Average Rating: 
Rating:  - Neptune alot of fun
Picked up Baby Neptune DVD on the March 18 "release date" - early 1st birthday present for my daughter (she was reaching for Enimem's '8 Mile' but a little too young for that). As she was having a fussy spell when we got home, we immediately put it in and watched her grin ear to ear when she saw/heard the Einstein bug coming! Definately for the 9+ month old child as Baby Einstein suggests ... but extremely cute. We are big fans of the new Baby Beethoven DVD - but Neptune is a great one too, also more educational. My husband and I previewed it with my daughter over dinner, and were totally amazed by the footage of the marine life (we are both scuba divers). Cute turtle and octopus puppets as usual and for those who don't like the videos with Julie Aigner's kids (why I am not sure), as far as I saw, they're not in Neptune. There are more chances than ever to teach toddlers things in this one too, its one that is enjoyable to watch with your baby - the marine life is fascinating - very clear photography. Only downside was the DVD menu that plays the same song over and over, which will drive a parent nuts. The bonus material has an "aquarium" of a white haired scuba diver feeding fish and closeups of marine life which was really cute too ... more teachable moments (lobster, underside of an octopus, sea horses, things I never get to see diving!!) and other great animal footage!! I have loved Baby Einstein products since my daughter first watched them at 4 weeks old, and I think toddlers will enjoy Neptune a lot. Great way to teach them to appreciate marine life they may not get to see until they are older.
Rating:  - Good...but not Julie's greatest accomplishment.
Okay...I must admit that my son is a Baby Einstein junkie! He was very fussy until he was three-months-old and Baby Bach was literally the only thing that saved my sanity on some days. Now that he is past the one-year milestone, he has the entire Baby Einstein library. He particularly loves the Baby Dolittle tapes and will watch them again and again. We were happy to see a new title to add to our collection and waited patiently for the release date. I must say, I am a bit disappointed overall. First, the video seems a lot shorter than the other ones. Maybe it's because I bought the DVD this time and am used to the "commercial" at the end of the tapes. My son insists on watching through to the "commercial" on the tapes, as even they hold his attention. Second, the fast editing is more MTV than Baby Einstein. Our children have dwindling attention spans as it is. Disney's hands are ALL OVER this video. If you watch the Disney Channel, it's the same feeling. More substance and less flash would do this video good. Also, Baby Neptune lacks the panache of, say, Vincent Van Goat (Baby Van Gogh) or Jane (World Animals). Last, it just didn't seem to hold my son's attention like other Baby Einstein titles. Starting with Baby Beethoven, the new voice at Disney seems to have disturbed the organic quality of the original tapes. To be honest, I miss Sierra and Aspen on this tape. It helped with the "from my house to yours" feel of previous titles. The puppets also seem to be lacking in this video. The interaction of the puppets with other puppets or the children is charming on previous videos. On a positive note, I recommend the DVD for the repeat play feature if for nothing else. I don't stick my child in front of these tapes for hours at a time, but we often have them on in the background when we are playing together. Still, when you need a video babysitter to get the dishes done, having this option is a lifesaver! I look forward to the Little Einstein series in the works for older children. I think these tapes will be a touchstone for my child's generation, much like "School House Rock" or "Free To Be You And Me" was for mine.
Rating:  - Baby Neptune - What a Washout
How extraordinarily disappointing. The previous Baby Einstein videos were somewhat variable in their quality, I will admit it. Baby Bach lacked a puppeteer and suffered for it. Baby Van Gogh had an awful lot of Aspen and Sierra in it, even if they are cute kids. But Baby Neptune is a homogenized pastiche of the previous videos, relying on rapid fire scene changes and puppets of enhanced "cuteness" instead of personality. Images flash by disjointedly, not even lingering long enough for frustrated parents to name the scene meaningfully. Shots zoom by in such a fashion to encourage motion sickness. Voiceovers sound as if they are provided by members of the Mickey Mouse Club. Puppeteers continually place their hands and arms in shot, ruining the already poor puppeteering. And what ghastly puppets they are - with stuffed faces that do not allow them to express the range of movement and emotion that Markie especially brought to the characters. They looked like second rate Disney toy knockoffs, characters that never made it to the big screen. I was surprised not to see Sebastian, Flounder, and the Little Mermaid included as additional homages to the new parent company. This video was designed by committee, and one that had not yet grasped the successful formula: puppets expressing simple emotions playfully to a background of gentle music and soothing video. Even the music in this video was stolen in parts from the other videos. Twice as many production staff on this one, three times as many puppeteers, and less than half the quality. Don't waste your, or your child's valuable time.
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