Cinderella [1950]

Overview

User Rating:7.4/10

Directors:Clyde Geronimi

Wilfred Jackson

Writers:Charles Perrault (from the original classic by)

Bill Peet (story)

Release Date:4 March 1950 (USA)

Genre:Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:The greatest love story ever told. (1957 reissue)

Plot

In a far away, long ago kingdom, Cinderella is living happily with her mother and father until her mother dies. Cinderella's father remarries a cold, cruel woman who has two daughters, Drizella and Anastasia. When the father dies, Cinderella's wicked stepmother turns her into a virtual servant in her own house. Meanwhile, across town in the castle, the King determines that his son the Prince should find a suitable bride and provide him with a required number of grandchildren. So the King invites every eligible maiden in the kingdom to a fancy dress ball, where his son will be able to choose his bride. Cinderella has no suitable party dress for a ball, but her friends the mice, lead by Jaques and Gus, and the birds lend a hand in making her one, a dress the evil stepsisters immediately tear apart on the evening of the ball. At this point, enter the Fairy Godmother, the pumpkin carriage, the royal ball, the stroke of midnight, the glass slipper, and the rest, as they say, is fairy tale history.

Cast

Ilene Woods ... Cinderella (voice)

Eleanor Audley ... Lady Tremaine (voice)

Verna Felton ... Fairy Godmother (voice)

Rhoda Williams ... Drizella (voice)

James MacDonald ... Bruno / Gus / Jaques (voice) (as James Macdonald)

Luis Van Rooten ... King / Grand Duke (voice)

Don Barclay ... Doorman (voice)

The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad [1949]

Overview

User Rating:7.3/10

Directors:James Algar

Clyde Geronimi

Writers:Washington Irving (story)

Kenneth Grahame (story)

Release Date:5 October 1949 (USA)

Genre:Animation | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:HEAR BING SING: "THE HEADLESS HORSEMAN" "KATRINA" "ICHABOD CRANE"

Plot

Two stories. The Wind in the Willows: Concise version of Kenneth Grahame's story of the same name. J. Thaddeus Toad, owner of Toad Hall, is prone to fads, such as the newfangled motor car. This desire for the very latest lands him in much trouble with the wrong crowd, and it is up to his friends, Mole, Rat and Badger to save him from himself. - The Legend of Sleepy Hollow: Retelling of Washington Irving's story set in a tiny New England town. Ichabod Crane, the new schoolmaster, falls for the town beauty, Katrina Van Tassel, and the town Bully Brom Bones decides that he is a little too successful and needs "convincing" that Katrina is not for him.

Disney brings animated versions of 2 literary works to the screen here. The first is 'The Adventures of Mr. Toad', based on the characters from Kenneth Grahame's 'The Wind in the Willows'. The second is based on Washinton Irving's masterpiece 'The Headless Horseman', in which schoolteacher Ichabod Crane, smitten with Katrina Van Tassel, attends a party hosted by her father. Town thug Brom Bones, who also has his eye on Katrina, tries to intimidate Ichabod with the chilling story of 'The Headless Horseman', a ghost of a soldier in the revolutionary war who lost his head in a fight. When Ichabod rides home through Sleepy Hollow late at night, he finds himself confronted by the Headless Horseman who wants Ichabod's head for himself! Will Ichabod escape the terrifying, sword-wielding ghost....or will the Headless Horseman claim Ichabod's head for himself?

Cast

Bing Crosby ... Narrator (segment "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow")

Basil Rathbone ... Narrator (segment "The Wind in the Willows")

Eric Blore ... Mr. Toad (voice)

J. Pat O'Malley ... Cyril Proudbottom (voice) (as Pat O'Malley)

John McLeish ... Prosecutor (voice) (as John Ployardt)

Colin Campbell ... Mole (voice)

Campbell Grant ... Angus MacBadger (voice)

Claud Allister ... Rat (voice) (as Claude Allister)

The Rhythmaires ... Additional voices (voice)

rest of cast listed alphabetically:

Oliver Wallace ... Mr. Winky (voice)

Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs [1937]

Overview

User Rating:7.8/10

Writers:Wilhelm Grimm (fairy tales) & Jacob Grimm (fairy tales)

Release Date:4 February 1938 (USA)

Genre:Animation | Family | Fantasy | Musical | Romance

Tagline:Walt Disney's New characters in his first full-length production!

Plot

The first, and by far most memorable full-length animated feature from the Disney Studios, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" may have been superseded technically by many of the films that followed it. But its simple story of a charming little princess saved from the evil deeds of her wicked step-mother, the queen, by a group of seven adorable dwarfs made history when it was first released in December, 1937 and has since become an incomparable screen classic.

Cast

Roy Atwell ... Doc (voice) (uncredited)

Stuart Buchanan ... Huntsman (voice) (uncredited)

Adriana Caselotti ... Snow White (voice) (uncredited)

Eddie Collins ... Dopey / Chipmunk & Squirrel sneezes (voice) (uncredited)

Pinto Colvig ... Sleepy / Grumpy (voice) (uncredited)

Marion Darlington ... Birds (voice) (uncredited)

Billy Gilbert ... Sneezy (voice) (uncredited)

Otis Harlan ... Happy (voice) (uncredited)

Lucille La Verne ... Queen / Witch (voice) (uncredited)

James MacDonald ... Yodeling Man (voice) (uncredited)

Scotty Mattraw ... Bashful (voice) (uncredited)

Moroni Olsen ... Magic Mirror (voice) (uncredited)

Purv Pullen ... Birds (voice) (uncredited)

Harry Stockwell ... Prince (voice) (uncredited)

The Last Airbender [2010]

Overview

MOVIEmeter: ?

