The King and I

Rogers and Hammerstein's songs are the mainstay of this animated update of the classic 1956 Hollywood musical. Little else surprises. It opens at sea in a thunderstorm as determined English schoolteacher, Anna Leonowens, and her young son battle through waves en route to a teaching post in Siam. The country's opinionated King wants his children educated in a Western fashion, but insists his new arrival toes the line and respects local mores. The story now includes a scheming Prime Minister and his toothsome assistant, whose combined attempts to overthrow the King are thwarted at every turn. The animation may be merely functional but it's explosively colourful. The voice-overs, though, are mostly perfunctory, and you'll have to search hard for a less funny comic sidekick.