Bridge to Terabithia

Based on Katherine Paterson's young-adult novel and filmed in picturesque New Zealand, Bridge to Terabithia has lessons to impart about empathy and self-expression, but the tone is never heavy-handed. Jesse (sleepy-eyed Josh Hutcherson, Zathura), a fifth-grade loner, lives in the country with his parents and four sisters, including pesky May Belle (Bailee Madison), who adores him. His strict father (Robert Patrick, The Terminator 2) works in a hardware store. Money is tight and classmates make fun of his hand-me-downs, so Jesse finds refuge in running and drawing. Everything changes when two writers and their daughter Leslie (wide-eyed AnnaSophia Robb, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory) move in next door. Leslie is faster than all the boys, which initially puts Jesse off, but the two soon bond over their love of make-believe. In the forest, they find a creek that can only be crossed by rope. Leslie names the land on the other side Terabithia, where they imagine themselves rulers of the kingdom. Jesse and Leslie also connect with their unconventional music teacher, Ms. Edmonds (Zooey Deschanel, Elf), who encourages their creativity. Despite the tension at home, Jesse's personal life is finally coming together when the unthinkable happens. Will he revert to his anti-social ways or will he grow from the experience? Though aimed at all ages, pre-school students may find Terebithia's creatures frightening. For grade-school kids and up, however, there's much to savor in this smartly written, sensitively acted film. --Kathleen C. Fennessy

Desperate Housewives

After the second-season Desperate Housewives took the misguided direction of splitting apart its five principals, the third season was a comeback for the ladies of Wisteria Lane with some sparkling moments and a more engaging mystery. Following the previous season's cliffhanger, Mike (James Denton) was not written out of the cast after all, but left in a coma. Susan (Teri Hatcher) keeps a vigil at his bedside and meets Ian (Dougray Scott), a handsome and rich British man keeping a similar vigil for his wife. Newly single Gabriella (Eva Longoria) meets an unexpected admirer, while Edie (Nicolette Sheridan) finds unexpected family--and an unexpected beau. The season's primary mystery revolves around Bree's (Marcia Cross) new husband, Orson (Kyle McLachlan), who turns out to have some skeletons in his closet--including one he shares with Mike--and some women in his past that he wishes had stayed there (Valerie Mahaffey and Dixie Carter). We no longer see Lynette (Felicity Huffman) in her office; rather, the emphasis is on Tom's (Doug Savant) new "dream job" of opening a pizza parlor and the financial and personal conflicts that arise from it. The mystery is resolved unusually early, leaving the rest of the season to weddings and a shock ending. Even if a few scenarios were a little too obvious going for the emotional hot buttons (a hostage situation at a supermarket, a forest encounter), the writing and the cast were so good that we didn't mind being taken along for the ride and still found the moments moving. Huffman was the season's standout and accordingly scored the cast's only Emmy nomination, but everyone was in top form (including Cross, who was sorely missed when her real-life pregnancy knocked her out of a number of late-season episodes). Bonus features include featurettes on Eva Longoria and the season's weddings; clips from Amas de Casa Desesperadas, the Spanish-language version of the show with a different cast; a season recap; Marc Cherry's favorite scenes; eight deleted scenes with commentary by Cherry; and a blooper reel. --David Horiuchi

Brothers and Sisters

Sisters makes for addictive watching while exploring the intricacies of a family, in crisis and in repose. First, let us give thanks for the amazing Sally Field, who has literally grown up on the small screen, and who now plays the matriarch of the Walker family, though not as a power-mad dowager, but as a well-meaning, slightly naive but fiercely loyal California girl gone ever-so-slightly gray. In fact, when this show debuted in the fall of 2006, it was known as the "new Calista Flockhart show," but Field quickly became the standout in a stellar ensemble cast.
While the Walkers' problems of money and business deals may seem rarefied to some, the family pecking orders and feuds are universal and handled deftly by the writers and the actors, including Patricia Wettig, the icy former mistress of the dearly departed Walker pere (Tom Skerritt), and brothers Dave Annable and Balthazar Getty. Rachel Griffiths is a tart sisterly counterpoint to Flockhart's flighty Ann Coulter wannabe. In short, anyone with a family should be able to relate. And, perhaps, cringe a bit. --A.T. Hurley

