|
|
|
|
 |
Anyone with young children is surely familiar with Bob the Builder and all of his friends. And, I guarantee, that they're familiar with the show's very catchy theme song. The show airs on Nickelodeon (and during CBS' Saturday morning "Nick Jr." programming) and has become a huge phenomenon, with Bob the Builder merchandise filling store shelves everywhere. Now, Bob the Builder joins the digital generation, with his first foray onto DVD, courtesy of Hit Entertainment.
The Movie
The premise of "Bob the Builder" is very simple. Bob is a handyman who can fix or repair anything. Bob's motto is "Can we fix it? Yes, we can!" He is frequently called upon to make repairs in his town. He works with Wendy, who manages the office and helps with repairs as well. Bob is further assisted by his construction equimpment, each of whom has a name and a spcific personality. There's Lofty, the shy crane; Dizzy, the ipetious cement mixer; Muck, the cautious dump-truck; Scoop, the friendly bulldozer; and Rolly, the confused steam roller. Rounding out Bob's crew is Pilchard, a blue cat who prefers sleeping to working. Bob is often pestered by Spud, an insande scarecrow who loves to play pranks on people. (Spud's head looks like a burlap onion with a white carrot for a nose. Spud is just plain creepy.)
The "Celebrate with Bob" DVD contains eight segments from the show, four long ones and four shorter ones. In "Bob's Birthday", Wendy convinces the construction equipment to feign any knowledge of Bob's birthday, so that they may have a surprise party. While Wendy is out of town, Bob decides to build a new garden for her in "Bob's Big Surprise". Bob's bird-watching is constantly interrupted in "Bob's Day Off". In "Buffalo Bob", Bob is disappointed when his dance partner (the unseen Mavis) injures her ankle and therefore can't be in the line-dancing contest. Wendy volunteers to help Bob in the contest. Bob teaches Spud how to behave at a tea party in "Spud Minds His Manners". Dizzy learns why we water plants in "Wendy's Watering Can". Porcupines assist Bob and Lofty when a messy street in "Bob's Spring Cleaing". And finally, in "Sing-A-Long Bird", Dizzy and Rolly trade songs with a bird.
As with most children's shows, there is an overriding theme here and it is teamwork. Some of the segments deal with other topics, but, for the most part, "Bob the Builder" teaches children that by working together, we can get any job done. Also, the "Can we fix it? Yes, we can!" motto encourages self-esteem and teaches youngsters to believe in their own skills.
The bright colors, the lively stop-motion animation, and the likable characters make "Bob the Builder" a natural for children. Also, adults should enjoy the show as well, as it doesn't talk down to its audience and offers, short concise storylines.
Picture
As "Bob the Builder" is a TV show, the shows here are presented full frame. The picture is razor sharp and crystal clear, showing no grain or distortion. The bright colors look fantastic here, giving the image a real depth. This transfer rivals digital broadcast quality.
Sound
The audio on this DVD is a digital stereo, which provides clear dialogue, back lacks any real power. The sound is flat, but the theme song still sounds great.
Extras
There are no extras on this DVD.
If your kids like "Bob the Builder", then they will love this DVD. But, be advised, there is no main menu or chapter menu on this DVD. The entire program is simply one long chapter that begins playing once the DVD is loaded. The problem is that there are trailers at the outset which must be fast-forwarded through to skip. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Special Offers
|
|
|
| DVD Blowouts
|
|
|
| Special Offers
|
|
|
|
Buy: