Recess the Movie: School's Out [WS]

Overview

"Though the animation in Disney's Recess: School's Out is no better than what one would find on Saturday morning, the DVD tries its best to strive for a little more. For starters, the image, which is framed at 1.66:1 and is anamorphic, is surprisingly detailed. Detail is very sharp and colors are well saturated. Little to no distracting elements means that the picture here translates extremely well from the theatrical version, maybe even more so since the children's series comes from television in the first place. The sound is also strong, with a 5.1 Dolby Digital English track. While generally centered up front without much use of the surround speakers, dialogue and sound effects are clear and distinct, which is probably all that can be asked for with a film like this. Also available is a Spanish-language track and English closed-captions. In an unexpected move, a number of extras have been included that are designed more for younger viewers. Along with two music videos, the theatrical trailer, and numerous Disney ""sneak peeks"" including Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs and Monsters, Inc., there is a ten-minute featurette called ""Animation Camp"" that shows the different steps in making this film. Also included is a very brief segment with ten secrets of Recess, the most amusing being that the series' creators can't draw. Finally, along with some DVD-ROM content, is a Recess comic book that can be viewed with our without narration and a game where three of the kids need to be rescued in the playground. All in all, while not an outstanding film, Disney has produced a nice DVD that will especially appeal to kids."

Product Details

Release Date:	08/07/2001
UPC:	0786936147902
Original Release:	2001
Rating:	G
Source:	Walt Disney Video
Region Code:	1
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:24:00

Special Features

Recess: The Schoolyard Challenge trivia game; Recess animation camp; Recess Digital Comic Book: The Trouble With Shorts; Ten secrets of Recess; "Green Tambourine" music video performed by Robert Goulet; "Dancing in the Street" music video performed by Myra; Theatrical trailer; DVD-ROM features; Widescreen [1.66:1]; Enhanced for 16x9 televisions; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound; Spanish-language track

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

James Woods	Dr. Benedict
Dabney Coleman	Principal Peter Prickly
Ashley Johnson	Gretchen Grundler
Pamela Segall	Ashley Spinelli
Robert Goulet	Mikey Blumberg (singing)
Melissa Joan Hart	Becky Detweiler
April Winchell	Miss Muriel Finster
Peter MacNicol	Fenwick
Allyce Beasley	Miss Alordayne Grotkey
Rickey D'Shon Collins	Vince LaSalle
Paul Willson	Coach Kluge
Courtland Mead	Gus P. Griswald
Jason Davis	Mikey
Dan Castellaneta	Guard No.1
Diedrich Bader	Guard No.2
Gregg Berger	Tech No.1
Ron Glass	Dr. Lazenby/Tech No. 2
Klee Bragger	Digger Sam
Clancy Brown	Bald Guy
Toran Caudell	King Bob
Rachel Crane	Ashley Q
E.G. Daily	Cap'n Sticky
Lee Ermey	Colonel O'Malley
Tony Jay	Dr. Rosenthal
Clyde Kusatsu	Mr. Yamashiro
Charles Kimbrough	Mort Chalk
Andrea Martin	Lunch Lady No.1
Tress MacNeille	Lunch Lady No.2/Opera Director/Dr. Steinheimer
Anndi McAfee	Ashley A
Mark Robert Myers	Technician
Ryan O'Donohue	Digger Dave/Randall
Jack Riley	Golfer No.1
Phil Proctor	Golfer No.2/Scientist No.2
Patrick Renna	Jordan
Nick Turturro	Cop No.1
Kevin Michael Richardson	Cop No.2
Justin Shenkarow	Soldier Kid/Wrestler Kid
Michael Shulman	Hustler Kid
Fancesca Marie Smith	Ashley B/Swinger Girl/Upside-down Girl
Kath Soucie	Counselor
Robert Stack	Superintendent
Ken Swofford	Coach
Erik Von Dettin	Captain Brad/Lawson
Katey Sagal	Mrs. Flo Spinelli
Andrew Lawrence	TJ
Denis M. Hannigan	Composer

Technical Credits

Jonathan Greenberg

Chuck Sheetz	Director,Producer
Joe Ansolabehere	Producer,Executive Producer
Allyson Bosch	Casting
Paul Germain	Producer,Executive Producer
Stephen Swofford	Producer
Jonathan Greenberg	Screenwriter
Ronald Eng	Sound/Sound Designer

Editorial Reviews

It might be overstating things to say that Recess: School's Out has something to offer for the whole family. After all, a bureaucrat's crackpot plan to squash recess and summer vacation won't get anyone riled up above, say, age eight. Still, Disney does an entertaining job bringing its Recess TV show to the big screen, with writing that supplies dimension to the rudimentary drawings and enough cleverness to exceed expectations for an out-and-out kiddie movie. Animators have a reputation as hippie slackers who like to slip drug references into their projects, and here they manage it with nice G-rated fondness, showing giddy flashbacks to the days when the teachers were tie-dyed 1970s radicals (an era the soundtrack mirrors). The film may have the look and feel of a Saturday morning cartoon, but it has a much smarter sensibility than that and gives the characters a lot more credit. Viewers who get an occasional King of the Hill vibe from Recess should not be surprised. Director Chuck Sheetz has helmed episodes of the popular Fox animated series, and Pamela Segall, who voices Ashley Spinelli, the tomboy with pro wrestling aspirations, also does the voice for Bobby Hill.