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Review Walt Disney Home Video / Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001]
Actors & Directors
  • Jim Varney
  • Gary Trousdale
  • James Garner
  • Claudia Christian
  • Michael J. Fox
  • Kirk Wise
  • Corey Burton
Release date: 2002-03-04
Run time: 95 min.
Creator: Joss Whedon
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.99

Review Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001] / Walt Disney Home Video:

The Disney Studio was built on innovation in animation, so it seems ironic that Atlantis is both a bold departure and highly derivative, borrowing heavily from anime, video games and graphic novels. Instead of songs and fuzzy little animals, the artists offer an action-adventure set in 1914: nerdy linguist Milo Thatch (Michael J Fox) believes he's found the location of the legendary Lost Continent. An eccentric zillionaire sends Milo out to test his hypothesis with an anachronistic crew that includes tough Puerto Rican mechanic Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors), demolition expert Vinnie (Don Novello), and butt-kicking blonde adventurer Helga (Claudia Christian). When they find Atlantis, its culture is dying because the people can no longer read the runes that explain their mysterious power source-but Milo can. Nasty Commander Rourke (James Garner) attempts to steal that power source, leading to the requisite all-out battle. Atlantis offers some nifty battle scenes, including an attack on a Jules Verne-esque submarine by a giant robotic trilobites and fishlike flying cars. But the film suffers from major story problems. If Princess Kida (Cree Summer) remembers her civilisation at its height, why can't she read the runes? Why doesn't Milo's crew notice that the Atlanteans live for centuries? The angular designs are based on the work of comic book artist Mike Mignola (Hellboy), and the artists struggle with the characters' stubby hands, skinny limbs and pointed jaws. The result is a film that will appeal more to 10-year-old boys than to family audiences. -Charles Solomon, Amazon. [+]
com.

Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Lion King [1994]
Actors & Directors
  • Rob Minkoff
  • Jeremy Irons
  • James Earl Jones
  • Matthew Broderick
  • Jonathan Taylor Thomas
  • Whoopi Goldberg
  • Roger Allers
Release date: 1995-09-20
Run time: 84 min.
Creator: Chris Sanders
RRP: £16.99
Price: £9.99

Review The Lion King [1994] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Disney's 1994 animated feature, The Lion King, was a huge smash in cinemas and continues to enjoy life in an acclaimed stage production. The story finds a lion cub, son of a king, sent into exile after his father is deposed by a jealous uncle. The little hero finds his way into the "circle of life" with some new friends and eventually comes back to reclaim his proper place. Characters are very strong, vocal performances by the likes of Jeremy Irons, Nathan Lane and Whoopi Goldberg are terrific, the jokes are aimed as much (if not more) at adults than kids, the animation is sometimes breathtaking and the songs from Tim Rice and Elton John, accompanied by a colourful score, are more palatable than in many recent Disney features. -Tom Keogh On the DVD: The Lion King Special Edition is a superb restoration: take a look at the serviceable but dull film clips incorporated in the plethora of extras and compare them to the vivid gorgeousness of the film presentation. This special edition also adds a 90-second song ("Morning Report") that originated in the lavish stage musical. To Disney's credit, the original theatrical version is also included, both restored and featuring two 5. 1 soundtracks: Dolby Digital and a new Disney Enhanced Home Theater Mix, which does sound brighter. As with the Disney Platinum line, everything is thrown into the discs, except an outsider's voice (the rah-rahs of Disney grow tiresome at times). The excellent commentary from the directors and producer, originally on the laser disc, is hidden under the audio set-up menu. [+]
The second disc is organised by 20-minute-ish "journeys" tackling the elements of story, music and so on, including good background on the awkward Shakespearean origins at Disney where it was referred as "Bamlet". The most interesting journey follows the landmark stage production, and the kids should be transfixed by shots of the real African wildlife in the animal journey. Three deleted segments are real curios, including an opening lyric for "Hakuna Matata". Most set-top DVD games are usually pretty thin (DVD-ROM is where it's at), but the Safari game is an exception-the kids should love the roaring animals (in 5. 1 Surround, no less). One serious demerit is the needless and complicated second navigation system that is listed by continent but just shows the same features reordered. -Doug Thomas.

Review Walt Disney Home Video /
Actors & Directors
  • Mel Brooks
  • The Muppets
  • Edgar Bergen
  • Steve Martin
  • Milton Berle
Release date: 2006-07-03
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £2.95

Review "Muppet Movie, The (50th Anniversary Special Edition) (DVD) " [1979] / Walt Disney Home Video:


Review Miley Cyrus / Hannah Montana - Behind The Spotlight [2006]
Release date: 2007-03-26
Run time: 92 min.
RRP: £13.99
Price: £4.14

Review Hannah Montana - Behind The Spotlight [2006] / Miley Cyrus:

Stardom can be a heavy burden for a teenager, but Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) has always risen above the temptation to flaunt her fame and firmly resolved to keep her true identity as teen rock star Hannah Montana a secret from her classmates, in favour of being perceived as a typical teenager. Miley's resolve begins to falter in this foursome of episodes when famous television star Jake Ryan (Cody Linley) suddenly shows up as a new student in Miley's class. Initially assuming that Jake is just another snooty superstar, Miley's distaste quickly turns to confusion and jealousy over all the attention her fellow students, including her smitten best friend Lilly (Emily Osment), are lavishing on him. Miley's inner turmoil results in an impulsive confession of her true identity to Jake and a local reporter. Miley's father Robbie Stewart (played by Miley's real-life father and famous country musician Billy Ray Cyrus) helps convince the local reporter that Miley is just another drama-loving teenager with grandiose dreams and typically wacky schemes. A visit from Aunt Dolly (played by country music icon Dolly Parton) helps Miley realize the importance of taking chances and reaching for her dreams. In the end, everyone learns an important lesson about being open-minded and staying true to one's goals and beliefs. -Tami Horiuchi.

Review Warner Vision International / The Wind In The Willows [2007]
Actors & Directors
  • Matt Lucas
  • Lee Ingleby
  • Bob Hoskins
  • Mark Gatiss
Release date: 2007-03-26
Run time: 98 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £13.46

Review The Wind In The Willows [2007] / Warner Vision International:


Review Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Freaky Friday [2003]
Actors & Directors
  • Chad Michael Murray
  • Jamie Lee Curtis
  • Harold Gould
  • Mark Waters
  • Mark Harmon
  • Lindsay Lohan
Release date: 2004-04-26
Run time: 93 min.
Creator: Mary Rodgers
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.01

Review Freaky Friday [2003] / Buena Vista Home Entertainment:

In the wonderfully entertaining Freaky Friday, teenager Anna (Lindsay Lohan) and her fortysomething psychiatrist mum Tess (Jamie Lee Curtis) have sunk into a rut of frustrated bickering-until a magic spell causes them to switch bodies. Suddenly Tess finds herself faced with petty teachers, vicious rivals and a hunky boy, while Anna has to cope with her mother's neurotic patients as well as her befuddled fiancé (Mark Harmon), who doesn't understand why his bride-to-be is suddenly recoiling from his embrace on the eve of their wedding. Both Lohan and Curtis turn in deft, delightful performances, with Curtis showing a surprising flair for physical comedy. The movie even manages to explore serious issues about fractured families, new parents and adolescent sexuality with honesty and empathy-and without making the story stop dead in its tracks. This 2003 remake of the 1977 original is a mother-daughter film that fathers and sons can enjoy just as much. -Bret Fetzer.

Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing
Actors & Directors
  • Helen Hayes
  • Robert Stevenson
  • Derek Nimmo
  • Peter Ustinov
  • Joan Sims
  • Clive Revill
Release date: 2004-05-03
Run time: 90 min.
Creator: David Forrest
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.49

Review One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:


Review Walt Disney Home Video / Iron Will [1994]
Actors & Directors
  • Mackenzie Astin
  • Kevin Spacey
  • August Schellenberg
  • Charles Haid
  • David Ogden Stiers
  • Brian Cox
Release date: 2002-10-14
Run time: 104 min.
Creator: John Michael Hayes
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.14

Review Iron Will [1994] / Walt Disney Home Video:


Review Little Einsteins / Little Einsteins Vol.2 - Team Up for Adventure [2006]
Release date: 2007-09-03
Run time: 69 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £4.20

Review Little Einsteins Vol.2 - Team Up for Adventure [2006] / Little Einsteins:

Classical music and famous artwork might not sound like the most promising recipe for a children's show, but this trio of Little Einsteins episodes makes music and art exciting and accessible to children ages two to seven. Little Einsteins' Leo, Annie, Quincy and June are known for their world-traversing missions, but "How We Became the Little Einsteins" tells the story of how a small rocket ship hanging from Leo's cot mobile initially inspired the group's first mission. Naturally, that mission takes the group around the world, exposing them to the music of Antonin Dvorak and the art of John Singer Sargent, and acquainting them with important musical concepts like high and low and accelerando. "I Love to Conduct" follows a bald eagle with Leo's baton in its clutches to Washington, exploring the art of Edward Hicks and the music of Edvard Grieg along the way as well as encountering musical terms like crescendo and diminuendo. "Rocket Safari" takes the group to Africa where Rocket gets stuck between the rocks of a waterfall. The gang follows a real "Flight of the Bumblebee" (music by Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov), learning about fortissimo and pianissimo, and enlists the help of a host of animals including a rhinoceros by Albrecht Durer to free their friend Rocket. Little Einstein productions effectively blend computer animation and live action photography and always encourage audience participation by inviting young viewers to clap, conduct and sing along. -Tami Horiuchi.

Review Walt Disney Home Video / Miracle [2004]
Actors & Directors
  • Patricia Clarkson
  • Kurt Russell
  • Noah Emmerich
  • Gavin O'Connor
Release date: 2005-02-28
Run time: 130 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.51

Review Miracle [2004] / Walt Disney Home Video:


Review Universal Island / McFly - Wonderland Tour 2005 - Live In Manchester
Actors & Directors
  • McFly
  • Dick Carruthersa
Release date: 2005-11-28
Run time: 110 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £1.79

Review McFly - Wonderland Tour 2005 - Live In Manchester / Universal Island:


Review The Little Mermaid / The Little Mermaid Trilogy [1989]
Release date: 2008-09-22
Run time: 219 min.
RRP: £35.99
Price: £18.00

Review The Little Mermaid Trilogy [1989] / The Little Mermaid:


Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea [1954]
Actors & Directors
  • James Mason
  • Richard Fleischer
  • Paul Lukas
  • Robert J. Wilke
  • Kirk Douglas
  • Peter Lorre
Release date: 2004-03-29
Run time: 118 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.23

Review 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea [1954] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:

