Vanellope & Friends (2016 film)

Disney In The House: Introduction
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Chris A. Bailey Rob Renzetti Vixi Anderson
Produced by	Tracy Balthazor-Flynn
Screenplay by	Scott Alexander Larry Karaszweski
Story by	Chris A. Bailey Rob Renzetti Scott Alexander Larry Karaszweski
Starring	Sarah Silverman Tom Hanks Dakota Fanning Spencer Breslin Ginnifer Goodwin Owen Laramore Michael J. Fox Max Casella Chris Rock Billy Connolly Ed O'Neill
Music by	Hans Zimmer John Powell
Cinematography	Caleb Deschanel
Edited by	Christopher K. Gee
Production companies	Walt Disney Pictures Walt Disney Wonder Studios
Distributed by	Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
Release date	October 21, 2016
Running time	107 minutes
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$150 million
Box office	$585 million

Disney In The House: Introduction is a 2016 American live-action/computer-animated comedy-drama film directed by Chris A. Bailey, Rob Renzetti, and Vixi Anderson in their feature directorial debuts from a screenplay penned by writing duo Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. John Lasseter served as the film's executive producer. The film stars the voices of Sarah Silverman, Tom Hanks, Ginnifer Goodwin, Michael J. Fox, Max Casella, Chris Rock, and Ed O'Neill, with Dakota Fanning, Spencer Breslin (from archive recordings of their voices), Owen Laramore (in his film debut), and Billy Connolly (in his final film role before his retirement in 2020) in live-action roles. Set in a world where humans and Disney Characters co-exist in peace, the film centers on Vanellope von Schweetz, whose dream of making her own family comes true as she takes on a series of adventures.

Produced by Walt Disney Wonder Studios as its first film, Disney In The House: Introduction was released theatrically in the United States on October 21, 2016 by Walt Disney Pictures. It grossed $585 million worldwide against its $150 million budget and was universally acclaimed by critics for its heartwarming story, the performances of Silverman, Hanks, Fanning, and Laramore, the CGI animation on the Disney characters, and Hans Zimmer and John Powell's musical score. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards including Best Picture. The film's success led to nine sequels, beginning with Disney In The House: 4th Of July in 2017 and ending with Disney In The House: Oceans in 2020.

Plot

Humans and Disney characters co-exist in harmony in Disneyville, the most magical star in the sky. Mayor Lawrence Pierce and his adviser, Mr. Ziploc the plastic bowl take Vanellope von Schweetz and her pet iguana Iggy on a history tour and introduce them to Judy Hopps, Hank, Woody, Agent P, and the Little Green Men. When they build shelter for Woody, Vanellope tells them her tragic backstory of when poachers arrested her former friend Banana; Vanellope has been wanting to make her own family ever since.

They are invited to visit to the Hader's Kingdom, much to Woody's disgruntlement since he thinks Disneyville is not real. King Marcus, the ruler of the Hader's Kingdom, greets the gang. After introducing them to his son, Conrad, they spy on Conrad's sister Sally's singing about longing to marry her brother. Vanellope comforts Sally and vows to help her. This outrages Woody, who, believing Sally to be too young to marry, admonishes the family for false advertising and tries to beat the answer out of Vanellope, but they both fall into a hole that leads them to Hand-Drawn Land.

Now animated in traditional animation, Vanellope and Woody have a short argument that ends with Woody revealing he lost his neighbor to a dragon. Connecting this with the day she lost Banana, she comforts him with a hug. They are then recruited by a super spy and shapeshifter named Gadget to retrieve an emerald from a murderous couple named Ginny and Alan. Gadget, Vanellope, and a reformed Woody steal the emerald and escape from Ginny and Alan. Gadget returns Vanellope and Woody to Disneyville, where they revert to their computer-generated selves.

Meanwhile, Sally and Conrad's date is successful, but they, along with Lawrence, Judy, Hank, Mr. Ziploc, Agent P, Iggy, and the Little Green Men are captured by Banana, who has escaped jail. Banana confronts Vanellope and Woody and lets the poachers arrest Vanellope as revenge for abandoning him when he was taken away. In jail, Vanellope learns from a talking skeleton named Skull Housetall that the dragon is headed for the Hader's Kingdom. Woody frees Vanellope from jail. Back at the Hader's Kingdom, Vanellope and Woody confront Banana and convince him to help them and prove he is still a good banana at heart.

