![Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Princess Diaries [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/4135DZGKBXL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Julie Andrews
- Mandy Moore
- Garry Marshall
- Hector Elizondo
- Heather Matarazzo
- Anne Hathaway
Run time: 111 min.
Creator: Meg Cabot
RRP: £17.99
Price: £1.00
Review The Princess Diaries [2001] / Walt Disney Home Video:A thoroughly engaging fairy tale that's family friendly without being condescending, The Princess Diaries is your basic Cinderella makeover story given a fresh, affectionate twist courtesy of a game, energetic cast and a screenplay that skirts schmaltz in favour of gentle, effective comedy. Mia Thermopolis (Anne Hathaway) is a frizzy-haired, glasses-wearing 15-year-old girl whose two highest ambitions are to become invisible and to get a few smooches from the slickly attractive school heartthrob. As a girl who can't stand being the centre of attention so much that she throws up during debate class, she's stunned and horrified when her coolly continental grandmother(Julie Andrews) shows up and informs her that she's the crown princess of the European principality Genovia. Soon enough, Mia has to undertake "princess lessons" (and a makeover) from her queenly grandmother, and eventually she blossoms into a confident, radiant girl despite the worries and pressure that her newfound status brings. What makes The Princess Diaries work is director Garry Marshall's guileless, irony-free approach to the material (based on Meg Cabot's novel). In comparison to most sarcastic, ultra-hip teen comedies, The Princess Diaries is refreshingly and enjoyably square, content to win you over on charm alone and not a slick bag of tricks. Hathaway is a charismatic, appealing role model with a sharp sense of comic timing, and Andrews-who came to stardom as the object of a makeover supreme in My Fair Lady on Broadway-is at her regal best, whether teaching Mia the proper royal wave or learning how to eat a corndog. Both leading ladies are complemented by a finely tuned cast, including Hector Elizondo as Genovia's head of security (and romantic counterpart to Andrews), Heather Matarazzo as Mia's best pal, and Robert Schwartzman as the good guy who ultimately wins Mia's heart. All in all, this is a royal pleasure. -Mark Englehart, Amazon. [+]com.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Pinocchio : Special Edition [1940]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51T7RM6DSVL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Walter Catlett
- Mel Blanc
- Christian Rub
- Hamilton Luske
- Ben Sharpsteen
- Don Brodie
- Dickie Jones
Run time: 88 min.
Creator: Otto Englander
RRP: £14.99
Price: £10.90
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.
Actors & Directors
- Brenda Longman
- Marjorie Corbett
- Connie Creighton
- Harry Corbett
- Matthew Corbett
Run time: 118 min.
Creator: Daphne Shadwell
RRP: £9.99
Price: £1.99
Review The Sooty Show - Sweep Superdog / Fremantle Home Entertainment:
![Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Cocoon / Cocoon The Return [1985]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51Q11Q0WBBL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Daniel Petrie
- Jack Gilford
- Don Ameche
- Ron Howard
- Hume Cronyn
- Brian Dennehy
- Wilford Brimley
Run time: 222 min.
Creator: Tom Benedek
RRP: £14.99
Price: £3.32
Review Cocoon / Cocoon The Return [1985] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:
![Review Entertainment in Video / Lassie [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511XJ2MTJDL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Samantha Morton
- Ian Hart
- Peter O'Toole
- Charles Sturridge
- Gregor Fisher
- Kelly MacDonald
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £0.75
Review Lassie [2005] / Entertainment in Video:
![Review Walt Disney Video / Lady and the Tramp [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC)](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/512GVCKZ9YL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Peggy Lee
- Bill Baucom
- Clyde Geronimi
- Larry Roberts
- Bill Thompson
- Wilfred Jackson
- Barbara Luddy
- Hamilton Luske
Run time: 76 min.
Creator: Ralph Wright
Price: £35.94
Review Lady and the Tramp [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Walt Disney Video:Disney's first animated feature in CinemaScope is now available in widescreen presentations on video, and it is definitely good to get the whole picture. One of the studio's most original and charming movies, the 1955 film tells the story of a rakish, street-smart dog named Tramp, who helps an aristocratic pooch named Lady out of some trouble and then commences a romance with her. Sweet, funny scenes abound, and the combination of innocence and sophistication would have done well in a live-action picture. Peggy Lee co-wrote the songs and provides the voice of the Siamese cats in one of the film's best-known musical sequences. This newly restored version spruces up both sonics and visuals, and a letterbox version is available. - Tom Keogh, Amazon. com.
