Saturday, April 11, 2009

Bolt

A girl named Penny and a dog named Bolt star on a hit television series called Bolt in which the titular character has various superpowers and must constantly thwart the evil plans of the nefarious Doctor Calico. To gain a more realistic performance, the TV show's producers have deceived Bolt his entire life, arranging the filming in such a way that Bolt believes the television show is real and he really has superpowers. After filming completes for the latest episode, Bolt escapes from his on-set trailer mistakenly believing Penny has been kidnapped by the television villain. He attempts to break through a window, knocking himself unconscious as he falls into a box of styrofoam. With no one aware Bolt is in the box, it is shipped from Hollywood to New York City. In New York, he meets Mittens, a female alley cat who bullies pigeons out of their food. Bolt, convinced this is another adventure, forces Mittens to help him get back to Hollywood, and the two start their journey westward. Meanwhile, in Hollywood, Penny is deeply saddened over Bolt's disappearance but is forced by the studio to continue filming with a Bolt lookalike. As their adevnture proceeds, Bolt starts to notice that his superpowers aren't working, and rationalizes this is the effect that styrofoam has on his body.

Surprised at his first feelings of both pain and hunger, Bolt is shown by Mittens how to act like a cute but needy dog, and is rewarded by food. They meet Rhino, a fearless, TV-obsessed hamster and huge Bolt fan who joins their team. Mittens tries to convince Bolt that his superpowers aren't real, but their discussion is cut short by the arrival of Animal Control, who captures them both and transports them to an animal shelter. After being freed en route by Rhino, Bolt finally realizes that he is just a normal dog, but regains his confidence after Rhino (oblivious to this revelation) gives him a pep talk. They rescue Mittens from the shelter and escape, allowing them to continue their journey. Along the way, Bolt learns to enjoy typical dog activities (such as hanging his head out the window), but Mittens refuses to go farther than Las Vegas. She tells Bolt that his Hollywood life is fake and there is no real love for him there. Her emotional rant reveals that she was once a house cat, but was abandoned by her previous owner and left to brave the harsh streets alone and declawed. Bolt refuses to believe that Penny doesn't love him, and continues on alone, wishing Mittens the best. Rhino convinces Mittens that they must help him, and the two set off to find Bolt once again.

Bolt reaches the studio, finding Penny embracing his lookalike. Unaware that Penny still misses him and that her affection for the lookalike was only a part of a rehearsal for the show, he leaves, brokenhearted. Mittens, on a gantry in the studio, sees what Bolt does not - Penny telling her mother how much she misses Bolt. Realizing that Penny truly does love Bolt, Mittens follows Bolt and explains. At the same time, the Bolt-lookalike panics during filming and accidentally knocks over some torches, setting the sound stage on fire and trapping Penny. Bolt arrives and reunites with Penny inside the burning studio, being rescued as they succumb to smoke asphyxiation.

Penny and her mother subsequently quit the show when their agent attempts to exploit the incident for publicity purposes. Penny herself adopts Mittens and Rhino, and moves to a rural home to enjoy a simpler, happy lifestyle with Bolt and her new pets. The show continues, but with a replacement "Bolt" and "Penny", and adopting an alien abduction storyline suggested by a character they met on the way.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

1,300 years after the Pevensie siblings leave Narnia, a Telmarine prince, Caspian, is awakened by his mentor Doctor Cornelius, informing him that his aunt has just given birth to a son and that his life is now in grave danger. Cornelius gives him Queen Susan's ancient magical horn, instructing him to blow it if he needs help. Knowing that his uncle Miraz would kill him to steal the kingship, Caspian flees. Pursued into the woods, Caspian falls off his horse and is rescued by two Narnian dwarfs, Trumpkin and Nikabrik, and a talking badger named Trufflehunter. While Trumpkin acts as a decoy, Nikabrik saves Caspian from capture. Confused, Caspian blows the magical horn to summon help.

In England, one year has passed since the Pevensie children returned from Narnia. As their train to boarding school pulls in, the station collapses and the Pevensies are transported to Narnia. They discover the ruins of their castle, Cair Paravel, and realize it was attacked in their absence.

In the Telmarine castle, the lords of the council find out that Prince Caspian is gone. Lord Sopespian blames Miraz, but Miraz blames the Narnians and tell the lords to fight them to get Caspian back, though Miraz actually wants to kill Caspian.

The Pevensies save Trumpkin from being drowned by two Telmarines; he quickly realizes that the four children are the Kings and Queens of Old and they all continue on together. On the way, Lucy glimpses Aslan and tries to convince the others that she's seen him, but only Edmund believes her.

Meanwhile, Nikabrik and Trufflehunter lead Caspian to the Dancing Lawn, where the old Narnians have assembled. Caspian convinces them to help him win his throne so that he can give them back their land. Caspian and the Narnians steal a number of weapons from the Telmarines. They also encounter the Pevensies and Trumpkin; they all journey together to Aslan's How, a huge barrow built over the Stone Table. Peter decides that they will attack Miraz's castle. Lucy suggests waiting for Aslan to return, but Peter thinks they have waited long enough.

The Narnians succeed in raiding Miraz’s castle, but Peter calls for a retreat when he realizes that they are being overwhelmed by Telmarine soldiers. Peter, Susan, Edmund, Caspian, and half of the Narnians manage to escape, but the rest are trapped and slaughtered. When they return to Aslan's How, Peter and Caspian have an argument about the attack on the castle, which almost culminates in a swordfight. Back at the castle, Miraz is crowned King of Narnia.

Nikabrik, with the aid of a hag and a werewolf, tells Caspian that they can help him claim his throne and guarantee Miraz's death. However Nikabrik tricks Caspian and the hag then uses black sorcery to summon the White Witch. From inside a wall of ice, the Witch tries to convince Caspian to free her by giving her a drop of blood. Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Trumpkin arrive and kill Nikabrik, the werewolf, and the hag, and Edmund shatters the wall of ice before the Witch can be freed.

As Miraz and his army arrive at Aslan's How, Caspian suggests that Peter and Miraz duel one-on-one under the condition of surrender, in order to buy Lucy and Susan time to find Aslan. Miraz agrees to the duel. Chased by Telmarine soldiers during their search, Susan sends Lucy off and remains behind to deal with the soldiers; she is rescued by Caspian and the two return to the battle. Peter is able to wound Miraz, but gives his sword to Caspian to finish him off. Caspian spares Miraz's life but says that he intends to give Narnia back to its people.

Lord Sopespian stabs and kills Miraz with one of Susan's arrows and accuses the Narnians of shooting Miraz, leading to a battle between the Telmarine army and the Narnians, with the Telmarines gradually winning. Lucy, meanwhile, finds Aslan in the woods and he awakens the trees that have long been in a deep sleep. The tide of battle quickly turns as the trees join in attacking the Telmarines. Lord Sopespian orders retreat to a bridge, where they are confronted by Lucy and Aslan. Aslan summons the river god, who destroys the bridge and wipes out the majority of the Telmarine army. The battle is won with the surviving Telmarine soldiers surrendering and handing over their weapons.

Before the Pevensies depart Narnia, Peter and Susan declare that Aslan has told them they will never return to Narnia. Aslan explains that Susan and Peter have gained everything they could from their experiences in Narnia and are no longer needed there. Susan and Caspian share a kiss, knowing they will never meet again. The Pevensies then go back to England, leaving Caspian as King of Narnia.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe

The film begins with the 1940 bombing of Finchley, London, during the Blitz. The Pevensie children, Peter, Susan, Edmund and Lucy, are in direct danger from the falling bombs - a scene which did not appear in the original C.S. Lewis book and which at the very start introduces the underlying tension and jealousy between Edmund and his siblings which would have a major role in the later plot.

Subsequently, the children are - as in the book - evacuated to the country home of Professor Kirke. One day while they are playing hide and seek, Lucy discovers a wardrobe and enters a wintery fantasy world called Narnia. She spends a few hours in the home of the faun, Mr. Tumnus, who explains that the White Witch cursed Narnia, and it has been winter for one hundred years. In accordance with her orders, if a human is ever encountered, a Narnian must bring them to her. However, Tumnus likes Lucy and can't bring himself to kidnap her so he sends her home. When she returns, hardly any time has passed in the normal world, and when the other children check the Wardrobe, all they see is a normal wooden back - the portal is gone.

