Clifford – The Big Red Dog (Lionsgate DVDs; Big Fun In The Sun, Clifford
Saves The Day!/Clifford’s
Schoolhouse/Happy Birthday,
Clifford!)
Picture:
C+ Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: B-
Clifford – The Big Red Dog is a big hit and has even had a
theatrical feature film. Scholastic
Books favorite canine is back with four separate new DVDs offering 90 minutes
of programming each and are even packaged in clever DVD cases with handles at
the top for even children to get a better handle on them.
The show
stresses diversity and difference without being PC, stupid or heavy handed, in
part because it is about all kinds of ideas and that what is different is
good. The most obvious one that Clifford
is the size of modern real estate, running around innocently and being the
perennial “good dog” which is why children find him so lovable. Forget about dinosaurs (angry or friendly) or
The Hulk, Clifford is just a good old big red dog whose good temperament
shrinks the big world around him to make it more accessible to younger viewers.
What also
helps is good writing that constantly takes children into consideration and is
never condescending to the point that adults will not be bored. If anything, I think the popularity of
Clifford and all of his friends has far from peaked and I believe we will become
far more popular as this terrific material is posed as the next big thing for
its high quality. Besides the books, of
course, these discs are all winners and eight episodes each.
Despite
some aliasing troubles, the 1.33 X 1 image on all four DVDs are very clean and
colorful throughout, though some of the footage may have been combined in NTSC
analog video. This is a shortcut TV in
general has been taking since the 1980s, but it does not look as bad here. The Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo is clean, clear,
has no surrounds and is just fine for such programming. Extras include activities sections for
children and footage used to demonstrate valuable morals to be learned. Some adults should watch those sections again.
- Nicholas Sheffo
