It took a while for Marvel Comics' X-Men to make it onto the big screen, but in retrospect they were always an obvious target for kids TV. Theirs is the classic tale of teenage alienation, given a comic book twist: when puberty hits, as their peers grow hair in funny places and discover the joys of the opposite sex, certain young people begin to manifest strange super powers. Dubbed "mutants", they find themselves with any number of abilities that set them apart from their human peers. Some can fly, some can fire force-beams from their eyes, some can read minds, some are super-strong, some sprout wings; there are as many different powers as there are mutants. However, normal humans are jealous of mutants, and mutants find themselves hunted and/or ostracised by society. In order to fight this prejudice, the heroic X-Men were brought together as teenagers by the telepathic Professor X and trained to use their powers for the good of all humanity. The animated X-Men series, which first debuted in the early 1990s, remained fairly faithful to the classic comic book series, inheriting several of the more popular characters (Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, The Beast, etc) and, for the most part, leaving their personalities intact. Wolverine is still a surly little thug with a heart of gold, although his razor-sharp claws are now mainly used to slice up robots and other machines (less blood that way); Cyclops is their relatively square leader; The Beast is a bookworm, prone to literary quotations at random points in his conversation; and Gambit is the charming Cajun rogue. Beyond Good And Evil introduces two classic characters from the X-Men comic: the mysterious mercenary named Cable, and the evil, supremely powerful villain Apocalypse. Unfortunately, the animation of X-Men is, quite frankly, just not up to scratch, especially when judged against the much more stylish Batman: The Animated Series, which was on televisions at the same time. [+]

Don Bluth's An American Tail films are based upon the story of a young Russian mouse who is separated from his family in America (this is in the first film) and who later heads with his reunited kin out to the American West. American Tail 1 & 2 Both films are pleasant, though not spectacular, and they have their greatest problems in story development. Steven Spielberg produced with an eye toward creating animation hits outside of Disney, and he and Bluth took a big step in that direction here. Children enjoy both films a lot, and adults will warm to the sound of various familiar voices, such as James Stewart performing as the creaky sheriff Wylie Burp. -Tom Keogh, Amazon. com American Tail 3 That adorable little imp Fievel Mousekewitz is back. Plucky and determined, Fievel sets out on a quest for buried treasure, located under old New York City, where he and his family happily reside. Underground, Fievel meets a clandestine civilisation of Native American mice, with a sweet little gal reminiscent of Pocahontas to provide a little romance to boot. This may be a direct-to-video offering, but the quality is top-notch-the animation is rich and lush, and the original tunes are fun and catchy. Moreover, the film stresses such welcome notions as loyalty, family, affection, friendship, honesty and honour. [+]

Woody Allen as a worker ant with an inferiority complex? Sylvester Stallone as an affable soldier ant who discovers that digging tunnels is cool? The animation playground we all knew so well is turning into a theme park full of in-jokes for grownups. Antz explores age-old topics (one person-err, insect-can make a difference, individuality and social responsibility must exist side by side, war is hell) with comic asides and Woody Allen's funniest quips this side of PG (adults will chuckle at the socialist slogans bandied about as he campaigns for workers' rights). Sharon Stone voices the rebellious princess with a fun-loving streak that doesn't quite overcome her royal bearing and court training, but she can learn. Gene Hackman is all teeth (ants have teeth?) and menacing grins as the Army general plotting insect-icide. This bug's-eye view of life on Earth gives Allen's neurotic nonconformist an epic adventure of microscopic proportions: a devastating war with a termite colony, an odyssey to the fabled land of plenty (a picnic ground), and a race to save his fellow workers from certain death. Other voices include Anne Bancroft as the Queen, Christopher Walken, Jennifer Lopez, Danny Glover, Dan Aykroyd, Jane Curtin and John Mahoney. The computer animation isn't exactly realistic but feels as solid and contoured as puppet animation with the smoothness and slickness of traditional cell cartoons, and the character designs and animation offer a marvellous range of expressions. The PG rating includes a gritty battle sequence that may frighten youngsters. -Sean Axmaker.