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Twenty six cuddly ABC Monsters live within the walls of Capital Castle. Each monster represents a letter of the alphabet, but should any of the monsters go missing for longer than a day, all the letters will be wiped clean from every book in Capital Town! In this DVD, embark on adventures with Alice, Brian, and Cherry Berry to search high and low for the letters V, W, X, Y, and Z. It’s a very windy day in Capital Town. After checking the ABC Monsters, it seems that one of them is missing – W-Monster! So Alice, Brian and Cherry Berry head into town in hopes of finding their missing friend, W-Monster. Along the way they meet, Wanda the Weaver, Wendy the Window Cleaner and then Willie Webster. Hopefully, one of them will be able to help Alice, Brian and Cherry Berry find W-Monster during this windy day. Get set for a spellbinding series of magical adventures that engages preschool children’s imaginations, while making learning exciting and entertaining. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Jolleen M. comments, “This educational DVD is super cute and hilarious. I love that it is interactive and that there is music. The animation is very colorful, bright and vivid.” Sahiba K. adds, “My favorite part is the journey of finding the monsters because, even I had the pleasure of guessing the riddles and seeing how one puzzle would lead to the next. The message of this DVD is “always help those in need and good will always transpire.” See their full reviews below.

ABC Monsters: Starring VWXYZ
By Jolleen M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

This educational DVD is super cute and hilarious. I love that it is interactive and that there is music. The animation is very colorful, bright and vivid.     

In the story, the letters of the alphabet are all different monsters. Each episode stars one of the letters of the alphabet. Later in the episode, the letter goes missing and it’s up to Alice, Brian and Cherry Berry to find the missing letter. If one of the monsters goes missing for more than a day, then all of the letters will be erased from every book. Throughout the episodes, they teach letter recognition, spelling, writing each letter, identifying the missing letter in a word and there are parts where you can sing-along.

I like the style of animation in this show. It is really cute, cheerful, colorful and pleasing. The animation flows well and has lots of detail. The backgrounds look really cool as well. I love the way the characters’ faces have different expressions and they show a variety of emotions through their facial expressions.

Each of the characters has a different hairstyle and different personality. This shows me that the creators took the time and the effort to give each character a completely different and unique look as well as a completely distinctive personality. It makes the DVD just that much more interesting to watch and it impacts the storyline as well.

My favorite part of the episodes is when they can make alliterations with the letter that is starring. It is really creative and amazing to see how many words they come up with. For example, on the episode that stars the letter W, they met Wanda the Weaver, Wendy the Window Cleaner and Willie the Webster.

The message of this DVD is about teaching kids to do the right things when different situations arise. The goal is to educate kids about the alphabet and help them develop their language skills. The film also has sing-alongs, which can help in developing your reading skills. This show excels at teaching while entertaining kids. I believe that a child can learn a lot about the alphabet from watching it. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 7. It is available on DVD now so go check it out.

ABC Monsters Starring VWXYZ
By Sahiba K., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

ABC Monsters Starring VWXYZ, directed by Ah Loong, is an interactive adventure full of fun and games! Songs, puzzles and dances encircle each episode with excitement. Puzzles where viewers are asked to help kept me engaged as I felt I was a part of the show, helping the main characters along their journey to find the missing monsters.

The story follows Alice, Brian and their fairy Cherry Berry, who embark on different adventures to find the missing letters. On their way, they face many puzzles, meet new friends and visit new places. They even learn new songs and dance moves as they embark on their exhilarating quests.

The animation and songs are unforgettable. The children and adults have a larger head than body, which allows an exaggeration of emotions. It makes it easy to understand what the characters are feeling. The monsters come in different colors, have distinctive hairstyles and unique personalities. Each characteristic adds to their charm including their smiles and even their unique teeth. The backgrounds are colorful and radiant. They appear to have been drawn as there are sketchy lines that outline the trees, hills and houses. This adds to the calm feeling of watching different, lively scenes. The animation becomes more visually appealing when different patches of designs merge to create walls, floors and hills. It prevents certain areas from being one solid color and gave me more to look at on their adventures.

When a song begins, the scene changes into vibrant shades of yellow, pink and blue with a multitude of flowery shapes. The characters dance on screen while colors and patterns flow past them. There are sparkles everywhere and lights flash as if the characters are at a disco. Captions also appear at the bottom, encouraging viewers to sing along. The ambience of these scenes are exuberant and energetic. The songs themselves are catchy and made me want to sing along too.
My favorite part is the journey of finding the monsters because, even I had the pleasure of guessing the riddles and seeing how one puzzle would lead to the next. The message of this DVD is “always help those in need and good will always transpire.” I give this DVD 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 2 to 6. This DVD is available now so be sure to check it out, especially if you have pre-schoolers.

