Based on the Disney theme park attraction Country Bear Jamboree, The Country Bears is the tale of one cub's quest to discover his destiny. While a family's love may be unconditional, Beary just doesn't feel a sense of belonging within his family. With a push from his malcontent brother, Beary heads to Country Bear Hall, a place where "you can be different and still fit in." Beary's disillusionment upon finding the hall on the brink of demolition quickly turns to resolve as he realizes his purpose: to reunite the once famous Country Bears band and save the hall. The disparate lives of the ex-band members make the reunion highly implausible, but thanks to Beary's influence, each member soon realizes the power of collective effort. In the process, Beary gets a boost to his self-esteem and discovers how important he is to his own family. This 88-minute presentation features great music and puppetry, a healthy dose of humor, and a wonderful message about diversity and collaborative effort. (Ages 4 to 9) —Tami Horiuchi

The two-disc Collector's Edition speaks directly to the film's core audience: kids and animation enthusiasts. Along with a widescreen version of the film, the first disc is very kid-friendly with two games ("Aladar's Adventure" is quite fun) and an informative short naming the dinosaurs seen in the movie. Using the "Fossil Dig" mode to watch the film, a viewer can see behind-the-scenes footage during certain scenes, as a dinosaur icon appears in the corner of the screen, and then is taken back to the film automatically. This is a great way to see the movie anew during repeated showings. As with previous Disney DVDs, there is plenty on the animation process on the second disc—hundreds of sketches, examples of the complex layering of scenes, and illustrations of the different forms of filmmaking from storyboards to 3-D workbooks. Six dropped sequences are shown (in various stages of completion) that hint at a darker-toned film. Best are the segments of how the show-stopping scenes (the asteroid impact, the "dino" cam) were created and some early presentation reels. The two commentary tracks are standard fare, but the hidden "Easter Eggs" (hidden features—look for the dinosaur-head skeleton) are quite fun, delving into other dinosaur tidbits from the Disney archives. —Doug Thomas

This direct-to-video feature, which serves as a lead-in to the upcoming Disney animated TV series, continues the adventures of Buzz Lightyear from the Toy Story films—and introduces the new supporting cast. Buzz battles the evil Emperor Zurg, who steals the "Unimind," a device that enables three-eyed aliens to function as a single intellect. The aliens, referred to as "LGMs" (little green men), form the support crew that keep Star Command running, but as individual thinkers, they're inept. During the course of this tongue-in-cheek adventure, Buzz acquires the sidekicks who form Team Lightyear: Booster, an oversized, overeager alien; XR (short for "Experimental Ranger"), one of the aliens' less successful robot inventions; and the inevitable spunky girl, Princess Mira Nova of the planet Tangeah. The two-dimensional, hand-drawn figure of the three-dimensional, computer-generated Buzz recalls the animated versions of live performers who populated Saturday morning TV during the 1980s. This adventure is typical of current kidvid: it has more special effects and sight gags than the cartoons of 20 years ago did, but the violence-free battles feel very tame. Buzz Lightyear may engage kids who play with the toys, but it won't appeal to the adults who flocked to the brilliant Toy Story features. —Charles Solomon

Disney's adaptation of the beloved fairy tale became a classic in its own right, thanks to some memorable tunes (including "A Dream Is a Wish Your Heart Makes," "Bibbidi-Bobbidi-Boo," and the title song) and some endearingly cute comic relief. We all know the story—the wicked stepmother and stepsisters simply won't have it, this uppity Cinderella thinking she's going to a ball designed to find the handsome prince an appropriate sweetheart, but perseverance, animal buddies, and a well-timed entrance by a fairy godmother make sure things turn out all right. There are a few striking sequences of pure animation—for example, Cinderella is reflected in bubbles drifting through the air—and the design is rich and evocative throughout. It's a simple story padded here agreeably with comic business, particularly Cinderella's rodent pals (dressed up conspicuously like the dwarf sidekicks of another famous Disney heroine) and their misadventures with a wretched cat named Lucifer. There's also much harrumphing and exposition spouting by the King and the Grand Duke. It's a much simpler and more graceful work than the more frenetically paced animated films of today, which makes it simultaneously quaint and highly gratifying. —David Kronke

