After a delightful opening, in which jungle boy Mowgli (voiced by Haley Joel Osment) recaps much of the original Jungle Bookin a sprightly shadow puppet show, The Jungle Book 2swiftly turns into a carbon copy of the splendidly swinging previous movie. After his old pal Baloo the bear (voiced by John Goodman) draws Mowgli away from the man-village, with all its work and rules, and back into the glorious indolence of the jungle, the movie repeats—in a less energetic form—an encounter with Kaa the snake, the cockney vultures, a musical number at the monkey's palace, the menace of Shere Khan the tiger, and even the song "The Bare Necessities." The only difference is that there's a girl named Shanti along for the ride; sadly, her character is so bland that it doesn't do much to justify the movie's existence. —Bret Fetzer

There were good intentions in this Muppets adaptation of L. Frank Baum's classic Emerald City story of Dorothy's journey to see the Wizard with hopes of fulfilling her dream of stardom: the film is a nostalgic nod to the original 1979 Muppet Movie, where Kermit leaves the swamps for Hollywood to become a star, picking up some friends along the way. Grammy winner Ashanti plays Dorothy Gale, an aspiring singer who serves meatloaf to truckers and lives in a Kansas trailer park with her Aunt Em (Queen Latifah). In the ensuing chaos of a giant tornado, she gets dumped in the Land of Oz—along with her pet shrimp, Toto (Pepe the Prawn). Dorothy soon meets the familiar Scarecrow, Tin man, and Lion (Kermit, Gonzo, and Fozzie, respectively) and together they journey to see the Wizard (voiced by Jeffrey Tambor) who promises to grant her celebrity wish if first she defeats the Wicked Witch of the West (Miss Piggy). While the Muppets have survived a few cinematic flops before, this film is bereft of all they represent—the endearing innocence, engaging silliness, and cagey humor of Jim Henson's legendary variety series. Instead, a mean-spirited cynicism with sexual subtext prevails that is not only unfunny, but also mildly offensive. In a desire to appear edgy and culturally relevant by the filmmakers (and executive producers Brian and Lisa Henson), the timeless spirit of the vintage Muppets is missing, as are the signature voiceovers by Frank Oz and Brian Henson. Onscreen chemistry between actors and Muppets feels contrived, not to mention Quentin Tarantino's bizarre cameo. When Kermit delivers a religious joke of questionable taste, viewers might yearn for the swamp years, when Kermit the frog and the Henson Company could do no wrong. (Ages 4 and older) —Lynn Gibson

Scooby-Doo, Shaggy, and the Mystery Inc. crew travel to Scotland on vacation and find themselves unexpectedly tackling their biggest monstrosity ever: the Loch Ness Monster! Does it really exist? Early evidence suggests a scary "yes" when something gigantic appears outside the window of Daphne's ancestral family castle. Will Scooby-Doo and crew solve one of history's longest-running mysteries? Keep your paws crossed as this Highland Fling treats you to hilarious Scooby-Doo shenanigans, nail-biting chases and monstrous thrills!

Before Kevin Smith became a Hollywood darling with Chasing Amy, a film he wrote and directed, he made this $27,000 comedy about real-life experiences working for chump change at a New Jersey convenience store. A rude, foul-mouthed collection of anecdotes about the responsibilities that go with being on the wrong side of the till, the film is also a relationship story that takes some hilarious turns once the lovers start revealing their sexual histories to one another. In the best tradition of first-time, ultra-low budget independent films, Smith uses Clerksas an audition piece, demonstrating that he not only can handle two-character comedy but also has an eye for action—as proven in a smoothly handled rooftop hockey scene. Smith himself appears as a silent figure who hangs out on the fringes of the store's property. —Tom Keogh

