The latest on Blu-ray films & games
The Sci-fi Channel has a great comp running to win Blu-Ray DVD Player and the Star Trek DVD box set
- Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1 on blu-ray DVD
- Star Trek: Alternate Realities Fan Collective
- Star Trek: The Original Motion Picture Collection on blu-ray DVD
- Plus if that wasn’t enough… A Samsung BD-P1500 Blu Ray DVD Player
| Essential viewing this week…from Lovefilm |
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Frost/Nixon (Cert 15, 116 mins, Universal Pictures UK, Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon, Matthew Macfadyen, Oliver Platt, Sam Rockwell, Rebecca Hall.
Based on the award-winning stage play by Peter Morgan, who pens the screenplay, Frost/Nixon sensationally documents the efforts of British talk show host David Frost (Sheen) to interview shamed former US President Richard Nixon (Langella), the first President to resign from the Oval Office in the wake of the Watergate scandal. The film recreates the build-up to the four interviews as Nixon and his advisors, led by Jack Brennan (Bacon), look forward to running rings around Frost and his three-strong research team: John Birt (Macfadyen), Bob Zelnick (Platt) and James Reston (Rockwell). The first couple of tapings are a disaster and Frost looks like a buffoon, concentrating on his romance with Caroline Cushing (Hall) rather than research. However, as the agreed interview time nears an end, Frost begins to get under the skin of Nixon and incites him to lay himself bare before a television audience of millions. Frost/Nixon is a terrific distillation of a time that America would possibly rather forget. Langella reprises his role as the fallen President, whose sense of right and wrong has become horribly confused. Sheen is equally compelling as the charming ladies man and bon viveur, who is completely out of his depth against such a well-drilled opponent. Verbal fireworks from the two leads are complimented by strong supporting turns from Bacon as an ardent patriot, who won’t let anyone besmirch the elderly statesman and Rockwell as a rabble-rouser, who makes it abundantly clear from the start, “I want to give Richard Nixon the trial he never had!”
DVD Extras: Director commentary, deleted scenes, “The Making Of Frost/Nixon” featurette, “The Interview” footage from the actual encounter, “The Nixon Library” featurette; Blu-ray: Director commentary, deleted scenes, “The Making Of Frost/Nixon” featurette, “The Interview” footage from the actual encounter, “The Nixon Library” featurette, Picture-in-Picture U-Control option, “The Nixon Chronicles” featurette, “Discovering Secrets: The People And Places Behind The Story” featurette.
Rating: ****
Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans (Cert 18, 88 mins, Entertainment In Video, Horror/Action, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Underworld Trilogy DVD £29.99/Blu-ray £24.99/Underworld Trilogy Blu-ray £40.99)
Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra.
The third instalment of the Underworld series sketches the origins of the ancient feud between the vampires and werewolves, concocting another forbidden inter-species romance, which sparks centuries of bloodshed and misery. As Viktor (Nighy) continues to rule the aristocratic bloodsuckers with an iron fist, an enslaved Lycan called Lucian (Sheen), who is able to suppress the beast within, rises up the ranks within the vampire castle stronghold, tamed by a natty silver collar. He dutifully helps his fanged masters to quash the feral werewolves, which threaten the Death Dealers reign, and then embarks on a secret affair with Viktor’s spunky daughter, Sonja (Mitra). When Lucian is presented with an opportunity to lead his persecuted race in a rebellion against the enemies, who have persecuted them for hundreds of years, he casts off his chains in a series of darkly lit and violent action set pieces, spattered with impressive computer-generated effects. Underworld: Rise Of The Lycans bid farewell to director Len Wiseman and leading lady Kate Beckinsale as Patrick Tatopoulos takes up the reins behind the camera. The absence of these key figures from the franchise is a strong indication of the weaknesses of the script, co-written by Danny McBride, Dirk Blackman and Howard McCain. Sheen is impressively buff but, like the rest of the film, there’s considerably more brawn than brains, while Nighy nudges the film into the realms of tongue-in-cheek camp. A three-disc DVD box set, comprising Underworld, Underworld: Evolution and this third film, is also available.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, “From Script To Screen” featurette, “Origin Of The Feud” featurette, “Recreating The Dark Ages: The Look Of Underworld” featurette, Death Club music video.
Rating: **
Bride Wars (Cert 12, 85 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Comedy/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £28.99)
Starring: Kate Hudson, Anne Hathaway, Candice Bergen, Chris Pratt, Steve Howey.
Best friends Liv (Hudson) and Emma (Hathaway) share the same dream: to be married in the splendour of the Plaza Hotel in New York City. Thanks to event planner Marion St Claire (Bergen), the women both get their wish, just weeks apart in sunny June, and they excitedly begin to plan every detail of their big days. Then disaster strikes: due to an administrative error, the friends are double-booked on the same day meaning that only one of them can walk down the aisle at the dream venue. Reluctant to give up their fantasy, the friends set about sabotaging each other’s weddings so only one of them will be able to tie the knot at the Plaza, pitting Liv, a ball-breaking lawyer who always gets her own way – at any cost, against Emma, a demure, selfless teacher, who can ill-afford her dream nuptials at the venue. Bride Wars is a dull, lifeless comedy, which lacks the sparkle of The Wedding Singer or My Best Friend’s Wedding. Hudson and Hathaway try not to grimace at the tedious, limp dialogue, but it’s hard to care for either woman while their fiances (Pratt, Howey) provide little more than a bemused backdrop to the brides’ crazed antics, which include the sabotage of a tanning session and a hair appointment. All very silly. The ending is as predictable as the two women’s journeys of self-discovery, which sees them acknowledge their faults and in one case, question the sense of stepping down the aisle. Meanwhile, we question why we sat through this fluff.
DVD Extras: “Meet Me At The Plaza” featurette, “The Perfect White Dress” featurette, “In Character With Kate Hudson” featurette, “In Character With Anne Hathaway” featurette, “Mad Den” featurette, “Maid Of Honour” featurette, “Amanda-Cam” featurette, 7 deleted scenes including new opening, 2 improvised scenes (Amanda’s wedding speech, Liv at Tanhatten); Blu-Ray: “Meet Me At The Plaza” featurette, “The Perfect White Dress” featurette, “In Character With Kate Hudson” featurette, “In Character With Anne Hathaway” featurette, “Mad Den” featurette, “Maid Of Honour” featurette, “Amanda-Cam” featurette, 7 deleted scenes including new opening, 2 improvised scenes (Amanda’s wedding speech, Liv at Tanhatten), free digital copy of the film.
Rating: **
Defiance (Cert 15, 131 mins, Momentum Pictures Home Entertainment, Drama/Action/Romance, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, Ravil Isyanov, Martin Hancock.
