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Disney is known for tugging at heartstrings. It's a major reason why so many of the studio's films have persevered over the decades. So many people remember watching these movies as kids and learning about the tragedy of death or connecting a little too closely to a family in disarray. Many Disney films, and by extention Pixar Animation productions, take place in fantastical worlds, but they don't sugarcoat harsh realities.

Fortunately, the saddest Disney movies don't really get on the level of something like "Manchester by the Sea," where it becomes unbearable to watch at a certain point. Disney films at least end on an uplifting note, proving that no matter how sad life gets, there's always a silver lining. Still, the following movies can be tough to get through, especially if you're at a point in life where you can really relate to losing a parent or going through a pet's death.

In 1989, Steven Spielberg was trying really hard to get into the animation game. He had served as executive producer on films like Don Bluth's "An American Tail" and Robert Zemeckis' "Who Framed Roger Rabbit," steering both of them to great success. He also founded his own animation studio, Amblimation, that year, hoping to continue his track record of making striking, original, and successful animated features. By 1989, though, Spielberg and Bluth had suffered a falling out, and new projects didn't come easily. As a result, Amblimation only ever made three features: "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West," "We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story," and "Balto."

Spielberg has better success on television, overseeing a new wave of animated shows that ushered in a new generation of entertainment. 1990 saw the debut of "Tiny Toon Adventures," a fourth-wall-breaking comedy series featuring a new collection of "kid" counterparts to well-known Warner Bros. characters. That show...

Gen-Xers likely recall this with clarity, but way back in 1987, when actor Bruce Willis was riding high in Hollywood, he began to, perhaps misguidedly, branch out. He released a blues record called "The Return of Bruno," a concept album consisting mostly of covers that was said to trace the rise and success of a fictional alter-ego named Bruno Radolini. In a tie-in TV special the same year, Willis played the titular Bruno in a mockumentary about the character. Many people bought "The Return of Bruno" as a pop culture curio, more eager to mock Willis than to give his music a chance. These days, few remember "Bruno," and those that do only bring it up for reasons of kitsch. 

Even fewer people, however, will remember an additional return of Bruno. Willis, it seems, wasn't done.

In 1996, Willis co-created and starred in an animated series called "Bruno the Kid," a comedy...

This article contains spoilers for Moana 2.

Disney has been a trusted brand for producing family-friendly all-age films. From original stories to classic fairy tales, many Disney movies are widely loved and long celebrated. Magical creatures and friendly animals make most stories less frightening despite tackling dark themes. The promise of love between a princess and a prince is also able to gloss over the disturbing truth underneath their union.

In fact, many classic Disney movies are more problematic than fans noticed. The portrayal of romance goes wrong in many movies. From Snow White to Moana 2, what seems like a magical journey about empowerment and adventure might have some very disturbing details lying in between the lines.Most Love Is Instant

Disney loves an instant love story. From Snow White to Cinderella, love at first sight is Disney's style. What's gluing two characters together is rarely explained in a Disney movie,...

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is one of the best movies from Disney's Renaissance Era, and it is rumored to be Disney's next live-action remake. The movie is a musical-animated epic released on June 21, 1996, directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise. Tom Hulce, Tony Jay, Kevin Kline, and Demi Moore all expertly lend their voice talents to the film, and it includes extremely catchy and memorable songs written by musical legends Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz. The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a marvel of its time; it is beautifully animated and has had a lasting impact on generations of viewers. However, even at a time when everything seems to be getting a reboot, Quasimodo the Hunchback has seemingly been left behind.

Disney seems less interested in moving forward with this project and instead continues to pursue other ideas. To name a few, a live-action portrayal of Lilo & Stitch is...

Rotten Tomatoes has updated its reviews of the film The Hunchback of Notre Dame to give the animated Disney classic a Certified Fresh approval rating from critics. This has resulted in the film earning a score of 80% on the website.

The score was tabulated after a slew of reviews from 1996 were officially added to the site, giving the film an updated score. Critics from the era were largely impressed by the movie with several giving The Hunchback of Notre Dame perfect scores. Much of the reviews were particularly complimentary of the movie's animation, with one critic (Jeffrey Westhoff of the Northwest Herald) calling it "Disney's most powerful animated film since Bambi," predicting that the film would "20 years from now... be considered an authentic masterpiece." Indeed, more than two decades later, the film is beloved by many fans of Disney movies, though a lot of its love was there from most critics at the very start.

