New DVDs: 6/17/08
by Phoebe Assenza
Ghost hunting canines, a backyard menagerie, and a musical lesson round out our picks this week.
The Richie Rich/Scooby-Doo Show, Vol. One , NR, Turner Home Entertainment, $22.99
Stars of the classic comic books and cartoon series embark on more than 40 adventures in this new DVD. This two-disc set alternates stories from both Richie Rich and Scooby Doo. Richie is older now, but not poorer, and has plenty of gadgets with which to fight off the bad guys. New fans will surely be drawn into the fantasy of unlimited wealth. The Scooby Doo segments feature both the title character and his sidekick, Scrappy, engaged in all their usual high jinks. The villains are almost always ghosts or monsters, until proven otherwise, and to further keep with tradition, there is plenty of Scooby Snack time.
Backyardigans: High Flying Adventures , Nickelodeon, NR, $12.99
With vibrant colors, great music, and fun animation, few preschoolers won’t like The Backyardigans. Multihued creatures Pablo (penguin), Tyrone (moose), Uniqua (a unique pink, polka-dot creature), Austin (kangaroo), and Tasha (hippopotamus) use their imagination to make their backyard the setting of all sorts of adventures. One episode is an homage of sorts to A Night At The Museum, “Chichen-Itza Pizza” is centered on a pizza-delivery service in ancient Mexico, and “Fly Girl” has Uniqua playing an aviator. The series was unanimously enjoyed by our tester families, and even the Backyardigans theme song proved to be infectious across the board.
ZakLand, PorchLight Home Entertainment, NR, $12.99
While so many DVDs for children focus solely on entertainment, ZakLand has more of an educational slant. Marty the Bullfrog, Uncle Hank, and the Can-Can Twins focus on teamwork as they save the King’s birthday party. Viewers learn the importance of imagination as they differentiate between various instrumental sounds. Kids are also encouraged to read by sounding out words as — Zak colorfully defines them. It’s a fun show with a lot to teach, the episodes are the perfect length for toddler attention-spans.
|
