Customer Reviews

Schoolhouse Rock: Earth

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4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
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1 star:		(3)

 

 

"Schoolhouse Rock!' makes its return just in time for Earth Day (on April 22nd) and educating children on recycling, protecting the Earth via the ocean, the rainforest and more! "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth" makes a wonderful educational tool for parents or teachers wanting to educate their children through music about taking care of the planet.

Back in the early 70's, an animated series known as "Schoolhouse Rock!" captured the attention of young Americans as it was seen on television but it became very instrumental in helping people learn about mathematics, grammar and science.

The animation was from an idea based by David McCall who knew his son was having problems with multiplication tables, but his son was able to know the lyrics to the popular songs of that time. So, what if children remembered the lyrics to songs that were educational. McCall eventually created animated versions of the songs and they were sold to ABC for their Saturday morning lineup and for 12 years the animation was shown on television. With the regular broadcasts ending in 2001.

There have been a few new songs dealing with money and politics, especially for the release of the 30th Anniversary DVD collection of "School House Rock". And in March 2009, children will get to learn the latest "Schoolhouse Rock!" music as this time, the theme goes Green with the release of "Schoolhouse Rock! Earth" to celebrate Earth Day (April 22nd).

The creators of the original series have created new songs bringing back characters such as Interplanet Janet and Mr. Morton.

The DVD features eleven original songs with new contemporary animation which helps children learn about global warming from a polar bear's point of view, carbon footprints from an animated Sasquatch, the importance of tropical rain forests, benefits of solar and wind power and other important "green" concepts.

The songs featured on this DVD are:

* Report from the North Pole
* The Little Things We Do
* The Trash Can Band
* You Oughta Be Savin' Water
* The Rainforest
* Save the Ocean
* FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song
* A Tiny Urban Zoo
* Solar Power to the People
* Windy and the Windmills
* Don't Be a Carbon Sasquatch

The DVD also contains an extra video titled "The Three R's" by "Hannah Montana" star Mitchell Musso and the original classic version of "The Energy Blues".

VIDEO & AUDIO:

The video is presented in widescreen with an aspect ratio of 1:66:1 (enhanced for 16×9 televisions) and features hand drawn animations. Simple and similar style to the classic "Schoolhouse Rock!" animations from the past. Animation that are line drawings with no major shading or detail. Simplified animation.

As for the audio, audio is presented in English via Dolby Digital 5.1 surround sound and a French language track. The music comes clear via your front channel speakers and no problems with audio.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Unfortunately, there are no special features.

JUDGMENT CALL:

The main drive for the "Schoolhouse Rock!" animations is to help educate children and help them remember songs and hopefully they will do well in their homework. I can tell you that growing up with "Schoolhouse Rock!", songs such as "Conjunction Junction", "Naughty Number Nine", "Electricity, Electricity", "I'm Just a Bill" and "The Preamble" were big songs and actually did help me in quizzes for school because I remembered these songs and stuck in my head.

Now as an adult, I watched these videos with my 6-year-old son and there are songs that really stuck in our heads such as "Save the Ocean". In fact, I've caught him singing the song and many other songs featured on the DVD and thus I know the intention of children being educated through music and learning about ecology and protecting the Earth does work with their viewing of "SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH".

With Earth Day coming up on April 22nd, it's definitely good timing for the release of this DVD and I can see parents and teachers utilizing the DVD to help educate children about protecting the ocean, the rainforest and learning about recycling, solar power and windpower as well.

For parents and those of us who grew up with the original, this newer DVD keeps the original feeling intact, especially since the creators of the original are involved in the making of this version. Also, a similar style of singing (well, of course, a bit modernized as some parts have a bit of rapping) as the original. But the music is catchy, stays in your mind and you'll find yourself singing along with your children.

"SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH" is a very good educational tool for children and safe songs for children and their families to learn and sing along to.

If you want the definite classic Schoolhouse Rock collection of cartoons that aired in the 70's the 30th Anniversary Edition is the one to get. Last year they released what they called the Election Collection to capitalize on the 2008 Presidential election, and it was mostly a stunted selection of classics with a single brand new cartoon. Suffice it to say that was a bit of a disappointment considering what you are getting. This time around you get all new cartoons and songs with Schoolhouse Rock: Earth.

There are no recycled videos here. Everything in this DVD is newly created content that is themed around the planet Earth, its ecology and conservation. You get 12 brand new songs (plus one bonus song) in this collection. Here is the track list:

1. Report from the North Pole
2. The Little Things We Do
3. The Trash Can Band
4. You Oughta Be Savin' Water
5. The Rainforest
6. Save the Ocean
7. FatCat Blue: The Clean Rivers Song
8. A Tiny Urban Zoo
9. Solar Power to the People
10. Windy the Windmills
11. Don't Be A Carbon Sasquatch
12. The Three R's (Music Video by Mitchel Musso)
Bonus Song: Energy Blues

Even though the music is newly created is still holds on to that classic SHR sound. I won't go as far as say it's as good as the classics, but they do a fine enough job keeping away from "modernizing" the look and sound. Many of the new songs aren't as eco-preachy as you may think, and tend to give more practical ideas (for kids) on how to help "save the planet". This DVD is themed and the videos do link together in a way that tells a story with some polar bears used to link the videos. It kind of gets in the way of the classic feel if you ask me, but at least it's not invasive enough to get in the way of the songs.

The DVD is going to be in widescreen format and the audio will Dolby 5.1 surround. Being that these are new songs the surround is a better experience than the Election Collection. Obviously this collection is for you eco-conservationists and as a tool to help teach your youngins' it will do nicely. If you love Schoolhouse Rock, but hate Earth Day then you're probably better off with just the classics. Just love Schoolhouse Rock? Well this is a tight-themed DVD, but it is new content. I suppose let your pocketbook decide on that.

