Plot: What’s it about?
That lovable scamp Pippi Longstockings (Tami Erin) is back and this time, her adventures will be bigger and better than ever before. Pippi has been in some wild rides before, but when she is washed overboard on her father’s sea vessel, it seems as though she might be doomed, but of course, Pippi remains tough and makes it through. After she washes ashore, Pippi invades the coastal town nearby and finds an old, abandon mansion where she decides to set up her new home. She is free from adult supervision and what not, but her horse Alphonse and monkey Mr. Neilson provide more than enough company, at least for now. She soon finds herself getting into all sorts of adventures, from creating a homemade plane to braving the wild rapids inside a barrel, but her fun soon stalls. As time has passed, Pippi has made some new friends, but also some enemies and if they have their way, Pippi will be locked up in a children’s home for good. Of course, this means Pippi will have to concoct the wackiest, most off the wall plan ever, or else she will end up under lock & key and that means an end to her adventures.
I know this is a silly flick and all, but I always find myself watching on cable television, so this disc was one I was looking forward to. I’ve always liked the text based antics of Pippi, so this live action escapade was a real treat, even if very cheese laden at times. It doesn’t have much in terms of star power, but Tami Erin brings Pippi to life well and a decent supporting cast backs her up. I’ve always wondered why Erin never appeared in other projects, especially possible Pippi sequels or the like. I admit that the acting is over the top, the writing is cliched, and all sorts of other issues are present, but the flick is fun to watch and that is sometimes enough, as the case is here. I don’t claim this to be a great picture by any means, but I am pleased to own it on my favorite format, even with some problems. What problems, you ask? Well, Columbia/Tristar hasn’t put much effort into this one, even on the most basic levels. The visual transfer is full frame only instead of the proper 1.85:1, while extras are thin, with just some talent files included. I recommend this disc as a rental to fans, but I wish Columbia/Tristar could have shown their usual treatment techniques with this one, what a real disappointment indeed.
Video: How does it look?
The New Adventures of Pippi Longstockings is presented in a full frame transfer, which has been modified from the original 1.85:1 aspect ratio. Of course, the fact that this transfer is not in the proper form is reason enough to knock the score down low, but aside from that issue, how does this one stack up? That’s a mixed bag also, as some scenes turn out well and others, well they don’t fare as well. Most of the transfer has a lot of grain, but a few scenes look cleaner than others, so at least some of this looks decent enough. The colors and contrast seem strong whenever grain is low, but edge enhancement is present often, which is a let down. When it looks good, it looks very good, but on the whole, this is an inconsistent transfer from Columbia/Tristar.
Audio: How does it sound?
The audio turns out better, but still ends up less impressive than I’d like. The music comes across well, but lacks the depth I would expect, although it still surfaces in more than fine form, in the end. The song & dance numbers sound terrific and add some range to the mix, which is mostly dialogue driven the rest of the time. The vocals sound clean and crisp at all times, with no volume issues I could detect. This sounds much better than on television, so I am scoring it a little on the high side. This disc also includes a Spanish language track, as well as subtitles in English, French, and Spanish.
Supplements: What are the extras?
This disc includes talent files, but no other bonus materials.
