A Bug's Life

John Lasseter, director of Pixar's movie phenomenon Toy Story, has set new standards in computer animation with this effort, another Disney-released children's epic entitled A Bug's Life. Blending classic Disney storytelling characters and the mysterious underground world of bugs, Lasseter has created a film that can be enjoyed by all audiences, and another franchise in the process. A Bug's Life is a computerized retelling of the Aesop fable The Ant and the Grasshopper, made as a cartoon-short by the one-and-only, Walt Disney, in the mid-'30s. However, A Bug's Life has modernized the story with many new twists and celebrity voices. The story focuses on a colony of ants who seasonally gather food for themselves and a wild gang of rowdy grasshoppers. When bumbling worker ant Flik (David Foley) destroys the food supply, the angry grasshoppers, lead by the maniacally warped Hopper (Kevin Spacey), threaten to kill the ants if they don't produce a new supply of food by the time they return -- an impossible feat. Flik leaves the anthill in search of help in the form of bigger bugs, and to wage war against the grasshoppers. What he doesn't know is he has actually discovered a group of down-on-their-luck traveling circus insects in need of a job. When the ants realize that their heroes are really circus performers (and the circus bugs realize these grasshoppers are really big and mean), the situation goes from bad to worse. Ultimately, the ants use their large numbers to overcome the grasshoppers. Here is a trailer of the film

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Monster Inc.

Not only does Pixar consistently have incredible attention to detail when creating their worlds, including Monsters Inc. (ever notice the hole in the chair for Sulley’s tail in the apartment?), they have enormous respect for the past.

Monsters Inc. contains one of their best references, a nod to the great stop motion animator Ray Harryhausen. Mike’s girlfriend Celia is reminiscent of Medusa, one of the finest of Harryhausen’s creations from Clash of Titans. For her birthday, Mike takes her to Harryhausen’s restaurant, a sushi bar. A six-tentacled octopus works behind the counter, a subtle nod to the 1955 classic It Came Beneath the Sea.

While likely out of the range for kids, it is a perfect tip of the hat for classic sci-fi fans, and if you don’t get the reference, you don’t lose anything either.

Monsters Inc. is not the funniest of the Pixar efforts or even the most well-meaning. It exists for its charm, seeing hulking monsters running away from a three-year old girl because they fully believe she is deadly. Boo (Mary Gibbs) is adorable, brought over from the human world into the land of monsters inadvertently, or so it seems.

Pixar’s imaginative forces craft a world where creatures do pop-out of closets to scare children, using the energy from their screams as a source of energy. The process oddly seems logical, where doors are stored on a conveyor belt system, brought onto a securing device, and then opening it takes the monster into a child’s bedroom.

The true story of Monsters Inc. is that of Sulley learning to accept Boo, and even having an attachment to her. When Sulley and Mike first bring her home, they fend her off with a trashcan lid and kitchen utensils. Later, he faints (three times) when he thinks she has been sent into garbage disposal accidentally.

Of course, the film ends with energetic, colorful action sequences, some of which can become tiresome, but the intricate animation and artistry used to create them is enough to carry them. Monsters Inc. will unlikely have the lasting impact of a Wall E., but it’s not trying to be in that same mold either. This is light entertainment, and apparently, Pixar will never lose their touch for that either.
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Movie

There are times when 1080p just is not enough, and Monsters Inc. is the example. Sulley is not meant for this generation, his 2,320,413 strands of hair (seriously) causing significant aliasing issues. His inner fur is fine, but those small, thin strands that protrude slightly are a nightmare. There are other aliasing issues as well, including the ceiling lights at 46:57 as Mike runs forward and the lockers. Also, a difficult, high-speed scene as Sulley races past the Abominable Snowman in a blizzard causes heavy artifacting problems for this AVC encode.

However, to be fair, this is Pixar, and when reviewing their discs, they are under an impossible level of scrutiny given their other efforts. This transfer is otherwise a stunner, with such rich, bold color, everything else in your collection looks flat and lifeless in comparison. Stunning contrast and deep blacks establish immense dimensionality in the image. Mike physically looks round as if he is popping off the screen. The first shot of Sulley, a close-up where he is sleeping in bed, is a remarkable shot that is astonishing in how much information is available in the frame.

Backgrounds are likewise littered with visible small touches. The cave scene has walls with patterns in the ice, and snow is clearly made up of individual pieces. Challenging shots such as the door room, with thousands of doors sweeping by the frame, hold up beautifully despite the complexity.