Later, Edmund follows Lucy into Narnia, and he meets the White Witch and her faithful dwarf, Ginarrbrik. She offers him Turkish delight, as well as the prospect of becoming king if Edmund will bring his brother and sisters to her castle. After she departs, Edmund and Lucy meet again and they return to tell the others. Edmund does not confirm Narnia's existence to Peter and Susan, saying he was merely playing along with Lucy. This distresses Lucy, who bumps into Professor Kirke. The Professor has a private talk with Peter and Susan; he does not understand why they do not believe Lucy's story and presents to them the use of logic (which Susan is very fond of) in the situation: when they are given three choices for an explanation of Lucy's behavior — madness, dishonesty, and sincerity — the others know she is neither mad nor dishonest, so she is "logically" telling the truth.

On another day, while hiding from the housekeeper in the wardrobe after breaking a window, the four siblings step into Narnia. Peter and Susan apologize for their earlier disbelief and Peter threatens Edmund unless he apologizes to Lucy. They discover Mr. Tumnus has been taken by the Witch's Secret Police and they meet talking beavers who tell them about Aslan. According to the beavers, Aslan is on the move to take the control of Narnia from the White Witch. The four must help Aslan and his followers; it had been prophesied that when two sons of Adam and two daughters of Eve sat in the four thrones, the Witch's reign would come to an end.

Edmund sneaks off and visits the Witch alone. When he arrives at her castle, she is angry that he did not deliver his brother and sisters. Then the White Witch sends a pack of wolves to hunt down the other children and the beavers, who barely escape with the aid of a fox. Meanwhile, Edmund is chained in the Witch's dungeon where he meets Mr. Tumnus in an adjacent cell. The Witch comes down and demands that Edmund tell her where his family is because her police couldn't find them; Edmund tells her some information, but hesitates when Tumnus looks at him, warningly (he also tries to tell the witch that Edmund doesn't know anything, but is injured by Ginnabrik). The witch sees that Tumnus is hindering the information, so she has him "released" and brought over to her. After she tells Mr. Tumnus that it was Edmund's fault that she knew about his involvement, Mr. Tumnus is dragged upstairs and turned into stone, as Edmund sees with a horror when he is brought up.

While Peter, Lucy, Susan, and the beavers are traveling to the Stone Table, they see what they believe to be the White Witch in her sleigh chasing after them, so they run and hide — fortunately, it is really Father Christmas. Warning them that they are tools, not toys, he gives Lucy a bottle of juice of fire-flowers and a dagger; Susan a bow and arrow and a magical horn; and Peter a sword and shield. Father Christmas informs them that winter will soon be over. Unfortunately, this means the rivers are thawing, and the arrival of Maugrim and several other wolves makes the passage even more perilous. But with their weapons, the group manages to safely cross the river, leaving the Witch no real way to reach them by sleigh.

Arriving at Aslan's army encampment, they encounter Aslan, who is revealed as a huge and noble lion. Aslan promises to help Edmund in any way he can. They are also reluctant to participate in a war after fleeing from London. However, they have to save Edmund and Mr. Tumnus. Peter joins Aslan's army. A little later, two wolves ambush Lucy and Susan while they are frolicking by the river. When Peter intervenes, Maugrim attacks him, and Peter kills him with his sword. Some of Aslan's troops follow the other wolf back to the witch's camp and rescue Edmund.

Aslan has a "private talk" with Edmund. When he is done, Aslan tells the other children to speak of Edmund's actions no more, and the siblings reconcile. The White Witch then arrives and claims that Edmund is her property, based on the "deep magic" of Narnia; it says that traitors belong to her as lawful prey and that she must kill them at the Stone Table. Aslan privately "negotiates" with the White Witch, who agrees to leave Edmund alone. In return, Aslan "sacrifices" himself and surrenders to the witch. Later that night Susan and Lucy notice Aslan leaving the encampment and into the forest alone. After walking with Aslan for a while he tells the sisters to return to camp for they cannot go where Aslan is heading. As they watch in hiding, Aslan approaches the Stone Table where he is humiliated and his mane shaved by the White Witch's followers. Finally he is bound and laid before the White Witch herself who plunges a dagger into Aslan, killing him. However, in the morning he is resurrected because "there is a magic deeper still the Witch does not know." Aslan takes Susan and Lucy to the Witch's mansion where he frees the prisoners of the White Witch, including Mr. Tumnus, forming an army for battle.

Meanwhile, Edmund persuades Peter to join battle with the Witch's host. At first quite successful, Peter's army soon begins to lose the fight, and Edmund is badly injured, though he has managed to destroy the White Witch's stone-turning staff, her most effective weapon. As she battles with Peter, Aslan soon arrives with reinforcements. She takes advantage of this distraction and disarms him. She is about to stab him when Aslan jumps on her, knocking her to the other side of the cliff and killing her. He then returns to Peter and tells him that "it is finished". Susan uses her bow and arrow to kill Ginarrbrik who attempts to finish Edmund off before there is a chance to save him. Lucy revives Edmund and many others with the fire-flower juice given to her by Father Christmas, while Aslan frees more victims of the White Witch's stone-turning spell.

The Pevensies become Kings and Queens and stay in Narnia until they are older. When chasing a white stag to receive wishes, they find the lamppost and the wardrobe and go back to England, where they magically appear as children again. The Professor then tosses them the ball used to break the window and instructs them to tell him the story. Later, Lucy attempts to go back to Narnia, but the Professor tells her he has been trying for years, and they will probably get back to Narnia when least expected.

Hercules

The film begins in ancient Greece with a mock-epic spoken narration (Heston), but dissolves into the musical narration by the five Muses (consisting of Calliope (White), Clio (Thomas), Melpomene (Freeman), Terpsichore (LaChanze), and Thalia (Ryan)). The Muses tell the tale ("The Gospel Truth") of how Zeus (Torn) came to power and prevented the monstrous Titans from ruling the world. This leads to the day Hercules is born to Zeus and Hera (Eggar), much to the pleasure of all the other gods except Hades (Wood), Zeus' brother, who receives word from the Fates (consisting of Clotho (Plummer), Lachesis (Shelley), and Atropos (Edwards)) that though he will release the Titans in eighteen years, Hercules will one day rise to power and prevent him from taking control of the world. Hades sends his minions, Pain (Goldthwait) and Panic (Frewer), to kidnap Hercules and feed him a potion that will strip him of his immortality; however, they are interrupted and, while Hercules becomes mortal, he retains his god-like strength because he didn't drink the last drop.

Hercules (Keaton) grows up to be a misfit, challenged by his incredible strength and inability to fit in with other people. His adoptive parents Amphitryon (Holbrook) and Alcmene (Barrie) finally tell him they found him with the symbol of the gods around his neck. Hercules believes the gods may have the answers behind his past and decides to go to the Temple of Zeus ("Go the Distance"). Zeus manifests as his statue and tells him that he is Hercules' father, and that he must prove himself a true hero before he can rejoin the other gods on Mount Olympus. Hercules rides on Pegasus (Welker) and leaves the temple to seek out Philoctetes ("Phil" for short), an unhappy satyr and trainer of heroes. Phil (DeVito) has failed to train a true hero yet; but after some "persuasion" from Zeus, Phil decides to take on Hercules as his final attempt ("One Last Hope").

After completing his training, Hercules (Donovan), Phil, and Pegasus set out to establish Hercules as a hero. En route to the city of Thebes, Hercules sees the beautiful Megara (or Meg, as she identifies herself), who is being threatened by Nessus (Cummings), a centaur. A smitten Hercules barely succeeds in rescuing Meg (Egan), and she thanks him before leaving to enter the forest, and here it is revealed that she is conspiring with Hades. She had sold her soul to Hades in order to save her former lover's life, but her lover then abandoned her for another woman. Now, Meg must do favors for Hades in order to avoid an eternity in the underworld. When Hades learns that Hercules is alive, he is enraged and plots to murder him again.

When Hercules tries to prove himself a hero at Thebes, Hades sends the Hydra, a enormous dragon-like monster with many heads, to kill him. After a lengthy battle, Hercules finally prevails. Hades then sends one monster after another to destroy Hercules, but he defeats them all easily ("Zero to Hero" and "Hercules"). Hercules becomes a celebrity because of his exploits. Hades, realizing that his plans are jeopardized, sends Meg out to discover Hercules' weakness, promising her freedom in return. Meanwhile, Hercules is disappointed to learn from his father Zeus that he has yet to become a true hero, with the latter saying that defeating monsters and saving people is not enough; a true hero is "something more than that". Hercules then spends the day with Meg, who finds herself falling in love with him ("I Won't Say (I'm in Love)"). When Hades intervenes, she turns on him and tells him that Hercules has no weaknesses; but Hades realizes that Meg herself is Hercules' one weakness.

Phil learns of Meg's involvement with Hades and tries to warn Hercules, but Hercules refuses to believe him and knocks him to the ground in anger. Discouraged, Phil leaves for home. Meanwhile, Pegasus has been captured by Pain and Panic, who disguised themselves as his mare. Hades arrives with a captured Meg and proposes a deal: if Hercules surrenders his strength for the next twenty-four hours, Meg will remain free from harm. After Hercules agrees, Hades frees the Titans from their prison and sends them to attack Olympus and imprison the other gods, while one Titan, the Cyclops, is sent to kill Hercules. Disheartened by Meg's involvement with Hades, Hercules takes a severe beating. Meg, regretting having played her part in Hades' plans, frees Pegasus and gets Phil to come back and help Hercules. Phil convinces Hercules to fight back, and Hercules uses his wits to defeat the Titan and save the city of Thebes. Hercules is able to defeat the Titan, but a pillar behind him becomes loose. Meg notices this and pushes him out of the way, but is unable to save herself and takes the blow. With Meg mortally injured, the deal is broken, and Hercules' strength is returned. Hercules promises Meg that he will save her as he heads to Olympus to stop Hades and the other Titans. Hercules and Pegasus save Mount Olympus, but as Hades retreats for the underworld after the Titans are thrown into the sky by Hercules and explode, he taunts Hercules despite his defeat, revealing that Meg is dying.

Hercules and Pegasus get back to Phil and Meg too late and Hercules heads to the Underworld and demands for Meg to be revived, but Hades shows him that she is trapped in the River Styx. Hercules trades his soul for Meg's, and Hades agrees on the condition that Hercules must get her soul out himself. Hercules jumps into the river, but given that one must be dead to enter the river, he ages rapidly as he swims toward Meg. The Fates try to cut Hercules' lifeline, but they find that they couldn't, for Hercules has become a true hero through his selfless actions, thereby restoring his godhood and immortality. As Hercules successfully returns Meg to the surface, Hades tries to talk his way out of the situation, but Hercules punches him, knocking him into the River Styx. The other souls grab Hades and pull him down into the river. Pain and Panic then worry about what Hades is going to do to them, until they realize they're free from his wrath. Hercules revives Meg and returns to Olympus. Meg's entrance is denied because she is mortal, but Hercules chooses to become mortal again and stay with her. Hercules is acclaimed a hero on Earth and Olympus alike. Zeus creates a constellation in his image, and Phil is remembered for being the one to train him. Hercules and his mortal friends and family are all shown happily together on earth, while Zeus and the other Olympians rejoice above. ("A Star is Born")

Pocahontas

In 1607, a ship carrying British settlers from the Virginia Company sails for North America in search of gold and other material riches. On board are Captain John Smith and Governor John Ratcliffe. A storm erupts, and Smith saves the life of a young settler named Thomas when he falls overboard, befriending him in the process.

In the "New World", Pocahontas, Chief Powhatan's daughter, learns that her father wants her to marry Kocoum, one of his finest warriors, but a bitter and serious man. Pocahontas does not want this marriage, and asks the advice from a talking tree spirit named Grandmother Willow. Grandmother Willow tells Pocahontas to listen to her heart.

The British settlers land in Virginia and dig for gold under Ratcliffe's orders. John Smith explores the territory and encounters Pocahontas. The two spend time together, with Pocahontas teaching John to look at the world in a different way, and to not think of her people as "savages". Back at the settlement, the Powhatan warriors and Englishmen have a skirmirsh, and one of the warriors is injured. The warriors retreat, and Powhatan declares that the white men are dangerous and that no one should go near them.

A few days later, John and Pocahontas meet again, during which John learns that there is no gold in the land. They agree to meet at Grandmother Willow's glade again that night.

When Pocahontas returns to her village, she finds that warriors from neighboring tribes have arrived to help Powhatan fight the settlers. Back at the English fort, John tells Ratcliffe there is no gold in the land, which Ratcliffe does not believe, thinking that the natives have hidden the gold for themselves.

That night, Pocahontas' best friend Nakoma catches her sneaking off and informs Kocoum that she has gone. Meanwhile, John sneaks out of the fort, and Ratcliffe orders Thomas to follow him. Pocahontas and John meet in the glade, where Grandmother Willow convinces John to try talking to Chief Powhatan. Pocahontas insists that John meet her father. When he agrees, Pocahontas is so delighted that she puts her arms around John's neck. Both Kocoum and Thomas watch from the shadows as John and Pocahontas kiss. Kocoum, full of jealousy, attacks and tries to kill John, but is shot and killed by Thomas. Hearing voices approaching, John tells Thomas to run. A group of natives take John prisoner thinking he is the murderer, and Powhatan announces that he will be executed at dawn before the war with the settlers begins.

Thomas returns to the fort and announces John's capture. Ratcliffe sees this as an opportunity to attack, and they arrive just as John is about to be executed. Before Powhatan can strike, Pocahontas throws herself over John, telling him that she loves John and that Powhatan must see where the path of hate has brought them, and asking him to choose. Powhatan lowers his club and orders John freed. Ratcliffe orders the settlers to fire anyway, but they refuse. Ratcliffe fires at Chief Powhatan himself, but John pushes the chief aside and is shot instead. The settlers turn on Ratcliffe, capturing him.

John is only wounded, but he must return to England for medical treatment if he is to survive. Pocahontas and her people arrive to see them off, and John and Pocahontas bid their goodbyes.

The Lion King

The Lion King takes place in the Pride Lands of the Serengeti, where a lion rules over the other animals as king. Rafiki (Robert Guillaume), a wise old mandrill, anoints Simba (cub by Jonathan Taylor Thomas, adult by Matthew Broderick), the newborn cub of King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and Queen Sarabi (Madge Sinclair), and presents him to a gathering of animals at Pride Rock ("Circle of Life").

Mufasa takes Simba on a tour of the Pride Lands, teaching him about the "Circle of Life", the delicate balance affecting all living things. Taking advantage of the cub's naive nature, Simba's scheming uncle Scar (Jeremy Irons) (who is very angry because Simba's birth means that he's no longer next in line to the throne) tells him about the elephant graveyard, a place where Mufasa has forbidden Simba to go. Simba asks his mother if he can go to the water-hole with his best friend, Nala (cub by Niketa Calame, adult by Moira Kelly). Their parents agree but only if Mufasa's majordomo, the hornbill Zazu (Rowan Atkinson), goes with them. Simba and Nala elude Zazu's supervision ("I Just Can't Wait to Be King") and go to the graveyard instead. There, the cubs are met by Shenzi, Banzai and Ed (Whoopi Goldberg, Cheech Marin and Jim Cummings), spotted hyenas who try to kill them, but they are rescued by Mufasa.

On the way home, Mufasa orders Zazu to take Nala home so as to 'teach his son a lesson'. Once left alone, Mufasa tells his son how very disappointed he is in him and how he put both Nala and his lives in danger. He further explains to Simba that being brave doesn't mean to go looking for danger, and reveals he was scared he might have lost him. Having reached an understanding, they play together in the fields, where Simba asks his father if they will always be together. Mufasa tells him that the Kings of the Past are among the stars in the sky. They will be there to guide him and, when Mufasa's time comes, so will he.

Meanwhile, Scar gains the loyalty of the hyenas by claiming that if he becomes king, they'll "never go hungry again" ("Be Prepared"). During the song, Scar tells the hyenas that for this to happen they must kill Mufasa and Simba, thus establishing his plan of regicide.