Actors & Directors
- Steven Blum
- James C. Mathis III
- Dee Bradley Baker
- Paul Eiding
- Richard McGonagle
Run time: 298 min.
Creator: Steven T. Seagle
Price: £10.04
Review Ben 10: The Complete Season 2 (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Turner Home Entertainment:
![Review Buena Vista Entertainment / The Herbie Collection [1968]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51TSH8Q6FZL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Don Knotts
- Michele Lee
- Dean Jones
- Vincent McEveety
- Helen Hayes
- Robert Stevenson
- Ken Berry
Run time: 379 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £15.95
Review The Herbie Collection [1968] / Buena Vista Entertainment:
Actors & Directors
- Stephen Fry
- Ardal O'Hanlon
- Jim Broadbent
- Peter Serafinowicz
- Steve Coogan
- John Henderson
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £6.07
Review Tales Of The Riverbank / Metrodome Video:
![Review Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Flubber [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QGG1A8VVL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Les Mayfield
- Marcia Gay Harden
- Robin Williams
- Clancy Brown
- Christopher McDonald
- Raymond J. Barry
Run time: 93 min.
Creator: Samuel W. Taylor
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.76
Review Flubber [1998] / Buena Vista Home Entertainment:Disney couldn't resist the temptation to remake 1961's popular comedy The Absent Minded Professor, so they cast Robin Williams as Professor Philip Brainard (a role vaguely related to the character originated by Fred MacMurray), and the result is a comedy that, frankly, doesn't fully deserve its modest success. It's admittedly clever to a point, and certainly the digitally flubberised special effects provide the kind of movie magic that's entertaining for children and adults alike. The professor can't even remember his own wedding day (much to the chagrin of his fiancée, played by Marcia Gay Harden), and now his academic rival (Christopher McDonald) is trying to steal his latest and purely accidental invention-flying rubber, or. flubber. The green goo magnifies energy and can be used as an amazing source of power, but in the hands of screenwriter John Hughes it becomes just another excuse to recycle a lot of Home Alone-style slapstick humour involving a pair of bumbling would-be flubber thieves. There's also a floating robot named Weebo and some catchy music by Danny Elfman to accompany dancing globs of flubber, but the story's too thin to add up to anything special. Lightweight fun, but, given the title, it lacks a certain bounce. Of course, that didn't stop Disney's marketing wizards from turning it into a home video hit. [+]-Jeff Shannon Disney couldn't resist the temptation to remake 1961's popular comedy The Absent Minded Professor, so they cast Robin Williams as Professor Philip Brainard (a role vaguely related to the character originated by Fred MacMurray), and the result is a comedy that, frankly, doesn't fully deserve its modest success. It's admittedly clever to a point, and certainly the digitally "flubberized" special effects provide the kind of movie magic that's entertaining for kids and parents alike. The professor can't even remember his own wedding day (much to the chagrin of his fiancée, played by Marcia Gay Harden), and now his academic rival (Christopher McDonald) is trying to steal his latest and purely accidental invention-flying rubber, or. Flubber. The green goo magnifies energy and can be used as an amazing source of power, but in the hands of screenwriter John Hughes it becomes just another excuse to recycle a lot of Home Alone-style slapstick humor involving a pair of bumbling would-be flubber thieves. There's also a floating robot named Weebo and some catchy music by Danny Elfman to accompany dancing globs of flubber, but the story's too thin to add up to anything special. Lightweight fun, but, given the title, it lacks a certain bounce. Of course, that didn't stop Disney's marketing wizards from turning it into a home-video hit.
![Review Warner Home Video / Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Full Screen Edition) [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/518C29DQT0L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Chris Columbus
- Robbie Coltrane
- Maggie Smith
- Rupert Grint
- Richard Harris
- Daniel Radcliffe
Run time: 152 min.
