Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Zach Tyler, Reginald Davis Jr, Jonah Bobo, LaShawn Jefferies, Naelee Rae
Rating: G – Y7
Studio: Nickelodeon
Release Date: February 26, 2008
When The Backyardigans were handed to me for review I admit, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I understood the premise and thought it was adorable. What’s not to like about a show that fosters creativity in children?
The show is about a group of children (animals) that have backyards that are all connected. The kids go out to play and create imaginary scenarios, which are shown in each one hour or 30 minute show. This DVD has the kids imagining being Knights for King Pablo, citizens of a ping-paddle, Western town, and as crew on a Garbage spaceship in space.
At first glance I assumed this would be no better or worse than I have seen on a million other kids’ shows. However, by the end of the first episode I was smitten with these colorful kids and their adorable backyard fun. It’s easy to see why the show is a hit and why parents and children both love the show so much.
Release Information:
The Backyardigans has been on the air since 2004 and continues to be a fan favorite. In addition to the kids that love it there is a cult following of parents and adults, as well. Shown during Nick Jr hours, the show is meant to teach creativity and imagination while sneaking a few life lessons in, as well.
Due to the fact that this is primarily a pre-school child’s show of choice, rather than putting out season DVD sets, Nickelodeon offers DVDs built around an extended episode, in this case Tale of The Mighty Knights, and adds a couple more episodes with it for a full DVD. Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights was released on DVD on February 26, 2008 by Nickelodeon Studios. You can pick this up at any major retailer, including online at stores like Amazon.
The Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights Plot
The first episode in Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights has Uniqua and Tyrone working as strong and mighty knights for King Pablo’s kingdom. When the knights are called to the castle they are somewhat shocked to hear that the King wants them to babysit an egg. However, they are professionals and always honor their bargains, so they set out to babysit that egg! Of course, this task is not as easy as they originally think, which they find out when the egg sprouts legs and runs away.
In this hour long episode, the knights go running off to find the egg and in the process they meet up with some other characters that will fall in love with the egg as much as the king has. First they meet Austin, the Grabbin’ Goblin. He takes what he finds, but will give it back if someone says please. Of course, he attempts not to listen when the knights say please because he doesn’t want to give the egg back. Next up, is Tasha, the Flighty Fairy. The egg chase continues all the way to Dragon Mountain and an adorable finale.
The second episode is definitely my favorite. Blazing Paddles has Pablo playing the Ping Pong Bandit. Pablo is around to put fear in the hearts of the citizens of Ping Pong Mesa by taking their paddles when he wins a game of Ping Pong against them. It becomes Sheriff Uniqua’s job to stop him at any cost. When she is shunned from town, it is up to a masked stranger and a cactus ping pong paddle to win back the paddles and teach the Bandit that playing isn’t any fun all on your own.
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Audio/Visual:
Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights was presented in the same quality that it appears on television. With a 1.33:1 aspect ratio, the show appears to come through without much of a problem. The colors are all vibrant and kids will love how the scenery and characters appear.
I didn’t notice any grain, softness, or compression problems. Overall, the quality here was definitely some of the best around. When it comes to audio, the Dolby Digital gets the job done. The sounds come through loud and clear with a sensible dialogue volume and a strong musical presentation.
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Bonus Features:
The bonus features here come mainly in the form of music videos that correspond with the various episodes on the disc. The music videos include “Not an Egg Anymore”, “The Sheriff Makes it Right”, and “Intergalactic Garbage Trek”. Also included in the bonus features is a Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights Behind the Scenes featurette.
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Bottom Line:
Backyardigans: Tale of the Mighty Knights is an adorable DVD that preschool children and a select group of adults will love. Like Barney in the 90s there are songs here that will get stuck in your head for days at a time. The good news is that these catchy tunes are not only cute, but they teach some important lessons that all children need to learn. This one is highly recommended.
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Technorati Tags: Movie, Children’s Show, Backyardigans, Mighty Knights, Nickelodeon, DVD Review
Written by Ashtyn Evans – Visit Website
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Ashtyn is in her early 30s. She is a mother, writer, college student, and music lover. Ashtyn has had a successful career as a writer since 2003. She turned to blogging in 2005. Ashtyn attends Wright State where she is getting a degree in Psychology. She has extensive knowledge in SEO and Social Media Development.
