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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | 102 Dalmations (Live) | | | Don't be fooled by the title. Rather than 102, there are 4 reasons to like this sequel to the successful live-action remake of Disney's animated classic. There are the 101 spotted pooches, Glenn Close back in fine form as Cruella De Vil, Oddball--the spotless dalmation pup--and Waddlesworth, a parrot who thinks he's a rottweiler (and is voiced by Monty Python's Eric Idle). There are just as many reasons to be disappointed. Like most sequels, the story line is virtually a rewrite of the first, the secondary casting isn't as interesting, the dialogue merely serves to move the plot along, and the third act substitutes mean-spiritedness for comedy. After a period of rehabilitation, Cruella has returned to her old tricks. Once again, she simply must have a spotted coat and will go to any lengths to get ahold of the 102 dalmatians needed to make one with a hood. She sets her sights on the pups owned by her probation officer, Chloe (Alice Evans), and the owner of a local animal shelter, Kevin (Ioan Gruffudd of Horatio Hornblower). Her servant, Alonso (Tim McInnerny), and flamboyant furrier Monsieur Le Pelt (Gerard Depardieu, in one ridiculous outfit after another) are drafted to aid in her quest. It should come as no surprise that Chloe and Kevin fall in love, Oddball helps to save the day, and Cruella is defeated. Children should enjoy the animal high jinks, but adults are less likely to be enamored by this perfectly competent, but relatively charmless affair. --Kathleen C. Fennessy |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | Glenn Close |
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| | | | 321 Penguins - The Cheating Scales of Bullamanka | | | The adage "cheaters never prosper" takes on new meaning after spending a half hour with Zidgel, Midgel, and Fidgel, a trio of space-exploring penguins. After pig-tailed Michelle cheats her brother in a game of Squid-Tac-Toad, our feathered friends whisk her off to Bullamanka in a last-ditch effort to make peace between a couple of galactic kings. It seems that cheating is a universal phenomenon, and the Lizard King is the culprit. Now, Michelle must agree to contest his victory to save the good Bandicoot King from certain doom down the "gurgler." In between clever one-liners and general zaniness, viewers will catch the central message that "when you cheat, everyone loses." From the creators of VeggieTales, 3-2-1 Penguins! adheres to the same winning formula: quality cartoon-style humor wrapped in a timeless moral message, presented in a nonpreachy fashion. While the new series is still a fledgling, once these penguins find their, er, flippers, they will be as well loved as Bob and Larry. (Ages 5 and up) --Lynn Gibson |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Ron Smith (II) | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | a charlie brown christmas | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | A Kid in Aladdin's Palace | | | There's more shtick than you can shake a stick at in this goofy sequel to the 1995 comedy A Kid in King Arthur's Court. Thomas Ian Nicholas returns as Calvin, a deceptively commonplace '90s teen whose pizza-delivery job gets him mixed up in an ancient quest to help Ali Baba save Aladdin--and all of Arabia--from the evil schemes of Aladdin's brother, Luxor. Just as Calvin relied on rollerblades and CD players to help him in the previous movie, his stash of contemporary gizmos gets him out of more than one jam when Luxor's henchmen come looking for him. There's a fair amount of F/X magic here--including the traditional opening of Ali Baba's hideaway at the command "open sesame"--but silliness is the real engine of this movie. (Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves? Try Ali and his Three Lamebrained Brothers.) Comic actor Taylor Negron is very funny as Aladdin's smart-aleck genie, stuck inside a lamp for a thousand years but hip enough to describe Luxor as "gone postal." --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | A Kid in King Arthur's Court | | | Faith in oneself is crucial but often difficult to develop. Calvin Fuller (Thomas Ian Nicholas), a misfit from the 20th-century "Knights" baseball team, lacks self-confidence. Imagine his alarm when he's sucked into the Middle Ages to answer the wizard Merlin's (Ron Moody) plea for a "Knight" to save King Arthur and Camelot from the scheming Lord Belasco (Art Malik). Intense culture shock befalls all involved as a bewildered Calvin dines on pig snouts and learns to lance while King Arthur (Joss Ackland) and his court members are confounded by 20th-century inventions like rock & roll and roller-blading. Eventually, Calvin's interactions with the king and his court spark a journey of personal growth that leads to love and a newfound confidence that enables him to help King Arthur, Princesses Katey (Paloma Baeza) and Sarah (Kate Winslet), and Camelot as a whole. Will Calvin's confidence accompany him back to the 20th-century? Loosely based on Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court. (Ages 5 and older) --Tami Horiuchi |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | Mary-Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen |
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| | | | Adventures of Milo and Otis | | | Japanese filmmaker Masanori Hata made this above-average family film about a dog and a cat--friends with a tendency to make mischief--who go on an unanticipated adventure when one is rushed downriver and the other follows. Hata, who took four years to complete the work, relies on purely cinematic storytelling techniques (these animals don't have human voices on the soundtrack), making the film an international favorite. Dudley Moore narrates, but the film works because Hata's filmmaking fundamentals are so good. Kids love this, but adults can easily appreciate and enjoy it, too. --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Masanori Hata | | Starring: | Milo, Otis |
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| | | | Adventures of Pinocchio | | | Apparently aimed at very small children and the simple-minded, adults may decide that the best aspect of this kiddie flick is the clamshell box with its dual image "Magic Action Art." Though strong technically, the blend of digital effects, animation, mattes, and miniatures is eventually too much of a hodgepodge. The plot is a confusing jumble of classic fairy-tale elements and jarring contemporary accents, attitudes, and lowbrow humor. The only real performers are Martin Landau, who is very classy as Geppetto, and a sad-looking Geneviéve Bujold. Syrupy child-star Jonathan Taylor Thomas makes you long to toss another puppet on the fire. However, the story basically follows Carlo Collodi's fairy tale and the music is enjoyable, especially the songs by Stevie Wonder. This should maintain the interest of youngsters age 8 and under. --Rochelle O'Gorman |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Adventures of Pluto Nash | | | The Adventures of Pluto Nash was shelved for nearly two years, and when it was finally released, hardly anyone noticed. In the interim, Eddie Murphy made the marginally better Showtime and started fishing for a career revival that wasn't a sequel to his previous hits. In the satirical, lunar-colony hash of Pluto Nash, Murphy's a variant of Casablanca's Rick Blaine in the year 2087, happily running the moon's hottest nightclub, refusing a buyout offer from a greedy gambler, and suffering the consequences with his sidekick robot (Randy Quaid in yet another thankless role) and newest employee (Rosario Dawson, before doing similar time in Men in Black II). A visual hybrid of Total Recall and A.I., this nearly laughless comedy would be a total write-off if it weren't for Murphy's stalwart attempt to jump-start the flagging humor. He's got the chops of a superstar, but only when his collaborators are on the same page. --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | SNL | | Rating: | PG-13 | | Director: | Ron Underwood | | Starring: | Eddie Murphy, Randy Quaid, Joe Pantoliano, Jay Mohr, Luis Guzman |
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| | | | Agent Cody Banks | | | Doing for awkward teens what the Spy Kids movies did for grade-schoolers, Agent Cody Banks is a wish-fulfillment adventure for James Bond wannabes who are still too young to shave. Just in time for puberty's curtain call, Malcolm in the Middle's Frankie Muniz stars in the title role as a 15-year-old recruit to the CIA's youth-agent program, who gets what millions of men desire: a face full of Angie Harmon's cleavage. (It's just for laughs; the sexy Law & Order alumnus plays Cody's CIA handler, but you've got to admit this Bond Girl with a boy thing is a bit perverse.) Otherwise, the movie's a low-rent Bond clone from the director of One Night at McCool's, with a pair of twisted villains (Ian McShane, Arnold Vosloo) threatening to unleash stolen "Nanobot" technology that can ruin everyone's day. It's barely fun enough to be worthwhile, but the best gag (at 007's expense) is buried in the soundtrack, when a CIA receptionist announces, "Will the owner of a silver Aston Martin please report to security... you are parked in a handicapped zone." So much for respecting your elders! --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Harald Zwart | | Starring: | Frankie Muniz, Angie Harmon |
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| | | | Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London | | | The dark, bushy eyebrows of Frankie Muniz star in Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London, ably supported by the natty facial hair of Anthony Anderson (Kangaroo Jack) and the freckled chipmunk cheeks of British pop starlet Hannah Spearritt. Teenage secret agent Cody Banks (Muniz, Malcolm in the Middle) must track down a former instructor who's gone rogue with a mind-control microchip. Banks masquerades as a musical prodigy to get close to a snobby, egocentric scientist in London who's the only person who can make the microchip work. Along the way Banks hooks up with a demoted agent (Anderson) and a cute-as-a-bug Scotland Yard operative (Spearritt). Flimsy, disposable, but only occasionally insulting, Cody Banks 2 will most likely entertain fans of the first movie. Also featuring supporting stalwarts Cynthia Stevenson (The Player, Happiness), Anna Chancellor (Four Weddings and a Funeral), and Keith David (There's Something About Mary). --Bret |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Kevin Allen | | Starring: | Frankie Muniz, Hannah Spearritt |
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| | | | Air Bud Golden Receiver | | | If a pig can herd sheep, then the field is wide open for animals with unusual talents, and not just on Letterman's Late Show, either. Buddy, the golden retriever who made an unexpected hit in the initial Air Bud (1997), shows just how far you can stretch one joke over the course of two movies. Which isn't as far as the makers hoped, unfortunately. While the first film--about a performing dog who runs away from an abusive clown, befriends a lonely boy, and becomes a basketball star--had its charms, this one pushes the gag to the limit. This time, Buddy the dog learns to play football, even as he foils a plan by an international group of thieves to steal animals and start their own zoo. This is one that will hold the kids' attention while the adults do something else, at ease in the knowledge that their children are watching an innocuously entertaining movie. --Marshall Fine
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| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Air Bud Seventh Inning Fetch | | | That athletic phenom of a retriever is back for his fourth movie, trying his paw at baseball this time. Disney hasn't strayed far from the franchise formula, siccing upon the poor retriever yet another set of doggie thieves--this time mad scientists who want to capture Buddy and his pups to isolate the "Super Sports Gene." The original Josh (heartthrob Kevin Zegers) is also back, only to be dispatched to college soon after the opening credits. So it's younger sister Andrea (Caitlin Wachs) who needs Buddy's help this time, as she muffs her baseball debut and suffers the benign neglect of her parents (Cynthia Stevenson and Richard Karn). As with its predecessors, this is harmless, if inane, fun. Kids and dogs are heroes; adults are mostly benevolent screw-ups. Raccoons and scientists may take issue with their portrayals, but, then again, how many scientists operate their labs out of trailer parks? Ages 4 and older. --Kimberly Heinrichs |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Air Buddies | | | Everyone's favorite sports-playing golden retriever is back - and he's the father of five adorable puppies who set off on a daring rescue mission to save their parents.
The young pups (B-Dawg, RoseBud, Dub-Dha, MudBud, and Budderball) will have you cheering at their hilarious and hair-raising exploits in this story of teamwork, family and adventure. |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | Michael Clarke Duncan, Richard Karn, Don Knotts |
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| | | | Aladdin | | | Disney's 1992 animated feature is a triumph of wit and skill. The high-tech artwork and graphics look great, the characters are strong, the familiar story is nicely augmented with an interesting villain (Jafar, voiced by Jonathan Freeman), and there's an incredible hook atop the whole thing: Robin Williams's frantically hilarious vocal performance as Aladdin's genie. Even if one isn't particularly moved by the love story between the title character (Scott Weinger) and his girlfriend Jasmine (Linda Larkin), you can easily get lost in Williams's improvisational energy and the equally entertaining performances of Freeman and Gilbert Gottfried (as Jafar's parrot). --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | John Musker, Ron Clements | | Starring: | Robin Williams, Linda Larkin |
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| | | | aladdin and the adventure of all time | | | aladdin and the adventure of all time |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Alice in Wonderland | | | Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Clyde Geronimi, Hamilton Luske | | Starring: | Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Comedy | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Allosaurus | | | The phenomenal BBC series Walking with Dinosaurs spawned this 30-minute special. Using the same blend of computer animation, puppetry, and story-driven narration (by Kenneth Branagh), Allosaurus: A Walking with Dinosaurs Special centers on one particular dinosaur dubbed Big Al. Found in Wyoming in the 1980s, Big Al's fossil remains comprise the most complete allosaur skeleton ever found. Enough clues are found in the bones, 145 million years after his death, to tell the story of what might have happened from his birth to his death. The film's naturalistic approach (unlike that used in the Disney film Dinosaur, whose characters could talk) is quite spectacular, with chills (a bog turns out to be a big dinosaur threat), thrills (allosaurs chase a group of giant diplodocus), and humor (a baby allosaur seems to bump into the "camera"). A half-hour companion program, "Big Al Uncovered," illustrates how the "what-if" story of Big Al was constructed using facts uncovered by paleontologists (including the 17 injuries found in the skeleton) and filling in the gaps using the dinosaur's distant cousins (birds and crocodiles). The BBC production does not shy away from the violent world of dinosaurs, including mating and hunting techniques. However, any dinosaur fan age 7 and up should find all the Walking with Dinosaurs specials an exciting and fun education. --Doug Thomas |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Amazing Panda Adventure | | | Far from home in the lush bamboo forests of China, ten-year-old Ryan Tyler, with the help of a young girl, goes on a wonderful journey to rescue a baby panda taken by poachers. |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Christopher Cain | | Starring: | Stephen Lang, Ryan Slater |
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| | | | American Tail Fievel Goes West | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | an all dogs christmas carol | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | An American Tail | | | Don Bluth's An American Tail is based on the story of a young Russian mouse who is separated from his family in America and who later heads with his reunited kin out to the American West. It's pleasant, though not spectacular, and has its greatest problems in story development. Steven Spielberg produced with an eye toward creating animation hits outside of Disney, and he and Bluth certainly took a big step in that direction here. Kids like it a lot, and adults will warm to the sound of various familiar voices, such as Dom DeLuise as Tiger and Madeline Kahn as Gussie Mausheimer. It's also the source of the pop single "Somewhere Out There." --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Don Bluth | | Starring: | Dom DeLuise, Christopher Plummer |
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| | | | Anastasia | | | The daughter of last Russian czar, Anastasia, is found by two young Russian men, Dimitri and Vladimir, who seek reward that her grandmother Marie promised to the ones who'll find her. But evil genius of czar family Rasputin, who for some reason survived in this film, still wants Romanovs family to be destroyed forever. |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Don Bluth,Gary Goldman | | Starring: | Meg Ryan, John Cusack, Kelsey Grammer, Christopher Lloyd, Hank Azaria |
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| | | | Angelina Ballerina Angela in the Wings | | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Angelina Ballerina lights camera | | |
| Genre: | childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Anglelina Rose Fairy Princess | | | Look no further than Sega Sports’ NFL 2K3 if you're seeking a more than worthy alternative to the established Madden football franchise. The game’s superb graphics alone are enough to draw in any fan, but its in-depth gameplay realism and ESPN broadcast presentation easily rank this as the finest football game Sega has released to date.
Thanks to its smarter-than-average artificial intelligence, NFL 2K3 sports a somewhat steep learning curve that requires sound football simulation instincts. Knowing your team’s strengths and weaknesses will ultimately be a big help if you hope to win at the game’s advanced levels. Be prepared to mix up your play calling and make adjustments instead of thinking the same old reliable plays will get the job done. Of course, practice mode is always there if you need to work the kinks out of your game plan and master the multitude of offensive and defensive sets at your disposal.
Graphically, sports games don’t come much better looking than NFL 2K3. Among the highlights: player animations are amazingly realistic and lifelike, and a wide array of facial emotions appear that are relative to game scenarios; stadiums are painstakingly re-created to take on almost postcardlike feel; and replays access a wide variety of angles to put you right on the field or in the stands.
One area in which NFL 2K3 easily aces Madden is its game commentary. As part of the game’s ESPN broadcast presentation, announcers Dan Stevens and Peter O’Keefe call every bit of the action in varied detail. Their comments are far removed from stale Maddenisms, offering worthwhile play breakdowns, player assessments, and quips that don’t make you wince in disgust (at least not too often). Stevens and O’Keefe, along with the crowd, will let you hear about it when you bite it on the field. --Larry White
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | E (Everyone) | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Are We There Yet? | | | Ice Cube has turned his frown upside down with the family-friendly screwball road movie Are We There Yet? We know the actor/rapper can use his trademark scowl to be funny (the Friday and Barbershop series), or to be mean (Boyz in the Hood)--but can he use it to melt kids' hearts? That's the question Are We There Yet? answers with a resounding yes for youngsters in the audience (which will be the lions' share), but it'll probably be an emphatic shrug for the grownups. The contrived plot has Cube playing a wannabe-player (as in ladies' man) and ex-player (as in washed-up minor league baseball star) who now owns a sports memorabilia business. His partner, played by Jay Mohr is just a throwaway, as is the talented Nia Long, the single mom that Cube sets his blinged-out sights on. To try to get in her good graces, he offers to transport her two bratty kids in his pride-and-joy Lincoln Navigator for a joy ride to a distant city where she's attending an emergency business meeting so they can have a New Year's Eve celebration together. This kiddies version of Road Trip and Planes, Trains and Automobiles has its cute moments, but plenty more gross-out moments which will please the kids no end, especially as the Navigator gets more and more trashed. Suffice it to say they all learn about each others' good sides and hearts are suitably melted all around--until after the credits roll, then you'll probably forget about the whole thing.--Ted Fry |
| Genre: | Comedy | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Brian Levant | | Starring: | Ice Cube, Nia Long, Jay Mohr, Tracy Morgan |
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| | | | Arhturs School of Hard Knocks | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Aristocats | | | Celebrating the 25th anniversary of its original release in December 1970, will be available for the first time ever on video. This animated masterpiece features a wealth of purebred voices including Phil Harrris, Eva Gabor, and Sterling Holloway. |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Wolfgang Reitherman | | Starring: | Phil Harris, Eva Gabor , Scatman Crothers , Sterling Holloway |
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| | | | Around the World in 80 Days | | | The 2004 version of Around the World in 80 Days is an entertaining hodge-podge of adventure, comedy, and scenery from across the globe. Phileas Fogg (Steve Coogan, 24 Hour Party People), an obsessively precise inventor, bets that he can circumnavigate the planet in 80 days--considered impossible in the Victorian era. In this version, Jackie Chan plays a Chinese peasant who retrieves a stolen idol from the Bank of England, then convinces Fogg to hire him as a French valet so that Chan can get back to his village. Chan supplies numerous spectacular fights against the forces trying to stop Fogg or get the idol, while Coogan is both funny and a surprisingly appealing romantic lead (he flirts with a fetching French painter who joins them). The various episodes--featuring cameos by Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Cleese, Owen Wilson, and Sammo Hung--are uneven, but a goofy good cheer prevails. --Bret Fetzer -- |
| Genre: | Comedy | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Frank Coraci | | Starring: | Jackie Chan, Steve Coogan, CecileDe France, Jim Broadbent |
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| Genre: | | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Atlantis - Milo's Return | | | The fearless explorers from Disney's hit animated movie ATLANTIS: THE LOST EMPIRE are back. During his initial expedition, Milo Thatch and company located the famous underwater city and rescued the mysterious kingdom and all its people. Now, Milo, Kida, and their crew gear up for more action. The team must leave Atlantis when trouble surfaces above water and they discover mystifying powers at work. From the dusty deserts of the Southwest to the icy heights of the Nordic mountains, the team's newest quest sets them against gigantic sea monsters, spectacular spirits, and powerful legends. In the midst of their excursion, Kida discovers the awesome power of her city's enchanted crystals and, ultimately, must decide whether it is wiser to hide the Heart of Atlantis or share its light with the rest of the world. Climb aboard and get ready to experience a world of "heartwarming fun for the entire family" (Sandie Newton, CBS). |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Tad Stones, Toby Shelton | | Starring: | James Taylor, Cree Summer |
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| | | | Atlantis the Lost Empire | | | The Disney Studio was built on innovation in animation, so it seems ironic that Atlantis is both a bold departure and highly derivative, borrowing heavily from anime, video games, and graphic novels. Instead of songs and fuzzy little animals, the artists offer an action-adventure set in 1914: nerdy linguist Milo Thatch (Michael J. Fox) believes he's found the location of the legendary Lost Continent. An eccentric zillionaire sends Milo out to test his hypothesis with an anachronistic crew that includes tough Puerto Rican mechanic Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors), demolition expert Vinnie (Don Novello), and butt-kicking blond adventurer Helga (Claudia Christian). When they find Atlantis, its culture is dying because the people can no longer read the runes that explain their mysterious power source--but Milo can. Nasty Commander Rourke (James Garner) attempts to steal that power source, leading to the requisite all-out battle.
