The Dragon Hunters crew look for the 'World Gobbler' as their planet crumbles around them.

It seems that it’s always on the weekend that I post about children’s entertainment. That’s probably because that’s when we generally watch movies!

Last night’s selection was ‘Dragon Hunters‘, a French computer generated feature film originally titled ‘Chasseurs De Dragons’.

Before I talk about the film itself, there is a kind of mystique around this one. (At least for me.) I picked this one up as a Wal-Mart exclusive two-pack that came with a Dragon Hunters comic book. The price tag was only $9.96 and my store only recieved ten. (I just checked, it’s not available on Wal-Mart’s website either!) I had never heard of it before, but as I’m constantly looking for DVDs that the two year old can play over and over without the grown up types pulling their hair out, I couldn’t resist the interesting cover and low price tag. What can I say, I’m a consumer!  ;)

As I watched the film, I was pleasantly surprised. ‘Dragon Hunters’ is a lot of fun! The film takes place on a world where the land masses float in the air, and many are connected by bridges. The fantastic landscapes lead you to the fantastic creatures! None of the dragons are all that typical, but unfortunately, the characters are. As with basically any fantasy story you find, this one is about an unlikely band of heroes: Zoe(Mary Matilyn Mouser)- a girl who believes that the tales of heroic knights in the fairy tales are true, Lian-Chu(voiced by Academy Award winner Forest Whitaker)- the large brute who really wants to be a knight, Gwizdo(Rob Paulsen, voice of too many cartoon characters to site here, but does Yakko Warner mean anything to you?)-a regular con-man who is Lian-Chu’s friend and, um, agent? boss?, and Hector- Lian-Chu and Gwizdo’s rabbit-esque pet dragon. (For a great review of this film, see Scott Mendelson‘s review on the Huffington Post, ‘Review: Dragon Hunters(2008)’)

After watching the film, I decided to Google the thing. Apparently this movie is based on a cartoon series tha was very short-lived. At least in the United States. According to Wikipedia, it had a run of just a few weeks on Cartoon Network, and was available until June 2007 on Cartoon Network Video.

If the show was anything like the film, it’s a shame that this didn’t catch on here in the states. It’s an imaginative universe that it could be easy to lose one’s self in.

What is it about Americans? It seems that anything outside of our comfort zone we reject. The popularity of Jim Henson’s The Storyteller overseas and it’s lackluster performance here is another example of this. Good, imaginative storytelling gets thrown out the window as we clamber over eachother to see the next Saw or remake of Friday the 13th. *sigh*.

Oh well, at least this stuff is out there somewhere. You just have to look a little harder to find it. If you can find ‘Dragon Hunters’, I would highly recommend it! (Hint: you can find them at good ol’ Amazon)

I give Dragon Hunters 3 1/2 gummy bears!

Beauty and the Beast

Cover of Beauty and the Beast

There’s no getting around Disney‘s classic, so we might as well get it out of the way. I remember when Beauty and the Beast was first released, TV Guide ran an article that said something like, “A Sexy Disney Cartoon?!” While this one probably won’t get your blood pumping in that way, it’s hard not to get that flutter in your chest and a tear in your eye during the ballroom scene.

Somewhere In Time

Cover via Amazon

The reason this one makes the cut is because it’s a fun romantic tale with a sci-fi twist. There’s not as much swashbuckling action as the kids might like, but it’s a good romantic film without overblown sex or horrible language. Christopher Reeve plays a playwright who uses self-hypnosis to go back in time and find the woman he’s only ever seen in a vintage portrait that hangs in a hotel.

Don’t want to go out to rent it? You can stream it online for free at hulu.com.

The Little Mermaid

Cover via Amazon

I know, there are a lot of Disney flicks that could make this list. Honorable mentions could go to Lady and the Tramp, Hercules, and Aladdin. But not the Princess flicks where she just waits around for her stiff Prince to come around. (Sorry, Snow White, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty. You’re out!) I digress.

The Little Mermaid, however, does make the cut because it’s Ariel that wins Eric. Not too much of that going on in the animated world! Plus, it’s good to have that reminder as a parent that these kids are really just on loan. You can’t keep them forever, so you’ve got to treasure them while you can!

