Unlike last year, none of the animated movies of 2006 earned a Tomatometer higher than 77 percent. While this year's crop is decent, the consensus is there's nothing mind-blowing about them. Are these movies too similar to each other in characters and themes? Some critics are starting to say so. Let's meet the top contenders. We have talking cars; mice and other unpleasant critters in the sewers of London; forest animals wondering if the grass is greener; a carnivorous, kid-eating house; and penguins, the musical.

The creators of last year's Animation winners, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit, returned in 2006 to lend their signature style to a tale of British rats on a subterranean adventure. Flushed Away impressed most critics in its ability to entertain viewers of all ages with "intelligent puns for parents and gratuitous pratfalls for kids," as Charlotte Weekly's Sean O'Connell puts it. What more can you ask of films in this category?

An all-star voice cast headed DreamWorks' Over The Hedge, about a bevy of woodland creatures venturing into the 'burbs. Combining witty humor with "a sly satire of American 'enough is never enough' consumerism" (according to TV Guide's Ken Fox), Hedge impressed with its clever scripting, and looked darn cool to boot.

Further representing the animal kingdom this year were the toe-tapping, heartsong-singing penguins of Happy Feet. Critics appreciated the story's unique message -- "Miller's eco-musical goes its own way, defying the usual formulas," writes the Chicago Tribune's Michael Phillips.

Also taking kid pics into new realms of technology was a CGI motion-capture flick about every child's worst childhood nightmare. Monster House followed three youngsters as they discovered the creepy house on the block is haunted -- and, as the Houston Chronicle's Amy Biancholli raves, "It's engineered to scare your pants off, split your sides and squeeze your tear ducts into submission." The Golden Tomato winner for the best-reviewed animated movie is ... Cars.

When it comes to CGI animated features, Pixar is peerless, although the competition is starting to catch up. A tale about a cocky race car who learns that winning isn't everything after being forced to reexamine his life, Cars is ahead of the field with an adjusted score of 71.11 and a Tomatometer of 76 percent. As lauded by the Contra Costa Times' Randy Myers, "The script is unfailingly witty, the animation is breathtaking and clever -- the cast of voice actors is spirited and funny, and the direction as accomplished as any film you're likely to see this year."