Out this week from Disney Lucasfilm Press are three books that retell the stories of the original Star Wars trilogy. Not just new novelizations or adaptations, these retellings add a bit of a twist to the classic stories we know and love. For Star Wars: A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy, author Alexandra Bracken delves into the points of view of the three main heroes, and shows the film through their eyes, when they are on-screen, and builds new scenes when they aren’t.

Review: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy brings a fresh take on the story of Episode IV: A New Hope. Bracken divides the story into thirds, with Leia Organa the focus of the first third, Han Solo the focus of the middle, and Luke Skywalker the focus of the final third. We see things from these characters’ point of view and really get into their heads. Bracken takes this roles that the characters are often seen as (princess, scoundrel, and farm boy) and explores them, and breaks them apart as each of the three find that they are something more than just these labels, both in their own eyes, and in the eyes of those around them.

Leia in particular gets some great extra scenes as she goes from her blockade runner, the Tantive IV, to the destruction of her homeworld of Alderaan. When Leia is off camera at times in the film, Bracken fills in the gaps with an escape attempt aboard Vader’s Star Destroyer, and coping with interrogation on the Death Star. We also see different scenes with Han Solo and Luke Skywalker. In particular, we get an extended scene from the cantina as Han and a girl whose name he can’t quite remember watch some newcomers enter the bar; and a fabulous scene where Luke shows Wedge Antilles what he’s capable of in a flight simulator.

The story is enhanced with concept art and sketches from Ralph McQuarrie and Joe Johnston, and Bracken draws from the original script as well as the Brian Daley radio drama and her own creative imagination. I really enjoyed reading The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy, and I think most Star Wars fans will enjoy it as well. Bracken loves these characters and really gets into their heads. This story makes a great starting off point for a younger fan, or a fun way to revisit a classic for fans who have been around longer. If you’re into Leia, Han, and Luke, you owe it to yourself to pick this up and read it! Big thumbs up!

For a little bit more of my review, watch my video here!

An advance reader copy of the book was provided by Disney Publishing Worldwide for this review.

“The Muppets” starts up next Tuesday night on ABC. As a lifelong fan, I feel like I’ve been on a roller coaster with these characters, and I feel like they’re my heroes, they’re my friends, they’re my family. I’ve used the online moniker “jedikermit” for about half of my lifespan. I have a piece of Gonzo’s fur on my fridge. Digging through archives of various fan forums, you’ll find both dirty limericks and heartfelt sonnets to Miss Piggy. The first conversation I had with my wife was about the Swedish Chef. They are a big part of my life. I want them to be happy. I want this new series to be successful. More than anything, I want it to be good. The Muppets are most famous for “The Muppet Show,” which ran from 1976-1981; since then they’ve had eight cinematic releases, dozens of television specials, and two fully-fledged attempts to recapture the magic of their original series. “The Jim Henson Hour” lasted twelve episodes in 1990; “Muppets Tonight” had twenty-two episodes from 1996-1998. It’s been a while. “The Muppets” is heading in a different direction, one with potential simply because it is a different direction. 

Here are five things I’d like to see in the new series. The sixth was to not have the title be “The Muppets.” With a period at the end. 

1. Be Funny. 

The Muppet characters have ended up in this weird place where they’re seen as exclusively children’s characters, when they weren’t originally meant to be. “Sesame Street,” yes. But the Muppets have always had innuendo, had a little bit of scandal, had a subversive snarkiness that set them apart from Grover, Big Bird, et al. And that’s funny. Too many productions since Jim Henson’s passing in 1990 have made the characters so sentimental that you forget why they made it big in the first place–because they were funny. The were weird. Random characters like Lew Zealand threw boomerang fish. The Swedish Chef used a blunderbuss to prepare a Thanksgiving meal. Gonzo was in love with poultry. Miss Piggy was entirely inappropriate with Christopher Reeve. Crazy Harry blew shit up. You may not even know the names “Lew Zealand” or “Crazy Harry,” but you remember the bizarre chaos they brought. 

With this faux documentary format, popularized by “The Office” and “Parks and Recreation,” the Muppets have a chance to do all of those things. Some of it might be in the background of a shot. Some of it will be in snarky asides. We keep saying this is a brand new format for these characters, but the Muppets have been making snarky asides and breaking the fourth wall since the very beginning. It’s what they do. They’re perfect for this format, and there’s the potential to make it very, very, funny. 

2. More female characters. 

Remember when Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy broke up? And that broke the internet? And then we saw the first pictures of Kermit’s new love interest Denise? And it broke the internet again? Okay, it’s very possible that it just broke my internet, as people Facebooked and Tweeted their outrage. For most, it was based on Denise’s appearance (above), criticized as being Not Very Muppety. Cool. Whatever. The thing is, she adds to a very elite club of female Muppet characters. There’s Miss Piggy (of course), Janice (lead guitarist for Electric Mayhem) and Camilla (Gonzo’s chicken girlfriend). After them it drops to D-list characters like Wanda, Hilda, Mildred Huxtetter, Zelda Rose, Annie Sue…chances are verrrry good you’ve never heard of any of them. 

As such, I’m kind of excited that Denise is around. I’m hoping she becomes a fully developed character, that she becomes more than just Kermit’s love interest, that she’s not a bimbo. Make her real. I like that it upsets the status quo. I’d love them to introduce other female characters, most notably Skeeter, who was Scooter’s twin sister on “Muppet Babies,” and was later introduced as an adult character in the comic book series from Boom Comics. She would bring an entirely new personality into the mix, and also let Scooter’s character develop more. 

3. More music. 

The Muppets have always been associated with music. Some of Jim Henson’s earliest work was simply puppets lip syncing to popular records of the day. Muppets have been playing covers forever, they’ve also got a deep library of music that was written for them. We need to build on that. It sounds like the talk show-within-a-talk-show format of “The Muppets” will provide opportunities for music–the band Imagine Dragons is on the first episode–hopefully they’ll make the most of it. In the lead-up to the new series, the Muppets have released a few music videos on YouTube, including Jungle Boogie and Flowers on the Wall. If those are any indication, hopefully we’ll get more music, more often. 

4. Muppets in the real world. 

I like the Muppets best when you can’t tell they’re on a soundstage. One of my issues with both “A Muppet Christmas Carol” and “Muppet Treasure Island” is that it’s very apparent that they’re in a fake world. I like both movies, it’s just that those beautifully crafted settings (and they are beautiful) take me out of the movie. I like thinking of the Muppets as “real” characters, not distracted by the production values of the world around them. It’s distracting enough sometimes wondering how they made a particular piece of puppetry work; do it in a real world environment. It sounds like we’ll be getting outside of the television studio where Miss Piggy’s talk show is shot frequently; we’ve already seen Kermit stuck in traffic, Fozzie Bear at his (human) girlfriend’s parent’s house, we know Rowlf runs the bar across the street from the studio. It sounds like we will get some of the real world with our Muppets. Jim Henson made an effort to do that with the three Muppet movies he was involved with; I think he’d like this direction. If I can put words in the mouth of a dead genius. 

5. Keep Kermit the heart of the Muppets. 

Okay, I just liked this picture. Rowlf’s ear is cracking me up. I’m easily cracked today. 

One of the myriad problems with both “The Jim Henson Hour” and “Muppets Tonight” is that they tried to remove Kermit from the equation. In the former he was even more behind the scenes than he was on “The Muppet Show,” and on “Muppets Tonight” he was replaced entirely–with Clifford, a purple…rastafarian…thing. They brought Kermit back more prominently, but it was after people had already decided the new show wasn’t for them. Kermit is the heart of this family of characters. He’s their glue, he’s their leader, their counselor, their spiritual adviser. His role on “The Muppets” will be the producer of Miss Piggy’s talk show, which should keep him at the forefront of things. He should be. There should be chaos surrounding him, he should have to freak out every now and then, but overall be the zenlike frog who can set things right. 

Even if he’s dating a pig who doesn’t necessarily look like the pig that he’s been dating. But you know. Still a pig. 

“The Muppets” premieres Tuesday September 22nd on ABC. 

We have video from the D23 presentations on “Star Wars!” This first one features the cast of “The Force Awakens” and their portion of the Live Action movie panel presentation.

This second is the announcement of “Star Wars” themed lands at Disney parks.

You can read a full report of the “Star Wars” goings-on at D23 here at Big Shiny Robot!

In recent weeks there have been a lot of celebrity breakups. Ben and Jen, Gavin and Gwen, Will and Jada. It’s remarkable, and kind of funny, and kind of sad that the one getting the most attention is the breakup of Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy. To be fair, they’ve been a couple off and on for nearly 40 years, so they’ve got some history. It was a trending topic on Twitter, on Facebook, it’s been fodder for late night comics and early morning news shows. Hell, even NPR did a short story on it. Here’s the statement from the frog’s Twitter account:

Now, this is far from the first time they’ve broken up. Muppet fans know that. I’m pretty sure even casual Muppet fans know that. It’s fortuitous timing to get something in the press the month before their new series starts, and with the amount of attention it’s received, it seems like it’s been a good strategy.

In addition to that, they’re on the cover of TV Guide this week:

And Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem dropped a new video, covering “Jungle Boogie.” 

We also found out the names of some of the guest stars who will be on the new series; on the original “Muppet Show,” it was one guest star per episode, who would interact with the characters in songs, skits, etc…this series is formatted more like a late night talk show (in front of the scenes) and behind the scenes we have more of the personal lives of the characters. So each episode may have several different guests. Topher Grace and Elizabeth Banks were both in the ten minute pilot presentation (which you should watch if you haven’t), and the first few episodes guest star Nathan Fillion, Reese Witherspoon, and the band Imagine Dragons.  

…in addition to all that official stuff, this week we also got an “Epic Rap Battle of History: Jim Henson vs Stan Lee”…which is funny, offensive (but surprisingly family friendly as these rap battles go)(mostly family friendly), and ends with an incisive commentary on who the real winner is. I liked it, even though some of my Muppet friends had their feelings hurt by it. Again, getting four million views on YouTube in the weeks leading up to a new Muppet series–I’m okay with that. 

Last, but not least–not for any true Muppet fan at least, the week before “The Muppets” premieres on ABC, there will be a special “In Their Own Words – Jim Henson” documentary airing on PBS. Here come the waterworks. 

…wow. That was more Muppet news than I expected. It helps that Disney is boosting the frog these days, it helps that social media’s around for this go-round with the Muppets. For fans like me, I just hope it’s good. Looking at things like “Jungle Boogie” and the ten minute pilot presentation — I’m getting my hopes up.

INSIDE OUT (9 out of 10) – Directed by Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen Written by Meg LeFauve, Josh Cooley,  Pete Docter and Ronaldo Del Carmen. Starring Amy Poehler, Phyllis Smith, Richard Kind, Bill Hader, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Kaitlyn Dias, Diane Lane, Kyle MacLachlan; rated PG for “mild thematic elements and some action”; in wide release June 19, 2015; running time: 94 minutes.

Inside Out is going to make you feel all of the emotions. Because that’s basically what it’s all about. Inside 11-year old Riley’s head live Joy (Pohler), Sadness (Smith), Fear (Hader), Disgust (Kaling) and Anger (a perfectly-cast Lewis Black). From their headquarters they monitor Riley’s mood, memories, and thoughts, each with their own job. Anger is concerned about things being fair, Fear keeps Riley safe, Joy makes her happy, Disgust keeps her from getting poisoned (physically and socially!) and Sadness? Well, therein lies the rub– no one quite knows what Sadness does.

But when Riley moves from Minnesota to San Francisco and finds her life turned upside down, a mishap in HQ send Joy and Sadness out into Riley’s long term memory with no easy way to get back. To return, they have to run through Riley’s imagination, dreams, and the other various operating centers of her brain. It’s a beautiful reflection on the troubles of growing up, the purpose of sadness, and so much more.

The only complaint for this movie is it almost seems too adult for a kids movie. This is incredibly deep and complex material, and a lot of it is sure to go over kids’ heads, but resonate with most of the rest of us. While older kids, especially those quickly approaching the complex transition from childhood to pre–teen to adolescence, will do well with this, some younger kids may get both bored and even scared at a few parts. But kids can still enjoy the gorgeous animation and the emotional heart of the film, which leads us to its very best part: 

Bing Bong.

