'Chicken' leads flock of family-friendly releases

Some very good family-friendly DVDs will be hitting the shelves on Tuesday — and these really can be enjoyed by kids and their parents.

• "Chicken Little" (Disney, 2005, G, $29.99). This wacky Disney update of the children's story is a big step up from last year's "Home on the Range." Chicken Little has alienated his friends and father by crying that the sky is falling, so when it does (actually a panel from an alien ship), who can he tell?

Jam-packed with screwy ideas, zany characters and funny gags. But do we really need bodily function jokes?

Voice talents include Zach Braff, Joan Cusack, Steve Zahn and Garry Marshall.

Extras: Widescreen, deleted scenes, alternate openings, making-of featurette, music videos, interactive game, language options (English, French), chapters.

• "Dreamer: Inspired By a True Story" (DreamWorks, 2005, PG, $19.95). Dakota Fanning is completely charming in this girl-and-her-horse story, as she inspires her father (Kurt Russell, perfect as her stoic but loving dad) to go for the gold with a horse that hardly looks like a winner. Worse, Dad thinks of himself as a sad-sack loser . . . but his daughter knows better.

The story isn't unfamiliar, but the entire package here is utterly winning, from the production values to the performances by a seasoned cast, which includes Elisabeth Shue, Kris Kristofferson, David Morse, and two veteran character actors who don't usually get to be as likable onscreen as they are here, Luis Guzman and Freddy Rodriguez.

Extras: Separate widescreen and full-frame editions, deleted scenes, audio commentary (director John Gatins), making-of featurettes, music video, language options (English, French), subtitle options (English, French, Spanish), chapters.

• "The Adventures of Brer Rabbit" (Universal, 2006, G, $22.98). This new feature-length cartoon is surprisingly good, with wit and sass, and an updated sensibility as Brer Rabbit (voiced by Nick Cannon) outwits and plays pranks on his friends — Brer Fox (D.L. Hughley), Brer Wolf (Wayne Brady), Brer Turtle (Danny Glover), etc. Even the tar-baby story is included (previously animated for Disney's "Song of the South").

Extras: Full frame, interactive games, optional English subtitles, chapters.