Actors & Directors
- Bill Speers
- Jim Cummings
- Toby Shelton
- Wayne Allwine
- Jun Falkenstein
- Alex Mann (IV)
- Bradley Raymond
- April Winchell
- Russi Taylor
- Andrew McDonough
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £3.95
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.
Release date: 2007-10-29
Run time: 840 min.
RRP: £59.99
Price: £32.99
Review What's New Scooby Doo: Complete 10-Disc Box Set / Warner Home Video:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Muppet Treasure Island [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5163SATS36L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Jennifer Saunders
- Tim Curry
- The Muppets
- Billy Connolly
- Brian Henson
- Kevin Bishop
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £14.99
Price: £4.67
Review Muppet Treasure Island [1996] / Walt Disney Home Video:
![Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Power Rangers - The Movie [1995]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51BN5GKYFXL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Ronnie Paer
- Armand Garabidian
- Tony Oliver
- Paul Schrier
- Robert V. Barron
- Isaac Florentine
- Ron Milbauer
- Strathford Hamilton
- Vickie Bronaugh
- Kurt Strauss
Run time: 92 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £2.62
Review Power Rangers - The Movie [1995] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:They skydive, they kickbox, they travel through space. Is there anything these crayon-coloured teens can't do? The answer seems a resounding "no" until some construction workers unwittingly open a manhole cover and loose Ivan Ooze upon Angel Grove. Although incarcerated in his egglike tomb for 6,000 years, Ooze gets right to work at that world domination thing. First up: strip those eager teens of their uniforms and associated powers and send their leader Zordon to his crystalline deathbed. There's nothing to do but head for a distant planet to meet up with a bikini-clad warrior babe who imparts ancient wisdom and power. Meanwhile, Ooze has been turning parents into zombies who craft giant metallic insects-all the better to take over the world with. This 90-minute film features some cast changes from the television series, as well as better special effects and extended fight scenes, which account for the PG rating. Parents must weigh in for themselves on the famous violent-influence-or-not question. Although, like anything else, what seemed violent in 1995 may seem a bit tame today. Ages 5 and up. [+]-Kimberly Heinrichs.
Release date: 2004-05-31
Run time: 134 min.
RRP: £6.99
Price: £1.53
Review Fireman Sam - Action Stations (The classic original series) / Hit Entertainment:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Rescuers Down Under [1991]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51NWR660YSL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Candy
- Hendel Butoy
- Mike Gabriel
- Bob Newhart
- Tristan Rogers
- Adam Ryen
- Eva Gabor
Run time: 80 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.28
Review The Rescuers Down Under [1991] / Walt Disney Home Video:The Rescuers Down Under isn't a quickie, direct-to-video sequel, cashing in on the success of the original 1977 animated hit about adventurous mice, but a full-blown theatrical effort. This time around, Bernard (voice of Bob Newhart) is trying to pop the question to Bianca (Eva Gabor) when they're summoned to Australia, where a young boy has been kidnapped by a pallid, grey-faced poacher (who looks like and is voiced by George C. Scott). Wilbur, a chatterbox of an albatross (John Candy, replacing the late Jim Jordan's character Orville), and Jake (Tristan Rogers), a kangaroo mouse-Bernard is jealous of the dashing rodent-assist the Rescuers in saving the day and imparting a mild environmental message. The film opens with an absolutely breathtaking aerial sequence-this was made near the beginning of Disney's animation renaissance-so impressive it would seem the story, literally, has nowhere else to go but down. However, some smart gags, excellent animation and rollicking adventures ensue. So why isn't it better known? It had the bad luck to open, in 1990, opposite another kids' film-Home Alone. -David Kronke.
