Kids Movies

Fly Me To The Moon is a new animated family film featuring very impressive 3D effects. The technology of 3D has improved so dramatically over the years, that the images from Fly Me To The Moon seem completely real enough that you may find yourself actually grabbing at objects.

This is definitely a movie that will enterain kids and keep them laughing. The adults accompanying their children may not be so enthralled, but it does make for a fun family outing.

Fly Me To The Moon centers around the plight of  three adolescent flies who, in 1969, live in a dump near Cape Kennedy with their families, including a granddad (Lloyd) who had once stowed away aboard Amelia Earhart’s plane. The three teen flies are looking for a way to impress their families. And as the title of the film implies, the trio of young flies decide that the answer to their quest will be to join the space program and make history.

As the young flies attempt to make history, they must overcome challenes such as fly swatters and even worse, a Russian spy-fly. While parents may stifle some yawns, kids will more than likely be very excited as the 3Daction of Fly Me To The Moon escalates.

There is a great live action cameo of Apollo 11 in the movie which should be enjoyed by kids and parents alike.

Not so much enjoyed by adults but assuredly by the kids, are the burping, somewhat dubious jokes throughout the film, and not -so -cute talking maggots.

The movie features the voices of Philip Bolden, Trevor Gagnon, David Gore, Christopher Lloyd, Adrienne Barbeau, Ed Begley Jr., Tim Curry, Kelly Ripa and Nicollette Sheridan. Directed by Ben Stassen. And according to Director Ben Stassen, nWave’s founder, the movie is the first animated feature to be created and released exclusively for 3-D.

Ratatouille is a charming animated feature that people both young and old will enjoy.

Set in a visually stunning Paris, the movie is worth the scenery alone. Animation fans as well as the general public can appreciate this lighthearted romp from the big city and its many cafes and great restaurants, and to the French countryside where we meet our rat(tatoulle).

Named after an underrated dish involving eggplant, Ratatouille is about a rat named Remy voiced by the charming and talented comedian, Patton Oswalt. Patton does a fantastic job and is a welcome departure from big names who do sub par voices for animated features to supplement their already bulging wallets. His vocal rat stylings make you forget that this is a rat we’re dealing with, not a top-notch stand up comedian. Other notable talent are Peter O’Toole, Lou Romano, James Renmar, and Janeane Garofalo.

Remy the rat has seen better days. Inspired to become a great cook by Chef Gusteau’s tome “Anyone Can Cook”, our rodent protagonist has only one small problem: well, himself. A rat isn’t exactly welcome in most kitchens, especially those commercial operations subjected to regular visits by the health inspector, not to mention food critic Anton Ego (Peter O’Toole).

By befriending a lowly young garbage boy, Linguine (Lou Romano), who is actually the son of the late, great Gusteau, Remy is able to live out his dream of becoming a chef from atop the boy’s head. Giving direction from within his chef hat, our ratty hero has the boy do what he cannot, at least not in public! With help from another chef, Colette (Garofalo) and a motley crew of sous-chefs, Remy and Linguini rise to the top of their game at the restaurant, with all-too-predictable disastrous results. Still, it’s fun to go along for the ride, although this reviewer, for one, could never trap or otherwise hurt a rat after seeing this film!

In his struggles to get around this obstacle, Ratatouille teaches us that it’s not what you do, it’s how well you do it, and who you are is not necessarily what you do. Furthermore, one should not be limited in life by little setbacks, such as being born a rat. Remember that, kids, and stay in school! Now as for any chefs out there aspiring to become rats, well, there may be some minor difficulties…

The Wizard of Oz is a pop culture classic movie. Farm girl, Dorothy (played by Judy Garland) and her beloved dog, Toto, are transported by a twister “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”. To their delight and surprise they find a magical, colorful, enchanted place far from Kansas. A land filled with adorable, welcoming Munchkins and beautiful Glinda, the good witch. She bestows upon Dorothy a pair of special shoes. Dorothy makes some friends, a Scarecrow, Cowardly Lion, and Tin Man. But she also makes an evil enemy, a very Wicked Witch (played by Dorothy Hamilton) who wants her ruby slippers back. The evil witch employs winged, flying monkeys to help her get Dorothy. Despite Dorothy’s escape, song singing, and many adventures with her new friends, she discovers there is “No Place Like Home.”  She sets out on homeward journey leaving Munchkin Land behind. Her travels take her to an Apple Orchard, the Haunted Forest, Witches Castle and Emerald City in hopes of finding the Wizard of OZ. The Wizard should be able to help her go home to Auntie Em or so she thinks. Follow your own Yellow Brick Road to the Wizard of OZ 2 Disc or 3 Disc Collector’s Special Edition. Included in these Collector’s Exclusives are many treasures including Grauman’s Ticket and Invitation, Reproductions of Original MGM Studio Magazine, Grauman’s Opening Night and Souvenir Program, 9 Kodachrome color stills.  The 3 Disc Collector’s Edition includes:  A documentary – L. Frank Baum: The Man Behind the Curtain; Audio commentary by historian John Fricke and multiple cast and crew; Biographies including 9 original cast; Deleted scenes, for example, If I only had a Brain, Over the Rainbow, and The Jitterbug. There are treasures galore here… music clips. music effects and track, newsreel and a photo gallery among many other things. The 2 Disc Special Edition has a lot to offer. Try 10 hours of bonuses, including a new commentary from John Fricke, biographies and a Theatrical Trailer to view. This movie is a spectacular event for the whole family! Watch why it is considered the most viewed and may be the most beloved movie classic of all time!

Some might call Finding Nemo one of the best animated movies in recent times. Released in 2003 by Pixar, the animated feature tells the story of one tiny clown fish that gets taken from his ocean home by a dentist as a gift for his daughter. Taken to Sydney, Australia, the clown fish is put in a tank with others that warn him of what will happen to him once he is given to his new owner, the daughter of the dentist. They have seen more than one die at her hand. It becomes a mission to free tiny Nemo.

On the outside, his father is on his own mission – to find his son. The clown fish Marlin is joined by Dory, another fish, on his search, and together the two travel the same distance Nemo has. In the end, the father and son are reunited and all ends well. This animated film is more than just your everyday cartoon. Containing the voices of some of today’s most popular stars, they use their talents to bring the story of the lost fish to life. Voices include those of Ellen Degeneres and Eric Bana among others.

Following the film release, Finding Nemo did win the honor of Best Animated Film at the Oscars. This film is one that can be enjoyed by all ages from the very young to the very old. It became a favorite of many. For those that wanted to keep the film for their very own, the DVD comes in two versions – a single disc set and a special two disc collector’s edition.  The two disc edition takes you behind the making of the animated feature and it even has some cool features for your television set such as a way to turn your television into an aquarium or the ocean itself. Deleted scenes and character interviews are also included to make this DVD a must own for any fan of the film.

After a 10 year moratorium on the title, Disney is releasing Aladdin as a Two-Disc Platinum Special Edition DVD on October 5, 2004. Aladdin reunited directors Ron Clements and John Musker, and the songwriting team of Howard Ashman and Alan Menken. It may not have been the easiest production (see next page’s look at Disc 2 and the struggles encountered). But in the end, as with the previous Clements/Musker/ Ashman/Menken collaboration The Little Mermaid, magic was undoubtedly weaved in Aladdin. It’s easy to take Aladdin for granted. Number thirty-one on the Disney Studio’s list of animated releases, the film made its way to theaters in the middle of a five-year period of creative high we now look at as the Disney Renaissance. But though Aladdin follows in a tradition of skillful animation, it offers many unique charms. And, in case you might have forgotten in the eleven years since it was last released on home video, it happens to be a great film. Disc 1′s pleasing main menu makes use of an instrumental of “Arabian Nights” and finds that satisfactory middle ground between “too basic” and “too elaborate”. The other 16×9 menu screens on Disc 1 also feature instrumentals of various songs with mild animation and some brief transitions. Highlighting any of the bonus features gratefully reveals its running time, a nice touch which is quickly becoming the norm for Disney DVDs. The menu design incorporates Disney’s EasyFind icons for more straightforward organization. If that’s not straightforward enough for you, a text “Index” offered from the menus provide a list of the different bonus feature sub-menus to access. It essentially does what the regular Bonus Features menu does, but without the animation, and with a small general list of what’s on the other disc.

In choosing to watch a movie the whole family will enjoy together, the story of an extra-ordinary pig named Babe must always be on top of the list. Based on a book by Dick King Smith, it’s a charming live action flick with humans only playing supporting cast to a host of real barnyard animals portrayed like regular people with quirks and feelings. And in the center of the story is this adorable piglet that learns to realize what his destiny is and achieves this with success.

Babe (as voiced by Christine Cavanaugh) is this piglet who was separated from his own family and was sent to a different farm for breeding. He grew to recognize a sheepdog as his surrogate mother and learned to herd a flock of sheep just like her. Recognizing the pig’s abilities, his owner and master (the farmer, played by James Cromwell) enters Babe in the annual county sheep herding competition which becomes a real turning point, not just for Babe but for his masters and their tiny little town, as well.

The film is intelligent and capricious. It is definitely something that will appeal to adults watching what is perceived as a child’s movie. Yet its storybook tone and visuals, including its zany characters, will certainly offer a delightful entertainment for both the young and old.  It does help that the voice actors did an amazing job of giving their characters substance and depth. Additionally, the state-of-the-art special effects incorporated in this movie appear to be seamless, that during the time this was released in the 90’s, it was seen as technically superior.

This movie is simply a classic.

Babe is available in a Special Edition Widescreen DVD release that carries a DTS Soundtrack, as well as the traditional Full Screen DVD version.

When it comes to direct-to-DVD animated features, DC Comics is starting to carve out their niche.  First came Superman: Doomsday, Justice League: The New Frontier, and now they bring us Batman: Gotham Knight.