Atlantis offers some nifty battle scenes, including an attack on a Jules Verne-esque submarine by a giant robotic trilobite and fishlike flying cars. But the film suffers from major story problems. If Princess Kida (Cree Summer) remembers her civilization at its height, why can't she read the runes? Why doesn't Milo's crew notice that the Atlanteans live for centuries? The angular designs are based on the work of comic book artist Mike Mignola (Hellboy), and the artists struggle with the characters' stubby hands, skinny limbs, and pointed jaws. The result is a film that will appeal more to 10-year-old boys than to family audiences.
Suitable for ages 8 and up: violence, scary imagery, tobacco use, and a difficult-to-follow story. --Charles Solomon
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Avatar Last Airbender Vol 1 | | |
| Genre: | | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | babe | | | The surprise hit of 1995, this splendidly entertaining family film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, and screenplay, and deservedly won the Oscar for its subtly ingenious visual effects. Babe is all about the title character, a heroic little pig who's been taken in by the friendly farmer Hoggett (Oscar nominee James Cromwell), who senses that he and the pig share "a common destiny." Babe, a popular mischief-maker the Australian farm, is adopted by the resident border collie and raised as a puppy, befriended by Ferdinand the duck (who thinks he's a rooster), and saves the day as a champion "sheep-pig." Filled with a supporting cast of talking barnyard animals and a chorus of singing mice (courtesy of computer enhancements and clever animatronics), this frequently hilarious, visually imaginative movie has already taken its place as a family classic with timeless appeal. --Jeff Shannon --This text refers to the DVD edition.
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Babe Pig in the City | | | Deservedly acclaimed as one of 1998's best films, this sequel to the beloved 1995 live-action fantasy proved a commercial catastrophe and a source of dismay to parents expecting another bucolic, sweet-natured fable. Every bit as sly and visually stunning as its predecessor, Babe: Pig in the City is otherwise a jolting ride beyond the Hoggetts' farm into a no less vivid but far darker world--the allegorical city of the title, which for the diminutive "sheep pig" proves truly nightmarish. Australian filmmaker George Miller (Mad Max, The Road Warrior), who produced and cowrote the first film, this time takes the director's reins, and he ratchets up the pace and the peril as effectively as he did on his influential trilogy of apocalyptic, outback sci-fi thrillers.
From the opening scene, Babe: Pig in the City means to disrupt the reassuring calm achieved by the conclusion of the previous film. Babe's prior triumph proves short-lived, and within moments Miller has us literally peering into the depths as he sets up a horrific well accident that nearly kills the taciturn but good-hearted Farmer Hoggett (James Cromwell), Babe's beloved "Boss." Journeying with the equally pink, even plumper Mrs. Hoggett (Magda Szubanski), the young pig finds himself in a city where animals are outcasts, staying in the lone hotel that allows pets. When Mrs. Hoggett is detained, Babe must contend with the suspicions and rivalries of the hotel's other four-legged guests. The film's G status doesn't fully telegraph the shock Miller induces: bad things happen to good animals, and Babe's new acquaintances are a far cry from his colleagues on the farm. In particular, he must contend with a cynical family of chimps given wonderful, dead-pan voice characterizations by Steven Wright and Glenne Headly.
Miller's use of effects to transform his animals into "actors" is even more seamlessly integrated than in Babe. The sequel's production design is crucial to the creation of a complete, absorbing world, and purely visual ideas--such as a deluge of blue balloons during the climactic ballroom battle--achieve a splendor and originality that a room full of computer-graphics desktops couldn't muster. Ultimately, though, the film does more than amaze: as Babe's compassion and courage transform those around him, we're moved in ways that purveyors of by-the-numbers family fare can only dream of. --Sam Sutherland
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Babes in toyland | | | In this animated reworking of the 1961 movie, Mother Goose characters are pitted against the evil Barnaby, intent on preventing Toyland's factory from fulfilling Santa's order. This time it's the lamb-owning Mary, not the contrary Mary, who's intrigued with Tom, the Piper's son. The pair wants to save Mary's inherited factory, while the orphaned Jack and Jill seek to escape their uncle/jailer Barnaby. In a pop psychology twist, Barnaby wants Mary's factory, not Mary herself. His main beef is with the toys, because--it turns out--he never had any as a child. Pirate goons, an actual monkey wrench, and a forestful of goblins do their worst, but all ends well when Tom sics his newly invented larger-than-life toy soldiers with Inspector Gadget-like gizmos upon the villains. Christmas is saved, Mary and Tom envision their future, and many songs are sung by voice talents including the late Charles Nelson Reilly, as Humpty Dumpty. (Ages 3 and older)--Kimberly Heinrichs --This text refers to the DVD edition |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Lynn Hamrick, Melanie Mayron | | Starring: | Schuyler Fisk, Bre Blair |
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| | | | Babys Day Out | | | Only a mother or a certified baby-phile could love this John Hughes comedy (he wrote and coproduced it). Aside from that endorsement, the diaper starts to stink. Baby Bink is kidnapped by three inept crooks, but the child escapes from their hideaway, leading to a chase through the city. Bink's journey follows the story line of his favorite bedtime book, Baby's Day Out, and he goes to a zoo, a construction site, and a retirement center. Hughes is following his accountant's favorite bedtime tale, "Let's rewrite Home Alone again," but with very little of the humor or impact of that smash. A number of scenes center on the crushing or incineration of Joe Mantegna's groin, not exactly family-fare yuks. There are some moments of levity with the crooks and a gorilla. --Keith Simanton |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Patrick Read Johnson | | Starring: | Joe Mantegna, Lara Flynn Boyle, Joe Pantoliano |
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| | | | Bambi 2 | | | A sequel to the 1942 Disney classic, Bambi, is laden with expectations since audiences are justifiably protective of this beloved tale abounding with enchantment and nostalgia. Rest assured: Bambi II rises to the occasion, succeeding at every turn. Brian Pimental directs the 70-minute direct-to-video release, which seamlessly integrates the beauty, subtlety, and essence of the original film. The new tale is actually a "midquel" as it takes place in the middle of the original film's story line, exploring Bambi's coming-of-age challenges. The saga begins soon after Bambi's mother has died--and for viewers who shudder at the thought of having to relive that traumatic movie experience, you won't. With gentle inferences to her passing, Bambi (voiced by Alexander Gould, Finding Nemo) is left to the clumsy-though-well-meaning care of his father, the Great Prince (voiced by Patrick Stewart) who faces the difficult task of raising a son while silently mourning his own loss. Yet the weighty subject of death is soon overshadowed by the wonders of forest life. Through skillful storytelling, the film takes an early turn toward levity. After all, it's spring and Bambi's familiar friends, Thumper and Flower, are ready to play. Especially charming are the scenes where the forest animals give each other lessons in bravery and soon have a chance to test their mettle in scuffles with a newcomer to the mix, a blustering bully named Ronno (voiced by Anthony Ghannam). A strong soundtrack includes selections by Martina McBride, Michelle Lewis, Alison Krauss, and Anthony Callea. There is even a nostalgic nod to the original composer, Frank Churchill, with "Let's Sing a Gay Little Spring Song." The film's strength, however, is in its well-crafted humor: simple one-liners and animated antics that refrain from 21st century trends to cloak inappropriate innuendoes and double entendres in G-rated clothing, hoping to pander to an adult audience. This is vintage Disney; it panders to no one yet pleases all--delightfully worth the wait. The DVD's bonus material includes a "making-of" featurette, Bambi trivia, and a mini-tutorial with a Disney animator. (All ages) --Lynn Gibson |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Brian Pimental | | Starring: | Patrick Stewart, Alexander Gould , Anthony Ghannam |
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| | | | Bambi Platinum Edition | | | It always comes up when people are comparing their most traumatic movie experiences: "the death of Bambi's mother," a recollection that can bring a shudder to even the most jaded filmgoer. That primal separation (which is no less stunning for happening off-screen) is the centerpiece of Bambi, Walt Disney's 1942 animated classic, but it is by no means the only bold stroke in the film. In its swift but somehow leisurely 69 minutes, Bambi covers a year in the life of a young deer. But in a bigger way, it measures the life cycle itself, from birth to adulthood, from childhood's freedom to grown-up responsibility. All of this is rendered in cheeky, fleet-footed style--the movie doesn't lecture, or make you feel you're being fed something that's good for you. The animation is miraculous, a lush forest in which nature is a constantly unfolding miracle (even in a spectacular fire, or those dark moments when "man was in the forest"). There are probably easier animals to draw than a young deer, and the Disney animators set themselves a challenge with Bambi's wobbly glide across an ice-covered lake, his spindly legs akimbo; but the sequence is effortless and charming. If Bambi himself is just a bit dull--such is the fate of an Everydeer--his rabbit sidekick Thumper and a skunk named Flower more than make up for it. Many of the early Disney features have their share of lyrical moments and universal truths, but Bambi is so simple, so pure, it's almost transparent. You might borrow a phrase from Thumper and say it's downright twitterpated. --Robert Horton --This text refers to the VHS Tape edition.