ABC Monsters: Starring VWXYZ
By Rachael V., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

Oh no, W-Monster is missing! Capital Castle is a grand place that houses the 26 Alphabet Monsters, but today we have one missing and we must find it! My son was loving the search and kept asking where W had gone. It is adorable. My favorite thing about this DVD is the alliteration and how it coincides with the main cast. For example: since we are searching for W, we encounter Willie Webster and Wanda the Weaver and all this takes place on a windy day! Isn’t that fun? One of the children searching for W-Monster is named Alice and she is such a sweetheart. I love seeing such a positive portrayal of little girls on screen. All of the Alphabet Monsters are funny and somehow manage to have different personalities. This show provides fun adventures, but I honestly just love the fact that these 26 monsters have 26 distinct looks and 26 distinct personalities. It’s wonderfully done. This is best for preschool aged children, however, I recommend it for ages 2 to 6 and give it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Cat in the Hat takes Nick and Sally on the craziest Halloween ride filled with howlers and shockers and scary fandangle’s, big laughs and music and fun from all angles! Their fright-filled adventure takes them deep into the Oooky-ma-kooky Closet where Nick and Sally discover the very best Halloween costumes ever. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Carla P. comments, “The message of this film is to get over your fears because they are not as big as you think. It teaches kids that you can get over your fear whether it’s a small fear of ghosts or a big fear like stage fright. “ See her full review below.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween
By Carla P., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween is a wonderful Halloween movie for children.  The theme is about facing your fears because they are not as big as you think. That is what is interesting about the film.

The storyline is about two kids named Nick and Sally who need to find the perfect Halloween costume. They find the Cat in the Hat and he tells them about a closet that has all the best costumes. They go on the hunt for the perfect costume and face their fears on the way.

The characters are very unique, creative and beautifully animated.  Some of them are astonishing. I love the wacky and crazy lady who owns all the costumes. She’s very helpful to the kids as she helps them find the perfect costume. I love how she dances with the Cat in the Hat. She is a fun, energetic, loving character that children will love. The Fish that follows The Cat in the Hat on his journeys is also hilarious! I love how he tries to scare The Cat in the Hat but he is so oblivious about his fear of pumpkins.

The animation is close to the Cat in the Hat books. The storyline is identical to the books, which doesn’t always happen when you make a book into a movie. There are some movies that do not look anything like the original book.  The voice acting is applaud-able. I love how Martin Short’s  (The Cat in the Hat) voice is exactly how I imagine the Cat in the Hat would sound. I love how he sounds whimsical and kooky. I also adore the voice actors of Sally and Nick. I love how they make their voices so perfectly childlike.

The message of this film is to get over your fears because they are not as big as you think. It teaches kids that you can get over your fear whether it’s a small fear of ghosts or a big fear like stage fright.  All of the main characters get over fears that they couldn’t get over before. The Cat in the Hat gives great advice – the fears you have are not bigger than you think. This is a great lesson for kids that have fears that they cannot get over.

I rate this film 5 out of 5 and recommend it to ages 5 to 9. This DVD is available now so, be sure to check it out.

The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About Halloween
By Rachael V., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

I always get super excited about watching this series. Martin Short is the brilliant voice actor of The Cat in the Hat and he’s hilarious. In general this series has always been very fun and educational, so it’s not a shock the this Halloween special follows suit. In this episode we learn the science behind things such as the changing colors in fall. I am very happy that the story features creepy crawlies and monsters and still makes it fun and fearless for children. Fear is actually a large part of this episode. The Cat in the Hat and the kids address scary costumes and how to overcome those fears. Their adventure consists of a really cute camping trip complete with adorable squirrel interactions and teaching respect for nature and wildlife. This is perfect for ages 3 to 10 and I give it 5 out of 5 stars for being fun and educational!

