Plot Details: This opinion reveals major details about the movie's plot.
My son is a big fan of The Wiggles and lately it seems I am too! After seeing countless video clips of The Wiggles between shows on Playhouse Disney, I decided it was time to purchase a few full-length videos. After the first two videos we purchased (Wiggle Time and Yummy Yummy) were such a big hit I decided to just go for the gold and purchase an entire collection of Wiggles videos.
A Wiggly Background
If you are not familiar with The Wiggles, they are a group of four Australian grown men who sing and dance around and perform children's tunes. Each member of The Wiggles (Greg, Murray, Anthony, and Jeff) wears their own color (Yellow, Red, Blue, and Purple) and has a distinct performance personality. The Wiggles are joined by a few of their friends which include: a pirate (Captain Feathersword), a dog (Wags the Dog), a green dinosaur (Dorothy the Dinosaur), a purple octopus (Henry the Octopus) and a few other friends - which add to the fun. Their biggest appeal is the 6 and under crowd with a strong toddler contingent making up quite a large fanbase in Australia, US, and Canada.
About Toot Toot! Toot Toot! is one of the more recent releases from The Wiggles which came out in 2001. The full length feature contains 18 tunes plus skits and is recommended for ages 3 and up. I'm not so sure about that age recommendation since my 16 month son really enjoys this tape. There is nothing inappropriate for the under 3 crowd here, so I'd say a more appropriate age recommendation would be for ages 1 yr and up.
Toot Toot! vs. Others Wiggles tapes
If you compare Toot Toot! to some other earlier Wiggles Tapes you will notice a big difference that can be accounted for by one reason only - money! As The Wiggles are raking in the bucks they are now able to put more money into the sets, lighting, and other "niceties" in their tapes.
Whereas Wiggle Time only had one set background (a blue cloud stage), Toot Toot! takes place in a variety of settings including indoor and outdoor stage settings.
Props and costumes are also a bit more sophisticated (anything is more sophisticated then just colored skivvies and black trousers). For example, in one segment Officer Beaples delivers each of The Wiggles their own police officer costume (old fashioned style) which is in their official Wiggles color. Another nice touch in Toot Toot! is that at the beginning of each music segment the name of the song is shown on the screen for a few seconds, much like in a music video.
Unlike their earlier tapes, Toot Toot! also has a semblance of a plot. Nothing sophisticated but enough to appeal to a preschool crowd. The premise of Toot Toot! is that the Wiggles vehicle (Big Red Car) has broken down and The Wiggles need to get it fixed. During the Big Red Car's downtime the Wiggles travel around and meet up with their pals and sing and dance. In addition to their usual cohorts - Dorothy the Dinosaur, Captain Feathersword, Henry the Octopus, and Wags the Dog - The Wiggles are also joined by 2 new visitors, Officer Beaples and Zardo Zap.
The Wiggles Toot Toot! Track Listing
1. Look Both Ways
2. John Bradlelum
3. Henry's Underwater Big Band
4. Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes
5. Food, Food, Food (Oh How I Love My Food)
6. Go Captain Feathersword, Ahoy!
7. Do The Wiggle Groove
8. Dorothy the Dinosaur (Tell Me Who Is That Knocking)
9. Balla Balla Bambina
10. I Climb Ten Stairs
11. Move Your Arms Like Henry
12. Silver Bell
13. Wags The Dog, He Likes to Tango
14. We're Dancing with Wags the Dog
15. Officer Beaples' Dance
16. Zardo Zap
17. Let's Have a Ceili
18. Toot Toot, Chugga Chugga, Big Red Car
Our Favorite Tunes
Look Both Ways - This is the first song on the tape and sets the tone of the movie. My son is up and wiggling from the start of this catchy tune. I also like the message that this tune teaches. Look Both Ways is a song about crossing the street safely.
Stop at the light. Look both ways. Look both ways again. Wait for the traffic to come to a stop. And cross the road with a friend
The Wiggles Groove - This tune has gotten into my head. I freely admit that I've caught myself humming and singing it in public. There is something about this segment on the tape that makes me want to get out of my seat and dance along. The segment is a straight dance number featuring the entire Wiggles cast of characters.
Food Food Food (Oh How I love My Food) which is a song that will get your mouth watering, but thats ok because you are wiggling and working off calories! The Wiggles singers are wearing colored chef outfits for this number.
Other Favorites include: Go Captain Feathersword, Ahoy!, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Move Your Arms like Henry, and We're Dancing with Wags the Dog. My son enjoys the appearance of these friendly characters in various Wiggles programs.
Our Least Favorite Segments
Its hard to name a least favorite, because we like everything on this tape. But, if I had to name the parts we care for the least it would be the new additions to the Wiggles cast of characters -- Officer Beaples and Zardo Zap. These two characters are simply dancers dressed up in costumes. Not much is done to develop their character's personality like we've seen with Wags the Dog, Dorothy the Dinosaur, Henry the Octopus, and of course Captain Feathersword (our favorite pirate).
Overall Recommendation
Toot Toot! by The Wiggles is a great addition to the family of Wiggles videos. My recommendation for this video is for the 1-4 yr preschooler set, especially those who enjoy music, fingerplays, and dancing. It is a great joy to watch my son respond to The Wiggles. He is mesmerized by these guys and will imitate the motions and moves. In addition, since watching these tapes he has learned a few new animal sounds and hand gestures. Parents may even find themselves enjoying it too and singing and humming the tunes wherever you may go. Toot Toot! is fun for kids to watch alone, with other children or together with a parent. Put on your dancing shoes, pop in the tape, and get ready to Do The Wiggles Groove!
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My Wiggles Reviews
After one ride in the Wiggles' Big Red Car, you'll be giggling and wiggling nonstop. "Toot Toot" and "Chugga Chugga" along with Australia's hottest ch...More at HotMovieSale.com
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