Recess - Taking The Fifth Grade (1997)

Only here can you see the final chapter of the RECESS series. Everyone's favorite fourth graders have graduated! It's an all-new school year for the kids from RECESS -- and the gang hits the fifth grade running! But they're stopped in their tracks when they discover some unwelcome changes -- no pizza, no playground . . . no lockers! And to make things worse, their teacher turns out to be the cantankerous Miss Finster! It's all too much for T.J., who is determined to find a way to stand up for what the gang believes in and improve the school they love! The fifth grade brings out the best in everyone ... even Miss Finster and Principal Prickly! Full of excitement, surprises, and loads of laughs, you'll discover TAKING THE FIFTH GRADE proves that working together is a great way to learn about friendship, cooperation, and most of all, fun!

awesome recess

Recess Taking The Fifth Grade is awesome.This video movie is based on the Recess series and theatrical movie. This review contains spoilers. This movie isn't just one story it's three stories into one movie about T.J and his gangs' misadventures in fifth grade. In the first story T.J and his gang go to their first day in fifth grade expecting it to be the best first day ever, but instead they find out thatMiss Finster is the new teacher. The food is disgusting,and the playground gets taken away from everyone in the school. T.J makes a protest to make everything back to normal. Mr White makes an unexpected appearance,but don't worry it has a good ending. In the second story the gang goes to meet the new king Larry of the playground, who T.J thinks will give him a reward for the protest, but instead shows the gang to the secret fifth and six graders club. But when the gang finds out Mikey and Gus are making fun of the little kids the gang decides unexpectantly to ask a kid to help them stop. The old king Bob of the playground makes an appearence. In the third story it's Halloween and Spinnelli is thinking she's to old for Halloween. It will take the gang and a little help from Mrs Finster to help Spinelli have the Halloween spirit. This movie is awesome and as a treat the D.V.D has the first two episodes of the show. Everone in the movie, including Robert Goullet as principal Prickly, do a great job.This movie has plenty of laughs and fun. If your a fan get it! February 16, 2004

A PRETTY GOOD DVD

I have to say I am a HUGE Recess fan and when I heard the news of this DVD and the Kindergarten one, I was very excited! I of course went and bought them the first chance I had and I was very dissapointed, mostly because of the boring Kindergarten one.... but Neways Taking the Fifth Grade is pretty darn good considering it is made up of 3 NEW episodes. They don't exactly all focus on fifth grade but they are just as great as the orignals, but I just can't help how annyoing TJ's voice is! It sounds NOTHING like the original TJ who went through puberty and was too deep so they cast some boy who sounds like a teenage girl! January 2, 2004

A Disappointing Finale For An Out Of This World TV Series

If you have bought "Recess: Miracle on Third Street" and/or "Recess: All Growed Down" and wondered what was up with the whole flashback thing...and why Disney is giving substandard and disappointing DVDs..

It's because usually Disney gives any cartoon series a 65 production limit (even if it's a huge sucess [like Recess] or a horrible failure) but since Recess was SO popular Disney hesitantly accepted for 13 new episodes to be made and they are being put into DVDs or they were shown after the Recess: School's Out movie (I think only 4 were shown on TV: Terrifying Tales of Recess, Lost Leader, Kurst the Not So Bad, and Mundy, Mundy) Sadly instead of Disney continuing to make NEW episodes, that still has a potential gold mine of profit, Disney believes that kids won't know any better and believe showing the same 65 episodes again for syndication will make them think it's still new. But my younger cousins (8-12 years old), and I know other kids are smarter than that...and can tell what are reruns..

But back to the DVD, this DVD like the other 2 I mentioned earlier are loosely held together, but thankfully this time ALL OF THESE episodes are never before seen. There are three new episodes where TJ stands up against school changes, the gang discover a 5th/6th grade club under the jungle gym, and when Spinelli thinks she is too old for Halloween (this episode is great for kids around 10 who are questioning whether celebrating Halloween is childish or not).

The DVD contains two bonus TV series premiere episodes: The Break In, and the New Kid.

TJ, his gang, and the school are not the only things that have changed! The original voice actors for TJ and Mikey are different since the original actors' voices had become too deep. (Their voices are OK, and you'll notice the change but the spunk in TJ's voice is kind of gone.) If you are hoping for any type of dialogue or conflict with the Ashleys, Gelman, Hustler Kid, or any other kid characters...there are very little.

If you are worried about the characters not remembering their last year experiences...don't worry they do and the dialogue shows that.

This DVD is announced as the final chapter to the Recess series, and I find it as a hollow disappointing finale (considering it's supposed to be the finale.) I was expecting something grand, exciting, and momunmental like the Recess: School's Out movie but the three stories seemed average and kind of flat.

(I thought a proper finale would have been when the gang was leaving Third Street [ending 6th grade] since they would be leaving the school they had so many adventures in, they would be going to a new school, and that Recess would never be the same since they are going into middle school.)

The "luster" of these stories in the 5th grade DVD are dulled somewhat by making the gang's experiences more average or ordinary [like a regular, real world school] compared to the TV series.

If you are huge Recess fan, I'm sure you'll want this to catch up on your favorite characters but don't hold your expectations too high like I did.

It's rumored that there is another DVD in August of 2004 called "Recess: First Day of School"...Hmmm I wonder what that's about if this 5th grade DVD is the finale?

Anyway, it's kind of sad that Disney is throwing away such high-rated, award winning, and huge profit making cartoon. It's still remarkable that it's still airing on network television since fall of 1997, but ever since 2001...it's now just showing reruns.

I guess all good things have to come to an end, it's just too bad that it had to end in a small solitary "kazooing" blow (you know those blowing toys the kids make noise with)...

I hope this review helps you guys out! December 29, 2003

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