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Certificate: 
Directors: Ron Clements & John Musker
Release Date: 10 October 1997
Tagline: A comedy of epic proportions.
Main Cast: (voice)
Tate Donovan … Hercules
Josh Keaton … Young Hercules
Danny DeVito … Philoctetes
James Woods … Hades
Surprisingly, I didn’t really enjoy this. It lacks the usual touch of disney magic and charm. The songs are not of the usual quality (I didn’t find any of them catchy or memorable) so perhaps that is the reason why. They’ve also made Hercules a bit of a whiney brat too.
Younger children will be fairly bored by it, so whilst it is a U certificate, I would think that the target age is around seven year olds. I also think that, unlike many other Disney films, there is no repeated viewing value.
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Directors: Jimmy Hayward, Steve Martino
Release Date: 21 March 2008
Tagline: After all, a person is a person, no matter how small.
Main Cast: (voice)
Jim Carrey … Horton
Steve Carell … Mayor
Carol Burnett … Kangaroo
I always liked Dr. Suess’s books but have remained doubtful if any of them could really be converted to a film. After the utterly dreadful The Cat in the Hat (2003), I understand that his widow decided to no longer give permission for live action adaptations of the books.
So, is HHAW! any good? I’m pleased to say that yes, it is. It’s made by the studio responsible for the Ice Age films, which are very good, and is very charming and engaging from the start. Obviously, the target audience is for younger children, but any fan of Dr. Suess (such as myself) would find this entertaining.
Pure, simple and innocent fun. Fantastic!
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Director: Hoyt Yeatman
Release Date: 31 July 2009
Tagline: The world needs bigger heroes.
Main Cast:
Bill Nighy … Leonard Saber
Zach Galifianakis … Ben
Sam Rockwell … Darwin (voice)
Jon Favreau … Hurley (voice)
Nicolas Cage … Speckles (voice)
G-Force has guinea pigs in it. Talking guinea pigs. That’s two stars already! I actually really liked this, and don’t know why it has such a poor rating on the IMDB. It’s fast and funny, and although the plot is slightly bizarre and formulaic, it kept me entertained. Basically, a group of guinea pig special agents discover a plot to take over the world through household appliances (I told you it was bizarre), and they have to save the day. There are some really good gadgets, and I especially liked the exercise ball cars.
Whilst not in the same league as Pixar films, G-Force is still very worth watching both for children and adults.
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Directors: Pete Docter & Bob Peterson (co-director)
Release Date: 9 October 2009
Main Cast: (Voice)
Ed Asner … Carl Fredricksen
Jordan Nagai … Russell
Christopher Plummer … Charles Muntz
I don’t know how Pixar do it, but they have raised the bar again with this glorious film.
I’m not ashamed to admit that I cried. Three times, in fact (and twice during the first twenty minutes or so!) Watching Carl’s life unfold is both joyous and heartbreaking. And then, along comes Russell to cheer us all up!
I could write for hours about what makes Up such a work of pure genius, but I won’t. You need to discover it for yourself.
Please, please do not miss this film!
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Directors: Matthew O’Callaghan and Todd Wilderman (co-director)
Release Date: 27 January 2009
Tagline: This time it’s pets against wilds. Weiner takes all!
Main Cast: (voice)
Joel McHale … Elliot
Mike Epps … Boog
If you haven’t seen the original you might wonder what on earth is going on, so I recommend you watch Open Season first. You’ll get more out of it if you do. Of course, being a kid’s film it’s not essential, but I like to watch films in the correct order and you’ll get a better feel for the main characters if you do.
Whilst not in the same league as Pixar (but then again, who is?) I found this to be a really funny sequel and not in the least bit disappointing. There is plenty to amuse kids and adults alike (it had my husband laughing out loud!)
The poor old bunnies get a bit of a raw deal, but they are scene stealers! Their expressions are priceless!
Good, solid entertainment and I would happily watch it again.
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Directors: Chris Miller & Raman Hui (co-director)
Release Date: 29 June 2007
Tagline: Who’s ready for Thirds?
