By Jae-Ha Kim
Chicago Sun-Times
December 13, 2002
Winter break is upon us and the kids already are complaining, “I’m bored.” After you’ve run the gamut of reading together, baking cookies and playing board games, how about treating them to a kid-friendly DVD or video? Need suggestions? Read on for some of our holiday-favorite picks:
Ice Age (Fox, $29.98). Adults will enjoy this animated film as much as the kiddies. Ray Romano voices a woolly mammoth named Manny, who along with a saber-toothed tiger and a sloth rescues a human baby after its mother dies. They tackle the task of reuniting the little creature with his father. They don’t quite trust each other but have no one else to depend on, so they forge ahead. The ending is predictable, but still touching. There’s a nice bonus on both the DVD and VHS editions: a 5-minute short feature focused on Scrat, the scrappy prehistoric squirrel-like creature who goes to all lengths to make sure his nut collection is protected.
Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (Universal, $22.99). This two-disc deluxe edition includes audio commentary by director Ron Howard, though the kids will probably want that turned off so they can hear Jim Carrey’s uncanny embodiment of the creepy Grinch. The sneak preview of the upcoming “Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat” is a snore, but there are hours of DVD-Rom play with Grinch-themed holiday cards, puzzles and, yes, even Grinch recipes.
Veggie Tales: The Star of Christmas (Warner, $19.99). Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber worry that no one will come see their Christmas musical, “The Princess and the Plumber,” when Junior Asparagus reveals he’ll unveil a major surprise at his own holiday pageant that same evening. The bickering is light-hearted and never mean-spirited, and the outcome, while predictable, will leave a warm spot in your heart as you watch this with the very young ones.
Mr. Magoo’s Christmas Carol (Classic Media, $14.98). Parents probably will remember this holiday special, which debuted on TV on Dec. 18, 1962. Kids will adore this delightful take on Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Voiced by Jim Backus (Mr. Howell on “Gilligan’s Island”), the myopic Mr. Magoo is delightfully clueless. The digitally remastered production includes original songs by Broadway stalwarts Jule Styne and Bob Merrill. DVD bonus extras include the animated short “Mr. Magoo Meets Gerald McBoing-Boing.”
Nick Jr. Holiday (Paramount, $19.99). This Nick Jr. holiday sampler is aimed at the pre-school set. Four half-hour episodes showcase the escapades of the gangs from the “Rugrats,” “Blue’s Clues,” “Little Bill” and “Dora the Explorer.” The most endearing one is the latter, where our young heroine enlists the aid of viewers in delivering a gift to Santa Claus.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas (Disney, $29.99). This isn’t a sequel to “Beauty and the Beast” but rather a continuation within that film. “Enchanted Christmas”–which went straight to video and DVD–takes place before the Beast was revealed to be a handsome young man. Hoping to win him over–thus allowing herself to be freed to go back home to her father–Belle turns his castle into a Christmas delight. While not as compelling as the film on which it’s based, the animation is first-rate and the storyline is fine for a night of home movies.
Scooby-Doo Winter Wonderdog (Warner, $19.98). Our always-hungry Great Dane “rut-rohs” his way through four winter capers, including one in which a group of monsters show up uninvited for Christmas. Of course, nothing is ever as it seems with the Scooby Gang. The DVD extras include a couple of music videos (you can skip over these without missing a note) and a segment on how to draw Scooby-Doo.
Forgotten Toys (Sony Wonder, $12.98). You know those Ikea commercials that mock the viewer for feeling sorry for discarded objects such as a broken lamp? “Forgotten Toys” tugs at the same heartstrings–minus the mocking. Teddy and Annie–a pair of once-loved toys–are thrown out when new toys are received at Christmas. The plucky teddy bear and raggedy doll escape from a dumpster and search for another child to welcome them. Warning: After seeing this, your child may never want to throw away anything.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Frosty the Snowman and The Little Drummer Boy (Classic Media, $56.98). Many adults will remember watching these specials on TV every year. If the reruns just aren’t cutting it for you these days, this three-pack is a must-have. The stories are well-embedded in our minds and ingrain kind thoughts into our heads without our even realizing it. (Also available in Spanish versions.)
Madeline’s Christmas and Madeline’s Winter Vacation (Classic Media, $12.98). This one-two punch of Madeline will delight any little girl. The red-headed Parisian lass makes the best of a bad situation in the former title when her girlfriends come down with the flu. This DVD includes a bonus feature, “Madeline and the Toy Factory,” in which she is mistaken for a toy and boxed up. Kinda creepy when you think about it. In “Winter Vacation,” the spunky kid and her pals get snowed in by an avalanche.
Winnie the Pooh, A Very Merry Pooh Year (Disney, $29.99). Winnie the Pooh and all his li’l buddies in the Hundred Acre Wood celebrate Christmas and New Year’s Eve in a pair of adventures. There’s a rampant case of mistaken identity, with Pooh dressing up as Santa and various characters “inheriting” each other’s characteristics. Piglet looks especially cute making like Tigger. The soundtrack is a snooze and not nearly peppy enough to keep the wee ones hooked, but the games–including one where the players have to figure out which creature is hidden underneath a fresh blanket of snow–should keep them occupied.
Lamb Chop’s Special Chanukah & Shari’s Passover Surprise Double Feature (Classic Media, $19.98). Fans of the TV series will want to flock to this 134-minute collection, which introduces youngsters to Jewish holiday traditions such as Passover and Seder. The late Shari Lewis’ daughter, Mallory, performs some new material with Lamb Chop, the world’s most famous sock puppet. Lamb Chop’s buddies Charlie Horse and Hush Puppy are joined by real-life folks such as Pat “Karate Kid” Morita and Alan Thicke.
Calliou’s Winter Holiday (Warner, $19.98). Spanning the time between Halloween and Christmas, this video follows little Calliou as he helps with Thanksgiving dinner and decorates the family tree for Christmas. During the first snow of the year, our young hero also embarks down a ski slope, and the antics will entertain anyone who’s never skied before but can imagine what it might be like.
The Santa Clause (Disney, $29.99): Tim Allen plays a divorced toy company executive who takes over for Santa Claus when Old Saint Nick injures himself in a fall from the roof. The clause, though, is that by putting on the old man’s famous red suit, he unwittingly has agreed to be Santa Claus forever (or until he can dupe some other guy into trading clothes). Is this a dream? Or reality? The answer, of course, is obvious, given that the sequel is playing in theaters now. But shhh. Don’t tell the kids.
Elmo’s World: Happy Holidays! (Sony Wonder, $14.98). As if she’s not busy enough, the ubiquitous Kelly Ripa makes a special appearance as Letter Carrier Kelly in this latest Sesame Street spinoff. Just as Shari and Lamb Chop taught the kiddies about Jewish holidays, Kelly teaches the little Muppet about Christmas and Kwanzaa, in addition to Hanukkah.
