Movie Mamma

The Smurfs

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:00:00 +0000

When the evil wizard Gargamel chases the tiny blue Smurfs out of their village, they tumble from their magical world into New York City.

Starring: Hank Azaria, Neil Patrick Harris, Jayma Mas, Sofia Vergara, and the voice talents of Jonathan Winters, Alan Cummings, Fred Armisen, Katy Perry, George Lopez, Anton Yelchin etc.

Rating: PG

I just dare you not to walk around sing La La La La La La after reading this review.

My family and I really enjoyed this movie. It was a lot of fun to see these characters from my own youth be brought to life on the big screen. The graphics were amazing. The Smurfs were very realistic and the recreation of their village was surprisingly simple and yet charming at the same time. The creators didn’t go over the top in cuteness in trying to recreate the Smurf homes so it almost felt like it would be totally reasonable to stumble upon this village in the forest.

Of course, the real show stealer was Hank Azaria. When I first became aware of Mr. Azaria as an actor, I have to be honest in saying that I found him to be annoying. Of course, that just means what a great job he was doing. Since then I have realized that this man wasn’t just a bit actor but a truly talented one. His portrayal of Gargamel was bang on in my opinion while adding some fun and necessary humour to give the character an updated feel.

Having said all that, this movie is rated PG which is due mainly to mild rude humour and action. Considering the action is no greater, in fact far less, than let’s say the Road Runner I don’t think it’s much of a concern.

It does make a number of mild jokes that very concerned parents might not like their children to be exposed to although it certainly went over my kids heads. For example: one Smurf stands over a furnace vent and the Smurf says the blast of air feels nice on his giblets.

It does contain magic and sorcery and Gargamel is obsessed with sucking out the Smurf’s essence. Still, I didn’t have a problem letting my four year old watch this movie and everyone really seemed to enjoy it.

Have you seen the Smurfs? What did you think?

Buy Smurfs now on DVD or Blu-Ray in my Amazon Store.

Barbie: A Perfect Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 02:25:00 +0000

Barbie and her sisters, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea are headed for New York for the perfect Christmas. When their plane is diverted due to an unexpected storm, the girls find themselves disappointed, far away from New York and their holiday dreams. In the remote town of Tannenbaum, they find shelter at a magical inn, where they make new friends and give the town the gift of song in exchange for the hospitality they receive. Following a series of magical experiences, the sisters soon realize that the joy of togetherness is all they need for a truly perfect Christmas.

Starring the voice talents of: Diana Kaarina, Jennifer Waris, Rachel Harrison, Nevada Brandt, Lauren Lavoie, Danielle Bessler, Ashlyn Drummond, Luca Vecchio, Maryke Hendrikse, Allie Feder, Aidan Drummond, Alistair Abell, Patricia Drake etc…

Rating: G

To be Released on DVD on November 8th.

It just wouldn’t be Christmas without another Barbie Christmas movie. My girls were very excited when I told them we’d be watching Barbie’s A Perfect Christmas.

Well Barbie definitely didn’t disappoint with her usual stellar graphics and catchy music tunes. All the Barbie movies tend to focus on storytelling through music but this one really seemed to be musically inclined as it seemed to break out into song constantly throughout the film. The upbeat tunes sure got my girls’ attention as they couldn’t help but get up and dance around. Especially when I played the Perfect Christmas music video for them later from the Special Features section.

While I have to admit that Barbie Christmas Carol was my favourite, I did enjoy this Barbie movie particularly as it has such a great message about Christmas. The girls were after the perfect Christmas and felt that they wouldn’t get one now that their plans had been ruined. They learned that Christmas is what you make it and a perfect Christmas can be as simple as just being together.

This film keeps the wonder of Christmas alive with frequent glimpses of magic and the possibility of the realness of Santa Clause around every corner. As far as parental concerns go, I had none watching this film. There were no villains or bad guys at all. The girls don’t always get along but underneath it all you know they love one another very much and they are working out their relationships continually.

Also included in the Special Features section are outtakes and a Barbie Camping with the Girls short clip. Because if your girls are like mine, they just can’t get enough Barbie.

So I would definitely put this on your “Christmas Movies” to Watch list. If you are thinking of purchasing this film, it is available for pre-order on Amazon at a great deal of $13.99 for the DVD and the Blu-Ray for just $17.99 which is $5.00 off regular price. To buy the DVD on Amazon click here or the Blu-Ray click here.

Megamind

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:35:00 +0000

The supervillain Megamind finally conquers his nemesis, the hero Metro Man... but finds his life pointless without a hero to fight.

Directed by Tom McGrath

Written by Alan J. Schoolcraft and Brent Simons

Starring the voice talents of: Will Ferrell, Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Tina Fey, David Cross, Justin Theroux, Ben Stiller, Jessica Schulte, Tom McGrath, Emily Nordwind, J. K. Simmons etc.

Rating PG for action and mild language.

Reminsicent of early Superman, Megamind is sent hurtling through space by his parents to escape the destruction of his planet. Only in this twist, Metroman is also sent away by his parents and ends up landing in the lap of luxury on Earth. Metroman is everything that Megamind is not and so Megamind gives up trying to be good and turns his rather large brain towards evil instead. Although, one can't help but feel right from the get go that Megamind is not really evil at heart.

While I enjoyed this movie, I didn't think it was the greatest I'd seen in a while. I felt the themes, especially the one of unrequited love, were a bit too mature for kids. Granted my kids are under 8 and I have yet to learn what they will be interested in or are even capable of understanding at that age. I did appreciate the humour and as always loved Will Ferrell in his role as Megamind. I was a bit disappointed not to hear more lines from Brad Pitt, mainly I think because it intrigued me that he was appearing in this type of film.

Some of the dialogue was genuinely funny but even so both my husband and I started to drift off somewhere in the middle. Granted, that could merely be due to the busy lives we lead or too much supper or maybe this movie is better seen in 3D in the Theatre than at home. Still, given that the biggest issues of the film was the action, we felt okay with allowing our children to watch this film.

Parental Concerns:

Sex and Nudity: Roxanne and Megamind (disguised as a different man) kiss.

Violence & Gore Comical violence; lots of fighting between Megamind and Superhero.

Profanity: 2 uses of freaking, 2 religious exclamations, Highway to Hell (song) played in background.

Alcohol/Drugs/Smoking Roxanne and Megamind (disguised as a different man) drink champagne

Frightening/Intense Scenes : A Character is thought to be killed and a skeleton is shown.

Titan declares that there is no Easter Bunny and there is no Tooth Fairy, which may upset younger viewers.

Our children did enjoy watching this film but like I said, I thought it was just okay. While the movie was upbeat and well animated, the following day I had two sick kids at home and neither of them wanted to watch it again. Hmm.

So what have you seen lately?

Despicable Me

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 00:12:00 +0000

When a criminal mastermind uses a trio of orphan girls as pawns for a grand scheme, he finds himself profoundly changed by the growing love between them.

Written by Ken Daurio (screenplay), Sergio Pablos (story) and Cinco Paul (screenplay)
Directed by Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud

Starring the voice talents of: Steve Carrell, Jason Segel, Julie Andrews, Russell Brand, Will Arnet, Kristen Wiig, Miranda Cosgove, Dana Gaier, Elsie Fisher, Jemaine Clement, Pierre Coffin, Chris Renaud etc.

