Stu Krieger Movies

When dad decides to leave the family dairy in the hands of his two spoiled teenage daughters in order to take a much-needed vacation, the self-absorbed girls find that saving the struggling business may take even more effort than maintaining their high-ranking status among the popular set in a hilarious Disney Channel Original Movie starring singing sensations Aly and AJ. Taylor and Courtney Callum have always had it easy, thanks to the hard work of their father in getting the family dairy up and running. Lately business isn't what it used to be, though, and after years of working day and night to provide for his family, Taylor and Courtney's dad needs a little time off. When dad insists that Taylor and Courtney look after the day-to-day business of the dairy while he's out of town, the prospect of saving the family business may finally provide the incentive needed for these two girls to stop thinking about themselves for once and pitch in for the good of the whole family. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The third of the Disney Channel TV movies inspired by Marylyn Sadler and Roger Bollen's novel Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century, Zenon: Z3 once again stars Kristen Storms as the title character, a "typical" teenager from the year 2054 A.D. who lives on a space station with her family and friends. In this one, Zenon aspires to attend the Moonstock music festival, and to that end she enters the Galactic Teen Supreme Contest. At first, Zenon thinks that the only roadblock to her success is her snotty rival Bronley Hale (Glen McMillan), but soon she finds herself sidetracked by the efforts of space ecologist Sage Borealis (Ben Easter) to prevent further colonization of the Moon. As it happens, however, the problems of Bronley and Sage don't amount to a hill of beans when a hitherto unsuspected villain appears, intent upon destroying the universe. Many of the film's biggest laughs are delivered by little Alyson Morgan as Zenon's precocious cousin and "biggest fan" Dasha. Filmed in Capetown, South Africa, Zenon: Z3 first aired on June 11, 2004, doing quite well in the ratings despite wall-to-wall coverage of Ronald Reagan's funeral on the other channels. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Lots of kids have to put up with their younger siblings, but two children have to help out their younger parents in this sci-fi comedy produced for The Disney Channel. Eddie and Marie are two seemingly ordinary kids whose parents are extremely gifted inventors. However, not every one of their inventions works just as they hoped, and while working on a machine that would allow them to travel through time, they hit a snag and instead end up with a device that simply makes them younger. What's more, they can't seem to stop the age reversal process, and unless the machine can somehow be stopped, they'll soon hit "the poof point" and simply disappear. Eddie and Marie aren't eager to be on their own just yet (and having folks younger than they are is a bit embarrassing), and they start brainstorming to bring their parents back to their proper age before it's too late. Based on the children's book by Ellen Weiss and Mel Friedman, The Poof Point stars Mark Curry, Tahj Mowry, and Dawnn Lewis. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

A young girl secretly adopts a runaway monkey only to have to deal with the simian's mischief-making tendencies in this family comedy. Young Eva (Thora Birch)'s dreams of having a pet are frustrated by the objections of her mother (Mimi Rogers) and allergic stepfather (Christopher McDonald). When she finds a stray capuchin monkey, she cannot resist it, and she keeps the animal -- which she names Dodger -- hidden in her room. Eva doesn't know that Dodger has just escaped from an evil organ grinder named Azro (Harvey Keitel, playing a regrettable Gypsy stereotype), who had trained the monkey to become an accomplished pickpocket. Old habits prove hard to break, and Dodger begins stealing everything in sight, landing Eva in plenty of trouble. Her problems are only compounded by the actions of the unscrupulous Azro, who wants to find Dodger and use him as part of an important robbery. The standard misunderstandings and slapstick comedy ensue, with the spunky Eva struggling to protect her new pet and herself. While probably too predictable to appeal to many adults, Monkey Trouble's skillful animal antics and resourceful young heroine may prove entertaining to youngsters. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

This animated feature from Don Bluth is aimed toward very young children. It follows the exploits of Stanley, the nicest troll in Troll Land. Unfortunately, the other trolls do not like too much niceness, and Stanley is banished from his homeland by the nasty Gnorga. He is sent to live in New York City with the hope that the banishment will cure him of his sweetness. Stanley lands in Central, where he puts his special talent for growing pretty flowers to good use. There he meets two sad youngsters whose parents are too busy working to pay attention to them. Stanley becomes their friend. He teaches them to believe in themselves. Stanley is happy. But then, Gnorga suddenly appears and tries to destroy it all. Will she succeed? ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

Animation producer Don Bluth's fondness for overly cutesy characters and muddy color compositions work to the benefit of his feature-length cartoon The Land Before Time. Littlefoot, a brontosaurus child, must fend for himself when his mother is killed (shades of Bambi). With several other orphaned dinosaurs, Littlefoot seeks out the fabled Great Valley, where food and shelter is plentiful. Along the way, the kiddie dinos learn several vital (and politically correct) life lessons, all the while keeping themselves scarce whenever the fierce tyrannosauri gallumph into view. The cuteness of the characters (emphasized by the voice work) takes some of the harsh edges off the story, which makes the film eminently suitable for younger children; and the smeary color design is ideal for the time-frame of the film, which is set in the turbulent, nature-run-rampant period just before the dinosaurs died out. Apparently they didn't all die, inasmuch as a Land Before Time sequel was released on video in 1994. The earlier film inspired a 1988 Saturday morning cartoon series produced by Ruby-Spears, Dink: The Little Dinosaur. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Those adorable "twins" from Disney's Parent Trap have grown up and are now encountering similar romantic mix-ups in this made-for-cable-TV sequel. ~ Sandra Brennan, Rovi

A high school class reunion turns bloody when a former student seeks revenge on his classmates in this black comedy. That mayhem would strike this 20-year reunion seems preordained, given that the name of the school is Lizzie Borden High. Little did anyone expect, however, that this trouble would come from Walter Baylor (Blackie Dammett), a social outcast who was the victim of a humiliating senior year practical joke. Now, two decades later, Baylor has escaped from a mental institution to kill off his tormenters one by one. Class Reunion was the first produced screenplay by John Hughes, a National Lampoon writer who would eventually find a highly successful career as a writer, director, and producer of teen-oriented movies. His debut was exceptionally inauspicious, however, as the film's uncertain mixture of gore and low comedy was met with critical derision and audience indifference. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi

Two unwed youths head for New York tenements with their child after they are driven from their homes. ~ Kristie Hassen, Rovi