DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Walt Disney Home Entertainment Back to DVD Review Home |
 |
After a flood of “Bear in the Big Blue House” releases that came out on DVD late last year, Disney has put out four more volumes of the beloved preschool show.
Perhaps in a world where Sesame Street didn’t have such a stronghold, the Bear in the Big Blue House would have become the main attraction. It’s got a definitive Muppet feel, even though it came into being long after Muppet creator Jim Henson left this realm.
Bear in the Big Blue House doesn’t command the attention that Sesame Street has. But even Sesame Street in recent years hasn’t been able to live up to its own name. Watch any Sesame Street special today, and they’re still bringing out the old stand-by songs like “It’s Not Easy Being Green” or “C Is for Cookie.” So in a way, it’s living in its own past.
And although “Bear in the Big Blue House” hasn’t quite chiseled its way into American pop culture the way its predecessor has, it’s still a great show for your preschooler. It teaches many different life skills as well as general education information. And even as the characters are lovable and sweet, they aren’t too cheesy or annoying. In fact, Bear is one of the most loveable characters on television today.
You could do a lot worse with your preschool videos. Sure, all of the “Bear in the Big Blue House” videos follow roughly the same format and structure, but the set design and writing offers a variety you just don’t see in shows like “Blue’s Clues” and “Dora the Explorer.’
The DVDs each have a main topic, which reinforces certain behaviors. “Early to Bed, Early to Rise” promotes sleep patterns, courtesy and self-relations. “Visiting with the Doctor” promotes the value of exercise, stresses the importance of rest and encourages proper nutrition. “Sense-Sational” teaches the five senses, promotes creative exploration and encourages the imagination. “Storytelling with Bear” stresses vocabulary skills, rhyming, kindness and sharing.
Each DVD in this new wave of releases includes four sing-along songs as well as the continuous “Play-Through” option. Much like Disney’s “Fast-Play” option they put on their alternative DVDs, this allows the viewer to watch the entire disc without selection each episode and feature from the main menu.
Along with a cavalcade of creative creatures, Bear invites the viewer into his big blue house to learn and sing. Music is essential to these episodes, like most of the work you’ll see that comes from the Henson family. Of course, each episode ends with Bear talking with Luna the moon.
What’s great about quality children’s programming is that kids remember more than you ever think they will. Even though my four-year-old son hasn’t watched much “Bear in the Big Blue House” lately, he’s still aware of all the characters. Just the other night, we were driving at night and he saw the full moon. Even with me joking about werewolves, he couldn’t be dissuaded from its benevolence, calling it Luna the entire way home.
Specifications: Fullscreen aspect ration (1.33:1). Spanish language track. Spanish subtitles. and English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
