Be
Cool Scooby-Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!
(2015/Warner)/Blaze
& The Monster Machines: Rev Up & Roar
(2015/Nickelodeon)/Chuggington:
Delivery Dash At The Dock
(2015/Anchor Bay)/Peppa
Pig: The Golden Boots
(2015/E One)/Paw Patrol:
Brave Heroes Big Rescue
(2015/Nickelodeon)/Sesame
Street: The Cookie Thief
(2015/Warner)/Shaun The
Sheep: Sheep On The Loose
(2009) + Season 2
(2011/Lionsgate/all DVDs)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+/C+/C+/C+/C+/C+/C/C Extras: D/C-/C-/C+*/D/B-/C-/C
Main Programs: B-/B-/C+/C+/B-/C+/C/B
Even
I'm surprised by the number and ambition of the latest group of
child-aimed releases, but here they are...
Be
Cool Scooby-Doo!: Spooky Kooky Fun!
Is a new version of the series with slightly revised versions of the
characters (they are drawn more simply and voices more loosely, which
might throw older fans) in a 13-episode collection meant for young
children at best and is not bad if you can get past the style. Thus,
there is not much new here, but it is a double DVD set and does not
skimp on the content.
There
are no true extras here.
Blaze
& The Monster Machines: Rev Up & Roar is the still
amusing-enough world of talking truck and their adventures with some
humans that is at least energetic and consistent, meant to be a
little rougher than Chuggington, Cars knock-offs and Thomas, but
remains child-friendly and a quality product. This runs a healthy 87
minutes total, more than enough for youngsters.
A
Video Storybook is the only extra.
Chuggington:
Delivery Dash At The Dock
continues the more subtle charms of the train crew in their
continuing adventures with the title character, et al, but this runs
only 74 minutes and maybe a little more would have helped here.
Still, another high-quality enough show that you can understand its
appeal. Not bad.
Coloring
pages you can print, 2 Buddy
Badge
episodes and Olwin character profiles are the extras.
Peppa
Pig: The Golden Boots
is especially child-friendly and has a really healthy sense of humor,
offering 10 adventures in all that run only an hour. That is the
only real disappointment as the disc could fit so much more and the
makers should really consider beefing up these releases. Otherwise,
another on-target, winning-enough release.
The
title program is actually listed as an extra, though you can look at
it the other way and we'd give the same rating out. However, there
is a gift box (pictured on the side of this review) that includes a
plush version of Peppa (we'd rate that box a B) and is your best
option for this release if you can find it. Wish more child titles
would do that.
Paw
Patrol: Brave Heroes Big Rescue
might be the most unintentionally funny of all the entries here with
animals saving other animals (if only) in charming adventures that
are a little louder than the likes of Peppa, but I am surprised they
can keep this going for the 92 minutes here and then some. The
makers obviously know how to build this world and push it to the
limits.
There
are no true extras here either.
Sesame
Street: The Cookie Thief
is an unintentionally howler of a new release from the classic TV
series that takes Cookie Monster's obsession (and many of ours) to
new highs and places that only he could. They must have to do
retakes because this is just too hilarious and preposterous, but
that;s the point and the whole family can really enjoy this one.
Elmo and the gang also show up, though I am so used to the original
voices for the classic pre-Elmo characters that I get a bit thrown
off by the new ones. Oh well, guess that is just me... hopefully.
Extras
include Elmo's
World: Drawing
and the entertaining full-length Cookie Hood episode that is longer
than the main program.
Last
but not least are Shaun
The Sheep: Sheep On The Loose
(2009) and Season
2
(2011), another charming British animal franchise like Peppa Pig, but
the only one on the list that happens to be in the highly underrated
claymation and stop-motion animation art forms. Loose
is shockingly short at only 42 minutes, the shortest release on this
list, but Season
2 is
280 minutes (!) and the content champ bar none. Because of the
stop-motion, these tend to go beyond your usual child titles since
this kind of animation has a big following and thanks to the great
Nick Park and Aardman Studios, people love these shows. I hope this
franchise breaks big in the U.S. because it is that good and the fan
base is growing. Cheers!
Extras
on Loose
include featurettes Building
A Pig
and The
Mini Making Of Shaun,
while Season
2 has
the same Mini
featurette, then adds Digital HD Ultraviolet Copy for PC, PC portable
and other cyber iTunes capable devices, a Behind The Scenes Photo
Gallery, 3 simple games, 3 Videos and two previews for Timmy
Time.
All
8 DVDs have anamorphically enhanced 1.78 X 1 image presentations that
are about even with good color, good playback and minor flaws at
best, though the Cookie
supplements have 1.33 X 1 frames for the extras in bookended 1.78 X 1
anamorphic frames that look just fine. All 8 DVDs also have lossy
Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo, save lossy Dolby Digital 5.1 on Blaze
and Scooby.
All sound even, but both Sheep
DVDs are a little on the weak side, so be careful of volume switching
and high playback levels.
-
Nicholas Sheffo
