Customer Reviews

Ugly Duckling [VHS]

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Unlike the other Crayola presents videos we have (Brambly Hedge, Percy the Park Keeper, and The Mouse and Mole, this video is more along the lines of The American Tale. It is very scary with unnecessary dark plots intermixed with otherwise cheery songs by the two main characters. It has evil characters who constantly threaten or encarcerate the protagonists. How one can turn what could have been a nice lesson in understanding others into such a dark scary story is beyond me. It's going right into the trash! It really deserves no stars. Buy the others and enjoy! Ages 4 and up-IT'S NOT!

It's dark compared to other adaptations, but that's just fine. Kids should be able to watch dark things.

However, this movie..Isn't very good actually. Some may like it, but I find it mediocre. The songs seem out of place, the pace slow and dragged out, and ultimately it's an animated movie gone bad.

My 3-year-old son LOVES, loves, loves this video. We pretend to be "Ugly Duckling" and "Scruffy Mouse" (I don't have the heart to tell him she's a rat...) nearly every day. He doesn't love the scary parts but isn't afraid of them either, and since most of the time my husband or I watch it with him and talk about what's happening, he will sometimes watch the scarier parts by himself. Meanwhile he IS frightened by the dark parts in EVERY other kid movie we've ever watched. He's very intrigued by the factory, the wind and ice, the fire in the theater, Hettie and Geraldine (the nosy, unfriendly ducks), and basically the whole plot. He loves the interaction between the 2 best friends also.

The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because we rarely watch it all the way through; after Ugly Duckling looks different, my son doesn't care about the rest. He gets the point I think, he just likes the main character better as a duck than a swan--maybe because it's cuter, more kid-like.

I definitely would recommend anyone give it a try, especially if your child doesn't really take to most of the other kids movies and videos available (which my son doesn't; he likes Kipper the Dog, and sometimes Clifford and sometimes Blue's Clues and sometimes Thomas the Tank Engine).

This is a wonderful version of a popular children's tale. It combines terrific songs with a great plot that is guaranteed to keep your children occupied for hours---it has even kept me and my wife intrigued *S*

We fully recommend this video for your children.