EVERYTHING
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Film and Dvds
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For ages 3-7 Are We There Yet? Starring Miles the Goose Banyan Entertainment; G; 51 minutes $18 Available Now I’m in favor of an interactive car during family road trips. I look askance at parents who put on a DVD to shut up the back seat. Granted, there are times when everyone is all talked out. This DVD encourages a happy medium by keeping young passengers entertained through games, songs and humor. Some of the bits are excellent the segments on weather, constellations and bridges are among the best. But most of the content is presented in amateurish fashion both in production quality and script, as delivered by a silly puppet named Miles the Goose. This bird brain needs to get his facts straight; among his blunders is stating that California is part of the Southwest and what’s this talking about high-speed trains when this DVD is for road trips? The target audience will certainly give this DVD a warmer reception than this critic, but I doubt there’s much rerun value here. Grade C+ For ages 3-7 Vintage Mickey Disney; G; 90 minutes $20 Available July 12 The black-and-white Mickey Mouse cartoons contained in this collection can be found elsewhere on DVD, but like the beauty of a Time-Life CD compilation, having all the good stuff in one place keeps the entertainment center tidy. “Steamboat Willie” is a given since it not only introduced Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse to the world but is heralded as the first animated short with a completely post-produced soundtrack of music, dialogue and sound effects. “Mickey’s Review” is a smart addition as it was Goofy’s debut. Other shorts include “Plane Crazy” and “Building a Building” all good stuff, and a must for collectors of Disneyana. Grade A For ages 6-11 Mickey Mouse Club The Best of Britney, Justin & Christina Disney; G; 90 minutes $15 Available July 12 Available this month; exact date unavailable at press time The only surprise with Disney compiling performances by Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and Christina Aguilera on a single DVD is what took so long. The most famous Mouseketeers from the 1990s version of the Mickey Mouse Club sing, dance and tell some jokes, but there’s something missing. Like full episodes that still have not been available on DVD. Like the others of the cast who made it big, namely Timberlake’s *NSYNC pal JC Chasez and ingénues Keri Russell and Melissa Joan Hart. The title should appeal to more than the little ones who tend to watch the Mickey Mouse Club since the three stars of the DVD are still mega-celebs. Grade: B For ages 6-11 The Fantastic Four The Complete Animated Series Buena Vista; G; 574 minutes $50 Available July 5 The animated “Fantastic Four” series by Hanna-Barbera in the ’60s was superior to what ran on TV in 1994 and 1995, but it’s the latter that makes up a new DVD set, thereby capitalizing on the feature film that also is released this month. Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee introduces all 26 episodes, but even his aura can’t mask the dreadful animation, hokey dialogue and stinky storytelling of the first season. The second year was a vast improvement thanks to a complete overhaul. The result is a box set that is half Spam and half steak. Not tasty enough for my money. Grade: C- For ages 11-18 Dear Frankie Disney; PG-13; 105 minutes $30 Available July 5 Smart and moving: That describes this story about Lizzie (Emily Mortimer), the single mother of a deaf and highly intelligent 9-year-old boy named Frankie (Jack McElhone). On the run from Frankie's abusive father, Mom and son move from town to town, but when Lizzie decides to relocate to Glasgow, she says that will be the last time. She has kept Frankie unaware of the abuse he suffered as a baby, and he believes dad is a busy seaman who sends him letters full of love and adventure. Those missives have actually been written by Lizzie, so when Frankie discovers that his father's ship will dock nearby, mom is faced with a challenge. This modest film out of Scotland is a little gem that never got its due. Maybe on video it will. Grade: A |
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