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Rugrats Mysteries
Paramount // Unrated // February 4, 2003
List Price: $19.99 [Buy now and save at Amazon]
The Movie:
Now on for over a decade, "Rugrats" continues to be loved by children and adults everywhere, thanks to the show's memorable characters, inspired situations and amusing dialogue. Created by the Klasky/Cuspo team (the recent "Wild Thornberrys Movie"), the show focuses on a group of talking toddlers - Tommy, Angelica, Chuckie, Phil and Lil - who chat with each other out of the sight of grown-ups, often going on their own adventures.
This DVD includes no less than eight episodes of the show, one of which, "Murmur on the Ornery Express", is actually an exclusive episode that won't be airing until at least Summer. While the "Murmur" episode is okay (if rather uneventful), "The Fun Way Day" is certainly one of the best examples of the show's appeal for both adults and children. When one of the parents opens a coffee shop and things aren't working out, they hire a Feng Shui master to change the shop around to boost business. The kids misunderstand the master's purpose, thinking he's the "fun way" guy - there to play games with them. "Trading Phil" was also entertaining, as the episode featured Angelica's attempt to trade baby Phil for popularity with the 4-year-old crowd, who want a real baby to play with. While these are entertaining episodes, the "Mysteries" title seemed odd, as only the first episode could be considered a mystery.
The DVD includes five "Bonus" episodes, which are grouped together as "Grandpa's Favorite Stories". They include: "Grandpa's Date", "Legend of Satchmo", "Grandpa's Teeth", "Visitors from Outer Space" and "Grandpa Moves Out". A couple of these episodes ("Grandpa Moves Out", for example) are not as kid-focused and may lose their interest, but the others should entertain younger viewers.
The DVD
VIDEO: All epsiodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 full-frame broadcast aspect ratio. The presentations of the newer episodes (the first three) seemed nearly flawless, and a completely pleasant representation of the kind of quality that the broadcast episodes offer. Sharpness and detail are terrific, as the picture appeared completely crisp and well-defined, with no jagged lines or other issues. A tiny bit of edge enhancement aside, the picture was free of any of the usual concerns. The show's vivid color palette looked terrific, as colors were reproduced perfectly, with clean and bright tones. The older episodes (some of the bonus episodes) weren't quite as clean, with some slight marks and occasional light dirt on the source material.
SOUND: The show's stereo soundtrack is presented here. Although not 5.1, the show's sound effects work is still quite enjoyable and, combined with the score by Mark Mothersbaugh, even the stereo soundtrack still provides a lot of fun.
EXTRAS: The 5 bonus episodes.
Final Thoughts: "Rugrats Mysteries" contained a couple of episodes that weren't as entertaining as the rest, but overall, this is a fine program that parents should consider. At $19.99, or less at most stores, the price is right for nearly two hours of episodes.
Now on for over a decade, "Rugrats" continues to be loved by children and adults everywhere, thanks to the show's memorable characters, inspired situations and amusing dialogue. Created by the Klasky/Cuspo team (the recent "Wild Thornberrys Movie"), the show focuses on a group of talking toddlers - Tommy, Angelica, Chuckie, Phil and Lil - who chat with each other out of the sight of grown-ups, often going on their own adventures.
This DVD includes no less than eight episodes of the show, one of which, "Murmur on the Ornery Express", is actually an exclusive episode that won't be airing until at least Summer. While the "Murmur" episode is okay (if rather uneventful), "The Fun Way Day" is certainly one of the best examples of the show's appeal for both adults and children. When one of the parents opens a coffee shop and things aren't working out, they hire a Feng Shui master to change the shop around to boost business. The kids misunderstand the master's purpose, thinking he's the "fun way" guy - there to play games with them. "Trading Phil" was also entertaining, as the episode featured Angelica's attempt to trade baby Phil for popularity with the 4-year-old crowd, who want a real baby to play with. While these are entertaining episodes, the "Mysteries" title seemed odd, as only the first episode could be considered a mystery.
The DVD includes five "Bonus" episodes, which are grouped together as "Grandpa's Favorite Stories". They include: "Grandpa's Date", "Legend of Satchmo", "Grandpa's Teeth", "Visitors from Outer Space" and "Grandpa Moves Out". A couple of these episodes ("Grandpa Moves Out", for example) are not as kid-focused and may lose their interest, but the others should entertain younger viewers.
The DVD
VIDEO: All epsiodes are presented in their original 1.33:1 full-frame broadcast aspect ratio. The presentations of the newer episodes (the first three) seemed nearly flawless, and a completely pleasant representation of the kind of quality that the broadcast episodes offer. Sharpness and detail are terrific, as the picture appeared completely crisp and well-defined, with no jagged lines or other issues. A tiny bit of edge enhancement aside, the picture was free of any of the usual concerns. The show's vivid color palette looked terrific, as colors were reproduced perfectly, with clean and bright tones. The older episodes (some of the bonus episodes) weren't quite as clean, with some slight marks and occasional light dirt on the source material.
SOUND: The show's stereo soundtrack is presented here. Although not 5.1, the show's sound effects work is still quite enjoyable and, combined with the score by Mark Mothersbaugh, even the stereo soundtrack still provides a lot of fun.
EXTRAS: The 5 bonus episodes.
Final Thoughts: "Rugrats Mysteries" contained a couple of episodes that weren't as entertaining as the rest, but overall, this is a fine program that parents should consider. At $19.99, or less at most stores, the price is right for nearly two hours of episodes.
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