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Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama DVD Review

Buy Kim Possible Movie: So the Drama from Amazon.com Kim Possible: So the Drama
The Top-Secret Extended Edition
Movie & DVD Details

Director: Steve Loter

Voice Cast: Christy Carlson Romano (Kim Possible), Will Friedle (Ron Stoppable), Tahj Mowry (Wade), Nancy Cartwright (Rufus), Gary Cole (Dr. Possible/Dad), Jean Smart (Dr. Possible/Mom), Raven (Monique), John Di Maggio (Dr. Drakken), Nicole Sullivan (Shego), Shaun Fleming (Tim & Jim Possible), Rider Strong (Brick Flagg)

Original Air Date: April 8, 2005 / Running Time: 71 Minutes / Rating: TV-G

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen
Dolby Digital 5.1 (English)
Subtitles: English; Closed Captioned
DVD Release Date: May 10, 2005
Single-sided, dual-layered disc (DVD-9)
Suggested Retail Price: $19.99
White Keepcase

Review by Aaron Wallace

After nearly three years on the air, "Kim Possible" has become one of Disney's most popular modern franchises. It centers around the title character (Christy Carlson Romano), the sassy daughter of a rocket scientist father and brain surgeon mother. Aside from her brilliant family and the fact that she's a famous superhero, she's very much an average teenager.
Armed with agility, cool gadgets, and trendy lingo, she faces daily battles on two fronts: global villainy and, perhaps even more terrifying, high school. By her side is Ron Stoppable (Will Friedle), her best friend/side-kick and as great a character as Kim herself, as well as Ron's buddy, Rufus the naked mole rat (Nancy Cartwright), super-sleuth Wade (Tahj Mowry), and her other best friend, Monique (Raven). In So the Drama, Kim Possible and the gang team up for their second feature-length Disney Channel Original Movie, apparently intended to serve as the series finale, even though a few episodes debuted following its premiere.

Dr. Drakken (John Di Maggio), one of the series' frequent villains, has hatched yet another scheme for global domination. Unlike his usual attempts, though, it seems that this time he may have finally found the weakness for Possible and Stoppable: boys for the former, food for the latter.

With the help of the dastardly vixen and KP antithesis, Shego (Nicole Sullivan), Drakken buys out Ron's favorite fast food chain and gives away devil-like "diablo" toys with every meal in hopes that they will have spread to every town in the nation by the time he's ready to call them into action. Meanwhile, he turns his attention on thwarting Kim's inevitable heroics by taking particular interest in Eric, her new crush and potential prom date.

"Could It Be" that Kim and Ron have feelings for one another? How does Ron feel about Kim's prom date, the new kid, Eric? "Not cool!"

Dr. Drakken isn't the only one keeping an eye on Eric, though. Ron finds himself curiously bothered by Kim's affections towards another boy, awakening him to buried feelings. The series flirted with the romantic arc between its two main characters throughout its run, and in the new movie, it finds its peak. The two storylines, one dealing with love and the prom and the other following the saving of the world, parallel one another and interwine in both comedy and suspense.

The movie opens with an energetic action scene and a title sequence that pairs a Bond-esque version of the "Kim Possible" theme with a parody of the typical 007 opening credits. The delicate blend of action and comedy is maintained throughout the movie and one almost never seems to off-balance the other.

An all-star cast brings the characters to life yet again. For a made-for-tv movie, the animation is pleasing and the score is engaging. In all, So the Drama shapes up to be a fun and entertaining movie, despite what the teen-boppy title might suggest. As part of Disney's loosely constructed "DCOM" (for Disney Channel Original Movie) line, So the Drama comes to DVD as a Top-Secret Extended Edition. I wasn't able to see the Disney Channel premiere of the movie, so I'm not entirely sure how much of this is new, but the feature runs 71 minutes and feels very much complete.

Kim and Ron find themselves in a bind when it temporarily seems that Dr. Drakken has outsmarted them for the first time. Is that Mirage from "The Incredibles"? No! It's just her look-alike, the local reporter delivering the scoop on Buenos Nacho's new "diablo" toys.

VIDEO and AUDIO

The DVD presents the movie in what Disney calls "family-friendly" 1.78:1 widescreen, which appears to be the way it was animated, even if it wasn't the way it was originally broadcast. The video, which is enhanced for 16x9 televisions, looks great. Vibrant and colorful, it's free of any noticeable flaws.

