![Review Warner Home Video / Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51CMT3S7RXL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Samuel Irons
- Michael Hordern
- Jeremy Irons
- Cyril Cusack
- Gavin Millar
- Robbie Coltrane
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £18.99
Price: £3.28
Review Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989] / Warner Home Video:
![Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown [2006]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51ieq8Hj0vL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 2006-10-23
Run time: 87 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £0.95
Review Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown [2006] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:
![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
- Chris Columbus
- Kenneth Branagh
- Emma Watson
- Daniel Radcliffe
- Maggie Smith
- Rupert Grint
Run time: 154 min.
RRP: £25.99
Price: £4.47
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.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/511DAK2YDPL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Mahoney
- James Garner
- Kirk Wise
- Claudia Christian
- Michael J. Fox
- Corey Burton
- Gary Trousdale
Run time: 95 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £4.00
Review Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001] / Walt Disney Home Video:The Disney Studio was built on innovation in animation, so it seems ironic that Atlantis is both a bold departure and highly derivative, borrowing heavily from anime, video games and graphic novels. Instead of songs and fuzzy little animals, the artists offer an action-adventure set in 1914: nerdy linguist Milo Thatch (Michael J Fox) believes he's found the location of the legendary Lost Continent. An eccentric zillionaire sends Milo out to test his hypothesis with an anachronistic crew that includes tough Puerto Rican mechanic Audrey (Jacqueline Obradors), demolition expert Vinnie (Don Novello), and butt-kicking blonde adventurer Helga (Claudia Christian). When they find Atlantis, its culture is dying because the people can no longer read the runes that explain their mysterious power source-but Milo can. Nasty Commander Rourke (James Garner) attempts to steal that power source, leading to the requisite all-out battle. Atlantis offers some nifty battle scenes, including an attack on a Jules Verne-esque submarine by a giant robotic trilobites and fishlike flying cars. But the film suffers from major story problems. If Princess Kida (Cree Summer) remembers her civilisation at its height, why can't she read the runes? Why doesn't Milo's crew notice that the Atlanteans live for centuries? The angular designs are based on the work of comic book artist Mike Mignola (Hellboy), and the artists struggle with the characters' stubby hands, skinny limbs and pointed jaws. The result is a film that will appeal more to 10-year-old boys than to family audiences. -Charles Solomon, Amazon. [+]com.
![Review Warner Home Video / A Cinderella Story [2004]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41DNX0TNNAL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Hilary Duff
- Chad Michael Murray
- Mark Rosman
Run time: 91 min.
RRP: £13.99
Price: £2.99
Review A Cinderella Story [2004] / Warner Home Video:
Actors & Directors
- David Thewlis
- Caroline Thompson
- Peter Davison
- Alun Armstrong
- Sean Bean
- Jim Carter
Run time: 84 min.
RRP: £13.99
Price: £2.45
Review Black Beauty [1994] / Warner Home Video:Don't waste this one on your children: buy it for yourself. A spectacular adaptation of the Anna Sewell novel, this is faithful to the source material but creates a life of its own on the screen. Told from the point of view of the horse, it recalls a time and a place that could be both beautiful and cruel. Black Beauty faced both hardship and kindness as he passed through the hands of many owners throughout his life. Some are generous, but the agonies endured by the title character may be too harsh for small children. Unfortunately, director Caroline Thompson did not resurrect her magical touch a few years later with another animal tale, Buddy. -Rochelle O'Gorman, Amazon. com.
Actors & Directors
- Hugo Weaving
- Chris Noonan
- Miriam Margolyes
- Miriam Flynn
- Christine Cavanaugh
- Danny Mann
Run time: 89 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £1.60
Review Babe [1995] / 4 Front Video:The surprise hit of 1995, this splendidly entertaining family film was nominated for six Academy Awards, including best picture, director, and screenplay, and deservedly won the Oscar for its subtly ingenious visual effects. Babe is all about the title character, a heroic little pig who's been taken in by the friendly farmer Hoggett (Oscar nominee James Cromwell), who senses that he and the pig share "a common destiny. " Babe, a popular mischief-maker the Australian farm, is adopted by the resident border collie and raised as a puppy, befriended by Ferdinand the duck (who thinks he's a cockerel), and saves the day as a champion "sheep-pig. " Filled with a supporting cast of talking barnyard animals and a chorus of singing mice (courtesy of computer enhancements and clever animatronics), this frequently hilarious, visually imaginative movie has already taken its place as a family classic with timeless appeal. -Jeff Shannon.
