Reviews
Father of the Pride (2004)
Very funny!
Yes, it is lowest common denominator humor. It is DEFINITELY not for kids. But it is still funny! I like the characters and there are several funny jokes on each show. "It may be 9 o'clock Eastern, but here it's Mountin' time"...No show is for everybody, but this one is funny. They follow the standards for family sitcoms, with a large father who wants to do the best for his kids, a mom trying to keep everyone happy, a smart-alec teenage girl and a peksy little brother. Many inter-species relationships are hinted at (or discussed openly), that if you really dissected it would probably disturb you, but if you treat it lightly as they seem to intend, it is just good fun.
Tubby the Tuba (1975)
My kids (6 & 3) love this movie, but...
I really don't like it myself. Now, the grandparents got it for the kids, and they like it, so I suppose that was a success. I have two reasons for not liking this movie. First, I don't care for 20th century classical music, specifically dissonant music. There is a lot of that in this film. If the music is older, then it is older dissonant music.
Also, most of the character interaction in this movie is negative. The instruments make fun of Tubby, and drive him away. He finally catches on with the circus, but they eventually throw him out. He hooks up with an orphan melody, who herself is treated badly by other orphan melodies. There is just so much negative in this movie. Yes, there is the obligatory happy ending, but for me it is a painful journey. The overall message is keep trying, but the intermediate message is that you are going to get dumped on a lot before the good happens. To me, it also reinforces being mean, since so many characters are mean to Tubby.
However, with only 8 votes, I'm betting this movie doesn't get a lot of viewing anyway. I will admit, just about any way you can sneak classical music in front of a child is probably a good thing. But I think this story could have been better.
Dragon Tales (1999)
It is a nice children's series
Another reviewer seems to dislike or not understand children's television. There are so many shows today showing unpleasant and inappropriate behavior to our children, even under the guise of Y7 rated shows. Most of the cartoons on Toon Disney, for instance, revolve around the hero of the show defeating bad guys, who almost universally do and say mean things to the hero or other innocent people. I dislike my children watching these shows, as they don't need to be exposed to that kind of mean behavior influence. Yes, the hero always wins, but I'm not sure the kids always understand that almost everything the bad guy says is something that they should not say. On Dragon Tales, the themes usually include a problem that requires teamwork to solve, and always have a nice ending. I have never had problems with my kids emulating a bad behavior from that show.
The Tangerine Bear (2000)
My four year old boy enjoyed it very much
As a commercial break started, my son looked back at me very serously and told me, "It'll be right back, Daddy. Please don't change the channel!". The story was nice, the animation was reasonable, and the overall message was very positive. I'm usually pretty good at picking out voices, but I wasn't able to tell who was who during the show. The cast of voices is excellent and fit the show very well. I think children will love this for many years.
The Hollywood Knights (1980)
a fun, fun movie
A friend of mine classifies 'movies' and 'films'. Casablanca was a 'film'. This is a 'movie', and a great one! The music alone will have your toes tapping. It is a fun teen-age romp through Halloween Night, a little 'T' (not much 'A'), and lots of good gags. Very enjoyable, and the DVD has a good director's soundtrack with lots of background information on the movie.
Finding Buck McHenry (2000)
nice movie
This was a nice movie. I love baseball movies, and have enjoyed Ossie Davis' work since Joe Vs. The Volcano. The basic plot is a bit thin, but it gives a nice history lesson on the Negro Baseball leagues, and a nice touch that a young white boy would find interest in them. This is a good movie for young baseball fans.
Sports Night (1998)
Wonderful show
This is the most enjoyable sitcom I've seen in many years. I look at the clock when the 9:54 commercial starts, and I'm always disappointed the show is over for the night. The characters are interesting and complex, and the show doesn't go for the cheap laughs common to sitcoms today. I split a gut laughing when Natalie tried to cure Dan's writer's block with the water and the air horn. I hope the show has a long life.