Fox Home Entertainment presents

Bratz: The Video—Starrin' & Stylin' (2004)

Mr. DelRio: The assignment is due first thing next week and it's worth one quarter of your grade.
Yasmin: But it's prom weekend, Mr. DelRio!
Jade: And the prom is our top priority.- uncredited voice talent

Director: Nico Rijersberg

Manufacturer: DVCC
MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nothing objectionable)
Run Time: 01h:01m:48s
Release Date: 2004-08-03
Genre: animation

Style Grade	Substance Grade	Image Transfer Grade	Audio Transfer Grade	Extras Grade
B-	C	B-	B-	C

 

DVD Review

The girls with a passion for fashion: BRATZ!!

What are Bratz? Well, they have a passion for fashion! These dolls have swept the country by storm, starting out with four different dolls, Bratz have taken off. Now, there is an overpopulation of these big-eyed, big-lipped dolls, now with eight different characters as well as the Bratz Boyz, Winter Bratz, Prom Bratz, and many more. The newest set of Bratz is Tokyo Bratz. I don't know what exactly that means, but I'm sure it will be just as popular as all the others. And of course, every good idea must somehow be ruined by the media.

In this case, it was Bratz: The Video—Starrin' & Stylin'.

The plot of this movie is pretty simple. All these friends (the Bratz) need to get ready for the prom. But someone starts spreading rumors about them and blabbing their secrets in the gossip column. Uh-oh! Not to mention, now they've got a big project due, but it's prom weekend! Whatever will they do? Before I get myself started on the bad, I'll tell you about the good. When the Bratz get in their car, they buckle up.

Well, I've gotten that out of my system. The Bratz act quite ditzy in this movie. For example, when the art teacher asked for an artistic medium and who used it, Jade claimed that Gucci used fabric and scissors. Dylan, one of the Bratz Boyz, uses body spray at his locker. I didn't even know what body spray was until last year! Also, their school has a gossip column talking about the new science equipment, and they are all totally bored by this news. Sure, that could be a little dry, but you don't say it is in a kids movie!

And every movie teaches a lesson. This one has two! Number one: Tanning is good! Number two: Being different is bad. When Jade picks out her crazy prom dress, all the girls shun her and act like she's dumb.

Yeah, that's how I'd want my kid to think!

Rating for Style: B-
Rating for Substance: C

 

Image Transfer

	One
Aspect Ratio	1.33:1 - Full Frame
Original Aspect Ratio	yes
Anamorphic	no

Image Transfer Review: Nothing spectacular on this 1.33:1 full-frame transfer, with colors looking moderately bright, but lacking the crispness found in higher caliber animated products. No doubt this will be acceptable to the intended young audience, though.

Image Transfer Grade: B-
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English, French, Spanish	yes

Audio Transfer Review: Audio is 2.0 Dolby Digital surround, and like the image transfer is rather ordinary. Dialogue is clear, but the presentation is simply average. More than suitable for the material, but hardly noteworthy.

French and Spanish surround tracks are also included.

Audio Transfer Grade: B- 

Disc Extras

Animated menu with music
Scene Access with 20 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English, Spanish with remote access
1 TV Spots/Teasers
1 Deleted Scenes
2 Featurette(s)
Packaging: Amaray
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: single

Extras Review: While Sammie bravely watched the movie, it was me—her poor old dad—who was left to take a peek at the extras. This thinly veiled marketing tool comes complete with an unnecessary deleted scene, in this case one entitled The Haunted Elm (01m:15s), and an equally forced "Bratz Bloopers" reel (01m:06s). There is a music video for the forgettable song Summertime Girl and a karaoke section has six songs featured in the film, available with or without vocal tracks, so Bratz wannabes can croon like their idols. Things wrap with a Bratz Love Horoscope (hey, I thought this was for little kids?), the Bratz Fashion Mall (dress the characters in overpriced clothes) and the obligatory Bratz Trivia Game.

The disc is cut into 20 chapter, with optional subtitles in English or Spanish.

Extras Grade: C
 

Final Comments

The kids, they will love this. It's the parents I'm worried about. Most moms and dads don't want their kids tanning and using body spray and stuff. So kids, do your parents a favor: don't take this movie too literally. Mom and Dad, do the kids a favor, don't buy them this movie.

Rich Rosell and Sammie Rosell (age 15) 2004-09-22