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Bonus Review #15
Film: Choose Your Own Adventure®: The Abominable Snowman [G] ?? minutes
WIP™ Scale: $10.75
Where Viewed: Home on Apple PowerPook G4 computer
When 1st Seen: 2 August 2006
Time: 8:30 p.m.
Review Dedicated to: all kids who loved the Choose Your Own Adventure® Series
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DVD |
NOTE: This is a highly stylized review written in the style of the Choose Your Own Adventure® books. Therefore not all of this review is 100% true. Some of it I made up.
Approximately three weeks ago, I received an email from a Hollywood publicity firm asking me if I'd please review a new straight-to-video DVD for them and post the review. Normally, I would have said, "Thanks, but no thanks." Except when they said this was a Choose Your Own Adventure film. As a young adult, I found these books fascinating, and I even tried to write one myself. I loved them because I thought the imagination of the authors had to be so incredible to weave all these different tales out of the same starting point. Meanwhile, when DVD technology first came out, we were all promised more interactivity from films, and there really hasn't been anything too earth shaking. Well, the Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman and the new DVD for Final Destination 3, both start to deliver on some of this interactivity by letting the viewer make some selections along the way that determines what happens next in the story.
So do you think I should write a review for the straight-to-DVD as a bonus review for movieEVERYday.com or do you think I should send the DVD back saying "Thanks but no thanks!"
So do you think I should write a review for the straight-to-DVD as a bonus review for movieEVERYday.com or do you think I should send the DVD back saying "Thanks but no thanks!"
Click Yes or No
So, I acquiesced to the request, and decided to accept the free copy of the DVD in exchange for a review and posting at movieEVERYday.com.
Here goes, my first Choose Your Own Adventure® Review and first straight-to-DVD review then:
First off, the producer took a no hold barred approach to voice casting bringing the talents of William H. Macy, Frankie Muniz, Mark Hamill, Felicity Huffman, Lacey Chabert, and Daryl Sabara to the project. The story, I presume, though I never read this particular one, is true to form, in that the reader is confronted with various choices along the way. The DVD case suggests there are 11 different movies in total. I watched the film 3 times making different choices to see what would have happened had I chosen the opposite of my original choice leading me to about 6 different outcomes.
Should I go back and watch every single one before I finish the review or should I just go ahead using what I saw?
Here goes, my first Choose Your Own Adventure® Review and first straight-to-DVD review then:
First off, the producer took a no hold barred approach to voice casting bringing the talents of William H. Macy, Frankie Muniz, Mark Hamill, Felicity Huffman, Lacey Chabert, and Daryl Sabara to the project. The story, I presume, though I never read this particular one, is true to form, in that the reader is confronted with various choices along the way. The DVD case suggests there are 11 different movies in total. I watched the film 3 times making different choices to see what would have happened had I chosen the opposite of my original choice leading me to about 6 different outcomes.
Should I go back and watch every single one before I finish the review or should I just go ahead using what I saw?
Click Go Back or Go Ahead
In the various threads of the story paths I saw, it was amazing how the scenes fit together and there were many different and unusual things to learn about the characters. I would say that the ability to pick different paths and see what happens does replicate the experience of the Choose Your Own Adventure® series with the exception that there are not nearly as many choices.
Now, this particular story focuses on the North children Benjamin (Frankie Muniz), Christa (Lacey Chabert), and Marco (Daryl Sabara) as they are contacted by their uncle Rudy (William H. Macy) to fly to Nepal and meet up with him as he has a lead on finding the infamous abominable snowman.
Oops, pardon the interruption, please forgive me, that was my mom on the phone. It seems that her very nice neighbor just helped her with her snake-in-the-car problem. So, all is well. Moms, you got to love them.
While, Benjamin is skeptical this is a good idea, the three head off to their Uncle's base camp. After arriving at the camp, they find that their Uncle is no where to be found, and they must fly in a rickety plane to the next stop to try and find him. It is aboard this rickety plane that the first decision must be made, parachute to safety or take their chances on the plane landing just fine.
Now, this particular story focuses on the North children Benjamin (Frankie Muniz), Christa (Lacey Chabert), and Marco (Daryl Sabara) as they are contacted by their uncle Rudy (William H. Macy) to fly to Nepal and meet up with him as he has a lead on finding the infamous abominable snowman.
Oops, pardon the interruption, please forgive me, that was my mom on the phone. It seems that her very nice neighbor just helped her with her snake-in-the-car problem. So, all is well. Moms, you got to love them.
While, Benjamin is skeptical this is a good idea, the three head off to their Uncle's base camp. After arriving at the camp, they find that their Uncle is no where to be found, and they must fly in a rickety plane to the next stop to try and find him. It is aboard this rickety plane that the first decision must be made, parachute to safety or take their chances on the plane landing just fine.
Should I give away what happens in each choice or should I just continue with the review?
Click Just Continue or Give Away
Now, reader, obviously, you are new to movieEVERYday.com and don't know that it is one of my rules never to give away major plot points in a movie, even a straight-to-DVD movie in the first review. If I review the film a second or third time, then sometimes, I will give away plot points, but rarely even then the ending. But, if you must know, the kids survive no matter which choice they make. What were you expecting? This isn't Final Destination 3.
Are you sorry you wanted me to give away major plots points in violation of my principles as a movie critic?
Click Yes or No
Ok, good, then I accept your apology. Unfortunately, if you want to read the rest of the review, you will have to go back and start again. That should teach you a very valuable lesson about trying to cheat the system.
