Ralph S. Mouse and More Exciting Animal Adventure Stories - NR
Common Sense Note
Parents need to know that the third vignette in this DVD, Uncle Elephant, concerns a child whose parents disappear after promising to come right back, and that the child spends time listing all the mistakes he's made in his life as reasons they left. Other than that dark theme, the DVD includes engaging stories about characters overcoming bullies, mouse traps, and community rejection to find friendship and happiness. A scene of a live-action classroom includes a disabled student without making a big deal of inclusion.
Families can talk about the bullying boy in Ralph S. Mouse. Why do you think he's mean? Have you ever had to face a bully at school? If a mouse were to camp out in your classroom overnight, what would he find to eat? To play with? Why do you think that the other cavemen are so mean to Stanley?
Common Sense Review
Reviewed By: Nancy Davis Kho
Using a combination of live action and dimensional animation, this entry in the Scholastic Video Collection brings three stories to life, including the classic about Ralph the mouse and his motorcycle. While the animation may feel somewhat dated to kids raised on CGI (it was produced back in 1990 and re-released for the series), the stories are nuanced and the acting is better than expected. The Uncle Elephant story may worry children with its themes of parental disappearance, but the rest of the tales model good lessons of friendship and teamwork.
The first and longest of the three stories, Ralph S. Mouse, finds Ralph (voiced by John Matthews) living at the Mountain View Inn and driving its manager crazy with his forays by motorcycle. Protected by his two human friends, Matt the bellman (Hume Cronyn) and young Ryan (Robert Oliveri), Ralph realizes that he must leave the hotel or have Matt risk his job. Off he heads to school in Ryan's pocket, only to cause just as much havoc there as he had in his former home.
The teacher, Miss Kuchenbacker (Karen Black), is strict but kind, nurturing, and creative, and able to turn interpersonal conflicts into learning moments. Ryan must work together with the class bully to help witty Ralph find out whether the "S" in his name stands for smart or stupid, and the boy makes a new friend in the process.
The second story, Stanley the Caveman, isn't as rich as Ralph's, but it's a nice reminder that people who are different can have much to offer. The third segment, Uncle Elephant, is less successful than the first two, though its lesson that happiness can be found within sad moments is thought-provoking.
For more tales of clever mice, families may enjoy The Great Mouse Detective and Ratatouille, or the books Anatole and Mary and the Mouse, the Mouse and Mary.
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ViolenceA custodian hunts for a mouse with a series of increasingly elaborate tools, but no harm comes to Ralph "S for Smart" Mouse. An animated scene has menacing dinos chasing hapless cavemen. |
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Social BehaviorLots of growing and learning in this DVD. A bully and his victim, guided by a wise teacher, find they have something in common and become friends. Similarly a character who is different from others in his community is finally accepted and admired because of his differences. Finally, a character learns through a supportive adult that "happy things can come from sad times." |
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