Search Results for: movies movies 4 animated rated pg

The 1941 Walt Disney Animators Strike

The Walt Disney Corporation has such a good family-friendly image.  It really styles itself as an ideal place to work.  We can only imagine that things were even better in Disney’s golden era, when the man himself was still running things.  But that wasn’t always the case; in fact, in 1941 hundreds of Disney animators went on strike. The Business Insider has some fantastic photographs of and other images from the strike, and of the materials the strikers were circulating.  But it’s a bit lacking on the specific details of why animators would go on strike, especially so soon after … Continue reading →

The Secret of Roan Inish (1994)

Zzzzz……… Zzzzzz………… Oh, I’m sorry. How embarrassing! I must have fallen asleep. But then, that’s what this movie will do to you. “The Secret of Roan Inish” is the PG-rated story of a ten-year-old girl named Fiona whose mother has recently died. Her father isn’t able to take proper care of her and her older brothers are all working long hours to keep the rest of the family afloat, so Fiona is sent to the small fishing village of Donegal, Ireland, to live with her grandparents. Upon her arrival, she starts hearing tales of her ancestors, all true Irishmen and … Continue reading →

Anchors Aweigh (1945)

“Anchors Aweigh” is a charming film. When Clarence Doolittle (Frank Sinatra) and Joseph Brady (Gene Kelly), members of the gun crew on a Navy submarine, take heroic action in the face of danger, they are awarded the Silver Cross and given three days of leave on shore in California. They immediately head to Hollywood, where Lola, one of Joe’s many girlfriends, is waiting for him. However, he’s not fated to meet up with Lola—he keeps getting sidetracked. First, there’s Clarence, who has never had a girlfriend and badly wants Joe to teach him how to get one. Clarence is a … Continue reading →

Saludos Amigos (1943)

During World War II, Disney made two films as part of the Good Neighbor policy with South America. One was “The Three Caballeros,” also reviewed here on Families.com, but before that came “Saludos Amigos.” Our film begins with some artists from the studio boarding a plane for South America. The narrator tells us that they are going in search of new and exciting material for their artwork, and we see live action shots of the peoples of the various countries as well as the cartoonists’ renditions of what they see. Donald Duck appears to take us on a tour of … Continue reading →

Mickey Mouse is Back: New Shorts to Air on TV

Mickey Mouse is back.  Whether this is the reinvention that Disney execs promised years ago remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Disney’s most famous character is going to be a star yet again.  Mickey’s returning to his roots, in a series of animated shorts to debut on the Disney Channel and Disney Online this June.  Entertainment Weekly has the details. Disney Television Animation has been hard at work creating 19 new shorts starring the famous mouse, his girlfriend Minnie, and surely many of his other most popular cohorts, all to reintroduce Mickey to fans young and old.  … Continue reading →

Happy Hobbit Day!

Fans of Tolkien celebrate September 22 as the birthday of two of his most famous characters. By “Shire Reckoning”, both Bilbo Baggins and Frodo Baggins would be celebrating their birthdays today. Hobbit Day has been celebrated for around thirty years now. Here is a brief look into the Baggins family tree. J.R.R. Tolkien is the author who wrote “The Hobbit”, and “The Lord of the Rings” trilogy. If you haven’t read at least one of those books yourself, then you probably saw the movies. I can remember watching the animated version of “The Hobbit” when I was a kid. Fans … Continue reading →

The King and I (1999)

You all know how much I love the story of “The King and I.” The multitude of times I’ve mentioned it here on Families.com is a testament to that. When I saw that an animated version of the film had been done, I was curious, but skeptical. After watching it this last week, I’m no longer curious, and the skepticism was proven to be well-founded. Of course we have the basic elements of the story. Anna Leonowens, a young widow woman, is hired to travel from England to Siam to teach the king’s children. She takes with her Louie, her … Continue reading →

The Ugly Dachshund (1966)

In addition to producing countless animated classics over the years, Disney has produced many great live action films, as well. One of these, a classic, is called “The Ugly Dachshund” and stars Dean Jones and Suzanne Pleshette as married couple Mark and Fran Garrison. Fran has a champion Dachshund named Danke, a spoiled little doggie who only gets the best food, bed, and overall royal treatment. Well, that’s what you have to do to raise a champion, and now Fran is delighted to learn that Danke is having puppies. She’ll be able to raise those puppies to be champions as … Continue reading →

Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Chipmunk Adventure (1987)

I used to watch Alvin and the Chipmunks when I was a little girl. With the release of the new film “Alvin and the Chipmunks,” a whole new generation is being introduced to the furry little singing rodents. My kids were thrilled when I brought home “The Chipmunk Adventure.” Although animated and not live action, like the new film, they enjoyed learning more about Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. Dave is getting ready for a long trip to Europe for business. Alvin really wants to come along, but Dave tells him no. He’s hired Miss Miller, an eccentric elderly lady, to … Continue reading →

Antz (1998)

Gather every star in Hollywood and put their voices together in one film, and you’ve got “Antz.” Woody Allen stars as Z, a neurotic and insecure ant who’s in therapy, trying to understand his place in the colony. He feels uncomfortable with the lack of individuality he’s been taught his entire life, and wonders if there isn’t more out there. While drinking aphid beer at the bar one night, an old-timer tells him of a wonderful place called “Insectopia,” where the bugs don’t have a boss and there’s food enough for everyone. A dream is planted in Z’s heart. Meanwhile, … Continue reading →