Today's nonsensical formula

Rating: 2/10 (7 May 2006)

At least it wasn't bad to the point that I was angry I had paid money for it, and if anything, it means that I can now bash non-Pixar CG animated output without admitting that I haven't seen much of it. In fact, it was interesting to see what the formula for these megablockbusters is nowadays.
Of course there's celebrities, but some of them are so D-list that you wonder what the possible advantage of hiring them over actual voice actors really is. There's an attempt at wry humor, but it strikes one as ultimately revealing the failure of the writers to be as clever as they think they are. Sure there are some inspired bits, like the little critter chasing the acorn, but even that bit wears out by the end, and they tend to have no real connection to the rest of the film.
The worst of it is, the animals here are just ugly! When I see something like this, I just think back to The Lion King and wonder how we managed to go so far backwards in terms of representing animated fauna. The plot is nonexistent; there's supposed to be some impending whatever, but mostly it's just a backdrop for some drawn-out, seen-it-all-before romance. It's really odd that this is what passes for entertainment, family or otherwise, nowadays.