The Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances Bracket -- Round One, Day Thirty-One

Well, it’s Groundhog Day…again. I know, I know, you’re thinking that you couldn’t possibly be repeating the same day, but what can I tell you? That’s just what’s happening!

Kidding aside, it’s the penultimate day of votes in the first round of the Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances bracket. That’s right, friends, we have just eight spots left in the second round, so just eight performances can move on including four from today’s set of votes. Are you ready to decide? Let’s go!

(3) Jodi Benson, The Little Mermaid vs. (62) Mark Rylance, The BFG: I told you that Jodi Benson would get one more chance in the first round. And whatever you may think of Mark Rylance as an actor in other work, I would hope most of us can agree that his work in/as The BFG is not particularly great, certainly not compared to Benson’s leading work as Ariel. A great film and performance against a not-great film and performance. Benson gets this one, yes?

(30) Mira Sorvino, Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion vs. (35) Hugh Jackman, The Prestige: Two movies and performances I like going head to head. In truth, I like The Prestige more than I like Romy and Michele, but…ah, there’s the but. There’s no doubt that Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion is a lighter film, a film deliberately less weighty. Hugh Jackman’s been somewhat better — I really loved his lead role in the HBO movie Bad Education a few years ago — but he’s very close to brilliant in this Christopher Nolan film. But it’s a heavier film, and Mira Sorvino’s work in the very different 1997 comedy is suitably goofy.

I dunno! This one’s tough! My head says Jackman, and my heart says Sorvino. And…well, you know, February is a month for the heart. So I may give this to Sorvino. How about you?

(14) Idina Menzel, Frozen vs. (51) Alan Tudyk, Wreck-It Ralph: So, as previously alluded in the first round, I once got a chance to see a test screening of Wreck-It Ralph, meaning that there were plenty of temporary voice tracks during key scenes. But Alan Tudyk had clearly recorded at least some of his dialogue as King Candy, so the Ed Wynn aspect of his performance was already clear months in advance.

And here’s the thing. You ever have that thing where you meet someone in person and they’re perfectly nice to you but there’s just something about their personality you dislike? More of a Me Problem than a Them Problem? That’s my thing with Alan Tudyk’s work in this film. I get what he’s doing, he’s doing it well (it is a very solid Ed Wynn impression), and I just flat-out do not like it. I just don’t. He’s doing the job well, but I don’t like it. Shrug. Menzel gets my vote.

(19) Anne Hathaway, The Princess Diaries vs. (46) Jason Segel, The Muppets: As mentioned in earlier posts, I have a lesser opinion now of the 2011 Muppet movie than I did initially. And a large part of that is thanks to the big smiling face of the guy in the photo a few paragraphs above this one. So much of The Muppets relegates to a supporting role…the Muppets themselves. Anne Hathaway’s breakout role in The Princess Diaries is far from my favorite one in her filmography (in part because — and this is obviously not her fault — the whole “If we straighten this young woman’s hair and take off her glasses, well whaddya know, she’s gorgeous!” trope is annoying). But it’s better than Segel’s performance.

What do you say?