Enchanted

Cover via Amazon

I swear, last Disney entry! Guys, stick with me. This one surprised me. I can’t put my finger on it, but I like this one. Maybe it was the music by Alan Menken. (Note the other Disney flicks on the list: Yep, Menken music MAKES the film.) Maybe it was the irreverence without being too derogatory. Maybe I just miss the classic hand-drawn style that much. At any rate, Enchanted is a charming little flick that you can watch with your little princesses and not feel like jumping out of the window.

The Princess Bride

Can anyone really argue with me on this one? Really, who doesn’t like this swashbuckling tale of true love? Bet you already have this one memorized. It’s never too late to clog your kids’ brains with this stuff as well. “Anybody want a peanut?”

Wall-E

Cover via Amazon

I covered this one in a previous post, ‘Wall-E Fully Restored My Faith In Pixar’. I got so caught up with the history of Pixar in that post, that I failed to mention the love story between Wall-E and Eve. That romance is the driving force of the movie. The fact that you are sucked in to that romance with little dialogue between two robots is fantastic. Highest possible recommendation!

Note: Even though it is owned and operated by Disney, I don’t consider Pixar movies to be in the same league as typical Disney films, seeing how Pixar pushed the envelope and broke the mold of how animation is done. Not just technically, but story-wise. Pixar did away with the notion that anything animated had to be a musical. With very few exceptios, this wasn’t seen in American animation. My blog. My prerogative.

Ever After

Looks like the fairy tales are winning in the romance department! Ever After is a fun reinvention of the different incarnations of the Cinderella stories. The damsel doesn’t find herself in so much distress in this one, however! (Can you tell I enjoy a strong female character? I guess with two daughters I want them to know they can take care of themselves!) Definitely worth a look or reviewing. Whichever the case may be!

Shrek

Cover via Amazon

An animated film that’s not in any way connected to Disney! (On the business side anyway. Well, at least for now. See ‘Disney Inks Distribution Deal With DreamWorks’) There’s no denying the heart contained within the original Shrek film. With a cast consisting of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, Cameron Diaz, and John Lithgow, is there really any room for argument?

Ladyhawke

Cover of Ladyhawke

Despite the silly Andrew Powell score, this film is a classic that will have you measuring the depths of your love! Rutger Hauer and Michelle Pfeiffer are two star-crossed lovers who are cursed to spend an eternity next to each other, yet far away. She turns in to a hawk during the day. He is a wolf at night. During the agonizing moments as the sun sets and rises, they glimpse each other as they transform, but can never be truly together until the curse is broken.

Pride and Prejudice (2005)

You won’t have to send the kids out of the room for this one, but they may or may not sit through it. (Oddly enough, my two year old will!) It’s my wife’s favorite version of this story, so I’m including it for her. (Happy Valentine’s Day, Babe!) She’s read the novel and sat through countless variations on film, so I’ll trust her to be an expert. Coming from a guy that finds something else to do when she puts on the BBC productions of Jane Austen’s novels, I can tell you that I did enjoy this movie. It’s a close second to Ang Lee’s Sense and Sensability as far as film versions of Jane Austen novels go.

Whew! There you have it: my two cents on what romantic films the entire family can enjoy. I’m about to burn my popcorn, so I better run. See you in cyberspace!

So on this lazy Sunday, I am introducing a semi-regular feature for the weekend: Adult-friendly Kid’s Movies. What I mean by that is these will be flicks that your kids might watch over and over, and won’t send you running out of the room screaming when they do!

The film we watched recently that I thought could qualfiy was ‘The City of Ember’.

Based on the book by Jeanne Duprau, ‘Ember’ tells the story of a post-apocalyptic human civilization who has moved themselves underground in an attempt to save the human race.

At first blush, this seems like a fairly typical, watered-down-for-kids science fiction adventure, but there’s something else below the surface. Bill Murray’s somewhat bumbling and clueless Mayor character is funny and seeing these people have become complacent with the way they live when surely something could be better is a commentary on today’s political attitude among many Americans.

I felt this movie was a little slow, but once it got going it was fun and, more importantly, well-recieved by the kiddos!

I’d say this movie deserves a rating of 3 out of 5 gummi bears.