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DVD Review: KOALA KID

May 08, 2013 Posted by in DVD/Blu-ray, Reviews | Comments

Sometimes the thing that makes you different, makes you great…

The Koala Kid is this is an animated tale of an unusual looking koala named Johnny, who is teased for his differences and tries to find a place where he fits in and can be happy. Along his journey of discovery he learns what it means to be a true hero and that you shouldn’t pretend to be something that you’re not.

The film’s talented voice cast includes Rob Schneider, Yvonne Strahovski, Alan Cumming, Tim Curry, Norm MacDonald, Bret McKenzie, Nolan North, Chris Edgerly, Eric Lopez, Phil Proctor, Jenni Pulos and Neil Ross.

Now for a more detailed synopsis (feel free to skip this if you don’t want any spoilers):

Spoiler Inside SelectShow

 
I watched the film with my 6 year-old and 3.5 year old daughters who really enjoyed the film, despite being very quiet during much of the first half. However that’s not to say they were bored as their attention never wavered from the screen. Their emotions ran the gamut from jumping in my lap during the giant snake, lizard and final showdown sequences, to uncontrollable laughter and requests for replays during an impromptu water skiing sequence with the army of prairie dogs. I believe my older daughter’s exact words were “This is SO FUNNY! I love this part!”. And of course any jokes involving inappropriate bodily noises garnered chuckles.

The picture quality looked quite good for a DVD, though there were a few instances where the picture got blurry for some reason—I’m not sure if this was supposed to be a visual effect or what. The gorgeous sweeping shots of the Australian Outback in the opening sequence and a number of action parts looked like they were filmed specifically for 3D, so it’s a shame that this only got a DVD release here in the US as I would have loved to have seen these sections in 3D. The sound quality was good and both the effects and dialog were easy to hear without having to crank up the volume.

The film is rated PG for “mild action/peril and some rude humor”. Aside from the odd fart gag, the only “rude humor” moment I recall involved a couple of the male animal leads landing in rather unfortunate ways on a tightrope and bicycle seat and their reactions to such landings. However this seemed to go right over my girls’ heads. Now if I had boys, this would probably be a giggle-fest moment.

 


What’s Included on the DVD:

Film: (1:25:00)

  • Video: 480p Widescreen 16:9
  • Audio: English DD 5.1
  • English SDH, Spanish, French subtitles

Extras:

  • Koala Kid Adventure Map
    A short trivia game played with the DVD remote
  • Koala Kid “Down Under” Sing-along
    The same one-minute musical sequence from the film with the addition of Karaoke-style subtitles.



Final Thoughts:

My Rating
Episodes:
Video:
Audio:
Extras:
Recommended

Overall my girls and I enjoyed this film. We knew nothing about the film going into it and while it probably won’t get as much play in the rotation as some of their favorite Disney and Barbie films, there were some stand-out parts which have already gotten some repeat viewings in our household. The film tries to convey a positive message to the viewers while still keeping things humorous, entertaining, action-packed and (at least for my girls) a little scary.

On that last note, I’m happy to say that despite being frightened by a few of the film’s big baddies, neither girl complained of nightmares or woke us up in the middle of the night trying to climb into our bed, afraid that Bog or a giant lizard or snake was coming to get them.

Koala Kid is a fun journey with big action sequences, fart jokes, physical humor and plenty of animals pulling faces. Whether you have boys or girls, there is bound to be something about the film that they will enjoy.

Note: Koala Kid is currently a Walmart Exclusive title (also available at Sam’s Club), but it is also available for RENTAL-ONLY at Amazon: