"Actor: John Moore"

• Gremlins | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £7.19   |  Saving you £6.80 (94.58%)   |  RRP £13.99

  When his absent-minded father gives young Billy Pelzer (Zach Galligan) a new pet, he warns him to abide by three rules. The rules get broken, of course, and the pet--a cute Mogwai named Gizmo--unwittingly gives birth to the vicious Gremlins who proceed to terrorise the town. Although the long shadow of Producer Steven Spielberg hangs over Joe Dante's 1984 comedy Gremlins almost as much as it did over Tobe Hooper's Poltergeist (1982), Dante doesn't allow it to overwhelm his own quirky style too much. Glimpses of Robbie the Robot and The Time Machine (which promptly disappears) at an inventors' convention reveal his passion for old-movie references (which culminated with Matinee, 1993). Aided and abetted by Spielberg's guidance and a script by Chris Columbus (who would go on to direct and produce the Home Alone franchise) and a music score by Jerry Goldsmith, Dante had all the help he needed to make the biggest hit of his career. Much of the humour derives from Dante's playful handling of the setting in Smallsville, USA, whose inhabitants are as much the target of his satire as they are of the Gremlins' unwanted solicitations. The xenophobic neighbour who warns prophetically of "gremlins" in foreign cars and machinery provides a subtext for the attack on homely American values, as does showing Invasion of the Body Snatchers on TV while the wicked Gremlins hatch. The sight of the little tykes cavorting in a bar, getting drunk and even dancing in pink leggings looks suspiciously like a satirical dig at the whole 1980's culture of selfishness: with their destructive impulses and overindulgences the Gremlins are the ultimate egotistical yuppies. As with many Spielberg projects, the bland hero saves the day for nostalgic, old-fashioned values, but there are plenty of laughs along the way--for example in the now-classic scene when the hero's mother fights off Gremlins in the kitchen by stuffing them in the blender and microwave. Dante's 1990 sequel is even more satirically pointed, and he effectively remade the original with Small Soldiers (1998), replacing Gremlins with toys. On the DVD: Disappointingly, there are no extra features at all here, aside from subtitles and "interactive menus"--which simply means there is an onscreen menu and it works. --Mark Walker

• Forrest Gump- 25th Anniversary Edition (Blu-ray) | Blu Ray | (03/06/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Celebrate all the beloved moments, visual mastery, moving performances and captivating storytelling of Forrest Gump in this remarkable, remastered 25th Anniversary edition. Winner of six Oscars® including Best Picture, Actor (Tom Hanks) and Director (Robert Zemeckis), the generation-defining film is a stunning journey through some of the most memorable events and cultural touchstones of the later 20th century, courtesy of Forrest and the powerful cast of characters. Hanks, Sally Field, Robin Wright, Mykelti Williamson and Gary Sinise all shine their brightest. Then, now, always the world is simply never the same once you've seen it through the eyes of Forrest Gump. This 2 disc collection includes all new digitally remastered Blu-ray film Plus over 3 hours of bonus content! Featuring the complete originally released special features

• Brassed Off | DVD | (10/09/2001) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  Take The Full Monty, add a sharper emotional edge and replace the strutting strippers with a dignified British band. That's the essence of Brassed Off, a bittersweet gem released in 1996, a year before its more popular (and Oscar-nominated) counterpart. In the Yorkshire town of Grimley, there has always been a coal mine, just as for the last 111 years there has been a brass band and it seems that Danny (the wondrous Pete Postlethwaite) has been the director for every one of those years. Tory economic policies, however, are closing coal mines around the country in favour of nuclear power and Grimley appears to be next on the list. Danny is unfazed by the threat, claiming, "It's music that matters." But some of the men are about to quit the band until the appearance of Gloria (Tara Fitzgerald at her most radiant), who dazzles the all-male group (including old flame Andy, played by Ewan McGregor) first with her beauty, then with her flügelhorn playing. The new member gives the band a boost as they continue to perform and compete but closure remains very real, as director Mark Herman (Little Voice) accompanies the band's performances (played with gusto by the Grimethorpe Colliery Band) with scenes of angry labour-management confrontations and family strife. In this context, some of the characters claim that the music is an irresponsible form of escapism. It becomes clear, however, from a touching performance of "Danny Boy" to the stirring conclusion at Royal Albert Hall, that music is an expression of the human spirit, a bit of beauty and sanity in a harsh world. With defiance, the band can play "Land of Hope and Glory" even when the land offers them neither. --David Horiuchi

