Disney Animation Collection 1: Mickey & Beanstalk

Disney Animation Collection 1: Mickey & Beanstalk Review

Disney Animation Collection 1: Mickey & Beanstalk Feature

• Embark on magical adventures in this Disney Animation Collection DVD, part of an exciting series ofic Disney short films! Your favorite Disney characters star in "Mickey And The Beanstalk," the imaginative telling of a beloved storybook tale! Based on the timeless adventures of "Jack and the Beanstalk," Mickey, Donald and Goofy climb a fantastic beanstalk up into the sky to a place

Embark on magical adventures in this DISNEY ANIMATION COLLECTION DVD, part of an exciting series of classic Disney short films! Your favorite Disney characters star in "Mickey And The Beanstalk," the imaginative telling of a beloved storybook tale! Based on the timeless adventures of "Jack and the Beanstalk," Mickey, Donald and Goofy climb a fantastic beanstalk up into the sky to a place where everything is huge -- the food, the castle and the fearsome giant named Willy who guards a beautiful golden harp! Will Mickey and his friends outwit the giant and make it safely back home?

Robin Hood (A Walt Disney Masterpiece) [VHS]

Robin Hood (A Walt Disney Masterpiece) [VHS] Review

A minor classic from Disney, this 1973 all-animal, all-animated musical version of the familiar story is more charming than one might expect. Perhaps it's the warm, chummy take on key relationships within the legend--the way Robin Hood (Brian Bedford) gets twitterpated whenever the subject of Maid Marian (Monica Evans) comes up or the way best pal Little John (Phil Harris voicing a variation on his own Baloo from The Jungle Book) admonishes the Sherwood Forest hero, "Aw, Rob, why dontcha just marry the girl?" (Then, of course, there's the canny "casting" of the romantic leads as foxes: Robin the sly one and Marian the, well, foxy one.) The rest of the vocal cast is lively and eclectic: Peter Ustinov, Andy Devine, Terry-Thomas, George Lindsey. Roger Miller provides the songs and voice for the minstrel character Allan-A-Dale. The film is ably directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, whose decades of work in Disney's animation division helped create the studio's rich legacy. --Tom Keogh

Disney Princess Sing Along Songs, Vol. 2 - Enchanted Tea Party

Disney Princess Sing Along Songs, Vol. 2 - Enchanted Tea Party Review

Disney Princess Sing Along Songs, Vol. 2 - Enchanted Tea Party Feature

• In a beautiful palace garden, under a shining sapphire sky, the most delightful celebration in all the land is about to begin. It's an enchanted royal tea party, and your little princess is the guest of honor! On the wings of music and magic, your child will discover a lovely kingdom of happiness, harmony, and dreams come true. There, she can sing along with all her favorite Disney Princesses

In a beautiful palace garden, under a shining sapphire sky, the most delightful celebration in all the land is about to begin. It's an enchanted royal tea party, and your little princess is the guest of honor! On the wings of music and magic, your child will discover a lovely kingdom of happiness, harmony, and dreams come true. There, she can sing along with all her favorite Disney Princesses as they perform their best-loved songs from Disney's award-winning classics. Plus, she'll be the belle of the ball as she learns wonderful dance moves and sings karaoke-style too! So give your little girl the crown jewels of Disney's musical library, and let the enchantment reign forever and a day.

The Lion King Disney Read-Along

The Lion King Disney Read-Along Review

Not an ideal choice for younger kids, this hip and violent animated feature from Disney was nevertheless a huge smash in theaters and on video, and it continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed Broadway production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is sabotaged by a rivalrous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane, and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking, and the music is more palatable than in many Disney features. But be cautious: this is too intense for the Rugrat crowd. --Tom Keogh

Bedknobs & Broomsticks (Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection) [VHS]

Bedknobs & Broomsticks (Walt Disney Masterpiece Collection) [VHS] Review

When a mail-order apprentice witch (Angela Lansbury) is saddled with three sibling refugees from London during World War II, the outlook is grim. But the kids soon discover her secret and sign on for adventure in the name of England. With the aid of a magical bed, they track down her fraudulent headmaster (David Tomlinson) to find the spell that will aid the Allies. Fascinated that she has actually achieved results with his lessons, he joins forces. The quintet does battle with corrupt booksellers, animated-lion royalty, and, eventually, invading Germans. Songs include Lansbury's Oscar-nominated "The Age of Not Believing." This film is often compared to director Robert Stevenson's earlier effort, Mary Poppins, and for good reason. In addition to Tomlinson, the movies share a fondness for magic at the hands of a good woman, light romance with an understanding male, and wide-eyed children. Stevenson also graces both films with interaction between humans and animated animals. Disney is wise to play up that aspect on its box this time around as both the underwater ball and the subsequent island soccer match are the most visually interesting and appealing parts of the film. Adults may find the 1971-vintage mixing of actors and animation a bit creaky, but kids used to a variety of animation quality will find the action a hoot. Ages 4 and up. The movie has been recut several times but was restored to the original length of 139 minutes for its 30th anniversary in 2001. --Kimberly Heinrichs