Disneynature has had much success with their Earth Day documentaries: 2009's "Earth" was about our entire planet, primarily focusing on polar bears, whales and elephants and was narrated by James Earl Jones. 2010's "Oceans", narrated by Pierce Brosnan, took us under the sea. And last year's "African Cats", about lion and cheetah families, was narrated by Samuel L. Jackson. Combined they've grossed more than $200 million worldwide. This year the studio is taking us back to Africa, this time to meet a young chimp named Oscar.

"Chimpanzee" is narrated by Tim Allen, who tells Oscar's story of survival in the rain forest. We first meet Oscar as a baby - instantly cute and likeable. He's curious and loves to literally "monkey around". His mother Isha takes care of him and tries to protect him at all times. The leader of their group is Freddy - an older chimp who's not a big fan of young upstarts, especially when he's trying to sleep.

Freddy's #1 duty is to protect his group from his enemy - Scar - and his gang of chimps who want to take over Freddy's territory for food. During one confrontation between the two sides little Oscar is separated from his mother and this takes all of their lives in a surprising direction.

At only 78 minutes "Chimpanzee" goes by very quickly. At the end I immediately thought - "It's over already?"  The subject matter is interesting and the story is engaging, I just wish there was more to it, especially since much of the film is taken-up by many wide shots of the rain forest and close-ups using time-lapse photography.

When I interviewed co-director Alastair Fothergill (who also worked on "Earth" and "African Cats"), he told me that unlike Disneynature's previous films, they wanted "Chimpanzee" to be more of a comedy. And it is, so Allen is a good choice for the narration. He has a distinct voice and adds his own personality to the storytelling. Some of Allen's lines are a little corny but there are some humorous moments with Oscar interacting with the his mom and the other chimps, and you do learn a lot about chimps, including one amazing fact about what they eat that I guarantee will surprise you.

What's most impressive about "Chimpanzee" is the footage. Fothergill and co-director Mark Linfield ("Earth") deserve a lot of credit for capturing great, natural moments on film. And it wasn't easy. The camera crews were restricted to standing 22 feet away from the chimps at all times and everyone had to wear masks so they wouldn't spread human germs to the chimps. Some of the shots are amazing, especially knowing that all of the close-ups we see had to be taken from a distance. Like the other Disneynature documentaries, there is a "Making Of" short at the end, which could have been much longer.

At times the material runs a little dry. There are one too many scenes of Oscar and the others trying to break open nuts with rocks and sticks. And come on, you named the rival chimp leader Scar? The old, evil lion in "African Cats" was also Scar. It's time the writers come-up with another name of a Disney cartoon villain for the enemies in these documentaries.

"Chimpanzee" is rated G. Unlike "African Cats", there is no blood on the screen, but there is some action/violence during the attacks that may briefly scare younger ones, especially with the over-dramatic music during those scenes. Overall, it's appropriate for kids 8 and up.

On The Official LCJ Report Card, "Chimpanzee" gets a B.

At the screening I attended, there was no preview for next year's Disneynature film. Fothergill told me there are a few projcets in the works, but he couldn't give anything away, so we'll have to wait and see what Disneynature has is store for it's 2013 Earth Day film.  Maybe we'll finally get that a bird documentary I've been looking for.

This is the third year that I be able to see the "Oscar Nominated Animated Short Films". While there are several good shorts (including a few that aren't even in the running for the Oscar), there isn't one this year that's outstanding.

OSCAR NOMINEES:

"Dimanche/Sunday" - A hand-drawn short from Canada about a boy's average Sunday. It has good animation and a humorous story but just kind of sits there with no payoff or resolution. B

"The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore" - The longest title and longest short (15 min.) William Joyce ("Robots" and "Meet the Robinsons") co-directs this CGI short about a young man who is brought to a library where books literally fly off the shelves. Similar story and look as Pixar's "Up", with emotion and good messages. The animation style is a little soft and the movie wanders a little bit. B

"La Luna" - Pixar's nominated short is one of the best of the bunch. It's about a little boy who goes to work with his father and grandfather. They have an interesting job: cleaning the moon. This is a sweet and funny short with great animation. It's far better than Pixar's entry last year, the wildly disappointing "Day & Night". B+

"A Morning Stroll" - Unusual, but yet it makes perfect sense. This short combines hand-drawn and CGI animation in three very different and very vibrant styles. The story is about...well...a chicken! (and that's all I want to say). Well thought and entertaining. B

"Wild Life" - Canada's second nominated short is about a young man, in the early 1900s, who leaves England to live the "wild life" as a cowboy in Canada. The animation is all done with oil painting cels and it's great looking, but the story is a mess. There's a constant reference to comets that I just didn't get and the twist at the end doesn't really work. C

HIGHLY CONDEMMED

"Skylight" - The first half of this five-minute short is a funny rip-off of "March of the Penguins" and other nature documentaries and a social commentary on Global Warming. Then it becomes predictable and pretty ridiculous. A great start, but a disappointing finish. C+

"Hybrid Union" - A bland story about machines trying to race each other to get away from a storm. The animation is O.K., but the story and message are too obvious. I don't want to think this much while trying to enjoy a quick short. C

"Nullarbor" - A funny and more adult short from Austraila about two men who come-upon each other while driving their vehicles across a long stretch of land on the continent. The animation is good and at times, this short is laugh-out-loud funny. Predictable but enjoyable throughout. B+

"Amazonia" - Bright animation and a pretty clever story about a young frog and an older frog trying to catch food in the "Amazon". Nice, surprise ending that works. It's simple and could've had a little more bite too it, but a nice way to end the collection. B

Favorite (out of all nine): "Nullarbor"

Prediction for the Oscar Winner: "La Luna"

2008's "Journey to the Center of the Earth" was a fun family adventure. It was also the first live-action film to be shot entirely in the new digital 3D format. The Third Dimension has come a long way in the three and a half years since "Journey 1", as we see in "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island", which showcases the technical improvements along with a few other surprises.

Josh Hutcherson ("Bridge to Terabithia", "The Kids Are All Right") is the only main cast member beck from the original. He reprises his role as Sean, who's now a teenager and still getting into trouble. Brendan Fraser played Sean's uncle in "Journey 1", but in this sequel, Dwayne Johnson is the leading man, as Sean's stepfather Hank. Sean is able to pick up codes over the radio that he thinks are coming from his grandfather, who's an adventurer trying to find the Mysterious Island that Jules Verne wrote about.

After figuring-out that the island may be more actually be real, Sean and Hank decide to try to go looking for it. They hire a wacky helicopter pilot (Luis Guzman) and his daughter Kailani (Vanessa Hudgens), to take them out to the middle of the ocean where the island is supposed to be. They barely survive a wild storm and end-up on the island where they meet Sean's grandfather (played by Michael Caine). They learn that the island is the lost city of Atlantis (no spoiler if you saw the end of the first film) and that it's about to return to the ocean floor. So it's a race again time and the rising tide to figure out how to get off the island and get back home.

The key to enjoying "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is not to take it too seriously. This is pure fantasy/science fiction. Caine even discusses this in the opening narration. Of course the plot is ridiculous, but it's also a lot of fun. And, just like the first one, "Journey 2" has a good enough story (with only a handful of characters) to keep your interest the entire way.

Johnson is clearly in one of his three comfort zones here, that being the 'family film'. This is his fifth family film (including career highlights "Tooth Fairy" and the animated "Planet 51"). He has tons of charisma and charm on screen. He's also a co-producer on "Journey 2", and he likely had input on some of the scenes he plays for laughs, including bouncing 3D berries off his chest right at the audience and the witty dialogue he shares with Caine. Johnson also sings in the film ("What a Wonderful World"), and he's actually not that bad.

Caine is perfectly cast as the crusty, old adventurer. Hutcherson and Hudgens are good as they deal with a possible budding romance while trying to stay alive, but Guzman is too over the top as the comic-relief character. He's forced to deliver flat jokes and fall down a lot. Overall the 3D is better than average for the CGI scenes involving huge bees, lizards, eels and birds chasing the human characters. But the regular, live-action 3D still has a way to go.

"Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" is rated PG for some brief language and mild action. A few times creatures come right at the camera, which might scare younger kids for a second or two, (but for most the in-your-face 3D is a blast!). It's appropriate for kids 8 and up, who along with their parents (and even grandparents who might be Michael Caine fans) will enjoy this first thrilling family adventure of the year.

On The Official L-C-J Report Card, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" gets a solid B. It's a great "Journey 2" take to beat the winter blues.

Without giving too much away, this sequel does set-up for a third installment, which should come as no surprise. Hutcherson's going to be too old for this role pretty soon so Warner Bros. better not wait another three and a half years if the do plan on making "Journey 3".

And before the film is a new Looney Tunes short called "Daffy's Rhapsody", starring Daffy Duck and Elmer Fudd. Daffy's voice is the late Mel Blanc's recording of the 1953 song "Daffy's Rhapsody". The short is fast-paced, has great animation and a lot of fun.

From the title you might think "The Iron Lady" is the story of the wife of "Iron Man". And while Meryl Streep could probably pull-off that role too, here she stars as Margaret Thatcher, Britain's first female Prime Minister.

Right from the first time Streep is on screen it's hard to recognize her because SHE IS Thatcher. And that convincing portrayal continues throughout the entire film. Much of the story of Thatcher's life is shown in flashbacks (Alexandra Roach plays Thatcher as a young girl). We see how she developed the drive to get to into politics, how she had to fight the men who ignored and dismissed her because of her gender and how she made it to the top.

Along with the flashbacks, director Phyllida Lloyd uses another device to provide some insight into Thatcher - her deceased husband Denis (played by Jim Broadbent). He's seen through hallucinations by the elderly Thatcher, and the couple carry on conversations and discuss events of the past. This choice by Lloyd shows Margaret as quite a different person from the one who was one of the most powerful leaders in the world during her time in office. The flashback scenes provide a look of Thatcher fighting hard for England against the odds and, at times, against everyone else. She's inspiring.

And Streep is amazing. Let's be honest - Meryl Streep should be nominated for just about every role she does and win an Oscar every time she's nominated. She is THE best actress working today - and nobody's a close second. But Academy voters, for some reason, like to give the honor most years to someone else - a surprising performance, a comeback performance, a newcomer. Glad it didn't happen this year, though I did pick Viola Davis to win.

As for "The Iron Lady" itself, the flashback scenes are a little distracting during the first part of the film but settle down a bit later. There's a very authentic look to the film, highlighted by the wardrobes and the use of actual news footage of some of the historic events (though we never see the real Thatcher in any of them). All of the other performances are solid, but the story doesn't grab you as much as it should have. Frankly, I would have liked to have seen much more of Thatcher's exciting life when she was The Iron Lady and less of her as a sad, old lady.

"The Iron Lady" is rated PG-13 for some language and violence. It's appropriate for teens and up and, much like "J. Edgar", is a good choice for students who may be studying this time in world history.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "The Iron Lady" gets a B. It's a must-see for Streep's Oscar-winning performance. 

"My Week with Marilyn" contains one of the best acting ensembles of any film this year, led by the amazing Michele Williams as Marilyn Monroe. Williams picked-up a well deserved Golden Globe victory and Academy Award nomination for her performance. As for the movie itself, it's not bad either.

The story, based on actual events, takes place in London in 1956, during the time the movie "The Prince and the Showgirl" was being made. Actor Sir Laurence Olivier is both the male lead and the movie's director. Monroe is the world's biggest star at the time, but she wasn't exactly the easiest actor to work with, as she was constantly late getting to the set, had problems memorizing her lines and was always very nervous and constantly taking pills.

At the center of the movie is Colin Clark, a 23-year old who's left his home to get into the movie business. This is his story. Clark gets a job working on this film, hired as the Third Assistant Director, which means he pretty much runs errands for Olivier. After awhile his main duty becomes keeping an eye on Marilyn, trying to be sure she gets to the set each day on time. Even though Monroe is married to her third husband, playwright Arthur Miller, at the time and Colin is beginning to date a girl in the wardrobe department (Emma Watson) the two begin to develop a relationship - Monroe out of need, Clark out of love - a relationship that both know cannot last.

"My Week with Marilyn" is based on Clark's own diary entries, written in 1995. The plot line is straight forward, with no twists or distracting subplots. And this simple treatment of the story works, because it allows us to easily enjoy the time, the place and especially the performances.

Williams will got most of the attention when the movie was released last year, and rightfully so. From the clips I've seen of the real Marilyn Monroe Williams was spot on. She shows us all sides of Monroe, in front of and away from the camera. And it can't be easy being a good actress playing a bad actress who, at times, was a good actress, but Williams is tremendous in those scenes. This will be a star-making role for Eddie Redmayne as Colin, but it's the veteran supporting cast that gives the film it's depth. Academy Award nominee Kenneth Branagh is outstanding as Olivier. Julia Ormond plays his wife, an aging Vivien Leigh, and Dame Judi Dench is wonderful as film actress Cybil Thorndike.

The main problem I have with "My Week with Marilyn" is the pacing. The film's first 20-minutes or so move incredibly fast, then things calm down to a more enjoyable pace for awhile, before really slowing down at the end.

"My Week with Marilyn" is rated R for language, smoking and brief nudity. It's appropriate for teens and up.

On "The Official Kid Critic Report Card", "My Week with Marilyn" gets a B.

"The Prince and the Showgirl" ended-up not being a success, either critically or financially. "Marilyn" didn't do as well as I thought it would during awards season. I'm guessing many people who missed/skipped it when it was in theaters will enjoy it on DVD.

Adam Sandler's movie career consists of several early hits ("Happy Gilmore", "Billy Madison") and some more recent klunkers ("Grown-Ups"). The main problem with Sandler's bad comedies is that they include more disgusting and disturbing humor than actual funny lines and scenes. While "Jack and Jill" has it's share of fart jokes and adult references it also has a decent story and some big laughs. I've gotten blasted for actually liking this film, but I don't care. It was one of the best times I had at a movie in 2011 and I'll be watching it again now that it's out on DVD.

Sandler plays both Jack, a successful Los Angeles TV commercial producer, and his twin sister Jill, who comes to visit Jack and his family (including a wife played by Katie Holmes) for Thanksgiving weekend. Jack and Jill don't get along - Jill still lives in NYC and is loud, crude and at times obnoxious. Jack can't wait for her to leave but Jill ends up staying a little longer than expected and she gets involved in some crazy situations, including one with the real life Al Pacino, who plays himself in a hilarious role. It just so happens that Jack need Pacino to star in his new Dunkin' Donuts commercial or his company will go out of business. And he'll do just about anything to make that happen.

Going in I thought "Jack and Jill" would be another tough to get through Sandler effort, but instead it's quite enjoyable. The script features some great lines, many by Pacino, but the long list of stars who make cameos also have their chance, including Regis Philbin (who's in the first scene of the movie, so don't arrive late), Johnny Depp, Shaquille O'Neal, and Drew Carey (in as hilarious "The Price Is Right" scene). Sandler, whose "Happy Madison" company produced the film, plays Jack straight (at least for awhile) and has Jill take part in all the physical gags and wacky situations. And it mostly works, when things don't go completely over-the-top.

"Jack and Jill" does contain some of the raunchy humor that Sandler's films are famous for, but it's clearly toned-down. So much so, in fact, that the film has a PG rating. Clearly he realized that there's a family comedy audience that he could reach if he kept the adult language and sex references out this time and replace them with a better script, likable characters and even, believe it or not, a nice message or two. The movie is appropriate for kids 8 and up, who will like the goofy stuff, but older kids and adults will appreciate the wise cracking dialogue, including a great running joke concerning Jill and her knowledge of famous films.

On "The Official Kid Critic Report Card", "Jack and Jill" gets a surprising B. Don't late the haters keep you from watching this movie - and laughing more than you have in a long time.

"Tower Heist" had one of the largest ensemble cast  - along with "The Help" - of any 2011. And like "The Help" this story centers around workers, in this case at the biggest apartment building in New York City. This time the help are looking for "payback" by getting their pay back.

Ben Stiller stars as Josh, the manager of The Tower (based on the Trump Tower, which is used for all the exterior scenes). Investment tycoon Arthur Shaw (played by Alan Alda) owns the penthouse. He's the richest and most important person who lives in the building.

