This universe’s version of China is still human-free. There’s a ruling family of peacocks with a goat soothsayer and wolves for palace guards. Po (voiced by Jack Black) is still the only panda around, but this time we find out why.

In the first movie, Po was pulled from the noodle house to join the Furious Five kung fu experts. Eager but inept, he had to prove he belonged with them. Now, he’s accepted — though Tigress, especially (Angelina Jolie), still seems to feel slightly superior.

The Five, plus Po, learn that they must battle Lord Shen the peacock (Gary Oldman), who’s seizing supplies of metal. He’s also planning to use gunpowder for something besides fireworks. Our heroes also have to find, free, and re-motivate the three kung fu masters of Gongmen city, who are convinced the invention of firearms will make martial arts obsolete. (We all know how that works out.)

Po learns he’s adopted and has disturbing dreams about his birth parents. (The goose, Mr. Ping [James Hong], tells how he found baby Po in a radish crate and took him in. “I fed you, gave you a bath, fed you again . . . and again . . . and again.”)

Like the first movie, where I admired the backgrounds whenever I got bored with the fighting, this is gorgeously made. There’s plenty of street fighting and hot pursuit through an elaborate city complete with palace and harbor.

The mood is darker than the first movie’s, though still lightened with plenty of humor (Po chasing a wolf in a rickshaw is a high point). The flashbacks to Shen’s attempt to wipe out pandas, having been told he’d be defeated by a black-and-white warrior, may upset small children, though we don’t see any onscreen violence. The pull that Po feels toward both his birth parents and his adoptive father is handled with sensitivity.

Going by the final moments, there will definitely be a Kung Fu Panda 3. Let’s hope that, once again, we get more of the original fun plus something new.

This  special edition double DVD combo also includes the short Secrets of the Masters (a bonus story, not a how-to!), previews of the animated TV series, and a free subscription to an online game. It’s a good gift even for kids who have already seen the movie.

The first few scenes of Belle and the town are quite mesmerizing. There is a real depth to the town, and you actually get the feeling of people on the street in different places. However, the difference between the 3D version and the regular version is not so obvious in other parts such as when Belle sits down at the well with her book.

The biggest problem actually came in when Belle was climbing the staircase to the “forbidden West Wing.” The scale seemed to be very off. Belle was very small when visually compared to the castle staircase and hallway. It was here that the 3D effects failed somewhat, because this tended to detract a little from the story.

It wasn’t only Belle who had scaling issues. Lumiere and Cogsworth had some issues as well. In some scenes, they were just teeny-tiny figures, and in others they were much bigger. It probably wasn’t as noticeable in the 2D version as it was in 3D.

Another problem came during the fight scene. It was almost if the 3D effects were completely missing from this part of the movie. Sure, you got some graphical changes but it seems if there should have been more.

Other than these small issues with 3D, the story is still very captivating. It loses none of its character and charm in this 3D makeover. So, if you or your kids are fans of Beauty and the Beast, it certainly is worth a trip to go see this 3D version. Strive for the afternoon run on this movie to save a little on the 3D ticket price.

I, personally, found the movie quite boring.  It had all been done before.  Yes, there was an age where I, too, was all about the Chipmunks, but I am now far past that stage.  Just like there was a time where I would have found their movies hilarious.  But, now I don’t.  20th Century Fox has had some great movies, some grand slams and some home runs.  Then you have the middle of the road singles, doubles, and triples.  But then you get a movie like this that is merely just a swing and a miss.

Sure there were a few decent parts about the movie, but most of it just made me wish it could be over sooner.  Although, I did love the choices of songs they sang.  They did quite a few pop songs that everybody loves.  Even though they chose songs that were a couple years old, they were songs that, if they came on the radio today you wouldn’t be surprised and would start singing along.  I very much commend them on their musical choices.

But, to counteract that compliment, I must say that I completely hate their singing.  Ya ya, I know, they’re chipmunks, their voices are supposed to be squeaky.  But, good lord, their voices are annoying.  That was the thing that I disliked the most about the movie.  Their voices are like a boy’s when he is going through puberty and his voice cracks, except they are nasal!  I can still hearthem in my head and it is driving me crazy!

But, anyways, I thought the movie was about a two point five out of five.  If you asked a child they would probably say five, but if you asked an adult on their perspective they would probably say around a zero or one, so I averaged the two into a two point five.  So there you have, I thought the movie wasn’t very good, but your child will probably love it.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

Not that he hasn’t seen it before. But this is the first year that he really sat down and paid attention to the film. And this was the first year that I ever critically evaluated this December staple.

By any objective measure, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is hopelessly outdated.  The animation – Claymation, that is – may have induced oohs and ahs when the stop-motion technology was introduced back in the 1960s, but by today’s standards of computer-generated images and refined animation cells it is positively ridiculous.

Rudolph was made in a time when the prevailing sentiment was that no one over 30 could be trusted.  As such, Santa Claus is… well, he’s kind of a jerk.  He’s really very unlikeable and judgmental.  Santa only warms to Rudolph when he needs him.  And Donner, Rudolph’s father, he’s not so nice, either.

So Rudolph is forced to run away with Hermie, the one elf who has the rebellious streak in him to stand up and say he doesn’t want to make toys. Rather than take the career expected of him by The Man, Hermie wants to be a dentist.  So these two misfits do the only logical thing when faced with such repression from their elders – they run away.

Did you ever wonder what was wrong with the little girl doll on the Island of Misfit Toys?  The elephant has polka dots, the jack in the box is named Charley, the train has square wheels – they’re all misfit toys.  Even their leader has mismatched parts – a lion with wings (although how terrifying would a flying lion be in real life?).  But the little girl doll seemed pretty OK to me.  Anyway…

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is definitely a case of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts.  Although the dialogue is stilted, the plot is mystifying, and the characterization is stuck in the 60′s, I loved it as a kid.  I love it now.  My son loved it, too, despite a complete lack of transforming robot warriors or ninja animals.

He Said:
While a movie about singing and dancing penguins isn’t typically the kind of movie I go for, I have to admit that Happy Feet Two was very entertaining. The animation was incredibly well done and visually pleasing. It was almost impossible to avoid smiling and even laughing at the cute, fuzzy penguins dancing and singing to famous hit songs.

There is  a lot of star power, including Elijah Wood as Mumbles, Pink as Gloria, Robin Williams as Ramon, Sofia Vergara as Carmen, Hugo Weaving as Noah the Elder, Brad Pitt as Will the Krill and Matt Damon as Bill the Krill. All actors were excellent in their roles.

While the main plot of rescuing the Emperor Penguins from their impending doom was somewhat interesting, I thought what really made the movie compelling were the personal struggles that several characters had to deal with. The movie contained inspiring life lessons, such as “be all that you can no matter how large or how small you are” and “work together to achieve success.” I also thought it was interesting how the film touched on modern-day issues such as oil spills and the rising temperatures at the polar caps in ways that melded into the story seamlessly. Although this film is targeted at a younger audience, it may not appeal to everyone. However, it makes an excellent night out at the movies with the kids.

My Rating: If you’re looking for a good family movie, this is definitely worth seeing on the big screen (the 3D was amazing).

She Said:
I happened to stumble across a review of Happy Feet Two before Michael and I had an opportunity to see the film. The review lambasted the movie, claiming that it wasn’t as magical as the first Happy Feet film. Uh, no kidding. Since when is a sequel ever as good as the original? (Star Wars geeks, put your hands down.)

I loved this film. It was a fun, entertaining movie. The 3D was stunningly beautiful, the singing and dancing was contagiously fun, and Erik the baby Penguin was so freaking cute I couldn’t stand it.

The subplot with the krill Will (Pitt) and Bill (Damon) was probably my favorite part. Will had decided he wanted to be “one in a krillion” and swim against the swarm so he could evolve up the food chain. The krills had some truly funny one-liners and puns. My personal favorite was “good-bye krill world.”

This is a family friendly film that’s packed with toe tapping music and a heartfelt message about finding, and owning, who you are. The movie made me laugh aloud, while still being poignant enough to move me to tears. Get your happy on and go see this movie.

My Rating: Worth seeing on the big screen.

Puss in Boots

He Said:
I’m a big fan of animated movies and a huge fan of the “Puss in Boots” character from the Shrek films. So when I saw the previews for this film, I was very excited. Did the film live up to my expectations? No, not quite, but it was still very entertaining. Puss is a funny character and the addition of Kitty Softpaws (Salma Hayek) and Humpty Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) made for a very comical cast of characters.

The comical behaviors of cats were brilliantly woven into the film. I also thought the villain had an extremely good motive, which kept me enticed. The only thing I didn’t really like was the adventure Puss went on. There just wasn’t enough substance there for me and it wasn’t very original. I felt like it stole from another story to fill content for the plot, which was a little disappointing. Overall though, it was wildly entertaining and makes a great movie for the family or anyone who enjoys animated films and a few good laughs.

My Rating: Worth seeing on the big screen at matinee prices.

She Said:
I’ve always been a fan of Dreamworks’ animated films, especially the Shrek franchise. Of all the Shrek characters, my favorite is Puss in Boots. I mean, come on – what’s not to like about a badass kitty swordsman in fancy boots? And if that’s not enough to bring you on board, how anyone could resist Puss’ make-your-heart-melt-wide-eyed routine is beyond me. So, when Michael and I first saw the trailers for a feature film starring Puss in Boots, I was thrilled.

Even though my expectations for this film were incredibly high, I’m happy to say the movie didn’t disappoint. This wasn’t some lame spin-off from the Shrek series – it was a feature film in its own right. In fact, someone could go see Puss in Boots without ever seeing a Shrek film and they wouldn’t miss a thing. This actually threw me off a little in the beginning of the film, but after 10 minutes into the movie, I was 100% invested in the swashbuckling feline’s story.

