Archived Movie Reviews

FULL HOUSE: THE COMPLETE SEVENTH SEASON

by Jane Louise Boursaw

Reel Rating: 3 out of 4 Reels
MPAA Rating: TV-G
DVD Release: Aug. 7, 2007
Genre: Family, Comedy
Runtime: 575 minutes, 24 episodes
Directed by: Joel Zwick, John Tracy

Cast: Bob Saget, Dave Coulier, John Stamos, Candace Cameron, Jodie Sweetin, Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, Lori Loughlin.

PLOT SYNOPSIS: After the death of his wife, Danny Tanner (Saget) moves his best friend (Coulier) and brother-in-law (Stamos) into the house to help raise his three girls (Cameron, Sweetin, Olsens). It sounds maudlin, but the show manages to be both funny and poignant.

Sex/ Nudity: None.

Violence/Gore: None.

Profanity: None.

Which Kids Will Like It? Kids aged 7 and older.

Will Parents Like It? Yes. This show is blissfully free of inappropriate content. It’s one of the rare “family” shows to ever grace TV screens, but it still manages to be funny, well-written, and message-driven. Kids learn things like: It's ok to ask for help. Be gentle with your friends and family. Lying is never a good idea. And revenge is never sweet.

EXPERT REVIEW: "Full House" is a show that SHOULD be really irritating. But it's not. Ok, sometimes it's a little irritating, but for the most part, it's funny and charming and wholesome, and you find yourself watching, even though it doesn't feel like the cool thing to do.

Set in San Francisco, the series, which aired from 1987-1995, follows the adventures of the Tanners, a mismatched family that muddles through whatever comes their way. The patriarch is Danny (Bob Saget), a sports-broadcaster-turned-morning-talk-show-host whose wife was killed by a drunk driver before the series began. He's left to raise their three little girls – D.J. (Candace Cameron), Stephanie (Jodie Sweetin), and the baby of the family, Michelle (Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen).

Danny could really use some help, so he asks his rock musician brother-in-law Jesse (John Stamos), and best friend Joey (Dave Coulier), to move in with them. As the show evolves, so does the family. Jesse marries Rebecca (Lori Loughlin), Danny's co-host on the talk show, and they have twin boys of their own, Alex and Nicky (Blake and Dylan Tuomy-Wilhoit).

The seventh and second-to-last season of the popular sit-com ran from 1993 to 1994. It finds the family growing, evolving, and facing more complex problems -- like Stephanie falling in with the wrong crowd and D.J. finding herself alone with boyfriend Steve (Scott Weinger) at his new apartment. For a time, Danny finds love with Vicky (Gail Edwards).

Though it’s geared for ages 7 to 12, all ages will identify with someone on the show. You've got the doting dad, cool rocker uncle, loveable comedian best friend, and brood of kids with assorted personalities. I also love this show because it shows that parents don't always know the best path to take, and we see the grown-ups working together to raise the kids as best they can. It's very cool. There, I've said it. This show is cool.

Look for Season 8, as well as a box set of the Complete Series, to hit shelves on Nov. 6, 2007. The show is also currently airing on Nick at Night.

Episodes:

1. It Was a Dark and Stormy Night (orig. airdate, 9/14/93). When the girls return from summer camp, Danny is disappointed to learn they didn't seem to miss home too much. Later, when everyone learns that Michelle brought a wild rabbit home in her duffel bag, the girls happily ride back to the campgrounds with Steve to set the animal free – and get stuck there during a thunderstorm. Meanwhile, Jesse and Becky struggle to get the twins to sleep in their own beds.

2. The Apartment (orig. airdate, 9/21/93). Danny feels uncomfortable with DJ going to Steve's new apartment. And to make matters worse, DJ and Steve fall asleep watching TV. Not good. To be alone, they climb into the cement truck out back, being used by Jesse and Joey to put in a new driveway. Steve accidentally hits the lever that turns on the cement, and it's a big fat mess when the cement chute breaks through a window of the house.

3. Wrong-Way Tanner (orig. airdate, 9/28/93). While Michelle is delighted to be playing on Coach Joey's soccer team, she's not exactly the natural athlete her older sisters were at her age. Determined to see his little girl succeed, Danny pushes Michelle to practice, but things go horribly wrong when she accidentally scores the winning goal for the other team. Meanwhile, Stephanie is doing a home video for school, and manages to catch each family member in a humiliating moment.

4. Tough Love (orig. airdate, 10/5/93). The twins are out of control, and it's affecting the whole household. But Jesse and Becky are struggling with discipline issues. Vicky fixes dinner for the family for the first time.

5. Fast Friends (orig. airdate, 10/12/93). Stephanie makes a new friend who smokes, and she's pressuring Steph to do the same.

6. Smash Club: The Next Generation (orig. airdate, 10/19/93). Jesse inherits the Smash Club, a club he and his band used to play at all the time. He gets tips and inspiration from the kids on fixing it up, but the business-challenged Jesse struggles to secure a loan.

7. High Anxiety (orig. airdate, 10/26/93). Realizing your baby is growing up is hard. Michelle wants to start making decisions for herself, and Danny is having a hard time letting go.

8. Another Opening, Another No Show (orig. airdate, 11/2/93). The cappuccino machine isn't working, REM isn't the REM they were expecting, and Jesse is locked in the storage room…with Kimmy. All on opening night at the Smash Club.

9. The Day of the Rhino (orig. airdate, 10/9/93). Ripped off by false advertising? You'll relate to this episode, which finds Michelle sending away for a big Action Rigby toy and receiving a small plastic one that does nothing.

10. The Prying Game (orig. airdate, 11/16/93). Many people say things they regret later, and that's the case for DJ when she finds Stephanie and Kimmy hiding out in Steve's apartment. Stephanie's intentions were good, but her actions were all wrong.

11. The Bicycle Thief (orig. airdate, 11/23/93). A bicycle watch group is formed when Michelle discovers that her bicycle was stolen. In a strange turn of events, Danny, Jesse and Joey turn into the thieves by mistake.

12. Support Your Local Parents (orig. airdate, 11/30/93). When DJ gets a ticket, she tries to cover it up, but Steph and Michelle find out and use this against DJ to get what they want. Meanwhile Jesse and Becky finally realize they need help with the twins.

13. The Perfect Couple (orig. airdate, 12/14/93). As the new host of a couple's game show, Joey enlists the help of Jesse, Becky, Steve, DJ, Danny, and Vicky to be the contestants for a trial-run episode. When Vicky can't make it, Danny ends up paired with the loudmouthed Estelle. But the fun and games are over when, upon Vicky's return, she and Danny make a devastating decision about their engagement.

14. Is It True About Stephanie? (orig. airdate, 1/4/94) Pursued by a cute boy at school, Stephanie faces a problem with fellow classmate Gia, who also likes the same guy. When Steph refuses to put up with the girl's threats, Gia spreads a vicious rumor about her. Stephanie plots an impressive comeback, but the revenge is less than sweet. Meanwhile, Danny is miserable without Vicky and desperate to avoid the painful memories – so he rearranges everything in the house.

15. The Test (orig. airdate, 1/11/94). D.J. is frantic with worry over the upcoming SAT test – to the point where she has a horrible nightmare about it.

16. Joey's Funny Valentine (orig. airdate, 1/25/94). Being a comedian isn't always fun and games, especially when people expect you to be funny all the time. To make matters worse, Joey's new girlfriend tries to make a good impression on the family, and it's not pretty.

17. The Last Dance (orig. airdate, 2/8/94). When Jesse's beloved grandfather arrives from Greece for a visit, the man fills the entire house with his loving and lighthearted perspective on life. When he dies in his sleep, the family is crushed, especially Jesse and Michelle.

18. Kissing Cousins (orig. airdate, 2/15/94). Jesse can see no wrong with Stavros, his cousin from Greece. But everyone else in the family sees the "real" Stavros.

19. Love on the Rocks (orig. airdate, 3/1/94). DJ is growing up and begins to comprehend that life shouldn't revolve around a boyfriend. If it does, you miss out on so many other things.

20. Michelle a la Cart (orig. airdate, 3/15/94). The Soapbox Derby is not just for boys anymore, as Michelle proves when she wants to enter the race. But she takes it to heart when the grown-ups make kidding remarks about a girl building a car.

21. Be Your Own Best Friend (orig. airdate, 4/5/94). Michelle learns some valuable lessons in this episode – you can't buy friendship, and it's ok to have more than one best friend.

22. A Date with Fate (orig. airdate, 5/3/94). DJ and Danny are supposed to be on dates, but they both end up dateless at the same restaurant.

23. Too Little Richard Too Late (orig. airdate, 5/10/94). Joey is running for president of the PTA. At a meeting, he points out that it's not who gives birth to the kids, but rather who's there for them when they're sick, have a nightmare, or need help with homework.

24. A House Divided (orig. airdate, 5/17/94). The family faces a big decision when a wealthy man -- who lived in the Tanners' home many years ago -- offers them a tidy sum of money for it. Everyone is thrilled about getting a bigger place, except for Michelle, who's upset over the thought that Jesse, Becky, and Joey are talking about buying their own houses.

JANE’S REEL RATING SYSTEM :

One Reel: Pathetic. Even The Force can’t save it.

Two Reels: Tolerable. Coulda been a contender.

Three Reels: Pleasant. Something to talk about.

Four Reels: Wow! The stuff dreams are made of.

Jane Louise Boursaw is a freelance journalist specializing in the movie and television industries. Visit her online at www.ReelLifeWithJane.com or email jboursaw@charter.net