It’s been awhile, but we’re back with a new volume of Bullz-Eye for the Kiddies. These children- and family-oriented discs don’t come in at a rapid pace, so we sometimes have to wait a little while to stockpile enough for another column. Sorry, we know how much you’ve been waiting for this – we’ve gotten all of your E-mails – but, at least, your patience has paid off!
Jakers! – Sheep on the Loose: It’s gotten to the point where I actually look forward to this show when my daughter’s watching PBS Sprout on cable. And, really, what’s not to like? Computer-animated Farm animals talking in Irish accents…? C’mon, people, get behind me on this! Seriously, though, it’s a show that’s full of lessons and morals, but the writing is fantastic, particularly in the way it tackles serious subjects without getting too morose about it. “Waking Thor” finds Ferny the cow dealing with the death of his goldfish, Thor, and it’s handled in an exemplary manner, indicating that loss is loss if you love the person who dies, whether it’s a goldfish or a parent. There’s a particularly great line when Piggley’s dad asks the kids if they’ve considered a wake for Thor, and Piggley responds, “Oh, there’s no wakin’ him, Da. We’ve seen him; he’s done.” This episode also has a running subplot where Wiley the sheep – voiced by Mel Brooks – is bored out of his mind; another sheep suggests a rousing game of cricket, to which Wiley responds, “What, are you kidding? That’s the same as being bored!” Definitely one of the best animated shows that PBS has to offer.
The Fox and the Hound 2: You know, if we all team up and go over to the Disney studios en masse, at least one of us ought to be able to make it through security, into the corporate offices, and punch somebody – preferably an executive – in the face for greenlighting all of these fucking straight-to-video sequels, prequels, and “mid-quels” to classic films. What’s a “mid-quel”? It’s where they invent a new story and claim that it occurred off-camera at some point during the original flick…and that’s what this story is. Tod the fox and Copper the bloodhound are still in their youth when Copper, who feels as though he can’t do anything right, discovers that he can howl pretty darned well, which leads him to join a traveling band of singing dogs who are performing at the county fair. Tod gets jealous, of course, and by the end of the film, Copper returns home and the status quo is reinstated…but not before we’ve heard a few tunes from Reba McEntire, who voices one of the singing dogs. If you remember the sweet story of the original “Fox and the Hound,” stay away from this completely unnecessary flick that does nothing but try to scrape a few more bucks into the Magic Kingdom’s bank vault.
Continue reading »
