Latest DVD releases reviewed

SHOOTING DOGS ***

15A cert

Caton-Jones's harrowing study of an incident from the Rwandan massacres of the 1990s has inevitably been compared to Hotel Rwanda. It profits from being filmed in the school where the particular atrocity took place (Hotel Rwanda was shot in South Africa), but it is, perhaps, a shame that we still need to focus on European protagonists. Powerful, nonetheless.  - Donald Clarke

CHICKEN LITTLE **

A silly chicken gets himself in a state after being struck by a falling acorn. Disney's first in-house computer-animated feature is carried off with dreary proficiency. The character animation, though somewhat shiny, will do well enough. The voice-work is lively. But there is nothing here to alarm Pixar. Disappointing extras for a family DVD. -  Donald Clarke

THE WEATHER MAN **

The director of Pirates of the Caribbean makes a desperate attempt to be important with this depressing drama about a Chicago weather forecaster (Cage, fine) whose accumulating worries are fast driving him towards a mid-life breakdown. Any viewer who has ever had a real problem will be tempted to shake the turgid picture by its supposed lapels and demand that it pull itself together.  - Donald Clarke

BIG MOMMA'S HOUSE 2 *

If a recycled Mrs Doubtfire featuring Lawrence in drag as cinema's fattest action hero gets you rolling in the aisles, this one's for you. In a slovenly sequel, which proved a major commercial success at Irish cinemas, he reprises his tired routine as an undercover FBI agent who dons a fat suit and poses as a nanny to prevent another dastardly scheme. - Michael Dwyer