By Kelvin Cedeno

Playhouse Disney has achieved success recently by capitalizing off of established franchises. 'Little Einsteins' grew as a spin-off to the 'Baby Einstein' video series. 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse' and 'My Friends Tigger and Pooh' invigorated new life into well-beloved characters in the Disney family. While perhaps not as milked by the company as the aforementioned ones, one original series proved to be successful on its own terms: 'Handy Manny'.

The series deals with an Hispanic repairman named Manny Garcia (Wilmer Valderrama) and his set of talking tools (Felipe, Turner, Stretch, Squeeze, Pat, Dusty, and Rusty). Being Sheetrock Hills' favorite (and seemingly only) handyman, Manny and his toolbox friends spend their time fixing various broken items around the town per request. Often, they are called to do more than just repair work, as seen in this third DVD collection of episodes: Manny's Pet Roundup.

The most welcoming thing about 'Handy Manny' is its lack of condescension towards its viewers. Many shows aimed at small children tend to hammer their morals and messages into the audience's head, and the presentations can be cloying and saccharine. 'Handy Manny' doesn't concern itself very much with morality lessons. When it does, it does so deftly and gently. Casting Wilmer Valderrama as the lead character of a series like this seems odd at first, but he's one of the main reasons the show avoids the pitfalls of its kin. His vocal work for Manny is relaxed and natural, selling him as a genuine person and dodging the raised volume and drawn-out syllables of other preschool series leads.

'Handy Manny' marks one of the few times Disney's catered directly to the Hispanic demographic. There was a definite risk here at becoming too self-consciously ethnic, and while that occasionally occurs (American characters greeting Manny in Spanish when he clearly speaks English), it's usually handled more organically. Manny and the tools occasionally spout out Spanish phrases but don't always follow with an English translation. This may seem to negate the point of including such terms, but in doing so, they allow children more of an opportunity to interpret based on context clues. This puts the show ahead of something like 'Dora the Explorer', which obnoxiously lambastes children with its Spanish lessons and flavor.

The laid-back attitude of 'Handy' proves to be both a blessing and a curse, though. While the show comes across as very down-to-earth, it also struggles to be very memorable. The most colorful characters (the tools) aren't given enough screen time to make a lasting impression. This backs the creators into a corner since the 11-minute episode format allows the slim plots to be told tightly, but also leaves little room for strong characterization. Still, it's unfair to judge 'Handy Manny' along the same lines as children's programming that resonates with adults (such as 'Sesame Street'). It's a pleasant show when viewed on its own terms, and that fact alone makes it more valuable than most other shows of this style.

Each episode runs 11 minutes and 20 seconds long without opening or closing credits.

'Lyle and Leland Lopart' (Not yet aired)
Manny and the tools assist a boy named Pepe (voiced by Elan Garfias) with his soapbox for a town race. Mr. Lopart's twin nephews also compete but are having trouble getting theirs to run.

'Blackout on the Block' (Not yet aired)
The electricity goes out in Manny's neighborhood.

'Squeeze Makes a Promise' (Originally aired January 12, 2008)
Mrs. Portillo (Shelley Morrison) entrusts Squeeze with the task of watching over her pet chameleon. Squeeze quickly finds herself breaking a promise she made regarding her babysitting.

'Pet Problem' (Originally aired September 18, 2006)
Cassie asks Mandy to fix the cage door for her rabbits. Doing this without letting them escape proves to be a challenge.

'Kitty Sitting' (Originally aired January 13, 2007)
Kelly finds a stray kitten and offers Manny and the tools a chance to adopt it. Too busy to look after it, they leave it in the care of Mr. Sanchez for the day.

'Gopher Help (Originally aired May 13, 2007)
Jackie (Jane Lynch), the groundskeeper for the city park, calls on Manny and the gang to do a different sort of job: catching a gopher that's destroying the lawns and sprinklers.

'Renaldo's Pretzel Castle (Originally aired November 17, 2007)
Renaldo (Jessi Corti), the local pretzelmaker is having his giant pretzel sign attacked by birds. Manny and the tools try to repair it while keeping the birds at bay.

VIDEO and AUDIO

'Handy Manny' arrives in its original aspect ratio of 1.33:1. As expected, the quality is quite good. The image looks a bit soft, but this is due to the show's visual style. Colors are bold and bright without bleeding or blooming. The only real concern in the transfer is a slight case of jagged edges, particularly during movement. This is only noticeable when searching for it. Otherwise the transfer excels.

The Dolby Digital 5.1 surround soundtrack is somewhat pointless considering the show is very front-heavy. Dialogue is intelligible, and the music and effects (which make use of the surrounds sparingly) aren't overpowering.

BONUS FEATURES, MENUS and DESIGN

The 'A-Maze-Ing Pet Roundup' set-top game is the only supplement. The player must navigate each animal character featured in this compilation through a maze. One essentially plays the same game five times. In a nice touch, the mazes change upon return visits. The only problem is that the harder mazes have arrows pointing in directions like northwest or southeast, making it difficult to know which arrow key to press. If this poses a problem for an adult, it can only be that much more strenuous on the intended audience.

The menus replicate those found on previous 'Handy Manny' DVDs, but are presented in 4x3 rather than 16x9. The animated main menu features a roll call of the seven different tools from the show. All other menus are static and silent.

Via Disney's FastPlay, the episodes are preceded by trailers for Sleeping Beauty: Platinum Edition, 'My Friends Tigger and Pooh': Hundred Acre Wood Haunt, 'Mickey Mouse Clubhouse': Mickey's Storybook Surprises, 'Little Einsteins': The Christmas Wish, 'Little Einsteins': Flight of the Instrument Fairies, and Disney Movie Rewards. These can be accessed from the Sneak Peeks menu along with trailers for 'Handy Manny': Fixing it Right, The Secret of the Magic Gourd, The Little Mermaid: Ariel's Beginning, and 'My Friends Tigger and Pooh' on Playhouse Disney.

The disc comes housed in a standard white keepcase. Surprisingly enough, outside of a Disney Movie Rewards code, no inserts or booklets are included inside.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

'Handy Manny' may not stick with older viewers who happen to watch it, but it's a reasonably entertaining experience all the same. It avoids the patronizing content or ostentatious presentations of other children's programming on the air. This 7-episode compilation features picture and sound that are as solid as one could ask for in a show of this nature. The set-top game is very ordinary, though, and may even prove to be too difficult for some younger players. Still, this disc is recommended to established 'Handy Manny' fans. A viewing or two on Playhouse Disney first should help sway the merely curious one way or the other.

More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com

'Schoolhouse Rock!' is not your typical review subject. It's definitely not a movie. While it can be considered a series and one which aired on TV, it's not a TV series in the traditional sense. You could look at it as a collection of short films, but even that doesn't do it justice.

So what is it? Basically, a line of educational interstitials that convey elementary school level topics through the mediums of song and animation. That sounds simple and indeed it was. But it was also a special and effective use of ABC Saturday morning airtime for memorable, spirited children's instruction. Many agree with that assessment, as evidenced by the fact that I'm talking about 'Schoolhouse Rock!' over 35 years after it debuted. The line has endured as a source of nostalgic musical entertainment and as a teaching tool still fit for home or classroom use.

Recognizing those values, The Walt Disney Company, ABC's corporate owner since 1996, made 'Schoolhouse' accessible in the digital age with 2002's 2-disc, Disney-branded Special 30th Anniversary Edition DVD set. Housing every available short plus some nifty bonus features and a number of creative playback options, the moderately-priced collection immediately became a fan favorite. In the six years since the release, the price has come down a little lower and the DVD has never strayed too far from Amazon.com's Top 100 Sellers list (it's #85 at the moment I write this). Who could complain that something so sweet and noble treated to an inclusive, affordable, and technically proficient release would gain entry into countless families' homes?

Though it seems that's the happy ending to this story, we continue. That's not because Disney is engaging the familiar custom of taking a popular property out of print for a few years, to bring it back to increased demand. The 30th Anniversary Edition remains available and, by all signs, the franchise's definitive package. But as a timely alternative, the studio this month unveils Schoolhouse Rock!: The Election Collection, a much lighter serving of shorts that mostly adhere to a common theme -- the history and governmental practices of the United States. As an added gimmick, it will be available for a limited time only.

It just so happens that many of the hallmark Schoolhouse Rock song/lessons come from the headings Grammar Rock and Multiplication Rock. The songs that you're most likely to be familiar with -- like 'Conjunction Junction' and 'Three Is a Magic Number' -- aren't found here. Of course, one figures that the title 'Election Collection' is used for a reason, and not merely to mine amusement out of embarrassing mispronunciations by consonantally-challenged Japanese folks.

Instead, we get fourteen lesser-known tunes. Ten of the eleven America Rock installments make the cut, including popular ditty 'I'm Just a Bill' and 2002 creation 'I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College.' The one odd exclusion is territorial expansion number 'Elbow Room'; is manifest destiny too touchy for today's kids? Three additional numbers come from the Money Rock banner. And 'The Energy Blues' is the sole taste of Science Rock supplied. (The package's count of fifteen songs includes 'Presidential Minute', which is classified as a bonus feature and isn't exactly 'new to DVD' as advertised.)

Each song runs very close to 3 minutes. Most departing from that clip is young'un 'College', which runs a whopping 12 seconds longer.

'Energy Blues' (1978)
A globe gives us a brief history of energy sources, uses, and conservation.

'Tax Man Max'
A vaudevillian performer and his ladies chorus are far too cheery to be singing about all the different types of taxes and their functions.

'Walkin' on Wall Street'
A financially savvy New York pigeon explains the stock market, in the process investing in Whiz Bang Cola.

'Tyrannosaurus Debt'
Dinosaurs may be extinct but they still make a nice metaphor for America's titanic national debt.

'I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College' (2002)
By far the most recent and most relevant to the title, this DVD-premiered piece details how electoral colleges elect president.

'No More Kings' (1975)
A very '70s-sounding woman (Lynn Ahrens) sings this ditty about the pilgrims and their formation of a new nation. Never before has a revolution been so calm and soothing.