Rating: PG for rude humour and mild action

I had been really looking forwad to the release of this DVD and have to say that I got a real kick out of it. I especially appreciated the dark humour brought to this film as much as I enjoyed the sweet comedy of the orphans and slapstick zaniness of the minions. I love Steve Carrell's take on the Gru character and can't help but try to mimic his accent around the house. Julie Andrew's plays her part so well, that I had to re think the entire movie through to figure out what character she played. Once I knew she was in it, it wasn't hard to figure out she played Gru's mother but the fact that I missed it the first time around was something since I'm usually dead on picking out voices.

The theme while certainly not a new one is reminiscent of the old Spy vs. Spy comics. It also plays on the old standard theme of bad guy turns good. Still, there is so much going on in this film, twists and turns of the plot, that it keeps even the adults interested right to the end. Your heart warms to the plight of the three little orphans and can easily sympathize with Gru and his desire to be successful even it is at being bad.

Having said all that, lets discuss the parental concerns. The rating for this movie is PG. Now given the level of violence in the old Bugs Bunny and Road Runner shows not to mention many more contemporary kids shows to date, I can't help but feel it's somewhat over rated. I did allow my children (7, 5 and 3.5) to watch this film and can't say I regret doing so.

I did talk to one mom who said she didn't like the movie very much because what stood out to her was all the lying the characters did to one another and I have to say that is a valid point. Gru tells a lot of lies to adopt the orphans, lies to the girls and lies to his helper. Even Dr. Nefarious lies to get the girls sent back to the orphanage.

So those that are more desirous of sheltering their children should be aware of the following concerns:

Violence and Gore: Mild slapstick humor throughout. A lot of the gags are derived from the unusual and dangerous surroundings that they are now living in. IE, a child steps into an iron maiden which then closes on her. What looks to be blood is seen leaking from inside and the other girls are horrified. When the iron maiden is re-opened it turns out her juice box was pierced and leaking.

Profanity: Very mild language; "fart", "butt", etc.

Frightening/Intense Scenes:

There is a chase scene near the end of the film. Girls lives are endangered.

Adoption or Group Homes are portrayed in a negative light. Children are forced to sell cookies for the orphanage and those that fail are put in the box of shame. Maybe somewhat disconcerting to children about to enter into foster care system. But not a new theme by any means.

Sex and Nudity: Minions draw a picture of Gru sitting on a toilet. At one point the Minions are sitting on a photocopier taking copies of their butts.

As always, if you have concerns about a movie, my best recommendation to you is to pre-screen it before showing it to your children. Time and time again we've been glad we did.

What have you watched lately?

Timmy Time: Timmy Steals the Show

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 06:32:00 +0000

Don't you just love it when they come out with a cartoon that you enjoy watching as much as the kids? One of those shows for me is Shaun the Sheep. I just love everything about it. The characters, the non-dialogue approach to storytelling, the claymation. Obviously, my kids just love it too. They will watch the same episode over and over again. I think the lack of dialogue really forces the kids to pay attention to whats going on onscreen. Nobody is laying out the story for them, they have to watch and figure out the clues as to what's happening. Every time they watch it, it's like they notice something different.

One of the lovable characters of the farm is Timmy, a baby lamb, who gets into all sorts of mishief. He's absolutely adorable, complete with sou sou. Well the Oscar winning Aardman Studios felt Timmy deserved his own show, hence Timmy is off to pre-school in his own series.

For the first time Timmy Time is being released on February 22nd in Timmy Time: Timmy Steals the Show.

"Timmy Time follows the adventures of Timmy, a little lamb with a lot to learn as he enters preschool. Fans of Aardman’s hit children’s series Shaun the Sheep will recognize Timmy as the baby lamb on the farm who is frequently drawn into all kinds of chaotic adventures by the mischievous older sheep. Used to having his way by being “the only lamb in the flock,” Timmy is now heading to preschool to graze on some important life lessons about playing nicely with others, namely his fellow classmates of the furry, feathered and spiky types."

Haven't seen or heard of Timmy Time? Here's a clip. (Note audio wouldn't work for me but maybe it will for you. Let me know if it doesn't so I can switch the clip. Thanks.)

Barbie: A Fashion Fairytale

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 22:28:00 +0000

Barbie: A Fashion Fairy Tale

"Join Barbie™ in a colorful, modern-day fairytale filled with fashion, friends and fun! Barbie™ and her dog, Sequin™, jet off to visit her aunt’s amazing fashion house in Paris, and much to her surprise it’s about to be shut down forever. After she discovers three enchanting Flairies™ with sparkle-magic powers, Barbie™ comes up with a brilliant idea to save the business. She even inspires Alice, a shy fashion designer, and together they create a dazzling runway fashion show. Barbie™ shows that magic happens when you believe in yourself."

Feature the voice talents of: Kelly Sheridan and.... to be added later.

Rated: G

Yes, what can I tell you but it's another Barbie movie set to be released on DVD September 14, 2010. This could be the reason for the surprising lack of information online I can discover about the details of this film. Sure Barbie.com has a great site informing me of the story line and characters etc... but nowhere can I discover who actually stars in this movie behind the characters. I can only assume that Kelly Sheridan continues to be the speaking voice for Barbie as she has filled that role since 2001.

My kids loved this movie. It could only be due to the fabulous colours, adorable Flairies and animals, upbeat music and of course, an over abundance of sparkle. The storyline was well done, simple and easy to follow, a tad bit predictable but still a good watch. The fact that the kids asked to watch this movie 3 times over the weekend, including my son I might add, is enough to prove to me that this was a good story.

I loved that the so called bad people in this film weren't really that bad after all, they actually had the graciousness to recognize the error of their ways and apologize for their behaviour at the end. Off the top of my head, I can't recall a single Barbie movie where the villain of the piece apologize and reconciled with the main character. I think that's a great message being delivered right there!

Along with the apology comes the standard message of believing in oneself and trying your best and just being you no matter what people think. Let's face it we can tell them this ourselves but really it helps having a cool icon reaffirming it. I was able to remind her of this message when she told me someone made fun of her hairstyle at school. Did she like? Yes. Then that's all that matters.

Of course, if you're a cynical kid (or a cynical mom)that message might only seem to ring true if you were wealthy and lived the Hollywood lifestyle that Barbie does. Fortunately, it goes right over my oldest daughter's head that it requires a lot of money to jet set off to Paris, France at the drop of a hat.

This movie is rated G and I think that's an apt rating. I will mention two things that might concern very careful parents. One is that in the opening scene Barbie plays herself starring in a play when these peas come into the scene dressed like zombies singing a song. It's pretty mild graphically but if you're opposed to Halloween or Zombies whatsoever then I'd skip the first five minutes.

The second scene is near the end where Barbie and Ken kiss. That doesn't bother me because we have stressed to our children that they won't be dating until they are much older etc. but again some parents might have an issue with this.

Video Stores on the Verge of Extinction?

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 16:38:00 +0000

As most of you know, my husband and I own a video store. You may also recall that I owned another video store with my SIL which we sold last April. So I have, in effect, been in the movie business for the past 6 years.

Move Gallery has recently closed it's rental business and is now in the process of liquidating their stock. I am informed that Blockbuster is about to die as well and even that Roger's wouldn't be doing half so well if they didn't sell cell phones at their locations as well.

