MICKEY MOUSE CLUBHOUSE (TV SERIES) - DVD review

"Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Choo-Choo Express" says it's a "full-length adventure, but consumers should know that the feature runs 47 minutes long, including end credits. "Choo-Choo Express" was a double episode of the popular Playhouse Disney show, "The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," that kicked off the series' third season.

It took Disney a while to get up to speed in the area of interactive TV shows for toddlers and tykes, but in 2006 the Disney Channel pulled out all the stops, borrowing a few ideas from the old "Mickey Mouse Club" shows in order to create an all 3-D CGI show for preschoolers. So instead of "Meeska, Mooseka, Mouseketeer, Mouse Cartoon Time Now is Here!" it's Meeska, Mooseka, Mickey Mouse!" and pre-schoolers are urged to use that invocation to get the show started.

After that, it's a "Dora the Explorer" style blend of narration and a series of questions for the tiny ones at home, along with pauses for them to shout out their answers at the television set. But Playhouse Disney (that part of Disney Channel geared for smallest viewers) didn't skimp on the star power. In this series, not only does Mickey Mouse host and appear in cartoon adventures—so does Minnie Mouse, Pluto, Donald and Daisy Duck and Goofy. The characters look more rounded and, combined with backgrounds that are slightly reminiscent of the old Disney "Rolly Polly Olie" show for wee ones, it looks like a TV show for preschoolers.

Every episode--and "Choo-Choo Express" is no exception--introduces a minor problem or mystery, and Mickey usually invites his young audience at home to help him access his gigantic Mickey-shaped computer, which will identify the "mousekatools" needed to solve the day's tiny mind-boggler. In this respect, it draws from the popular "Blue's Clues" TV show as well. And just as "Blue's Clues" had that catchy little song to help young viewers get into it, so does this well-done Disney show. Kids are encouraged to summon "Toodles" (another Mickey thingamabobber) by saying in a sing-song voice, "Oh TOODLES!" and then the tools become part of the episode, usually three tools, with a surprise one popping up at some point. All of this is geared, of course, toward helping children develop their cognitive and problem-solving skills. They'll get a little practice on color recognition, shapes, numbers, objects-and-uses, and other baseline knowledge needed to start kindergarten. And there's plenty of emphasis on making good choices and learning how to interact with others. This one also throws in some lessons on telling time.

The theme song itself is pretty catchy, as is the song that they sing at the end when they do a "Hot Dog Dance" ("Hot dog, hot dog, hot diggety dog . . .") to celebrate the great job they did in solving the problem/mystery. This double-episode also has an even catchier song involving that "Choo-Choo" and a little boogie-woogie ("Choo Choo Express" by They Might Be Giants).

As if all the cartoon star power wasn't enough, look for appearances by other Disney characters, like Professor Ludwig Von Drake and Chip ‘n' Dale, who appear here along with Pete. In three previous DVD releases ("Mickey Saves Santa," "Mickey's Great Clubhouse Hunt," and "Mickey's Treat"); the next two emphasized fairytales. So this one is REALLY a double episode, insomuch as it only involves Ludwig Von Drake's scheme to make snow that doesn't melt, which requires a trip to Mistletoe Mountain aboard the choo-choo, which lays down its own track. Yes, Santa and Mrs. Claus put in an appearance (non-speaking roles), and everybody rides up the mountain and down again, but the show is structured more typically like the single episodes. So if your child likes the singles, he/she will probably like this extended version. As always, Wayne Allwine handles the voice of Mickey.

"Mickey Mouse Clubhouse" is aimed at pre-schoolers, and the "I Spy"-style variety makes it interesting for preschoolers to eagerly anticipate the episode's "tools" and to help select the right ones for the right situations. It's a matching game, ultimately, that's slow-paced enough for little ones and far less sassy and savvy than the original adult-oriented cartoons. Watching this show, in fact, makes you realize just how adult some of the classic Disney cartoons can be, in terms of their subject matter and nuances. This one is purely for the five-and-under set. Like all Disney DVDs for small ones, it's enabled with "Fast Play," so once a kid puts the disc in it takes care of everything . . . including a bevy of previews.

Video:
Unlike earlier episodes of "Mickey Mouse Clubhouse," which were presented in 1.33:1 aspect ratio, "Choo-Choo Express" is presented in 1.78:1 and looks bright and cheery with bold primary colors. But I have to say (and maybe I'm spoiled from watching so many Blu-rays) that for 3-D animation, the overall look is flatter than I would have guessed. But there's hardly any grain, which even the smallest kids will unknowingly appreciate.

Audio:
There are audio options in English, French and Spanish, all Dolby Digital 2.0 Stereo. As with the video, it's a bright and peppy soundtrack that especially comes to life when the music plays.

Extras:
Included here is a bonus episode, "Mickey's Big Job," which was Episode 16 from Season 2. In it, Mickey and the gang muck things up when taking care of the Giant's farm, and then have to scramble to set things right before the big guy returns. Call it a Playhouse Disney version of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice."

Aside from that, the other bonus feature is a good one. It takes the mental and verbal virtual participation of the show and turns it into actual participation. With "Tales from Toodles," your little one can "log on" to the mousecomputer and choose from pictured (and spoken) objects which will then be combined by the narrator into a fully animated story. It's a really nifty "game." Preschoolers first select from a frog, cloak, vine, and pillow; then a green potion, pond scum, soap, and kitten; then lips, tweezers, snorkel, and sushi; then suction cups, glue stick, cow, and beanstalk; then scarf, shovel, diaper, and snake; and finally, scarf, spiders, blue ribbons, and garbage can.

The resulting story is sometimes amusing and sometimes nonsensical, but it's patterned after the old mix-up books that had kids create different funny characters by changing bodies, heads, and legs. There's an "active" option that lets kids create their own stories, or an "auto" option that has the computer do it for them. Then a narrator reads aloud the fully animated story. All together, there are three ways to watch the double-episode, and parents ought to appreciate that.

Bottom Line:
This show won a daytime Emmy in 2008, and as kids' shows go it's certainly well done. It all depends on tastes. If your little one like Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Daisy, Pluto, and Goofy, then he or she will also like this series. Then again, they probably are already fans. I'd have to say that this double-episode is closer in spirit to the show itself and a little more successful than the show's recent attempt to do "Alice in Wonderland."