Peter & the Wolf

Rating:
Summary: Music teacher approved! Video adaptation of classic story.
Review: As a musician I mourn the loss of music as an auditory art. But the fact remains that music videos have changed the way we listen to and learn music, so we must work with it. This video is a wonderful way to introduce children to classical music and the orchestra without them thinking that it's boring, or not worthy of their time.

Kirstie Alley plays the mother of a 12-ish boy who travels back to the home where she grew up to visit her father (Lloyd Bridges). The boy has never met his grandfather. They spend some time visiting and the topic turns to "The Story". The story is, of course, "Peter and the Wolf". Kirstie Alley narrates the story, dramatized by animation done by Chuck Jones (Bugs Bunny). The animation is wonderful, the characters are endearing and funny (with Kirstie Alley doing excellent voice-overs for the hysterically dizzy duck and the cat). The part when the duck is eaten by the wolf is handled very subtley, and, unlike the original story, has a happy ending for the duck, making it appropriate for very young kids. I teach K-8 and have shown it to all grades, who have enjoyed it. I personally have seen it about 30 times, and it remains fresh and entertaining. A nice feature for music teachers is that the animated storyline is 30 minutes long, allowing you to show just that portion of the video within a class period. I highly recommend this video for parents and teachers alike who want to introduce children to classical music. They'll be learning without them even knowing it!

Rating:
Summary: Post-Peter-and-the-Wolf trauma therapy needed
Review: I can't believe that kids around the world are still being subjected to this tuneless load of nonsense. I vividly remember myself and all my buddies at school being bored to death. It is not suited to children. Adults may love this load of old tripe, but kids are likely to refuse to continue in any form of classical music education. Prokofiev should be shot, the self-indulgent twit. Thankfully he expired some time ago, but his instrument of child torture continues beyond the grave. If you want your kids to like classical music then get them something lovely and tuneful. I remember falling in love with the nutcracker suite, Handels stuff and Rossini, and all at the tender age of 6 or 7. My brothers, even younger, loved these guys too.

Rating:
Summary: A great movie for young children
Review: My girls, ages 2-1/2 and 4-1/2, love this movie, and I love for them to watch it. Some of their friends have been troubled by the wolf eating the duck, but that's nature and the duck comes out fine.