Some time later, Scar lures Simba into a gorge for a "surprise from his father" while the hyenas create a wildebeest stampede. Alerted by Scar, Mufasa races to rescue Simba from the stampede. He saves his son but is left clinging to the edge of a steep cliff. Scar, instead of helping Mufasa, flings his brother into the stampede below. Simba sees his father fall and rushes down the cliff after him, only to find him dead. Scar convinces the young cub that he was responsible for his father's death and recommends that he flee from the Pride Lands to avoid punishment. Scar once again sends Shenzi, Banzai and Ed to kill Simba, but he escapes. Scar informs the pride that both Mufasa and Simba were killed and that he is assuming the throne as the next in line. Scar proclaims that "this is the dawning of a new era, in which lion and hyena come together", thus allowing the hyenas into the Pride Lands.

In a distant desert, Simba is found unconscious by Timon and Pumbaa (Nathan Lane and Ernie Sabella), a meerkat-warthog duo who adopt and raise the cub under their worry-free philosophy ("Hakuna Matata"). When Simba has grown into an adult he is discovered by Nala, who tells him that Scar, through his irresponsibility, has turned the Pride Lands into a barren wasteland. She asks Simba to return and take his place as king but Simba refuses, still believing he caused his father's death. Simba shows Nala around his home and the two begin to fall in love ("Can You Feel the Love Tonight"). Nala, however, tells Simba that she does not understand why he will not return to Pride Rock and they end up in a quarrel. Rafiki arrives and persuades Simba to return to the Pride Lands, aided by the appearance of the ghost of Mufasa.

Once back at Pride Rock, Simba (with Timon, Pumbaa and Nala) is horrified to see the condition of the Pride Lands. Timon and Pumbaa create a diversion, allowing Simba and Nala to sneak past the hyenas guarding Pride Rock. After seeing his mother Sarabi struck by Scar for criticizing him, Simba announces his return. In response, Scar tells the pride that Simba was responsible for Mufasa's death and corners Simba at the edge of Pride Rock. As Simba dangles over the edge of Pride Rock, Scar proudly but quietly reveals to Simba that he killed Mufasa. Enraged, Simba leaps up and pins Scar to the ground, forcing him to admit the truth to the pride.

Atop Pride Rock's peak, Simba corners Scar. To gain Simba's mercy, Scar blames everything on the hyenas but Shenzi, Banzai and Ed overhear this betrayal. Simba demands that Scar go into exile. Scar pretends to leave but turns to attack Simba, resulting in a final duel. Simba triumphs over his uncle by kicking him over a low cliff. Scar survives the fall but finds himself surrounded by the now-resentful hyenas, who attack and kill him. Simba and Nala become the new king and queen of the Pride Lands. The film concludes with the Pride Lands turning green with life again and Rafiki presenting Simba and Nala's newborn cub as "The Circle of Life" continues.

Hocus Pocus

The movie opens in 1693 Salem, Massachusetts where three witch sisters — Winifred, Sarah, and Mary Sanderson — transformed a boy, Thackery Binx, into an immortal black cat as punishment for trying to prevent them from absorbing the life force of his younger sister, Emily. He is too late to rescue her and instead is cursed to spend eternity as a black cat. The witches are tried and executed by the locals. However, thanks to a curse created by Winifred's magic spell-book, they vow to return when a virgin lights the Black Flame candle on a Halloween night when the moon is full.

Three hundred years later in 1993, Max Dennison (Omri Katz), a skeptical teenager from Los Angeles, moves to Salem with his family and younger sister Dani (Thora Birch). On his way home from school, he meets the local bullies Ernie "Ice" (Larry Bagby) and Jay who tease him, then steal Max's Nike sneakers. After being forced to take Dani trick or treating, Max lights the Black-flamed Candle at the Sanderson house with Dani and his love interest Allison (Vinessa Shaw) present, bringing the witches back from the dead. However, the kids manage to escape from the witches along with the black cat (Binx) who can now talk, and Max steals Winifred's magic spell book. In an attempt to get the book back, the witches chase the kids to the local graveyard where Winifred resurrects Billy Butcherson (Doug Jones), Winifred's previous unfaithful partner. He is sent to chase the kids across town. The witches also reveal that in order to remain alive and young, they must steal the "life force" of a child before the sun rises and Halloween night ends

The witches experience some 20th century antics, including riding a bus, discovering paved roads, and finding themselves in a Halloween party. They also meet a man who they believe is their master, Satan, but they are thrown out of his house by his wife, who they think is Medusa, because of the curlers in her hair. (The couple was played by well-known director/producer Garry Marshall and his sister, actress/director Penny Marshall.)

Max, Dani, Allison, and Binx go to the town hall Halloween party where they find Max's parents. Max takes the stage in an attempt to warn the families that their children are in danger, telling them that the Sanderson sisters were back from the grave. The audience laughs it off as a prank while Winifred steps on stage and thanks him for his "introduction". Taking over the stage, the witches perform a spell disguised as a Broadway-esque performance of I Put A Spell On You, highlighting Midler's musical talent, to cause all of the adults to "dance, dance, dance 'till you die!".

Max and the others lure the witches into the high school and trick them into entering a kiln, where they appear to burn to death. However, the witches cannot die (they have yet to absorb life-force, nor has the sun risen yet). The witches attempt to find the children. The Sisters come up as Mary sniffs out Max’s shoe, only Max’s shoes are worn by Ice. Mary comes up and sniffs the shoe. The witches return to their cottage, taking Jay and Ice with them and locking them in cages. The witches believe that they are doomed because they are unable to make the life-potion without the book, until they spot the light from the magic book, coming from Max's house as Max and Allison tried to find a means of removing Binx's curse. The witches kidnap Dani and Binx. They escape via a new gaping hole blown in the side of Max's home.

Sarah flies across Salem, utilizing a siren-song to lure all of the town's children to their cottage. Max and Allison fool Winifred, Mary and Sarah with threats of Daylight Savings Time (and some headlights) and retrieve Dani and Binx. Max reaches up and takes his shoes off of Ice’s feet, leaving him shoeless and Ice bursts into tears. They retreat to the graveyard, but not before destroying the witches' newest batch of potion. There is still enough for one child however, and Winifred decides that she will make Dani her victim. Max helps Billy, who, after cutting open the stitches over his mouth, reveals himself to be friendly and helps the others protect Dani. A battle begins: Dani is captured by Winifred, who tries to feed her the potion, but Binx forces her to drop it, and she throws him onto a rock, knocking him out. In order to save Dani, Max drinks the potion himself, forcing Winifred to take him instead of her. Meanwhile Allison and Billy incapacitate Sarah and Mary, and after a struggle, Max manages to bring Winifred down from her broom, forcing her onto holy ground, which causes her to turn to stone. Mary and Sarah sadly bid farewell and explode to dust when the sun rises, and Winifred's petrified form soon follows. Billy returns to his grave, but the three kids discover Binx dead (the immortality spell had ceased its duration with the death of the Sanderson sisters, and he was 317 years old). Dani is distraught, since she had formed a bond with him. His spirit appears and thanks the children for breaking his curse, then walks away into the sunrise with the freed soul of his sister, Emily.

During the credits we see the exhausted adults leaving the Halloween party, no longer under the dancing curse. Jay and Ice are seen still trapped in their cages and then the spell book's eye opens and looks around. However, what this means is left to the interpretation of the viewer.

Aladdin

The film begins with a peddler singing Arabian Nights while riding a camel and tells about the story of Aladdin. On a dark night, when Jafar, the Grand Vizier to the Sultan of Agrabah, attempts to access the Cave of Wonders, a magical cave which holds treasures beyond the wildest belief -- above all is a magical oil lamp containing a genie is hidden. He and his talking parrot, Iago, learn that the only one who can enter the Cave of Wonders is the metaphorical "Diamond in the Rough".

Meanwhile, in the palace of Agrabah, Jasmine, the beautiful teenage daughter of the Sultan, must be married before her upcoming birthday, but she rejects every prince she meets, as she wants to be married for true love and not merely for wealth. Later, Jasmine, frustrated with "having her life lived for her," climbs over the palace walls, and sees the marketplace for the first time, where she meets the street urchin Aladdin and his monkey, Abu, and the two young people are seen to be falling for each other. Jafar uses a machine to see that the "diamond in the rough" is Aladdin. Jafar sends a group of guards to capture Aladdin while Jasmine is still with him. Jasmine tells Jafar to release him, but Jafar lies and tells her he is already dead.

