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The Movie: I spent quite a bit of time when I was little reading R.A. Montgomery's "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. As the title indicates, the series allowed children to have a different adventure each time they read the story, based upon what paths they choose (each book had quite a few points where you were asked to turn to one page or another.) Sometimes, making a certain choice lead to an end. The series has been given an update in this first edition of a new DVD series. Instead of turning to another page, you are occasionally presented with a pair of on-screen selections. Clicking one directional arrow or the other allows you to choose what will happen to the characters. If you don't choose in the amount of time given, the DVD chooses for you. It's a fun little gimmick and allows the show to have a bit more depth than it would otherwise. The characters we follow are: Benjamin (Frankie Muniz), Crista (Lacey Chabert) and Marco (Daryl Sabara). As the story begins, they're off to search for their uncle Rudy (William H. Macy), who's disappeared in Nepal. The story is an enjoyable adventure yarn that kids will have fun with. The animation is also about the same or a little better than what's seen on Saturday mornings. Overall, this is a fun family title that kids can watch a few times over to see all of the different versions. The DVD VIDEO: "Choose Your Own Adventure: Abominable Snowman" is presented by Goldhil Entertainment in 1.85:1 anamorphic widescreen. The presentation quality is top-notch, as the animation looked crystal clear, with nice detail and no major issues, aside from a few instances of slight shimmer. Colors remained bright and vibrant, with no smearing or other issues. SOUND: The show's 5.1 soundtrack was perfectly acceptable, providing clear dialogue and sound effects, if not a whole lot in the way of activity. EXTRAS: The main extra is the 28-minute doc, "In the Shadow of the Himalayas: How People Live in Nepal." Given that the show takes place in Nepal, it's great to see the DVD include a very nice documentary like this to educate kids about the culture of Nepal. We also get a 10-minute "behind-the-scenes" documentary and music video. Final Thoughts: Although I'd also recommend searching out the books, this first edition of the "Choose Your Own Adventure" DVD series offers up a fun adventure and a terrific documentary on Nepal. Recommended. |