"JoJo's Circus"
DVD Review
by Kevin Carr
| MOVIE: ** (out of 5 stars)
DVD EXPERIENCE: ** (out of 5 stars) NOT RATED Studio: Disney Back to DVD Review Home |
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I have two kids. One if two, and the other is four. They are right at the age for preschool television. We have the Noggin network run continuously sometimes on our television. Over the past year or so, I have become a veritible expert on preschool programming.
Of course, I’ll be the first to point out that there isn’t a whole lot to programming for preschoolers. Some shows like “Dora the Explorer” and “Blue’s Clues” have a uniqueness in their own concept, but they are nothing but repeated concepts for each show.
I’ve found there are two types of preschool programming - one type that repeats the formula of the show in each episode, and another type that changes the plots but don’t have much going on.
All of this is terrible for movies geared to adults, but these two types are a must for preschoolers. Kids of that age rely on repetition to learn things, and you can’t have highly complex plots for their little minds to follow.
“JoJo’s Circus” falls into the latter category. There are different things that happen in each episode, and the characters teach kids about worthwhile concepts like sharing and teamwork. “JoJo’s Circus” is a nice, kind show about a clown in a circus and all of his friends. It utilizes stop-motion clay animation to bring the characters to life.
Disney has released two DVDs of the morning show. In “Take a Bow!,” JoJo gets her best friend Goliath learn some lessons about performing. The skills taught in this disc include musical and auditory skills, problem solving and physical movement.
“Animal A Go-Go” follows JoJo and Goliath as they learn about different animals. The concepts taught here inclue kindness, teamwork and belonging. Both DVDs have approximately 50 minutes of content and encourage kids to interact and become a part of the show itself.
Included on each DVD are games. “Take A Bow!” includes the Disneypedia for fun facts about the circus and a featuer that allows kids to print and color the characters from the show. “Animal A Go-Go” includes “JoJo Says,” a version of Simon Says, as well as a print and color feature.
Additionally, each disc has a bonus shortof the rough CGI show “Higglytown Heroes.”
Specifications: Fullscreen aspect ration (1.33:1).