DVD features
The little deer is over 60 years old, but he's never looked better. The 1942 Disney film has been painstakingly restored for DVD so that almost every trace of dirt and damage is gone, and the colors are brilliant. It might not look as sharp as modern films, but that's due in large part to the film's gauzy style. The Disney Enhanced Home Theater mix provides a much fuller sound than the original mono option, but is not very aggressive about using the rear speakers. (Unlike on other Disney DVDs, there is no other English Dolby 5.1 option.) In lieu of a commentary track, there's a "dramatic reenactment" reading of early discussions of the film between Walt Disney and his team. The reading accompanies the film (with insets of sketches and stills) and illustrates how closely the finished product embodies the original vision. That's further shown in the second disc's bounty of archival material. Particularly interesting is a look at the authentic art materials stored in the vaults. There are a variety of proposed characters and scenes that never made it into the film in order to keep the story streamlined. As another example, one of the deleted scenes has been reconstructed using sketches, voice-overs, and music, and it's a perfectly fine moment of Bambi discovering snow, but it's not really needed alongside the classic ice scene. A very fine 53-minute documentary discusses the production and even interviews some of the voice actors. Kids get fewer extras than grown-ups, but they can play a multi-part game (memory, counting, etc.), read along with a Thumper story, and see some footage of real animals juxtaposed with their animated counterparts. --David Horiuchi |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | David Hand | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Barbie Diaries | | | Barbie trades in the fantasy world of princesses and fairies for the real world of school, friends and fun! Featuring a new, distinctive toon-shaded CGI-animated look and a hip, fun soundtrack of eight pop songs girls are sure to love, this all-new movie follows Barbie and her friends as they begin a new school year full of exciting surprises.
With her special diary and charm bracelet in tow, Barbie learns many valuable lessons about friendship, self-confidence and achieving her dreams as she enters this new phase of her life. With rockin’ music and her best friends by her side, Barbie enters a year of change in which secret dreams become real! |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | Barbie |
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| | | | Barbie Fairytopia | | | Barbie stars as Elina in her first-ever Fairytopia movie. Come join Elina and discover a magical new land filled with fairies, flowers, and enchanting experiences! Just through the rainbow, in the world of Fairytopia, lives Elina, a beautiful flower fairy who longs to have wings! Her home is a large flower in the Magic Meadow where she lives with Bibble, a quirky but loveable puffball. One day Elina wakes to find that her flower home is sick, and that her fairy friends can’t fly! She summons the courage to help and embarks on a fantastic journey to find Azura, a fairy guardian she thinks can solve the problem. What Elina doesn’t know is that the evil Laverna has caused the flying sickness as part of her plan to take power from the Enchantress, ruler of Fairytopia! Elina’s journey, on the back of a giant and beautiful butterfly named Hue, takes her to strange and beautiful places. She meets new people who test her courage and teach her the value of true friendship. But can a young, wingless fairy save all of Fairytopia?
A message from the Barbie Fairytopia DVD distributor:
While the Barbie Fairytopia DVD is fully functional on virtually all of the 600 plus DVD player models in the marketplace, to date we have identified that there are five DVD players on which the DVD is sometimes prompting a request for a parental code–-rather than allowing the DVD to play. The five players identified to date are: RJTech 1200b, Daewoo model# 5900, Cinevision model# DVR 2000, AMW model# S99, GO Video VHS/DVD model# 1030. We deeply regret the inconvenience that this may cause owners of one these players. We have identified that the issue on these players is tied to one of the fun special features that was included on the DVD designed to further enhance the wonderful enjoyment that kids will have with the Barbie Fairytopia DVD. The interactive game has an element of programming complexity that is confusing these DVD players. We are attempting to resolve the issue for these players, but in the meantime:
If you own one of these players- you may be asked to enter a Parental Code Pass Code. If you are given this prompt–- and have never set up a Parental Code Pass Code--you may be able to resolve the issue by following the instructions below:
1. Refer to your DVD user manual to obtain default Parental Code pass code.
2. Enter pass code and hit select or enter.
3. If you see a black screen for longer than a few seconds, hit the menu button.
4. If the problem is still not solved, eject disc, unplug player, and try again.
If you do not own or play the DVD on one of the DVD players that we have identified, your DVD should play regularly. Once again--we regret any inconvenience to owners of one of the 5 players noted above. If you have any questions or comments--or have identified another player with this parental-code notification, please do not hesitate to contact us at customerservice@lgf.com.
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Barbie Magic of the Rainbow | | | Believing in oneself can be difficult, even with the support of friends. The formerly wingless fairy Elina has saved Fairytopia more than once, proving herself against Fungus Maximus and turning the evil Laverna into a frog in Barbie Fairytopia and Barbie Fairytopia--Mermaidia, but she still questions her own abilities when Guardian Azura selects her to become her apprentice and learn the all-important flight of spring--a ritual which ensures another year of vitality in Fairytopia. The taunts and snobby attitudes of her fellow apprentices serve to further undercut Elina's self-esteem, but she vows to do her best to master the flight of spring and soon proves worthy of her appointment. When the trickery of Laverna threatens to stop the flight of spring and destroy Fairytopia forever, it falls to the new apprentices to save Fairytopia. Of course, Elina will play a pivotal role in the group's eventual success or failure. Prepubescent attitudes and shallowness reign among most of the apprentices, but most eventually see the error of their ways and the clear message is the importance of believing in oneself. (Ages 3 to 9) --Tami Horiuchi |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | Barbie |
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| | | | Barbie Magic Pegasus | | | Barbie takes flight in her first original fairy tale movie: Barbie and the Magic of Pegasus! Princess Annika (Barbie) escapes the clutches of the evil wizard, explores the wonders of Cloud Kingdom, and teams up with a magnificent winged horse – who turns out to be her sister, Princess Brietta – to defeat the wizard and break the spells that imprisoned her family. Spectacular 3-D scenes add even more magic to this extraordinary adventure! |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | beauty and beast the enchanted christmas | | | Amazon.com
Obviously the Disney suits gave more than two figs about the legacy from the first Beast film, as they reassembled the former cast and spent some cash on production and tune-smithing for this straight-to-video effort. The events unfold between the time in the first film where Belle bartered herself to the Beast and her later return to the village to save her father. So the Beast's heart still hasn't been melted yet, and he's susceptible to the inky persuasions of Forte (Tim Curry), a malevolent pipe organ (and former music teacher to the prince). Belle is still trying to win over the Beast and decides that bringing Christmas to the castle will be the way to do it. Please control that gag reflex for this does work remarkably well, and though entirely unnecessary and certainly not a complement to the original, it doesn't tarnish its good name. --Keith Simanton --This text refers to the DVD edition.
Description
The enchantment of Disney's Academy Award(R)-winning film BEAUTY AND THE BEAST continues as BEAUTY AND THE BEAST: THE ENCHANTED CHRISTMAS SPECIAL EDITION happily casts its song-filled spell. This irresistible tale that "recaptures the magic and charm of the original" (Neil Rosen, New York 1) reveals a Christmas past when Belle does her best to warm the Beast's castle with the spirit and hope of the season -- despite the Beast's disdain of the holidays. Belle asks the castle's Enchanted Objects to join the celebration, including stubborn Angelique -- a delicate tree ornament who was once the castle decorator. But can Belle, Cogsworth, Lumiere, and their friends undo the plans of Forte, the pompous pipe organ who hates happy celebrations and tries to keep the Beast apart from Belle's special holiday gift |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Beauty and the Beast Belles magic | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Beethoven | | | Put Charles Grodin together with a 200-pound Saint Bernard and you're likely to come up with some good laughs. In this popular family comedy from 1992 Grodin plays a beleaguered dad who reluctantly lets his kids keep the lost puppy they've adopted. The dog quickly grows into the huge and clever hound named Beethoven. In a marked departure from his nice-guy roles in several Disney comedies from the 1960s and '70s, Dean Jones plays the villainous veterinarian who abducts Beethoven to be a subject in his sadistic animal experiments. The kidnapping sets the stage for a raucous rescue and, of course, an inevitable sequel. Innocuous but harmlessly entertaining, Beethoven is one of those movies that some kids can't get enough of. --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Benji off the Leash! | | | Benji: Off the Leash features dozens of close-ups of adorable mutts, guaranteed to make any dog-lover's heart melt. Colby (Nick Whitaker), a clever young boy, rescues a scrappy pup from his cruel father (Chris Kendrick), who breeds purebreds with an eye towards profit but not the animals' well-being. The puppy grows into a scruffy but smart dog who, with the aid of another plucky stray, helps Colby and his mother improve their lives, and the life of a lonely elderly neighbor as well. Along for the ride are two bumbling, slapstick dogcatchers and a wisecracking parrot. Benji: Off the Leash bubbles over with sentimentality that some viewers will find heartening and others will find unbearable. But though the story meanders, the movie is never cynical--writer/director Joe Camp sincerely believes that if people were more like dogs, the world would be a better place. --Bret Fetzer |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Joe Camp III | | Starring: | Benji, Nick Whitaker, Chris Kendrick, Randall Newsome, Duane Stephens, Neal Barth |
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| | | | Big Fat Liar | | | Pitting kids against grown-ups has always been a reliable source of comedy, and Big Fat Liar indulges the "smart kid vs. dumb adult" fantasy with infectious enthusiasm. In this case it's Frankie Muniz from TV's Malcolm in the Middle, playing a Michigan eighth-grader whose penchant for lying results in parental scorn when he claims that a Hollywood movie mogul (ace character actor Paul Giamatti) has stolen the kid's hastily written English essay and turned it into his upcoming summer blockbuster. The kid only wants to prove his honesty and recruits his girlfriend (spunky TV star Amanda Bynes) to beat the honcho on his Hollywood turf. Elaborate practical jokes and slapstick gags turn this kid stuff (scripted and produced by two former child stars) into an enjoyable send-up of Hollywood absurdity. When combined with Giamatti's mastery of slow-burning megalomania, the show-biz in-jokes and Home Alone-style anarchy make this a harmless diversion for the young and young-at-heart. --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | Comedy | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Shawn Levy | | Starring: | Frankie Muniz, Paul Giamatti, Amanda Bynes |
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| | | | Bioncle 3 Web of Shadows | | | Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows is the most visually and narratively pleasing feature yet in the Bionicle series. With a story that is a little less self-referential than the previous movies, and set against some truly spectacular, computer-generated backdrops, Web of Shadows concerns the return of the heroic Toa to Metru Nui. There, they find an old enemy has overtaken the great city with the help of Visorak--robotic spiders that can quickly encase anything or anybody in near-indestructible webs. The Toa undergo a bizarre metamorphosis while sealed within strange cocoons, and emerge as clunky-looking machines made up of mismatched parts. Though horrified, they find that they also possess some new powers, which prove essential for their subsequent journey (itself full of twists and turns) to restore Metru Nui--and themselves. This delightful Bionicle installment is probably easily accessible for any viewer unfamiliar with the series to date. --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Black Hole | | | Disney's foray into big-budget science fiction, close on the heels of Star Wars, had some of the most impressive special effects to grace theater screens in the 1970s. Graced by handsome production design--most notably a glass and latticework interstellar craft that looks like a battleship crossed with a modern skyscraper--The Black Hole is in many ways the most beautiful science fiction film of its era. Unfortunately, the graceful and gorgeous picture is jarred by dialogue that wouldn't pass muster in a comic book and a silly conclusion that plays like a murky, dime-store knockoff of 2001. Too bad, because the visual realization of the film is a veritable haunted house of futuristic phenomena, from the cloaked zombie-like drones shuffling through corridors to the devilish, crimson robot Maximillian, the strong arm of the mad scientist played by Maximilian Schell (a kind of wild man Captain Nemo with an even more ruthless temperament). Only the way-too-cute robot V.I.N.CENT (voiced by Roddy McDowall), a merchandising gimmick that looks like a Fisher-Price toy, mars the technological landscape. Robert Forster is the quietly authoritative captain of an exploration ship that stumbles across the seemingly derelict ship, and Anthony Perkins, Yvette Mimieux, Ernest Borgnine, and Joseph Bottoms fill out his crew. This is one case of a triumph of art direction and special effects over story--it's worth sitting through it to see the magnificent scene of the fireball rolling through the ship's enormous hull alone. The rest is just atmospheric gravy. --Sean Axmaker
