Disneyland makes Five!

Just got back from SoCal where 18 SMSers completed the Disneyland Half Marathon. We got really lucky with the weather - cool and overcast at the start and it stayed that way until around 10am. This is a really fun event. Mostly flat course that starts with a quick tour through the Magic Kingdom, them heads out into the city of Anaheim. It wonders through the city streets before heading over to the Anaheim sports complex. This starts with the Honda Center, home of the Anaheim Mighty Ducks hockey team, then down to the Big A - Angels Stadium. This was a real treat because this year we ran through the stadium, skirting the outfield which was lined with Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts who cheered us on passionately, holding out their hands for a high five. I think I ran this mile in 6 minutes, it was so energizing. To make it even better everyone got their mugs on the jumbotron and had their names announced over the PA system - very cool!

This was my third Disney event of the year, following the Goofy Challenge in January and upon finishing I picked up my 5th Disney Racing medal. From DisneyWorld I picked up the prestigious Donald medal for the Half Marathon, the Mickey medal for the full Marathon and the Goofy for completing both in the same weekend - quite an experience. Disneyland provided the Magic Kingdom medal for its Half Marathon, followed by the Coast to Coast medal which features Walt hand in hand with his signature creation - Mickey. It's a beautiful and heavy medal. Well worth the effort.

These events are pretty special, due to the crowds, the passion Disney throws into them and all the costumed participants. Very cool to see so many Tinkerbells, Tiggers, Minnies, Mickeys, Peter Pans and Pocohantas runners. Best costume went to the woman who ran as Pooh in a teddy bear costume covering her torso. Looked like a hot costume to do 13 miles in, but she crossed the line smiling.

Kudos too to all the TNT runners who finished the event. Was surprising and exciting to the see the El Paso Chapter represented - that's my home town.

Next up:

Nike Women's Marathon in October - I'll be coaching for all the northern California TNTers. This is a killer event. Gorgeous course and usually great weather. The event in whole supports the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and has raised millions for the cause in past years. This will be no exception.

In 2010, I'll be raising $10,000 for the LLS through my efforts to be the first person to finish all 11 events in Competitor.com's Rock and Roll Endurance Series. Follow my efforts on Twitter at RnRJames.

3D is no longer a gimmick

Last weekend we went to the premier of Bolt in 3D and have to say, this is a whole new era for animation. Unlike previous 3D movies such as the dreadful Chicken Little and the cheesy Journey to the Center of the Earth. Bolt doesn't stick the technology on as a gag or an after thought but instead is crafted entirely as an immersive world that plays an essential part in the storytelling. 

I was blown away by how realistic the settings were, especially a quiet scene between Bolt and his cat companion, Mittens, in the Nevada desert. Every blade of yellowing grass and dirt covered hill is perfectly rendered with depth and movement. I found myself fully immersed in this world like nothing before it. And the best part was that it wasn't distracting but enriching.

Unfortunately this fantastic, fun movie debuted opposite the teen sensation Twilight, so it missed its mark with audiences. But don't let a disappointing opening weekend keep you away from the theater, this is an experience worth having.

Bolt is essentially Toy Story with dogs. It's about a white German Shepherd puppy who grows up in Hollywood playing the part of a canine superhero until one day he escapes from the fantasy world and into reality where special effects and stunt men don't exist thus robbing him of his specialness. Half Buzz Lightyear and half Woody, Bolt's on a mission to get back to his "person" and does so with a cast of wacky sidekicks including a cynical cat and a very overstimulated hamster named Rhino (voiced brilliantly by animator Mark Walton). 

But comparison's aside, Bolt has a wonderful script, some exciting, hilarious and heart-wrenching scenes and some of the best dog vs cat jokes this side of Bloom County.

Perhaps the saddest part of the experience was that we went at 8pm on a Saturday night and the theater was maybe 30 percent full. Sure, Twilight was one factor but another clearly had to be the price - $13.50. Theaters are charging $2-3 more for the 3D film. 

Personally I'm having a hard time justifying $10.50 for most movies these days but I think this new immersive 3D experience is worth the price. It actually brings back a unique value of the theater - until this 3D experience comes to Blu-Ray, that is.  

Before the film were a string of previews for upcoming 3D animated films including the hilarious trailer for Pixar's latest coming next summer, called Up and the predictably black humorist Ice Age 3D. It's a short imaginative story - as we've come to expect from John Lasseter's crew (he had a hand in the writing of Bolt, too, BTW). The best part of the Up preview, is the joke at the end. I was laughing out loud.

Dreamworks has a 3D feature on its way too, called Monsters vs. Aliens. Judging by the preview it seems to lack the heart of Bolt or Up but the rendering appears to be equally as engaging.

Here's hoping for more 3D animated films in the future - and a home version.