New DVDs: 3/25/08
by Katrina Hayday Wester
Two globe-trotting cousins save the environment, a single father finds love, and an orphan virtuoso searches for his parents
Go Diego Go! — Moonlight Rescue , Nickelodeon, NR, $14.49
Fans of Diego will enjoy this story where he and Tuga (a leatherback sea turtle) have to rescue hatchling turtles. When a lightning storm breaks Luna (the moon) into four pieces, Diego and Tuga spring into action. They know that the baby turtles need the moonlight to find their way to the ocean, so they work to put Luna back together. Also on the DVD are “Rainforest Rhapsody,” with Puma and three lost red-eyed tree frogs, and “Rhea Is an Animal Rescuer,” about an injured bird who is no longer able to fly but finds other talents. We love the bilingual 8-year-old Diego (Dora’s older cousin) and his lessons for children, including counting, puzzles, movement, animals, and songs!
Dora the Explorer — Saves the Mermaids , Nickelodeon, NR, $10.49
Fans of Dora will love this bilingual aquatic treat. In this special adventure, Boots and Dora help save Mermaid Kingdom from a evil octopus who is dumping garbage into the ocean. Dora has to save the kingdom by finding a magical mermaid crown and returning it to Mariana the Mermaid. Dora even earns her own fins and becomes a mermaid herself. It’s a cute adventure that girls in particular will enjoy. The DVD also features “Fish Out of Water,” where Dora and Boots have to save baby Red Fish from the Big Clam and Swiper, as well as “Treasure Island,” where they are in search of Pirate Pig’s treasure. This interactive DVD also features lots of bilingual dialogue, and songs that your grandkids will love.
Dan in Real Life , Buena Vista Home Entertainment / Touchstone, PG-13, $17.99
Funny man Steve Carell plays a sad, lonely newspaper columnist whose features are about family and relationships. He’s a widower raising three girls, and he’s put to the test when he takes his kids on a family gathering and falls in love with his brother’s new girlfriend, Marie (Juliette Binoche), during an excursion to a bookstore. The movie is cute, lighthearted, and fun. It’s definitely for the older grandkids set, since the younger ones will find it boring. It was enjoyable seeing Carell play a more serious role, but it’s too bad that Binoche doesn’t have the same chemistry with Carell as she did with Johnny Depp in Chocolat.
August Rush , Warner Home Video, PG, $19.99
This sweet musical tale is about an orphan, Evan (Freddie Highmore), his musical talents, and his yearnings to play music and find his parents. It’s a bit like a modern-day Oliver Twist, and geared more for the tweens and teens audience, but will have all who watch tapping their feet to the rhythm and praying for a happy ending.
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