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Category:    Home > Reviews > Animation > Comedy > Animals > Educational > Cable TV > Action > Frog Kingdom (2014/Lionsgate DVD)/Nickelodeon: Bunch Of Playdates (2015 DVD Set)/Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest (2015 w/Jonny Quest/Warner DVD)

Frog Kingdom (2014/Lionsgate DVD)/Nickelodeon: Bunch Of Playdates (2015 DVD Set)/Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest (2015 w/Jonny Quest/Warner DVD)


Picture: C+/C+/B- Sound: C+ Extras: C/D/C Main Programs: C/C+/C+



here's the latest animated children's offerings...



Frog Kingdom (2014) wants to be a comic tale in a world where everything if froggy, of frogs, frog-like and reaches frog mania, but its 88 minutes are instead spent on clichés, bad jokes, bad humor and formula plotting that barely lets us give it a 'ribbit; with voices by Bella Thorpe, Cameron Dallas, Rob Schneider, Drake Bell and Keith David. To self-amused for its won good when it is not a bore, they should have done better writing, resulting in a lame package deal that falls flat quickly. A Frogger movie seems like a great idea after suffering through this one.


Extras include Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable and iTunes capable devices, while the DVD adds Minusucle bonus episodes and a Behind The Scenes/Making Of featurette.



Nickelodeon: Bunch Of Playdates is simply a 2015 DVD Set featuring exact reissues of three compilation DVD singles we reviewed with the same sound, picture and zero extras, as follows:


Dance To The Music

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/11475/I+Love+Minnie+(Mickey+Mouse+Clubhouse/CG+A


Once Upon A Rhyme

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12128/Amazing+Chan+&+The+Chan+Clan+(1972/Hanna


Rootin' Tootin' Wild West

http://www.fulvuedrive-in.com/review/12020/Ghoul+(2012/Chiller/Image+DVD)/Peter+Pan+(19


I still like season sets better, but some will like this mash-up of shows.



Finally we have the straight-to-video Tom & Jerry: Spy Quest (2015) which is a comedy where the cat & mouse team land up in the world of Jonny Quest, but this is way too comical for that, so Jonny & company land up in the opposite world (including jokey animated versions of their characters) fighting Dr. Syn and in a mildly amusing romp for young children that has footage from the original Quest series and almost gels. I just was expecting something more clever considering the opportunities, but it is passable.


Extras include two double/story episodes of the newer Tom & Jerry Show, a newer Quest episode, classic vintage Quest episode and trailers before the main program.



The anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image on Frog and Tom look decent throughout with few flaws, decent color and a little softness, but are fine and equalled by the Nickelodeon entries with their lossy Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo sound. Frog & Tom have lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 mixes that are a little weak, have some surrounds, but aren't shockingly dynamic.



- Nicholas Sheffo


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