Me, Eloise + Eloise – Little Miss Christmas (Animation)

 

Picture: B-     Sound: C+     Extras: C     Main Programs: B-

 

 

Kay Thompson’s Eloise has not become a huge media phenomenon yet, but has become a high quality standard in children’s literature, especially where young ladies are concerned.  The late George Harrison’s Handmade Films has turned the character into a series of child-friendly animated shows that are surprisingly entertaining and faithful to the original book art.  Anchor Bay is offering some of the shows in DVD with Mary Matilyn Mouser supplying the voice for the title character, Curtis Armstrong (Moonlighting, Ray) supplying extra voices, Tim Curry as Mr. Salamone and Lynn Redgrave as Nanny.

 

Living in a high rise apartment, Eloise is going on six years old in Me, Eloise when she feels competition from a young Japanese violin prodigy who is all of eight-years-old.  She can find herself in all kinds of interesting trouble and being in such a building, the assumption is that she is safe, as safe as the material is here.  That is a good program. 

 

With this title being released so close to the holiday season, Little Miss Christmas is the obligatory holiday piece being issued at the same time and for all the dull and predictable such programs that get reissued all the time, it is one of the better ones you’ll find.  Of all the people in the world, the ever-annoying Matthew Lillard supplies voices for this one, in which he has to put real effort into his work for a change.  Though not quite as good as the first program as Eloise battles against a party being cancelled and may get the biggest star of the holiday coming to the rescue with a visit.  Overall, two high quality children’s titles of the kind that remains too little on the market.

 

The 1.78 X 1 image is pretty good colorful, with fun visuals and an art style that works very well for the narrative and mood.  The Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0 Stereo mixes are about equivalent, with no real surrounds.  It is soft and quiet in nature, with the 5.1 mix really overly tilted towards the front speakers.  Still, these are well-recorded.  Extras are the same on both just about, with DVD-ROM games, DVD-ROM activities, Sing-Along-Song section, Plaza Pals and From Paper To Movie pieces on each disc.  Let’s hope this is the beginning of a long run for the character in her latest incarnation.

 

 

-   Nicholas Sheffo