Film Review – Disneyland Handcrafted

The development and creation of Disneyland is no secret. There’s been plenty of media devoted to the topic, exploring the details of Walt Disney’s seemingly insane dream of creating an entire theme park, and giving himself one year to do it. “Disneyland Handcrafted” is a documentary about the construction of the park, but director Leslie Iwerks (“The Imagineering Story,” “Superpowered: The DC Story,” and “100 Years of Warner Bros.”) comes armed with something many books, television shows, video essays, and newspaper articles don’t have: access to the archives. Iwerks maintains the presence of Imagineers and employees through audio interviews, but the big selling point of “Disneyland Handcrafted” is the presentation of never-before-seen footage from the building of the Anaheim, California project, as Walt was careful to make sure the whole shebang was documented in many ways. For Disneyana types, the movie is an engrossing opportunity to enjoy a nearly 3D-like viewing experience of pure labor. For the rest, Iwerks makes sure to celebrate the creative and physical drive of a massive undertaking, making for a riveting sit. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com