Billed as a "re-imagining" of the original film, Tim Burton's extraordinary Planet of the Apes constantly borders on greatness, adhering to the spirit of Pierre Boulle's original novel while exploring fresh and inventive ideas and paying honourable tribute to the '68 sci-fi classic. Burton's gifts for eccentric inspiration and visual ingenuity make this a movie that's as entertaining as it is provocative, beginning with Rick Baker's best-ever ape make-up (hand that man an Oscar®!), and continuing through the surprisingly nuanced performances and breathtaking production design. Add to all this an intelligent screenplay that turns Boulle's speculative reversal--the dominance of apes over humans--into a provocative study of civil rights and civil war. The film finally goes too far with a woefully misguided ending that pays weak homage to the original, but everything preceding that misfire is astonishingly right. While attempting the space-pod retrieval of a chimpanzee test pilot, Major Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) enters a magnetic storm that propels him into the distant future, where he crash-lands on the ape-ruled planet. Among the primitively civilized apes, treatment of enslaved humans is a divisive issue: senator's daughter Ari (Helena Bonham Carter) advocates equality while the ruthless General Thade (Tim Roth) promotes extermination. While Davidson ignites a human rebellion, this conflict is explored with admirable depth and emotion, and sharp dialogue allows Burton's exceptional cast to bring remarkable expressiveness to their embattled ape characters, most notably in the comic relief of orangutan slave trader Limbo (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti). Classic lines from the original film are cleverly reversed (including an unbilled cameo for Charlton Heston, in ape regalia as Thade's dying father), and while this tale of interspecies warfare leads to an ironic conclusion that's not altogether satisfying, it still bears the ripe fruit of a timeless what-if idea. --Jeff Shannon
Billed as a "re-imagining" of the original film, Tim Burton's extraordinary Planet of the Apes constantly borders on greatness, adhering to the spirit of Pierre Boulle's original novel while exploring fresh and inventive ideas and paying honourable tribute to the '68 sci-fi classic. Burton's gifts for eccentric inspiration and visual ingenuity make this a movie that's as entertaining as it is provocative, beginning with Rick Baker's best-ever ape make-up (hand that man an Oscar®!), and continuing through the surprisingly nuanced performances and breathtaking production design. Add to all this an intelligent screenplay that turns Boulle's speculative reversal--the dominance of apes over humans--into a provocative study of civil rights and civil war. The film finally goes too far with a woefully misguided ending that pays weak homage to the original, but everything preceding that misfire is astonishingly right. While attempting the space-pod retrieval of a chimpanzee test pilot, Major Leo Davidson (Mark Wahlberg) enters a magnetic storm that propels him into the distant future, where he crash-lands on the ape-ruled planet. Among the primitively civilized apes, treatment of enslaved humans is a divisive issue: senator's daughter Ari (Helena Bonham Carter) advocates equality while the ruthless General Thade (Tim Roth) promotes extermination. While Davidson ignites a human rebellion, this conflict is explored with admirable depth and emotion, and sharp dialogue allows Burton's exceptional cast to bring remarkable expressiveness to their embattled ape characters, most notably in the comic relief of orangutan slave trader Limbo (played to perfection by Paul Giamatti). Classic lines from the original film are cleverly reversed (including an unbilled cameo for Charlton Heston, in ape regalia as Thade's dying father), and while this tale of interspecies warfare leads to an ironic conclusion that's not altogether satisfying, it still bears the ripe fruit of a timeless what-if idea. --Jeff Shannon
Pauline Collins repeats her stage success as the character Shirley Valentine, a married woman who decides in her middle years that she wants more out of life. Leaving her spouse behind, she heads to Greece, where she grows close to a low-key local bloke (Tom Conti). Collins and director Lewis Gilbert (Educating Rita) choose to let the character, as she did in the play, speak directly to the audience at times and the gamble works in terms of creating a gentle, intimate atmosphere. Conti is a bonus, a warm presence and funny to boot. --Tom Keogh
Catherine Tate's iconic character Nan hits the big screen as she goes on a wild road trip from London to Ireland with her grandson Jamie (Mathew Horne) to make amends with her estranged sister Nell (Katherine Parkinson). Militant vegan arsonists, raucous rugby teams, all-night raves, and crazed cops on motorbikes all make for a proper day out. An origin story that mixes Nan's present with her past where we finally find out what's made her the cantankerous old b*****d she is today.
When it comes to footballing wisdom Mike's in a league of his own! Following his moderate success as England boss Mike Bassett (Ricky Tomlinson) wants one last chance of the big time after an otherwise undistinguished managerial career. He's offered a job at Wirral County a team his dad once played for and believes he can resurrect the side currently languishing as the bottom of their league. Bassett has fallen on hard times since reaching the latter stages of the World Cup. H
An adaptation of Jane Austen's first novella Lady Susan', Love & Friendship follows the beautiful Lady Susan as she attempts to find a husband for herself and her long-suffering daughter Frederica.
The sensational 'discovery' of Hitler's diaries and subsequent realisation that they were forged caused a world-wide scandal in 1983. Alastair Reid's tongue-in-cheek five-part dramatisation, based on Robert Harris's best-selling novel, exposes the machinations that led to Stern magazine's announcement of the scoop of the century, the ensuing bidding war for serialisation rights, acrimony among the eminent historians who were taken in and, finally, the diaries' exposure as an elaborate hoax. ...
With top salesman Little Gary Patel in jail times are hard and are getting harder for the sales staff of PhoneShop. If they are to retain their status as Kings of the High Street they need to ensure that every mug punter within five square miles gets locked down to the worst most expensive mobile phone contract known to mankind. From training days to owl tattoos from sex lemons to the Elite Selling Krew all retail life is here in Phil Bowker's multiple-award winning hit ensemble comedy featuring Tom Bennett Andrew Brooke Emma Fryer Javone Prince Martin Trenaman and Kayvan Novak. Series 1 Special Features: PhoneShop Team Commentary Hidden Extras Series 2 Special Features: Bloop Reel Meet the Elite Janine and Friends Hot Guys with Lazy Eyes - Extended
When Laura and Dave Reimuller's son Robbie suffers an epileptic fit it's merely the start of the nightmare. As the fits worsen Robbie becomes little more than a 'laboratory rat' for testing highly dangerous drugs - and Dave and Laura stand by helpless as their delightful little boy turns into a disruptive mentally retarded monster. Driven by despair Laura starts her own research and comes across a possible 'miracle cure' which involves neither drugs nor radical surgery. It's a spe
Welcome to PhoneShop. How is your day today, please? Come inside, feel free to browse and spend some time with our elite sales professionals Ashley, Jerwayne, Janine, Lance, Christopher and of course the original 5ft 2in badman, Little Gary Patel. Here for the first time are all six hilarious, laugh-out-loud episodes from Series One - and the original Ricky Gervais script edited pilot episode, plus exclusive never before aired additional scenes, waste scenes, a riotous must watch PhoneShop team commentary and a host of hilarious hidden extras. All this and a soundtrack from the likes of Roots Manuva, DJ Zinc & JME, Wiley, Omar, Modeselektor, Toddla T, Skream, TC and SBTRKT. If you've ever set foot in a mobile phone store, this show is for you…
Mulan: Embraced for her loveable spirited nature Mulan is a young girl who doesn't quite fit into her tradition bound society. When the invading Hun army comes charging over China's Great Wall Mulan's ageing father is ordered into battle! To spare him from harm Mulan disguises herself as a soldier and secretly takes his place in the Imperial army training with a comical ragtag troop led by the courageous Captain Shang. Never far away are Mulan's hilarious guardian dragon Mushu and lucky cricket Cri-Kee. But Mulan will need more than Mushu's razor-sharp wit to defeat the ruthless Hun leader Shan-Yu. Only by staying true to herself will she bring victory to her country and honour to her family. Mulan 2: The spirited Mulan gets the thrill of her life when General Shang asks for her hand in marriage but the surprises are just beginning. Throwing a wrench into their plans is the mischievous Mushu who tries to keep the happy couple apart as long as possible in order to retain his job as her guardian dragon. Adding to their adventure is the fact that Mulan and Shang must escort three princesses across China to their own arranged marriages. When she discovers that these three women aren't looking forward to their upcoming weddings Mulan makes a bold decision that will change the course of history!
Rocketman is an epic musical story about Elton John's breakthrough years. The film follows the fantastical journey of transformation from shy piano prodigy Reginald Dwight into international superstar Elton John. This inspirational story set to Elton John's most beloved songs and performed by star Taron Egerton tells the universally relatable story of how a small-town boy became one of the most iconic figures in pop culture.
Opposites attract in Fools Rush In, a conventional but refreshingly unpredictable romantic comedy. New York nightclub designer (Matthew Perry, from television's Friends) is in Las Vegas to supervise the construction of a new project when he meets a fiery Mexican beauty (Salma Hayek). It's lust at first sight, and their one-night stand takes an unexpected turn when she shows up three months later to announce that she's pregnant. They're determined to do right for each other, so they get married in a Vegas chapel with an Elvis impersonator as their witness. Then comes the hard part--trying to figure out if they're actually compatible. The plot complications are mostly familiar, but Perry and Hayek throw some bright sparks as their initial bliss turns to more realistic concerns for family and future. Along the way there's some sharp dialogue and a few good laughs to give this all-too-human comedy an enjoyable spin. --Jeff Shannon, Amazon.com
Catherine Tate's iconic character Nan hits the big screen as she goes on a wild road trip from London to Ireland with her grandson Jamie (Mathew Horne) to make amends with her estranged sister Nell (Katherine Parkinson). Militant vegan arsonists, raucous rugby teams, all-night raves, and crazed cops on motorbikes all make for a proper day out. An origin story that mixes Nan's present with her past where we finally find out what's made her the cantankerous old b*****d she is today.
An adaptation of Jane Austen's first novella Lady Susan', Love & Friendship follows the beautiful Lady Susan as she attempts to find a husband for herself and her long-suffering daughter Frederica.
Starring Morven Christie and written by the award-winning Daragh Carville, The Bay is a beautifully crafted crime drama rooted in the families and communities of a distinctive coastal town. In the debut season, Family Liaison Officer Lisa Armstrong (Christie) is assigned to a missing persons investigation that, at first, seems like any other tragic, but all too familiar. But there's something very different about this particular case. With horror, Lisa realises she has a personal connection with this frightened family one that could compromise her and the investigation. Season two begins with Lisa at a low ebb, forced to do menial police work. However, when a new case involving a shocking murder within a loving family emerges, Lisa is called upon once again. Facing huge challenges at work and at home, Lisa must get under the skin of this new family and prove her worth to her colleagues, to her family and to herself.
The Powerpuff Girls, Cartoon Network's animated trio of butt-kicking superheroines, make their big-screen debut in a film that will please fans of the TV series and animation fans young and old. The plot begins with the girls' creation at the hands of the kindly but naive Professor Utonium, who combined "sugar, spice and all things nice" to create three perfect little girls--practical Blossom, feisty Buttercup, and wussy Bubbles. Unfortunately, his ape assistant, Jojo, broke a bottle of the mysterious Chemical X in the lab and the girls' superpowers--as well as Jojo's--were born. After wrecking Townsville during a somewhat boisterous game of Tag, the girls are treated as outcasts by their fellow citizens and determine never to use their powers in public again--until they're confronted by Jojo and the girls find themselves called upon to foil his evil schemes and "save the world before bedtime". Though it takes a while to get going, The Powerpuff Girls is exciting enough to keep younger viewers engrossed while throwing in a few--though not really enough--monkey-related in-jokes to get the adults chortling once in a while. The heavily stylised pastel colouring and frenetic pace of the animation, while distinctive, may be off-putting to people used to the more polished style of Disney, and some of the later scenes, full of screeching, sharp-toothed apes, may be upsetting to very young viewers. The film's ostensible message--"don't treat people badly just because they're different" seems to take a bit of a back seat too. Nevertheless, The Powerpuff Girls provides a solid 80 minutes of fun, despite lacking the mainstream appeal of the likes of Shrek or the Disney/Pixar movies. --Rikki Price
Big budget sci-fi action based on the original film series of the late 1960s and early 1970s. James Franco stars as Will Rodman, a genetic engineer working in present-day San Francisco who is performing scientific tests on apes in his attempt to find a cure for Alzheimer's. His first test subject is Caesar (Andy Serkis), the prototype of a new breed of apes with human-like intelligence. But when Caesar breaks free, a revolution is triggered and an epic war for supremacy breaks out between humankind and the primates of the world.
Party At The Palace starts with Queen Guitarist Brian May--who looks more than ever like a haircut with a person growing from beneath it--playing "God Save The Queen" on the roof of Buckingham Palace; seemingly missing the point of his obvious inspiration, Jimi Hendrix's apocalyptic subversion of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock. Unbelievably, and theoretically impossibly, it goes downhill from there. It can only be assumed that the bill for the Queen's Jubilee was assembled by an ardent republican. The concert is a motley assortment of has-beens and time-wasters, a curious number of whom felt it proper to celebrate the monarch's 50 years by singing old Motown songs badly. The concert also features an extended plug for Queen's (that's the Band) risible musical We Will Rock You and Lenny Henry shouting. Bewilderingly Party At The Palace is not only redeemed, but made worth owning, by the four-song set by Brian Wilson with his version of "God Only Knows"--accompanied by Andrea Corr-offering a heartbreakingly earnest performance. The concert ends with a pantomime version of "All You Need Is Love". Party At The Palace is the night rock & roll gave up. On the DVD: Party at the Palace is presented in 16:9 format. Songs can be selected by title or by artist. There are subtitles in French, German and Spanish. Proceeds from the sale of the DVD, "after the deduction of costs and expenses in relation to its production and distribution", will be donated to the Queen Elizabeth II Golden Jubilee Trust. --Andrew Muller
The Penguins are reporting back for duty and this time they're bringing along a few new friends. Meet Roger Skorca Jiggles and a whole cast more of new zoosters in this DVD packed with action and escapades.
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