'Cory In The House - All-Star Edition'
(Kyle Massey, et al / DVD / NR / (2006) 2007 / Disney)
Overview: It’s a brand new life for Cory Baxter when his dad, Victor, becomes the personal chef to the President of the United States and move into the White House. Cory’s entrepreneurial scheming reaches new heights as he mingles amongst high powered Washington D.C. elite.
DVD Verdict: A spin-off from the popular Disney series That's So Raven, 'Cory in the House' follows Cory Baxter as he moves to Washington, DC, with his father Victor, who has just become the chef for the newly elected President of the United States.
Although, in truth the White House setting and surrounding story may seem a bit far-fetched, 'Cory in the House' still manages to present themes and situations that offer a bit of insight to viewing kids along with the entertainment and often times hilarious fun.
Like any kid, Cory wants to fit in, and the show brings out some of the challenges kids face when trying to make new friends. While he definitely has an easier time than most kids would have in a completely new environment, Cory conveys a positive outlook about making friends and also about trying to make a difference.
Not surprisingly, the cast of characters is quite stereotyped, but they are also interesting and funny. The interplay between kids and adults is very typical, with kids getting in to mischief here and there, and parents surprisingly learning from their kids even as they work to guide them.
Cory has a bit of a crush on Meena, so themes related to relationships and dating are presented in addition to themes surrounding fitting in and behaving at the White House.
Massey is fine as Cory, playing a character that need only convince us that his pursuit of money will trump everything, and that his comedic frustration and defeat will inevitably follow. The other cast members are good, too, with Dolley wisely not overplaying the potential "stoner" aspects of his character, and Sheridan solid as the show's anchor. Walsh's character seems the most disposable, while Pettis' role is written to be at times, a little too cute.
Still, the scripts come up with imaginative, relatively complex (for this kind of show) little twists and turns to their standard plots (I enjoyed the whole "original deed for Alaska" bit from Air Force One Too Many), and amusement, while perhaps stronger for kid viewers, still comes for adults, too. There are 4 twenty-two-minute episodes included in 'Cory in the House: All Star Edition.' This is a Full Screen Presentation (1.33:1) enhanced for 16x9 TVs and comes with the Special Features of:
Raven In The House
Rock In The House
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