Snowtime!

This Canadian animated feature film directed by Jean François Pouliot and François Brisson centers on ‘tweenager Luke (voiced by Angela Galuppo), who loves his snowy town and is looking forward to winter vacation activities. When Luke and his buddies decide to wage an epic snowball fight, peer Piers (Ross Lynch) balks at the one-sided rules, so he and his farting St. Bernard named Cleo and smart-aleck pal Frankie (Sandra Oh) instead join forces with spirited new girl Sophie (Lucinda Davis) and her wacky little sister. The fun of watching the creation of a detailed snow fortress and listening to trash-talking about the competition are overshadowed by some fairly heavy elements, such as flashbacks reminding bugle-player Luke of his father's war death, a dimwitted kid's extremely unsafe fashioning of ice balls instead of regular snowballs, and a beloved pet in danger. Still, Snowtime! boasts cool computer animation, catchy music by artists including Celine Dion and Simple Plan, and solid overall lessons (“It's just a war…that's no reason to hurt anyone”). Extras include interviews with cast, crew, and musicians. A strong optional purchase. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)