Search - Bob the Builder - To the Rescue on DVD

Phobia Central

Deesgee | Ca United States | 04/21/2004

(1 out of 5 stars)

"My 2-year-old loves Bob the Builder, and I would recommend other B-t-B shows, but NOT THIS ONE! It deals with the fears that the various machines have in a very negative way. Instead of overcoming and triumphing over their fears, they wallow in them and are consumed by them. Lofty, for example is afraid of heights. When Bob gets stuck on a tall scaffolding, Lofty is too afraid to lift the ladder to him, and leaves his friend stranded for several hours. Although Wendy does eventually manage to talk him through the process of lifting the ladder, Lofty does not learn to be any braver in the process. A similar situation happens when Muck is working in a tunnel when most of the lights go out--she is terrified of the dark, and is too afraid to move or come out of the tunnel even with help. Again, she eventually manages to come out of the tunnel, but has no growth or triumph from the experience. I let my son watch this DVD twice, after which he ran into a dark hallway, shut the door, and started saying, "it's not that dark! It's not that dark!" He has never been afraid of the dark, and I don't want him to learn to be from this DVD. We won't be watching this particular video again."

There is a reason for all the cheap, used copies of this

Allison D | Tucson, AZ United States | 07/30/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"This particular video features Lofty and Muck more than any other characters from the show. Nearly all of the episodes deal with one or another phobia (Lofty's fear of heights and general tentativeness, Muck's fear of the dark...and mice...and sounds at night). Both characters are shown whining on and on and on about their fears. It's truly annoying. Shows that deal with phobias can potentially help a toddler get over those fears, but this video simply reinforces them without showing characters that have overcome their fears. Each new episode starts with the same rediculous amount of fear and trepidation. Can we fix it? "Uh, I think so...."Other features I dislike are scenes of Spud the scarecrow taunting Lofty about his fears, and Bob exhibiting poor judgement about safety.My husband and I think Lofty should be fired. Please rent this before buying. Let's not encourage them to make any more copies of it."