Tress MacNeille Movies

Opus n' Bill in: A Wish for Wings That Work, adapted from the comic strip Bloom County, concerns the plans of Bill the Cat to help his friend Opus the Penguin achieve his dream of flying. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

The second movie-length spin-off of the Nickelodeon cartoon series As Told by Ginger, Far From Home went into production under the title Foutley's on Ice. Both titles refer to the main plot line, in which youthful Ginger Foutley is accepted to the prestigious Avalanche Arts Academy, somewhere in the frigid mountains. Alas, complications ensue wherein Ginger may be permanently separated from her friends and family back in Sheltered Shrubs. A subplot concerns the relationship between Ginger's brother Carl and an attractive telekinetic girl (whose voice, like that of "regular" character Noelle Sussman, is provided by series creator Emily Kapnek). As Told by Ginger: Far From Home originally aired over Nickelodeon on August 9, 2003. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Barry B. Benson (voice of Jerry Seinfeld) is your average honeybee. Despite having recently received his diploma from bee college and being virtually guaranteed a bright future in honey, Barry feels he has the skills to pursue a number of different career paths and resents the fact that his employment opportunities are strictly limited to producing the sweet nectar. Upon breaking away from the hive and developing a friendship with an insect-loving New York florist (voice of Renée Zellweger), Barry makes the shocking discovery that human beings eat honey in mass quantities. Having finally found his calling in life, the infuriated Barry decides to sue the human race for stealing all of the honey that his fellow bees work so hard to produce. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Fifty years after releasing their opulent adaptation of the classic fairy tale Cinderella, Walt Disney Productions revisits the characters in this direct-to-video sequel. Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True encompasses three short stories; first, after Cinderella (voice of Jennifer Hale) marries Prince Charming (voice of Christopher Daniel Barnes), she finds it difficult to reconcile her new station in life with the simple ways she's known in the past. Secondly, the friendly mouse Jacques (voice of Rob Paulsen) wishes he could be a human being -- but after the Fairy Godmother (voice of Russi Taylor) makes it so, he discovers it's a lot tougher than he imagined. And finally, Cinderella takes pity on her stepsister, Anastasia (voice of Tress MacNeille), and teaches her how to smile in the hopes she can find a love of her own. Cinderella 2: Dreams Come True also includes a new song by Brooke Allison, "Put It Together." ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

This Disney Channel animated series was set in the mythical land of Udragoth. Title character Dave was the oldest son of a mother-father team of barbarian warriors, who spent most of their time away from home on an odyssey of conquest and domination (all the while sending their kids "Wish you were here" cards and souvenirs from each of the foreign lands they had vanquished). Naturally, Dave was expected to uphold family tradition and become a warrior himself, but he would much sooner have stayed at home with his sister Candy and little brother Fang and spend his time making elaborate gourmet meals. While mom and dad were away, Dave and his siblings were cared for by Uncle Oswidge, a bumbling sorcerer who did his best to protect the household from various and sundry invaders, both human and supernatural. Also sharing space with Dave, Oswidge, and the kids were the sarcastic talking sword Lula, the lazy pet dragon Faffy, and Twinkle the Marvel Horse, who moved, sounded, and acted like Christopher Walken! Created by Douglas Lansdale (Earthworm Jim, The Weekenders), Dave the Barbarian was delightfully reminiscent of the old Rocky and Bullwinkle cartoons, replete with over-the-kid's-head jokes, deliberately sloppy animation, and the frequently snide and intrusive interpolations from the series' narrator (aka "The Storyteller"). Offering two stories per half-hour episode, Dave the Barbarian premiered January 23, 2004. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

This lightweight and slightly ribald comedy marks the feature film debut of Elvira (Cassandra Peterson), a buxom seductress best known for hosting a popular syndicated television show that features wonderfully bad old horror movies. After losing her latest job for refusing to sleep with her new boss, Elvira tries to launch a Vegas career. Just before that scheme falls flat, she finds salvation when an aunt dies and leaves her a huge old New England mansion. When the black-clad and sexy Elvira, with her flamboyant make-up and acres of cleavage hit the town, she creates an instant scandal amongst the old folks and inspires lusty dreams in the minds of the young. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide

Matt Groening's cult hit series Futurama takes its killer wit to DVD with this full length movie consisting of a brand new story with all new animation and the complete, original voice cast. As the crew of Planet Express prepares for Xmas 3007, a race of evil, nudist, internet scammers launches an attack on Earth, discovering the secret of time travel tattooed on Fry's butt. Using their sinister hacking skills to control Bender, the aliens seize control of the robot and send him back in time to loot ancient Earth of its treasures. The crew encounter true love, a hostile takeover, and Al Gore before their race against time to save the world as they know it is over. Futurama: Bender's Big Score also features guest voice-appearances by actors and comedians like Sarah Silverman, Mark Hamill, and Coolio. ~ Cammila Albertson, All Movie Guide

Everyone's favorite football-headed city kid graduates from television to the big screen in this animated comedy-adventure based on the Nickelodeon TV series. Arnold (voice of Spencer Klein) and his good friend, Gerald (voice of Jamil Walker Smith), live in a tight-knit neighborhood in the middle of a big city. Like most of their neighbors, Arnold and Gerald love their community, and when they learn that Scheck (voice of Paul Sorvino), a wealthy and powerful developer, plans to buy up their neighborhood, tear down the buildings, and put up a massive shopping mall in its place, they decide something has to be done. While the adults come up with a dodgy scheme to blow up the streets in their neighborhood, Arnold and Gerald hatch a more practical scheme, with the help of Helga (voice of Francesca Marie Smith), who can't decide if she likes Arnold or hates his guts. Arnold and Gerald learn that their neighborhood was designated a historical landmark years ago, but can they prove it before Scheck moves in with his bulldozers? Hey Arnold! The Movie also features the voice talents of Jennifer Jason Leigh, Christopher Lloyd, and Dan Castellaneta. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide

Adventure is only limited by imagination in this exciting animated fantasy from The Goonies writer Chris Columbus. Warmly welcomed to the Kingdom of Slumberland by the king himself, young Nemo is christened heir to the throne and given a magical key that will open any door in the kingdom. Though Nemo is warned not to open the one door with the power to destroy Slumberland, temptation proves too strong and the king is kidnapped as a black cloud of nightmares washes over the formerly idyllic dreamscape. Now, if Nemo is to reverse his error and bring the king back alive, he must rally his friends and journey deep into Nightmare Land to face his ultimate fear. Will dreams ever return to Slumberland, or has Nemo's folly set into motion an irreversible, eternal echo of nightmares and chaos? ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

This home video release finds an interesting way to repackage older Disney cartoons. Mickey's Magical Christmas: Snowed in at the House of Mouse, finds Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Pluto, and all of the other beloved Disney animated characters unable to leave a holiday party. In order to pass the time, the gang watches a compilation of holiday-themed short films. There is something for every member of the family on this look at Disney older efforts. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

This impressive work from acclaimed Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki represents a significant departure from traditional anime. Foregoing the gritty storylines, extreme violence, and adult content found throughout many anime, Miyazaki's works borrow as much from fairy tales as they do from science fiction. Nausicaa of the Valley of Wind is no exception. Centuries after war has devastated the earth, Princess Nausicaa leads the people of the Valley of the Wind. Feuding clans fight with planes and tanks as well as swords in a world that is both primitive and futuristic. In addition to her people's conflicts with other factions, Nausicaa must also contend with the insects of the jungle including the Ohmu, a race of giant, intelligent bugs that poisons the surrounding atmosphere - and is spreading rapidly. The setting of this 1984 animation owes much to the post-apocalypse genre spawned by Mad Max and other films, and the political subplot is often compared to Frank Herbert's Dune. However, the heroine here has more in common with the female protagonists of the Disney musicals such as Pocohantas and Mulan; Nausicaa is more concerned with harmony and communication than with conquest and revenge. Sympathetic to the Ohmu, she learns she must approach them with understanding to achieve peace and restore the dying world. This film is beautifully animated and written, and the moral to this ecological fable is difficult to miss. The film was dubbed into English in the mid-2000s, hence the presence of such actors as Shia LeBoeuf, who wasn't born yet when the film was originally made. ~ Jonathan E. Laxamana, All Movie Guide

Mr. "No Respect" Rodney Dangerfield appears as cartoon character "Rover Dangerfield" in this animated effort dreamed up by the irrepressible comedian. The cartoon dog has to leave his Las Vegas home and ends up on a small farm in nowheresville USA, where his big-city ways aren't always appreciated by a more genteel folk. ~ All Movie Guide

The biggest babies in the entertainment business take their act to Europe in this sequel to the surprise-hit animated feature The Rugrats Movie. Chuckie (voice of Christine Cavanaugh) has been fretting over his father Chas (voice of Michael Bell) and his status as a single father, as he wants to have a mommy like all of his friends. Chas and his father Stu (voice of Jack Riley) were hired to create a bevy of electronic critters for the newly opened Euro-Reptarland theme park, but the robots are acting up, and park manager Coco La Bouche (Susan Sarandon) is hopping mad. So Stu and Chas are flown to Paris to do some repairs, with Chas bringing Chuckie and all his friends along. Their visit to the City of Lights proves to be one adventure after another, as Chuckie tries to find a suitable mother (with Coco leading the pack) and Tommy (voice of Elizabeth Dailey) somehow gets behind the wheel of the giant Reptar robot. Rugrats in Paris: The Movie features original songs from T-Boz from TLC, The Baha Men, and Mylene Farmer, while John Lithgow, Debbie Reynolds, and Mako contribute to the voice cast. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide