Lionsgate // 1983 // 74 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Roy Hrab // November 16th, 2009
Music, Fun, and Holiday Adventures with the Fraggles!
Just in time for the holidays comes Fraggle Rock: A Merry Fraggle Holiday. The background and significance of the classic and beloved Fraggle Rock series have already been covered comprehensively in previous DVD Verdict reviews, so let's turn our attention to the three episodes on this disc.
* "The Bells of Fraggle Rock"
While Doc and Sprocket
prepare for Christmas, the Fraggles are getting ready for the Festival of the
Bells. Despite the long standing tradition of the festival, Gobo believes the
holiday has no meaning without empirical evidence about its origins, and sets
off to the center of Fraggle Rock in search of proof.
* "The Grapes of Generosity"
Gobo finds the Grapes of
Generosity in the caves. Rather than share with his friends, he decides to eat
them himself, not realizing the consequences of eating of the grapes alone.
* "The Perfect Blue Rollie"
Wembley and Boober find a dry
river bed filled with beautiful smooth stones, including a rare "Perfect
Blue Rollie." Wembley gives the rollie to Boober, who becomes obsessively
protective about the stone, allowing his possession to possess him.
These are standard Fraggle episodes, featuring songs, silliness, and clear moral lessons. "The Bells of Fraggle Rock" is particularly strong, taking on the theme of faith and what's required to give meaning to social customs. Overall, however, this is a puzzling release because only one episode is holiday themed. The other two deal with giving and sharing, but there's nothing "holiday" about them. It appears Lionsgate is just trying to cash in on the holidays with this release, since all these episodes are already available on DVD. Further, the episodes don't even provide a good introduction to the series because the Gorgs and the Trash Heap are completely absent while there are only brief glimpses of the Doozers.
No much in the way of extras here. The most substantial is an episode from Fraggle Rock: The Animated Series, "The Great Fraggle Freeze," where Gobo learns to not fear the unknown. More standard Fraggle fare. This is followed by a clip from the 1977 Christmas special Emmet Otter's Jug-Band Christmas featuring a sing-along. There is also a clip from the opening of Jim Henson's 1986 special The Christmas Toy about Christmas gifts that come to life. Finally, there are trivia and memory games.
The full screen presentation is not great, but that's to be expected from a television series made in the 1980s. The picture is soft, the color is weak, and the "special effects" aren't so special. The Dolby 2.0 stereo track is fine.
With the entire series now available in both single season sets and a complete series collection, there's no need to spend money on this release.
The Fraggles are innocent of any wrongdoing, but Lionsgate is guilty of
greed. Didn't they learn anything from Fraggle Rock?
Review content copyright © 2009 Roy Hrab; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2012 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 70
Perp Profile
Studio: Lionsgate
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
Subtitles:
* English (CC)
Running Time: 74 Minutes
Release Year: 1983
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* Bonus Episode
* Bonus Clips
* Interactive Games
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0085017/combined
* Jim Henson Company
http://www.jimhenson.com/