Reviews

Pocahontas is the 33rd full-length animated feature released by Walt Disney Pictures in 1995. Billed by Disney with the tagline of "An American Legend Brought to Life", it is the story of the free-spirited Pocahontas who seeks to convince her father Chief Powhatan to make peace between her Native American tribe and the English settlers of the New World of Jamestown that arrive in search of gold and prosperity. During the production of this film, then Chairman of the Walt Disney Studios Jeffrey Katzenberg regarded Pocahontas as a home run film film for Disney in light of what he thought to be the more mature story in comparison to "The Lion King", which was released a year earlier. However, while it was the 4th highest grossing film world-wide in '95 and did pretty well on the home video market in '96, this film didn't quite live up to the standard set by its predecessors like The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. However, while it's my least favorite film of the storied Disney Renaissance era, there were still some things that I actually liked about the film which I will highlight in this review.

I'd say that like most of the Disney films that came out before (and especially during) the Renaissance period for Disney, Pocahontas is very strong in the music department! Before I ever saw this movie, I remember being in awe of the song "Colors of the Wind", which is the scene that appeared in the previews for the VHS of The Lion King. In spite of the shallow character development (which I will highlight in this review), Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz did a fantastic job on the songs and the score in this movie. For me, the song "If I Never Knew You" takes the cake for best song in this movie and it's only sung in the credits for the theatrical version of the film. I liked how deep the lyrics are as they highlight the meaning behind John Smith's line "I'd rather die tomorrow than live 100 years without knowing you", which he quotes to Pocahontas right before he is to be executed the next dawn. I do wish that they left the song in the final cut of the film, but it is on the special edition DVD/Blu-Ray version. I also enjoyed the song "Savages" mainly because it highlights the animosity that the settlers have towards the Native Americans for capturing John Smith as well as the animosity that the Native Americans have towards the settlers and John Smith for the death of one of their own (even though it wasn't him that pulled the trigger). The song serves as a reminder to us that we should never justify killing/wanting to kill someone out of hatred just because they might be different than us.

Now for the weaknesses of the film. Oh boy, where to start! While the movie is based off of the Native American legend and the Disney animators did the right thing by going to Jamestown to get the inspiration for their animation, they definitely missed the ball in a few areas. Let's touch on some of the historical inaccuracies for a bit. In 1607 (the year that the settlers arrived to Jamestown and which the movie is set), Pocahontas (who was born in 1596) was around 10-11 years old when she met John Smith, who was 26-27 years old at the time. Did that matter to Disney though? No, because they just had to make this a love story in the vein of Beauty and the Beast and Little Mermaid. However, unlike Pocahontas, those stories are fairy tales. This is key part of American history and now that I'm older I definitely think that Disney did a great disservice to children by taking what could've been an educational introduction to the Native American legend by giving them a love story that didn't happen in real life. Anyways, as far as character development is concerned, while not nearly as dull, wooden, bland, and static as Aurora, Snow White, or Cinderella, Pocahontas (voiced by Irene Bedard) is still a pretty boring and one-dimensional character with very little motive to her, which is a shame with her being the main protagonist and all. While also underdeveloped and one-dimensional, I found her best friend Nakoma to be a much more interesting character than that of Pocahontas. The rest of the Native Americans such as Chief Powhatan (voiced by Russell Means) and Kocoum (who is your basic stereotypical jock placed in colonial times) were pretty flat and boring too. I actually found the settlers to be much more entertaining, mainly the comic screwball Wiggins! As far as John Smith (voiced by Mel Gibson) is concerned, I would've much rather seen him portrayed with the harsh and gruff exterior that he showed to his men in real life. The best characters in this film were Meeko, Flit (voiced by Frank Welker), and Grandmother Willow (voiced by Linda Hunt), who is by far one of the wisest characters that Disney has ever created. Another thing that made the four films which preceded this one (and a few that came after it) was a strong, round, and dynamic Disney antagonist. In this one we get Governor Ratcliffe (voiced by the late great Disney legend David Ogden Stiers). While he did a good job (as he always does) of voicing the character, Ratcliffe still remains a forgettable villain when compared to the likes of Scar, Jafar, Hades, Frollo, and other villains in the Disney catalog as he lacked that despicable, disgusting nature that is trademark of a memorable Disney villain.

