This stylish science fiction detective story bears the stamp of director Mamoru Oshii (Ghost in the Shell). "Labors" are gigantic robots used for everything from construction work to law enforcement, but a massive land reclamation project in Tokyo Bay is threatened by robots going on unexplained rampages. Patlabor cops Noah Izumi and Azuma Shinohara are called in to investigate, and soon find themselves trying to decipher the apocalyptic visions of E. Hoba, who wrote the operating system for the Labor robots and then committed suicide. Hoba introduced a virus into the software that could affect robots all over world and cause unparalleled destruction. In abandoned slum apartments and high-tech construction sites, he left clues about what he was doing-and why. But are Noah, Azuma, and their friends clever enough to second-guess a genius? And will their superior officers accept their conclusions? The first Patlabor feature has a darker tone and look than the previous OVA series. Oshii assumes the viewer already knows the characters, and doesn't bother introducing them. But this powerful tale of the dangers of over-reliance on technology is far superior to ordinary mecha features. The recent attacks of powerful computer viruses give the story an added relevance. [+]

Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo's inheritance of "the One Ring" of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Rosenman's accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi's lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped" (i. e. , meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. -Jeff Shannon.

This installment of Marvel Comics cartoons features the invincible Iron Man. In The Death of Tony Stark, a laser beam emitted from a mysterious satellite orbiting the Earth destroys the home of wealthy industrialist Tony Stark. Iron Man's alter ego has obviously dodged the strike but cannot disprove the rumor that Stark is dead until he confronts the culprit, the Mandarin. In The Crimson Dynamo, Iron Man faces Soviet electrical genius Professor Vanko, who has designed his own suit of crimson armor in order to defeat Iron Man as the first step to destroying the ultimate capitalist, Stark Enterprises. These stories, rather dated in their cold-war depiction of the Chinese and the Soviets, are each divided into three six-minute serial-type segments. The animation is minimal, restricted mostly to camera zooms and moving limbs and mouths, punctuated by Batman-style sound effects ("Wham!"). Other heroes in this series include Sub-Mariner, Spider-Man, Captain America, the Hulk, and Thor. -David Horiuchi.

The skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master. " Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. -Charles Solomon.

The husband-and-wife team of John and Faith Hubley rank among the most influential innovators in the history of American animation. Their short films won three Academy Awards (Moonbird, The Hole, Tijuana Brass Double Feature), four additional nominations (Windy Day, Of Men and Demons, Voyage to Next, A Doonesbury Special), and countless prizes at festivals around the world. The Hubleys recorded their children at play to create rambling, giggling story lines that were heralded as profound explorations of a child's mentality. In Moonbird (1959), two brothers attempt to trap their elusive, imaginary prey using candy as bait. The artists drew the characters in wax, then splashed them with water colors to produce a "resisted" texture that evokes the magic of a moonlit night. As two sisters play in Windy Day (1967), they ponder what the future may hold for them-husbands, adventures, children, and even death. These warm, imaginative shorts depict a child's world as a child perceives it, rather than showing things children do that adults think of as cute. Since John's death in 1977, Faith has continued to make films; Tall Time Tales (1992) and Cloudland (1993) are semi-abstract visual meditations on various aspects of world mythology. -Charles Solomon.

YURI NORSTEIN is universally considered the most remarkable director to emerge from the current generation of Russian animators. Although his body of completed work is less than 80 minutes in length, its impact has been so profound that he is regularly ranked one of the world's greatest contemporary directors. Most of his films were made by the same small team, his wife the artist Francesca Yarbusova, his cameraman the late Alexander Zhukovsky, and the late composer M. Meyerovich. All of the films included in this edition of the Norstein Collection were digitally re-mastered from new 35mm prints under the supervision of Zhukovsky, to whom it is dedicated. Films included in the video: TALE OF TALES, HEDGEHOG IN THE FOG, HERON AND CRANE, FOX AND RABBIT, BATTLE OF KERJENETS (co-directed with I. Ivanov-Vano) and 25th-First Day.

Although Bruno Bozzetto is best known in America for Allegro Non Troppo, his animated feature spoofing Disney's Fantasia, his short films have been winning awards at international festivals for three decades. These more personal films use simple graphics, lively animation, and nonverbal soundtracks to present wry commentaries on the problems of a neurotic and wasteful society. In a live-action interview from his home in Bergamo, Italy, Bozzetto talks about his interest in using animation to make audiences laugh and think; these imaginative shorts fulfill both functions admirably. In "Self-Service," he uses silly-looking mosquitoes to satirize Prohibition and the madness of a petroleum-based economy. "Baby Story" offers a singularly absurd look at the facts of life, while the delightfully macabre "Dancing" gives new meaning to the old concept of the dance of death. "Grasshoppers" juxtaposes the rise and fall of human empires with the annual reappearance of grass and the insects that feed upon it. One image represents balance and harmony; the other, wanton cruelty and destruction. Bozzetto's early successes, "Tapum: A History of Weapons" and "Two Castles," aren't included on this tape, but it remains a delightful sampling of the talented filmmaker's work. This unrated video is suitable for ages 14 and older for adult themes, cartoon nudity, and violence. The collection contains: 1. [+]

Masters of Russian Animation Volume 1: Film Film Film by Fyodor Khitruk (20min) Girlfriend by Yelena Gavrilko (10 min) Hunt by Eduard Nazarov (10 min) Ballerina on the Boat by Lev Atamanov (17 min) Masters of Russian Animation Volume 2: Island by Fyodor Khitruk (9. 30 min) Singing Teacher by Anatoly Petrov. (3 min) Last Hunt by Valentine Karavayev (10 min) Old Stair by Alexander Gorlenko (7 min) Liberated Don Quixote by Vadim Kurchevsky (18 min) Masters of Russian Animation Volume 3: Contact by Vladimir Tarasov (10 min) Travels of an Ant by Eduard Nazarov (10 min) Cat & Company by Alexander Guriev (10 min) Tale of Tales by Yuri Norstein.

Although it was ultimately overshadowed by Peter Jackson's live-action Lord of the Rings trilogy, Ralph Bakshi's animated adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's fantasy classic is not without charms of its own. A target of derision from intolerant fans, this ambitious production is nevertheless a respectably loyal attempt to animate the first half of Tolkien's trilogy, beginning with the hobbit Frodo's inheritance of "the One Ring" of power from Bilbo Baggins, and ending with the wizard Gandalf's triumph over the evil army of orcs. While the dialogue is literate and superbly voiced by a prestigious cast (including John Hurt as Aragorn), Leonard Rosenman's accomplished score effectively matches the ominous atmosphere that Bakshi's animation creates and sustains. Bakshi's lamentable decision to combine traditional cel animation with "rotoscoped" (i. e. , meticulously traced) live-action footage is jarringly distracting and aesthetically disastrous, but when judged by its narrative content, this Lord of the Rings deserves more credit than it typically receives. -Jeff Shannon.

The Invincible Iron Man This installment of Marvel Comics cartoons features the invincible Iron Man. In "The Death of Tony Stark," a laser beam emitted from a mysterious satellite orbiting the Earth destroys the home of wealthy industrialist Tony Stark. Iron Man's alter ego has obviously dodged the strike, but cannot disprove the rumor that Stark is dead until he confronts the culprit, the Mandarin. In "The Crimson Dynamo," Iron Man faces Soviet electrical genius Professor Vanko, who has designed his own suit of crimson armor in order to defeat Iron Man as the first step to destroying the ultimate capitalist, Stark Enterprises. These stories, rather dated in their cold-war depiction of the Chinese and the Soviets, are each divided into three six-minute serial-type segments. The animation is minimal, restricted mostly to camera zooms and moving limbs and mouths, punctuated by Batman-style sound effects ("Wham!"). -David Horiuchi The Incredible Hulk There was some amazing, classic animation done for superhero cartoons as far back as Max & Dave Fleisher's Superman series of the early 1940s (echoes of which can be found in Batman: The Animated Series). Those were done for the big screen; by the mid-1960s, superhero cartoons were being brought to television, and some of Marvel Comics' biggest heroes-Captain America, Spider-Man, Thor, and the Incredible Hulk-were the stars. Unfortunately, television didn't have much in terms of cachet-or production values-at the time, and all four heroes suffer for it. The Hulk gets short shrift here; the interesting thing about the character has always been twofold: the misunderstood misfit trying to make a quiet life for himself, and the Dr. [+]

The skillful blending of drawn animation and computer-generated imagery excited anime fans when this science fiction mystery was released in 1995: many enthusiasts believe Ghost suggests what the future of anime will be, at least in the short term. The film is set in the not-too-distant future, when an unnamed government uses lifelike cyborgs or "enhanced" humans for undercover work. One of the key cyborgs is The Major, Motoko Kusanagi, who resembles a cross between The Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. She finds herself caught up in a tangled web of espionage and counterespionage as she searches for the mysterious superhacker known as "The Puppet Master. " Mamoru Oshii directs with a staccato rhythm, alternating sequences of rapid-fire action (car chases, gun battles, explosions) with static dialogue scenes that allow the characters to sort out the vaguely mystical and rather convoluted plot. Kusanagi's final quote from I Corinthians suggests that electronic evolution may compliment and eventually supplant organic evolution. The minor nudity, profanity, and considerable violence would earn Ghost in the Shell at least a PG rating. -Charles Solomon.