Latest video releases reviewed
HELLBOY ****
Directed by Guillermo del Toro. Starring Ron Perlman, Selma Blair, John Hurt, Jeffrey Tambor 12 cert
A laconic demon helps the FBI track down less civilised monsters in the only recent comic book adaptation that bears comparison with Sam Raimi's Spider-Man movies. Great stuff, but true Hellboy enthusiasts may wish to wait until the extended director's cut is released in this region. DC
SHARK TALE *
Directed by Vicky Jenson. Voices of Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Angelina Jolie, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black Gen cert
You know those cheap rip-offs of modish toys - Latvian not-quite-Barbies, Taiwanese nearly-Gameboys - that you catch sight of in the Pound Shop? Well, the nasty looking, poorly scripted Shark Tale is to Finding Nemo what those shabby items are to their inspirations. DC
OPEN WATER ***
Directed by Chris Kentis. Starring Blanchard Ryan, Daniel Travis 15 cert
Really little more than an extended stunt, this low-budget thriller dumps a couple of yuppies among a mass of angry sharks and sits back to enjoy the fun. Were we not aware that the angry predators were the real McCoy, the tension would wear off pretty quickly. As things stand, Open Water passes the time well enough. DC
THE ALAMO **
Directed by John Lee Hancock. Starring Billy Bob Thornton, Dennis Quaid, Jason Patric, Patrick Wilson 12 cert
A serious contender for most pointless film of 2004. The latest retelling of the story of the patriots who died defending a Texas mission against the mighty Mexican army is not quite grown-up enough to appeal to history junkies and far, far too dull to qualify as a proper action film. DC
THE CHRONICLES OF RIDDICK *
Directed by David Twohy. Starring Vin Diesel, Thandie Newton, Colm Feore, Keith David, Judi Dench 12 cert
Look yonder, Loktar of Kornflake, the entire Horliks fleet has docked on the least distant of our seven moons. And so on. This numbingly boring sequel to Pitch Black is so taken up with space-opera claptrap that only the most obsessive nerds will be able to sit through it. And, yes, that Judi Dench. DC
THE COEN BROTHERS' COLLECTION *****
Blood Simple, Barton Fink, The Hudsucker Proxy, The Big Lebowski. Directed by Joel and Ethan Coen
Readers pondering what to do with their gift vouchers ought to consider acquiring this four-DVD gem, which features four movies from the highly creative team of Joel and Ethan Coen, beginning with their auspicious 1983 début, Blood Simple, a clever and immensely stylish film noir accompanied here by an audio commentary. The set also includes the Coens' 1991 Cannes prize-winner, the wonderfully quirky Barton Fink (with the bonus of eight deleted scenes), along with the wildly ambitious and generally underrated The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) and the feast of fun that is The Big Lebowski (1997). MD
STAGE BEAUTY **
Directed by Richard Eyre. Starring Billy Crudup, Claire Danes, Rupert Everett, Tom Wilkinson, Ben Chaplin 15 cert
On second glance, this study of the turmoil that hit London's theatres when Charles II allowed female actors back on stage is a messy production, with its thin performances and ugly production design, and even less satisfactory than it appeared on release. Everett is still funny as the king. DC
RAISING HELEN *
Directed by Garry Marshall. Starring Kate Hudson, John Corbett 12 cert
There appears to be a competition underway to discover who can bury early promise beneath the largest mass of cinematic effluent. Raising Helen, in which Kate Hudson plays a Manhattan high-flyer suddenly forced to care for nieces and nephews, leaves Reese Witherspoon and Heather Graham with serious ground to make up. DC
BUBBA HO-TEP ***
Directed by Don Coscarelli. Starring Bruce Campbell, Ossie Davis 15 cert
A decrepit Elvis and JFK - or two maniacs who believe themselves to be those people - join forces to defeat the ancient mummy terrorising their retirement home. Unsurprisingly, this comedy horror flick is not quite as entertaining as it sounds. But, though more often poignant than frightening, it comes pretty close. DC