So, while I think that this movie as a whole is the weakest of this era of Disney magic in regards to story (not being historically factual) and character development (being shallow and one-dimensional), it was still a decently animated film with great songs and music that deserves at least one viewing. Not my favorite (even though I did own it on VHS growing up), but still worth showing to your kids on family movie night! Rating: 7/10.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures and was the 34th animated feature film in the Walt Disney Classics cannon. Set in 15th century Paris, this "Disney-fied" version of Victor Hugo's classic novel is the story of Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce), the lonely bellringer and hunchback who lives in the bell tower of Notre Dame with his evil guardian Judge Claude Frollo (voiced by Tony Jay) who assumes the responsibility of the parental figure to atone for his sin after Frollo killed Quasimodo's mother and unsuccessfully attempted to drown him as a baby, seeing him as an "unholy demon." Twenty years later, Quasimodo, being isolated from the rest of the world, soon gets the desire to want to go to the Festival of Fools after being told that "life's not a spectator sport" by a trio of gargoyles named Victor (voiced by Charles Kimbrough), Hugo (voiced by Jason Alexander from "Seinfeld"), and Laverne (voiced by Mary Wickes), who are Quasimodo's only true friends. Once he gains the courage to go to the festival, he meets the gypsy Esmeralda (voiced by Demi Moore) and her pet goat Djali (voiced by Frank Welker), who helps Quasimodo from being further humiliated by the townspeople against Frollo's orders. After this, Frollo, having a seething hatred for gypsies, orders for the soldiers of Paris led by the noble Captain Phoebus (voiced by Kevin Kline) to make sure that she stays in the bell tower (serving as her prison) and that if she escapes, Frollo will have her killed. When this movie was released to theaters back in the summer of '96, it was promoted and advertised as another typical Disney movie aimed at kids. However, this film tackled a number of heavy religious topics and remains the only Disney film ever made to tackle the subject of religion. In fact, this movie nearly became the second Disney movie following "The Black Cauldron" to receive a PG rating from the MPAA because of the dark and grim themes of the film. Still, this movie holds up well and is definitely a Disney classic. While a lot of material was altered and left out of Hugo's novel, it still has a good story, good characters, and another great music score from 4-time Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken ("The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin"), and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. The soundtrack to this film is a must have if you love Disney music or Orchestral music as this is by far one of the best Disney soundtracks of all time. Frollo's song "Hellfire" is right up there with Scar's "Be Prepared" and Ursula's "Poor Unfortunate Souls" as the best Disney villain songs of all-time. If you haven't seen this movie by any chance and you are looking for a good movie to watch with the entire family then I highly recommend this one! Great movie with an even greater message of looking inside a person's heart rather than judging the outward appearance. Rating: 10/10!!!

Lilo and Stitch is a 2002 animated film released by Walt Disney Pictures. Set on the beautifully lush, tropical island of Hawaii, the story is about a girl named Lilo (voiced by Daveigh Chase) who can't seem to make any friends. Then one day, her sister Nani (voiced by Tia Carrere) takes her to the Pet Store and she adopts a "dog" who she names Stitch that is really an alien experiment named 626. Once Stitch (626) escapes the space station, his jailed creator Jumbaa (voiced by David Ogden Stiers) and accomplice Pleakley (voiced by Kevin McDonald) are commissioned by the Grand Councilwoman to bring him back and reward Jumbaa his freedom in return for Stitch's capture. Underlying in this plot is Captain Gantu (voiced by Kevin Michael Richardson), who, once Jumbaa and Pleakley fail to capture Stitch numerous times, is sent to capture Stitch. When this movie was released back in 2002, there were numerous teaser trailers placing Stitch in some of the most memorable moments in Disney films like "The Little Mermaid", "Beauty and the Beast", "Aladdin", and "The Lion King", which just happen to be films in the Disney Renaissance Era. Those previews were what really made me say "Wow! This is gonna be a great Disney movie!" Sure enough, it was, and still holds up 10 years later. Stitch, by far has got to be one of the funniest characters in Disney history. There was even a great message in the film: Ohana means family. Family means nobody gets left behind. The scene at the end where Stitch almost had to leave Lilo behind is one of the most emotionally filled scenes I've ever seen in any Disney movie. All in all, Lilo and Stitch is one of the better films in the Disney cannon and to be honest, (aside from the brilliant Toy Story trilogy, Up, and Monsters, Inc.) is better than most Pixar movies that get way too much attention in my opinion. It has all elements of classic Disney with a touch of Elvis Presley! Like many Disney movies, this is one that I have in my ever-growing movie library! This is a film that should not be missed by anyone who's a Disney fan or that has children. Despite the PG rating, it's a great, entertaining film for the entire family!!! Rating: 10/10!!!

