Snowball Express
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Movie Reviews of Snowball Express
Movie Review: Funny
Summary: 5 Stars
One of the really good Disney shows from way back when. Not like what is out the market today.Movie Review: Family Movie
Summary: 5 Stars
Good Family movie! The whole family enjoyed this one. Had it on tape, but it wore out.Movie Review: "You mean for a thousand dollars, we got stuck with this...clapboard igloo?"
Summary: 4 Stars
Three and a half stars for SNOWBALL EXPRESS.
Here's the plot: When a distant great uncle passes away, harried working drone John Baxter (Dean Jones) inherits the Grand Imperial Hotel in snowy Silver Hill, Colorado. In a highlight moment, Baxter quits his job in grand style, and then off he goes to pack his reluctant family to ski country. They get a shock, however, when they instead arrive at a run-down, deserted shambles of an establishment (the locals dub it "Crazy Jake's place").
Bats in the lobby. Raccoons in the oven. An uninvited guest lurking in the shadows. Nevertheless, the Baxters try to make a go at it, converting the hotel into a ski lodge; this, despite the fact that none of them actually knows how to ski. And a conniving banker, with an eye towards John Baxter's inheritance, aims to make things that much harder...
It boils down to this: A perhaps foolhardy venture at a new life. A dilapidated home. Snowball fights. An avalance. A lowdown, dirty trickery. And, it all, more or less, culminates in a wacky snowmobile race and with John Baxter paying attention to his clever kid.
Back in the '60s and '70s, Dean Jones was a staple in Disney cinema. And, like all of his other Disney outings, SNOWBALL EXPRESS, coming out in 1972, showcases Dean's patented everyman charm and accesibility. Like the awesome Fred MacMurray, Dean is down-to-earth and quite believable as an average bloke. Because of this, his reactions to his plights become that much funnier, because we're able to better connect with him and, by extension, the madcap situations in which he lands himself. Note, too, that Dean Jones handles himself just fine with the physical antics. Plus, his characters tend to be a wee bit uptight, further fueling the humor. I really think Dean flaunts one of the better "royally put upon" facial expressions out there.
SNOWBALL EXPRESS follows that tried-and-true Disney brand of family sentimentality and awkward goofiness. A Disney flick means that the wife is supportive and loving (this time, she's brought solidly to life by the always lovely and wholesome Nancy Olson), and the kids are juuust a tad rebellious but innately good at heart. The bad guy is oily and shady, in an over-the-top kind of way (as ably done by Keenan Wynn). And, naturally, there's always a lovable pet, this time in the shape of the humongous and cowardly dog, Stoutheart.
Yes, the humor is very silly and slapstick and might even make you roll your eyes. Still, there are some funny bits in here, such as Dean's classic backwards downhill ski and that red-headed kid's attempts to dislodge a massive tree root. Not to mention, the great character actor Harry Morgan drops several good one-liners.
To be honest, this isn't the best of Disney. I don't find SNOWBALL EXPRESS quite as enjoyable as, say, The Love Bug (Special Edition), Blackbeard's Ghost or even The Shaggy D.A.. But I liked it enough, as nothing more or less than a pleasant diversion and a good family flick. And, if nothing else, if you watch this, you might learn what to yell out in warning should you suddenly go out of control on the slopes.
Movie Review: Wacky Movie in Disney's Classic Family Style
Summary: 4 Stars
This movie is a fun family movie in the Disney style we remember so well. Nearly cartoonish and typically contrived, the movie remains a delight more than 30 years after it was first released.Johnny Baxter (Dean Jones) is a faceless white collar worker in New York City. A barely remembered uncle leaves him a hotel with a fancy-sounding name in Colorado and Johnny packs up the family to run the hotel. Alas, the hotel's name is far fancier than the hotel itself, inhabited by raccoons and a codger (Harry Morgan of "Dragnet" and "M*A*S*H"). Johnny, his wife Sue (Nancy Olson), son Richard (Johnny Whitaker), and daughter Chris (Kathleen Cody) decide to make a go of the hotel, partially because Johnny has burned a bridge at his old job and partially because of his pride.
Johnny tries to obtain a loan and quickly runs afoul of perennial Disney bad-guy Keenan Wynn, playing ruthless banker Martin Ridgeway. Johnny is able to borrow money from Ridgeway and fix the hotel to begin taking in paying customers, but as tends to happen in Disney comedies, Johnny tends to be prone to accidents. In this case the most serious accident comes in the form of a runaway steam engine.
Johnny is placed in a position of having no paying customers and no money, and his next loan payment to Ridgeway is coming due. Johnny enters a snowmobile race with the help of a local "expert" who isn't, and with co-rider Harry Morgan. Some of the funniest and most unbelievable moments of the movie occur during the snowmobile race.
The ending of the movie unfolds not quite as you might expect, so I'll leave the remainder of the movie for the viewer to discover.
The special effects were good for the early 70s, but now appear substantially dated, with a few exceptions, such as the runaway steam engine. Children and those of us that saw the movie when it first came out will still find it enjoyable and very solid, safe family fare.
Movie Review: Finally a Disney Favorite on DVD!!!
Summary: 4 Stars
I am so happy that Disney has finally released Snowball Express on DVD! This is a great family movie that I've adored my entire life. The story is about a family man, John Baxter (played by Dean Jones), who inherits a hotel from an uncle. He quits his job and moves his family to the snow covered hills of Colorado where The Grand Imperial Hotel is located. However, the Grand Imperial isn't as "grand" as he had imagined, and Baxter decides that with a bank loan, he'll change the hotel into a ski lodge. The ruthless bank manager wants the hotel for his own greedy purposes, and this leaves Baxter to struggle to make his ski lodge dreams a reality. This movie is full of laughs thanks to the whit of Jones, Harry Morgan, Nancy Olsen, Johnny Whitaker, and an adorable St. Bernard dog that will have you re-winding the DVD to see those precious expressions over and over. Now, why just 4 stars out of a possible 5? They DVD is greatly appreciated, but the quality is a bit lacking. Once again, like Disney's DVD release of Blackbeard's Ghost, Snowball Express is full-screen format. Also, it appears the the picture quality isn't as crisp as most DVD releases. It looks as if the DVD was directly copied from an original film reel. As you watch the opening credits, you'll see the specks of dust and scratches that are common when watching movies in theaters, but not on DVD. Also, there aren't any Bonus Features!! Boooooo!!!
Other than those little flaws, the DVD would make a great addition to a Disney DVD collection.