Spirit of Wonder: Miss China's Ring

Some clever dialogue enlivens this animated 19th-century tale of a feisty boarding-house owner dubbed "Miss China," who puts up with a late-with-the-rent Mad Scientist (capitals on the box and in the credits) and his sidekick Jim, both of whom are perfecting a new invention for a space reflector telescope. A little romance, a little science, and a bizarre sequence in which the moon appears to get blown up (which is a tad disquieting) add up to a so-so optional purchase for larger anime collections. Aud: P. (R. Pitman)