The Rescuers Down Under is Disney's 29th full-length animated motion picture released in 1990, 13 years after the original "Rescuers" was released and was the first sequel to a Disney animated movie. Instead of the continuation of Penny's story, Disney's smallest (and unlikeliest of heroes), Bernard and Bianca (voiced by Bob Newhart and Eva Gabor respectively), after receiving an urgent distress signal, are sent by the Rescue Aid Society to the "land down under" of Australlia to rescue a young boy named Cody and his magnificent eagle Marahute who've been kidnapped by the dangerous, wanted local poacher McCleach (voiced by George C. Scott) and his sidekick Joanna, who are after the eagles eggs. Together with their new friends Wilbur, the maniacal pilot (voiced by John Candy, who replaces his brother Orville) and the small-rough-and-tough Aussie Jake (voiced by Tristan Rogers), they'll overcome some of the most dangerous and insurmountable odds to rescue the boy from McCleach's evil clutches. Here are the following reasons why I think this movie is superior to the original: The animation was brighter, bolder, and more detailed than the sketchy-style of the original "Rescuers" as this was the first movie to experiment with Disney's new form of animation, CAPS (which was fully used in "Beauty and the Beast"); The setting and plot was better developed; the Devil's bayou in the original has nothing on the wonder and majesty of the Australlian Outback which created real danger and some tense situations (the opening sequence where Cody flies with Marahute over Australlia is absolutely amazing and pure Disney magic!!!), and the villain is much better in this one. Medusa was pretty nasty, but McCleach is ten times more dangerous, evil, violent, and nasty than Medusa as he threatened to kill Cody with his gun, threatened him with his knife and even threatened to feed him to the crocodiles!!! He is not the right guy to mess with and to me, he's one of the greatest Disney villains ever (definitely in my top 10!!!). This is one of Disney's most underrated films of all-time! When people discuss the Disney Renaissance and 90's Disney, movies like "The Lion King," "Beauty and the Beast," and "Aladdin" are always mentioned; this one is rarely ever brought up. This movie is just as much of a classic as those!!! There was even going to be a third film set in either the Amazon or Africa but because of the death of Eva Gabor, the project was cancelled. It has all elements of true Disney: action, suspense, and drama!!! It was just re-released on Blu-Ray/DVD with the original so if you haven't seen this, check it out (especially if you're a Disney fan). Rating: 9/10!!!

Toy Story 2 is a 1999 computer-animated film and sequel to the 1995 groundbreaking blockbuster hit "Toy Story," released by Walt Disney Pictures and Pixar Animation Studios (now Disney/Pixar). This was Pixar's third full-length computer-animated film and after the successes of "Toy Story" and "A Bugs Life," Toy Story 2 was expected to do the same. And it did, becoming the second highest-grossing film of '99 (behind the much anticipated "Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace")!!! In this sequel, Woody (voice of Tom Hanks), Buzz Lightyear (voice of Tim Allen), Rex (voice of Wallace Shawn), Slinky (voiced by the late Jim Varney), and the rest of the gang are back!!! This time, our heroes face an even greater challenge!! When Andy (voice of John Morris) goes off to summer camp, Woody becomes the subject of interest for greedy toy collector Al (voice of Wayne Knight), owner of the local toy store. Once he sets his sights on Woody, he begins to think of a plan that will make him rich. After Woody is kidnapped, Buzz and the gang devise a daring plan to rescue him. When Woody arrives at Al's place, he meets some new toys including Jessie the Yodelin' Cowgirl (voice of Joan Cusack), Bullseye the Horse (voice of Frank Welker), and Stinky Pete the Old Prospector (voice of Kelsey Grammar), all of whom starred on an old show called "Woody's Roundup" with him back in the day. Can Buzz and the gang rescue Woody in time? Like I said in the title, this sequel is just as good as the original! It has great animation, great story, great new characters, and a memorable song ("When She Loved Me" almost had me shed a tear when I first saw this). This is truly the greatest film trilogy in animation history!!! Rating: 10/10!!!

