Family | 04 February 2003

Murray Cook, Anthony Field, Sam Moran

Grab your crunchy, munchy honey cakes: it's time for a feature-length movie from Australia's fab four, the Wiggles! Released Down Under in 1997 as The Wiggles Movie, this charming show gives fans a wholesome, 70-minute fix from the singing group's pre-Disney Channel years. Today is Dorothy the Dinosaur's birthday, and the Wiggles can't wait to surprise her. Alas, sweet selfless Dorothy thinks they have forgotten. As the four tuneful Aussies bop from Henry's kaleidoscopic underwater pad to Wags the Dog's house and beyond, Dorothy keeps busy by teaching a struggling magician how to believe in himself. Throughout the story, 16 song-and-dance numbers easily mesh with the plot. Lightweight action swirls to a happy ending as magician Wally the Great lives up to his name and Dorothy's party restores her faith in friendship. While 3- to 8-year-olds should enjoy the whole show, wiggly toddlers might lose track. --Liane Thomas