Video Find the Perfect Gift    Send a Gift Certificate
Search 
Home › Children's Videos
Review Warner Home Video / The Amazing Panda Adventure [1995]
Actors & Directors
  • Christopher Cain
  • Wang Fei
  • Zhou Jian Zhong
  • Yi Ding
  • Ryan Slater
  • Stephen Lang
Release date: 1996-07-22
Run time: 81 min.
Creator: Steven Alldredge
RRP: £5.99
Price: £2.99

Review The Amazing Panda Adventure [1995] / Warner Home Video:


Review 2 Entertain Video / Wallace And Gromit - A Close Shave [1995]
Actors & Directors
  • Anne Reid
  • Peter Sallis
  • Nick Park
Release date: 1995-12-27
Run time: 30 min.
Creator: Bob Baker
RRP: £9.99
Price: £9.54

Review Wallace And Gromit - A Close Shave [1995] / 2 Entertain Video:

Hot from the international triumph of The Wrong Trousers, clay animator Nick Park knew that his third Wallace & Gromit film was going to have to be the biggest and best adventure yet for the mild-mannered inventor Wallace and his perceptive pooch Gromit. With the ambitiously zany plot of A Close Shave, Park and his fellow animators rose to the occasion and their film won the 1995 Academy Award (Park's second Oscar) for Best Animated Short. This time out, Wallace & Gromit have teamed up to provide a window-washing service, and that's how Wallace meets the lovely Wendolene Ramsbottom, a wool-shop owner whose malevolent dog Preston turns out to be the mastermind of a sheep-napping scheme! Of course, no Wallace & Gromit adventure can be without a grandiose gadget, so Wallace's latest invention is the Knit-O-Matic, a yarn-making machine capable of shearing a whole flock of sheep just a bit too efficiently! When the villainous Preston gains control of the mechanical knitting marvel, Gromit must race to the rescue, and A Close Shave reaches new heights of clay-animation mastery. Every shot is a testament to Nick Park's patience, his clever ingenuity, and his filmmaking flair. The movie's so technically impressive, in fact, that the whole world wondered where Park could go next. It was clear that Wallace & Gromit would eventually star in an animated feature-length movie, since this marvellous 30-minute film represents its own kind of short-form perfection. -Jeff Shannon, Amazon. com.

Actors & Directors
  • David Mitton|Ringo Starr|Michael Angelis|George Carlin
Release date: 1992-10-05
Run time: 45 min.
Price: £9.99

Review Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Percy And The Signal And Other Stories / 2 Entertain Video:


Review Walt Disney Home Video / Old Yeller
Actors & Directors
  • Jeff York
  • Fess Parker
  • Tommy Kirk
  • Dorothy McGuire
  • Chuck Connors
  • Robert Stevenson
Release date: 1994-04-18
Run time: 80 min.
Creator: William Tunberg
RRP: £10.99
Price: £5.23

Review Old Yeller / Walt Disney Home Video:


Review 4 Front Video / Casper [1995]
Actors & Directors
  • Brad Silberling|Bill Pullman|Christina Ricci|Cathy Moriarty
Release date: 2000-10-09
Run time: 96 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £5.99

Review Casper [1995] / 4 Front Video:

The 1995 family film Casper tries to put a fun spin on the story of a paranormalist and widower (Bill Pullman) who moves into a new house with his daughter (Christina Ricci) and meets up with the ghost of a dead little boy. Based on the comic book about Casper the friendly ghost, the film is a dreary series of awkward interactions between live actors and computer effects, and you can almost see Pullman and Ricci reconsidering the project while on camera. A few cameo appearances from uncredited stars help things a bit. But there's no way, based on this film, that one could have guessed that its director, Brad Silberling, would go on to make the exceptional drama City of Angels. This special edition DVD release includes a director's commentary and exhaustive 47-minute behind-the-scenes documentary, plus games and DVD-ROM content for the kids. -Tom Keogh.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Tweenies - Song Time 2 [1999]
Actors & Directors
  • Samantha Dodd
  • Bob Golding
  • Robin Carr
  • Justin Fletcher
  • C.H. Beck
  • Colleen Daley
Release date: 2000-03-27
Run time: 48 min.
RRP: £5.99
Price: £0.46

Review Tweenies - Song Time 2 [1999] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review First Independent Video / The Flintstones - I Yabba Dabba Do!
Actors & Directors
  • The Flintstones
Release date: 1994-03-28
Run time: 92 min.
RRP: £8.99
Price: £3.99