Jafar, disguised as an elderly man, releases Aladdin from prison and leads him to the Cave of Wonders. They are told by the tiger-shaped head of the cave to touch nothing but the lamp. Aladdin enters the cave and encounters a magic carpet before finding the lamp. Abu tries to steal a ruby and causes the cave to start collapsing, but the carpet helps them to the entrance. Jafar takes the lamp from them and tries to kill them but Abu takes the lamp back and bites his arm, causing him to knock Abu back into the cave just as it collapses. Jafar laughs in triumph, until he sees that the lamp is not with him, much to his chagrin.

When Aladdin awakens, Abu gives him the lamp which he had snatched from Jafar. After rubbing it, a genie is unleashed, revealing that he will grant Aladdin three wishes. Aladdin dupes the genie into freeing them from the cave without using up a wish. Jafar, having lost the lamp, plans to trick the Sultan into marrying him forcefully to Jasmine, then kill off both of them before Jasmine becomes Queen and executes both Jafar and Iago for no reason.

While contemplating his wishes, Aladdin asks for the genie's opinion. The genie admits he would wish for freedom, since he is a prisoner to his lamp and must follow the orders of the lamp's master. Aladdin promises to wish him free with his last wish. Happily, the genie grants Aladdin his first wish: making him a prince so he can marry Jasmine. They parade to the Sultan's palace, much to Jafar's dismay, but Jasmine initially rejects "Prince Ali" considering him a buffoon like all the others before him. Later that night, Aladdin meets Jasmine, and takes her on a magic carpet ride through the sky. She soon realizes that he is the same boy she met in the streets and that he has lied to her. Aladdin comes up with a story that he sometimes dressed as a "commoner" to escape the pressures of palace life, and she believes him. Aladdin returns her home and they kiss.

Jafar orders the guards to slap Aladdin in chains and throw him off a cliff into the ocean for no reason, and surprisingly, they comply without asking the Sultan first. The lamp falls from inside his turban, and rubs against his limp hands luckily releasing the genie, who then rescues Aladdin as the second wish after liberally interpreting Aladdin's nodding head. Aladdin returns to the palace, smashing Jafar's staff and revealing the vizier's plot to Jasmine and the Sultan. Jafar realizes Aladdin's identity, and escapes from the Sultan's personal bodyguards. Surprised by Aladdin's bravery, the Sultan decides that Aladdin should be King. This made Aladdin stuck in a dilemma as he needs it to use his final wish to become king, but resulting in breaking his promise that he made to Genie to free him. Iago later steals the genie's lamp and brings it to Jafar, who becomes the genie's new master and uses his first wish to become sultan. Jafar then wishes to become a powerful sorcerer and turns Aladdin back to rags, sending him to a blizzard-swept, far-off place.

Aladdin uses the magic carpet to return to Agrabah, where Jafar is keeping the Sultan, the Genie, and Jasmine as his slaves. He offers Jasmine a place as his queen and wife, but she refuses. Jasmine then notices Aladdin coming in the palace, who was about to get the lamp. She tries to make a diversion by tricking Jafar into believing that she's desperately in love with him. Jasmine gives Jafar an extremely passionate kiss, but he sees Aladdin's reflection in her tiara. Aladdin fights Jafar as he transforms into a giant cobra. When Jafar boasts that he is "the most powerful being on Earth," Aladdin tells him that he isn't as powerful as the genie. Jafar uses his final wish to become a Genie and tries to gain control of the universe with his powers - but he forgets that genies are not their own master, they are bound to their lamps and are slaves to the bearer of the lamp. Jafar is instantly sucked into his new black lamp, dragging Iago with him. The genie then flicks the lamp into the Cave of Wonders, to presumably remain undiscovered for ten thousand years.

Aladdin and Jasmine say goodbye to each other now that Aladdin is not a prince so they cannot be married. Aladdin wishes for the genie's freedom, much to the genie's surprise and happiness. Since Jasmine loves Aladdin, the Sultan changes the law so that Jasmine can marry anyone she chooses and she chooses Aladdin. The genie then leaves to explore the world while Aladdin and Jasmine celebrate their engagement.

Oliver and Company

The Rescuers

Pete's Dragon

Bedknobs and Broomsticks

In 1940, with the young men away at World War II, Dorset's only defence is the elderly Home Guard. Eglantine Price (Angela Lansbury) is a spinster taking a witchcraft correspondence course in hopes of somehow helping the war effort. She is serious, practical and firm. To her annoyance, she is assigned the care of three young siblings evacuated from the London Blitz bombings. The three, Charlie (Ian Weighill), Carrie (Cindy O'Callaghan) and Paul Rawlins (Roy Snart), discover her witchcraft and Charlie blackmails her. In exchange for their silence, Miss Price casts a spell on a bedknob which Paul pulled off Miss Price's late father's brass bed. The bed now can travel anywhere that Paul tells it.

Miss Price, searching for the substitutiary locomotion spell which makes inanimate objects move of their own accord, uses the flying bed to travel with the children to London in search of Professor Emelius Browne (David Tomlinson), the putative headmaster of the College of Witchcraft. He is revealed as a conman who inadvertently used spells from a book of a real magician, Astoroth. Mr. Browne takes them to "his" town house, which is actually someone else's mansion in an abandoned part of bombed-out London, from whose nursery Paul takes a children's picture book about the Lost Isle of Naboombu.

In possession of half of Astoroth's spellbook, the group travels to Portobello Road's marketplace to seek the other half, where an extensive multicultural dance sequence takes place. A spiv (petty criminal) named Swinburne (Bruce Forsyth) overhears them looking through bookstalls. He later approaches them takes them at knifepoint to a character called the Bookman (Sam Jaffe), who has the latter half of the book. The completed text tells the legend of the spell but does not give the magic words, which are engraved on a medallion formerly owned by Astoroth. The wizard had used his magic to imbue animals with human-like qualities and behaviours but the animals killed Astoroth, stole many of his magical spells and items, and escaped to the Isle of Naboombu, which is described in the children's book which Paul is still carrying. The Bookman tries to grab Paul's book, but they escape on the bed to the mystical island.

They land in the nearby lagoon and find a cartoon realm where fish can talk, and they can breathe underwater. Miss Price and Mr. Browne win first prize in an underwater dance contest, but a giant fishhook pulls the bed and the humans out of the water. An anthropomorphic sailor bear pulls the bed to shore and the group persuade him to take them to see the king, a lion who is looking for a referee for the royal football (referred to as "soccer" in the film) game. The king wears a medallion: the Star of Astoroth, which has the words to the sought-after spell engraved upon it. Mr. Browne, claiming to have captained Tottenham Hotspur, referees the game, sustaining substantial comic damage from the animals, and - using what he refers to as the "gypsy switch" - steals the Star of Astoroth from around the king's neck, replacing it with his referee's whistle.

The group use the bed to return home, only to discover that the Star cannot leave the cartoon world; the medallion has vanished from Mr. Browne's pocket. Paul reveals that the words of the spell have been in his nursery book all along. Miss Price attempts the spell, but is unable to control it. Mr. Browne is flustered when the children and a villager begin to treat him as a parent and a partner for Miss Price respectively; he hurriedly leaves for the train station.

During the night, a German raiding party invades Miss Price's house. She and the children are taken to the village armory and museum. Mr. Browne discovers Germans at the train station, cutting telephone wires and engaging in other acts of sabotage. After foiling them, he returns to Miss Price's home. Finding it overrun, he breaks into the workshed and turns himself into a rabbit to evade capture and follows the group to the castle. Having been left alone inside the castle, Miss Price casts the substitutiary locomotion spell on the old uniforms and weapons of the castle. The spell is successful, bringing into life everything on display as medieval Knights, Elizabethan Guards, Cavaliers, Redcoats, Highlanders all march off under the command of Miss Price, routing the Germans invaders in a comic action sequence.

The Germans retreat after detonating charges in Miss Price's workshop. The explosion knocks her from the sky, where she had been directing the magical attack astride a flying broomstick. This breaks the spell, and the army collapses as though deflated. The shed in which she keeps her spells is also destroyed. Since Eglantine has a rotten memory, she will no longer be able to do magic although she has few regrets as she has been able to perform some small service to the war effort, and, in any event, she felt that she could never be a "proper witch" because of how she felt about poisoned dragon's liver. Mr. Browne enlists in the British Army, promising to return. As he departs down the road, Charlie complains that they won't have any more fun - to which Paul replies "Well, still got this, en't I?", pulling out the magical glittering bedknob.

The Jungle Book

Mowgli (Bruce Reitherman) is found in a basket as a baby in the deep jungles of Madhya Pradesh, India. In the Disney movie, there is no mention of what happened to his parents or how he came to be there, but the basket was in half a boat in the middle of a river; so it is most likely that his parents were washed downstream and drowned. Bagheera (Sebastian Cabot), the panther who discovers the boy, promptly takes him to a wolf who has just had cubs. She raises him along with her own cubs and Mowgli soon becomes well acquainted to jungle life.

Mowgli is shown ten years later, visiting the wolves and getting his face licked eagerly when he arrives. That night, when the wolf tribe learns that Shere Khan (George Sanders), a man-eating tiger, has returned to the jungle, they realize that Mowgli must be taken to the man village, to protect him and those around him. Bagheera volunteers to escort him back. They leave that very night, but since Mowgli is determined to stay in the jungle things go a little astray. First Kaa (Sterling Holloway), the hungry Indian Python, hypnotizes Mowgli into a deep and peaceful sleep, traps him tightly in his coils and tries to devour him, but comically fails. The next morning, Mowgli tries to join the elephant patrol led by Hathi (J. Pat O'Malley). After that Mowgli and Bagheera get in an argument and then Mowgli runs away from Bagheera. Mowgli soon meets up with the fun-loving bear Baloo (Phil Harris), who shows Mowgli the fun of having a care-free life and promises not to take him to the man village.

Mowgli now wants to stay in the jungle more than ever. Before long, Mowgli is caught by a gang of monkeys and taken to their leader, King Louie (Louis Prima) the orangutan, who makes a deal with Mowgli that if he tells him the secret of making red fire like a human, then he would make it so he could stay in the jungle. However, since he was not raised by humans, Mowgli doesn't know how to make fire. King Louie doesn't believe him.

Mowgli is rescued from King Louie by Bagheera and Baloo, but soon runs away from them after Baloo realizes the man village is best for the boy and breaks his promise. After Mowgli runs away, Baloo and Bagheera split up to find him. Mowgli is lost so he can go hunting for him. Kaa, for a second time, hypnotizes Mowgli into a deep and peaceful sleep, and tries to eat him, but thanks to the intervention of Shere Khan, Mowgli escapes.

He encounters a group of solemn vultures (J. Pat O'Malley, Digby Wolfe, Lord Tim Hudson and Chad Stuart), who closely resemble the Beatles, and they say they'll be his friend. The vultures comically argue about "what do you want to do?" and continually sidetrack Mowgli with their pointless arguments. Shere Khan appears shortly after, but when Baloo rushes to the rescue, together they manage to get rid of the ruthless tiger, when Mowgli ties a flaming stick on his tail (the stick was from a tree struck by lightning). Bagheera and Baloo take him to the edge of a man-village, but Mowgli is still hesitant to go in. His mind soon changes when a young girl from the village comes down by the riverside to fetch water.

After noticing the boy, she "accidentally" drops her water pot, and Mowgli retrieves it for her and follows her into the man village. After Mowgli chooses to stay in the man village, Baloo and Bagheera decide to head home while singing a reprise of "The Bare Necessities".

Mary Poppins

Sleeping Beauty

Set in the 14th century of a fairy-tale world, the newborn Princess Aurora is named after the Roman goddess of the dawn because she fills the lives of her mother and father, King Stefan and Queen Leah, with sunshine. While still an infant, she is betrothed to the also-young Prince Phillip, son of King Hubert. At her christening, the good fairies Flora (dressed in red/pink), Fauna (in green), and Merryweather (in blue) arrive to bless her. Flora gives her the gift of beauty while Fauna gives her the gift of song. But before Merryweather could give her blessing, Maleficent appears on the scene, expressing disappointment in not being invited to Aurora's christening ceremony and curses the princess to die when she touches a spinning wheel's spindle before the sun sets on her sixteenth birthday. Fortunately, Merryweather's blessing weakens the curse so that instead of death, Aurora, would fall into a deep sleep until she is awakened by true love's kiss. Though King Stefan decreed all spinning wheels in the kingdom burned, the three good fairies know Maleficent couldn't be stopped that easily and sneak Aurora away with them to a woodland cottage until her sixteen birthday lapses, passing themselves off as her aunts and swearing off magic to conceal themselves.

Years later, Aurora, renamed Briar-Rose, had grown into a gorgeous young woman with the blessings that Flora and Fauna bestowed to her. She does not care about her looks despite being very beautiful but she awaits love, as she is a very romantic girl. By that time, Maleficent is vexed at her minions' incompetence and sends her raven Diablo to look for Aurora. On the day of her sixteenth birthday, the fairies attempt to make Rose a gown and a cake. When their attempts end in disaster they decide to use their wands, resulting with an argument by Flora and Merryweather over the color of the gown that catches Diablo's attention. Meanwhile, Aurora gathers berries while singing to her animal friends; this attracts the attention of Prince Phillip, now a handsome young man, as he is out riding his horse in the woods. When they meet, they instantly fall in love. Realizing that she has to return home, Aurora flees from Phillip without ever learning his name. Despite promising to meet him again, the fairies reveal the truth of her birth to her and take her to her parents and her betrothed's family.

Unfortunately, Maleficent uses her magic to lure Aurora away from her boudoir up a vacant room of the palace, where a spinning wheel awaits her. Fascinated by the wheel with Maleficent's will enforcing it, Aurora touches the spindle, pricking her finger and completing the curse. The good fairies place Aurora on a bed with a red rose in her hand, and place all in the kingdom in a deep sleep until the spell is broken as King Hubert tries to tell Stefan of his son being in love with a peasant-girl. At that time, Prince Phillip arrives at the cottage, but is captured, bound and gagged by Maleficent's minions and taken to her castle, "The Forbidden Mountain", to prevent him from kissing Aurora until he is an old man. However, the fairies sneak into Maleficent's stronghold and free the prince. Armed with the magical Sword of Truth and The Shield of Virtue, Phillip braves all obstacles to reach Stefan's castle prior to battling Maleficent when the sorceress turns herself into a gigantic Dark Fire-Breathing Dragon. The sword, blessed by the fairies' magic, is plunged into the dragon's heart, causing the evil sorceress to fall to her death from a cliff. Phillip climbs to Aurora's chamber, and removes the curse with a kiss. As the film ends, the prince and princess both happily learn that their betrothed and their beloved are one and the same. They arrive at the ballroom, where Aurora is happily re-united with her parents, and she an Prince Phillip dance a waltz. However, they are unaware of the fact that Merryweather and Flora are still in disagreement of the color of her dress and that the color changes from blue to pink. The last color to appear is pink.

Peter Pan

Alice in Wonderland

On the bank of a tranquil river, Alice grows bored listening to her sister read aloud from a history book. Alice sees a White Rabbit wearing a waistcoat and carrying a large pocket watch. She follows him and tumbles down a rabbit hole and her skirt around her dress billows out like a parachute . At the bottom, she follows the Rabbit into a large chamber but he escapes through a tiny door. The Doorknob suggests Alice drink from a bottle marked "Drink me." The contents shrink her to a tiny fraction of her original size. The Doorknob is now locked, but the key has appeared back on the table which she can no longer reach. The Doorknob directs her to a cookie marked "Eat me." The cookie makes her grow so large that her head hits the ceiling. She begins to cry; her massive tears flood the room. The Doorknob points out that the "Drink me" bottle still has some fluid left inside, so she finishes the last drop. She becomes so small that she drops inside the bottle. Both she and the bottle drift through the doorknob's keyhole mouth and out to a sea made from Alice's tears.

