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Walt & El Grupo

PG Released Sep 9, 2009 1h 46m Documentary List
57% Tomatometer 23 Reviews 44% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
In 1941, the U.S. government asks Walt Disney to embark on a goodwill tour of South America. Though relations at the studio are rocky at the time, Disney, his wife and a handpicked creative team visit Argentina, Chile, Brazil and other nations. In the process of gathering story material, Disney and his team fulfill a de facto diplomatic mission, forging relationships with Latin artists.
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Walt & El Grupo

Critics Reviews

View All (23) Critics Reviews
Andrew Schenker Slant Magazine Whatever glamour theres to be found in this Yanks-below-the-border venture is imperfectly conveyed to the audience because of a scarcity of suitable archival material. Rated: 1/4 Apr 6, 2022 Full Review Mick LaSalle San Francisco Chronicle The production values are first rate. But you will wait in vain to hear a good reason for this movie's existence. Rated: 1/4 Oct 30, 2009 Full Review Roger Ebert Chicago Sun-Times At a time when Hollywood doesn't remember last year, is obsessed with the bottom line and is run by men who often have no sense of history, Walt & El Grupo evokes a better time. Rated: 3/4 Oct 22, 2009 Full Review David Nusair Reel Film Reviews ...a niche effort that has little to offer all but the most ardent of animation junkies. Rated: .5/4 Sep 29, 2011 Full Review Ryan Cracknell Movie Views An intimate, albeit uneventful, story filled with flashy graphics but not a lot of substance. Dec 11, 2010 Full Review Sean Axmaker MSN.com ... less probing documentary than colorful press release for the paternal Disney... Dec 3, 2010 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (27) audience reviews
Bill R Magical mediative travelogue. This film is a quiet revelation. It teaches so much historical nuance, and also is simply a moving connection to humanity across time. Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A documentary film about Disney's trip to South America in 1941 that produced the films Saludos Amigos and The Three Caballeros. I knew the basic story of this film before watching it and I was entertained by the interviews of historians and relatives of the people involved in the trip. Showing pictures and the animators' sketches as they were talking about the trip was also fun to see. They also compared old photos with what that photo looks like today and I always enjoy that comparison. There was a segment showing Disney and the Group at the Ursa casino in its heyday and then another picture near the end of the film showing the same building derelict. I understand it is now being restored, but it was a sad moment in this movie that I will remember. If you like Disney history or like behind the scenes documentaries, then check this movie out. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/15/23 Full Review Audience Member As engaging as watching someone's vacation videos. America sending Disney as an ambassador to Central America during WWII is certainly fascinating but this profoundly dull bit of brown-nosery never captures that. Normally access is a positive, but this is just TOO in-depth. I care about the strike, the war, the government intervention, the trip footage & the films that came from this. I DON'T care about every travelers' descendant & their individual thoughts on how their grandparent had a fun trip. Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Audience Member The pacing may not have enabled engagement to meet the topic's fascination due to unmemorable focus despite understandable relevancy as part of the grasped prompt, it still nicely captured Walt's sight of the trip with the time period then being so well told and respectfully presented as it eventually stemmed into numerous known branches that beneficially helped the company from one federally given assignment. (B) Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review s r Documentary about Disney's trip to South America. The modern effort to frame it around the modern day and archives didn't quite cut it. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member Brings a new meaning to "sentimental journey. Starts off strong informing the viewer of the days before the trip- the tension of pending war in Europe- the changing times at the studio- strikes and power plays. The need for creatiivity, the financial pressures of lost income and even Federal involvement as Uncle Sam will pay Walt for this trip to South America to generate some good will and counter growing NAZI influences. BUT the film gets bogged down with insider nostalgia, as this was a film made by Disney (company) insiders, and is more of a tribute to thier family members and while there are some genuines points to be made, gets lost in the "family" slide show. Rated 2 out of 5 stars 02/24/23 Full Review Read all reviews
Walt & El Grupo

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Movie Info

Synopsis In 1941, the U.S. government asks Walt Disney to embark on a goodwill tour of South America. Though relations at the studio are rocky at the time, Disney, his wife and a handpicked creative team visit Argentina, Chile, Brazil and other nations. In the process of gathering story material, Disney and his team fulfill a de facto diplomatic mission, forging relationships with Latin artists.
Director
Theodore Thomas
Producer
Kuniko Okubo
Screenwriter
Theodore Thomas
Distributor
Walt Disney
Production Co
Theodore Thomas Productions
Rating
PG (Historical Smoking)
Genre
Documentary
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 9, 2009, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Mar 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA)
$19.9K
Runtime
1h 46m
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