Me, Eloise + Eloise – Little Miss Christmas (Animation)
Picture:
B- Sound: C+ Extras: C Main Programs: B-
Kay
Thompson’s Eloise has not become a
huge media phenomenon yet, but has become a high quality standard in children’s
literature, especially where young ladies are concerned. The late George Harrison’s Handmade Films has
turned the character into a series of child-friendly animated shows that are
surprisingly entertaining and faithful to the original book art. Anchor Bay is offering some of the shows in
DVD with Mary Matilyn Mouser supplying the voice for the title character,
Curtis Armstrong (Moonlighting, Ray) supplying extra voices, Tim Curry as
Mr. Salamone and Lynn Redgrave as Nanny.
Living in
a high rise apartment, Eloise is going on six years old in Me, Eloise when she feels competition from a young Japanese violin
prodigy who is all of eight-years-old.
She can find herself in all kinds of interesting trouble and being in
such a building, the assumption is that she is safe, as safe as the material is
here. That is a good program.
With this
title being released so close to the holiday season, Little Miss Christmas is the obligatory holiday piece being issued
at the same time and for all the dull and predictable such programs that get
reissued all the time, it is one of the better ones you’ll find. Of all the people in the world, the
ever-annoying Matthew Lillard supplies voices for this one, in which he has to
put real effort into his work for a change.
Though not quite as good as the first program as Eloise battles against
a party being cancelled and may get the biggest star of the holiday coming to
the rescue with a visit. Overall, two
high quality children’s titles of the kind that remains too little on the
market.
The 1.78
X 1 image is pretty good colorful, with fun visuals and an art style that works
very well for the narrative and mood.
The Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo mixes are about equivalent, with no
real surrounds. It is soft and quiet in
nature, with the 5.1 mix really overly tilted towards the front speakers. Still, these are well-recorded. Extras are the same on both just about, with DVD-ROM
games, DVD-ROM activities, Sing-Along-Song section, Plaza Pals and From Paper
To Movie pieces on each disc. Let’s hope
this is the beginning of a long run for the character in her latest
incarnation.
- Nicholas Sheffo