Disney continues to "sequelize" its classic features. With smart foresight, the filmmakers choose to go with three snappy short films to comprise this 73-minute feature with the Fairy Godmother granting wishes to various characters. In the opening short, Cinderella must pursue life as queen. Several feathers are ruffled as she brings her down-home ways to the castle (bring the commoners in and open those darn curtains). In the other tales, one of Cinderella's animal pals receives a chance to see the world quite differently, and finally, Anastasia, Cinderella's formerly evil stepsister, finds love with a little help. As with the other sequels, the look of the film helps bridge the distance between the original and the sequel (here over 50 years) and it comes together seamlessly. Little ones from ages 4 to 9 should be entertained while purists may be a bit aghast. —Doug Thomas

When a mail-order apprentice witch (Angela Lansbury) is saddled with three sibling refugees from London during World War II, the outlook is grim. But the kids soon discover her secret and sign on for adventure in the name of England. With the aid of a magical bed, they track down her fraudulent headmaster (David Tomlinson) to find the spell that will aid the Allies. Fascinated that she has actually achieved results with his lessons, he joins forces. The quintet does battle with corrupt booksellers, animated-lion royalty, and, eventually, invading Germans. Songs include Lansbury's Oscar-nominated "The Age of Not Believing." This film is often compared to director Robert Stevenson's earlier effort, Mary Poppins, and for good reason. In addition to Tomlinson, the movies share a fondness for magic at the hands of a good woman, light romance with an understanding male, and wide-eyed children. Stevenson also graces both films with interaction between humans and animated animals. Disney is wise to play up that aspect on its box this time around as both the underwater ball and the subsequent island soccer match are the most visually interesting and appealing parts of the film. Adults may find the 1971-vintage mixing of actors and animation a bit creaky, but kids used to a variety of animation quality will find the action a hoot. Ages 4 and up. The movie has been recut several times but was restored to the original length of 139 minutes for its 30th anniversary in 2001. —Kimberly Heinrichs

Duchess and her three kittens are enjoying the high life with their devoted human mistress until the wicked butler Edgar, with his eyes on a big inheritance, decides to dope them and get them out of the picture. How can these fragile creatures cope in the unfamiliar countryside and the meaner streets of Paris? Only by meeting the irrepressible alley cat O'Malley, a rough diamond with romance in his heart. After they get a taste of the wide dangerous world, he guides them home, and Edgar gets his just desserts at the wrong end of a horse. As always, it's really the voices rather than the animation that are the heart of the Disney magic: Phil Harris is brilliant as O'Malley, Eva Gabor as Duchess is... well... Eva Gabor; but perhaps the most memorable turns are by Pat Buttram and George Lindsay, who turn the old hounds Napoleon and Lafayette into a couple of bumbling Southern-fried rednecks. Their scenes with Edgar, and the musical numbers with Scat Cat and his cool-dude band, are classic. Most striking about seeing The Aristocats now is how deeply Disney's style of animation has changed since this was at the cutting edge in 1970. Perhaps the nostalgic, dated feel are just a result of being plonked down in Belle Epoque Paris, but the illustrations are fussier (a pity) and the animation and overall pace much less frenetic (sometimes a relief) than in more recent efforts such as Aladdin. —Richard Farr

Imaginatively rendered but slightly chilly, this 1951 Disney adaptation of the Lewis Carroll classic is also appropriately surreal. Alice (voiced by Kathryn Beaumont) has all the anticipated experiences: shrinking and growing, meeting the White Rabbit, having tea with the Mad Hatter, etc. Characterization is very strong, and the Disney team worked hard to bring screen personality to Carroll's eccentric creations. For a Disney film, however, it seems more the self-satisfied sum of its inventiveness than a truly engaging experience. —Tom Keogh