The demise of all these top video rental franchises has prompted a series of news reports all in which discuss the demise of the video rental store business. A news report aired today entitled "Why Would You Go to A Video Store?". The premise being why would you leave the comfort of your own home to travel the short distance to your local video store. (Okay some of you live in rural areas but a lot of you if not most live in urban areas). If we were all about convenience from the comfort of our homes then why don't we stay home and make our own coffee instead of going to Tim Horton's or Starbucks.

What these reports do not discuss is the cost of PPV and VOD. While we have been in a recession of the past year and a half, have they cut their costs? No way. Not only are their new release movies more expensive than a rental in my store, they also charge more if you want it in HD. Not to mention, they only offer the top new releases. While those of you in the US may benefit from companies like Netflix etc, those companies are not available to us in Canada and I can't imagine why you'd want to fill out your selection and then wait for titles to arrive in the mail. Maybe if I lived way out in the boonies, it would be convenient.

With rising gas costs it seems that everyone around us are raising their prices, from the pop guy to the candy man to the chip guy. However, if we raise our prices barely 25cents we'd have a mutiny on our hands. Change our programs or day specials a wee bit and literally customers have left slamming down their movies and walking out. They always think that there is a better deal down the road and some times there is but most often we feel we're pretty reasonable. We're not getting rich, we're supporting our family... barely.

Still the perception out there is that with VOD and PPV out there that it is only a matter of time before stores like mine are closing. Indeed at the pig roast this weekend, I was questioned by two different sets of people throughout the afternoon as to whether or not we could actually make a living running a video store. I thought this bordered on rudeness. After all, I wouldn't go up to any one in construction and ask how much money they made, whether they could support their family.

What people don't realize is that VOD, PPV, Netflix and downloads are only a small portion of the multibillion dollar industry. Even if their portion of the revenues added up to as much as 5%, it still leaves plenty of room for DVD sales and rentals for the rest of us. And believe me, they are not attracting more than 5% of the market at this point.

People also don't realize that the power behind things like VOD, PPV and Netflix are movie studios who want to cut out the middle man as much as possible. In fact, they are constantly discussing ideas like providing all new releases to Blockbuster and VOD 30 days before they allow the rest of us to rent them. By the time, I would be allowed to rent the movies, I might as well save my money. Why would they do that when Video Stores provide them with the biggest revenues even over and above what even Walmart generates? I just don't get it.

I am not completely naive. I realize that eventually we will get to the point where everything is done online and that even one day we won't even refer to it is as being online (it's not for nothing that I've watched 1984), it will just always be there. I just don't think it will be as fast as people say. If it was free, maybe but so long as we are having to pay to be online, pay for cable, pay to order movies, I think we have quite a few more years still. I think it's those who are really into ordering or downloading movies (often illegally) that spin up this whole hype thing that the mom and pops video stores are dying.

So why are places like Movie Gallery and Blockbuster suffering? One, they are publicly traded companies. Once you go public you have to pay presidents, vice presidents, CEOs, stockholders etc. It becomes extremely expensive for them to run. These companies are extremely top heavy and when trouble hits they aren't able to make the cuts necessary. Add to that that it is often difficult to keep stores running well when they are not owner run. Most successful business have their owners involved in the day to day business. I have seen more businesses go under because of an absent owner relying heavily on a manager who doesn't always have your best interests at heart. Think about it. How many times have you gone into one of these stores and been disappointed by the quality of service and the 3 or 4 giggling teenagers gossiping behind the counter who could care less about helping you. I'm not saying all stores are like that but many are.

Then they eliminated late fees. That was a huge mistake. Think about it, you tell your customers that it's okay to keep your movies out late, you won't be charged until 30 days go by and then they will charge your credit card the price of the movie. Okay. you keep your movie out for 29 days, take it back and all is forgiven. Tell me how much potential revenue did they just lose on that one movie that was unavailable for rent? Sure, BB and MG have tons of copies but only of the top new movies. So if they had 100 copies and you can bet they have an average of 2000 customers or more going through their store a week, what happens to the other 1900 customers who wanted to see the big new movie?

What it we were to go to the public library and take out as many books as we wanted and just kept them for as however long we wanted, no charge. The library would be empty.

Yet people constantly bitch at us about our high late fees (we charge $1.00 a day) and how MG was so much better. Yeah, and they went out of business. Then people like to make snide comments of how we make all our money off them being late and how we must just rake it in because they are so bad at returning movies. Um yeah, that's right. Would you like a tour through my mansion or even take a look at my $9.99 fake weddinng ring from Walmart because I can't afford to get my real ones sized, or how about that wonderful staycation we're taking this year. Don't even get me started on people who say they've returned movies when they actually didn't only they argue with you, swear at you and then 3 days later show up with the movie and no apology.

The point of this whole post is to make people aware that there is more to these companies going under than just a decline in rentals. Part of a successful business these days means you have to be diversified and we try to do that by bringing in movie related products and electronics for sale. It's true that if we want to stay afloat we need to turn our business into an "entertainment destination" rather than just a mere video rental store.

So if you're tempted to order PPV or VOD just remember that sometimes it's better to have spent the money upfront than to get a whopping big bill at the end of the month. Also, don't forget that the little video store around the corner is some guy or gal just trying to make a living. Cut them a break and give them a chance to get to know you by name. Going out to the local store becomes more than just an errand, it becomes an opportunity to socialize and you never know who you might run into.

What do you think? Do you VOD or PPV?

Hawthorne TV Series -Giveaway

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 17:41:00 +0000

I am hosting a giveaway of season one of the exciting new drama series called Hawthorne starringJada Pinkett-Smith on my other blog, In the Mommy Trenches. Stop by and enter. Hawthorne Giveaway

Alice in Wonderland

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:19:00 +0000

19-year-old Alice returns to the magical world from her childhood adventure, where she reunites with her old friends and learns of her true destiny: to end the Red Queen's reign of terror.

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, Anne Hathaway, Crispin Glover, Matt Lucas, Stephen Fry, Alan Rickman, etc.

Rating: PG

This was a difficult movie to review. While I enjoyed the film, my husband did not. But then I have rather bizarre tastes and the quirky nature and fantasized nature of the film rather suit those.

Not having read any further Alice stories other than the original Alice in Wonderland, I did find myself rather lost at first and had to try and stop trying to figure it all out and just enjoy the film. I did not overly care for the Alice character. While I like women to be strong, I found her just to be a tad too odd. For instance, she attended a garden party without proper undergarments and was extremely socially naive despite the fact that this had been her home all her life.

I didn't expect to like the Mad Hatter character as it seemed quite scary and odd in the previews but as usual Johnny Depp did an excellent job. Not only was it well done but he made it fit the storyline. It doesn't take a genius to see that there was more to his nonsensical sayings than mere silliness.

Helena Bonham Carter, an actress whom I admire quite a bit for her range in talent, did a great job playing the queen. Kind of made me think of Cate Blanchett's portrayal of Queen Elizabeth.

Like I said I enjoyed the fantastical part of the movie. My only real criticism of the film is the rating. The film is rated pg for "fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations and for a caterpillar smoking".

I really have to argue with their terminology. If this had been an animated film like Ice Age, then okay... it fits. But this is NOT an animated film. Yes, much of it is filmed in front of the so called blue screen (it's green, why do they call it blue?) but still, everything is depicted as realistic as possible.

