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Review Playback / All Creatures Great And Small - Series 1 - Part 1 [1978]
Actors & Directors
  • Rebecca Smith (III)
  • Judy Wilson
  • Andrea Gibb (II)
  • Carol Drinkwater
  • Oliver Wilson (II)
  • Peter Grimwade
Release date: 2003-04-07
Run time: 306 min.
RRP: £24.99
Price: £9.18

Review All Creatures Great And Small - Series 1 - Part 1 [1978] / Playback:


Review Dreamworks Home Entertainment / Cat In The Hat, The [2004]
Actors & Directors
  • Kelly Preston
  • Bo Welch
  • Dakota Fanning
  • Alec Baldwin
  • Mike Myers
  • Spencer Breslin
Release date: 2004-08-16
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.90

Review Cat In The Hat, The [2004] / Dreamworks Home Entertainment:

The Cat in the Hat is a marketing ploy disguised as a wildly designed movie for hyperactive kids, and it could use a dose of Ritalin. It hardly matters, though, because kids will surely enjoy the rampant romp that occurs when the top-hatted feline convinces young Sally (Dakota Fanning) and Conrad (Spencer Breslin) to wreak havoc in the home their mother (Kelly Preston) has neatly prepared for an upcoming party. It's all in the name of fun, and while Seuss's classic rhymes are relegated to voice-over narration, director Bo Welch capitalizes on his background as one of Hollywood's most gifted production designers (with credits including Edward Scissorhands and Men in Black), turning the Seussian town of "Anville" into a playful pastiche of pastels. As played by Mike Myers under layers of fur and latex, Dr. Seuss's mischievous Cat is mayhem personified, and the movie suffers from his anything-goes approach to getting a laugh. And though Myers delivers a few laughs while channeling voices from his own comedic repertoire (including "Coffee Talk" maven Linda Richman), a little of this Cat goes a long way, and he nearly wears out his welcome. -Jeff Shannon.

Review Optimum Home Entertainment / Swallows and Amazons
Actors & Directors
  • Claude Whatham
Release date: 2006-08-21
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.58

Review Swallows and Amazons / Optimum Home Entertainment:


Review Optimum Home Entertainment / Tales From Earthsea [2007]
Actors & Directors
  • Goro Miyazaki
Release date: 2008-01-28
Run time: 110 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.58

Review Tales From Earthsea [2007] / Optimum Home Entertainment:


Review Disney's Princess Enchanted Tales / Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams [2007]
Release date: 2007-09-03
Run time: 54 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.97

Review Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams [2007] / Disney's Princess Enchanted Tales:


Review Walt Disney Video N/A / Beauty and the Beast [1992] (REGION 1) (NTSC)
Actors & Directors
  • Kirk Wise
  • Jerry Orbach
  • Richard White
  • David Ogden Stiers
  • Robby Benson
  • Gary Trousdale
  • Paige O'Hara
Release date: 2002-10-08
Run time: 90 min.
Price: £50.95

Review Beauty and the Beast [1992] (REGION 1) (NTSC) / Walt Disney Video N/A:

The film that officially signalled Disney's animation renaissance and the only animated feature to receive a Best Picture Oscar nomination, Beauty and the Beast remains the yardstick by which all other animated films should be measured. It relates the story of Belle, a bookworm with a dotty inventor for a father; when he inadvertently offends the Beast (a prince whose heart is too hard to love anyone besides himself), Belle boldly takes her father's place, imprisoned in the Beast's gloomy mansion. Naturally, Belle teaches the Beast to love. What makes this such a dazzler, besides the amazingly accomplished animation and the winning coterie of supporting characters (the Beast's mansion is overrun by quipping, dancing household items) is the array of beautiful and hilarious songs by composer Alan Menken and the late, lamented lyricist Howard Ashman, (winning the 1991 Oscar for Best Song and Menken's score won a trophy as well). The downright funniest song is "Gaston", a lout's paean to himself (including the immortal line, "I use antlers in all of my de-co-ra-ting"). "Be Our Guest" is transformed into an inspired Busby Berkeley homage. Since Ashman's passing, animated musicals haven't quite reached the same exhilarating level of wit, sophistication and pure joy. -David Kronke, Amazon. comOn the DVD: Beauty and the Beast's regular DVD release still offers some special features, but doesn't hold a candle to the Collector's Edition. The "making-of" featurette is informative charting the production from Walt Disney's original idea to the final musical version. [+]
"The Story Behind the Story" shows the origins of many of Disney's adapted fairy tales. The two games are fun, if a little slow to load. Celine Dion's original video is slightly on the dull side, but Jump 5's remixed version of "Tale as Old as Time" is just ridiculous. As always the sing-along track is great fun for all budding Belles or Beasts in the house. The transfer is as pristine as could be expected from a 1991 release. On the DVD: Beauty and the Beast's two-disc Collector's Edition really is the stuff of fairy tales. Disc 1 has three versions of the movie, the best being the "Work in Progress" edition which offers the unfinished film, sketch lines and all. The theatrical cut has a pristine transfer and the sound is immaculate. The director's commentary relies on a lot on name-dropping and you'll find more interesting insight in the "making-of" feature on the second disc. The sing-a-long track (as with all Disney releases) is fantastic, particularly for such a well-loved score. Disc 2 is packed full of information, fun and games. The best of the informative features is "Animation Magic", an intelligent look into the production of Disney cartoons. In the games section you'll need to head straight for the West Wing to continue an adventure with Chip (Tip: finish the game "Maurice's Workshop" first), but get your fingers warmed up as it needs a little remote control action. This disc only really falls down on the slowness of some of its games and the appalling remix video of "Tale as Old as Time". -Nikki Disney.

Review Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / Three Men And A Baby / Three Men And A Little Lady [1987]
Actors & Directors
  • Ted Danson
  • Tom Selleck
  • Leonard Nimoy
  • Steve Guttenberg
Release date: 2005-10-10
Run time: 197 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.19

Review Three Men And A Baby / Three Men And A Little Lady [1987] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:


Review Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / Dark Crystal (Anniversary Edition) [1982]
Actors & Directors
  • Frank Oz
  • Jim Henson
  • Jim Henson
  • Kathryn Mullen
  • David Buck
  • Stephen Garlick
Release date: 2007-10-01
Run time: 89 min.
Creator: David Odell
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.17

Review Dark Crystal (Anniversary Edition) [1982] / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:

Jim Henson's fantasy epic The Dark Crystal doesn't take place a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away. But like Star Wars it takes the audience to a place that exists only in the imagination and, for 94 minutes, on the screen. Recalling the worlds of J. R. R. Tolkien, Henson tells the story of a race of grotesque bird-like lizards called the Skeksis - gnomish dragons who rule their fantastic planet with an iron claw. A prophecy tells of a Gelfling (a small elfin being) who will topple their empire, so in their reign of terror they have exterminated the race, or so they think. The orphan Jen, raised in solitude by a race of peace-loving wizards called the Mystics, embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of the Dark Crystal (which gives the Skeksis their power) and restore the balance of the universe. [+]
Henson and co-director Frank Oz have pushed puppetry into a new direction: traditional puppets, marionettes, giant bodysuits and mechanical constructions are mixed seamlessly in a fantasy world of towering castles, simple huts, dank caves, a giant clockwork observatory and a magnificent landscape that seem to have leaped off the pages of a storybook. Muppet fans will recognize many of the voice actors-a few characters sound very close to familiar comic creations-but otherwise it's a completely alien world made familiar by a mythic quest that resonates through stories over the ages. -Sean Axmaker.

Review Momentum Picture Home Ent / Arthur and the Invisibles [2007]
Actors & Directors
  • Madonna
  • Freddie Highmore
  • Robert De Niro
  • Snoop Dogg
  • David Bowie
Release date: 2007-06-25
Run time: 89 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.95

Review Arthur and the Invisibles [2007] / Momentum Picture Home Ent:

First released in France, Luc Besson's Arthur and the Invisibles is a touching computer animated adventure that makes up in look and in character for what it lacks in narrative originality. As a direct hybrid of Excalibur and A Bug's Life, Arthur stars a heroic ten year-old, Arthur (Freddie Highmore), who draws a sword from a stone to fight a miniature battle in the garden before finding treasure valuable enough to save his grandfather's farm from purchase by developers. Arthur's grandfather, Archibald, having long ago discovered the miniscule world of Minimoys, garden gnome-like elves that lived in his yard, shrunk himself in order to hunt elusive rubies that were hidden in their evil Mecropolis, headed by Maltazard (David Bowie). Now Arthur must assist the benevolent Minimoy clan, ruled by The King (Robert De Niro) and Princess Selenia (Madonna), in challenging Maltazard for possession of the jewels. Shots taking the viewer down through grass blades into the microscopic, yet gigantic yard world readjust one's sense of size, as do scenes, for example, in which a small, elven Arthur fights mosquitoes with catapulted tomatoes. Meanwhile, live action scenes of Arthur's worried grandmother (Mia Farrow) provide respite from a completely computerized world. Bowie, as he did in Legend, steals the show, bringing to life his Darth Vader-like character who chose evil over good in a past adventure. Corny one-liners sometimes spoil the mood, but overall the film's thematic blend of fantasy and environmentalism, like Princess Mononoke, will delight children with its positive message. -Trinie Dalton.

Review Walt Disney Home Video / Homeward Bound [1993]
Actors & Directors
  • Don Alder
  • Ed Bernard
  • Duwayne Dunham
  • Kevin Chevalia
  • Anne Christianson
  • Ted D'Arms
Release date: 2001-02-12
Run time: 81 min.
RRP: £17.99
Price: £3.59

Review Homeward Bound [1993] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Walt Disney studios had previously adapted Sheila Burnford's classic animal-adventure novel The Incredible Journey in 1963, and the story proves just as durable in this popular 1993 version, Homeward Bound, in which the heroic trio of animals are given voices provided by Don Ameche, Michael J Fox, and Sally Field. They don't actually speak (like the clever critters in Babe), but we hear their "voices" as the lost household pets-Shadow the golden retriever, Chance the bulldog, and Sassy the cat-survive a harrowing series of adventures as they struggle to find their way home. Perfect entertainment for kids, this frequently clever movie offers an abundance of wildlife and beautiful location scenery, and the vocal performances by Ameche, Fox and Field are surprisingly effective. A hit with parents and children alike, the film was followed by a sequel in 1996. -Jeff Shannon.

Review Uca / Camberwick Green - The Complete Collection [1966]
Actors & Directors
  • Brian Cant
Release date: 2007-10-29
Run time: 180 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.18

Review Camberwick Green - The Complete Collection [1966] / Uca:


Review Network / Belle And Sebastien - The Complete Series [1967]
Actors & Directors
  • Edmond Beauchamp
  • Jean Guillaume
  • Jean Michel Audin
Release date: 2003-03-10
Run time: 325 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.34

Review Belle And Sebastien - The Complete Series [1967] / Network:


Review Warner Home Video / Corpse Bride [HD DVD] [2005]
Actors & Directors
  • Tim Burton
  • Mike Johnson
  • Richard E. Grant
  • Emily Watson
  • Albert Finney
  • Johnny Depp
  • Helena Bonham-Carter
Release date: 2007-06-04
Run time: 74 min.
RRP: £25.99
Price: £3.75

Review Corpse Bride [HD DVD] [2005] / Warner Home Video:


Review Walt Disney Pictures / Lady And The Tramp (2 Disc Special Edition) [1955]
Actors & Directors
  • Wilfred Jackson
  • Clyde Geronimi
  • Hamilton Luske
Release date: 2006-02-13
Run time: 73 min.
RRP: £21.99
Price: £16.99

Review Lady And The Tramp (2 Disc Special Edition) [1955] / Walt Disney Pictures:

Rightly one of Disney's most celebrated animated classics, Lady and the Tramp is the story of a romance between two dogs from different walks of life. On the one hand, there's Lady, a golden cocker spaniel used to a very good life. And then she meets a mongrel, who goes by the name of Tramp. Clearly from the wrong side of town, Tramp and Lady nonetheless strike up a friendship, and when fate plays its hand, the two set off on their travels together, which doesn't quite go quite as either expected. Made in an age where Disney animation was on tip-top form, there's so much to enjoy here it's hard to know where to start. The exquisite animation and carefully woven script though both provide an excellent grounding for the film, which is then considerably enhanced by a wonderful musical score. Add in that scene, often parodied, as the two share a romantic meal in an Italian restaurant, and a pair of characters that you can't help but root for, and you have an unmissable classic for the whole family to enjoy. Lady and the Tramp successfully weaves together moments of comedy, adventure and music really quite seamlessly. And yet, at its heart, this is a tender, extremely well told love story, that rightly sits as one of the finest animated movies the Disney empire have created. Great stuff. [+]
-Simon Brew.

Review MGM Entertainment / The Black Stallion [1979]
Actors & Directors
  • Mickey Rooney
  • Hoyt Axton
  • Clarence Muse
  • Teri Garr
  • Carroll Ballard
  • Kelly Reno
Release date: 2003-04-07
Run time: 112 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.98

Review The Black Stallion [1979] / MGM Entertainment:

Adapted from the beloved novel by Walter Farley, The Black Stallion is a 1979 family classic that was hailed by no less than hard-to-please critic Pauline Kael as "may be the greatest children's movie ever made". A visual feast from start to finish, the timeless tale plays out on almost mythic terms. A young boy survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a deserted island with a graceful black stallion, with whom the boy develops an almost empathic friendship. After being rescued and returning home, the two make a winning team as jockey and lightning-fast racehorse under the tutelage of a passionate trainer, played by Mickey Rooney in an Oscar-nominated role. From its serenely hypnotic island sequence to the breathtaking race scenes, this delightful film is guaranteed to enthral any viewer, regardless of age. The Black Stallion is a genuine masterpiece of family entertainment. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Review MGM Entertainment / Sleepover [2004]
Actors & Directors
  • Joe Nussbaum
  • Mika Boorem
  • Sara Paxton
  • Alexa Vega
  • Brie Larson
  • Jane Lynch
Release date: 2005-05-30
Run time: 86 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £3.35

Review Sleepover [2004] / MGM Entertainment:


Review Warner Home Video / Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989]
Actors & Directors
  • Samuel Irons
  • Michael Hordern
  • Cyril Cusack
  • Jeremy Irons
  • Robbie Coltrane
  • Gavin Millar
Release date: 2005-07-18
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £18.99
Price: £3.28

Review Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989] / Warner Home Video:


Review Mike Myers (Voice) / The Shrek Collection - The Story So Far (Shrek 1 & 2 Box Set) [2004] [2001]
Release date: 2004-11-01
RRP: £32.99
Price: £6.68

Review The Shrek Collection - The Story So Far (Shrek 1 & 2 Box Set) [2004] [2001] / Mike Myers (Voice):

Both of the hit animated movies in one package. Full of verve and wit, Shrek is a computer-animated adaptation of William Steig's delightfully fractured fairy tale. Our title character (voiced by Mike Myers) is an agreeable enough ogre who wants to live his days in peace. When the diminutive Lord Farquaad (John Lithgow) evicts local fairy tale creatures (including the now-famous Seven Dwarfs, Pinocchio and the Gingerbread Man), they settle in the ogre's swamp and Shrek wants answers from Farquaad. A quest of sorts starts for Shrek and his new pal, a talking donkey (Eddie Murphy), where battles have to be won and a princess (Cameron Diaz) must be rescued from a dragon lair in a thrilling action sequence. The story is stronger than most animated fare but it's the jokes that make Shrek a winner. The PG rating is stretched when Murphy and Myers hit their strides. The mild potty humour is fun enough for the 10-year-old but will never embarrass their parents. Shrek is never as warm and inspired as the Toy Story films, but the realistic computer animation and a rollicking soundtrack keeps the entertainment in fine form. Produced by DreamWorks, the film also takes several delicious stabs at its cross-town rival, Disney. [+]
-Doug Thomas In Shrek 2, the newlywed Shrek and Princess Fiona are invited to Fiona's former kingdom, Far Far Away, to have their marriage blessed by Fiona's parents-which Shrek thinks is a bad, bad idea, and he's proved right: the parents are horrified by their daughter's transformation into an ogress, a fairy godmother wants her son Prince Charming to win Fiona, and a feline assassin is hired to get Shrek out of the way. The computer animation is more detailed than ever, but it's the acting that make the comedy work-in addition to the return of Mike Myers, Eddie Murphy, and Cameron Diaz, Shrek 2 features the flexible voices of Julie Andrews, John Cleese and Antonio Banderas, plus Jennifer Saunders as the gleefully wicked fairy godmother. -Bret Fetzer.

Review Warner Home Video / What A Girl Wants [2003]
Actors & Directors
  • Colin Firth
  • Amanda Bynes
  • Kelly Preston
  • Eileen Atkins
  • Dennie Gordon
  • Anna Chancellor
Release date: 2004-02-23
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £13.99
Price: £3.78

Review What A Girl Wants [2003] / Warner Home Video:


Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Ice Age [2002]
Actors & Directors
  • Denis Leary|Kirsten Johnson|Jack Black|Andrea Bowen
  • Chris Wedge
Release date: 2002-10-21
Run time: 77 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £1.94

Review Ice Age [2002] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:

It's 20,000 years ago and there's a bit of a nip in the air as the Ice Age kicks off. Manfred the well-meaning mammoth, Sid the fast-talking sloth and Diego the duplicitous sabre-tooth tiger form a reluctant and unlikely alliance when they come across a helpless human baby. As they try to return the tot to his migrating tribe, the trio must battle more than just the elements in this harsh world of predators and prey. There's plenty of light relief from the dramatic tension and superb action sequences, notably in the form of the brilliant comic invention Scrat, an apparently insane sabre-tooth squirrel who steals any scene in which he-and his acorn—appear (although a flock of keen but hapless dodos give him a close run for the film's comic laurels). Featuring the voice talents of Ray Romano, Denis Leary and John Leguizamo, Ice Age is a thrilling, chilling comedy adventure that's undeniably cool. On the DVD: Ice Age on DVD boasts a whole host of special features, including commentary by director Chris Wedge and co-director Carlos Saldhona, deleted scenes and trailers. The highlight of the bonus material is the exclusive short "Scrat's Missing Adventure" but for the real nitty-gritty go to "Under the Ice". This contains numerous featurettes of varying lengths, including "The Making of Ice Age", "Behind the Scenes", "Art of Effects" and "Sid's Voice Development". These tell you pretty well everything there is to know about the film and its creation. For additional humour check out the brief "Scrat Reveals" segment and Sid's commentary sequences. [+]
-Helen Baker.

Browse Family Favourites:

Models & Brands:
All Creatures Great And Small - Series 1 - Part 1 [1978], Cat In The Hat, The [2004], Swallows and Amazons, Tales From Earthsea [2007], Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams [2007], Beauty and the Beast [1992] (REGION 1) (NTSC), Three Men And A Baby / Three Men And A Little Lady [1987], Dark Crystal (Anniversary Edition) [1982], Arthur and the Invisibles [2007], Homeward Bound [1993], Camberwick Green - The Complete Collection [1966], Belle And Sebastien - The Complete Series [1967], Corpse Bride [HD DVD] [2005], Lady And The Tramp (2 Disc Special Edition) [1955], The Black Stallion [1979], Sleepover [2004], Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989], The Shrek Collection - The Story So Far (Shrek 1 & 2 Box Set) [2004] [2001], What A Girl Wants [2003], Ice Age [2002]

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