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Holiday Videos |
Great DVD's |
Educational Videos & DVD's
Teen
Titans — The Complete Fifth Season ,
Warner Home Video, Not Rated, $14.99
In their final season, the young-adult heroes in Teen
Titans, clash with their most formidable opponents yet: The Brotherhood of
Evil. This band of villains includes a gorilla with a genius level IQ, General
Immortus, a master tactician; and Madam Rouge, a rubber-bodied rogue who can
steal anyone's identity and use it for her own disguise. The Teen Titans
fans that reviewed this DVD for Grandparents.com certainly enjoyed it, although
it’s probably not something you and your grandchildren will watch together in
one sitting. Regardless of any family member's level of familiarity with the
show, there is enough action, interesting characters, and heroic feats to keep
everyone entertained.
Batman
Gotham Knight (Two-Disc Collector's Edition) ,
Warner Home Video, Rated PG-13, $20.99
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Leaning toward the dark and creepy, we recommend
this animated Batman series for slightly older grandchildren. The DVD's
six episodes show Batman’s evolution from fledgling vigilante to the same
"Dark Knight" that's currently setting box-office records.
"Crossfire" focuses on why Gotham needs Batman at all, and features
detectives Crispus Allen and Anna Ramirez. Allen doesn’t like or trust Batman
in the beginning, but when the Caped Crusader saves Ramirez's life in a gunfight
with some thugs, Allen effectively changes his mind. Batman once again grapples
with his morals in "Field Test," when he discovers a new
electromagnetic shield that could protect him, but could also risk the safety of
innocent bystanders. Batman nobly decides to forgo the deflector and risks his
life instead. If your grandchildren are old enough to enjoy the PG-13 rated Batman:
The Dark Knight then this would be a great animated supplement, but again,
it's too frightening for the younger set.
Phineas
and Ferb: The Fast and the Phineas ,
Disney, Rated G, $13.99 Release Date: July 29
Stepbrothers Phineas and Ferb have a serious
penchant for adventure and put it to use while they're on summer vacation. This
collection of five episodes from the Disney Channel cartoon kept our
kid-reviewers entertained and laughing throughout. In the first episode, the two
stepbrothers create a haunted house in their backyard in an effort to scare the
hiccups out of their friend. The second episode features the boys in a parody of
the automobile-action movie The Fast and The Furious, where Phineas and
Ferb transform their mother's car and enter it in the Swampoil 500 Race. Since
they don’t know how to drive, they use a remote control to race the car, and
actually win. Each of the episodes was deemed "funny in a strange
way," by our kid-reviewers, and the rest of the family was equally
entertained, noting how much they liked the music in particular.
How-to dance moves, pop-locking competitions, and a new
Scooby-Doo make our DVD picks this week.
Shaggy
and Scooby-Doo Get a Clue!, Volume 2 ,
Not Rated, Warner Home Video, $8.99
Although the animation has been updated, rendering
Scooby-Doo and Shaggy a little boxier than you remember, the two mystery-solvers
are as hapless and hilarious as ever. The story begins with Shaggy inheriting a
fortune from his rich Uncle Albert. With the new money, Scooby and Shaggy
upgrade the Mystery Machine so it transforms and reformulates Scooby Snacks,
giving Scooby-Doo special powers like flying. The duo embark on several missions
to stop evil Dr. Phibes from destroying Earth. In "Smart House,"
Phibes launches a computer virus named Kevin, which is set to destroy the
nation’s defense system. "Lightning Strikes Twice" tells of Phibes's
evil plan to electrocute Earth from space. While longtime fans might miss the
classic animation and Casey Kasem's voice, new fans will enjoy the thrilling
series and its Earth-saving slant.
Hip
Hop for Kids: School House Hop ,
Not Rated, Jumping Fish Productions, $13.99
Want to get your grandkids up and moving? This DVD
has them stretching, grooving, and dancing to a kid-friendly, hip-hop backbeat.
Your grandchildren will learn cool steps like break dancing, freestyle, and spin
from the most popular VH1 and MTV videos (cleaned up for a young audience). A
group of tweens and teens join hip-hop dancer Roger G. who leads the fun, and
viewers will pick up the moves quickly and easily. There are also a few fun
lessons in health and nutrition. Watch it with your grandchildren and try your
hand at "pop locking."
Step
Up 2: The Streets ,
Rated PG-13, Touchstone/Disney, $16.99
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Another dance-theme DVD, though not instructional
and aimed squarely at older tweens and teens, is Step Up 2: The Streets.
This sequel to the 2006 movie, Step Up, features up-and-coming dance
stars plus an encore appearance by Step Up lead, Channing Tatum. Billed
as the "hottest dance movie of the year" — though there aren't many
other dance movies to compare it with — that's still a valid claim. The
movie’s main character is Andie (Briana Evigan), an orphan and a member of the
"410" crew, a dance team that competes at a club called The Streets in
the team's rough neighborhood. Andie's rough-and-tumble crew gets miffed when
she's admitted to an elite dance school, and several of the group's members kick
her out. At her new school, Andie meets a handsome blond fellow, forms a new
dance crew, and competes for the grand prize in a major dance contest. While the
plot is predictable, the extended dance scenes salvage its entertainment value.
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