Charlotte's Web 2: Wilbur's Great Adventure

This mercenary made-for-video sequel is as generic as its title, with an undistinguished voice cast, forgettable songs, lame dialogue, and a ham-handed story about friendship and diversity. Wilbur the pig befriends Cardigan, the new black sheep (literally) of the flock, who is shunned by the other farm animals. When Cardigan is sold, the fretful Wilbur works up the courage to mount a rescue, aided by the late, titular Charlotte's three mischievous daughters. An ill-conceived film that makes no effort to recapture either the look of the original 1973 animated film, or the illustrations of E.B. White's beloved book, Charlotte's Web 2 is also full of annoying anachronisms (from high-fiving spiders to contemporary dialogue--"what a rush," exults one bungee-jumping spider). Granted, no one dies at the end this time, but that's about the only upside to this undistinguished effort. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a “Meet the Animals” guessing game and an interactive “Rhyme and Color” activity. Bottom line: skimpy extras for a cut-rate film.] (K. Lee Benson)