Release date: 2007-03-26
Run time: 265 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.90
Review Wind In The Willows - Series One - Complete / Wind in the Willows:
Release date: 2008-03-10
Run time: 175 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £7.59
Review Princess Stories Vol.1-3 / Princess Stories:
![Review Universal Pictures UK / Barbie As Rapunzel [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TFR68N4BL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Anjelica Huston
- Ian James Corlett
- Kelly Sheridan
- Cree Summer
- Owen Hurley
- Mark Hildreth
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £6.86
Review Barbie As Rapunzel [2002] / Universal Pictures UK:Barbie as Rapunzel is an 80-minute video that will thrill children aged three to eight, following on from the success of Barbie in the Nutcracker. Barbie may have started life as a doll in the 1950s, but these days she's also making her name as a computer-animated film star. In a modern twist on the classic fairy tale, Barbie stars as Rapunzel-a courageous and imaginative princess who is locked away in a tower by the evil witch Gothel. With help from her friends (Penelope the cute purple dragon and Hobie the rabbit) and through the power of her own creative energies, she paints her way out of the tower to find freedom, truth and love. The video is visually impressive with dark and light colours used effectively to emphasise good and evil, allowing Barbie to be surrounded by her favourite soft pinks and purples. The well-known actress Angelica Huston is memorable as the vocal talent behind the unbalanced and scary Gothel. Excellent sound effects greatly enhance the film and Dvorak's New World Symphony played by the London Symphony Orchestra makes a pleasant change from films' current dependence on pop hits. Hugo the mighty dragon, Otto the nasty ferret and the sword fight between the feuding kings will hold the attention of those brothers of Barbie fans who are less than enthusiastic about watching this film, but essentially this is a little girl's film and the outrageously pink castle, the magical fashion show before the masked ball and the fairytale wedding will make it a firm favourite for its intended audience. -Tracey Hogan.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey In Living Colour [1935]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TNC6RASQL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2004-05-03
Run time: 259 min.
RRP: £21.99
Price: £4.47
Review Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey In Living Colour [1935] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:
Actors & Directors
- Jun Falkenstein
- Bill Speers
- Toby Shelton
- Andrew McDonough
- Alex Mann (IV)
- Wayne Allwine
- Jim Cummings
- Bradley Raymond
- April Winchell
- Russi Taylor
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £3.74
Review Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas / Walt Disney Home Video:Donald Duck's nephews learn why holidays come once a year, Goofy and son discover the spirit of Santa, and Mickey and Minnie re-enact a classic tale of giving in this holiday offering. Kelsey Grammer (TV's Frasier) narrates as Donald hosts Christmas at his house, complete with an egg and pancake breakfast, a sledge for each duckling in the closet, and Daisy under the mistletoe. But the celebration gets old fast when the boys' wish for Christmas every day comes true. Next up, Goofy's son wonders whether there is a Santa after the villainous Pete tells him there's not and he catches Dad impersonating the portly gift-giver. Goofy demonstrates the spirit of giving by taking a meal and presents to less-fortunate neighbours and, many Goofy-style mishaps later, father and son have a surprise visitor. In the third story, the mouse lovebirds give an updated spin to O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi", with Minnie having the heirloom watch with no chain and Mickey a harmonica with no case. This trio of Christmas stories adds up to an hour of heartfelt fun, capped off by the gang singing "Jingle Bells". Perfect holiday cheer for those aged 4 and over. -Kimberly Heinrichs.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Enchanted [Blu-ray] [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61i1Dm41C0L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Amy Adams
- Timothy Spall
- James Marsden
- Susan Sarandon
- Kevin Lima
- Patrick Dempsey
Run time: 103 min.
RRP: £23.99
Price: £15.98
Review Enchanted [Blu-ray] [2007] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:If you're looking for signs that the modern-day Disney has lost neither its touch nor its savvy nature, then there's evidence in abundance in the smart modern-day fairy tale Enchanted. Bookended by the kind of old-style animation the studio is rightly famed for, the main, live action segment of the film finds Amy Adams' Giselle-an archetypal Disney princess in pretty much every sense-dropped slap bang into the middle of modern day New York. What follows is ingenious fun, as Giselle walks round very much as a fish out of water, followed quickly by James Marsden's prince who attempts to come to the rescue. Thing is, modern day New York and old style princesses don't really mix, and Enchanted studiously mines the comedy of the scenario, thanks to a smart and witty script. What also lifts Enchanted though are the delightful tips of the hat to classics of Disney old. And we're not just talking the show-stopping numbers: there are references to the likes of Beauty and the Beast, Snow White and Sleeping Beauty to be found here, and a star-making performance from Adams powering the whole film forward. One of the very best family movies of 2007, Enchanted does occasionally stumble through the odd twee moment (and it could really use a villain with more screen time than Susan Sarandon's wicked stepmother gets), but that can't hide the fact that it's terrific fun, lavishly made and, at its best, quite brilliant. A modern day family classic, and great to see Disney once again delivering the kind of entertainment it excels at. -Simon Brew.
Release date: 2004-03-01
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £2.06
Review Barney - Marvellous Manners / Hit Entertainment:
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Ratatouille/Chicken Little [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51aiF79PQQL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Peter O'Toole
- Patrick Stewart
- Zach Braff
- Patton Oswalt
- Brad Garrett
Run time: 184 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £10.98
Review Ratatouille/Chicken Little [2005] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Ratatouille As good a film as Pixar has ever put out, Ratatouille is a frantic, innovative movie, boasting some of the finest quality animation ever put on the screen. Ratatouille tells the story of wannabe-chef Remy The Rat, who becomes drawn into the mantra of legendary cook Gusteau, that anyone can cook. The deceased Gusteau's ghostly image appears to Remy, and guides him to his restaurant, whose standards have been slipping since his death. Remy, through the manipulation of a lowly restaurant worker called Linguini, soon starts secretly cooking the food, and this unusual set up proves to be a trove of treasures that Pixar carefully picks through. Ratatouille's trick is to tie its cutting edge animation techniques to old-school essentials. At times harking back to the frenetic style you'd expect of Chuck Jones, it threads an original narrative through its story, which itself is packed with memorable characters (none more so than Peter O'Toole's superbly-voiced restaurant critic). It perhaps runs a little too long, but it's so well-written and so lavishly entertaining that it's a churlish complaint to have. For in an era of cynically-produced family movies, Ratatouille is really something special. With an appeal that spreads across generations, and a quality that puts it right up there with Pixar's finest, it's an outstanding piece of cinema, and one set to be enjoyed for many, many years. Unmissable. [+]-Simon Brew Chicken Little A classic fable gets fused with War of the Worlds in Disney's Chicken Little. In the small town of Oakey Oaks, young Chicken Little (voiced by Zach Braff, Garden State) struggles to live down the embarrassment of having once thought the sky was falling. But when he gets struck again by a hexagonal, sky-camouflaged, hi-tech doohickey, he and his friends Ugly Duckling (Joan Cusack, School of Rock), Runt of the Litter (Steve Zahn, Sahara), and Fish Out of Water discover that aliens are preparing to invade Earth-but since no one believed Chicken Little the first time, why would they believe him now? Though kids will enjoy the bright whizz-bang action sequences of Chicken Little, discerning parents will find the movie tedious. Technically, it has the computer animation quality of Pixar-but with none of their intelligence, heart, or simple storytelling skill. The basic idea of connecting the fable to aliens is amusing, but the script routinely bogs down in clumsy father-son issues that seem like material edited out of Finding Nemo. The jokes rarely have anything to do with the characters, but are mostly pop-culture references that are sadly out of date. The action sequences were obviously created with the inevitable video game in mind, for which the movie is little more than an advertisement. Chicken Little falls flat. -Bret Fetzer.
Release date: 2008-01-07
Run time: 38 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £2.62
Review 100 Favourite Sing-A-Long Songs And Rhymes / Contender Entertainment Group:
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Popeye [1980]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51nqjCAdkRL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Ray Walston
- Shelley Duvall
- Robin Williams
- Paul Dooley
- Robert Altman
- Linda Hunt
Run time: 113 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.22
Review Popeye [1980] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Nothing interests filmmaker Robert Altman more than a contained culture that mixes bare humanity with local eccentricity (think of his M*A*S*H and Nashville). So Altman's Popeye (1980), based on the old comic strip, works best as a portrait of a busy, cluttered, cartoonish town called Sweethaven. But it is much less successful as a comprehensible story about the famous sailor with massive forearms and a relationship with Olive Oyl (Shelley Duvall). Robin Williams plays Popeye with his usual brilliance for mimicry, Paul Dooley makes a credible Wimpy, and Paul L. Smith makes an impression as the oversized bully, Bluto. But this strange, disastrous film never becomes more than an expensive workshop airing out Altmanesque themes. - Tom Keogh.
Release date: 2003-11-03
Run time: 58 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.07
Review Everybody Loves Mickey / Walt Disney Home Video:
Actors & Directors
- Geoff Walker
- Richard Briers
- Neil Morrissey
- Rob Rackstraw
- Bob The Builder
- Andy Burns
- Kate Harbour
Run time: 65 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £1.77
Review Bob The Builder - Project: Build It! - Chip Off The Old Block / Hit Entertainment:
![Review Universal Pictures UK / Barbie In The Nutcracker [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515W837P4EL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Tim Curry
- Peter Kelamis
- Christopher Gaze
- Kelly Sheridan
- Owen Hurley
- Kirby Morrow
Run time: 116 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.90
Review Barbie In The Nutcracker [2001] / Universal Pictures UK:Look who became a star. Barbie comes to life in the computer-animated Barbie in the Nutcracker, taking the longtime-favorite doll into a new realm. The 76-minute tale is a slight variation on the traditional story based on Tchaikovsky's music. Instead of an open-ended dream, Barbie and her escort, the Nutcracker (soon to be Ken, natch), are on an adventurous quest. Along the way there are more creatures and derring-do than the original. The sole known voice talent, Tim Curry, has a good old time as the Mouse King, and the animated dancing is gracefully adapted from New York City Ballet members. A few clever characters, bright animation and wonderful music should entrance any Barbie fan from age three to nine. -Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Power Rangers - The Ultimate Rangers [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5156RQFRHEL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Strathford Hamilton
- Ron Milbauer
- Vickie Bronaugh
- Tony Oliver
- Ronnie Paer
- Paul Schrier
- Kurt Strauss
- Armand Garabidian
- Robert V. Barron
- Isaac Florentine
Run time: 160 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.45
Review Power Rangers - The Ultimate Rangers [2002] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Chosen by fans, the five Power Rangers episodes on this disc are a cross-section of major events from the long-running series. "White Light Parts 1 & 2," from season two, finds Lord Zedd unleashing the very strange Scarlet Sentinel, and the Rangers in nervous anticipation of their new leader, the unidentified White Ranger. "Countdown to Destruction Parts 1 & 2" would probably impress Roger Corman with its budget-conscious but slick mix of stock footage, computer effects, and rapid cutting in the story of the Rangers' near-defeat battling an invasion of Earth. Another nostalgic favorite, "Wild Force: Forever Red," involves an exciting reunion of past and present Red Rangers. Wild, crazy, engrossing stuff, though special features would have been nice. -Tom Keogh, Amazon. com.
Release date: 2008-07-07
Run time: 66 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.98
Review Sooty - Happy Birthday Sooty / Fremantle Home Entertainment:
![Review MGM Entertainment / Thunderbirds Are Go - The Movie [1966]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5107Z6V736L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Christine Finn
- Ray Barrett
- Peter Dyneley
- Alexander Davion
- Sylvia Anderson
- David Lane
Run time: 89 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.98
Review Thunderbirds Are Go - The Movie [1966] / MGM Entertainment:Thunderbirds Are Go followed the remarkable success of the Thunderbirds television series, bringing the three-dimensional puppet animation adventures of International Rescue to the big screen. Set in the 21st century, there is no attempt to explain the background story: as in the TV show International Rescue is a private family organisation who use hi-tech craft to rescue anyone in peril. Here it is the first manned flight to Mars which is in danger, as International Rescue foils a sabotage attempt at the launch, then race to avert disaster when the spaceship returns to earth. What could have made a 50-minute TV episode is expanded to feature length with Martian "rock monsters" and a surreal dream-sequence involving Alan Tracy, Lady Penelope and "Cliff Richard Jnr" & the Shadows, with a new song performed by the real Cliff and the Shadows. In the cinemas this was competing against another British children's TV SF spin-off, the equally colourful Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150AD, and would be followed by Thunderbird 6 (1968). Yet apart from more complex model work, a bigger orchestra and even bigger explosions, on TV this plays like a widescreen double-length episode. On the DVD: The mono sound is powerful, with Barry Gray's stirring music suffering intermittent distortion. Presented in anamorphic widescreen the picture is very good, with strong colours and only minimal grain, though the print does show occasional damage. Unfortunately the original extremely wide 2. 74:1 Techniscope image is cropped to more conventional 2. [+]35:1, to the extent that the careful compositions are noticeably damaged, which director David Lane refers to in his joint commentary with producer Sylvia Anderson (who also played Lady Penelope). 35 years after the event their commentary is packed with details of the filming process and full of information about the many problems of and solutions to making an animated feature. Both Anderson fans and budding animators will find this a real education. The original, rather battered, trailer is included, as are galleries of behind the scenes photos, promotional artwork and posters. Altogether it's rather FABulous. -Gary S Dalkin.
![Review Universal Pictures UK / Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XH45H5NPL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Sean McCann
- Katie Boland
- Kyle Kass
- Max Morrow
- Teryl Rothery
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £16.99
Price: £5.10
Review Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002] / Universal Pictures UK:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / White Fang [1991]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/416AYRWX94L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Ethan Hawke
- Randal Kleiser
- James Remar
- Seymour Cassel
- Klaus Maria Brandauer
Run time: 104 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.44
Review White Fang [1991] / Walt Disney Home Video:
Release date: 2007-08-06
Run time: 61 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £3.98
Review Postman Pat's Summer Spectacular / Postman Pat:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518YQFWXH2L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Eli Marienthal
- Adam Garcia
- Alison Pill
- Lindsay Lohan
- Sara Sugarman
- Glenne Headly
Run time: 86 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.44
Review Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen [2004] / Walt Disney Home Video:
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Models & Brands:
Wind In The Willows - Series One - Complete, Princess Stories Vol.1-3, Barbie As Rapunzel [2002], Walt Disney Treasures - Mickey In Living Colour [1935], Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas, Enchanted [Blu-ray] [2007], Barney - Marvellous Manners, Ratatouille/Chicken Little [2005], 100 Favourite Sing-A-Long Songs And Rhymes, Popeye [1980], Everybody Loves Mickey, Bob The Builder - Project: Build It! - Chip Off The Old Block, Barbie In The Nutcracker [2001], Power Rangers - The Ultimate Rangers [2002], Sooty - Happy Birthday Sooty, Thunderbirds Are Go - The Movie [1966], Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002], White Fang [1991], Postman Pat's Summer Spectacular, Confessions Of A Teenage Drama Queen [2004] |
