So Disney+ expanded its worldwide roll-out with the UK getting the service just last week. The Mouse House’s streamer is bursting with tons of content, including most of their huge back catalogue, but what should you check out first? We took the weekend to take a good hard look at the service to try to recommend some of the new titles for our readers, and here are six of the best titles to access right now.
Togo
This was one of the first titles we checked out on Disney+, with high expectations, and we were not disappointed with what we saw. Willem Dafoe plays musher Leonhard Seppala who must travel 600 miles to get hold of a serum that will cure inhabitants of his town who have been overcome by an epidemic. Featuring a superb central performance, wonderful visuals and wonderful message, as most good Disney movies have, this true story will melt the hardest of hearts. You can read our full review of the movie here.
The Mandalorian
This one is obvious, but Lucasfilm and Disney’s very first live-action Star Wars series is outstanding and worth the monthly subscription alone. The first episode of The Mandalorian, directed by Dave Filoni from a screenplay by Jon Favreau, is nothing short of breathtaking and, while things slow down slightly in the second episode, brace yourself for an amazing chapter three which has just debuted over the weekend. Revolving around the title character, the series follows a ruthless bounty hunter (Pedro Pascal) who takes a job to locate and retrieve a nameless being referred to as ‘The Child’. We’ve also been following the series and posting reviews of each episode. Check out chapters one and two at the end of the links.
The Imagineering Story
This is another title, like The Mandalorian, where Disney is releasing each episode slowly. The Imagineering Story is essentially a history of the making of Disneyland and the other big theme parks, of which there are twelve, that they own all over the world. There are interviews with the key poeple involved over the years, including archive footage and audio featuring Walt Disney himself. Episode one looks at the making of the original Disneyland in California in detail, while episode two hones in on the building of Walt Disney World and EPCOT in Florida, both of which opened after the tragic death of Disney.
One Day At Disney
A one-off documentary featuring key cast members across the Disney empire is essential viewing, but a little on the short side to satisfy most appetites who are into the subject matter. Luckily, once you’ve watched the main feature, there are a whopping 52 short films that accompany it, each one revolving around a Disney employee across its theme parks, film studios, publishing companies, television networks an more. An absolute must for fans of Disney and, if you still want to go further, there is a brilliant hard-back coffee table book to accompany the series, too.
Empire Of Dreams
This one may be familiar to some who have owned the Star Wars movies on the various DVD formats over the years, but the 2004 movie Empire Of Dreams is the definitive Star Wars documentary that looks at the making of Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi. Running at 2 and a half hours, expect tons of behind the scenes footage, interviews with the key players and much more. Again, a must for Star Wars fans.
The World According to Jeff Goldblum
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7aN9OkNl7U
See the world through Jeff Goldblums’ eyes as he takes a look at various topics, including sneakers and ice cream in episodes one and two, and further adventures into the world of video games and tattoos in future episodes. Season one consists of twelve fantastic episodes and the great news is that the show has just been renewed for a second season by National Geographic.
