Strawberry Shortcake: Rockaberry Roll

Friday August 1, 2008

Strawberry Shortcake was one of my favorites when I was little. Marketing strategists who brought back some favorite characters from the past, right at the time when those who adored the characters as kids are having kids of their own, were very smart to do so. I started buying the "berry" cute new merchandise for my daughter as soon as I saw it.

Strawberry had been updated, which took some getting used to for me, but the characters were still fanciful and charming, and the stories in the books and movies heavily focused on friendship and caring. Now, Strawberry has undergone yet another update. The characters look a little older and trendier, and although they are still adorable and sweet, the latest DVD is just not as innocent as previous ones.

Rockaberry Roll will jam into stores on Tuesday, August 12. The DVD tells the story of the time when Strawberry and her friends had to learn about listening to each other in order for their band to play well in the talent show. The movie is cute and conveys a good overall lesson about working together and helping each other, but the older version of Ginger Snap has become a lot more snappy when she's bothered by other characters, and some of the other characters are a bit more confrontational as well.