Bob the Builder: The Knights of Fix-A-Lot

Energetic handyman Bob the Builder continues his preschool-friendly stop-motion animation escapades in this 45-minute "feature length" (yeah, right) single episode. When Bob's retired (and bored) dad (also named Bob) shows up for a visit, laden with gifts for Bob's team of talking construction equipment, Bob is happy to see his pappy--until a commission for restoring a nearby castle comes in and Bob's pop takes over (even taking credit as the Bob the Builder). Inspired by tales of medieval times (introducing vocabulary about knights, jousting, and castle fixtures such as a moat and portcullis) and Camelot, the gang catches the spirit by bestowing cool Sir and Lady “fill-in-the-blank-a-lot” nicknames to each other, while scarecrow Spud fashions homemade armor. Eventually, Bob gets hot under the collar from Big Bob's antics: his dad calls him an “assistant,” gives inapt work orders, and wastes valuable time getting stuck in one debacle after another. Only after pop gets trapped in a garden maze does Bob finally tell his dad to move to the back burner. Big Bob complies, and all is well in time for the castle's grand opening revelries. An amiable addition to the popular series, this is recommended. Aud: K, P. (J. Williams)