Master And Commander: The Far Side Of The World (Cert 12, Twentieth Century Fox Home Entertainment, DVD £24.99/VHS £14.99). Stars: Russell Crowe, Paul Bettany, James D'Arcy, Lee Ingleby, Robert Pugh, David Threlfall, Billy Boyd

DIRECTOR Peter Weir bravely sets sail with this swashbuckling adventure yarn torn from the pages of Patrick O'Brian's novels. Captain ''Lucky'' Jack Aubrey (Crowe) and the 197-strong crew of the Hms Surprise are ordered to intercept the French Privateer, Acheron and ''sink, burn or take her as a prize".

Weir somehow manages to maintain control of the various elements and keeps the picture afloat. Landlubbers should take seasickness pills before they leave shore.

DVD Extras: The Hundred Days making of featurette, In The Wake Of O'Brian interview with Peter Weir, special effects documentary, sound design documentary, HBO First Look Special, Six deleted scenes, multi-angle study of the last battle, Four stills galleries, interactive sound recording, Inside Look at I, Robot.

Touching The Void (15, FilmFour/VCI, DVD £19.99/VHS £12.99)

Stars: Joe Simpson, Simon Yates, Richard Hawking, Brendan Mackey, Nicholas Aaron.

KEVIN Macdonald's breathtaking documentary recreates an extraordinary story of human endurance against seemingly insurmountable odds in Peru. In May 1985, Joe Simpson and his mountaineering partner Simon Yates got into difficulties and Simon was forced to sever the rope to Joe and complete the descent alone. He arrived at base camp distraught, believing his partner to be dead. Miraculously, Joe survived the fall into an abyss and spent the next three-and-a-half days crawling back to base camp.

DVD Extras: Director, actor and writer commentaries, five deleted scenes, MTV premiere party spy-cam, poster gallery, on-set photography gallery, Cooking Show trailer featuring Mickey Rourke, UK theatrical trailer.

Creature Comforts Series 1 Part 2 (PG, 63 mins, Momentum Pictures, DVD £17.99, VHS £12.99)

MEET Gary and Nigel the slugs, Dennis the Dung Beetle, Matilda the Performing Cow and Megan and Gladys the Seagulls in the remaining seven episodes from the new Aardman Animations series, which brings to life hilarious unscripted interviews with the great British public.

DVD Extras: Favourite Bits director's choice of the best clips, ITV1 idents and National TV Awards clips, Bringing Creature Comforts To Life featurette, Who Said That? game, downloadable wallpapers, Say That Again downloadable phrases, weblinks.

Published: 01/04/2004