Shaw is arrested for stealing millions of dollars in a phony investment scam, which included the pensions and retirement savings of all of the employees. Josh comes up with a plan to get their money back.  He convinces a few other employees and a downsized Wall Street executive about to be kicked out of the building (played by Matthew Broderick) to join him. And he recruits a professional thief (Eddie Murphy) to show them how to pull off the heist.

Even though the plot gets more and more ridiculous as the movie goes on "Tower Heist" works. It's both fun and funny, but it's not over the top. The set-up is realistic and even though some of the scenes are a little far-fetched, you overlook it because you're having such a good time. Also, it's great to have Murphy back playing a role that he does best. After years of doing family films, voice-overs for animated movies and even a musical, the smooth-talking, wise cracking, foul-mouthed Slide is just the character audiences want from Murphy. "Tower Heist" is a little dry at the start, but once Murphy hits the screen the film kicks into gear.

Tea Leoni, Michael Pena, Casey Affleck and Gabourey Sidibe ("Precious") are also part of the cast and they all do their best to lend believability to the story. There are some holes in the script and occasionally things are a little obvious, but Director Brett Ratner uses authentic shots of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, including celebrity cameos, to keep us amused and distracted from the details of the attempted heist, which is pretty outrageous.

"Tower Heist" is rated PG-13 for adult language (mostly from Murphy) and some adult material. It's appropriate for teens and up.

On "The Official Kid Critic Report Card", "Tower Heist" gets a solid B. It was one of the most under-appreciated films of 2011.

I was looking forward to Ratner and Murphy hooking-up again for the Academy Awards. But, of course, that's not happening. I wouldn't mind seeing them do another movie project.

The original "Planet of the Apes" hit theaters in 1968. Four sequels followed in the early 70's and in 2001, Tim Burton's "re-boot" of the original starred Mark Wahlberg.

Now, 43 years after the Charlton Heston classic, we finally get to learn how all this monkey business got started.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" stars James Franco as scientist Will Rodman, who works in a lab in San Francisco. Will's father (played by John Lithgow) has Alzheimer's disease. While trying to find a cure Will tests some of his new medicines on chimps.

Will ends up taking one of the chimps home to live with him. Caesar becomes extremely intelligent but the medicine also has side effects, which lead to problems both with the chimp and with Will's father. Eventually things start going...well...bananas.

It's tough to call "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" a true action film, because it takes so long before the real action kicks-in. And that's the biggest problem with the movie. The story leading-up to the inevitable showdown is interesting, but it could have been cut in favor of more of the ape vs. humans battle. There are a lot of medical/lab/science scenes and dialogue that slow things down (and reminded me too much of school).

The acting, for a sci-fi fantasy film, is passable. Franco is certainly better here than he was hosting the Oscars and Lithgow is always terrific. Others in the cast include Freida Pinto ("Slumdog Millionaire"), Tom Felton (Draco in the "Harry Potter" films) and Brian Cox.

I watched the original "Planet of the Apes" after seeing "Rise" back in August and a lot of references to that first film made more sense. If you're a fan of the '68 classic you will appreciate the effort put into making this prequel work with the rest of the series.

The real stars of this movie are director Rupert Wyatt and his supporting cast and crew. All of the ape roles were performed by real actors, using motion-capture technology. Then CGI apes were created following all the human movements. It's the best use of motion-capture in any film so far. The apes seem so real you'll think there had to be actual people inside costumes. Andy Serkis, who played Gollum in the "Lord of the Rings" films and King Kong in previous motion-capture roles, is tremendous as Caesar, who has more screen time than Franco. Look for "Rise" to get strong consideration for visual effect honors during 2011 awards season.

"Rise of the Planet of the Apes" is rated PG-13. There's plenty of action/violence and some intense, scary scenes. It's appropriate for kids 12 and up, who understand the concept of science fiction. Younger viewers could easily be spooked by the subject matter.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Rise of the Planet of the Apes" gets a B. The ending does leave open the possibility for a sequel, and soon after "Rise" hit theaters this summer one was already in the works.

