Ages 7-10 Movies

A team of "sub-zero heroes" band together to save a human infant in this digitally animated feature from Oscar-winning director Chris Wedge, whose unique lighting software (called "Ray Tracing") sets his visual style apart from earlier CGI efforts. Twenty thousand years ago, the Earth is overrun by freezing temperatures in an Ice Age that is sending all manner of critters scattering in the path of encroaching glaciers. When a lost human infant is discovered, an unlikely quartet of misfits forms to return it to its mother: Manny, a depressed woolly mammoth (Ray Romano); Sid, a fast-talking sloth (John Leguizamo); an acorn-crazed squirrel named Scrat (Wedge); and the devilish saber-toothed tiger named Diego (Denis Leary). Before they can complete their mission, the reluctant compatriots will brave pits of boiling lava, dangerous caverns of ice, and even a traitorous plot within their midst. Ice Age (2002) also features the voices of Jack Black, Jane Krakowski, and Goran Visnjic. ~ Karl Williams, Rovi

This sequel to the 1974 family film Where the Red Fern Grows tells the story of a man named Billy Coleman (Doug McKeon), who returns from duty in WWII to the home of his crotchety grandfather (Wilford Brimley). Hidden deep in the Louisiana woods, the home provides a place for Billy to readjust to a normal life, raise a litter of puppies, and reconnect with the things in life that he fought so hard to save. ~ Cammila Collar, Rovi

Animation fans have been waiting patiently (or in some cases not so patiently) for Warner Home Video to release their library of classic cartoons on DVD, and with this set, Warners does a lot of catching up fast -- Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection collects 56 vintage animated shorts along with a sizable bounty of extras. The cartoons have been transferred to disc in their original full-frame aspect ratio of 1.33:1, and the transfers are uniformly excellent, sharp enough to reveal the paint strokes on the animation cels, and overflowing with gloriously bright Technicolor. The audio has been mastered in Dolby Digital Mono, and these results are equally impressive, with the musical scores of Carl Stalling and Milt Franklyn sounding just as well detailed as they deserve. Along with the original English-language soundtracks, alternate dubbed versions in French are included, as well as optional subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.

Each of the four discs in this package has been stuffed with extras. Twenty-six of the cartoons feature commentary tracks, mostly from film historians Michael Barrier and Greg Ford, though Stan Freberg, who did voice work for the Warners animation studio, also contributes. Additionally, several of Barrier's commentaries are enhanced with audio clips from interviews with Chuck Jones and Friz Freleng, who directed many of the cartoons included. A dozen cartoons also feature optional music-only audio tracks for those who wish to study Carl Stalling's work more closely. Each disc features several "Behind the Tunes" featurettes, entertaining short tributes to particular characters or members of the Looney Tunes creative team. Two longer documentaries are also included -- The Boys From Termite Terrace, a 1975 television special which looks back at the Warners animation department and includes interviews with many of the major creative figures involved, and Irreverent Imaginations: The Golden Age of Looney Tunes, a new documentary that offers more polish and some rare footage, but lacks the first-person perspective of Termite Terrace. Another bonus featurette, Toon Heads: The Lost Cartoons, is a Cartoon Network special which features rare and little-seen productions from the Warners animation department (though, sadly, most are shown in edited form).

Still more odds and ends fill out the package: a new cartoon which serves as a mock blooper reel for a Looney Tunes reunion; clips from the bridging sequences created for the television series The Bugs Bunny Show; animated numbers featuring Bugs Bunny from two Warner Bros. musicals, My Dream Is Yours and Two Guys From Texas; audio clips from voice artist Mel Blanc's recording sessions; pencil tests and schematic artwork for three titles; galleries of rare lobby cards, character sheets, and background artwork; trailers for feature-length collections of classic cartoons; and one of the earliest Warner Bros. cartoons, Bosco, The Talk-Ink Kid. If this set has a flaw, it's what's not here rather than what is. A number of classic titles discussed at length in The Boys From Termite Terrace and Irreverent Imaginations don't appear here, most notably What's Opera, Doc? and One Froggy Evening; at the same time, Chuck Jones' Road Runner cartoons, arguably among his finest work, are represented by a single cartoon while Bugs Bunny thoroughly dominates the proceedings. But what is included is generally quite strong, and there's no arguing with the quality of the presentation; Looney Tunes: The Golden Collection certainly gets Warner Bros. series of classic cartoon releases on DVD off to a rousing start. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

