Jean Chalopin Movies

Walt Disney Pictures released this unusual Chinese-language effort. A family-oriented drama, it dramatizes the friendship that manifests itself between a young boy and a panda he meets in the wild. The tale unfolds in rural Wolong, Sichuan, prior to the May 2008 earthquake. Lu (Daichi Harashima is an 11-year-old with a difficult past behind him: his parents died early on, and an elderly man named Lao Chen adopted him. When Lao discovers an adult panda and her twin cubs inhabiting the nearby wilderness, he breaks Lu's heart (and reveals his own evil nature) by inviting a scientist, Feng (Feng Li) to take one of the baby pandas for purposes of research. Indignant, Lu rescues the cub himself and spirits it away from the vile Lao; in the process, the young boy develops one of the only friends he's ever had in the young bear. Over time, however, Lu begins to recognize his own responsibility for bringing the cub back to its home and mother. ~ Nathan Southern, Rovi

In this animated film, the Littles--a family of half-man, half-mouse creatures living in the walls of human houses--aid a young boy whose parents have vanished. ~ Jason Ankeny, Rovi

The swaggering, orange-coated feline Heathcliff is the star attraction in this children's animated feature geared to the younger moppets. Several past Heathcliff cartoons have been strung together as the puffed-up cat brags about his exciting history to three captive nephews. From the bulldog who always loses in a battle of brawn versus Heathcliff's wits, to the Siamese cats that can outkick Jackie Chan, the littlest viewers are bound to be entertained throughout. ~ Eleanor Mannikka, Rovi