On shore, a Dodo leads a group of animals in a futile caucus-race to get dry. Alice meets Tweedledum and Tweedledee, two fat brothers who recite "The Walrus and the Carpenter". Alice sneaks away to the White Rabbit's house. The Rabbit orders Alice to fetch his gloves. Inside the house, Alice eats a cookie. She becomes so large that she gets stuck inside the house. The Dodo tries to help by sending Bill the Lizard down the chimney and then setting the house on fire. Alice eats a carrot from the garden and shrinks down to three inches high.

Alice chases after the Rabbit again, this time into a garden of tall flowers who consider her a weed and throw her out. She engages a hookah-smoking caterpillar who turns into a butterfly, though not before giving her cryptic advice about the mushroom she is sitting on. Alice breaks off two pieces and nibbles them alternately until finally restoring herself to her normal size.

Alice receives mysterious directions from the Cheshire Cat, an eerily grinning feline that can disappear and reappear at will, which lead her to the garden of the March Hare, who is celebrating his "unbirthday" with the Mad Hatter and the Dormouse. Alice, growing tired of their rudeness and wackiness, decides to go home, abandoning her pursuit of the White Rabbit. She is lost and despondent among the strange creatures of the Tulgey Wood until the Cheshire Cat reappears and shows her a short-cut out of the forest.

In the hedge maze garden, Alice meets some playing cards painting white roses red. The White Rabbit heralds the arrival of the bellicose Queen of Hearts, the diminutive King, and a card army. She invites Alice to a strange game of croquet using flamingos as mallets, hedgehogs as balls, and card soldiers as wickets. The Cheshire Cat plays a prank on the Queen, who blames Alice and orders her execution. The King suggests that Alice be put on trial instead. At the trial, Alice's nonsensical acquaintances are of no help to her. The Cheshire Cat appears and causes enough distraction to allow Alice to eat the remaining portions of mushroom, causing her to grow to gigantic proportions. At this size, Alice scolds the terrified Queen for her rash behavior, but then starts shrinking back to her normal size all too soon. At the Queen's command of "Off with her head!" all the crazy inhabitants of Wonderland give chase.

Coming back to the Doorknob, Alice is told by him that he is still locked, but that she is already on the other side. Looking through the keyhole, Alice sees herself asleep in the park. As the mob draws nearer, she calls, "Alice, wake up!" to her sleeping self until she gradually awakens from the dream to the sound of her sister's voice. The two of them return home for teatime while Alice muses on her adventures in Wonderland, realizing that perhaps logic and reason exist for a purpose.

Cinderella

Cinderella is the much-loved only child of a widowed aristocrat. After deciding that his beloved daughter needs a mother's care, Cinderella's father marries a proud and haughty woman named Lady Tremaine. She too has been married before, and has two daughters by her first marriage, Anastasia and Drizella, who are just Cinderella's age. Plain and socially awkward, these "Ugly Stepsisters" are bitterly envious of the beautiful and charming Cinderella.

The family lives in happiness for several years, until the untimely death of Cinderella's father. After that, Lady Tremaine's true nature is revealed, and she and her spiteful daughters take over the estate, and begin to abuse and maltreat Cinderella, envious of her beauty. She is forced into housekeeping responsibilities and made to wait upon her jealous stepsisters like a maid. As Cinderella blossoms into a beautiful young woman who is kind despite her hardships, she befriends the animals living in the barn, including Bruno the Bloodhound, Major the horse, and many of the mice and birds who live in and around the chateau. Cinderella finds a mouse inside a trap, releases him, and names him Octavius, "Gus" for short. She is also friends with a mouse named Jacques ("Jaq" for short), the leader of a mouse-pack.

At the royal palace, the King is angry that his son does not intend to marry. The King is determined to see grandchildren, so he and the Duke organize a ball for the Prince in an effort to cause his son to fall in love and marry, with every eligible maiden in the kingdom ordered to attend.

When the invitation to the ball arrives, Cinderella asks her stepmother if she can attend. Her stepmother tells her she may go to the ball, if she finishes her work and can find a suitable gown. To consume her time, her stepmother sets Cinderella with a mountain of chores. Her mouse friends Jaq and Gus use Cinderella's stepsister's discarded sash and beads to fix an old gown that belonged to Cinderella's mother. When Cinderella wears her dress before the ball, Lady Tremaine points out her daughters' beads and sash, and the jealous sisters physically assault her, tearing the gown to shreds, leaving Cinderella to run to the back of the garden in tears while her stepfamily attends the royal ball without her.

Cinderella's Fairy Godmother appears to her in the garden, and transforms her appearance for the ball. She transforms the mice into horses, Bruno the dog into a footman, Major the horse into a coachman, a pumpkin into the carriage, and transforms her torn dress into a beautiful blue dress with glass slippers. Cinderella departs for the ball after the godmother warns her that the spell will expire at the stroke of midnight.

At the ball, the Prince rejects every girl, until he sees Cinderella, with whom he is immediately smitten. The two dance throughout the castle grounds until the clock starts to chime midnight. Cinderella flees to her coach and away from the castle, accidentally dropping one of her glass slippers. After the Duke tells the King of the disaster, they plan to find Cinderella with the slipper they found during her escape.

The next morning, a royal proclamation is issued, stating the Grand Duke will visit every house in the kingdom to find the girl who fits the glass slipper, so that she can be married to the Prince. When this news reaches Cinderella's household, her stepmother and stepsisters begin hurriedly preparing for the Grand Duke's arrival. Cinderella, overhearing, begins dreamily humming the song from the palace ball the previous night. Realizing Cinderella was the girl who danced with the Prince, her stepmother follows Cinderella up to her attic bedroom and locks her inside.

When the Grand Duke arrives, the mice steal the key to Cinderella's room from Lady Tremaine's pocket and laboriously drag the key up the stairs to her room, only barely managing to free her after a fight with the Stepmother's cat Lucifer, in which Bruno comes to their rescue and scares the evil cat out of the house. Meanwhile, Anastasia tries on the slipper, but her foot is too big. Drizella tries on the slipper, and finds her foot is also too large. As the Duke prepares to leave, Cinderella appears at the top of the stairs, asking to try on the slipper. Knowing that the slipper will fit and that Cinderella will marry the Prince, her stepmother insists she's just a servant girl. The Grand Duke sharply reminds her that every maiden is to try on the slipper. As the footman bring the slipper to Cinderella, her stepmother trips him, causing the slipper to drop and shatter on the floor. Cinderella then reveals she has the other glass slipper. Delighted at this indisputable proof of the maiden's identity, the Duke slides the slipper onto her foot, which fits perfectly.

At the wedding, Cinderella and the Prince descend the church's staircase, surrounded by confetti tossed by the King and the Grand Duke. Cinderella loses a slipper and retrieves it with the aid of the King. As the film ends on a scene of the two newly-weds kissing, the narrator concludes "...and they lived happily ever after".

Bambi

A doe gives birth to a fawn in the thicket whom she names Bambi. After he learns to walk, Bambi befriends Thumper, a young rabbit, and while learning to talk he meets Flower, a young skunk. One day his mother takes him to the meadow, a place that is both wonderful and frightening. There he meets Faline, a doe-fawn, and his father, the Great Prince of the Forest. It is also during this visit that Bambi has his first encounter with man, who causes all the animals to flee the meadow. During a harsh winter, Bambi and his mother go to the meadow and discover a patch of new grass, heralding the arrival of spring. As they eat, his mother senses a hunter and orders Bambi to flee. As they run, gun shots ring out. When Bambi arrives at their thicket, he discovers his mother is no longer with him. He wanders the forest calling for her, but she doesn't answer. His father appears in front of him and tells Bambi "your mother can't be with you anymore," then leads him away.

In the spring, an adult Bambi is reunited with Thumper and Flower as the animals around them begin pairing up with mates. Though they resolve not to be "twitterpated" like the other animals in love, Thumper and Flower each leave with newly found mates. Bambi is disgusted, until he runs into Faline and they become a couple. As they happily dance and flirt through the woods, another buck, Ronno, appears who tries to force Faline to go with him. Though he initially struggles, Bambi's rage gives him the strength to defeat Ronno and push him off a cliff and into a river below.

That night, Bambi is awoken by the smell of smoke. His Father explains that Man is in the forest and they must flee. Bambi goes back to search for Faline, but she is being chased by hunting dogs. Bambi finds her in time and fights off the dogs, allowing Faline to escape. With Faline safe, Bambi runs but is shot as he leaps over a ravine. The Great Prince finds him there and urges him back to his feet. Together, they escape the forest fire and go to a small island in a lake where the other animals, including Faline, have taken refuge.

