The Animated Movie Guide

Starred review from October 15, 2005
Few know their animated films better than Beck ("Looney Tunes: The Ultimate Visual Guide"), co-creator of "Animation Magazine" and founding member of the Cartoon Network's advisory board. With the help of a panel of contributors, he chronicles all 307 U.S. theatrically released animated feature films, from the 1926 silent, "Adventures of Prince Achmed", the first animated feature film ever made, through Maxmedia's 2004 release, "Sky Blue", with plenty of familiar and not-so-familiar titles in between. Entries are alphabetically arranged by title and include release date, voice and production notes, MPAA rating (when available), plot synopsis, and two to five paragraphs of critical commentary. A chronological list of features, 30 color and 275 black-and-white illustrations, and appendixes of -limited release animated features, - -top 60 animated features never theatrically released in the United States, - and -top 20 live-action films featuring great animation - significantly add to the text. Beck draws the line at including -hybrid - films such as "The Mask" (1994) and "Casper" (1995), and compilation films are also excluded. Bottom Line This extremely browsable book is a fine and inexpensive companion to Graham Webb's "The Animated Film Encyclopedia: A Complete Guide to American Shorts, Features, and Sequences, 1900 -1979" (McFarland, 2000) and Douglas L. McCall's "Film Cartoons: A Guide to 20th Century American Animation Features and Shorts" (McFarland, 1998), both of which are more expansive in their coverage. The commentary is excellent throughout, with much -making of - detail to delight animation buffs. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries." -Anthony J. Adam, Prairie View A& M Univ. Lib., TX"

Copyright 2005 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2006
That Walt Disney did not invent cartoons is deftly demonstrated in this attractive and comprehensive guide to more than 300 animated films that have been theatrically released in the U.S. Author Beck is one of the creators of " Animation" magazine, has written articles and books on his subject, has taught at UCLA and NYU, is a consultant for Cartoon Network, and has served as vice president for animation for Nickelodeon Movies. He maintains two Web sites: http: //www.cartoonresearch.com, and, to keep this guide up-to-date, http: //www.-animatedmovieguide.com, which is made of very brief entries.

The descriptions for the films include release date, credits, plot synopsis, commentary, and a star rating system--from zero stars for films that are "Pure Torture" to four for a masterpiece. Entries place each film into both artistic and historical context. Beck's comment sections are interesting, and his editorializing is amusing and insightful. He describes films from all of the major and relatively unknown studios, running the gamut from the most vapid of children's fare (" My Little Pony" ) to the adult features of the swinging 1970s, such as Ralph Bakshi's X-rated " Fritz the Cat." Japanese anime is one of the most popular forms of animation for children and adult, with anime clubs becoming active on many college and university campuses, and the entries on anime are particularly informative for the novice.

Beck includes a chronological list of all 308 features, from 1926's " The Adventures of Prince Achmed" , which is based upon stories from the " Arabian Nights" , \b \b0 to " Sky Blue," a popular South Korean science fiction story. There are three appendixes: "Limited Release Animated Features," "Top 60 Animated Features Never Theatrically Released in the United States," and "Top 20 Live-Action Films Featuring Great Animation."

A good choice for collections of popular culture, film studies, and graphic arts, this will also be a popular title for fans of animated film and parents who want quality entertainment for the kids. (Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2006, American Library Association.)