The audio presentation is likewise excellent. The Dolby Digital 5.1 track is very well-mixed, bringing in the rear channels in action sequences for a dynamic surround sound experience. When appropriate, the DVD delivers considerable bass too.

In the bonus episode, "Gorilla Fist,", KP & Co. find themselves doing something they never thought they would: assisting the enemy! This enjoyable deleted scene ("Hard Core Evil") analyzes how evil high school can be.

BONUS FEATURES and DESIGN

As Disney establishes a new line of DVDs in DCOMs, they seem to want light but enjoyable bonus features as a staple of the collection. As such, So the Drama comes with just that. First up and most substantial is the previously unseen half-hour episode from the show, "Gorilla Fist,"
which is interestingly presented in anamorphic widescreen. Kim slowly uncovers a secret Ron has been hiding about his superhero training and it eventually leads them on a chase to save one of their enemies! Any episode is a nice inclusion, but this one seems particularly relevant as it hints at some of the romantic tensions between Kim and Ron that are highlighted in the film.

The disc also offers two deleted scenes... "10 Times Better" (0:14), a very brief and bland segment in which Ron and Kim ride a scooter, and "Hard Core Evil" (0:56), a much funnier segment in which Ron confronts the lunch lady about poor food quality and Kim contrasts "hard core evil" from "high school evil." It's probably for the best that the first clip was deleted, but it seems a shame that the latter had to go, but at least it's included here. These scenes are presented in non-anamorphic widescreen.

The third and final section of bonus features offers two music videos of songs from the film. The first, Jesse McCartney's "Get Your Shine On" is a catchy number in the vein of Michael Jackson. The second, "Could It Be" by the voice of Kim herself, Christy Carlson Romano, is disappointingly boring and not nearly as vocally impressive as Romano has proven herself capable of. The first video is presented in non-anamorphic widescreen and Surround; the latter is in the standard 4:3 ratio and 5.1 audio.

The extremely talented Jesse McCartney, a Disney-spawned up-and-comer on Hollywood Records, delivers another catchy performance with "Get Your Shine On." It might not be his best, but it's still a fun song. Christy Carlson Romano looks great here. Unfortunately, she doesn't sound nearly as good in the music video for "Could It Be" as she has in other performances. Kim Possible Movie's still but thematic (thanks to music) Main Menu.

The disc opens with previews for the upcoming theatrical event Herbie: Fully Loaded, as well as Get A Clue, The Even Stevens Movie, Cadet Kelly, and My Scene Goes Hollywood: The Movie on DVD. The Sneak Peeks section reveals looks at Tarzan II, the Pocahonatas 10th Anniversary Edition, the Halloweentown trilogy on DVD, "Kim Possible": The Villain Files, and the Disney Channel's original series, "That's So Raven."

Interestingly, the back of the case claims the movie to be “Kim Possible’s” first feature-length excursion for the Disney Channel. In fact, it is the second. In light of the fact that 2003’s “A Sitch In Time” was divvied up into three episodes, though, this otherwise obvious marketing ploy is somewhat forgivable.

The menus use the now-standard Easyfind navigation system, lending a weighty feel to the disc, even though there isn't a whole lot there. Music from the movie accompanies each still menu.

It's personal for Kim this time! She, Ron, and Rufus narrowly save Dr. Possible from a killer octopus in Dr. Drakken's lair. To the rescue!

CLOSING THOUGHTS

"Kim Possible" is a clever show that, through entertaining storylines and well-defined characters, can strike interest with viewers of either gender and just about any age. The series' charisma is certainly carried over into So the Drama, and even magnified. Entertaining from beginning to end, there isn't much not to like about the movie itself, especially for those who are already fans of the series, but even for newcomers as well.

The DVD is equally satisfying. While it doesn't have the supplementary bulk of one of Disney's Platinum Edition DVDs, it brings home a fulfilling amount of material for a made-for-TV movie. If this release is indicative of things to come, it bodes well for the future of the "DCOM" collection of DVDs.

More on the DVD / Buy from Amazon.com

Related Reviews:
"Kim Possible": The Villain Files"Lizzie McGuire": Box Set Volume One
"That's So Raven": Supernaturally Stylish"The Suite Life of Zack & Cody": Taking Over the Tipton
Little Einsteins: Mission Celebration!"JoJo's Circus": Take a Bow
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Reviewed May 10, 2005.