Comedy

While this season lacks some of the more famous and recognisable sketches in the Two Ronnies canon (for me anyway), in my view this was still an enjoyable watch of old-school comedy.

I'd go as far to say Ronnie Barker was the more talented of the two, especially with the way he messes around with the English language, like in the "Limerick Clinic" sketch, or mixes up sounds into spoonerisms and tongue twisters.

There are some spoof public information films like "How to Get Married" with wonderfully deadpan delivery.
Of course, Ronnie Corbett was a talent too and does work very well with him, often playing the straight man like in a sketch about an Eastern European restaurant (and don't forget his rambling monologues) but Barker also wrote quite a high number of the sketches himself (under the pseudonym Gerald Wiley) and I just think he was funnier.

Its interesting to note that especially in the early seasons like this one, the full Two Ronnies shows were more of a variety show, with the sketches broken up by appearances from music stars of the day (for example in this season, we are treated to The New Seekers in one episode - sadly not the original Seekers), or some other novelty act - and Pan's People do a dance routine.

I felt the parodies of popular shows of the time (Upstairs Downstairs, The Onedin Line etc) outstayed their welcome somewhat. Perhaps this has something to do with not knowing the originals very well as they were before my time and I never saw them. The Star Trek spoof was funny though.

One of my favourite things in the Two Ronnies shows was their finale musical numbers, but they hadn't really become a fixture of the show at this point. There are a couple though, including The Short and Fat Minstrel Show in the final episode - on that note, its perhaps worth mentioning that some of their humour may be a bit un PC for some people, by modern standards but it's still funny, and thank goodness nothing was changed or cut. You have to appreciate the time in which it was made, with differing social attitudes.

I loved the sketch with Ronnie Barker as a last-minute commentator who finds all the different sports clips have got mixed up! Even though he's commentating at speed, somehow it all makes a crazy sort of sense which shows Barker's skill as a comic.

The eight episodes of this series are spread across two discs, but unfortunately there are no extras to speak of.

‘Mary and Max' is a 2009 Australian clay-animated feature film directed and written by Adam Elliot and produced by Melanie Coombs. The film is beautifully narrated by Barry Humphries. He has a soothing, Stephen Fry sort of feel, as though telling a story to a child but for adults.

The film deals with multiple themes including childhood neglect, bullying, loneliness, Asperger's Syndrome, over-eating, depression and anxiety. It is Wallace and Gromit meets Alan Bennett.

‘Mary and Max' is reportedly loosely based on a true story. In an interview given in April 2009, writer-director Elliot clarified that the character of Max was inspired by "a pen-friend in New York who I've been writing to for over twenty years."

It is a simple tale taking place over the course of twenty years and spanning two continents. The film follows the relationship of pen pals Mary, an eight year old child from the outskirts of Melbourne in Australia, and Max, a forty four year old Jewish man with Aspergers who lives alone in New York. Through their pen-friend relationship, Elliot explores the film's central themes of loneliness, mental illness, love and friendship with humour and pathos in equal measure. It is subtly observed - poignant, sweet, innocent, funny and slightly depressing - a film full of home-spun wisdom.

This is visually a film of astonishing naive beauty. Like all animation, much of the joy comes from the unexpected detail. It is evocative of a child's eye looking into a treasured museum piece doll's house, marvelling at the attention to trivia and catching sight of a tiny toilet roll holder.

Aesthetically the film is deceptively child-like; visually and narratively it seems like any children's story but the content is adult, the depth and breadth of the topics covered are for the thinking adult.

I loved this film and felt that it was a philosophical tale that just happened to involve a man with Aspergers rather than being exploitative.

An entertaining festive short, spun off from the popular series of movies. All the main voice cast, including Mike Myers and Eddie Murphy, return and reprise their roles and they all do an excellent job.

Christmas is coming, and Fiona (Cameron Diaz) and Donkey are looking forward to Christmas with their family and friends. Unfortunately for Shrek, he just wants to be left alone and won't get things ready for the big day.

Not letting on to Fiona that he doesn't even know what Christmas is and hasn't bothered getting ready - in a great scene set to the epic music of O Fortuna, poor Shrek frantically rushes out into the snow and buys a guide book called Christmas for Village Idiots to help him prepare for the holiday.

The film that preceded this - Shrek the Third, was quite disappointing, but I was pleasantly surprised by this short, which was much better and funnier. I'm a big fan of the Shrek movies and since this was first shown on TV it's become a Christmas favourite of mine that I'll watch on DVD, when the holiday approaches.

There are some funny scenes that made me laugh, and the CGI animation and voice acting is excellent - of the same stellar quality as the main films, and the transfer is very good.

The story is simple, yet also heart warming and touching, and this movie definitely gets me into the Christmas spirit. Shrek may be an ogre, but it's not like he's actually evil. The Shrek babies are adorable.

The characters of Donkey (Eddie Murphy) and Puss in Boots (Antonio Banderas) in particular steal the show, and are hilarious. Despite the fact Puss in Boots is played as a kind of feline Zorro character, he's still a pussycat at heart!

In Donkey's version of the Christmas story, he tells of a HUGE waffle Santa - the way it was designed in this scene was surely a reference to the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man from Ghostbusters.

Though the main characters have very modern sensibilities, the humans in Shrek seem to live in a kind of Ye Olde Fairytale world. The theme of the film is universal, Christmas may not always go exactly as planned, but it's a time for love and family.

The extras on the DVD include sing-along songs from other Dreamworks films, and a video game demo. Upon starting up the DVD, there are trailers for Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa and Kung Fu Panda which can be skipped.

This DVD features a Sesame Street TV special that was originally made in 1978. While there have been a few Sesame Street Christmas specials over the years, this was the first.

Sesame Street was a truly groundbreaking programme in many ways, with the unique way educational concepts were presented to children in the style of TV commercials, and the use of Jim Henson's Muppet characters.

On the DVD, there are lots of the classic cast and characters (human and muppet) that I remember (though the Special was made a few years before I was born) - Bert and Ernie, Kermit, a genuinely grouchy and cynical Oscar, (just listen to his song I Hate Christmas for proof), Maria (Sonia Manzano), Bob (Bob McGrath) and Linda (Linda Bove), who was a deaf actress who introduced sign language and issues facing deaf people.

Though it was first shown in America, I'm sure this special was also shown on Channel 4 in the UK for some years every Christmas, and that's when I used to watch it each year when I was young. It's gentle, heartwarming and still entertaining.

I liked the charming sequences with the life size muppets ice skating, and Big Bird interacting with a little girl, and the sketch with Cookie Monster writing a letter to Santa was funny too.

There's also a really poignant scene that brought a lump to my throat, in which Bert and Ernie (the superb partnership of Frank Oz and Jim Henson) sacrifice their prized possessions so they could buy each other presents. This shows the true meaning of friendship and kindness, and that's for life - not just for Christmas.

Ernie and Bert were believed to have been named after the taxi cab driver and cop from the classic film It's a Wonderful Life, however, one of the show writers of the time, Jon Stone claimed it was just a coincidence.
A number of songs really touch my heart, especially the now famous Keep Christmas with You (All Through the Year) and Bert and Ernie's affecting duet of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.

This film evokes genuine feelings of warmth, and - dare I say it, nostalgia and wishing I was a kid again.
As a fan of "old school" Sesame Street, this DVD is fun to watch at Christmas, and brought back some great memories for me. It will bring you back to a simpler time and world.

In 1979 this Special won an Emmy award (the television equivalent of an Oscar) for Outstanding Children's Program, and was nominated for 2 more.

In this film, the title character Shrek (voiced by Mike Myers - Austin Powers, Wayne's World) is a big, green ugly ogre who lives alone in a swamp. When Lord Farquaad (Third Rock From The Sun's John Lithgow) overruns his swamp with famous fairytale characters, he has to go off on a quest with a wisecracking donkey (Eddie Murphy, who is just so funny!) to rescue a feisty kidnapped Princess named Fiona (Cameron Diaz) from a fire breathing dragon, and (you guessed it) Shrek falls in love with her on the way home.

The plot of this film is like a traditional fairy tale - specifically a Beauty and the Beast scenario - turned on its` head and stretched sideways. As well as being quite sweet, it contains some very funny jokes (there are some wonderful digs at the Disney studio - and the "Bullet Time" Matrix spoof is a hoot). The computer animation in this film looks phenomenal and beautifully detailed, showing us just how fast technology has progressed since Toy Story, the first full length computer generated motion picture, back in 1995.

Despite what some critics may say, I would submit this is not just a young children's film, as some of the references to other movies and the humour (which can be rather lewd) will fly right over their heads. That's` not to say children won't be entertained though - like all the best cartoons and animated features, it works on a number of levels. The charming story is in its` own a way a fairy tale, and yet it is also a parody of more traditional fairy tale movies, with its` sly digs at established characters. (There is a surprising twist at the end of the movie, but I won't spoil it for you).

I think this is an excellent movie - a cute plot combined with some great humour proves (to my mind anyway) that cartoons and animation aren't just for kids. It has something for everyone - its` a really funny comedy but it also has incredible heart.

The DTS track on this film (available on Disc 2) is amazing - not so much because it enhances music/dialogue, but because of the little things - in some scenes you can even hear birds chirping or bees buzzing in the background. These little details show a lot of care and attention went into the making of it. Because it was all made on computers, the transfer is also bang on - with fantastic colours (check the bright green of Shrek and the way you can see fur on his tunic for example).

Superb.

In this review, I'll be talking about my favourite episodes from this season. I think Plankton episodes are often my favourite. In "Fear of a Krabby Patty", Mr. Krabs opens the Krusty Krab 24 hours a day which causes Spongebob to become unhinged and scared of making Krabby Patties.

Though ostensibly a show for children, I think there's plenty of humour for adults to enjoy too. I love the episode called "New Leaf" where Plankton becomes much nicer and throws in the towel, and he actually befriends Mr. Krabs... or does he? Perhaps much of the comedy comes from anticipation - you know Plankton will always lose even when he appears to win, but you're never quite sure how.

But sometimes this show can do sadness, even pathos as well as goofy humour and parody. "Have You Seen This Snail" is the episode where Spongebob unwittingly neglects to feed Gary (his pet snail), so Gary runs away, and winds up staying with a grandmotherly figure who thinks he's her long lost cat. This episode is both funny and also very touching, especially the sad song "Gary Come Home" with a heartbroken Spongebob looking for Gary (though even that isn't immune from 4th wall humour - the song appears to be playing on an old fashioned record, and Spongebob tries sky-writing) and a scene where Gary finds out he must escape from his Grandma captor, or else die like the other snails he finds that have been overfed. I got misty eyed during that song. When Grandma gives Gary a stack of fliers, he sees they are from Spongebob, and realises he does care about him.

On the face of it, the show repeats it's stories which often seem the same when you boil them down - Spongebob and Patrick annoy their eternally grumpy neighbour Squidward, Mr. Krabs wants more money, Plankton wants to steal the Krabby Patty formula, or they show farce/misunderstanding, but it's funny how they're done.

For example in the episode "The Thing" Squidward gets covered in cement, and Spongebob adopts him like a pet. In another episode, Patrick disguises himself as a girl called "Patricia" in order to avoid trouble... only for his new persona to catch the eye of Mr. Krabs.

"Karate Island" is a spoof of the Bruce Lee film Game of Death, in which Sandy the squirrel (Carolyn Lawrence) has to fight different opponents, to get to a top of a tower.

In the "Hocus Pocus" episode Spongebob receives a magic kit and tries to practice magic on Squidward - however, Squidward just wants to be left alone. He gets on a bus to take him far away when Spongebob's back is turned, just at the moment a kid throws a pistachio ice cream onto Squidward's chair.

Spongebob comes back out and thinks he has turned Squidward into an ice cream cone! There's a funny reference to The Wizard of Oz in this episode, where Spongebob and Patrick decide they have to visit "The Wizard" to change Squidward back (after following the Brown Tile road).

I like the Good Neighbours episode where Spongebob and Patrick annoy Squidward when he just wants to relax on a Sunday, so to stop intruders getting in his house, he installs a computer in his home that winds up destroying the town.

Selling Out is also good, where Mr. Krabs sells The Krusty Krab to a conglomerate who plans to turn it into a big corporate chain called Krabby O' Mondays. What I like most about this episode is the satirical way it shows corporate culture and those types of homogenised restaurants - Squidward is forced to keep to the "happy" image sold by the Krabby O' Mondays and go round with a fixed smile on his face, and instead of being freshly cooked by Spongebob, Krabby Patties are disgusting processed monstrosities literally made from grey goo. I think this sort of joke shows the cartoon can do more grown up humour, and it may be missed by a young child.

The "Krusty Towers" episode (where Mr Krabs turns The Krusty Krab into a posh hotel) is hilarious. Patrick comes in and asks for a Krabby Patty but Mr. Krabs says he has to order a room too which leads to Squidward acting as Patrick's porter and getting so annoyed. But the tables are turned when Squidward enters as a guest himself....

"Best Frenemies" is another great episode with Plankton, in this episode Mr. Krabs enlists Plankton's help to find out just what is in a new popular drink, the Kelpshake.
In "Squidbob Tentaclepants", an accident with one of Sandy's inventions leads to Spongebob and Squidward being melded together in the same body, Fly-style.

Sometimes I'm not quite sure why but I enjoy the series a lot, it can be very funny.

At last -a geek friendly comedy series! (not counting the IT Crowd, of course...) If you love pop culture references (including a delicious reference to my own favourite Hawk The Slayer!) then this is for you. Not only are the writers geeks, but so are the characters and they often reference comics and classic films in their daily lives - re-enacting mock gunfights; playing endlessly on games-consoles and generally bumming around.

What makes this so funny is it's brazen dis-regard for the rules of television; each person has their own reality and just as Family Guy will segue way into fantasies; flashbacks and genuine tomfoolery so did Spaced (almost a decade beforehand).

This is genuinely funny and actually rewards repeat viewings as you pick up on the pop-culture references more. The performances are nothing short of inspired, both Simon Pegg and Jessica Stevenson are evenly matched and suit the roles perfectly (which as they wrote Spaced, makes sense!) but for me it's the supporting characters that are the real strokes of genius. My particular favourites are Tyres who is a raving bike messenger prone to hair-trigger mood swings (no doubt due to his incessant drug taking) and Bilbo who's the Hawk The Slayer loving comic store owner (played by Bill Bailey no less).

If you like Shaun Of The Dead and Hot Fuzz then this is where it all started, so buy it... watch it and be prepared for a thoroughly rewarding experience!

There is something about this film that, for me, defies explanation. The plot is epic and labyrinthine as it follows Mick Travis - yes, that Mick Travis... - in various stages of his life, his various ups and downs to his final enlightenment through a form of shakubuku.
The characters and situations are quite complex with many of the actors play multiple roles. Throughout the film I got the feeling that there was more to the film than what I thought, that there was a layer of meaning that I hadn't quite penetrated. The first time I saw this film I understood the zen-like ending and it had quite an impact on me, and each time I see it I still feel the same way, but not how it linked into the rest of the story.

Now, I think it has more to do with the path to enlightenment that we all must take -from innocence to ruin, to finding ourselves once again...!

Malcolm McDowell is superb as Mick Travis, a multi-layered, multi-faceted character - this is, for me, his best role.

The music plays an important part for me. The soundtrack is by Alan Price, and all the songs are uniformly charming and wonderful -especially the title track.

It's a shame this film isn't more widely recognised - it's a classic for so many reasons, and needs to be seen by more people!!

Channel surfing, late one night and I couldn't sleep. Bleary eyed I watched this and was spellbound by this film. It was so quirky and off kilter. It was extremely funny, but not in a laugh out loud guffaw or giggling way. Instead it was very well observed, all the characters are emotionally reserved and quite making this one of the most subtle comedies I've ever seen. The main character, Napoleon, is one of the most unlikely "hero's" I've ever come across but there is something.. charming about him... well, maybe not charming... maybe an awkwardness that is endearing.. hmm

Anyways, I think this is a film that you either "get" or you don't. If you're lucky enough to "get it" then you will find it extremely funny and unforgettable. If you don't....