Unaccompanied Minors
DVD
Warner Home Video 112022 - Region 1
90 minutes

List Price: $28.98 (Check Price at Amazon.com)

Available on DVD 8/7/2007

	Theatrical	This DVD
Aspect Ratio:	2.35:1	2.35:1
Audio:	Dolby Digital DTS SDDS	Dolby Digital 5.1

This DVD is a flipper, with the theatrical widescreen 2.35:1 presentation on one side, and a pan-and-scan 1.33:1 presentation on the other. Unless you're watching a movie on your iPod or a 7-inch television, there is no reason to chop off so much of the movie by watching the pan-and-scan version. As with The Astronaut Farmer that I reviewed previously, it's nice that Warner Home Video provides both formats on one disc so that people who (mistakenly) want the full-screen version will also have the better widescreen version when they realize why pan-and-scan is the devil's handiwork.

For more information, please see "Why am I seeing black bars when I watch movies?"

Disc 1 Contents

• Movie
• Extras
• Dos and Don'ts - Commentary with actor Lewis Black, director Paul Feig and writers Jacob Meszaros and Mya Stark
• Charlie's Dance Reel
• Additional Scenes
• Guards in the Hall

About the Movie

What happens in an airport when you have dozens of unaccompanied minors and blizzard conditions that shut down all outgoing flights? Two such unaccompanied minors, brother Spencer and sister Katie, find out when they become stranded in a Midwestern airport on the way to visit their Dad over the Christmas holiday. While Katie finds herself in the protective custody of an over-eager babysitter, Spencer befriends four other kids; an overweight 12 year old who plays with a toy Aquaman, a spoiled pretty rich girl, a tomboy, and a frequent flier with a hankering for karaoke.

Despite the differences in their backgrounds, they discover that they are more alike than they are different, and hatch a plan to break free of the supervision they are assigned. They decide to find Katie and make her Christmas special in some way, all while avoiding the very Grinch-like Oliver Porter, the head of Passenger Relations. Think "The Breakfast Club" for the pre-teen crowd.

How Does it Look?

The video quality was acceptable but not remarkable. With a movie like this, however, all that's necessary is that there aren't any distracting artifacts, and none were seen.

How Does it Sound?

The audio served the movie well, but like the video, was unremarkable. A vibrant soundtrack isn't necessary for a movie like this, so that's not a big deal.

Extras

I like to see the theatrical trailer included with movies, but one is not included on this DVD. Aside from that, however, there are a host of other extras that will keep you busy after you've seen the movie. I did not listen to the commentary track, but the other extras were enjoyable. The "Guards in the Hall" piece starts out funny, but goes a little long, so don't be afraid to reach for the remote once you've tired of the banal discussions of bored security guards working the Christmas shift.

Conclusion

Because of the fact that it involves an airport being snowed in over Christmas, this makes for a better Christmas-timed movie than it does one to watch over, say, Labor Day. However, it was a better movie than I was expecting it to be. It starts out like an after-school special, but the ending wraps things up nicely, and you realize that you've come to enjoy being with this group of kids and the adventure they shared.

I recommend giving this movie a chance to impress you with its comedy and appeal of the kids and adults alike. 

Recommended Reading

Don't just take our word for it, check out these resources for more reviews of the movie and of the DVD.

• Movie Reviews
• BigScreen Reader Reviews and Featured Reviews
  
• DVD Reviews
• David Cornelius of DVD Talk
  
• John J. Puccio of DVD Town

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