and the rest of the Toy Story cast. Like Pixar’s best work, the movie boasts kid and adult appeal, treating audiences to a heartwarming tale of loss, adversity and adventure (including a Mission Impossible-esque escape scene). This is much more than an extended deleted scene from “Toy Story 4.”
It’s not all gold. Here’s what not to watch:
‘Forky Asks a Question’
While we love Tony Hale (the voice of Forky), the US-centric line of questioning makes this a tough sell outside of North America.
‘Pixar in Real Life’
Unsuspecting New Yorkers come face to face with characters from Pixar movies. It’s never quite as entertaining as the premise.
‘Marvel’s Hero Project’
Remarkable kids are given their own Marvel story by the comicbook team in a show that aims to be inspiring, but ends up formulaic.
‘High School Musical: The Musical: The Series’
The title’s double colon is supposed to be a gag, but merely underlines that, for everyone other than the superfans, the “HSM” train has rumbled on too long.
‘Encore!’
As if to prove the point, this show reunites cast members of high school musicals to recreate their performances. It’s not good.
