Reviews Archive for Ben Simon

Tom & Jerry: The Chuck Jones Collection

Chuck Jones’ continuation of the cat and mouse’s antics make for quite contemporary viewing and, while they won’t replace the traditional classics, remain a decent series in their own right.

Star Trek (2009)

Kirk and company are back on the big screen in a completely new take that delves back into the past yet feels like the start of a whole fresh series of adventures.

Tiny Toon Adventures: Season 1, Volume 2

The Toons are back for more, in a slightly weaker second half of their first season that still provides some laughs on the way to bouncing back to the top for their next season.

Freakazoid!: Season 2

Warner Animation’s crazy superhero is back in a season that sometimes struggles to be as manic as first time out but still entertains with a series of random spoofs.

Sin City: Blu-ray Disc (plus Recut, Extended & Unrated Edition)

Robert Rodriquez turns Frank Miller’s Sin City strips into a visceral movie and a adult, but terrific Blu-ray experience!

Max Fleischer’s Superman: 1941 – 1942

Max and Dave Fleischer’s exceptionally vibrant and brilliantly animated science fiction cartoons come to disc in a deluxe collection that may not be definitive but is probably the best these cartoons are ever likely to look. Not “super” but not killed by Kryptonite either.

Gulliver’s Travels

Max and Dave Fleischer’s first animated feature gets a down and dirty treatment on Blu-ray, which you’ll certainly find an old VHS edition would beat out in terms of quality. Avoid at all costs!

The Day The Earth Stood Still: Blu-ray Disc Special Edition

Klaatu Keanu’s latest, The Day The Earth Stood Still, takes a few diversions from the excellent Robert Wise original, aalso handily included in this Blu-ray set in high-definition!

Bedtime Stories

Adam Sandler’s jump to family fare – for Disney no less – is an uninspired, drab and flat fantasy that lacks any magic, and this disc presentation doesn’t do a lot to add any.

Sesame Street Presents: Follow That Bird – 25th Anniversary Deluxe Edition

The Sesame Street Muppets make their big screen debut as they attempt to set out and find Big Bird in a decent addition to the Henson film series.

Paul & The Dragon

Holland’s AniKey Studios’ debuting short film is a really entertaining approach to helping children and their parents cope and overcome major illness.

The Odd Couple: Centennial Collection

The classic live-action comedy The Odd Couple is the latest Paramount picture to be added to its Centennial Collection.

Bolt

Disney’s latest CGI comedy adventure delivers some big fun but ultimately fails to join the ranks of the Studio’s best, even under Pixar head John Lasseter’s supervision.

Pinocchio: Platinum Edition

Walt Disney’s true masterpiece gets the Platinum Edition treatment, though its a light affair where the supplements can’t hold a candle to the brilliant feature or its digital makeover.

South Park: The Complete Twelfth Season

The boys are back in the Park for another fourteen episode run, coming over as shocking and hilarious as ever, even if this is a little more scatter-shot than usual season.

Beverly Hills Chihuahua

Disney’s south of the border comedy adventure is your typical talking dogs movie, though the off the wall promise of the teaser trailer is lacking in the final result.

Hey There, It’s Yogi Bear!

Hanna-Barbera’s 1964 debut animated feature arrives on DVD, and even if the old-school approach and bare bones disc doesn’t provide high-tech, extras-packed thrills, it’s immensely entertaining fun!

Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa

DreamWorks second go around the African continent is a schizophrenic outing that doesn’t know if it wants to be better than the first or just happy to regurgitate all the old highlights.

The Secret Of The Magic Gourd

Disney’s first international co-production is a delightfully simple hark back to classic family filmmaking, but with the modern trimmings packed in, and this disc presents it with good supplements.

The Little Mermaid II: Return To The Sea – Special Edition

Disney’s direct to video sequel to their 1989 theatrical classic isn’t actually as bad as Ariel’s Beginning but this re-tread lacks any real magic of its own.

Oliver & Company: 20th Anniversary Edition

Disney’s vastly entertaining 1988 animated feature returns to disc in a 20th Anniversary repackaging of the previous Special Edition: the only new extras being a game and glossy slipcase.

Mary Poppins: 45th Anniversary Edition

Walt Disney’s exuberant musical’s new DVD is a re-hash of the wonderful 40th Anniversary package, but drops some of the relevant bonus features for nothing more than commercials for the new stage show version.

Sergei Prokofiev’s Peter & The Wolf (2006)

Suzie Templeton’s Oscar winning interpretation of Prokofiev’s classic musical story recalls the Eastern European animations of old and is well served on with this disc’s supplements.

The Nutty Professor (2008)

Julius Kelp’s grandson is about to go the way of his grandfather in this mildly amusing updated follow-up of sorts to Jerry Lewis’ 1963 comedy.

The Wild

Visual FX supremo Spaz Williams jumps into the directors chair to deliver a well crafted hour and a half of good clean fun with some unique visual touches.

Wallace & Gromit: A Matter Of Loaf And Death

Nick Park’s latest adventure for his lovably perilously-prone duo is as accomplished as ever, if perhaps not quite as stunning or original as previous efforts.

Tropic Thunder: 2-Disc Unrated Director’s Cut

DreamWorks regular Ben Stiller pulls off a very funny directorial outing, which this two-disc special edition elaborates upon in serious and mock-documentary fashion.

Sunset Boulevard: Centennial Collection

A Paramount classic is treated to a new two-disc special edition: Billy Wilder’s never old Sunset Boulevard!

Kung Fu Panda / Secrets Of The Furious Five

DreamWorks’ best in years, Kung Fu Panda is well served on disc with first rate standard supplements, though a bonus disc holding a new short is a substantially lighter proposition.

Walt Disney Treasures: Dr Syn, Alias The Scarecrow Of Romney Marsh

Walt Disney’s much-requested mini-series comes to the Treasures line in an excellent presentation alongside its feature film version, but the supplements remain extremely lacking.