At the end of the film, Faline gives birth to twin fawns, Bambi stands watch on the large hill, and the Great Prince silently turns and walks away.

Dumbo

While animals from a zoo are being transported to a circus, Mrs. Jumbo, one of the elephants, receives her baby from a stork. He is quickly abused by the other elephants because of his large ears, and they nickname him "Dumbo".

When Mrs. Jumbo loses her temper at a group of children, for making fun of her son, she is locked up and deemed a mad elephant. Dumbo is shunned by the other elephants and with no mother to care for him, he is now alone, except for a self-appointed mentor and protector, Timothy Q. Mouse

The circus director makes Dumbo the top of an elephant pyramid stunt, but Dumbo causes the stunt to go wrong, injuring the other elephants and bringing down the big top. Dumbo is made a clown as a result, and becomes the main role in an act that involves him falling into a vat of pie filling. Dumbo hates this job and is now very miserable.

To cheer Dumbo up, Timothy takes him to visit his mother. On the way back Dumbo starts to hiccup so Timothy decides to take him for a drink of water from a bucket which, unknown to him, has accidentally had a bottle of champagne knocked into it. As a result, Dumbo and Timothy both become drunk and see hallucinations of pink elephants.

The next morning, Dumbo and Timothy wake up in a tree. Timothy wonders how they got up in the tree, and concludes that Dumbo flew up there using his large ears as wings. With the help of a group of crows, Timothy is able to get Dumbo the fly again, using a "magic feather" to boost his confidence. During a circus stunt where Dumbo is jumping from a high building, Dumbo loses the feather and Timothy tells him that the feather was never magical, and that he is still able to fly. Dumbo is able to pull out of the dive and flies around the circus.

After this performance, Dumbo becomes a media sensation, Timothy becomes his manager and he and Mrs. Jumbo are given a private car on the circus train.

Pinocchio

The film starts with Jiminy Cricket singing the hit Disney song "When You Wish Upon a Star". Jiminy then talks to the audience for those who may not believe in the song's optimistic words and recounts his experience of being one of those non-believers until he met Pinocchio. Through a storybook entitled Pinocchio (which acts as a window to Jiminy's aformentioned adventure), we see an unnamed town in the night and the workshop of the woodworker Geppetto. Jiminy walks into the workshop to warm himself from the cold. He notices a puppet Geppetto is working on. Geppetto names the puppet Pinocchio and after making his marionette dance around for the amused and bewildered eyes of Figaro, his kitten, and Cleo, his goldfish, he decides to go to bed. He notices a falling star in the sky and wishes that Pinocchio could be a real boy. While everybody is sleeping Jiminy wakes up and notices a Blue Fairy entering the room. She makes Pinocchio come alive since Geppetto has always been a good man and deserves his wish to come true. Pinocchio is alive, but still nothing more than a puppet. If he wants to become a real boy of flesh and blood he must prove himself to be brave, truthful and unselfish and able to tell right from wrong by listening to his conscience. Pinocchio doesn't understand what a conscience is and Jiminy appears to explain it to him. The Blue Fairy then assigns Jiminy with the official title of acting as Pinocchio's conscience, changes him into better clothes, and disappears again.

Jiminy teaches Pinocchio that whenever he needs guidance he should whistle, as exemplified in the song "Give a Little Whistle". Pinocchio tumbles over some furniture during the song and wakes up Geppetto, Figaro and Cleo who were asleep during the song. When Geppetto discovers his wish has become true, he is filled with joy and starts to celebrate by turning on all his clocks and music boxes. The next day Pinocchio goes off for his first day of school. Despite warning Pinocchio not to walk with strangers, the cricket is quickly ignored. Pinocchio never arrives at his destination since two crooks, the fox, Honest John, and the mute cat, Gideon, convince him to become an actor in the puppet show of Stromboli while singing the song "Hi-Diddle-Dee-Dee". Pinocchio immediately becomes a sensation singing "I've Got No Strings" at the theater and makes a lot of money for Stromboli. Stromboli however refuses to permit Pinocchio to return home and locks him up in a bird cage. During his captivity Jiminy reappears. He tries to open the lock on the birdcage, but the lock is too old and rusty, and he admits that only a miracle would help them get out of that mess. Suddenly, the Blue Fairy appears and asks Pinocchio to explain what happened. Pinocchio lies and to his surprise his nose starts to grow longer. The Blue Fairy explains to him that his nose grew because he lied. When Pinocchio admits he lied, and Jiminy pleads to the Blue Fairy to give Pinocchio one more chance, she forgives him and helps them escape, by unlocking the birdcage: disappearing right after. Pinocchio and Jiminy get out of Stromboli's coach, and go back towards home.

Meanwhile, Honest John and Gideon have met The Coachman in a tavern. The Coachman promises them a large sum of money if they can bring him little boys whom he can lead to Pleasure Island. The mentioning of the island and the Coachman's evil grin scare Honest John and Gideon, but they nonetheless lure Pinocchio away and deliver him to the Coachman. Jiminy Cricket, again unable to warn Pinocchio of the danger, travels with him incognito. During the travel to Pleasure Island Pinocchio befriends Lampwick, a misbehaving and destructive boy who is older than he. On the island boys are able to have fun and do all the things their parents and other adults usually tell them not to do, such as: gambling, drinking, brawling, smoking and vandalism. Pinocchio imitates Lampwick and has fun doing all these mischievous things. A furious Jiminy Cricket tries to make Pinocchio leave the location, but he is only ridiculed by Lampwick. Filled with anger and humiliation, Jiminy leaves them alone, but while trying to discover a way to leave the island, he makes a horrible discovery. The Coachman orders hooded goons to close the gates preventing any escape from the island. Jiminy sneaks under the locked gate to find a now-deserted Pleasure Island in ruins and littered with debris, which Jiminy comments looks like a graveyard. Jiminy then proceeds to where he hears voices and crying: a terrible curse on the island has transformed all the misbehaving boys into donkeys for literally "behaving like jackasses" (the curse) and are then sold by the Coachman as work forces in salt mines and circuses. Jiminy rushes back to warn Pinocchio, but it's already too late. At a pool hall, Lampwick gradually transforms into a real braying donkey and Pinocchio has already developed donkey ears and a donkey tail from tobacco and beer. Pinocchio stops drinking and smoking once he realizes what they are doing to Lampwick, thereby preventing any further transformation into a donkey, although it is too late for Lampwick, as he screams for help, only to lose his senses by braying and smashing a mirror with his new hooves. Pinocchio still has donkey ears and a tail, but keeps his mind and body, although at a later point when Pinocchio jokes about his donkey tail he starts braying like Lampwick, only to regain his voice when he realizes donkey ears are a mark of shame, not humor. Jiminy and Pinocchio quickly escape and swim back to their hometown.

Back home, they find Geppetto is not home. He discovered that Pinocchio was on Pleasure Island and went to search for him, taking Figaro and Cleo with him on a boat to cross the sea. Pinocchio and Jiminy are informed by the Blue Fairy of Geppetto's whereabouts and decide to travel underwater at the bottom of the ocean to find him. Pinocchio and Jiminy are swallowed by a large black whale called Monstro and discover his father, Cleo, and Figaro on a ruined boat inside the whale's stomach. After a happy reunion Pinocchio comes up with an escape plan by burning wood on the boat to create smoke to make Monstro sneeze. The plan works, but the enraged sea mammal chases them. He destroys their raft and Geppetto almost drowns, only to be saved by Pinocchio who tries to swim him to the shore. Monstro swims after them, but crashes into a cliff on the rocky coastline, knocking him out and causing a tidal wave. Everyone washes onto shore and survives, except Pinocchio who was drowned by the enormous wave.

In Geppetto's home everybody mourns over Pinocchio's death. But the Blue Fairy decides that Pinocchio has proven his worth in being a brave, good boy and brings him back to life as a real boy. Everyone celebrates Pinocchio's revival and Jiminy is awarded a solid gold medal by the Fairy for acting well as Pinocchio's conscience. The movie ends with Jiminy once again singing "When You Wish upon a Star".