Stellaluna (Animated/Children)
Picture: C+
Sound: B- Extras: C+ Main Program: B-
What happens when a lost fruit bat is adopted by a nest of
birds? Well, in real life, who knows,
but in Stellaluna (2004), the title bat character finds a home she would
not otherwise have. Though this type of
set-up in children’s literature (this is based on a book from co-producer
Scholastic) and programming has been done a few times before, this variation is
not bad.
Nicely voiced and drawn, Stellaluna is taken in and hopes
to fit in, but there are the usual awkward moments and the noticing of
differences is at first offsetting to her, but the community of animals
eventually accepts and embraces both her and her differences. Running at 41 minutes, this gets to the
point and is very nicely done. I liked
the animation and was pleased with how children-friendly this was. As far as mildly socially aware children’s
programming is concerned, Stellaluna is (even though the songs are not
that memorable) high quality entertainment for young people.
The full frame animated, color image is nice, smooth and
clean, even if it is not as sharp and clear as it might have been if it was a
widescreen and anamorphically enhanced DVD release. This is still brand new and it looks it. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix is nice, but not
harsh, problematic or too loud, so you get enough clarity for the young
audience to enjoy it without being put off by distracting noises or loudness. Dialogue and singing are just fine, also
offered here in French & Spanish 2.0 Stereo mixes with Pro Logic
surround. Extras include DVD-ROM
activity printouts, a learn-to-draw section, art & crafts activities,
sing-along functions, and a good live-action section about real bats. That adds up to a nice DVD on Stellaluna
that will hopefully inspire children to read the books as well.
- Nicholas Sheffo
