It's a relatively minor entry in the major leagues of computer animation, but Everyone's Hero (2006) offers light-hearted entertainment to fans of America's favorite pastime. Partially conceived by the late Christopher Reeve (who gets an honorary co-director credit, even though he passed away during the initial development), this tame tale of a boy and his talking sports accesories boasts solid animation and a colorful atmosphere. The characters and plot aren't nearly as memorable, but the old-fashioned, Depression-era mentality helps it stick out a bit. Everyone's Hero certainly isn't the most urgent animated film in recent memory, but it's hardly a waste of time.

Plot-wise, Everyone's Hero can't help but suffer from its own sense of familiarity. Our hero, so to speak, is Yankee Irving, a starry-eyed young boy whose enthusiasm for the sport far outweighs his actual talent. One day after a losing pick-up game at the local sandlot, Yankee---whose father works long hours at the stadium he was named after---discovers a rugged, forgotten baseball under a rusty old truck and returns home with his prize. Soon enough, he discovers the baseball can talk, but only Yankee can hear what's being said. Naturally, no one else believes him.

Problems arise when Babe Ruth's bat is stolen during his father's evening shift; since Yankee was also at the stadium, he's suspected as the thief. The young boy is sure he knows who the real culprit is, though: a rival player for the Chicago Cubs, Lefty Maginnis. As expected, Yankee takes it upon himself to rescue the bat and return it to the rightful owner; not only would Yankee's name be cleared, but he'd get to do something that his friends and enemies might actually remember. It's a relatively simple tale---and as mentioned before, it's perhaps the film's greatest flaw. We can only see so many underdog road-trip tales, animated or otherwise, before they lose their potency. Additionally, the film gets a bit too sentimental at times, hearkening beck to its tagline of "keep on swinging" several times to many. It's good advice on the surface, but the effect wears off when applied with a heavy hand.

Still, Everyone's Hero has a beating heart underneath, often emphasized by the modest amount of voice talent on board. Rob Reiner is a particular standout as the talking baseball (nicknamed "Screwie", for obvious reasons), William H. Macy shines as the bat-stealing Lefty Maginnis, while Forest Whitaker and Robin Williams also appear in smaller roles. The animation is quite well-done, especially considering the rather low-budget film was completed in roughly a year. It's a shame that the actual story and characters weren't as well-rendered as everything else, but Everyone's Hero certainly wouldn't be the first animated film guilty of that complaint.

Presented on DVD by Fox Home Entertainment, Everyone's Hero doesn't always thrill in the technical department...but that's only because this "Special Screening Copy" hasn't been authored very well. Pixellation and other digital problems plague an otherwise pristine picture, though the audio mix hasn't been affected. Street copies most likely don't suffer from any defects, but there's no way to tell without a better disc. Let's take a closer look, shall we?

Presented in its original 1.85:1 aspect ratio (a pan-and-scan version is also available on Side B), Everyone's Hero looks nearly flawless...in most scenes, that is. As is the case with other Fox "Special Screening Copies", certain fast-moving sequences reveal heavy pixellation, artifacts and other digital problems. The color palette is generally clean and bright, while black levels appear rock solid from start to finish. Final copies should offer a notable improvement...but until a more suitable disc is provided, no visual rating can be awarded.

The audio mix, on the other hand, doesn't suffer from any such problems. Presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 (an optional 2.0 Spanish dub is also included), Everyone's Hero sounds pitch-perfect and shouldn't disappoint. Dialogue is clear and easily understood, while the music and sound effects create a strong atmosphere. Optional English, Spanish and French subtitles have been included during the main feature only.

NOTE: Other bonus features may have been included on the full screen side, but it failed to load correctly in a variety of players. Once again, this section will be updated if a more suitable copy is provided.

Aimed at younger audiences and families with Yankees baseball in their blood, Everyone's Hero is a basic animated film that plays it much too safe. The story is thin and the characters are fairly generic, creating an atmosphere that suffers from too much familiarity. Fox's DVD package is passable enough, though this "Special Screening Copy" suffers from visual defects; other than that, only the extras may feel underwhelming. All things considered, Everyone's Hero is too plain to encourage a blind buy, but most families should consider it a worthy weekend candidate. Rent It.