Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, Maria Canals-Barrera, David DeLuise, Jennifer Stone
Rating: G
Studio: Walt Disney Video
Release Info:
Television Release: April-October 2008
DVD Release Date: February 10, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $14.99
Of all the shows on the Disney Channel The Wizards of Waverly Place has to be my favorite. I started watching it with my son after Zack and Cody. I have tried watching other shows, too, especially since my young nephew’s favorite channel is Disney. I just can’t get into Hannah Montana or any of the other shows of this caliber. The gem of the station has to be Wizards.
I’ve written about this show before, when I wrote about the DVD release of Wizard’s School. My opinion of the show hasn’t changed all that much from that review to this one. The show is still fun to watch. It makes me laugh. The actors give solid performances and the cast has a lot of chemistry with one another.
The show has reportedly been slated for a third season, after rapping up its second sometime next month. The cast is making a movie about the show, but that shouldn’t have any bearing on the third season. At one point, many fans thought the movie meant the end of the series, but Nick did announce the show would be having a third season. We’ll have to see how that unfolds as information about the filming of season three becomes available.
The biggest problem with this DVD is the fact that there are only four episodes included on it. Disney Channel is notorious for releasing it’s television series’ in volumes before compiling them into seasons. If you or your kids love this series so much you want to watch it whenever you feel like it, then you may want to go ahead and pick this DVD up. Otherwise, it may be wise to wait until a Wizards season one or two DVD is released. Let’s just hope Disney does release season DVDs for this series, because it’s a lot easier to buy a box set than 10 or 12 volume DVDs!
The Wizards of Waverly Place, Vol. 2: Supernaturally Stylin’ Plot
The show The Wizards of Waverly Place, Vol. 2: Supernaturally Stylin’ is a Disney Channel original series. I liken it to Harry Potter meets Disney-style comedy. The show follows the lives of the three Russo children, Justin (David Henrie), Alex (Selena Gomez), and Max (Jake T. Austin).
The Russos have discovered they are wizards, something they have to hide from the real world. Their dad, Jerry (David DeLuise), grew up in a wizard family. Their mom, Theresa (Maria Canals-Barrera), is a mortal. The family lives on Waverly Place, where they run a deli and where Jerry teaches the kids their wizard powers.
The Wizards of Waverly Place, Vol. 2: Supernaturally Stylin’ DVD is the second DVD release for this series. There are four episodes included on this DVD. A list of those episodes plus a brief synopsis are listed below:
Episode #1.18 – “Credit Check” – When Alex is hired to work at a high class fashion magazine, she’s absolutely thrilled. She seems to be coming up with great ideas and things appear to be going well, but when the manager takes credit for Alex’s ideas, problems arise. In the meantime, Justin struggles as he tries to ask out a waitress who is working at the deli.
Episode #2.1 – “Smarty Pants – Afraid to fail a test, Alex uses magic to correct all her answers. When the results for the test come back, Alex scores the highest. Suddenly, she’s being deemed a nerd, just like Justin and is asked to join the school brain bowl, with her friend, Harper. The key to being smart is a pair of pants she wears, and so long as she has the pants on, she’s a smarty pants. Meanwhile, Max is selling bottled water, only it turns out to be from the school’s fountain!
Episode #2.2 – “Beware Wolf” – While surfing the World Wide Wiz-Web, Justin meets a girl. The two agree to go on a blind date. Of course, the girl is hiding the fact that she’s actually a werewolf. Max is on a mission in this episode. He needs to save money so he can purchase some pre-teen style sippy cups.
Episode #2.3 – “Graphic Novel” – Justin and Max think they are real smart when they steal Alex’s diary, full of her make believe thoughts, dreams, and all her hidden secrets. Unfortunately, the diary is stolen from them by Gigi, Alex’s nemesis. As they try to get the book back their magical powers send Gigi into the book and she’s transported into the magical world of Alex. It’s up to Alex to go in after her before Gigi discovers all of Alex’s secrets from her diary.
Storyline/Plot: 
Replayability:
Acting: 
Directing:
Audio/Visual:
Wizards of Waverly Place includes an aspect ratio of 1.33:1. This isn’t the best quality, but it’s not the worst I have seen better. Compared to the last Wizards DVD, the quality seems to be a little less, but it’s not horrible enough to distract the main audience. Kids will enjoy the colors used here, which are bright and airy for the most part. It would have been nice to see more detail used, but as I said, this isn’t the worst I have seen. This is one of the better shows Disney has offered lately, so hopefully the production value and the level of detail will continue to get better with future DVDs.
Dolby Digital 5.1 sets the stage where sound is concerned. It’s not overly dramatic. The sound is pretty front heavy, which is slightly disappointing, though this is not a track that needs a variety of channels used. It’s a kids show and it has basic audio for a show like it is. The dialogue is easy to hear and there should not be any problems with that and the other musical variations on the DVD. No foreign language options or subtitles of any kind have been included.
Visual:
Audio:
Bonus Features:
There is only one real bonus feature available on this Wizards DVD. This is not a big surprise because the last DVD had the same amount of supplements. “Fashionista Presto Chango” is the supplement this time around. Basically, the young leads of the show get to show off the clothing that they like the most in the wardrobe department. These items are shown and then the young adults talk about their own personal fashion tastes. Costume designer, Julie Rhine also makes an appearance and talks about the importance of blending character with style. It’s not bad the first time you watch, but it’s not worth watching more than once.
The only other thing here is previews that start prior to the episodes. This time around the previews are for High School Musical 3, Schoolhouse Rock, Pinocchio Platinum Edition, and Earth.
Bonus Features:
Bottom Line:
While I’m not a big fan of volume releases, I am a fan of this show. Whether you’re a parent, grandparent, or you know kids who like this series, you should consider purchasing this DVD. The Wizards of Waverly Place is a fun, engaging, safe show that you don’t have to worry about your children watching. This show has one of the most diverse audiences for a Disney Channel show. I know kids as young as 3 and 4 who love it, teens who think its hilarious and all the way up to the grandparents who think the show is wholesome enough to enjoy with the grandkids. For all those people who love Wizards, this DVD might be worth the purchase.
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Technorati Tags: Disney, Wizards of Waverly Place, Selena Gomez, David Henrie, Jake T. Austin, television show, TV, kids, family, wizards, magic
Written by Dominick Evans – Visit Website
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Dominick is in his late 20s. He lives in Michigan with his life partner, Ashtyn, their 14 year old son Robert, and their Shih-Tzu, Oliver. Dominick is a writer and the head editor for both LI Kids and Literary Illusions. He enjoys composing music and is an aspiring director/screenwriter. In his free time he enjoys spending time with his family, playing and watching sports, playing video games, watching movies, and singing.
