The Prince of Egypt (1998)

The Prince of Egypt (1998)

[8] Dreamworks Animation's maiden voyage is a stunning achievement of sight and sound. Impressionistic background paintings blend with sexy, angular character designs, all set to a brilliant soundtrack by composer Hans Zimmer and lyricist Stephen Schwartz. It kills me that…
Wolf (1994)

Wolf (1994)

[5] An odd and perhaps ill-fitting choice of material for director Mike Nichols (The Graduate). Jack Nicholson and Michelle Pfeiffer give decent performances, but James Spader leaves a greater impression as a backstabbing protege. Wolf focuses more on the psychological…
The Lion King (1994)

The Lion King (1994)

[8] The Disney Animation Studios took Shakespeare's Hamlet and transplanted it to the African savanna with an all-animal cast. Buoyed by a hit soundtrack, lush visuals, memorable characters, and a daring blend of intense drama and whacky humor, the film…
Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)

Teaching Mrs. Tingle (1999)

[5] Screenwriter Kevin Williamson (Scream, Dawson's Creek) made his directorial debut with this surprisingly mediocre horror flick about three high school students who kidnap a teacher to try and force her to reconsider a failing grade. Helen Mirren musters some…
The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992)

[7] The Muppets have my blessing to reinterpret any piece of literature they want (except maybe Naked Lunch). It's fun to see which characters are played by which Muppets, and all my favorites are featured in The Muppet Christmas Carol,…
The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

The Rescuers Down Under (1990)

[5] Disney's first animated theatrical sequel is a technical and stylistic achievement featuring beautiful character and effects animation, rich background paintings, and thrilling music from the ever-underrated Bruce Broughton. The movie is best at the beginning, during a spectacular sequence…
Scream 2 (1997)

Scream 2 (1997)

[7] More of the same is enough to earn a passing grade in the case of Scream 2. Sidney Prescott (Neve Campbell) is off to college, but Ghost Face isn't through with her yet, shoving the sordid story of her…
Anastasia (1997)

Anastasia (1997)

[7] There's a lot to like about the first animated feature produced by 20th Century Fox, even if the sum of the parts is a bit uneven. Directors Don Bluth and Gary Goldman (The Secret of NIMH, The Land Before…
Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

Robin Hood: Men in Tights (1993)

[4] When I ask myself why I like so few Mel Brooks movies, I think the answer has to do with character investment. Even in a parody movie, I still need it. There just isn't much to latch onto here.…
Airheads (1994)

Airheads (1994)

[4] Brendan Fraser, Steve Buscemi, and Adam Sandler star as wannabe rock gods who take a small radio station in L.A. hostage until they play their demo over the airwaves. As serendipity permits, news of the siege hits the public…