Editorial Product Review: :The folks at Pixar can do no wrong with Monsters, Inc., the studio's fourth feature film, which stretches the computer animation format in terms of both technical complexity and emotional impact. The giant, blue-furred James P. 'Sulley' Sullivan (wonderfully voiced by John Goodman) is a scare-monster extraordinaire in the hidden world of Monstropolis, where the scaring of kids is an imperative in order to keep the entire city running. Beyond the competition to be the best at the business, Sullivan ...
Editorial Product Review: :Charlie Brown gets rocks in his trick-or-treat bag, Linus awaits a visitation from the Great Pumpkin in his terribly sincere pumpkin patch (while the adoring little Sally sits tight with him), Snoopy falls asleep, Lucy harasses Schroeder, and Pig-Pen kicks up a dust storm even beneath his costume in this classic television broadcast. Funny stuff, but also graced with Charles Schultz's more poignant and gently satiric themes from the 1960s on the influence of faith, failure, and hope in our ...
Editorial Product Review: :Nearly every biblical film is ambitious, creating pictures to go with some of the most famous and sacred stories in the Western world. DreamWorks' first animated film was the vision of executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg after his ugly split from Disney, where he had been acknowledged as a key architect in that studio's rebirth (The Little Mermaid, etc.). His first film for the company he helped create was a huge, challenging project without a single toy or merchandising tie-in, the ...
Editorial Product Review: :Dinosaurs come alive like never before in this costly computer-animated film from Disney. After a breathtaking opening (a dino egg is kidnapped), the film changes style; realistic dinosaurs are given human characteristics and voices. The kidnapped egg grows into an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by D.B. Sweeney), who is raised by lemurs (shades of Tarzan) on a lush island void of other dinosaurs. When a meteorite destroys their island home in a thrilling sequence, the lemur family and Aladar become ...
Editorial Product Review: :This sweet, heartwarming 1973 offering from the Peanuts gang (and Charles Schultz) once again shows Charlie Brown in a pickle, as his erstwhile friends impose upon the hapless would-be-host to provide a memorable and traditional Thanksgiving feast. And as much as Charlie Brown would rather forget the whole thing, he just can't help but try for fear of being labeled a failure. Ultimately it's up to Snoopy and Woodstock to save Charlie from certain embarrassment, and it falls to Linus ...
Editorial Product Review: :Based on the books by children's author Marcus Pfister, the adventures of the Rainbow Fish and Dazzle the Dinosaur are brought to life through animation. The Rainbow Fish tells the story of a beautiful fish so mesmerized by his own sparkling scales that he fails to realize how his vanity compromises his friendships. In Dazzle the Dinosaur, Dazzle and his pal Maia take on the mean Dragonsaurus to win back their home. Featuring songs and quaintly drawn characters, the two ...
Editorial Product Review: :Based on the books by children's author Marcus Pfister, the adventures of the Rainbow Fish and Dazzle the Dinosaur are brought to life through animation. The Rainbow Fish tells the story of a beautiful fish so mesmerized by his own sparkling scales that he fails to realize how his vanity compromises his friendships. In Dazzle the Dinosaur, Dazzle and his pal Maia take on the mean Dragonsaurus to win back their home. Featuring songs and quaintly drawn characters, the two ...
Editorial Product Review: :It's Chanukah the Rugrats way: Tommy the Macabee, an ancient idol named Cynthia (isn't that the name of Angelica's favorite doll?), and Stu's own turbo-charged menorah, which promises to bring down the house in every sense. This very good holiday special will certainly satisfy Rugrats fans, but also has crossover appeal to anyone looking for a very funny holiday program. --Tom Keogh
Editorial Product Review: :Your dreams can take you beyond the mind's eye. So says the chunky, computer-animated head that introduces this collection of state-of-the- art computer artistry, before it breaks up and scatters. Original electronic music by Jan Hammer supplements the visuals, which are rich with mind-warping detail. If you've seen The Lawnmower Man (and can set aside for the moment how lacking in narrative elements it is), then you know what territory you're in here. You're likely to think of these animations, ...
On paper, the Mio DigiWalker P550 looks to be an attractive gadget for the mobile professional, combining the capabilities of a PDA and GPS into one device. However, its poor battery life and subpar navigation skills tell a different story.
Though it won't appeal to the masses quite yet, the Nokia N800 Internet Tablet is a nice, portable device for on-the-go Web browsing, and it has some worthy upgrades.
Though it's expensive, the Sony VAIO VGN-TX670P delivers a great combination of business and entertainment features, long battery life, and unparalleled connectivity in an incredibly ultraportable package.