Actors & Directors
- Michelle Horn
- Liz Callaway
- Darrell Rooney
- Matthew Broderick
- Rob LaDuca
- Neve Campbell
- Moira Kelly
Run time: 78 min.
RRP: £16.99
Price: £4.69
Review Lion King II, The: Simba's Pride / Walt Disney Home Video:The Lion King II: Simba's Pride is another made-for-video sequel to a Disney masterpiece. As with the Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas sequels, most of the recognisable vocal talents return, creating a worthwhile successor to the highest-grossing animated film ever. We pick up the story as the lion king, Simba (voiced by Matthew Broderick) and Nala (Moira Kelly) have a new baby cub, a girl named Kiara (Neve Campbell). Like her father before, she seeks adventure and ends up outside the Pridelands, where lions loyal to the evil Scar (who died in the original) have lived with revenge in their hearts. The leader, Zira (a spunky turn from Suzanne Pleshette), schemes to use her son Kovu (Jason Marsden) to destroy Simba. As luck with have it, Kiara has bumped into Kovu and fallen in love. This all sounds familiar since all of Disney's straight-to-video sequels have played it very safe, nearly repeating the originals' story, tone, and pace. Perhaps there were too many cooks for this production. Besides the two screenplay credits, there are eight other writers credited for additional written material. The look of the film has none of the surprise of the original but is far superior to other animated videos. [+]In fact, the film played in European cinemas. For children, the sequel will be a favourite. The comic antics of Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumba (Ernie Sabella) are enjoyable, as is Andy Dick as Nuka, the mixed-up older son of Zira. And there's plenty of action. The best element is the music. Relying on more African-influenced music, the five songs featured are far superior to those in Disney's other sequels. Zira's song of revenge, "My Lullaby," was cowritten by Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon. The oustanding opening number, "He Lives in You", was created for the Lion King Broadway smash and now finds a whole new audience. -Doug Thomas.
Actors & Directors
- Nicholas Opolski
- Ian Munro
- Mary-Ann Henshaw
- Michael Ailwood
- Sandie Lillingston
- Ken Radley
- Duncan Wass
Run time: 76 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £4.94
Review Bananas In Pyjamas - Painted Bananas / Banana Hiccups / ITV DVD:
![Review Carlton Visual Entertainment Ltd / Bananas In Pyjamas - Monster Bananas [1996]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/5188PPG1T9L._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Ken Radley
- Ian Munro
- Mary-Ann Henshaw
- Duncan Wass
- Sandie Lillingston
- Michael Ailwood
- Nicholas Opolski
Run time: 90 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £5.00
Review Bananas In Pyjamas - Monster Bananas [1996] / Carlton Visual Entertainment Ltd:
Release date: 2000-09-25
Run time: 45 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £9.99
Review Spot's Show And Other Musical Adventures / Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainm:
![Review Carlton Visual Entertainment Ltd / Rosie & Jim-Puppet Show [1991]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51E9656Q07L._SL160_.jpg)
Run time: 60 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £6.99
Review Rosie & Jim-Puppet Show [1991] / Carlton Visual Entertainment Ltd:
Release date: 2001-04-02
Run time: 40 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £9.99
Review X-Men - Vol. 8 - Mastermold / Universal Pictures UK:It took a while for Marvel Comics' X-Men to make it onto the big screen, but in retrospect they were always an obvious target for kids TV. Theirs is the classic tale of teenage alienation, given a comic book twist: when puberty hits, as their peers grow hair in funny places and discover the joys of the opposite sex, certain young people begin to manifest strange super powers. Dubbed "mutants", they find themselves with any number of abilities that set them apart from their human peers. Some can fly, some can fire force-beams from their eyes, some can read minds, some are super-strong, some sprout wings; there are as many different powers as there are mutants. However, normal humans are jealous of mutants, and mutants find themselves hunted and/or ostracised by society. In order to fight this prejudice, the heroic X-Men were brought together as teenagers by the telepathic Professor X and trained to use their powers for the good of all humanity. The animated X-Men series, which first debuted in the early 1990s, remained fairly faithful to the classic comic book series, inheriting several of the more popular characters (Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, The Beast, etc) and, for the most part, leaving their personalities intact. Wolverine is still a surly little thug with a heart of gold, although his razor-sharp claws are now mainly used to slice up robots and other machines (less blood that way); Cyclops is their relatively square leader; The Beast is a bookworm, prone to literary quotations at random points in his conversation; and Gambit is the charming Cajun rogue. Unfortunately, the animation of X-Men is, quite frankly, just not up to scratch, especially when judged against the much more stylish Batman: The Animated Series, which was on television at the same time. Moreover, the pacing of X-Men is, at times, painfully slow, so the action sequences plod along at a speed that would probably bore most Pokémon addicts. [+]-Robert Burrow.
Release date: 2001-03-12
Run time: 40 min.
Price: £9.99
Review X-Men - Vol. 6 - Mr Sinister / Universal Pictures UK:
![Review Warner Home Video / Looney Tunes - Sylvester And Tweety [1988]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51QXZD98XSL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 1990-09-10
Run time: 66 min.
Price: £4.99
Review Looney Tunes - Sylvester And Tweety [1988] / Warner Home Video:
![Review Channel 5 / The Adventures Of Paddington Bear [1975]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HZ1DPNGZL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Barry Leith
- Joel Grey
- Michael Hordern
Run time: 45 min.
RRP: £2.99
Price: £2.99
Review The Adventures Of Paddington Bear [1975] / Channel 5:
Actors & Directors
- Jemima Puddle-Duck
- Tom Kitten
Run time: 25 min.
RRP: £6.99
Price: £4.85
Review The Tale Of Tom Kitten And Jemima Puddle-Duck / ITV DVD:
![Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Rugrats In Paris - The Movie [2000]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51YFZFYDBTL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Cheryl Chase
- Paul Demeyer
- Tara Strong
- Stig Bergqvist
- Elizabeth Daily
- Joe Alaskey
- Christine Cavanaugh
Run time: 75 min.
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.48
Review Rugrats In Paris - The Movie [2000] / Paramount Home Entertainment:The second theatrical film from the popular television show, Rugrats in Paris is better than the original surprise hit, The Rugrats Movie. Instead of delving into their rich fantasy life, the Rugrats gang goes on a real adventure when their families visit Paris together. Mr Pickles is brought over to fix his giant Reptar robot, the centerpiece of EuroReptarland (a biting version of the trouble-plagued EuroDisney). The underlying story has Chuckie (the one with the square glasses) looking for a new mummy, as his dad (who has a square personality) starts to fall for a villainous executive (voiced by Susan Sarandon). Soon Paris takes it on the chin as the diaper gang tries to save Chuckie's dad from the altar. The success of the Rugrats is in the writing, where much thought goes into finding comic gems for the adults (there are wonderful parodies of The Godfather and King Kong that will sail over kids' heads). The garble-mouthed youngsters keep up their joyful ways in this 78-minute feature that feels no different from their Nickelodeon series except in length, some 3-D animation sequences, and an eclectic song score (with Cyndi Lauper's "I Want a Mom That Will Last Forever" the real catch). (Ages six and older) -Doug Thomas, Amazon. com.
![Review Walt Disney Home Video / Sesame Street - 1,2,3 Count With Me / Imagine That [1998]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51H86528X8L._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 1998-08-17
Run time: 68 min.
Price: £9.99
Review Sesame Street - 1,2,3 Count With Me / Imagine That [1998] / Walt Disney Home Video:Join Ernie at The Furry Arms Hotel for a musical lesson in just how useful counting can be. When Ernie finds and returns a misplaced key, he uses his knowledge of numbers to return the key to the correct guest. As Ernie begins to learn about the hotel business, he finds many common situations in which counting is essential. Throughout the 30-minute video, Ernie and his friends help children learn to count from one to 20 with such songs as the jazzy "That's How the Numbers Go", an original version of the Chorus Line show tune "One" and "Rap Song #11". Favourite Sesame Street characters Elmo and The Count are joined by new characters including Ding the Dinger, a furry fellow with a bell on his head, and Benny, the bellboy that responds to Ding the Dinger's dings. Children as young as 18 months will bounce happily along with the catchy tunes and two-year-olds will be inspired to count aloud with Ernie. Kids up to age five will hone their counting skills and laugh at the increasingly frustrated Benny as he delivers everything from one bucket of ice to 15 stampeding elephants! If you're looking for a fun video that teaches counting skills, here it is. -Tami Horiuchi.
![Review 2 Entertain Video / Noddy 2 - Noddy And The Kite [1993]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51HKS8YGHZL._SL160_.jpg)
Release date: 1997-04-02
Run time: 40 min.
Price: £4.99
Review Noddy 2 - Noddy And The Kite [1993] / 2 Entertain Video:
![Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Simpsons, The - Sex, Lies And The Simpsons [1990]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/413EGWED7TL._SL160_.jpg)
Actors & Directors
- Doris Grau
- Marcia Mitzman Gaven
Run time: 88 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £0.97
Review Simpsons, The - Sex, Lies And The Simpsons [1990] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:
Release date: 2003-11-03
Run time: 27 min.
RRP: £12.99
Price: £9.99
Review Baby Shakespeare (Baby Einstein Learning Laboratory) / Walt Disney Home Video:The fourth "video board book" from the Baby Einstein people is their most engaging product yet. Aimed at slightly older audiences (ages 1 to 4), Baby Shakespeare combines poetry with the usual mix of festive classical music, bright objects and happy thoughts designed to stimulate young minds. This video is aimed at exposing little tykes to the language context. Twelve words (grass, tree, etc. ) are explored in pictures and poem form with plenty of playful stops for children singing their ABCs and close-ups of brightly coloured toys in action. We even meet Baby Einstein's first host: a dragon puppet named Bard, who (along with his friends) playfully participates in the action. He deserves a repeat performance. -Doug Thomas.
Release date: 1998-05-18
Run time: 110 min.
RRP: £10.99
Price: £24.98
Review Rosie And Jim - Splish Splash Splosh - Box Set / 2 Entertain Video:
Release date: 1998-08-17
Run time: 68 min.
Price: £9.99
Review Sesame Street - 1,2,3 Count With Me / Imagine That [1998] / Walt Disney Home Video:Join Ernie at The Furry Arms Hotel for a musical lesson in just how useful counting can be. When Ernie finds and returns a misplaced key, he uses his knowledge of numbers to return the key to the correct guest. As Ernie begins to learn about the hotel business, he finds many common situations in which counting is essential. Throughout the 30-minute video, Ernie and his friends help children learn to count from one to 20 with such songs as the jazzy "That's How the Numbers Go", an original version of the Chorus Line show tune "One" and "Rap Song #11". Favourite Sesame Street characters Elmo and The Count are joined by new characters including Ding the Dinger, a furry fellow with a bell on his head, and Benny, the bellboy that responds to Ding the Dinger's dings. Children as young as 18 months will bounce happily along with the catchy tunes and two-year-olds will be inspired to count aloud with Ernie. Kids up to age five will hone their counting skills and laugh at the increasingly frustrated Benny as he delivers everything from one bucket of ice to 15 stampeding elephants! If you're looking for a fun video that teaches counting skills, here it is. -Tami Horiuchi.
Release date: 2001-04-02
Run time: 40 min.
Price: £9.99
Review X-Men - Vol. 7 - Omega Red / Universal Pictures UK:It took a while for Marvel Comics' X-Men to make it onto the big screen, but in retrospect they were always an obvious target for kids TV. Theirs is the classic tale of teenage alienation, given a comic book twist: when puberty hits, as their peers grow hair in funny places and discover the joys of the opposite sex, certain young people begin to manifest strange super powers. Dubbed "mutants", they find themselves with any number of abilities that set them apart from their human peers. Some can fly, some can fire force-beams from their eyes, some can read minds, some are super-strong, some sprout wings; there are as many different powers as there are mutants. However, normal humans are jealous of mutants, and mutants find themselves hunted and/or ostracised by society. In order to fight this prejudice, the heroic X-Men were brought together as teenagers by the telepathic Professor X and trained to use their powers for the good of all humanity. The animated X-Men series, which first debuted in the early 1990s, remained fairly faithful to the classic comic book series, inheriting several of the more popular characters (Wolverine, Cyclops, Rogue, Gambit, Storm, The Beast, etc) and, for the most part, leaving their personalities intact. Wolverine is still a surly little thug with a heart of gold, although his razor-sharp claws are now mainly used to slice up robots and other machines (less blood that way); Cyclops is their relatively square leader; The Beast is a bookworm, prone to literary quotations at random points in his conversation; and Gambit is the charming Cajun rogue. Unfortunately, the animation of X-Men is, quite frankly, just not up to scratch, especially when judged against the much more stylish Batman: The Animated Series, which was on television at the same time. Moreover, the pacing of X-Men is, at times, painfully slow, so the action sequences plod along at a speed that would probably bore most Pokémon addicts. [+]-Robert Burrow.
Release date: 1995-10-02
Run time: 44 min.
Price: £9.99
Review Brum - The Little Drummer Boy And Other Stories / 2 Entertain Video:
Actors & Directors
- Igor Kovalyov
- Cathy Malkasian
- Pete Michels
- Tara Strong
- Cree Summer
- Dionne Quan
- Steve Moore (VI)
- Nancy Cartwright
- Steve Socki
- Christine Cavanaugh
Run time: 58 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £4.73
Review Rugrats - Dr Tommy Pickles / Paramount Home Entertainment:
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Lion King II, The: Simba's Pride, Bananas In Pyjamas - Painted Bananas / Banana Hiccups, Bananas In Pyjamas - Monster Bananas [1996], Spot's Show And Other Musical Adventures, Rosie & Jim-Puppet Show [1991], X-Men - Vol. 8 - Mastermold, X-Men - Vol. 6 - Mr Sinister, Looney Tunes - Sylvester And Tweety [1988], The Adventures Of Paddington Bear [1975], The Tale Of Tom Kitten And Jemima Puddle-Duck, Rugrats In Paris - The Movie [2000], Sesame Street - 1,2,3 Count With Me / Imagine That [1998], Noddy 2 - Noddy And The Kite [1993], Simpsons, The - Sex, Lies And The Simpsons [1990], Baby Shakespeare (Baby Einstein Learning Laboratory), Rosie And Jim - Splish Splash Splosh - Box Set, Sesame Street - 1,2,3 Count With Me / Imagine That [1998], X-Men - Vol. 7 - Omega Red, Brum - The Little Drummer Boy And Other Stories, Rugrats - Dr Tommy Pickles |
