Before there was “Toy Story,” there was “The Brave Little Toaster.” Isn’t it fun to imagine what inanimate objects say and do when we aren’t watching?

A story filled with love and courage, the first completed project from Hyperion Pictures follows the Brave Little Toaster, Blanky (an electric blanket), Lampy (a desk lamp), Kirby (a vacuum cleaner) and Radio as they find fun in doing chores each day. But that doesn’t eradicate the void they feel from having long been separated from “The Master,” the bespectacled boy who calls these items his own. “The Brave Little Toaster” made history as the first animated film ever exhibited at Sundance. It’s a charming gem. (Too bad about the mediocre sequels.)

“Visually the movie has a smooth-flowing momentum and a lush storybook opulence that is miles away from the flat, jerky look of Saturday-morning cartoons. It exudes a sweetness and wit that should tickle anyone, regardless of age.” — Stephen Holden, New York Times

Buckshot Brannaman is an aw-shucks hero who never claims to be more than an ordinary man. Yet he is a living legend in the horse world.

After abuse at the hand of his father and the early death of his mother, Brannaman was rescued by a foster family. He found safety and solace in horses, and became something of a shaman — and a real-life inspiration for the novel and movie “The Horse Whisperer.” Horse owners pay hundreds of dollars when they’re lucky enough to attend one of his four-day horse-training clinics.

“Buck” has the understated eloquence of the man himself.

“You don’t have to be a horse nut to fall for ‘Buck,’ one of those rare documentaries whose subject is so inherently fascinating that a fictional character could hardly compete.” — John DeFore, Washington Post

There wasn’t enough room in the Lunar Module for all of us, so the filmmakers behind “For All Mankind” sifted through six million feet of film recorded by NASA throughout the Apollo missions to piece together a cinematic ride through the cosmos. Instead of being a newsy, fact-filled documentary, “For All Mankind” focuses on the human aspects of the space flights. The only voices heard in the film are the voices of the astronauts and mission control. It is easily the most visually stunning and unconventional approach to documenting the nine Apollo missions.

“‘For All Mankind’ is awe-inspiring, proof-positive that with enough talent and determination, even the most seemingly insurmountable task can be overcome.” — Adam Tyner, DVD Talk