When it comes to animated movies, there is no name better known than Disney. Children and adults alike have been falling in love with Disney movies for generations, ranging all the way from classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937) to modern favorites like Encanto (2021). Audiences around the world love Disney's animated films for their family-friendly stories, fun songs, and lovable characters.

However, not every animated film by Disney falls within this mold. Every so often, the company releases a film that challenges the audience's preconceived notions of what a Disney movie can be. Whether this is done by depicting dark turns or covering mature topics, these films have often surprised their viewers. Of course, this is not to say that the movies that don't fall within the typical Disney mold are bad by any means. Rather, these animated features simply push the boundaries of what a Disney movie can be,...

Mentions of sexual assault, discrimination, manipulation, murder, and more.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame had dark themes, including discrimination and damnation, making it one of Disney's darkest movies. Victor Hugo's original novel was darker, depicting Frollo as obsessed and Quasimodo's tragic death, forcing Disney to make significant changes. The live-action remake of The Hunchback of Notre Dame is facing challenges due to its dark themes, remaining in 'development hell' as of 2024.

Disney is known for changing the original stories its animated movies are based on, but the one of this 28-year-old movie poses a big problem for its live-action version. Disney continues to be a powerhouse in the world of animation, a reign that began in 1937 with the release of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, the first animated feature film produced in the United States and the first cel-animated feature film. Since then, Disney has produced over 60 animated movies,...

The 1980s was a golden age for fantasy movies, but one that often gets overlooked is Time Bandits. Directed by Terry Gilliam and written by him and fellow member of Monty Python's Flying Circus, Michael Palin, it follows a young boy named Kevin (Craig Warnock) who gets whisked into a fantastical adventure across time and space and meets six dwarves. They used to work for the Supreme Being (Tony Jay and Ralph Richardson) as space-time repairmen until they realized they could use their map of rifts to steal history's riches. Unfortunately, their get-rich-quick scheme is being monitored by Evil (David Warner), the physical embodiment of evil in the universe, who wishes to use the map to escape from his prison.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem released in 2023 and featured a teenage version of the turtle heroes and an underground world of mutants. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have a rich history, from their comic book origins to their numerous TV series and movies spanning over 35 years. The franchise includes classic adaptations like the 1990 live-action film and the popular 2003 animated series, as well as newer takes such as the 2014 and 2016 live-action movies and the 2018 animated series, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

While the franchise is somewhat lacking when it comes to having a cohesive continuity, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies in order show how the world's favorite heroes in a half-shell have continually adapted themselves to stay relevant throughout the decades. From the pages of comic books to the big screen, Earth's favorite crime-fighting anthropomorphic turtles love only one thing more than ridding the world of scum: pizza.

Quick Links Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Latest News Disney’s Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Was Confirmed Disney Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Cast Live-Action Disney Hunchback Of Notre Dame Story Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame: Further News & Info Disney's live-action Hunchback of Notre Dame may not move forward due to uncertainty surrounding its future. Rumors suggest the project has been shelved, leaving fans unsure if the remake will be canceled. The dark and adult-themed plot of the original story may make it challenging to adapt for a family-friendly audience.

Disney’s live-action Hunchback of Notre Dame adaptation has been in development for several years, and despite Josh Gad’s involvement and considerable fan demand there’s still much uncertainty around its future. The original animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released by Disney in 1996, starring Kevin Kline as Phoebus, Demi Moore as Esmeralda, Tom Hulce as Quasimodo,...

What's the best Disney villain song? I love Scar's devious rallying call "Be Prepared" from "The Lion King." For the feminine villains, "Mother Knows Best" from "Tangled" (sung by Tony winner Donna Murphy as Gothel) is deliciously theatrical.

Ultimately, still, the crown can't go anywhere but to "Hellfire" from "The Hunchback of Notre Dame," as Claude Frollo (the late Tony Jay) sings before a searing fireplace about his lust for Romani "witch" Esmeralda (Demi Moore). Jay's mellifluous baritone was like no other — the actor's voice was so powerful it lifted the song with its echoes.

