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Review Tinkerbell Dance Studio / Tinkerbell Dance Studio - Learn Ballet Step By Step [2006]
Release date: 2007-06-18
Run time: 38 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £4.84

Review Tinkerbell Dance Studio - Learn Ballet Step By Step [2006] / Tinkerbell Dance Studio:


Review Pegasus Entertainment / Muppets Magic
Release date: 2006-10-09
Run time: 65 min.
RRP: £4.99
Price: £2.11

Review Muppets Magic / Pegasus Entertainment:


Review 2 Entertain Video / The Greatest BBC Children's Video Ever
Release date: 1995-09-04
Run time: 86 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £9.98

Review The Greatest BBC Children's Video Ever / 2 Entertain Video:


Review New Line Home Video / The Golden Compass [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Ben Walker (IX)
  • Chris Weitz
  • Freddie Highmore
  • Nicole Kidman
  • Daniel Craig
  • Dakota Blue Richards
Release date: 2008-04-29
Run time: 113 min.
Price: £6.13

Review The Golden Compass [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / New Line Home Video:


Review Universal Pictures UK / Granpa [1989]
Actors & Directors
  • Peter Ustinov
Release date: 1994-09-12
Run time: 30 min.
RRP: £6.99
Price: £14.99

Review Granpa [1989] / Universal Pictures UK:


Review Universal Pictures UK / Clangers - The Complete Clangers [1969]
Actors & Directors
  • Clangers
Release date: 2001-10-15
Run time: 260 min.
RRP: £23.99
Price: £39.98

Review Clangers - The Complete Clangers [1969] / Universal Pictures UK:

The Complete Clangers is an unmissable double-DVD set containing all 26 episodes of this classic television series. Devised by Oliver Postgate and Peter Firmin, whose other credits include such masterpieces as Ivor the Engine and Bagpuss, the programmes detail life on the small blue planet, somewhere out in space, that is home to these long-nosed, gentle, pink creatures with their distinctive whistling language. Life is simple when you're a Clanger; with plentiful green soup and blue-string pudding to eat, the main worry is being hit by objects from space. Fortunately, Clangers have armour to protect their little knitted bodies and live in caves within the planet enclosed by metal lids-the slamming of which gives them their name. A peaceful race, the Clangers live in harmony with the other inhabitants of their world-the Soup Dragon, the Froglets, several Glow Buzzers and the Iron chicken-as well as any other visitors who may drop by. When you're sitting comfortably, prepare to wallow in nostalgia with these timeless tales or introduce them to a new generation-neither of you will be disappointed. -Helen Baker.

Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Tall Tale - The Unbelievable Adventure [1995]
Actors & Directors
  • Oliver Platt
  • Jeremiah S. Chechik
  • Nick Stahl
  • Scott Glenn
  • Roger Aaron Brown
  • Patrick Swayze
Release date: 2004-07-05
Run time: 93 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.99

Review Tall Tale - The Unbelievable Adventure [1995] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:


Review Warner Home Video / Duma [2005]
Actors & Directors
  • Campbell Scott
  • Mary Makhatho
  • Carroll Ballard
  • Alex Michaeletos
Release date: 2005-09-26
Run time: 96 min.
RRP: £18.99
Price: £2.59

Review Duma [2005] / Warner Home Video:


Review MGM / Hansel and Gretel [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Nicola Stapleton
  • Cloris Leachman
  • Len Talan
  • David Warner
  • Hugh Pollard
  • Emily Richard
Release date: 2005-08-09
Run time: 86 min.
Price: £3.11

Review Hansel and Gretel [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / MGM:


Review ITV DVD / Thunderbirds: Volume 5 [1965]
Actors & Directors
  • John Tate
Release date: 2004-07-19
Run time: 197 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.90

Review Thunderbirds: Volume 5 [1965] / ITV DVD:

"Filmed in VIDECOLOR [explosions, drum roll, music builds to a climax] and SUPERMARIONATION"! The opening sequence of Thunderbirds is itself a masterclass in Gerry Anderson's marionette hyperbole: who else would dare to make a virtue out of the fact that (a) the show is in colour and (b) it's got puppets in it? But everything about this series really is epic: Thunderbirds is action on the grandest scale, pre-dating such high-concept Hollywood vehicles as Armaggedon by 30 years and more (the acting is better, too), and fetishising gadgets in a way that even the most excessive Bond movies could never hope to rival. Unsurprisingly, it transpires that the visual effects are by Derek Meddings, whose later contributions to Bond movies like The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker echo his pioneering model work here. As to the characters, the clean-cut Tracey boys take second place in the audiences' affections to their cool machines-the real stars of the show-while comic relief is to be found in the charming company of Lady Penelope and her pink Rolls (number plate FAB1), driven by lugubrious chauffeur Parker, whose "Yes, milady" catch phrase resonated around school playgrounds for decades. (Spare a thought for poor old John Tracey, stuck up in space on Thunderbird 5 with only the radio for company. ) The puppet stunt-work is breathtakingly audacious, and every week's death-defying escapade is nail-bitingly choreographed in the very best tradition of disaster movies. First shown in 1964 and now digitally remastered, Thunderbirds is children's TV that still looks and sounds like big-budget Hollywood. On this DVD: The four episodes are: "The Man from MI5", "Cry Wolf", "Danger at Ocean Deep" and "Move and You're Dead".