Just like the Shrek films, Puss in Boots incorporates several recognizable fairy tale characters and pop culture references into the storyline to appeal to a larger audience, but the story itself is a pretty straightforward plot that keeps the action moving steadily along. The only part of the movie that fell a little flat was with the villains, Jack and Jill. I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll just say their continuous conversation got old fast. I felt the writers could have done more with the villains, but it’s not a complete show stopper. Thankfully, the interaction among the three main characters — Puss (Antonio Banderas), Kitty Softpaws (Selma Hayek) and Humpty Alexander Dumpty (Zach Galifianakis) was strong enough to keep the movie entertaining and fresh.

As with most CGI movies, there’s an undeniable benefit to seeing Puss in Boots in 3D. While there are some gimmicky moments here and there, the 3D dimension works really well to bring this animated film to life.

My Rating: See it on the big screen

On the less positive side, there is everything else about the trailer and early promotion. In the old cartoon, ‘smurf’ was a multi-purpose word that meant just about anything. In this new rendition, it appears to be an easy excuse to slip in crude jokes that just don’t fit in kids’ movie. The three instances of ‘smurf’ in the advance – “I think I just smurfed in my mouth”, “alright, who smurfed?”, and “Smurf Happens” were a little too thinly veiled for this dad to approve of taking his kids to see the film. I’m just waiting for a Samuel Jackson-esque Smurf to pop up shouting “Smurf you, mother-smurfer.”

If Chipmunks 2 was a cheap knock-off of the original and Hop was a cheaper, third-rate version, then The Smurfs looks to be about two steps below that. If you are forced to endure The Smurfs in the theater, you can at least entertain yourself trying to identify the famous-name actors lending their voices to the diminutive blue stars of the film. Hank Azaria, Jonathan Winters, Katy Perry, Alan Cumming, George Lopez, and Paul Reubens (of PeeWee Herman fame), B.J. Novak (Ryan of the Office), Jeff Foxworthy, Fred Amisen, and… wait for it… Wolfgang Puck join Harris in this 3D animated/live action family comedy.

Check back after the movie’s release for an updated review. Until then, my snap judgment is that this is going to be one smurfed up movie suitable for no one.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

The fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, On Stranger Tides follows Captain Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) and his long-lost love, Angelica (Penelope Cruz), as they search for the Fountain Of Youth and confront the infamous legendary pirate, Blackbeard (Ian McShane). The fourth installment draws inspiration from the book, On Stranger Tides, written by Tim Powers.

Opens May 20, 2011

The Hangover 2

The boys are back and this time, they’ve gone to Bangkok. This time around, Stu (Ed Helms) is the one getting married. And he’s got one request: no more Vegas and no more drinking, only pancakes and coffee. But things never go as planned. And two nights before the wedding, in a breathtaking resort in Thailand, with one sealed bottle of beer each, what could happen?

Opens May 26, 2011

Kung Fu Panda 2

Po is now living the dream life, as the Dragon Warrior, alongside his kung fu masters, the Furious Five. But a new villain threatens their village and will use a secret, unstoppable weapon that will conquer China and destroy kung fu. Po must now unlock the secrets of his past and use them to succeed in this battle.

Opens May 27, 2011

The Tree of Life

From the acclaimed director of The Thin Red Line and Badlands, Terrence Malick brings us his latest film. The Tree Of Life stars Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain and Sean Penn. The Tree Of Life follows the life of the eldest son, Jack, as he tries come to deals with the complicated relationship he has with his father.

Opens May 27, 2011

Let’s Pollute was created by indie filmmaker (and former Pixar animator), Geefwee Boedoe.  Interestingly, Mr. Boedoe created this film over a three-year time period in a home studio.    In addition, the budget for this film is a fraction of the costs for the other four films, as under $15,000 (plus some volunteer labor) was spent in its making.

This film gives a satirical portrayal of how people can help care for the environment.  Using sarcasm and wit, it reminds the audience about how to care for our planet.  Some examples of the “great” advice offered:

• Always buy twice what you need
• Waste twice as much as yesterday
• Want it, waste it

Using satire, viewers are reminded of how often and easily one can harm the planet.  In a society where everything is made to be disposable and items are replaced instead of repaired, it is easy to be part of the problem.  Let’s Pollute utilizes humor to remind everyone to care for our planet.  Although this film is a mere six and a half minutes long, it cleverly dispense its message, which should resonate with viewers of all ages.

This film already has won several awards, including Best Animated Film at the Orlando and Big Muddy Festivals and the Silver SpIFFy at the Spokane Internationally Film Festival.  With a message so powerful and animation so well done, let’s hope that Let’s Pollute continues this winning streak at the Oscars this Sunday.

Mr. Boedoe has another goal in mind:  “In general, not many people see short films, so getting more attention and winning awards will only help its message reach a larger audience.”  With that in mind, let’s hope that this film wins the award and awakens the conscience of many.