There's no rule against rock anthems from the 1970s in the soundtrack for a movie about a medieval jousting champion, but if you're going to attempt such jarring anachronisms, you'd better establish acceptable ground rules. Writer-director Brian Helgeland does precisely that in A Knight's Tale and pulls off this trick with such giddy aplomb that you can't help but play along (upon witnessing a crowd of peasants at a jousting match, singing and clapping to the beat of Queen's "We Will Rock You," you're either going to love this movie or dismiss it altogether). Other vintage rock hits will follow, but Helgeland-the Oscar®-winning co-writer of L. A. Confidential -handles this ploy with judicious goodwill, in what is an otherwise honest period piece about a peasant named William (Heath Ledger) who rises by grit and determination to the hallowed status of knighthood. As if the soundtrack weren't audacious enough, Helgeland (recovering from the sour experience of his directorial debut, Payback) casts none other than Geoffrey Chaucer (wonderfully played by Paul Bettany) as William's cohort and match announcer, along with William's pals Roland (Mark Addy) and Wat (Alan Tudyk), and feisty blacksmith Kate (Laura Fraser). Of course there must be a fair maiden, and she is Jocelyn (newcomer Shannyn Sossamon), with whom William falls in love while battling the nefarious Count Adhemar (Rufus Sewell) on the European jousting circuit. Add to this an inspiring father-son reunion, Ledger's undeniable charisma, a perfect supporting cast and enough joyful energy to rejuvenate the film's formulaic plot and A Knight's Tale becomes that most pleasant of movie surprises-an unlikely winner that rises up, like its hero, to exceed all expectations. -Jeff Shannon.

Considering how lame this sequel could have been, The Santa Clause 2 makes for a pleasant seasonal diversion. It's got the familiar smell of Disney marketeering, and more than a few parents will object to this further embellishment of the St Nick legend, but Tim Allen's amiable presence provides ample compensation. As a divorced dad who inherited the jolly man's job in The Santa Clause, Allen now faces another Yuletide challenge. According to the "Missus Clause" in his North Pole contract, he can't continue to be the real Santa until he gets married. As luck and five credited screenwriters would have it, Allen falls for the Scroogey principal (Elizabeth Mitchell) of his son's school, while a phoney, power-hungry duplicate Santa wreaks havoc on the North Pole's overworked elves. It's all as sweet as spiced eggnog, with that warmed-over feel of a mandated sequel, but the Christmas spirit does prevail with the sound of sleigh bells and Allen's rosy-cheeked "Ho, ho, ho!". -Jeff Shannon.

This somewhat unpleasant 1992 sequel to the blockbuster Home Alone revisits the first film's gimmick by stranding Macaulay Culkin's character in New York City while his family ends up somewhere else. Again, the little guy meets up with colourful people on the margins of society (including a pigeon woman played by Brenda Fricker) and again he gets into a prop-heavy battle with Joe Pesci and Daniel Stern. The latter sequence is even worse than the first film in terms of violence inflicted on the two villains (director Chris Columbus, who also made the first film, can't seem to emphasise the slapstick over the graphic effects of the fight). The best running joke finds a concierge (Tim Curry) at the swank hotel where Culkin is staying trying and failing to prove that the boy is on his own. -Tom Keogh.

The great improvisational comedy team of Mike Nichols and Elaine May reunited to (respectively) direct and write this update of the French comedy La Cage Aux Folles. Robin Williams stars as a gay Miami nightclub owner who is forced to play it straight and ask his drag-queen partner (Nathan Lane) to hide out when Williams's son invites his prospective-and highly conservative-in-laws and fiancée to a meet-and-greet dinner party. Gene Hackman and Dianne Wiest play the straight-laced senator and his wife, and Calista Flockhart (from television's Ally McBeal) plays their daughter in a culture-clash with outrageous consequences. May's witty screenplay incorporates some pointed observations about the political landscape of the 1990s and takes a sensitive approach to the comedy's underlying drama. Topping off the action is Hank Azaria in a scene-stealing role as Williams's and Lane's flamboyant housekeeper, "Agador Spartacus. " -Jeff Shannon.

Another series of everyone's favourite family, another collection of cracking episodes, and with 25 episodes to choose from, including some of the very best ever, you're a little spoiled for choice. First aired back in the mid-nineties, the show had really hit its stride following a massively successful fifth series and this series marks a particularly popular period in the show's history, with celebrity interest bringing a gamut of guest appearances. So, we see Winona Rider in `Lisa's Rival', Kelsey Grammar in `Sideshow Bob Roberts' Meryl Streep in `Bart's Girlfriend' and Mel Brooks and Susan Sarandan in `Homer vs. Patty and Selma'. But perhaps the most notable, certainly the most amusing, guest vocal is offered by Patrick Stewart in the barnstormingly funny `Homer The Great', which also features one of the funniest Simpsons' songs ever-`The Stonecutters Song'. Other highlights include Bart vs. Australia (`Hey, I think I hear a dingo eating your baby!'), Grampa vs. Sexual Inadequacy, in which Homer and Grampa Simpson attempt to sell their homemade viagra-like revitalising tonic to the world, and Two Dozen and One Greyhounds, featuring the second of the great Simpsons' songs to appear here-`See My Vest'. And to top it all off, there's part one of the only ever Simpsons two-parter, `Who Shot Mr. Burns'. [+]

The Big Lebowski, a casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel), seems like a bit of a lark and the result was a box-office disappointment. It's lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hair-netted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot-which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name-is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. -Jeff Shannon.

One of the hallmark seasons of The Simpsons, season 7 features some of the strongest episodes produced during the show's run. Considering that this is The Simpsons we're talking about here, that's saying a lot, but this collection deserves the accolades. Broadcast in 1995, season seven features several signature episodes, including Part II of "Who Shot Mr. Burns," "Bart Sells His Soul," and "Two Bad Neighbors" where former President George Herbert Walker Bush moves into the neighborhood (an episode gamely playing on the former President's open dislike for the show). One of The Simpsons's most definitive episodes, "Treehouse of Horror VI" famously broke the third wall by using the then-groundbreaking CGI technology to render Homer first in a 3-D world, then in real life, (despite the evolution in his form, he naturally ends up in an erotic cake shop). As the producers openly note on the commentary, it was a big deal at the time, and super expensive, which is why they could only do a few minutes of footage in CGI (some fans will particularly enjoy the revealing commentary on this one, as the producers explain the many visual puns and math jokes appearing in the background of the 3-D world). It's a great example of how The Simpsons continued to play with its visual style and take creative risks years into its run. In fact, one of the best episodes on this collection, "The Simpsons 138th Episode Spectacular" proves just how far the look and style of the show really came during that time. Hosted by actor Troy McClure (voiced by the late comic great Phil Hartman), it presents never-before-seen outtakes and original footage from the show's debut days on The Tracey Ullman Show, while taking a few self-referential digs at show creators Matt Groening, James Brooks, and Sam Simon. Other gems include "Homerpalooza" where Homer thanks guests The Smashing Pumpkins for their gloomy music because it has made his kids "stop wishing for a future I can't possibly provide," and "Bart the Fink" where Bart inadvertently gets Krusty the Klown busted for tax "avoision. [+]

Although it's been three years since we last saw Bridget (Renée Zellweger), only a few weeks have passed in her world. She is, as you'll remember, no longer a "singleton," having snagged stuffy but gallant Mark Darcy (Colin Firth) at the end of the 2001 film. Now she's fallen deeply in love and out of her neurotic mind with paranoia: Is Mark cheating on her with that slim, bright young thing from the law office? Will the reappearance of dashing cad Daniel Cleaver (Hugh Grant) further spell the end of her self-confidence when they're shoved off to Thailand together for a TV travel story? If such questions also seem pressing to you, this sequel will be fairly painless, but you shouldn't expect anything fresh. Director Beeban Kidron and her screenwriters-all four of them!-are content to sink matters into slapstick, with chunky Zellweger (who's unflatteringly photographed) the literal butt of all jokes. Though the star still has her charms, and some of Bridget's social gaffes are amusing, the film is mired in low comedy-a sequence in a Thai women's prison is more offensive than outrageous-with only Grant's rakish mischief to pull it out of the swamp. -Steve Wiecking.

'Allo, 'Allo! was a wildly popular British sitcom making unlikely humour of the German occupation of France, succeeding because of its sheer lunacy, and the amiable performance of veteran character actor Gordon Kaye, as café owner René Artois. René finds himself surrounded by buffoonish German officers, who are easily duped yet still keep René on his toes, and sometimes in hot water. He also must juggle the imperious French Resistance leader, Michelle DuBois (recurring gag: Michelle says, "Listen very carefully. I shall say this only once"-but never manages to get out the urgent message), his jealous wife (Carmen Silvera), and all his staff waitresses, who find the doughy René sexually irresistible. It is all très French, n'est-ce pas? Yet also very British in its broad slapstick tone; and TV buffs will see more than a hint of Hogan's Heroes, M*A*S*H, and even the old spy series Get Smart. This chunk of season 5, with 13 episodes on two discs, features as many crazy sight gags as ever, including a special "spy camera" disguised inside a potato. Why a potato? wonders René. "Because," drones Michelle in a fake French accent you could drive a Citroën through, "you cannot get carrots that beeg. " But of course. Extras include cast biographies and trailers. [+]

Goodbye Charlie Bright, Nick Love's 2001 rites of passage drama about a teenage group of petty criminals in a steaming South London summer, was never going to be a massive box-office hit. But it might prove to be a rather significant piece in the long run. If Paul Nicholls' star continues to rise as anticipated, it may well come to be seen as the film which first revealed his genuine potential as a big screen actor. The former Eastenders heartthrob turns in a fine, sensitive performance as Charlie, gradually realising that he has to find a way to escape the constraints of the life that is shaping up in front of him. However, this isn't solely a Nicholls vehicle. Roland Manookian is outstanding as Justin, the dangerous, troubled companion for whom Charlie is the only source of stability. There's another good cameo from the ever-reliable Phil Daniels as an unbalanced Falklands veteran who becomes the catalyst for the rupture in their relationship and Charlie's escape. Other familiar faces cropping up include two more Eastenders veterans Nicola Stapleton and Edna Doré, and television presenter Dani Behr who is particularly good as the nurse Charlie befriends. The story is slight, but between them, partly thanks to Love's tight direction and script, the actors in Goodbye Charlie Bright generate a rather haunting little tragicomedy with moments of real pathos which deserves a long shelf life. -Piers Ford.