As Hitler’s army marches through Belarussia, three Jewish brothers escape the onslaught to lead hundreds of survivors into the dense forests. While Tuvia Bielski (Craig) and his gentle, youngest sibling Asael (Bell) establish an ever-expanding community beneath the tree canopy, fiery-tempered middle son Zus (Schreiber) refuses to stand by as his people are wiped out. He abandons the refuge and aligns himself with Viktor Panchenko (Isyanov), charismatic commander of an otriad determined to strike at the heart of the Nazi machine. In Zus’s absence, Tuvia struggles to maintain control of the rapidly swelling number of refugees, constantly meeting resistance from rival, Peretz Shorshaty (Hancock). Thankfully, the beautiful Lilka (Davalos) and Asael help to keep Tuvia grounded as he awaits his middle brother’s return. Based on the book Defiance: The Bielski Partisans by Nechama Tec, Edward Zwick’s history lesson relates a stirring tale of heroism and sacrifice during the horrendous years of conflict in Europe. Unfortunately, awe and wonder about the incredible facts underpinning Zwick’s film gradually wane as the script, co-written with Clayton Frohman, distils facts at a pedestrian pace through competent action sequences and lack lustre verbal exchanges. Craig lacks spark in his pivotal role, delivering his character’s emotionally charged, rallying cries (“We may be hunted like animals but we will not become animals!”) without conviction, in an accent that comes and goes at whim. Schreiber is far more compelling as a man of action, who realises that time will not wait for a condemned man. Skirmishes between the Germans and rebels are well choreographed, providing respite from the limp, ponderous dialogue.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, “Return To The Forest: The Making Of Defiance” featurette; Blu-ray: Director commentary, “Return To The Forest: The Making Of Defiance” featurette, “Scoring Defiance” featurette, “Children of The Otriad” featurette, Bielski partisan photo gallery (as taken by director Ed Zwick).
Rating: ***
Sex Drive (Cert 15, 105 mins, Contender Home Entertainment, Comedy/Romance, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Josh Zuckerman, Clark Duke, Amanda Crew, James Marsden, Seth Green, Katrina Bowden, Caley Hayes, Alice Greczyn.
Frustrated that his 14-year-old younger brother has more success with girls, Ian Lafferty (Zuckerman) joins forces with buddy Lance (Duke) to drive the 500 miles separating Chicago from Knoxville, home to his internet fantasy, Ms Tasty (Bowden). Best friend Felicia (Crew) tags along for the exhausting eight-hour ride, which turns into three hellish days as the trio falls victim to outrageous misfortune. With Ian’s numbskull older brother, Rex (Marsden), on their trail, intent on reclaiming his ’borrowed’ Pontiac GTO, the trio races against the clock to find Ms Tasty with assistance from Amish mechanic Ezekiel (Green). Sex Drive is a filthy-minded, teen comedy baked to a similar recipe as American Pie. The central odyssey of randy indiscretions and male bonding takes all of the usual twists and turns, right down to the inclusion of the virgin’s longtime female best friend, who turns out to be his perfect match. Writer-director Sean Anders spikes the tried and tested formula with a homophobic older brother, helpful members of the Amish community and some trigger-happy cops. There’s no obvious method to his madness, but he conjures some decent if obvious laughs. Zuckerman and Duke are appealing accomplices in mayhem, the former playing the exasperated straight man, who thinks he has struck lucky with a blonde cheerleader (Hayes), only to realise she is a poster girl for abstinence. The latter smarms and charms as the libidinous wingman, who eventually loses his heart to an Amish lovely (Greczyn). Marsden overacts wildly as the bully, who doth protest too much. The DVD and Blu-ray both include the theatrical version of the film and the extended Ruder, Cruder, Nuder version.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, “Sex Drive: Making A Masterpiece” featurette, “The Marsden Dilemma” featurette, “Clark: Duke Of The Internet” featurette, “Killing Time In Hollywood” featurette.
Rating: ***
(Tormented Cut) (Cert 18, 106 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Horror/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Kiefer Sutherland, Paula Patton, Cameron Boyce, Erica Gluck, Amy Smart, Jason Flemyng, Mary Beth Peil.
Former NYPD detective Ben Carson (Sutherland) takes up temporary residence on his sister’s couch, separated from his beautiful wife Amy (Patton) and children Michael (Boyce) and Daisy (Gluck) after he is involved in the fatal shooting of an undercover colleague. Seeking absolution in alcohol, Ben begins the slow and painful road to recovery, which includes a menial job as a night security guard at the deserted Mayflower department store. The building famously burnt down five years ago with dozens of customers trapped inside its ornate, mirrored halls and corridors. During his nocturnal patrols of the building, Ben experiences horrific visions of the fire in the mirrors. As the hallucinations intensify, Ben learns that the mirrors need him to carry out their despicable plan. Mirrors teeters permanently on the brink of farce as characters compound one stupid decision with another. Unintentional comedy breaks up the tedium but not enough to warrant sitting through Alexandre Aja’s ridiculous horror yarn. Sutherland can’t escape his gun-toting Jack Bauer persona from the hit TV series 24, but he deserves credit for delivering his lines with a straight face. Patton’s hilariously wooden performance almost causes us to cheer when the evil spirits compel Amy to do herself a mischief in the bathtub. Her transformation from despairing cynic to fervent believer in her husband is accomplished in record time. The preposterous set-up is nothing compared to the histrionics of the all-action finale, when demonic possession and a reflection-shy nun (Peil) are flung into the already turgid mix.
DVD Extras: “Behind The Mirror” featurette, “Reflections: The Making Of Mirrors” featurette, deleted and alternative scenes; Blu-ray: “Behind The Mirror” featurette, “Reflections: The Making Of Mirrors” featurette, deleted and alternative scenes, Anna Esseker back story, animated storyboard sequence, Picture-in-Picture director commentary, PiP scene to storyboard comparison.
Rating: **
NEW TO BUY ON DVD
Hannah Montana – Season 1 (Cert PG, 611 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, DVD £30.99, Children/Musical/Drama/Romance)
Issued on DVD to coincide with the cinema release of Hannah Montana – The Movie, this four-disc collector’s set includes all 26 episodes of the popular Disney Channel television show about teenager Miley Stewart (Miley Cyrus) who has a secret: she is the real face of global singing superstar Hannah Montana, created so that Miley can have an ordinary life as a teenager. Miley’s father Robbie (Billy Ray Cyrus) and brother Jackson (Jason Earles) know the secret but her classmates don’t, until best friends Lilly (Emily Osment) and Oliver (Mitchel Musso) learn about the dual identity and vow to help Miley continue the charade.
DVD Extras: “Backstage Disney: Back Home Again With Miley” featurette, “Fan-nah Montana” featurette, Hannah’s Highlights.
All The Small Things (Cert 12, 343 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.56, Drama)
All six episodes of the BBC’s new drama about one woman’s quest to restore harmony to her quaint north of England community. Esther (Sarah Lancashire) juggles responsibilities as a mother and wife with her love for the local choir, conducted by her husband Michael (Neil Pearson). When beautiful soprano Layla (Sarah Alexander) joins the choir, she bewitches Michael and persuades him to jettison all of the weak singers for the sake of chasing competition prizes. His marriage to Esther suffers badly, so she joins forces with the choir rejects to form her own musical group, drawing on the talents of her teenage son Kyle (Richard Fleeshman) to provide the creative spark. Together, the members of the second choir must overcome their insecurities and fears to challenge Michael and Layla and sing to victory.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Ice Road Truckers – The Complete Season Two (Cert E, 526 mins, Go Entertain, DVD £19.99, Documentary)
Three-disc box set comprising 15 episodes of one of the most popular programmes on Five, celebrating the daring of the men and women who risk their lives to drive heavy, goods-laden lorries over the perilous, makeshift lanes of the Arctic Circle. Aware that the ice could give way at any moment, plunging the rig into the icy waters, the truckers spend three nerve-racking months earning the equivalent of a year’s salary to provide for loved ones waiting nervously at home for their safe return.
DVD Extras: none stated.
City Rats (Cert 15, 94 mins, Revolver Entertainment, DVD £12.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Drama/Romance)
Ensemble drama set in contemporary London where the fates of friends and strangers entwine. Jim (Tamer Hassan) contemplates suicide by leaping off the roof of his office. He is stopped in his tracks by the sight of Sammy (MyAnna Buring) on a neighbouring roof about to take the plunge herself. They descend to street level in search of an alternative, where Sammy’s artist and poet ex-boyfriend Dean (Ray Panthaki) hopes to persuade experimental prostitute Gina (Susan Lynch) to become his new muse. Alas, she won’t do anything for free, putting Dean in a quandary. One of his past flings, Olly (Kenny Doughty), is horribly confused about his sexuality and is even more shocked to discover that his deaf-mute brother Chris (James Lance) is also gay, but far more comfortable with his identity. So the siblings embark on a journey to help Olly lose his virginity. Pete (Danny Dyer) is also on a quest, to escape his violent, drug-addled past once and for all. However, an old lady called Carol (Natasha Williams) forces him to face the ghosts of the past, with devastating consequences.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Clubbed (Cert 18, 91 mins, Route One Releasing Ltd, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £24.99, Drama)
Based on the best-selling autobiography of Geoff Thompson, Clubbed is a gritty tale of violence in ’80s clubland in the East Midlands, where drugs and intimidation are an everyday occurrence. Shy factory worker Danny (Mel Raido) is left battered and bruised after he is attacked by three thugs in front of his daughters. Estranged from his childhood sweetheart, Angela (Maxine Peake), Danny decides to fight back by taking classes at a boxing club where he meets Louis (Colin Salmon), Sparky (Scot Williams) and Rob (Shaun Parkes), who all command respect as doormen at the Valhalla nightclub. Invited into this high-pressure world, Danny finds the courage to stand up for himself, but is soon out of his depth when he clashes with drug lord Hennessy (Ronnie Fox).
DVD Extras: Director and writer commentary, “Behind The Doors: The Making Of Clubbed” featurette, deleted scenes, TV spots, theatrical trailer.
I Can’t Think Straight (Cert 12, 79 mins, Nova Sales And Distribution, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)
Based on the third book by Shamim Sarif, I Can’t Think Straight is a modern day romance set in London, directed by the novelist and adapted for the screen with Kelly Moss. Tala (Lisa Ray), a dutiful Palestinian daughter based in London, is bound for the altar at an expensive and elaborate Middle Eastern wedding funded by her parents. However, she isn’t entirely sure about the union; doubts which are inflamed when she meets her pal’s British-Indian girlfriend, Leyla (Sheetal Sheth). The attraction between the two women is instant but Tala is afraid of the implications and flees to Jordan, abandoning Leyla to her unfulfilled life. As the big day approaches, Tala realises she cannot run away from her true feelings forever and she must make a choice between her family’s expectations and her heart’s desires.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, “The Making Of I Can’t Think Straight” featurette, alternative ending, “Little Feeling” music video and making of, Leonie Casanova and Shamim Sarif interview, photo gallery, The World Unseen trailer, theatrical trailer.
Bergerac – The Complete Eighth Series (Cert 12, 550 mins, 2entertain, DVD £24.46, Drama)
Long before Midsomer Murders, John Nettles solved crimes in his guise as dashing police officer Jim Bergerac, a member of the Bureau des Etrangers on Jersey, where he charges from one crime scene to the next in his red Triumph Roadster. Death casts its shadow close to home as Jim ventures to France in search of answers, crossing paths with yet more murderers, smugglers and spies. The three-disc box set includes all 10 episodes, plus the Christmas special “There For The Picking”, which concerns the shady world of computer hacking.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Timecrimes (Los Cronocrimenes) (Cert 15, 88 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99, Sci-Fi/Thriller)
Nacho Vigalondo’s debut feature – a time travel thriller that becomes increasingly complex as present and past overlap – is an exercise in ingenuity over limited budget. Everyman, Hector (Karra Elejalde), is staying in the countryside with sweetheart Clara (Candela Fernandez) when he happens to spy a naked woman (Barbara Goenaga) in the nearby woods. His curiosity piqued, Hector goes to investigate and is stabbed by a masked stranger. He seeks help from a scientist (Vigalondo) who tricks Hector into a sealed water pod, which ends up sending him back in time, almost colliding with a past version of himself. Caught between past and present, Hector attempts to resolve his temporal dilemma only to travel back a second time, thus pitching himself into close proximity with two incarnations of his self, each secret from the other.
DVD Extras: none stated.
The World Unseen (Cert 12, 91 mins, Nova Sales And Distribution, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)
Set against the turbulent backdrop of Apartheid-era South Africa, The World Unseen is an unconventional romantic drama written and directed by Shamim Sarif from her own novel. Racial divisions are apparent in 1952 Cape Town, where Amina (Sheetal Sheth) co-owns a cafe with Jacob (David Dennis). The ebb and flow of everyday life alters without warning when housewife and mother Miriam (Lisa Ray) visits the cafe with her sister-in-law Farah (Natalie Becker). The women’s eyes meet and Amina is smitten, despite Miriam having a chauvinist husband, Omar (Parvin Dabas), and a third child on the way. Little does Miriam know that her no-good husband is sleeping with Farah and during one of his sordid sojourns with his mistress, Amina visits the lonely wife at the store they own. Simmering sexual tensions threaten to boil over, but both women are acutely aware that it is not just their future at stake.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, “The Making Of The World Unseen” featurette, out-takes, deleted scenes, “Broken” music video and making of, Leonie Casanova interview, photo gallery, I Can’t Think Straight trailer, theatrical trailer.
20th Century Boys
20th Century Boys (Cert 15, 142 mins, 4Digital Asia, DVD £19.99, Sci-Fi/Drama/Action)
Inspired by the T Rex song with almost the same title, Yukihiko Tsutsumi’s live-action version of Naoki Urasawa’s manga series is the first instalment of a trilogy, revolving around a most unlikely hero. Mild-mannered supermarket manager Kenji (Toshiaki Karasawa) attends a school reunion where he is reminded of his adventurous youth and a nine-strong secret club with its own special logo. Kenji also thinks back to the creation of the Book Of Prophecies, a work of childhood fiction in which club members imagined a series of disasters including the rampage of a giant robot, plagues and devastating terrorist attacks. When these imagined events begin to unfold in real life, in exactly the same order, Kenji and his chums resolve to end the hellish fantasies. The DVD is packaged with a 24-page colour booklet.
DVD Extras: Japan premiere featurette, Paris premiere featurette, cast interviews, UK and Japanese theatrical trailers.
The Myth (Cert 15, 120 mins, Cine Asia, DVD £15.99/Blu-ray £19.99, Sci-Fi/Action/Comedy)
Martial arts superstar Jackie Chan reunites with director Stanley Tong for this spectacular 2005 adventure, which comes to DVD as a two-disc ultimate edition. World renowned archaeologist Jack (Chan) helps a friend to locate the burial chamber of China’s first emperor. In the process, he experiences vivid dreams of a former life as warrior General Meng Yi in ancient times. As past collides with the present, Jack unearths an ancient sword and a magical, gravity-defying gemstone, leading to a showdown with the legendary, 2000-year-old emperor, aided by beautiful princess Ok Soo (Kim Hee Seon).
DVD Extras: “Making Of”’ featurette, Cast and crew interviews, deleted scenes, lost scenes, 11 behind the scenes featurettes, Just For Laughs, Hong Kong premiere, music videos gallery, Easter Egg (Cannes Festival), theatrical trailer.
Shuttle (Cert 18, 102 mins, Metrodome Distribution, DVD £15.99, Horror/Thriller)
Girl friends Mel (Peyton List) and Jules (Cameron Goodman) return from holiday in the early hours of the morning to a largely deserted airport, apart from fellow passengers Matt (Dave Power) and Seth (James Snyder). The quartet accepts a shuttle bus ride from a slightly aggressive driver (Tony Curran), joining a fifth passenger (Cullen Douglas), who seems unnaturally nervous. The fifth man’s discomfort makes sense when the driver turns nasty and terrorizes the stricken passengers, forcing the two young, resourceful women to fight back.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Henry VIII: Mind Of A Tyrant (Cert E, 220 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.99, Documentary)
To celebrate the 400th anniversary of Henry VIII ascending the throne, renowned historian Dr David Starkey presents a four-part biography of the notorious monarch, charting more than six decades during which Henry was heralded as a breath of fresh air for the country, but culminated his reign as a bully and despot. The series unfolds in chronological order, focusing on the distinct periods in Henry’s life, including Prince (1485-1509), Warrior (1509-1525), Lover (1526-1536) and Tyrant (1533-1547).
DVD Extras: none stated.
Grow Your Own Drugs (Cert E, 168 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £15.99, Special Interest)
Ethnobotanist James Wong looks to wild hedgerows, meadows, suburban gardens and humble window boxes for the flowers, berries, roots, bulbs and herbs to cure or soothe pain from such common ailments as acne, cold sores, eczema, anxiety and insomnia. Full of practical advice and a brief history of the plant world, the series offers alternatives to conventional medicine with the caveat that viewers should always consult their doctor.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Horrid Henry (Completely Horrid Complete Collection) – Series One (Cert U, 572 mins, Abbey Home Media, DVD £19.99, Children)
Based on the bestselling books by Francesca Simon and illustrated by Tony Ross, this three-disc box set comprises 52 episodes of the CiTV animated series chronicling the misadventures of a mischievous boy. The DVD includes three previously unreleased instalments guaranteed to entertain young viewers.
DVD Extras: none stated.
DVD RETAIL TOP 10
1 (1) Madagascar – Escape 2 Africa
2 (2) Twilight
3 (3) Max Payne
4 (4) Inkheart
5 (5) Quantum Of Solace
6 (6) The Dark Knight
7 (7) Mamma Mia – The Movie
8 (8) Madagascar
9 (9)Chronicles Of Narnia – Prince Caspian
10 (-) Hancock
Australia (Cert 12, 158 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Romance/Drama/Comedy/Action, also available to buy DVD £22.99/Blu-ray £27.99)
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Hugh Jackman, Brandon Walters, David Wenham, Bryan Brown, David Gulpilil.
Lady Sarah Ashley (Kidman) leaves behind the finery of the English aristocracy to travel to the Australian outback and confront her husband Lord Ashley on the Faraway Downs cattle station. She finds her spouse dead and a huge property in financial disarray, on the brink of takeover by scheming King Carney (Brown), who controls the local cattle market. With the help of a swarthy drover (Jackman), Sarah decides to challenge Carney’s monopoly by herding 500-strong prize cattle all the way to port in the face of stiff opposition from her rival’s heir apparent, Neil Fletcher (Wenham). En route, Sarah and the drover fall passionately in love, becoming surrogate parents to an orphaned Aborigine boy, Nullah (Walters). Writer-director Baz Luhrmann pays tribute to his homeland with a sprawling love story set in the years before the Japanese bombing of Darwin, threaded with a critique of the ’re-education’ of Aborigine children. Australia is a sweeping, old-fashioned epic that marries Catherine Martin’s ravishing production design with Mandy Walker’s breathtaking cinematography, split loosely into three, tonally distinct chapters. Jackman’s rugged man of the earth generates palpable screen chemistry with Kidman, who has never looked more radiant and demonstrates perfect comic timing. Brown and Wenham all but twirl moustaches as the villains of the piece and newcomer Walters possesses that rare, unspoiled quality that so many young actors lose as they play out their childhoods in front of the camera. Pacing slackens perhaps as Japanese bombers descend on Darwin but by then, we’re mesmerized.
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes (What About The Drove?, Angry Staff Serve Dinner); Blu-ray: “Australia: The People, The History, The Location” featurette, photography featurette, production design featurette, costume design featurette, locations featurette, cinematography featurette, sound featurette, editing featurette, music featurette, visual effects featurette, deleted scenes (What About The Drove?, Angry Staff Serve Dinner).
Rating: ****
Bedtime Stories (Cert PG, 95 mins, Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment, Family/Comedy, also available to buy DVD £17.99/Blu-ray £20.99)
Starring: Adam Sandler, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Jonathan Pryce, Courteney Cox, Laura Ann Kessling, Jonathan Morgan Heit, Teresa Palmer.
Hotel handyman Skeeter Bronson (Sandler) tends to malfunctioning appliances in the hotel run by germ-phobic Barry Nottingham (Griffiths), who is preparing to hand over his empire to snivelling general manager Kendall (Pearce). Skeeter is a friend to one and all, including his divorced sister Wendy (Cox), who needs to leave town for a few days and asks her lovable brother to help look after her kids, Patrick (Heit) and Bobbi (Kessling). During the day, schoolteacher friend Jill (Russell) cares for the little tykes and in the evening, Skeeter takes charge, inventing tall tales full of daring deeds to send the little ones to sleep. When elements from the stories impact on real life, Skeeter wonders whether he might be able to manipulate fantasy to realise his dreams. Bedtime Stories is a colourful, big budget family feature, which promotes the message that dreams can come true. Having established his narrative gimmick, screenwriter Matt Lopez fails to mine the underlying, rich vein of comedy, relying heavily on Sandler’s childlike charm to spark the picture to life. It’s simply too much to ask, especially with the leading man playing second fiddle to special effect-laden dream sequences including an Evil Knievel-style chariot jump in a gladiatorial arena. Director Adam Shankman handles the collision of reality and fantasy well, but some elements beggar belief. The children’s pet guinea pig Bugsy, who is burdened with cartoonish eyes, is one computer-generated contrivance too far. Pearce looks ill at ease playing the slapstick bad guy but Russell Brand is good fun as a slacker waiter, essentially playing a PG-friendly version of himself.
DVD Extras: “Bugsy Eyes” exclusive bedtime story, “It’s Bugsy” featurette, “Until Gravity Do Us Part” featurette, “To All The Little People” featurette, “The Cutting Room Floor” deleted images with optional actor commentary, “Laughing Is Contagious” out-takes and bloopers, Dylan & Cole: Blu-ray Is Suite; Blu-ray: “Bugsy Eyes” exclusive bedtime story, “It’s Bugsy” featurette, “Until Gravity Do Us Part” featurette, “To All The Little People” featurette, “The Cutting Room Floor” deleted images with optional actor commentary, “Laughing Is Contagious” out-takes and bloopers, DVD copy of the film.
Rating: **
Dean Spanley (Cert U, 96 mins, Icon Home Entertainment, Drama/Comedy, also available to buy DVD £17.99)
Starring: Jeremy Northam, Peter O’Toole, Sam Neill, Bryan Brown, Judy Parfitt, Art Malik, Dudley Sutton.
In early 20th century London, Henslowe Fisk (Northam) makes his regular Thursday visit to his cantankerous father, Horatio (O’Toole), and desperately searches for a way to amuse the old man. So he drags his father to a lecture on the transmigration of souls, delivered by Swami Nala Prash (Malik). Sitting in the audience, the two men spy Dean Spanley (Neill), who later reveals a connection to Fisk Senior’s beloved dog, Wag. Determined to learn more, Henslowe enlists help of conveyancer Wrather (Brown) to procure a bottle of the rare 1889 Imperial Tokay wine, which should lure the Dean to dinner. With the nectar flowing almost as freely as the conversation, the holy man makes a shocking disclosure over the lamb stew cooked by Mrs Brimley (Parfitt), which brings tears to the eyes of the host. Adapted by Alan Sharp from Baron Dunsany’s 1936 novella My Talks With Dean Spanley, this quixotic shaggy dog story will warm the cockles of your heart. Toa Fraser’s gently paced tale of fractious father-son bonding in Edwardian England is blessed with strong performances, from Northam’s laconic narrator who unexpectedly rebuilds bridges with his old man to O’Toole’s sharp-tongued rogue, snaffling all of the best lines. The script strikes just the right tone, juxtaposing a menagerie of playful and earthy supporting characters with the wistful, central quartet, searching for answers to life’s big questions. Humour is broad, reserved predominantly for older protagonists, who speak their minds, regardless of social conventions. Expectations are gleefully subverted, building to a big emotional release reflected in O’Toole’s twinkling eyes.
DVD Extras: “Making Of” featurette, cast and crew interviews.
Rating: ***
Max Payne (Cert 15, 94 mins, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, Acton/Thriller, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £27.99)
Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Olga Kurylenko, Beau Bridges, Donal Logue, Chris “Ludacris” Bridges, Amaury Nolasco, Marianthi Evans.
Police officer Max Payne (Wahlberg) returns home to find his wife Michelle (Evans) and baby daughter slain by an intruder. Unable to rest until he unmasks the killer, Max scours every open case file and draws inspiration from his mentor BB (Beau Bridges), who urges patience. A tip-off from a snitch leads to a nightclub where Max meets Natasha (Kurylenko) and her sister Mona (Kunis). The former dies in an alleyway and police units discover Max’s stolen wallet at the scene, fingering him for the crime. While the cop tries to clear his name and outrun Internal Affairs Detective Jim Bravura (Chris “Ludacris” Bridges), the real culprit – tormented soldier of war Jack Lupino (Nolasco) – seeks out the people closest to Max, determined to inflict more pain. John Moore’s tiresome video game-to-movie adaptation plods wearily through a plot that straddles reality and drug-induced fantasy on the crime-riddled streets of New York City. Fans of Max Payne will recognise characters and certain plot elements, like the conspiracy surrounding an experimental drug. The film also employs the slow motion bullet time effect, which was a key factor of the video game’s appeal. However, Moore’s vision is a poor substitute for the visceral thrill that comes from grabbing a game controller and taking charge of the hero. We don’t feel engaged with any of the characters, nor do we sense Max’s simmering rage. Wahlberg is inexpressive as the eponymous good cop on a mission, shooting first and thinking later, if at all, as Moore’s film builds to a lacklustre final showdown. The lack of dramatic momentum makes the 94-minute running time feel considerably longer. The DVD and Blu-ray include a harder cut of the film and an animated graphic novel detailing the story of Michelle Payne.
DVD Extras: none stated; Blu-ray: director, production designer and visual effects supervisor commentary, Picture in Picture option: “Walkthroughs & Cheats”, D-box capabilities, free digital copy of the film.
Rating: **
Mad Money (Cert 12, 99 mins, Lionsgate Home Entertainment UK Ltd, Comedy/Drama/Romance, also available to buy DVD £15.99)
Starring: Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, Katie Holmes, Ted Danson, Roger Cross.
When her husband Don (Danson) loses his job, leading to the shocking possibility that they could lose the house, resourceful mother Bridget (Keaton) takes a mundane job as a cleaner at the Kansas City Federal Reserve Bank. Here she is immediately intrigued by the banknotes, which are due to be taken out of circulation via the shredder. She hatches a hare-brained scheme to steal these old banknotes with the help of fellow employees Nina (Latifah) and Jackie (Holmes), who form two vital links in the money chain. The first theft goes as planned but the haul isn’t as large as the three women expected so they try again, gradually succumbing to greed. Don begs her wife to stop, but she and her accomplices refuse to listen, eventually attracting the attentions of the authorities. Debuting on DVD and deservedly so, Mad Money is a generic crime caper which squanders the potentially winning chemistry between the leads, albeit with Holmes woefully miscast as the ditz in the mix opposite an ever-solid Keaton and Latifah, who both possess the acting chops and comic timing to make something out of their two-dimensional heroines. Glenn Gers’s screenplay has neither the subtlety, nor the intelligence, to probe the (im)morality of the female protagonists’ actions, whiling away the blessedly brief running time with pointless romantic subplots. To rent or buy, Mad Money would be a crime.
DVD Extras: Interviews, gag reel.
Rating: **
NEW TO BUY ON DVD
Lewis – Series Three (Cert 12, 372 mins, ITV DVD, DVD £24.99, Thriller/Drama)
Four-disc box set comprising the latest cases for Detective Inspector Robbie Lewis (Kevin Whately) and his partner DS James Hathaway (Laurence Fox) as they follow in the footsteps of Lewis’s mentor Morse, solving tricky cases in and around Oxford. In this series, Lewis comes face-to-face with the man who killed his wife, Hathaway receives news of a surprise promotion and the cops probe murders connected with C.S. Lewis and Shakespeare’s The Merchant Of Venice.
DVD Extras: none stated.
The Red Riding Trilogy (Cert 18, 300 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, DVD £29.99, Thriller/Drama)
Adapted from David Peace’s books, The Red Riding Trilogy is Channel 4’s ambitious, three-part drama, which unfolds in 1974, 1980 and 1983, with different directors at the helm of each instalment (Julian Jarrold, James Marsh, Anand Tucker). Dramatised from real-life events, the story opens with rookie Yorkshire Post journalist Eddie Dunford (Andrew Garfield) sifting the evidence from a series of child abductions in a time of suspicion and institutionalised police corruption. Moving forward six years, police officer Peter Hunter (Paddy Considine) reviews the case of the Yorkshire Ripper and continues to make enemies as he challenges conventional thinking. In the final segment, Detective Chief Superintendent Maurice Jobson (David Morrissey) is horrified when a young girl vanishes without trace, recognising similarities to the Ripper case. As the police come to terms with the possibility that they may have convicted the wrong man, solicitor John Piggott (Mark Addy) prepares to right a terrible judicial wrong. Sean Bean, Warren Clarke, Andrew Garfield, Rebecca Hall, Peter Mullan and Maxine Peake co-star.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Doctor Who – The Cybermen
Doctor Who – The Cybermen Collection (Cert PG, 180 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £15.65, Sci-Fi/Action/Thriller/Drama)
The Doctor (David Tennant) and companions Rose (Billie Piper) and Mickey (Noel Clarke) meet a terrible new incarnation of the metallic arch-nemeses in these four gripping episodes, in which the timelord must thwart a dastardly plot to meld human brains and mechanical bodies. However, in order to save Earth, the Doctor may have to sacrifice the one thing he values the most. The two-disc box set includes “Rise Of The Cybermen”, “The Age Of Steel”, “Army Of Ghosts” and “Doomsday”.
DVD Extras: Introduction by David Tennant, “The 25 Best Cybermen Moments” featurette.
Inkheart (Cert PG, 101 mins, Entertainment In Video, Family/Action/Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Father and bookbinder Mo Folchart (Brendan Fraser) has kept a terrible secret from his daughter Meggie (Eliza Bennett) since she was three-years-old. He is a Silvertongue, who possesses the ability to bring a tome to life by simply reading it aloud and inadvertently sent his beloved wife Teresa (Sienna Guillory) into the pages of a book called Inkheart. In her place, various characters including the villainous Capricorn (Andy Serkis) and his henchmen escaped into this world. Stumbling upon a tatty, old copy of Inkheart, Mo finally believes he could be reunited with Teresa, only to embark on the greatest adventure of his life in the company of a stranger called Dustfinger (Paul Bettany) and the beautiful Elinor Loredan (Helen Mirren).