The violence starts with a very scary beast chasing Alice and the animals. Alice gets attacked and wounded, a mouse actually stabs the beast and removes one of it's eyes. The Queen of Hearts has a moat around her castle filled with the heads of her decapitated victims. They look pale and stone like without blood but it is still a grizzly scene especially as Alice using them as a stepping stone to get to the castle and her foot even slips and falls into the mouth of one of the heads. Do you not think that is a trifle grizzly for an 8 year old? The White Queen practices witch craft using stumps of fingers and horse urine to make a potion. In the end, Alice has to fight a large dragon like creature, she cuts off it's tongue and then beheads it in a grizzly move that mimics a scene from LOTR where the Nazgul's beast gets it's head sliced off.

I realize that children are watching more and more violent shows these days. For example, a customer told me the other day that her 5 year old had watched Avatar and that it's his favourite film. ?!?! Alrighty then.

Still, my recommendation for this film is PG 13 - Minimum.

Princess and the Frog

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:17:00 +0000

Planet 51

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 03:16:00 +0000

When Chuck the astronaut (Dwayne Johnson) lands on a distant planet filled with little green people, he is surprised to discover that we are not alone in the galaxy. But he gets the shock of his life when the residents of Planet 51 mistakenly believe that his presence is the start of an alien invasion of the human kind! Luckily, Lem (Justin Long) quickly realizes that Chuck is friendly and makes it his personal mission to help him return safely to his ship.

Featuring the voice talents of: Dwayne Johnson, Jessica Biel, Justin Long, Gary Oldman, Sean William Scott, John Cleese to name a few.

Rating: pg

This is one of the reasons why I love owning a video store. Even though my children aren't old enough to watch these films, I still get to view them as part of my "work".

This was a moderately funny film. While some cast up the fact that it's not a Pixar film and all that, I enjoyed the bright colors and clear graphics. Yes, they are very 2 dimensional but still they are fun. I especially enjoyed the way they portrayed the aliens and how the added a lot of kitchy 1950's style into the Alien world. Indeed the very opening of the movie is reminiscent of those early 1950's cheesy, horror flicks.

I would definitely say that the pg rating is accurate. The opening scene consists of a film of their planet being attacked, lots of shooting and fight scenes with aliens being disintegrated. Also, in many scenes the Astronaut is considered to be dangerous and there are a lot of references made about eating brains and turning into mind zombies and is repeatedly shot at. The main point of the aliens in capturing the astronaut is killing him and removing his brains.

Otherwise, there is very little else that could be questionable in this movie. There is one use of the word "friggin" and in one scene an alien stumbles over the word astronaut saying "ass" when another alien quickly jumps in with "stronaut", so it's barely noticeable. Two aliens in the end scene kiss. That's about it.

If your children watch mildly violent shows already like batman etc, then this film would be fine for you. Personally I waver on this type of film but when I think about the number of questions that are certainly to crop up with my children like "why do they want to take out their brains" etc, I think it's best to wait awhile.

Movie Mama

Meet Me At the Corner Review

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Thu, 25 Mar 2010 16:51:00 +0000

Just wanted to give you a heads up on a great site for kids called Meet Me at the Corner.

Literally, it's virtual field trips of fascinating people and places around the world. These free podcasts are short and simple and best of all are submitted by children. Initially the podcasts highlighted New York City but has now grown to include podcasts from California, Colorado, North Carolina, Texas and Maryland.

Want to see your home town on that list? Meet Me at the Corner are always open to new video submissions. Simply head over to their site, create an account and start exploring.

What I liked about this site was that my children were able to see places that I know we probably would never get to visit in real life. My son loved to watch the San Diego Railroad Museum and to see all the model trains. Plus seeing the kids hosting these videos, I think is encouraging to other children and shows them what they too could do. It encourages children to get out there and discover their own community in order to share it with others.

I think this would be a great resource for homeschooling parents.

Job well done!

Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 02:15:00 +0000

When Flint Lockwood's latest contraption accidentally destroys the town square and rockets up into the clouds, he thinks his inventing career is over. Then, something amazing happens as delicious cheesburgers start raining from the sky. His machine actually works. But when people greedily ask for more and more food, the machine starts to run amok, unleashing spaghettie tornadoes and giant meatballs that threaten the world! Now it's up to Flint, with the help of weather girl Sam Sparks and Steve, his talking monkey assistant, to find some way to shut down the machine before the world is covered in super-sized meatballs!

Starring the voice talents of: Bill Hader, Anna Faris, James Caan, Andy Samberg, Bruce Campbell, Mr. T., Bobb'e J Thompson, Benjamin Bratt, Neil Patrick Harris, Al Roker, Lauren Graham for full list see http://www.imdb.com/

Rating: G

I thought this movie looked like fun. Unfortunately I personally did not get to watch with my children. Insteand my husband and I had previewed the film the night before. Maybe that's why we weren't all that thrilled with it, maybe we just weren't in the right mood for it.

Sure the premise is fun and the animation as usual is very well done. It's just that the story left us feeling that it was an odd film. It was ... okay. An underlying theme through this movie is the difficult relationship that Flint has with his dad. Flint and his dad are two completely different people and as often happens conflict arises. A second theme through this film is the one where success initially goes to Flint's head and he turns his back briefly on what he should be doing. In the end he gets everyone out of the jam but if he had made different choices in the first place, none of it would have happened. A hard lesson.

The next day my husband let the kids watch it and sure enough, they all thought it was great. This is definitely one of those movies that kids enjoy more than the grownups. It was just silly enough to engage their interest.

As for content, it was full of the usual cartoon violence. No one gets hurt and it's mostly for comedic affect. For language there was one each of damn, hellhole and crap. As for frightening and intense scenes, several roasted chickens in the end come alive and starts attacking the main characters, with the last 35 minutes of the film being the most intense as the main characters are attempting to shut down the machine and the people in the town are trying to avoid being crushed by the large piles of food.

This movie is probably recommended for seriously younger viewers but from say 4 and up I think this film is just fine.

Nightmare at the Museum 2 - Battle at the Smithsonian

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 01:15:00 +0000

It's two years later and Larry Daley has moved on from night time security guard to head of Daley Devices. Although he is a corporate big wig now he still finds time to check in on the old gang at the Museum of Natural History. He soon discovers that the Museum is being closed for renovations and many of the old exhibits are being sent on to storage in the Smithsonian. Mayhem at the Smithsonian quickly ensues and it's up to Larry Daley to come to the rescue once again. Many of the characters from the original film are included as well as new characters from history such as Amelia Earhart, Al Capone, Napoleon and Ivan the Terrible.

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Amy Adams, Hank Azaria, Christopher Guest, Owen Wilson, Alan Chabat, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Bill Hader, John Bernthal, Patrick Gallagher, Jake Cherry, Rami Malek, Mizuo Peck etc..

Rating: PG

If you enjoyed the first Night at the Museum you will certainly enjoy this one. It had a bit of everything. It was full of action, drama, intrigue and even a little bit of romance. It was basically fun for the whole family.

Things I really enjoyed about this movie:

* We actually got to see the inside of the Smithsonian. I mean being from Canada

I had no clue how big this museum was and how absolutely awesome it would be to go there. Apparently no other movie has ever been allowed to film in the Smithsonian until this movie.

*Larry drops what he is doing to go and help out his friends albeit little people who

aren't really real and only come to life because of a special magic tablet. He

could just walk away from it, but he doesn't.

*That even though Larry had achieved what he thought he wanted in life he

realizes that it wasn't all that it was cracked up to be, that some things

and people were just more important.

I won't say too much more. It would just give away the film. Let's just say that I felt the story was strong and just as fun as the first.

As for the parental advisory. You could probably stretch that a little to include 6 and up. The action and violence are very mild. There are some fight scenes but no blood or wounds. Some of the exhibits coming to life may be scary to really young views but I sincerely think my daughter probably could have handled this movie.

If you are particularly concerned "Oh my God" is said quite a few times, "damn" is said at least twice and "sucks" is said once. As for sex and nudity, there are a couple of kissing scenes and a couple of naked cherubs where you see their butts but that is it. Nothing they don't see they parents doing.

So over all, it was a great film. Worth checking out!

Movie Mama

Santa Buddies - The Legend of Santa Paws

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 04:48:00 +0000

Join The Buddies (Budderball, B-Dawg, Rosebud, Buddha and Mudbud) in a wonderfully wacky twist on a classic Christmas favorite. When Puppy Paws, the fun-loving son of Santa Paws, gets tired of the North Pole, he finds Budderball on Santa's naughty list and figures he's just the dog to show him how to be an ordinary pup. But when the magical Christmas Icicle starts to melt and the world begins to forget the true meaning of the season, it's up to Puppy Paws and his new found Buddies to save Christmas.

Starring: Christopher Lloyd, Craig Anton, Andrew Astor, Tom Bosley, George Wendt, Field Cate, Tim Conway, Chris Coppola, Josh Flitter, Ben Giroux, Skyler Gisondo, Zachary Gordon and many more.

Rated: G

Just when you thought you had enough, they bring out another Buddies movie. I have to admit though that this film does have it's charms. My children loved this film very much and watched it beginning to end several times over the weekend. It's not often a movie captures their interest that long.

For the grownups, it is definitely watchable at least one time. The story is pretty good. Talks a lot about the spirit of Christmas and what it means. That Christmas is more about giving than receiving and the buddies have to work together as a team in order to save Christmas. In doing so they help transform some of the lives of the people around them, one grumpy dog catcher played in particular.

There is a part or two where the flow doesn't really jive. You see Eli (a real elf) giving a kind lecture to a fake elf about the spirit of Christmas etc and yet you don't see how that ties into the movie. The fake elf wasn't a grump, there were no scenes (unless they were cut) where that Elf lacked Christmas spirit.

I can't really think of any potential warnings for parents. There is some mild action as the puppies are being chased by the dog catcher. In one scene the puppies try to escape and the dogcatcher gets knocked over and falls on his back. That's about all I can think of.

I should add that if you are a Christian you will find the message in the movie falls sadly short on the true meaning of Christmas. However, as always, there are many teachable moments that you can share with your children if you are sitting along with them watching this film.

Movie Mamma

Up

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:18:00 +0000

Carl Fredricksen, a retired balloon salesman, is part rascal, part dreamer who is ready for his last chance at high-flying excitement. Tying thousands of balloons to his house, Carl sets off to the lost world of his childhood dreams. Unbeknownst to Carl, Russell, an overeager 8-year old Wilderness Explorer who has never ventured beyond his backyard, is in the wrong place at the wrong time - Carl's front porch! The world's most unlikely duo reach new heights and meets fantastic friends like Dug, a dog with a special collar that allows him to speak, and Kevin, the rare 13-foot tall flightless bird. Stuck together in the wilds of the jungle, Carl realizes that sometimes life's biggest adventures aren't the ones you set out for.

Featuring the Voice Talents of: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai, Bob Peterson, Delroy Lindo, Jerome Ranft and many other talented voices.

Rated PG for some peril and mild action.

Lovely, lovely, lovely movie. I just loved this film. Can you tell? It was altogether delightful and charming. The balloons are such a whimsical touch and there is just something about the graphics and colours in this film that I really love. Not too bright, more pastels. I don't know, it's just lovely.

I was surprised at the PG rating. Roadrunner has more peril and action than this film. Having said that; however, there are a couple of parts that I felt would be too heavy for my oldest (6) to watch and so we did not let her watch this film.

Parents note that this is not just a film for the kids but for the whole family. The beginning starts out with the old man, Carl, as a young child when he meets his wife, Ellie. It then progresses into a silent movie style clips, showing the ups and downs of their lives together. While this may be over many the heads of younger children, some more sensitive children will pick up on the meanings behind some of the sadder clips. Not to say that is necessarily a bad thing. I just recalled a scene from another movie in Meet the Robinsons where a baby is left on the steps of an Orphanage. That had actually upset my daughter quite a bit to imagine a baby being left like that. So when I saw the beginning of this film I thought perhaps it was not for her.

Likewise further into the film, as with most movies, a bad guy develops and is out to get the good guys. There are several small incidents of violence, with bullets being shot at the main characters, while there are no injuries, this may be more than you want your children to see. Oh and there is reference to people being eliminated in a general way. Again, if your child watches anything like Scooby Doo or Roadrunner this movie will be fine for them.

On a side note... if you have Blu-Ray player and are thinking of purchasing this film... buy it on Bluray. The Blu-Ray version has extra features and a short film clip that is not available on the DVD. I was disappointed with this. I think it may well be a sign of the way things are going to go in the technology arena. Blu-Ray will be pushing out DVD's before we know it.

Movie Mamma

Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:33:00 +0000

Tinkerbell is back and ready for a new adventure. "Discover how the Pixies make their magic dust! Take off in a hot air balloon with Tinker Bell and her new friend Blaze, a lightning bug who lights her way, on an enchanting secret journey to find a new moonstone, the source of the Pixies mystical dust. But hold on tight! There'll be amazing encounters, some close calls, and a daring rescue by her old friend Terence! In her biggest adventure yet, Tinker Bell not only learns a lesson in responsibility, she discovers the true meaning of friendship. From the creators of Tinker Bell, 'Tinker Bell and the Lost Treasure' is a captivating journey of self-discovery everyone will want to take."

Rated: G

Featuring the voice talents of:

Mae Whitman as Tinker Bell (voice)

Jesse McCartney as Terence (voice)

Kristin Chenoweth as Rosetta (voice)

Lucy Liu as Silvermist (voice)

Pamela Adlon as Vidia (voice)

Raven-Symoné as Iridessa (voice)

Anjelica Huston as Queen Clarion (voice)

Grey DeLisle as Lyria / Viola / Narrator (voice)

John Di Maggio as Minister of Autumn

Jane Horrocks as Fairy Mary (voice)

and others......

Another delightful Tinkerbell movie from Disney. I was a little worried that the second Tinkerbell movie would be a tad humdrum, that we had discovered all the enchantment there was to be had in the new Pixie hollow. That was, however, not the case and my girls were just as delighted with this second Tinkerbell film as the first.

The voice talents were incredible, the graphics were gorgeous, the story was delightful. This film gave plenty of opportunities for my girls to see what happens when you allow your temper to get the best of you, how it can hurt friendships and what you must do to set things right again. All in all a captivating film from beginning to end.

For parents, there is very little of concern in this film. There are no evil villains in this film which is atypical Disney style. The worst parts are Tink's own bad behaviour and it's obvious that this type of behaviour is not to be preferred.