• Kingsman - 2-Movie Collection | DVD | (29/01/2018) from £5.07   |  Saving you £4.92 (97.04%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Kingsman: The Secret Service: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class), KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Kingsman: The Golden Circle: Kingsman: The Secret Service introduced the world to Kingsman - an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In Kingsman: The Golden Circle, our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents' strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy

• The Big Lebowski | DVD | (09/04/1999) from £4.96   |  Saving you £11.03 (222.38%)   |  RRP £15.99

  The Big Lebowski, a casually amusing follow-up from the prolifically inventive Coen brothers (Ethan and Joel), seems like a bit of a lark and the result was a box-office disappointment. It's lazy plot is part of its laidback charm. After all, how many movies can claim as their hero a pot-bellied, pot-smoking loser named Jeff "The Dude" Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) who spends most of his time bowling and getting stoned? And where else could you find a hair-netted Latino bowler named Jesus (John Turturro) who sports dazzling purple footgear, or an erotic artist (Julianne Moore) whose creativity consists of covering her naked body in paint, flying through the air in a leather harness, and splatting herself against a giant canvas? Who else but the Coens would think of showing you a camera view from inside the holes of a bowling ball, or an elaborate Busby Berkely-styled musical dream sequence involving a Viking goddess and giant bowling pins? The plot--which finds Lebowski involved in a kidnapping scheme after he's mistaken for a rich guy with the same name--is almost beside the point. What counts here is a steady cascade of hilarious dialogue, great work from Coen regulars John Goodman and Steve Buscemi, and the kind of cinematic ingenuity that puts the Coens in a class all their own. --Jeff Shannon

• Doctor Who - The Collection - Season 12 | Blu Ray | (31/05/2021) from £36.85   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  BUILD YOUR OWN DOCTOR WHO ARCHIVE WITH THIS 6-DISC COLLECTORS' SET! The Fourth Doctor's classic first season all 20 episodes newly restored for Blu-ray, packed with bonus material. ROBOT THE ARK IN SPACE THE SONTARAN EXPERIMENT GENESIS OF THE DALEKS REVENGE OF THE CYBERMEN Special Features TOM BAKER IN CONVERSATION - A brand new candid one-hour interview with the Fourth Doctor BEHIND THE SOFA - Classic clips, viewed by Tom Baker, Philip Hinchcliffe, Louise Jameson, Janet Fielding, Sarah Sutton and Sadie Miller NEW MAKING-OF DOCUMENTARIES For The Sontaran Experiment and Revenge Of The Cybermen IMMERSIVE 5.1 SURROUND SOUND MIXES For The Ark In Space and Genesis Of The Daleks OPTIONAL UPDATED SPECIAL EFFECTS For Revenge Of The Cybermen GENESIS OF THE DALEKS TV-MOVIE VERSION - Unseen since broadcast in 1975 DOCTOR WHO TIMES 1970s TV context documentary THE TOM BAKER YEARS - The 1991 VHS release, on disc for the first time PDF PRODUCTION MATERIAL - Rare files from the BBC Archives Also contains extensive Special Features previously released on DVD including: MAKING OF DOCUMENTARIES, FEATURETTES, OPTIONAL CGI EFFECTS, AUDIO COMMENTARIES, RARE FOOTAGE, PRODUCTION INFORMATION SUBTITLES, PDF MATERIAL AND MUCH MORE.

• The Big Lebowski | Blu Ray | (17/10/2011) from £7.99   |  Saving you £12.00 (150.19%)   |  RRP £19.99

  From the Academy Award- winning Coen brothers (Fargo, True Grit), The Big Lebowski is a hilariously quirky comedy about bowling, a severed toe, White Russians and a guy named...The Dude. Jeff The Dude Lebowski doesn't want any drama in his life...heck, he can't even be bothered with a job. But, he must embark on a quest with his bowling buddies after his rug is destroyed in a twisted case of mistaken identity.

