Release date: 2006-02-06
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.25
Review Paddington Bear - Please Look After This Bear / Abbey Home Media:
Release date: 2004-08-23
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.98
Review Tom And Jerry - Classic Collection - Vol. 5 / Warner Home Video:
Actors & Directors
- Barry Purves
- Jackie Cockle
- Chris Taylor
RRP: £49.99
Price: £37.49
Review Wind In The Willows - The Complete Collection / Fremantle Home Entertainment:
Release date: 2008-03-03
Run time: 72 min.
RRP: £16.99
Price: £10.70
Review Barbie - Mariposa And Her Butterfly Fairy Friends / Universal Pictures UK:Elina knows that it's difficult feeling like you don't belong, so when Bibble decides not to visit a friend for fear of not fitting in, Elina relates the story of a butterfly fairy named Mariposa who loves to read and dream about the stars and the worlds beyond her land, but never quite feels like she fits in with her fellow fairies. Flutterfield was once a land of frightened fairies forced to hide in darkness from the monster-like Skeezites who devour butterfly fairies, but is now ruled by kind Queen Marabella who protects her land with glowing flowers. When a power-hungry fairy named Henna poisons the Queen in hopes of stealing the throne, it falls to Mariposa to venture outside Flutterfield to find the antidote to the poison and save the Queen. With some unlikely help from her attitude-laden employers Rayna and Rayla as well as her friend Willa and a little bunny fairy named Zinzie, Mariposa must bravely confront her own self-doubt as well as the Skeezites and other dangers in order to save Flutterfield and its Queen. Along the way, Mariposa learns that the best thing a fairy can be is oneself. This fourth Barbie Fairytopia adventure has all the visual appeal and wonder of the previous Fairytopia DVDs with a nice message about liking oneself. (Ages 3 to 9) -Tami Horiuchi.
![Review Warner Home Video / Harry Potter Year 1-5 Box Set [Blu-ray]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BBzpNxaGL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Emma Watson
- Rupert Grint
- Daniel Radcliffe
RRP: £79.99
Price: £60.00
Review Harry Potter Year 1-5 Box Set [Blu-ray] / Warner Home Video:
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / The Pacifier [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y3PK5Q9VL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Faith Ford
- Brittany Snow
- Vin Diesel
- Adam Shankman
- Max Thieriot
- Lauren Graham
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £1.98
Review The Pacifier [2005] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Vin Diesel is game to soften his tough-guy image in The Pacifier, in which he plays hot-shot Navy S. E. A. L. Shane Wolfe, whose latest mission goes awry when the scientist he's sent to rescue is popped off before he can tell Wolfe where he's hidden some Top Secret software something-or-other. Before you can say Kindergarten Cop, Wolfe is assigned guard duty at the scientist's family home, where he's left with some unruly kids when the widow (Faith Ford) takes off to Switzerland to claim her hubby's safety deposit box under the guidance of Wolfe's superior officer. The trouble with this paint-by-numbers fish-out-of-water kiddie comedy is that Diesel himself is a fish out of water in the movie-he's no comic and is far funnier when he's unintentionally spoofing macho heroics in The Chronicles of Riddick. The film limply throws everything it can at you, including the idea of Wolfe directing a community theater production of The Sound of Music, but is just biding its time until the predictable action climax and hugs-all-around denouement. Vin doesn't look embarrassed, but the supporting cast sure does, especially Everybody Loves Raymond's Brad Garrett as a bombastic vice principal and Gilmore Girls' Lauren Graham as Garrett's boss and Diesel's sudden love interest. -Steve Wiecking, Amazon. [+]com.
Release date: 2007-03-26
Run time: 265 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £7.14
Review Wind In The Willows - Series One - Complete / Wind in the Willows:
![Review Universal Pictures UK / Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51XH45H5NPL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Kyle Kass
- Sean McCann
- Katie Boland
- Teryl Rothery
- Max Morrow
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £16.99
Price: £5.09
Review Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002] / Universal Pictures UK:
Actors & Directors
- Greg Proops
- Neil Morrissey
- Kate Harbour
- Liz Whitaker
- Brian Little
- Rupert Degas
- Sarah Ball
- Rob Rackstraw
Run time: 76 min.
RRP: £6.99
Price: £1.94
Review Bob The Builder - Feast Of Fun / Hit Entertainment:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Pinocchio : Special Edition [1940]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51075BM15EL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Walter Catlett
- Don Brodie
- Charles Judels
- Hamilton Luske
- Marion Darlington
- Cliff Edwards
- Ben Sharpsteen
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £35.99
Review Pinocchio : Special Edition [1940] / Walt Disney Home Video:This legendary animated feature is surely beyond criticism by now and, furthermore, it's unlikely that we'll see such forceful narrative in a kids' cartoon ever again. Disney's treatment of Collodi's story of the little wooden puppet who wants nothing more than to be a real boy is always guaranteed to have audiences entranced. While some of the movie's success is derived from its liberal use of the kind of imagery no children's film-maker would even attempt to get past the storyboard stage today-a mysterious island where children smoke cigars, get drunk and turn into donkeys, a monstrous, malicious sea-creature which is devoid of any trace of cuddliness and a pair of villains who routinely abduct children, to give just a few examples-the characters are depicted with the finest attention to detail, most of the songs have become classics in their own right ("When You Wish Upon a Star" being only one of many) and the graceful, stylised animation positively glows with fine detail. Essential family viewing. -Roger Thomas.
Release date: 2004-03-01
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £6.99
Price: £2.40
Review Barney - Marvellous Manners / Hit Entertainment:
![Review MGM Entertainment / Thunderbirds Are Go - The Movie [1966]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5107Z6V736L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Alexander Davion
- Christine Finn
- Sylvia Anderson
- Ray Barrett
- Peter Dyneley
- David Lane
Run time: 89 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.48
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.
Actors & Directors
- Eric Stuart; Rachael Lillis
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £1.97
Review The Pokemon Chronicles - Vol. 1 / Contender Entertainment Group:
![Review Warner Home Video / Tom and Jerry - Halloween Hijinks and Shrieks [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/517ZXEZ6GWL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2003-10-06
Run time: 46 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.93
Review Tom and Jerry - Halloween Hijinks and Shrieks [2003] / Warner Home Video:
![Review Little Einsteins / Little Einsteins - Rocket's Firebird Rescue [2007]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515ZWRQKhiL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2008-08-11
Run time: 43 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £6.86
Review Little Einsteins - Rocket's Firebird Rescue [2007] / Little Einsteins:The Little Einsteins are a talented group of musically-inclined, preschool-age friends who just happen to have a rocket ship named Rocket for a friend and a knack for helping those in need. In this animated adventure, it's up to Leo, Annie, Quincy, and June to preserve music around the world by traveling to Russia to free the magical Firebird from the grip of a music-hating ogre named Katschai. Set to themes from Igor Stravinsky's "Firebird" and featuring the art of Wassily Kandinsky, Faberge eggs, and Matryoshka Nesting Dolls, this full-length Little Einsteins adventure conveys the basic gist of Stravinsky's "Firebird" ballet in which the Firebird casts a spell of energetic dance and sleep upon the creatures of a magical kingdom. Prominent musical themes are emphasized by linking them to specific onscreen characters and their actions and basic musical terms like adagio and allegro are introduced while the Little Einsteins promote friendship, cooperation, and compassion and engage the active participation of young viewers by encouraging them to clap, sing, dance, and pretend to play musical instruments. The bonus episode "Rocket Soup" emphasizes teamwork and introduces orchestral instruments with the help of Dvorak's "Humoresque No. 7" and Paul Klee's painting "Moonrise. " Engage the "Magic Mission Mode" and children can view "Rocket's Firebird Rescue" with animated pop-up facts. (Ages 3 to 7)-Tami Horiuchi.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Pocahontas 2 -Journey To A New World [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Y1MTEJ76L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Jim Cummings
- Donal Gibson
- Finola Hughes
- Tom Ellery
- Irene Bedard
- Linda Hunt
- Bradley Raymond
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.88
Review Pocahontas 2 -Journey To A New World [1998] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Disney's direct-to-video sequel to their 1995 hit places the Native American princess Pocahontas in harm's way in London, where she is almost tossed into jail and has some other mishaps. She's not alone, however: a cute racoon named Meeko does a nice job as the obligatory funny animal. The songs are about as memorable as those in the first film, but the art and animation maintain far higher standards than most animated sequels dumped onto tape. If you don't drive yourself nuts thinking about the appalling historical revisionism at work here, this is passable family entertainment. -Tom Keogh Disney's direct-to-video sequel to their 1995 hit places Pocahontas in harm's way in London, where she is almost tossed into jail and has some other mishaps. She's not alone, however: a cute racoon named Meeko does a nice job as the obligatory funny animal. The songs are about as memorable as those in the first film, but the art and animation in Pocahontas 2 maintain far higher standards than most animated sequels dumped onto tape. If you don't drive yourself to distraction thinking about the appalling historical revisionism at work here, this is passable family entertainment. -Tom Keogh, Amazon. com.
Actors & Directors
- Vivienne Cozens
- The Hoobs
- Richard Bradley
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £3.99
Price: £2.96
Review Jim Henson's The Hoobs - Hooble Dooble Doo! / Hit Entertainment:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511DAK2YDPL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Gary Trousdale
- Michael J. Fox
- Corey Burton
- John Mahoney
- Claudia Christian
- James Garner
- Kirk Wise
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.67
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.
Release date: 2004-10-18
Run time: 85 min.
RRP: £18.99
Price: £4.50
Review Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper / Universal Pictures UK:
Release date: 2008-09-29
RRP: £11.99
Price: £7.48
Review Disney Christmas Favourites / Walt Disney Home Video:
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Paddington Bear - Please Look After This Bear, Tom And Jerry - Classic Collection - Vol. 5, Wind In The Willows - The Complete Collection, Barbie - Mariposa And Her Butterfly Fairy Friends, Harry Potter Year 1-5 Box Set [Blu-ray], The Pacifier [2005], Wind In The Willows - Series One - Complete, Noddy - A Bike For Big Ears [2002], Bob The Builder - Feast Of Fun, Pinocchio : Special Edition [1940], Barney - Marvellous Manners, Thunderbirds Are Go - The Movie [1966], The Pokemon Chronicles - Vol. 1, Tom and Jerry - Halloween Hijinks and Shrieks [2003], Little Einsteins - Rocket's Firebird Rescue [2007], Pocahontas 2 -Journey To A New World [1998], Jim Henson's The Hoobs - Hooble Dooble Doo!, Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001], Barbie As The Princess And The Pauper, Disney Christmas Favourites |
