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Have you ever gone to a theater only to find the movie you really wanted to see was completely sold out? Then to your complete surprise your Plan B movie wasn't just good, it was fantastic!

Well it happened to me in 1994 when I discovered the hidden treasure Iron Will. It's based on the incredible true-life story of Will Stoneman whose family faces sudden hardship after his father's death. With hopes of winning $10,000 in prize money, Will enters a grueling cross-country sled-dog marathon.

While the film work is excellent and there are great racing scenes, I was captivated by how Iron Will went far beyond your typical action adventure film. Many modern movies use special effects and frantic action sequences as "empty calories" to cover weak story lines. Instead this film gets it all right. With standout performances from then newcomer Mackenzie Astin, Kevin Spacey as a cynical journalist, and Brian Cox, the characters are richly drawn against a 1917 backdrop of small-town values with a big heart.

For real-life adventure, Iron Will is powerful like Remember the Titans or Eight Below. For life-lessons in a determined resolve to follow your dreams, it is up there with Walt Disney's iconic Swiss Family Robinson. One of life's great delights is to find wonder at a time you least expect it.

If this movie doesn't make you want to stand up and cheer, nothing will!

— John Flynn

Rated PG for adventure action.

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The other day as I attempted to navigate the "toy minefield" of my six-year-old's bedroom, it made me realize how fortunate my kids are. They live in relative comfort and safety, and have an abundance (or should I say an avalanche?) of "stuff." I often wonder if they truly appreciate what they have.

With that in mind, we all recently watched Disney's presentation of Little House on the Prairie. This adaptation is truer to the books than the television series of the same name and gives viewers a more accurate view of the sacrifices settlers made. When my daughter saw that young Laura's only doll was made of a corncob and some rags, I could see that it made quite an impact.

The production quality is excellent with many exciting scenes, Pa's storytelling, and good humor too. This is one of those wonderful family movies that I encourage my children to watch, and I just wanted to take the time to personally recommend it to your family, too.

— John Flynn

Rated TV-PG.

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If ever there was a "lost" treasure in the history of Walt Disney Animation, Treasure Planet is it. Disney's animated adaptation takes Robert Louis Stevenson's classic and cleverly moves it off the high seas and into the far reaches of outer space with brilliant results. The animation propels a fantastic galactic journey, and the story is brimming with all the heart and emotion of a true Disney classic.

One element that really struck me is the well-drawn relationship between young Jim Hawkins and the movie's "cyborg" John Silver. As interstellar orphans, circumstances connect both in a father-son bond that lifts the film. I'm reminded that this all-important relationship is not always perfect in real life - and so Jim and Silver struggle in a believable way as they approach Treasure Planet.

How could such a quality film be overlooked? Treasure Planet was simply lost in the box office shuffle (wedged between Harry Potter and Lord Of The Rings releases), which is heartbreaking for such an inventive film. If you love classic Disney animation, or have kids who love a space adventures like Star Wars, this is a great movie for you.

Because of all this, a stellar voice cast, and some apt and driving pop music by John Rzeznik (Goo Goo Dolls), Treasure Planet is one of my all-time favorite Disney animated movies.

— John Flynn

Rated PG for adventure action and  peril.

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Our three-year-old son Toby has tons of toys that he's received over the years, but, as you might guess from your own experience, the ones that capture his imagination are not always equipped with flashing lights and fancy buttons. Often the simplest toys, like blocks, die-cast cars and little plastic dinosaurs, are the ones that get his attention. There are days where he holds these fascinating creatures the entire day, even through naps and bedtime!

From an early age, Toby loved to go through our DVD collection to admire the artwork. With his newfound interest in dinosaurs, it was quite a revelation for him to discover that we had Disney's Dinosaur in our library. The expression on his face was as if to say, "What's going on around here? We have a DVD all about dinosaurs, and I'm only hearing about it now? Dad, you've been holding out on me!"