Really I can't think of a single warning to give. If you've seen the film and have a warning to suggest, please do leave me a comment.

What's going to be up next?

Movie Mamma

Imagine That

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 02:01:00 +0000

A successful financial executive has little time to spend with his young daughter. Then a personal crisis takes hold, and his career begins a downward spiral. But he finds the answers to his problems in an unlikely place: his child's imaginary world.

Starring: Eddie Murphy, Thomas Haden Church, Yara Shahidi, Ronny Cox, Stephen Rannazzisi, Nicole Ari Parker, Deray Davis, Vanessa Williams, Martin Sheen... to name a few.

Rating: Canadian rating is G but the MPAA is PG for "mild language and brief questionable behaviour".

To be honest this movie did not get the best ratings. I, however, disagree. I found the movie to be enjoyable with a strong message to parents about placing our careers ahead of our relationships with our children.

The topic may be beyond younger children. Despite the fact that this little girl has imaginary friends and visits an imaginary world I did not think my kids would find enough in this film to entertain them. The imaginary world is truly imaginary. However, if your children are older it might well be a good movie for the whole family to watch.

Basically, Evan Danielson is a fast paced corporate executive who is separated from his wife. It's easy to see why as work obviously his biggest priority. Things go awry though when he has to take his daughter for the entire week during one of the most stressful times of his career. He ends up finding himself playing with his daughter for the first time in a long while and slowly begins to discover himself and just how precious his daughter is.

The viewer actually gets to walk through this transition along with Evan. Just when you think he's coming along, he suddenly takes a wrong turn. This film provides plenty of discussion material for the whole family.

Movie Mamma

Pink Panther 2

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 02:27:00 +0000

Inspector Clouseau is back. When legendary treasures from around the world are stolen, including the priceless Pink Panther diamond, Clousea is assigned to the dream team of international detectives who are under pressure to bring the master thief to justice before he strikes again.

Starring: Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer, Jeremy Irons, Alfred Molina, Andy Garcia, Lily Tomlin and John Cleese etc.

Rating: PG

If you have seen the first one and you liked it, then this movie is sure to please. Steve Martin is back as the lovable bumbling Clouseau and I have to admit I couldn't imagine any other actor playing this part half so well as he does.

Again, this is one of those movies that you have to be in the mood for. It's silly, it's light hearted, it's fun. It took me a little while to warm up to it but when I put aside my more analytical side and just enjoyed it for what it was, I had a few laughs.

There are some sexual references in this movie. Apparently at the beginning of the film there is a painting of a fully nude male. I missed this so was not aware until I looked it up that this was in the film. Clouseau calls women sexy a few times and becomes aroused by a description of a woman's clothes being ripped off because of clumsiness. This is part of a whole side plot that Clouseau apparently says things that are not politically correct and he must speak to a consellor about what is and is not appropriate. This is how the whole description scene comes up. I don't get why they had to add this side plot into the film. Now I am not a die hard Pink Panther friend but I have seen the movies before and I don't recall that this was a character flaw of Clouseau. In one scene he calls a fellow dectective who is Japanese "my little yellow friend". They all roll their eyes but no one says anything to him about it. Really, why is this in this film? It does not fit the film in my opinion.

As for violence, there are several scenes of intense action. A SWAT team storms into Dreyfus' office a few times, a restaurant is set on fire twice, a gun is shot several times, no one is hit, a corpse is seen on a crime scene, no blood though.

Profanity: mild terms like ass and damn are said.

Again, stick with the rating guide. I would not suggest letting young children watch this film. Not only is the story line not entertaining enough to hold their interest but the actions scenes are just that much too intense to let them watch it.

Movie Mamma

Paul Blart Mall Cop

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 01:37:00 +0000

With a heart that won't quit, a stomach that won't stop gurgling and a self-sworn oath to protect his turf, He's Paul Blart: Mall Cop. Mild mannered Paul Blart has always had huge dreams of becoming a State Trooper. Until then, he patrols the local mall as a security guard. With his closely cropped mustaches, personal transporter and gung ho attitude, only Blart seems to take his job seriously. All that changes when a team of thugs raids the mall and takes hostages. Untrained, unarmed and a super size target, Blart has to become a real cop to save the day.

Starring: Kevin James, Keir O'Donnell, Jayma Mays, Raini Rodriguez, Shirley Knight, Stephen Rannazziski, Peter Gerety, Bobby Canavale, Adam Ferrara etc.

Rating: PG

This is one of those stupid funny movies. You know, the one that you have to be in the right mood for or it isn't funny at all. Keeping that in mind it was, overall, a pretty funny movie.

Paul Blart is played by Kevin James. I really enjoy Kevin James as an actor and appreciate his sense of humour (most of the time). He kinda went a little over the top in portraying this guy, Paul Blart, as a bit of a loser but then I guess it just makes the ending all the more gratifying with the little guy coming out on top. It's fairly obvious right from the beginning that Paul Blart has not exactly had an easy time of it. His life seems to be a series of failures from which he tries to recover through food. He is a genuinely nice guy that just can't seem to get a break.

The basic premise of the movie is that we get to see Paul Blart go through a day on the job at the mall when a team of thieves take over the mall. Paul Blart manages to slip through the cracks and now he is the only one on the inside who can let the police know on the outside what's going on. He is determined to protect the hostages and stop the thieves.

I enjoyed this movie for a couple of reasons. One, you get to see the little guy finally get a break and come out on top and not in a completely unrealistic way. Okay, I know how many of us would be actually faced with that type of situation but think about when there is a tough situation to be dealt with. Most often, we rise to the occasion and do what needs to be done.

One of thing that stood out for me was the relationship Paul had with his daughter. She obviously thought the world of him and wanted him to meet someone that would be worthy of him. I also liked how self confident and strong this little girl was. When he tells her that she is a great daughter.. she responds... "yeah, I'm pretty great, aren't I?".

This movie is pretty tame rating wise as far as films go. The violence is fairly mild. Guns are used when the mall is taken over, brandished at customers. No one actually gets shot. There a few fight scenes and at one point Paul is attacked by a woman. As far as profanity goes, "hell" is used twice and "ass" is said a few times. The bad guys are not all that scary. But there is one scene, which could have been left out in my opinion, wherein Paul Blart gets drunk (inadvertently mind you but he was in a bar) and acts very stupidly.

So unless you are very strict with your children about what they watch, you may be tempted to ignore the rating because let's face many G rated cartoons are more violent than this movie. Personally though, I wouldn't suggest it as there is just not enough in this film to entertain young children. I couldn't imagine my kids being interested in this film at all.

For older children, at least 8 and up, this is a light enough comedy that the whole family can spend time watching.

Movie Mamma

The Tale of Desperaux

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 00:37:00 +0000

Once upon a time... in the far away kingdom of Dor... lived a brave and virtuous mouse with comically oversized ears who dreamt of becoming a knight. Banished from his home for having such lofty ambitions, Despereaux sets off on an amazing adventure with his good-hearted rat friend Roscuro, who leads him, at long last, on a very noble quest to rescue an endangered princess and save an entire kingdom from darkness. Based on the heartwarming children's bestselling book and featuring the voice talents of an all-star cast, The Tale of Despereaux is a magical, modern fairytale.

Starring: Matthew Broderick, Dustin Hoffman, Emma Watson, Tracey Ullman, Kevin Kline, William H. Macy, Ciarian Hinds, Robbie Coltrane, Tony Hale, Frank Langella, Richard Jenkins, Christopher Lloyd, Charles Shaughnessy etc.

Directed by: Sam Fell, Rob Stevenhagen

RATING: G

This film had all the perfect elements of a fairytale. A princess, a tragedy, a villain and a hero, albeit a somewhat unusual one. The story starts out with a rat, named Roscuro. From the start we can see that he is not your common garden variety rat. He enjoys being out in the daylight and loves soup. Unfortunately, it's this love of soup that gets him into trouble. In the land of Dor, the people all loved soup and every spring the cook would present his newest soup recipe to the whole kingdom. It was while Roscuro was trying to get a better look and sniff of the soup that he fell into the Queen's bowl causing her such a terrible fright that she drops dead. The King is so grieved that he banishes soup and all rats from he kingdom. Roscuro is sent scurrying to the underground where he discovers anew how unlike he is from other rats. Here the tale really begins as we then witness the birth and growth of Desperaux, a mouse without fear.

The graphics were clean and in my opinion well done. Of course, my opinion is purely based upon whether it's pleasing to my eye to look at for an hour and half. I felt the story flowed well and perhaps could have been a tad deeper in spots but after all, it is a children's film. I do feel; however, that they have erred with the rating of G. I am grateful that I previewed the movie first, something which I do not always do when a movie is rated G. Right from the start with the Queen literally dropping dead in her soup, I knew we were going to have problems with this film. Can you imagine my 5 year old's horror at the "mommy" dying literally 10 minutes into the film.

In the mouse world, they are taught to fear knives, in the rat world you see human skulls being used as carriages to carry rats around, they keep a caged cat which they use to kill their enemies. At one point in the movie, the rats kidnap the princess, tie her up and drag her out into their little rat arena while the rat crowds were chanting "Eat her, Eat her" and at one point she is swarmed by the rats until she is rescued. Of course, the hero carries the day and all is restored and made aright in the Kingdom of Dor; however, the level of violence and the tastelessness of the whole trying to eat the princess scene really put the kibosh on my children seeing this movie.

From a grown up point of view; however, I enjoyed the film and thought it quiet charming overall. I have nothing against the adventure seeking little mouse and find his dreams and ambitions to be that of any imaginative child. A little swashbuckling is fun. Who among us wouldn't like to run off and rescue the fair damsel in distress?

So to wrap it up, unless you have very strict notions of what you let your children watch, I see no problem in letting anyone say 8 and older to watch this film.

And that's my opinion in a nutshell.

Bedtime Stories

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 00:52:00 +0000

Marty Bronson has to sell his homey motel to clever Barry Nottingham with the promises that one day Marty's son will be manager when he's all grown up and has proven himself. Nottingham pulls down the motel to raise a pricey hotel. Now, all grown up Marty's son, Skeeter, works as a janitor and general servant for Mr. Nottingham, but unlikely as it seems, he still dreams of becoming the manager. When Nottingham announces a brand-new gigantic hotel project, he makes his future son-in-law, Kendall, manager, shattering Skeeter's dream. At the same time Skeeter's sister Wendy has to leave town for a job interview and asks him to alternate looking after her two children with Wendy's responsible-minded colleague Jill. The fun begins when Skeeter tells his niece and nephew a bedtime story each night. It doesn't take long for strange things to begin happening and for Skeeter to realize that he may just have in hand the power to make all his dreams come true.

Starring: Adam Sandler, Courtney Cox, Keri Russell, Guy Pearce, Russell Brand, Richard Griffiths, Lucy Lawless, Johnathan Morgan Heit, Laura Ann Kesling, Jonathan Pryce etc.

Rating: G

This was a light family fun film and we all enjoyed watching it together. Although it is rated G it doesn't hold a lot of interest for all younger children. My 5 year old just barely managed to hold out longer with the promise that once Skeeter started telling the bedtime stories it would get more interesting. This worked and she was hooked for the rest of the film.

We, of course, previewed this film the night before and were pleasantly surprised at how they managed to do the story telling and action scenes without being either too scary or violent. When I initially watched the previews, I was inclined to think that it might be a tad violent. Please note there are some high thrill adventures with horse racing, chariot racing, etc. but nothing more violent or intense than what typify many of the Barbie movies (Hey I have girls it's the easiest comparison). So we had no qualms whatsoever in letting our younger children watch the film.

The storyline could have been better, more filled out. Isn't that always the case though? However, we still enjoyed the stories for what they were. I liked that although the main character was going through difficulties and some disappointments in his life, he still had a measure of hope and when he was really down, he was able to pull himself together and do something about it, teaching that we don't always have to settle for second best and there's no reason why we can't try and make our dreams happen.

I think there was also a message in there that while it's good to eat healthy and to work and study hard that there is also some room in there for a measure of fun and freedom. Life doesn't have to always be just serious. Skeeter helped the children realize that and give them some fun in an area where they mother was unable too.

They do leave some questions out like what happened to Skeeter and Wendy's mother and why their relationship was so distant. They appear to be close yet at the same time mention they hadn't seen each other for 4 years. I do find it disappointing that Hollywood always feel the needs to make the family dynamic into a single parent household. While I know there are many divorced couples our there and parents making it on their own, there are just as many out there that are still together. It is confusing for those kids that still have their parents together to understand how all these t.v. families are divided. If you have a thinker for a child, it could actually make them fearful that their family is going to split up too, especially since it seems to be rare to see two parent familes in movies these days. Am I wrong or have I just been watching the wrong movies? I hope so.

So all in all I was a big fan of the movie and would heartily recommend it to any of my customers who have young families. It's probably not the best film for families with older teens as it probably won't hold their teen's interest, unless, of course, your teen is a fairly sheltered teen.

Here are the more detailed specifics re the movie to help determine if this film would be appropriate for your child.

Parents Advisory:

Sex and nudity: Contains mild toilet humour, some girls are seen in bikinis, random cleavage shots, bare chested men,

Violence and gore: one man is slapped by a hand that pops out of a gun and some wrestling occurs

Language and Profanity: at least two uses of "hell" and "what the hell" and 4 uses "God" and "OMG"

Alcohol/Drinking/Smoking: small reference to drinking champagne and references to "going for drinks" but no alcohol is actually seen being consumed.

Frightening Intense Scenes: Some monsters (not many) from the stories may be frightening, but all are portrayed in a humorous light. For instance a booger monster is particularly vivid. A divorce is discussed as well which could be problematic for some children. (Again, my children had no issues with these scenes at all)

Barbie: Thumbelina

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 01:39:00 +0000

Meet Thumbelina. A tiny girl that lives in harmony with nature. Her home is the magic world of the Twillerbees. When a spoiled girl named Makenna asks her parents to uproot a patch of wildflowers, Thumbelina along with two of her friends are transported to a lavish city apartment. There they learn of construction plans that threaten to destroy the land of the Twillerbees. Thumbelina is determined not to give up and sets out to convince Makenna the magic of true friendship and that even the smallest person can make a big difference.

Starring the voice talents of: Kathleen Barr, Natasha Calis, Kelly Metzger, Kelly Sheridan, Tabitha St. Germain, Cathy Weseluck among others.

