John Carter (Of Mars)
Junk the clunky 3D and enjoy Andrew Stanton’s traditionally exciting adventure for what it is: a reclaiming of sci-fi ideas and concepts from 100 years ago, since borrowed for a host of “inspired”-by movies! |
Batman & Mr. Freeze: Subzero / Batman: Mask Of The Phantasm
With Christopher Nolan defining Batman for a new generation, now is a good time to revisit two of Batman’s more revered animated adventures, where we find that one fares better than the other. |
The Secret World Of Arrietty
This Studio Ghibli film based on The Borrowers is a quiet tale with many rewards if you are in the right frame of mind. |
Iron Man Anime
The armored Avenger makes a slick transition into the anime world, taking on a variety of mecha (and public opinion) while trying to save the world. |
X-Men Anime
Marvel Comics’ uncanny heroes get adapted into a Japanese cartoon series. Great visuals, intense action, and strong characterization make this a worthy effort that should make most fans happy. |
Shazzan: The Complete Series
More 1960s Hanna-Barbera fun from Warner Archive, as two siblings find themselves in ancient Arabia among much magic and myth. |
The Real Adventures Of Jonny Quest : Season One, Volume Two
Warner comes to the rescue for the rest of the beleaguered show’s initial “season”: globetrotting adventure in a classic vein, with a modern twist. Shaky video and animation, but we do get bonus material! |
The Muppets
The true best picture of 2011 becomes the instant must-have disc of 2012 as Kermit and the gang find themselves in new but very assured hands. Made by fans for fans, if you don’t have this already, get it now for a fun family Easter treat! |
Scooby-Doo! Music Of The Vampire
That’s just what the Scooby franchise needed — Broadway-style musical numbers! Some work better than others, but what’s important is that there’s a good mystery here. |
The Lion King II / The Lion King 1½
The first sequel suffers from too much comparison to its predecessor, but where the third film hits the mark is in being just the opposite: an all-out, almost full-on parody of Disney’s classic hit. |
Wallace & Gromit’s World Of Invention
Although not featuring Nick Park’s classic characters as we’re more often used to seeing them, the Wallace and Gromit hosted World Of Invention is informative and fun thanks to their (brief) links. |
The Adventures Of Tintin: The Secret Of The Unicorn
Hergé’s iconic graphic album adventures burst onto the screen courtesy of top-flight motion-capture animation under the watchful eyes of Steven Spielberg and Peter Jackson, and the result is simply astounding! |
Justice League: Doom
It’s another superhero slugfest, though this one has the interesting twist of also bringing the League at odds with Batman. Includes a great Dwayne McDuffie tribute featurette and more. |
Happy Feet Two
This poor, poor retread of the original film won’t win over any new fans, and old ones should just watch the first film again, but the disc wins big points for including an excellent new Looney Tunes short with a classic twist. |
VeggieTales: Robin Good And His Not-So-Merry Men
Goofy humor, silly songs, and a good heart fill this latest in the popular VeggieTales series: short and clever enough that it just might be worth a look. |
Lady And The Tramp
Walt Disney’s classic brings kitchen sink drama to animated film, and this latest home video version, while not adding much new to what the Platinum DVD served up, scores with its pristine audio and video presentation. |
Mad: Season One, Part Two
The usual gang of idiots return for a second helping of the original satirical magazine’s surprisingly consistent transition to the screen, and even if the strike rate isn’t quite as strong as the first episodes there are still (“cheap!”) laughs to be had. |
Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax: Deluxe Edition
Dr. Seuss’s ecological fable looks fantastic on Blu-ray, though its accompanying TV specials don’t get the same treatment. All three specials otherwise still stand up well as great family viewing. |
Scooby-Doo – Mystery, Incorporated: Crystal Cove Curse (Season One, Part 2)
The final half of the reimagined Scooby show hits DVD in a two-disc set. Purists may balk at the changes in the show’s premise, but the season-long storyline pays off nicely. |
Real Steel
Memories of robot-in-the-ring childhood toy games will come flooding back for those of a certain age, for whom the big-hearted Real Steel will entertain as a good-time, old-style movie, but with state-of-the-art visuals. |
The Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Ultimate Collector’s Edition Volume One
Looking better than ever, the Looney Tunes have hit Blu-ray with a stunning collection of classic toons and tributes to Chuck Jones. Excellent. |
The Essential Daffy Duck
An overpriced random selection of milestones, also-rans and specials don’t really add anything to the Daffy Duck legend, but a couple of nostalgic TV specials may help to round out some collections. |
Beauty and the Beast: Belle’s Magical World
Belle’s adventures with the Beast and the enchanted servants are filled with magic and moral life lessons, but they loose their heart-warming meaning if you’re over twelve. |
Dr. Seuss’s Holidays On The Loose!
A rather odd grouping of previously released Grinch specials, collected together under the pretence of the holidays when only one of them is actually tied to one, with undistinguished audio and video on all but the classic Christmas show. |
Frosty’s Winter Wonderland
Frosty returns in the animated sequel to Frosty the Snowman with his wife Crystal, while Jack Frost grows jealous. |
Disney Blu-ray 3D Reissues: Chicken Little / Meet The Robinsons / Bolt / G-Force
The lowdown on the upgrades for four of Disney’s recent CG features, now presented in high-definition 3D. |
‘Twas The Night Before Christmas: Remastered Deluxe Edition
No big reason to upgrade on this minor Christmas classic, but it does look a tiny bit better on Blu. |
Cars 2
Lacking any of the heart or speed of the original, this flat as a flat tyre sequel finds Pixar running awfully low on gas, and the extras scrape the barrel in trying to tune-up a rare misfire that doesn’t get out of the pit-stop let alone make the finish line. |
Happiness Is… Peanuts – Snow Days
This DVD may not do much to promote oodles of happiness, but it does manage to evoke a smile or two at least. |
Tom and Jerry: Fur Flying Adventures Vol. 3
Despite having some of the best Chuck Jones directed cartoons, Warner Brothers Home Video fails to impress with this random playlist of Tom and Jerry shorts. |