Sophie Mas Magical Glasses
But u think think this syory is not good. Victoria — October 5, The story worked a dream, and eventho my littlen, jenna, had fallen asleep i carryed on lisening, it is marvosly constructed and the reading has a lot of enthis on the inportent words which made it easyer to follow, extreamaly inportent for a five year old i can tell you that. Iam from england and are thje best audio stories for kids and a great way to make my english better and learn fairy tales for my child. I enjoyed listning to the story.
Sorry, I did email you but it bounced back. Natasha is an actress, and does appear on stage in London from time to time. This background has really helped her develop her story-telling skills. Bertie — November 29, Thank you so much for putting up the audio of this story. Best Webhost — December 18, My english listening is not very good and this story and such as it make it better. Noor — January 26, Hello my name is jenny. Kim — January 27, Sonic and Amy — February 6, I have often hear the story of cinderella in Indonesia for a long time ago.
You will receive an email asking you to confirm that you would like to receive our stories. If you confirm, you will then receive one very week. Bertie — March 11, Dear Bertie, I have not recieve your email. Dena — March 25, Bertie — April 17, Very good story for learing and improving english listening and pronunciation while you are entertained.
Carrie — June 2, How the lovely story! MAXI — August 10, Monmon — August 13, This story was very interesting. However, I would like romantic stories. I love romantic stories. I luv u da!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Cute Princess — August 15, Nice story, I was googling for cinderella costumes and I ran into this story. Halloween Costumes — August 16, Goodmorning natasha I have conquered another Bertie stoy and have come to realise that Bertie storys are so much better than Fairytales but I have also come tto relise that my atoshios spelling has probably conqered you so just a quick note to say hi and you are brilliant please write back to me.
They are our centre-piece. Bertie — August 27, Will there be a story about launguges. Hope there will be soon Harry. Princess Emma — August 31, They are my favorite 3 Bertie stories. Princess Emma — September 9, Dear Princess Emma, I think those are good picks for your favourite Bertie stories. Mine would be similar. Bertie — September 9, Jeanette — September 17, Thank you Natasha, the story is beautiful.
I learn translation and interpreting from storynory. I have a little pumpkin at my house. I dream that someday it will turn into a carriage and I can go to the castle for a ball just like Cinderella. Thank you for the great story! Wow what a great story! If you said it was awful your notin but stupid. I wish I was a cinderella! Tamara — December 9, I dont see why cinderallla coundnt go in the first place. Thanks for the link to audio download. Poon — February 26, It is a old story. And the prince about consuming.. There are lots of old and famous story in there and there are lots of people in there..?
LittleDoll — April 16, It is fantastic the stories are really amusing however they could get beter and more new stories should be designed,and nice pictures about each story should be added, Thanks. My children love listening to your stories on my mobile at bedtime. They are in a hurry to get to bed now to listen to a story. These are fantastic, so nice to listen to. Hi it,s Dominic again. I seem to be having problems subscribing to your stories can you help?
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Thanks so much for your help. This follows the convention for web players. Bertie — May 8, If you could add more old stories like goldilocks, oliver twist, town mouse and country mouse. You guys are doing a great job. This is a very helpful source thank you storynory, my class loved alll the comments and would love to meet Natasha. This is one of my favorite fairy tales. Although it has been re-told many times, many of the stories do not capture the pure good-ness of Cinderella. Therefore, this has to be the best version of the story I have found yet. This is an excellent site.
I love the stories and the way they are read. But could you please include some more pictures to make it more interesting. Also, is it possible to present some of the stories especially the greek mythology ones,in the form of a film. Amy, We are investing in more pictures, but we have limited resources.
Bertie — June 22, Ashley Romero — June 28, Thanks for letting us know your opinion. Bertie — July 14, Stephanie — July 17, All of the stories are great and worthy, especially for me as an English teacher. It really helps me in improving the listening capability of my students, honestly before knowing this site I get trouble how to find the material for teaching. Last but not least, I hope in this page can be added more worthy stories. My deeply honor and thanks. Thank you very very very muchhhhh Natasha.
I love these stories in the website thankyou natasha aunty i like reading stories in this website i am an indian girl from A. That remind me about Cinderella. I think the most important character is her godmother. If there is no fairy godmother Cinderella is a unfortunate child and her life will be misery. She will never able marry the prince.
I believe in God and good spirits. How about you prince Bertie, the frog? I liked the story very much indeed because it have a happy end and it had really different words in it! Thank you for the time and effort you put into maintaining this site. Cinderella is perhaps my favourite story. This story is immortal. I am adult but I love all those stories for the kids. I always try to tell them for the children. All of you are perfect. I learn everything with you. Only I have to say is a warmth and very special thank you all.
God bless you all. You are true angels. This story is just romantic that the prince went after cinderella that would be awesome that a prince coming after you because he liked you for you and then he marries her soon as he knew his maiden was cinderella and they lived happily ever after. God bless you always. Gustavo — September 19, Hi i love cinderella its such a magical story with the prince and the glass slipper a enjoyed it very much Thankyou.
What a wonderful tale and how beautiful has it been narrated.
I did notice that a piece of the audio part is missing. There where the invitation is received and the sisters decide what to wear. But other than that, I think storynory is a great initiative, which I hope many children will not only enjoy. My daughter has dyslexia and this is a good way to help her in her reading skills. Omar — October 3, But, I gees it is o-kay. What a wonderful story. But please make the duration shorter…Thank you…. Hanifa Miranda — October 19, This was a good story 4 kidz!
Thx 4 putting it up! Check out my blog http: Stories for Little Kids — November 9, Great site with great stories. Would be even better if you could have visual aids also. Would really benefit children with auditory difficulties! Quynh LeNguyen — December 17, This story was beautiful!!!
I did not like the sisters because they are horrid!!! I like this story. She left her slippers and went into the night. Kattia — January 26, This story is very intersting and the person who read makes the story very interesting. This story makes everybody thinks that this story is very interesting and I wish there will be some commented story that Natasha has read.
Is there any story that is very interesting? Is it only Cinderella the most popular story in the world or there are some more such as Beauty and the beast? Nadine Koh — January 30, I think that this story has alot of excitement in it. And that is my honest opinion. Im a diabetic whos only ten years old. And i love reading. And when i found out about this website,i already new that i would be very interested in all of the stories.
I dont have an email address so im happy kids can comment easily. And i love telling people how much i enjoy there work. And so this is a perfect bed time story. Not very interesting in the afternoon. Im giving my honest opinion. So all i want to know is the author of this story and i want the author to know how much im enjoying there work. I like this story, but it is a little bit long. The reader reads it very good. I liked her voice. Thank you for reading it.
I like your website. It has more good bed time storys. I think that it was very good but it has a lot of writing it is also very exiting it was great as well and the pictures were very good. When i was a boy, i dreamed every night that i was a handsome prince and i could meet a beautiful princess. This kind of story was the most miraculous flower in the garden of my childhood. Now i have grown up but i never forget these wonderful memory. Thank a lot to these fairy tale.
It is so important that Cinderella helps her bad sisters in the end. I already read that story from a book but I wanted to read that again because it was so good. My name is odd but that was the name of my littel puppy that just got killed saterday so im still sad but all in all this is a good story. It does take a while to get over these things. I do hope our stories can help cheer you up a bit. Bertie — April 11, I really liked the Cinderella book you read to me.
Thank you very much!!!!! Saniya — April 20, I liked this story when I was in grade school. Hello, yes Cinderella is an enchanting tale, full of fairytale moments, from when the fairy godmother appears in the cellar where poor cinderella sweeps away, to the carriage magically spun that takes her to the ball and the glass slipper, she leaves on the stairs….
Natasha — April 23, JuandaRusli — May 3, I do not like the part when the stepsister treats cinderella so badle I only like the ending. I hate the middle and the begging! The wicked step sisters are cruel and Cinderella is the stronger character for she is humble and kind and as a result she gets her fairytale ending.
Near the beginning of the tale when the fairy godmother appears is a magical part and towards the end when she leaves the glass slipper on the stairs in a hurry not to turn into pumpkin before midnight is dramatic. Natasha — May 7, Kim — May 9, Yes the pictures illustrate the fairytale well. The Fairy godmother who appears and grants Cinderella three wishes.
The glass slipper shoe she tries on from the messenger that she leaves behind on the stairs after the ball, the Prince who seeks her with the shoe by finding it fits her perfectly. Natasha — May 13, Near the beginning of the tale when the fairy godmother appears is a magical part and towards the end. Even though Im 7 and this fairytale is a little childish for me, the way you told it Natasha was amazing! Thank you for your comment. Cinderella by Charles Perrault is a beautiful tale. When the young girl who sweeps hard away all day in the cellar , is granted a wish by the fairy godmother, that takes her all the way to the ball, she meets her prince charming.
Cinderella must be careful however to watch the time as then the fairy godmothers spell will reverse and her horse and carriage, will turn back into a pumpkin. Cinderella is fortunate enough to leave her glass slipper behind that the young prince picks up and finds her with. Natasha — August 3, Lesson Plan, fourth week Annanite Academy — September 18, Lesson Plan, fifth week Annanite Academy — September 26, Yes Cinderella must be strong and stand on her own two feat until she meets her Prince Charming.
Natasha — September 26, Lesson Plan, sixth week Annanite Academy — October 2, I think the story was vary good! My mined was going crazy thinking about what was going to happen next! I love this story xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
Carol — October 14, I liked this story. My small sister also liked it. Cinderella was the best charecter in this story.
Cinderella - Storynory
It was a little childish and boring. I have a friend that rewrote it but like Baterella. I think that I will be Cinderella. Cinderella is a lovely fairytale and ideal to listen to for Halloween. In the tale the Fairy godmother fore warns Cinderella that she will turn into a pumpkin if she does not leave the ball by midnight. Cinderella rushes from the ball just in time but leaves her glass slipper.
It is a carless mistake but one that helps her in the end.. Natasha — October 31, Bert — November 1, Thank you for your comment The Step mother and the Step Sisters characters in the story are cruel to the young Cinderella but this helps her follow the wishes of the Fairy godmother, so she can get to the ball and meet with her prince charming. Natasha — November 7, Refia — November 22, Thank you for your comment Cinderella is a lovely tale The young girl is able to find her prince charming by trusting in the fairygodmother.
Natasha — November 22, Thank you for your comment Cinderella is a nice tale. The young maid who works daily by cleaning cinders from the fire place this is where her name comes from is given the chance by the fairytale Godmother to attend the Royal ball. Arriving in a punpkin drawn carridge, whisked up by Fiary Godmother, Cinderella meets the Prince and all the other fancy courtiers…. Natasha — November 24, Bertie — November 30, Thank you for your comment, Cinderella is a wonderful tale and she is also a good character to draw She is often depicted in drawings wearing a pink dress.
Natasha — December 6, Janhavi — December 7, Cinderlla is a lovely tale. When she attends the grand ball she leaves behind her glass slipper on the stairs. The suspence of the story is that the Prince must geuss who the slipper belongs to if he wants to meet the girl he danced with at the ball. Natasha — December 16, Hello, I kinda like this book but not alot. I would put a NO for the book. I hate this book alot. Omg I just forgot that I was at school because the story was so boringand I mean it was realyyyyyyyyyyyyyy boring. Thank for your comments on Cinderella. Natasha — January 1, WOW what a polite comment i mean i get it u hate it doesnt mean u have 2 smush thier face into the dirt.
Jina — January 30, I read that story many times… but!! Cinderella is a brave young girl to go to the ball. Natasha — February 2, Aileen — February 2, February 4, at 9: I like Cinderella,She is so beautiful. It is like a adventure story……. Grenache-iness tends to dominate; they are a bit of a challenge for those used to lighter, higher acid reds. I think they are dead sexy, but one has to be in mood for such ebullient, lush fruit. This wine is made with a very short maceration, which gives it barely a hint of color, best to think of it as a white wine.
This pine nuttiness, for me, marks it as a Mediterranean wine. The wine is Natural winemakers, not wanting to add sulfur to protect against oxidation, are sometimes fearful of racking from one vessel to another, a process that normally banishes residual lees. Depending on your tolerance, mouse may not bother you; personally I cannot drink mousy wines. Like cork taint, mousiness emerges as the bottle is open, becoming more pronounced.
