Movie Reviews

Baby Einstein
My toddler and preschooler's new addiction is Baby Einstein. I got a video from the library one day...and they loved it. So, I got another. Then, I broke down and bought a DVD. My little one never has really shown any interest in TV but he started bringing the video case to me. He watches it and laughs, points and says words and signs. He dances and claps. My three-year-old loves it too. Besides enjoying it himself, he tells the baby different words to say.

The DVD's and videos consist of series of images including toys, puppets, a variety of colorful oddities (such as those oil and water paperweight-like things), etc. with classical music in the background (perhaps based on the mythical 'beethoven effect'). There are lots of different DVD's focusing on different topics...art, colors, words, languages, animals. The DVD's also include digital flash cards to enhance vocabulary and language. Additionally, the DVD's have a repeat mode so that the DVD will continue to loop.

I try to sit down and watch with them and talk about what they are watching...but it also gives me a bit of time to get dressed, do the dishes, make lunch, or sit and read the news.

Overall, I would recommend them. It is definately a DVD that can foster development and entertain. They are short in length so your child won't be watching TV for hours...even if they watch it twice in a row. The DVD's are about $15 but our library has them on DVD and video ( as well as similar series).

See babyeinstein.com for more information.


Moster House
This Academy Award-nominated film is not for everyone. First of all, simply because it is animated does not mean it is a kiddie movie. I think it would best suit children 8 years and up, based on parents' opinion. In the theater, I think it would have been frightening for many and there are definate adolescent themes . Now, I am a horror movie junkie (not that I watch them with my kids), but I love a good one, on TV especially. And this movie started out like a great horror movie...no joke. Not a surprise from Robert Zemeckis and Steven Spielberg. The music, the symbolism, the mysterious story (very 'twisty-turny' says my 10-year-old). But it fell quite flat. Perhaps, someone stopped them halfway through and said 'this isn't a horror movie, its a kid movie'. The story turned out to be a dud without much meaning or moral (something that seems to be in all children's movies and even most horror movies).

The story is based around a neighborhood haunted house that eats anything they happens upon its lawn. The boy who lives across the street has been studying the house and decides to solve the mystery and save the children of the neighborhood (especially since it is Halloween and trick or treaters will be everywhere soon). However, the mystery of the house isn't very interesting and I didn't see how it was beneficial for my kid to understand. The character development was shallow as well. My daughter mentioned that some characters did not get a good introduction or follow through.

However, the animation is great. The skinny style of the characters is creepy enough to make some characters cute. The voice talents (including Steve Buscemi, Nick Cannon, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kevin James, Jason Lee, Catherine O'Hara, Fred Willard, and Kathleen Turner) are well done. The run time of 91 minutes is just enough.

We didn't look through the bonus features...since none of them sounded very interesting.