Release date: 2008-02-12
Run time: 247 min.
Price: £12.73
Review Beatrix Potter Collection (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Beatrix Potter:
![Review Fremantle Home Entertainment / Wind In The Willows [1983]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FMWVXHKVL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Peter Sallis
- David Jason
- Ian Carmichael
- Richard Pearson (II)
- Michael Hordern
- Chris Taylor (VI)
- Mark Hall (III)
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £6.50
Review Wind In The Willows [1983] / Fremantle Home Entertainment:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Muppet Christmas Carol (1993) (Disney) [1992]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TKCSPRDCL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Michael Caine
- Frank Oz
- Steve Whitmire
- Brian Henson
- Jerry Nelson
- Dave Goelz
Run time: 85 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £0.01
Review The Muppet Christmas Carol (1993) (Disney) [1992] / Walt Disney Home Video:Brian Henson directs his late father's creations in the Charles Dickens classic, the best known (and most oft-filmed) Christmas story of all time. Michael Caine plays the old miser Scrooge with Kermit as his long-suffering but ever-hopeful employee Bob Cratchit, Miss Piggy as Cratchit's wife, and a host of Muppets (including the Great Gonzo as an unlikely Charles Dickens) taking other primary roles in this bright, playful adaptation of the sombre tale. Or at least it starts brightly enough-the anarchic humour soon settles into mirthful memories and a sense of melancholy as the ghosts of Christmas past, present, and future take Scrooge on a journey of his lonely, wasted life. Michael Caine makes a wonderful Scrooge, delightfully rediscovering the meaning of life as fantastic creations from Henson's Creature Shop (developed specially for this film) take the reins as the three ghosts. While the odd mix of offbeat humour and sombre drama undercuts the power of Dickens's drama, this kid-friendly retelling makes an excellent family drama that adults and children alike can enjoy. -Sean Axmaker.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / A Bug's Life [1999]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41CSM0XAG7L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Lasseter
- Kevin Spacey
- Denis Leary
- David Hyde Pierce
Run time: 96 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £0.99
Review A Bug's Life [1999] / Walt Disney Home Video:There was a rare magic on the big screen in 1995, when the people at Pixar came up with the first fully computer-animated film, Toy Story, and their second feature film, A Bug's Life, may miss the bull's-eye but Pixar's target is so lofty that it's hard to find the film anything less than irresistible. Brighter and more colourful than the other animated insect movie of 1998 (Antz), A Bug's Life is the sweetly told story of Flik (voiced by David Foley), an ant searching for better ways to be a bug. His colony unfortunately revolves around feeding and fearing the local grasshoppers (lead by Hopper, voiced with gleeful menace by Kevin Spacey). When Flik accidentally destroys the seasonal food supply for the grasshoppers he decides to look for help ("We need bigger bugs!"). The ants, led by Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), are eager to dispose of the troublesome Flik. Yet he finds help-a hearty bunch of bug warriors-and brings them back to the colony. Unfortunately they are just travelling performers, afraid of conflict. As with Toy Story, the ensemble of creatures and voices is remarkable and often inspired. Highlights include wiseacre comedian Denis Leary as an un-ladylike ladybird, Joe Ranft as the German-accented caterpillar, David Hyde Pierce as a stick insect and Michael McShane as a pair of unintelligible woodlice. The scene-stealer is Atta's squeaky-voiced sister, baby Dot (Hayden Panettiere), who has a big soft spot for Flik. [+]More gentle and kid-friendly than Antz, A Bug Life's still has some good suspense and a wonderful demise in store for the villain. However, the film-a worldwide hit-will be remembered for its most creative touch: "outtakes" over the end credits à la many live-action comedy films. These dozen or so scenes (both "editions" of outtakes are contained here) are brilliant and deserve a special place in film history right along with 1998's other most talked-about sequence: the opening Normandy invasion in Saving Private Ryan. -Doug Thomas.
Release date: 2006-01-30
Run time: 66 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £4.09
Review Captain Scarlet - Series 1 - Vol. 4 / ITV DVD:
Release date: 2007-04-23
Run time: 22 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.62
Review Power Rangers - Mystic Force - Vol.2 / Power Rangers Mystic Force:
Actors & Directors
- Manabu Ono
- Michael Dobson
- Ryan Hirakida
- Paul Dobson
- Richard Ian Cox
- Brian Drummond
Run time: 1144 min.
Price: £22.40
Review Transformers Cybertron: The Ultimate Collection (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Hasbro:
Release date: 2006-05-23
Run time: 273 min.
Creator: X-Men
Price: £7.78
Review X-Men Evolution: The Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Warner Home Video:
Release date: 2006-01-23
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £7.99
Price: £3.66
Review Postman Pat's ABC And 123 / Abbey Home Media:
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Peter Pan - Return To Never Land (Pixie Powered Edition) [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5108BtNUXqL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Corey Burton
- Blayne Weaver
- Jeff Bennett
- Harriet Owen
- Robin Budd
- Donovan Cook
- Kath Soucie
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £11.95
Review Peter Pan - Return To Never Land (Pixie Powered Edition) [2002] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Unlike Disney's other sequels to their classic films, this follow-up to the 1953 version of Peter Pan debuted in cinemas. In Peter Pan - Return to Never Land World War II has turned Wendy's preteen daughter, Jane, into a realist, a girl who insists there's no need for stories and fun while London is crumbling. Hook kidnaps Jane (thinking she's Wendy) and returns to "the second star to the right" to foil Pan. Alas, the film doesn't build on this new storyline (the London scenes have the most emotional impact) and what follows is a thin reworking of the original. On the plus side, a clever octopus takes over from that old crocodile, and Jane turns out to be a solid-and modern-role model. Those from ages 4 to 9 who have been brought up on the original should enjoy these adventures, even if the story, like Peter himself, "hasn't grown up. " The 72-minute film is shown with the delightful 1948 short "Pluto's Fledgling. " -Doug Thomas.
Actors & Directors
- Hayden Panettiere
- Max Casella
- Alfre Woodard
- Ralph Zondag
- Ossie Davis
- Eric Leighton
- D.B. Sweeney
Run time: 79 min.
RRP: £24.99
Price: £24.99
Review Dinosaur - Collector's Edition (Disney) (2000) / Walt Disney Home Video:Dinosaurs come alive like never before in this costly computer-animated film from Disney. After a breathtaking opening (a dino egg is kidnapped), the film changes style; realistic dinosaurs are given human characteristics and voices. The kidnapped egg grows into an iguanodon named Aladar (voiced by DB Sweeney), who is raised by lemurs (shades of Tarzan) on a lush island void of other dinosaurs. When a meteorite destroys their island home in a thrilling sequence, the lemur family and Aladar become part of a dinosaur troop roaming the mainland deserts looking for the lush nesting grounds (shades of the fourth instalment of the Land Before Time series and Fantasia). Disney's use of cheeky modern slang (one lemur calls himself "a love monkey") is present, as is its typical capital-punishment narrative logic: anyone against our forward-thinking hero (or even disagreeing with him) ends up dead. Curiously, the meanies, a pair of carnotaurs following the group, are nameless and voiceless. This more realistic approach might have been a bigger wow, as in the BBC's Walking with Dinosaurs, which looked extraordinary with only a fraction of the budget. The complexity and scope of Dinosaur's visual scale is impressive, and group shots and a point-of-view angle are stunning. The film should be a favourite for the 6 to 11-year-old set. -Doug Thomas, Amazon. [+]com.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Spider-Man - The Ultimate Villain Showdown [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QTCTZ1DGL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2002-05-27
Run time: 76 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.49
Review Spider-Man - The Ultimate Villain Showdown [2002] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:The action comes thick and fast in Spider-Man-The Ultimate Villain Showdown as the web-slinging hero faces a host of fearsome foes, not least of which is his own torturous self-doubt. Kingpin, Dr Octopus and the Green Goblin all put in spirited performances in these animated tales from the 1990s, while a flashback to Spider-Man's origins ties the action together neatly. The writing is somewhat heavy-handed in places and the animation cranky, but the four featured episodes are pacy, the villains suitably evil and a hint of darkness lends a pleasing frisson to the drama. On the DVD: there's limited bonus material on the DVD but what's there is generally worthwhile and entertaining. In addition to an extra episode, "Return of the Green Goblin", a "Rogues Dossier" gives an interactive guide to Spider-Man's foes with statistics, trivia and video interviews with our hero's creator Stan Lee. Lee crops up again in the highlight of the bonus material, "Stan Lee's Soapbox", an engaging 20-minute insight into all things Spidey from a man who obviously loves his job. -Helen Baker.
![Review Uca Catalogue / The Famous Five - Five On A Treasure Island [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H63MCHSSL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Altman
- Nick Brimble
- Patrick Romer
- Michael Kerrigan
- Tom Graham
- Murray McArthur
Run time: 64 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £38.16
Review The Famous Five - Five On A Treasure Island [1996] / Uca Catalogue:
![Review 2 Entertain Video / Tweenies - Let's All Make Music [1999]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CDNCYD98L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Robin Carr
- Will Brenton
- Dieter Jansen
Run time: 76 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £10.98
Review Tweenies - Let's All Make Music [1999] / 2 Entertain Video:
![Review Sony Wonder / Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51o0xOJWlUL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- James Taylor
- Sesame Street Gang
Run time: 30 min.
Price: £3.15
Review Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Sony Wonder:
![Review Walt Disney Video / Return to Snowy River [1988] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/516KD9Q4B5L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Geoff Burrowes
- Brian Dennehy
- Tom Burlinson
- Mark Hembrow
- Nicholas Eadie
- Sigrid Thornton
Run time: 99 min.
Price: £4.08
Review Return to Snowy River [1988] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Walt Disney Video:
Actors & Directors
- Robin Williams
- Scott Weinger
- Tad Stones
- Linda Larkin
- John Rhys-Davies
- Gilbert Gottfried
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £9.95
Review Aladdin And The King Of Thieves (1996) (Disney) / Walt Disney Home Video:Robin Williams returns as the voice of the hyperactive genie in this, the second direct-to-video sequel to Disney's hit animated feature. Aladdin, the street beggar turned Prince, risks all to find his father among the cut-throat 40 thieves and joins his quest to find a Midas-like stone that turns everything it touches into gold. A significant cut above most made-for-video animation, this energetic adventure largely leaves Princess Jasmine and the genie behind for a father-and-son quest. Guest voice Jerry Orbach suggests Sean Connery with his thick-as-molasses delivery as the master thief Sa'luk and, despite his limited screen time, Williams once again delights with his wild flights of fantasy as the big blue Genie. A rousing tale full of last-minute escapes and spectacular, kid-sized thrills that even parents will find entertaining. -Sean Axmaker, Amazon. com.
Release date: 1998-10-26
Run time: 56 min.
Price: £9.99
Review Fun Song Factory - Please And Thank You / Picnic Time / Helping / Universal Pictures UK:
Release date: 2005-03-07
Run time: 76 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.09
Review Tweenies - Fizz! / 2 Entertain Video:
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Pinocchio [1940]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/515PVTEKCHL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Walter Catlett
- Cliff Edwards
- Ben Sharpsteen
- Charles Judels
- Don Brodie
- Marion Darlington
- Hamilton Luske
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £39.46
Review Pinocchio [1940] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm: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.
| Browse Characters & Series:
Models & Brands:
Beatrix Potter Collection (REGION 1) (NTSC), Wind In The Willows [1983], The Muppet Christmas Carol (1993) (Disney) [1992], A Bug's Life [1999], Captain Scarlet - Series 1 - Vol. 4, Power Rangers - Mystic Force - Vol.2, Transformers Cybertron: The Ultimate Collection (REGION 1) (NTSC), X-Men Evolution: The Complete Third Season (REGION 1) (NTSC), Postman Pat's ABC And 123, Peter Pan - Return To Never Land (Pixie Powered Edition) [2002], Dinosaur - Collector's Edition (Disney) (2000), Spider-Man - The Ultimate Villain Showdown [2002], The Famous Five - Five On A Treasure Island [1996], Tweenies - Let's All Make Music [1999], Sesame Street: Sing Yourself Silly! [1990] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Return to Snowy River [1988] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Aladdin And The King Of Thieves (1996) (Disney), Fun Song Factory - Please And Thank You / Picnic Time / Helping, Tweenies - Fizz!, Pinocchio [1940] |