I left a fraction of the bottle of Chemin de la Brune in the fridge for two days. It was even better on the third day open than it had been on the first and there was nary a mouse to be found. I cannot begin to express how unusual it is to find wine made without sulfur that offers the drinker such pure, crystalline aromas and flavors. When I was living in North Carolina, the slightly odd and off-kilter cantaloupe was my favorite summer fruit. And Sophie herself offers loads of meat to play with, a young woman who mixes a no-nonsense approach to her eccentric wizard employer, Howl, with a crippling sense of her own inadequacy which helps a witch turn Sophie into an old lady, as you do.
The resulting relationship is an odd one, with Howl indulging in moments of wild vanity and Sophie spending most of her time wearing support stockings and sounding like his granny. Still, there is a love story there, and the fact that you buy it at all is down to the fact that Sophie's one of the great heroines. Stroke of genius The fact that the film's big action face-off consists of two old ladies trying to climb a long flight of stairs. OK, so there are a few magical battles and air chases too, but this is the one that lingers.
This is not to be confused with Miyazaki's unrelated film Laputa: Castle in the Sky. Ratatouille First Appearance: Ratatouille Voiced by: Brad Bird's Pixar efforts are rather more complex of moral than your average cartoon, willing to admit that not everyone is going to end up a princess or a superhero and that some people are just more talented than others.
Remy, here, is a culinary genius, but it's not always easy for him to get ahead. After all, rats and kitchens do not match brilliantly from a hygiene point of view. Still, his obsession with his chosen profession and determination to get ahead make him compelling - even though he's not always entirely sympathetic. Stroke of genius Remy's magical, camera-spinning cooking scenes, making the creation of a soup and a ratatouille into a cross between dancing and singing. Fun fact Patton Oswalt landed the job of voicing Remy after Bird saw a video of his stand-up routine where he waxed lyrical about food.
Bolt First Appearance: Bolt Voiced by: The cutest little fanboy you'll ever see rolling around inside a Perspex ball, Rhino's a TV obsessed hamster who latches on to the film's doggy hero with unshakeable enthusiasm. He steals all the film's best lines and is, pretty much without exception, responsible for all its funniest moments. Voiced by one of Disney's animators rather than a big star, he's cute, cuddly and a total nerd, starry eyed and believing in Bolt's superpowers with a ferocity remarkable for one his size.
Stroke of genius The line, "I'll go get my ball! Fun fact The crew modelled Rhino on a real hamster called Doink, who they filmed rolling around in a ball on a clear surface to get his movements right. Beauty and the Beast Voice by: Perhaps the strangest thing about returning to this Oscar-nominated classic after all these years is learning that Jerry Orbach provided the voice of Lumiere, the irrepressibly Gallic, lover man, er, candlestick who plays such a big part in the story.
The flamboyant Lumiere, forever sneaking off into corners for some private time with a duster, is the most amusing of the new characters introduced for the film, and it turns out that sensible Detective Briscoe has a romantic side after all. Stroke of genius The song Be Our Guest, which sees Lumiere introduce perhaps the greatest dining experience in animation history. Sadly, he died during production. The Bible, sort of.
Call him what you like - Lucifer, Shaitan, the Devil - but he's always scary and badass and in control. Unless, of course, you're Matt Stone and Trey Parker, in which case Satan may be physically well developed but he's rather more shy and retiring than we're used to - to the extent that his gay lover, Saddam Hussein, physically and emotionally abuses the poor fella.
His attempt to regain his own sense of dignity and independence is the closest thing this foul-mouthed classic has to a story arc, and if you end up cheering for the underworld dog, well, all to the good. Stroke of genius Turns out that Satan has a sense of gratitude, offering Kenny one wish in return for his help in getting rid of Saddam Hussein. Well isn't that nice? Madagascar Voiced by: DreamWorks, between Madagascar and Shrek, developed a habit of creating supporting characters who steal the leads thunder. While you'd be hard pressed to remember the leads in this zoo adventure, the monkeys and penguins run away with the show - particularly the leader of the Dirty Dozen-style penguins, hijacking tankers like he was born in the Navy SEALs.
