Movie Info:
Writer: Charles M. Schulz
Directors: Bill Melendez, Phil Roman
Cast: Bill Melendez, Peter Robbins, Christopher Shea, Sally Dryer, Tracy Stratford, Kathy Steinberg, Gail DeFaria, Lisa DeFaria, Glenn Mendelson, Ann Altieri, Ann Altieri, Chris Doran, Karen Mendelson, Geoffrey Ornstein, Jimmy Ahrens, Todd Barbee, Christopher DeFaria, Robin Kohn, Hilary Momberger, Robin Reed, Stephen Shea
Rating: Not Rated
Studio: Warner Home Video

Release Info:
Original Release: December 9, 1965, October 27, 1966, November 20, 1973
DVD Release Date: September 23, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $33.99

It’s time for another Peanuts review. Dominick did a review for one of the DVDs released in this set, It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. Now it’s my turn to review the entire set. I grew up with the Peanuts. Didn’t we all? I’m pretty sure anyone who grew up from the mid-1960s onward has happy memories about watching Peanuts holiday specials while growing up. I’m a child of the 80s and I know I do.

When I had my son, one of the first movies I let him watch on VHS (this was back in the mid-90s, a little before DVD became the only thing to own) was A Charlie Brown Christmas. Since he was just a little baby, he’s been in love with Snoopy and the rest of the Peanuts gang. Now that he’s 13, he still loves Peanuts and honestly, who could blame him? What’s not to like? It’s one of those cartoons that no matter how old you are you’re going to like it. Watching A Charlie Brown Christmas is pretty much an ingrained tradition in most households, ranking up there with watching It’s a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Story (which is going to be re-released this year on DVD - and I’m very excited about this) every year at Christmas.

Peanuts brings families together. I can remember gathering in front of the television with my older brother and my mom to watch the Peanuts specials. Now that I have my own family, all of us (and still my mom is with us) gather up in the living room to watch it on the big screen television. I feel something warm and tingly inside me every time I watch Peanuts holiday classics. I guess you’d call it nostalgia. It reminds me of my past, present and reminds me of how magnificent my future can be as I expand my family and allow the future children in my family to enjoy the Peanuts gang as much as I did when I was their age.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: David Joyner, Greg Proops, Finty Williams, Judi Dench, Michael Angelis, Martin Clunes, Jane Horrocks
Rating: G
Studio: Lionsgate

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $8.49

As Halloween approaches, it will be the goal of parents to offer their kids some good Halloween themed television shows and movies to watch to get them in the mood. As a child, the quintessential Halloween movie was It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown. As an adult that has not changed one bit, but there are some other shows out there that are worth watching.

Halloween Spooktacular is a collection of animated shorts from seven television shows. Kids will get to enjoy episodes of Barney, Angelina Ballerina, Bob the Builder, Thomas & Friends, Fireman Sam, Kipper, and Fifi and the Flowertots. Five of these shows are labeled as an actual part of the DVD and two of them are listed as special features. You can hear more about my thoughts on that in the sections below.

The benefit to a DVD like this is that most kids know some or all of these shows already. It also appears that Lionsgate made an effort to see that both girls and boys would have shows that they prefer. So, if you only have a son you might skip through some of these, then again, he might like all of the shows. Ultimately it will just depend on your child and their likes and interests.

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Movie Info:
Rating: G
Studio: Disney

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

Parents tend to get more nervous when it comes to letting babies in front of the television. This was not as much an issue when I was a child or when my son was. I am a big believer in educational television and things in moderation. If you’re using your television as a babysitter well then your child may end up with some issues. If you only let them watch it occasionally though and you pay attention to what you’re letting them watch then it shouldn’t be so bad.

The Baby Einstein series is creative, fun, and educational. Parents that want to introduce their children to classic music and baby-friendly images will enjoy these DVDs immensely. When these came out my son was too old to enjoy them, but my nephew really loved them. It was nice to see this tenth anniversary DVD come out and I was impressed by not only the series, but the bonus section, as well.

There are plenty of good songs on the Baby Mozart DVD. These songs include one of the all time children’s favorites “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” Along with the music there are images of puppets, children playing a number of instruments (piano, violin, etc), and a selection of common and not so common toys that flash along the screen.

Normally I would not be as impressed by Baby Einstein, but it is the combination of elements that appeal to me as a parent and to the children watching the DVD. I appreciate the bright colors and images mixed with the perfect musical elements to create a fun and educational DVD for the youngest audience available.

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Movie Info:
Rating: G
Studio: Disney

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Buy this at Amazon for $17.99

In an age where parents are against sitting a baby in front of the television, it’s nice to be able to offer the babies a chance to indulge, the parents a chance to relax, and the realization that the children are learning something in front of the television. Baby Einstein does just that. The DVDs are informative, entertaining, creative, and educational. They are perfect for parents to have a few moments to not be interrupted and perfect for babies for entertainment and education.

