THE school holidays are almost here again and a classic cartoon characters are taking on new-wave newcomers for the young cinema-goers attention.

The Tigger Movie has all the best-loved characters from the depths of Hundred Acre Wood on screen.

Tigger himself, Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet and Kanga make their first big-screen outing for 17 years.

Unfortunately, even Tiggers have their blue moments and our striped hero is certainly under a cloud.

Although he loves Winnie the Pooh, Eeyore, Piglet, Kanga and the gang dearly, he yearns to find more creatures of his own kind: after all, he must have come from somewhere so there must be other Tiggers out there, mustn't there?

Pooh and co, who are busy collecting hunny and preparing for the long winter that lies ahead, decide to cheer up their friend by wearing costumes and pretending to be tigers.

It's a very sweet idea, with its heart in the right place, but as soon as Tigger sees through the deception, he is plunged ever further into his depression, and sets out into an impending blizzard to find his relatives.

When he fails to return, his friends abandon their hibernation plans, mounting a daring rescue mission that will see them face the hostile elements and even an avalanche in order to be reunited with their one and only Tigger.

In the great Disney tradition, there's a wholesome moral at the centre of this handsomely illustrated tale: that families come in all shapes and sizes - and may not necessarily be stripey, or bouncy - but as love as they love you, everything else is insignificant.

Representing the new wave is Pokemon: The First Movie which is, in face, actually two adventures - a 20-minute short followed by the full-length main event: Mewtwo Strikes Back.

Adults will be bored after the first half an hour or so but that's not the point, is it? Youngsters who are fascinated by the phenomenon will love it.