We packed several DVDs for our trip, but there was one that received much more airplay, at the request of my 4 and a half year-old son… Sesame Street: Elmo The Musical Vol. 2 Learn and Imagine (on DVD and digital on May 5, 2015 for $14.98 SR).
Something my wife noticed about this DVD that made it so attractive to our son is that he got to decide which Elmo musical he wanted to watch. There are 7 choices:
“Guacamole the Musical”
“Mountain Climber the Musical”
“Repair Monster the Musical”
“Bird the Musical”
“Cowboy the Musical”
“Detective the Musical”
While “Play All” would run them all together as one solid movie, my son appreciated the free will of deciding which episode he wanted to see, when he wanted to see it.
The concept reminds me of the way the 1980s Mega Man video games were designed; you got to choose which levels to play in the order you wanted; in other words, it’s not chronological but it is all connected.
My son’s favorite was apparently “Bird the Plane,” where Elmo flies Ms. Penguin to her wedding. He also kept asking for “Repair Monster the Musical” as well; where Elmo gets to use tools to help fix things for people.
I can confirm that Sesame Street: Elmo The Musical Vol. 2 Learn and Imagine is very good for road trips. Ours was 7 hours one way; so all together, with all the places we visited once we got there; we were easily in the car for close to 20 hours!
As expected, the DVD implicates learning into the music, fun, and silliness. I imagine our trip would have been a lot loss serene if we wouldn’t have had the 2015 Toyota Sienna with a DVD player, along with a copy of Sesame Street: Elmo The Musical Vol. 2 Learn and Imagine.
I love being on the Warner Bros. distribution list for upcoming children’s movies, which I suppose I landed on because of my apparently good SEO here on Family Friendly Daddy Blog.
So I jumped like a lemur at the chance to review the Blu-Ray Combo Pack of IMAX Island of Lemurs Madagascar, which includes the Blu-Ray, DVD, and digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. This is the first time I’ve had the chance to review an IMAX feature.
I love IMAX! When I think of IMAX, I always know it’s going to be about something compelling and larger than life.
(Back in 2nd grade, in 1988, I remember my Cub Scout troop saw an IMAX movie about space shuttles. I remember how I began coughing as I truly believed the heavy smoke from the launch was blowing through the screen.)
This wildlife documentary (which is narrated by Morgan Freeman) takes place in the island country of Madagascar, which I didn’t realize until I watched it that it’s the only place in the world where lemurs exist. That is because no lemur has ever survived in captivity off the island of Madagascar.
Actually, my family learned a lot of interesting things about lemurs. For example, it’s the females that are in charge, which is not what Iwould expect for primates.
There are many types of lemurs; the smallest kind being the pygmy mouse lemur, which is the smallest primate in the world. However, up until a couple of hundred years ago, there was a type of lemur the size of a guerilla, but it was hunted to extinction.
I imagine it would be difficult for a person not to be equally entertained and fascinated with this film, as my family certain was.
The Blu-Ray and Digital HD includes a bonus 3D version; as well as Making of Island of Lemurs: Behind the Scenes, The Cutest Lemur, and Go-Kart Racers.
This Blu-Ray Combo Pack of IMAX Island of Lemurs Madagascar will arrive on March 31st, 2015.
I really enjoyed sitting down with my family to watch it. I know my son did as well- it kept him from having to take his Saturday afternoon nap!
If I remember correctly, our family has been waiting to see Paddington since last summer when we first saw the trailer for it, before Planes: Fire and Rescue.
I was so excited to take my family to see it the weekend of Christmas, as the posters advertised, only to learn that was the premiere in England, not the United States.
But finally, Saturday morning at 10:30, we saw Paddington on opening weekend here in America!
I went into it knowing it was going to be good (it currently has a 98% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes!), as all the reviews have been extremely positive, and knowing Paddington was made by the producers of Harry Potter.
This made my son’s first movie in a theatre that wasn’t a cartoon. I didn’t think about that until near the end of the movie as I noticed him getting a little antsy.
Here’s what that tells me: While I definitely would recommend Paddington to anyone, I would be cautious to take a child younger than 4 years old, which is how old my son is.
I noticed that the kids sitting in the theatre that were younger than him couldn’t handle sitting through the movie so easily.
However, the kids older than him were glued to the screen.
If your child 4 years old or older, I say definitely take them to see Paddington!
My wife and I teach a 5th grade Sunday School class and I mentioned to some of the students that we had just seen Paddington the morning before.
They immediately responded in excitement as they all told me how much they loved the movie.
The goal of me writing these “Family Friendly Movie Reviews” is help other parents know if a particular movie is age appropriate for their child.
For Paddington, other than making sure your child truly has the attention span to sit through a 90 minute movie with “real people” and a well animated CGI bear, I have no other concerns.
Please know that I am a detective when it comes to find inappropriate language in movies. There is not word a single “cuss word”, nor any sexual innuendoes, in Paddington.
It is rated PG, but for what I call the Disney reason: It contains themes of death, along with mildly intense action sequences.
If you were paying me to just really nitpick the language, in the beginning of the movie when the English explorer finds Paddington’s family in Peru and realizes they are a strange breed of bears who can talk, the man’s response is, “Good Lord!”
Instead, mainstream America is more concerned with “cuss words” they deem more offensive than breaking one of the Ten Commandments, which is to not take the Lord’s name in vain.
So there.
If that’s the worst I can come up with in regards to perceivable inappropriateness, then you can clearly see Paddington is not a PG rated movie that you have to worry about taking your kids to…
As long as you believe they can handle sitting through 90 minutes of a well-produced, beautifully shot, well-acted and written movie with a loveable, innocent, English gentlemen of a bear.
It’s a solid, heartwarming, fun, family movie. I’m so glad we went to see it!
To my surprise though, Warner Bros. reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if I’d review Dolphin Tale 2… How convenient!
My son Jack just turned 4 and had never seen a movie that wasn’t a “kids’ movie.” That changed with Dolphin Tale 2; it’s not a kids’ movie, it’s a family movie.
Dolphin Tale 2 is aimed for the whole family. It is a completely clean movie; it contains no words that I would imagine would be particularly inappropriate for young children. “Heck” and “darn” are about as intense as it gets there.
The movie is rated PG, as opposed to G. My guess is because the movie begins with one of the older dolphins, Panama, dying of old age. Several shots are shown of the dolphin’s body lying at the bottom of the pool; though nothing graphic.
And thus begins the movie’s plot line: A companion must be found for Winter, the dolphin with the prosthetic tale, in order for her to stay at the facility; according to state regulations.
Dolphin Tale 2 is actually the first movie I’ve ever seen in Blu Ray. Definitely a step up from what I’m used to.
My son Jack obviously loved the movie; he’s never seen so much footage of dolphins before.
Our family felt good about watching this movie together; it was very appropriate and entertaining for all of us; but not in a cheesy “Hallmark movie” kind of way.
If you’re looking for stocking stuffers for children, I think Dolphin Tale 2 would make a much appreciated choice.
Our family also sat down together and watched the first Dolphin Tale movie as well. It contains the same clean, family-friendly kind of content along with the same cast of actors revisited.
In the first movie, Winter the dolphin is discovered caught up in a fisherman’s trap which ultimately causes her to loose her tale, so people come together to create one for her in order for her survive.
I have a feeling there will be a Dolphin Tale 3, and I hope there is!
“Dolphin Tale 2” reunites the entire main cast, led by Harry Connick, Jr. as Dr. Clay Haskett; Nathan Gamble as Sawyer Nelson; Ashley Judd as Sawyer’s mom, Lorraine; Kris Kristofferson as Clay’s father, Reed; Cozi Zuehlsdorff as Clay’s teenage daughter, Hazel; Austin Stowell as Sawyer’s cousin, Kyle; Austin Highsmith as Winter’s lead trainer, Phoebe; and Oscar® winner Morgan Freeman (“Million Dollar Baby”) as Dr. Cameron McCarthy. The film also features Bethany Hamilton as herself.
“Dolphin Tale 2” is produced by Oscar® nominees Andrew A. Kosove and Broderick Johnson (“The Blind Side”), together with Alcon President of Worldwide Marketing, Richard Ingber, and Steven P. Wegner. David Yates and Robert Engelman served as executive producers.
“Dolphin Tale 2” will be available on Blu-ray Combo Pack for $35.99 and includes the film in high definition on Blu-ray disc, a DVD, and a digital version of the movie in Digital HD with UltraViolet. Fans can also own “Dolphin Tale 2” via purchase from digital retailers.
SYNOPSIS
The inspiring true story of Winter isn’t over. Several years after receiving a prosthetic tail, Winter loses her surrogate mother, leaving her alone, grieving and unwilling to engage with anyone, even her best human friend, Sawyer. Worse, she may have to be moved from her home at the aquarium due to regulations requiring dolphins to be paired. When Dr. Clay Haskett and his dedicated team can’t find her a companion, it looks like they may lose their beloved Winter…until an unexpected turn of events brings them Hope.
BLU-RAY AND DVD ELEMENTS
“Dolphin Tale 2” Blu-ray Combo Pack contains the following special features:
· Dolphin Tale 2: Underwater Magic Dolphin Tale 2: True Story
· Look Who’s Running The Show
· Bethany Hamilton Meets Winter
· Dolphin Tale 2: The Mission
· Cozi Zuehlsdorff – “Brave Souls”
· Gavin DeGraw – “You Got Me”
· Blooper Reel
“Dolphin Tale 2” Standard Definition DVD contains the following special features:
· Dolphin Tale 2: True Story
DIGITAL DISTRIBUTION ELEMENTS
On December 9, “Dolphin Tale 2” will be available for streaming and download to watch anywhere in high definition and standard definition on their favorite devices from select digital retailers including Amazon, CinemaNow, Flixster, iTunes, PlayStation, Target Ticket, Vudu, Xbox and others. “Dolphin Tale 2” will also be available digitally on Video On Demand services from cable and satellite providers, and on select gaming consoles.
ABOUT DIGITAL HD WITH ULTRAVIOLET
*Digital HD with UltraViolet allows fans to watch a digital version of their movie or TV show anywhere, on their favorite devices. Digital HD with UltraViolet is included with the purchase of specially marked Blu-ray discs. Digital HD with UltraViolet allows consumers to instantly stream and download movies and TV shows to TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones through UltraViolet retail services like CinemaNow, Flixster, Target Ticket, VUDU and more. For more information on compatible devices go to wb.com/ultravioletdevices. Consult an UltraViolet Retailer for details and requirements and for a list of HD-compatible devices.
BASICS
PRODUCT SRP
Blu-ray Combo Pack $35.99
DVD Amaray (WS) $28.98
Standard Street Date: December 9, 2014
DVD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
BD Languages: English, Latin Spanish, Canadian French
DVD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French
BD Subtitles: English SDH, Latin Spanish, Parisian French
Without making my message seem illegitimate by using too many exclamation points and phrases in italics, I would like to communicate that I feel very passionate about this movie. I very strongly advise you to take your young son to see this movie immediately.
Yes, immediately…
My fear is that this movie will fly under the radar. I’m not hearing enough people talk about it and that bothers me. No pictures of little boys proudly posing with their parents in front of the movie poster. That’s a problem.
Therefore, I am eager to do my part to urge parents of young boys to go see Big Hero 6 while it is still in theatres; not wait until it hits Redbox.
It’s absolutely worth paying money to see in a theatre; it’s like watching a mesmerizing video game that was turned into a cartoon movie.