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Finding Nemo

Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) and Coral (voiced by Elizabeth Perkins) are a couple of clown fish who are proud parents of a new litter of baby clown fish, still in their egg stage. Marlin wants to name half of them Marlin Jr. and the other half Coral Jr., but Coral wants at least one of them to be named Nemo. In the great tradition of Disney movies, a barracuda kills the mom Coral, along with all but one of the eggs. Marlin raises the surviving baby fish alone and names him Nemo. Because of the tragic circumstances revolving Coral’s demise, and the fact that Nemo has one fin that is too small, Marlin is a little overprotective. A couple of years pass, and Nemo (voiced by Alexander Gould) is ready for his first day at school. Marlin doesn’t want him to go, but allows him to go anyway. It is at the school that Nemo meets fellow classmates Pearl (voiced by Erica Beck), a flapjack octopus, Sheldon (voiced by Erik Per Sullivan), a sea horse, and Tad (voiced by Jordy Ranft), a long-nosed butterfly fish. They all get aboard Mr. Ray (voiced by Bob Peterson), a stingray who is their teacher. He takes them on a field trip to the Drop-Off, the place where Coral and the eggs were killed. When Marlin finds out about this, he goes after Nemo to bring him home. Nemo is so embarrassed by Marlin’s intrusion that he swims out to dangerously touch the bottom of a fishing boat in defiance. As he is swimming back, a diver scoops him up as a specimen and drives the boat away. Marlin swims after the boat, but eventually loses it. He tries to get some help from anyone who might have seen the boat, and he thinks he might have found that help from Dory (voiced by Ellen DeGeneres), a regal blue tang. She says she saw the boat, but leads Marlin nowhere. It is at this time that he learns that Dory has severe short-term memory problems. After they find out from the diver’s mask that Nemo is with a “P. Sherman” in Sydney, Australia (Dory remembers that she knows how to read), Marlin and Dory set upon a long journey to find Nemo, where they encounter many interesting characters. There is a trio of sharks, Great White shark Bruce (voiced by Barry Humphries), hammerhead shark Anchor (voiced by Eric Bana), and mako shark Chum (voiced by Bruce Spence), who want to end their habit of eating fish. They also have a close encounter with an anglerfish and some jellyfish, before they finally reach the EAC (East Australian Current), a current that a school of fish (voiced mostly by John Ratzenberger) told them would take them to Sydney. It is on the EAC that they meet a sea turtle named Crush (voiced by Andrew Stanton, who also directed the movie) and his son Squirt (Nicholas Bird), who helps Marlin and Dory through the current. Meanwhile, Nemo has found himself in the fish tank of Dr. Sherman (voiced by Bill Hunter), a dentist whose office overhangs the harbor. He is caged in the tank with another set of colorful characters. The “Tank Gang” is led by Gill (voiced by Willem Defoe), a Moorish idol who is the only other one in the tank who came from the sea. A starfish named Peach (voiced by Allison Janney) hangs on the side of the tank and acts as their lookout. A blowfish named Bloat (voiced by Brad Garrett) blows up every time stress gets to him. A yellow tang named Bubbles (voiced by Stephen Root) gets all goofy when he sees bubbles. A royal gramma named Gurgle (voiced by Austin Pendleton) is a fish who wants everything clean and germ free. A shrimp named Jacques (voiced by Joe Ranft) does all that cleaning. Finally, a black and white humbug damsel fish named Deb (voiced by Vicki Lewis) thinks her reflection in the glass of the tank is her sister Flo. After they initiate Nemo into the Tank Gang, they formulate a plan to escape and make it back to sea. This is especially important, since Dr. Sherman plans to give Nemo to his niece Darla (voiced by Lulu Ebeling), a girl who tends to kill her fish quickly. If things go well, Nemo will escape and be reunited with his dad, whose adventures with Dory have become legendary, according to a pelican named Nigel (voiced by Geoffrey Rush.)



This movie is so fun to watch! I actually think it is the first Pixar movie to have the traditional feel of a Disney movie. It combines the elements of classic Disney movies (dead mom, epic journeys with colorful characters) with the elements that made Pixar so successful (amazing computer animation, great writing.)

I have to admit, when I first saw the trailers for this movie, I wasn’t impressed. I thought it was possibly going to be the lamest Pixar movie yet. After I saw the film, I realized the trailer did something rare in the world of trailers…it didn’t show the funniest parts of the movie! Most of those funny parts they didn’t show involve Dory. DeGeneres’ character steals the show in every scene, with the best one possibly being her attempt to communicate with a whale. I thought it was odd that they didn’t show any of Dory’s scenes in the trailers, and my only theory is that they think DeGeneres might be too controversial of a personality to advertise her involvement. That is a shame, since she is the highlight of the film.

Finally, we have a kiddie film in 2003 that grownups can enjoy with or without their kids. I liked Finding Nemo so much that I saw it twice, and it was just as enjoyable the second time around. Pixar really has the pulse of what works. They pick a great vocal cast, and employ the best writers. Some people think that computer animation will take over traditional animation as the leading moneymaking animation force. While computer animation looks cool, the reason they are a hit is the talent of the voices and the writing. Traditional animation could do just as well if they had that. Bring your little guppies to this one and you’ll have a fishy good time!

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CARS

A secret message is received from a spy named Leland Turbo (Jason Isaacs), giving information about a secret location, and something even more sinister. The coordinates provided in Leland's message are followed by Finn McMissile (Michael Caine), who charters a fishing boat to the coordinates. As they get close, a large armored carrier appears and demands the fishing boat turn around. As it does so, Finn sneaks aboard the carrier.

It takes him to an area rife with oil derricks. Finn ascends one of the derricks, and finds numerous lemons (aka small vehicles that often have engine trouble and need constant upkeep) milling about. He radios in to contact Leland, but is treated to two shocking sites: a tv camera in a special case with the logo World Grand Prix on the side, and Leland Turbo-having been killed by being crushed into a cube!

