Latest video releases reviewed
SHARK TALE *
Directed by Vicky Jenson. Voices Will Smith, Robert De Niro, Renée Zellweger, Jack Black, Angelina Jolie, Martin Scorsese Gen cert
You know those numbingly depressing, cheap rip-offs of modish toys - Latvian not-quite-Barbies, Taiwanese nearly-Gameboys - that you can't help but catch sight of when visiting the Pound Shop? Well, the nasty looking, poorly scripted Shark Tale is to Finding Nemo what those shabby items are to their inspirations. Hang on for The Incredibles instead.
THE GRUDGE ***
Directed by Takashi Shimuzu. Starring Sarah Michelle Gellar, Jason Behr, KaDee Strickland, Clea DuVall, William Mapother, Grace Zabriskie 15 cert
Shimuzu's English-language version of his own Japanese haunted house shocker supplies any number of unnerving set-pieces: doors creak; hairy ghosts appear in cupboards; periods of silence are interrupted by phones ringing really loudly. Nonetheless, much like the original, the new film, issued here with decidedly ho-hum DVD extras, is a rather shapeless business. DC
MAN ON FIRE **
Directed by Tony Scott. Starring Denzel Washington, Dakota Fanning, Marc Anthony, Radha Mitchell, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Giannini 18 cert
When moppet du jour Dakota Fanning is kidnapped in Mexico, bodyguard Denzel, acting in defiance of the wishes of right-thinking movie fans everywhere, tries to get her back. For good or ill (the latter mostly), this dazzlingly jittery, absurdly stylish thriller sees Tony Scott at his most Tony Scottish. The 2-DVD edition features an incredibly long documentary, which I couldn't be bothered to watch.
LADIES IN LAVENDER **
Directed by Charles Dance. Starring Judi Dench, Maggie Smith, Natascha McElhone, Daniel Brühl, Miriam Margolyes, David Warner PG cert
When gentle-ladies Dench and Smith find a young man lying on the beach near their Cornish cottage, various tensions develop. Despite the presence of some sinister sexual undercurrents this remains a pretty drippy piece of work. That said, the two leads, as dignified in their postures and fruity in their timbres as ever, are an absolute delight to watch. Suitable for Granny.
