“Barney and Friends,” the saccharine purveyor of purple dinosaur hugs and relentlessly cheerful songs, is a staple of many childhoods – for better or worse. For those parents navigating the overwhelming world of children’s television, the “Barney: Song and Dance” DVD might seem like an innocuous choice. But before you settle your little ones in front of Barney’s latest song-filled adventure, it’s worth taking a critical look at what this program offers, and whether it truly benefits young viewers. This review dives into the “Barney: Song and Dance” DVD, examining its content, production quality, and overall value as children’s entertainment, helping you make an informed decision about screen time in your household.
This particular DVD promises a “wonderful, funderful, superdy-duperdy” experience, packed with 27 songs within its 55-minute runtime. To put that into perspective, that’s significantly more songs than the classic movie musical My Fair Lady. The premise is simple: children receive invitations to Barney’s treehouse and promptly find themselves surrounded by glitter, generic party favors, and junk food. Barney’s friends, BJ and Baby Bop, also make appearances, contributing to the sing-along spectacle.
Barney DVD Cover 1
The song selection leans heavily on familiar children’s tunes and simplistic moral-based songs. Viewers are treated to renditions of classics like “B-I-N-G-O” and the potentially soul-crushing repetition of “The More We Get Together” and “If You’re Happy and You Know It.” One song attempts to tackle the topic of diverse family structures, hinting at complex issues like divorce and widowhood, though without any real depth. Adding to the surreal nature, a teenager inexplicably joins the children and becomes an instant Barney devotee. The adventure culminates in a glitter-induced trip to Storybookland, with everyone dressed in outfits described as reminiscent of a Kenneth Anger film – a bizarre comparison that parents might find more unsettling than amusing.
Barney and Friends Group Shot
Beyond the surface-level cheerfulness, there are undercurrents that raise eyebrows. As noted in the original review by Patrick McCart of “The Flickering Window,” Barney’s interactions with the children, unsupervised by adults, can feel slightly unsettling. Phrases like Barney calling children his “special friends” and inviting them into his tent in the woods add to this sense of unease for some viewers. The content itself also includes questionable elements, such as songs focused on candy bars and milkshakes, and another about a large tree in the forest – themes that, while seemingly innocent, lack educational substance.
Barney and Children in Storybook Land
Video and Audio Quality: A Technical Disappointment
From a technical standpoint, the DVD’s presentation leaves much to be desired. The 1.33:1 aspect ratio reflects its video-based origins, and while colors are vibrant, the detail is only “somewhat good,” as McCart puts it, highlighting Barney’s “fur” as a point of minor clarity. However, the video suffers from interlacing and poor compression, resulting in macroblocking during shot changes, pulsating stationary image sections, and dot crawl in red areas. The reviewer humorously laments the missed opportunity to shoot the show in 35mm for a potential high-definition remaster, underscoring the low production values.
The audio is equally basic, presented in a plain 2.0 stereo track at 256 kbps. Dialogue is described as flat and centered, while songs have slightly better separation. There’s no surround activity or low-frequency effects, offering a rudimentary audio experience. A bonus CD sampler with five songs is included, perhaps acknowledging the limitations of the DVD’s audio quality.
Barney and BJ Singing
Supplements: Barely There Extras
The supplemental materials on the DVD are minimal. They include trailers for other children’s DVDs like “Bob the Builder” and “Thomas the Tank Engine,” as well as a 20th-anniversary Barney compilation. A matching game is included but is reportedly unplayable due to authoring issues. A brief biography section updates viewers on the child actors, revealing mundane details like one now working in fiber optics and another’s fondness for pickles. The extras conclude with a music video for the “Barney Boogie.” Overall, the supplements offer little value beyond basic promotional content and trivial updates.
Concluding Thoughts: Rethinking Barney for Your Child
In conclusion, while “Barney: Song and Dance” delivers a high volume of songs and familiar characters, it falls short in terms of educational content, production quality, and overall value. As Patrick McCart aptly advises, parents might want to reconsider exposing their children to Barney and instead opt for more enriching alternatives like “Sesame Street.” Shows like “Sesame Street” offer genuine educational content and higher production standards, contributing more positively to a child’s development. While Barney may seem like a harmless sing-along, a closer look reveals a program that is ultimately lacking in substance and potentially unsettling in its implications. For parents seeking quality entertainment for their children, exploring options beyond the purple dinosaur might be a more beneficial choice.
