Album Title: Monsters, Inc. Scream Factory Favorites
Album Type: Movie Spin-Off Album
What’s Good About It: Riders in the Sky, the last great singing cowboy group, follows up their equally enjoyable Toy Story 2 collection, Woody’s Round-Up, with this giddily clever collection of monster-themed themes, including their version of the Oscar-winning Randy Newman penned “If I Didn’t Have You”. Children of all ages will be giggling at such terrific toon tunes as “Monster ABCs”, “It’s Our Job” and “Under the Bed”. Bonus: “Big High Wire Hop”, the score for Pixar’s other Oscar winner last year, For the Birds.
What’s Not So Good About It: Note a note … Riders should add the following to their “To Do” list: make room on the mantel next to the Grammy they won for Woody’s Round-Up, and start working on sea shanties for Pixar’s next movie, Finding Nemo.
Toon Talk Rating: A
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Album Title: Treasure Planet
Album Type: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
What’s Good About It: James Newton Howard continues his streak of superb action scores, following his equally exciting music for Dinosaur and Atlantis: The Lost Empire. Howard mixes in a little Celtic flavoring and a touch of theremin (for B.E.N.’s theme, appropriately) to create a rich tapestry for Disney’s sci fi take on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic adventure yarn.
What’s Not So Good About It: On their own, Goo-Goo Doll John Rzeznik’s two songs (“I’m Still Here (Jim’s Theme)” and “Always Know Where You Are” - the latter, due to contractual politics, performed by Brit boy band BBMak on the album, but by Rzeznik himself over the end credits of the film) play like typically angst-ridden alt-rock.
Toon Talk Rating: B+
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Coming Soon in Toon Talk: 

• The perfect Disney Christmas gift: The Lion King roars onto IMAX and other large screen theaters on Christmas Day.
• Murder, mayhem and “All That Jazz” … Renee Zellweger, Catherine Zeta-Jones and Richard Gere star in Miramax’s Oscar-baiting film version of the Tony Award-winning Kander and Ebb musical Chicago, opening in limited release December 27th and nationally January 17th.

• Toon in for the Toon Talk Top 10 - The Best of 2002.

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-- Kirby C. Holt

Kirby, a former Walt Disney World Resort Cast Member (and Trivia Champ), is a lifelong Disney fan and film buff. He is also an avid list maker and chronic ellipsis user ...

Took Talk: Disney Film & Video Reviews by Kirby C. Holt is posted whenever there's something new to review.

The opinions expressed by our Kirby C. Holt, and all of our columnists, do not necessarily represent the feelings of LaughingPlace.com or any of its employees or advertisers. All speculation and rumors about the future plans of the Walt Disney Company are just that - speculation and rumors - and should be treated as such.

-- Posted December 17, 2002