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MAGIC SCHOOL BUS RIDES AGAIN: BLAST OFF

The Magic School Bus Rides Again! Love this reboot of the magical series I grew up with. In our household Miss Frizzle can do no wrong as she makes learning complicated science lessons easily understandable and fun. I was worried that our family's all-time favorite learning series would be compromised in some way, but I'm happy to share that I can't wait to watch all the new episodes.

The Magic School Bus Rides Again starts with a new Miss Frizzle and a new school year in science class. Fortunately, we learn that Miss Frizzle is the younger sister of the original Miss Frizzle who is now Professor Frizzle, as she has been busy getting her Ph.D. and continues to be voiced by the incredible Lily Tomlin. Like classmate Arnold, I was nervous about accepting the new Miss Frizzle, but Kate McKinnon adds her voice and personality to her role as Miss Fiona Frizzle and we soon accept her as our new teacher. I say our because as a viewer you are pulled into the lessons being taught in each episode.

All of the original characters return in this series except for Phoebe who has moved and we are joined by a new classmate, Jyoti. The Blast Off! DVD contains four field trips and you will enjoy the new high-tech school bus and other updated gadgets in the new series which bring it into the 21st century. The animation is updated by animator Matthew DaSilva; you still recognize the characters and classroom, but it has a more modern feel and integrates well with the story. You just have to watch these episodes to see the other minor updates.

If you're new to the series, jump on the bus! The Magic School Bus Rides Again is such a fun way to learn, while being massively entertained. Each episode explores a science topic and the magic of the series is that it can take you forward or backward in time, place or size and alters your appearance in an effort to experience life as the subject you are studying.

The message of this series is to learn by taking chances and making mistakes and that is still as true today as when the original series aired. Kids learn through exploring the world around them and seeing how everything is interconnected. Miss Frizzle not only teaches us science but life lessons as well!

I rate this DVD 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 6 to 16 and, of course, adults will like it too as our family watched this incredible series together. This compilation is available now on Digital or DVD from NCircle Entertainment.

Reviewed by Selene W, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 12

I was absolutely wowed with The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off! This adventurous DVD collection kept me entertained, laughing and wanting more. You will ride along with crazy Ms. Frizzle and her lovable class on the adventure of a lifetime. 3...2...1 BLAST OFF!

The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off is a collection of four episodes: Frizzle of the Future, Space Mission: Selfie, Ready, Set, Fail! and Making Magic. Each episode has a new, exciting field trip to watch and enjoy. In this series you will travel from space to the Galapagos Islands while learning lessons about failure, teamwork, getting messy and having fun while doing it all! The kids and teacher you know and love are back and better than ever, so hop on for an experience you'll never forget!

While watching this DVD, many details stuck out to me. To start, the theme song is sung by Lin-Manuel Miranda! Not to mention that Ms. Frizzle is voiced by Kate McKinnon. Talk about some serious star power. On the topic of Kate McKinnon, she makes a great Ms. Frizzle, as she gives the character the craziness and yet, calm attitude that makes her really come alive. She isn't the only voice actor that sticks out to me. Miles KV, as Arnold, conveys realistic emotion through his character by only using his voice. Even when listening, you can tell he is worried about Ms. Frizzle and her shenanigans. The animation in this show has a very interesting touch. While the character and objects remain cartoonish, the backgrounds look magnificently real, especially when the glass goes to space.

The message of this series is: if at first you don't succeed, try again. The kids learn this through trying to take the perfect space selfie, to getting a magical orb that seems to hold all of life's answers. While doing these things, they figure out that failure can be a good thing, because you can learn from mistakes. They also learn that with good teamwork and a positive mindset, anything is possible.

I give The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off! 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it to ages 7 to 14. This series can now be found on DVD and Digital.

By Allison Buck, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 13

Let me take on you on a field trip because today we are learning about the new children's DVD The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off! This new DVD brings back the characters we all know and love and doesn't fail to bring back that hilarious, but educational feeling we get from these fifth graders and their wacky teacher! This DVD doesn't just deliver a flying school bus and a catchy theme song; it also delivers hilarious dialogue and creative adventures.

The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off! follows the same group of students and teachers as the original 90s show The Magic School Bus. Once again, it captures the adventures that Ms. Frizzle (Kate McKinnon) takes her fifth grade class on. This DVD includes four wild adventurous episodes, including going into space and repairing near-by satellites, and flying over the Galapagos Islands.

As a fan of the original show, I was skeptical at first because remakes can sadly sometimes diminish the love for the original. The new show is a breath of fresh air and leaves you wanting more of these wild field trips. Kate McKinnon is the best possible actress for the role of Ms. Frizzle because of her overall humor and energy. What a perfect fit!