Review Power Rangers S.P.D. / Power Rangers Space Patrol Delta: Joining Forces - Vol. 1
Release date: 2006-05-01
Run time: 107 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.59

Review Power Rangers Space Patrol Delta: Joining Forces - Vol. 1 / Power Rangers S.P.D.:


Review ITV DVD / Stingray - Vol. 2 - The Ghost Ship / Countdown / Ghost Of Sea / Emergency / Subterranea / Loch / Invaders [1964]
Actors & Directors
  • Ray Barrett
  • Robert Easton
  • Lois Maxwell
  • David Graham (II)
  • Don Mason
Release date: 2001-04-02
Run time: 150 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £9.97

Review Stingray - Vol. 2 - The Ghost Ship / Countdown / Ghost Of Sea / Emergency / Subterranea / Loch / Invaders [1964] / ITV DVD:


Review GT Media / The Long Shot [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Paul Le Mat
  • Georg Stanford Brown
  • Julie Benz
  • Gage Golightly
  • David Alexander (IV)
  • Marsha Mason
Release date: 2006-02-07
Run time: 94 min.
Price: £2.97

Review The Long Shot [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / GT Media:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Dark Season [1991]
Actors & Directors
  • Stephen Tredre
  • Marsha Fitzalan
  • Roger Milner
Release date: 2006-07-24
Run time: 180 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £9.89

Review Dark Season [1991] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review Live/Artisan / Alice Through the Looking Glass [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Brian Gilks
  • John Henderson
  • Greg Wise
  • Paulette Williams
  • Tania Luternauer
  • Charlotte Curley
Release date: 2005-01-11
Run time: 86 min.
Price: £3.03

Review Alice Through the Looking Glass [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Live/Artisan:


Review Pathe Distribution / Thunderpants [2002]
Actors & Directors
  • Paul Giamatti
  • Celia Imrie
  • Simon Callow
  • Peter Hewitt
  • Stephen Fry
  • Ned Beatty
Release date: 2002-11-18
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £2.37

Review Thunderpants [2002] / Pathe Distribution:

A children's comedy about a boy with unnatural flatulence, Thunderpants may not be the most thoughtful film in the world, but it does have surprisingly hidden depths. Concerning the extraordinary exploits of childhood outcast Patrick Smash and his sole friend, the boy genius Alan Allen, Thunderpants moves from the most basic of comedy (unsurprising, given the original premise) to some wonderfully subtle, touching moments of genuine emotion. Director Peter Hewitt resurrects the cartoon style of his hit The Borrowers, creating a vision of England that is timeless yet also steals themes and images from every period from the 1950s onwards, combining Beano-style school children in short trousers with 21st-century technology. The humour is certainly bawdy (perfect for older pre-teens) but the film also has a quaintly old-fashioned feel. Its message, that the world would not be that bad a place if it were just run by children, is oddly reminiscent of the Disney live-action films of yore. Debutant Bruce Cook, beautifully understated while all around him overact mercilessly (especially Simon Callow and Harry Potter's Rupert Grint), brings a quietly innocent dignity to Smash, allowing the hero to rise to the surface. As Stephen Fry points out, a film about a boy who farts excessively shouldn't really work, but Thunderpants is a huge success. On the DVD: Thunderpants, like many other recent children's films, is an excellent DVD package. Aside from the director's commentary and trailers, there is Bruce Cook's video diary, interviews with the main cast members (proving Cook to be not that dissimilar from his character), a fart montage and a video from hapless pop muppets the Allstars. In addition there are extra features for computer users and a choice of languages. [+]
The picture quality is superb, allowing Hewitt's unique visual style full reign; and the sound more than does justice to the unique sound-effect requirements. -Phil Udell.

Review Prism Leisure / Prince And The Pauper
Actors & Directors
  • Jonathan Timmins
  • Alan Bates
  • Robert Timmins
  • Aidan Quinn
  • Giles Foster
  • Jonathan Hyde
Release date: 2003-01-06
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £2.75

Review Prince And The Pauper / Prism Leisure:


Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition (Ltd Edition with Dalmatian Toy) [1961]
Actors & Directors
  • Wolfgang Reitherman
  • Betty Lou Gerson
  • Rod Taylor
  • Lisa Daniels
  • Ben Wright
  • Clyde Geronimi
  • Hamilton Luske
  • Cate Bauer
Release date: 2008-03-03
Run time: 79 min.
RRP: £21.99
Price: £17.99

Review 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition (Ltd Edition with Dalmatian Toy) [1961] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:

