Frozen

Frozen (2013) Animated. Voices of Kristen Bell, Idina Menzel, Jonathan Groff, Josh Gad, Santino Fontana. Two orphaned princesses live in the kingdom of Arendelle, but one, Elsa, is a "Snow Queen." She has the power to create winter, and she accidentally sinks the whole kingdom into winter with an angry wave of her hands. Her little sister, Anna, must do what she can to break the spell and restore summer to the kingdom. This movie was shown in 3D in theaters, so it surely loses something on the TV screen, but it is still quite entertaining, and a funny snowman character named Olaf provides plenty of comic relief. I'm not usually a fan of animated movies, but this is a good one. Grade: B 

Allegro Non Troppo

Allegro Non Troppo (1976) animated. Italian answer to Disney's "Fantasia" is mediocre at best. One or two of the animated segments stand out, but mostly the animation is not very good, and the live segments in between are just plain stupid. Music by Debussy, Dvorak, Ravel, Vivaldi and Stravinsky, among others, is illustrated by Italian animators with uneven results. The live segments are in black and white, in Italian with English subtitles. The truth is I found the movie profoundly soporific, and I slept through half of it and had to go back and re-view it. I enjoyed the nap. Grade: B-

Fantasia

Fantasia (1940) starring Leopold Stokowski and the Philadelphia Orchestra. Narrated by Deems Taylor. Walt Disney Studios creates a marriage of classical music and animation, with eight different sections filling out this two-hour movie. Included are Bach's Toccata and Fugue; Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony (excerpt); "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (with Mickey Mouse); "A Night on Bald Mountain"; "The Dance of the Hours" (with dancing hippos and alligators); and Stravinski's "Rite of Spring" (showing evolution through the dinosaurs). Fantasia is a fantastic movie. It even includes subtitles for the hearing-impaired. Grade: A-   

Alice in Wondreland

Alice in Wonderland (1951) starring the voices of Kathryn Beaumont, Ed Wynn, Richard Haydn, Sterling Holloway, Jerry Colonna. Episodic animated rendering of the Lewis Carroll classic, with memorable sequences including the Cheshire Cat, the unbirthday party, the hookah-smoking caterpillar, and the Queen of Hearts. Although truly weird, the movie does little to engage the heart, and thus fails a achieve high art. Entertaining pretty much all the way through, though. (Subtitles are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B

Yellow Submarine

Yellow Submarine (1968) Animated. The Blue Meanies invade Pepperland and turn most of the inhabitants to stone, and it's the Beatles to the rescue. John, Paul, George and Ringo are recruited by one of the inhabitants of Pepperland, who fetches them in a yellow submarine. Best feature of the movie is the Beatles songs which are played frequently throughout, and the animation is ... psychedelic. It's certainly very colorful, at any rate. For fans of the Beatles, this is probably a must-see, and you've probably seen it already. I happen to know that the actual Beatles had very little involvement in this movie -- it's not even their voices that you hear when the animated Beatles talk. So I find it lacking in that respect. But it's an OK entertainment, and the kids might even enjoy it. (English subtitles are available, but not closed captions.) Grade: B   

Frankenweenie

Frankenweenie (2012) directed by Tim Burton. Stop-motion animated tale about a boy named Victor and his dog Sparky, who is tragically killed by a car. Victor (last name Frankenstein), inspired by his creepy science teacher and late-night movies, brings Sparky back to life with the help of ingenuity and lightning. The other kids feel threatened (they think Sparky is going to be Victor's science-fair project), and soon the town is under siege from a variety of re-animated pets. It's all great fun and nobody really gets hurt, so here's a vote for Tim Burton for making an accessible, enjoyable movie. (English subtitles are available, as well as closed captions.) Grade: B+

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) animation. Disney's first full-length animated feature holds up remarkably well. The animation is beautiful, the story is compact and well told, the music is pleasant (includes the songs "Someday My Prince Will Come" and "Whistle While You Work"). I can remember as a child seeing this movie and being starkly terrified by the wicked witch, which I later came to believe lived under my bed. The disc features good subtitles, as well as closed captions. Oh, and a happy ending. Grade: A

Rango

Rango (2011) with the voices of Johnny Depp, Abigail Breslin, Isla Fisher, Alfred Molina, Ray Winstone, Harry Dean Stanton, Ned Beatty, Stephen Root, Bill Nighy. Domesticated lizard (Depp) gets separated from his family, ends up finding a strange adventure in the desert. He lands in the town of Dirt, whose inhabitants are all desert animals of one kind or another. By a series of improbable events, he is appointed Sheriff of Dirt. What Dirt needs is water -- the town is parched. Naming himself Rango, the lizard takes on the task of finding Dirt's lost water. Half Western, half animated fantasy, this movie is fairly entertaining to watch. Perhaps children, who are able to suspend all disbelief, will be able to enter fully into its story and will like it. I was profoundly underwhelmed. Some of the animation is beautiful, but the story leaves much to be desired. To its credit, this disc includes subtitles as well as closed captions. Grade: B

Despicable Me (DVD)

Despicable Me (2010) with the voices of Steve Carell, Julie Andrews, Jason Segel, Russell Brand, Kristen Wiig, Will Arnett. Ineffectual villain Gru (Carell) adopts three orphan girls as part of his nefarious plan to acquire a shrink ray so that he can steal the Moon. This is that rarity, an animated film that is not from Pixar but is still good. Gru and the girls are developed as characters so that we really care about them. The story is rather silly, but it's fun and entertaining to watch. A good children's movie that can be enjoyed by adults, too. Subtitles for the hearing-impaired are included, although the bonus features are reserved for those who go out and buy the disc. Grade: B+

Toy Story 3 (DVD)

Toy Story 3 (2010) with the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Joan Cusack, John Ratzenberger, Don Rickles, Wallace Shawn, Ned Beatty. The toys, led by cowboy Woody (Hanks), must cope with their owner Andy's departure for college. Although Andy intends to put them in the attic, they end up getting donated to a nearby daycare center, where the kids play with them rather roughly. The toy-world of the daycare center is ruled over by an evil plush bear named Lotso (Beatty), and things look grim for Andy's toys until Woody comes up with a plan for them to escape and go home. Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of animated films, but "Toy Story 3" was a shining exception. Pixar has really made an art of animation. It's entertaining for both adults and kids, with many clever jokes and a lot of heart. The subtitles are good, too. Grade: A-

Peter Pan (DVD)

Peter Pan (1953) -- animated. I can't remember when I first saw this movie. My first memory of Peter Pan is of a picture book I had when I was four years old -- which would have been in 1953, the year this movie was released. I guess I got the book instead of going to see the film (my family was very poor in '53), but I treasured that book, and read it over and over. The movie is a delightful reminder of a childhood experience that stands out like a remembered dream. The film tells the story of Wendy, Michael and John, the Darling children, and how one day they fly away with Peter Pan to Neverland, where children never have to grow up. Pan's ongoing battle with Captain Hook is one of the comic subplots, as is Tinker Bell's jealousy of Wendy. Of course, everything works out in the end, and the animation is top-notch. The subtitles are very good. Grade: A

The Princess and the Frog (DVD)

The Princess and the Frog (2009) with the voices of Anika Noni Rose, Jennifer Cody, Jennifer Lewis, Keith David, Oprah Winfrey. Tiana (Rose) dreams of opening her own nightspot and restaurant, but when she kisses a frog, she turns into a frog herself. Set in New Orleans during the Jazz Age, this Disney animation is notable principally for the fact that the princess of the title is (at last) an African American. Trouble is, she spends most of the movie as a frog. The animation mostly looks flat, probably because it is -- as opposed to CGI; the songs are uninspired. Still, this will likely appeal to youngsters who still go for animated films. It's a cute movie. The subtitles are good. Grade: B

