What can two little mice possibly do to save an orphan girl who's fallen into evil hands? With a little cooperation and faith in oneself, anything is possible! As members of the mouse-run International Rescue Aid Society, Bernard and Miss Bianca respond to orphan Penny's call for help. The two mice search for clues and, with the help of an old cat named Rufus, track Penny to the clutches of the evil Madame Medusa in a dilapidated ship in Devil's Bayou. It turns out that Medusa is using Penny to locate and retrieve the Devil's Eye Diamond-a stone she'll stop at nothing to possess. With a cunning plan, courageous acts, cooperation from local animal life, and lots of faith, Bernard and Miss Bianca help Penny find the diamond and escape from Medusa. The result of their adventure is that Bernard and Miss Bianca become close friends and Penny gets adopted. This somewhat dark, classic 1977 animated Disney film is based on Margery Sharp's The Rescuers and Miss Bianca, and features the Academy Award-nominated song "Someone's Waiting for You. " Voice talents include Eva Gabor as Miss Bianca, Bob Newhart as Bernard, Geraldine Page as Madame Medusa, and Jim Jordan (radio's Fibber McGee) as Orville Albatross. Followed by the sequel The Rescuers Down Under. (Ages 5 to 11) -Tami Horiuchi.

William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale is the right stuff for this computer-animated adaptation full of verve and wit. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy-tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio, and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare, but it's the humor that makes Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humor is fun enough for 10-year-olds but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm and inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keep the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its crosstown rival, Disney. -Doug Thomas.

Three big cheers for three animated cartoons depicting two friendly kids and their magical dragon buddies encouraging each other to learn new skills. In each 12-minute episode, Emmy and her little brother, Max, wish their way to Dragon Land, a sunny, sparkling place where Barneyesque dragons accompany the kind children on various life-lesson adventures. Zak, half of a two-headed dragon, works through his embarrassment to learn swimming; Cassie, a favorite among three- to six-year-old girls, learns roller skating out of necessity; and the rather large, rather daft Ord overcomes his initial disappointment with bike riding. From the creators of Sesame Street, Dragon Tales easily breaks through the monotonous contrivances that sadly muddy so many other well-drawn but poorly executed kid videos. This upbeat television series relies neither on pun-filled dialogue nor sourpuss friends, impossible bullies nor stereotyped siblings to carry the action. Rather, it combines smart, realistic dialogue (regardless of the fantasy element), beautiful animation, and creative storytelling. Other nice touches include stand-up-and-sing segments (each about 2 minutes long) between episodes and a 3-part credit roll at the tape's end. -Liane Thomas.

In a series of lively, laughable and madcap adventures, you'll ride with the legendary Don Quixote as he encounters a variety of new challenges and unknown dangers. Together with his faithful squire Sancho, you'll see him repeatedly risk life and limb to rescue his beautiful Princess Dulcinea. Contains two action filled episodes: Hidden Treasure and The Magic Diamond.

This original, 1987 all-animated Chipmunk movie is a worldwide adventure featuring the Chipmunks, Chipettes, international crooks, various thugs, and a healthy dose of danger, natural disaster, famous scenery, and cute little animals. It all starts when Dave Seville leaves Alvin, Theodore, and Simon Chipmunk home under the care of Ms. Miller while he travels to Europe on business. Sore at being left behind, Alvin challenges Brittany from the Chipettes to the video game "Around the World" and his boast that he could beat her traveling around the world in a real hot air balloon is overheard by Claudia and Klaus, a pair of international crooks searching for an innocent courier to deliver a load of illegal diamonds to various places around the world. The crooks wager a million dollars on the Chipmunks and Chipettes to see who can race around the world the fastest, providing the hot air balloons, all necessary supplies, and the promise of $100,000 to the winner. Stalked by various thugs and encountering obstacles that range from hurricanes to snakes, tribes bent on worshiping and then sacrificing Alvin, and even a baby penguin that needs to be reunited with its parents in Antarctica, the Chipmunks and Chipettes sing their way around the globe, defeating villains that cross their paths and eventually learning the truth about the illegal cargo they're transporting. In the end, the Chipmunks and Chipettes combine forces in hopes of bringing Claudia and Klaus to justice while ensuring they all return home in one piece. This fantastical Chipmunk journey is suspenseful, funny, full of catchy music, and appropriate for ages 5 and older. Bonus features include original artwork from the movie and a CD with all 11 songs from the movie. (Ages 5 and older) -Tami Horiuchi.

More ambitious in scope than any of its other animated films (before or to come), Disney's 1940 Fantasia was a dizzying, magical, and highly enjoyable marriage of classical music and animated images. Fantasia 2000 features some breathtaking animation and storytelling, and in a few spots soars to wonderful high points, but it still more often than not has the feel of walking in its predecessor's footsteps as opposed to creating its own path. A family of whales swimming and soaring to Respighi's The Pines of Rome is magical to watch, but ends all too soon; a forest sprite's dance of life, death, and rebirth to Stravinsky's The Rite of Spring too clearly echoes the original Fantasia's Night on Bald Mountain/Ave Maria sequence. But when it's on target, Fantasia 2000 is glorious enough to make you giddy. Hans Christian Andersen's "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" is a perfect narrative set to Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No. 2, and Donald Duck's guest appearance as the assistant to Noah (of ark fame) set to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance marches is a welcome companion piece (though not an equal) to The Sorcerer's Apprentice, the one original Fantasia piece included here. The high point of Fantasia 2000, though, is a fantastic day-in-the-life sequence of 1930s New York City set to Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue and animated in the style of cartoonist Al Hirschfeld; it's a perfect melding of music, story, and animation. Let's hope future Fantasias (reportedly in the works) take a cue from the best of this compilation. The music is provided by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, conducted by James Levine, interspersed with negligible intros by Steve Martin, Bette Midler, Itzhak Perlman, James Earl Jones, and others. -Mark Englehart.

This 1939 animated film is based on Jonathan Swift's classic novel about a sailor stranded on an island populated by people the size of his thumb. When Gabby, the town crier, discovers Gulliver on the beach, he runs to tell the king. But the king is preoccupied with the impending wedding of his daughter, Princess Gloria, to Prince David from the neighboring kingdom. When the kingdoms can't agree on which song to play at the wedding, Gulliver is caught in the middle of a war. His common sense helps the two sides resolve their dispute, but not before a lot of adventure and romance. A milestone in the art of animation, this was the second animated motion picture of its magnitude ever produced, after Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It has been digitally mastered and visually enhanced, making it first-rate family entertainment even today. -Elisabeth Keating.