Case Number 18864: Small Claims Court

CARE BEARS: SHARE-A-LOT IN CARE-A-LOT

Lionsgate // 2007 // 88 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge David Johnson // May 8th, 2010

The Charge

Lessons from the heart.

The Case

The Care Bears. Sequestered in their pastel-tinted cloud town, they embark to spread empathy and love to any who crosses their path. Are you up to no good? Down in the dumps? Or just a really negative person? Well, sir, prepare to have the crap cared out of you.

Share-a-Lot in Care-a-Lot features eight episodes from the most recent resurrection of the animated Care Bears property. According to the disc case, the stories are bound together by the theme of "sharing and caring," but isn't that what all of these shows are about?

The episodes:
* "Re-Booted"
* "Tempus Fugits"
* "Share and Care Alike"
* "Here Comes McKenna"
* "Night Shift"
* "All Give and No Take"
* "Bumpity and Tweazle"
* "Surprise Day"

Each installment clocks in at 10 minutes, so they're easy to digest. As syrupy-sweet as the show is, it's the friggin' Care Bears; the saccharine level rivals your standard-issue Mountain Dew six-pack, and corniness is the commodity they run in.

Though, even by Care Bear standards, this release is excessively soft. I remember the hardcore days of the Care Bears when they would team up and use that Care Bear Stare to nuke their opponents. Now, when their crazy Robocop-bear nemesis comes rolling, the Bears simply model compassionate actions to persuade him to stop being such a huge dick. It's all about imparting to your kids...what does the accompanying Parent's Guide bullet points say?...ah, yes, "positive behaviors," "identifying the feelings of others," and "feeling connected to sharing and giving."

That's a whole lot of feeling, ensuring your child will grow up to be a kindly, sensitive soul who will no doubt have his or her heart broken by some a-hole who grew up watching Yu-Gi-Oh!

Full frame, 2.0 stereo, an auto-play function, and a bunch of trailers is your DVD.

The Verdict

Not Guilty. (heart)

Scales of Justice
Judgment: 85

Perp Profile
Studio: Lionsgate
Video Formats:
* Full Frame

Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)

Subtitles:
* English (CC)

Running Time: 88 Minutes
Release Year: 2007
MPAA Rating: Not Rated

Distinguishing Marks
* Direct Play

Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt1156752/combined