• Imitation of Life | DVD | (11/04/2005) from £16.98   |  Saving you £-6.99 (-70.00%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Living a lie is a poor substitute for living the truth - sometimes it takes the harsh realties of life to help us discover who we truly are. The legendary Lana Turner stars in this 1959 version of Fannie Hurst's emotionally charged drama which chronicles two widows and their troubled daughters as they struggle to find true happiness amidst racial prejudice. Lana Turner plays Lora a single white mother whose Hollywood starlet ambitions come at the expense of any meaningful relationship with her daughter Susie (Sandra Dee). Lora's black housekeeper Annie (Juanita Moore) has troubles of her own as she faces the rejection of her own fair-skinned daughter Sarah Jane (Susan Kohner) who abandons her heritage for a chance to be accepted as white. As years of selfishness and denial pass tragedy strikes and forces the women to come to terms with their own identities.

• Kingsman - 2-Movie Collection | Blu Ray | (29/01/2018) from £5.24   |  Saving you £7.75 (147.90%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Kingsman: The Secret Service: Based upon the acclaimed comic book and directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kick Ass, X-Men First Class), KINGSMAN: THE SECRET SERVICE tells the story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Kingsman: The Golden Circle: Kingsman: The Secret Service introduced the world to Kingsman - an independent, international intelligence agency operating at the highest level of discretion, whose ultimate goal is to keep the world safe. In Kingsman: The Golden Circle, our heroes face a new challenge. When their headquarters are destroyed and the world is held hostage, their journey leads them to the discovery of an allied spy organization in the US called Statesman, dating back to the day they were both founded. In a new adventure that tests their agents' strength and wits to the limit, these two elite secret organizations band together to defeat a ruthless common enemy, in order to save the world, something that's becoming a bit of a habit for Eggsy

• The Girl Can't Help It | DVD | (17/04/2019) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £19.99

  The classic `rock and roll' film of the 50's and the Jayne Mansfield movie featuring her legendary strut down the street to Little Richard's title song while holding a pair of strategically placed milk bottles melting ice and shattering glasses. Around a simple comic plot - gangster hires alcoholic press agent to make a singing star out of his incredibly voluptuous but tone-deaf girlfriend - director Frank Tashlin creates a feast for eyes and ears in `the grandeur of CinemaScope' a

• Dombey and Son - Charles Dickens Classics | DVD | (03/07/2017) from £10.13   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  The first BBC television adaptation of the Charles Dickens classic, Dombey and Son (1969) is now available for the first time to own on DVD. Starring John Carson, Kara Wilson, William Moore and Clive Swift. Hugh Leonard s third Dickens adaptation for the BBC, first broadcast in 1969, is an absorbing portrayal of proud logic undone by staunch affection. The timeless story of a father s blinkered pride, public downfall and emotional rescue. Paul Dombey (John Carson) is the wealthy owner of a shipping company whose sole desire is to have a son to inherit the family firm. But when a son arrives, his wife dies soon after, and the sickly boy s own days are numbered. Dombey finds no solace in the affections of his elder child Florence (Kara Wilson). He sees little use in daughters in the business world. Encouraged by the sinister Major Bagstock (Clive Swift), Dombey enters into a second, loveless marriage with Edith Grainger (Sally Home), who eventually flees to France with Dombey s double-dealing business manager James Carker (Gary Raymond). Dombey s livelihood is further undermined by a burgeoning railway network. All seems lost unless his pride will allow him to salvage a relationship with Florence. The colourful characters also include put-upon clerk Walter Gay (Derek Seaton), retired sea-captain Cuttle (William Moore), scatterbrained Mr Toots (Christopher Sandford), Florence s faithful maid Susan Nipper (Helen Fraser), Dombey s fusspot sister Louisa Chick (Hilda Braid) and the spurned but loyal Lucretia Tox (Pat Coombs).

