Friends and Heroes LLC
www.friendsandheroes.com
6000 Industrial Drive
Greenville, TX 75402
877-903-4376
Looking for Bible-based cartoons that challenge children to exhibit
godly character traits? Join 14-year-old Macky and other fictitious
friends as they encounter all kinds of adventurous trials and fight for
justice against the might of the Roman Empire in this Friends and Heroes DVD.
The setting is Alexandria, Egypt, during the year AD 69. The episodes
are jam-packed with action, and even though the scenes take place
almost 2000 years ago, children will be drawn to the realistic
characters that face the same kinds of problems our own kids are facing
today.
Two kinds of animation are used in each saga--cartoon-style 2D for the
adventure stories and 3D for the retelling of Bible stories from the
Old and New Testaments. My family prefers the 2D style, but overall the
animation is of good quality. And using both styles makes for a nice
distinction between the cartoon itself and the stories of heroes past.
Two full episodes are on this DVD, and each runs approximately 25
minutes. In episode 1, “The Long Journey,” Macky’s
family takes in two refugee girls despite the threat of being
discovered by the Romans. As they recall the stories of their ancestors
in Daniel and the lion’s den, and in Jesus and the miraculous
catch of fish, they learn the value of being brave and helping others
in need.
In episode 2, “A Friend in High Places,” Macky saves
Portia, a noble Roman girl, from her spooked horse, and they soon
become friends. Together, they are able to help Macky’s people by
thwarting an evil money-making scheme run by Brutucus and Tobias. As
the characters share the Bible stories of Samson and Delilah, and
Peter’s friendship with Cornelius, children will learn the
importance of obeying God and loving and accepting others.
DVD extras include Macky’s Quizzes, Series 1 Preview, Music Video
1, Episode Previews, Scene Selections, and Production Stills. Special
features on this DVD include the Multi Language Version--Ten Languages
and Subtitles.
I would recommend Friends and Heroes
to families with young, elementary-aged children. It would be great for
churches and other Christian groups as well. My 5-year-old daughter
recognized these cartoons from church, and she enjoys watching them. My
sons, who are 8 and 11, will watch them if they are on but most likely
wouldn’t choose to watch them on their own. Overall, though, this
is a great family-friendly DVD!
Product review by
Brandi Tesreau, The Old Schoolhouse® Magazine, LLC,
October 2010
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