Skipper's equal parts unflappable and paranoid, leading his troops with unquestioned authority. They're multi-skilled in combat, tunnel digging, lock-picking - you name it. Not bad for a species without opposable thumbs. OK, so their natural limits sometimes prevent Skipper's plans from working out perfectly, but they never stop trying.
Stroke of genius "Cute 'n' cuddly boys, cute 'n' cuddly" Skipper lulls the intruding humans into a false sense of security. We knew penguins weren't trustworthy! Fun fact Madagascar director Eric Darnell had been working on a film about a Beatles-style quartet of penguins called Rockumentary. When Madagascar came together he moved them over and turned them into commandos. Aliens Voiced by: Other characters in this witty B-movie pastiche are wittier, chattier or have better hair no, not you B.
But Insectosaurus is the one who really charms us, despite expressing himself chiefly in unintelligible roars provided by director Conrad Vernon and a fascination for bright, shiny lights. After all, he's just a little grub who's grown up - waaaay up - before his time, and while he will defend his friends and planet to the hilt, he seems a relatively peaceable sort at heart. Then, of course, there's the fact that he turns into a beautiful Butterflysaurus.
One the size of Mount Rushmore, but still a beautiful butterfly. There's some sort of message there. Stroke of genius The face-off between Insectosaurus and the gigantic alien robot across the Golden Gate Bridge, with the pair bellowing at each other while the other, smaller monsters try to evacuate the civilians caught in the middle. Fun fact As monster fans will have guessed, Insectosaurus is partly based on Mothra, Godzilla's old sparring partner.
The difference is that Insectosaurus is not, as far as we know, psychic or possibly divine. The concept of setting a Looney Tunes-type character in the real world is a bonkers but brilliant one, and this effort from the newly reinvigorated Disney of the late s set them on course for a renaissance. And a lot of that is down to Roger himself - loud, brash, hugely irritating to partner Eddie Valiant but always well-intentioned.
The killer is that Roger isn't stupid; he's capable of cunning and trickery in his attempt to clear himself of murder charges and regain the love of his smokin' hot wife. And after all, a rabbit with a woman like that on his arm has got to have something serious going for him. Stroke of genius It's Roger's heartbroken reaction to the news that his wife, Jessica, is cheating on him. Why is he so concerned with the fact that she's playing playground games? We've never been quite sure, but we feel for him nonetheless. Fun fact Charles Fleischer performed Roger's lines on set, off camera, while wearing a full costume including rabbit ears, overalls and gloves.
The Simpsons Movie First Appearance: The Tracey Ullman Show Voiced by: With the hindsight switch very firmly flipped, we can now admit to ourselves, and each other, that The Simpsons Movie really wasn't very much cop. But it's almost impossible to have a list like this and not include the Simpsons' loveable, doltish, lunkheaded patriarch, even if it's something of a legacy choice, dictated almost entirely by the existence of the TV show.
But despite the dearth of classic Simpsons gags, still manages to present the Homer we all know and love, putting him very firmly centre stage as he tries to win back Marge and his family, and prove to Springfield that he's not a monstrous jackass. Stroke of genius OK, it was in the trailer, but it's hard to top classic Homer slapstick, namely the moment when he gets caught - literally - between a rock a giant rock and a hard place a cafe called The Hard Place, complete with giant pointy fork.
Drawn out for just the right amount of time, as Homer swings between the two, getting crushed and stabbed alternately, it's up there with the rakes gag in Cape Feare. Corpse Bride First Appearance: Corpse Bride Voiced by: This could easily have been an uncomplicated horror, with a young man ensnared by a terrifying deadite obsessed with wedding bells, a Bridezilla with bits falling off.
Ann-Sophie Morrissette on Mollie Lowery
Instead, it became an unusual love story, precisely because Helena Bonham-Carter's Emily is so adorable. Rather than the lurching zombie she might have been, she's tragic, charming and strangely beautiful - yes, even with the blue flesh, skeletal extremities and loosely-attached eye. The fact that most of the audience consider the nicely wrapped up, happy ending an unhappy one is testament to just how likeable Emily is.