Why did I have a feeling you weren't going to be sorry? Could it be that you ended up here at this point which was my first clue? Ok, well, you don't have to be sorry. Maybe you are full of anticipation to find out what happens. That is, after all, the point of the Choose Your Own Adventure® series. Well, here's the thing, I am unable to violate my principles, whether you are sorry or not. So, how about a compromise? Below, there is a link to purchase the DVD. How about you scroll down and click it and purchase the DVD? Then you can find out what happens, and I won't have to be the one to violate my own rules and give away major plot points. How's that sound?
Do you wish to scroll to the link to purchase?
Click Yes, I'd love to. or No, I reject your marketing ploy.
Wow, there is no pleasing you is there? Well, I won't force you to look at the market and see what's available. I'll just let you go on your own way. Just remember, my heart is full of forgiveness.
Ok, so I went back to watch every single, possible out come and make every single choice in the DVD path, and then the phone rang. It was my mother on the line. "Honey, um, I need you to come up here to Longmont and help me get this crazy snake that has crawled up into my car out before I have to go watch my undefeated, learning differenced, little league baseball team this afternoon," she said with some degree of firmness but without it sounding like an order. "Aw, shucks, Mom, since I spent so much time watching every single thread of story in this new Choose Your Own Adventure® DVD movie, if I come help you, I won't have time to write my review. I won't get it published on time, and I could lose valuable reader loyalty. Couldn't this wait?" I whined. "Um, no, this is a snake. A real live snake. This is no joke, so get your tail feathers in motion and get up here please right away."
Should I go help my mom get the snake out of her car or should I stay and write my review?
Click Help Mom or Write Review
I dashed down to the parking garage and hopped into my little, green, Honda® del Sol si. Moments later I was tearing up I-25 to Longmont when my lead foot got me pulled over by the ever-protective-of-public-safety, Colorado State Highway Patrol. Officer CHiP Baker approached my car on foot.
"Sir, are you aware that you were exceeding the speed limit?"
"Um, no, um, yes, um, well, Sir, you see, there's a snake in my mom's car in Longmont, and I'm rushing up to help her get it out so she can go the support her little league baseball team."
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, let me give you a police escort up to Longmont. I can even help you out with the snake if you like," he said with those glimmering white teeth only Highway Patrolmen have. Minutes later, we arrived at my mom's house, set the snake free back into the wetland preserve across the road, and Officer Baker gave us each a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery™. What a great day!
"Sir, are you aware that you were exceeding the speed limit?"
"Um, no, um, yes, um, well, Sir, you see, there's a snake in my mom's car in Longmont, and I'm rushing up to help her get it out so she can go the support her little league baseball team."
"Oh, I see. Well, in that case, let me give you a police escort up to Longmont. I can even help you out with the snake if you like," he said with those glimmering white teeth only Highway Patrolmen have. Minutes later, we arrived at my mom's house, set the snake free back into the wetland preserve across the road, and Officer Baker gave us each a coupon for a free scoop of ice cream at Cold Stone Creamery™. What a great day!
Ok, so I send the DVD back to the publicity company with a very nice note saying, "Thanks but no thanks, I don't wish to get into reviewing straight-to-DVD movies even though I could get them for free and they add immediate marketability to my site. What I didn't know was that crossing my letter in the mail was a huge package of materials and freebies to give to all of my friends and fans as gratitude for my efforts. Whoops, too bad for you because my conscience will not let me kept the stuff let alone give it to you, so you end up empty handed, and I'll probably never hear from that company again! Thanks a lot.
I am so proud of your for resisting temptation and not asking me to give away major plot points which, as returning readers will know, I wouldn't have done anyway, so you pretty much would have been wasting your time trying to get me to do so. So, where were we, oh yes, the plot or should I say "plots". The plots are all very different. There is only a bit of recycling that I observed. Kids most likely will be entertained by this DVD far longer than others because they can go back and try different things to see what happens. Through some twist of fate, I made choices that took me to what might be the best, most storybook ending, which I really liked right off the bat. One hint would be to not always follow Benjamin's ideas no matter how smart and persuasive he is if you want to get to the ending I got to.
Truth be told, the quality of the animation is not at the level of much of the animation older kids will be used to seeing. It's more on par with Dora the Explorer-style animation than say Teen Titans. It works well for this first project though because the animators have to go back and animate sequences again with new outcomes. I can imagine this is an inordinately large and complex process for everyone involved as they must keep track of where all the stuff goes in the plot and, in fact, I got a taste of that as I wrote this review and tried to keep track of the various threads readers could follow.
All tolled, I feel the director, Bob Doucette, did a good job with this first CYOA®. I'm sure a great deal was learned in the process, and that future installments will be even better. The voice cast was great, and the adventure was fun.
Truth be told, the quality of the animation is not at the level of much of the animation older kids will be used to seeing. It's more on par with Dora the Explorer-style animation than say Teen Titans. It works well for this first project though because the animators have to go back and animate sequences again with new outcomes. I can imagine this is an inordinately large and complex process for everyone involved as they must keep track of where all the stuff goes in the plot and, in fact, I got a taste of that as I wrote this review and tried to keep track of the various threads readers could follow.
All tolled, I feel the director, Bob Doucette, did a good job with this first CYOA®. I'm sure a great deal was learned in the process, and that future installments will be even better. The voice cast was great, and the adventure was fun.
Available for Purchase or Pre-Order on DVD
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Choose Your Own Adventure: The Abominable Snowman [DVD](2005) DVD
Projects Starring: William H. Macy • Frankie Muniz • Mark Hamill
Felicity Huffman • Lacey Chabert • Daryl Sabara
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