NOTE: Since the "new and improved" version of Epinions.com makes no mention of Recess: School's Out, I am forced to post my opinion of said movie here.

While Disney lost money flattering itself by being ironically hip in The Emperor's New Groove, the real subversion came in through the back door. Disney's Recess: School's Out, a modestly animated big-screen version of their Saturday cartoon show, is charmingly funny, in no small part to its subtle message about letting kids being kids.

The story involves T.J. (voiced by Andy Lawrence) uncovering a scenario by his school's former principal (the winningly oily James Woods) that plots no less than throwing the moon into another orbit, so that America will have winter weather all year 'round and force students to study more, thus raising nationwide test scores. (The scariest part about this plot is that I'm not sure Dubya wouldn't try to pull it off if he could.)

You don't have to be a follower of the TV series (I'm not much of one) to appreciate its winning message, or its hilarious use of celebrity voices. Dabney Coleman makes a perfect flustered principal, and Tony Jay, the mellifluous villain of Disney's The Hunchback of Notre Dame, here plays a flunky scientist who makes one wrong move and gets carted away for good.

The animation, is must be said, is sub-par (particularly for a Disney production), so the story and voices have to carry the entire load; happily, they do. There's also a very strange 1960's mojo about this movie; there's a corny flashback to the principal's hippie days, and the soundtrack is loaded with one-hit oldies such as Strawberry Alarm Clock's "Incense and Peppermints." Happily, this leads to the movie's wittiest moment of all: a closing rendition of "Green Tambourine" warbled by Robert Goulet. Talk about subversion!

Recess: School's Out is rated G.

Recommended: Yes

Type of Program: Cartoon or Animated
Program Quality: Thought-provoking, original material
Best Suited For: Whole Family