"Handy Manny" is a simplistic, but poignant animated kid's show. Manny and his talking tool friends set out to help residents in the town of Sheetrock Hills by fixing whatever needs to be fixed such as a toy, a flagpole, a phone, etc. The 5 episodes included on this single disk are: "Squeeze's Day off," "Amigo Grande," "A Sticky Fix," "Pat The Screwdriver," and "Supremoguy."

Even though every episode is virtually identical in structure, Manny is a quality educational show. Sure, kids might not learn as much as they would from shows like "Sesame Street" or "Dora The Explorer," but the episodes offer strong moral values. For example, in the episode "Amigo Grande," the tools feel left out as a giant crane is called in to help put up a flagpole. In the end, the tools find out that their services were required and that everyone needed to work together as a team to accomplish the task. This is only a small sample of the lessons kids can learn. They will also be able to learn how to solve problems, speak Spanish words, not be selfish, help out friends and neighbors, etc. With such an abundance of rewarding and educational moments, you really can't ask more from a children's show.

Parents be warned, the show is not without annoying qualities that may drive you up the wall. Whenever Manny and the tools are about to leave the office to fix something, the tools sing the same peppy song. In the five episodes I saw, I'd say this occurred at least twice per episode. Tedious to say the least. The seven tool characters (two screwdrivers, a saw, a tape measurer, a hammer, a wrench, and a plier) also complain A LOT. They constantly argue over which of them should be used for the job. I don't know how Manny never loses his cool. I know I would snap at the tools.

The DVD

Video:
The fullscreen 1.33:1 video isn't half bad. For the most part, the animation looks as good as it can be, but the outlined edge of backgrounds and characters appeared fuzzy.

Sound: The Dolby Digital 5.1 track (in English or Spanish) is very layered. Not only are the dialogue and sound effects clear, but you can even hear wind and noises outside the buildings the characters occupy. It's a nice touch to make the hustle and bustle of the community appear more lifelike.

Extras: A few extra goodies have been included for the kids. First up- 8 sneak peeks for DVDs like "Little Einsteins" and "Tiger And Pooh." Secondly, a "Build It With Handy Manny" game where you the viewer help find and use tools for Manny to finish a project. This is a great interactive game. It's fitting as I consider the show to be more like a problem solving kids video game than a television series. Viewers also have the option to Fast Play the disk, which is a new feature on Disney DVDs. It allows viewers to play the entire disk without using the remote.

Final Thoughts:
"Handy Manny" may not be the world's greatest children's show, but the strong life lessons will no doubt please parents who are on the lookout for inoffensive programs for their kids.

Film and television enthusiast Nick Lyons recently had his first book published titled "Attack of the Sci-Fi Trivia." It is available on Amazon.com.