Dennis and Gnasher - volume 1 product reviews

Find me a kid in the UK who doesn't know Dennis the Mennis and Gnasher, come to think of it, find an adult who hasn't head of him and well.... OK, I'm not going to announce any bizarre challenge because EVERYONE knows of Dennis the Mennis.

However, growing up in the 70s, in that magical time before political correctness took hold; in that time when Dennis was slippered at the end of every story; in that time when Dennis used to play tricks on Walter and the Softies... well, how much could things have changed? How much change could there have been from paper to DVD? I was about to find out.

I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by the transition from paper to cartoon. The story lines were pretty much as I remembered them - Dennis coming up with a plan and eventually getting into trouble. The Softies were there too - PC hasn't got rid of them yet nor toned them down too much: Which was a big surprise to me.

The stories on the DVD were of enough appeal to interest my daughter, and enough for me to regress 30+ years to my childhood (it makes me feel so old to say that!). All in all, it was thoroughly enjoyable. There were a few oddities I spotted to make me wonder where it was done. American style fire hydrants and a city skyscraper background which made me wonder if the background or perhaps all the animation was done in the USA - coupled with a distinctly Northern England accents for Dennis and the other characters added to the incongruity. That aside, it was a lot of fun and thoroughly enjoyable.