THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, January 31, 1995 TAG: 9501310037
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: CRAIG SHAPIRO
LENGTH: Long : 101 lines
THE PRESS RELEASE that came with ``A Troll in Central Park'' says Don Bluth's animated fable had a ``limited theatrical release'' last fall, meaning that if you blinked, you missed it.
Don't let that happen now that it's on video (Warner, $19.99). Like other projects from the former Disney man - ``The Secret of NIMH,'' ``An American Tail,'' ``The Land Before Time'' - this one will suit the whole family. Stanley is banished to New York, a place of rock and steel, because his good nature and green thumb give trolls a bad name. He lands in Central Park and, with the help of a boy and a girl, defeats the evil queen who sent him away.
Besides a nice lesson about the power of dreams, Bluth brings to ``Troll'' a rich palette of action and detail. Then factor in the vocal skills of Dom DeLuise, Charles Nelson Reilly and Cloris Leachman, who chews up the role of Queen Gnorga. Why the quick big-screen exit? See it and go figure.
``Gargoyles, The Movie: The Heroes Awaken'' (Buena Vista, $19.99) is such a departure that Disney fans may want to double-check the label. Taking a lead from the ``Batman'' TV series and last year's movie, it's a dark tale with dark characters tortured by revenge and duty. The bold, neo-Deco look is similar, too. Youngsters won't follow the sophisticated, expansive story line, but the plentiful action will hold their attention. For big brothers and sisters - and moms and dads - ``Gargoyles'' is a fast-moving 80 minutes that flies in every way.
Bonus: The video comes with an interactive board game that follows a 20-minute segment at the end of the movie.
Parents looking for something a little different should look into Wehman Video. A handful of new titles from the Seattle-based distributor is indicative.
In ``Tell Me a Story From Alaska'' (Skyriver), author Shannon Cartwright and artist Shelley Gill put a new spin on some old faves. ``Alaska's Three Bears'' follows a polar bear, a grizzly and a black bear on their trek home. At each stop - the icy north, the tundra and the forest - footage of bears in the wild is used to make points about the habitat and the need to protect it. It's an excellent, accessible concept. ``The Alaska Mother Goose,'' on the same tape, explores the folklore of the 49th state through rhyme and verse.
The mighty grizzly is the subject of ``The Biggest Bears'' (Skyriver), the work of Emmy-winning photographer Daniel Zatz. Narrated by an enthusiastic preschooler, the spirit is catching as the camera tracks the bears on the prowl and at play. Shots of dall sheep, sea otters, caribou, moose, red foxes and bald eagles will give Easterners of all ages a renewed appreciation for Alaska's wildlife riches.
``Cleared to Land'' (Westmoreland Productions) takes a different approach: Instead of narration, the producers let the pictures tell the story. And such pictures - every type of plane from ultralights, Learjets and 747s to Tomcats, Harriers and Stealth bombers. The flights of fancy are interrupted only by the roars of the planes and the chatter among the ground and cockpit crews. It's another clever concept. ``Working at Sea'' (John Sabella & Associates) isn't as lively, but give the producers credit for scope. The camera ventures from trawlers on the frigid Bering Sea to a tug working the Mississippi River.
Prices range from $12.95 to $24.95, plus shipping and handling. Wehman Video is at 2366 Eastlake Ave. East, Suite 312, Seattle, Wash. 98102. Call (800) 659-1553.
Kid Vision has added three titles to its popular series Live Action Video for Kids. Capt. Dave and Capt. Becky spend a little too much time aboard a luxury liner in ``There Goes a Boat''; still, the good-natured hosts cover a lot of ground. Locals will hang on their tour of the USS Alaska, one of the largest nuclear-powered subs in the world. Also new are ``There Goes a Spaceship'' and ``There Goes a Race Car.'' $10.95 each.
Seeing that ``Beanstalk'' (Paramount) is from Moonbeam, the outfit responsible for ``Prehysteria'' and ``DragonWorld,'' it's no surprise that it's as good as it is. Here, the producers update the fable by having Jack drop in on a family of giants that has evolved along the same lines as man, with a catch - they peaked in the 1950s. It's a gaudy goof, with spoofs of ``Jaws'' and ``Dirty Harry'' that grown-ups will love. J.D. Daniels is the little guy with big ideas; Stuart Pankin is the giant. Richard Moll and Margot Kidder co-star.
Paramount also has released three new ``Peanuts'' titles. ``Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown'' and two Snoopy valentine double features are $12.95 a pop.
Talk about your sweet tooth. While adults may feel like brushing after ``The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth'' (MCA/Universal), little kids won't have a problem with the Muppet cousin and his companion Brushbrush. In ``Timmy in Space,'' they rocket off to planet Shmenge to reclaim a space station from the Cavity Goon and Ms. Sweety. The truth: Older audiences will find a kind of otherworldly, jaw-dropping appeal in Tim, too. All titles go for $12.98 each.
MCA/Universal has packaged six episodes of ``Shelley Duvall's Bedtime Stories'' onto one $39.98 tape. Narrators include Mary Steenburgen, Kathy Bates and Rhea Perl-man.
``Jim Lee's WildC.A.T.s Covert Action Teams'' isn't selling anything new. Based on the Jim Lee-Brandon Choi comic, Grifter, Maul, Spartan and Co. are a hybrid of ``The X-Men'' and ``The Justice League of America.'' And the story is the same old epic battle between good and evil. The animation isn't half-bad, but the violence may be too much for youngsters. ``Mega Man'' could be their ticket. A Japanese import, it spins off the popular video game. Remember the old days when it was the other way around? Both are from Sony Wonder and list for $12.98.
Ditto for the two new ``Tales From the Cryptkeeper'' titles - again, they're suited more for older kids - and the first two collections of ``Rocko's Modern Life,'' the twisted Nickelodeon cartoon. by CNB