The Phoenix & The
Carpet (Children)
Picture: C
Sound: B- Extras: D Episodes: C+
In yet another entry to get some of the big bucks being
raked in by Harry Potter, The Phoenix & The Carpet joins the
likes of Worst Witch as alternates for those who find their fill of the
Potter adventures is not enough. So you
need more from the cycle in the genre as it is? You could do worse. In
this one, four pre-teens find a flying carpet and the title bird, hatched from
a 2,000-year-old egg. Faster than you
can say ALF, their crazy antics begin.
The telefilm is strictly for those already interested in
such storytelling, though the bit with the Muppet-like bird is an odd
twist. This is harmless, but only
those really fired up within the subject are going to be entertained. We have seen worse, with some of this
potentially being unintentionally funny.
Aside from that, skip it.
The 1.33 X 1 image is softer than usual, with some color
limits and visual effects that are not always that good. The Dolby Digital 5.1 mix has some fair
surrounds, but nothing spectacular either.
There are no extras, while the program runs about 88 minutes.
- Nicholas Sheffo
