Remember all those great, animated films that came out just before Halloween, that you promised yourself you’d rent when they came out on video? They’re here! And since they’re priced at just $3.99 per rental, the whole family can enjoy these films for about half what you’d have paid for a single ticket at the theater!
Frankenweenie (PG, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $3.99 to rent and $14.99 to buy)
This black and white, stop-motion animated feature is very similar in look and style to Tim Burton’s Corpse Bride. From IMDB:
Young Victor conducts a science experiment to bring his beloved dog Sparky back to life, only to face unintended, sometimes monstrous, consequences.
When Victor’s classmates learn the truth about Sparky’s reincarnation, they blackmail Victor into bringing their own deceased pets back to life, too. Believe it or not, this is actually a very sweet and funny movie. One Amazon reviewer says:
Not too creepy, and TONS of heart. Our sensitive children approved. It is not overly creepy or macabre, neither is it a horror film on any level…I can say that this movie has TONS of heart. And, it is absolutely a modern day classic. My wife and I enjoyed the film as much (or more) than the kids because of how well it is made along with the fun references to other classic films. (How many can you pick out?) 🙂 Seriously, this is one of the best films we have seen in a long time.
Hotel Transylvania (PG, 4/5 stars, currently priced at $3.99 to rent and $14.99 to buy) This film was directed by Genndy Tartakovsky, the mastermind animator/director of Samurai Jack fame, so you know you can expect some excellent sight gags and clever visuals. From IMDB:
Welcome to the Hotel Transylvania, Dracula’s lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up, free to be the monsters they are without humans to bother them. On one special weekend, Dracula has invited some of the world’s most famous monsters – Frankenstein and his wife, the Mummy, the Invisible Man, a family of werewolves, and more – to celebrate his daughter Mavis’ 118th birthday. For Drac, catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem – but his world could come crashing down when a human stumbles on the hotel for the first time and takes a shine to Mavis. – Written by Anonymous
Ice Age: Continental Drift (PG, 4.5/5 stars, currently priced at $3.99 to rent and $12.99 to buy) Manny, Ellie, Diego, Sid and Scrat are back for a fourth outing! From IMDB:
When Scrat accidentally provokes a continental cataclysm with a storm, Manny is separated from Ellie and Peaches on an iceberg with Diego, Sid and Granny but he promises that he will find a way to return home.
While crossing the ocean, they are captured by the cruel pirate Captain Gutt and his crew. However they escape and Manny plots a plan to steal Captain Gutt’s ship and return to his homeland in a dangerous voyage through the sea. But the cruel pirates seek revenge against Manny and his family and friends. – Written by Claudio Carvalho, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil