The US of A is one big country, but only so much material about the Lower 48 will fit on a DVD for kids—even one that runs a generous 120 minutes. TripFLIX, hosted by teens Alex Fast and Emily Woodhouse, crisscrosses the nation to visit 25 kid-friendly locations, ranging from the popular (Sea World) to the decidedly less so (“Carhenge” in Nebraska). The destinations offer a good mix of historic sites (at Plymouth Rock, Emily asks incredulously, “That's it?”), sports-themed stops (the factory where the Louisville Slugger baseball bats are made, Oriole Park at Camden Yards), and educational venues (such as Space Camp in Huntsville, AL, and the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin, ME). Clearly, a lot of work went into this production: the publicity material says that the crew traveled over 20,000 miles during the shoot, and spent hundreds of hours in editing to add the historical film footage, the (sometimes overdone) special effects, and the (usually overdone) sound effects. Not only are all of the segments individually accessible in a choose-your-own-road-trip-adventure format, but the disc also features interactive quizzes. While some of the destinations might be of dubious interest (Augusta, GA's minor league baseball team? Or the same state's Rock City gnomes?) there is definitely enough variety here to interest most young viewers. Recommended. Aud: K, E, P. (R. Reagan)
TripFLIX
(2007) 120 min. DVD: $24.99. TripFLIX. PPR. Volume 23, Issuez 4
TripFLIX
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