Back in 1961, Walt Disney got a little hip with 101 Dalmatians, making use of that flat Saturday morning cartoon style that had become so popular. The result is a kitschy change in animation and story. Pongo and Perdita are two lonely Dalmatians who meet in a London park and arrange for their pet humans to marry so they can live together and raise a family. They become proud parents of 15 pups, who are stolen by the dastardly Cruella De Vil, who wants to make a fur coat out of them. Cruella has become the most popular villain in all of Disney-she is flamboyantly nasty and lots of fun. But it is the Dalmatians who shine in this endearing classic, particularly those precocious pups. Telling the story from the dogs' point of view is a clever conceit, a fundamental flaw of Disney's 1996 live-action remake. -Bill Desowitz Disney may throw around the word 'classic' with a little too much abandon when it comes to some of its animated releases, but its take on 101 Dalmatians is very much the real deal. With lively songs, a terrifically-realised story and one of its very best villains, it remains a towering achievement, over four decades since it first appeared. The story of 101 Dalmatians starts with the two heroes of the tale, Pongo and Perdita. [+]
But when their litter of dalamatian puppies is dognapped by the evil Cruella De Vil's cronies, the pair must spring into action to save their offspring before Cruella gets herself the new coat that she desires. But while Pongo and Perdita may be the pair you end up rooting for, the undoubted star of 101 Dalmatians is Cruella De Vil. A wonderfully twisted, genuinely nasty villainess, she's an astounding creation and adds a real menace to the film. That said, it's not a downbeat or scary tale: toe-tapping musical numbers, plenty of imagination and a good few chuckles make up the rest of the ingredients, and rarely have they all come together quite so well as they do here. Retold by Disney in live action form in 1996, it's nonetheless its animated take on 101 Dalmatians that remains the definitive filmed version. And now packed into a special collectors' DVD set, there's never been a better reason to treat your family to a copy. Unmissable, and a reminder of why Disney's reputation in this field is quite so towering. -Simon Brew.

Review 20th Century Fox / The Sweetheart Collection (Shirley Temple) Triple Pack (Susannah Of The Mounties, Just Around The Corner, Captain January)
Actors & Directors
  • Shirley Temple
Release date: 2007-03-05
Run time: 215 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.84

Review The Sweetheart Collection (Shirley Temple) Triple Pack (Susannah Of The Mounties, Just Around The Corner, Captain January) / 20th Century Fox:


Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Alvin And The Chipmunks [Blu-ray] [2007]
Actors & Directors
  • Jane Lynch
  • David Cross
  • Cameron Richardson
  • Jason Lee
  • Tim Hill
Release date: 2008-04-14
Run time: 87 min.
RRP: £28.99
Price: £17.48

Review Alvin And The Chipmunks [Blu-ray] [2007] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:

A staggering surprise success at the box office just before Christmas 2007, the reason for the popularity of Alvin and the Chipmunks soon becomes clear. Not only is it a new adventure for a popular set of characters of old, it's also a fun, breezy family movie, that the kids in particular will enjoy. Starring Jason Lee (of My Name Is Earl fame), Alvin and the Chipmunks mixes in live action and CGI chipmunks (Alvin, Simon and Theodore) in a story that sees that moved from their natural habitat into the midst of the big city. The plot then becomes as predictable as you'd expect, but there's still plenty of fun to be had anyway. For Alvin and the Chipmunks has plenty in its corner. It's funny, first and foremost, and moves along at a good pace, never forgetting that its prime job is to entertain its audience. And that's something it easily manages to do, wrapping everything up by remembering not to outstay its welcome, either. Considering that Alvin and the Chipmunks enjoy a legion of fans that stretch back decades, it's perhaps not a surprise after all that the film enjoyed the success it did. But what's pleasing is that the spirit of the source material, in spite of its contemporary setting, is adhered to, and there's fun for all in the end product. -Jon Foster.

Browse Family Favourites:

Models & Brands:
Tinkerbell Dance Studio - Learn Ballet Step By Step [2006], Muppets Magic, The Greatest BBC Children's Video Ever, The Golden Compass [2007] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Granpa [1989], Clangers - The Complete Clangers [1969], Tall Tale - The Unbelievable Adventure [1995], Duma [2005], Hansel and Gretel [1987] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Thunderbirds: Volume 5 [1965], Power Rangers Space Patrol Delta: Joining Forces - Vol. 1, Stingray - Vol. 2 - The Ghost Ship / Countdown / Ghost Of Sea / Emergency / Subterranea / Loch / Invaders [1964], The Long Shot [2004] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Dark Season [1991], Alice Through the Looking Glass [1998] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Thunderpants [2002], Prince And The Pauper, 101 Dalmatians Platinum Edition (Ltd Edition with Dalmatian Toy) [1961], The Sweetheart Collection (Shirley Temple) Triple Pack (Susannah Of The Mounties, Just Around The Corner, Captain January), Alvin And The Chipmunks [Blu-ray] [2007]

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