The Lion King

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: June 15, 1994

DVD Release Date: October 7, 2003

Plot 411: As a young lion, Simba is ousted from his homeland and returns as an adult to claim what is rightfully his.

Review: I can't believe this movie is over 15 years old. However, I still enjoy it now as I did then. There are great life lessons in this movie that children should learn from and the soundtrack is great. As a young lion, Simba (Jonathan Taylor Thomas and Matthew Broderick) is tricked into believing he caused the death of his father Mufasa (James Earl Jones). He is chased out of Pride Rock by a pack of hyenas, who are under orders to kill him. Unknown to Simba or the rest of the pride, Scar (Jeremy Irons), Simba's uncle, has plotted against them in order to take control of the pride. As a grown lion, Simba meets his old friend Nala, who with the help of Mufasa's advisor Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), convinces Simba to return and take his rightful place. This movie is pretty powerful for a kid's show. There are many great themes, like honor, loyalty, greed, betrayal and friendship, that are front-and-center in this show. Despite being complex emotions, these concepts are presented in youth-friendly ways that teach while being able to entertain. The characters are memorable, especially Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella), two of Simba's friends. Even though animation techniques have obviously progressed since the making of this movie, I still believe this film holds up. Compared with some of today's computer-generated animation, I prefer the simplicity of this old Disney style.

Watch It: For great family entertainment.

Skip It: Because like most Disney shows there's a lot of singing and dancing going on.

Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: May 24, 1991

DVD Release Date: June 17, 2006

Plot 411: A young girl dreams of excitement and longs to be part of a traveling horse diving show.

Review: This movie is a tragedy . . . not because of anything in the plot, but because this is Michael Schoeffling's (aka Jake Ryan in Sixteen Candles) last acting role to date. Sigh. The film is based on the true story of Sonora Webster (Gabrielle Anwar), a teen who headlined a traveling show of diving horses during the Depression. After many difficult weeks of proving herself to Dr. Carver (Cliff Robertson) and training with his son Al (Schoeffling), she trains for the show. The film highlights her determination, guts and passion. It adds a dose of romance when Al and Sonora fall for one another. It adds a touch of drama when Sonora loses her sight in an accident. But, overall, it's a nice, feel-good movie that's great for Disney. I remember watching this as a kid and enjoying it. As an adult, it just feels like an afterschool special-type movie. The CGI effects of the diving horse and rider are pretty lame, but it was the '90s. No Avatar technology was available. Anwar is beautiful amidst the grass, dirt and sunshine that surrounds her character's poverty.

Watch It: For a sweet love story and an inspiring female empowerment flick.

Skip It: And pop in Sixteen Candles instead.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: September 18, 2008

DVD Release Date: March 3, 2009

Plot 411: An uptown chihuahua finds herself in downtown Mexico City miles from all that is familiar to her.

Review: Oh man, I never thought I'd actually watch this movie . . . ever. But it was in the stack of DVDs I'm borrowing from my brother so I thought I might as well pop it in and get it over with. The only plus about this movie is that at least they cast Hispanic actors for the ethnic parts. It'd be really insulting if they had cast white folks to play the Mexican dogs. Talk about uncool. Anyway, Drew Barrymore plays Chloe, a 90210 dog who is used to only the best that life has to offer. When Chloe's owner Viv (Jamie Lee Curtis) goes on a business trip, she is left in the care of Viv's slacker niece Rachel (Piper Perabo). Rachel and her friends decide to take a little vacation of their own and head down to Tijuana. But when Chloe gets dognapped and ends up in the dog fighting ring, things get a little "ruff." Ok, I couldn't help myself. Anyway, the dogs she meets on her journey are voiced by the likes of Andy Garcia, George Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Placido Domingo, Paul Rodriguez, Cheech Marin and Luiz Guzman. Pretty classy huh? While some people might find this movie adorable, I cannot claim that myself. It contains two of my pet peeves - tiny dogs and dogs wearing clothes. I'm surprised I didn't break out in hives. Also, the CGI in this is HORRIBLE! C'mon Disney! What were you thinking?

Watch It: For the doggie fashion?

Skip It: For the love of God!

The Princess And The Frog

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: November 25, 2009

DVD Release Date: TBD

Plot 411: A girl in New Orleans dreams of owning her own restaurant and kisses a frog on the off chance that dreams really do come true.

Review: I've gotta say that I really enjoyed this movie. There were parts in it that were simply magical, and it was done in a style that we haven't seen in a long time. The hand-drawn quality of the animation was wonderful and a definite homage to the Disney of old. Tiana (Anika Noni Rose) is a girl with big dreams who works hard to achieve them. But when her offer on a vacant mill falls through, her dream of owning her own restaurant seem to slip through her fingers. When Tiana talks to a frog on her balcony's ledge, it surprises her by talking back. The frog, aka Prince Naveen (Bruno Campos), has had an encounter with the Shadowman (Keith David) who has exchanged his human form for one with webbed feet. The kiss transforms Tiana into a frog too and together Tiana and Naveen must survive the bayou and find a way to become human again. The film really did a good job at enhancing the original tale. It takes place in the roaring '20s, which adds a bit of charm to the plot. The colors of the film are all rich and deep, which enhances the New Orleans feel. Also starring in this film are Jenifer Lewis (Mama Odie), Oprah Winfrey, Terrence Howard and John Goodman.

Watch It: Because it's Disney's first African American princess.

Skip It: If you like the 3D look of recent animated films that are done by computers. This film is thoroughly hand drawn.

Finding Nemo

Rating: G

Movie Release Date: May 30, 2003

DVD Release Date: November 4, 2003

Plot 411: When Nemo gets caught by human divers, his clownfish dad swims to the depths of the ocean and the far reaches of the sea to find him.

Review: This was really one of Disney and Pixar's best movies, in my opinion. It was filled with adventure, danger, humor and a great moral for kids. What else could a movie possibly need? The colors of the ocean are naturally awe-inspiring so when it is so vividly alive like this, one can only sit back and enjoy it. It's amazing how far animation has come in the last decade. Simply amazing. Similar to a road movie, this one is about Marlin's journey to find his son Nemo. Along the way he meets a helpful, if not completely bonkers, Dory. Together they cross the seas in search of Marlin's son.

Watch It: For a cute underwater adventure and lots of laughs.

Skip It: Only if cartoons aren't you're thing. This is one of the best out there.

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Enchanted

Rating: PG

Movie Release Date: November 21, 2007

DVD Release Date: March 18, 2008

Plot 411: A fairy tale princess finds herself in New York City, has eye-opening adventures and sings through it all.

Review: In full disclosure, I must admit that I like most musicals so to say that I loved this film is probably an understatement. The singing and dancing will probably make this into a Disney classic. The songs were really catchy (I even know someone who sings "Happy Working Song" while working). Amy Adams really steals the show. It would be a popular film even without McDreamy (Patrick Dempsey) and Cyclops (James Marsden) in the mix, but they only serve to hunkify (yeah, I made that up) the film. The blend of animation and real life is amazing, and this movie truly adds a new dimension to the fairy tale genre.

Watch It: For a contemporary musical filled with timelessly classic techniques.

Skip It: If your kids repeat everything they like over and over because you will not hear the end of it. The songs are just that great.

Trailer: