The Boxcar Children (Collector's Edition)

We are ultra conservative about media choices and this is one of the few films that made it past our screening process. The kids (ages 8, 6, and 4) love it. It was a great reward incentive for doing reading time at home. We read the book before we watched the movie. The movie followed the book quite well. We're now on book #6 in the series and are working towards earning the "Surprise Island" DVD on our reward chart!

The computer animation seems to belong in another era, but everything else is so expertly done that it only took a few minutes for me to stop noticing the low-budget effects. The story is almost unchanged from the warm, engaging story by Gertrude Chandler Warner (no relation of mine). The voice work is excellent. Many of the backgrounds are extremely beautiful, looking as if they were carefully hand-painted. The characters look, sound and act just like fans of the book might imagine them to. The original story is set in the 1920's and I didn't see anything that wouldn't fit in that era, but few things would seem out of place in today's world. As a result, the film seems true to the story but much closer to us in time.I had just recently read the book to my 9 and 11 year-old daughters when I discovered it had been made into a movie. We rented the movie and streamed it, rather than buying it. I actually said to them, "We'll rent it because we probably aren't going to watch it more than once" and they agreed. We were wrong. We watched it a second time the next day and now I want to buy the DVD. If you loved this book as a child and have children you want to share it with, read the story with them and watch this movie. Both of them are wonderful. In fact, it is hard for me to say which is better, the classic book or this movie.Here is my vote for the same team to come together and make a movie of Gertrude Chandler Warner's first Boxcar Children sequel, which I am now reading to my children: "Surprise Island".

This video (featuring well-known actors with reputations in the movie industry) is a family favorite. My daughters, ages 11, 10, 5, and 5 loved watching this when it was on Netflix. We missed it so much when it was taken down from that service, that we decided it was worth purchasing our own copy. It's one of those videos we especially turn to when the children are riled up from an over-scheduled day. It helps to calm them down and has great teachable moments throughout the video, just like the original book!

Read all of the books as a kid. Started my daughter on the series in second grade, she read all of the books. We LOVE the Boxcart Series and all of the characters.... We were so excited to see there was a movie. Just like the books, completely family friendly, innocent and appropriate. Wish there were more movies for our children like these. Bought and watched Surprise Island and felt the same. Engaging, warm movies, the illustrations are beautiful in the movies and you really connect with the characters like in the books. We hope they keep making these movies. Thank you whomever created them!

The first film of "The Boxcar Children" was fantastic, and the second "Surprise Island" film didn't disappoint either. In watching these movies, I am taken back to my own childhood - the innocence of exploring, creating, and just having a life without complications, even in the midst of great adversity. It is a fine movie for children to see as well, free of agendas and the garbage you see in many films today.

Great movie with a sweet and reassuring message, promoting positive values. Have watched many times with grandchildren over past four years, since oldest was two. Now six and four, both continue to enjoy, as do I. My hope is that this will lead them to want to read The Boxcar Children books. This is my second copy of the DVD since first one wore out.

This is one of the sweetest little movies I've seen in a long time... nothing questionable as parents, not even attitudes. I'm actually shocked this is a fairly recently made show! It's so wholesome!!! My little 5-yr-old boy loves it, and my 17-yr-old daughter loves it too!

I remember these stories from when I was in grade school and was surprised to find my grandchildren read them in their classrooms. It was nice to find a movie made from the stories and I watched the movie with my grandchildren. Fun to revisit.

This is so well done and interesting! Children are in love with it (and me too)!

Great movie for the children. Nice calm movie compared to what is around today.

Great Family Video.