Director: Jamie Whitney
Cast: Samantha Morton, Billy Rosemberg, Cameron Ansell, Julie Lemieux
Rating: Unrated
Studio: Paramount
Release Date: October 2, 2007
I had not yet seen Max and Ruby before watching Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas with my nephew, Lil B. I can see why some criticize the show, but I can also see the validity of it. The biggest criticism is Max’s lack of speech at the age of 3. As someone with a child who has an autistic spectrum disorder, I can tell you that all children develop on different levels. The fact that Max doesn’t speak more than a word, which he often repeats doesn’t mean he’s stupid. He could not want to speak. He could have a limited vocabulary, or he could just be three and slightly behind other three year olds. Furthermore, as a cartoon bunny, I hardly think people have room to criticize Max.
My nephew, Lil B, could speak in sentences before age two, but often spoke in one or two word phrases until he turned three. That was just how he spoke. In contrast, my son didn’t speak much until he was between 3 ½ and 4 though when he did, he spoke in complete sentences. This just furthers my claim that each child is different in when they will speak and what they will say. So, there can be no room for criticism of this adorable little bunny and his limited speech.
That being said, the other complaint I have heard is that his older sister, Ruby, is bossy and annoying. I thought that was the point of older siblings? My partner, Dominick, and I are both the youngest in our families. We can verify just how annoying and bossy older siblings can be no matter the age difference. Ruby has the sibling part down pat. While it may be annoying to parents, kids really seem to love this show and the lessons it teaches them.
Release Information:
Max and Ruby is based on a series of books about Max Bunny and his older sister, Ruby, by author, Rosemary Wells. The series was first published in 1979. Max and Ruby, the television show, first aired on Nick Jr. on October 21, 2002. Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas was released by Nickelodeon and distributed by Paramount Home Video on October 2, 2007. Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas comes in a standard DVD case and features more than just the Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas episode.
The Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas Plot
Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas features multiple stories with Max and Ruby that all deal with Christmas and the holiday season. There are a few, additional episodes as well that originally aired on Nick Jr. previously. They have nothing to do with Christmas whatsoever, but they are still fun to watch anyway. It is always nice how Nickelodeon offers additional content on all their DVDs. It makes up for their lack of bonus features that are typically not included.
Max and Ruby follows the lives of three year old Max and seven year old Ruby. Though they have parents, you never see them. You do see their Grandma and various other adults in different episodes of the show. However, the show does primarily focus on the relationship between Max and Ruby. Ruby watches over Max, corrects him, teaches him, and tries to get him to play with her dolls. Usually, Max is sneaky enough to prevent any playing around with dolls, as the two go on many different kinds of adventures instead.
In Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas, the two do everything from trying to buy Grandma a present to sledding all day in the white and fluffy snow. In the first mini-episode of Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas, Grandma takes Max and Ruby to the local shopping center. As Max distracts Grandma in the toy section, Ruby goes off to the woman’s clothing section to try and find something Grandma will like. Eventually, Ruby finds a feather boa for Grandma that she’d love to have for herself, but Max is certain that Grandma will want something else this holiday season.
The next minisode is called “Max and Ruby’s Christmas Tree”. In this story, Ruby is putting up and decorating the Christmas tree. She explains why she is doing it to Max and how she is making it beautiful. Max helps her out by showing her what he thinks is beautiful. The favorite mini-episode on this disc is “Max’s Snow Plow”. Max really wants to drive his toy car. Ruby thinks it is time to shovel the walkway because Grandma is coming over. Max finds a way for them to both do what they want to do with his creative snow plow. Other Christmas stories on this disc are “Max’s Snow Bunny”, where Max is sure there is an Abominable Snow Bunny on the loose, which excites him so much he can’t help Ruby make snow angels, “Max’s Snow Day”, where Ruby tries to get Max to play indoors (and with her dolls) since its too snowy to go outside, and “Max’s Mix Up”, where Ruby and her friend mix up their little bunny brothers while sledding down the hill near their home.
There are six additional mini-episodes that are included on the Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas that have nothing to do with Christmas. In “Max’s Fire Flies”, Ruby is excited to go to the fireworks show, but Max would rather stay home and catch fireflies. “Ruby’s Sing-Along” has Max and Ruby preparing for the talent show in a creative and inventive way. “Max and Ruby’s Fashion Show” starts off with Ruby finding a chest full of clothes in the attic. While she wants to play fashion show, Max wants to play pirate. “Ruby’s Puppet Show” has Ruby and her friend, Louise, entertaining Max by putting on a puppet show. “Sugar Plum Max” has Max on the hunt for sugar plums as Ruby prepares for her ballet performance. Finally, there is Max’s Ant Farm”. As Ruby plays hostess at her perfect party, the inevitable happens when Max’s ants get loose.
Audio/Visual:
The video quality is on par with what you will see on Nickelodeon. Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas is presented in a fullframe format at an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This is clear, vibrant, animation. There are no transfer problems and the picture doesn’t flicker at all throughout the DVD. Overall, the visual quality is excellent.
The audio is also decent for Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas. The sound is presented in English, Dolby Digital stereo sound. Closed Captioning is available on this DVD, so the hearing impaired can enjoy these adorable little bunnies. There was no need to adjust the volume. Everything sounded clear and concise.
Bonus Features:
There were not any extras on the Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas DVD unless you include the six mini-episodes that were not related to Christmas and the DVD trailers for other Nick Jr. shows such as Go, Diego, Go!, Dora the Explorer and The Backyardigans.
| Bottom Line: Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas was an adorable DVD. The bunnies are so cute and Lil B absolutely loved each and every episode. He wanted to watch them over and over again. He also loves Christmas movies, so the fact that there were so many Christmas themed episodes really added to his enjoyment of this DVD. I recommend Max and Ruby - A Very Bunny Christmas for fans of the show as well as kids between the ages of 3-7 who love animated Christmas-themed cartoons. |
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Technorati Tags: Max and Ruby, A Very Bunny Christmas, Nick Jr., Nickelodeon, Cartoon, Kids Show, TV Review
Written by Ashtyn Evans - Visit Website
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Ashtyn lives in her home state of Michigan with her life partner, Dominick, her 14 year old son, and her baby, the Shih-Tzu, Oliver Twist. Ashtyn is in college, going for a degree in Psychology. She plans to get her Ph.D and work as a therapist in the field of human sexuality. Ashtyn is an experienced and talented chef. She also excels at writing and has worked as a professional writer for the past five years. Ashtyn enjoys spending time with her son and four year old nephew, watching movies, listening to music, and writing works of fiction.
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