Review, buy Animation: Terry Pratchett - Truckers [1991], Smurfs-'tis the Season 2 B Smurf, The Animals Of Farthing Wood - Part 6 - New Beginnings, The Very Best of Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends, Charlie Brown - Bon Voyage Charlie Brown [1981], Beauty And The Beast [1992], Percy The Park Keeper - One Snowy Night, The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996], Smurfs And The Magic Flute, The Animals Of Farthing Wood - Friends & Enemies, No.5. [1993], Peter Pan - Return to Neverland [2002], Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Biggest Party Video Ever!, Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Thomas' Train And Other Stories, The Swan Princess [1995], Rover Dangerfield - The Dog Who Gets No Respect [1991], The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000], The Smurfs - Tailor's Magic Needle/Petrified Smurfs - Animated [1989], The Gingerbread Man [1998], Noddy - Noddy And The New Taxi, Belle's Magical World

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.

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Review Percy the Park Keepe / Percy The Park Keeper - One Snowy Night

Percy The Park Keeper - One Snowy Night (Percy the Park Keepe)

Release date: 1997-11-03
Run time: 40 min.
RRP: ~~£8.99~~
Price: £7.99

Review Percy The Park Keeper - One Snowy Night / Percy the Park Keepe:

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Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996]

The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996] (Walt Disney Home Video)

Release date: 2000-05-22
Run time: 87 min.
RRP: ~~£14.99~~
Price: £0.01

Review The Hunchback Of Notre Dame [1996] / Walt Disney Home Video:

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Smurfs And The Magic Flute (2 Entertain Video)

Run time: 74 min.
Price: £8.99

Review Smurfs And The Magic Flute / 2 Entertain Video:

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Review 2 Entertain Video / The Animals Of Farthing Wood - Friends & Enemies, No.5. [1993]

The Animals Of Farthing Wood - Friends & Enemies, No.5. [1993] (2 Entertain Video)

Actors & Directors

Elphin Lloyd-Jones
Maria Warburg

Release date: 1994-10-03
Run time: 79 min.
RRP: ~~£9.99~~
Price: £9.99

Review The Animals Of Farthing Wood - Friends & Enemies, No.5. [1993] / 2 Entertain Video:

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Review Walt Disney Home Video / Peter Pan - Return to Neverland [2002]

Peter Pan - Return to Neverland [2002] (Walt Disney Home Video)

Actors & Directors

Harriet Owen|Kath Soucie|Corey Burton|Jeff Bennett
Robin Budd

Release date: 2002-08-19
Run time: 70 min.
RRP: ~~£15.99~~
Price: £0.65

Review Peter Pan - Return to Neverland [2002] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Peter Pan soars back onto the screen in Disney's all-new animated feature, Return to Never Land. This sequel to the 1953 classic Peter Pan has a reassuringly old-fashioned feel, with computer-generated images and more-traditional artwork cleverly blended to recall the original. Wendy, now married with children, is living in a London ravaged by the blitz. Every night she enchants her small son with tales of pirates and Pan to distract him from the bombings but her serious young daughter Jane finds the stories of magic and fairies unconvincing in the face of a war-torn reality. After a fairly slow beginning establishing the bleak backdrop and the various characters-Jane's smug conscientiousness grates at times-the scene is set for the adventure to begin; and once the nefarious Hook and crew loom into sight, things really take off-literally. In Never Land nothing much has changed: the dastardly Captain Hook, now tormented by a clicking octopus rather than a ticking crocodile, just wants to be hated; his crew remain bloodthirsty but bumbling; and feisty fairy Tinker Bell shimmers around in a jealous strop when another female appears on the scene. Unfortunately, the story line hasn't changed much either, being a thin re-working of the original, although there is an interesting mirroring between mother and daughter-one who was afraid to grow-up and the other distrustful of childhood, with its emphasis on fun and lack of responsibility. It was never going to be easy to follow the original Peter Pan but Return to Never Land is an engaging sequel and the uplifting "So To Be One of Us" is Disney music at its best. (Ages 3 to 9)-Helen Baker.

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Review 2 Entertain Video / Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Biggest Party Video Ever!

Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Biggest Party Video Ever! (2 Entertain Video)

Actors & Directors

George Carlin
Michael Brandon
Alec Baldwin

Release date: 1998-03-23
Run time: 100 min.
RRP: ~~£9.99~~
Price: £5.25

Review Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Biggest Party Video Ever! / 2 Entertain Video:

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Review 2 Entertain Video / Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Thomas' Train And Other Stories

Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Thomas' Train And Other Stories (2 Entertain Video)

Actors & Directors

Alec Baldwin
Michael Brandon
George Carlin

Release date: 1995-07-03
Run time: 100 min.
Price: £9.99

Review Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Thomas' Train And Other Stories / 2 Entertain Video:

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Review Sony Pictures Home Entertainment / The Swan Princess [1995]

The Swan Princess [1995] (Sony Pictures Home Entertainment)

Actors & Directors

Michelle Nicastro
Howard McGillin
Steven Wright
Richard Rich
Jack Palance
John Cleese

Release date: 1996-07-15
Run time: 93 min.
RRP: ~~£13.99~~
Price: £1.95

Review The Swan Princess [1995] / Sony Pictures Home Entertainment:

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Rover Dangerfield - The Dog Who Gets No Respect [1991] (Warner Home Video)

Actors & Directors

Ronnie Schell
Ned von Leuck
Dennis Blair
Jim George (II)
Rodney Dangerfield
Bob Seeley
Burton Sharp

Release date: 1994-08-01
Run time: 70 min.
Price: £5.99

Review Rover Dangerfield - The Dog Who Gets No Respect [1991] / Warner Home Video:

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Review Walt Disney Home Video / The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000]

The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000] (Walt Disney Home Video)

Actors & Directors

Brian J. Smith
Samuel E. Wright
Jodi Benson

Release date: 2001-05-21
Run time: 72 min.
RRP: ~~£15.99~~
Price: £7.50

Review The Little Mermaid 2 - Return To The Sea [2000] / Walt Disney Home Video:

Ariel and her husband, Prince Eric, have a little problem with their daughter, Melody, in The Little Mermaid 2: Return to the Sea, the sequel to Disney's landmark The Little Mermaid. Melody is threatened by Morgana, the evil sister of the sea witch Ursula (both voiced by Pat Carroll). Before you can say "Briar Rose", Melody's parents decide to keep their daughter's roots a secret, forbidding her to learn about the ocean while Morgana is around. Now the budding teenager secretly frolics in the sea with Ariel's old friends, Sebastian and Scuttle. When she learns the truth from Morgana, Melody becomes an unknowing pawn in her scheme-and Mum has to take to the sea again to help. As with Disney's other made-for-video sequels, The Little Mermaid 2 looks and sounds wonderful (and reunites much of the same vocal talent). Four to nine-year-olds who grew up with the original will certainly enjoy seeing the friends again. A new set of artists has come up with four catchy tunes and some fun new characters, including Tip and Dash, a pensive penguin and his blubbery walrus friend. Yet where Beauty and the Beast had a deliberate Christmas-themed sequel and Pocahontas told the tale of her historical trip to England, the plot here is somewhat forced. It is pretty much a rehash of the first film with different characters. [+]

Tip and Dash are a reincarnation of Timon and Pumbaa and Morgana is exactly like her sister, except thinner. Besides the stellar music, this unneeded sequel also misses another important aspect of the original-heart. -Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.

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The Smurfs - Tailor's Magic Needle/Petrified Smurfs - Animated [1989] (2 Entertain Video)

Actors & Directors

The Smurfs

Run time: 49 min.
Price: £9.99

Review The Smurfs - Tailor's Magic Needle/Petrified Smurfs - Animated [1989] / 2 Entertain Video:

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Review Channel 5 / The Gingerbread Man [1998]

The Gingerbread Man [1998] (Channel 5)

Actors & Directors

Embeth Davidtz
Tom Berenger
Daryl Hannah
Robert Altman
Kenneth Branagh
Robert Downey Jr.

Release date: 1997-06-16
Run time: 50 min.
RRP: ~~£2.99~~
Price: £9.98

Review The Gingerbread Man [1998] / Channel 5:

When released in 1997, The Gingerbread Man was the only John Grisham movie that did not use one of the popular novelist's bestsellers as its inspiration. Rather, it's based on an original screenplay by Grisham that displays the author's familiar flair for Southern characters and settings within a labyrinthine plot propelled by his trademark narrative twists and turns. Sporting a spot-on Georgian accent, Kenneth Branagh plays a Savannah attorney who comes to the assistance of a troubled woman (Embeth Davidtz) and finds himself enmeshed in a scenario involving the woman's father (Robert Duvall) that grows increasingly complex and dangerous, where nothing, of course, is really as it seems. It's a totally absorbing movie made in the modern film noir tradition; what's most interesting here (and most underrated by critics at the time) is the combination of Grisham's mainstream mystery and the offbeat style of maverick director Robert Altman. Despite a battle with executives that nearly caused Altman to disown the film, The Gingerbread Man demonstrates the director's skill in bringing a fresh, characteristically offbeat approach to conventional material, especially in the use of a threatening hurricane to hold the plot in a state of dangerous urgency. Unfortunately overlooked during its theatrical release, this intelligent thriller provides a fine double bill with Francis Coppola's film of Grisham's The Rainmaker. -Jeff Shannon.

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