April Winchell Movies

Based very loosely on the classic novel by Alexandre Dumas, this direct-to-video Disney version of The Three Musketeers features Mickey Mouse, Donald Duck, and Goofy as janitors who become pawns in a scheme by Peg-leg Pete to take the throne away from Princess Minnie. The threesome works together in order to save the princess and the kingdom. The film features a half-dozen new songs, some of which are based on classical works by famous composers like Tchaikovsky and Beethoven. ~ Perry Seibert, Rovi

Based on the popular animated children's program Disney's Recess, this full-length film focuses on the end of a school year, where young pupil T.J. Detweiler is looking ahead to having a wild, fun-packed summer vacation. T.J. stumbles upon a plot hatched by the villainous Dr. Benedict, a former principal who once tried to strike recess from the average school day. Dr. Benedict hatches a scheme to control weather patterns with a specialized laser beam to create a permanent winter, making it impossible for the students to have a summer vacation. T.J. calls in all of his best pals to defeat the villainous Dr. Benedict, as well as recruits the help of the faculty, who willingly join the young students on their crusade for freedom. Recess: School's Out was directed by Chuck Sheetz, who has helmed episodes of The Simpsons and King of the Hill. ~ Jason Clark, Rovi

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, Rovi

The first appearance of Mickey Mouse and the rest of his gang of friends in over 40 years in this newly created ABC Saturday morning cartoon series. ~ Rovi

Jackie and Mark (Glenn Quinn) watch female wrestling, D.J. and Heather (Heather Matarazzo) take their relationship to another level, and Bev (Estelle Parsons) introduces her new friend, Joyce (Ruta Lee). ~ Andrea LeVasseur, Rovi

This seven-minute short cartoon, released with Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, is the first animated short put out by Disney studios since 1965. It features the ever-ebullient Roger Rabbit of Who Framed Roger Rabbit fame. Here, he is teamed with Baby Herman, who must be rushed to the hospital after swallowing a rattle. The ever-seductive Jessica Rabbit (voice by Kathleen Turner) also puts in an appearance. While there is nothing in this cartoon that is unsuitable for children, it contains enough savvy wit to keep adult viewers' attention. ~ Clarke Fountain, Rovi

In Robert Zemeckis's trailblazing combination of animation and live-action, Hollywood's 1940s cartoon stars are a subjugated minority, living in the ghettolike "Toontown" where their movements are sharply monitored by the human power establishment. The Toons are permitted to perform in a Cotton Club-style nightspot but are forbidden to patronize the joint. One of Toontown's leading citizens, whacked-out Roger Rabbit, is framed for the murder of human nightclub owner Marvin Acme (Stubby Kaye). Private detective Eddie Valiant (Bob Hoskins), whose prejudice against Toons stems from the time that his brother was killed by a falling cartoon piano, reluctantly agrees to clear Roger of the accusation. Most of the sociopolitical undertones of the original novel were weeded out out of the 1988 film version, with emphasis shifted to its basic "evil land developer" plotline --and, more enjoyably, to a stream of eye-popping special effects. With the combined facilities of animator Richard Williams, Disney, Warner Bros., Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, and George Lucas's Industrial Light and Magic, the film allows us to believe (at least for 90 minutes) that "toons" exist, and that they are capable of interacting with 3-dimensional human beings. Virtually every major cartoon character of the late 1940s shows up, with the exceptions of Felix the Cat and Popeye the Sailor, whose licensees couldn't come to terms with the producers. Of the film's newly minted Toons, the most memorable is Roger Rabbit's curvaceous bride Jessica (voiced, uncredited, by Kathleen Turner). The human element is well-represented by Hoskins, Christopher Lloyd, and Joanna Cassidy; also watch for action-film producer Joel Silver as Roger Rabbit's Tex Avery-style director. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi