BABE
THE CAT IN THE HAT
CHICKEN RUN
THE COURT JESTER
FINDING NEMO
THE INCREDIBLES
PETER PAN
THE PRINCESS BRIDE
THE SANTA CLAUSE 2
THE SANTA CLAUSE 3: THE ESCAPE CLAUSE
SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED
SHREK 2
TWENTY-THOUSAND LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA

BABE
Babe is a remarkable parable that grownups will probably enjoy even more than children. Based on the novel by Dick King-Smith, "Babe" is a combination of George's Orwell's classic allegory, "Animal Farm," and The Muppets at their sardonic best, in a tale about a young pig who simply doesn't realize that, like all of his kind, his ultimate destiny is to become someone's dinner! In all innocence, without realizing that his future is extremely limited, he decides to emulate the sheepdogs who have adopted him after his mother "disappeared." But his independent thinking upsets the carefully balanced system of Hoggetts Farm, as he encounters massive resistance from the other animals. As much concerned with the nature of prejudice as it is with questioning our own limitations, the G-rated "Babe" is far more than a simple children's film. Best of all, its animal cast appears to actually talk, in a completely believable, computer-generated miracle which won an Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and helped to make "Babe" one of the most magical and accessible family films of all time. Also nominated for six other Oscars, including Best Picture of 1995, "Babe" is a lyrical, inspiring fable that constantly reminds us what imagination and children's fantasies are all about.
1995 - Rated G 89 Minutes - Color

THE CAT IN THE HAT
A man we all know as Dr. Seuss
Has a way with language
that's fast and loose...
Which means that if he can't
find a word to rhyme,
He simply makes one up
(which saves a lot of time).
When his tale about the "Grinch"
Became a movie sensation,
All the studios bought up his books
In desperation!
They said: "If we can keep 'em coming,
we just can't lose...
'cause families can't get enough
of this guy, Seuss!"
But the problem with the latest film
adaptation of his work
is simply that the title character
is such a jerk!
The art direction's great,
but the script is really flat...
And although I like Mike Meyers,
I can't believe I sat
through this endless, one-joke movie
called "The Cat in the Hat"!
Before you start to call me names,
Let me say, officially...
Your little ones will love this "Cat"
(and so did I, initially)...
But after 20 minutes,
the "Cat's" shtick becomes boring
(and if you listen closely,
you might hear some parents snoring!)
But kids will love it anyway...
and that's the bottom line.
When it comes to making money,
this "Cat" will do just fine.
Since the book is so well loved,
there's just no way this film can fail...
But, even so, I must admit
(after having sat through it)
it's only worth 2 tickets
on the "Mr. Movie" Scale.
Rated PG for lots of cartoonish violence

CHICKEN RUN
British stop-motion animator Nick Park, the Academy Award-winning creator of the wonderful claymation 'Wallace & Gromit' shorts, has made "Chicken Run" into a clever, feature-length sendup of prison camp classics like "The Great Escape." Like the 1995 sleeper, "Babe," "Chicken Run" presents animal heroes who take an active role in saving themselves from their designated date with the local butcher shop. The prison camp in this case is actually Tweedy's Egg Farm, a horrible place in which chickens either lay eggs or get turned into dinner. Mel Gibson provides the voice for Rocky, a flying rooster who gives the mostly female inmates of Tweedy's Farm hope for escape. But the real hero of "Chicken Run" is a feisty hen named Ginger, whose endless escape attempts invariably end with her in solitary, bouncing a ball against the wall, like Steve McQueen's Hilts in "The Great Escape." Young American animation fans (and their parents) should have no trouble getting into the spirit of "Chicken Run's" lovingly designed, cleverly written fantasy, which soars to the level of an instant classic.
2000 - Rated G 84 Minutes - Color

THE COURT JESTER
Twenty-five years before "Airplane" would redefine film parody, legendary comic Danny Kaye used his incomparable talent and timing to create the most intelligently written and executed spoof of spectaculars in film history. Unlike many of its contemporaries, "The Court Jester" holds up beautifully to this day and is still being imitated by contemporary comic geniuses, like Mel Brooks and Woody Allen. Set in medieval England, this timeless spoof has Danny playing Hubert Hawkins, a gentle bumbler who gets mistaken for the daring, masked freedom fighter, The Black Fox, even though he can't even hold a sword! Parents will be laughing even louder than the little ones.
1956 - Not Rated 101 Minutes - Color

FINDING NEMO
"FINDING NEMO" is one of the best family films ever made. Like "Toy Story 1 and 2," "Dinosaur," "A Bug's Life," "Antz," "Ice Age," "Monsters, Inc." and "Shrek," the G-rated "Finding Nemo" uses exquisite computer animation to tell the tale of a timid clownfish named Marlin, who goes on an epic search for his young son, Nemo, when he is captured at sea. Overcoming his own fears, Marlin sets out to rescue Nemo with the help of some colorful characters and, on the journey, discovers some important things about the nature of love and letting go. If all this sounds too serious, don't worry... "Finding Nemo" is the perfect family film - for even the youngest moviegoers - an instant classic that gets better each time you watch it., for 5 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie scale.

THE INCREDIBLES
Imagine a world populated with real superheroes who have to hide their powers because of frivolous lawsuits from injured bystanders! That's the premise behind "The Incredibles," a brilliantly written and conceived CGI adventure that gets Mr. Incredible, his wife, Elastigirl, and their kids, Dash and Violet, back into the fight for truth, justice and the American way, in a script that actually works well enough for 5 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie Scale!
Rated PG 121 mins.

PETER PAN
Since 1904, when it was first performed as a play, Sir James Barrie's "Peter Pan" has been regarded by generation after generation as one the greatest childhood fantasies of all time. Although it's best remembered for Disney's classic 1953 animated version, this new live-action adaptation is hands-down the best adaptation of all time! Rachel Hurd-Wood is wonderful as Wendy Darling, a 12-year old girl on the verge of becoming a young woman. Each night, she tells her younger brothers, John and Michael, tales of Peter Pan, the flying boy who ran away to Neverland with other Lost Boys, to fight an ongoing battle with Captain Hook. Jeremy Sumpter is also terrific as Peter, but Jason Isaacs steals every scene as Captain Hook, actually making us feel sorry for him when he finally meets his fate.
In a world where most "family" films are unimaginative, inoffensive and marketed directly to toddlers, "Peter Pan" easily stands out as an instant classic that deserves to find a large audience.
5 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie Scale.
Strong parental warning: Rated PG for some violence, a very realistic giant crocodile and one brief glimpse of Captain Hook's mutilated arm, which may upset some younger moviegoers.

THE PRINCESS BRIDE
A perfect combination of old-fashioned romance, chivalry, adventure, satire and fall-down funny slapstick, this brilliant family film tells a fantastic tale of brave pirates, gentle giants, true love and lunacy, as a poor farmer goes on a dangerous quest to rescue his lady fair and runs across every cliché in the history of romantic epics. Best of all, it will actually make your children want to READ! One of the very best family films of all time!
1987 - Rated PG 98 Minutes

THE SANTA CLAUSE
1994's "The Santa Clause" starred Tim Allen, as Scott Calvin, who reluctantly became the next Santa Claus after the original jolly old elf fell off of Scott's roof! "THE SANTA CLAUSE 2" picks up with Scott and his helpers busily preparing for Christmas at the North Pole, when he discovers that, unless he finds himself a Mrs. Clause, he can't be Santa anymore! Not only that, but he's only got just one month to find her or there won't be a Christmas for anyone! Don't worry... in this predictable, but sincere fable, Scott finds love with his son's pretty high school principal and also manages to remind all the materialistic grownups what the holidays are all about, by bringing back memories of their own childhood Christmases in this sweet-natured, PG-rated family favorite.

The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause

Well, let’s see… yep, it’s just three days after Halloween and already we’ve got Christmas to contend with, in the bizarre form of The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, the third and least-appealing film in the enormously popular (not to mention enormously profitable) Disney series.

Way back in 1994, Tim Allen starred in the first Santa Clause, a cute fantasy about a normal guy named Scott Calvin who accidentally kills the jolly old elf and then gets to actually replace him. $145 million at the box-office convinced the folks at Disney that a sequel was a great idea and, in 2002, The Santa Clause 2 gave Scott a high school principal wife (Elizabeth Mitchell) and another $139 million in ticket sales, which - naturally - leads us to The Santa Clause 3: The Escape Clause, which should be a laugh riot for the entire family.