Take a magical romp with the world’s most popular clay boy in The Gumby Movie. For the first time, you’ll enjoy this heartwarming adventure, fully re-mastered from its original film rolls. This is the complete movie, with all its scenes intact. This clay-animated masterpiece was written and directed by Gumby Creator Art Clokey and showcases Gumby, Pokey, Prickle, Goo, the Blockheads, Professor Kapp and introduces the Clayboys and singing sensation Tara. Gumby rocks out with the Clayboys for a concert benefiting local farmers. But things go awry when Gumby s arch enemies, the Blockheads, dognap his pet pooch, Lowbelly! Bad turns to worse when the Blockheads also kidnap the band…and replace them with clones! The battle between Clayboys and clones is filled with trains and planes, knights and fights, thrills and spills! True to classic Gumby adventures, The Gumby Movie takes viewers in and out of books, to Toyland, Camelot, outer space and beyond! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Gerry O. comments, “This is the youngest of the Gumby series and is far from the best. However, even though there are some moments that could be improved on, The Gumby Movie still delivers the timeless entertaining charm that the earlier decades of the Gumby series are so famous for.” KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror, Rachael V. adds, “The movie is a well done flashback to the series and has the same goofy animation and weird storylines.” See their full reviews below.

The Gumby Movie
By Gerry O., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 15

This is the youngest of the Gumby series and is far from the best. However, even though there are some moments that could be improved on, The Gumby Movie still delivers the timeless entertaining charm that the earlier decades of the Gumby series are so famous for.

This film follows the trend of the show by concentrating on Gumby’s adventures. There are some light action scenes to keep these adventures exciting as well as a few jokes that the whole family can enjoy.

The Gumby Movie ’s plot is about Gumby and his friends attempting to stage a concert. During the concert, two investors in the audience accidentally find out that Gumby’s dog (Lowbelly) cries pearls when he listens to their music. They come up with a scheme to steal the dog and make thousands of dollars, but get discovered and Gumby and his friends have to save Lowbelly in one epic and complex adventure.

For the most part, this film really has a lot of great perks. The detail in the stop-motion clay animation really looks spectacular and mostly natural. The plot has lots of fun twists as well as quite a few references (i.e. one fighting scene contains light sabers in a ship that looks like it belongs in Star Wars) to other series that allows for a good laugh. The background soundtrack by Jerry Gerber fits the tune of the quirky cartoon well and adds a little spice to the movie as a whole. There are a few technical hiccups that can be improved on to make this film perfect. One example is the visible and obvious wires holding up some of the characters. Even though this film was made in 1995, wire removal editing tools have existed since the late 80s. At times, the animation lags quite a bit and could be sped up to make more fluid motions. Nevertheless, none of these little things ruin the watching experience, as The Gumby Movie still is a great film to watch with the family.

There are some filler scenes that don’t do much to further the plot nor add any reoccurring elements to the story. Even though they sound bad, they are enjoyable and make it feel like several separate episodes, each with a unique adventure. My favorite scene takes place towards the beginning of the run time when Pokey looks for Gumby everywhere. On his way, he passes by a slide. At the same time, two of Pokey’s friends come out of the slide and run into him. The three turn into a big clay ball and need to go to the hospital to get un-separated. The scene has quite a few made up procedures that are both funny and realistic looking, which adds to the humor. Even though this has no purpose to the story, it still provides a few good laughs and, in general, is a fun mini-story.

The Gumby Movie can be a family movie but its main purpose is being a kid’s movie. For that reason, I recommend it for ages 8 to 18. I give The Gumby Movie 4.5 out of 5 stars because it has a few technical faults here and there, but still really provides a good quality Gumby feature film.

The Gumby Movie
By Rachael V., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

I always love watching anything Gumby related. I remember watching Gumby when I was younger and it was always a blast. It was always quirky and weird, which is something I can really get behind. The movie is a well done flashback to the series and has the same goofy animation and weird storylines. If this is not something that you’ve grown up with, chances are you might not like this movie as much. It’s a hard style to get into if you are not watching it for nostalgia. My children were a little confused when watching this because the animation is so old school. I personally really enjoyed it and I am 26! I recommend it for ages 6 to 12 and give it 5 out of 5 stars, fully admitting that I am a sucker for nostalgia.

Adventure takes flight with the plucky P. King Duckling! Meet P. King, a slightly hapless but intrepid young duck, and his two best friends, Chumpkins (a sarcastic pig) and Wombat (who helps P. King with his schemes even though she knows better)! Together, they work to seize the day: which always leads to wild adventures and hilarious consequences. Created by award-winning Josh Selig (Sesame Street, Wonder Pets!) and featuring music from Grammy winner Marty Beller of They Might Be Giants, P. King Duckling is a wholly satisfying family experience that engages children in problem-solving and creative thinking: all while quacking you up! KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Morgan B. comments, “The lessons that P. King Duckling, Wombat and Chumpkins teach are also quite useful. The animation in this show is simple with lots of colors and shapes. It is perfect for kids.” KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror Rachael V. adds, “This is a cute show about a group of friends who take funny adventures and find solutions to problems along the way.” See their full reviews below.

P. King Duckling: Seize The Day
By Morgan B., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 12

The fun adventures shared here are creative and quite enjoyable. The lessons that P. King Duckling,     Wombat and Chumpkins teach are also quite useful. The animation in this show is simple with lots of colors and shapes. It is perfect for kids. It is easy to follow and understand so you can do some of the experiments that they do in your imagination.

My favorite episode is “Wombats Big Surprise!” This episode is so funny and enjoyable because of the humor and how Wombat doesn’t know about her big surprise birthday party. I also love that Chumpkins and P. King Duckling hide things. It also teaches you about patience, which is a difficult lesson.

My favorite character is Wombat (Courtney Shaw). She is smart, creative and likes to help her friends. Wombat knows how to make lots of fun things such as painting pictures. Courtney Shaw voices Wombat and makes her sound very inquisitive and caring. She fills Wombat’s voice with lots of emotion in all the episodes, which is something I admire.  P. King Duckling (Marc Thompson) is very goodhearted and a silly duck who loves adventure. He finds new fun ways of doing things such as cooling the town he lives in during a heat wave, jogging the Great Wall of China and many more that have great moral values. Marc Thompson’s P. King Duckling has an adorable voice that sounds like a nerd which brings P. King Duckling to life and makes him enjoyable.

Chumpkins (Benjie Randall) is a computer geek and loves technology. Chumpkins is proud of this and wears a shirt with a computer on it. Whenever you need something delivered house right away, have Chumpkins order it online. He also knows a lot about gadgets and gizmos so he is the Pig to call. Benjie Randall makes Chumpkins sound older then he is and that is reflected in his personality and makes you believe he is very smart.

Some of the life lessons in this story are about being a good friend, what friendship really is, how to exercise creativity, using your imagination and learn how to work as a team. The lessons are very valuable, because even I forget how to be a good friend sometimes. It is a great reminder about how to be a good friend for older kids while teaching younger kids the basics of friendship.  It reminds you to use your brains and work with others when trying to solve problems.

I recommend this DVD for ages 4 to 8. Even tweens and teens will benefit from it the life lessons are priceless and everyone will enjoy the characters with their quacky, quirk personalities. I give this DVD 5 out of 5 Quacking Ducks. This is available now on DVD so, check it out. You’ll be glad you did.

P. King Duckling: Seize the Day
By Rachael V., KIDS FIRST! Adult Juror

This is a cute show about a group of friends who take funny adventures and find solutions to problems along the way. P. King is a funny duckling who constantly gets the group into trouble with his big adventures. Luckily, he has two friends that help keep him centered and out of trouble. There’s Wombat who always supports P. King’s decisions and Chumpkins, an attitude-riddled pig who is the muscle of the group. He is my personal favorite because he is funny and sarcastic all the time. This trio deals with the bad guy, Greg the Goose and teaches us that there are many creative solutions to even the smallest of problems. My 19-month-old absolutely loves this program. The art style reminds me of Phineas and Ferb. I recommend this DVD for ages 3 to 7 and give it 5 out of 5 stars. My only complaint is its lack of story depth. Everything is over simplified, which is expected for the target age group, but I wanted more.

Life on B612 has resumed to normalcy. Rose, Fox, and the Little Prince are living peacefully, maybe too peacefully. Then one night, Rose hears the Snake telling her that she has a home planet with a family. Rose asks Little Prince to find her planet because she’s afraid it’s in grave danger. The Little Prince asks Fox to keep an eye on Rose as he flies off on his plane to try to find more information on her planet. While searching for Rose’s planet, the Little Prince encounters four characters who tell him that Rose’s planet is in another galaxy far beyond interstellar space. Back on B612, Rose is bothered with nightmares and is becoming irritated. After an argument with Fox, they free the Snake. When the Little Prince finally returns to B612 and learns that the Snake has been freed, he collapses. His friend, the aviator, comforts him and urges him to set off on a new adventure to fight his worst enemy again. But what about Rose’s planet? The aviator mysteriously explains – those you save will guide you. KIDS FIRST! Film Critic Samantha M. comments, “This imaginative animated film warmed my heart. Elaborating upon a conquest to find Rose’s family, the friendship that Little Prince, Fox and Rose share is remarkable. Each character differs from one another, but they all manage to combat the forces of evil together, which in turn, strengthens their relationship in a way never seen before.” Alejandra G. adds, “I love that the Little Prince doesn’t just throw the life lessons in your face. It’s not obvious because, when you start watching it, it’s simply a casual storyline. But, if you pay close attention and analyze the characters and the events of the story, you start to notice all of the metaphors, figures of speech and symbols that hide real life lessons and sincere messages.” See their full reviews below.

