Even Robin Williams Can't Save 'Robots'

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Ratchet in "Robots"
courtesy of Fox Home Entertainment

"Even Robin Williams Can't Save 'Robots'"

Ewan McGregor lends his voice to the role of young robot Rodney Copperbottom in the new animated film on DVD "Robots." Rodney is an idealist who wants to make the world a better place and he also wants to meet his idol, Bigweld (Mel Brooks). The movie is a "Wizard of Oz" take-off in that the heroes Rodney meets are all less than heroic.

Hallie Berry provides the voice of Rodney's love interest Cappy. Gregg Kinnear voices the evil Ratchet, and Robin Williams is a rusty robot named Fender. Even the participation of Williams can't make the movie anything special. Somehow the movie comes across as creaky as the rusty robots and just as metallic.

When animated movies are good, they are magical. But when they are run of the mill they are boring. There are too many of these movies being made today and ordinary projects like "Robots" sink out of sight quickly.

Another DVD that won't make much of an impact on your awareness screen is "Lords of Dogtown" a movie about the skateboard phenomenon of a few years back. Heath Ledger stars as the pied piper or guru to a trio of talented kids who know how to skateboard. They become stars and leave their leader behind.

John Robinson plays Stacy Peralta, Victor Rasuk is Tony Alva, and Emile Hirsch is Jay Adams. Now if you are into skateboarding these names may mean something to you. For the rest of us they are nonentities. And a movie about them is a nonentity in and of itself. You won't get much pleasure from watching "Lords of Dogtown" except in some of the skateboarding sequences. They are fun to see.

Much more entertaining is the release of the Deluxe DVD of "Oliver," the musical that came to the screen in 1968 and brought music and joy in its wake. Mark Lester starred as the young boy who went from rags to riches, and Ron Moody made musical history as the evil Feagin.

The music, the story, the dances, and the acting were all top rate and this is a movie to watch with your family over and over again. Lester never made much of a mark on the screen after this role but he is perfectly cast as the angelic young man who is taught about thievery by the artful Dodger (Jack Wild) and Feagin.

Shani Wallace stars as Nancy and sings "As Long As He Needs Me," while Lester as Oliver sings "Where Is Love?" These and other songs are part of this musical extravaganza. This movie won six Oscars for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Musical Score, Best Sound, Best Art Direction, and a special Oscar for Oona White's choreography. So pick up this DVD today and get involved in the world of "Oliver" one more time.

More music comes your way in the four new "Sing A Long" DVD's from Disney. You can get (1) "Disneyland Fun" (2) Beach Party At Walt Disney World" (3) Campout At Walt Disney World", and (4) "Flik's Musical Adventure." These sing-a-long DVD's feature Mickey and his gang as well as Tigger and even Flik from "A Bug's Life."

Your kids will love the songs and the fun awaiting them when they watch these shows. So join the fun and get your copies now.

Your kids will also love the adventures awaiting them on the DVD "Sharks, Flipper and Lopaka." This movie tells the story of a boy named Lopaka who has a dolphin named Flipper as his best friend. They live on a tropical island and have numerous adventures with the sea creatures that live in the ocean around them.

Be it sharks, sea serpents or volcanoes, there is a lot of excitement waiting for the young ones when they watch "Sharks, Flipper and Lopaka."

If your kids aren't into underwater adventures they might choose to watch "The Phoenix and the Carpet" instead. This film tells the story of a group of children who come into contact with a magical phoenix, a talking bird who has access to a magic carpet. This leads to all kinds of magical adventures for these kids and for yours.

So let your kids' imaginations soar as they follow the Phoenix and a magic carpet to a world where adventure never stops.

You can join the kids in watching the nostalgic Disney comedy "The Parent Trap" which stars Hayley Mills in her once in a lifetime role as twins. And after you enjoy that movie you can watch "The Parent Trap II" which stars a grown up Mills as the twins, Sharon and Susan. This may be a new treat for you as this is the first time this movie has been released on DVD.

Hayley Mills' appeal is timeless so expose your kids to the beauty of her talent and let them have a great time with both "The Parent Trap" and "The Parent Trap II."

Finally you can also treat your kids with "Hugo the Star," an animated tale of an animal from the jungle being brought to the wilds of Hollywood. There are songs and adventures as well as comedy here so watch "Hugo the Movie Star."

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