Now, the "Hunchback" soundtrack is nothing to sneer at, but "Hellfire" is on another level of daring ambition. "Out There" (by Tom Hulce as Quasimodo) is the "yearning song" seen in many a Disney movie, a la "Part of Your World" from "The Little Mermaid" or "Belle's Reprise" from "Beauty and the Beast." Esmeralda's...

Despite a union with SAG-AFTRA and increasing attention paid to the very best voice acting performances in the industry, it’s still easy to take those performances for granted. It’s part and parcel of a medium that still struggles with being recognized as an art form, and one where those union protections don’t yet protect the most vulnerable performers.

Voice acting is often the key to whether a story-heavy game sinks or swims. Granted, it is possible for a game’s voice acting to become iconic, even with a crappy dub. The original Resident Evil is still a meme for B-movie lines like the Jill Sandwich, and Shenmue’s English voice acting, respectfully, flat-out sucks. But a truly remarkable job, like the whole of Final Fantasy Xii or Nolan North’s various appearances as Nathan Drake, reminds us why it’s important to remember our roots, appreciate the creators,...

It’s been virtually 100 years to the day since Walt Disney’s animated mouse took the wheel of a steamship and steered himself into immortality. But for anyone who grew up watching Disney movies that might seem surprisingly recent. Since near its very inception, Walt Disney Animation Studios has evoked a timeless sensibility which seems eternal and everlasting. With likely your parents and grandparents growing up on Disney movies, the studio’s brand of hand-drawn magic has always been there in the background of living memory. But every magic has its dark side… and the shadows cast by the House of Mouse have always been faintly more sinister than parents remember until they put a little one in front of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs or Fantasia. You show a child Chernabog for the first time, and I’ll show you a week of nightmares.

Going back to the days of Walt,...

Quick Links Most Recent Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame News Disney’s Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Was Confirmed Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Release Date Prediction Disney Live-Action Hunchback Of Notre Dame Cast Live-Action Disney Hunchback Of Notre Dame Story

Disney’s live-action Hunchback of Notre Dame adaptation has been in development for several years, and despite Josh Gad’s involvement and considerable fan demand there’s still much uncertainty around its future. The original animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame was released by Disney in 1996, starring Kevin Kline as Phoebus, Demi Moore as Esmeralda, Tom Hulce as Quasimodo, and the late Tony Jay as villain Judge Claude Frollo. It was notoriously dark for a Disney animated feature, and definitely sits among their more controversial releases.

In 2019 it was announced that The Hunchback of Notre Dame was up for the now-notorious Disney live-action remake treatment. The news was met...

Phoebus is shown to be a loyal and trustworthy character, choosing to stand up for Quasimodo and Esmeralda instead of blindly following Frollo's orders. Phoebus provides much-needed comedy relief in the film, injecting humor into serious situations with his witty lines and funny interactions. Phoebus embodies humanity and the importance of inner character, as shown through his relationship with Esmeralda and his refusal to partake in Frollo's harmful actions. His character teaches viewers about acceptance and diversity.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is a 1996 animated musical drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and is loosely based on the 1831 novel of the same name by Victor Hugo. Directed by Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise, The Hunchback of Notre Dame follows the character of Quasimodo, a bell ringer in the tower of Notre Dame, who has a deformation that give him a hunched back. Quasimodo (voiced by Tom Hulce) wants...

Nothing beats a good villain theme. Yet despite being the world's dominant media franchise, the Marvel Cinematic Universe hasn't produced many memorable character themes (I'll defer an explanation to Every Frame a Painting), and there are even fewer villains with a signature leitmotif. 

That doesn't mean they don't have unofficial villain songs, though. In a recent interview for the upcoming issue of Total Film, which hits shelves next Thursday, Jonathan Majors revealed he brought his own theme for Kang the Conqueror to the set of "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." While director Peyton Reed and star Paul Rudd were listening to '80s New Romantic bands, Majors was getting into the mindset of a conqueror with the rap song "9mm." A track on David Banner's 2008 album "The Greatest Story Ever Told," the song features Akon, Lil Wayne, and Snoop Dogg. 

The lyrics are just one part of the sound in "9mm,...

Writers, co-directors and producers for Disney’s 1996 animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame say notes from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) resulted in several of the film’s sounds being edited to earn the movie’s G-rating, according to a new interview with The New York Times.

