Featured DVD Review: Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever

March 4, 2013

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever - Buy from Amazon

The Strawberry Shortcake franchise is older than a lot of people reading this. The most recent incarnation of the characters were launched in 2009 and are still going strong with countless DVD releases coming out. The latest of these is Berry Friends Forever, but how does it compare to earlier releases?

The Movie

The Berrykin Princess is trying to bring back the Berry Bitty Buggy Derby, which used to be an annual race, but stopped due to the harvest taking up too much time. It's not just a race, but a big social event, one with strict etiquette and traditions. The Princess asks the girls to set up the social events, including a big introduction for the racers, a big ball, etc. Fortunately, Blueberry Muffin has the perfect book for the occasion: The Big Book of Berry Bitty Buggy Behavior. It explains all the traditions one is expected to follow at the events. You must bow to the Princess, even though that is not something she normally expects of her people. At first, the girls wonder why there are so many strange rules, but Strawberry Shortcake explains what traditions are and why they are sometimes important. Blueberry Muffin begins to panic about the rules and traditions (she had a bit of a faux pas earlier in front of the Princess) and is determined to have perfect manners at the Derby. At first, she's very helpful to the other girls giving them advice on how to act. However, soon she becomes obsessed with good manners and this backfires.

In the second episode, Sadiebug and Katiebug start a Good Citizens Club. Not all of the girls know what a citizen is, and Sadiebug and Katiebug have no idea what it takes to be a good citizen, but they have pins to award good behavior. They mail out all of the invitations and badges to the girls; however, Plum Pudding's invitation is lost in the mail. When she sees all of her friends wearing theirs, she's worried she didn't qualify for the Good Citizens Club. She goes to Sadiebug and Katiebug and asks if there's a test she needs to pass. They don't have a test, so they just get Plum Pudding to do chores around the clubhouse, bring them food and drinks, etc. It seems Sadiebug and Katiebug need to learn a lesson about being good citizens.

The Berrykin Princess has made a new community center and daycare for the Berrykin babies. However, she doesn't think it's bright and colorful enough, so she tells Strawberry Shortcake that she wants to give it a makeover. Strawberry Shortcake suggests Lemon Meringue and Raspberry Torte would be great working at it. They disagree. They are both very creative, but they don't always agree on what looks the best, so they tend to argue. Strawberry Shortcake asks them to try and work together, at least for a little while. They have two days to get it all done. Will they last that long without fighting?

There's a problem at the mail office, as there is a shortage of mail carriers with a couple on vacation and another home sick. All of the mail will get delivered, except for one package to Clem Cricket. It's his birthday present, but he lives in Acorn Acres, which is way out of the way. Strawberry Shortcake volunteers to take the package herself. It's a simple job, but a long journey and the storm washed out the roads, so she has to carry on on foot. However, she took an oath to the Postmaster to deliver the package, and she's taking that oath seriously.

The Extras

There is a music video for the song, "Never Say Never" and some printable coloring pages.

The Verdict

Strawberry Shortcake: Berry Friends Forever should appeal to fans of the franchise. It's bright and colorful, while there are good lessons about working together and good manners and trying your hardest. The price-per-minute is good for this type of release and it is worth picking up.


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