The lemons suddenly notice Finn, and give chase. Finn takes out some of them, before plunging off the derrick into the water, and activating his hydrofoil mode. Several lemons climb aboard the armored carriers and give chase, firing their weaponry. One of them appears to score a direct hit, and Finn's tires bob to the surface in the fiery aftermath. Unseen to the lemons, Finn has dove down, activated his submarine mode, and piloted away.

Meanwhile, in Radiator Springs, Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) has returned from his latest racing season, having won his 4th Piston cup. The win holds special meaning for Lightning, as this is the first year that they have renamed the Piston Cup in honor of Doc Hudson, who has since passed away. Mater is overjoyed that his best friend is back, and fills their first day with a full plate of things to do. However, Lightning tries to convince Mater that he also wishes to spend time with Sally that evening.

Mater claims he understands, but that evening at the Wheel Well Motel, he shows up as their waiter. Trying to get them drinks, Mater is distracted in the Motel's bar when the news tells of famed millionaire Miles Axelrod, who has turned himself into a fully-electric vehicle and developed a new alternative fuel source called Allinol.

Axelrod is sponsoring a race dubbed The World Grand Prix, of which the news is interviewing one of the race entrants named Francesco Bernoulli (John Tuturro). The talk turns to Lightning having turned down an invite to the Grand Prix due to having just completed his current racing season. Francesco brags how much better of a racer he is than Lightning, causing Mater to call up the news program and defend his friend.

The news and Mater's call soon attract Sally and Lightning inside (as well as several other patrons). When Francesco seems to have insulted Mater over his fandom of Lightning, Lightning gets on the phone and vows to put aside his vacation and enter the World Grand Prix.

Lightning assembels his pit crew (made up of Sarge, Fillmore, Luigi, & Guido), and also (at Sally's urging) asks Mater to come along and help with the pit crew. Mater is eager to travel with his best friend, and soon the gang jets off to Japan for the first leg of the race.

The crew tours the sites, before going to a pre-game party where Lightning meets Francesco and the other racers. Also in attendance are Finn, and new field-agent, Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer). Finn's photos taken at the oil derricks do not provide sufficient information, but both agents are in Tokyo to meet up with an American spy who will be doing a drop-off of more concrete photo evidence. However, the two note that there are several lemons milling about the party, and suspect they may be up to something here as well. During the party, Miles Axelrod makes an appearance, and claims the World Grand Prix will show the world that his alternative fuel works just as well as gasoline. As part of the promotion, all of the racers in the event will be using Allinol.

Mater soon gets himself into trouble by mistaking wasabi for pistachio ice cream, and 'leaking oil' during Lightning's introduction on camera (though Mater insists it wasn't him). Mater rushes off to the restroom to clean-up. While in a stall, the American spy enters the men's room, a sports car named Rod Torqueline. However, he is soon accosted by two lemons: Grem, and Acer. The two rough up Torqueline, but are interrupted when Mater exits the stall. Rod has activated the homing beacon on the information packet he has, and attaches it to Mater's undercarriage to keep the information from being retrieved by the lemons.

As Mater exits the men's room, Holly is shocked to see that the homing beacon is coming from Mater. Though she is unsure, Finn convinces her that Mater is their contact, and Holly is slightly convinced when Mater actually answers her test question correctly (though it's about older vehicles, something Mater is an expert on). Though Mater claims he's busy, he and Holly agree to 'rendezvous' the next day. Mater tells the others about meeting Holly, but his friends do not believe him.

Later on that evening, Rod Torqueline is tortured by the lemons and Professor Zendepp. Rod is fueled with Allinol, but then has a special laser trained on him. Zendepp explains that when heated to a high temperature, Allinol can become an explosive. The group displays a number of pictures of possible people that Rod could have given the information to, and when Rod's gaze lingers on an image of Mater, the group make plans to eliminate Mater as Rod's engine explodes.

The next day at the race, Mater joins the rest of Lightning's crew, and the race appears to be going well, until Holly's voice comes over Mater's headset, trying to warn him that several lemons are nearby, and intend to get him. Mater doesn't realize that Holly is contacting him on a secret frequency, and his voice distracts McQueen, giving him incorrect racing information, and causing Francesco to pull ahead and win the race by mere seconds. The race also takes a shocking turn when a couple of the racer's engines blow out (a result of Grem and Acer using the camera-disguised laser that was used on Rod). Miles Axelrod is called into question regarding this, and promises that his alternative fuel source is safe.

In the aftermath, McQueen and Mater have a falling out, and Mater quietly leaves the team. While at the airport, Mater is met by Finn, who quickly leads Mater on a chase onto the tarmac as Grem and Acer give chase, intending to take both of them out. The two are quickly saved by Holly and a spy plane named Siddily.

Back at the hotel, Lightning and the crew find a goodbye note from Mater, claiming he is going back to Radiator Springs. Lightning feels bad that he has driven his friend away, but he feels some comfort in knowing that Mater will safely be back home.

Meanwhile, Holly has found the hidden information in Mater's undercarriage, and is analyzing the photos. The photos show a vehicle with an open hood, exposing an engine, as well as a number of spare parts. Both Finn and Holly are clueless as to the items, but Mater's knowledge of spare parts allows him to recognize them as the kind of parts used in 'lemon' vehicles. Amazed at this information, Finn has Siddily fly to Paris.

In Paris, Finn finds a seedy parts dealer named Tombar (pronounced Tom-bay). The vehicle tells Finn, Holly, & Mater that the parts in the picture look like some he sold an unknown contact in Porto Corsa. Tombar has also heard a number of lemon vehicles are making there way their as well. Finn then knows where he and his cohorts should head next.

Meanwhile, Lightning and the others have stopped in a little village where Luigi's Uncle Topolino and his Mama are. A festive party is held for Lightning and his friends, but Uncle Topolino notes that Lightning seems a little dour. Lightning confides about how he feels he pushed his best friend away, but Uncle Topolino gives Lightning some words of wisdom.

Meanwhile, Finn, Holly, and Mater have secretly arrived in Porto Corsa. Holly's wiring into the local security cameras shows a large number of lemons going around, and a couple well-preserved models being towed around town. The Finn and Holly recognize a couple as being part of large crime syndicates, and upon seeing one of the groups being towed by a tow-truck with a very similar appearance to Mater, it is decided to send Mater undercover.

Mater is equipped with a disguise program, but Holly notices the disguise doesn't completely cover him up due to a large dent. Holly is all for fixing the dent, but Mater refuses, claiming that each dent is important to him. Holly respects his request, and works the disguise around this limitation.

Mater waits for Holly to let him know once their intended target is detained, and spends a few moments talking with Finn. Mater insists that he is simply a tow-truck, but Finn simply feels that Mater is still acting like a fool as part of his spy disguise. Hearing himself being considered to be a fool by Finn gives Mater a moment to reflect on himself, before Holly returns with the knocked-out target.

Mater dons his disguise and goes into the hotel where the lemons are meeting. It is there they are greeted by Professor Z, and are contacted by camera to their benefactor. However, like the spy photos, only the leader's exposed engine is shown, and his voice is disguised. He then explains to the lemons his grand plans.

With Professor Z having found out about Allinol's explosive connotations, they intend to sabotage the World Grand Prix, and destroy Miles Axelrod's plans to create a clean energy source. Once Allinol is finished, the lemons will have the last laugh on the world's energy woes, as their leader has found a large source of oil in the Atlantic Ocean, and intends to sell their stock at inflated prices.

To cap off the festivities, the group are treated to race footage currently happening Porto Corsa. As they watch, 3/4 of the racers are eliminated by Acer and Grem using the laser. In the end, only Lightning and Francesco cross the finish line, but totally in the dark regarding the fate of their other racers.

During this time, Finn is detained by a helicopter of Z's, and Holly is captured as well.

Back in the hotel, the lemons are toasting their success as Miles Axelrod sadly proclaims he will forgo the use of Allinol in the final race in Britain. However, the festivities grind to a halt when in an interview, Lightning claims he will still use Allinol in the final race, as Fillmore has deemed it to be safe. Professor Z and the group's leader both proclaim that Lightning McQueen is the new target, as his victory in England using Allinol will ruin the group's plans.

Fearing for his best friend's life, Mater rushes off to tell McQueen, but accidentally decloaks from his disguise. Mater intends to reach Lightning and tell him, but only gets to the edge of the press crowd before the lemons' spies detain him.

Mater is knocked out with gas, and in his knocked-out state, Finn's talk about acting a fool circles around in his head, as he recalls alot of the embarrassing things he has done in the last few days. When he awakens, he finds himself tied inside Big Bentley in London, along with Finn and Holly, who are minute away from being crushed in the clock's giant gears.

Down on the racing circuit, Lighting and his crew have now been joined by the rest of the Radiator Springs gang (minus Lizzie). After thinking he heard Mater in the crowd in Porto Corsa, Lightning contacted his friends back home, but when they reported they had no idea where Mater was, they came as quickly as possible to be with Lightning. Also on hand is Miles Axelrod, who thanks Lightning for not giving up on Allinol.

As the race gets underway, Acer and Grem (inside Big Bentley) attempt to use their laser on Lightning...only to find it has no effect on him! They quickly leave to take care of him themselves, but let Mater know they have planted a bomb nearby that should take care of Lightning if all else fails.

After they leave, Mater realizes that his gatling guns (though empty) create enough friction to sever the threads in the rope he's tied up in. Mater wants to save Finn and Holly, but the two demand he save Lightning.

After he leaves, Holly manages to get them untied, but nearby find Mater's filter, leading them to a shocking conclusion. The two quickly race to the pit area, where they check Mater's engine. Sure enough, in place of his filter, a bomb has been welded to Mater's engine block! However, after they realize this, Lightning notices his friend and quickly drives over. However, Mater begins driving backwards as fast as he can, afraid he'll hurt his friend. Lightning continues to follow unsure just why Mater is driving away from him.

Meanwhile, Finn and Holly find the Lemons' crime bosses nearby, but Professor Z drives off. Finn manages to catch him, and returns him to Mater. Finn demands that Z deactivate the device, but the Professor reveals two things: the bomb is voice-activated, and his voice will not deactivate it. Mater and his friends are unsure what to do as the clock ticks down, until Mater suddenly activates his rockets, and flies back to the main starting area.