Actors & Directors
- Carroll Ballard
- Mickey Rooney
- Clarence Muse
- Hoyt Axton
- Kelly Reno
- Teri Garr
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 Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm / George Of The Jungle [1997]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5151CDXRN5L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- John Cleese
- Richard Roundtree
- Leslie Mann
- Brendan Fraser
- Thomas Haden Church
- Sam Weisman
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £4.00
Review George Of The Jungle [1997] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:Disney scored an unexpected hit with this goofy live-action remake of Jay Ward's Saturday-morning cartoon, a zippy Tarzan parody with topical references and absurd gags. Disney's big-screen version, George of the Jungle starring Brendan Fraser as the sweet, hopelessly inept jungle hero, puts the emphasis on slapstick and silly fun. The klutzy hero, still swinging into trees and stray boulders, saves a lost Los Angeles socialite (Leslie Mann) on safari and, completely smitten, leaves behind his tree-house home and simian best friend (an Oxford-accented ape voiced by John Cleese) to accompany the socialite back to the concrete jungle of LA, much to the frustration of her conniving fiancé (Thomas Haden Church). Fraser's enthusiastic performance enriches our hunky hero with endearing innocence and energetic pluck. The humour is spotty and consistently more juvenile than the original cartoon, but the unending parade of visual gags (including George's pet elephant Shep, transformed into an overexcited six-tonne puppy by inventive digital effects) keeps the tone light, frothy and winningly fun. -Sean Axmaker.
![Review Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Herbie: Fully Loaded [2005]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/614380TADZL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Lindsay Lohan
- Justin Long
- Breckin Meyer
- Michael Keaton
- Matt Dillon
- Angela Robinson
Run time: 97 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.90
Review Herbie: Fully Loaded [2005] / Buena Vista Home Entertainment:
Release date: 2007-09-03
Run time: 54 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £4.99
Review Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams [2007] / Disney's Princess Enchanted Tales:
Release date: 2008-07-28
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £9.98
Review Azur and Asmar - The Princes Quest [2008] / Soda Pop:
Actors & Directors
- John Ratzenberger
- Fred Willard
- Jeff Garlin
- Andrew Stanton
- Ben Burtt
- Elissa Knight
Price: £26.99
Review Wall-E [Blu-ray] [2008] / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:
Actors & Directors
- Andrew Morgan
- Rosemary Leach
- Colin Baker
- John Woodvine
Run time: 120 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.98
Review Swallows And Amazons Forever! - The Coot Club / The Big Six [1983] / Revelation Films:
Actors & Directors
- Jean Guillaume
- Edmond Beauchamp
- Jean Michel Audin
Run time: 325 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £6.44
Review Belle And Sebastien - The Complete Series [1967] / Network:
Actors & Directors
- Hayden Panettiere
- Joan Cusack
- Kim Cattrall
- Tim Fywell
- Michelle Trachtenberg
Run time: 94 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.92
Review Ice Princess / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:
![Review Universal / Prince of Egypt [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/21EXXNCY12L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Jeff Goldblum
- Simon Wells
- Michelle Pfeiffer
- Steve Hickner
- Val Kilmer
- Sandra Bullock
- Ralph Fiennes
- Brenda Chapman
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.87
