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Part Deux, comin’ atcha! Nos. 20-1.

20. One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961)

The title should give you an idea of what you’ll see in this Disney classic. But only previous viewing(s) can prepare audiences for its overall charm and its archetype narrative, which its three directors transferred flawlessly from Dodie Smith’s timeless youth novel The Hundred and One Dalmatians (sometimes titled The Great Dog Robbery).

19. Stuart Little (1999)

Notable for being famed poet/novelist E.B. White’s first children’s tome (among many other things), Stuart Little re-envisioned mice as chivalrous animals (a large contrast from their typical reception) and delivered an elegant message of human connectivity and familial love in the process. That was in 1945. Its reputation among literary minds and households across the world has only grown since, as has its popularity—each aided in a big way by the release of Rob Minkoff’s film version in December of 1999. Had the movie stunk, White’s work may not be as universally accepted now. But it didn’t stink; it rocked out (pretty hard, in fact).

18. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Tim Burton’s true-to-the-source revival of Roald Dahl’s beloved 1964 classic was a hit in every way: it had enough visual spunk to make one’s eyes bleed; it had humor enough to give one a concerning case of the giggles; it had warmth enough to melt America’s icy heart; and it even had enough eerie subtleties to make one wonder if there was something he or she was supposed to notice beneath its cheery surface (yes, Johnny Depp did just peer into the lens with a malevolence in his eyes and a vile smirk on his face).

17. James and the Giant Peach (1996)

Another film that would never have existed were it not for the whimsical, fantastical mind and storytelling of Roald Dahl, Disney Pictures’ James and the Giant Peach, artistic offspring of director Henry Selick and producer Tim Burton (the same tandem that created A Nightmare Before Christmas and would later make 2006’s Corpse Bride), struck critical success despite sputtering commercially (it generated only $29 million in box office revenue on a $38 million budget). But as time unfurled, alike pictures only illuminated the beauty of the art in Selick’s production and elevated the essence of its adult themes and darker elements—both of which caused Dahl’s book problems and perhaps hampered its movie adaptation’s ticket sales.

16. Coraline (2009)

Coraline is the most recent of Selick’s projects. And, as one may have guessed, it, too, is of the stop-motion animation type. But this time around, the director-screenwriter and puppeteer brought his dolls to livelihood without the backing of friend Tim Burton, who’d produced several of Selick’s previous works. Adapted from the rather young 2002 tale by Neil Gaiman, Coraline was a huge hit in multiplexes across America, generating high box office performance and widespread public and critical acclaim.

15. Horton Hears a Who! (2008)

One of Suess’ many rhyme books, Horton Hears a Who!, published in 1954, was described by its prolific author as an alleviating allegory of peace in post-war Japan. If you feel like studying its subtext for evidence, go for it. I, on the other hand, would rather just enjoy its bouncy creativity. And there’s no better way for me to enjoy simple literature than to watch a good movie adaptation of such. Director Jimmy Hayward’s fully-CGI version fits the bill perfectly.

14. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Potter’s third drop-in on this list is perhaps the most enjoyable entry in Rowling’s translated-to-movie franchise. Why? Because it’s the first one to wholly embrace the darkness and dread of the story’s themes. Think about it; deep down, at the core of Harry Potter’s narrative, there’s not much light—rather death and decay and descent into iniquity.

13. Marry Poppins (1964)

The literary basis of Robert Stevenson’s timeless Disney musical is a novel series by author P.L. Travers, which eventually reached eight books, though the film was based on and released after only the first five. Starring Julie Andrews and Dick Van Dyke, both of whom were in their celebrity prime, Poppins brought to life all the wisdom and joy of its source’s writer, who herself was a Shakespearean stage actress.

12. Shrek* (2001)

Beneath its gargantuan reputation as a cinematic essential of the animated genre lies the wee kid’s book upon which it is based. The picture story, written and roughly illustrated by William Steig, was undoubtedly given an aesthetic facelift once adapted by DreamWorks, though its cordial heart was maintained pristinely. And that’s why the movie series has garnered so many loyal fans.

11. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)

For Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince (#14), I noted that I found it most enjoyable of all of the Potter films. And I do. But Prisoner of Azkaban was made and adapted better than any entry prior or any since, thanks to its director, Alfonso Cuarón, the only visionary filmmaker the Potter series has called upon. He answered. (Obviously.)

10. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (2005)

Mel Stuart’s cult ’71 picture, based, of course, upon Roald Dahl’s Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, is less a kid’s film than perhaps any other on this list. It used Dahl’s fanatical ideas to channel the psychedelic, drugged-out themes of the late-’60s and early-’70s; and Gene Wilder channeled them, too. I don’t think his intention was to appear on crack, but rather crazy. In either case, he nailed it. And it was his whacky contribution to the picture—more even than its vibrant visual style or subliminal sociopolitical message—that makes it unforgettable.

9. Babe (1995)

Nominated for seven Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and winner of one (Best Visual Effects), Chris Noonan’s soft-spoken, big-hearted Babe is one of the most decorated children’s book film translations of all time. And deservedly so: the source novel, originally published in ’83 under the title The Sheep-Pig (it was retitled Babe the Gallant Pig shortly thereafter), accumulated quite the commendation itself, winning the Guardian Children’s Fiction Award in 1984.

8. Anne of Green Gables (1985)

This sprawling, 200-minute ’85 CBC miniseries stands as one of the finest made-for-television films of the past thirty years; and upon its release in the United States in 1986 (through PBS), it became, as well, a standard against which subsequent miniseries were held. Of course, a small number of television specials have matched up, but that only allows me to chirp about this beautiful screen version of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 1908 bestseller more.

7. A Little Princess (1995)

If you only take one thing away from reading this list, it should be that Alfonso Cuarón is a filmmaker of such artistic integrity that few others would be more suitable to adapt a piece of literature to celluloid. His ’95 classic, which some consider one of the best “kid’s” movies of all time, is based on the 105-year-old work by Frances Hodgson Burnett, though it manipulates the original material to fit a more universal demographic and make it more relatable to contemporary society.

6. The Jungle Book (1967)

One of author and poet Rudyard Kipling’s 19-century masterpieces, The Jungle Book consists of 14 chapters, each slightly differentiating from the ones before and after it while maintaining thematic continuum and a main protagonist. In 1967, that protagonist, Mowgli, came to sparkling life with Disney’s release The Jungle Book, an expansive yet curvy adaptation of Kipling’s adventure epic. Maybe the most recognizable of director Wolfgang Reitherman’s career projects (he also directed One Hundred and One Dalmations, #20; and 1977’s The Rescuers), this animated jewel has continued to grow in popularity and creative value with each successive year since its initial release. It’s been more than four decades by now.

5. The Iron Giant* (1999)

Oscar-winning filmmaker Brad Bird (The Incredibles, Ratatouille) first put his name on the map with this 2-D animated adaptation of Ted Hughes’ 1968 picture book, illustrated by Andrew Davidson. With a voice cast including Jennifer Aniston, Harry Connick Jr., Christopher McDonald, and Vin Diesel as the title character, one may have expected something less inspired. And that would have been fair. But, fair or not, it would have been inaccurate. The Iron Giant is one of Bird’s most cherished endeavors and perhaps his most inspired work. And I repeat: he was the dude who made The Incredibles and Ratatouille. That’s saying something.

4. The Yearling (1946)

The film version of Marjorie Rawlings’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel (which was also the best-selling book of 1938, its publish year) is so textured and emotionally rich that it has as good a chance of making the entire family weep as a million dollars does making them happy. …Well, I guess it depends on the family. But the point is that Paul Osborn’s screenplay and Clarence Brown’s direction meshed flawlessly with both the source material and each other.

3. Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)

So maybe you didn’t know that Disney’s Snow White was based on a children’s fairy tale eventually penned to paper by the Brothers Grimm, but now that you do, no further explanation should be needed. And it’s not coming anyway, so even if it is, you’re not getting it.

2. Pinocchio (1940)

See no. 3. (Replace underlined text with “19-century storyteller Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio”.)

1. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

See a doctor about that eye twitch. Then see no. 3…again. (Replace underlined text with “L. Frank Baum’s 109-years-young tale The Wonderful Wizard Oz”.)

Today marks the 10th anniversary of Fight Club’s U.S. theatrical release. Celebrate by punching your least favorite coworker in the face.

Just kidding. I meant your least favorite boss.

Just kidding again. Just watch the movie. And be sure to pick up the Blu-Ray release when it hits shelves on November 17. Also, Where the Wild Things Are is out in theaters nationwide tomorrow. Do you need me tell you how to spend your weekend? (No, don’t go around punching people in the face.)

The List’s next feature will be up the week of the 26th.