This show is educational and provides belly-laughing humor without sounding forced. Many morals are also provided as it teaches children about the importance of teamwork and friendship. Along the way, this show teaches children that mistakes are okay; the best thing about mistakes is that you can learn from them.

This DVD goes above and beyond the stars just like Ms. Frizzle and her class do and provides an educational, yet fun-loving show that all children can enjoy. I give The Magic School Bus Rides Again Blast Off! 5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 4 to 8. It's available on DVD or Digital now so look for it.

By Jude Adler, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 14

I like The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Blast Off! because this collection of four animated episodes is very adventurous. What makes the episodes interesting is the magic school bus that can turn into any size or shape, which is pretty amazing. I would love to ride on that with my classmates. If I could go on such a fun and educational field trip, that would be something else.

This series features a science teacher, named Ms. Frizzle (Kate McKinnon). The older Ms. Frizzle (Lily Tomlin) is now a professor, so her sister (also named Ms. Frizzle, of course) takes over teaching the science class. In one episode, a student named Arnold (Miles KV) doesn't like the new Ms. Frizzle, so he takes her special plant and puts it on a turtle. When the plant falls, it turns into a huge problem when they go into the future. Another episode focuses on a girl named Keesha (Mikaela Blake) who is really excited for space camp, so she tries to get a really cool photo for her application. This results in yet another adventure with Ms. Frizzle. She goes to outer space with her class. You'll have to watch this DVD to see how these adventures turn out.

My favorite part is when the class goes to the future and everything is very upgraded. I love how the students get to fly on discs to school, because I would really like to do that myself. My favorite character throughout the episodes is Dorothy Ann (Gabby Clarke); she is very smart and always has great ideas, which are good traits. I value learning things to become smarter and coming up with new and different ways of doing ways to solve problems.

The message of this DVD is to never give up. Sometimes you don't succeed right away, but it you stay at it you'll get there. When I can't do something I want to give up, but I know that if I keep trying I can get better at anything.

I give The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Blast Off! 5 out of 5 starts and recommended it for ages 4 to 12. This DVD is out now, so go look for it!

Reviewed by Cadence G., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, Age 11

The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Blast Off! DVD blends engaging science topics with a touch of magic. The new Ms. Frizzle dazzles us with her magical adventures and uplifting sprit that makes learning entertaining. This leaves viewers with a deeper understanding of science and a love for learning.

It's a new school year, and there's a new Ms. Frizzle (Kate McKinnon) driving the beloved Magic School Bus on engaging field trips while the old Ms. Frizzle (Lily Tomlin) travels the world as a professor. Most of the characters from the original series are back for new adventures including Arnold (Miles KV), Carlos (Leke Maceda- Rustecki), Dorothy Ann (Gabby Clarke) and others. There is also a new student, Jyoti (Birva Pandya). With the new Ms. Frizzle in charge of the class, Arnold is having trouble adapting to this new change in Episode One, "Frizzle of the Future." This leads to quite the adventure and a lesson in the effects of an invasive species in the Galapagos Islands. Episode Two, "Space Mission: Selfie," sends students into orbit to learn about satellites. "Ready, Set, Fail!" challenges students to create a rover for an exoplanet while learning that mistakes are a part of the learning process. "Making Magic" takes the school principal on a ride with the class to the sun. All the episodes are enjoyable and full of facts.

It's exciting to see the characters Ms. Frizzle and Arnold continue to delight viewers with their humor, love for science and quirky ways. Kate McKinnon and Miles KV truly bring their characters to life. My favorite episode is "Making Magic." During a surprise bus inspection the principal overhears them discussing a field trip to the sun and decides he wants to come along for the ride. Little does he know this field trip is not a simulation but, in fact, a real trip to the center of the sun! They need to get to the center of the sun to charge the bus and, along the way, lots of things go wrong. It doesn't help that they have to keep the principal from figuring out that all of this is real.

Each episode expertly delivers educational lessons on the topics of the environment, technology in space, engineering and the sun. At the same time, it teaches the importance of team work, problem solving and courage. These lessons are taught with humor, facts, and of course, magic which keeps the viewer entertained.

I give The Magic School Bus Rides Again: Blast Off! 5 out of 5 stars. It is full of interesting facts and makes learning fun. I recommend this series for ages 7 to 14. It is available on DVD and Digital now.

Reviewed by Carlee S., KIDS FIRST! Film Critic, age 15

coming soon

Bus, do your stuff! Field trips with Ms. Frizzle are wilder than ever, into space, over to the Galapagos Islands even a plunge into the depths of the Sun itself. And along the way, the kids we know and love bring their science investigations into the 21st century still taking chances, making mistakes and getting messy! Climb aboard for a field trip you will never forget.