My nephew absolutely loved these when he was a baby. The puppets, images, and music appealed to him as they do most babies. He would sit still and soak in all of the information as it was presented on the screen.

Babies will be able to listen to some of Beethoven’s best music. On this DVD they will be exposed to “Ode to Joy” and the “Ninth Symphony.” Pictures of young children and toddlers are shown playing music instruments ranging from drums and saxophones to the violin and the piano. Along with the clips of babies and toddlers are sock puppets and different images of toys. The toys include trains and pull toys among other things.

The music and the ultimate construction of the DVDs in the Baby Einstein series are what make these so special. The music really brings all this together because the images alone would likely bore a child. However, the stimulation found in the images with the music is a great source of learning for a newer baby or a young child.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Shauna Cross
Director: Andrew Waller
Cast: Alona Tal, Daniella Monet, Christy Carlson Romano, Bart Johnson, Marcus T. Paulk, Eric Dill, Joey Zehr, Ben Romans
Rating: PG
Studio: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $21.99

I have a theory that teen and tween movies were created to annoy parents and pretty much anyone else with an iota of taste. They won’t be going anywhere though because teens and tweens absolutely love them. I still haven’t figured out why, but I suppose that just means I am getting old.

Taking 5 offers a simple storyline along the same vein as High School Musical. I am not a fan of HSM, but in fairness I will say it was better than watching this. The acting isn’t particularly bad. I suppose it’s the writing and direction that needs the most work.

If you have girls in middle school they will probably rave about how good this film is. They will like it because it’s relatable to them and their love for boy bands. Parents will want to find something better to do while this is on. While it is harmless and absolutely fine for the middle-schoolers to watch, it’s nothing that you would want to bother watching unless you like bad, mainstream movies for kids.

As bad as it was it would have been worse without Alona Tal and Daniella Monet. These two really manage to float the movie, making it a little less painful to watch than it really was. As much as I disliked it though, I do see the potential for younger people. Middle school and early high school students will like it, especially if they like the HSM type of movies. There isn’t as much music going on here, but it’s similar enough that if they like one they will like the other.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Various
Director: Various
Cast: Ross Bagdasarian Jr., Janice Karman, Nancy Cartwright, Tress MacNeille, Frank Welker
Rating: G
Studio: Paramount

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon for $

Part of the beauty of children’s television is capitalizing off current pop culture in hopes of creating something that the whole family can enjoy. Whether or not this is done accurately in Alvin And The Chipmunks Go To The Movies: Daytona Jones And The Pearl Of Wisdom really depends on your interpretation of The Chipmunks and whether or not you find them appealing at all.

The “Go to the Movies” series of Chipmunk shorts was created to parody popular movies at the time. In the past, we have reviewed the Chipmunks At the Movies parodies of Honey I Shrunk the Kids, Big and Back to the Future. This time around Indiana Jones is parodied along with a few other popular movies from the 80s. Some might think that this DVD release is perfect timing with Crystal Skull being released on DVD next month. Whatever you might think, this is a DVD that is probably going to be more suitable to kids and not the adults that grew up watching the Chipmunks.

As an adult I am still a fan of Alvin, Simon, and Theodore. They can be innocent, rambunctious, and certainly made for children but they are funny in all of the right (and nostalgic) ways. However, the one thing I was never fond of was the Go to the Movies parodies. I am not sure if it’s because it always felt like the creators were trying to make a cheap buck or it is something else. Whatever it is, these parodies end up being mildly funny to children and totally useless to adults, as much as it pains me to say such things about my favorite woodland creatures.

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Movie Info:
Writer: Arish Fyzee
Director: Tom Martin
Cast: Drake Bell, Danny Glover, Vivica A. Fox, Keke Palmer, Jay Leno, Nolan North, Chris Elwood, Jenni Pulos, Steve Wilcox
Rating: G
Studio: Weinstein

Release Info:
DVD Release Date: September 9, 2008
Online Availability: Amazon

I am usually up for a good animated feature. I am an 80s child so that translates to popular cartoons such as The Smurfs, The Wuzzles, and The Transformers. It also means that I am a sucker for anything Muppets or Jim Henson oriented. So, it was with much delight that I was able to watch and review Unstable Fables: Tortoise vs. Hare.

Unstable Fables are a fun idea because you’re working off of a basis that everyone is familiar with. Most everyone knows about The Tortoise and the Hare. Offering that look into the future to show what happened years after the race is incredibly entertaining to watch and being that it’s a Jim Henson gig certainly doesn’t hurt. His production team serves his name well. This feature is funny, entertaining, and is definitely something that you could see Henson’s name attached to.

One of the best things about this film is that it’s suitable for the entire family. Parents tend to get stuck watching the cartoons of today, which can at times be monotonous and boring. However, this will take parents back just a bit while providing an excellent time for the kids, as well.

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