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A Slice of Life
by Francine Brokaw
Fun Holiday Movies on DVD - Especially for Kids
Nick Jr. Holiday
This delightful DVD includes special holiday episodes of Nick Jr.'s popular kids shows: Dora the Explorer, Little Bill, Blue's Clues, and the Rugrats.
Dora and Boots travel to the North Pole to give Santa their present. Along the way they meet up with Swiper the fox who surprises everyone with the holiday spirit, by returning the gift he swiped. Swiper with the Christmas spirit? Will wonders never cease?
Little Bill is so excited about Christmas, but with Alice the Great gone, he doesn't want to start any holiday preparations. He feels it isn't a holiday without her so he waits for her return.
Blue is anxious to add a new memory patch to the holiday quilt. Preschoolers help Steve put together her clues to find out what patch she wants to add. Along the way, they learn a little about Chanukah, Christmas and Kwanzaa.
A special bonus on the DVD is the Rugrats "Babies in Toyland." The kids, and their parents, have the most wonderful holiday ever. With their parents snowed in in a cabin, the kids explore a special holiday town and manage encounters with some not-t-friendly mice and nutcrackers. In the meantime, the adults learn that a good old-fashioned holiday is much nicer than one with crowds of people and modern conveniences. And even Angelica gets the holiday spirit when she gives her little toy reindeer to Dil.
The stories all together run 116 minutes and are all rated "G." For a fun holiday treat for preschoolers, this DVD fits the bill.
The Santa Clause
When Santa falls off his roof, Scott Calvin (Tim Allen) takes over and once he puts on the Santa suit, he is magically transformed into Santa Claus. Scott is a divorced father who has little appeal to his son, until he becomes Santa. Scott's beard grows as well as his belly. This bumbling man somehow manages to really become Santa Claus.
The special widescreen edition includes some fun additional features. "So You Want to be an Elf?" a "Santa's Helper" trivia game, and "Making Santa Snacks with Wolfgang" make this family favorite even more special. Tim Allen is a fun Santa, and reprises the role in the sequel which opened in theaters November 1. Anyone who loves a good holiday movie will love The Santa Clause.
Santa Who
Santa Who stars Leslie Nielsen as the jolly Santa Claus. Unfortunately, while taking the sleigh on a test drive there is an accident and Santa and the reindeer fall to earth. Christmas is just around the corner and Santa is missing. All is not right with the world. With a bump on the head and no memory of who he is, this man is taken in by a young boy, his mother, and her boyfriend who manage, through a maze of adventures, to finally put things right.
Babes in Toyland
Toyland, toyland. Wonderful girl and boy land. Isn't that the truth? Every kid's dream is to go to toyland. This musical stars Annette Funicello stars as Mary Mary quite contrary, one of several residents of Mother Goose Village. She and Tom (Tommy Sands), the piper's son plan to wed, but an evil man kidnaps Tom and sends him away to be killed. But he escapes and returns to Mary. Then Little Bo Peep looses her sheep and the kids go looking for them. Mary and Tom find them in a forest of talking trees then the whole group ends up in Toyland, where the toy maker needs help to fill the orders for the holiday. Everyone pitches in. It might be a little hokey for modern audiences, however it is a classic tale and this version is filled with music and fun.
Caillou's Holiday
Caillou, from the popular PBS show, enjoys all the different winter holidays. In October he picks a pumpkin from the pumpkin patch. In November he helps his family with the Thanksgiving dinner preparations. And in December he learns to ski, asks Santa for a toy dinosaur and helps the entire family decorate a Christmas tree. For those who aren't familiar with this cute little boy, he has a little sister, Rosie, parents and grandparents. Caillou helps kids learn basic values while enjoying his adventures. Kids will also enjoy the bonus episode, character bios, and a sing-along with Caillou on the DVD.
Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year
Pooh and the gang celebrate Christmas and the New Year in this all new full-length adventure. First there is a problem with their letter to Santa. Pooh forgot to ask for something for himself. Oh bother! Then later, he forgets where he hid Piglet's present. Think, think, think. Additional DVD features include two interactive games, a sing-along with the movie - which includes 8 songs, and an "Enchanted Environment" with a relaxing fire and Christmas tree to decorate your room in which you can select to listen to music, sound effects or both.
Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas
The residents of the castle reminisce about the previous year when Belle insisted they have a Christmas complete with all the trimmings, to the dismay of the Beast. Nevertheless, she goes about getting the castle ready for the holiday. Things get a little dangerous when she and Chip venture out past the castle grounds in search of the perfect tree. DVD bonuses include a music video, behind-the-scenes featurette, an interactive game in which the player tests his/her musical abilities on the keyboard, a song selection and a glowing fireplace to add ambiance to your home. This is something that will be cherished by all and a film to look forward to year after year.
© 2002 Francine Brokaw
Babes in Toyland, Santa Who, The Santa Clause, Beauty and the Beast: The Enchanted Christmas, Winnie the Pooh: A Very Merry Pooh Year pictures are ©Disney Enterprises, Inc. All rights reserved.
Nick Jr. Holiday picture is ©2002 Viacom International, Inc. and Paramount Pictures. All rights reserved.
Caillou's Holiday picture is ©2002 Warner Bros. All rights reserved.
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