Saturday, November 12, 2011

Puss in Boots

What a fun way to spend a Saturday afternoon with my kids and a great note with which to return to the blog. An origin tale of revenge and ultimate redemption, it is a delightful mix of fairy tale, Western adventure, and heist films.

Antonio Banderas reprises his role of Puss from the Shrek films. Part cute kitten, part heart breaker, Puss is a player in all senses. His nemesis/love interest is voiced by Selma Hayek and Humpty Dumpty is played by Zach Galifianakis. Yes, I said Humpty Dumpty. Jack and Jill and a Beanstalk make appearances in the film. And if you are looking for any representation of the Puss in Boots we grew up with, good luck. But the film is clever, mostly age appropriate (a few innuendos but far more subtle than those in the Shrek series), and worth the $7 for a child ticket. All in all, I would say "Step Out".



Rating:

Overall:rope rope rope rope rope 3

Age Appropriateness (3 and Up): rope rope rope rope

Adult Enjoyment: rope rope rope rope

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Nanny McPhee Returns on DVD

A worthy successor to the first film, "Nanny McPhee Returns" brings our heroine (the AMAZING Emma Thompson), in all her frizzy-haired, buck-toothed glory forward in time into the Second World War. It is funny and sweet. In fact, both my mother and I cried more than once. My children loved the magic and it kept the interest of both including the three year old. For my full review, go here.

So I would rate this DVD a "Settle In".

Rating:

Overall:rope rope rope rope rope 3

Age Appropriateness (3 and Up): rope rope rope rope

Adult Enjoyment: rope rope rope rope

Monday, December 20, 2010

Cats and Dogs 2: The Revenge of Kitty Galore on DVD

Well the secret agents of the canine and feline world are at it again. This time with a new crew fighting the dastardly aspirations of a hairless cat named Kitty Galore (voiced by Bette Midler). Kitty Galore has her eye on revenge. Revenge against dogs and humans.

This film is a cute if slightly trite send-up of James Bond films, including a gorgeous opening title sequence. For the full review of this mish-mash of classic spy films, go here. Both children enjoyed the film and it maintained the attention of the 3 year old. There was no offensive language and little innuendo. Not so much for the adults so I give it a "Press Play".

Rating:

Overall:rope rope rope rope 3

Age Appropriateness (6 and Up): rope rope rope rope

Adult Enjoyment: :rope rope rope

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Despicable Me on DVD

An old school Adams Family style villain. Adorable yellow minions. Three orphaned girls. A recipe for world domination. Mix them together and what do you get? One terrific film.

"Despicable Me" is one of those rare films that is both funny and sweet. It has humor for the adults without ever becoming inappropriate for children. I simply loved it. Both children enjoyed it. My mother enjoyed it. In short, it was enjoyed by all. For the full review, go here.

It is a definite "Stay Up". We loved this film enough to pay extra for the Blu-Ray pack. Also, amongst the special features are three hilarious short films. So that's bonus for "staying up".

Overall: rope rope rope rope rope 3

Age Appropriateness (School Age):roperoperope rope rope 3

Under 5:roperoperope rope

Child Attention Span:roperoperope rope rope 3


Adult Enjoyment:roperoperope rope rope 3