Alice in Wonderland (2010) - 9 stars out of 10

Alice in Wonderland (2010) - 9 stars out of 10

This movie definitely lived up to its hype. There was absolutely no comparison to the Disney cartoon because this version was different in every imaginable way. Tim Burton's vision of Wonderland is sheer genius, giving it a dark and mystical feel. I am so glad that they combined both stories, allowing you to meet many of Carroll's creatures (like the jub-jub bird, the bandersnatch, and the jabberwocky!) Alice was perfectly cast, you'll see The Mad Hatter in an entirely new light (though I kept waiting for "Merry Unbirthday" and was sad when it never appeared), Alan Rickman as the caterpillar was awesome, the playing cards are SO COOL, and Helena Bonham Carter was SO CREEPY as the Queen of Hearts. Burton really brings an unreal feel to this movie and it's worth seeing in 3D to experience his unique world of Wonderland.

The Nightmare Before Christmas - 3 stars out of 10

The Nightmare Before Christmas - 3 stars out of 10

This movie was pointedly more evil than Burton and Selick's other movies of the same genre. Dark images like a doll's head being chopped off in a guillotine or Santa Clause being tied up and nearly killed would prevent me from showing this movie to children. Compared to Corpse Bride and Coraline, the animation is very choppy and the sets are incredibly simplistic. I know that in it's day, it was incredible. But for me, watching this is like watching a monster movie from the 60's. On a positive note, the music is fantastic, using a genius lyrical rhyme scheme that effectively furthers the plot throughout the entire movie. This movie is a classic as it created an entirely new genre of movies, but I wouldn't call it a must-see. Instead, I'd call it overrated and nowhere near the sophistication of Corpse Bride. I appreciate how revolutionary this film was but, when one looks at how many stop-motion films have been made in the past decade compared to computer animated films, this movie's significance to the film industry cannot compare with something like Toy Story.

The Princess and the Frog - 8 stars out of 10

The Princess and the Frog - 8 stars out of 10

It's a breath of fresh air for Disney to create another "real" animated masterpiece.  This is probably the best Disney animated film since Hercules.  It takes place in the steamboat era instead of the typical medieval and romantic eras, but still provides us with many of the great moments from historic Disney films.  With great characters (like Louis, who is AWESOME) and classic Disney bumbling idiots, The Princess and the Frog is highly entertaining.  It provides nods to Louis Armstrong, Ray Charles, Fairy Godmother, and even The Three Stooges, and these are all elevated by the nonstop visual comedy.  The only thing that this movie lacks is a memorable villain.  The Shadow Man has nothing on Jafar or Cruella DeVil.  The voice cast is stunning, favoring stars from Broadway instead of casting celebrity voice actors along with someone else to sing their songs.  Anika Rose may have the best singing voice of any Disney Princess (including Elsa), especially because of her embodiment of the film's jazz-era setting.  Jim Cummins' Cajun accent as Ray is nothing short of amazing when you consider that this is the same voice as Pooh, and Bruno Campos has a voice that is perfectly fitting for both a prince and a frog throughout the film.  Plus, we still get John Goodman (who is always great) and a brief moment with Terrence Howard.  I really enjoyed the story, so much that I cried 3 different times.  Not only did the writers do a great job of setting up several high-emotion moments, but Randy Newman's  musical score expertly enhanced these.  I haven't enjoyed a Newman score this much since Monsters, Inc. and Pleasantville.  The Jazz, the Dixieland, the southern gospel, the music is all so good!  The flawlessly beautiful hand-drawn animation style is unique from the Disney Renaissance and should have paved the way for a new generation of Disney fans, but it is unfortunate that Disney turned right back to computer animation after the success of this film.  “The Princess and the Frog” has helped Disney to get back to its roots of creating quality animated films with high moral values (even if they have strayed away from traditional animation once again).

[Pictured: The new animation style is gorgeous and the endless visual comedy makes the film an instant classic]

Toy Story - 10 stars out of 10

Toy Story - 10 stars out of 10

Any conversation about computer animated films should begin and end with "Toy Story." As the first feature-length computer animated film, it is film perfection. The graphics may get better and the process may become easier, allowing companies to rapidly release computer animated garbage, but Toy Story began a revolution of animation and will never be surpassed (with its closest competitor being Toy Story 3). Although Toy Story has been lauded for its animation (and even received an honorary Oscar for John Lasseter), what I believe sets it apart is its creative story which transports us to a world where the inanimate objects that we loved as children are no longer inanimate. Toy Story portrays these favorite childhood toys as more than a "child's play thing"; instead, each toy is a complex character filled with emotions whose only desire in life is to be loved by its owner. I don't know if you can even consider the voice actors to be an All-Star team, since they basically had every great actor on board. Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Jim Varney, Wallace Shawn, Don Rickles, John Ratzenberger, R. Lee Ermey, Laurie Metcalf, Jack Angel... every new character is a different celebrity! Randy Newman's score is playful and contains just enough magic to bring these toys to life. It is a travesty that "Colors of the Wind" beat out "You've Got A Friend" for the Oscar for Best Original Song. When you watch Toy Story, you will find a lot of comedy, some heartfelt moments, and an entire perspective change as you are transported into the world of toys. However, the most impressive part of Toy Story is its ability to give these toys the same desire of every human being: the desire to be loved and valued.

The Twilight Zone - 8 stars out of 10

The Twilight Zone - 8 stars out of 10

With Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall working on this, you know that it was done right.  Highlighted by a great musical score by Jerry Goldsmith, The Twilight Zone movie takes place with a Prologue and four subsequent remakes of original episodes.  The contrast from one story to the next will fill you with a thousand different emotions and keep you guessing as to what will happen next.  The Prologue lulls you into a false sense of security that is the perfect opening to this movie, making you think "Wait, is this the Twilight Zone or something else?"  Add a sudden twist by Dan Akroyd and you're aggressively thrown into The Twilight Zone.  The first segment (Time Out) presents us with a good message about racism, though it does so in an unfortunate way.  The second segment (Kick the Can) was touching, but not what I expected from The Twilight Zone.  It is definitely my least favorite of the 4 stories.  Kathleen Quinlan is FANTASTIC in the third segment (It's a Good Life) but wow, this story was just SO BIZARRE!  This is unlike any story that I have ever seen/heard and I loved it.  Jeremy Licht undergoes an amazing transformation from the beginning of this story to the end.  Finally, in the final segment of the movie (Nightmare at 20,000 Feet) John Lithgow is incredible!  This is more intense than any airplane sequence that I've seen (even in scary movies like Final Destination).  Though The Twilight Zone just isn't the same without Rod Serling's narration, this is a great presentation of four unique stories that are sure to twist your mind in several different directions.

Enchanted - 9 stars out of 10

Enchanted - 9 stars out of 10

"Enchanted" is the perfect Disney parody that parodies Disney movies!  In a cleverly written story that begins in a typical Disney cottage with typical Disney animation and a typical Disney musical number with typical Disney creatures and a typical Disney princess, nobody can fully prepare for the chaos that follows shortly after.  Placing these typified Disney characters into the real world opens the story up to endless possibilities, probably the most entertaining of which occurs when James Marsden begins to sing and is hit by all of the bikes.  Kudos to Disney for bringing in Alan Menken (composer for Little Mermaid, Aladdin, etc.) to give the musical numbers (as well as the incidental music) an authentic Disney feel.  It should also be noted that the music is INCREDIBLE, as 3 of the songs were nominated for Oscars.  Amy Adams was, for lack of a better word, "enchanting" in the role of Giselle.  In this breakthrough role, she perfectly portrays the innocence and naivity of Disney princess, though this actually served as the perfect vehicle for her to display her skill and enter into dramatic roles in Doubt and The Fighter.  Susan Sarandon was very hateable as the villain, a role that she does not often play, while Dempsey and Marsden were perfectly cast as the male leads.  Idina Menzel didn't do much for me but her character wasn't supposed to.  Catchy music, a perfect plot, and even a scene where everybody breaks into song and knows the words!  Combine all of this with a wonderfully unexpected ending and countless one-liners that will have you in stitches, and you have Disney perfection.

The Lion King - 10 stars out of 10

The Lion King - 10 stars out of 10

This is truly the peak of the Disney franchise of animated musicals! I do not believe that any animate film will ever be as good as "The Lion King." Pick any aspect - story, hero, animation, music, villain, sidekicks - none can compare. When you use actors like Matthew Broderick, Jeremy Irons, and James Earl Jones, a precident is set for the quality of the film. The use of Jonathan Taylor Thomas as young Simba was a very smart move based on his talent and popularity at the time in Home Improvement. Toss in Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella as Timone and Pumbaa, Rowan Atkinson as Zazu, plus Whoopi Goldberg and Cheech Marin as the hyenas and you're looking at a "Who's Who" list of popular actors from the time period. Next, consider this deep story of patricide (which is actually fratricide), exile, corruption, and redemption, all under the guise of a children's movie while allowing children to absorb these values. The dialogue is beautifully written and these characters are much more than a few lions and a meerkat. The music is the icing on the cake as Hans Zimmer weaves together cultural African music and strong, romantic thematic lines that somehow manage to get stuck in your head just as much as Elton John's catchy showtunes. Zimmer's heroic music as Simba climbs Pride Rock at the end will always make me cry in that moment of glory. The Lion King is more than just a cartoon - it is a hope for a better world.