Some of the most endearing stories the world has ever known are contained here in Walt Disney's TIMELESS TALES VOLUME TWO. You'll fall in love with the title characters in the two Academy Award(R)-winning shorts "Ugly Duckling" and "The Country Cousin" (Best Short Subject, Cartoons, 1939 & 1936) and revel in the hilarious antics of Mr. Toad in "The Wind In The Willows." With dazzling animation, unforgettable music, and time-honored themes about facing responsibilities and liking yourself for who you are, this collection of four stories is a must-have for every child's video collection

If the phrase "Canadian action thriller" doesn't send you running to the video store, Bon Cop Bad Cop is hoping to change your mind. When a body is found straddling the Ontario/Quebec border, a detective from each province must partner up to solve the case. Naturally, in the grand tradition of buddy-cop movies, one (Colm Feore, Thirty-Two Short Films About Glenn Gould) is straight-laced and by the book while the other (Patrick Huard, Les Boys) is a chain-smoking loose cannon. The mystery escalates as more bodies pile up, all connected to the world of hockey (and based on real-life hockey figures) and all marked with mysterious tattoos. Gags about French vs. English pile up as well, along with other Canadian in-jokes, but despite that, Bon Cop Bad Cop is accessible and entertaining, a preposterous, over-the-top blend of Lethal Weapon and Saw. It has all the classic elements—an eccentric coroner, women throwing themselves at the heroes, a brawl in a bar, a time-bomb on an innocent victim, a detective clinging to the roof of speeding car—as well as a number of unique bits, like some creepy bobble-heads and a killer in a sports mascot costume doing a De Niro impression. (Be warned that the violence is sometimes extreme, though usually for comic effect, and there's a steady flow of strong language.) —Bret Fetzer

While Disney didn't invent Winnie the Pooh, nor first animate him, it certainly has Americanized the British bear into a cartoon character hardly resembling A.A. Milne's original 1924 creation. Although Disney's four Storybook Classics titles (from 1966) were somewhat faithful to Milne's concept, subsequent titles (especially in the Playtime and Learning series) descended into second-rate TV fare. All this to say that Disney has redeemed itself with The Book of Pooh, a fresh batch of Pooh stories evoking a nostalgic nod to the original. The Disney Channel's full-length film Stories from the Heart is a puppet rendition of Pooh, set in a sparkling world of computer animation (not unlike Bear in the Big Blue House, which shares the same executive producer and director, Mitchell Kriegman). The puppets (by Shadow Projects) may take some getting used to by viewers accustomed to animated cartoons, yet they'll appreciate the characters' lifelike personalities. The 77-minute program is a collection of six tales focusing on Pooh, Piglet, Owl, and the gang (though Kanga and Roo are noticeably absent). Mark Zaslove deserves writing kudos for subtle humor (reminiscent of Milne) and storytelling restraint uncharacteristic of Disney. Highlights include "Eeyore's Tailiversary," in which Eeyore receives a surprise party to celebrate the day he and his tail became attached, and "Tigger's Replacement," which chronicles Tigger's attempts to teach Piglet how to be a Tigger. (Lessons in bouncing and Tiggerisms are part of his Rigorous Tiggerous Training Program.) Many of the puppets' voices are familiar, such as Jim Cummings (The Tigger Movie) as Pooh and Tigger. Six musical numbers round out this welcome entry in Disney's Winnie the Pooh collection. —Lynn Gibson

The latest entry in the Harry Potter saga could be retitled Fast Times at Hogwarts, where finding a date to the winter ball is nearly as terrifying as worrying about Lord Voldemort's return. Thus, the young wizards' entry into puberty (and discovery of the opposite sex) opens up a rich mining field to balance out the dark content in the fourth movie (and the stories are only going to get darker). Mike Newell (Four Weddings and a Funeral) handily takes the directing reins and eases his young cast through awkward growth spurts into true young actors. Harry (Daniel Radcliffe, more sure of himself) has his first girl crush on fellow student Cho Chang (Katie Leung), and has his first big fight with best bud Ron (Rupert Grint). Meanwhile, Ron's underlying romantic tension with Hermione (Emma Watson) comes to a head over the winter ball, and when she makes one of those girl-into-woman Cinderella entrances, the boys' reactions indicate they've all crossed a threshold.

But don't worry, there's plenty of wizardry and action in Goblet of Fire. When the deadly Tri-Wizard Tournament is hosted by Hogwarts, Harry finds his name mysteriously submitted (and chosen) to compete against wizards from two neighboring academies, as well as another Hogwarts student. The competition scenes are magnificently shot, with much-improved CGI effects (particularly the underwater challenge). And the climactic confrontation with Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes, in a brilliant bit of casting) is the most thrilling yet. Goblet, the first installment to get a PG-13 rating, contains some violence as well as disturbing images for kids and some barely shrouded references at sexual awakening (Harry's bath scene in particular). The 2 1/2-hour film, lean considering it came from a 734-page book, trims out subplots about house elves (they're not missed) and gives little screen time to the standard crew of the other Potter films, but adds in more of Britain's finest actors to the cast, such as Brendan Gleeson as Mad Eye Moody and Miranda Richardson as Rita Skeeter. Michael Gambon, in his second round as Professor Dumbledore, still hasn't brought audiences around to his interpretation of the role he took over after Richard Harris died, but it's a small smudge in an otherwise spotless adaptation. —Ellen A. Kim