In 1972, the folks at Hanna-Barbera decided to put some new life into their long-running animated series Scooby-Doo, Where Are You? by giving the show a dose of star power. The New Scooby-Doo Movies was an hour-long series that featured the show's original characters but each week saw them visited by animated versions of noted television celebrities and fellow cartoon heroes. The Best of the New Scooby-Doo Movies features 15 memorable episodes from the show in which Scooby, Shaggy, and company team up with Don Knotts, Dick Van Dyke, "Mama" Cass Elliot, Jonathan Winters, Don Adams, Laurel & Hardy, Batman and Robin, and others. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Season One of the wild and crazy cartoon series SpongeBob SquarePants dishes up 20 half hour episodes, each containing two to three short storylines. The opener relates how cheerful invertebrate SpongeBob SquarePants lands a job at the Krusty Krab restaurant (his lifelong goal!), how he shoos a pesky clam shell away from the front lawn of his pineapple home, and his first meeting with Sandy Cheeks, a cute land squirrel who resides in a nearby biodome. All, this, plus a musical performance by Tiny Tim. In later episodes, SpongeBob goes into business teaching his friends how to blow bubbles; the evil Plankton attempts to steal the closely-guarded secet recipe for Krabby Patties; SpongeBob's grouchy neighbor Squidward tries and fails to drive a wedge (or a wedgie?) between SpongeBob and his best friend Patrick; a simple pizza delivery turns into an "Apocalypse Now" moment; former McHale's Navy costars Ernest Borgnine and Tim Conway make their first voiceover "appearances" as testy retired superheroes Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy; SpongeBob celebrates "Opposite Day", almost as if there really were an "Opposite Day"; Squidward invokes the name of Allen Ginsburg during a talent show at Krusty Krab; the legendary Flying Dutchman makes one of his rare TV appearances; a peek into the future reveals that they'll always be a few million SpongeBobs around to aggravate Squidward; and the long-suffering Mrs. Puff gives SpongeBob his first driving lesson, and lives to tell about it. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Ten years after The Lion King shot to the top at the box office and first introduced the characters of Simba (Matthew Broderick) and his pals Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), Disney presented this retelling of the Academy Award-winning animated musical. Switching the perspective to that of meerkat Timon and warthog Pumbaa, The Lion King 1 1/2 puts a new spin on the events of the original film. This time around, the comic duo are conveniently at the center of much of the story. Along with returning cast members Moira Kelly, Whoopi Goldberg, and Cheech Marin, The Simpsons' Julie Kavner and Seinfeld's Jerry Stiller lend their voices to newcomer characters Timon's Mom and Timon's Uncle Max, respectively. The straight-to-video film also features the never-before-heard song "That's All I Need." ~ Matthew Tobey, Rovi

Directed by Brad Bird, The Incredibles revolves around former high-profile superhero Bob Parr (aka Mr. Incredible), who has not-so-successfully settled into suburban life along with his wife and kids under the watchful eye of the Superhero Protection Program. A far cry from the "glory days" during which "supers" were a welcome addition to society, the Parrs' living situation was brought on after a series of superhero-related lawsuits forced them into hiding. When not trying to fight small-time crime undercover with fellow former superhero Frozone (Samuel L. Jackson), Parr (voice by Craig T. Nelson) is muddling through the corporate world as a paunchy, emotionally unsatisfied insurance claims adjuster. His family is like any other with some notable exceptions -- his daughter has the uncanny ability to become invisible and create impenetrable force fields at will; his son, Dash, can run at incredible speeds; his wife, Helen (Holly Hunter), is known in super circles as Elastigirl, one of the most respected (and pliable) superwomen of her time. Just when it looks as if things can't get any worse for Bob, he gets a summons to show up at a remote island to receive instructions for a highly classified assignment, which he promptly accepts. Thrust back into the world of fighting crime, the Incredible family is back in familiar territory -- saving the world from Syndrome, a jilted former fan of Mr. Incredible. ~ Tracie Cooper, Rovi

