Back to Gaya (2004)

IMDB rating: 5.40

Plot: The beautiful world of Gaya is home to a community of creatures, known as the Snurks, who are much smaller than humans, but who have an uncanny resemblance to them. But the Snurks are facing imminent danger. Someone has stolen the magic stone called Dalamite without which this world is doomed. Two Snurks named Boo and Zino embark on a dangerous mission to track down and recover the stone. As they attempt to find the stone, their journey takes them into another world that is both strange and frightening!

South Park: Bigger Longer & Uncut (1999)

IMDB rating: 7.70

Plot: South Park is a peaceful and quiet town until the Terrence and Phillip movie “Asses Of Fire” hits the theaters. Once that happens, all friggin’ hell breaks loose. After all the kids see the movie, they begin using all the foul and naughty language used in the movie. When the parents discover this, they demand war against Canada. The parents plan to execute Terrence and Phillip. After Kenny gets sent to hell (all thanks to Cartman), he overhears Satan and Saddam Hussien plan to rise to Earth to rule for 2,000,000 years of torture once Terrence and Phillip’s blood touches US soil. Will Cartman’s filthy fucking mouth and V-Chip save the day?

Nightmare Before Christmas, The (1993)

IMDB rating: 8.00

Plot: Bored and unhappy with the life of being “The Pumpkin King” Jack Skellington of Halloween Town, Jack sets out to find something exciting. Jack discovers “Christmas Town” and takes it upon himself to take over the duties of Santa to deliver toys across the world to children.

Futurama: Bender’s Game (2008)

IMDB rating: 7.40

Plot: At once a merciless skewering of all things fanboy and an extremely satisfying addition to the Futurama franchise, Bender’s Game is among the best of the animated series’ feature length adventures. The game in question is Dungeons and Dragons, and Bender wants in—only robots aren’t programmed with the necessary imagination. Naturally, Bender’s plans to develop one go completely awry and land him in an android asylum. The role-playing plotline later re-emerges—in typically convoluted Futurama fashion—via a subplot involving Professor Farnsworth’s conversion of dark matter into spaceship fuel, which created a key to a very D&D-influenced universe where our hapless heroes eventually find themselves. The alternate world storyline allows for much lampooning of fantasy tropes, with Lord of the Rings receiving the lion’s share of the tweaks. Seeing as how the writers have already devoted much of the movie’s running time to parodying Star Wars and Star Trek (and their Lego offshoots), one might think that Bender’s Game might suffer from pop-culture overload, but surprisingly, it all feels fresh and frequently funny, and the writers are wise to ground the story in their eccentric characters rather than pinballing them through an endless string of gags. The result is probably the strongest of the direct-to-DVD Futurama releases to date, and one that newcomers to the show’s cracked universe can appreciate as much as longtime fans.As with previous Futurama DVD releases, the extras come fast and furious on Bender’s Game: commentary by members of the cast and production team (including Matt Groening) is both informative and funny, while interviews with the writers and producers discuss, among other topics, the influence of Dungeons and Dragons on the series and the 3D models used in the feature. Aspiring animators might appreciate “How To Draw Futurama in 83 Easy Steps and the storyboard animatic for the first part of the story, while the “Genetics Lab” feature allows for some amusing Dr. Moreau-style cross-breeding of the characters. Recording session bloopers and a deleted scene offer their own laughs, but the most enjoyable extra must be the preview for the next Futurama feature, Into the Wild Green Yonder, which suggests a shocking development for one of the show’s regulars.

Aladdin (1992)

IMDB rating: 7.70

Plot: Aladdin is a street-urchin who lives in a large and busy town long ago with his faithful monkey friend Abu. When Princess Jasmine gets tired of being forced to remain in the palace that overlooks the city, she sneaks out to the marketplace, where she accidentally meets Aladdin. Under the orders of the evil Jafar (the sultan’s advisor), Aladdin is thrown in jail and becomes caught up in Jafar’s plot to rule the land with the aid of a mysterious lamp. Legend has it that only a person who is a “diamond in the rough” can retrieve the lamp from the Cave of Wonders. Aladdin might fight that description, but that’s not enough to marry the princess, who must (by law) marry a prince.

Lion King 1?, The (2004)

IMDB rating: 6.40

Plot: Imagine a cross between _Lion King, The (1994)_ (qv) and _Back to the Future Part II (1989)_ (qv). This is a separate story thread, that of Timon and Pumbaa, intertwined with the original story. Thus, along with seeing new events (e.g. Timon’s departure from the meerkat colony, Timon and Pumbaa’s first meeting, the origin of “Hakuna Matata”), we get to see a new perspective on (and some previously unseen causes for) some of the events in the original film. Oh, and the whole thing is told in a _”Mystery Science Theater 3000″ (1988)_ (qv) framework, with Timon and Pumbaa narrating and interacting with the “onscreen” movie.

Sinbad: Legend of the Seven Seas (2003)

IMDB rating: 6.50

Plot: Sinbad, the most daring and notorious rogue ever to sail the seven seas, has spent his life asking for trouble, and trouble has finally answered in a big way. Framed for stealing one of the world’s most priceless and powerful treasures—the Book of Peace—Sinbad has one chance to find and return the precious book, or his best friend Proteus will die. Sinbad decides not to take that chance and instead sets a course for the fun and sun of the Fiji Islands. However, Proteus’ beautiful betrothed, Marina, has stowed away on Sinbad’s ship, determined to make sure that Sinbad fulfills his mission and saves Proteus’ life. Now the man who put the “bad” in Sinbad is about to find out how bad bad can be.

Mulan (1998)

IMDB rating: 7.20

Plot: Mulan is a girl, the only child of her honored family. When the Huns invade China, one man from every family is called to arms. Mulan’s father, who has an old wound and cannot walk properly, decides to fight for his country and the honor of his family though it is clear that he will not survive an enemy encounter. Mulan, who just got rejected by the matchmaker because she had set her on fire, decides to prove that she is worth something and steals away to fit her father’s place in the Chinese army. She prays to her family’s ancestors for protection and luck before leaving as a man in her father’s armor with her family’s horse. The ancestors awake and decide to send Mushu, a little dishonored dragon to aid Mulan in her quest. Weeks later, Mulan and the other troopers have survived the training camp and are on the way north to stop the huns. After being spotted and pursued by the enemies, an impass situation in the mountains forces Mulan to come up with an idea. But then, her real gender will no longer be a secret. She decides to risk everything in order to save China.

Justice League: The New Frontier (2008)

IMDB rating: 7.20

Plot: Adapting the award-winning DC Comics miniseries DC: THE NEW FRONTIER by Darwyn Cooke, Justice League: The New Frontier spins a tale of the DC Universe in the 1950s, focusing on test pilot Hal Jordan (Green Lantern) and the Martian Manhunter. The story also features other DC characters, including Barry Allen (the Flash), Superman, Wonder Woman, Batman, and many more.