Tag Archives: animation

The Hunchback of Notre Dame II (2002)

I’m rather pleased to say that I didn’t hate “The Hunchback of Notre Dame II” as much as I did the first film. With the death of Frollo, many of the evil influences left as well, and we were given a story with suspense rather than demons. A good trade, I think. Quasimodo still lives in the cathedral, ringing the bells. But his life is dramatically different. He’s now accepted by the people of Paris and has the freedom to go to the town square without fear of what everyone will say. He participates in the festivals and shops in … Continue reading →

The Brave Little Toaster (1987)

Do appliances think? And if so, what do they think about you as their owner? Apparently, it’s pretty easy for those lovable hunks of metal to get attached. Such is certainly the case with a toaster, radio, electric blanket, lamp and vacuum cleaner that live in a summer vacation cabin. Their master, a little red-haired boy named Rob, hasn’t been back to the cabin for a while, and the appliances are beginning to wonder if they’ll ever see him again. When they hear that the cabin and all the contents are to be sold, these five friends decide to set … Continue reading →

All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 (1996)

In “All Dogs Go to Heaven 2,” Charlie the Dog (Charlie Sheen) has been in Heaven for a little while. It’s a pretty nice place, but he’s bored. There’s no excitement – everyone behaves themselves all the time. When his good friend Itchy (Dom DeLuise) finally kicks the bucket, Charlie is so glad to see him. Maybe now there will be something to do. But Itchy’s a rule keeper and doesn’t want to stir up any trouble. How dull. Carface (Ernest Borgnine) is in Heaven too, and he’s been a very good angel. In fact, he’s just received the award … Continue reading →

Balto III: Wings of Change (2004)

I hate to say this, but yes, there is a third Balto. I was just fine with one Balto, but the more installments they add, the more they’re drifting from the true story, and that just bugs me. But, moving on . . . In “Balto III: Wings of Change,” Balto and Jenna’s children are all grown up, and Kodiak (voiced by Sean Astin) once a puppy, is now a sled dog. He gets to help bring the mail into Nome, and feels a lot of pride in his job. His ambition is to some day, be lead dog. (But … Continue reading →

All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989)

Think “Guys and Dolls” + “Heaven Can Wait” + “The Rescuers,” and you’ve pretty much got the plot of “All Dogs Go to Heaven,” a Don Bluth film. The sad thing is, I didn’t really care for either of the three movies I just listed, and I didn’t really care for this movie either. Charlie (Burt Reynolds)is a stray dog, a gambler who gets on the wrong side of the law. He also gets on the wrong side of the casino owner, Mr. Carface, who decides to rub him out. After the assassination, Charlie goes up to Heaven where he … Continue reading →

Balto (1995)

When I first picked up “Balto” for my kids, I didn’t know it was based on a true story. I was fascinated to learn the history behind the film, and I’d like to share a little bit of that with you before we leap into the film itself. Back in 1925, a huge outbreak of diphtheria swept through Nome, Alaska, leaving many children on the brink of death. The people badly needed diphtheria antitoxin, but the closest source was in Anchorage, nearly a thousand miles away. Another team brought the medicine as far as they could, then it was passed … Continue reading →

Kronk’s New Groove (2005)

One of our favorite movies is “The Emperor’s New Groove,” and we adore Kronk. We were so excited to see a movie made specially to feature our giant buddy. While we got all of the comedy and wild, hare-brained entertainment we were hoping for, we also found the movie unexpectedly introspective and touching. Kronk (Patrick Warburton) has lived his whole life hoping to get a thumbs-up from his father. If he had a pretty wife and a big house in the hill, he’s sure Papi would be pleased with him, but no matter what he does, he just can’t seem … Continue reading →

A Bug’s Life (1998)

Flick the ant is an inventor. Always looking for a way to make the lives of the ants easier, he spends his free time coming up with things like a harvester so they won’t have to work so hard to get the precious grain they need. The problem, however, is that Flick is also a little bit accident prone, and his inventions tend to flop. His greatest wish in life is to impress Princess Atta, but it seems that all he can do is make a bigger fool of himself. Each year, the ants must gather an offering to the … Continue reading →

Return to Neverland (2002)

In “Return to Neverland,” Wendy Darling is all grown up and married with two children of her own, Jane and Daniel. She tells them stories about Peter Pan every night, never forgetting the magical time she spent with him when she was a girl. But the world is becoming a scary place. World War II has just broken out and her husband has gone off to fight. Trying to keep her children entertained, she continues the stories, but her daughter struggles to believe. Jane is a very practical girl, and the war has made her even more so. She doesn’t … Continue reading →

The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Quasimodo was born to gypsy parents in the Paris area. As the law enforcement officials gathered up the gypsies to be put to death on false charges of thievery, Quasimodo’s mother held him tightly and ran through the streets until she was hunted down and killed on the steps of the Notre Dame cathedral, despite her pleas of “sanctuary.” When Frodo, the official who was hunting her, examined the bundle she held, he found a baby, a misshapen infant with a hunchback. He was on the brink of throwing the baby in the well when the priest from the cathedral … Continue reading →