That includes lowering the volume of villain Judge Claude Frollo sniffing the hair of the movie’s young Romani female lead, Esmeralda, and increasing the sound of swooshing robes to cover up the character’s voice actor Tony Jay saying the word “sin.”

In a piece published Monday for the 1996 Disney film’s 25th anniversary, writer Tab ...

Writers, co-directors and producers for Disney’s 1996 animated The Hunchback of Notre Dame say notes from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) resulted in several of the film’s sounds being edited to earn the movie’s G-rating, according to a new interview with The New York Times.

That includes lowering the volume of villain Judge Claude Frollo sniffing the hair of the movie’s young Romani female lead, Esmeralda, and increasing the sound of swooshing robes to cover up the character’s voice actor Tony Jay saying the word “sin.”

In a piece published Monday for the 1996 Disney film’s 25th anniversary, writer Tab ...

Recently, I had the honor of getting to talk to voice actor Ron Paulsen for about an hour. The point of the interview was to discuss the Animaniacs revival on Hulu and a little bit about his autobiography Voice Lessons, but the two of us discussed all kinds of corners of his career. Rob, an incredibly friendly guy who comes off like there’s nothing he’d rather do than talk with a fan, talked up everything from Pinky and the Brain to Metal Gear Solid.

Starting way back in the GI Joe days, Rob Paulsen has been doing the voice acting thing for decades and his list of credits and characters resembles the pages of a phone book. While he found out about the return of Animaniacs back when the rest of the world did, he later was happy to discover that Steven Spielberg insisted that the show could...

I don't know about you, but the idea of seeing Game of Thrones stars Jason Momoa and Peter Dinklage join forces for a remake of Twins sounds like good times to me. Let me make sure and point out right up front here today that this is not in any way official news, this is merely a fun story that occurred the other day. You see what had happened was Momoa was recently speaking at Celebrity Fan Fest, and when a fan pitched the idea of the Twins remake with Peter Dinklage, Momoa answered with this.

"F--kin' tell me where to sign! Absolutely. That'd be amazing. I love that movie."

And boom! There you go. Jason Momoa is more than down for starring in a remake of the classic '80s buddy comedy. Now we just need to have someone track this Peter Dinklage character down and make sure he's just as enthusiastic.

One of the most inventive comedies of all time is director Ivan Reitman's 1988 buddy adventure Twins starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Danny DeVito as - you guessed it - twins separated at birth. The movie is one of the great examples of a killer high-concept idea, and a sequel seemed like a given. But it never happened. That said, is there still a chance another film may come to fruition? Well, while out and about promoting Tim Burton's recent live-action remake of the Disney classic Dumbo co-star Danny DeVito talked a bit about the rumors circling a possible sequel Triplets co-starring Eddie Murphy.

Danny DeVito says this.

"Everybody would be up for it. The main thing is you have to have a screenplay. We're looking. We're figuring it out."

So what could the film be? There have been rumors flying back and forth for years now that a potential...

The bells of Notre Dame are ringing louder than ever.

The Hunchback of Notre Dame is getting a live-action remake, People confirms.

The film will be produced by Mandeville Films and Frozen‘s Josh Gad. Alan Menken, who created the original score of the animated film, and Stephen Schwartz will compose the music while Tony-winning M. Butterfly playwright David Henry Hwang is attached to write.

While no casting decisions have been made, the remake will pull from the animated film as well as the Victor Hugo novel that was first published in 1831.

The animated version of the film was released...

Multi-talented superstar, Idris Elba is to team up with Netflix for a new adaptation of the 1831 Victor Hugo Novel, The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

The actor/DJ/filmmaker will not only star as the titular character but will also direct the picture. He will also produce and provide the musical score which is being described as a “sonic and musical experience.”

The Current War’s Michael Mitnick will pen the script. Fred Berger (La La Land) and Brian Kavanaugh-Jones (Midnight Special) will produce for Automatik, along with Elba and Green Door’s Ana Garanito.

The French Romantic/Gothic novel by Victor Hugo was first published in 1831 and was set in Paris in 1482 during the reign of Louis XI. The story is centred on Quasimodo, a hunchback, and his doomed romance with the Gypsy Esmeralda. Elba’s version is set to be set in modern day. In 1996, Disney turned the story...

Ron Hogan Aug 25, 2017

The Tick, out now on Amazon Prime Video, is huge fun. Here's how the show achieves what its creator envisioned 21 years ago...

In 1994, I was about to be a freshman in high school. Despite being “too old” for cartoons, there wasn’t really anything else on television on Saturday mornings while I was waiting for wrestling to show up on my television screen. I remember most of the cartoons I saw only in the vaguest terms: the creepy face of Louie Anderson’s gargoyle animated child or a screaming purple cat. I know the name of both shows because I looked them up prior to writing this article, but I couldn’t tell you anything about them. However, one show I watched regularly in the mid to late 90s stuck with me well into adulthood, and that’s the 1994-96 animated version of The Tick.

See related...

[Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers from “Twin Peaks” Episode 8 titled “Part 8 – Gotta Light?”]

What was only hinted at in the third episode of “Twin Peaks” became a full-blown surrealistic experience in Sunday’s avant-garde “Part 8.”

Despite the experimental filmmaking and very little dialogue, the 50-minute bombardment of sound and fury coalesced into an intriguing origin story that promised a lot more sense in the contemporary story to come. Giving historical context to some of the things we’ve seen so far anchors the story in a way that it hasn’t been before. But this wasn’t just the story of one birth, but of many. Let’s break those and a few other theories down:

Read More: ‘Twin Peaks’ Review: Part 8 Aims for Maximum Weirdness and Succeeds

What About Bob?

The evil spirit (Frank Silva) we first met in the original series has been riding along with Evil Cooper (Kyle MacLachlan) in some sort of weird, mutual symbiosis. It seemed that...

What a way to start off the week! The formidable cast list for Showtime's forthcoming Twin Peaks revival series was revealed this morning, and man, is it a doozy. In addition to boasting such key returning players as Kyle MacLachlan (Dale Cooper), Sheryl Lee (Laura Palmer/Maddy Ferguson) and Sherilyn Fenn (Audrey Horne), there are a number of surprising A-listers in the mix including Michael Cera, Trent Reznor, Amanda Seyfried and Naomi Watts. On the downside, a not-insignificant number of cast members from both the original series and the 1992 prequel film Fire Walk with Me are completely absent from the list. Where, for instance, is Lara Flynn Boyle (or Moira Kelly, for that matter)? Michael Ontkean? Piper Laurie? Joan Chen? Anyone from the mill? (Literally, there is no one from the mill.) So while I'm thankful that most of the major players are back in action, I can't help but...

The Disney Dtv sequels have become a bit if an embarrassment to the Disney legacy. There have been a lot of them and for every Toy Story 2 there are a half dozen cash-ins like Aladdin The Return Of Jafar, Beauty And The Beast’S Enchanted Christmas, and Lilo And Stitch – Stitch Has A Glitch. Most seemed rushed with inferior animation, weak tunes, and lame scripts. They may have worked their way into the wallets of the Disney fans, but not their hearts.

Let’s face it – topping Phil Harris and his classic jungle jive in the original 1967 Jungle Book wasn’t going to happen but 2003’s Jungle Book 2 was better than most sequels, had an impressive voice cast, and was wise enough to include the Jb signature tune “The Bear Necessities” not once but three times! The film’s animation was more detailed and vivid than most of Disney...

Victor Hugo devotees will not exactly like what Disney did to his classic novel, but musical and animation devotees may be able to forgive. Some still might not be able to being forced to buy the inferior direct-to-video sequel. Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996): In 15th century Paris, Minister Frollo (Tony Jay) pursues the law with an iron fist, especially against gypsies. His pursuit ends with a mother dead and her deformed baby nearly cast into a well. The Archdeacon of Notre Dame (David Ogden Stiers) tells Frollo that can.t murder the child at the steps of the massive cathedral. Frollo fears for his mortal soul so he has the Archdeacon raise Quasimodo (Tom Hulce) as the...

Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment is releasing Who Framed Roger Rabbit? on Blu-ray March 12, 2013. The studio is also releasing two-packs featuring The Hunchback of Notre Dame and The Hunchback of Notre Dame II, Mulan and Mulan II and Brother Bear and Brother Bear 2 on the same date. Take a look at the artwork and release details for these four new Blu-ray's.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Blu-ray - $26.50 Srp

A toon hating detective is a cartoon rabbit's only hope to prove his innocence when he is accused of murder. Four time Academy Award Winner (1988) for Best Film Editing, Best Visual Effects, Best Sound Effects Editing and Special Achievement in Animation Direction.

Special Features:

The Roger Rabbit Shorts (Digitally Restored) - Tummy Trouble, Roller-Coaster Rabbit & Trail Mix-UpWho Made Roger Rabbit?Theatrical TrailerDeleted Scene: "Pig's Head"On Set! Benny The CabBehind The Ears: The True StoryBefore & After Split-ScreenToon Stand-InsFeature Audio CommentaryToontown...

In spite of having grown up as a part of the Disney “VHS Generation”, one of the first groups of children to have the privilege and opportunity to enjoy nearly every Disney classic in the comfort of my home on demand, I don’t have much nostalgia for my childhood favourites. They still have a special place in my heart because they undeniably have a hand in the person I have become, but they have since been replaced by other Disney films I didn’t necessarily appreciate as a child.

I have my qualms with Disney, none of which I plan on getting into right here, but I can appreciate many of their films for their artistry and heartfelt sentiment. This list does not reflect the tastes and impulses of my childhood self, but the obsessions and preferences of my young adulthood. That isn’t to say there isn’t any nostalgia involved,...

The saying goes that the hero of your story is only as great as your villain, On podcast #124 I made a bold statement that the key difference between classic Disney movies and Pixar films is their villains. I love Pixar films, but in my mind classic Disney movies like The Jungle Book and The Lion King are still superior films, principally because they all have the missing ingredient Pixar lacks; iconic, classic and memorable villains. Pixar films are anything but weak, some credit must go towards the heroic characters who inspire courage, hope and charm their ways into our hears, but the same can't be said about the Pixar characters whose job it is to create havoc and fear with their malicious deeds. Whether you love or hate Disney, it cannot be denied that they have come up with some greatest on screen villains in movie-making history. Here is my...

In the energetic sequel "Ice Age: The Meltdown", youngsters may fret over whether the animal heroes will reach their new home safely, parents may wonder how all this melting ice pack parallels the current concerns over global warming, and 20th Century Fox Animation may have to figure out what to do with the bounty undoubtedly flowing its way from boxoffice and DVD coffers. Ray Romano again heads the voice cast, reunited with John Leguizamo and Denis Leary from the original 2002 "Ice Age".

The story gets under way with the zany sloth Sid (Leguizamo) running a day camp for young animals. His old buddies -- the mature woolly mammoth Manny (Ray Romano) and the dryly witty saber-toothed tiger Diego (Leary) -- make Sid realize that he is really quite unsuitable as any kind of role model. Con artist armadillo Fast Tony Jay Leno) alerts the various breeds that a global warming will imminently melt the enormous glacial dam that protects their valley. Oceans of water will flood the landscape, thus they must embark on a trek toward safety. It is at this point that the very good CGI effects are never more impressive, as the enormous scope of their changing environmental habitat is revealed.

The charm of the original film was its endearing character development, mixing humor with personality traits with real dimension (not all that unlike Romano's former smash-hit TV sitcom, "Everybody Loves Raymond"). This lifts "Meltdown" above many other animated efforts. Along their trip, each of the three leads gets a story arc: Manny may be the last of his species, that is until Ellie (Queen Latifah) shows up, a mammoth who thinks she's an opossum, like her sidekicks Crash Seann William Scott) and Eddie (Josh Peck). Sid, the Rodney Dangerfield of sloths, finds respect in a fun midnight-cult sequence. And Diego struggles to face a long-held fear.

In most respects, this sequel is better than the original. No human characters appear this time, so it's a more seamless animal tale. Although Diego's tiger is more of a pussycat here, the film's overall story line, complete with predatory prehistoric alligator creatures, is more involving. Even clocking in 11 minutes longer than "Ice Age", director Carlos Saldanha (who received co-director credit on the original) has made a vivid and entertaining (and educational?) family film that never flags.

Highlights include the tender depiction of Ellie's life-changing moment when she recognizes her childhood home is now completely melted; a rousing all-vulture version of "Food, Glorious Food" from "Oliver!"; and, last but hardly least, Scrat, the unspeaking squirrel/rat, back from the first film with more silly screen time. He is still risking life and limb on sheer, frozen cliffs above and below icy water in pursuit of that elusive acorn. Scrat's intermittent sequences are episodic, like chapters of an old serial -- and like those old serials, the kids will eat it up.

