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.

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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!

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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!

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Certificate:

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.

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars