More Heavy Metal Mayhem in Transformers 2

Transformers 2: The Revenge of the Fallen will be released in Great Britain on 19th June 2009, with the North American release to follow on the 24th June.

From what I've seen in trailers, the locations and effects make this film look its $200 million budget. As for the story, however, I'll have to leave judgment until a proper cinema viewing.

The Toy and Video Games industries have enormous expectations for this film. Some toy stores were taking pre-orders for the new movie-based toy range. Toys R Us have 95 items available in its Transformers line-up. Of course, the toy buying public will never simply hand over currency at the industry's whim but Transformers do have proven form.

I visited Hamleys yesterday, long after Britney Spears and children had been and gone, to have a look around and found the well presented Transformers section, on the top-floor, fully stocked, devoid of customers and not looking like it had legions of fans and collectors carrying away all they could gather. However, I do suspect this toy range to provide the most popular movie-based toy range this year.

The Toy Detectives will cover and review Transformers but I left Hamleys empty-handed on this occasion. The shop-display person within me was feeling far too compelled to re-arrange the Barbie and Breyer stock. If I had given in to the urge, I've no doubt my free labour would been appreciated but it best to save one's efforts to paying gigs.

Plastic Flowers "No", Gnomes "Never" - Yet Plasticine has its Day at Chelsea

To The Toy Detective, the Chelsea Flower Show is little more than a reminder that it's time to think about swopping the felt trilby for a straw hat. However, this year a particular show garden has provided a surprising and controversial interest for many, including yours truly.

James May, as-seen-on-TV's Top Gear (a show that's not about fine clothing), presented a garden made with Plasticine. Which, being at the Royal Horticultural Society's most prestigious event, certainly got some rather un-amused looks from the more conservative show-goers. In fact, the appearance of a gnome in another garden brought both outrage as well as references to the rule-book.

Big news as it obviously was to anyone glancing at Britain's media in the last week, what really elevates it to major news status (for me at least) was its mention on BBC Radio 4's News Quiz.

Thankfully and to my delight, the garden will soon be exhibited at London's South Bank Centre. After all the hard graft of sculpture, it would be a terrible shame to let it decline into a greying blob that merely retained a talent for collecting fluff and hair.

The Daily Telegraph: Top Gear's James May designs Plasticine garden for Chelsea Flower Show
The Daily Telegraph: James May's Plasticine garden wins special award at Chelsea Flower Show 2009
The Daily Telegraph: Plasticine garden goes on to major arts centre

Be Careful What You Wish For or Just Keep it Zipped

Koumpounophobia n fear or aversion of buttons

Already in cinemas, Coraline has been adapted from Neil Gaiman's best-selling book. It looks great, it's dark and it's a little bit scary in places, which will come as no surprise to those familiar with the work of Henry Selick, director of The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Coraline is the first ever feature length film to be shot entirely in stop-motion, spectroscopic 3-D. This labour intensive process required 512 photographs for each second of moving picture.

The cast includes: Dakota Fanning, Teri Hatcher, Keith David, Robert Bailey Jr., John Hodgman, Jennifer Saunders, Dawn French and Ian McShane.

Coraline is in cinemas now, rated: PG.

"The Other Mother", Philip Pullman on Neil Gaiman's book.

May the Forth Be With You

Having not, thankfully, developed any kind of Star Wars fanaticism, I managed to thoroughly enjoy yesterday's bank holiday in a blissful fashion, untroubled by the fact that it was apparently Star Wars Day.

That was until later in the day when I checked my email and, this was my mistake, I logged into Twitter, where there was trickling stream of quotes from the famous movie.

Quotes! - because, of course, dialogue is what the Star Wars films are best remembered for. I shall save you, dear reader, from what I had to witness. Suffice to say that each and every quote was a fine example of pushing the the plot along with the odd word here and there so not to detract from the next incoming action sequence.

So, should I dutifully add May the forth to next years diary; in order to post an article to mark the occasion?

A Little Bird Told Me

Titter ye not! I now do Twitter. Since Easter I've been trying out Twitter for myself, to see what the fuss is about.

Surprisingly, I think I understand it and I actually think it's useful; and I'm someone who continues to resist years of arm twisting to go on FaceBook.

I've learnt so much about the internet in the pass week alone, just from being Tweeted to as a fellow member of Twittering classes.

If you wish to follow me - click here; and I'll follow you back.

I'll keep you up-to-date with The Toy Detectives' more significant articles and Tweet the most interesting toy related articles from reliable websites.

I promise to do my best to not to unleash my poor humour and even poorer horse racing tips upon the Twitterati.

Follow me on Twitter.

When The Wild Things Movie Will Be

Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak's popular picture book that was first published in 1968, is to have a film adaptation released in cinemas later this year.

Spike Jonze's production, to be his first release in six years, has had its troubles. Rumours of early test screenings, reported it to be too scary for small children. Jonze also had to change unconvincing costume and animatronic monsters to CGI ones.

The tale of a tear-away young boy was originally fewer than 40 pages long in a picture book so it'll be interesting to see how this is adapted to a feature length movie. I suspect there'll be quite a comprehensive back story told to explain the behaviour of the problem child that is the lead character.



The expected release date for Where the Wild Things Are is 16 October 2009 in the USA.

40 Years For a Very Hungry Caterpillar

The Very Hungry Caterpillar was first published 40 years ago on March 20th 1969. It's Eric Carle's most famous creation and is still a favourite amongst children the world over.

To a character whose story will undoubtedly be avidly read for another 40 years and beyond, happy birthday.

The Times: 40 years of the Very Hungry Caterpillar: Eric Carle talks to School Gate!
The Telegraph: Google celebrates Eric Carle's Very Hungry Caterpillar