THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, November 29, 1994 TAG: 9411290045
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines
ANNA SEWELL'S novel has been filmed before, but you owe it to yourself - and your kids - to see writer/director Caroline Thompson's adaptation of ``Black Beauty'' (1994, Warner). Thompson, who wrote ``Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey'' and last year's acclaimed version of ``The Secret Garden,'' tells the story as Sewell did: Narrated from the horse's point of view: ``Mine is a story of trust and betrayal, and learning to trust again.''
What follows is not always happy, but in the end, it is uplifting - a film that will touch the soul as much as it thrills the senses. Easily one of the best family releases of the year, it's the finest movie of its kind since ``The Black Stallion.''
(CAST: Sean Bean, David Thewlis, Jim Carter; RATED: G; $26.99)
Give the people who made ``Little Big League'' (1994, Columbia TriStar) credit. Instead of opting for the easy cliches, they play fair with viewers. The result is more than a ``baseball'' movie, though folks who follow the game will love the in jokes and enjoy spotting the real big-leaguers. Luke Edwards is convincing as the preteen who finds himself running the Minnesota Twins, a boy who has to relearn the lesson that made his team a winner. Extra points, too, for not copping out when it all comes down to a one-game playoff.
(CAST: Luke Edwards, Jason Robards, Timothy Busfield. RATED: PG for mild language)
``Dinosaurs Next Exit'' (1994, Cleval Video) proves one thing lots of folks have known all along: You can't get enough of the big lizards. The video is a lively tour of 18 dinosaur parks around the country and Canada - everything from backyard attractions to state-of-the art animatronics. But the producers have gone a step further, putting our fascination in historical perspective, talking to experts and collectors, and even using footage from vintage films like ``The Lost World.'' My boys, 11 and 5, loved it. The nearest park, by the way, is Dinosaur Land in White Post, Va.
(To order, send a check or money order for $19.95, plus $3.75 S/H, to Wehman Video, 2366 Eastlake Ave. East, Suite 312, Seattle, Wash. 98102 or call (800) 659-1533)
Next to dinosaurs, airplanes may be the coolest thing going. So it's a good bet kids of all ages will learn something from ``Ready for Take-Off!'' (Watchin' TV). Hosted by a friendly pilot named Orton, the video begins with a 1941 Piper Cub and works up to huge passenger jets, going into the cockpit to explain how planes do what they do. There are a few slow moments, but all in all, the video moves along nicely. Shot mostly in the Northeast during the fall, it's also very colorful.
(``Ready for Take-Off!'' is $19.95, plush S/H. Order at (800) FUNKY TV)
Even if your kids didn't see the first installment, they'll pick right up on ``Prehysteria! 2'' (1994, Paramount). The five pygmy dinosaurs are back, this time in the possession of a lonely rich boy who would swap everything for his father's companionship. With the help of the little guys and his tomboy friend, he gets just that, outwitting the cruel governess who wants to stick him in boarding school. Lotsa laughs and lessons about love and trust that will sit with everyone. Another hit from Moonbeam, the kids' wing of Full Moon.
(CAST: Kevin R. Connors, Jennifer Harte, Bettye Ackerman. UNRATED but nothing at all offensive)
Apparently, animating ``The Secret Garden'' (1994, ABC Video) and adding a few original songs is designed to make it more accessible to younger viewers. The story, though, hasn't been toned down much, so it may be too intense for little kids, and the animation, while OK, won't hold their interest. Instead, this works better as a late-elementary/middle-school primer for Frances Hodgson Burnett's classic tale and the darker adaptation released last year by Warner.
(VOICES of Anndi McAfee, Honor Blackman, Derek Jacobi. UNRATED) ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
KEITH HAMSHERE/Warner Bros.
Joe Green (Andrew Knott) care for his favorite charge in ``Black
Beauty.''
Photo
COLUMBIA TRI-STAR
Luke Edwards finds himself running a major league team in ``Little
Big League.''
by CNB