"HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL 2: 2-DISC DELUXE DANCE EDITION"
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MOVIE: *** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: **** (out of 5 stars) STARRING Zac Efron as TROY BOLTON Vanessa Hudgens as GABRIELLA MONTEZ Ashley Tisdale as SHARPAY EVANS Lucas Grabeel as RYAN EVANS Corbin Bleu as CHAD DANFORTH Monique Coleman as TAYLOR MCKESSIE Rated TV-G Studio: Disney Directed by: Kenny Ortega |
This isn’t a complaint, necessarily. More power to them if they can market a film so effectively that the fans will buy multiple copies on a yearly basis. It may not work for their classic animated films, but it definitely works for the tween crowd that gobbles up everything “Hannah Montana” and “High School Musical.”
When the original release of “High School Musical 2” happened a year ago, I remember commenting that the bonus features were a little thin. Knowing the Disney DVD marketing plan, I knew it was just a matter of time for a true extended edition to be released.
That time has come with the “High School Musical 2: 2-Disc Deluxe Dance Edition.” This new release is timed with the pending release of “High School Musical 3” in theaters this October, and it fills out the DVD nicely, in contrast to the weak selection of features with the first release.
I won’t bore you with my thoughts on the movie, because they were covered in my previous review. Instead, let’s take a look at what’s different.
New features included on the Deluxe Dance Edition is an interactive dance-along, more deleted scenes, a new music video, a behind-the-scenes featurette on the making of a scene, interviews with the cast in which they dish about their favorite scenes, an on-location featurette, a tour of the set and a new “High School Musical Confidential” interactive yearbook. This last feature is rather cute, allowing the viewer to surf through the different characters to learn more about the actors portraying them.
"SCHOOL HOUSE ROCK: ELECTION COLLECTION"
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MOVIE: **** (out of 5 stars) DVD EXPERIENCE: *** (out of 5 stars) Not Rated Studio: Disney |
From civics to grammar, “School House Rock” used clever little songs and rustic but appealing animation to teach kids during the commercial breaks. Most people from my generation remember these tunes vividly and think of them very fondly.
With this being an election year, Disney (who now owns the rights to the series) has compiled all the politically relevant songs into a single DVD release. The 50-minute DVD contains more than a dozen songs. Some you’ll remember (like “The Great American Melting Pot” and “I’m Just a Bill”) and others will seem new. Either way, it’s a blast to watch these films again.
The cartoons aren’t as appealing to kids nowadays, considering they aren’t high-flicker Flash animation. However, they serve the purpose of educational programming that can also be enjoyable.
It’s not surprising that many of the selected songs are still very relevant today (like the clever “Tyrannosaurus Debt”) or even in dire need of teaching (like how “I’m Gonna Send Your Vote to College” can explain the Electoral Collage, for which many adults need a refresher course).
Sure, there’s a definite liberal bias to some of the bits (like “Energy Blues”), but you’ve gotta take the good with the bad. And most of what’s on this DVD is pretty good.
