Graham McTavish Movies

MGM and Warner Bros. present the second half of J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit. Peter Jackson and Fran Walsh share writing duties with Guillermo del Toro on the production, which will shoot simultaneously with the first film. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Director Robin Hardy revisits his 1974 cult classic The Wicker Man with this related horror film concerning a cowboy (Henry Garrett) and a gospel singer (Brittania Nicol) who stop in Ireland on a missionary excursion only to come in contact with an aristocrat (Graham McTavish) whose nefarious plans don't include being reformed by their Christian ways. Christopher Lee returns for a small role in this semi-sequel. ~ Jeremy Wheeler, Rovi

Follow Dante as he braves the nine circles of hell on a mission to rescue his beloved Beatrice from the infernal grasp of Lucifer. A feature-length companion piece to the Electronic Arts videogame, Dante's Inferno: The Animated Adventure features the voices of Graham McTavish and Mark Hamill, and presents a phantasmagorical vision of the underworld as realized by six of the most respected directors in contemporary animation. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

A sophisticated London professional discovers that you can't pick your family when the uncouth sister she never knew interrupts her life in an attempt to locate their long-lost father, whom the former had always assumed to be dead. Catherine St. John-Burke (Isabelle Defaut) lives alone in London's Chelsea district. She's obsessed with status, but her recent affair with a married man reveals that she's still not entirely comfortable with her own lot in life. Then there's Shirley Zachary (Emily Corcoran), an uneducated Kiwi woman who never gives a second thought to issues of status and style. When Catherine returns home one day to find Shirley drinking beer in her living room, her first instinct is to scream for help. According to Shirley, the two polar opposites are half-sisters, and their father is still very much alive. Not only that, but in the wake of their mothers' recent deaths, he's currently attempting to make claims on both of their properties. Unconvinced, Catherine takes Shirley to get a DNA test and discovers that her half-sister is telling the truth. But how can Catherine and Shirley ever hope to find their father Jack (Nicholas Bell) when the elusive scammer is hiding out from the mob? Setting out on the trail of a mysterious figure named "Sir Crawford," the girls begin to suspect that they're on the right track and do everything in their power to get rightful ownership of their inheritance. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

The assassination of Julius Caesar has plunged Rome into chaos, and the only hope for the once-thriving empire lies in the ability of his 18-year-old nephew Octavius to defeat the manipulative Marc Anthony in this epic miniseries starring Santiago Cabrera and directed by John Gray, Kim Manners, and Greg Yaitanes. On the eve of Caesar's demise, Rome is thrown into anarchy and Octavius is thrust into exile with his guardian Tyrannus lest he meet a similar fate as his uncle at the hands of those who wish to see Caesar's bloodline severed once and for all. In the years that follow, Octavius is trained by his faithful mentor for the day he will return to Rome and seek revenge against the man who orchestrated his uncle's downfall. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

Former Monty Python members Terry Jones, Eric Idle, John Cleese, and Michael Palin were reunited by director Jones for this live-action adaptation of the 1908 children's fantasy classic by Kenneth Grahame (1859-1932). The actors have only slight physical changes to suggest animal characteristics, plus tails protruding from their Edwardian-style costumes. In pre-WW I England, fascist Weasels prowl the countryside, forcing modest Mole (Steve Coogan) from his underground home after the Weasels acquire the meadow from wealthy, waddling Mr. Toad (Jones). Toad's inheritance is leaking away because of his fascination with the recently invented motorcar. After Mole takes shelter with refined Rat (Idle), the two set out for Toad's cavernous mansion. Toad crashes into another vehicle, but unfortunately, his attorney (Cleese) has nothing nice to say in Toad's defense. Toad's behavior in court prompts the judge (Stephen Fry) to give him a century-long jail sentence. Rat and Mole plan to spring Toad with the help of the hibernating Badger (Nicol Williamson), but Toad simultaneously puts his own escape plan into motion. Back at Toad Hall, the Weasels construct a dog-food factory and intend to destroy the main house by blowing it up-so the threatened animals make plans to retake Toad Hall.

Crew members who worked on past Python films include James Acheson (production/costume design) and John Du Prez (original music and songs). Lawrence Van Gelder (New York Times) reviewed, "The Wind in the Willows, brimming with verbal and visual wit and imagination, driven by high adventure, reveling in English eccentricity, enlivened by bursts of song, unafraid of ideas and filled with color and splendid performances, exposes most other movies intended to attract children as out-and-out pap." This film should not be confused with the 1996 animated adaptation which also has Michael Palin in the cast. Filmed at Burnham Beeches (in Buckinghamshire, England). Other earlier versions: the second half of Disney's animated The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949); live-action by the Minneapolis Children's Theatre (1983); stop-motion animation for British TV (1983); 1982 stop-motion animation by John Semper (Spider-Man); and Rankin-Bass animation for U.S. TV (1987). ~ Bhob Stewart, Rovi

An unusually principled young Viking becomes increasing uncomfortable with all the killing and plundering that goes with the job, and sets out on a magical journey in order to bring about world peace. Former Monty Python member Terry Jones attempts to have his story of Erik's seemingly hopeless quest operate as both witty, lunatic satire and sincere children's fantasy. However, despite a good cast and some interesting design elements, the film fails to completely succeed at either of its goals. ~ Judd Blaise, Rovi