Animation DVD & Blu-rays 2006 List

From Steve Oedekerk and Nickelodeon Movies, creators of "Jimmy Neutron: Boy Genius", and filmed entirely in CGI comes this hilarious look at what really happens in a barnyard when the farmer's back is turned. "The Barnyard" is a lighthearted tale centering around Otis (voiced by Kevin James), a carefree party cow, who enjoys singing, dancing and playing tricks on humans. Unlike his father Ben (voiced by Sam Elliott), the respected patriarch of the farm, and Miles, the wise old mule (voiced by Danny Glover), Otis is unconcerned about keeping the animals' humanlike talents a secret. But when suddenly put in the position of responsibility, the "udderly" irresponsible cow finds the courage to be a leader.

Set in the future, "A Scanner Darkly" follows an undercover agent, Bob Arctor (Keanu Reeves), who can change his face and identity. But when he ingests too much of the drug Substance D, his personality splits in two.

After taking moviegoers magically into the realm of toys, bugs, monsters, fish, and superheroes, the masterful storytellers and technical wizards at Pixar Animation Studios and Academy Award-winning director John Lasseter, hit the road with a fast-paced comedy adventure set inside the world of cars. Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson), a hotshot rookie race car driven to succeed, discovers that life is about the journey, not the finish line, when he finds himself unexpectedly detoured in the sleepy Route 66 town of Radiator Springs. On route across the country to the big Piston Cup Championship in California to compete against two seasoned pros, McQueen gets to know the town's offbeat characters –including Sally (a snazzy 2002 Porsche voiced by Bonnie Hunt), Doc Hudson (a 1951 Hudson Hornet with a mysterious past, voiced by Paul Newman), and Mater (a rusty but trusty tow truck voiced by Larry the Cable Guy) – who help him realize that there are more important things than trophies, fame and sponsorship. The all-star vocal cast also includes free-wheeling performances by racing legend Richard Petty and. Fueled with plenty of humor, action, heartfelt drama, and amazing new technical feats, "Cars" is a high octane delight for moviegoers of all ages.

In this computer-generated animated feature, on which Christopher Reeve was the original director before his passing, a boy travels across the country on a mission to return Babe Ruth's bat before the deciding game of the 1932 World Series. Along the way, he meets a quirky array of characters that aid him on his comic journey.

While Skrat the Saber Toothed Squirrel is still ineffectually trying to regain his precious acorn, the misfit trio of Manny the Mammoth, Sid the Sloth and Diego the Sabretooth Tiger have settled down in an isolated valley with numerous other animals. However, the trio discover that the ice wall surrounding the valley is barely holding back a massive body of water behind it and it's melting state threatens to break and flood the valley. With their one chance of survival being a boat at the other end of the valley, the trio follow the desperate exodus there. Along the way, they meet Ellie, a female mammoth who is convinced she's a opossum like her brothers. While the strange group continues the trek, they must learn to get along even as Manny struggles to find some connection to this strange female who may be the only other one of his kind.

One night, Samson's (Sutherland) son, Ryan, accidentally causes a gazelle stampede. Father and son have a heated argument that leads to Ryan running away and hiding in an empty crate, without realising that it's in a truck marked "Return to the wild" - Africa. Samson and his friends take off into the real Wild, New York City and end up at New York harbour where they arrive just in time to see Ryan take off on a boat. Our rescue squad, commandeer a boat and head off to Africa after Ryan. Once in Africa, their adventure continues as they search for Ryan and encounter a herd of wildebeests who are bent on eating all of our zoo friends… except Nigel the koala (Eddie Izzard) who they believe is God-like. Our heroes lives, as well as Ryan's, now lie in Nigel's hands, or paws, but will he let his new-found fame go to his head.

"The Ant Bully" is based on a book by John Nickle, which tells the tale of a young boy who floods an ant colony with his water-gun, and is magically shrunken down to insect size and sentenced to hard labor in the ruins. Before returning to half-pint stature, he comes to appreciate the selfless nature of the ants and learns a valuable lesson about tolerance and empathy.

Universal Pictures' and Imagine Entertainment's first computer-generated comedy feature, "Curious George", is based upon the beloved tale of an inquisitive little monkey with an insatiable appetite for adventure. Will Ferrell lends his voice to The Man with the Yellow Hat.

America's favorite feline, Garfield, follows his owner, Jon, to England. The U.K. may never recover, as Garfield is mistaken for a look-alike, regal cat who has inherited a castle. Garfield savors the royal treatment afforded by his loyal "subjects," but his "reign" is in jeopardy. The nefarious Lord Dargis is determined to do away with Garfield, so he can turn the castle into a resort.

In the animated film, "Over the Hedge", Bruce Willis will voice the mischievous con-artist raccoon R.J., and Garry Shandling will be the voice of the sensitive turtle named Verne. When R.J., Verne and their woodland friends find a suburban housing development encroaching on their forest home, Verne's first instinct is to retreat into his shell and leave, but the ever-opportunistic R.J. sees a treasure trove to be had from his unsuspecting new neighbors. Together, Verne and R.J. form an unlikely friendship as they learn to co-exist with—and even exploit—this strange new world called suburbia.

Monster House is an exciting and hilarious thrill-ride tale about three kids (Mitchel Musso, Sam Lerner and Spencer Locke) who must do battle with a mysterious home that is determined to eat every trick or treater in sight on Halloween.

One night, Samson's (Sutherland) son, Ryan, accidentally causes a gazelle stampede. Father and son have a heated argument that leads to Ryan running away and hiding in an empty crate, without realising that it's in a truck marked "Return to the wild" - Africa. Samson and his friends take off into the real Wild, New York City and end up at New York harbour where they arrive just in time to see Ryan take off on a boat. Our rescue squad, commandeer a boat and head off to Africa after Ryan. Once in Africa, their adventure continues as they search for Ryan and encounter a herd of wildebeests who are bent on eating all of our zoo friends… except Nigel the koala (Eddie Izzard) who they believe is God-like. Our heroes lives, as well as Ryan's, now lie in Nigel's hands, or paws, but will he let his new-found fame go to his head.

Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor, a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love.

In the re-telling of this classic fable, the story begins at the end. Chief Grizzly (Xzibit) and Detective Bill Stork (Anthony Anderson) investigate a domestic disturbance at Granny's (Glenn Close) cottage involving a karate-kicking Red Riding Hood (Anne Hathaway), a sarcastic Wolf (Patrick Warburton) and an oafish Woodsman ( Jim Belushi). The charges are many: breaking and entering, intent to eat and wielding an axe without a license, but these unusual suspects have their story to tell first.

Based on the popular children's series, the animated film features a group of friends who embark on a dangerous journey in an effort to imprison their oppressor—the evil wizard ZeeBadee.

In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter. After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls. The Hatter sisters--Sophie, Lettie, and Martha--and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning. In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle? Diana Wynne Jones's entrancing fantasy is filled with surprises at every turn, but when the final stormy duel between the Witch and the Wizard is finished, all the pieces fall magically into place.

Cute little bunny Peter Cottontail (Tom Kenny) has various adventures, evading the villainous Irontail (Roger Moore) and Jackie Frost (Molly Shannon).

Next summer the sky really IS falling in Walt Disney Pictures' new computer-animated film "Chicken Little". This epic tale presents a new twist to the classic fable of a young chicken who causes widespread panic when he mistakes a falling acorn for a piece of the sky. In this hilarious adventure, Chicken Little is determined to revive his ruined reputation. But just as things are starting to go his way, a real piece of the sky lands on his head! Suspense, chaos, and plenty of laughs ensue as Chicken Little and his band of misfit friends, Abby Mallard (a.k.a. Ugly Duckling), Runt of the Litter and Fish Out of Water, attempt to save the world without sending the town into a whole new panic. This time, when it comes to saving the world, it helps to be a little chicken.

It's 'vege-mania' in Wallace and Gromit's neighborhood, and our two enterprising chums are cashing in with their humane pest-control outfit, "Anti-Pesto." With only days to go before the annual Giant Vegetable Competition, business is booming, but Wallace & Gromit are finding out that running a "humane" pest control outfit has its drawbacks as their West Wallaby Street home fills to the brim with captive rabbits. Suddenly, a huge, mysterious, veg-ravaging "beast" begins attacking the town's sacred vegetable plots at night, and the competition hostess, Lady Tottington, commissions Anti-Pesto to catch it and save the day. Lying in wait, however, is Lady Tottington's snobby suitor, Victor Quartermaine, who'd rather shoot the beast and secure the position of local hero—not to mention Lady Tottingon's hand in marriage. With the fate of the competition in the balance, Lady Tottington is eventually forced to allow Victor to hunt down the vegetable chomping marauder. Little does she know that Victor's real intent could have dire consequences for her and our two heroes.

The new film is a 'midquel', the story taking place in the middle of the first "Bambi" movie. It is your basic teenage angst tale, dealing with Bambi coping with his Father, the Great Prince, and his finding of a new mate while an orphaned Bambi comes to terms with his Mother's death.

Set in a 19th century European village, this stop-motion, animated feature follows the story of Victor, a young man who is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious Corpse Bride, while his real bride, Victoria, waits bereft in the land of the living. Though life in the Land of the Dead proves to be a lot more colorful than his strict Victorian upbringing, Victor learns that there is nothing in this world, or the next, that can keep him away from his one true love.