Three Amigos
by John Landis
from Hbo Home Video
Three Western stars (Martin Short, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase) from Hollywood silent films go to Mexico for what they assume will be a publicity appearance, and find they've actually been summoned to fight a local bandit. John Landis directed this 1986 comedy with self-conscious artifice, and it's hard to get into his self-congratulatory joke. Even the three main stars, brilliant comics all, can't sustain anything funny in it. --Tom Keogh
Barnyard - The Original Party Animals (Full Screen Edition)
from Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies
Moo-ve over all you pretenders...here are the original party animals - the critters of Barnyard! This laugh-filled tuneful animated adventure stars Otis (voiced by Kevin James) a carefree party cow. To the consternation of his respected father Ben (voiced by Sam Elliott) Otis is happy to spend his days singing dancing and playing tricks on humans. But all good things must come to an end and when Otis is suddenly forced into his father's position of responsibility the animal antics multiply as he struggles to find the courage and talent to be a true leader. Wild wacky and "udderly" hilarious here s a herd of animated pranksters that'll keep you laughing out loud!System Requirements:Run Time: 89 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 097361186146 Manufacturer No: 118614
When the farmer's back is turned, the animals party down in Barnyard. A young cow named Otis (voiced by Kevin James, The King of Queens) loves to have fun at the farm's wild late-night hoe-downs, despite the disapproval of his father, Ben (Sam Elliott, Thank You for Smoking). When Ben dies defending the barnyard from marauding coyotes, Otis is chosen as the new leader--but responsibility sits uneasily on Otis' head and he fears he may not be able to protect his friends from the coyotes. Barnyard's design of the cows seems inspired by Gary Larson's The Far Side comics; though the style is simple, the characters are surprisingly expressive. From moment to moment, the movie is reasonably entertaining. The actors--including Courteney Cox, Danny Glover, and David Koechner (Anchorman) as a very menacing coyote--do solid voice work and there are plenty of amusing gags. But as Barnyard gallops towards its end, the combination of cliches (the story is a clumsy reworking of The Lion King), odd choices (the male cows have udders), and lackluster dialogue makes the movie sag. --Bret Fetzer
Barnyard - The Original Party Animals (Widescreen Edition)
from Paramount Pictures/Nickelodeon Movies
Kevin James plays Otis the Cow in this animated comedy. Hmm let's check the dictionary here... HEY! Cows are supposed to be female! Does this mean he's a tranvestite bull? Or is Otis a drag king? Or just a gruff-voiced lesbian with an unfortunate name? Well Kevin James is the King of Queens. Someone call Marlin Perkins we demand answers!System Requirements:Run Time: 90 minsFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY Rating: PG UPC: 097363431244 Manufacturer No: 343124
When the farmer's back is turned, the animals party down in Barnyard. A young cow named Otis (voiced by Kevin James, The King of Queens) loves to have fun at the farm's wild late-night hoe-downs, despite the disapproval of his father, Ben (Sam Elliott, Thank You for Smoking). When Ben dies defending the barnyard from marauding coyotes, Otis is chosen as the new leader--but responsibility sits uneasily on Otis' head and he fears he may not be able to protect his friends from the coyotes. Barnyard's design of the cows seems inspired by Gary Larson's The Far Side comics; though the style is simple, the characters are surprisingly expressive. From moment to moment, the movie is reasonably entertaining. The actors--including Courteney Cox, Danny Glover, and David Koechner (Anchorman) as a very menacing coyote--do solid voice work and there are plenty of amusing gags. But as Barnyard gallops towards its end, the combination of cliches (the story is a clumsy reworking of The Lion King), odd choices (the male cows have udders), and lackluster dialogue makes the movie sag. --Bret Fetzer
Tom and Jerry - The Movie
by Phil Roman
from Turner Home Ent
Tom and Jerry return to the silver screen in a magical music-filled extravaganza! The celebrated cat-and-mouse team meets Robyn Starling a runaway who desperately needs their help to find her missing father. Despite heroic efforts Tom and Jerry are captured by Robyn's nasty Aunt Figg and her lawyer Lickboot then tossed into pet prison by the villainous Dr. Applecheeks. Tom and Jerry brilliantly mastermind a great escape and free their new friends Puggsy and Frankie Da Flea. Together with Robyn they set off on a wild cat-and-mouse escapade full of thrills and adventure like you've never seen.Running Time: 84 min.Format: DVD MOVIE Genre: CHILDREN/FAMILY UPC: 053939805529 Manufacturer No: T8055
Too bad this theatrical paws you in from the first frame with clever characters, memorable music, and a pulled-together plot, because if you're a dyed-in-the-fur Tom and Jerry fan, your first inclination is to flee the set. Offending old-schoolers in a late-Bewitched new-Darren sense is the dialogue--not only do Tom and Jerry speak, they're talking to each other. Worse, the former combatants cultivate a camaraderie. Instead of clobbering each other with mallets, the cat and mouse duo dig in, together, to rescue a runaway. Returning Robyn to her dad requires outfoxing Aunt Figg, the girl's money-grubbing guardian, and a cadre of scheming animal and kid catchers. A little tail-twitching mousetrap action toward the end is the tender vittle tossed to the old crowd in what's otherwise a declawed but undeniably entertaining chase-a-thon. Put it on for kids 4 and up and help forge a kinder, gentler Tom and Jerry generation. --Tammy La Gorce
¡Three Amigos! [Region 2]
by John Landis
Three Western stars (Martin Short, Steve Martin, Chevy Chase) from Hollywood silent films go to Mexico for what they assume will be a publicity appearance, and find they've actually been summoned to fight a local bandit. John Landis directed this 1986 comedy with self-conscious artifice, and it's hard to get into his self-congratulatory joke. Even the three main stars, brilliant comics all, can't sustain anything funny in it. --Tom Keogh
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