Bing Bong, Riley’s forgotten imaginary friend, played perfectly here by Richard Kind, is awesome. He’s funny, he’s wise in some ways, and he’s going to make you cry. At least when he cries, his tears are candy!

This is a return to form for the folks at Pixar, and a new classic. 

As if that wasn’t enough, the film is preceeded by the animated short Lava, the story of an anthropomorphic volcano who sings a Hawaiian sounding song about how all the other creatures have someone to be with, so he asks the earth to give him “someone to lava.” Told entirely in song, it is beautiful, touching, and even better than the film that follows. It is also bound to get stuck in your head. As with all Pixar work, keep your eyes peeled for callbacks and characters from other films in this. 

9 out of 10

TOMORROWLAND (8 of 10) – Directed by Brad Bird; Written by Damon Lindelof and Brad Bird; Starring: George Clooney, Hugh Laurie, Britt Robertson, Raffey Cassidy, Tim McGraw, Kathryn Hahn, Keegan-Michael Key, Thomas Robinson; Rated PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and peril, thematic elements, and language, in wide release May 22, 2015.

Disney’s and Brad Bird’s “Tomorrowland” is everything you’d expect from Disney and Brad Bird. In a world where cynicism, ironic detachment, and hopelessness pervade everything, it reminds of what it used to be to dream about a shiny future. And it maybe offers a glimmer of hope of how it can be that way again.

The story follows high schooler Casey Newton (Britt Robertson), whose father (Tim McGraw) is a NASA engineer tasked with dismantling the space shuttle launch platform in Cape Canaveral. This is distressing to young Casey for numerous reasons, the biggest of which is it seems like we’ve given up on our aspirations for a better future and resigned ourselves to a future ravaged by climate change, nuclear terrorism, and dystopian politics.

Casey, by touching a Tomorrowland pin, is given a glimpse into this beautiful city of the future. With our world in peril, Casey must join together with a former boy genius Frank Walker (George Clooney) to get back there and prevent impending doom.

As big of a movie as this is, we assembled our robot roundtable to break it down as only we can:

Citizen-bot: I saw this movie as everyone should: with my 10 year old. This film’s message of hope and dreams and imagination hit her just as hard as it did my 10 year old inner self.

Swank-mo-tron: I too came with my kids and I think my enjoyment of the film was better for it. It was a homerun for them and they’ve asked to see it again already. For me, I found the film to have a couple of slight flaws in the structure and logic of the film, but the good far outweighed my complaints about these things. In fact, this film, in a sea of dystopian stories for the last 20 years was nothing short of refreshing. And more than that, it pressed all of my Disney-nerd buttons. It felt like Brad Bird was channeling Walt Disney by way of the Steven Spielberg that made films like “E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind.”

Citizen-bot: I definitely got the Spielberg/Disney mashup vibe. It also reminded me of another great kids sci-fi movie I loved about sci-fi and the power of (literally) following your dreams: Joe Dante’s “Explorers” starring a very young Ethan Hawke and River Phoenix.

Adam: The one thing I’m really glad I did was go into this movie almost completely blind. The only exposure I had was the first trailer, so I didn’t go in with any expectations of what to expect, and I would highly recommend everyone who can approach it that way, do so. Some of the people I talked to after the screening were disappointed because they wanted to see an action, sci-fi, summer movie, and while there are some really cool and well-shot action moments, this movie is all about the small, intimate moments between the characters and their personal growth. And that’s why it worked for me. Lots of explosions, car chases and battle scenes would have ruined it for me, so I’m glad they were used sparingly. In fact, their inclusion in the third act was the weakest moment overall.

Swank-mo-tron: For me, I was astounded by how well Raffey Cassidy carried her parts of the film. She’s a very young actress and she has to carry her own against George Clooney and she gets all the best scenes and moments of the film. She’s the real break-out here. And her scene in the memorabilia store is the one my kids were talking about the most when we left the theatre. She’s a great character and her story was fascinating, even though we never quite got enough of it.

Adam: Without a doubt she was the best part of the movie. Her presence commanded your attention every moment she was on screen, and it have that much poise and gravitas at such a young age is astounding. The last time I saw an actress accomplish the same feat was Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit”, and I really hope that Raffey Cassidy continues to do such amazing work.

Citizen-bot: The comparison to Hailee Steinfeld in “True Grit” is totally apt. She’s amazing. There’s so much I want to discuss about her but can’t without major spoilers. She’s amazing. That’s it.

And that scene in the memorabilia store. BEST part of the movie, great cameos by Keegan Michael Key and Kathryn Hahn and soooooo many easter eggs. Keep your eyes peeled.

Swank-mo-tron: More than anything, I love the message of this film. That the end of the world is a self-fulfilling prophecy. It has a hope and optimism that was refreshing to see. It was a summer blockbuster of ideas rather than explosions and set pieces, though it has those, too.

Adam: Exactly! “Hope” permeated the film and left me optimistic about the world around me. Humanity hasn’t passed the point of no return. We are close, but even if just one person will believe and do something to change the world, they can accomplish that. Believe you can make a difference, and you will. That said, they did get a bit preachy and heavy handed with their message, and it really didn’t need to be beaten into us again and again. 

Citizen-Bot: No cynic ever built anything of value. In 2015, it’s easy to be cynical. But the people that are name-checked or alluded to in this film: Tesla, Eiffel, HG Wells, Edison, Walt frickin’ Disney — despite their flaws, they made something. They tried to get people to hope for something better. I think Brad Bird does the same.

It was one of the biggest tragedies of my young life. May 16, 1990, Jim Henson, creator of the Muppets, died. I was heartbroken, I cried real tears. Not just for the characters I loved — Kermit the Frog, Ernie, Guy Smiley, Rowlf the Dog — but for Jim Henson and his family. The last major project before he died was “The Jim Henson Hour” on NBC. That show had a shifting format — sometimes it had classic Muppet characters, sometimes “Storyteller” tales, but most episodes had Jim Henson, with a calmer-than-Cosby-sweater, talking to the audience about inspiration, creativity, sometimes showing us how Muppets work, things like that. This was in 1989, and even though it only lasted nine episodes, it was my last contact with the man who became my inspiration. A big part of the reason I became a teacher was because of “Sesame Street.” Any sense of humor or music or art or creativity I have came from admiration for the work that he did. And losing him was more than I could handle.

Aside from all of the Muppety stuff that Jim Henson had his hands in (literally)(don’t go there), he had these nuggets of wisdom that came out in interviews and in more candid moments. Some of my favorites:

“As children, we all live in a world of imagination, of fantasy, and for some of us that world of make-believe continues into adulthood. Certainly I’ve lived my whole life through my imagination. But the world of imagination is there for all of us–a sense of play, of pretending, of wonder. It’s there with us as we live.” 

“There is a sense of our characters caring for each other and having respect for each other. A positive feeling. A positive view of life. That’s a key to everything we do. I believe that everything we do should have part of that. Sometimes we’re too heavy in terms of ourselves and trying to carry an idea, and telling kids what life is about. I often have to tell myself that too.” 

“The attitude you have as a parent is what your kids will learn from more than what you tell them. They don’t remember what you try to teach them. They remember what you are.” 

I read all of his words with his own voice in my head, which, although a slightly lower register than Kermit the Frog’s, definitely has a lot of Kermit and Ernie in it. Those voices sang some of my favorite songs, from “Rubber Duckie” to “The Rainbow Connection” to “Movin’ Right along” and “It’s Not Easy Bein’ Green.” I can’t separate the man from his characters, or the characters from what they did for me, shaping me as a person. 

25 years later, it still stings. If it’s possible to still miss someone you’ve never met, I do. Muppet fans divide movies, television series, and other projects into “Jim” and “Post-Jim.” After he was gone, the Muppets seemed to have a hard time finding their way. Movies included adaptations of classic works, television series and specials struggled to find a tone that was family friendly, but still…interesting. I’m still a fan, I’ll always be a fan. But there were a lot of Muppet projects I watched more out of loyalty than excitement. 

