The past year was a bit of a roller coaster in the world of children’s video, with a batch of good arrivals early on, then a summer slump and then a heady finish, highlighted by the video release of theatrical blockbusters “Toy Story” and “James and the Giant Peach.”
While those marvelous pictures will receive a nod below, the pick for the best all-around video of the year is “Muppet Treasure Island” (Jim Henson Productions, 1996, live action with puppets, color, 99 minutes, closed captioned, $22.99).
Perhaps only Brian Henson, his talented staff and the bizarre repertory company of Muppets could have turned Robert Louis Stevenson’s 113-year-old sea saga of honor, greed and treachery into a musical comedy-drama and make it not only work but dazzle. Henson’s effort isn’t exactly pure Stevenson, but it is superb viewing for kids 8 and older, and the rest of the family too.
The Muppets’ version follows the basic plot of the book but with twists and turns, the customary high level of screenwriting and humor at both kid and adult levels. The Muppet stars are in key roles–Kermit as Capt. Smollett and Ms. Piggie, cast against type, as mad Ben Gunn. Long John Silver is played to the hilt by the wonderful Tim Curry, and Jim Hawkins is perfectly done by newcomer Kevin Bishop.
Running a close second this year is “Martha Speaks” (Reading Rainbow/GPN, 1995-96, live action/animation, color, 30 minutes, closed captioned, $23.95), faithfully adapted from the equally delightful book by Susan Meddaugh.
As the video begins, Helen’s mom is chiding her to eat her alphabet soup. Instead of downing it, though, the girl feeds it to her dog, Martha: “The letters in the soup went to Martha’s brain instead of down to her stomach. That evening, Martha spoke: `Isn’t it time for my dinner?’ “
Though Martha is initially enthralled with her newfound skill, her family becomes increasingly distressed because she never shuts up and says exactly, tactlessly, what she is thinking. They take away the soup, and the dog goes into a funk (and stops talking). But in a novel plot twist, Martha saves her reputation and the family’s treasures. Ages 4 and older.
Other top videos on this year’s list, in no special order, are as follows:
– “Once Upon a Time . . . When We Were Colored” (Republic Pictures, 1996, live action, color, 113 minutes, closed captioned, no suggested retail price) is a sensitive, warm, humorous and often frightening story of growing up black in the South in the 1940s and ’50s. Based on a memoir by writer Clifton L. Taulbert, “Once Upon a Time” begins with Taulbert’s birth in a cotton field–literally–outside Glen Allan, Miss., in 1946 and is one of the most moving chronicles of U.S. race relations ever made. Ages 10 and older.
– “Kids’ Guide to Life: Learning to Share” (Sony/Children’s Television Workshop, 1996, live action with puppets, color, 45 minutes, closed captioned, $12.98). Starring the “Sesame Street” gang and NBC’s Katie Couric, this video is the premiere cassette in a new series aimed at helping kids and parents cope with the travails of growing up. This one is aimed squarely at the nippers; there is no second level of humor aimed at adults. Sharing is difficult, but this video shows how tykes can do it . . . and, mostly, enjoy it. Ages 3 and older.
– “Homer Sweet Homer” (PolyGram, 1996, live action, color, 30 minutes, $12.95) is one of several titles on the market starring the irrepressible Wishbone (real name: Soccer), an all-Jack Russell terrier and pure-bred ham. The video is based on Homer’s 1000 B.C. epic, “The Odyssey,” with the dog in the title role. Wishbone is also the central character in a parallel “real-life” adventure among a group of kids, their parents and friends in “Oakdale,” a small U.S. city. Producer Rick Duffield keeps the action close to reality–adults drink, soldiers shoot–so parents of really young viewers must prescreen. The stories, however, are complete with all the hooks to pull kids into reading. Ages 8-16.
– “Kids for Character” (Character Counts Coalition/Lyrick Studios, 1996, live action/animation, color, 60 minutes, closed captioned, $14.99) is full of the lessons my generation learned around the dinner table and at school. Featuring Tom Selleck as host, it has special episodes with popular TV and video characters (Barney, Muppets, Babar) describing the so-called pillars of character: trustworthiness, citizenship, respect and fairness. This is a helpful road map for the points in life where there are no easy answers. All ages.
– “The Busy World of Richard Scarry: New Friends on the Block” (Paramount, 1996, animation, color, 25 minutes, closed captioned, $9.95) deals subtly with the delicate issue of gender typing. There are new neighbors in Busytown and Mom Cat wants Huckle and Lowly to take over some cookies and play with their daughter. No way, Mom. Girls? Meanwhile, Huckle and Lowly meet a kind of goofy-looking kid who swings a mean baseball bat and hits ’em over the fence. She’s a girl, too, but fits right in with the gang. Then comes a big surprise for our heroes. Ages 3 and older.
– “A Kid in King Arthur’s Court” (Walt Disney Home Video, 1996, live action, color, 90 minutes, closed captioned, $19.99) puts a clever and appealing twist on the satirical chestnut by Mark Twain–or its enduring 1949 film version starring Bing Crosby. The kid here is the wimpy Calvin Fuller, 14, who finds himself inexplicably transported back to 525 A.D. and allied with the legendary king (and his teenage daughter) against a nasty nobleman who has designs on the throne. The video is replete with jousts, dynamic chases, good role models for boys and girls and predictable humor, and it is tempered with good spirit. Rated PG. Ages 10-16.
– “Jane Hissey’s Old Bear Stories: Friends, Friends, Friends” (Sony Wonder, 1996, stop-action animation, color, 30 minutes, $9.98), a British import, is jolly good, well-made and cleverly droll. The action unfolds in the well-appointed bedroom of a child (never seen), and all the characters are stuffed animals. The lead is a teddy and the little morals of the stories–there are two per video–are easily understood. Anton Rogers narrates. Ages 2-6.
And, finally, three theatrical blockbusters that deserve spots in your collections:
– “Babe” (MCA/Universal Home Video, 1996, live action, color, 92 minutes, closed captioned, $22.98), the story of an unprejudiced heart in a little pig who wants nothing so much as to be a sheep dog. A great family picture and an instant classic. Ages 8 and older.
– “James and the Giant Peach” (Walt Disney Home Video, 1996, live action/stop-action animation, color, 79 minutes, closed captioned, $22.99), a stunning example of the art of movie-making and a wistful fantasy about a wonderful, oppressed little boy who breaks free from a cruel life with the help of some insect acquaintances. Based on Roald Dahl’s first children’s book. Ages 8 and older.
– “Toy Story” (Walt Disney Home Video, 1996, computer animation, color, 81 minutes, closed captioned, $19.99) is entirely captivating, compelling, clever, joyous and outrageously funny. It may well prove to be the best “buddy” story for kids yet to appear on the screen, with its stars the toys belonging to a little boy. When the child is away, the toys come to life, and act out dramas as noble, and as petty, as those in our lives. “Toy Story” is one of the best investments in family viewing you can make because it entertains as well as teaches. Ages 5 and older.