A unique approach for this feature is the story-telling style.  Gotham Knight as a whole is meant as a bridge between 2005′s Batman Begins and the recent theatrical release of The Dark Knight.  Instead of an hour and 20 minutes of straight animation though, the producers put together six animated shorts, each designed to show the different ways that people in Gotham City are beginning to deal with the existence of Batman-even the criminals.  Comic book fans will recognize some of the scribes for the shorts; they are names familiar to the Batman universe like Greg Rucka and Brian Azzarello.  Then animation style is also a change for DC, as they delve into the world of Japanese anime.  The use of different animation studios for each of the six shorts can sometimes be jarring to the viewer, but overall the characters and views of Gotham City are visually stimulating.

As with the other direct-to-DVD released by DC, Gotham Knight earns a PG-13 rating for some violence and occasional questionable language.  Batman’s strongest nemesis is the gun, so there are naturally plenty of them present.  But fans of Batman will enjoy this bridge between theatrical releases, as it builds on the mystique and dedication of the character.

The Two-Disc Collector’s Edition of the DVD is full of extras, sure to have something for even the casual fan.  Long-time fans of Batman will enjoy the commentary, with voices like Dennis O’Neil (former Batman editor) and Kevin Conroy (the voice of Batman in this feature, as well as in Batman: The Animated Series).    A sneak peek of DC’s next animated feature, Wonder Woman, is also on the disc.  Hardcore Batman fans will also enjoy the look into the life of Batman creator Bob Kane, a documentary detailing Batman’s relationship with his enemies, and producer Bruce Timm’s selection of some of his favorite episodes from Batman: The Animated Series.

Batman: Gotham Knight is sure to have something for everyone.  Casual fans are sure to learn more about the many facets of the Caped Crusader, while life-long fans will love this new and unique look into the development of Bruce Wayne as Batman.

A far-future tale of two robots, Wall-E is both a good movie for children and a treat for parents.

Earth in the future is a dismal place; humanity has vacated it, leaving only piles and piles of trash and a small army of robots to clean it up.  But most of these robots have long since malfunctioned, leaving only Wall-E, a trash compactor with a taste for relics and a love of old musicals, and his pet cockroach.  That is, until the newer robot Eve shows up.  Wall-E’s excited to find a new friend, but when Eve finds the signs of life she’s looking for, Wall-E follows her back to the colony ship holding what was once Earth’s population.

Wall-E, particularly for the first half, is as much about seeing as about hearing.  Of the first three characters to appear (Wall-E, his pet cockroach, and Eve), only the robots speak, and they have a vocabulary of about six words between them.  Regardless, their expressions and body language manage to get everything across that they need to.  In the first fifteen minutes, between a series of beautiful panoramic shots and two random commercials, the movie manages to convey most of its backstory.  Some of the really young audience might need explanations, but most viewers will pick up on what’s going on quickly.  As with Pixar standard, the animation is top-quality and highly detailed.

Though the beginning is a little slow, there’s plenty of action once Wall-E reaches the ship, both inside and outside the ship itself.  Half of the movie is one long sequence of chase scenes, with a colorful cast of robots contrasting heavily with the mostly-alike hoverchair-bound humans.  The humans aren’t completely useless, though; the ship’s captain shows both brains and initiative, and the rebellious passengers John and Mary add a little color and a helping hand on a few occasions.

Additional clever touches include the use of Wall-E’s obsession with Hello, Dolly!, the running jokes involving the cleaning robot, and a number of nods and winks to various earlier science fiction movies.

The movie only has two potential issues–a couple of world-based inconsistencies and the sheer sugar content of the romance between the two robots–but neither of these should particularly bother a younger audience.

In short, Wall-E is exciting enough for the kids, packed with in-jokes for the parents, and a treat for just about everyone.

Space Chimps offers an out of this world experience! Take two astronaut trained chimpanzees and one circus chimpanzee with a family history of space exploration and place them in a rocket and you instantly have a recipe for fun.

You’ll enjoy watching as this motley crew set out to find a missing space probe. While on their highly colorful and animated journey, the chimps find themselves tossed through a worm hole and onto an inhabited planet with an evil ruler. The story unfolds with a delightful alien that light-up and make lots of noise.

With plenty of imitable dance scenes and fun music, children will enjoy reliving Space Chimps long after the movie has finished. Together the chimps and alien creature must devise a way to overthrow the ruler prior to returning to earth. This creates the need for the chimps and the aliens to work together while they build a rocket ship to allow the chimps to return to earth. While lacking in the excitement that other animated films deliver, it is humorous and creative and makes for a good afternoon adventure.

Space Chimps main messages of having faith in yourself and overcoming fear are clear, making it a movie that teaches values. Audiences of all ages will be amused by the antics of the chimpanzees. Light-hearted and fun, the film keeps the attention of it’s target audience, children. It is rated “G”, after all. With little profanity, minimal displays of rudeness, and mild suspense, it is a show meant for the whole family.