ICE AGE: THE MELTDOWN

20th Century Fox

20th Century Fox Animation presents a Blue Sky Studios production

Credits:

Director: Carlos Saldanha

Screenwriters: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow, Jim Hecht

Story by: Peter Gaulke, Gerry Swallow

Producer: Lori Forte

Executive producers: Christopher Meledandri, Chris Wedge

Art director: Thomas Cardone

Character designer: Peter de Seve

Music: John Powell

Editor: Harry Hitner. Voices: Manny: Ray Romano

Sid: John Leguizamo

Diego: Denis Leary

Ellie: Queen Latifah

Crash: Seann William Scott

Eddie: Josh Peck

Lone Gunslinging Vulture: Will Arnett

Fast Tony: Jay Leno

MPAA rating PG

Running time -- 91 minutes...

The drawing power of Eddie Murphy is bound to be severely tested by this wildly unfunny sci-fi/action comedy, unveiled Friday without press screenings. Playing a nightclub owner on the moon, even Murphy's expert comic timing and famed charisma can't rescue this effort, which also boasts a talented cast of supporting players similarly lost in space. The inevitable boxoffice disaster is likely to result in yet another "Nutty Professor" or "Doctor Dolittle" to restore Murphy's luster.

Written by Neil Cuthbert, whose resume includes "Mystery Men" and "Hocus Pocus", the film is set on the moon in the year 2087. Pluto Nash is a smuggler-turned-nightclub owner thanks to the ill fortune of his best friend, Tony Jay Mohr). One day, Pluto is approached by a pair of hired thugs working for a mysterious gangster named Rex Crater who wants to take over his operation. When Pluto refuses to sell, he finds himself fighting for his life, aided by his beautiful new waitress Dina (Rosario Dawson) and Bruno (Randy Quaid), his bald-headed robot bodyguard nearing obsolescence.

The plot's confusing twists and turns suggest some severe editing-room cutting, as do the abbreviated appearances by a slew of talented performers, including Joe Pantoliano as the aforementioned thug, Luis Guzman as a Pluto Nash fan and victim of robot abuse who helps him out of a jam, Peter Boyle as a retired cop and Pluto's confidant, Illeana Douglas as a specialist in "body alteration" and Burt Young as a loan shark. Far more egregious are the complete wastes of Pam Grier, who plays Pluto's mother and is not even allowed to kick any butt, and John Cleese, almost literally phoning it in as the officious automated driver (seen on a video screen) of a stolen car.

Making an unbilled cameo is Alec Baldwin as a Gotti-like mobster.

The space angle, which is ostensibly what makes the picture distinctive, results in such tired satirical bits as signs advertising Trump buildings and paper money featuring the visage of Hillary Clinton (those are the jokes, folks). Murphy finds himself in the uncharacteristic position of mainly playing straight man, to little comedic effect. If he had been allowed to improvise or riff more often, some fun might have resulted, but he mostly seems hemmed in. Scoring the few laughs in the picture are Quaid as the ultra-stiff robot and Mohr as a space-age lounge singer.

Tech credits are adequate, with elaborate sets built in Montreal providing some imaginative futuristic touches. The clever soundtrack features hip-hop versions of such songs as "Blue Moon" and "Dancin' in the Moonlight".

THE ADVENTURES OF PLUTO NASH

Warner Bros. Pictures

A Castle Rock Entertainment presentation, in association with Village Roadshow Pictures and NPV Entertainment

A Bregman production

Credits:

Director: Ron Underwood

Screenwriter: Neil Cuthbert

Producers: Martin Bregman, Michael Bregman, Louis A. Stroller

Executive producer: Bruce Berman

Director of photography: Oliver Wood

Production designer: Bill Brzeski

Editors: Paul Hirsch, Alan Heim

Music: John Powell

Cast:

Pluto Nash: Eddie Murphy

Bruno: Randy Quaid

Dina Lake: Rosario Dawson

Mogan: Joe Pantoliano

Tony Francis: Jay Mohr

Felix Laranga: Luis Guzman

Belcher: James Rebhorn

Rowland: Peter Boyle

Gino: Burt Young

Miguel: Miguel A. Nunez Jr

Flura Nash: Pam Grier

James: John Cleese

Running time -- 91 minutes

MPAA rating: PG-13...