Director:M. Night Shyamalan

Writer (WGA):M. Night Shyamalan (written by)

Release Date:23 July 2010 (India)

Genre:Action | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:Four nations, one destiny

Plot

The story follows the adventures of Aang, a young successor to a long line of Avatars, who must put his childhood ways aside and stop the Fire Nation from enslaving the Water, Earth and Air nations.

Cast

Jackson Rathbone ... Sokka

Dev Patel ... Zuko

Nicola Peltz ... Katara

Cliff Curtis ... Firelord Ozai

Noah Ringer ... Aang

Seychelle Gabriel ... Princess Yue

Jessica Andres ... Suki

Shaun Toub ... Uncle Iroh

Aasif Mandvi ... Commander Zhao

Dee Bradley Baker ... Appa / Momo (voice)

Randall Duk Kim ... Old Man in Temple

Ben Cooke ... Avatar Roku

Keong Sim ... Earthbending Father

Katharine Houghton ... Gran Gran

Ali Khan ... Ancient Firebender

Rohan Shah ... Young Prince Zuko

Francis Guinan ... Master Pakku

LA'Tino ... Hero Henchman

J.W. Cortes ... Fire Lord Attendant

Jonathan Brunone ... Fire Nation Soldier

Mayank Amin ... Ancient Fire Nation Soldier / Fire Nation Cyberscan 3D Model

Sammy Cesare ... Fire Nation Soldier

Toy Story 3 [2010]

Overview

User Rating:(awaiting)

Director:Lee Unkrich

Writers:Michael Arndt (screenplay) and John Lasseter (screenplay)

Release Date:18 June 2010 (USA)

Genre:Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:Twitch

Plot

Woody, Buzz and the whole gang are back. As their owner Andy prepares to depart for college, his loyal toys find themselves in daycare where untamed tots with their sticky little fingers do not play nice. So, it's all for one and one for all as they join Barbie's counterpart Ken, a thespian hedgehog named Mr. Pricklepants and a pink, strawberry-scented teddy bear called Lots-o'-Huggin' Bear to plan their great escape.

Cast

Tom Hanks ... Woody (voice)

Tim Allen ... Buzz Lightyear (voice)

Joan Cusack ... Jessie (voice)

Ned Beatty ... Lotso (voice)

Don Rickles ... Mr. Potato Head (voice)

Michael Keaton ... Ken (voice)

Wallace Shawn ... Rex (voice)

John Ratzenberger ... Hamm (voice)

Estelle Harris ... Mrs. Potato Head (voice)

John Morris ... Andy (voice)

Jodi Benson ... Barbie (voice)

Emily Hahn ... Bonnie (voice)

Laurie Metcalf ... Andy's Mom (voice)

Blake Clark ... Slinky Dog (voice)

Teddy Newton ... Chatter Telephone (voice)

The Karate Kid [2010]

Overview

User Rating:(awaiting)

Director:Harald Zwart
Writers (WGA):Christopher Murphey (screenplay)
Robert Mark Kamen (story)
Release Date:11 June 2010 (USA)
Genre:Action | Drama | Family | Sport

Plot

12-year-old Dre Parker could've been the most popular kid in Detroit, but his mother's latest career move has landed him in China. Dre immediately falls for his classmate Mei Ying - and the feeling is mutual - but cultural differences make such a friendship impossible. Even worse, Dre's feelings make an enemy of the class bully, Cheng. In the land of kung fu, Dre knows only a little karate, and Cheng puts "the karate kid" on the floor with ease. With no friends in a strange land, Dre has nowhere to turn but maintenance man Mr. Han, who is secretly a master of kung fu. As Han teaches Dre that kung fu is not about punches and parries, but maturity and calm, Dre realizes that facing down the bullies will be the fight of his life.

Cast

Jaden Smith ... Dre Parker

Jackie Chan ... Mr. Han

Taraji P. Henson ... Sherry Parker

Wenwen Han ... Meiying

Rongguang Yu ... Master Li

Zhensu Wu ... Meiying's Dad

Zhiheng Wang ... Meiying's Mom

Zhenwei Wang ... Cheng

Jared Minns ... Dre's Detroit Friend

Shijia Lü ... Liang

Shrek Forever After [2010]

Overview

User Rating:6.7/10

Director:Mike Mitchell

Writers:Josh Klausner (writer)

Darren Lemke (writer)

Release Date:21 May 2010 (USA)

Genre:Animation | Adventure | Comedy | Family | Fantasy

Tagline:The Final Chapter

Plot

A bored and domesticated Shrek pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away -- where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met -- he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.

Cast

Mike Myers ... Shrek (voice)

Eddie Murphy ... Donkey (voice)

Cameron Diaz ... Princess Fiona (voice)

Antonio Banderas ... Puss in Boots (voice)

Julie Andrews ... Queen (voice)

Jon Hamm ... Brogan (voice)

John Cleese ... King Harold (voice)

Craig Robinson ... Cookie (voice)

Walt Dohrn ... Rumpelstiltskin / Priest / Krekraw Ogre (voice)

Jane Lynch ... Gretched (voice)

Lake Bell ... Patrol Witch / Wagon Witch #2 (voice)

Kathy Griffin ... Dancing Witch / Wagon Witch #1 (voice)

Mary Kay Place ... Guard Witch (voice)

Kristen Schaal ... Pumpkin Witch / Palace Witch (voice)

Meredith Vieira ... Broomsy Witch (voice)