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