Angels in the Outfield is a 1994 baseball movie released by Walt Disney Pictures starring Danny Glover ("Lethal Weapon Series," "Operation Dumbo Drop") Tony Danza (T.V.'s "Who's the Boss,") and Christopher Lloyd ("Back to the Future Trilogy," "Who Framed Roger Rabbit"). This 90's remake of the 1951 classic is the story of a Southern California foster boy named Roger (Joseph Gordon-Levitt from T.V.'s "3rd Rock From the Sun") who is in search of a family and longs to be united with his dad. His only hope is to pray that the last place California Angels (now the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim) win the pennant. When he prays for them, "real" angels actually help the team start winning and make an eventual believer out of cynical manager George Knox (Danny Glover), who becomes a mentor and friend to Roger and his best friend JP (Milton Davis, Jr.). Back in the summer of '94 around the time this movie was released, Major League Baseball went on a players strike, cancelling the second half of the season and the World Series, which was and still is the only time in baseball history that the World Series was cancelled. In fact, this movie was released the same week that the All-Star Game was played! The bad part of the strike is that Ken Griffey, Jr. was well on his way to breaking Maris's single-season home run record; he had 40 homers going into the break!!! Too bad that in '98 that McGwire and Sosa had to take "performance enhancing drugs" to break Maris's record!!! You can definitely tell I'm a die-hard baseball fan!!! Anyways, this movie captures the spirit of our national pastime almost as good as "Field of Dreams," "The Natural," and "A League of Their Own." Disney really did a good job of making you feel apart of the action, even though certain scenes weren't the most realistic in some cases!! This movie pretty much turned me into the baseball lover I am today!!! The story is good, the characters are funny (especially Al), the music adds to the intensity, and it has a great message in it! This is one movie that you don't have to be a baseball fan to enjoy! If you haven't seen this movie yet, go out and buy it or rent it! This is one of many 90's kids movies that defined my childhood and I recommend it to every Disney and baseball fan! Rating: 10/10!!!

Beauty and the Beast is Disney's 30th full-length animated feature released in 1991. Following the successes of "The Little Mermaid" and the much underrated "Resucers Down Under," Beauty and the Beast succeeded all expectations and made motion picture history by becoming the first animated film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture in 1992 (it lost to Silence of the Lambs). Even though it didn't win Best Picture from the Academy, it's still a classic Disney film that is a favorite of many (including myself). It is the story of Belle (voice by Paige O'Hara), a beautiful young girl who, after her father is taken captive and imprisoned by the Beast (voiced by Robby Benson), goes to find him and take his place as the Beast's prisoner. While imprisoned, she meets a whole host of enchanted objects that were all once human but, because of the Beast's stubborness, he and the entire castle were placed under a spell that could only be broken if the Beast learned to love another and earn her love in return before the last petal on the rose fell. Some of the characters are: Lumiere the lovestruck candle (voiced by Jerry Orbach), Cogsworth the pompous clock (voiced by David Ogden Stiers who was also narrator), Mrs. Potts the kind-hearted teapot (voiced by Angela Lansbury), and Chip (voiced by Bradley Michael Pierce) who is your typical 8-year old boy. Every Disney movie has its antagonist (villain). Here it's Gaston (voiced by Richard White) an arrogant, heartless hunter who wants Belle at all costs. Once Belle falls in love with the Beast, Gaston's jealousy grows and Belle realizes that he's the true monster and Beast is more humane. This is a true classic: great story, great characters, great animation, and great music score/songs composed by Academy-Award Winning composers Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman, who sadly died of AIDS six months before the film was released and never got to see how successful the film would become. I love the tribute to him at the end of the credits: "To our friend Howard, who gave a Mermaid her voice and a Beast his soul. We will be forever grateful." The song that will stick with you is "Beauty and the Beast," sung during the ballroom dancing scene (Celine Dion and Peabo Bryson did a good job singing it too). This is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of gender. I grew up loving this movie (and all the other Disney classics on VHS), and I'm a guy who loves sports! All that being said, this is definitely one of my top 10 favorite Disney movies!!! Rating: 9/10!!!

DuckTales is another one of the many great Disney (and overall) cartoons that came on in the late 80's-90's. It is about the adventures of Scrooge McDuck, millionaire tycoon of Duckburg and his three nephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie who are always getting into trouble and out of it thanks to friends like Webby Vanderquack, Gyro Gearloose, and Launchpad McQuack. As a kid, I didn't watch this until the re-runs came on Disney Channel in the mid-to-late 90's, and I loved every episode! It has all the elements of "true" Disney: action, adventure, suspense, mystery, great stories, great characters, great animation, great villains like Magica de Spell and the Beagle Boys, great music, and an awesome theme song which I often find myself humming at the randomest times!!! As a kid, I also enjoyed "Darkwing Duck," "Chip and Dale's Rescue Ranger's," "Goof Troop," "TaleSpin," and all the other great Disney Afternoon cartoon's the 90's had to offer! This was, (and still is) however, my favorite of them all and easily one of my all-time favorite cartoons!!! I recently bought Volume 1 of this great show and since it has brought back so many nostalgic memories of childhood, I plan on getting Volumes 2-3 and Volumes of the other classic Disney Afternoon cartoons cause the garbage that Disney (with the exception of "Phineas and Ferb"), Cartoon Network, and Nickelodeon is shoving down kids throats nowadays is brainwashing and it makes me sick!!! Anyways, back to the awesomeness of DuckTales; some of my favorite episodes are: the one where Scrooge and the boys have to save Donald from the spell of an evil mummy, the one where Launchpad and the boys accidentally get launched into space, the one where Gyro made those giant robots designed to help the city and the Beagle Boys use them to destroy it and, well, you get the idea!!! I love this cartoon!!! The movie "DuckTales: Treasure of the Lost Lamp" was pretty cool too!!! Rating: 10/10!!!

In the excitement of the return of the Star Wars Saga to the big screen, this time in 3-D, I thought "Why not review the greatest film saga of all-time?" I can't believe I haven't, but since Star Wars has also been out for 35 years, I'm finally am! I'm starting with 1999's Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, the first of the prequels and probably one of the most anticipated movies of the 20th Century. I can remember all the hype and advertisements like it was yesterday: Pepsi, Pizza Hut, and KFC Ads, Toy Commercials (still have all of them, action figures, podracers, lightsabers, you name it!), T-shirts, Lunchboxes, TV Spots that were shown just about every day, etc. I saw Episode I in theaters and being a 5 year old at the time, I was so blown away like some of you were when Episode IV: A New Hope came out! In this one, Qui-Gon-Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice Obi-Wan-Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) are secretly sent by the Supreme Chancellor to probe the mystery of the mysterious blockade that the Viceroy and the Trade Federation have over the planet of Naboo. While doing so, they'll meet and rescue the hilarious Gungan Jar Jar Binks, join forces with the Queen of Naboo, Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) who is fighting to save her people, land in Tatooine where they meet Anakin Skywalker, who is unaware that he will eventually become Darth Vader, and Senator Palpatine (also known as Darth Sidious/The Evil Emperor) who is determined to become Supreme Chancellor. They will also encounter an enemy; the evil Sith Lord Darth Maul (who wields an amazing double-bladed lightsaber) whom they will have to face. Amidst what the cynics and critics say about Episode I, it did everything it was supposed to: remind us of how awesome Star Wars is and give fans new thrills! From hearing the hum of a lightsaber, introducing us to C-3PO and R2-D2, the awe-inspiring Rome-like feel of the Podracing scene, the epic 4 part climax featuring the Gungans battling the droids, the Naboo starfighters fighting to destroy the Trade Federation battleship like the X-Wing fighters did with the Death Star in Episode IV, the Queen battling the Viceroy, and the epic lightsaber duel we were longing for (which is my personal favorite in the series)!!! Let's also not forget the amazing score by John Williams! I think "Duel of the Fates" and "Anakin's Theme" is John Williams at his best!!! With all that being said, I can't wait to see Star Wars Episode I in 3-D! Just a little over a week left! Those scenes I just mentioned are likely going to be ten times better in 3-D! Rating:10/10!!!!

The Little Mermaid is Walt Disney's 28th Animated masterpiece released in 1989 and has been hailed by many as "The movie that saved Disney" and began a new era in Disney animation known to Disney fans as the Disney Renaissance. This, like many other Disney movies is based off of a classic story. It's the story of Ariel (voiced by Jodi Benson), a beautiful, fun-loving, adventurous mermaid who dreams of living life on land even though her father, King Triton (voiced by Kenneth Mars), forbids her of having any contact with the human world. But one night a fierce sea storm destroys the ship that the man of her dreams Prince Eric (voiced by Christopher Daniel Barnes) is on and he falls underwater and Ariel has no choice but to save him. She fell in love with him at first sight and in order to see him again, she makes a deal with the evil sea-witch Ursula (voiced by Pat Carroll) and gives up her voice for a pair of human legs. In order to regain her voice and break Ursula's spell, she must kiss Eric within three days and if she doesn't, she'll remain a mermaid. This movie has everything a Disney movie should have: great story, memorable characters such as Flounder (voiced by Jason Marin), Sebastian (voiced by Samuel E. Wright), and Scuttle (voiced by Buddy Hackett), a great villain (Ursula is by far one of Disney's greatest villains), and an Academy Award winning music score composed by Alan Menken and Howard Ashman with songs such as "Under the Sea", "Part of Your World", "Poor Unfortunate Souls", and "Kiss the Girl." If you haven't by any chance seen this movie in the last 20+ years it's been out, please watch it. It in my opinion is a movie that can be enjoyed by anyone, boy or girl. This, like many Disney Classics is one I own and is definitely one of my favorite Disney movies. The reason why I did not give this movie a 10 is because Musker and Clements could've done a better climax. Other than that, this movie is great family fun!!! Rating= 8 out of 10!

Like Snow White forever changed animation in 1937 by becoming the world's first animated film and Who Framed Roger Rabbit in 1988 (the world's first successful combination of animation and live-action) in 1995 Disney once again left their mark in animation history by giving us Toy Story: the world's first fully computer animated film. Toy Story is about a boy named Andy who, like most of us, had many toys as a kid, but there was always that one special toy that we just played with all the time. For him, it was cowboy Woody (voiced by Tom Hanks from "Big", "Apollo 13", "Saving Private Ryan") who feels he'll never be replaced. That all changes on Andy's birthday when he gets a cool spaceman toy, Buzz Lightyear (voiced by Tim Allen, from the hit 90's sitcom "Home Improvement") and all of a sudden, Buzz is his new favorite toy. After ending up stuck in a game machine where "The Claw" picks both of them up and a dangerous boy named Sid (voiced by Erik von Detten), has some pretty evil plans for them. This movie has everything a good movie should have: great story, amazing, unforgettable characters, good music score and songs composed by Randy Newman, and some great messages on friendship. Other voices talents include Jim Varney as Slinky, John Ratzenberger as Mr. Potato Head, Don Rickles as Ham, and Wallace Shawn as Rex. Will Woody and Buzz learn to coexist? Can they with the help of some mutant toys foil Sid's evil plans? The only way to find out: Watch Toy Story. You should and I hope won't be disappointed if you haven't seen it. Rating:10/10!