Long resistant to film adaptations of her Mary Poppins books, P.L. Travers finally succumbed to the entreaties of Walt Disney, and the result is often considered the finest of Disney's personally supervised films. The Travers stories are bundled together to tell the story of the Edwardian-era British Banks family: the banker father (David Tomlinson), suffragette mother (Glynis Johns), and the two "impossible" children (Karen Dotrice and Matthew Garber). The kids get the attention of their all-business father by bedevilling every new nanny in the Banks household. Whem Mr. Banks advertises conventionally for another nanny, the kids compose their own ad, asking for someone with a little kindness and imagination. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews in her screen debut) answers the children's ad by arriving at the Banks home from the skies, parachuting downward with her umbrella. She immediately endears herself to the children. The next day they meet Mary's old chum Bert (Dick Van Dyke), currently employed as a sidewalk artist. Mary, Bert, and the children hop into one of Bert's chalk drawings and learn the nonsense song "Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious" in a cartoon countryside. Later, they pay a visit to Bert's Uncle Albert (Ed Wynn), who laughs so hard that he floats to the ceiling. Mr. Banks is pleased that his children are behaving better, but he's not happy with their fantastic stories. To show the children what the real world is like, he takes them to his bank. A series of disasters follow which result in his being fired from his job. Mary Poppins' role in all this leads to some moments when it is possible to fear that all her good work will be undone, but like the magical being she is, all her "mistakes" lead to a happy result by the end of the film. In 2001, Mary Poppins was rereleased in a special "sing-along" edition with subtitles added to the musical numbers so audiences could join in with the onscreen vocalists. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Tom and Jerry: Spotlight Collection - The Premiere Volume combines 40 animated short films (seven of the Oscar winners) featuring the ever-feuding cat and mouse. In addition to the remastered originals, the release offers a variety of extras that showcase the history of the cartoon team. Starting as a creation from the studios of Hanna and Barbera, the twosome would go on to be directed by some of the most beloved Warner Bros. directors including Chuck Jones and Tex Avery. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Those who worried that the Disney studio would collapse without the presence of the late Uncle Walt were put at ease when the profits starting rolling in for The Love Bug. The "star" is Herbie, a lovable little Volkswagen with a personality all its own. Abused by a bad guy race-car driver (David Tomlinson), Herbie is rescued by a good guy racer (Dean Jones). Out of gratitude, Herbie enables the luckless good guy to win one race after another. The real fun begins when the ruthless hot-rodder connives to get Herbie back through fair means or foul. Based on a story by Gordon Buford, The Love Bug inspired two equally lucrative sequels, Herbie Rides Again and Herbie Goes to Monte Carlo. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

 

A boy's best friend is his robot in this animated adventure from Brad Bird, best known for his TV work on such series as The Simpsons, King of the Hill, and The Critic. Set in 1957, The Iron Giant focuses on Hogarth (voice of Eli Marienthal), an imaginative nine-year-old boy who daydreams of alien invasions and doing battle with Communist agents. One day, Hogarth hears a local fisherman talk about something that surpasses anything he could dream up: a fifty-foot robot that fell from the sky into a nearby lake. Needless to say, Hogarth's mom, Annie (voice of Jennifer Aniston) finds this a little hard to swallow, but when Hogarth finds the robot (voice of Vin Diesel) and fishes him out of the water, his pal Dean (voice of Harry Connick Jr.), a beatnik sculptor who also runs a junkyard, offers to help by hiding the robot with his salvage. A government agent named Kent Mansley (voice of Christopher McDonald) soon gets wind that there's a mechanical invader of unknown origins in the neighborhood and wants to wipe out the potential threat. However, the robot (which loves to eat metal and is learning to talk) turns out to be friendly, and the boy in turn tries to teach his new pal the ways of humans. The Iron Giant is loosely based on the book The Iron Man by late British poet Ted Hughes, previously adapted for the stage by rock musician Pete Townshend, who executive produced the film. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi