Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs

(U, 90 mins, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray & DVD Combi-pack £24.99)

Featuring the voices of: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Adam Samberg, Mr T, Tracy Morgan, Bruce Campbell, Neil Patrick Harris

EVER since he was a little boy, Flint Lockwood (voiced by Hader) has been inventing gadgets to improve the lives of his technophobe father Tim (Caan) and mother Fran (Graham) in the town of Swallow Falls. In an effort to solve world hunger, Flint creates a machine which can transform water into foodstuffs. Before he can test his contraption and iron out the bugs, it launches into the atmosphere.

Based on the beloved 1978 children’s book, this is a treat for viewers of all ages, with slapstick and a miasma of bold colours to dazzle youngsters and some broad humour for teenagers and parents.

Fame

(12, 122 mins, Entertainment In Video, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

Stars: Asher Book, Kristy Flores, Paul Iacono, Paul McGill, Naturi Naughton, Kay Panabaker, Kherington Payne, Collins Pennie, Walter Perez, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Debbie Allen, Charles S Dutton, Kelsey Grammer, Megan Mullally, Bebe Neuwirth

THE New York City High School of Performing Arts returns with the hopefuls pushing themselves to the limit while attempting to impress their demanding teachers, Alvin Dowd (Dutton), Joel Cranston (Grammer), Fran Rowan (Mullally) and Lynn Kraft (Neuwirth).

Young choreographer-turned-director Kevin Tancharoen pays homage to Alan Parker’s Eighties version while breathing some fresh air into his revamp.

Mesrine Parts 1 & 2

(18, 109 mins/128 mins, Momentum Pictures, DVD £19.99/Blu-ray £24.99)

Stars: Vincent Cassel, Ludivine Sagnier, Mathieu Amalric, Olivier Gourmet, Gerard Depardieu

RELEASED in cinemas in two parts, this is an epic and brutal tale of crime and punishment inspired by the true-life exploits of one of France’s most notorious criminals. Director Jean-Francois Richet pulls no punches with the explosions of violence as he chronicles the rise and fall of Jacques Mesrine in a smidgen under four hours. Mesrine won three Cesars (the Gallic equivalent of the Oscar) including Best Actor for Cassel, whose incendiary performance threatens to melt the DVD.

Comparisons to Scarface are justified even though Richet’s magnum opus doesn’t quite attain the lofty heights of the Brian De Palma classic.