I first saw the trailer for "Dinosaur" on my previews of my "Tarzan" VHS and I immediately said "Wow" and begged my parents to go see it. I saw it about a month after its May 19 (a year after the release of "The Phantom Menace") release in theaters and it was so good I wanted to see it again. It's the story of an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney) who, when he and his lemur family, Plio (voiced by Alfre Woodard), Zini (voiced by Max Cassela), Yar (voiced by Ossie Davis), and Suri (voiced by Hayden Panettiere) were almost extinct from an eye-popping meteor shower, they follow a herd of the remaining dinosaurs lead by the stubborn and unreasonable Kron (voiced by Samuel Wright). Along the way they'll befriend a feisty triceratops named Eema (voiced by Della Reese), a courageous brachiosaur named Baylene (voiced by Joan Plowright), a carefree stegosaurus named Url, and an iguanodon named Neera; they'll also dodge blood-thirsty carnotaurs on their voyage to the nesting grounds. This movie has just about everything: great story, great characters, action-packed climax, suspense, stunning, unbelievable graphics, and a great film score composed by James Newton Howard. I recommend this to anyone who loves dinosaurs, a fan of Disney, or looking for a movie to watch with the whole family. Rating:10/10

Heavyweights is a 1995 comedy released by Walt Disney Pictures and directed by Steven Brill, the creator of the also hilarious Mighty Ducks movie (which is another favorite of mine). It is about overweight kids who are sent to a camp run by a fitness fanatic named Tony Pekis (Ben Stiller from "Meet the Parents") who is out to make their summer a nightmare. I first saw this movie when it came on Disney Channel about 3 or 4 years ago and since then I have bought and watched this movie over 12 times and I plan to see it many, many more times because this movie is absolutely hilarious and I think it is a Classic movie. From the very beginning to the end credits where the Camp Hope song is sung (which will have you laughing even more) and where Perkis becomes a door-to-door salesman (which is also hilarious) Heavyweights is (if you have a sense of humor) a great movie which I love to quote. One of my many favorite quotes is when Josh, (Goldberg from The Mighty Ducks films) says to Perkis "I know whose candy it is, okay. The candy belongs to seymour butts." Then Perkis replies, confused "Seymour butts?" "Seymour butts?" "Who's seymour butts, huh who's seymour butts?" then Josh says "Nobodys seen more butts than you Uncle Tony!" If you haven't seen this movie yet, the next time you are in a video store, consider renting this one. You shouldn't and I hope you won't be disappointed. You will laugh harder than you probably ever have at a PG film. Rating: Over the scale! (if you've seen the movie you get my joke).

Tom and Huck is a 1995 movie released by Walt Disney Pictures starring Jonathan Taylor Thomas (T.V.'s "Home Improvement", "The Lion King" )and Brad Renfro. It is based from Mark Twain's Novel about two mischievous boys Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn who, after witnessing the murder of Doc Robinson, the town's undertaker by the evil, knife-throwing Injun Joe (who will remind you of Indiana Jones if you've seen it), they must sware in blood not to tell anyone. If they don't, they will remain alive and not die; but, if they do tell anyone it was Injun Joe, he will kill them. The morning after the murder was committed, Injun Joe blames the whole thing on the town drunk, Muff Potter, saying that Muff committed the murder when Tom knows it was Injun Joe. I first saw this movie when I was a kid and recently, I have viewed it over and over again because it is one of my favorite movies. It has everything a good movie (like I have stated in reviews of other movies) should have: awesome music score composed by Stephen Endelman ("The Hunt for Murrell's Map" is a theme that fits the movie perfectly) amazing climax (being set in a huge scary cave, it makes one of the best you'll ever see), and a lesson for both boys; "When a friend's in trouble, you don't run away." One of my favorite parts in the movie is when Tom says "Last week Aunt Polly whipped me for swiping a pie, but it wasn't me. Figured it was Sid." Then Huck replies "He wanted it, but I beat em' to it." Then Tom says "I ought to punch you in the nose." Huck answers "You're welcome to try." Then Tom's says "Maybe later." The only reason I didn't give the film a 10 is because the accents could have been a little bit more country. Other than that, this film was great family fun. Rating: 9/10!