Disney+ has finally launched in Australia and New Zealand after what felt like a very long week since it launched in the U.S. last week.
We’re going to be dropping reviews for the original content on the service over the next few days as well as some first impressions for some of the shorter series below.
TV Reviews
The Mandalorian — “Chapter One” Review by Dylan Blight
The Mandalorian definitely looks like Star Wars, but for the most part, it doesn’t sound or flow like any Star Wars that I’ve seen and I love that. The Mandalorian isn’t a character that grabs you straight away, but it’s the world he’s in, the characters he’s talking to and the big reveal at the end that’ll have you coming back for the next episode.
High School Musical: The Musical: The Series — “The Auditions” Review by Dylan Blight
If you’re a fan of the High School Musical films this is a decent start to a new series with all the songs you adore.
The Imagineering Story — “The Happiest Place on Earth” Review by Dylan Blight
The Imagineering Story is off to a magical start on Disney+ as it takes you on a trip to Disneyland through history and gives you access to areas never seen before. It doesn’t matter if you’re a massive Disneyland fan that visits every year or just a dreamer from across the other side of the world like myself, this is a must-watch series and I cannot wait to get back into this each week.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum — “Sneakers” Review by Dylan Blight
I didn’t go into this episode wanting to learn more about shoe collecting, so maybe the episode’s success lies in me wanting to do that Google search afterwards. This is doco-lite where the entertainment factor lies in your love for Goldblum but I found it to be more boring than cleaning shoes.
Encore! — “Annie” Review by Dylan Blight
Encore! would be better presented with at least two episodes devoted to each High School production, not one. But given the hour there is to work with, this premiere episode still manages to find a human story with the High School Reunion and present a darn good musical at the end with a feel-good finish that’s going to make for easily digestible television.
TV Impressions
Pixar In Real Life
The first episode of Pixar In Real Life very much seemed like a YouTube video. A fun YouTube video you’d put on for your family and have a laugh, but a YouTube video nonetheless.
In the first episode, a control board is set up in New York City’s Central Park and passersby stop and interact with it. It works like the one seen in Inside Out and can change the emotions of two actors having a conversation just in front of the board.
I didn’t get any real laughs out of this first episode but, given it’s only five minutes, I’m still keen to watch more as I can see some of these being more fun than others, with this premiere falling on the not-so-fun end.
— Dylan Blight
Forky Asks a Question
There are two of these Forky shorts available at the moment, one about money and the other about friends. They’re in the 2–3 minute range each and, for some reason, aren’t grouped under one title in the Disney+ selection; instead, they’re listed separately.
As a big fan of Forky, I enjoyed both of these—especially the second, about friends, as Forky introduces us to a mug he says is his friend named “what, no!” based on adults walking around with it yelling “what, no!” As that episode ended I was laughing a lot as the credits began to roll.
Your enjoyment of these shorts will depend on your enjoyment of Forky from Toy Story 4 and, even then, these are most definitely aimed at young kids, of which I am one.
— Dylan Blight
Let us know which of the Disney+ originals you’re enjoying the most in the comments below.