And if you’re not as cheap as I am, I would say the 3D version would also be worth the while.
I especially ask you to take your young son to see this movie if, like mine, he is particularly mechanically-minded. If your son’s favorite Ninja Turtle is Donatello, the one who “does machines” according to the classic theme song, then Big Hero 6 is his movie.
If your son easily spends hours at a time crafting his own impressive Lego creations that you yourself could not even imitate, then Big Hero 6 is his movie.
If your son can transform his Transformers in less than half the time you could (and that’s with much practice on your end) then then Big Hero 6 is his movie.
This Disney/Marvel sci-fi/action/super hero/comedy film follows a 14 year-old protagonist named Hiro Hamada (a Japanese-American) living in a futuristic, more Japanese version of San Francisco, called San Fransokyo.
Like most Disney movies, Hiro’s parents both die when he is very young. He is left to live with his aunt; as well as his older brother, who creates a health care companion robot named Baymax, designed to restore the health of the human beings it encounters.
When Baymax realizes this his new young friend, the protagonist Hiro, has become withdrawn from society after, in addition to losing his parents, now loses his older brother, he tries to “heal” the boy.
The level of drama is this particularly high in Big Hero 6. However, the writers were able to seamlessly intertwine this intense theme of “love and loss” into a beautiful masterpiece.
In essence, Big Hero 6 is the Disney boys’ equivalent to Frozen. (It’s not a musical; though it does feature a really cool song by Fall Out Boy.)
However, the plotline of Big Hero 6, while a complete fantasy, is much more viable than Frozen was.
Regarding the “family friendliness” of Big Hero 6, it is ultimately rated PG for intense themes and mild violence.
Here are a few examples of what I mean.
As far as language, there are some phrases I wouldn’t want my 4 year-old son to say, like oh my gosh, what the…? (left unfinished, but implying a potential curse word), darn, and 2 uses of the phrase shut up, but in a sense of “I can’t believe that!”, not “be quiet!”.
You might assume this boy-targeted Disney movie relies on fart jokes for laughs, but that is definitely not the case. Much of the humor is based on the fact that Hiro and his self-proclaimed “nerdy” friends awkwardly transition into unlikely superheroes.
There are no sexually suggestive characters or costumes, nor sexual innuendos either.
However, there are a few references to Hiro (the 14 year-old boy who serves as the protagonist) going through changes as he begins puberty.
The robot tries to explain where hair will begin growing on this boy’s body, by showing him a diagram, but Hiro cuts him off right before he getsthat particular region.
Yet I have no reservations about my son being exposed to any of this.
I actually felt it added to the “family relevance” of this movie. I laughed more because of this, yet I wasn’t embarrassed to watch in front of my 4 year-old son, nor would it if it were 10 years from now; part of my role as his dad is to help usher him into the confusing world of puberty.
Yes, there is peril (danger and mild violence) but no guns are involved. It’s mainly martial arts.
There is only one human death near the beginning of the film, in which a major character (I won’t ruin it for you) is killed by walking into a building that soon explodes.
Other than that, hundreds of micro-robots are destroyed amidst the combat of the good guys and the bad guys… The tiny pellet-shaped robots can take on the form of anything to become a weapon.
My son, who wasn’t trying to be funny at the time when he said this, explained to his Mommy when we got home:
“The bad guy wears a mask and has poop that follows him around.” End quote.
On top of all this, Big Hero 6 contains undeniable Christian themes. I feel that even for me as a grown man, the movie helps answer the question, “Why does God let bad things happen to good people?”
The movie also teaches the importance actively choosing forgiveness over vengeance.
In closing, I strongly endorse Big Hero 6, and if it were up to me, you would take your son to see it this Thanksgiving weekend.
If you have any questions about this movie, I would be more than happy to respond. Thanks for reading my family friendly review of Disney’s Big Hero 6!
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