Rating: G

This movie was a big hit with my daughters and even my 22 month old son loved it. They insisted on watching it repeatedly over the next two days we had the movie. When my children actually sit still through an entire movie not just once but 3 times from beginning to end, this is a sure sign that this movie was a hit.

The graphics were amazing. The colours and design were gorgeous. The Thumbelina and the Twillerbees were adorable. Move over Tinkerbell and Pixie Hollow there are new fairies in town.

I just loved this movie myself. It had everything a parent could want. It was entertaining without violence, it had a strong story and a positive outcome. There are many teachable moments in this movie if you are so inclined.

Part of why I like this movie is that the so called "villains" of this piece are the well meaning if somewhat thoughtless parents of Makenna. They are not out to destroy the home of the Twillerbees from malice but were merely looking for a suitable business site for their factory. Their sudden financial success caused them to become extremely busy making it hard to find time for their daughter. Makenna's spoiled nature is simply a bi-product of her parent's attempt to make up for the lack of family time together by giving her whatever she wants.

It's a wonderful exploration of an all too common theme in many homes today. Even if we are not too busy working, we often want to give our children what we didn't have or to make sure they don't feel left out with their peers.

It was great when my 5 year old would ask me why Makenna was behaving that way, why her parent's wanted to dig up the Twillerbee's home. This paved the way for talking about selfish behaviour and even about the environment and ways we could protect it.

Best of all this movie really fired up my daughter's imagination as her and her cousin spent the next week pretending to be Twillerbees and Twillerbee babies. I didn't even have to buy them the toys. Just using their imagination was enough for hours of fun.

Definitely my top recommendation for any little girls.

Madagascar 2: Escape to Africa

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 17:34:00 +0000

The sequel to 2005's "Madagascar", in which New York Zoo animals, Alex the Lion, Marty the Zebra, Melman the Giraffe and Gloria the Hippo, still stranded on Madagascar, start to leave the island. All of a sudden, they land in the wilderness of Africa, where Alex meets the rest of his family, but has trouble communicating with them after spending so much time at the Central Park Zoo.

Featuring the voice talents of: Ben Stiller, David Schwimmer, Chris Rock, Jada Pinkett Smith, Sacha Baron Cohen, Andy Richter, Alec Baldwin, Sherri Shepheard and the late Bernie Mac. Just to name a few.

Rating: PG for mild crude humour

As this movie was rated PG, my children were unable to watch it. (Being 5 and under). So this based strictly on an adult's view.

I didn't particularly think the first Madagascar was funny so I wasn't expecting to like this one. Perhaps I am just in a different time in my life but I did find this movie enjoyable. Both my husband and I laughed out loud several times during this movie.

Tired of Madagascar, this unlikely crew of friends is determined to get back to New York and the life of ease they are all familiar with. However, things go awry in one of the most humourous moments of the film when the penguins attempt to fly them in a hollowed airplane shell. Instead, they land in Africa where Alex meets up with his parents.

It was a good story, well written with plenty of zip and zany quips. A family reunited to touch our hearts and four friends who continue to strengthen and evolve their friendship.

This movie was rated PG. A rating well warranted I believe as the beginning was a little tense with a hunter shooting at the animals. Also further along in the film a human gets into a slapping, punching and knock out scrap fighting with the animals. There are also some lions fighting each other as part of the who's going to be king lion ritual. That part wasn't too bad but the hunters shooting part was a little too realistic for comfort. If it hadn't of been for that part, I would have had no problem with letting my children watch this film.

The villain in this piece was suprisingly mild and understated. Unlike Scar in the Lion King, Makunga was more of a sleazy lounge singer than a menancing lion who has a lust for power. More like he wants to be in power because he perceives it to be the easy life.

I was puzzled by Moto Moto. Given that he's a toy given out in happy meals, I had thought his character to be bigger than it was. It wasn't. It was suprisingly small and I don't recall even hearing him say what his toy says.

Still, I give this movie a thumbs up. It made me want to look up information on Africa and the animal reserves there. If if we had more time with this movie, I may have let my children watch this film once I had fast forwarded through the whole kidnapping lion, hunter shooting scene.

It was with a pang of sadness though as I realized that Zuba was actually the voice of the late Bernie Mac. It reminded me of our loss of a great entertainer; however, it's nice to know that through works like this that his memory lives on.

Zeemaid

Enchanted

noreply@blogger.com (Zeemaid Zeemaid) — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 02:01:00 +0000

Enchanted A classic Disney fairytale collides with modern-day New York City in a story about a fairytale princess who is sent to our world by an evil queen. Soon after her arrival, Princess Giselle begins to change her views on life and love after meeting a handsome lawyer.

Starring: Patrick Dempsey, Amy Adams, James Marsden, Timothy Spall, Idina Menzel, Rachel Covey and Susan Sarandon etc.

Rating: PG for some scary images and mild innuendo.

This movie was delightful. It starts off in Andalasia, where Giselle in animated form is waiting for her prince and true love's first kiss. Giselle meets her prince and they about to wed when Giselle is tricked by Prince Edward's stepmother and ends up in New York where she's turned from animated into human form. She meets up with a lawyer and his daughter who kindly try to help her.

What I found to be charming about this movie is that Giselle sticks to all of her naive ideas (true love, happily ever after, princes etc) despite all the bitter cynicism of Robert (lawyer). The songs are delightful and catchy and I found myself wanting to be a little more like Giselle in her openness and persistently upbeat outlook on life. While Giselle remains charming, Robert does cause Giselle to realize that there may be a bit more to life than just finding one's prince and living happily ever after. Just what does "happily ever after" entail after all.

This story was also interesting because it basically ran across the board of all the fairy tales out there and took different aspects from each one.

Amy Adams does an excellent job of portraying the sweet and naive Giselle. She also has a lovely singing voice and really conveys a genuine sincerity to her part. Susan Sarandon was magnificent for her role as Narissa. Not sure why she didn't get an Oscar nod.

Parental concerns:

Sex/Nudity: Scene where Giselle is getting out of the shower and birds hold up towel for her. Nothing is visible except maybe naked shoulders and legs. She also falls on top of Robert in this scene while only in her towel. Giselle does show a lot of cleavage throughout the film. Mild innuendo.

Violence: Prince's helper Nathaniel repeated threatens to kill the squirrel. Prince brandishes sword around at people in trying to find Giselle. Obvious that Nathaniel is trying to get rid of Giselle by making her eat poisoned apple.

Without spoiling the ending... Prince Edward's stepmother, Narissa, tries to kill Giselle and then causes a fight scene, windows breaking, falling off buildings etc.

Narissa can be quite scary and changes her appearance through magic and incantation.

I usually stick pretty close the rating guidelines for my children. However, if your child has read Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, they know that the evil witch was trying to kill the princess. Unless, of course, you edit it out. We tried editing it all out but other people are not always so quick on the uptake there. What we did do was skip most of the ending as we considered it too frightening. You can pretty much go from the ball scene where Narissa shows up and tries to ruin everything. Watch it ahead of time and you will know exactly where it would make sense to end if off.

Try it out. If not for your children then for yourself. It was a delightful movie and well deserving of all the nominations for and actual Oscar awards received. One other fun thing is that in the special features section, you can play your favourite music scenes. My girls and I loved to put it on and dance around to it.

Zeemaid