There, in the presence of The Queen and her son Prince Wheeliam, Mater confronts Miles Axelrod, claiming he's the one behind the entire scheme. Mater accuses Miles of just pretending to have turned himself all-electric, and that most likely, his engine requires the spare parts that he saw in the photos. Mater also claims that lemon-like engines tend to leak easily, and he knows that the leak during the Tokyo pre-game party was made by Miles, who pinned it on Mater. Miles continues to deny this until the last seconds of the bomb's countdown, when he voice-deactivates the bomb, proving Mater's theory to be correct.

In the aftermath, Mater is knighted by the Queen, and returns to Radiator Springs a hero. Since the World Grand Prix has been called off, Lightning and his friends invite the entrants to their town for a nice, friendly race. As it gets underway, Finn and Holly stop by. Holly whole-heartedly admits to being Mater's girlfriend, but the two spies have come to request Mater's help on an upcoming mission. However, Mater feels he is better suited to staying in Radiator Springs. However, before the two spies leave, they give in to Mater's request to keep the rocket engines installed in him. With his newfound speed boosters, Mater, Lightning, and their new friends, race their way through the twisting roads surrounding Radiator Springs and Ornament Valley.

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The Lion King

The Lion King is primarily about guilt and redemption. Simba, a young lion cub and heir to his father's throne, is led to believe that he was the cause of the king's death. The trauma caused by this is so great that Simba goes into exile, attempting to find peace-of-mind through anonymity in the company of a warthog and a meerkat. But it's never that easy to escape the past...

The "Hamlet" parallels are all there for the discerning adult to note. Mufasa, king of the lions, is killed by a treacherous brother who subsequently takes over the rule of the kingdom. Simba, the beloved son, is wracked by guilt and impotence until the ghost of his father gives him instruction on what actions he should take. Death, something not really touched on in the last three animated Disney tales, is very much at the forefront of The Lion King. In a scene that could disturb younger viewers, Mufasa's demise is shown. It is a chilling moment that is reminiscent of a certain incident in Bambi. The film also contains a fair share of violence, including a rather graphic battle between two lions. Parents should carefully consider before automatically taking a child of, say, under seven years of age, to this movie.

After three animated motion pictures centered upon the love of two people from different worlds, The Lion King's focus is different. This time around, the love story (between Simba and the lioness Nala) is a subplot. The film is most concerned with its young hero's coming-of-age, and the responsibilities that arrive with adulthood - including the need to confront guilt and its associated fear.

Scar, Simba's treacherous uncle, is the latest in a long line of Disney antagonists. Gone is the buffoonery that has marked the recent trio of Ursula, Gaston, and Jafar. Scar is a sinister figure, given to acid remarks and cunning villainy. The cold-hearted manner in which he causes Mufasa's death lets us know that this is not a lion to be trifled with.

An all-star cast was selected to supply The Lion King's voices. Jeremy Irons, with his dry British accent, is a critical element of Scar's personality. James Earl Jones lends his booming bass to Mufasa, truly a lord of the jungle. Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin play a pair of laughing hyenas, Rowan Atkinson uses his vocal talents for a sour-tongued bird, and Moira Kelly's Nala is the sole significant female character. Matthew Broderick, with his rather nondescript voice, is the adult Simba, with Jonathan Taylor Thomas as the cub.

The animation, as expected from any Disney film, is superior. As usual, as much attention is given to small background details as to foreground principals. Lighting and color are used to highlight the shifting tone of the picture (the sunny warmth of Mufasa's kingdom to the dreary barrenness of Scar's), and the animators have never lost sight that their subjects are not human.

Since 1989's The Little Mermaid, the musical element of any Disney animated picture has been nearly as important as the visual one (the three previous movies have garnered a total of twelve Grammy awards). With the songwriting team of Alan Menken and the late Howard Ashman (replaced following his death by Tim Rice) in charge, the soundtracks for The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin have become huge commercial successes. For The Lion King, Menken is absent. The songs here are by Elton John and Tim Rice, with the score coming from composer Hans Zimmer.

Two of the five John/Rice songs are rather unimpressive ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King" and "Hakuna Matata"), one is decent ("Be Prepared"), and two are quite good ("Circle of Life" and "Can You Feel the Love Tonight"). "Circle of Life," the opening number, is a visual extravaganza that may be the most astounding sequence dver in any animated film. "Can You Feel the Love Tonight" is The Lion King's love song, although it leaves you wondering if either Matthew Broderick or Moira Kelly can sing, since the song vocals of Simba and Nala are supplied by Joseph Williams and Sally Dworsky, respectively.

The soundtrack weakness of The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast, and Aladdin - a dull score - has been rectified in The Lion King. Hans Zimmer, using a style similar to the one he employed for The Power of One, brings an African flavor to his music, and incorporates the five songs seamlessly.

With each new animated release, Disney seems to be expanding its already-broad horizons a little more. The Lion King is the most mature (in more than one sense) of these films, and there clearly has been a conscious effort to please adults as much as children. Happily, for those of us who generally stay far away from "cartoons," they have succeeded.

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Ratatouille

A rat named Remy dreams of being a great chef despite his family's wishes and the obvious problem of being a rat in a decidedly rodent-phobic profession. When fate places Remy in the city of Paris, he finds himself ideally situated beneath a restaurant made famous by his culinary hero, Auguste Gusteau.

Despite the apparent dangers of being an unwanted visitor in the kitchen at one of Paris' most exclusive restaurants, Remy forms an unlikely partnership with Linguini, the garbage boy, who inadvertently discovers Remy's amazing talents. They strik a deal, ultimately setting into motion a hilarious and exciting chain of extraordinary events that turns the culinary world of Paris upside down.

Remy finds himself torn between following his dreams or returning forever to his previous existence as a rat. He learns the truth about friendship, family and having no choice but to be who he really is -- a rat who wants to be a chef.

Bambi

1. A miracle in the woods

In the depth of the forest, dawn was breaking. Trees grew so thickly here, that the morning first rays of sunlight could hardly break trough. The air was still and blue with mist. The faint, silvery sound of a distant waterfall was the only noise to be heard.

A few drowsy birds were just beginning to greet the new day as a huge old owl swooped silently towards the hollow tree where he made his home. The world was waking up all around him. A little wood-mouse slipped out of her nest to wash her face in a dewdrop. Three baby sparrows cheeped shrilly as their mother brought them their first meal of the day: A cluster of berries. And with every second, the pale sunbeams grew brighter.

The young rabbit Thumper, who was always the first of his family to arise, was waking up slowly, yawning and scratching as he did every morning. But the owl was ready for bed. With a sigh he alighted on a branch, waddled into his hole, and fluffed up his feathers. His drowsy eyes dipped shut, and he fall asleep. He didn't get to stay asleep very long. A bluebird darted trough the air to perch on the tree next to the owl's. He twittered, and flew off. From every corner, animals popped out of their hiding places and raced after her. Mrs. Quail moved swiftly along the forest floor, her babies trailing after her as if they were on a string.

Thumper's sisters burst out of their house, tumbling over each other and their brother in their anxiety to get to the thicket first. Thumper dashed to the foot of the owl's tree and began drumming frantically on the ground with his right foot. "Wake up! Wake up!" he hollered at the top of his lungs.

The owl shook himself irritably and squinted down at Thumper. "Oh, what now?" he groaned.

"Wake up, Friend Owl!" the little rabbit persisted.

"Why? What's going on around here, anyway?"

"It's happened! The new prince is born!" shouted Thumper. "We're going to see him! Come on, you'd better hurry up!" And he dashed into the underbrush after his sisters. "The new prince!" The owl gave his feathers a hasty preening and soared into the air.

The prince was a tiny fawn, only two hours old. When the animals reached the thicket where he had been born, he was curled up, sound asleep, next to his mother's warm side. He didn't even stir as the creatures of the forest gathered into a circle around him. "Oh, my!" said Mrs. Raccoon with a wistful sigh. "Isn't he just the most-"

"Oh, my! Beautiful!" echoed hushed maternal voices from all around the circle. "Yes, indeed," said the owl from a bough overhead. "This is, em, quite an occasion. Yes, sir. It isn't every day a prince is born."

He bent low in a courtly bow to the fawn's mother. "You are to be congratulated." "Thank you," said the prince's mother quietly. She leaned over and gave her baby a loving nudge. "Wake up," she whispered. "Come on, dear. We have company."

Slowly, slowly the tiny fawn's head lifted. He stared wonderingly at the creatures standing in front of him.

"Hello, Prince!" squeaked a mouse timidly. At once a chorus of greetings sprang up, and the owl let out a loud "hoo-hoo" so loud that the fawn turned away and burrowed his face into his mother's side. Then he gathered up his courage and peeked out again. And this time he managed a shy smile.

"Look!" called Thumper excitedly. "He's trying to get up!"

He was, but it wasn't working very well. Try as he might, the fawn couldn't get his slender legs to work together. "He's kinda wobbly, isn't he?" noted Thumper.

"Thumper!" gasped Mrs. Rabbit. She gave a flustered smile at the fawn's mother. Thumper scowled. "But he is," he muttered, kicking at the ground in embarrassment. "Aren't you?" he asked the fawn. The fawn nodded eagerly. He hadn't understood a word. The owl chuckled. "Looks to me like he's getting kind of sleepy," he said. "I think it's time we all left."

There was a murmur of protest from the younger animals. But the owl leaned over and fixed such a schoolmasterish glare on the crowd that they began to melt into the woods without another word. Only Thumper still lingered in the thicket. "Whatcha gonna call him?" he asked the fawn's mother when everyone else had left.

She smiled at him. "Well, I think I'll call him Bambi," she answered. Thumper frowned thoughtfully, as if the choice were up to him. "Bambi," he repeated, trying it out.

"Bambi. Yup, I guess that'll do all right." And he hopped off to find his family. Bambi's mother glanced down at her baby, who was sound asleep again.

"Bambi," she murmured tenderly. "My little Bambi."

As the mother and child settled down together, high on the hill above the thicket the Great Prince of the Forest kept watch.

2. Exploring the forest

"Walking already, well, what do you know?" commented the gray squirrel as Bambi and his mother strolled through the forest. Bambi was three days old now. As far as he was concerned, he was the best walker the forest had ever seen, though sometimes his legs did get tangled. And he was proud that so many of the forest creatures had gotten the chance to see him.