Review The Flintstones - I Yabba Dabba Do! / First Independent Video:


Review Paramount Home Entertainment / Forrest Gump [1994]
Actors & Directors
  • Robin Wright Penn
  • Gary Sinise
  • Sally Field
  • Robert Zemeckis
  • Tom Hanks
  • Mykelti Williamson
Release date: 1995-10-09
Run time: 136 min.
Creator: Winston Groom
RRP: £9.99
Price: £3.59

Review Forrest Gump [1994] / Paramount Home Entertainment:

If you read the label on a box of chocolates you'll know exactly what you're gonna get. Life isn't like that in Forrest Gump, however, which is one of the reasons why this movie divided appreciative audiences from hard-hearted critics like few others before it. Audiences responded to the Frank Capra-style sentimentality of this warm-hearted tale of a good ol' American boy making his way in the world without ever losing his pure and simple innocence. Critics, however, were made uneasy by the apparently reactionary subtext to the parallel lives of Forrest and his girlfriend Jenny. Her fate, contrasted with his, suggests a triumph for plain ol' American values over dangerous freethinking hippies and liberals. Whether the movie is just unadulterated sentiment or right-wing propaganda, one thing at least was acknowledged by all: that Forrest Gump displays all the craftsmanship of one of Hollywood's most inventive directors and features a central performance from an actor renowned for his total commitment to every role. Thanks to Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks, even the most cynical critic will find it hard not to shed at least one tear by the end of this undeniably engrossing movie. The soundtrack is great, too. On the DVD: another good two-disc set gives fans of Gump and budding filmmakers alike plenty to enjoy. The anamorphic picture and Dolby Surround on Disc 1 do full justice to Zemeckis' vision, which is accompanied by two commentaries: one from the director, producer Steve Starkey and production designer Rick Carter, and another one from producer Wendy Finerman. [+]
Disc 2 has the usual making of documentary (30 mins), plus some neat featurettes on the production and sound design and the many special effects shots (including how they made Gary Sinise lose his legs). In addition there are some screen tests of Robin Wright and a very young Haley Joel (The Sixth Sense) Osment, plus trailers and a photo gallery. All in all this is a worthwhile package. -Mark Walker.

Review 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment / Edward Scissorhands [1991]
Actors & Directors
  • Anthony Michael Hall
  • Johnny Depp
  • Dianne Wiest
  • Tim Burton
  • Kathy Baker
  • Winona Ryder
Release date: 1999-10-04
Run time: 100 min.
Creator: Richard Hashimoto
RRP: £5.99
Price: £1.89

Review Edward Scissorhands [1991] / 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment:

Edward Scissorhands achieves the nearly impossible feat of capturing the delicate flavour of a fable or fairy tale in a live-action movie. The story follows a young man named Edward (Johnny Depp), who was created by an inventor (Vincent Price, in one of his last roles) who died before he could give the poor creature a pair of human hands. Edward lives alone in a ruined Gothic castle that just happens to be perched above a pastel-coloured suburb inhabited by breadwinning husbands and frustrated housewives straight out of the 1950s. One day, Peg (Dianne Wiest), the local Avon lady, comes calling. Finding Edward alone, she kindly invites him to come home with her, where she hopes to help him with his pasty complexion and those nasty nicks he's given himself with his razor-sharp fingers. Soon Edward's skill with topiary sculpture and hair design make him popular in the neighbourhood-but the mood turns just as swiftly against the outsider when he starts to feel his own desires, particularly for Peg's daughter Kim (Winona Ryder). Most of director Tim Burton's movies (such as Pee Wee's Big Adventure, Beetlejuice and Batman) are visual spectacles with elements of fantasy but Edward Scissorhands is more tender and personal than the others. Edward's wild black hair is much like Burton's, suggesting that the character represents the director's own feelings of estrangement and co-option. Johnny Depp, making his first successful leap from TV to film, captures Edward's child-like vulnerability even while his physical posture evokes horror icons like the vampire in Nosferatu and the sleepwalker in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. [+]
Classic horror films, at their heart, feel a deep sympathy for the monsters they portray; simply and affectingly, Edward Scissorhands lays that heart bare. -Bret Fetzer On the DVD: Tim Burton is famed for his visual style not his ability as a raconteur, so it's no surprise to find that his directorial commentary is a little sparse. When he does open up it is to confirm that Edward Scissorhands remains his most personal and deeply felt project. The second audio commentary is by composer and regular Burton collaborator Danny Elfman, whose enchanting, balletic score gets an isolated music track all to itself with his remarks in-between cues. Again, for Elfman this movie remains one of his most cherished works, and it is a real musical treat to hear the entire score uninterrupted by dialogue and sound effects but illuminated by Elfman's lucid interstitial remarks. Also on the disc are some brief interview clips, a "making of" featurette and a gallery of conceptual artwork. The anamorphic widescreen print looks simply gorgeous. -Mark Walker.

