Review by John Delia, Sr.
“Princess Elena of Avalor: Celebrations to Remember†takes you on six adventures in her kingdom of Avalor, each with a special meaning and heartfelt message. Now on DVD the special programing is perfect for the very young (boys and girls) and pre-teen girls. Included on the DVD are two bonus features of never before seen chapters in Elena’s life.
In chapter one we find Princess Elena celebrating in “A Day to Rememberâ€. It describes the faithful holiday called “Day of the Dead†where they honor their loved ones that have passed away. On this day however, Elena starts seeing ghosts, but for good reason.
In chapter two called “Navadad†Princess Elena celebrates Christmas. But, this year her sister wants to be with her best friend who is having their holiday in a different village. When several notables come to the Palace and offer their venues for the holiday, Princess Elena has to make a difficult choice.
In Chapter three “King of the Carnival†the holiday of “Carnival†is supposed to bring back fond memories of the past. But, this time Victor shows up revealing bad memories of the past between him and Chancellor Estaban. Will Princess Elena be able to change the tone of Carnival to happy again?
In chapter four “My Fair Naomi†one of Princess Elena’s best friends comes to visit with her for a week while Naomi’s parents are away. It’s also Naomi’s 15th birthday and Elena suggests they have a Quinceanera, a special party of her reaching the edge of adult responsibility. Chancellor Estaban feels she’s not ready, but will coach her on being a proper lady for the event.
In chapter 5 (located in Bonus Features) “Crystal in the Rough†finds Princess Isabel about to enter public school for the first time since being home schooled. But when Princess Elena drops her off at the school she sees that Princess Isabel has some doubts. She’s a little nervous about making friends. When the kids call her a “know it all†she has to use other tactics to become friends.
In the final chapter “Captain Turner Returns†Naomi has fixed up the lighthouse for the kingdom with Princes Isabel. The have built in a special feature she calls the Light Writer that can send messages using the light in the lighthouse. Naomi’s mom Captain Scarlet Turner, who has been away at sea for a long time will be returning home. She says she is bringing a surprise, but it may not be what Naomi was expecting.
SPECIAL BONUS:
Inside the box is a cool necklace for a young female with a locket on it commemorating the DVD release. There is also a Disney Movie Rewards Magic Code.
The animation is up to snuff with other TV shows and it doesn’t have the pesky ads to slow the action down. All the content is rated G and should not be offensive to anyone.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Very good entertainment for the young and a measure of fun for the older kids. (Rating for KIDS 4 stars out of 5)
Specifications and additional video information:
Voice Cast: Aimee Carrero, Jenna Ortega, Chris Parnell, Yvette Nicole Brown, Carlos Alazraqui, Emiliano DÃez, Jillian Rose Reed, Joe Nunez and Jane Fonda.  Producer: Craig Gerber.  TV Rating: TV-Y.  Genre: Adventure, Family, Disney.  Running Time: 92 min.  Video Release Date: Now Available.  Language: English (changeable to French or Spanish).  Reviewed Format: DVD.  Audio: Dolby Digital 2.0.  Video: Widescreen 1080p, Aspect Ratio 1.78:1.  Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish.  Number of Discs: 1 Disc.  Distributed by: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
The comments within this review are the critic’s expressed opinions.