He had met Mrs. Quail and her babies scurrying through the underbrush as though they were late for an appointment. He had met Mrs. Possum and her babies, all hanging jauntily upside down from a tree branch. He had met Mr. Mole, who had popped up right under Bambi's nose. "Good mornin'," Mr. Mole had said politely. "Nice, sunny day." He had squinted up at the bright sky, winced a little, and returned with relief to his tunneling. The curious little fawn tried to follow the mole's path, but wound up tumbling over some reeds as his mother and the rabbit family looked on.

"He doesn't walk very well, does he?" asked Thumper with interest.

"Thumper!" scolded his mother. "What did your father tell you this morning?"

Thumper sighed. "If you can't say somethin' nice... Don't say nothin' at all,'" he muttered, frowning down at the ground.

Bambi's mother leaned over and nuzzled Bambi's shoulder a little. "Come on, Bambi," she urged gently. "Get up. Try again." "Come on! Come on!" squealed Thumper and his sisters excitedly. "Get up! Get up! You can do it!"

And after he'd managed to sort his legs out, Bambi pranced happily off after his new friends. But, trying to follow the little rabbits, the young deer had difficulties with a large log lying across the path.

"C'mon, you can do it," encouraged Thumper.

"Hop over it. Like this." All the bunnies chimed in as they leapt back and forth over the log, "Hop over it! Hop over it!"

Bambi stepped back to gather momentum, but his hop landed him smack-dab on top of the log.

"You didn't hop far enough," said Thumper wisely.

Bambi finally got all of himself over the log, but in the process his legs became tangled once more, causing the bunnies all to scatter just in case he might fall on them.

3. Learning to speak

Along the path, Bambi and his companions came upon a flock of delighted finches who had discovered a bush full of delicious wild berries.

Bambi looked inquiringly at Thumper.

"Those are birds," Thumper told him.

"B-burr?" Bambi repeated.

He hadn't had the faintest idea that the word was going to pop out of him, and neither had the rabbits. "Hey! He talked!" yelled Thumper. "He's trying to say 'bird'!"

"Burr!" Bambi said again.

"Huh-uh." Thumper never missed the chance to be instructive. He clambered up onto a rock and looked Bambi in the eye. "Say Bir-d;" he ordered.

"Burr," Bambi said.

"'Bir-duh!" insisted Thumper.

This conversation had taken the finches' attention off the berries. Now they got into the act, too. "Say bird!" they peeped excitedly, darting around and around Bambi's head. "Say bird! Saybirdsaybirdsaybirdsaybird!"

"BIRD!"

shouted Bambi-so loudly that the little rabbits and finches were scattered helter-skelter. "Bird!" he repeated in delight. Thumper's sisters ran back to tell their mother the news. "He talked! He talked, Mama; the young prince said 'bird.'

"Bird, bird, bird, bird, bird," sang Bambi happily.

Just then another flying creature fluttered slowly toward Bambi and perched on the fawn's tail. Bambi twisted around to stare at it. "Bird!" he exclaimed happily. "It's not a bird," Thumper corrected him. "It's a butterfly."

"B-butterfly?" Bambi turned around to see the butterfly again. Now it, too, was gone.

But over by the rocks the ground seemed to be covered with butterflies! He raced over to them. "Butterfly! Butterfly!" he caroled joyfully.

"No, they're flowers! Pretty flowers! See?" Thumper buried his nose in a bunch of yellow petals and sniffed appreciatively. "Pretty fl . . ." Bambi's voice trailed off as he, too, began to sniff the flowers. When he raised his head, he was nose-to-nose with a baby skunk.

"Flower!" said Bambi proudly.

"M-me?" The skunk's eyes widened.

He was interrupted by peals of laughter.

"No, no, no, no, no!" gurgled Thumper, rolling around and pounding the ground deliriously. "That's not a flower! He's just a little..."

"Oh, that's all right!" the baby skunk interrupted hastily. He beamed shyly up at Bambi.

"He can call me a flower if he wants to. I don't mind."

"Pretty!" Bambi piped again. "Pretty flower!"

From the look of pure, grateful devotion the baby skunk gave him, it was clear that Bambi had made a friend for life.

4. The thunderstorm

Bambi and Thumper were making their way back to their mothers when a huge crack of thunder sounded directly overhead. Startled, Bambi turned to Thumper. Was this some kind of new game, too? But for once Thumper was looking a little uncertain. "I... I think I'd better go home now," he said uneasily, and vanished into the underbrush.

CRACK! came the thunder again, and a bolt of lightning sizzled in the sky. Bambi dashed, terrified, after his mother as the first raindrops began to fall.

Back at the thicket, Bambi and his mother lay down, listening to the sound of the rain. Bambi yawned, ready for sleep, but just couldn't take his eyes off the falling raindrops.

The wood mouse scurried along toward her home, stopping under toadstools whenever she could. A mother robin landed on her nest and quickly covered her three drenched fledglings with her wings. It was dark now, but flashes of lightning kept illuminating the forest with eerie clarity.

