I dunno Tommy...it doesn't look safe by Gord Lacey (All reviews)
10/03/2002
I love the Rugrats. When I was in High School I would tape the show and watch it after school, although I'd never admit that to any of my friends. When I was in LA a few months ago I passed the Klasky Csupo building, and yes, I was excited.
This DVD was actually announced last year, but for whatever reason it was pulled from the release schedule. I was happy to see back on the schedule for September 24, and even happier when a copy showed up for review. This DVD contains the top 10 episodes in various categories, as voted for by the fans on Nick.com. i can't say these are my absolute favorite episodes, but then again I didn't vote on the website, so it's my own fault.
The episodes on this DVD are:
Angelica Orders Out (Favorite Bossiest Episode; season 4, episode 16)
The First Cut (Favorite Brave Baby Episode; season 5, episode 7)
Reptar on Ice (Favorite Reptar-Rageous Episode; season 2, episode 10)
No Bones About It (Favorite All-Out Adventure Episode; season 2, episode 9)
Be My Valentine (Favorite Dog Day Episode; season 7, episode 6)
Chuckie vs. The Potty (Favorite Fraidy Cat Episode; season 2, episode 2)
Doctor Susie (Favorite No-Nonsense Neighbor Episode; season 7, episode 8)
Vacation Special (Favorite Out-of-This-World Fantasy; season 4, episode 3)
Finsterella (Favorite Spunky Sister Episode; season 8, episode 4)
Bigger Than Life (Favorite Amazing Imagination Episode; season 8, episode 10)
As you can see, there's a nice selection of episodes from the series history. My favorites of the bunch would be "Reptar on Ice" and "Vacation Special" where the gang heads to Las Vegas for a little R&R.
Video
The video quality of this disc is really mixed. Some of the episodes have specs and dust while others are nice and clean. Some are dark and the picture looks muddy, and some of the others are nice and bright. All this is to be expected when you have episodes that contain a range of seasons. The older the episode, the poorer it looks.
Audio
The stereo track on this DVD reproduces the audio from the broadcast. The track is center speaker dominant, with the left and right speakers used once and awhile for audio effects. This track isn't going to blow you away, but it's nice and clear and doesn't contain any problems.
Music Videos
Rugrats Rock (1:45) and Rugrats Rap (1:37) contain clips from various episodes cut to a song.
Pickles Family Photo Album (4:11)
Angelica hosts this look at the family photo album containing clips of the family and their friends.
Pilot episode (6:54)
Very cool to have this included on the DVD. The pilot episode has a slightly different animation style (I like it) and Tommy's voice is different.
Clip Gallery
Various clips from episodes:
Naked Tommy (1:27)
Discover America (1:44)
Radio Daze (1:38)
The Santa Experience (1:43)
Angelica's Moving Away (1:42)
Famous Babies (2:06)
Adventure Squad (2:01)
Runaway Reptar (2:04)
Wash & Dry Story (1:18)
Destination Moon (1:19)
Summary
If you're a fan of Tommy, Chuckie, Phil, Lil and baby Dill, you'll want to pick this disc up. It's perfect to put in and plunk the kids in front of, or watch yourself. If you've never seen "Rugrats", this is also a good chance to be exposed to the characters. I had never seen an episode with Chucky's step-mom and step-sister (introduced in the second movie) but I like the characters from the few episodes they appeared in on this disc (the last two). Fans of the show should pick this one up, and those of you with youngsters who have never seen the show should rent it (you'll end up buying it later).
