The Lorax (2012)
★★★
Cute, but falters under the weight of trying to make a simple story into full length feature.
Better than CAT IN THE HAT but not as charming as HORTON HEARS A WHO.
Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
★★★★½
I was shocked that I enjoyed this as much (if not a bit more) than the first Kung Fu Panda!
A Christmas Carol (2009)
★★★½
Say what you will about Robert Zemeckis' motion capture (I hated THE POLAR EXPRESS), he actually nails it with A CHRISTMAS CAROL. Jim Carrey is the perfect person to throw into a playground of characters (Tom Hanks isn't) and he delivers on all fronts.
Also, my kids really enjoyed it, so that adds some bonus points.
Puss In Boots (2011)
★★★★
Solid family entertainment. After the SHREK movies ran themselves into the ground, I was wary of this spin-off. However, they pulled it off. Had a great time with my kids.
An American Tail (1986)
★★★★★
Found the VHS for $2. My kids had never seen this as I've been holding out for an anamorphic DVD or even a Blu Ray, but that doesn't seem to be happening any time soon. So, hello Thrift Store VHS!
Not many animated films can make is dusty in the room, but the end of AN AMERICAN TAIL (as manipulative as it is) has always made me cry. Today (and the first time watching this as a parent) was no exception.
Charlotte’s Web (1973)
★★★★
I watched this countless times as a child. Charlotte's Web was always one of my favorite books and I always thought this 1973 cartoon did a great job capturing the spirit of the book.
After reading Charlotte's Web to my children for the first time, I finally allowed them to see this. The sparkle in their eyes and the smiles of wonder on their faces was priceless.
Rango (2011)
★★★★
Beautifully animated and quirky but ultimately soulless. I was slightly disappointed by RANGO. While the animation impressed me, it was surprisingly low on enough humor to carry me through my first viewing.
However, the action scenes are pretty entertaining and on a second viewing, the subversive humor is more apparent.
Pinnochio (1940)
★★★★★
Watching this as an adult, you realize how strange the narrative of PINNOCHIO is. However, it's a great lesson on listening to your conscience and doing what's right.
My kids have been watching this every day since we got it.
All Dogs Go To Heaven (1989)
★★★★½
I'm a fan on Don Bluth animated films, they have an edge that Disney doesn't have. Sat down with my kids and they loved pretty much everything about it.
Cars 2 (2011)
★★½
My kids love Pixar's CARS. We own the Blu Ray and my son especially gets a kick out of it. He owns the toys and flips out over anything CARS related.
So, I was excited to get the chance to take my kids to see it opening weekend. We sat down in the theater, both kids giddy. However, a crazy thing happened halfway through the
movie: my 6 year old daughter wanted to leave.
While my 3 yr old absolutely loved CARS 2, I was disappointed that it wasn't a huge hit with both of them. I thought it was merely OK, with moments nearing god-awful.
What were they thinking? More Tow Mater and less Lightning McQueen? Shoving all the other characters from CARS into tiny cameos? A spy story? CARS 2 lacked the spark the original had. Yes, to many CARS is a stain on Pixar's perfect record, but I genuinely think the original has some merit. CARS 2 lacks the wit, humor, charm and cleverness of the first while trying to shoehorn the CARS franchise into an action movie.
Ambitious yet lazy.