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| Genre: | Sci-Fi | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Black Stallion | | | Adapted from the beloved novel by Walter Farley, this 1979 family classic was hailed by no less than hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael, who wrote that "it may be the greatest children's movie ever made." A visual feast from start to finish, the timeless tale of The Black Stallion plays out on almost mythic terms. A young boy survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a deserted island with a graceful black stallion, with whom the boy develops an almost empathic friendship. After being rescued and returning home, the two make a winning team as jockey and lightning-fast racehorse under the tutelage of a passionate trainer, played by Mickey Rooney in an Oscar-nominated role. From its serenely hypnotic island sequence to the breathtaking race scenes, this delightful film is guaranteed to enthrall any viewer, regardless of age. The Black Stallion is a genuine masterpiece of family entertainment. --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | Carroll Ballard | | Starring: | Kelly Reno, Mickey Rooney |
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| | | | Blizzard | | | A young girl learns the true meaning of friendship from one of Santa's reindeer in BLIZZARD, an enchanting holiday film the whole family will cherish. When her family moves, Katie is sad to leave her friends and ice skating lessons behind. But then she meets Blizzard, a reindeer with special powers, who helps her realize her potential. Although Blizzard risks being banished from Santa’s village, they band toghether to overcome their obstacles. Both Katie and Blizzard are able to share the greatest gift of all: friendship. |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | Levar Burton | | Starring: | Brenda Blethyn, Christopher Plummer, Kevin Pollak, Whoopi Goldberg |
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| | | | Blue's Clues - Blue's Discoveries | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | Nancy Keegan, Elizabeth Holder | | Starring: | Steve Burns |
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| | | | Blue's Clues - Playtime with Periwinkle | | | If you thought periwinkle was only a color, guess again. And while you're guessing, you're ready to play Blue's Clues, the wildly popular Nick Jr. show hosted by Steve Burns. Steve's appeal is that of a cool babysitter who kids adore and parents trust. Wearing his standard khakis and green rugby shirt, Steve sings, dances, and "skadoos" through a computer-generated world of animated objects and colors as yummy as fruit-striped gum. His dog, Blue, leads him in guessing games by leaving pawprints as "clues" that Steve (and viewers) must find and record in their handy-dandy notebook. The show's goal is to promote critical thinking while engaging kids in problem solving. Steve's earnestness adds the chemistry that makes it a hit. "Will you help me?" he asks young viewers with the sincerity of a trusted confidante as he steps up close to the camera, pausing to wait for a reply. Playtime with Periwinkle continues the winning formula with two 25-minute tales. In "Blue's Big Mystery," Steve and Blue find a magic fort in their neighborhood and wonder, Who is the mystery builder? A series of clue-solving questions will promote deductive reasoning and observation skills as young audiences uncover the mystery of Blue's new friend. In the second episode, "Periwinkle Misses His Friend," Blue's new neighbor is homesick for his old friend Plum, until Steve and friends suggest ideas to cheer him up. Viewers will learn coping skills in adjusting to a family move and making new friends. Ages 2 to 6. --Lynn Gibson |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | Nancy Keegan, Elizabeth Holder | | Starring: | Steve Burns |
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| | | | Bob the Builder tool power | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Book of Pooh | | | While Disney didn't invent Winnie the Pooh, nor first animate him, it certainly has Americanized the British bear into a cartoon character hardly resembling A.A. Milne's original 1924 creation. Although Disney's four Storybook Classics titles (from 1966) were somewhat faithful to Milne's concept, subsequent titles (especially in the Playtime and Learning series) descended into second-rate TV fare. All this to say that Disney has redeemed itself with The Book of Pooh, a fresh batch of Pooh stories evoking a nostalgic nod to the original. The Disney Channel's full-length film Stories from the Heart is a puppet rendition of Pooh, set in a sparkling world of computer animation (not unlike Bear in the Big Blue House, which shares the same executive producer and director, Mitchell Kriegman). The puppets (by Shadow Projects) may take some getting used to by viewers accustomed to animated cartoons, yet they'll appreciate the characters' lifelike personalities. The 77-minute program is a collection of six tales focusing on Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and the gang (though Kanga and Roo are noticeably absent). Mark Zaslove deserves writing kudos for subtle humor (reminiscent of Milne) and storytelling restraint uncharacteristic of Disney. Highlights include "Eeyore's Tailiversary," in which Eeyore receives a surprise party to celebrate the day he and his tail became attached, and "Tigger's Replacement," which chronicles Tigger's attempts to teach Piglet how to be a Tigger. (Lessons in bouncing and Tiggerisms are part of his Rigorous Tiggerous Training Program.) Many of the puppets' voices are familiar, such as Jim Cummings (The Tigger Movie) as Pooh and Tigger. Six musical numbers round out this welcome entry in Disney's Winnie the Pooh collection. --Lynn Gibson |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Borrowers | | | The popular children's books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination and ingenuity as you'll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The "Borrowers" of the title are a family of tiny people who live in the walls and under the floorboards in the homes of "normal-sized" humans; they earn their by "borrowing" the household items (string, food crumbs, buttons, etc.) needed to furnish their tiny hiding places and provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies and her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer (John Goodman), the Clocks face eviction and the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, and suspense with some of the cleverest special effects you've ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, and the movie's smart and dazzling enough to entertain parents and children alike. After its modest success in theaters, The Borrowers stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favorite. --Jeff Shannon |
| Genre: | Dogs | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Peter Hewitt | | Starring: | John Goodman, Jim Broadbent |
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| | | | Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue | | | Those fun-loving electrical appliances from the acclaimed animated hit "The Brave Little Toaster" are back in action-packed adventure with four all-new songs.
This heartfelt and humorous full-length feature reunites Toaster, Blanky, Lampy, Radio and Kirby the vacuum cleaner--the beloved household gadgets of college student Rob. When Toaster and the gang spark friendships with the playful animals at the veterinary hospital, they soon discover their new pals are about to be sent to a testing laboratory. Through teamwork (and combined voltage), they embark on a hilarious rescue to save all the animals, including Sebastian, a wise monkey, and Maisie, the doting mother cat with kittens.
Treat your entire family to "The Brave Little Toaster To The Rescue," an imaginative film bursting with colorful animation, high-energy music and characters that'll warm your heart at the push of a button. END
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Brer Rabbit | | | Get ready for all of the laughs, adventure and hip-hopping good times in this all-new imaginative and modern retelling of Uncle Remus' best-loved tales.
Parents and kids alike will delight in the escapades of the most mischievous and clever Brer Rabbit as he gleefully outwits, Brer Fox and Brer Bear and a whole cast of other critters!
With irresistible and toe-tapping new songs and an all-star line of voice talent, The Adventures of Brer Rabbit is sure to be a family favorite for years to come! |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Bryon Vaughns | | Starring: | Wayne Brady, Nick Cannon, Danny Glover, D L Hughley, Wanda Sykes |
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| | | | Brother Bear | | | Brother Bear has a dramatic story--after he kills a bear, a young hunter named Kenai (voiced by Joaquin Phoenix, Gladiator) in prehistoric North America is turned into a bear himself and hunted by his own brother--but the animated movie's tone is more earnest and warm than tragic, focusing on the unfolding relationship between Kenai and an orphaned bear cub named Koda (voiced by Jeremy Suarez). However, it's often the comic supporting characters who prove the most popular, and a pair of moose voiced by Rick Moranis and Doug Thomas in their McKenzie brothers/Canadian dude mode (from SCTV and the movie Strange Brew) will win many fans. The songs by Phil Collins are typically negligible, but the hand-drawn animation is lush (occasional flashes of computer-generated animation clash with the movie's overall look). Kids will also enjoy the mammoths; no sabre-toothed tigers, unfortunately. --Bret Fetzer |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Brother Bear 2 | | | The bonds of true friendship and love are powerful enough to persist through even the most extreme circumstances, but can even the strongest bond endure when a young man and a young woman are split apart by the spirits? Since being turned into a bear as punishment for his insensitivity in Brother Bear, Kenai has managed to find true happiness and a compelling sense of purpose in his new relationship with his adopted brother Koda. But when Kenai's old friend Nita prepares for her wedding day with another man, the spirits send a sign indicating that a strong connection still exists between Kenai and Nita. The tribe Shaman suggests that the two join forces in a ritual to sever the bond between them and Nita, newly endowed with the ability to communicate with animals, seeks out Kenai in the woods. Even as the two friends resolutely journey to break the connection between them, the inescapable bond between them strengthens and threatens to disrupt not only Nita's upcoming marriage, but the special relationship between Kenai and Koda. In the end, destiny may require that each of the three choose between his or her happiness and the happiness of the other two. Like its predecessor Brother Bear, Brother Bear 2 features lush animation; a nice blend of action, suspense, and comedy; and a powerful message. (Ages 3 - 12) --Tami Horiuchi |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | Ben Gluck | | Starring: | Patrick Dempsey , Jeremy Suarez , Mandy Moore , Wanda Sykes, Rick Moranis , Dave Thomas |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | Not Rated | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Buddy | | | Based on the life of Gertrude Lintz, a Long Island socialite who kept an amazing menagerie of animals on her estate, this very able film by Caroline Thompson (Black Beauty) concentrates on Lintz's relationship with a gorilla named Buddy, whom she raised from infancy on. The film is geared toward kids, but in the very best sense as Thompson orchestrates some very entertaining sequences without cutting corners on logic, the way most forms of children's entertainment do today. Rene Russo is very good as the eccentric woman, and Robbie Coltrane is uncharacteristically warm and fuzzy as her patient husband. Nice support work from Alan Cumming and the rest of the cast. Thompson is aiming for something akin to the live-action glory days of Disney, and she comes close to achieving it. --Tom Keogh |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | Rene Russo |
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| Genre: | Comedy | | Rating: | PG | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Cars | | | There's an extra coat of hot wax on Pixar's vibrant, NASCAR-influenced comedy about a world populated entirely by cars. Lightning McQueen (voiced by Owen Wilson) is the slick rookie taking the Piston Cup series by storm when the last race of the season (the film's high-octane opening) ends in a three-way tie. On the way to the tie-breaker race in California, Lightning loses his way off Route 66 in the Southwest desert and is taught to stop and smell the roses by the forgotten citizens of Radiator Springs. It's odd to have such a slim story from the whizzes of Pixar, and the film pales a bit from their other films (though can that be a fair comparison?). Nonetheless, Cars is another gleaming ride with Pixar founder John Lasseter, who's directing for the first time since Toy Story 2. There's the usual spectrum of excellent characters teamed with appropriate voice talent, loads of smooth humor for kids and parents alike, knockout visuals, and a colorful array of sidekicks, including a scene-stealing baby blue forklift named Guido. Lightning's plight is changed with the help of former big-city lawyer Sally Carrera (Pixar veteran Bonnie Hunt), the town's patriarch Doc Hudson (Paul Newman), and kooky tow truck Mater (Larry the Cable Guy). The Incredibles was the first Pixar film to break the 100-minute barrier, but had enough story not to suffer; Cars, at 116 minutes (including some must-see end credit footage), is not as fortunate, plus it never pierces the heart. Trivia fans should have bonanza with the frame-by-frame DVD function; the movie is stuffed with in-jokes, some appearing only for an instant. Ages 5 and up. --Doug Thomas |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | John Lasseter, Joe Ranft | | Starring: | Owen Wilson , Bonnie Hunt , Paul Newman, John Ratzenberger , Richard Petty , Tony Shalhoub |
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Case of the Christmas Caper | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | |
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| | | | Case of the Logical Ranch | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | Mary Kate Olsen, Ashely Olsen |
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| | | | Case of the Sea World Adventure | | |
| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | | Director: | | | Starring: | Mary Kate Olsen, Ashley Olsen |
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| | | | Cat Returns | | | The Cat Returns (2002) brings back Muta, the cranky fat cat, and Baron von Gikkingen, the elegant statue, from the feature Whisper of the Heart (1995). On her way home from school, Haru, a confused 17-year-old, prevents an elegant gray cat from being hit by a truck. She's inadvertently saved the life of Lune, Prince of the Cat Kingdom, and his royal father decides to thank her. He fills her locker with gift-wrapped mice and decides she should come to his kingdom and marry Lune. Haru seeks help from the Cat Bureau, and eventually returns to relatively normal life, with the assistance of Muta and the Baron.
The Cat Returns recalls Whisper of the Heart and Takashi Nakamura's Catnapped, but it offers neither the wistful charm of the former nor the bold visual imagination of the latter. Hayao Miyazaki has been seeking young directors for Studio Ghibli for several years. After preparing the script and storyboards for Whisper, he turned the film over to Yoshifumi Kondo, who died tragically shortly after the film's release. The Cat Returns was directed by Hiroyuki Morita, who shows promise, but lacks Kondo's elegant sensibility. The DVD extras include a fulsome making-of documentary, Morita's voluminous storyboards, and mini-interviews with the vocal cast that includes Tim Curry, Cary Elwes, Peter Boyle, and Elliott Gould. (Rated G: minor scary imagery and cartoon violence) --Charles Solomon
Description
From the creators of the Academy Award(R) winning SPIRITED AWAY (Best Animated Feature Film, 2002) comes the visually stunning THE CAT RETURNS, a spectacular animated journey to a world of magic and adventure. Haru, a schoolgirl bored by her ordinary routine, saves the life of an unusual cat, and suddenly her world is transformed beyond anything she ever imagined. The Cat King rewards her good deed with a flurry of presents, including a very shocking proposal of marriage to his son! Haru embarks on an unexpected journey to the Kingdom of Cats where her eyes are opened to a whole other world and her destiny is uncertain. To change her fate, she'll need to learn to believe in herself and appreciate her everyday life. Featuring the sensational voice talents of Anne Hathaway, Cary Elwes, Tim Curry, and Elliot Gould, THE CAT RETURNS is a magical animated adventure that will delight and inspire everyone.
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| Genre: | Childrens | | Rating: | G | |
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