The greatest movie franchise of all time has come to an end. That's the bad news for "Harry Potter" fans. The good news is that the series goes out with a bang and now they can own the movie on Blu-ray/DVD.

"Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2" picks-up right where "Part 1" left off. The evil Lord Voldemort is finally ready to kill Harry. And he and his gang are prepared to destroy Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry in the process if necessary. Meantime, Harry, Ron and Hermione are continuing their quest to find and destroy all of the horcruxes so they can defeat Voldemort, save the school and the future of wizards everywhere. That's pretty much what it's all come down to.

This is only the fourth "Potter" film I've seen, but it's definitely my favorite and much more interesting and exciting than "HP7.1" (and I still say they should have simply made one, long movie). Even though this is the eighth film of the series, you don't have to have seen any of the others to understand this story and enjoy the film (though seeing "HP7.1" would help). And don't think that every plot point is wrapped-up in this finale, because they're not, though this is a satisfying conclusion.

"HP7.2" has a running time of 2:10, 15 minutes less than "HP7.1". But after a rather dry beginning, the action heats-up and the movie goes by rather quickly. The actions scenes are very well done, especially the climactic final battle between the two arch-enemies. And there are some secrets and twists that add to the suspense.

The dialogue, at times, is very powerful. Diehard fans of the books and/or the films will undoubtedly get emotional as things begin to wind down. The special effects, for the most part, are well done, though a scene in which the three main characters ride brooms through a fire is particularly cheesy. I didn't see the film in 3D. Hopefully in the "extra dimension" these shots looked more believable.

As you would expect, this being the last time for the actors playing these characters, everyone gives their all. Daniel Radcliffe is in practically every scene and Ralph Fiennes finishes strong, dominating the screen as Voldemort. Rupert Grint and Emma Watson have more back-up roles this time, since this is Harry's story. Maggie Smith stands out among the supporting cast, but everyone is quite good.

"HP7.2" is rated PG-13 for all of the action/violence and brief language, but there's nothing here that wasn't in the other films and millions of young kids are going to go and enjoy it to the final frame.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 2" gets a B, and that's like getting a B+ or an A from all other critics. I'm still not a big fan of the series and never will be, but this is clearly the best of the four "Potter" movies I've seen and I can appreciate the time, effort and passion that went into creating this incredibly successful series.

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" centers around the talk show host and comedian's life between the time he left NBC (after his brief time hosting "The Tonight Show") and when he started his new hosting gig on TBS.

O'Brien was obviously devastated after he got the boot from NBC, and part of the deal was that he couldn't appear on TV, anywhere, for 6-months. So he decided to go on a nationwide comedy tour and friend/announcer Andy Richter and other members of his show joined him. This documentary focuses on O'Brien as he deals with his anger, frustration, exhaustion and his joy and excitement of being back in front of live audiences and his fans.

The movie is similar to last year's "Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work" - which also provided a behind the scenes look at a comedian struggling to stay on top and continue to make people laughs. Both films show just how tough it is to be funny.

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" certainly provides a side of O'Brien that we never saw before. At times he is very tough with his staff members. Sometimes it's in fun, other times it's not. And we see how difficult it is to produce and host a traveling comedy show as opposed to a nightly studio show. The time away from his family, having to deal with celebrities back stage and signing autographs and posing for photos with fans after shows really wears him down.

I like O'Brien as a host. He can be funny (when he's not too raunchy or over-the-top silly). And he seems like a nice guy, with a lot of guts and determination. But after seeing this movie I'm not sure I'd ever want to work for him. Of course, since he and everyone else knew when the cameras were rolling it's tough to know just how "true" some of the dialogue really is.

Sprinkled throughout the film are clips from his act taken from different shows as the tour moved around the country. But this is not a concert film and, frankly, the behind the scenes scenes are much more interesting than the comedy bits.

"Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" is rated R for language and adult material. It's a must for fans of O'Brien but anyone who follows the world of entertainment will appreciate this look at a guy who was at the top, had it all taken away, and then battled back.

On The Official Kid Critic Report Card, "Conan O'Brien Can't Stop" gets a B. It only played for a limited time in select theaters around the country earlier this summer and should get some attention on DVD and PPV.