Curious George Rides A Bike … and more tales of mischief
Picture: C+
Sound: C+ Extras: C Episodes: B-
Curious George is coming to the big screen after many
years in print and a long time ago on TV.
Scholastic has been issuing material on DVD based on their many
children’s properties and Curious George Rides A Bike … and more tales of
mischief is bound to be popular as the new film reaches its intended
audience. The title short comes from
1958 and is part of a series of excellent and long-running works that have not
been seen on a normal basis for far too long.
The additional shorts are The Great Man-Eating Shark
with its hilarious British narrator’s voiceover, plus the battle of sassiness
that is the charming Flossie & The Fox. The older Happy Lion and newer
Cat & Canary are the bonus shorts that add up to five unique,
pleasant, charming and terrific that back in the 1970s still surfaced here and
there. Their arrival on DVD is truly
something to celebrate.
The 1.33 X 1 image looks good, even on the older George
short, but that one has older monophonic sound. Otherwise, the Dolby Digital 2.0 is Stereo throughout. The extras are few, but include closed
captions available for a dual use as a “read along” function, a Spanish option
for the older George short and the two other extras shorts noted. High quality children’s programming at its
best that endures, the only thing holding back is its length.
- Nicholas Sheffo