'The Shot Heard 'Round the World' (1976)
Another mellow, dated tune covers the American Revolution with a catchy refrain.

'Fireworks' (1976)
An indeterminate newsboy is at the center of this Bicentennial celebration of America's founding fathers.

'Mother Necessity' (1977)
The discoveries of American inventors, including Thomas Edison and Alexander Graham Bell, are humorously dramatized through the terms of rocking chair granny Mother Necessity.

'The Great American Melting Pot' (1977)
Immigrants of all kinds visit Lady Liberty and dive into America's great melting pot.

'The Preamble' (1975)
This is part founding fathers lesson and part musical way to memorize the opening ideas of the Constitution.

'Three-Ring Government' (1979)
The three branches of government are envisioned as a 3-ring circus.

'I'm Just a Bill' (1975)
On the steps of Capitol Hill, a hopeful bill sings to a curious boy about his long journey from idea to law.

'Sufferin' Til Suffrage' (1976)
A hippie girl is the voice of women as she recounts her gender's fight for the right to vote.

VIDEO and AUDIO

Considering the age and modest origins, picture quality is quite outstanding. You may catch the occasional imperfection, but 1970s TV animation often looks much worse, so it's clear that restoration work has gone to Schoolhouse Rock. Of course, that was done in 2002; comparing this disc to the 30th Anniversary Edition yields no noticeable differences whatsoever. Regardless, the fullscreen transfers satisfied then and they still do now, although a few of the shorts hold up worse than their kin.

Though the package says the disc is equipped with Dolby Digital 5.1, that is not actually the case. It's merely two-channel sound, but that's understandable and matches the audio of the original DVD release for all but 'I'm Gonna Send Your Vote to College.' It was actually offered in both Dolby 5.1 and DTS on its first DVD. The aural elements do make their age known and to a larger degree than the picture, but I suspect that they sound this good is the result of efforts. But again, those efforts were taken years ago for the old set. One noticeable shortcoming is a skip in 'Three-Ring Government'; it was there before too.

BONUS FEATURES, MENUS and PACKAGING

The only real bonus feature on the disc is 'Presidential Minute'. Living up to its name, it runs 60 seconds. It does an excellent job of upholding the Schoolhouse Rock style. Anyone mistaking this for an original 1970s number would be forgiven; even the explanation of the election process could date back to then. Although Disney's advertising this as a never-before-seen short and I believed them at first, it turns out the number actually was included on the 30th Anniversary Edition as the reward for completing the demanding 'Earn Your Diploma' game.

Two versions of the short are provided. After struggling to find any difference, I had it pointed out to me that the closing shot changes (as the back of the case notes). I won't spoil it, but let's just say the variation seems less appropriate now that Hillary's out of the race. As a reward on the previous DVD, one of the two versions was selected at random, requiring another play of the 5-level quiz.

The 4x3 menus convey the Schoolhouse Rock style and the disc's contents while a narrator speaks to young viewers interested in the election process and how the DVD covers it. The fourteen feature songs are divided into three thematic groups: 'The Campaign', 'Our History', and 'How Government Works', while 'Presidential Minute' gets an 'Extra Credit' section to itself.

For once, more exciting bonuses are found inside the case, which slips into the obligatory embossed, holographic cardboard slipcover. I'm not talking only about the Disney Movie Rewards code or the ad for the very DVD you've just purchased. No, this release goes one step further and provides a map of the country that labels each state and its number of votes in the Electoral College. The map folds out to 9'x14' and features Schoolhouse Rock imagery on both sides and election trivia on back. For an Election Day/Night/Next Day activity, two sheets of colored circle stickers are provided -- 50 red, 50 blue (Take that, Ralph Nader!). Owners of the disc are encouraged to place the right party sticker on the appropriate states as they are called. Let's hope they're easy to pull off and put back on, should the media repeat 2000's Florida blunder. Reflecting Disney's recent cutbacks, there's no standard insert provided. That'd be easier to overlook if the back cover's song list matched the actual playback programmed.

The FastPlay-enhanced disc launches with a Disney company promo and previews for Schoolhouse Rock! Earth (the next DVD, which must be coming next spring), Sleeping Beauty: Platinum Edition, Beverly Hills Chihuahua, High School Musical 2: Extended Edition, 'Little Einsteins': The Christmas Wish, Hannah Montana and High School Musical DVD games, The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (an actual new trailer, this confirms the studio's rethinking the flop's marketing), and Disney Movie Rewards.

CLOSING THOUGHTS

In theory, the Election Collection makes perfect sense. What better way to make today's youths appreciate this year's presidential race than with the time-tested charm of Schoolhouse Rock's tremendously informative and fun musical shorts? Alas, for about the same price, you can get all the Schoolhouse Rock numbers (about four times as much featured content) plus some cool bonus features in the two-disc Special 30th Anniversary Edition set. Not only is it a far better value, but you don't have to wait for release date. All you'll miss out on here are an easily-accessed 'Presidential Minute' in two versions, some Disney Movie Rewards points, and the stickers and map. I feel sorry for those who will buy this disc not knowing any better.

Buy Schoolhouse Rock! DVDs from Amazon.com: Election Collection / 30th Anniversary Edition