An All Dogs Christmas Carol is another straight-to-video sequel of a so-so animated film. The original 1989 All Dogs Go to Heaven was hardly inspired but contained expert Don Bluth animation and the amusing voices of Burt Reynolds and his gang. Now Steven Weber voices the animated mutt Charlie who is still palling around with the same gang through three movies and an animated series. Here the arch villain, Carface (Ernest Borgnine), gets the traditional Dickens treatment of being visited by three ghosts on Christmas Eve. The opening number, "When I Hear a Christmas Carol", is a good start, but soon TV-ish animation and the low humour becomes wearing. Kids who like the earlier Dog efforts won't be disappointed, but the entire series can hardly be defined as great entertainment. The saving grace is the foolproof Christmas Carol visitations. --Doug Thomas

light up the screen in this refreshing, feel-good comedy from one of the acclaimed creators of SLEEPLESS IN SEATTLE.

Elijah Wood has one of his first post-Frodo leading roles in the mild-mannered comedy All I Want (the original title of which was Try Seventeen in its film festival showings). He's a 17-year-old college dropout who moves into a funky old apartment building and becomes intrigued by his wacky neighbours. Mandy Moore plays the self-absorbed actress across the hall and Run Lola Run goddess Franka Potente is a cranky photographer. The movie has a few surprises (the casting seems to suggest a teenybopper romance for Wood and Moore, but not so fast), although the energy level rarely perks up and it's pretty thin on actual narrative happenings. Wood's tendency toward fantasy is an especially tired device. A furtive sense of humour, plus the big adoring close-ups of the highly photogenic leading ladies, provides the low-key interest. Trivia: Elizabeth Perkins plays the hero's irresponsible mum; she was also Elijah Wood's mother in Avalon. --Robert Horton