"The Princess Collection: Vol. 2"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: **1/2 (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Disney Back to DVD Review Home |
 |
Here’s a funny story about this new volume of the Princess Collection from Disney. I actually wrote a review for these discs several weeks ago. And it was a good one, too. One of the best I’ve ever written for a cash cow product from the Disney line.
And then I accidentally deleted the file. Oops.
Man, I was kicking myself for weeks on that one. It wasn’t that I was married to the review. It wasn’t even because I felt any need to watch the content again. It’s just that I hate duplicating work. But this is all too familiar to us in this day and age of computers and digital files that can be overwritten with a click of the mouse and then an accidental “Yes” to the question “Do you want to save the changes you made?”
I’m finally knuckling down to rewrite this review, so consider yourself lucky. ‘Cause you’re getting two reviews for the price of one.
In fact, my general thoughts and feelings on Disney’s Princess Collection can be found in my review of the first volume. Not much has changed.
If you’re a girl and into the whole princess motif, these are great little videos. If you’re a boy, and the Power Rangers are more your speed, you’re gonna want to pass on them.
Where the first volume had three separate discs, this volume has only two: “Princess Stories” and “Princess Party.” What’s missing is the “Sing-along Songs” disc. That’s not a huge loss for this volume, considering there’s some musical selections on the other discs.
“Princess Stories” recycles cartoons with Jasmine (the “Aladdin” TV series), Ariel (“The Little Mermaid” TV series) and Snow White (from an old Disney CD-ROM storybook). Each episode is about par for the course for these Toon Disney episodes. Only the Snow White one seems to be a bit of a rip-off since it’s such a clunky means of digital storytelling.
Some special features include lessons in etiquette to be a good princess, a craft to make your own friendship wreath the “Where Dreams Begin” music video.
“Princess Party” elaborates on making your own princess-themed party with your friends. (Again, this is geared towards little girls; if you’re a Manhattan ad executive, you’re probably not planning a princess pajama party anytime soon.) The Princess Party disc includes games to play, dancing fun and a craft to make your own fortune teller. It also includes handy tips for the parents on running the princess party. There are also multiple DVD-ROM features that will help in the celebration.
As an added bonus, there are two shorts on this disc as well, one from “Aladdin” and the other from “Beauty and the Beast.” A duplicate music video rounds out the disc.
If you liked the first volume of the Princess Collection, this will be a nice follow-up. It’s not as comprehensive or inclusively unique as volume one, but it’s close enough.
Specifications: Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound. Fullscreen aspect ration (1.33:1). French language track. English subtitles for the hearing impaired.
