Masha and the Bear is a beautifully animated and award-winning series of short films somewhat based on the popular (Goldilocks-esque) Russian folk tale in which a little girl lost in the forest ends up at the abandoned home of a bear.
The newly released Masha and The Bear 5 in 1 Pack contains all 4 episodes of the series which have previously been released separately (for 99¢ each), plus an unreleased bonus episode. While the first episode, titled “First meeting”, takes much of its inspiration from the original folk tale, the other four are original and entertaining new tales featuring the naughty little girl Masha and her kind-hearted friend the Bear. Each episode is only about 6 minutes long, but the 3D-rendered animations, sound effects and musical score are nothing short of feature film quality. All spoken dialog is in Russian w/ English subtitles, but don’t let this be a deterrent. My daughter is just over 3 years old and is unable to read the subtitles, but she had no problem following the stories, often succumbing to fits of giggles and laughter.
Episode list:
- First meeting
- One, two, three – light the New Year Tree!
- Spring has come!
- Don’t wake up till spring!
- Fishing
Below is a trailer for the second episode along with a link the the free 6-in-1 Pack which contains trailers for all 5 shorts along with a free puzzle game and picture gallery.
In Conclusion
Heartwarming characters, beautiful scenery and animation, coupled with action-packed slapstick-style comedy sequences, Masha and The Bear has so much quality packed into each episode. While at first $3.99 may seem a bit pricey for about 30 minutes of total content, sometimes less is more! I cannot count the number of times my daughter and I have watched these and usually at her specific request, but I can easily say that we’ve gotten our money’s worth. The episodes are perfect for when you just need about a 5 minute distraction to get something done, but don’t want to park your child in front of a mind-numbing TV for 30 minutes. It is astounding to see the wide range of emotions such a short piece can invoke from viewers of any age and how a well-made piece of art transcends any language barriers.
Screenshots
