This is a bit less insipid than its predecessor mainly because it’s less of a paean to Britney Spears values than the first film. Sudden princess Mia (Anne Hathaway) prepares to take over the crown from her grandmother (Julie Andrews), but according to Genovian law she must first marry. And so the search for a

Sinbad takes time-proven source material and sculpts it into a serviceable animated adventure. Brad Pitt provides the voice of the title hero, the most dashing criminal on the ocean. More nuanced in its depiction of “good guys” and “bad guys” than most adult action films, Sinbad squeezes a surprising amount of thoughtfulness in between the

I’m glad it is easy to approve of Hoot, for disapproving of the movie would mean disapproving of a host of good-natured things, including cute owls and the cuter kids who try to save them. Adapted from the Carl Hiaasen novel, Hoot follows a budding teen (Logan Lerman) whose family has just moved from Montana

DreamWorks Pictures tries to match Disney in this animated tale about two 16th century buddies who stumble upon the legendary city of gold. But like a Las Vegas stage show gone berserk, there’s no discipline here – just a dizzying desire to dazzle.

A minimally amusing sequel to 1994’s nominally amusing original, in which Tim Allen reprises his role as a divorced dad who has taken on Santa’s responsibilities after the jolly old soul fell off his roof. I’m all for the spirit of the season, but this is one of those sadistically cheerful holiday movies that have

This computer-animated dramatization of the Old Testament tale of the prophet Jonah is a long way from industry giant Pixar, but there’s enough creativity and wit to make something that sounds like Sunday school fun. By recasting Biblical figures as tomatoes, carrots and the like, the filmmakers strip the story of the potential for sanctimoniousness,

This installment in the Japanese animated franchise offers elaborate nonsense seemingly designed to torture parents. The animation remains rudimentary – most of the characters look like they’re only half-drawn – while the hammering music and sound effects probably would alarm Amnesty International. As for the overriding concept of the Pokemon universe, in which kids train

If you find most sitcom kids to be thoroughly annoying, by all means avoid this remake of the 1950 family film, starring Steve Martin and Bonnie Hunt as the overwhelmed parents of 12. Littered with poisonously precocious brats, the picture mostly consists of forced comic set pieces involving swinging from chandeliers and pet frogs jumping

Disney’s floundering animation arm tried to get hip with Chicken Little, a computer-generated comedy with some of the sharp visuals of Pixar’s pictures, a bit of the deconstructionist wit of the Shrek movies and about an ounce of the fabled charm of the studio’s early classics. The movie is a wannabe, but on those terms

This is less of a children’s movie than it is a series of stupid pet tricks, although there’s enough life lessons to make you feel like you should earn a merit badge just for watching it. Frankie Muniz stars as a 9-year-old boy whose Jack Russell terrier helps him face the challenges of growing up,