After Disney acquired the characters, things started looking up. “The Muppets” in 2011 was a bona fide hit, while “Muppets Most Wanted” didn’t light the box office on fire in 2014, but is still very, very funny, and you should watch it. These movies have tightened the Muppet family up, recasting dormant secondary characters like Rowlf and Scooter, putting them back alongside Kermit, Miss Piggy, and Gonzo. With a the gang more complete than they’ve been in 25 years, they’re ready. For…something. 

The Muppet family is more complete than it’s been in years

Now, no doubt due to Disney owning ABC, the Muppets get another crack at a television series, with the (for me personally irritating) confusing title “The Muppets.” not to be confused with the recent movie of the same name, nor the characters themselves. For anyone who happens to write about the series, it’s going to be a pain in the neck. 

But you know what? Looking at the trailer, it looks like it’s going to be good. Funny. I’m actually excited to watch it, instead of watching it out of sentiment or loyalty, or nostalgia of past projects. “The Muppets” looks family friendly, but with enough edge that it won’t be sugary sweet. Will this format allow there to be singing and dancing and guest stars and cameos? Probably. Will it be different than what we’ve seen the Muppets do before? I hope so. It looks like Fozzie is continuing the cross-species dating that Muppets seem to be into by having a relationship with a human, but we also have some classic Miss Piggy action, and some quick jokes that are perfect for our hyperactive generation. They break the fourth wall, which is something the characters have always done, but fits in perfectly with the “documentary” style. Hopefully this catch on like the viral viruses tv execs want in a 21st century series. It will be airing on Tuesdays this fall, and hopefully they’ll have enough success to warrant a whole season. In my very, very biased opinion, the show looks fantastic. And it feels like something Jim would have had his hands in. 

Jim Henson is gone. And not gone. With projects like this, with permanent museum exhibits opening in Atlanta and New York, with “Sesame Street” entering its 46th season…he’s got a place in most of our hearts, whether we know him or his creations. I still miss him. But I’ll never forget him. 

Disney announced today that the third installment of their bestselling game “Disney: Infinity” will be coming out sometime this year. 

The entire saga will be represented, with a playset dedicated to the prequel era and classic era at launch, and then they will later be joined by a playset dedicated to “Star Wars: The Force Awakens.”

From their press release:

Each of the Star Wars Play Sets offers distinct experiences, with varied gameplay, environments and characters.  The Star Wars™: Twilight of the Republic Play Set takes place in the height of the Jedi’s powers, where players will use the Force™ and Lightsabers™ in epic battles and master their combat skills alongside Ahsoka Tano, Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Yoda and Darth Maul.  The Star Wars™: Rise Against the Empire Play Set will take players on galaxy-spanning missions with Luke Skywalker, Princess Leia Organa, Han Solo, Chewbacca and Darth Vader, piloting X-wing fighters or the Millennium Falcon to fight stormtroopers, or exploring and partaking in land-based missions on planets like Tatooine, Hoth, and Endor.  Additionally, fans will have the unique opportunity to play with all of the Star Wars characters in all of the Star WarsPlay Sets.

 

“Star Wars is a cross-generational franchise, and Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition creates an incredible opportunity for families and fans to relive their favorite Star Wars moments,” said John Blackburn, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Disney Infinity.  “With the addition of Star Wars, Inside Out and new Disney and Marvel characters, Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition will be the most ambitious and diverse offering yet and also the most accessible, with a lower suggested retail price for this year’s Starter Pack.”

 

Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition will also introduce an all-new, 3-D Toy Box Hub that will make it easier for players to choose from a wider selection of gameplay experiences – including platform, racing, and farming simulation games.  Two new multiplayer Toy Box Expansion Games will bring action-adventure gameplay in Toy Box Takeover and kart racing in Toy Box Speedway, where kids and families can play with popular Disney, Disney•Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars characters together in a structured setting.

