Dress Up Your Desktop

Movies and Cartoons

Are you a movie fan? You'll probably enjoy desktop themes based on The Lord of the Rings, The Matrix, Pirates of the Caribbean, The Producers, or Superman Returns. Fond of animated features? How about a desktop theme based on Cars or Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit? What about a blast from the past? I found a fun Scooby-Doo theme package that includes nine different scenes from the original series and the cartoon's theme song. All of the themes here are free.

Cars

Fans of Disney/Pixar's animated movie Cars will like this theme. You can select from two wallpapers: a red background with a big Cars logo, or the movie poster. The icons are tiny pics of the cars, and the cursors are equally eye-catching--a forklift, a small red and white arrow, and an odometer. The sounds are snippets of dialogue or a revving motor. The screen saver plays a snappy rendition of "Route 66" while showing pictures of the characters.

Wallace & Gromit: Curse of the Were-Rabbit

Wallace and Gromit fans, take notice: This desktop theme could make computing so much fun it might cause you to miss a few deadlines. The wallpaper is a terrific photo of the dynamic duo at home. The icons are pictures of the main characters, and for cursors you get a carrot and a garden gnome. The screen saver provides a slide-show overview of Wallace and Gromit's life together, presented with the Wallace and Gromit theme music.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King

This package includes seven wallpapers, each featuring a different character from the movie. Your pointer is a sword that turns into the One Ring when the computer is busy. Icons are small pictures of the main characters. There are very few sounds, mainly clashing swords--but in a nice touch, error alerts are a chilling Nazgul cry. The screen saver displays movie-poster images on a black background.

Matrix Theme Bundle

Growing tired of Matrix knock-offs that merely fill your screen with green code? Give this package a try. These nine original wallpapers are based on characters and scenes from the Matrix movies. Your windows and menus get different color schemes to complement each wallpaper. The sounds--odd electronic effects--are used sparingly. For cursors and icons, the program includes various futuristic-looking gadgets. The screen saver features squidlike robots flying through Matrix space.

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Get in touch with your inner pirate. This package includes three wallpapers based on Pirates of the Caribbean, plus coordinating sounds, cursors, icons, and a screen saver. The screen saver is the most entertaining part of the bundle: Against a backdrop of ships being attacked by a giant octopus, a pirate chest floats around the screen, opening to show movie stills while the theme music plays in the background.

The Producers

Mel Brooks lovers will enjoy this theme based on his 2005 musical. The wallpaper shows Matthew Broderick, Uma Thurman, and Nathan Lane posed against a backdrop of old Broadway. The cursors--a hand holding a drink, a marquee arrow, and an old-time camera with a flashing bulb--are clever. Unfortunately, the screen saver is uninspiring: Against a brick-wall image, four small screens flash movie stills.

Scooby-Doo

This theme pack is based on the original Scooby-Doo series of the sixties. The bundle contains nine wallpapers depicting Scoob and the gang encountering various ghouls. The icons feature all your old pals. The sounds include catchphrases like Velma's "Jinkies!" and Scooby's "Rooby-doobie-doo!"

Superman Returns--Man of Steel

This theme pack offers lots of eye candy based on the latest Superman movie. You get three wallpapers: Superman in flight, Superman looking down on Earth, and the Superman logo. I found the sounds--a swelling chorus, plus random swooshing noises--a little annoying. Also included is a screen saver called "Flying Through Space" that shows what you'd see if you were, well, flying through space.