Babar: Best Friends Forever + School Days (E1 DVDs)/Olivia:
Princess For A Day (Nickelodeon DVD)/Phineas
& Ferb: The Movie – Across The Second Dimension (Disney DVD)/Prom (2011/Disney Blu-ray w/DVD)/Team UmiZoomi: Journey To Numberland (Nickelodeon
DVD)
Picture: C+/C+/C+/B-
& C/C Sound: C+/C+/B-/B- &
C+/C+ Extras: C/C-/C+/D/D Main Programs: B-/C+/C+/D/C
The
latest series of children’s titles include some appealing to teens, supposedly,
but the more animated, the more animated in this case.
This is
remarkably the first time we have covered anything involving Babar The
Elephant, another charming, underrated children’s character and the two single
DVDs we start with are Babar: Best
Friends Forever and School Days,
both of which are designed to teach social skills and values in the best
possible way. From the late 1980s, the
shows hold up well and is another character that has yet to peak as far as I am
concerned. I hope this marks the
beginning of a new wave of Babar and each DVD has four episodes and a bonus
mini-coloring book, the same one. The
1.33 X 1 image across both discs have some softness and aliasing issues, but
also have good color, while the Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is simple and fine for
its age.
Olivia: Princess For A Day continues Nickelodeon’s DVD
releases of this decent character that we have covered twice before at these
links:
Olivia
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/8895/Olivia+(2009/Nickelodeon/Paramount
Merry Christmas, Olivia
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/10401/The+Backyardigans+%E2%80%93+C
This is
more of the same with eight episodes plus a ninth bonus show. I am not stunned by the show, but pleased
with its consistency and child-friendly approach. Picture and sound are the same as those
singles.
Also new
to us is the feature debut of a series I have seen at times before. Phineas
& Ferb: The Movie – Across The Second Dimension is an extended
variation of the show and that is not awful, the humor can be good without
being silly battling Dr. Doof (what a name) using the “Otherdimensionator” and
has some fun moments. No, I was not
stunned by it, but it is serviceable and child safe enough. Despite some good color, the anamorphically
enhanced 1.78 X 1 image is still softer than expected and I wondered why this
was not issued as a Blu-ray, while the Dolby Digital 5.1 mix fares better with
some good surrounds despite being lossy.
Extras include Digital Copy for PC and PC portable devices, 8 Music
Videos, other music interactivity, 8 Deleted Scenes, Platyputt Kit in the case
to build and bonus episode of the show, which makes for a good comparison.
Unfortunately,
Disney’s Prom (2011) directed by Joe
Nussbaum is corny, phony, tired, formulaic, silly, unrealistic and I was so
bored that I hoped Carrie White (from the Stephen King book and De Palma film)
would show up just to make things explode.
That is how boring this is. The
all unknown actors (unless you watch the Disney Channel, maybe?) leave no
memorable impressions, this is weakly shot and it goes nowhere. With that said, the 1080p 1.78 X 1 digital
High Definition image has motion blur all over, is awkwardly edited and falls
flat, while the anamorphically enhanced DV version included is the worst look
disc on this list. The DTS-HD MA (Master
Audio) 5.1 lossless mix on the Blu-ray sounds like it is from a lossy source,
so the Dolby Digital 5.1 on the Blu-ray is lossier and weaker. Extras include that DVD, unfunny Bloopers,
Deleted Scenes that are no worse than the final product, 7 weak Music Videos, a
short and a making of featurette. This
simply does not make the grade.
By the
way, Chico and
Harpo Marx of The Marx Bros. once did a very funny TV advertisement for a body
wave kid called Prom. That was actually
funnier than anything on this set.
Finally
we revisit Team UmiZoomi with a new
single DVD titled Journey To Numberland. It has the same picture and sound as the
previous single we looked at here:
http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11030/Diary+Of+A+Wimpy+Kid:+Rodrick+R
We get
four more episodes and a non-bonus that is dubbed “call to action” but is just
a promo for a web link.
- Nicholas Sheffo