Jason Alexander's vocal performance as the hambone father of Louie, a mute trumpet swan, is quite simply the most entertaining element of Trumpet of the Swan, an animated version of E.B. White's children's novel. Given to long-winded speeches and flamboyant displays (Alexander's extended "death scene" after his character is knicked on the wing is a hoot), the former George Costanza's hot-air waterfowl partially salvages this oddly unmoving family feature. The story concerns the silent Louie (his thoughts are spoken by actor Jeffrey Schoeny), who suffers the ridicule of other swans but communicates a depth of feeling by playing a brass horn. The restless script has difficulty developing a coherent emotional rise; director Richard Rich (The Swan Princess) would have done well to cut back on the number of discrete episodes that rush by with dizzying, graceless speed. Joe Mantegna signs on as the voice of a big-city scoundrel who signs Louie to an exploitative music contract, while Mary Steenburgen plays Louie's mother, and Reese Witherspoon speaks for the hero's true love. —Tom Keogh

Snow Dogsis not a fantasy about talking dogs—it—it's a heartwarming story about personal growth starring Cuba Gooding Jr. and a sled team of Siberian huskies. When Dr. Ted Brooks, a successful, sun-loving dentist from Miami, receives a summons to the minuscule town of Tolketna, Alaska, his mother is forced to confess that he was adopted. Teddy's desire to quickly return to Miami yields to a burgeoning curiosity about his deceased mother and biological father. Teddy's experiences in Alaska acquaint him firsthand with the wonders of sled dogs, the sport of mushing, human sacrifice, and love. The city slicker's hilarious attempts to mush even culminate in a hero's reception at the finish of the prestigious "Arctic Challenge."Snow Dogsis 99 minutes of breathtaking vistas, amusing comedy, and entertainment suited for the entire family. Rated PG due to the occasional outhouse joke and other mild crude humor. —Tami Horiuchi

From the Oscar(r)-winning* creators of "The Pink Panther" comes this high-concept 70s cartoon that returns you to the heart of mankind's greatest adventure! Populated by familiar characters from the Planet of the Apes films and TV series - including Cornelius, Zira and General Urko - this classic animated series pits humans against a world of apes who are more advanced than ever!

This clunky road movie about three drag queens (Patrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguziamo) who get stranded in a sleepy Nebraska town on their way to a beauty contest, is too uplifting for its own good. Released during drag's mid-'90s heyday when RuPaul and the Wigstock documentary were all the rage, To Wong Fooaimed straight for the mainstream with its inoffensive camp and "can't we all get along" moralism. While gay-activist groups howled about straights getting the lead roles in To Wong Foo, in the end the filmmakers really couldn't have done better than this trio of actors. John Leguziamo provides real sass and bite as a Latino (or should we saw Latina?) drag queen, and Wesley Snipes is surprisingly fierce as the imposing leader of the pack. Saddled with a cloying Southern accent and off-kilter wig, Patrick Swayze barely holds his own with his costars, though. To Wong Foois best viewed as a cultural artifact of a time when it seemed as though drag could rule all tomorrow's parties. —Ethan Brown

Left in charge of a magical ring by his young wizard master, Tom is horrified when the ring gets stuck on Jerry's head — and the little mouse takes off into the big city! Befire you can say "abracadabra", the sorcerer's ring is spouting a torrent of mischievous magic, and Tom and Jerry are up to their ears in the most hilarious escapade of their lives!

DVD Features:
Featurette
Other

The king needs a new queen, and Esther has been chosen! But she's about to find out that being queen is going to take more courage than she ever imagined!

The award-winning artists at Big Idea bring to life one of the Bible's greatest stories — and the most spectacular VeggieTales adventure ever! When a small-town girl wakes up with the weight of the world on her shoulders and the fate of her people in her hands, can she find the courage to do what's right?

Filled with the drama, humor, and great music that families everywhere have come to expect from Big Idea, Esther ... The Girl Who Became Queen teaches kids that "you never need to be afraid to do what's right!"

VeggieTales Classics contain an additional 10 minutes of bonus materials!