Product Description
Enter the complex world of the Walkers, and explore what it means to be an American family in the 21st century. Though they live very different and conflicting lives, the Walkers find unity under the family roof. Relationships bend but never break as they strive to find their own identities and embrace each other’s differences. It's "an encounter to look forward to," says The Wall Street Journal. Get caught up in one of television’s most reflective and sophisticated dramas. Calista Flockhart, Sally Field, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty and Patricia Wettig lead a stellar cast in ABC’s critically acclaimed hit Brothers & Sisters. Experience every episode of Season One, including exclusive, in-depth bonus material, in this six-disc DVD set.

Peter Pan

Peter Pan has a special place in the realm of classic animated Disney films: it instills an element of childlike wonder. The 1953 version of James M. Barrie's story is colorfully told and keeps on the straight and narrow of the book. Barrie's wondrous focus on child's play is the key to its longevity: kids who don't grow up, shadows that run away from their owners, pirates, a fairy, and the magic ability to fly. In short, you can't help wishing the adventure would happen to you. Fueled by a few memorable songs (the stunner being "You Can Fly") and the strong impression of the pixie fairy Tinkerbell and the goofy Captain Hook, Disney's version of this story neither supplants nor lessens the Broadway version with Mary Martin that was produced for television the same decade. Unlike some classics, Peter Pan never ages along the way. --Doug Thomas

Product Description
Let your dreams take flight with Walt Disney's original classic. PETER PAN soars to new heights in the magical 2-disc Platinum Edition DVD with an all-new digital restoration. Fantastic adventures await Wendy and her brothers when Peter Pan, the hero of their stories, whisks them away to the magical world of Never Land. After following Peter and his feisty sidekick Tinker Bell past "the second star to the right and straight on till morning," they explore the island and Peter's secret hideout with the rambunctious Lost Boys and leap into high-flying battles with swashbuckling pirates and the infamous Captain Hook! Bursting with fantasy, adventure, and pixie dust, this 2-disc Platinum Edition includes three all-new games in Camp Never Land, deleted scenes, a new discovery -- in which Walt Disney reveals why he made PETER PAN -- and much more.

Meet the Robinsons

Developing positive self-esteem and persevering in the face of difficulties are fundamental parts of growing up, but when 12-year old orphan Lewis (Daniel Hansen and Jordan Fry) can't seem to get adopted or make his inventions work despite repeated efforts, he begins to seriously doubt himself and his abilities as an inventor. A CGI picture by Disney with great animation and a fresh vision of what the future might look like, Meet The Robinsons follows Lewis from his lonesome days at the orphanage to his crushing failure at the school science fair when his newly invented memory scanner won't work. Then, an odd boy named Wilbur Robinson (Wesley Singerman) shows up to warn Lewis about the mysterious "Bowler Hat Guy" (Stephen J Anderson) lurking around the science fair, an evil man Wilbur claims is from the future. The next thing Lewis knows, he and Wilbur are on route to the future via time machine. Once there, Lewis meets the very quirky, extended Robinson family with whom he feels oddly at home. As the search for the Bowler Hat Man and his constant companion Doris (Ethan Sandler) becomes more and more dangerous, the Robinson family becomes crucial in keeping Lewis safe. In the end, Lewis returns to the present with a whole new inner strength, a sense of his place in the world, the knowledge that his actions directly affect others, and an optimistic determination to "keep moving forward." While comparisons with the Back to the Future films are inevitable, Meet the Robinsons stands apart from its predecessors as its own, thoroughly entertaining family film. (Ages 4 and older)
Included is the seven-minute 1938 short Mickey Mouse's Boat Builder in which Mickey Mouse, Goofy, and Donald Duck order and assemble a do-it-yourself boat kit and launch an impressive ocean liner dubbed the "Queen Minnie." Needless to say, hilarity reigns throughout and following the boat-building process. --Tami Horiuchi

Product Description
Have the "time" of your life with Disney's fun-filled comedy MEET THE ROBINSONS, a thrilling adventure that takes you to a whole new world full of imagination and surprises. It's "a masterpiece," raves John Anderson of "Newsday." Join a brilliant young inventor named Lewis as he sets off on a time-traveling journey to find the family he never knew. In the fantastical world of 2037, hip-hoppin' frogs and dogs that wear glasses are as common as talking dinosaurs. In an amazing twist, Lewis discovers that the fate of the future rests in his hands, but he can't save it alone -- he'll need every bit of help he can get from the wonderfully wacky Robinson family, who help him learn to keep moving forward and never stop believing in himself. Blast off with MEET THE ROBINSONS -- complete with never-before-seen bonus features, including an all-new game, deleted scenes and much more. It's an exciting trip your whole family will enjoy!

The Jungle Book

A classic 1967 Disney animated film that's loosely based on Rudyard Kipling's book of the same name, Jungle Book tells the story of a young boy Mowgli who was raised by animals in the jungle. When tiger Shere Khan threatens to return to their part of the jungle, the other animals decide that Mowgli must return to the man village in order to ensure his safety. Panther Bagheera has difficulty convincing Mowgli to follow him to the man village and recruits the help of a big lovable bear Baloo. Mowgli's journey is one of wit, song, and many surprises. A timeless film populated by strong characters bursting with personality, great music like "Bare Necessities" and "I Wanna Be Like You," and inspiring animation by Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, and other master animators, Jungle Book captivates audiences of all ages.
This Platinum Edition includes everything from the standard bonus features like interactive games, music videos, and deleted songs to exciting and sometimes rare commentaries by everyone from modern day animators to Walt Disney himself, multiple featurettes about specific aspects of the film and its production, and a lengthy deleted scene featuring lost character Rocky the Rhino. Especially interesting for adults and Disney fans are "The Bare Necessities: The making of The Jungle Book" featurette, which explores Walt Disney's commitment to developing strong characters and his insistence that writers, animators, and song writers create a light version of Jungle Book that followed his own personal interpretation of the story, and the "The Lure of The Jungle Book" featurette, which discusses Frank Thomas' and Ollie Johnston's amazing contribution to the film as prolific animators and the inspiration and influence that their work provided for future animators including Brad Bird (The Incredibles), Andreas Deja (Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King), Sergio Pablos (Tarzan), Will Finn (Home on the Range), and Eric Goldberg (Fantasia 2000). The full length commentary by Bruce Reitherman (voice of Mowgli), animator Andreas Deja, and composer Richard Sherman with its interspersed archival commentary of Disney greats from the original creative team (Frank Thomas, Ollie Johnston, Woolie Reitherman, and others) is also very interesting and insightful. --Tami Horiuchi

Product Description
One of the most popular Disney films ever, THE JUNGLE BOOK is a song-filled celebration of friendship, fun, and adventure set in a lush and colorful world. Inspired by Rudyard Kipling's "Mowgli" stories, Disney's 19th animated masterpiece was the last animated feature that had Walt Disney's personal touch. The jubilant adventure begins when Mowgli, a little boy raised by wolves, is urged by his friend Bagheera, a wise old panther, to seek safety in the man village. Feeling very much at home in the jungle, Mowgli resists and runs off. Much to Bagheera's dismay, Mowgli meets a new friend with a happy-go-lucky philosophy of life -- Baloo the Bear, a lovable "jungle bum." Together, the three buddies find the journey back to civilization anything but civilized! They encounter a crazy orangutan, the hypnotic and sly snake Kaa, and the menacing Shere Khan! Fully restored for this 30th anniversary edition, this enduring classic swings with jazzy toe-tapping music, including the Academy Award(R)-nominated "The Bare Necessities," and the freewheeling "I Wan'na Be Like You"! A thrilling story for all ages, THE JUNGLE BOOK is an absolute necessity for your video collection.