At first I was concerned that the content might be too intense, but seeing dinosaurs come to life has been incredible for him. Now it's one of his "go to" DVDs. The picture and sound quality, and computer-generated graphics are stunning. It's one of those great Disney films that often gets overlooked. I'm not convinced Toby really understands the storyline yet, but we think it's a timeless classic…for dinosaur lovers of all ages.

If you are looking for the ultimate Dinosaur adventure, experience it in brilliant and thundering Blu-ray™ Hi-Def!

— Sung Lee

Rated PG for intense images.

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I was recently thinking back on some of those memorable first-time-father moments. The ones where you feel like you don't have a clue what you child will like, then, to your amazement, you uncover something just perfect for your little ones. Here's one such find I am thrilled to share with you.

My son Toby (who is now already three years of age!) has always loved books – even since he was just a few months old. We were fortunate to have a nice pile of kids' books given to us by family and friends. Among them were some well-worn copies from the award-winning "Spot" series that Toby just fell in love with. Even though he may technically have "outgrown" them, he still experiences pure joy when we flip pages together. I wasn't even aware of these wonderful stories where your child actually lifts up the paper to find Spot.

To my further surprise (and delight), I also learned that my own company actually offers DVD versions of these books. Discover Spot on DVD was another great find for us, and really brings the whole experience and character of Spot to life.I just wanted you to know about the kind of charm, catchy songs and adventure that I think your little ones will love as much a mine has. They really encourage exploration and discovery, plus, I think there are some pretty good lessons in there for kids to take in.

If you are looking for something perfect for your preschooler, I highly recommend Discover Spot!

— Sung Lee

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When I want to pull the family together for a little fun, I have to get creative. Y'see, my two daughters are complete opposites. One of them is a complete "girly girl;" the other… well, let's just say she prefers jeans to dresses. " Girly Girl" adores Hanna Montana, The Jonas Brothers and the Disney Princesses. "Jeans Girl" can't get enough Japanese Anime and rock and roll.

So you can see the dilemma in trying to select a movie we can all enjoy on family movie night. Fortunately, I have discovered that some of the classic movies from the Disney archives manage to bring a smile to both of my girls' faces.

One such film is Darby O'Gill and the Little People. The special effects still entertain – even in our MTV world, and the story is downright compelling. "Girly Girl" loves the music and the dancing, and I was happy to see that "Jeans Girl" got a kick out of the film's banshees and the action sequences.

I have enjoyed watching this movie over and over through the years, and it has quickly become a favorite with my kids, too. I can't think of a better way to spend St. Patrick's Day with the family.

— Tim Ramos

Rated  G.

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My daughter Brooke is a real Miyazaki fan! If you are not aware of his work, you should give it a look. As an aspiring artist, Brooke really enjoyed the special screening of Howl's Moving Castle at the Walt Disney Studios that was offered to both of us by our marketing team. They were interested on what kind of feedback the film would receive from kids like her.

She loved it. Creatively speaking, Brooke really fed off this incredible movie. We even took some of her friends to see it at the El Capitan Theater in Hollywood. Brooke's favorite characters were Calcifer, the dog and of course Howl himself.

She was particularly drawn to the character design, the landscape art, as well as the adventure storyline. Brooke seems to prefer traditional animation (cel) to the computer-generated approach.

I noticed that Brooke also liked how the characters transformed into something else. Especially how the moody Howl's demeanor changed when his hair would transform and he turned to "goo."

Oh, by the way, when we got the DVD we watched it a few hundred times more (just kidding)! Hayao Miyazaki has created a journey that goes beyond imagination, and it certainly captivated my daughter's.

Brooke and I whole-heartedly recommend Howl's Moving Castle as an inventive, humorous, and beautifully animated addition to your DVD collection — it will put a spell on you!

— Ron Regalado

Rated PG for frightening images and brief mild language. Bonus material not rated.