DVD Review

Jonas: Rockin' The House & Wizards On Deck With Hannah Montana

Official Synopsis:

Jonas -

Kevin, Nick and Joe are three guys facing the same challenges as teenagers all across America -- the only difference is they are also internationally famous rock stars in the band Jonas! Experience life through the eyes of the world's most popular trio in five episodes of Jonas on Jonas: Rockin' The House. Plus, this DVD includes two full bonus episodes and premieres the exclusive "You've Just Been Jo Bro'd" DVD feature that takes you along with the Jonas Brothers on their laugh-out-loud mission to surprise their co-star. Get ready to see even more of your favorite Disney Channel series with Jonas: Rockin' The House on DVD!

Wizards on Deck -

The stars of three Disney Channel favorites--HANNAH MONTANA, WIZARDS OF WAVERLY PLACE, and THE SUITE LIFE ON DECK--come together in this fun and funny crossover extravaganza. When Justin (David Henrie) wins a spot on the S.S. Tipton?s Teen Cruise to Hawaii, he takes Alex (Selena Gomez) and Max (Jake T. Austin) along for the ride of their life. Soon enough, they?re trading pranks with SUITE LIFE?s Zack (Dylan Sprouse) and Cody (Cole Sprouse), and mixing with Hannah Montana (Miley Cyrus) herself, who winds up on board on her way to a sold-out performance in the islands. This release of WIZARDS ON DECK WITH HANNAH MONTANA features a behind-the-scenes special with the cast and crew, as well as an extra reel of gags and bloopers.

Our Take:

The two latest Disney Channel TV-on-DVD releases are Jonas: Rockin' the House and Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana. I tend to be a little hit or miss with the Disney Channel shows (largely because I'm not a twelve-year-old) but as I can embrace my inner tweenager pretty well, I can see the value behind some of their shows. Even though I'm an admitted fan of the Jonas Brothers' music, I was still surprised by how much I enjoyed this show. It's definitely silly and doesn't take itself seriously, but the humor is quirky and cool, and the Jo Bros aren't too bad on screen. Nick, the most talented of the three musically, is also the most talented on screen. I'm not saying adults are going to be big fans of this show, but it's a lot of fun for teenagers.

Of course, as always, Disney has released the show as a five-episode disc (two of which are premiering on DVD, but I'm sure will be aired soon), rather than waiting and simply putting out a complete season box set. Arg.

Following that, we have Wizards on Deck With Hannah Montana, the second huge Disney Channel crossover film with Hannah Montana after That's So Suite Life of Hannah Montana. This 70-minute movie is actually three episodes of different Disney Channel shows that have been structured as one big crossover movie. Mixed together here are Wizards of Waverly Place (a show I generally enjoy), The Suite Life on Deck (which isn't too bad), and Hannah Montana (Ech.) The results are predictable mixed; there are some fun bits to this film, but Miley Cyrus is so annoying and is such a bad actress that she detracts from every project she's involved in.

Special Features:

Jonas -

• The only extra feature is a prank-filled "You've just been Jo Bro'd."

• How to Write an Essay
• It's a Suite Life Having Fun with Hannah & The Wizards
• Bloopers & Blunders
• Blu-ray is Suite
• Trailers