Suburban Reviews

Having been a nanny to a young boy and then having a couple of my own, I am no stranger to Bob the Builder. With all the trucks and tools and construction going on in each episode, its probably the only preschool-age show on tv that is aimed mostly towards boys. When I was offered an advance copy of Bob the Builder On Site- Roads and Bridges from the Parent Bloggers Network, my two little guys were over the moon excited.

Right up front I have to say this DVD took some getting used to, because it is NOTHING like the tv series. Oh, Bob, Dizzy and Rolley are there, but everyone else seems to be missing in action. Where is Pilchard? Where is Spud? And where oh where is his are-they-or-aren’t-they partner Wendy? Not once is her voice heard in this movie, quite odd since she is a regular on the tv show. While I’m sure plenty of little girls would still watch it without her, it is nice to have a relateable female character, something this episode lacked. On the other hand, the live action mixed with the usual animation proved to be a novelty that kept both boys watching the entire hour.

The best part of this movie was by far the scenes that showed the real trucks. We have a couple of movies about trains and trucks, but this was the first I’ve seen that tells what they are and how they worked, rather than just saying what they do and moving on. Whether due to the content itself, or being stuck inside with 2 sick boys, I was strangely fascinated by the explanation on when you use a large cement mixer and when to use a small one. Who knew they even came in different sizes?

Despite missing the regular supporting characters, the video was a hit here all the way around, and one I’m sure will be getting plenty of play time with my two wanna-be builders

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