Tag Archives: childrens movies

VeggieTales — Gideon: Tuba Warrior (2006)

I’m a big fan of VeggieTales and we have most of the movies. “Gideon: Tuba Warrior” is new to us today, and I have to say, out of all the episodes, this is the one that has spoken to me the most personally. The lesson is on trusting God, and in its simple poignancy, the film truly reminded me of God’s love for all His children. First we see the story of George Mueller, a man who lived in England and ran an orphanage with his wife. They had no money of their own, but trusted God to give them … Continue reading →

The Little Bear Movie (2001)

If you’re not familiar with the character of Little Bear, allow me to take a moment to introduce you. He began as a children’s book character, the creation of Else Holmelund Minarik and illustrator Maurice Sendak. Later he was turned into a children’s television show which aired on Nickelodeon. He lives with his mother and father in a small but cozy cottage. His father is a fisherman and is often gone, so Little Bear spends much of his time with his mother. He also has friends – Cat, Duck, Hen, No-Feet (a snake) and a little girl named Emily and … Continue reading →

The Pebble and the Penguin (1995)

With a musical score by Barry Manilow, this animated film is, in my opinion, one of the best by Don Bluth, although due to disagreements in the production process, Bluth takes no credit for his work on the project. Renowned actor Martin Short voices Hubie, a shy Adelie penguin. It’s mating season, and all the male penguins are on a special quest – to find a beautiful pebble to present to their sweethearts to signify their engagement. I guess that’s somewhat akin to the giving of a rock to wear on one’s finger, a strange custom practiced by humans. Anyway, … Continue reading →

A Troll in Central Park (1994)

Dom DeLuise voices Stanley the troll in the 1994 Don Bluth film, “A Troll in Central Park.” Stanley is different from the other trolls – where they are mean and ornery, he is happy and joyful. He literally has a green thumb and can use his magic to make plants grow wherever he is. This causes a problem for him in the Troll Kingdom, however – Queen Gnorga has decreed that no flowers shall grow in her land. When Stanley gets a little too ambitious and causes a rosy posy to grow in the middle of his hidden garden, it … Continue reading →

The Secret of NIMH (1982)

In this animated movie, called by critics “Don Bluth’s best work,” we meet a little mouse named Mrs. Brisbee. Her husband, Jonathan, was recently killed, and with four small children, she feels overwhelmed. This is made worse when one of her sons, Timmy, comes down with pneumonia and she doesn’t know how to cure him. Going to see a wise mouse named Mr. Ages, she obtains an envelope of medicine powder. He also tells her not to take Timmy outside for three weeks, but there’s a problem with that. The mice live in a field belonging to Farmer Fitzgibbons. The … Continue reading →

Belle’s Magical World (1998)

“Beauty and the Beast” was a smash hit for Disney, and I can see wanting to capitalize on that success as much as possible. This thinking brought us “Belle’s Magical World,” a movie comprised of a series of stories that supposedly took place between Belle’s arrival at the castle and the Beast’s magical transformation back into a prince. All of the characters are still household items, and there are more of them than ever before, making me wonder – just how many servants worked in that castle, anyway? I’m being a little more cynical than this movie really deserves – … Continue reading →

The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984)

In “The Muppets Take Manhattan,” Kermit, Miss Piggy, Fozzie and the rest of the gang have just graduated from college. Kermit has written, produced and starred in a musical for the closing finale for the school year, and his fellow graduates think he should take it and the entire cast to Broadway. He’s not so sure, but the others talk him into it, and before he knows it, he’s on his way to New York City. Getting on with an agent is harder than they thought it would be, and it’s not long before they’re sleeping in lockers at the … Continue reading →

VeggieTales: A Snoodle’s Tale (2004)

We’re huge Veggie fans at my house, and my kids were delighted when I brought home “A Snoodle’s Tale.” We’ve never seen it before, and our anticipation was not wasted. We really liked it. We start the show with Bob, who is excited to welcome Larry home from Danish Immersion Camp. But when Larry’s bus arrives, he confesses that he only attended Danish Camp for one day – then he got lost and ended up at Overdone British Literary Adaptations Camp across the lake. But not to worry – he came home with a great idea for a story, just … Continue reading →

5 Children and It (2003)

“5 Children and It” is a fanciful tale set during the first World War. It starts out very much like “The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.” Five children (instead of Lewis’s four) are sent to live with their uncle in the country while their father goes off to fight, and their mother goes to nurse the wounded. Upon arrival, they find that their uncle is eccentric, he has a housekeeper, and they are forbidden to enter a room. Sound familiar so far? However, then we branch off into differences. Robert, the middle boy (Freddie Highmore) is a spoiled child … Continue reading →

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 →