When I first heard about SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! EARTH!, I thought the DVD was a collection of existing animated songs from a series I must have missed a few years back. To my surprise and delight, it is not only a brand-new production but features a majority of the original talent behind the beloved series.

Those of us who loved Saturday Morning TV remember fondly these short interstitials between the cartoons and Krofft shows, teaching math, grammar, social studies and more with catchy songs and ingratiating animation.

In this new DVD, the co-creators were involved creatively (something that should happen MORE when recreating classics like this): Executive Producer George Newall and Animation Director Phil Kimmelman, as well as Producer Radford Stone. The animation looks exactly like the original series, except perhaps for some image clarity created by today's technology. The segments joined the songs feature three bears with more flowing animation; the contrast against the song segments which only underscore the lengths taken to be true to the original series.

And almost all the musical talent returned! Master trumpeter and Merv Griffin TV sidekick Jack Sheldon, whose "Conjunction Junction" voice is a vital part of the series legacy; Tony winning composer/lyricist/singer Lynn Ahrens, who has become one of the biggest names on Broadway (SEUSSICAL, RAGTIME) and of course, Musical Director Bob Dorough, who wrote and performed most of the songs both here and in the original. Even the great Bob Kaliban, who did voices not only for SSCHOOLHOUSE ROCK! but also co-starred on camera on the wonderful but short-lived series DRAWING POWER, returned!

Some very distinguished newcomers have also joined the fold: one song is sung by Tituss Burgess, currently playing Sebastian on Broadway in THE LITTLE MERMAID. And not only do the composers of the new songs for the London and Broadway version MARY POPPINSs (Anthony Drewe and George Stiles) offer a song, George is one of the singers.

Plus, HANNAH MONTANA costar Mitchel Musso performs in a video that adds environmental lyrics to the classic Three is a Magic Number.

By the way, the sound track album was released on Walt Disney Records, but only by download through iTunes or amazon.

Here's hoping this is the first of many NEW DVD and soundtracks from SCHOOLHOUSE ROCK!

Schoolhouse Rock: Earth

My 5 year old was absorbed in the music and enjoyed the program. I didn't get to watch the whole thing. The parts I did see were animated polar bears singing about their concerns for global warming. There were songs about conserving water and energy. Catchy songs and even tho the animation is somewhat dated the message is delivered in a way that is entertaining. I hope to be able to sit down and enjoy it soon.

We purchased this DVD when it first came out and still, years later, it is mesmerizing to my now seven-year-old child. It is both education and entertaining. After watching it, I find myself singing the tunes... "You gotta S-A-V-E the O-C-E-A-N..." You can't go wrong with this one.

My 4 year old love this DVD. He is learning a lot and my little one (19 mo) dances while his brother watch the DVD. I would love there was an option to play it in spanish.

I got this based on the wonderful School House Rock songs from my childhood and as my 2 year old is really into geography and the earth, I thought this would be wonderful for him (it is titled "Earth" after all). However it does not mention much about Earth but rather what humans are doing wrong and offers a few suggestions on how to help. As my family is already environmentally conscious, my son just had a look of "what the...??" on his face while watching this.
Most of the songs are not very good or catchy and some are rather heavy handed.

I will admit it is my fault for not looking into it more before getting it but just be aware these are lessons in saving the environment.

I'm a big fan of the old series, and I revere the Earth, so you might think I'd love these videos. No. They encapsulate much that is wrong with the current green movement. (Don't get me wrong. I say this as a card-carrying member of the Green Party. I'm dyed in the wool Green, but we have to be able to criticize ourselves.) The idea of "humans saving nature" is way off base. Pure hubris. Granted, sympathy for cute animals is an easy sell for kids. Teaching respect for all living things is also good, but I'm not sure these videos do that. That would imply a far more spiritual approach. Most of these videos fall into a sort of dreary technocratic mode. In my opinion, the message should be one of survival and reverence: We have to change our way of living as a matter of survival, and we should live sustainably as a matter of respect for Mother Earth.

I've heard about Schoolhouse Rock all my life from various friends, but I'd never actually watched it. A friend emailed me about this new version, so I got a hold of it and watched it, and the one cartoon from the original series made me want to get the original series and watch it too.

So, my take on this "green" Schoolhouse Rock are that the songs aren't as fun or memorable and the animation isn't as fun and cute (yes, I know some of the orignal people worked on this). Once I watched it once I didn't want to watch it again. (So maybe try and find a way to see it before you spend your money.)

And, there's something not so innocent about it anymore, because it's not about teaching skills but rather about indoctrination into a world view. I'd really rather have my kids learn about conjunctions that have them believe that they're living on a planet that's rapidly dying away and make them paranoid about taking an extra minute's shower or leaving a light bulb on.

Not that I'm into wasting energy, but I'd rather discuss that with the kids when they're old enough to understand that there is more than one point of view on this issue.

Oh yeah, the Tyrannosaurus Debt episode from the original series is far more relevant to the next few years than these preachy "green" episodes. Looks like our money will be worthless way before the planet dies.

Those of you like me, who grew up in the 70's, watching Saturday morning tv, know the original School House Rock. These are part of Pop culture, an icon of the 70's and early 80's. When I saw this new SHR EARTH, it intrigued me, so I bought it. I was quite surprized when I watched it. The songs were very catchy,and the animation was great. I was glad to see that alot of the original writers, producers, singers, etc had a part in the new segments. Are the new SHR cartoons preachy, well some I guess, but hey, its for a new generation now. We grew up on the originals, and they will always be near and dear to my heart, but the new SHR is for a new generation, its a new world. Its not the 70's or 80's anymore. Lets give the new SHR a chance, and say thank you to the original people who have brought us SHR over the years, back then, and now..