Review / rapunzel (hanna barbera)(

Review rapunzel (hanna barbera)(:


Actors & Directors
  • Fireman Sam
Run time: 40 min.
Price: £8.99

Review Fireman Sam 3 - Sam's Day Off / 2 Entertain Video:


Review 2 Entertain Video / The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe [1988]
Actors & Directors
  • Jonathan R. Scott
  • Barbara Kellerman
  • Richard Dempsey
  • Sophie Cook
  • Sophie Wilcox
Release date: 1995-04-02
Run time: 162 min.
Creator: Ellen Freyer
RRP: £10.99
Price: £9.95

Review The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe [1988] / 2 Entertain Video:

This Alan Seymour dramatisation of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was originally broadcast as a BBC series in 1988. Edited here to feature length, it's simply superb. Whether you take CS Lewis's unsubtle Christian symbolism on board or not, the fact remains that the cycle of Narnia novels, of which The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe was the first, are among the best children's fantasy stories of all time. For anyone who spent their formative years on Mars, the story concerns four children who find their way into a magical land benevolently ruled by the mystical lion, Aslan (voiced by Ronald Pickup, no less). Aslan has been deposed by the evil White Witch (played wonderfully by a screechingly camp Barbara Kellerman) who has cast all of Narnia into perpetual winter and whose eventual defeat entails a fearful sacrifice. While the special effects are firmly of the Doctor Who school, Lewis's writing is expertly transferred to the small screen and there are robust but credible performances from the four highly plausible young thesps who are cast in the leading roles. The perfect video for cosy family (early) evening viewing, and one which young viewers will return to again and again. -Roger Thomas.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Rock 'n' Roll And Other Stories [1994]
Actors & Directors
  • Ringo Starr
  • George Carlin
  • Michael Brandon
  • Alec Baldwin
  • Michael Angelis
Release date: 1994-11-07
Run time: 44 min.
Creator: Lindsey Dillion-Massey
RRP: £9.99
Price: £24.99

Review Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Rock 'n' Roll And Other Stories [1994] / 2 Entertain Video:


Review MGM Entertainment / Fiddler On The Roof [1971]
Actors & Directors
  • Paul Mann
  • Norman Jewison
  • Topol
  • Leonard Frey
  • Norma Crane
  • Molly Picon
Release date: 2001-02-26
Run time: 171 min.
Creator: Sholom Aleichem
RRP: £5.99
Price: £5.85

Review Fiddler On The Roof [1971] / MGM Entertainment:

This rousing musical, based on the stories of Sholem Aleichem, takes place in pre-revolutionary Russia and centres on the life of Tevye (Topol), a milkman who is trying to keep his family's traditions in place while marrying off his three older daughters. Yet, times are changing and the daughters want to make their own matches, breaking free of many of the constricting customs required of them by Judaism. In the background of these events, Russia is on the brink of revolution and Jews are feeling increasingly unwelcome in their villages. Tevye-who expresses his desire for sameness in the opening number, "Tradition"-is trying to keep everyone, and everything, together. The movie is strongly allegorical-Tevye represents the common man-but it does it dextrously, and the resulting film is a stunning work of art. The music is excellent (it won Oscars for the scoring and the sound), with plenty of familiar songs such as "Sunrise, Sunset" and "If I Were a Rich Man," which you'll be humming long after the movie is over. Isaac Stern's violin-he provides the music for the fiddler on the roof-is hauntingly beautiful. And despite the serious subject matter, the film is quite comedic in parts; it also well deserves the Oscar it won for cinematography. -Jenny Brown Fiddler on the Roof arrived in cinemas in 1971, seven years after the Sheldon Harnick/Jerry Bock musical about Jewish life in a pre-Revolution Russian village first gripped Broadway. Based on the stories of Shalom Aleichem, with its potent mixture of sentiment and religious and historical context, it remains one of the most popular shows of the modern age. [+]
With the help of an outstanding performance from Topol as Tevye-the milkman with five daughters kicking at the constraints of tradition-Norman Jewison's captivating film retains a moving intimacy in its portrayal of relationships in changing times. But it also stretches the possibilities of location shooting-in this case the countryside of the former Yugoslavia-further than any musical movie before or since. The villagers are played by the inhabitants of the area, lending a poignant realism to the vibrant crowd scenes. And the cinematography is spectacular, with Jewison's clever use of distance generating an epic feel that helps to explain the story's continuing resonance and popularity. Topol's career-defining star turn is balanced by the warmth and sensitivity of the surrounding performances, particularly Norma Crane as his abrasive wife Golda. British sitcom fans will spot early appearances by Roger Lloyd Pack, and Ruth Madoc as the demonic butcher's wife, Fruma Sarah. At nearly three hours, it's a long emotional haul, but aided by some of the most beautiful songs in musical history, Jewison's Fiddler is ageless. On the DVD: Fiddler on the Roof Special Edition is presented on DVD in widescreen with a Dolby soundtrack that makes a mighty meal of John Williams' Oscar-winning musical adaptation. The most fascinating extras are a making-of documentary that shows a youthful, slightly tetchy Jewison at work, and a 2003 reminiscence in which all of his passion and feel for the piece has survived intact. He shares a commentary with Topol crammed with vivid memories and context. There is also a photographic gallery showing the resources that were used to give the film its authenticity, and Jewison reads extracts from original Aleichem stories. -Piers Ford.

Review Universal Pictures UK / Bagpuss, Clangers And Ivor [1969]
Actors & Directors
  • Oliver Postgate
  • Peter Firmin
  • David Edwards
  • Sandra Kerr
  • Oliver Postgate
  • John Faulkner
  • Olwen Griffiths
Release date: 2001-10-15
Run time: 480 min.
RRP: £19.99
Price: £3.95

Review Bagpuss, Clangers And Ivor [1969] / Universal Pictures UK:

Take a trip down nostalgia way and give your whole family a treat with this 3 VHS boxed setcontaining The Complete Clangers (Series 1), The Complete Ivor the Engineand The Complete Bagpuss. The Complete Bagpuss features that "old fat furry cat-puss" and his rag-bag pals (professor Yaffle the book-end woodpecker, Madelaine the rag doll, Gabriel the banjo playing toad and the Marvellous Mechanical Mouse Organ) as they come to life in their dusty toyshop habitat. The Complete Ivor The Engine gathers all the colour episodes of the story together for the delectation of engine-lovers, bringing little Ivor, who has been delighting children and adults for over three generations, well and truly to life. Last but by no means least is The Complete Clangers: never before, and never since, have such curious little creatures graced the small screen, tickling audiences (young and old) well and truly pink as they go about their business, whistling away on their blue-cratered moon. The ideal gift for nostalgia freaks, or for any parent who is looking for a new outlet for their toddlers attention, this three-in-one boxed set is an absolute must. - Susan Harrison.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Teletubbies - Dance With The Teletubbies
Release date: 1999-03-22
Run time: 52 min.
Creator: David Barry
RRP: £5.99
Price: £4.79

Review Teletubbies - Dance With The Teletubbies / 2 Entertain Video:

The British countryside has seen few raves like this one-our favourite Teletubbies are shown dancing through Teletubby Land with a few of their friends and, of course, their many rabbits. The "Stepping and Standing Dance" leads things off, followed by the "Walking Dance", "Running Away Dance", "Splashing Dance", and so forth (thankfully, we're spared from "Riverdance"). Of course, all this dancing-and even some clips of real children performing a few jigs-can wear a little thin on the patience of any child or parent. While younger children may want to perform some of the moves themselves (the "Tip Toe Dance" looks semi-appealing), everyone else risks becoming bored. The Teletubbies work best when, just like the typical preschooler, they all act differently, performing unique tasks (check out the effective Here Come the Teletubbies). On this video, they're all line dancing. There is some genuine weirdness for more mature Tubby aficionados: a vacuum cleaner starts dancing and a computer-animated bear does a convincing Grateful Dead-inspired number. But, for almost everyone else, it can't beat the TV show. -Jason Verlinde, Amazon. com.

