 3rd & Bird: A Very Squooky Christmas! (Cert. U) Using photo-puppetry animation like The Wonder Pets, who were also created by Josh Selig, 3rd & Bird is an animated preschool series about a community of birds that live, learn and play in the branches of an old tree. The motley crew regularly breaks into songs, dances, and whistling fests as each episode follows young bird Samuel and his friends. The result is a very dynamic and colourful, if a bit noisy, gem. This new DVD release contains eight episodes. In addition to the completely adorable double-length festive special A Very Squooky Christmas, kids will also get Ice Skating, Samuel's Dance, Starry Night, The Amazing Muffin, Mariachi Muffin, Elliott The Budgie and Down To Earth. All little ones familiar with CBeebies will already love this joyful bunch - a cute collection of characters, with a very distinctive look. A nice change in a world of computer-generated everything!
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 Brüno (Cert. 18) Sacha Baron Cohen, 2009, cert. 18 Sacha Baron Cohen's third big screen outing, this time with his Austrian gay fashion journalist Brüno, is out on DVD. For those who do not remember Brüno was one of the main characters from the Ali G Show. What one has to wonder, however, is whether he would have been best confined to the TV series. Yes, there are absolutely hilarious moments throughout, and much fun can also be derived from watching heterosexual men watch the film - as there is arguably quite a bit more on display than any self-respecting straight guy should ever wish to see. But could this have been done to better effect in a different format, say an hour long TV special? There is little doubt in our minds. Brüno is funny but doesn't really stack up as a feature film. Definitely worth watching if you've missed it at the cinema, but not worthy of the top spot on your Christmas list.
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