DVD Extras: “Eliza Read To Us” featurette, theatrical trailer.
The Thick Of It: The Specials (Cert 15, 118 mins, BBC DVD, DVD £19.56, Comedy)
Two hour-long specials – “Rise Of The Nutters” and “Spinners And Losers” - of Armando Iannucci’s award-winning satire. Foul-mouthed spin-doctor Malcolm Tucker (Peter Capaldi) stands on the brink of political oblivion when a scandal emerges at Watford Immigration Centre and the PM severs all lines of communication. Adding to his woes, immigration minister Ben Swain (Justin Edwards) makes a fool of himself on Newsnight. With just 24 hours to save his career and the party’s blushes, Tucker puts his gift of the gab to impeccable use, using blackmail and bullying to shape the news agenda for his own good.
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, production stills gallery with commentary, behind the scenes gallery with commentary, Newsnight segments with Paxman and Crick, Opposition Extra, 15 minute sequence showing Spinners and Losers from the Opposition’s point of view.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Volume 1: A Galaxy Divided (Cert PG, 88 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £12.99, Family/Sci-Fi/Action)
Anakin Skywalker (voiced by Matt Lanter) and young padawan Ahsoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein) seek guidance from Obi-Wan Kenobi (James Arnold Taylor) and Master Yoda (Tom Kane) to defeat General Grievous and the Separatist droid army in four episodes of the computer animated series, currently screening on The Cartoon Network and Sky Movies. The DVD includes “Ambush”, “Rising Malevolence”, “Shadow Malevolence” and “Destroy Malevolence”. A box set, comprising all of the episodes from the first series, is expected later this year.
DVD Extras: none stated.
– The Complete Fifth Season (Cert 15, 420 mins, Warner Home Video, DVD £24.99, Comedy)
Incorrigible ladies man Charlie Harper (Charlie Sheen) and his divorced brother Alan (Jon Cryer) pretend to be responsible adults for the benefit of Alan’s young son, Jake (Angus T Jones), in another 19 episodes of the popular American sit-com including “Fish In A Drawer”, a tongue-in-cheek cross-over with C.S.I.: Crime Scene Investigation featuring actor George Eads. Elsewhere during the series, Jake suffers the growing pains that invariably arise from trying to fit in at school while Charlie dates a judge (Ming-Na) and Alan has a fight with his sibling, forcing him to move out with his son in tow.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit – Season Eight (Cert 15, 901 mins, Universal Playback, DVD £44.99, Thriller/Drama)
Detective Elliot Stabler (Christopher Meloni) contends with some of their most shocking and unsettling cases yet in the gritty spin-off from the original Law & Order TV series. While Detective Olivia Benson (Mariska Hartigay) goes deep undercover for the FBI, Elliot welcomes a new partner, Detective Dani Beck (Connie Nielsen), to probe allegations of rape and murder. Personal relationships within the department threaten to cloud professional judgments, culminating in a cliffhanger finale “Screwed” which forces the detectives to atone for past sins in the glare of the media spotlight. The five-disc box set includes all 22 episodes.
DVD Extras: none stated.
– The Third Year (Cert 15, 854 mins, Universal Playback, DVD £44.99, Thriller/Drama)
Five-disc box set comprising 21 episodes of the spin-off series set in New York City, where quixotic Detective Robert Goren (Vincent D’Onofrio) and his partner Alex Eames (Kathryn Erbe) lead the charge of the Major Case Squad, unmasking devious perpetrators by getting inside the minds of their prime suspects under the leadership of Captain James Deakins (Jamey Sheridan). As the evidence piles up, Assistant District Attorney Ron Carver (Courtney B Vance) readies his prosecution, sometimes clashing with Goren and other members of the team.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Ideal – Series 4 (Cert 15, 232 mins, 2entertain, DVD £19.56, Comedy)
In the aftermath of a suspected heart attack, bumbling weed dealer Moz (Johnny Vegas) cannot keep his affair with Jenny (Sinead Matthews) secret for long, while girlfriend Nicki (Nicolas Reynolds) begins an affair with Tom aka PC (Tom Goodman-Hill). A birthday party ends in disaster just as a local turf war spirals out of control in eight episodes of the award-winning sitcom.
DVD Extras: Deleted scenes, out-takes, “Back To The 90s” behind the scenes featurette, music featurette.
Flashpoint – The Complete First Season (Cert 12, 533 mins, ITV DVD, DVD £24.99, Action/Thriller/Drama)
An elite team of sharp-shooting Toronto cops called the Strategic Response Unit (SRU) puts lives on the line to avert disaster in 13 episodes of the fast-paced Canadian TV series. Gregory ’Greg’ Parker (Enrico Colantoni) leads the SRU through each precarious mission, defusing explosive situations involving bombs, hostages and terrorists with cool detachment, until one member, Ed Lane (Hugh Dillon), exorcises the ghosts of the past, with unexpectedly tragic consequences.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Gonzo: The Life And Work Of Dr Hunter S. Thompson (Cert 15, 119 mins, Optimum Home Entertainment, DVD £17.99, Documentary)
Journalist Hunter S Thompson enjoyed life in the fast lane, indulging in alcohol and drugs as a creative spark for his febrile imagination to churn out seminal articles on the Hell’s Angels and the political establishment for Rolling Stone magazine. Oscar-winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi To The Dark Side) employs a patchwork of home movies, archive TV footage, audio recordings, still photographs and other material to delve into the mind of this iconic yet tragic figure, interspersed with narration from Johnny Depp, who also reads excerpts from Thompson’s work.
DVD Extras: Director commentary, extended interviews, extended and deleted scenes, Ralph Steadman drawings, exclusive director interview, “Wayward & Weary” featurette about Tift Merritt tribute song, photo gallery, theatrical trailer.
A Love To Hide (Cert 15, 102 mins, Peccadillo Pictures, DVD £19.99, Drama/Romance)
French filmmaker Christian Faure follows up Juste Une Question D’Amour with this romance set in wartime Paris. Jean (Jeremie Renier) is secretly involved in an affair with Philippe (Bruno Todeschini), but conceals their liaisons for fear of persecution. When Jewish, childhood friend Sara (Louise Monot) arrives in the French capital, Jean gladly helps her elude the Nazis only to be betrayed by someone close to home.
DVD Extras: none stated.
Clough
Clough (Cert E, 70 mins, ITV DVD, DVD £14.99, Documentary)
Timed nicely to coincide with the cinema release of The Damned United, this documentary celebrates the achievements of Brian Clough, following his wise through the divisions with Derby County, Leeds United and Nottingham Forest, becoming the only domestic football manager to date to win back-to-back European cups. Pete Postlethwaite narrates the archive footage, interspersed with interviews with his friends and family including his wife Barbara and son Nigel.
DVD Extras: none stated.
The Backyardigans: Tale Of The Mighty Knights (Cert U, 115 mins, Fremantle Home Entertainment, DVD £5.99, Children)
Pablo the penguin, Tyrone the moose, Austin the purple kangaroo, Tasha the hippo and the beautiful Uniqua search for a runaway egg, take a trip on the Orient Express and face a giant robot in five episodes of the Nick Jr computer animated series. The DVD includes “To The Centre Of The Earth”, “Front Page News”, “Tale Of The Mighty Knights Part 1”, “Tale Of The Mighty Knights Part 2” and “Le Masters Of Disguise”.
DVD Extras: none stated.
DVD RETAIL TOP 10
1 (1) Quantum Of Solace
2 (-) Changeling
3 (6) The Dark Knight
4 (-) Body Of Lies
5 (4) Green Street 2
6 (-) The Chronicles Of Narnia – Prince Caspian
7 (5) Mamma Mia – The Movie
8 (3) Wallace & Gromit – A Matter Of Loaf
9 (8) Casino Royale
10 (-) Knocked Up
Chart supplied by getcloser.com
UK RENTAL (VHS & DVD) TOP 10
1 (-) Zack And Miri Make A Porno
2 (2) Quantum Of Solace
3 (1) Changeling
4 (-) Lakeview Terrace
5 (3) Body Of Lies (DVD)
6 (4) Burn After Reading
7 (10) Eagle Eye
8 (6) Tropic Thunder
9 (7) Taken (2008)
10 (-) Ghost Town
Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa (Cert PG, 85 mins, Paramount Home Entertainment, Family/Comedy, also available to buy DVD £19.99/The Complete Madagascar Collection DVD Box Set £24.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Featuring the voices of: Ben Stiller, Chris Rock, David Schwimmer, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Cedric The Entertainer, Bernie Mac, Sherri Shepherd, Alec Baldwin.
Alex the lion (voiced by Stiller), Marty the zebra (Rock), Melman the hypochondriac giraffe (Schwimmer) and Gloria the hippopotamus (Pinkett Smith) are finally ready to leave the exotic island of Madagascar and return to the plush surroundings of New York’s Central Park Zoo. Boarding a rickety plane with ring-tailed lemur King Julien the 13th (Cohen), his second-in-command Maurice (Cedric The Entertainer) and the kamikaze penguins – Private, Rico, Skipper and Kowalski – the animals crash-land on the plains of Africa where Alex is reunited with his long lost father Zuba (Mac) and doting mother (Shepherd), to the obvious chagrin of Zuba’s sworn rival, Makunga (Baldwin). Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa cheekily recycles the plot of The Lion King but Eric Darnell and Tom McGrath’s film is desperately short of animal magic. The sequel begins promisingly with a flashback to Alex’s abduction from the jungle and the flight back to New York, with Kowalski and his feathered friends at the controls of the plane. Once the story moves to Africa, the similarities to The Lion King are inescapable. Alas, Darnell and McGrath’s film pales next to the Disney masterpiece. The quality of the computer animation is undeniable – the visuals are crisp and finely detailed including animal hair that moves convincingly. However, without a compelling storyline to support all of the technical wizardry and artistic flourishes, Escape 2 Africa is pristine style and second-hand substance. Aside from Cohen’s attention-grabbing antics, vocal performances are unremarkable. The Complete Madagascar Collection, comprising the original animated film and sequel, is also available.
DVD Extras: Directors commentary, Penguins Sneak Peek, DWA Jukebox, “It’s A Family Affair: The Cast Of Escape 2 Africa” featurette, “The Making Of Escape 2 Africa” featurette, “Crash Landing” featurette, “African Adventure” featurette, Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak, Test Flight of Air Penguin Game, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Activision game, 4 MAD music videos (“Move It, Move It”, “Big And Chunky”, “She Loves Me”, “The Travelling Song” Sing Along), theatrical trailers; Blu-ray: Directors commentary, Penguins Sneak Peek, DWA Jukebox, “It’s A Family Affair: The Cast Of Escape 2 Africa” featurette, “The Making Of Escape 2 Africa” featurette, “Crash Landing” featurette, “African Adventure” featurette, Jambo Jambo: Swahili Speak, Test Flight of Air Penguin Game, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa Activision game, 4 MAD music videos (“Move It, Move It”, “Big And Chunky”, “She Loves Me”, “The Travelling Song” Sing Along, The Penguins Of Madagascar “Popcorn Panic” and “Gone In A Flash”, The Bronx Zoo: Madagascar, Alex’s Dance Off, The Heart Of A Lion), Easter Eggs (Move it, Move it, Hock Shop, Julien’s Birthday, Tug Of War, Fully Armed, No Thanks, I’m Stuffed), PiP commentary track, trivia track, theatrical trailers.
Rating: ***
Twilight (Cert 12, 116 mins, Contender Home Entertainment, Romance/Horror/Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/two-disc DVD £22.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Ed Gathegi, Cam Gigandet, Rachelle Lefevre.
Teenage misfit Bella Swan (Stewart) moves to Forks, Washington, to live with her cop father, Charlie (Burke). As the mysterious new girl at school, Bella soon makes friends but the only person she wants to meet is alluring outsider Edward Cullen (Pattinson). In the parking lot, Bella is almost crushed to death in a freak accident, only to be saved in the nick of time by Edward. Under pressure, Edward eventually reveals that he is a vampire – an immortal – but unlike many of his kind, he does not drink human blood. When bloodthirsty predators Laurent (Gathegi), James (Gigandet) and Victoria (Lefevre) begin to feed on the unsuspecting Forks locals, Edward and his family close ranks to protect Bella from her immortal pursuers. Based on the first part of Stephenie Meyer’s best-selling novels, Twilight will hold teenage viewers spellbound as Bella and Edward spend the first hour orbiting one another before succumbing to their desires, including a laughable love scene. Violence takes place predominantly off screen until a fast-paced finale, during which the fake claret runneth over and fangs are bared. Pattinson looks far too old to pass for 17 but he generates smouldering screen chemistry with Stewart, who perfectly embodies her heroine’s naivety. Despite the stilted dialogue and a generous grating of cheesiness, Catherine Hardwicke’s film is a sprightly romantic yarn. The occasional zinging one-liner (“Your mood swings are giving me whiplash”) compensates for gushing declarations of love, which suggest the characters in Meyer’s imaginary world spend too much time with their noses in Mills & Boon.
DVD Extras: Two-disc DVD/Blu-ray: Director and actors commentary, “The Adventure Begins” featurette, A Conversation With Stephenie Meyer, “The Comic-Con Phenomenon” featurette, deleted scenes with director introduction, extended scenes with director introduction, UK premiere footage, “Becoming Edward” featurette, “Becoming Bella” featurette, “Catherine Hardwicke’s Vampire Kiss” montage, Edward’s Piano Concert, “Music: The Heartbeat Of Twilight” featurette, Catherine Hardwicke “Bella’s Lullaby Remix” music video, Muse “Supermassive Black Hole” music video, Paramore “Decode” music video, TV spots, theatrical trailer.
Rating: ***
Inkheart (Cert PG, 101 mins, Entertainment In Video, Family/Action/Drama, also available to buy DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)
Starring: Brendan Fraser, Eliza Bennett, Paul Bettany, Andy Serkis, Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Sienna Guillory.
Father and bookbinder Mo Folchart (Fraser) has kept a terrible secret from his daughter Meggie (Bennett) since she was three-years-old. He is a Silvertongue, who possesses the ability to bring a tome to life by simply reading it aloud and inadvertently sent his beloved wife Teresa (Guillory) into the pages of a book called Inkheart. In her place, various characters including the villainous Capricorn (Serkis) and henchman Basta (Foreman) escaped into this world. Stumbling upon a tatty, old copy of Inkheart, Mo finally believes he could be reunited with Teresa, only to embark on the greatest adventure of his life in the company of a stranger called Dustfinger (Bettany) and the beautiful Elinor Loredan (Mirren). Inkheart is a fantastical family adventure based on the best-selling novel by Cornelia Funke about a secret class of people who possess a remarkable gift, which might just be a curse. Iain Softley’s film is a fun-filled journey between real and imaginary worlds, with a gentle mix of comedy and action, as Mo and his daughter use the gift they share to reunite their fractured family. The director marshals a largely British cast for his fast-paced and colourful adaptation, working from a screenplay by David Lindsay-Abaire. Serkis chews the scenery as the bad guy fascinated by everyday, 21st century objects (“I love duct tape!”) while Fraser resorts to his usual action hero routine, gelling nicely with Bennett’s plucky teen. Mirren demonstrates impeccable comic timing as a woman on the edge. Softley sustains our interest for 101 minutes before an orgy of computer-generated special effects vies for our attention.
DVD Extras: “Eliza Read To Us” featurette, theatrical trailer.
Rating: ***
MONSTERS VS ALIENS (PG)
Fast-paced and peppered with cute visual gags, Monsters Vs Aliens is a blast from eye-popping start to uproarious finish, especially in cinemas projecting in jaw-dropping 3D.
A green, glowing meteorite lands on fun-loving Susan Murphy on her wedding day. Before her husband to be has a chance to say “I do”, Susan grows in size until she stands an impressive 49 feet and 11 inches tall.
Wedding guests flee and Susan is held hostage by the military in a secret government compound with fellow captives inventor Dr Cockroach PhD, half-ape half-fish The Missing Link, indestructible gelatinous mass B.O.B. and a 350-feet long grub called Insectosaurus.
Rating: Four stars
THE BOAT THAT ROCKED (15)
The year is 1966, a golden era for rock ’n’ roll in this country, but BBC radio plays a mere 45 minutes of pop music a day. Thus, around 25 million listeners tune into pirate radio stations, which devote every waking (and sleeping) minute to music. One such station is Radio Rock. The DJs are a motley crew of misfits with one thing in common: a passion for vinyl.
As Government ministers try to shut down pirate radio stations, the captain’s grandson, recently expelled from school, joins Radio Rock for the summer, in the hope that he might mend his ways.
The Boat That Rocked, rocks and rolls to a thumping soundtrack including The Beach Boys, Jeff Beck, Cream, Jimi Hendrix, The Rolling Stones and The Who
Rating: Three stars
THE DAMNED UNITED (15)
In the annals of modern British football, Brian Clough remains one of the most charismatic, bullish and successful figures. He is still the only domestic manager to win back-to-back European cups.
Steeped in nostalgia and blessed with an endearing performance from Michael Sheen as the so-called ’greatest England manager we never had’, this valentine to the former darling of Nottingham Forest shoots and scores on many levels.
Rating: Four stars
TRAITOR (12A)
Exploiting the disparity between fact and illusion, Traitor is a taut thriller of political intrigue and espionage.
Central to the nightmarish plot is an undercover operative, apparently embedded within a terrorist cell to bring it down from the inside, whose dubious actions continually suggest an ulterior motive.
Like the characters, we’re left in the dark for most of the film. A couple of twists don’t ring true and the ending signals its sly intentions far too early.
Rating: Three stars
DUPLICITY (12A)
Words are meaningless in this comic caper – everyone is bluffing to some extent. We don’t know who to trust – if anyone – as the intricate plot unfolds, right up to the final frame. CIA officer Claire Stenwick (Julia Roberts) and MI6 agent Ray Koval (Clive Owen) leave behind government intelligence to employ their expertise in the cutthroat world of big business.
Frothy and energetic, we’re compelled to take sides as the battle of the sexes escalates into an all-out war.
Rating: Four stars
LESBIAN VAMPIRE KILLERS (15)
Stars of the brilliant, and deservedly, award-winning sitcom Gavin & Stacey, star in this juvenile horror spoof. Clumsy, dull, and almost completely starved of laughs, Lesbian Vampire Killers has the duo huffing and puffing all the way to the village of Cragwich, blissfully unaware that the locals have been cursed for centuries by Carmilla, the Lesbian Vampire Queen. The two join forces with a campervan full of sexy, foreign student girls to despatch Camilla and her undead minions.
Rating: Three stars
PAUL BLART: MALL COP (PG)
Size matters, especially when deciding who to poke fun at, in this politically incorrect, comic spin on Die Hard, set in a New Jersey shopping centre under siege from armed robbers. Instead of lean, mean Bruce Willis in a sweaty-drenched vest, Paul Blart: Mall Cop places its trust in the sweaty palms of an overweight, lovesick father, whose dreams of joining the state police are thwarted by his body. But a group of highly organised criminals who target the mall on Black Friday have Paul going from zero to hero.
Rating: Three stars
MARLEY & ME (PG)
Animal lovers will go bow wow wow for this comedy-drama about one man’s journey of self-discovery with a mischievous Labrador.
Owen Wilson and Jennifer Aniston star as a young couple struggling to juggle professional and parental responsibilities as well as Marley, the tiny, adorable bundle of fun that soon grows into 100 pounds of uncontrollable energy, chewing up anything and everything in the couple’s home.
Only the stone coldest heart – or a cat lover – would fail to be moved by the outcome of this movie.
Rating: Four stars
Title: Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3
Platform: PS3
Genre: Real time strategy
Price: £49.99
The Command & Conquer series has been satisfying power-crazed megalomaniac gamers since 1995, and the Red Alert sub-series is widely recognised as the most enjoyable. Here, on PS3 for the first time, a new superpower has been thrust on to the world stage, and World War III is raging. The Empire of the Rising Sun has risen in the East, making the conflict a three-way struggle among the Soviets, the Allies, and the Empire, with armies fielding wacky and wonderful weaponry in order to gain the upper hand. It’s an absolute blast harnessing the power of everything from armoured bears and intelligent dolphins, to floating island fortresses and transforming tanks. It looks simply stunning throughout. More than 13 years on, this is still the king of real-time strategy, and with a host of bonus goodies in the Ultimate Collection edition, it’s a no-brainer whether to add this to your collection.
4/5
A hybrid of the portable DVD player and MP3 players, the potential of the PMP is obvious. Personal Media Players are quite simply, the ultimate in on-the-go entertainment. And with the latest selection featuring “added extras”, it won’t be long before they’re taking over the world.
Top Pocket Player – Samsung YP P3 (8GB) – from £109.99 at www.play.com
This sleek looking player is available in both 8GB and 16GB versions. Avid film watchers in our midst will need the heftier memory for long haul flights. The touchscreen interface performs well with sound delivery and picture quality - both punching well above the price tag.
Access All Areas – iPod Touch – from £214 at play.com
Many have applauded Apples iPod Touch and apart from a battery life that could be improved this device still gives the competition a headache. With access to the vast library of games and applications at the Apple store you’ll never be bored, although your credit card could start to creak.
Music Mad – Sony NWZ A820 – £139 from www.sonystyle.co.uk
The iconic Walkman brand presents itself with a 21st century update in this new range of portable entertainment devices. Boasting stunning sound delivery and a decent sized screen, all you need to complete your in-flight entertainment is a pair of Bluetooth headphones for wire-free delivery to your ears.
Massive Memory – Archos 7 – £389.99 from amazon
With a whopping 320GB memory there’s space a-plenty for music, video and images to be stored inside, the capacity is more than most computers. The stunning seven-inch display means you can stare at this device for hours without a hint of a squint.
Internet Everywhere – Archos 5g – £341.57 from www.amazon.co.uk
With built-in WiFi, the Archos 5g can access hotspots and, in turn the web, sending a warning shot out to laptop manufacturers. With a superb media player inside, all you need is a docking station to record directly from your telly.
Back To Black – Cowon Q5 – £341.57 from www.amazon.co.uk
Certainly not the sleekest player on show here but the folk at Cowon really know their stuff. Inside this unit you’ve got Formula One performance. A great five-inch touchscreen player with a decent 80GB memory, the let down is the price. A little top heavy when you look at the others on show.
