3 Pigs and a Baby

Created by the Jim Henson Company, this computer-animated tale marks the first entry in the Unstable Fables spoof series. Told in retrospect—with the swine trio hanging upside down over a pot for parboiling—the story of “The Three Little Pigs” is turned on its curlicue tail, as surfer-style straw-user Sandy (Steve Zahn), the stick-building neurotic John (Jon Cryer), and brick-laying burly brother Mason (Brad Garrett) reminisce about what happened after the end of the classic tale. While the porkers were still safe in the brick house—determined not to open the door by the “hairs on our collective chinny-chin-chins”—a pack of nefarious militaristic wolves delivered a “baby in a basket” to the piggies, who bring up young “Lucky” (voiced by teen songster Jesse McCarthy) as their own (he even calls them “Dads”). However, during Lucky's teen years—which finds him sporting blue hair and riding a motorbike—the lad's “differences” (claws, sharp teeth, etc.) become more apparent. Featuring jokes about everything from Pilates to taking cell phone pictures, 3 Pigs and a Baby is a fresh and funny update that also includes the voices of cartoon stalwarts Tom Kenny (SpongeBob SquarePants) and Tara Strong (Rugrats, Fairly OddParents). DVD extras include cast and crew interviews, and a featurette on animation. Highly recommended. Editor's Choice. Aud: P. (J. Williams-Wood)