For instance… it’s that time of year and, while Santa/Scott is working overtime, overseeing the toy output of his elves, his very pregnant wife is overdue and overly upset at his absence. Not only that, but, to keep her happy, he’s brought her overcritical parents (Ann-Margret and Alan Arkin) to the North Pole by making them think they’re in Canada. Pretty funny, eh? Uh… no. Not enough complications for a 91-minute comedy? Okay, how about if we throw in Jack Frost (Martin Short), a real creep who wants to steal Santa’s thunder by making the North Pole into a frosty, tacky theme park. Still not laughing at all the hilarity yet? Okay, let’s have a gathering of all the mythical figures we’ve all grown up with, like Mother Nature (Aisha Tyler), the Easter Bunny (Jay Thomas), Father Time (Peter Boyle) and Cupid (Kevin Pollak) and, last but not least, a really tacky take-off on that genuine holiday classic, It’s a Wonderful Life, in which Scott gets to see what Christmas would be like if he hadn’t inherited Santa’s life and problems.

Not surprisingly, family and family values win out in the end and, although it’s all excruciatingly predictable and dull for the grownups, the good news is that the little ones in your life will love it anyway and that’s the real magic of holiday movies, even if they do arrive two months early, for 2 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie Scale.
91 minutes Rated G

SCOOBY-DOO 2: MONSTERS UNLEASHED
2002's "Scooby Doo" adaptation did a surprisingly good job of capturing the look of the Mystery Inc. gang, consisting of Fred (Freddie Prinze Jr.), Daphne (Sarah Michelle Gellar), Velma (Linda Cardellini), Shaggy (Matthew Lillard) and everybody's favorite canine coward, Scooby Doo. The sequel starts off with the team being honored for their mystery solving skills at the grand opening of the Coolsville Criminology Museum, where life-size statues of all the villains they've caught somehow come to life and make our heroes look like bumblers on live TV. Better written then the first live-action installment, the sequel also gives Linda Cardellini a chance to show her versatility, as Velma gets a makeover in an attempt to give her a Bond-girl persona. Fast-paced and colorful, "Scooby Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed" will easily hold the attention of younger film fans for 93 PG-rated minutes and, except for some brief, crude bathroom humor, is enjoyable enough for 3 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie Scale.

SHREK 2
Almost everyone has grown up with the same fairytales. From "Cinderella" to "Snow White" and "Sleeping Beauty," generations of children, around the world, have imagined themselves as either a beautiful princess or a handsome Prince Charming. At least they did until they saw "Shrek!" back in 2001. The long-overdue sequel, "Shrek2," picks up our favorite ogre and his lady fair right where we left them... on their honeymoon. Unfortunately for Shrek and Fiona, their happily-ever-aftering is interrupted when her folks, the King and Queen of Far Far Away, send a royal request to see the newlyweds, unaware that both of them are now ogres. Unfortunately for us, however, the whole first half of "Shrek2" just isn't very funny. The second half picks up hilariously, after Prince Charming's mom, the evil Fairy Godmother, enlists the King's help in getting rid of Shrek by hiring a deadly assassin named Puss-in-Boots to kill him.
Although the script is uneven this time, movie buffs will have a wonderful time spotting take-offs on classic scenes from movies like "Lord of the Rings" "Flashdance," "Mission Impossible," "From Here to Eternity," "Ghostbusters," "The Bride of Frankenstein" and dozens of others in this funny-but-flawed sequel that's still magical enough for 3.5 tickets out of 5 on the Mr. Movie Scale.
Parents should be aware that his film is rated PG for "some crude humor, and some mild, suggestive content that will be over the heads of younger film fans. 95 Minutes

TWENTY THOUSAND LEAGES UNDER THE SEA
With a brilliant performance by James Mason, as the tormented, vengeance-driven Captain Nemo, and Oscar-winning effects and production design, "Twenty Thousand Leagues" is easily one of the best family adventure films ever made. Based on the world-famous novel by Jules Verne, this story of a genius who hates war and, ironically, uses his amazing submarine, the Nautilus, to destroy warships of all nations, is simply the best live-action film ever made by Walt Disney.
Rated G 127 Minutes