The Little Prince: The New Mission
By Samantha M., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 17

This imaginative animated film warmed my heart. Elaborating upon a conquest to find Rose’s family, the friendship that Little Prince, Fox and Rose share is remarkable. Each character differs from one another, but they all manage to combat the forces of evil together, which in turn, strengthens their relationship in a way never seen before. With such a divine plot, exquisite action scenes and heartwarming friendships, there is something for everyone to enjoy.

Previously, the Little Prince defeated an evil snake and trapped him in his beloved sketchbook. Everything on B612 is peaceful again. Rose, Fox and the Little Prince are enjoying life, playing games with one another and building stable friendships. But one night, the Snake tells Rose that she has a family that is in danger. It is up to the Little Prince, Fox and Rose to work as a team, and try to reunite Rose with her family.

Marion Cotillard, who plays Rose, delivers exceptional dialogue with her sweet voice. Her laugh is infectious and seeing Rose smile through every difficult situation is very inspiring. Cotillard portrays Rose as optimistic, through her desire to never give up and this is something that everyone can learn from. Riley Osborne, who plays the Little Prince, is very charming, because he cares about Rose and will do anything to help her find her family. He asks Fox (James Franco) to keep an eye on her as he searches the galaxy for her family.

The animation in this film is incredible. Seeing the galaxy for the first time left me speechless. The costumes are very realistic, which makes the characters look like they don’t belong in space. But, that is the beauty of this film, because we can see how opposites attract. My favorite part is when Rose, Fox and the Little Prince play a game called, “Red Light, Green Light.” Rose covers her eyes and Fox and the Little Prince can only move on green light. If they move on red light, Rose wins. It’s fascinating to see their friendship grow and it makes you want to join the game.

The message of this film is to work as a team and to never give up. No matter what obstacle you encounter, there is always a way to combat it and push forward. I give this film 5 out of 5 stars for its nonstop action and unique plot. I have never been this intrigued by a film before. I recommend this to kids ages 6 to 12 and it is great to watch for parents as well. With such comedic jokes, relatable characters and a mysterious plot, there is something for everyone to enjoy. This film is available now on DVD. Check it out and find out if the Little Prince can find the Planet of the Roses.

The Little Prince: The New Mission
By Alejandra G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

This animated series had me very delighted with all the life lessons that it teaches its young audience. I love that the Little Prince doesn’t just throw the life lessons in your face. It’s not obvious because, when you start watching it, it’s simply a casual storyline. But, if you pay close attention and analyze the characters and the events of the story, you start to notice all of the metaphors, figures of speech and symbols that hide real life lessons and sincere messages. audience.

The Little Prince: The New Mission is about Snake telling the Rose that she her home planet and family are in danger. So, the Rose asks the Little Prince to go and find her planet fast. He promises her that he will go look for her planet. He asks Fox to keep an eye on Rose as he flies off on his plane promising he will return to trim the baobabs on B612, their planet. During his quest, he encounters four new characters: the hunter, the geographer, the king and the businessman. As he meets each one, they tell him that Rose’s planet is in another galaxy and offer to help him find it. Meanwhile back on B612, the baobabs continue to grow, Rose and Fox continue to argue and the Snake is freed from the sketchbook. When the Little Prince returns to his planet, he realizes he must set off on a new mission to fight his worse enemy and find the planet of the roses.

My favorite scene is when the Little Prince meets the Hunter. When he lands on his planet, he learns that the Hunter has been on a mission to find this marvelous beast and, while he was on it, he harms all of the creatures living there. Wanting to protect the animals, the Little Prince asks the Hunter to draw the creature he is looking for. His description doesn’t match anything and the Little Prince realizes that the creature doesn’t exist. It’s inside Hunter’s head. The Little Prince and the animals create a plan to stop Hunter’s search. They are cleverly successful in their solution, but you’ll have to watch the film to find out what it is.

One of the many life lessons that the Little Prince teaches, especially in these episodes, is that the baobabs need to be taken care of immediately. To explain, a baobab is a metaphor or a figure of speech for the problems we ignore and don’t pay attention to. Many of us ignore problems that are seemingly harmless at first, but later cause us regret when that tiny sprout of a setback transforms into a giant trouble. Baobabs start to grow small, but when they grow to be a huge tree, they are impossible to get rid of, similar to problems. The Little Prince understands so he  destroy any appearance of them on his planet so they don’t have the chance to dominate the planet. He would take care of the problem at the time.