The Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances Bracket -- Round Two, Day Twelve

You're welcome.

And thank you! (I hope you read the subheader first. Otherwise, that reference makes no sense at all!)

Anyway, we’re now halfway through the month of February, which seems impossible to imagine. We’re more than halfway through the second round of the Ultimate Walt Disney Company Performances bracket, too, and getting much closer to the third round. But first, you’ve got to vote in today’s set of matchups. So let’s go!

(3) Jeremy Irons, The Lion King vs. (35) Ben Burtt, WALL-E: While I am thrilled that Ben Burtt survived the first round of this bracket, I am equally thrilled to say goodbye to him. Jeremy Irons’ performance as Scar is unequaled among so many villain performances, to the point where one of the many, many, many reasons why the computer-animated remake is so terrible is that the new version of Scar is as lifeless as possible. (I like Chiwetel Ejiofor, but what a damp rag of a voice performance.) Irons moves on, sez I. What sez you?

(14) Paul Newman, The Color of Money vs. (19) Eartha Kitt, The Emperor’s New Groove: Let’s tip our virtual hats to the incomparable Paul Newman, who is very good as Fast Eddie Felson in Martin Scorsese’s The Color of Money, won an Oscar for it, and is undoubtedly going to lose this matchup. And I get why, of course; Eartha Kitt gets a meal of a character in the memorably weird Yzma. But Newman’s great, too! (Just not great enough to win, alas.)

(6) Ellen DeGeneres, Finding Nemo vs. (27) Brian Cox, 25th Hour: I am partial here to Brian Cox in 25th Hour, at least for his monologue at the end of Spike Lee’s brilliant post-9/11 character study. It’s powerful and passionate and unexpectedly emotional. But for obvious reasons, I am sure Ellen DeGeneres is winning this one. That said, if you want to surprise me, I’m all for it!

(11) Angela Lansbury, Beauty and the Beast vs. (22) Dwayne Johnson, Moana: As another reminder that photos mean nothing in terms of my preferences, I am absolutely voting here for Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Potts. She was an icon beyond compare, her work as Mrs. Potts is warm and charming, and there is nothing else I should have to say. Be glad you made it to this round, Dwayne.