The dragon attacks the Hader's Kingdom. Banana sets the family free, and using Sally and Conrad as bait, they lure the dragon out of the Hader's Kingdom. The poachers block their path, intending to put Vanellope back in jail, but they are saved by the arrival of Judy and Hank. When they approach the kingdom's viaduct, which crumbles underneath the dragon's weight, Sally and Banana fall over the edge, with Vanellope holding onto them. Knowing Vanellope can not save them both in time, Banana sacrifices himself, allowing Vanellope to save Sally. As the family reunites, Banana's death reveals that he was just a normal banana on the inside. The dragon takes Banana into the sky and departs.

With Disneyville saved, Sally and Conrad finally share a kiss and get married, and the viaduct is rebuilt three days later. Vanellope, Woody, Judy, Hank, Lawrence, Mr. Ziploc, and Iggy bid a heartfelt farewell to Sally, Conrad, and Marcus, while Agent P and the Little Green Men stay in the Hader's Kingdom. When Vanellope and her friends return home, they become a family.

Cast

• Sarah Silverman as Vanellope von Schweetz, an adorable, high-spirited, and heroic adolescent with a Canadian accent who is a resident of Disneyville.
• Tom Hanks as Woody, a well-meaning but over cautious and domesticated Disney character who has mistrusted Disneyville as "childish nonsense" since losing his neighbor to a dragon and is cold-hearted towards Vanellope, but eventually realizes the delights of Disneyville's reality and softens up to her.
• Dakota Fanning as Sally Hader, the pretty, elegant, and graceful princess of the Hader's Kingdom and Conrad's younger sister.
• Spencer Breslin as Conrad Hader, the handsome, good-hearted, and compassionate prince of the Hader's Kingdom and Sally's older brother.
• Ginnifer Goodwin as Judy Hopps, an anthropomorphic bunny who wears a police uniform and is a resident of Disneyville.
• Owen Laramore as Lawrence Broderick Pierce, an easygoing and optimistic know-it-all who is the mayor of Disneyville.
• Michael J. Fox as Mr. Ziploc, an anthropomorphic flying plastic bowl who is Lawrence's news messenger.
• Max Casella as Banana, an anthropomorphic banana and Vanellope's former friend who was taken by illegal poachers..
• Chris Rock as Agent Gadget, a super spy and shapeshifter from Hand-Drawn Land. Robert Downey Jr. was considered for the role, but had to drop out.
• Billy Connolly as Marcus III Hader, the optimistic and elderly ruler of the Hader's Kingdom and Conrad and Sally's father who has a Scottish accent.
• Ed O'Neill as Hank, an anthropomorphic red octopus with seven tentacles who is Disneyville's greatest septopus stuntman.
• Frank Welker as Iggy, Vanellope's pet iguana who can only communicate through chittering.
• Dee Bradley Baker as The Little Green Men, residents of Disneyville who are the most excited about Vanellope's dream. Baker also voices Agent P, a citizen of Disneyville and a platypus who is good partners with the Little Green Men.
• Samantha Morton and Sam Elliott as Ginny and Alan, a murderous outlaw husband and wife couple from Hand-Drawn Land.
• Miguel Ferrer as Commander, the ruthless leader of the illegal poachers. This was the last live-action role for Ferrer before his death on January 19, 2017.
• Helena Bonham Carter as Marka, Vanellope's next door neighbor.
• Andy Dick as Skull Housetall, a Swedish-accented skeleton who warns Vanellope about Banana's evil plan.

Box office

The film opened on October 21, 2016, and was projected to gross $100-110 million in its opening weekend. It grossed $285 million in the United States and Canada, and $300 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $585 million at the end of the theatrical run on January 26, 2017.

Critical response

Disney In The House: Introduction was universally loved by critics and audiences alike. It has a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 200 reviews. The consensus reads, "Full of classic family entertainment, eye-popping CGI animation, and a thrilling cast, Disney In The House: Introduction marks a successful film debut for Walt Disney Wonder Studios and stays true to the spirit of Disney's classics". Metacritic signed the film to a score of 90 out of 100 based on 34 critics, indicating "universal acclaim". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film a grade of "A+" on an A+ to F scale.

Ty Burr of The Boston Globe gave the film 5 out of 5 stars, saying, "Disney In The House: Introduction is the greatest movie of all-time. It is capable of captivating kids". Alison Willmore of Vulture called the film "surprisingly sensational". According to Sarah Silverman's performance of Vanellope von Schweetz, Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun Times gave the film "Two Thumbs Up" and wrote, "There's no protagonist better than Vanellope". Anthony Lane of New Yorker wrote, "Using Dakota Fanning's child voice from archive recordings is just a nicer idea than I can ever imagine". Leonard Maltin of Entertainment Tonight called the film "clever and laugh-out-loud funny". Tim Grierson of Paste wrote, "Disney In The House: Introduction is irresistible".