The swashbuckler genre bumped into science fiction in 1954 for one of Hollywood's great entertainments. The Jules Verne story of adventure under the sea was Walt Disney's magnificent debut into live-action films. A professor (Paul Lukas) seeks the truth about a legendary sea monster in the years just after the Civil War. When his ship is sunk, he, his aide (Peter Lorre), and a harpoon master (Kirk Douglas) survive to discover that the monster is actually a metal submarine run by Captain Nemo (James Mason). Along with the rollicking adventure, it's fun to see the future technology that Verne dreamed up in his novel, including diving equipment and sea farming. The film's physical prowess is anchored by the Nautilus, an impressive full-scale gothic submarine complete with red carpet and pipe organ. In the era of big sets, 20,000 Leagues set a precedent for films shot on the water and deservedly won Oscars for art direction and special effects. Lost in the inventiveness of the film and great set pieces including a giant squid attack are two great performances. Mason is the perfect Nemo, taut and private, clothed in dark fabric that counters the Technicolor dreamboat that is the beaming red-and-white-stripe-shirted Kirk Douglas as the heroic Ned Land. The film works as peerless family adventure nearly half a century later. [+]
-Doug Thomas The swashbuckler genre bumped into science fiction in 1954 for one of Hollywood's great entertainments, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. The Jules Verne story of adventure under the sea was Walt Disney's magnificent debut into live-action films. A professor (Paul Lukas) seeks the truth about a legendary sea monster in the years just after the Civil War. When his ship is sunk, he, his aide (Peter Lorre), and a harpoon master (Kirk Douglas) survive to discover that the monster is actually a metal submarine run by Captain Nemo (James Mason). Along with the rollicking adventure, it's fun to see the future technology that Verne dreamed up in his novel, including diving equipment and sea farming. The film's physical prowess is anchored by the Nautilus, an impressive full-scale gothic submarine complete with red carpet and pipe organ. In the era of big sets, 20,000 Leagues set a precedent for films shot on the water and deservedly won Oscars for art direction and special effects. Lost in the inventiveness of the film and great set pieces including a giant squid attack are two great performances. Mason is the perfect Nemo, taut and private, clothed in dark fabric that counters the Technicolor dreamboat that is the beaming red-and-white-stripe-shirted Kirk Douglas as the heroic Ned Land. The film works as peerless family adventure nearly half a century later. -Doug Thomas.

Review ITV DVD / Stingray - Complete Series [1964]
Actors & Directors
  • Ray Barrett
  • David Graham
  • Lois Maxwell
  • Robert Easton
  • Don Mason
Release date: 2001-04-02
Run time: 999 min.
Creator: Sylvia Anderson
RRP: £59.99
Price: £17.92

Review Stingray - Complete Series [1964] / ITV DVD:

Drums pound, building excitement; the music bursts into life with a cry of "Stingray! Stingray!" Who can resist? Especially when a dramatic voice announces, "Anything can happen in the next half hour!". Stingray (1964) was the show Gerry Anderson made just before he really hit the big time with Thunderbirds (1965), producing 39 episodes of the 21st-century adventures of Troy Tempest-tall, dark and handsome (his voice was based on James Garner) captain of the titular submarine. His mission: to protect the seas on behalf of WASP (World Aquanaut Security Patrol). With complex underwater model and puppet effects, this was ground-breaking television, especially as it was the first UK series to be made in colour, though for years it was only seen in black and white. Special effects director Derek Meddings later graduated to the James Bond movies, while Moneypenny herself (actress Lois Maxwell) voiced Atlanta Shore. Here, just as in the Bond movies, she played second fiddle in our hero's affections, the mute Marina becoming Stingray's sex-goddess. The end-credits even featured a song in her honour, "Aqua Maria", which became an international hit. As for the bad guys: half-man, half-fish Titan and his Terror Fish wage dastardly war against humanity and the peaceful underwater citizens of Pacifica. Four decades on the model and underwater sequences still impress, and surely much of the inspiration for the underwater city in The Phantom Menace came from locations in Stingray. Whether as bizarre 60s nostalgia, or winning a new generation of fans, Stingray remains eccentric cult family entertainment. [+]
-Gary S Dalkin.

Review Baby Einstein / Baby Einstein - Neighbourhood Animals
Release date: 2003-08-11
RRP: £11.99
Price: £9.54

Review Baby Einstein - Neighbourhood Animals / Baby Einstein:

When Baby Einstein started its "video board books" in 1997, the company was virtually alone in the field of baby development. By its sixth video, the field has become crowded with similar-sounding titles. Now scientists might be able to analyze what a baby will get out of a DVD like Baby Einstein - Neighbourhood Animals compared to Baby Van Gogh, but is it worth getting more baby videos? Absolutely-babies love variety as much as their adult counterparts. On that level, Neighbourhood Animals scores. Using a stimulating mix of brightly colored toys, whimsical puppets (including your host, Pavlov the Dog) and lots of pictures, Neighbourhood Animals takes the viewer on a 30-minute tour of commonly found animals. Help your little pal spot a pig on the farm or a dog in the house. Baby Einstein - Neighbourhood Animals uses animals' sounds, kids' drawings, and photography for each animal in four habitats. The natural settings and original, bright recordings of Beethoven, Rimsky-Korsakov, Vivaldi, and others should make this a favorite every time you want to visit Old MacDonald's Farm. Followed by a companion production, Baby Einstein: World Animals. -Doug Thomas.

Review Princess Stories / Princess Stories Vol.1-3
Release date: 2008-03-10
Run time: 175 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £7.25

Review Princess Stories Vol.1-3 / Princess Stories:


Review Sony Bmg / Michael Jackson - History- Video Greatest Hits [1995]
Actors & Directors
  • Joe Pytka
  • Michael Jackson
  • Paul Calderon
  • Tyra Banks
  • Alberto Alejandrino
  • Bruce Gowers
  • Bob Giraldi
  • Horace Bailey
  • John Landis
  • Herb Ritts
Release date: 2001-11-12
Run time: 75 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £4.98

Review Michael Jackson - History- Video Greatest Hits [1995] / Sony Bmg:


Review Walt Disney Home Video / Chicken Little [2005]
Actors & Directors
  • Steve Zahn
  • Zach Braff
  • John Cusack
  • Mark Dindal
  • Don Knotts
  • Catherine O'Hara
Release date: 2006-05-22
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £2.98

Review Chicken Little [2005] / Walt Disney Home Video:

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.

Review MGM Entertainment / The Muppets - It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie [2002]
Actors & Directors
  • Carson Daly
  • Kelly Ripa
  • John C. McGinley
  • Molly Shannon
  • The Muppets
Release date: 2006-11-06
Run time: 85 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £2.20

Review The Muppets - It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie [2002] / MGM Entertainment:

Kermit takes centre stage in A Very Muppet Christmas Movie, a hilarious, parody-laden celebration of muppetry, pulsating with original music, a star-studded cast of human cameos, and a heartwarming story reminiscent of It's a Wonderful Life. Joan Cusack plays the deliciously villainous Miss Bitterman, a ruthless banker who succeeds in foreclosing on the Muppet Theatre only days before Kermit's Christmas extravaganza. As Kermit loses his livelihood, he plunges into the "I wish I'd never been born" mind-set instantly recognisable to George Bailey fans. It's going to take some divine intervention (Whoopi Goldberg is cast as God, no less), plus a little help from a heavenly "Clarence". Despite some moments where the script seems adrift and some humour that borders on the risqué, Fozzie and the gang are in fine form. The message is sweet: dreams are as vital to life as loyal friendships are to see them through. -Lynn Gibson.

Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Heidi
Release date: 2006-07-17
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.13

Review Heidi / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:


Browse Ages 5-8:

Models & Brands:
Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001], The Lion King [1994], "Muppet Movie, The (50th Anniversary Special Edition) (DVD) " [1979], Hannah Montana - Behind The Spotlight [2006], The Wind In The Willows [2007], Freaky Friday [2003], One Of Our Dinosaurs Is Missing, Iron Will [1994], Little Einsteins Vol.2 - Team Up for Adventure [2006], Miracle [2004], McFly - Wonderland Tour 2005 - Live In Manchester, The Little Mermaid Trilogy [1989], 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea [1954], Stingray - Complete Series [1964], Baby Einstein - Neighbourhood Animals, Princess Stories Vol.1-3, Michael Jackson - History- Video Greatest Hits [1995], Chicken Little [2005], The Muppets - It's a Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie [2002], Heidi

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