Stroke of genius It's the melancholy song that Emily sings when she realises that Victor only proposed by accident and is still in love with Victoria upstairs, while her friends try to reassure her that she's pretty. Fun fact There were 14 different models of Emily and Victor, all based on a stainless steel frame with faces moved by clockwork. Kung Fu Panda First Appearance: Kung Fu Panda Voiced by: It takes a very light touch to take a venerated martial arts master - the archetype that inspired Yoda, Mr.
Miyagi and dozens more - and make him fresh, while satisfying all the demands traditionally associated with the character: Shifu, the kung fu master who teaches Jack Black's Po to be all that he can be in DreamWorks' unexpectedly entertaining adventure, is fresh as can be, thanks largely to Hoffman's playfully bemused line readings, a genuine warmth beneath the wiliness, and a refreshing sparkle to the banter between him and Po.
Their delightful final exchange leaves the movie on a high note, and is the chief reason why we're looking forward to the incoming sequel. Stroke of genius It's got to be the hilarious attempts of the kung-fu master to tutor the enthusiastic but hopelessly inept panda Po in the basics of the martial art. His increasing exasperation and the faltering of that firmly-held calm is a joy to behold. Fun fact Dustin Hoffman had a clause in his contract allowing him to record additional voice sessions if he was unhappy with his original performance.
Monster House First Appearance: Monster House Voiced by: A lot of animated heroes are children; a lot more are teenagers young enough for kids to identify with but old enough to have some sort of romance. Monster House, however, puts its three young leads right in the middle, veering wildly from childish enthusiasms one minute to adolescent awkwardness the next. DJ is the quietest and least assuming of the bunch, between Chowder's loudmouth and Jenny's know-it-all, but he's quietly compelling.
Stroke of genius It's a toss-up between DJ's reaction to having a girl in his room, and his later, wiser talk with the previously scary Mr Nebbercracker, counselling him as an equal rather than a child. Still you shouldn't hold that against him. When it comes to choosing one of the seven dwarves to go on this list, it really is throw a dart time.
Snow herself is a bit too bland to warrant serious consideration. Dopey aside, Grumpy - long white beard, red nose, perpetually pissed off expression - has the best arc of the dwarves, initially reacting with hostility to the gorgeous princess dumped in their midst, before coming over all conciliatory and rushing to her aid. He's a nice chap, after all. Stroke of genius When Snow White has slipped into a coma - what the dwarves think is death - Grumpy's pissed-off facade crumbles as he pays tribute to her perfectly preserved 'corpse', insisting on leaving his garland of flowers in her sleeping arms.
Maybe she finally pierced his cold exterior. Maybe he thought he had a shot. Either way, there's not a dry eye in the house. Fun fact A fight between Grumpy and Doc was animated, but cut out from the movie. It can be found as an extra on DVD. Cranky, grumpy, irascible, cantankerous. Carl Fredericksen is all of these things and more, but the genius of Up's lead the first of two characters from their arguable masterpiece to make this list is that we know right from the off why he ended up that way. And it's not just because he's old. Watching Carl slowly shake off the shackles off loss and hurt over the course of odd gloriously rejuvenating moments is a rare joy, the sort of thing that Pixar seems to specialise in.
Carl impeccably voiced by Asner remains one of the most well rounded and plain human characters in animation history. Stroke of genius Even though it's not as cathartic as the moment when Carl stumbles upon Ellie's scrapbook and decides to move on with his life, and instead merely illustrates why Carl becomes the man he is when we meet him, we have to go for the Married Life montage near the film's beginning. The most moving, boldly brilliant four-and-a-half minutes of moviemaking we've seen in a long time, it retains the power to provoke tears even now.
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs Voiced by: Possibly the most random character on this list, Steve is and there's no easy way of describing this a monkey. Nothing random about that, admittedly. And those thoughts mostly revolve around eating Gummi Bears, and doing what monkeys do, which is act like children hopped up on sugar and fizzy drinks.
The master of the hilarious non sequitur, Steve's every appearance in this underrated gem is gold, and further proof that NPH can do no wrong. Stroke of genius The look of unrestrained, demented triumph on Steve's face near the end as he rips the still-beating heart out of the chest of his nemesis, a giant Gummi Bear, and pops it into his mouth. Fun fact Steve was the star of his own game on the Cloudy promo website, where he attempted to read your mind. Generally, it worked, as long as you were thinking of potatoes.
Spirited Away First Appearance: Spirited Away Voiced by: Rumi Hiragi, Daveigh Chase. Miyazaki has a wealth of great characters, from bizarre gods to eccentric spirits and terrifying witches. But it's his heroines who are usually the best, and Spirited Away boasts the best of the lot. Over the course of her adventures Chihiro matures from a spoiled little brat into a mature and courageous young woman, helping others who are worse off than herself and eventually earning her own freedom and that of her enchanted parents.
She also gets bonus points for getting a job - most animated characters are a bunch of benefit-scrounging layabouts. Stroke of genius It's probably the scene where Chihiro has to help clean a terrifying and rather repellent "stink spirit", which is revealed under her ministrations to be a polluted river spirit, poor thing.
Fun fact Pixar's John Lasseter is well known to be a Miyazaki fan, but it's mutual: Yes, we've gone for Hiccup rather than his adorable dragon Toothless? Because he's a character we don't see enough of in animation: While the wise-cracking, geeky outsider is familiar in live-action teen movies, he's given a fresh breath of life here amid a town full of Vikings and plagued by dragons, and Hiccup's developing bond with Toothless is one of the most finely drawn friendships ever established in the genre.
Also, his awkward relationship with his father is much better than the average orphan story, with bonus points for the joke about his mother's breastplate. It's at the end of the film, where Hiccup wakes up in his bed to discover that he's lost his foot in the battle with the enormous dragon.
He stares wordlessly for a moment, but after a single sigh refuses to dwell and - with Toothless' help - gets out of bed to try out his prosthetic. Fun fact The novel's version of the story is almost entirely different: Toothless is very small and brown, there's no giant dragon to fight in the last act and Hiccup remains whole.
To be honest, however, it's not as good. Fantastic Mr Fox First Appearance: Fantastic Mr Fox Voiced by: One of the few non-star voice actors to appear in Wes Anderson's stop-motion adaptation of Roald Dahl's book, Eric Chase Anderson nevertheless got perhaps the most amusing character in a cast of eccentrics. He's a nephew of Mr Fox's, but his presence causes no end of grief for Fox's son Ash, who is thoroughly outshone by the polite, meditation-practicing, entirely self-sufficient cousin.
While Ash gets the more obviously interesting character arc, Kristofferson's just so amusingly perfect that he keeps stealing the show - and of course he turns out not to be such an obnoxious little nerd after all. Stroke of genius Beating up the mole who tries to pick on his cousin Ash, first taking off his shoes so that his Kristofferson's mad martial arts skills don't kill him. Fun fact Kristofferson is, as you'd expected, named after legendary singer and Blade star Kris Kristofferson, since Wes Anderson and writer Noah Baumbach are both fans of his work. Peter Pan First Appearance: Maybe it's because Captain Hook started out on stage that he's so darn good at getting us all cheering and yelling at the screen - for the other guy.
A villain more adept at sneering you'd look hard to find, and as cold-blooded killers go it's hard to top him. But he's also a man of culture and some pretentions to finesse, making his all the scarier when he decides to just go for the throat. And it's a testament to this film that, while the character's been played a thousand times, this one feels like the original.
Maybe it's that dashing red coat - we do love a man in uniform. Stroke of genius The gibbering panic that overtakes the otherwise snarling bad guy whenever the sound of ticking comes near. Fun fact This was the last Disney film that all nine of the legendary animators the Nine Old Men worked on as directing animators.
After this, they were spread across different concurrent projects at any given time. Monsters Inc First Appearance: Monsters Inc Voiced by: When it comes to Monsters, Inc. You could go for Boo, arguably the cutest kid in movie history. Or Sulley, John Goodman's lovable walking rug of a monster. Or even Roz, the first evidence that Bob Petersen could do more than work behind the microphone. But it's the refreshing, unforced jollity and decency of Billy Crystal's Mike Wazowski that just about wins out. Endearingly hapless, with a cavalier attitude towards paperwork, the manic wackiness of Wazowski provides the perfect counterbalance to Sulley's more lugubrious nature.
And when he's funny, boy, is he funny.