Nickelodeon // 2008 // 0 Minutes // Not Rated
Reviewed by Judge Roy Hrab (Retired) // August 20th, 2008
"Together in the backyard again, in the place where we belong, where we'll probably sing a song, and we'll maybe dance along."
Well, here we go again with another installment of the The Backyardigans from Nickelodeon. Who are these life forms? They are Pablo (a blue penguin), Tyrone (an orange moose), Uniqua (a pink, polka-dot creature of unique origin), Austin (a purple kangaroo), and Tasha (a yellow hippopotamus). The five use their imagination to create adventures in their backyards and homes. In this land of make believe the members of the group assume different professions and personalities, traveling across the globe and through time. Each adventure is filled with song and dance numbers.
The Backyardigans: Mighty Match-Up! features four episodes from
Season 3 of the series:
* "Match On Mt. Olympus:" Playing
basketball and singing songs with a samba beat, Pablo and Tyrone trek up Mount
Olympus to persuade the Greek Goddess of Weather (Tasha) to halt a rainstorm.
* "The Great Dolphin Race:" Giving a nod to Seabiscuit,
Uniqua challenges Tyrone to a dolphin race, hoping she can her ride her dolphin,
Sea Squirt, to victory.
* "Ranch Hands From Outer Space:" This
episode is just bizarre. Tasha is a rancher and needs help with chores. When
aliens Zablo (Pablo, get it? So funny!) and Zuniqua (Uniqua! Again, pure
hilarity!) arrive and require pancakes to fuel their spaceship, she gets more
help than she bargained for. Also, for some reason unknown, the songs are scored
to Italian pop of the 1960s.
* "Caveman's Best Friend: " Young
kids will not recognize this episode's references to The Flintstones, but
adults will see them immediately. Austin is a caveman in the prehistoric city of
"Rockville," singing soul music as he tries to track down his brand
new pet dinosaur that has runaway.
The video and audio are flawless. The animation is bright and detailed. The audio delivers loud and clear sound. The only extras are a couple of music videos.
Does my judgment really matter? This is a series that features dancing and singing animated animals. It is inoffensive, but not particularly educational. And, as I have noted in my previous review of The Backyardigans, adults will grow weary (or worse) of the repetitive nature of the show quickly (and I know that I felt like kicking in my television on more than one occasion). However, adults shouldn't be watching this show; youngsters are the target audience and they love this stuff. So, get ready to pony up some money, unless you have managed to raise kids that prefer to play outside, read, or engage in other more productive activities.
Review content copyright © 2008 Roy Hrab; Site layout and review format copyright © 1998 - 2013 HipClick Designs LLC
Scales of Justice
Judgment: 75
Perp Profile
Studio: Nickelodeon
Video Formats:
* Full Frame
Audio Formats:
* Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo (English)
Subtitles:
* None
Running Time: 0 Minutes
Release Year: 2008
MPAA Rating: Not Rated
Distinguishing Marks
* "Chicken-Itza Pizza" Music Video
* "Amazing Inventors" Music Video
Accomplices
* IMDb
http://us.imdb.com/title/tt0439349/combined
* Official Site
http://www.nickjr.com/shows/backyardigans/index.jhtml