Thumper and the other rabbits huddled together under the roots of a tree and stared out fearfully at the storm. High up in his hollow tree, the owl grumbled a little and turned his back on the weather. And as the storm passed, Bambi fell asleep beside his mother.

5. On the meadow

Mother, what are we going to do today?" asked Bambi as he followed her through the forest. It was still so early that he could barely see her through the mist. "I'm going to take you to the meadow," his mother replied.

Bambi paused to sniff curiously along the way, then scampered after his mother again. "Meadow? What's the meadow?" he asked.

"It's a very wonderful place," his mother told him.

"Then why haven't we been there before?" asked Bambi.

"You weren't big enough," his mother replied. They were coming up to a shallow stream now, and she showed him where to cross. The instant they were across, Bambi began chattering away again.

"Mother, you know what? Thumper told me we're not the only deer in the forest!"

"Well, he's right," said his mother. "There are many deer in the forest besides us."

"Then why don't I ever see them?" asked the little fawn plaintively.

"You will, sometime." Bambi was excited. "Today? On the meadow?"

"Perhaps," his mother told him. "Hush, now. We're almost there." And she led him up over a little hill.

Bambi had never seen anything like the sight that greeted him on the other side. Stretching out in front of him was what looked like a whole world's worth of long, golden-green grass studded with wildflowers. On one side of the meadow a marshy pond so unlike the rushing streams Bambi knew from the forest was reflecting the peach-colored light in the dawn sky. And the sky! Before this, Bambi had only caught glimpses of the sky through the trees. Out here, why, it's bigger than everything! he marveled. And I never knew the sun was as big as that, or as round! "The meadow!" he cried exultingly, and raced down the slope toward it. "No, Bambi! Wait!" In his mother's voice was a note Bambi had never heard before. She streaked ahead of him, wheeled around, and planted herself in his path.

"You must never rush out on the meadow," she panted. "There might be danger!" Then, more gently: "Out there, we are unprotected. The meadow is wide and open, and there are no trees or bushes to hide us. So we have to be very careful. Wait here."

Chastened, Bambi shrank back into the underbrush.

"I'll go out first," his mother continued. "And if the meadow is safe, I'll call you."

Only Bambi's frightened brown eyes could be seen as he huddled down in the brush and stared at his mother. Slowly and carefully, she stepped out onto the meadow and gazed across its expanse. Then she looked back at her son. "Come on, Bambi," she called. "It's all right."

Bambi crept timidly out toward her. His heart was pounding. "Come on!" his mother called. He walked hesitantly in her direction, then began to leap more courageously when suddenly she bounded away. Startled, Bambi froze in his tracks, and then he realized that she was playing. He burst into laughter and dashed after her. There was so much room for running on the meadow, and so much to look at! Butterflies brighter than any Bambi had seen in the forest floated leisurely above the flowers. In the sky birds soared and dove for the sheer fun of it, and in the grass Bambi found the rabbits nibbling clover.

Bambi took a mouthful but was interrupted by Thumper. "No, no, not that green stuff. Just eat the blossoms - that's the good stuff." "Thumper!!" his mother called sternly. "What did your father tell you?" "About what?"

"About eating the blossoms and leaving the greens," reminded his mother.

"Oh, that one." Thumper cleared his throat. " 'Eating greens is a special treat... It makes long ears . . . And great big feet.' But it sure is awful stuff to eat!" he added so just Bambi could hear. "I made that last part up myself."

Bambi had chased a frog to the pond's edge when he noticed something strange. He had two reflections in the water. Hmmm. Maybe that's just the way things happen on the meadow, he thought as he bent closer to the pond's surface. To his surprise, only one of the reflections moved. The other stayed still, staring mischievously at him.

Slowly Bambi lifted his head. There, standing next to him, was another fawn. A long-lashed, delicate-looking fawn who giggled when their eyes met.

She giggled again and stepped toward him. Bambi scrambled backwards hastily. Then, as the other fawn took another step in his direction, he turned and dashed back toward the spot where he'd last seen his mother.

To his surprise, she was standing next to another doe. "Bambi, this is your aunt Ena," she said as Bambi rushed toward her. "And that's little Faline."

But Bambi didn't want anything to do with little Faline. Wide-eyed and timid, he drew back behind his mother and peeked out from around one of her legs. For a third time, Faline giggled. "He's kind of bashful, isn't he, Mama?" she asked merrily.

"Well, maybe he wouldn't be if you'd say hello," her mother replied.

"Hello, Bambi," Faline said boldly. Bambi retreated even farther behind his mother. "I said, hello!"

"Aren't you going to answer her?" asked Bambi's mother.

Scowling, he shook his head.

"You're not afraid, are you?" asked his mother, and he shook his head again. "Well, then, go ahead!" And she pushed him with her nose. "Go on, say hello," she told him firmly, in a motherly, no-nonsense voice. Bambi cleared his throat. He pawed the ground a little. Then he glowered up at Faline.

"H'lo," he croaked.

That was all it took. The silly young Faline giggled and danced around Bambi, who was so shy and confused by her that he fell into a small pond. Faline darted in and out of the pond's cattails, giving Bambi little kisses on his cheeks. Finally, forgetting his shyness, Bambi gave a surprising whoop and charged after her.