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Harold and the Purple Crayon: New Worlds to Explore! and Harold and the Purple Crayon: Let Your Imagination Soar! (Not rated; May 22; for ages 3-6): Sharon Stone beautifully narrates the Emmy Award-winning animated series based on Crockett Johnson’s popular book. The six episodes in “New Worlds to Explore!” and seven in “Let Your Imagination Soar!” cover the entire series that originally aired on HBO Family in 2004. Featuring Harold, a bald, precocious preschooler, each simply drawn episode revolves around a topic appropriate for viewers of a similar age. The music-filled shows capture the charm of the book. Grade: A Lassie: Mother’s Love (Not rated; May 1; for ages 5-9): Timed with Mother’s Day is this collection of three episodes from the original “Lassie” television series, each in gorgeous black and white. To appease the modern crowd, though, a bonus episode has been colorized to make more vivid the DVD’s story thread of motherly love expressed in different ways. Hokey as the story may be in these cynical times, wholesome entertainment like this should always be appreciated, and in color or not, the world’s most famous collie looks great. Grade: A- The Sandlot: Heading Home (PG; May 1; ages 7- 14): A self-centered baseball superstar (Luke Perry) rediscovers his love for the game after being knocked unconscious by a pitch and wakes up as a 12-year-old on the sandlot where he played ball as a child. His walk down memory lane is spoiled when he learns the sandlot has a date with a bulldozer, compliments of a developer. The videos of the previous “Sandlot” movies are a hit in my home, especially with my 11-year-old Little Leaguer, so hopes are high for No. 3. Not graded |
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