Bluth, Don

The Land Before Time (Anniversary Edition)

This 1988 animated feature from Don Bluth (An American Tail) focuses on an orphaned young dinosaur, Littlefoot, who has to make his way to the paradise of the Great Valley in order to survive a plague. Along the way, he meets up with some other dinos from different species, and they all bond and travel together. On the way, they have plenty of adventures. Even with elements of suspense, this is a pretty relaxed movie that isn't in a particular hurry to roll out its story. Kids will like the originality of the concept, and the themes of friendship and cooperation are well woven into the fabric of the entertainment, plus the music is great. Bluth's artwork looks good, though--as always--he never seems to quite catch up with the quality of the Disney machine. --Tom Keogh

An American Tail

Don Bluth's An American Tail is based on the story of a young Russian mouse who is separated from his family in America and who later heads with his reunited kin out to the American West. It's pleasant, though not spectacular, and has its greatest problems in story development. Steven Spielberg produced with an eye toward creating animation hits outside of Disney, and he and Bluth certainly took a big step in that direction here. Kids like it a lot, and adults will warm to the sound of various familiar voices, such as Dom DeLuise as Tiger and Madeline Kahn as Gussie Mausheimer. It's also the source of the pop single "Somewhere Out There." --Tom Keogh

Thumbelina

Ranking just behind the best of animator Don Bluth's films (Anastasia and The Secret of NIMH), Thumbelina is a bubble-light version of Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tale. The finger-sized heroine goes about the old-fashioned trials of trying to find a good man, but the film is clever enough to make it endearing for the 3-6 set and more than passable for adult viewers. Barry Manilow provides much of the song score, which helps immensely. The ballad "Let Me Be Your Wings" is as good as Disney's best. Carol Channing and Charo have a good ol' time with their songs too. The voice of Thumbelina is none other than Jodi Benson, who gave voice to Ariel in Disney's The Little Mermaid. --Doug Thomas

A tiny girl no bigger than a thumb is stolen by a great ugly toad and subsequently has many adventures and makes many animal friends, before finding the perfect mate.
Genre: Children's Video
Rating: G
Release Date: 22-FEB-2005
Media Type: DVD

Anastasia (Family Fun Edition w/Bartok the Magnificent)

The daughter of last Russian czar Anastasia is found by two young Russian men Dimitri and Vladimir who seek reward that her grandmother Marie promised to the ones who'll find her. But evil genius of czar family Rasputin who for some reason survived in this film still wants Romanovs family to be destroyed forever.DVD Features: Disc 1: Anastasia (widescreen) Director/Producer Commentary by Don Bluth and Gary Goldman Interactive Feature: Learn to Draw Anastasia "Anya" Interactive Feature: Learn to Draw Dimitri Interactive Feature: Learn to Draw Rasputin Interactive Feature: Learn to Draw Bartok Anastasia Music Box Favorites Disc 2: Bartok the Magnificent (Full Screen) The Making of Anastasia: Creating the Story Defining Characters Creating of Animation Music in the Air Sing Along: Once Upon a December Sing Along: Learn to Do It Interactive Feature Learn to Sing it in a Different Language: Once Upon a December Set Top Games Explore the Palace (3D Walk Through) Becoming a Princess (Interactive Paper Doll) Putting Rasputin Back Together Again (timed puzzle game) Ink and Paint to Help Anya Remember her Past (Interactive coloring book) Aaliyah: Journery to the Past music video/Making of System Requirements:Running Time 94 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 024543229131 Manufacturer No: 2232913

Titan A.E. (Special Edition)

A visual knockout, Titan A.E. is an ambitious animated feature that combines traditional animations, computer-generated imagery, and special effects in the service of a science fiction adventure plotted with narrative conventions familiar from Star Wars and Star Trek. Credit directors Don Bluth (An American Tail, The Secret of NIMH, Anastasia) and Gary Goldman with crafting a vivid, convincing look to this deep space saga, which conjures some stunning images. A tense opening sequence climaxing in the destruction of Earth, a watery planet where delicate but deadly hydrogen trees float, joyriding in a starship while pursued by playful "space angels," and a nerve-wracking journey through a lethal maze of massive ice crystals each qualify as mesmerizing sequences in any film context.

What's visually stunning proves intermittently stunted on the narrative front, however. Orphaned when the evil Drej atomize Earth, protagonist Cale (voiced by Matt Damon) must journey across space to unlock the mystery of his late father's final project, the Titan spacecraft, in a test of faith and filial identity that echoes Star Wars. The Titan itself ultimately poses a cosmic potential familiar to admirers of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. Comical sidekicks (Nathan Lane, Janeane Garofalo, John Leguizamo), a sultry love interest (Drew Barrymore), and a roguish mentor (Bill Pullman) all verge on the generic, narrowly redeemed by dialogue from a writing team including Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon.

It's likely that Titan's target audience of young males prompted the filmmakers to walk a tightrope between softer family features and more violent, hard-edged anime. Titan's brief bloodshed and coy nudity stop short of PG-13 terrain, though younger viewers might be unsettled by the violence. Young teens will find the proceedings tamer than the video games and anime fantasies that have influenced it. --Sam Sutherland

A reluctant young hero holds the key to the future of mankind in the palm of his hand in this eye-popping, sci-fi adventure. In the year 3028 the Drej, a vicious alien race, has destroyed earth. Fifteen years later a young man named Cale learns he possesses a genetically encoded map to the Titan, a spaceship that holds the secret to the salvation of the human race. With the Drej in hot pursuit, Cale blasts off with the crew of the Valkyrie in an attempt to find the Titan before the Drej destroy it - and with it, mankind's last chance for a home of their own. Featuring an all-star voice cast that includes Matt Damon and Drew Barrymore and an edgy, out of this world soundtrack, Titan A.E. is an intergalactic thrill ride for a new generation.

The Secret of NIMH (2-Disc Family Fun Edition)

Get ready to meet some runaway rodents with an earth-shattering secret! Suspenseful and heartwarming this beautifully animated odyssey stars Mrs. Brisby a mild-mannered mother mouse with a plan to move Heaven and Earth (or at least her house and home) to save her family from Farmer Fitzgibbon's plow! Along the way she gets some help from a lovelorn Crow a busybody neighbor mouse and a fearsome Great Owl. Unfortunately Mrs. Brisby will need an engineering miracle to hoist her home and for that she must face a mysterious rat fend off a ferocious cat and claim a magic amulet! But when Mrs. Brisby discovers the astounding secret of NIMH...it could change her life forever! This timeless tale of love courage and determination will transport the whole family into an enchanting world where the bravest hearts live in the meekest of mice.System Requirements:Running Time: 82 Mins.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: G UPC: 027616077141 Manufacturer No: M107714

In his book, Robert C. O'Brien called his brave widow mouse "Mrs. Frisby," but Disney escapee animator Don Bluth must have thought kids would laugh the wrong way at that. They renamed her "Mrs. Brisby" for NIMH. That acronym stands for the National Institute of Mental Health, and the rats that live near Mrs. Brisby came from NIMH--they have strange ways. But they're the only ones who can save her house and her children, so Brisby seeks them out with the help of a humorous crow (Dom DeLuise). The magic gets laid on a little thick but this is Don Bluth's most successful attempt to achieve a complete, sincere, animated film. It's often forgotten, but it's a true surprise and a rare treat in the vast wasteland of insubstantial children's fare. --Keith Simanton

Rock-A-Doodle

Don Bluth's lavish animated musical Rock-A-Doodle was not a success when it was released in 1992. It's not hard to understand why: the film varies wildly in tone and the story makes little sense. In the live-action prologue, a little boy named Edmond learns that the crowing of Chanticleer the rooster did not make the sun rise, as everyone thought. But when a flood threatens his family's farm, Edmond sets off to get Chanticleer to make the sun rise and save the day. (Edmond gets turned into a kitten during this adventure, for no apparent reason other than that cats are easier to animate than humans.) Chanticleer has moved to the city, and although the farm seems to be in the Midwest, the nearest city is clearly supposed to be Las Vegas. Chanticleer is now the King, an Elvis caricature used for an unfunny spoof of showbiz clichés. The animation is quite fluid, and there are lots of brightly colored effects--rainbows, sparkles, sunbeams. But parents will have a hard time explaining the story to their children. --Charles Solomon

An American Tail Family Double Feature

From Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment come the adventures of Fievel, one of the most endearing animated characters ever created. In this thrilling adventure, the courageous little mouse braves the strange new world to find his family.

And the fun continues when Fievel joins forces with famed lawdog Wylie Burp to thwart a plot to transform unsuspecting settlers into mouseburgers! Filled with humor, adventure and action, these heartwarming tales are fun for the entire family.

A Troll in Central Park

Stanley is a kindhearted, popular troll who can reate flowers with a mere touch. When Gnorga, the mean-spirited Queen of the Kingdom of Trolls discovers Stanley's secret, however, she banishes him to a faraway place where she assumes nothing green can grow - New York City! Taking refuge in Central Park, Stanley befriends two young children, Gus and his baby sister Rosie. The three share wonderful adventures until Gnorga decides to let her mischief-making magic loose in the Big Apple. With its catchy songs, animation wizardy, and all-star voice cast, including award winners Dom DeLuise, Cloris Leachman, and Charles Nelson Reilly, A Troll in Central Park will make smiles bloom on faces of your entire family.

All Dogs Go to Heaven

All Dogs Go To Heaven is a musical, animated exploration of the fundamental conflict between good and bad and of the notions of caring and friendship. While all dogs may be welcome in heaven, the open admission policy doesn't necessarily ensure that a dog is worthy of, or even ready to accept his heavenly blessing. When criminal dog Charlie Barker (Burt Reynolds) and his sidekick Itchy (Dom DeLuise) escape from the dog pound, it isn't long before they realize that former business partner-in-crime Carface (Vic Taybak) has turned against them. Carface puts a permanent end to the partnership by killing Charlie, but Charlie ascends to heaven only to spurn his promised life devoid of surprises and fight to return to a life of vengeance, danger, and adventure on earth. When Charlie realizes that Carface has been using the animal-talking talents of young orphan girl named Anne-Marie (Judith Barsi) to further the success of his gambling business, Charlie steals her away and starts his own lucrative business venture. Charlie and Anne-Marie begin to become friends, but Anne-Marie's strong sense of what is right conflicts with Charlie's complete lack of moral standards and puts their friendship at risk. Worse, Charlie's quest for revenge threatens his own life as well as the lives of his friends Anne-Marie and Itchy. (Ages 6 and older) --Tami Horiuchi

Set in 1939 New Orleans, this colorful, song-filled story centers on Charles B. Barkin, a roguish German Shepherd with the charm of a con man and the heart of a marshmallow. Out for revenge against his double-crossing former partner, a cigar-chomping pit bull known as Carface, Charlie finds himself guardian to a lonely little orphan named Anne-Marie. Her astounding ability to talk to animals leads this unlikely pair on an adventure packed with thrills, laughs, tears and true love.