Few family movies are as easy to recommend as "Lassie", which was released in time for Children's Day. But what makes this 11th version of the classic boy-and-his-dog tale important is that it takes the collie back to her British roots. Many people assume she was always American.

Director Charles Sturridge has assembled a great cast, helping overcome the problem of comparisons to the cherished versions of the story.

He retells the story of the brave, loyal and highly intelligent canine who brings great joy to its owner, in this case a boy named Joe (well played by Jonathan Mason).

The only "Hollywood" star here is Peter O'Toole, who plays a duke who buys Lassie for his granddaughter from a miner (John Lynch) who's lost his job and needs the money.

Films like "Lassie" appear simple, but the handsome execution here is really what makes it work so well.

For adults on Children's Day, there were few mature releases available, though thankfully "Blood Diamond" is still playing.

In that film, a father (Djimon Hounsou) sets out to rescue his abducted son - who's being used by brutal militants to commit atrocities - and finds a huge diamond. Learning of the discovery, a former Rhodesian soldier turned mercenary (Leonardo DiCaprio) strikes a deal: The diamond in return for his missing family.

 "Blood Diamond" is director Edward Zwick's best work since "Legends of the Fall", but Thai audiences will probably like him most for more recent epics like "Last Samurai".

With DiCaprio, fresh from "The Departed", Zwick offers a glimpse into one of the most brutal, if not insane wars, being fought in Africa.

As DiCaprio's soldier, sees it, the fighting is never about democracy or freedom.

"In the end it's always about who gets what," he tells a reporter, played by Jennifer Connelly.

Don't make the mistake of waiting for films like "Blood Diamond" to appear on cable TV, where the strong scenes will be cut out and the dialogue watered down to an insipid level.

While you have the chance, always try and see movies in their original form. The pompous advertisers of cable movies call their product "simply the best". The truth is that movies censored for cable TV are among the worst versions you will ever find. To add insult to injury, they often play turkeys, movies that bomb at the box office, if only because they are cheap.