Paramount Studios presents

Dora the Explorer: It's a Party! (2005)

"We're having a special party for my friend Boots the Monkey."- Dora the Explorer

Stars: Kathleen Herles
Other Stars: Harrison Chad
Director: various

MPAA Rating: Not Rated for (nothing objectionable)
Run Time: 01h:36m:28s
Release Date: 2005-05-03
Genre: animation

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

 

DVD Review

It's hard to believe that the Dora the Explorer show has been on the air since 2000. Dora's still at it, though, combining fun, learning activities with a few Spanish lessons, this loveable animated girl continues to have toddlers and up jumping up and down when they hear her theme song every day.

Paramount Home Video continues to compile some of the best Dora the Explorer episodes on DVD, with the latest entry in the series being It's a Party! The episodes here are actually a little more Spanish-centric than normal, so little ones who might be learning the language and/or the Spanish culture at a young age could even use this DVD as an advanced learning tool, which is a nice bonus.

Parents just simply can't go wrong with anything involving Dora the Explorer, and the recent Paramount DVDs are proof of that. While the show is great for my 1-year-old, my almost-10-year-old girl still adores the show, if only for the pseudo-Spanish lessons.

There are a total of four episodes on this disc:

Daisy, La Quinceañera: Daisy's 15th birthday party is here, and Dora is in charge of rounding up the birthday girl's crown and shoes, which she cannot do without for the big event. So, the race is on, as Dora and Boots travel through the barn and the rain forest to accomplish their task.

The Big Piñata: Dora and Boots are at the Carnival, where they must collect 10 yellow tickets in order to win a big piñata, while at the same time, trying to avoid Swiper.

Surprise!: Boots' birthday is here and Dora's planning a surprise party for him. Getting there is an adventure, though, as Swiper tries to ruin Dora's plans.

The Fix-It Machine: Boots, ironically enough, has a hole in his boot, and, suddenly, holes begin to pop up in many other items. Dora is on the hint for the Super-Duper Fix-It Machine to try and fix all of these holes.

Rating for Style: B-
Rating for Substance: A-

 

Image Transfer

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

Image Transfer Review: The overall transfer is similar to other Dora the Explorer DVDs, in that it isn't sharp and detailed as other animated series, but kids won't care. The same vivid colors are there, and each episode is pretty much blemish-free.

Image Transfer Grade: C+
 

Audio Transfer

	Language	Remote Access
DS 2.0	English, French	yes

Audio Transfer Review: The Dolby Digital 2.0 track for each episode is surprisingly active as far as the surrounds go. The dialogue clarity is better than previous Dora DVDs, though, as the voices are blended in nicely with the music and sound effects.

Audio Transfer Grade: B 

Disc Extras

Static menu
Scene Access with 4 cues and remote access
Subtitles/Captions in English with remote access
4 Other Trailer(s) featuring Blue's Room, Dora the Explorer, Candy Land, Weebles
Packaging: Keep Case
Picture Disc
1 Disc
1-Sided disc(s)
Layers: dual

Extra Extras:

1. Dora's Present Search Game: Interactive searching game.
2. Nicktrition Tips for Parents: Text-based advice for providing nutritious foods for kids.
3. Baby Nick Jr. Music Video

Extras Review: There are a couple of extras along for the ride, including a fun, interactive game called the Dora's Present Search Game. The object is to use your DVD remote's arrow buttons to find hidden items that Swiper stole from Daisy's party.

There's also a series of Previews for other Nick Jr. Home Video releases, the text-based Nicktrition Tips for Parents, and a Baby Nick Jr. Music Video that shows kids touching their "Head, Shoulders, Knees, & Toes."

Extras Grade: C-
 

Final Comments

There's more Dora the Explorer fun in Paramount's latest DVD, It's a Party! This still isn't the seasonal box set of the show that fans would love to see, but any way for kids to get their Dora fix is a good one in this parent's book.

Chuck Aliaga 2005-05-04