Search - Disney's Little Einsteins - Rocket's Firebird Rescue on DVD

Crista J. from APPLE VALLEY, MN
Reviewed on 7/25/2012...

My 2 year old son and 4 year old daughter love this movie.
We have been avid fans of Baby Einsteins, and now Little Einsteins movies.
This is a much-welcomed addition to our collection.

One of the best Little Einsteins

Julie Neal | Sanibel Island, Fla. | 08/26/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of the best Little Einsteins DVDs yet for exposing kids to classical music. Twice as long as a regular television program, its 51-minute main feature, "Rocket's Firebird Rescue," will really make children familiar with Igor Stravinsky's "The Firebird."

Just about the perfect length for many youngsters' attention spans, the program tells the tale of the Firebird, a mythical crane that spreads music throughout Russia until a mean, magical ogre traps it. It also introduces kids to the painting "Improvisation" by Wassily Kandinsky, the amazing eggs of Carl Faberge, Russian nesting dolls, even St. Basil's Cathedral and the Baikal freshwater seal.

It's even better if you view it with a home theater set-up, as the Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack includes the kids' "Rocket" flying machine zooming around you as it travels.

The DVD also contains a regular episode of the Little Einsteins television series, 2007's "Rocket Soup," in which the kids fill up their transporter with its favorite food, a mix of cheese, peas, and jumping beans. It features Antonin Dvorak's catchy "Humoresque No. 7" (you'll know it when you hear it) and the painting "Moonrise" by Paul Klee.

There is just one bonus feature, "Magic Mission," which plays the main feature with "hidden" pop-up cards. When selected with a remote, each leads to an animated fun fact."

Engaging and fun!

Lorel Shea | New England | 09/23/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"
"Rocket's Firebird Rescue" is a new full length adventure starring Disney's Little Einsteins. The film runs 51 minutes, with an additional bonus episode titled, "Rocket Soup". I'll admit that initially I was a bit put off by the "Little Einsteins" moniker. I don't like the implication that parents have to plunk their little darlings in front of a box in order to stimulate their minds. There are many products sold to insecure parents who want to give their child every advantage, all seem to have titles that include the names of famous thinkers, composers, or artists, or else words such as "brainy", "smarter", or "better". Though I'm not enamored of the show's name, "Little Einsteins" is quite fun and engaging.

There are four kids on the Little Einsteins team, each with a special talent. The kids are between four and six years old. Leo is the leader of the group and his special skill is conducting. Quincy plays a variety of musical instruments. June is a dancer, and Annie, the youngest member of the team, is a singer. The animation is really cute, and the characters come across as sweet but not saccharine.

In this film, the children introduce a Kandinsky painting, a Fabergé egg, Russian Nesting Dolls, and Igor Stravinsky's, "The Firebird" at the beginning of the story. The kids start reading the story of the Firebird to their friend Rocket, who is a sentient flying ship. They fly to Russia in order to rescue the captive Firebird. An evil ogre has captured her, and she can only sing very softly while she is captive. All the music of the area is subdued and the flowers are wilting. The kids must use their abilities to overcome various obstacles and vanquish the evil ogre.

An interesting component of the dvd is the interactive "Magic Mission" option. By using the dvd remote, viewers can click on nine feathers that appear throughout the film. Each feather discloses a video "card" which has an image and a short bit of information. After all cards have been collected, they reveal a hidden picture.

Viewers are encouraged to play along with the team. They are asked to conduct with Leo, for instance, and he starts off "adagio" and progresses through "moderato" and :allegro" to "presto!" Characters often stop and speak directly to the viewer and ask, Will you help us?" My toddler was always quick to answer, "yes!"

"Rocket's Firebird Rescue" is a nice representation of Russian folklore, reminiscent of Peter and the Wolf. The music is lovely and the "bad guys" are not too threatening for very young children. I recommend it for ages 1-6, though I will add that my older children seemed enchanted by it as well!








"

Too Scary

J. Towner | Boise, ID | 11/28/2007

(1 out of 5 stars)

"My daughter normally loves The Little Einsteins, they are interactive and fun, with great music but after watching Rocket's Firebird Rescue she started having nightmares. She is terrified of the bats and the ogre and wakes up in the night crying and saying "The bats are going to get me!" I was really disappointed because I thought I could trust Einsteins to be age appropriate. I would strongly caution anyone buying this movie for young children not to, unless you want to be up at 3:00am "drumming" to make the bats disappear. There is too much drama and it is much too scary for young children."