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Shrek - William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale is the right stuff for this computer-animated adaptation full of verve and wit. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy-tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare, but it's the humor that makes Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humor is fun enough for 10-year-olds but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm and inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keep the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its crosstown rival, Disney.
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - One of the brightest nuggets from Disney's golden age, this 1937 film is almost dizzying in its meticulous construction of an enchanted world, with scores of major and minor characters (including fauna and fowl), each with a distinct identity. When you watch Snow White's intricate, graceful movements of fingers, arms, and head all in one shot, it is not the technical brilliance of Disney's artists that leaps out at you, but the very spirit of her engaging, girl-woman character. When the wicked queen's poisoned apple turns from killer green to rose red, the effect of knowing something so beautiful can be so terrible is absolutely elemental, so pure it forces one to surrender to the horror of it. Based on the Grimm fairy tale, Snow White is probably the best family film ever to deal, in mythic terms, with the psychological foundation for growing up. It's a crowning achievement and should not be missed.
Baby Mozart - It's called "the Mozart Effect," the notion that exposing youngsters to the melodies of the maestro can improve verbal ability, spatial intelligence, creativity, and memory. It's a pretty big leap of faith to understand that effect unless you personally see a toddler react to the stimulation. The Baby Einstein folks have a series of tapes (Baby Einstein, Baby Bach) that add visual stimulation to the bouncy recordings (using vibraphone, Rhodes electric piano, and even a glockenspiel). The melodies are heard against colorful imagery of spinning tops, wave machines, soft baby toys, mobiles, and the like. Several parenting groups and magazines have heralded the tapes for children 1 to 36 months, but the Orwellian aspect of introducing babes in arms to the TV screen may cause many to just pick up the CD.
Cats and Dogs - How can you hate a movie that features ninja Siamese cats wreaking havoc with their kung fu prowess? That's one of the highlights in Cats & Dogs, an effects-laden family film that mystifies cat fanciers by casting dogs as the undisputed heroes in all-out warfare with nefarious felines. Hidden headquarters and high-tech gadgets are featured on both sides of this age-old battle. On the feline side, the longhaired Persian Mr. Tinkles (voice of Sean Hayes) plots to sabotage the efforts of Professor Brody (Jeff Goldblum) to discover a cure for human allergies to dogs. On the canine side, stalwart shepherd Butch (voice of Alec Baldwin) trains the mistakenly recruited beagle puppy Lou (voice of Tobey Maguire) to foil Mr. Tinkles's scheme--a mission that begins when Mrs. Brody (Elizabeth Perkins) adopts Lou for her son Scott (Alexander Pollock). Using combinations of live animals, animatronic puppets, and digital wizardry, Cats & Dogs has just enough imagination to match its effects, climaxing with a feline global-domination scheme involving mice sprayed with chemicals that will make all humans allergic to dogs. Goldblum and Perkins gamely play second fiddles to this menagerie of mayhem, and as madcap "realism" gives way to cartoonish fantasy, the movie escalates into utter chaos, burdened by lame jokes but highlighted by a furry supporting cast including a Saluki hound (voice of Susan Sarandon), a shaggy sheepdog (voice of Michael Clarke Duncan), and a Chinese hairless techno-geek named Peek (voice of Joe Pantoliano). Though never as charming as the Babe movies, Cats & Dogs is harmless fun--especially for dog lovers.
Bob the Builder - Can We Fix It? - This dandy English import for kids is a winner. Bob the Builder is a spunky series for 3- to 6-year-olds combining two irresistible forces: fun characters and big mechanical things. Bob and his arsenal of friendly machines (Scoop the dump truck, Lofty the crane) have a can-do attitude in this brightly colored animated show; there's even a catchy theme song parents will hum along to with the kids. Nickelodeon brought Bob over the pond in 2001, and it became its biggest debut show ever. This 45-minute collection contains four adventures from the series. In "Bob's Barnraising" Bob and crew must race against the weather to help Farmer Pickle. In "Muccky Muck" Bob and the gang are up to their ears in gooey mud. Bob learns instructions are a good thing in "Wendy Plays Golf," and in "Magnetic Lofty" he finds good use for his talents. The educational merit is not always apparent in this series. But values of team building, keeping strong friendships, self-esteem, and enjoying your work come out effortlessly along the way.
The Wiggles - Toot Toot! - A beloved children's band from Australia, The Wiggles are four music-making guys: Jeff, Murray, Greg, and Anthony. When the Big Red Car (a whimsical dune buggy) won't start, or as the Wiggles say, no "Chugga, Cugga, Toot, Toot!," it's an ideal time to sing and dance. There are songs about walking across the street and eating foods that are healthy as well as some that are more familiar like "Head, Shoulder, Knees, and Toes" and "Look Both Ways." The lads stir up a whole lot of energy with the help of their costumed friends, including Wags the Dog, Officer Beaples, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain FeatherSword, and Zardo Zap. Their videos have a retro '60s feel, very upbeat and fun. It's easy to see why they are so popular in the land down under. Ages 3 to 6.
Little Dora - Wish on a Star - Bilingual Dora and her monkey friend Boots have places to go and rescues to make, but they need the help of their young viewers in this delightful Nick Jr. program designed to simulate computer software. Although it can't be truly interactive, of course, toddlers and preschoolers will enjoy the pauses as Dora waits for them to count or speak Spanish before moving on. In "Little Star," the brown-eyed heroine and her primate amigo come upon a weeping fallen star and make the journey to a hilltop, returning it to the heavens. In "Wizzle Wishes," the friends are reading a storybook when one of the characters leaps from the page in pursuit of three wishes. They must catch the runaway wishes in order to get Wizzle home, but first they have to deal with Swiper, the klepto fox who beat them to it. Children learn a simple Spanish word each 23-minute episode (salta and cuidado, respectively) as well as repeatedly hearing the basics (hola, muy bien). As with any computer game, Dora is aided and thwarted by a series of characters children will love to anticipate, including her singing anthropomorphic map, the crusty bridge troll, and the shy, Spanish-speaking squirrel. Ages 2 to 6.
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