Despereaux a Beautiful Mess

Old story becomes a fun journey in fast-paced martial arts animation

(NEWSER) - Dreamworks' animal extravaganza Kung Fu Panda isn't packed full of surprises, the critics say, but top-notch visual and voice acting lift it above the standard animal adventure fare. Jack Black gives the lead character, a pudgy panda who dreams of becoming a martial arts master, a "slightly abashed suburban-couch-potato sweetness," Owen Gleiberman writes in Entertainment Weekly. More»

Animated feature is strong, if generic, hyper: critics

(NEWSER) - Critics agree that French studio Illumination Entertainment has made a strong first entry into feature animation with Despicable Me, featuring Steve Carrell voicing a cartoon baddy who adopts three little girls. But it has the misfortune to premiere within weeks of Pixar's beloved Toy Story 3.

• Despicable Me "cannot be faulted for lack of trying," AO Scott writes in the New York Times . "If anything, it tries much too hard, stuffing great gobs of second-rate action, secondhand humor and warmed-over sentiment into every nook and cranny of its relentlessly busy 3-D frames. It tries so hard to be likable that you may hate yourself for hating it."

Pixar brings series to 'dazzling, emotional' finale

(NEWSER) - Toy Story 3 is a heartwarming masterpiece that easily ranks among Pixar's best, say critics in unanimously positive reviews (as of this writing, it has a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes ). Andy's headed to college in this one, but instead of being stored in the attic or put out with the trash, the toys end up in a day-care center—and at the mercy of manic toddlers.

• The return of Woody, Buzz Lightyear, and the rest of the gang "is everything a movie should be: hilarious, touching, exciting and clever," writes Claudia Puig of USA Today.

The movie's not bad, just phoned in

(NEWSER) - Shrek Forever After, the supposed last film in the green ogre franchise, isn't terrible, critics unanimously agree. But neither is it remotely necessary. Here's what they're saying:

• “There's a soft, middle-aged complacency to the well-oiled mechanics of Shrek Forever After,” writes Lisa Schwarzbaum of EW . “What was once a fresh, self-referential twist on the vulturish consumption of pop culture when the first Shrek debuted in 2001 has become a lazy corporate tic.”

Critics love Dreamworks' latest animate tale

(NEWSER) - Dreamwork’s latest animated romp, How to Train Your Dragon, is earning nearly unanimous critical praise—it’s currently at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes . Here’s what they’re saying:

• The story’s pretty conventional, but writer-directors Chris Sanders and Dean DeBlois (Lilo & Stitch) “make funny, touching, sublime entertainment out of it,” writes Peter Travers of Rolling Stone . “Kid stuff? Maybe.” But it’ll “charm your socks off.”