 

Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition is being developed by Avalanche Software in partnership with Ninja Theory, Sumo Digital, Studio Gobo and United Front Games, and will be available for the PlayStation®4 and PlayStation®3 computer entertainment systems, Xbox One, the all-in-one games and entertainment system and Xbox 360 games and entertainment system from Microsoft, the Wii U™ system from Nintendo, PC and iOS and Android devices.

 

The Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Starter Pack will include the Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Base and video game software, the Star Wars: Twilight of the Republic Play Set, Ahsoka Tano and Anakin Skywalker character figures, and a web code card that unlocks content for PC and mobile devices.  Other Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition Play Sets, figures, and Toy Box Expansion Games will be sold separately.

 

 All figures and Power Discs from the 1.0 and 2.0 editions of Disney Infinity will be compatible with Disney Infinity 3.0 Edition in the enhanced Toy Box and, for the first time, Power Discs will be sold in labeled franchise-specific packs of four.  Additional Disney, Disney•Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars figures and Play Sets will be announced in the coming months.

It’s important to note that the game isn’t being pitched as “to boys.” It’s cross-generational and family oriented, which is a step up from some of the press announcements we’ve received out of Disney or Star Wars licensees.

It’s also exciting to see the entire saga represented, and that Ahsoka Tano will have a place here. It stands to reason then that Ashley Eckstein, Matt Lanter, and James Arnold Taylor may have come in to dub their voices for the game, which excites me as well. They’re always welcome additions to the “Star Wars” universe.

“Disney Infinity: 3.0” comes out this fall.

The long running era of the Saturday morning cartoon has officially ended, but no one can stop you from fulfilling your true weekend calling. Cartoons and Saturday mornings were made for each other and no one can tell us otherwise. It is to that end that we maintain vigil, bringing you animated selections each Saturday morning until the internet dies, or until we run out, good thing there’s always reruns.

“TaleSpin” Episode 1.1 “Plunder and Lightning” (7 out of 10) Created by Jymn Magon and Mark Zaslove; Directed by Larry Latham and Robert Taylor; Written by Alan Burnett, Len Uhley, and Mark Zaslove; Starring Charles Adler, Don Karnage, Pat Fraley, Ed Gilbert, Tony Jay, Sally Struthers, R.J. Williams, and Frank Welker; Originally aired September 7, 1990.

The pilot for “TaleSpin” originally aired as a two hour theatrical movie entitled “Plunder and Lightning.” Later it was broken down and aired on television as four half hour episodes, after which the series continued in regular episodic format.

“TaleSpin” takes recognizable characters from the Disney animated classic “Jungle Book” and reimagines them in the more modernized setting of Cape Suzette, a seafront community inhabited by cargo pilots and sky pirates. In addition to familiar characters including Baloo, Louie, and Shere Khan, new characters where created to fill out the cast. The most notable additions are Kit Cloudkicker, an adventurous youth known for his penchant to surf the skies, Rebecca Cunningham, the proprietor of “Higher for Hire” and Baloo’s employer, and finally Don Karnage, the series’ primary villain and, leader of a group of sky pirates and pilot of the Iron Vulture.

“Plunder and Lightning” sets the stage, introducing us to the characters and their relationships. The young Kit infiltrates Don Karnage and liberates a treasure chest before leaping into the air and hitchhiking behind an unsuspecting plane on his boomerang shaped cloud surfer. He then befriends Baloo, which entangles him in Kit’s trouble with Karnage as well as provides a possible solution to Baloo’s own personal problem.

Baloo needs a large sum of money to satisfy the bank or else have his plane, the Sea Duck, repossessed. With his livelihood at risk, Baloo agrees to help Kit keep the treasure out of the hands of Don Karnage unaware Karnage’s plans to use the jewel to power a lightning gun that would allow him to take control of Cape Suzette.

“TaleSpin” had a total of 65 episodes that originally aired from 1990 to 1991, reruns continued to air on The Disney Afternoon through most of 1994. In 1995 “TaleSpin” was moved to Disney’s Block Party along with “Darkwing Duck, DuckTales, and Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers.” Reruns continued to air in some format on Disney with brief hiatuses through 2008.

It’s also responsible for my continued disappointment in the lack of boomerang style expandable cloud surfers. You can watch the first part of “Plunder and Lightning” below.

This week Variety reported that ABC has ordered a pilot presentation for a revamped version of “The Muppet Show.” Precious little is known about it, except the log line that says the Muppets are meeting at ABC to pitch a new Muppet Show…which won’t happen unless Miss Piggy signs on. It’s being co-written by Bill Prady (“The Big Bang Theory”) and Bob Kushell (“The Simpsons,”) which has me an uncomfortable combination of optimistic and skeptical.

The description of the Muppets putting on a show about putting on a show is all very meta, but that’s how the Muppets have always been. Was “The Muppet Show” their “real lives,” or were they playing characters? When Kermit’s nephew Robin asks him if “The Muppet Movie” tells the true story of how the Muppets all met, Kermit kind of shrugs and says “approximately.” So this new series could be seen as an extension of the storyline in the 2011 and 2014 films, which have the Muppets reviving their careers and going on a world tour. Jason Segel, who wrote and starred in 2011’s “The Muppets,” wanted that movie to end with the announcement that the Muppets were getting a new television series….but ABC/Disney wasn’t ready to commit to that. Will they now?

“The Muppet Show” ran from 1976-1981 in syndication, and there have been a total of eight theatrical films and many made-for-tv specials and dozens (hundreds, probably) of other television and talk show appearances. But the other times the Muppets have had a television series, 1989’s “Jim Henson Hour” and 1996’s “Muppets Tonight,” they’ve fallen flat. I have my own theories about why that is, but one of the biggest problems has been they didn’t have the same mix of characters they had with “The Muppet Show.” In both of the later series, Frank Oz had scaled back his involvement with the Muppets, so his characters (Miss Piggy and Fozzie Bear) weren’t around. By the time “Muppets Tonight” came about, creator/performer Jim Henson and performer Richard Hunt had passed away, and while they re-cast Kermit the Frog, many other characters, like Rowlf the piano-playing dog, guitarist Janice, band leader Dr. Teeth, and go-fer Scooter became voiceless background scenery. Part of the richness of “The Muppet Show” had been lost. 

In the last two Muppet movies (both excellent, by the way), every major and minor Muppet has a voice. They even revived long-dormant characters like the ghoulish Uncle Deadly, and created a new character Walter, who I thought I’d hate, but quickly became a new favorite. The “new” generation of performers has been working with the Muppets for more than a decade, many alongside Frank Oz and other puppeteers whose characters they’ve inherited. They include incredibly strong performers who are just getting to the peak of their careers. I want to see what they can do. Along with classic characters, it’s an opportunity to see new ones; I’ve been campaigning since the 1990s to get an adult version of Muppet Babies’ Skeeter (Scooter’s adventurous twin sister) into the Muppets. In any case, everyone’s back. We could have an episode where Rowlf has more to say than one joke, or where the Electric Mayhem gets to bring the house down. With this diversity of characters back, one of the biggest problems with “The Jim Henson Hour” and “Muppets Tonight” will have been overcome. 

Now they just need to make it good. There’s a lot of potential. The short sketches that work best with the Muppets (the Swedish Chef, Muppet Labs, Pigs in Space), the songs, whether original or covers, the incredibly random acts like Gonzo’s stunts or Lew Zealand’s boomerang fish — they’re all still funny. Even better, they’re incredibly shareable via social media. If they get it right, they could get it very right.  

It remains to be seen if the format will be “The Muppet Show,” with a single guest star each week, or a somehow updated version, ala “Muppets Tonight.” Finding the right format and the right tone may be the most difficult challenge. Hopefully they’ll continue to draw the guest stars, and hopefully they’ll find a way to match the insane diversity of guest stars that “The Muppet Show” had. A series that had Julie Andrews one week, Mark Hamill, C-3PO and R2-D2 the next, Alice Cooper, Beverly Sills…it was an amazing run that paid tribute to every kind of pop culture. 

Where ABC knows the Muppets, and Disney owns the Muppets, the pilot presentation is both more than and less than a traditional pilot. All of the doors are open, it sounds like the Muppets will just need to play the music, light the lights, and put on a show. I hope it’s a good one.