Release date: 2003-04-28
RRP: £11.99
Price: £11.98
Review Baby Mozart - Music Festival / Baby Einstein:Baby Mozart is from the award-winning infant-developmental media company Baby Einstein, whose goal and philosophy is the satisfaction of a child's curiosity through sight and sound. In the main Theatre section of this disc you'll find lots of simple shapes, primary colours and favourite toys passing across the screen. Unlike the simpler earlier releases, this is focused on the works of Mozart, and so just like the Bach and Beethoven releases all the images are choreographed around the chosen pieces of music. This release was named Video of the Year by Child and Parent magazine and is a wonderful expansion of the company's original ideas. It's a slight advancement in expectation of your child from the more basic initial releases but has a Video Tutorial to help the parent understand how it all works. On the DVD: Baby Mozart is the name of the feature itself, but from the Main Menu you can enter a Concert Hall to replay the musical cues from the main show. Split into three sections (Little Ears, Playtime or Bedtime) you can mix and match from the main feature playlist (for example: Magic Flute, Concerto for Flute and Harp in C and movements from Piano Sonatas in C and D). There's also a Resources section with the aforementioned Video Tutorial and a Toy Chest crediting all the toys used, just in case a certain someone wants one of their own. -Paul Tonks.
Release date: 2006-10-02
Run time: 418 min.
RRP: £29.99
Price: £9.97
Review Ren And Stimpy - Series 1 And 2 / The Ren and Stimpy Show:The delirious animated series Ren and Stimpy makes its DVD debut in a three-disc set that features seasons 1 and 2, as well as a handful of extras to please its devoted fan base. The surreal adventures of short-tempered Chihuahua Ren and good-natured but simple cat Stimpson J. Cat caught on like a house afire with teen and college audiences during its 1991-96 run on Nickelodeon, despite regular battles between the network and creator John Kricfalusi (who also voiced Ren and several other characters) over allegedly objectionable content in certain episodes. The conflict eventually led to several episodes suffering edits, much to the chagrin of the show's creators and audience alike; the unedited versions of these episodes have become much sought-after and traded items among collectors. And while this set attempts to rectify that situation by presenting the show in its uncut form, die-hard fans should know that several episodes retain minor cuts; however, many others, most notably the pilot, "Big House Blues," and "Powdered Toastman" are presented in their original, uncut versions. -Paul Gaita.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Emperor's New Groove [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5161BAWYSWL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- David Spade
- Eartha Kitt
- Patrick Warburton
- Wendie Malick
- John Goodman
- Mark Dindal
Run time: 74 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.87
Review The Emperor's New Groove [2001] / Walt Disney Home Video:The Emperor's New Groove was originally developed as an epic called Kingdom of the Sun and lost scale and most of Sting's song score (some of which can be heard on the soundtrack) on its way to the screen. The end result is the lightest Disney film in many a moon, a joyous romp akin to Aladdin in its quotient of laughs for children and adults. The original story centres on the spoiled teenage emperor Kuzco (David Spade), who enjoys getting the best of his Aztecan subjects. When he fires Yzma (Eartha Kitt), his evil sorceress, she seeks revenge and turns Kuzco into a llama with the help of Kronk, her hunk of the month (Patrick Warburton). Alone in the jungle, the talking llama is befriended by Pacha (John Goodman), who has just been told to vacate his pastoral home by the human Kuzco. What's an ego to do? That's pretty much the story and the characters-simple, direct, fun-a Disney film on a diet. For any fan of the acidic humour of Spade, this is essential viewing. As narrator of his tale, Kuzco uses a sarcastic tone to keep the story jumping with plenty of fun asides (he even "stops" the film at one point to make sure you know the story is about him). Even better is character actor Warburton (Elaine's stuck-up boyfriend on Seinfeld), who steals every scene as the dim-witted, but oh-so-likable Kronk. There's even a delicious Tom Jones number that starts the film off with a bang. [+]-Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HMXXFZNRL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Samuel E. Wright
- Brian J. Smith
- Jodi Benson
Run time: 72 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £6.29
Review The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Ariel and her husband, Prince Eric, have a little problem with their daughter, Melody, in The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, the sequel to Disney's landmark The Little Mermaid. Melody is threatened by Morgana, the evil sister of the sea witch Ursula (both voiced by Pat Carroll). Before you can say "Briar Rose", Melody's parents decide to keep their daughter's roots a secret, forbidding her to learn about the ocean while Morgana is around. Now the budding teenager secretly frolics in the sea with Ariel's old friends, Sebastian and Scuttle. When she learns the truth from Morgana, Melody becomes an unknowing pawn in her scheme-and Mum has to take to the sea again to help. As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid 2 looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is somewhat forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. [+]Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original-heart. -Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.
![Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Mulan [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51R69VWG6TL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- June Foray
- Miguel Ferrer
- James Hong
- Tony Bancroft
- Freda Foh Shen
- Harvey Fierstein
- Barry Cook
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £7.98
Review Mulan [1998] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:1998's Mulan is solid entertainment from a new group of Disney animators. The story source is a Chinese fab\ le about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a cal\ l to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced\ by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge soc\ iety's expectations (that she should be a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersona\ tes a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her side\ kick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect he\ r Emperor. The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors\ Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood a\ ction films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. [+]The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not \ a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an in\ spired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams's in Aladdin (1992). T\ hese are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has\ the right stuff. -Doug Thomas Solid entertainment from a new group of Disney animators. The story source is a Chinese fable about a young girl who disguises herself as a man to help her family and her country. When the Huns attack China, a call to arms goes out to every village, and Mulan's father, being the only man in the family, accepts the call. Mulan (voiced by Ming-Na Wen, sung by Lea Salonga) has just made a disastrous appearance at the Matchmaker and decides to challenge society's expectations (being a bride). She steals her father's conscription notice, cuts her hair and impersonates a man to join the army. She goes to boot camp, learning to fit in with the other soldiers with some help from her sidekick, Mushu, a wise-cracking dragon (voiced by Eddie Murphy). She trains, and soon faces the Huns eye to eye to protect her Emperor. The film is gorgeous to look at, with a superior blend of classic and computer-generated animation. Directors Tony Bancroft and Barry Cook make the best of it: a battle in the snowy mountains is as thrilling as the best Hollywood action films. The menacing Huns are not cute but simple and bad. The wickedness is subtle, not disturbing. The film is not a fully fledged musical, as it has only five songs (the best, "Be a Man", is sung during boot camp). Eddie Murphy is an inspired choice for the comic-relief dragon, but his lines are not as clever as Robin Williams' in Aladdin. These are minor quibbles, though. The story is strong, and Mulan goes right to the top of Disney animated heroines; she has the right stuff. -Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FCNB9X3GL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Tim Pigott-Smith
- Kevin Kline
- Demi Moore
- Gary Trousdale
- Kirk Wise
- Mary Wickes
- Tom Hulce
Run time: 82 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £7.20
Review The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996] / Walt Disney Home Video:
![Review Warner Home Video / Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets [HD DVD] [2002]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51fPlXYxoyL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Maggie Smith
- Emma Watson
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Chris Columbus
- Kenneth Branagh
- Rupert Grint
Run time: 154 min.
RRP: £24.99
Price: £4.06
Review Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets [HD DVD] [2002] / Warner Home Video:The world's most famous boy wizard dives straight into a darker and more thrilling magical adventure in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. It's practically the same set-up-something evil's afoot at Hogwarts; Harry and his pals must put it right-but fans of the books won't be disappointed. Director Chris Columbus, whose artistic licence is necessarily limited by the demands of adapting JK Rowling's phenomenally popular novel, does a spectacular job rendering Rowling's imaginary world: the production design and costumes are fascinating in their own right; such is the impressive attention to detail. Daniel Radcliffe gives a more assured performance here as Harry, though he's not quite strong enough to carry the film without the aid of an excellent ensemble cast of experienced adults, notably a twinkly-eyed Kenneth Branagh. Of course, most avid fans will already know what's going to happen as far as the story is concerned, so for them the pleasure in watching The Chamber of Secrets lies in the visualisation of Rowling's magical creations and the verve brought to the action sequences. It's fantastic fun for kids and there's plenty of childhood nostalgia for the rest of us. -Laura Bushell.
Release date: 2007-09-06
Run time: 58 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £4.98
Review Little Einsteins - Our Huge Adventure / Little Einsteins:
![Review Disney / My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Hundred Acre Wood Haunt [2008]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61vWy95M8qL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2008-09-22
Run time: 69 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £6.92
Review My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Hundred Acre Wood Haunt [2008] / Disney:
![Review Little Einsteins / Little Einsteins Vol.2 - Team Up for Adventure [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51py8Lk3g%2BL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2007-09-03
Run time: 69 min.
RRP: £11.99
Price: £4.13
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 Warner Home Video / Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 Disc Edition) [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51MR0YBCTAL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Julie Tottman
- James P. Warren
- Alfonso Cuarón
- David Sousa
- Gary Gero
- Chris Columbus
Run time: 136 min.
RRP: £25.99
Price: £4.44
Review Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 Disc Edition) [2004] / Warner Home Video:Some movie-loving wizards must have cast a magic spell on Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, because it's another grand slam for the Harry Potter franchise. Demonstrating remarkable versatility after the arthouse success of Y Tu Mamá También, director Alfonso Cuarón proves a perfect choice to guide Harry, Hermione, and Ron into treacherous puberty as the now 13-year-old students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry face a new and daunting challenge: Sirius Black (Gary Oldman) has escaped from Azkaban prison, and for reasons yet unknown (unless, of course, you've read J. K. Rowling's book, considered by many to be the best in the series), he's after Harry in a bid for revenge. This dark and dangerous mystery drives the action while Harry (the fast-growing Daniel Radcliffe) and his third-year Hogwarts classmates discover the flying hippogriff Buckbeak (a marvelous CGI creature), the benevolent but enigmatic Professor Lupin (David Thewlis), horrifying black-robed Dementors, sneaky Peter Pettigrew (Timothy Spall), and the wonderful advantage of having a Time-Turner just when you need one. The familiar Hogwarts staff returns in fine form (including the delightful Michael Gambon, replacing the late Richard Harris as Dumbledore, and Emma Thompson as the goggle-eyed Sybil Trelawney), and even Julie Christie joins this prestigious production for a brief but welcome cameo. Technically dazzling, fast-paced, and chock-full of Rowling's boundless imagination (loyally adapted by ace screenwriter Steve Kloves), The Prisoner of Azkaban is a Potter-movie classic. -Jeff Shannon.
Release date: 2008-10-27
Run time: 528 min.
RRP: £29.99
Price: £17.98
Review Spiderman and His Amazing Friends - Complete Box Set / Spiderman and His Amazing Friends:
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / 101 Dalmatians - Live Action [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51RRM1AAE8L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Stephen Herek
- Glenn Close
- Joan Plowright
- Jeff Daniels
- Hugh Laurie
- Joely Richardson
Run time: 106 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £4.14
Review 101 Dalmatians - Live Action [1996] / Walt Disney Home Video:It's hard to know who thought it would be a good idea to make a live-action version of Disney's animated classic. The one bright notion anyone had was casting Glenn Close as Disney Übervillainess Cruella de Vil; her flashing eyes and angular features are a perfect match and do credit to what is one of the most indelible animated characters Disney has ever created. The story remains essentially the same, focusing on Cruella's plot to kidnap the puppies of a young married couple (Jeff Daniels and Jolie Richardson) and make them into a coat. But the dreaded John Hughes, who wrote this script, fills it with sadistic slapstick and far too few genuine laughs. The human actors work hard, but to little avail; thankfully, there's a posse of puppies to regularly steal scenes when the going gets dreary-although there are only so many laughs to be had from inappropriate dog puddles. -Marshall Fine, Amazon. com.
Release date: 2006-02-06
RRP: £14.99
Price: £5.47
Review Tweenies - Song Time - Complete Collection / 2 Entertain Video:
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Mickey's Once Upon A Christmas, What's New Scooby Doo: Complete 10-Disc Box Set, Muppet Treasure Island [1996], Power Rangers - The Movie [1995], Fireman Sam - Action Stations (The classic original series), The Rescuers Down Under [1991], Baby Mozart - Music Festival, Ren And Stimpy - Series 1 And 2, The Emperor's New Groove [2001], The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000], Mulan [1998], The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996], Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets [HD DVD] [2002], Little Einsteins - Our Huge Adventure, My Friends Tigger and Pooh: Hundred Acre Wood Haunt [2008], Little Einsteins Vol.2 - Team Up for Adventure [2006], Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (2 Disc Edition) [2004], Spiderman and His Amazing Friends - Complete Box Set, 101 Dalmatians - Live Action [1996], Tweenies - Song Time - Complete Collection |