Main Cast: (voice)
Mike Myers … Shrek
Eddie Murphy … Donkey
Cameron Diaz … Princess Fiona
Antonio Banders … Puss in Boots
After reading reviews of this I wasn’t expecting too much. However, I thought it was much better than reported. I would have liked to have seen more of Donkey though, as I think he’s by far the best character. I do like the fact that Puss has now joined as a second sidekick to Shrek. As usual, there are plenty of little jokes in the background to amuse us adults.
Shrek the Third is not in the same league as the original, but I’d put it on a par with the second one.
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Director: Brad Bird, Jan Pinkava (co-director)
Release Date: 12 October 2007
Tagline: He’s dying to become a chef.
Main Cast: (voice)
Patton Oswalt … Remy
Ian Holm … Skinner
Lou Romano … Linguini
Brian Dennehy … Django
More genius from Pixar!
Ratatouille is a delight from start to finish. It looks fantastic, the characters are great, the story is very engaging, and it’s very, very funny.
I’m sure I’ve said somewhere else on this site that “there’s something wrong with you if you don’t enjoy this film”, and it applies again here.
Nothing else to say other than keep ‘em coming, Pixar!
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Director: Jon Favreau
Release Date: 03 February 2006
Tagline: A new adventure from the world of Jumanji.
Main Cast:
Jonah Bobo … Danny
Josh Hutcherson … Walter
Dax Shepard … Astronaut
Zathura is a fantastic film that deserves a tagline far greater than that above. Jumanji was released in 1995 – a whole eleven years before this – so how on Earth do they expect kids to get excited about the mention of an old film that they’ve probably never heard of before, let alone seen?
Anyway, let the review begin!
The film is very original, and presses all my buttons! It’s sci-fi, it’s about an old board game that has been discovered at the back of a wardrobe (so to speak), and it’s a great adventure.
I loved every minute of of Zathura, and I can’t imagine a child out there who wouldn’t. Unless, that is, they are devoid of imagination. Oh, and if they are very ‘girly’ girls who think that space and rockets and aliens are ‘boring’ and would rather play with their plastic pink princess castles & such tripe. Needless to say, I have nothing in common with these girls, and as such, it is very unlikely that I will ever be reviewing a crappy girlie or ‘teen’ movie.
But I digress (and not for the first time on this site!).
If you possess an imagination, and have the same buttons as I do, then watch Zathura – I don’t care how old you are!
It’s a film that I would happily watch again.
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Directors: Andrew Adamson & Vicky Jenson
Release Date: 29 June 2001
Tagline: The greatest fairy tale never told.
Main Cast: (Voice)
Mike Myers … Shrek
Eddie Murphy … Donkey
Princess Fiona … Cameron Diaz
Where to start? What a film! Absolutely brilliant on every level. Perfectly cast, excellent animation, fantastic story and wonderful characters.
Not only is Shrek all of the above, it is also one of those classics that that is irresistable to adults. There are so many instances of ‘nods’ to films that it’s hard to keep track of them.
Shrek himself is a great character. All he wants is to be left alone in his swamp, but his grumpy exterior is soon broken down when he rescues Princess Fiona, and begins to fall for her. Underneath it all, he’s a gentle sole who tries very hard to be a scary ogre, but never really fools anyone.
And then there’s Donkey. Surely Eddie Murphy’s finest hour! He steals practically every scene he’s in. He’s annoying, loveable, and very, very funny. One of my all time favourite characters, it’s hard to see anyone creating anything better.
Basically, Shrek is as near as you can get to a perfect film. It’s only flaw is that it isn’t long enough!
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Directors: Peter Docter & David Silverman (co-director)
Release Date: 8 February 2002
Main Cast: (Voice)
John Goodman … James P. “Sulley” Sullivan
Billy Crystal … Mike Wazowski
Another masterpiece from Pixar! Excellent story, perfect casting, and fantastic animation. Sulley is a great character; he’s quite possibly the most loveable monster ever (who wouldn’t want their very own Sulley cuddly toy?!) and Mike is the perfect sidekick for him. It’s a classic comedy partnership – the funny guy and the straight man.
As is usual for Pixar films, Monsters Inc can be enjoyed by all ages. I haven’t come across a single person who doesn’t love it, and in my opinion, it’s an absolute must see.
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