- Charlotte's Web
- Paramount/Nickelodeon Pictures, $30
Many of us were perfectly happy with the 1973 animated version of E. B. White's classic. We saw no need for a live-action incarnation starring Dakota Fanning and the voice of Julia Roberts. But when we were dragged to it by our kids…we were treated to one of the most heartwarming and heart-wrenching family films in ages. Just make sure you're okay with crying in front of your children (and be ready for deep talks about death and vegetarianism).—Ages 4 and up
- Happy Feet
- Warner Bros. Home Video, $29
This megahit will have your kids dancing in the living room. The classic alienation-and-acceptance tale of Mumble, a young emperor penguin who can't sing a lick but can hoof it like Savion Glover (who provided the motion-capture choreography), features some of the most astonishingly realistic computer animation yet to appear onscreen. A few tense chase scenes, as well as the whole concept of mating, earn Happy Feet a PG rating, but most kids will be enthralled by the film's pure entertainment value.—Ages 3 and up
- Kenny the Shark, Vol. 1: Feeding Frenzy
- Genius Products/Discovery Kids, $10
Sharks: They're equally terrifying and thrilling. This DVD offers an enticing mix of fact and fiction, starting with six episodes of the zany Kenny the Shark cartoon. Kenny is a tiger shark who decides to live on land with a human family; slapstick abounds, but so does real marine-life knowledge. Even more intriguing is the (nonscary) live-action featurette about kids who bravely take part in Shark Camp.—Ages 6 and up
- The Naked Brothers Band
- Nickelodeon Home Entertainment, $17
This mockumentary, about a group of grade-school-age musicians, gives prepubescent America its very own Spinal Tap. As it begins, the band is riding high—celebrities are consulting them for fashion advice, critics are extolling their nonsensical lyrics, Uma Thurman is asking for autographs. But soon Nat, the 9-year-old lead singer, gets a crush on an older woman (she's 11); Alex, Nat's younger brother and the group's bad boy, develops a lemon-lime-soda addiction; and the cello player cries censorship when Nat won't record his song, "Boys Rule, Girls Drool." From there, we're into Behind the Music territory. What works so well here is the deft juggling of clever satire and lowbrow kid jokes. Alex, for instance, can be quite bawdy (in a first-grader sort of way), but his innocence makes his humor funny on an adult level. And the excellent script turns what could have been a lame gross-out comedy into sophisticated farce.—Ages 8 and up
- Powerpuff Girls: Season One
- Cartoon Network/Warner Home Video, $20
Blossom, Bubbles, and Buttercup were not the first female superheroes (though it's always nice to see a few more joining the paltry sum we've got). They may, however, have been the first to pound on bad guys while reveling in the pink-hued sparkles and ribbons of little-girldom—they are, after all, kindergarteners. Add to the mix perfectly cast villains (Fuzzy Lumpkins) and girl-empowering fight scenes, and you begin to see why this show is a cult classic.—Ages 5 and up
- Ratatouille
- Disney, $30
Any mother who has ever wished her child would show interest in foods other than mac and cheese needs to set her kids in front of this film. Sure, the central message behind the latest Pixar masterpiece—in which a culinarily inclined rat yearns to become a gourmet chef—is about following your dreams, even if that means bucking social mores. But the secondary moral is "Try new foods." Several characters have transformative experiences while biting into a never-before-tasted morsel, and flavor is represented on-screen both visually and aurally. The movie is so appealing that it stands a chance of making even a picky 5-year-old ask for a nibble of the eggplant dish from which it takes its name.
- The Snow Queen
- BBC Video, $15
Dreamlike imagery brings Hans Christian Andersen's eerie fairy tale to life. When a tiny shard of cursed glass blows into young Kay's eye, he falls under the thrall of the nefarious title character, and his friend Gerda must journey into a mysterious wonderland to free him. All the live action, which appears as if it's taking place within a snow globe, looks dazzlingly unreal (giving the film a creepy quality that may be too scary for some young children).—Ages 5 and up
- The Secret of NIMH: Family Fun Edition
- MGM Home Video, $15
Despite massive critical acclaim upon its release in 1982, this vibrantly animated film had a fairly poor showing at the box office. One probable reason is that its plot—about super-intelligent rats who escape from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) to start their own society—was rather dark for a kid flick, full of peril, political intrigue, even assassination. Perhaps now, in the era of the enigmatic Harry Potter and the creepy Lemony Snicket, this spectacular adventure will finally find the audience it always deserved.—Ages 8 and up