Review Prince of Egypt [1998] / Universal:Nearly every biblical film is ambitious, creating pictures to go with some of the most famous and sacred stories in the Western world. DreamWorks' first animated film, The Prince of Egypt was the vision of executive producer Jeffrey Katzenberg after his ugly split from Disney, where he had been acknowledged as a key architect in that studio's rebirth (The Little Mermaid, etc. ). His first film for the company he helped create was a huge, challenging project without a single toy or merchandising tie-in, the backbone du jour of family entertainment in the 1990s. Three directors and 16 writers succeed in carrying out much of Katzenberg's vision. The linear story of Moses is crisply told, and the look of the film is stunning; indeed, no animated film has looked so ready to be placed in the Louvre since Fantasia. Here is an Egypt alive with energetic bustle and pristine buildings. Born a slave and set adrift in the river, Moses (voiced by Val Kilmer) is raised as the son of Pharaoh Seti (Patrick Stewart) and is a fitting rival for his stepbrother Rameses (Ralph Fiennes). When he learns of his roots-in a knockout sequence in which hieroglyphics come alive-he flees to the desert, where he finds his roots and heeds God's calling to free the slaves from Egypt. Katzenberg and his artists are careful to tread lightly on religious boundaries. [+]The film stops at the parting of the Red Sea, only showing the Ten Commandments-without commentary-as the film's coda. Music is a big part (there were three CDs released) and Hans Zimmer's score and Stephen Schwartz's songs work well-in fact the pop-ready, Oscar-winning "When You Believe" is one of the weakest songs. Kids ages 5 and up should be able to handle the referenced violence; the film doesn't shy away from what Egyptians did to their slaves. Perhaps Katzenberg could have aimed lower and made a more successful animated film, but then again, what's a heaven for? -Doug Thomas.
Actors & Directors
- Ty Hodges
- Lukas Haas
- Martha Coolidge
- Haylie Duff
- Anjelica Huston
- Hilary Duff
Run time: 94 min.
RRP: £15.99
Price: £3.99
Review Material Girls [2006] / Momentum Pictures:
![Review Uca / The Little Rascals [1994]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51sn2ejguRL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Blake McIver Ewing
- Kevin Jamal Woods
- Petey
- Penelope Spheeris
- Courtland Mead
- Sam Saletta
Run time: 79 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £4.20
Review The Little Rascals [1994] / Uca:
![Review Buena Vista / Seabiscuit [2003]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51P9P3GYGPL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- William H. Macy
- Jeff Bridges
- Tobey Maguire
- Chris Cooper
- Elizabeth Banks
- Gary Ross
Run time: 135 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £4.11
Review Seabiscuit [2003] / Buena Vista:Proving that truth is often greater than fiction, the handsome production of Seabiscuit offers a healthy alternative to Hollywood's staple diet of mayhem. With superior production values at his disposal, writer-director Gary Ross (Pleasantville) is a bit too reverent towards Laura Hillenbrand's captivating bestseller, unnecessarily using archival material-and David McCullough's narration-to pay Ken-Burns-like tribute to Hillenbrand's acclaimed history of the knobbly-kneed thoroughbred who "came from behind" in the late 1930s to win the hearts of Depression-weary Americans. That caveat aside, Ross's adaptation retains much of the horse-and-human heroism that Hillenbrand so effectively conveyed; this is a classically styled "legend" movie like The Natural, which was also heightened by a lushly sentimental Randy Newman score. Led by Tobey Maguire as Seabiscuit's hard-luck jockey, the film's first-rate cast is uniformly excellent, including William H Macy as a wacky trackside announcer who fills this earnest film with a much-needed spirit of fun. -Jeff Shannon.
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Danny, The Champion Of The World [1989], Ice Age 2 : The Meltdown [2006], Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets [HD DVD] [2002], Atlantis - The Lost Empire [2001], A Cinderella Story [2004], Black Beauty [1994], Babe [1995], The Black Stallion [1979], George Of The Jungle [1997], Herbie: Fully Loaded [2005], Disney Princess Enchanted Tales - Follow Your Dreams [2007], Azur and Asmar - The Princes Quest [2008], Wall-E [Blu-ray] [2008], Swallows And Amazons Forever! - The Coot Club / The Big Six [1983], Belle And Sebastien - The Complete Series [1967], Ice Princess, Prince of Egypt [1998], Material Girls [2006], The Little Rascals [1994], Seabiscuit [2003] |
