Dora sets out to teach kids a little English here, and a little Spanish there, as she goes on some Halloween themed adventures; most of which involving costume parades. The formula for each episode (Halloween themed or not) is identical, allowing kids to speak along with the characters, while grating the patience of nearby adults.
The way in which each character takes long pauses while asking questions of the viewers will either seem condescending and/or just flat-out creepy to viewers older than 5. That said, you simply have to be a pre-schooler to enjoy viewing multiple episodes of this show. The encouragement young viewers receive to participate and solve simple problems is all well and good for them. This jaded 20-something on the other hand, is just a little too unnerved to join this manner of edu-tainment.
There are four episodes on this particular set. This means parents or babysitters get 97 minutes to themselves while this plays. All of the regular characters are present and in costume. Once you see one, you’ve basically seen them all so prepare yourself or it’s only a matter of time before you hollar “Swiper, no swiping!” involuntarily.
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Video
Full Screen. The presentation is admirably clear. These Halloween episodes are the closest this program has ever come to displaying something that is shadowy, and even then it is still extremely colourful and bright.
Audio
Dobly Digital Stereo available in English and French. The little ones watching will likely be sitting close to the screen while soaking up this show, so there is no need for Surround (that, and I don’t think anyone’s sanity could handle being immersed in the insanely cheerful children’s voices each character emits). The presentation is adequately clear.
Special Features
None.
Final Thoughts
From my experience, once a child starts to enjoy Dora, they’re hooked. This themed DVD is a no-brainer purchase for anyone who has a little fan at home. It’s a harmless bit of entertainment for them and makes DVD selection in October that much simpler.
