"Actor: Joe Ranft"

• A Bug's Life (Disney Pixar) | DVD | (08/01/2001) from £3.75   |  Saving you £2.65 (70.67%)   |  RRP £6.40

  There was a rare magic on the big screen in 1995, when the people at Pixar came up with the first fully computer-animated film, Toy Story, and their second feature film, A Bug's Life, may miss the bull's-eye but Pixar's target is so lofty that it's hard to find the film anything less than irresistible. Brighter and more colourful than the other animated insect movie of 1998 (Antz), A Bug's Life is the sweetly told story of Flik (voiced by David Foley), an ant searching for better ways to be a bug. His colony unfortunately revolves around feeding and fearing the local grasshoppers (lead by Hopper, voiced with gleeful menace by Kevin Spacey). When Flik accidentally destroys the seasonal food supply for the grasshoppers he decides to look for help ("We need bigger bugs!"). The ants, led by Princess Atta (Julia Louis-Dreyfus), are eager to dispose of the troublesome Flik. Yet he finds help--a hearty bunch of bug warriors--and brings them back to the colony. Unfortunately they are just travelling performers, afraid of conflict. As with Toy Story, the ensemble of creatures and voices is remarkable and often inspired. Highlights include wiseacre comedian Denis Leary as an un-ladylike ladybird, Joe Ranft as the German-accented caterpillar, David Hyde Pierce as a stick insect and Michael McShane as a pair of unintelligible woodlice. The scene-stealer is Atta's squeaky-voiced sister, baby Dot (Hayden Panettiere), who has a big soft spot for Flik. More gentle and kid-friendly than Antz, A Bug Life's still has some good suspense and a wonderful demise in store for the villain. However, the film--a worldwide hit--will be remembered for its most creative touch: "outtakes" over the end credits à la many live-action comedy films. These dozen or so scenes (both "editions" of outtakes are contained here) are brilliant and deserve a special place in film history right along with 1998's other most talked-about sequence: the opening Normandy invasion in Saving Private Ryan. --Doug Thomas

• Finding Nemo (Disney Pixar) | DVD | (27/02/2004) from £6.18   |  Saving you £13.81 (223.46%)   |  RRP £19.99

  A delightful undersea world unfolds in Pixar's animated adventure Finding Nemo. When his son Nemo is captured by a scuba diver, a nervous clownfish named Marlin (voiced by Albert Brooks) sets off into the vast--and astonishingly detailed--ocean to find him. Along the way he hooks up with a scatterbrained blue tang fish named Dory (Ellen DeGeneres), who's both a help and a hindrance, sometimes at the same time. Faced with sharks, deep-sea anglers, fields of poisonous jellyfish, sea turtles, pelicans and much more, Marlin rises above his neuroses in this wonderfully funny and thrilling ride--rarely do more than 10 minutes pass without a sequence appearing that's destined to become a theme-park attraction. Pixar continues its run of impeccable artistic and economic successes (Toy Story, A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc). Supporting voices here include Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush and Allison Janney. --Bret Fetzer

• A Bug's Life - 2 Disc Deluxe Edition | DVD | (09/09/2002) from £10.73   |  Saving you £17.25 (222.87%)   |  RRP £24.99

  Journey inside the miniature world of bugs for larger-than-life fun and adventure under every leaf! Crawling with imaginative characters hilarious laughs and colourful lifelike computer animation Disney and Pixor's A Bug's Life is a masterpiece terrific entertainment for all ages. (The Daily Mail). On behalf of 'oppressed bugs everywhere' an inventive ant named Flik hires 'warrior bugs' to defend his colony from a horde of greedy grasshoppers led by Hopper. But when Flik's cavalry turns out to be a motley group of flea circus performers the stage is set for comic confusion as well as unlikely heroes! Featuring a star-studded voice cast. A Bug's Life presents an amazing new perspective on teamwork and determination! Plus this DVD edition has been created directly from Pixar's digital source producing the clearest picture possible and two viewing formats: original wide-screen and special full-frame digitally recomposed to retain the entire image.

• The Brave Little Toaster | DVD | (28/07/2003) from £N/A   |  Saving you £N/A (N/A%)   |  RRP £5.99

  The Brave Little Toaster is a delightful animated musical movie based on the classic children's story by Thomas M. Disch. Toaster and his household chums including Radio and Lamp feel very lonely when they are left alone in the house after their master the little boy Rob and his family move. Led by Toaster the adventurous appliances embark on a journey across America in search of Rob. Featuring a great soundtrack including 'Tutti Frutti' 'April Showers' and many songs written especially for the movie.