7. The Little Mermaid
Sara Krulwich / The New York Times / Redux
Disney can't win with the critics any more, and even some fans (including this one) had a hard time getting excited about the inevitable stage version of the studio's first animated musical hit of the modern era. But Disney once again scores with its sheer theatrical exuberance and polish. Opera director Francesca Zambello, directing her first Broadway show, goes for charmingly low-tech special effects (the fish "swim" on roller-skate wheelies) and gorgeous, variegated visuals to tell the affecting Hans Christian Andersen story of a mermaid who longs to be human. Ignore the critics, take the kids and don't pretend you're not enjoying it too.
Autism Numbers Are Rising. The Question is Why?
Pictures of the Week
A Brief History of Intergalactic Warfare
Learning Country from Crazy Heart
And the Person of the Decade Is ...
The Young Victoria: How a Queen Shapes Her Destiny
Avatar Arrives! Can James Cameron Be King Again?
Climatoon: Sinking Islands and Copenhagen
Did You Hear How Bad The Morgans Is?
Eight Decades of Person of the Year