(BBB, V, M)
Dominant Worldview and Other Worldview Content/Elements:
An impenetrable pro-family worldview, the main family practices showing kindness and respect to others, the protagonist and her sister share a positive sibling bond, the mother and father engage in “live action roleplay games” with their daughters, the father encourages his family to stretch their “storytelling” muscles through these games, and a grandmother holds to her granddaughter’s promise to avoid knocking over a wooden block set;
Foul Language:
No foul language;
Violence:
No physical violence, but the father and daughters will occasionally engage in “rough” roleplay sequences, the daughters “dogpile” their father for interrupting their music, and the father “sends” his youngest daughter as an “angry letter” to the government;
Sex:
No sex;
Nudity:
Natural Animalistic Nudity, the characters are anthropomorphic dogs without clothes,
Alcohol Use:
No alcohol use, but a grandfather dog drinks a can of soda while watching a sports game;
Smoking and/or Drug Use and Abuse:
No smoking or drugs; and,
Miscellaneous Immorality:
A father interrupts the family’s Alexa music device to play his “metal” music, and two grandparents accidentally knock over their granddaughter’s wooden block city.
BLUEY MINISODES is an animated collection of miniature comedy segments on Disney+ based on the hit educational series BLUEY. The series follows a young Australian heeler dog and her friend, Emily. In the second installment, Bluey and her family act out improvised “role-playing” games. These shorts range from a “private investigation” to a dog getting carried away by an electronic drum set.
In the first episode, “Tattoo Shop,” Bluey and her younger sister Bingo transform their arts and crafts room into a tattoo parlor. Their father, Bandit Heeler, enters the shop and orders a “killer biker tattoo” on the back of his body. After delivering his “biker” monologue, Bandit discovers the tattoo is a cute “unicorn” design and demands a refund.
“Tattoo Shop” is simple in concept but epitomizes BLUEY’S core strengths. The voice acting is excellent, Bandit’s dialogue is hilarious, and the family shares a strong bond through their “role-play” activities. The short is only 3 minutes long but offers a straightforward concept with a strong execution.
The second minisode, “Phoney,” features Bluey, Bingo, and their mother, Chili Bandit, hanging out in the living room with Phoney, a smart audio device with voice recognition akin to Amazon Alexa. The family orders Phoney to play classical music. However, a punk hand puppet (played by Bandit) crashes into the room and orders Phoney to play metal music. The puppet and the daughters clash over who controls the device.
“Phoney” reveals Bandit’s multifaceted personality. While he is supportive and caring towards his family, he has a knack for playing “rough” characters. He enjoys acting out his “puppets” and unleashing his “unfiltered” storytelling style. The episode has no strong morals but showcases the family’s strength of improvising “outlandish games” on the fly.
In “Blocks,” Bluey and Bingo build a city of wooden blocks in their grandparents’ living room. The girls entrust Christine Heeler, their grandmother, to keep their city intact for a week until their next visit. Christine and her husband, Bob, accidentally knock over the mini-metropolis and struggle to rebuild it before it is too late. “Blocks” is a charming side story about grandparents trying to keep their promise despite inconveniences.
In “Government,” Bandit and Bingo pretend to send angry letters to their local government. Bandit complains that his representatives failed to care for his rowdy “kids.” Bandit “types” his grievances onto Bingo’s back, using his daughter’s body as a typewriter and then as a small shipping envelope. This minisode reaffirms the family’s commitment to improvised role-playing. The episode also shows the morality of taking personal responsibility. Bandit “realizes” that his government is crucial for local services but is no substitute for raising one’s kin.
In “Drums,” Bluey, Bingo, and Chili visit a music store for new instruments. Bingo wanders off and experiments with an electronic drum kit. Bingo tinkers with the “timber” settings and plays to her heart’s content. However, Chili summons her daughter to leave, and Bingo ends her drum session. “Drums” is a cute concept but doesn’t offer moral content, as seen in the previous shorts.
In “Browny Bear,” Bandit launches a “private investigation” game with his family. A mysterious “shoulder tapper” has been tapping the family’s shoulder blades behind their backs. Chili enlists the help of Browny Bear, Bandit’s detective hand puppet, to find the culprit. Browny gathers testimonies from the entire Heeler family. “Browny” continues the trend of Bandit being a positive father figure. Bandit is the “culprit,” but he instills a sense of “imaginative storytelling” through his antics. He proves that even dads should retain a sense of humor and “fun” for their families.
The final episode is “Whirlpool.” Bluey and Bingo swim in their inflatable pool in the backyard. Feeling adventurous, the sisters invite their neighbor’s kid into the pool. The three of them swim in circles, causing a monstrous “whirlpool.” This is easily the weakest minisode of the bunch. It’s a cute vignette of Bluey’s life, but it feels like a deleted storyboard from an episode of the flagship BLUEY series.
The second set of BLUEY MINISODES is enjoyable for both children and adults. Aided by its vibrant art design, the comedy is sharp and witty. This collection advocates exercising one’s imagination, kids and parents playing games together, and a positive depiction of a caring father. Objectionable content is nowhere to be seen. MOVIEGUIDE® recommends the entire BLUEY franchise for all ages.