Fantastic Mr. Fox (DVD)

Fantastic Mr. Fox (2009) with the voices of George Clooney, Meryl Streep, Jason Schwartzman, Bill Murray. Mr. Fox (Clooney) decides he wants to pull "one last job" before quitting his chicken-stealing ways. But he arouses the ire of three mean farmers, who set out to kill him. It's basically the wild animals against the humans in this stop-motion fantasy, which makes for passable entertainment. It's good clean fun, with the word "cuss" used everywhere a curse word might appear. Rated PG, I think it would be fine for kids. Good subtitles. Grade: B

Ponyo (DVD)

Ponyo (2008). Japanese anime, translated into English, about a boy who captures an enchanted fish which he names Ponyo. Ponyo loves the little boy and wants to become human, but her wishes threaten to upset the balance of nature. I could detect no subtext which would make this movie especially appealing to adults -- it seems like a straight magical tale for children, well and beautifully told. It does have good subtitles, however. Grade: B+

Up (DVD)

Up (2009) with the voices of Ed Asner, Jordan Nagai, Christopher Plummer, John Ratzenberger. Do you long to be treated like a child? This Disney/Pixar DVD will fill the bill for you. Once you put it in your DVD player, you lose all control. It shows about 10 minutes of previews, which you have no option but to let play (pushing the Menu button on your remote control gets no response). Then the movie starts, and there is no menu. There is no option allowing you to turn on subtitles for the hearing-impaired. The only choice you have is to stop and start the DVD, once the movie starts. For this, I give the disc a Grade: F

Coraline (DVD)

Coraline (2008) featuring the voices of Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher. A young girl named Coraline (Fanning) discovers a secret door that leads from her humdrum existence into another apartment, occupied by her "other mother" and "other father." Life with them seems like paradise -- until the true nature of the other mother (Hatcher) is revealed. Is Coraline dreaming, or is there a true evil spirit living in the other apartment? The stop-motion animation is marvelous and imaginative, and the story is a true original. Grade: B+

Bolt (DVD)

Bolt (2008) featuring the voices of John Travolta, Miley Cyrus. A "superdog" has to face the hard facts of life when he escapes from the TV set and finds himself in the real world, where he is just an ordinary dog. After accidentally being shipped from Hollywood to New York, he sets off on a cross-country trek to rejoin his "person." The animation is remarkable, and the story will tug at your heartstrings, in this enjoyable film. That said, seeing it at home on TV is probably not anywhere near as good as it would have been in 3D in a movie theater. The subtitles are excellent. Grade: B+

The Incredibles (DVD)

The Incredibles (2004) with voices of Craig T. Nelson, Holly Hunter. A family of superheroes is in hiding because society disapproves of their use of their special powers. But of course, they are called out of retirement to fight Syndrome, a super-villain who lives on an isolated island. The animation (by Pixar) is superb, and the story is clever and funny. Grade: A

Kung Fu Panda (DVD)

Kung Fu Panda (2008) with the voices of Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, Lucy Liu, Ian McShane, Michael Clarke Duncan. Lazy Po (Black) is a panda who dreams of being a kung fu fighter, but seemingly lacks the discipline to make the grade. Destiny, however, chooses him to be the hero who will protect his peaceful valley from a master criminal. Pretty good animation, but if you're a stickler for logic, forget it. Grade: B+

Shrek (DVD)

Shrek (2001) with the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz, Eddie Murphy, John Lithgow. The ogre Shrek, voiced by Myers, teams up with a fast-talking donkey (Murphy) on a quest to save Princess Fiona (Diaz) from a castle guarded by a fire-breathing dragon. It's a delightful fairy tale that makes fun of fairy tales even as it follows fairy-tale conventions -- with a number of twists thrown in. Definitely not just for kids. Grade: A