• One Crazy Summer | Blu Ray | (05/06/2023) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Hoops McCann has the name but not the talent to carry on the family basketball tradition. He'd rather use his drawing skills to earn an art-school scholarship by writing and illustrating a love story. This summer in Nantucket, he's going to get the necessary romantic experience. John Cusack (as Hoops), Demi Moore, Curtis Armstrong and Bobcat Goldthwait headline One Crazy Summer, a zany comedy from Savage Steve Holland, creator of the cult favorites Better O Dead and How I Got into College. The annual Nantucket regatta sets the stage for Hoops' bid to earn his lady's love, and a larcenous land developer's party sets the stage for an attack by Godzilla (as only Goldthwait can play him). Overworked and under-vacationed? Then join one crazy cast of characters for One Crazy Summer and soak up some laughs! Product Features Feature-length Audio Commentary by Curtis Armstrong, Bobcat Goldthwait and writer/director Savage Steve Holland Theatrical Trailer

• Forrest Gump (Collector's Edition) | DVD | (05/11/2001) from £7.06   |  Saving you £8.93 (126.49%)   |  RRP £15.99

  If you read the label on a box of chocolates you'll know exactly what you're gonna get. Life isn't like that in Forrest Gump, however, which is one of the reasons why this movie divided appreciative audiences from hard-hearted critics like few others before it. Audiences responded to the Frank Capra-style sentimentality of this warm-hearted tale of a good ol' American boy making his way in the world without ever losing his pure and simple innocence. Critics, however, were made uneasy by the apparently reactionary subtext to the parallel lives of Forrest and his girlfriend Jenny. Her fate, contrasted with his, suggests a triumph for plain ol' American values over dangerous freethinking hippies and liberals. Whether the movie is just unadulterated sentiment or right-wing propaganda, one thing at least was acknowledged by all: that Forrest Gump displays all the craftsmanship of one of Hollywood's most inventive directors and features a central performance from an actor renowned for his total commitment to every role. Thanks to Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks, even the most cynical critic will find it hard not to shed at least one tear by the end of this undeniably engrossing movie. The soundtrack is great, too. On the DVD: another good two-disc set gives fans of Gump and budding filmmakers alike plenty to enjoy. The anamorphic picture and Dolby Surround on Disc 1 do full justice to Zemeckis' vision, which is accompanied by two commentaries: one from the director, producer Steve Starkey and production designer Rick Carter, and another one from producer Wendy Finerman. Disc 2 has the usual making of documentary (30 mins), plus some neat featurettes on the production and sound design and the many special effects shots (including how they made Gary Sinise lose his legs). In addition there are some screen tests of Robin Wright and a very young Haley Joel (The Sixth Sense) Osment, plus trailers and a photo gallery. All in all this is a worthwhile package. --Mark Walker

• The Coen Brothers Collection | DVD | (29/08/2011) from £34.21   |  Saving you £-23.28 (N/A%)   |  RRP £10.93

  Academy Award Winners Joel and Ethan Coen have been writing directing editing and producing some of the most original films to come out of Hollywood. This box set contains six of their most unique and imaginative classics including their most recent hit A Serious Man. Titles Comprise: A Serious Man: Larry Nidus is a good man. He is a loving husband a committed father and a dedicated professor who always does the fair and just thing in the face of daily temptations. But one day everything starts to go wrong. His wife leaves him for reasons she can't explain and her smug new lover manages to convince Larry that he should be the one to move out of the house and into a cheap motel - all for the children's benefit of course. Burn After Reading: An outrageous spy comedy about murder blackmail sex addiction and physical fitness! When a disc filled with some of the CIA's most irrelevant secrets gets in the hands of two determined but dim-witted gym employees the duo are intent on exploiting their find. But since blackmail is a trade better left for the experts events soon spiral out of everyone's and anyone's control resulting in a non-stop series of hilarious encounters! The Big Lebowski: It takes guys as simple as the Dude and Walter to make a story this complicated... and they'd really rather be bowling. 'The Dude' Jeff Lebowski (Jeff Bridges) is unemployed and laid-back. That is until he becomes a victim of mistaken identity two thugs breaking into his apartment in the errant belief that they are accosting Jeff Lebowski the Pasadena millionaire. In hope of getting a replacement for his soiled carpet 'the Dude' visits his wealthy namesake and with buddy ex `Nam' vet. Walter Sobchak he is swept into a labyrinthine comedy/thriller of extortion embezzlement sex dope German Nihilists White Russians mysterious cowboys Shomer Shabbos bowling and sever The Hudsucker Proxy: Hudsucker Industries is flourishing. Profits are stupendous and stock is at an all-time high. So when their founder Waring Hudsucker leaps to his death from the 44th floor his board of directors is thrown into panic. Hudsucker has not left a will and his majority shareholding in the company must therefore soon be offered for sale to the public. But scheming Vice President Sidney J. Mussburger has a plan. He'll install a complete imbecile as Chairman and devalue the stock to a level where the rest of the board can acquire controlling interests for themselves. Barton Fink: Between Heaven and Hell There's Always Hollywood! John Turturro shines in the lead role in Barton Fink the Coen Brothers' hilarious satire set in the 1940s Hollywood. Fink is a New York playwright who reluctantly relocates to Hollywood to write screenplays. Ordered to write a low budget screenplay about wrestling Fink manages to type one sentence and then...nothing! Although his chatty insurance salesman neighbour Charlie helps out by teaching Fink about wrestling the clock ticks the temperature rises and Fink's life spins more and more out of control. Intolerable Cruelty: From the Coen brothers comes this witty sharp comedy about a man who wins in court and courts to win! Divorce attorney Miles Massey has got it all. Serial gold-digger Marilyn Rexroth wants it all. A hilarious battle of deceit and cunning ensues when Miles falls for Marilyn with each one trying to outsmart the other. Underhand tactics deceptions and an undeniable attraction escalate as Marilyn and Miles square off in this classic battle of the sexes...

• Blindspot - Season 2 | DVD | (07/08/2017) from £11.99   |  Saving you £4.38 (36.53%)   |  RRP £16.37

  Sullivan Stapleton and Jaimie Alexander star in this one-hour action thriller from Berlanti Productions (The Flash, Arrow) and writer/executive producer Martin Gero. Stapleton stars as hardened FBI agent Kurt Weller, who is drawn into a complex conspiracy when a mysterious woman, with no memories of her past, is found in Times Square her body completely covered in intricate cryptic tattoos. As Weller and his teammates at the FBI -- Edgar Reade, Tasha Zapata and the tech-savvy Patterson -- begin to investigate the veritable road map of Jane Doe's tattoos, they are drawn into a high-stakes underworld that twists and turns through a labyrinth of secrets and revelations -- with the information exposing a larger conspiracy of crime, while bringing her closer to discovering the truth about her identity.

• Benny & Joon | Blu Ray | (04/09/2023) from £7.99   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £N/A

  Oscar Nominee Johnny Depp (Pirates of the Caribbean), Mary Stuart Masterson (Bed of Roses) and Aidan Quinn (Legends of the Fall) star in this wonderfully unique and delightfully offbeat romantic comedy. Joon (Masterson) is a little unbalanced. Sometimes, without warning, her sweet nature gives way to odd behaviour - including a penchant for setting fires! She lives with her older brother Benny (Quinn), who has spent his life taking care of her since her parents died. One night, while playing a poker game with unusual stakes, Joon loses her hand and wins Sam (Depp), a whimsical misfit who soon charms his way into Joon's heart. Now if they can only find the perfect mate for her protective brother... With charm, humour and an outstanding supporting cast that includes Oliver Platt (A Time to Kill) and Julianne Moore (Hannibal). Benny and Joon is the perfect movie for everyone. Product Features Audio Commentary by Jeremiah Chechick - Deleted Scenes - Costume & Make Up Tests & Stunt Reel - Music Video - Original Theatrical Trailer

• Harry Enfield's Brand Spanking New Video | DVD | (30/09/2002) from £16.20   |  Saving you £-4.95 (N/A%)   |  RRP £9.99

  Revealing a truly adult edge never previously seen Harry Enfield brings us the best bits of his 'Brand Spanking New Show' with a whole new gang of chums and catchphrases. New characters include: Cornish Ladies Man the last of the great West Country lovers; Chris Great the 'fictional' red-headed DJ who owns the radio station; Shagging Couple still at it after all these years; Paxman the journalist with a very direct interviewing style; The Pharmacist thorough but rather indiscreet; Mother & Daughter people think we're sisters; and loads more.

• Benny And Joon | DVD | (23/07/2001) from £42.19   |  Saving you £-29.20 (N/A%)   |  RRP £12.99

  Longing for a romantic Hollywood film that will make your heart leap but not have you reaching for the sick bucket? Try Benny & Joon. Few mainstream US films manage to walk the thin line between emotion and schmaltz, but here is one film that pulls it off admirably. In the wrong hands the concept of marrying love and mental illness could have been a disaster but, as with the low-budget British film Some Voices, Benny & Joon manages to extract genuine humour and warmth from the subject. As the brother and sister of the title, the relationship between Aidan Quinn and Mary Stuart Masterson is central to the story, Benny desperately trying to keep home and job together while looking after the sick Joon. Their lives take an unexpected turn with the arrival of Sam, a brilliantly comic turn by Johnny Depp, as gradually the characters learn that the happiness that all thought beyond them is within their grasp. Depp adds yet another character to his liturgy of slightly odd outsiders but plays it with such panache, this time drawing heavily on Buster Keaton, that you cannot help but fall for him. Indeed, there is not a single character here that you would not wish well. On the DVD: The usual scene selection and a very clear audio track, given the film's musical moments a huge boost. Few will probably be able to resist The Proclaimers' "(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles" which opens the film. Excellent picture quality too. --Phil Udell

• Octopussy | DVD | (03/11/2003) from £4.96   |  Saving you £15.03 (303.02%)   |  RRP £19.99

  Roger Moore was nearing the end of his reign as James Bond when he made Octopussy, and he looks a little worn out. But the movie itself infuses some new blood into the old franchise, with a frisky pace and a pair of sturdy villains. Maud Adams--who'd also been in The Man with the Golden Gun--plays the improbably named Octopussy, while old smoothie Louis Jourdan is her crafty partner in crime. There's an island populated only by women, as well as a fantastic sequence with a hand-to-hand fight on a plane--and on top of a plane. The film even has an extra emotional punch, since this time 007 is not only following the orders of Her Majesty's Secret Service, but he is also exacting a personal revenge: a fellow double-0 agent has been killed. Two Bond films were actually released in 1983 within a few months of each other, as Octopussy was followed by Sean Connery's comeback in Never Say Never Again. The success of both pictures proved that there was still plenty of mileage left in the old licence to kill, though Moore had one more workout--A View to a Kill--before hanging it up. And that title? The franchise had already used up the titles to Ian Fleming's novels, so Octopussy was taken from a lesser-known Fleming short story. --Robert Horton, Amazon.com On the DVD: The high standard of these 007 discs is maintained here, with another extra-packed selection. The "Inside Octopussy" documentary details the making of the movie, which faced competition from Sean Connery's Never Say Never Again, as well as being handicapped by a potentially risible title. The initial story was developed by George Macdonald Fraser, author of the "Flashman" books, whose knowledge of Indian history and locales proved invaluable. Roger Moore prevaricated about signing on as Bond, so American James Brolin was screen-tested instead. The movie also produced the worst accident of the series while filming the train sequence and the stuntman involved was hospitalised for six months. Director John Glen provides a solo commentary that reveals a wealth of technical detail and also that this is one of his favourite Bond movies. Rita Coolidge performs "All Time High", and there are also some storyboard sequences and trailers. --Mark Walker

• Care Bears - The Movie | DVD | (07/04/2003) from £15.97   |  Saving you £0.01 (0.08%)   |  RRP £12.99

  The Care Bears Movie was essentially a 75-minute commercial to introduce a new toy range, the Care Bear Cousins, disguised as a smarmy story about sharing feelings. The film ushered in a spate of cheap animated films created solely to sell merchandise to children. The plot interweaves the stories of Kim and Jason, two lonely orphans who have given up caring, and of Nicholas, a friendless magician's assistant who is seduced by an evil spirit. The Care Bears resolve everyone's problems, naturally. Years later, the Care Bears' popularity has waned and the film stands as a reminder of one of the less admirable uses of animation. The stars, hearts, rainbows and saccharine songs can't disguise the barefaced commercialism behind the threadbare story. --Charles Solomon