Nostalgia
on the Big Screen
Children’s
TV classics have always held a special kind of nostalgia which can
often be difficult to replicate. However, every now and then, their
transition to the big screen manages to retain that something special
that had us all hooked as children. To celebrate the home
entertainment release of Moomins on the
Riviera (on digital
platforms from 14th
September, and on DVD from 28th
September, 2015, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment),
we take a look at other films that successfully brought nostalgia to
the big screen...
Moomins
on the Riviera (2015)
Based on the beloved Finnish comic strip by Tove
Jansson, this delightful animation features the voice talents of
Russell Tovey and
Tracey Ann Oberman,
and sees the Moomins embark on a very different kind of adventure,
away from the safety of Moominland. The Moomins, Snorkmaiden and
Little My set sail for the Riviera, where, following a journey
fraught with menacing storms and desert island dangers, Snorkmaiden
is dazzled by the attentions of a playboy and Moomin learns that
jealousy’s sting is the most painful of all. Meanwhile Moominpappa
befriends an aristocrat and adopts the name ‘de Moomin’. An
exasperated Moominmamma retires to the relative calm of their trusty
old boat, to wait for her family to come to their senses. For the
very first time, the unity of the Moomins is threatened...
Postman
Pat: The Movie (2014)
This
debut cinematic outing sees veteran Postman Pat Clifton (Stephen
Mangan) enter TV talent show You’re The One
when auditions hit his home town of Greendale. Presented by Simon
Cowbell, Pat - together with cat Jess - proves a knockout sensation,
reaching the finals (with a singing voice provided by none other than
Ronan Keating).
However, when Chief Executive Officer of the Special Delivery
Service, Mr. Brown (Jim Broadbent)
plans to put Pat’s new-found publicity to good use, his very
existence is threatened by the introduction of the Patbot 3000 -
robot replicas that take over his postal duties! Can Pat save the day
and his job?
Paddington
(2014)
The
beloved novels by Michael Bond provided the basis for this
live-action film, along with the TV series, and sees an all-star cast
come together to tell the story of the young
Peruvian bear (voiced by Ben
Whishaw)
who migrates to London. With a passion for all things British, he
travels to London in search of a home, and finds himself lost and
alone at Paddington Station. Scared, confused, and realising that
city life may not be the dream he hoped for, he is taken in by the
kindly Brown family (Hugh
Bonneville, Sally Hawkins, Madeleine Harris
and Samuel
Joslin),
who offer him a temporary home. Things seem to be going well for
Paddington; until he catches the eye of museum taxidermist Millicent
(Nicole
Kidman)
who realises just how rare this bear is...
The
Magic Roundabout (2005)
Tom
Baker, Sir Ian McKellen, Jim Broadbent,
Joanna
Lumley, Kylie Minogue
and Robbie
Williams
lend their voices to this feature-length adventure featuring the
psychedelic favourites from the stop-motion TV series. Dougal
(Williams),
the shaggy, candy-loving puppy, embarks on a dangerous journey with
his group of friends, including Ermintrude (Lumley)
the cow and Brian (Broadbent)
the snail, in an effort to imprison the evil ice sorcerer Zeebad
(Zebedee's evil twin – voiced by Baker).
Zeebad wants to freeze everything there is, putting their world in
mortal danger; and it’s up to Dougal and his friends to recover the
three diamonds that can stop him.
Hey
Arnold! The Movie (2002)
This
cult favourite cartoon hit the big screen while retaining the
original voice cast, and its very own brand of off-beat charm.
Following the exploits of football-head Arnold and his motley crew of
school friends, the film follows the fallout when corrupt developer
Schek threatens to buy the run-down urban neighbourhood where fourth
grader Arnold lives and turn it into a huge mall. Arnold and his
cooler than cool best friend Gerald decide to hatch a plan to save
their neighbourhood from demolition, and with the help of their
friends, including Helga, Sid and Eugene, as well as a mysterious
beneficent stranger, they recover a crucial document that might help
prevent the destruction of their homes...
Recess:
School’s Out
TJ
Detweiler and his five best friends Vince LaSalle, Ashley Spinelli,
Gretchen Grundler, Mikey Blumberg and Gus Griswald have finally
finished 4th grade at 3rd Street School and are looking forward to
summer vacation.
But boredom quickly sets in for TJ as his friends are all off to
Summer Camp. While passing by the school on his bike, he uncovers a
sinister plot- ex-principal Phillium Benedict and his gang of ninjas
are planning to get rid of summer vacation forever, using his
newly-acquired Tractor Beam, stolen from the US Military Base. It's
up to the Recess gang to stop him, and they in help from the other
students, Principal Prickly, Ms. Finster and the other teachers to
destroy the laser, bring Benedict to justice, and save summer
vacation...
MOOMINS
ON THE RIVIERA arrives on digital platforms from 14th
September, and on DVD from 28th
September, 2015, courtesy of Lionsgate Home Entertainment.