Review Walt Disney Home Video / Swiss Family Robinson [1960]
Actors & Directors
  • Dorothy McGuire
  • Sessue Hayakawa
  • Ken Annakin
  • James MacArthur
  • John Mills
  • Janet Munro
Release date: 1994-04-18
Run time: 126 min.
Creator: Lowell S. Hawley
RRP: £10.99
Price: £4.75

Review Swiss Family Robinson [1960] / Walt Disney Home Video:

The Disney touch is all over this grand, colourful version of the Johann Wyss adventure of a European family setting off for the new world of New Guinea. The film opens on a ship jostled and torn by a raging storm while a family struggles to make it through alive. Tossed into a reef near a deserted tropical island, father John Mills takes charge and the family soon turns their island prison into a veritable paradise. Their multi-level tree house, built in record time, is complete with running water and a working pipe organ scavenged from the ship, while their grand yard is abloom in English roses. As a tale of hardship and pioneer pluck it's pure fantasy, but as entertainment it's energetic and appealing. The island is impossibly populated by ostriches, zebras, lions and elephants, a private zoo that delights the youngest boy and offers plenty of comic relief. The two older brothers discover even wilder life when they rescue the prisoner of oriental pirates (led by hard-bitten Sessue Hayakawa). There's little real danger anywhere in the film: even the climactic battle with the pirates is a cartoonish affair, with coconut bombs and non-lethal booby traps, until the final desperate, deadly moments. Hardly a faithful adaptation of the novel, but a lush, beautifully shot film and an entertaining adventure safe for all ages. Dorothy McGuire co-stars as the proper, worry-prone mother. [+]
-Sean Axmaker.

Review 4 Front Video / The Borrowers [1997]
Actors & Directors
  • Mark Williams
  • John Goodman
  • Peter Hewitt
  • Flora Newbigin
  • Celia Imrie
  • Jim Broadbent
Release date: 2000-10-09
Run time: 87 min.
Creator: Mary Norton
RRP: £5.99
Price: £4.98

Review The Borrowers [1997] / 4 Front Video:

The popular children's books by Mary Norton have been filmed before, but never with as much imagination and ingenuity as you'll find on display in this delightful fantasy film released to critical praise in 1998. The eponymous Borrowers are a family of tiny people who live in the walls and under the floorboards in the homes of "normal-sized" humans; they earn their by "borrowing" the household items (string, food crumbs, buttons, and so on) needed to furnish their tiny hiding places and provide their meals. The little Clock family lives happily undisturbed in the home of an aged aunt, but when the aunt dies and her will is stolen by an unscrupulous lawyer (John Goodman), the Clocks face eviction and the frightening hazards of the outside world. Under the ingenious direction of Peter Hewitt, this simple, straightforward movie mixes comedy, adventure, and suspense with some of the cleverest special effects you've ever seen, taking full advantage of effects technologies to immerse you in the world of the tiny people. A climactic chase scene in a milk-bottling plant is a visual tour de force, and the movie's smart and dazzling enough to entertain parents and children alike. After its modest success in cinemas, The Borrowers stands a good chance of becoming a home-video favourite. -Jeff Shannon.

Review 2 Entertain Video / Nursery Rhyme Time - 60 Favourite Children's Nursery Rhymes
Actors & Directors
  • Tony Bluto
  • Janet Palmer
Release date: 1995-03-06
Run time: 60 min.
Price: £9.99

Review Nursery Rhyme Time - 60 Favourite Children's Nursery Rhymes / 2 Entertain Video:


Review 2 Entertain Video / S Club 7 In Hollywood
Actors & Directors
  • Paul Cattermole
  • Joe Nathan
  • Jon Lee
  • Danny Kaplan
  • Tina Barrett
  • Rachel Stevens
  • Hannah Spearritt
Release date: 2002-04-29
Run time: 30 min.
Creator: Simon Braithwaite
RRP: £19.99
Price: £26.98

Review S Club 7 In Hollywood / 2 Entertain Video:


Browse Children's Videos:

Models & Brands:
The Amazing Panda Adventure [1995], Wallace And Gromit - A Close Shave [1995], Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Percy And The Signal And Other Stories, Old Yeller, Casper [1995], Tweenies - Song Time 2 [1999], The Flintstones - I Yabba Dabba Do!, Forrest Gump [1994], Edward Scissorhands [1991], rapunzel (hanna barbera)(, Fireman Sam 3 - Sam's Day Off, The Chronicles Of Narnia - The Lion, The Witch And The Wardrobe [1988], Thomas The Tank Engine And Friends - Rock 'n' Roll And Other Stories [1994], Fiddler On The Roof [1971], Bagpuss, Clangers And Ivor [1969], Teletubbies - Dance With The Teletubbies, Swiss Family Robinson [1960], The Borrowers [1997], Nursery Rhyme Time - 60 Favourite Children's Nursery Rhymes, S Club 7 In Hollywood

Top headlines:
Search 
DVD Rental: try it for free