Angry Birds Toons-Season 1, Volume 2: review and giveaway

Taking the story of a video game to another medium is problematic.  The material usually won’t stand  up to the larger format or longer running time.  With very few successes you can’t think of a video game that has successfully converted to another visual format other than games.  Sure it may have sold some different toys, but video is a whole different ballgame.  That is what is so surprising about Angry Birds Toons Season 1, Volume 2, it’s good.  Actually it’s better than good, has our kids laughing out loud and is entertaining for adults too, here’s why.

The episodes are short

Each episode of Angry Birds Toons is only three minutes.  This DVD has 26 mini-episodes, an Easter Holiday Special, and some special features about how they make the cartoon.  Telling a story in three minutes is difficult.  Doing it in a way that makes children laugh is even more challenging.  These episodes are like potato chips, you just can’t stop at one

The birds and pigs do not talk

They don’t talk in the video game and they don’t talk here.  Remember when our favorite animated figures started talking or featured them as babies?  That was too obvious a ploy to return to a brand that worked.  Angry Birds works as a brand and is still successful as a cartoon.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The animation is clever

There is an old school feel to Angry Birds Toons.  They start out with a  still that has the title of the episode.  It looks like an homage to Chuck Jones, if you’ve seen the old school Bugs Bunny toons they’ll look familiar.  In each episode there is something that digs deeper to make you laugh or think.  They aren’t deep thinking toons by any stretch; but they’re more clever than you realize.

The music is varied and well put together

Just like there is something visual in each episode that makes it work the music is different for each.   The music sometimes starts with the Angry Birds theme song and then seques into similar music that matches the scene.  It  is like the way James Bond has the iconic music and then blends it into the weave of the rest of the soundtrack.  Listen carefully and you’ll ear bars from movies that have parallel themes in the story.

Our 4 year old loves Angry Birds Toons.  His younger brother laughs out loud too.  There is nothing objectionable to it from a parent’s perspective and you’ll pinch yourself over the fact that you’re enjoying a cartoon that was born from a video game.