Creator: Steve Kloves
RRP: £22.99
Price: £15.99
Review Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Full Screen Edition) [2001] / Warner Home Video:To try and please all the fans of JK Rowling's novel was a challenge that the makers of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone met head on. The result of their efforts is one of the most lavish, beautiful and magical cinematic treats to hit our screens in years. Director Chris Columbus and screenwriter Steven Kloves (thankfully with the help of Rowling herself) prove that although you can't translate everybody's reading of this much-loved book onto the cinema screen-maybe Fluffy was a bit more Fluffy in your imagination or Hagrid (superbly played by Robbie Coltrane) a little more giant-like-it is nevertheless possible to transfer Harry's adventures with fidelity as well as superb energy and excitement. If there is a downside it's that the performances of the child leads tends to verge on the Sylvia Young-tastic in places. Nonetheless, the three young stars are both likable and watchable, showing great potential to grow into the parts as the adventures continue. The main disappointment is the substantial cutting of the ghost scenes and what promised to be a fine comic turn by John Cleese as Headless Nick, though with more Potter films on the way the ghosts will surely assume their rightful prominence later. There are, of course, some areas of the story that may frighten smaller children-such as the entrance of the evil Voldemort-and undoubtedly for any true Potter fan that cinematic entrance cannot live up to the images created in their imagination. All in all, though, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is what it should be: an unmissable treat for the whole family. On the DVD: Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone really is a magical experience in this lavish two-disc set. Disc one offers the film in all its surround-sound glory along with trailers and links to the Harry Potter Web site, but, disappointingly, there's no commentary. [+]Disc two is where the real wizardry can be found, with a vast and beautifully designed selection of special features. Entering the Great Hall a mysterious voice invites you to explore and find the secret hidden within (though it's frustrating that in some cases you have to re-enter the Hall after viewing a feature). Various options let you tour around Harry's world: from Diagon Alley to a virtual 360-degree tour of Hogwarts. The interactive component is excellent, with real thought having been put into ensuring that, instead of just the standard behind-the-scenes stuff, there is material aplenty to keep children and adults alike entertained for hours. Throughout the emphasis is on the disc's educational value: yes there are insights to be had from the film crew, but it's in the Classroom where you will find the real precious stones! -Nikki Disney "Widescreen" vs. "Full Screen" Widescreen preserves the original theatrical picture ratio of the film (Panavision 2. 35:1), which will appear in "letterboxed" format on a normal TV screen. Full Screen (or "pan and scan") crops the theatrical picture to 4:3 ratio (i. e. , 4 units wide by 3 units tall), which is the shape of a standard (non-widescreen) TV screen. There is no letterboxing, but up to a third of the original picture is lost.
![Review Universal Pictures UK / Prancer Returns [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41JDYJHFP9L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Joshua Butler
- John Corbett
- Stacy Edwards
- Michael O'Keefe
- Jack Palance
- Gavin Fink
Run time: 86 min.
Creator: Raffaella De Laurentiis
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.50
Review Prancer Returns [2001] / Universal Pictures UK:Sleigh bells may not ring briskly for this often-somber sequel to the 1989 hit Prancer, but there is plenty to like about its sympathetic characters and wistful storyline. Ten years after the little heroine of Prancer saved a wounded reindeer that might have been a magical member of Santa's flying herd, a friendless boy named Charlie Hooper (Gavin Fink) clandestinely adopts an orphaned buck in the same Michigan town. Convinced that he also has St. Nick's (apparently ever-wandering) Prancer on his hands, Charlie grows determined to lead the deer back to the North Pole. A finely balanced supporting cast (Jack Palance, John Corbett, Michael O'Keefe) brings some interesting textures to this simple tale of redemption and, hey, kids are bound to love the sight of a baby reindeer making himself comfortable in Charlie's bed. Prancer Returns may prove to be a minor holiday classic, worth revisiting every year when the trees grow bare and Christmas is around the corner. -Tom Keogh.
Actors & Directors
- Greg Wise
- John Henderson
- Oliver Golding
- Gina McKee
- Ardal O'Hanlon
- James Cosmo
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £2.99
Review The Adventures Of Greyfriars Bobby / Universal Pictures UK:
Release date: 2008-10-20
Run time: 975 min.
RRP: £49.99
Price: £36.98
Review Follyfoot - Series 1-3 - Complete / Julio Martinez:
Actors & Directors
- Aubree Miller
- Eric Walker
- John Korty
- Warwick Davis
- Wilford Brimley
Run time: 186 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £11.98
Review Star Wars - Ewoks Adventures / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:
![Review Entertainment in Video / Valiant [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PRJA8TQKL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2005-11-07
Run time: 73 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £1.91
Review Valiant [2005] / Entertainment in Video:
![Review Eureka Entertainment / The Buster Keaton Collection [1926]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510E7E78MML._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- James W. Horne
- Clyde Bruckman
- Jim Farley
- Buster Keaton
- Charles Reisner
- Frederick Vroom
- Buster Keaton
- Glen Cavender
- Marion Mack
Run time: 321 min.
Creator: Carl Harbaugh
RRP: £39.99
Price: £10.85
Review The Buster Keaton Collection [1926] / Eureka Entertainment:Buster Keaton's 1926 masterpiece The General shows the great stone-faced comedian at the height of his powers. Buster is a train driver from the South who's caught up in the American Civil War. The film is basically an extended chase, with trains pursuing each other up the track. The level of stuntwork (including a huge train wreck) has to be seen to be believed, but it's the deftness and elegance of Keaton's comedy that is ultimately most memorable. For many, Buster Keaton is the greatest comedian of the silent era rated even above Chaplin, and College (1927) is one of his finest films. A poor student who has to work his way through college, Buster is desperate to win the attention of a pretty girl so takes up sports. Through every disaster, the great "stone face" as he was nicknamed betrays not a flicker of emotion, enduring all humiliations with aplomb. College shows Keaton at the top of his form. Steamboat Bill Jr dates from 1928 and is the last great film Buster Keaton made before he gave up his independence. Buster is the rather fey son of an elderly steamboat owner who is being driven out of business by a wealthy competitor. [+]More by accident than intention Buster turns things around and gets the girl as well. The last 15 minutes are truly astonishing: a storm sequence in which a whole town is blown apart, with Buster experiencing a series of amazing escapes as buildings fall down around his ears. Tragically, the following year he lost his independence when he signed for MGM. His career collapsed, his marriage broke up and he became an alcoholic, never to regain former glories. On the DVD: The organ music accompanying this silent feature is pleasantly unobtrusive, and apart from a short section in the middle where it deteriorates, the print quality is a reasonable 4. 3. In addition there are five excellent Keaton shorts, One Week (1920), The Boat (1921) Cops (1922), The Blacksmith (1922) and The Balloonatic (1923). -Ed Buscombe.
![Review Buena Vista Home Entertainment / George Of The Jungle 2 [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511FYCN1JGL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- David Grossman
- Christopher Showerman
- Angus T. Jones
- Julie Benz
- Christina Pickles
- Thomas Haden Church
Run time: 83 min.
Creator: Jordan Moffet
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.49
Review George Of The Jungle 2 [2003] / Buena Vista Home Entertainment:Although direct-to-video Disney sequels usually try to hide or simply ignore the issue, George of the Jungle 2 gleefully points out the lack of continuity between it and the original movie. Here, the good-natured narrator is happy to explain why Brendan Fraser has been replaced and why the special effects look cheaper: it's all a part of an effort to expand beyond the one-joke idea of a block-headed Tarzan who keeps swinging into trees. It's a pleasant surprise that all these self-referential nods and asides to the camera do indeed make hilarious viewing. Replacement Chris Showerman willingly takes on all manner of humiliation at the hands of CG jungle animals and his new extended family. George junior is the main by-product of the five-year gap, and thankfully has inherited brains from his mother's side (Julie Benz). In a dastardly plot to win back his love, Lyle (Thomas Haden Church, one of the few to reprise his role from the original) has the gang trooping back and forth to Las Vegas. With sight gags aplenty, bumbling George has more than just trees to avoid. -Paul Tonks.
Actors & Directors
- George Hamilton
- Brooke Nevin
- Sam Irvin
- Ingrid Torrance
- Donna Mills
- Barclay Hope
Run time: 92 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £0.74
Review A Very Cool Christmas / Odyssey Video:
Actors & Directors
- Danielle Harmer
- Keith Washington
- Delyth Thomas
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.30
Review The Story Of Tracy Beaker - Farewell From Me? - Series 5 - Complete / Universal Pictures UK:
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The Princess Diaries [2001], Pinocchio : Special Edition [1940], The Sooty Show - Sweep Superdog, Cocoon / Cocoon The Return [1985], Lassie [2005], Lady and the Tramp [1955] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Ben 10: The Complete Season 2 (REGION 1) (NTSC), The Herbie Collection [1968], Tales Of The Riverbank, Flubber [1998], Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Two Disc Full Screen Edition) [2001], Prancer Returns [2001], The Adventures Of Greyfriars Bobby, Follyfoot - Series 1-3 - Complete, Star Wars - Ewoks Adventures, Valiant [2005], The Buster Keaton Collection [1926], George Of The Jungle 2 [2003], A Very Cool Christmas, The Story Of Tracy Beaker - Farewell From Me? - Series 5 - Complete |
