Review, buy Children's Videos: Chip 'n' Dale - Rescue Rangers - Three Men And A Birdie, Michael Jackson - History On Film Volume II [1996], The Powerpuff Girls [2002], Barney - Fun And Games [1996], All I Want For Christmas [1991], Thunderbirds - Episodes 29 And 30 [1965], Bob The Builder - Bob's Animal Friends [1999], The Adventures Of Prince Achmed [1926], Muppet Babies - Muppets In Toyland / Scooter's Uncommon Cold, Henry's Cat - Series 3, Bob the Builder: Building Friendships, UFO - Vol. 4 - The Square Triangle / Ordeal, Beauty And The Beast / Beauty And The Beast: The Enchanted Christmas [1991], Talespin: Hot Shot Heroes, The Treasure Seekers [1996], Mighty Morph'n Power Rangers - Calamity Kimberley / The Yolks On You, Sesame Street - Learning To Share / We All Sing Together [1998], the little mermaid tv series, The Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, Captain Caveman And The Teen Angels

The Powerpuff Girls, Cartoon Network's animated trio of butt-kicking superheroines, make their big-screen debut in a film that will please fans of the TV series and animation fans young and old. The plot begins with the girls' creation at the hands of the kindly but naive Professor Utonium, who combined "sugar, spice and all things nice" to create three perfect little girls-practical Blossom, feisty Buttercup, and wussy Bubbles. Unfortunately, his ape assistant, Jojo, broke a bottle of the mysterious Chemical X in the lab and the girls' superpowers-as well as Jojo's-were born. After wrecking Townsville during a somewhat boisterous game of Tag, the girls are treated as outcasts by their fellow citizens and determine never to use their powers in public again-until they're confronted by Jojo and the girls find themselves called upon to foil his evil schemes and "save the world before bedtime". Though it takes a while to get going, The Powerpuff Girls is exciting enough to keep younger viewers engrossed while throwing in a few-though not really enough-monkey-related in-jokes to get the adults chortling once in a while. The heavily stylised pastel colouring and frenetic pace of the animation, while distinctive, may be off-putting to people used to the more polished style of Disney, and some of the later scenes, full of screeching, sharp-toothed apes, may be upsetting to very young viewers. The film's ostensible message-"don't treat people badly just because they're different" seems to take a bit of a back seat too. Nevertheless, The Powerpuff Girls provides a solid 80 minutes of fun, despite lacking the mainstream appeal of the likes of Shrek or the Disney/Pixar movies. -Rikki Price.

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Review Universal Pictures UK / Barney - Fun And Games [1996]

Barney - Fun And Games [1996] (Universal Pictures UK)

Actors & Directors

Barney The Dinosaur

Release date: 1997-02-17
Run time: 47 min.
Price: £10.99

Review Barney - Fun And Games [1996] / Universal Pictures UK:

It is games galore as Barney, Baby Bop, BJ and their friends try to activate Barney's spectacular Game Machine. The group collects toys from games they've played and adds them to the Game Machine. The most fantastic game board appears and allows the children and dinos to participate in the best game day ever!. Songs: Barney Theme Song My Family's Just Right for Me Games Hippity Hop to the Barber Shop That's Hats The Barney Bag A Tisket, a Tasket, A Bean Bag Rasket Number Limbo Carnival of Numbers Silly Sounds Roll Over The Airplane Song My Yellow Blankey I Love YouGames: Hide and Seek Bowling Ring Toss Catch Bean Bag in a Basket Hopscotch The Limbo (Ages 1 to 6).

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Review Paramount Home Entertainment / All I Want For Christmas [1991]

All I Want For Christmas [1991] (Paramount Home Entertainment)

Actors & Directors

Ethan Embry
Thora Birch
Kevin Nealon
Robert Lieberman
Jamey Sheridan
Harley Jane Kozak

Release date: 1993-09-20
Run time: 88 min.
Creator: Thom Eberhardt
Price: £5.99

Review All I Want For Christmas [1991] / Paramount Home Entertainment:

In this family-friendly holiday film, all Ethan and Hallie want for Christmas is for their parents to get back together. Catherine (Parenthood's Harley Jane Kozak) and Michael (Chicago Hope's Jamey Sheridan) have been divorced for a year and now Catherine's dating a guy no one can stand, including her mother Lillian (Lauren Bacall). Michael, meanwhile, has opened a successful diner, but he misses Catherine. When Hallie (Thora Birch, years before American Beauty) overhears Catherine tell Lillian she and Tony (Kevin Nealon) are planning to marry, she and Ethan (Sweet Home Alabama's Ethan Embry) come up with a plan to strand their parents alone together on Christmas Eve. Hallie even asks Santa (Leslie Nielsen) to help them out. All I Want for Christmas doesn't pack any surprises, but it's suitable for all ages and features lively cameos from Andrea Martin as Lillian's housekeeper and Renée Taylor as Catherine's rodent-fearing wedding planner. -Kathleen C. Fennessy.

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Thunderbirds - Episodes 29 And 30 [1965] (ITV DVD)

Actors & Directors